May 15, 2012 - Minooka Community High School District #111

Peace Pipe Chatter
Annual Journalism I Feature Issue
Volume 97
Edition 14
May 15, 2012
We Are
Young
Student Life
Page 3
Expression
Page 12
Action
Page 17
gGoldd
In this
Issue
2
Designed by PPC Staff
“Welcoming”continued
from page 18
how high school would be if they weren’t
allowed to participate in school sports.
“I would have no new friends, I would
be unhealthy, and I’d be bored everyday
afterschool,” Colleen Coyle, freshman,
cross country and track runner, said.
As a soccer and cross-country coach
herself Leslie Hencinski also had some
comments.
“I wouldn’t have looked forward
to school as much; in high school I
played basketball, softball, and ran cross
country, and track, I was always excited
to see my teammates and compete,”
Hencinski, said.
It’s interesting to look back in time
and see how far women have come. The
girl’s Minooka varsity soccer team has
been fortunate to have been given the
opportunity to go on the Edwardsville
tournament and get other stuff like spirit
wear, because before only the boys had
those opportunities. Sports are a huge
part of schools now and many events
are held to honor the students that are
involved in sports. Before women were
able to cheer, but were never cheered for.
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“Controversy over street art” continued from page 15
“I really like this one where Emiliano
Zapata (leading figure in Mexican
revolution) is holding a light saber. It
looked really cool, but they painted over
it.”
“So what is your overall view on street
art?”
“I don’t mind it at all, some I think is
beautiful, and some are just there.”
Alfred Arroyo Sr.; Local Artist
In a house located in Cicero on the
second floor live Alfred Arroyo Sr. a wellknown artist.
Walking into his room, he stood by his
small kitchen making macaroni and cheese.
“I was just about to eat. Well, you could
ask me whatever you want.”
He sat down with his bowl on his small
table. His room is fairly small, but it has
everything he really needs, which is a
refrigerator, a computer, and his TV.
“How long have you been painting?”
“I’ve been painting since I was 40”
“You’re 88 right?”
“Correct.”
“What kind of art do you do?”
“I do oil on canvas, and my influences
are usually people, whether its family,
politics, or celebrities. I paint a lot of
Mexican and Native American culture as
well.”
“You must know a lot of other artists as
well. Know any who have done murals?”
“I remember four of us did a mural for
a school. I don’t remember what school
though, so this is gonna be difficult for me because I forgot a lot” he chuckled
“But three other artists and I created a
sculpture of a mermaid in 1986, which was
placed in Lake Michigan.”
“So you support street art?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well like murals and graffiti, art you
usually see in the street.”
“Well, I don’t mind murals. But I don’t
really like graffiti art, like gangs and such, I
don’t see anything artistic about it.”
“What about if they have message
behind them? There is a well-known street
artist in England, who calls himself Banksy.
His art is aimed towards the government
and the wrong things they do.”
“Now see, I understand the messages
that the person is trying to get out, but if the
art is going to be there for a little amount of
time I still don’t see anything artistic about
it. Sure, I like the message and the art looks
really good, I’m just not to big on it.”
After thanking him for his time, was still
pretty shocked that he didn’t care much
for street art, but then again, some people
enjoy it and some people don’t like it.
Minooka’s view on street art
In Minooka, there usually isn’t that
much street art, and if there is any, it
is usually just pointless writing which
definitely can be defined as vandalism.
But if the people of Minooka can see
actual street art such as murals, maybe
more people can understand it, instead of
automatically assuming that all graffiti art
is gang related.
“It should be legal, because we’re
forced to look at billboards when we could
rather look at art,” said senior Hector Jasso.
“If the message is good behind it, it’s
art,” younger brother Santiago Jasso,
sophomore, said.
The Peace Pipe Chatter
About the Cover:
Journalism I students include
(from left, top row) Chris Rubio,
Sara Dobbyn, Sofa Medina, Catie
Petric, Adjani Robinson, Ashley
Sveda; (middle row) Ivy Diaz,
Tara Schumal, Alyssa Young,
Kayla Vidano, Lexi Sponseller;
(bottom row) John Anians,
Tyreisha Washington, Mattisen
Walter, Marco Dudckzak, Sarah
Bishop, and Carissa Gutnecht.
e a c e
Minooka Community High School
301 S. Wabena Avenue Minooka, IL 60447
(815) 467-2140 Voicemail: ext 264 mthomas@mchs.net
Editor-in-Chief
Features Editor
Cover Designer
Design Manager
Elaina Bartoli
Aubrey Aspan
Sarah Schimanski
School News Editor
Hayley Younce
Baylee Dibble
A&E Editor
Marketing Team
Sports Editor
Submission Policy:
Aaron Ladsinski, Jacob Lopez, Graham Taylor, Victoria Bavaro, Mallory
Keck, Dutch Nave, Crystal Uribe, John
Walsh, Alexa Bowen
Alexa Bowen
Interactive Editor
Shannon Lawlor
Dutch Nave
Headline Head
Advertising Manager
Opinion Editor
Elliott Johnson
Copy Editors
Hayley Younce, Ali Bagley, Elaina
Bartoli
Katie Jostes
News Editor
Ryan Nelli
Staff Writers
John Walsh, Austin Hough, David
Magnus
Ali Bagley
Mallory Keck
The Peace Pipe Chatter strongly encourages suggestions and/or responses to material printed on its pages.
Letters to the Editor should be submitted to Mr. Thomas’s mailbox or to a Peace Pipe Chatter editor.
While submission does not guarantee publication, PPC staff members will do their best to respond to all
admissions. Submissions will not be returned. All submissions are subject to editing and will not be printed
if they are considered to be inappropriate. They must be signed but may be printed anonymous upon request.
Designers
Staff Photographers
Alyssa Aspan, Sarah Schimanski
Journalism I
John Anians, Sarah Bishop, Ivy Diaz, Sara Dobbyn, Marco
Dudckzak, Carissa Gutknecht, Jeff Klank, Sofia Medina,
Brennan Pagel, Catie Petric, Adjani Robinson, Chris Rubio,
Tara Schumal, Lexie Sponseller, Ashley Sveda, Kayla Vidano, Mattisen Walter, Tyreisha Washington, Alyssa Young
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Designed by Tyreisha Washington
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New school year, new country
By Tyreisha Washington/
Journalism I
Prom is all the rave
“When I got to Minooka, I thought
there would be cuter boys,” Hanami Saya
said disappointingly but amused. “Maybe
more Asians,” she added while laughing at
her own statement.
As she walked the humid, fluorescent
lit gym she was very much deep in thought.
With her hair swaying from side to side
as she walked, she went to get a drink of
water before returning to her teacher.
As the other different gym classes full
of boys and girls walked past her, talking
about the latest gossip and prom, Hanami
found herself thinking about prom also.
“I always dreamed about prom, in Japan
there isn’t a prom. So when I came here
I really was excited to go,” Hanami said
thoughtfully. “I can’t wait.”
After that she walked happily into the
gray and beige locker room with 20 other
girls, eagerly waiting for the teacher to
open it. As she opened it they rushed in to
change and get ready to go home.
Hanami Saya is a foreign exchange
student from Japan. She decided to come
over here, America, her senior year so she
would be able to further her education and
also discover other opportunities.
Too hot to run
The sun was blazing down on the 4B
dance class, at central campus, as they
walked the track outside the school.
Hanami Saya, senior, was very much into
walking the track. Her long black hair,
parted neatly down the middle, swayed
with the wind as she walked. Her skin
very clear, and flushed with pink, began to
glisten from it being so hot outside.
“I can’t wait to get back inside, it’s just
so hot!” Hanami said with her unique and
understandable Japanese accent.
As she walked the black running track,
she talked to many people along the way,
making this mile-long workout more
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enjoyable.
Soon, more kids started to come out
on the track in their gray gym shirts with
orange MCHS letter across the chest, and
their black gym shorts that hang baggily,
touching the knee. Everybody’s face is
filled with much expression of anxiety as
they endured the walk.
By then, Hanami was much more than
ready to go inside. As she put her hands on
her now fully red face, she saw all of her
classmates walking toward the silver gate,
leading them back to the brick school. So
she followed swiftly with everyone else
and hurried along so she wouldn’t get left
behind in her red and white sneakers.
Resource is
boring
Sitting in the room full of posters about
the 1920’s fashion and economy, the air
felt boring and unsuccessfully filled with
students not wanting to spend their extra
time doing work. Ms. Ann Raspky sitting quietly at her desk and typing away,
Hanami and Kayla Jenkins begin to have a
detailed conversation.
“What’s your favorite color?” Kayla
asked playfully.
“Umm I don’t know, I really don’t
have a favorite color, I like every color”,
Hanami said with much enthusiasm.
“Really? Mine is pink, I’m super girly”
“Ha-ha, I can tell”, Hanmai, laughed.
“What did you think of high school
when you got here to Minooka?”
“I was happy, and my old school has
five floors and about 600 kids, so its very
different and I was glad when I got here.”
“That’s good, everyone here is nice and
our school is a lot bigger!” Kayla laughed.
“But like, when did you start to learn
English?” I think that is so cool.
“I learned the English alphabet when
I was five and then I started learning to
speak English at thirteen”, Hanami explained.
“Is English harder or easier than Japanese?” Kayla asked questionably
“Well the writing is easier (English) but
talking is confusing in English. The hardest
Foreign Exchange student, Hanami Saya, poses while holding her English to Japanese
dictionary.
thing is probably memorizing.”
“Yea that’s probably true since in
English there are a lot of terms that have
multiple meanings and I bet that could get
confusing.”
Their conversation abruptly ended when
the loud bell rang, signaling that the class
period was over. The girls quickly grabbed
their notebooks and purses, while heading
toward the door for their next class.
Adjusting from life to life
Japan is one of the leading countries
around the world with literacy rates at
almost 100 percent. They have hardly any
dropout rates and push everybody to get
an education. The school system is much
different than the American system; they
stay in school from April to march of
the following year. However, in America
you start in august and end in May of the
following year. This scheduling, conflicts
with the students who travel abroad like
Hanami. When she gets back to Japan at
the end of the school year, she will still
have another year in school even though
she is a senior here in America.
Also the social aspect of Japan is much
different; everything is much more ingroup like situations. Instead of everyone
working individually in the classroom,
they work in groups, which are very
controlled and monitored, unlike America,
which everybody almost prefers to work
individually.
These things are many of the things
you have to think about when you study
abroad. Like Hanami, adjusting to a new
life and atmosphere isn’t very easy, but it
can also be rewarding and a fun experience.
Foreign exchange students across the
world are traveling to many countries;
experiencing a whole new life, just like
Hanami Saya. She began to have a better
insight on what else the world has to offer.
This also makes her more advanced when
it comes to academics and social skills.
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Designed by Jeff Klank
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An Obsession May
never Leave You
and focus, trying to hit the golf ball 15 feet in a straight line
while not hitting it too hard or too soft can be extremely
difficult.
“It’s all in the hips,” Steve Andreano, freshman, said.
This was said about one of Andreano’s favorite things
to do, practice golf, at the cafeteria table about halfway
through everyone’s lunch.
“I definitely consider golf my favorite sport, it’s pretty
intense.”
“I thought golf was supposed to be relaxing,” Alex
Gugleilmucci, freshman, said.
“That’s what they want you to think.”
“You are one weird kid.”
Most students have something they love to do more
often than they probably should however; they are not really bad things to have. Andreano practices to improve his
game with the hopes of securing a varsity spot and already
has other goals in mind for down the road.
“What’s your favorite part?” Guglielmucci said.
“I have a pretty good short-game so putting is probably my favorite part.”
By Jeff Klank/
Journalism 1
The constant sound of water hitting the bottom of a
glass cup, along with the strong, unmistakable smell of coffee can be very welcoming for some people. The pot emits
a loud beep when it’s finally finished. Then comes the sound
of the coffee being poured into the cup and the addition of a
large spoonful of sugar and some French vanilla cream for
flavor. This can become part of a morning routine that over
time turns into a full-blown addiction.
Obsessions, like coffee, can be both good and bad.
They can be someone’s motivation to achieve something
or get better, or they can be a bad habit that some kids just
can’t kick. One student’s quest to make the varsity golf team
and another’s story of how he realizes he plays too many
videogames shows just how addictive and random kids personalities can be.
Obsession can be defined as “a thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind,” according
to Dictionary.com. This basically sums up what an obsession can be for a student, something that’s always in the
back of their mind so much that it can become senseless and
very important to them.
Making it hard to focus
on anything
The soft hum of the television and Xbox being
turned on can become very common in some houses. With a pop and some chips as a snack, and their
small, brown-haired dog sitting next to them, the
only reason to get up may be to use the bathroom.
Some students like to play video games more than
they should, some students even find it necessary to sit
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Steve Andreano, freshman, takes a minute to smile during his day. Andreano enjoys playing golf in his free
time in an attempt to improve.
down and play as soon as they get home, this could be an
example of an addiction to something that is not as beneficial as continuously playing golf, among others.
Swish! The sound of a driver being swung as a golfer
takes his fifth practice swing in a row. It started out as soon
as he stepped foot in his garage, switching his school shoes
for his golf shoes then fetching his driver, three iron, and
wedge. Practicing almost continuously for an hour hitting
tiny white golf balls until it’s time to practice putting. Putting is much more gentle and takes a lot of concentration
Andreano has a desire to get better and so he’s obsessed
with practicing to do so. Whether he goes home and practices, reads about it in school, or thinks about it before he
goes to bed, it may almost always be somewhere in his
mind.
Overall, an obsession can be something that someone
enjoys doing and may do just a little bit too much. However,
this is usually not a bad thing. To some people, these actions
may seem a little bit crazy, but if you were the one doing it,
you would think it was weird not, too.
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Designed by Brennan Pagel
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The RIse Of Jake SMith
By Brennan Pagel/
Journalism 1
Insight During Lunch
Black Air Jordan flip-flops cover his
12-sized foot, with black Under Armor
socks reaching half a foot up his calf
that tightly flexes every time he leaps off
the ground to swoosh a mid-range jump
shot. White shorts with a gray stripe and
a burgundy stripe right down the side are
attached to his hip and bounce after every
dribble. The ground underneath him is a
tan slab of pavement at Four Seasons Park
in Shorewood that shows it’s age. Shards
of green grass pull towards the sky and surround Jakes sanctuary that is the basketball
court.
Jake Smith is a sophomore who has
one passion in life and that’s basketball.
With a dad and two older brothers, Smith
has been around basketball his entire life.
As a sophomore things Smith has already
accomplished are making the varsity team,
having a 31 point game, and making it deep
into the Morris Jen Monty tournament.
Making varsity as a sophomore and
practicing for hours a day over the summer,
his skills have only just developed. Jake
Smith is a sophomore who’s on the rise to
becoming one of Minookas most influential
and dominant players on the team.
Sitting at the lunch table, sophomores,
Jake Smith and Chris Swellenbach engage
in a conversation about Jakes basketball.
“How are you so good at basketball?” asks
Swellenbach.
“I don’t know, I just picture my shot going
in and usually it does,” says, Smith.
“I wish shots would just fall in for me
“What’s your best shot?” says Swellenbach.
“That’s tough to say, but probably anything mid-range.”
He is Unstoppable!!
When questioned about how it is to play
with Smith, a sophomore on the basketball
team, Adam Alexander had nothing but
bracelet that simply has star prints going around the entire thing. A silver chain
sits around his neck, with a cross hanging at the end of it. His shirt is a shade of
Minooka orange and states his nickname,
Smitty, in white on his back. Tall and thin,
his stroke is long and smooth like that of
the famous NBA star, Kevin Durant. Just
before every shot he puts up, he slightly
kicks out his right foot to support him just
as he leaves the ground.
The net makes nothing but a swooshing
sound as every shot falls right in the middle
of the iron circle. His breath becomes
heavier after over a half hour of practicing
and the smell of sweat is beginning to fill
the air. Subconsciously, after every three
to four shots he wipes his hands on his
basketball shorts to ensure the perfect grip.
From the under armor socks to a small lime
green bracelet, all of this makes up what is
an unstoppable force, Jake Smith.
Future Reflections
With two seasons to go and already playing for varsity, Smith has a long way to go
before he’s at the peak of his talents. If he
stays at the rate of improvement that he
has for the past two years, then Minooka
may want to get ready to see a state trophy
brought home. With his sights set on helping the basketball team succeed, Smith is a
force to be reckoned with.
After working hard all season, Smith celebrates winning the conference tournament with his
Faking left and breaking right, Smith makes
a move on an opponent in order to get open.
when I pictured it.”
“Well, I also practice almost everyday over
the summer”
“It’s safe to say that I shoot over 100
shots from one place when I go to the gym,”
continues Smith.
positive things to say about his work ethic.
“Jake shows a ton of determination
on the days we have games and has a ton
of intensity at practice,” says Alexander.
Smiths’ intensity was caught at practice.
Around his wrist is a bright lime green
Putting his shoes over the vent, Smith
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Designed by Sarah Bishop
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Making A difference: KONY 2012
By Sarah Bishop/
Journalism I
It was an abnormal day in room 220 of
South Campus when Mr. Mark Brown’s
class sat in groups of four with markers
in their hands and poster boards on the
floor, trying to come up with creative
masterpieces to draw on the blank white
posters.
Freshman Brittany Baker sat on the
floor, her legs crossed and a black crayon in
her hand, outlining the bubble letters on her
poster board that spelt out, “KONY.”
KONY 2012 is a mission to bring
Joseph Kony to justice. Kony abducts
children from Uganda and forces them
to fight in his army. The children he
abducts are given the name, “The invisible
Children.”
Kony, who became a household name
when a video about him went viral on
the Internet this year, is wanted by the
International Criminal Court for crimes
against humanity. He and his group are
accused of killing and maiming villagers,
abducting children and turning them into
soldiers or sex slaves, acorrding to CNN.
The children from Uganda live in fear
every day of being abducted while they are
asleep. No child should have to live in this
fear, and that’s why MCHS is supporting
this cause by getting the word out to the
community.
History In The Making
It was quite in the room, with everyone
focusing on getting their poster done there
wasn’t much room left for small talk. The
only noises heard were the faint sound of
birds chirping from the window cracked
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open and the Beatles “All You Need Is
Love,” playing softly from the speakers of
Brown’s laptop.
You could feel the cool Spring breeze
in the classroom and feel the sun shining
though the opened window. It was beautiful
outside. The kind of day that made you
want to be anywhere but in school.
But everyone seem relatively content
with the fact that they were forced to be
in stuffy classroom on a Friday afternoon
making posters to support a cause
thousands of miles away in Africa.
There’s something intriguing about
being part of something that makes a
difference.
“Better late than never”
The topic of the notorious KONY
moves from the classroom to the bus as
sophomore Gabby Muir and freshman
Haley Domisch discuss their opinions with
each other among the usual chatter filing
the bus.
“All I know is that he takes children
from Uganda and makes them fight in wars
and kill their parents,” said Domisch.
“He’s a war criminal.”
“I think people should know what their
supporting before they go all crazy KONY
2012,” said Muir.
“Yeah, they should go out and get more
educated on what their supporting before
they dive in.”
“And besides, this has been going on for
a long time..”
“Like four years right?”
“Yeah, about. But anyway, just
because this guy, (Jason Russell) makes a
facebook page about it doesn’t make him a
socialite.”
“And why is it schools responsibility to
This photo shows a group of hand drawn posters made by some of the freshman students in
their World Cultures class. Two posters read the now well known saying, “Make Him Visible.”
get the word out? With all our social media
and leaders the word should have been out
a long time ago for a problem that’s been
going on for years.” said Muir.
“But better late than never.”
Get The Word Out
MCHS is not the only high school
making efforts to bring this issue into the
spotlight. And many efforts are being made
by officials in the US and Uganda.
“In order for Kony to be arrested this
year, the Ugandan military has to find him.
In order for them to find him, they need
the technology and training to find him in
the vast jungle. That’s where the American
advisors come in. But in order for the
American advisors to be there, the US
government has to deploy them. They’ve
done that, but if the government doesn’t
believe that the people care about arresting
Kony, the mission will be canceled. In
order for people to care, they have to know,
and they will only know if Kony’s name is
everywhere,” said Jason Russell, the maker
of the Mission: KONY 2012 video that has
been viewed over a million times.
The “Cover the Night” event, was held
April 20th, to raises KONY awareness, the
purpose of the event was to cover major
cities like Chicago and New York with
posters and banners of KONY. Their Hopes
were to get the word out to the people who
are still unsure of what “Mission KONY
2012” is.
Contributions are continuing to be made
at MCHS in an effort to keep the word
about KONY 2012 alive to young high
school students.
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Designed by Catie Petric
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G.L.E.E. Clubs are No
Longer Just For Singing
BY Catie Petric/journalism I
Finding Light in a
Dark Place
When in high school, everything seems
magnified. Every detail of any normal
student is put in a spotlight, and when or
if that student does not fit the mold set up
by high school “society,” they can feel
as though they are nothing. In many high
schools, being different is frowned upon,
especially when different means gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
Being gay, lesbian, or bisexual during high school can be harsh, and hard to
deal with, but when a high school can find
a group of people who would rather help
than hurt, and come together rather than
pull apart, a whole new high is set. That is
the G.L.E.E. club of MCHS.
“I’m not personally gay, or lesbian
for that matter, but I have friends that are,
and I don’t understand why people discriminate the way they do,” Judith Belcher,
freshman and G.L.E.E. Club member, said.
one Else, is a safe haven for any gay or
bisexual high school student, as well as
straight people who support and accept
acceptance, and how they are strong and
beautiful individuals, no matter the gender
preference they may have.
At a recent G.L.E.E. club meeting,
Catching the Light
Lighting the Candle
For many years, however, gays, lesbians, and bisexual high school students have
been discriminated and bullied against by
their fellow students. In 1998, the Gay
Straight Alliance was founded in the SanFrancisco Bay area in hopes to try and
help gays, lesbians, and bisexual students
feel safer and to build a more comfortable
place for these students. From G.S.A., the
G.L.E.E. club was born.
At MCHS, the G.L.E.E Club, which
stands for Gays, Lesbians, and Every-
off within the dull, white brick walls of
an average-sized high school classroom.
There, everyone was normal. Everyone
was okay, and everything was all right.
Members of the club not only accepted
themselves for who they were, but accepted
every other member for who they were as
well. A lot of the meeting is just talking to
every other student, and listening if they
needed someone to listen. The G.L.E.E
club was not created to sit and sulk over the
sad and depressing times; it was created to
make any and all students who are different, feel as though labels no longer exist,
thus providing a “home” for them.
The students in the MCHS G.L.E.E. Club sponsered the Day of Silence on April 20, 2012. The
day before the 20th, they handed out purple ribbons signifying the Day of Silence. A student
seen here, is representing the Day of Silence with her purple ribbon.
the different types of sexual preferences.
G.L.E.E. meets to hang out and talk about
upon walking into the meeting room, there
was this sort of comforting vibe given
“I love being a part of something bigger
than me,” Belcher said.
“Everything’s bigger than you, Juju,”
Taylor Lynn, freshman and G.L.E.E. Club
member, said.
“No, not what I mean Taylor… you
make no sense,”
“Oh, well, SOOOOORRRRYYYY!”
“No, it’s cool,” Belcher, replied.
Even though many students agree with
what G.L.E.E. is doing, and what they
stand for, they are not members of the club.
I talked to a couple members about why
they love being a part of G.LE.E.,
“It makes me feel good knowing that
I am going to be a part of bettering this
school, and helping students feel loved,”
Lynn said.
“G.L.E.E.” Continued on
page 16.
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Designed by Ivy Diaz
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The Real ‘Justice League’
By Ivy Diaz / Journalism 1
Modern day heroes are just like your
average Joes. They’re hidden and kept out
of plain sight unless they want to be found.
Basically it’s as if all of these heroes own
their own invisibility cloak to through over
themselves as Harry Potter does.
People around the world these days truly
don’t know how to recognize a hero when
they see one. These modern day heroes are
unlike the heroes betrayed in movies and
have many favorable traits such as compassion, intelligence, and inspiration. Modern
day heroes can be found anywhere from
the postal carrier who brings the mail to the
doctor who looks after your health. They
help you in ways you don’t even recognize
and rarely get rewarded for it. Truly they
are the unsung heroes.
Dear Superman, Flying Can’t Just
Save You
Out of 50 MCHS freshman surveyed,
32% of students find that compassion is
the most valuable trait found within a hero.
However, 18% found that being brave the
most important trait, and 14% believe that
strength is.
“I would have to say that compassion
is the most important trait because without
it the hero would have no drive to succeed
or help anyone in that matter,” Sydney
Hanchett, freshman, said.
Although 38% of the freshman population claims that their parents are their
biggest heroes, 16% have no clue who their
hero is. Another 38% of students have a
hero other than their family members.
“My biggest hero has to be my parents
as they helped inspire me to stay strong
even when you can’t stay strong anymore,”
Lizzie Boeringa, freshman, said.
As much as 34% of the students choose
their hero just based on the fact that they
admire them, while 30% said that they
want to be exactly like their hero. Regard-
May 15, 2012
less of these numbers, 12% of the freshman
still said that they have no clue why their
hero is their hero and 24% have another
reason why their hero is their hero.
“My mom is the hero in my life as she is
a very good role model for what I aspire to
be when I’m older and that’s why she’s my
hero,” Robin Brown, freshman, said.
Question: Who’s your biggest hero?
Batman’s Not the Only One Who
Can Hide
Heroes are usually always “incognito”
and disguised to look like everyone else
in a crowd. To be honest, chances are that
while you were walking today you passed
a few modern day heroes and didn’t even
realize it regardless of where you were.
Although don’t feel bad for not recognizing
them, most heroes like to camouflage into
the shadows and stay out of the spotlight
unlike stereotypical movie heroes.
In fact, Ms. Kathy Lunskis happens
to be the biggest hero selected from the
surveyors at MCHS at 27%. Lunskis is
a World Cultures teacher and an Honors
World History teacher at South campus
who has a love for history, Harry Potter,
and the Titanic. Recently engaged, this
shorthaired, young teacher knows how to
make history class fun for everyone. She
has a different approach to teaching and her
projects help show her support for learning and teamwork. All of the freshmen that
have her as a teacher always look forward
to her class as she connects with them one
by one and she provides a safe haven for
history nerds and other students alike.
Both the real life modern day heroes and
the stereotypical movie heroes, however,
both like to make a difference in the world.
The main difference is that you won’t find
the modern day heroes to dash through the
cities with a skin-tight costume, a fullyweapon-equipped transforming car, or a
matching billowy cape. All in all, a hero is
unique to each and every one of us.
Paige Franzen, freshmen.
Answer:
~“My Mom”
Lizzie Boeringa, freshmen.
Answer:
~“My parents”
Josh Bouie and Aly Isrealson, freshmen.
Answer:
Bouie~“Martin Luther King Junior”
Isrealson~“Derrick Rose”
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Designed by Tara Schumal
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Role models taking over, one bad action at a time
By Tara Schumal /
Journalism 1
“Linds, over here!”
“Lilo, we got a quick question!”
“La Lohan, what’s up with the DUI,
girl?!”
The press hurl over her under the
midnight sky like a swarm of bees for the
ancient rare honey. But they’re not there
for a quick sting; they’re there for the hardcore answers that are ruining her life. As
she steps out of the second nightclub in one
night, being Hollywood’s party girl, she
casually tries not to make eye contact.
She’s spacing herself from the world,
been doing it for years, knowing that
saying one word to the press is the worst
idea in the world. Standing at 5’5”, she
continues on pretending not to see or
even hear them yelling her name. Life
goes on right? No. She heads home to her
apartment she’s sharing with her BFF in
California. Not even considering college
due to the fact of being famous since the
age of three; this girl loses it all within a
few years.
Lohan on the Loose
Going from a Disney star to an almost
near death experience in a matter of years,
she shrugs it off and moves on. Mistake
after mistake, DUI after DUI since 2007,
and theft of an expensive necklace still
hasn’t truly hit her yet. Why? It’s because
she keeps continuing, and if it weren’t for
her million-dollar salary on movies, she
would be in jail right now. And sadly, at
one point of time, you looked up to her and
have seen at least two of her many movies.
From the sweet cute little teen in Parent
Trap to turning down major movie parts to
party as a “mature adult” and drink under
age, Lindsay Lohan has changed, big time.
And that’s only the start of it.
Role Models Change
Not giving a care in the world, movie
stars like Lindsay Lohan are being
publicized for their crazy parties and drug
addictions, and sadly million of people
worldwide would rather read about their
“popular” schemes then read about the
Noble Peace Prize Winners. Bad role
models like these are now thought of as the
role models to look up to. The problem is,
what’s considered a role model?
According to dictionary.com, a role
model is “a person whose behavior,
example, or success is or can be emulated
by others, especially by younger people.”
Which is right of course, we would look
up to role models but some role models
change fast and is it worth it to look up to
them anymore?
Role Models Should
Have Character
At the south cafeteria, a freshman girl
sits with her friends. She announces she is
thinking about writing a paper on Snooki,
“Oh my gosh, I absolutely love her!,”
Megan Lewis, freshman, announced just
seconds later.
“Sounds cool,” Liz Machetta, freshman
chimed in.
“Well, would you consider her a role
model in any way, good or bad?” the
potential author asks.
“Pshh, no,” Lewis blurted out.
“Then why do you guys love her so
much?”
“We like to watch her make bad choices
and laugh at her for it,” Sam Carbone,
freshman, stated with a laugh.
“Yeah, she messes up a lot, poor
Snooki.” Lewis sighed.
“Do you think anyone looks up to her?”
“Well they do have the Snooki poof
& the Snooki Snuggie, so I guess so, but
reality T.V. is basically for entertainment,”
Ivy Diaz, freshman suggested.
“You think there’s someone out there
who actually looks up to her?”
“Well I’m sure there is but they must be
crazy,” Lewis said.
Influencing Others
People say, a role model isn’t just
someone who makes all good choices and
you look up to. They make mistakes, but
they know how to change their life around
and learn from their mistakes.
After several probation violations and
three accidents in a matter of two years,
Lohan hasn’t been cleaning up her act
lately. But after hearing Judge Stephanie
Sautner tell her, “The only terms for you
are for you to obey all laws. You don’t need
to come to court anymore,” Lohan pranced
out of their room like she just won the
lottery of half a billion dollars. Whether she
actually listens to the judge or not, she’s
practically clean from mostly everything
she has done. People still look up to here,
because she’s famous and she’s “cleaning
up her act.” But is she really?
The Bad Beats The Good
It’s sad to say, when asked around
no student knows Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
Leymah Gbowee, or Tawakkol Karman.
Every student was stumped like a trick
question such as how many hours old are
you. These three women were 2011 Nobel
Peace Prize Winners, all focusing on
Women’s Acts and Rights. Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf was the President of Liberia and
Leymah Gbowee lived in Liberia and
helped out. Tawakkol Karman is a Yemen
journalist who joined political groups. Each
of these three women were awarded “for
their non-violent struggle for the safety
of women’s rights to full participation
in peace-building work.” When Lindsay
Lohan and these three women were
searched on Google, Lohan had 217 million
results, Sirleaf had 2 million 130 thousand
results, Gbowee had 115 thousands results,
and Karman had 649 thousand results.
Lohan had millions of more hits than these
three combined. Does this mean that
Lohan is more important than Peace Prize
winners or that she’s more “popular?”
Who’s Your Favorite Famous/Celebrity Role Model?
Casi Fernandez, freshman,
says “Taylor Swift!”
Madie Valentino, sophomore, says
“Karlie Koss.”
Michael Crnkovic,
sophomore, says
“Atony Robles. He’s
a wrestler who won
the 2010-11 NCAA
individual Wrestling Championship
in the 125 pound
weight class despite
being born with one
leg.”
John Callahan, freshmen,
says “Justin Bieber!”
Julia Goggins, freshman, says
“Adam Levine.”
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Designed by Alyssa Young
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“I can’t think—red and orange and—,”
Winter said.
By Alyssa Young/
Journalism I
That’s “RAW”
According to About.com, 75% of
women dye their hair.
Hot Topic is considered dark and scary
to some and few don’t even dare to enter.
Among the graphic and band tees, the
colorful jeans, and outgoing jewelry is this
store’s character. It is daring and unafraid.
The temporary hair dye brand RAW is
sold in this store.
Small shelves within all the merchandise
hold the cylinder shaped bottles of every
shade of every color.
This is where sophomore Lexi Sponseller buys her “True Blue” hair day.
“When I dye my hair, I feel like life is
more fun,” Lexi said.
It’s About
Individuality
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple,
and pink. All normal colors, until you put
them in your hair.
Walking down the hallways in MCHS,
much like any other high school, there
are many girls who have dyed their hair.
A select few of these are girls have dyed
their hair colors of the rainbow. These girls
express themselves and stand out. It’s about
individuality for them, and they don’t care
what type of attention they receive.
Twenty people who have had colors of
the rainbow in their hair were surveyed at
MCHS. Of these 20 people, 40% of the
time their hair was dyed one time and one
color. Red, blue, and purple are the most
popular colors to dye; each color has been
dyed 65%. The least color dyed was yellow
at 10%.
The So-called
“Scene” Kids
Walking into the room in the apartment
where junior Erin Loomis and her dad live,
the tan beads are being pushed out of the
way, and the red glaring light is switched
on.
Four girls are talking about their hair
being dyed.
Erin enters the rooms and sits on a folding chair in the middle of the room facing
the black futon. Her skin is pale against
her dark, dyed black hair. Her lips curve up
ward, pink. Her eyes gleam brown.
Winter Lucas, junior, follows her in.
M ay 1 5 , 2 0 1 2
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All Blue
Everything
Lexi Sponseller, sophomore, lies in the grass in the middle of her backyard with her dyed blue.
Her newly pierced smiley is in pain. Her
face has a light natural tan framed by her
deep, long dyed red hair, which she puts up
into a bun, or “bam-bam,” as they would
often call it. She sits on the far left end of
the futon.
Later, Olivia Walker, freshman, enters
with her boyfriend Phil.
Her hair is dark brown and flows into
choppy bangs with bleach blonde hiding
underneath. Her blue-green eyes like the
sea stand out from her white skin.
And he has light brown hair and slightly
tanned skin with dark brown eyes.
The two sit on the futon, Olivia in the
middle next to Winter and Phil to the left.
Colors and
Sparkles
“I’ve dyed my hair a lot of colors... .
…I’m just gonna say the rainbow because
I’ve dyed my hair like every color there
is... ,” Erin said.
“But not actually in rainbow,” Olivia
said.
“Not actually rainbow in my hair just
like separately,” Erin said.
“I dyed my hair sparkles—for the forth
of July. It was silver and sparkly like a
coin… ,” Olivia said.
“It’s been a lot of colors,” Winter said.
“Name your colors, Winter,” Erin said.
In the grey-blue bathroom with killer
whales lining the walls, Lexi begins to dye
her hair.
She puts half of her hair up into a ponytail, so that she can dye the under layer of
her hair.
The dye splatters all over the sink and
covers her hands, dying them to match her
hair.
The Milwaukee Brewers baseball shirt
she wears is as true blue as her hair.
She leaves the dye in for 20 minutes before washing it out to unveil the outcome.
Lexi loves it!
“I feel that when I dye my hair colors
it makes me a happier person and I have a
better outlook on the world,” Lexi said.
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple,
and pink, Lexi has had them all.
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Designed by Carissa Gutknecht
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Let IT Rain, Let it Pour,Don`t Let It Sun Anymore
By Carissa Gutknecht/
Journalism 1
I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day, but
do you really, when you’re in school? Do
you work better when you have actual
sunshine and warmth or when you have
a cloudy day with chills going from your
head to your toes?
Waking up in the morning with clouds
covering the sun makes the area dark and
gloomy. Getting ready for school in the
morning people would rather a sunny day
to wake them up.
Who cares what the weather is like?
Some people do, and their health can
change just because of what it is like
outside.
No one thinks that the weather can
change his or her attitude at all, but inside
it could be. There is a thing called seasonal
affective disorder and it happens in teens or
early adulthood. People who live in places
that have longer winter nights. This disor-
students are dyeing to get out and do something that doesn’t have to do with school.
Rain, Rain Please Don’t Go Away
Some students find it very fascinating
when there is a rainstorm while they are in
school. They want to get out of their seats
and look or block out their teachers and
look at the dark clouds rolling in. for other
students they love the sunshine beaming in
and hitting their skin. Most students would
prefer to have a rainy day because they can
wear their hoodies and so that they wont be
missing out on the nice weather while they
are in school.
Getting up for school is never easy,
especially when it is cold outside. Walking outside when it is only 40 degrees out
makes your muscles feel stiff.
At a corner bus stop everyone has his
or her sweatshirt or jacket on. No one feels
like talking because they are too worried
about warming up. There area groups huddling together and having their backpack
blocking the terrible wind that came from
the east.
“Oh my gosh, its so cold. I didn’t even
want to get out of my bed and go to school
this morning,” Brittany Hebeda, freshman,
says.
With the weather being in the high 70’s
and 80’s the spring cool down hit people
like a brick wall. No one expected and no
one really wanted it.
Ice, Ice Baby
Esmeralda Mantesinos, freshman, starts out
the window on the bus after a long day at
school. The sun beats sown on her.
der is also called “SAD”.
Most people who have depression have
a higher chance of getting the seasonal disorder. This can relate to students because
when it rains students are more interested
in the storm than the actual lesson. When
it is warm, bright, and sunny out most
With the air conditioning at the school
and having the cooler weather it is harder
for students to keep warm and focus when
they are focused on finding a way to get
warm and fast.
On another account in a science
classroom with the air particularly blasting slightly more than other classrooms it
makes the room cold.
The talk that is going around it what
is to come next week, which is nothing
because of Spring Break.
“Is Spring Break next week?” Grant
Ferband, freshman, says.
“Yea, it actually starts this
weekend,” Ms. Alexa Tancil,
science, says.
“Man, I hope that it is
nice out or I’m going to be
mad. I also don’t want it to
rain at all.”
The warm up in the winter
caught many by surprise, and
then when the warmer weather came in the spring most of
us were all okay with it.
More were focused in
class because they were
happy about the sun shining
Mr. Michael Denson, social studies, holds an umbrella
bright and the air conditionwhile the sun is shining just outside his room. The sun
ing having a purpose, which
was so bright it put him in a good mood.
makes us feel like we are in
summer. Students are also more
school than having the sunshine. They
comfortable when they are wearing their
would like to space out and look at the
shorts and not the skin tight jeans or old
rainfall. That’s when they don’t pay attensweatpants.
tion to their teachers.
“When its raining out my mind wouldn’t
Decisions, Decisions
be wandering around of what I could be
When there are thunderstorms when
doing outside,” Gabby Orlando, freshman,
kids are at school there seems to be more
said.
interest in the rain itself and not the lesson.
For Jess Karlow, freshman, thought that
People usually take the time to stop what
when it is sunny out your eyes are open
they are doing and watch what they see all
more. But also says that she doesn’t pay
the time when they are at home.
attention when there is a storm going on.
With a few acceptations most people
Their feelings are different when the
do better in warmer weather than cold
weather pattern is different. The answers
weather. For one person she prefers the
were mostly all the same with when it is
cold than the warm. She feels that the cold
sunny or warm out then they are generally
makes you wake up faster.
happier and energetic but when it is cold or
“It`s easier to put layers on than to take
sometimes rainy they have a depressed or
them off,” Shannon O`Halloran, freshman,
sad feeling. Their depressed feeling with
said.
the rain is usually when they are at home.
Other people think that the warm can
“I think that when it does rain it makes
help with a lot of things. The warmth
the day go by longer,” Gabriella Campbell,
people say is not to hot and not to cold.
freshman, said.
People’s opinions don’t change when the
People do really think the same way
seasons change.
sometimes. Some people prefer to have
“I cant operate my fingers when Im
warm sunshine and then some prefer to
cold,” Gabby Orlando, freshman, said.
have the cooler rainy weather. Either way
“When its warm out it reminds me of
the weather can affect how we act of even
not being in school,” Micaela Cavins,
feel. A lot of people have feelings toward
freshman, said.
the weather but not as bad as some other
When asked the majority of people
people do.
would want it to rain while they were in
M ay 1 5 , 2 0 1 2
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Designed by Lexi Sponseller
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open up the outdoors
and go explore!
tension in the room during the conversation.
A good amount of Americans go to
national parks every year. In 2010, 281 million Americans visited national parks.
“I love being outside I always feel so
care free and happy,” said sophomore Emily Gonzalez.
Many students say that they get an equal
amount of being outside and inside.
“I go outside just as much as I am
inside and I like it at an even amount
like that,” said, sophomore, Ashley Rex.
But some don’t like the outdoors, “being
outside is boring and id rather be inside
with my friends chillin like a villan,” said
sophomore Angelica Faith-Highfill.
By lexi Sponseller/
journalism 1
Realization
The outdoors really brings a sense
of peace to a person. The first actual live
transmission on television was in October
of 1925 but it was introduced to the world
in the year of 1926 by a man by the name
of John Baird. A walk in the park, playing
on the play ground, and simply lounging are things people did before T.V. Our
society now chooses to be indoors playing
video games and being on the computer
rather than being outside and feeling the
Actualization
A chestnut brown horse from Kings Ranch in Kingsville, Texas is
grazing on some soft wet grass.
Biesack, senior.
“I on the other hand dislike the
outdoors because I like my electronics
I play my PS3 all day everyday!” said,
Olson, junior.
A view off the rocks laying calmly in the welcome center in Louisiana right on the border
These two have very different views
of Texas.
on the outdoors and indoors.
“I love to hunt and go mudding and
sun tickle your skin or the wind in your
have fires at my house my family owns a
hair.
lot of land so I get the opportunity to do
I talked with two MCHS students one
those things that I enjoy, oh and fishbeing Maxwell Biesack, his views on the
ing is another thing that is a hobby of
outdoors are positive towards it. The other
The sun is setting in Donna, Texas.
mine I’m on the Minooka Anglers Club
student was Alex Olson and his outlook
(MAC),” said Biesack.
get all muddy that’s dumb,” said Olson
towards the outdoors are negative and he’s
“Yeah but playing Call Of Duty is much
They basically disagreed like this on the
more of an indoors kind of guy.
more fun than sitting out in the hot sun or
whole subject itself. It was a subject they
I enjoy being outdoors it’s relaxin’ and
on a boat bored or bummed out if you don’t
did not agree on at all there was some small
it helps me get my frustrations out,” said
get a fish or deer and who would want to
M ay 1 5 , 2 0 1 2
Pros about the outdoors are fresh air
and breeze on your skin caressing you,
being physically active, and having good
health. Pros about the indoors are slim to
none playing video games or television
would be some of those few.
Cons on the outdoors are slim the outdoors keep you healthy and active, and
keep you happy and help with getting
vitamin D. Cons about being indoors
is that it isn’t easy to keep your weight
level at a healthy spot, and it is not a fun
thing to play video games all day long
and have no social life.
Result
So, if in the year 1925 the television
wasn’t invented, we, as a society wouldn’t
have a problem with people not using the
resources we have outside.
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Designed by Mattisen Walter
c h a t t e r
UNDISCOVERED MCHS BAND: VESICANT
by
Mattisen Walter /
Journalism 1
FIRST GIG
It is Nov. 18, 2011, in a dark room, at
Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago. The lights
begin to shine down on all the players. The
speakers begin to scream and a beat plays
that listeners know they will never forget.
The music plays so loud that it is deafening
to the ears, but they want it.
The ground starts to move along to the
music and the crowd of 100 starts to cheer
as though they recognize the song. Lyrics
full of emotion and years of experience
flow into the microphone and out into the
people’s ears. The music goes by so fast
that the song only seems a few seconds
long.
The musicians look very familiar to the
crowd like they’ve seen them on the streets
or even one in school. This is how Vesicant
came to be.
ABOUT THE BAND
Vesicant is a death Metal band that started around 2008-2009. They are influenced
by bands like Cancer and Obituary. Their
music is heart pounding and blows people
away. For young musicians, Vesicant could
come to be something big.
GETTING STARTED
It was sixth grade at Troy Middle
School when Aaren Pantke (14) went up to
Sean Chapman and said, “Hey, let’s start a
band.”
So they did and it took them about two
years to find any other players to join them.
Then they got a guy named Joe Walter (22),
out of high school, to join them and he became their bass player. Joe had a nephew,
Julian Walter (19), who plays electric
guitar, and got him to join as well.
Recently, Sean quit the band because he
signed up for a lot of honors classes and
got so overwhelmed with schoolwork that
he had to quit. Now it’s just Aaren, Joe and
Julian.
BAND
PRACTICE
Vesicant’s practices are usually held at
Aaren’s house in his attic. In a practice towards
the end of March, it’s just
Julian and Aaren. Sadly,
Joe couldn’t make it.
The ceiling is narrowed
and there are posters on
the walls of bands like
Rush, Judas Priest, Iron
Maiden, etc. On the ceiling there is a Japanese
flag, a British flag, and
an American flag. There
are about six guitars, one
drum set and a few amps
in Aaren’s attic.
“Julian, have you
written any material
lately?” Aaren said.
“Yes, I’ve been messing around with some
stuff that I think will
sound good,” Julian said.
They start to mess
around with their
The band Vesicant at their first concert in 2011 at Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago. From left Julian Walter, on lead
music and mix it up.
guitar, Joe Walter, on bass guitar, and Aaren Panke, on drums.
They usually talk
about concert experithem,” Julian said.
The band is very serious about their
ences and recent movies they’ve watched.
Aaren nods and there is a long awkward music but can be fun, too.
“We don’t talk that much,” Aaren said.
pause. They start playing a little more,
FACTS
“Yea, we do,” Julian said.
with Aaren on the guitar and Julian on the
They
usually
open
for 80’s bands like
“This is kinda awkward,” Aaren said.
drums.
the
Exciter,
an
old
Canadian
band, and
“You’re making it awkward,” Julian
Aaren said, “It would probably be more
Destruction,
an
old
German
band.
said.
awkward with Sean in the band, though.”
Their musical influences are Cancer,
Julian and Aaren mess around some
Julian and Aaren switch places and they
Obituary,
etc.
more and they talk some more about new
start practicing a fairly newer song that
Aaren
began
to like music when he was
songs and their process of getting it ready
they wrote without the screaming part. The
two
and
his
parents
bought him a drum set.
to perform them.
song was at least three minutes and was
“It
was
like
school
for
me,” said Aaren. He
Julian said, “We write the songs, we
heart pounding.
taught
himself.
practice them--“
“I messed up a little,” Aaren said.
The band’s biggest dream is for Vesicant
“Then we perform them in May,” Aaren
“Me too,” Julian said.
to
get
signed at tour.
said.
“Let’s go to the basement,” Aaren said.
“We take them to Joe’s house and record
m ay 15, 2012
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Designed by Ashley Sveda
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Guardian Angel Prom Fashion Show
By Ashley Sveda/
Journalism I
Running around the small
crowded room of the Joliet Public
Library. Everyone was rushing to
get ready. Hair spray was being
spritzed and perfume loomed over
everyone in a heavy scent mixed
with the sweat and anticipation
of the idea of going on stage and
walking down the runway. Yelling accompanied quickly paced
strides to hurry and get note cards
or to scurry and steam the dresses.
The click clack of heels against
the green carpet was heard and
girls needed last-minute touches
to the bouncy and glistening curls.
Even though this may sound
like a cheerful event filled with
dressed up girls and boys, but a
tragedy is the whole reason this
event is about to be performed.
“One of the hardest parts is
finding reliable volunteers to
help with doing the model’s hair. Every year it seems to come down
to the week before the show when
I feel comfortable where we are
with hairstylists,” said Jennifer
Watgen.
“The second hardest is probably moving all the dresses and
racks over from our storage unit
to Guardian Angel, sorting all
them by size and going through
old ones. Then, moving all of the
shoes, purses, make up and hair
products over as well. Because
I’m a counselor and my days
are usually filled up by running
groups, appointments and meetings during the rest of the time
during the year, I have to make
extra time during my days and
come in on other days to do all of
M ay 1 5 , 2 0 1 2
this preparation for the show so
that also creates a lot of stress and
fatigue during this time of year,”
said, Jennifer Watgen.
had already started before Jennifer had started working with the
program.
“When I started working here,
I was used too! I’ve gained so
much satisfaction and happiness
out of doing the fashion show
because I get to see how much it
can help build a girl’s self-esteem
and confidence,” said, Watgen. Watgen talked about how
much the program has evolved
from just showing off dresses to
something much more.
“Many of the girls who
signed up to be models in the
fashion show were often more shy
or reserved and some were very
nervous and self-conscious about
walking the runway for the first
time, however, once they walked
it and strutted their stuff, you
could see their confidence grow. It’s so rewarding to be able to
have these girls get their hair and
and look beautiful. Even though
there are so many times throughout the years that I just wanted
to pull the plug on it and just felt
overwhelmed by the amount of
work, it’s those girls that keep me
going,” said, Watgen. Action Time
The room was beginning to
quite as the group of teenagers
began to line up and begin. Watgen was rushing for last minute
preparations as a single bead of
sweat slipped down her face.
“Who has her shoes, and did
everyone fill out a note card?”
“Don’t worry Jenn, last year
went amazing and so will this
year,” said, Darlene Bunch, another volunteer from previous years.
Jennifer Watgen is getting prepared at the Joliet Public Library for the
fashion show.
Behind The Scenes
Guardian Angels is a community service for groundwork,
domestic violence program and
sexual assault service center. The
sexual assault service center has
a 24-hour hotline that is available
to provide information and support survivors of sexual violence.
They also have free counseling
available for children and adults
along with medical advocacy, and
prevention education & professional training.
The whole idea of the prom
fashion show or “Prom N’ Aid”
we had our Prom N’ Aid program
already going which allowed for
girls in the community to get a
free prom dress after completing
a Dating Safety class. In order to
do more with all the dresses we
had in storage, I thought it would
be a good idea to have the fashion
show to help promote the Prom
N’ Aid program even more. I
was worried that people may not
realize just how many quality and
stylish dresses we actually had so
it was important to me to get the
word out,” said, Watgen. It has taught me how to handle
pressure and stress more than
Nikki Merriman gets ready for the prom fashion show.
make up done and have beautiful
dresses available for them to put
on and you can just see how excited they are. I’ve had a few girls
tell me they feel like princesses
Holding hands couples squeeze
each other’s hands tightly and
friends give each other last minute
“Prom Fashion
Show” continued
on page 16
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Designed by Christopher Rubio
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The controversy on street art
political icons such as Emilio Zapata, Cesar
Chavez and three other known influential
figures.
There are many of these murals all over
the place, but alongside these beautiful
murals, you could find gang tagging. These
taggings occupy territory for gangs such as
the Bishops and La Raza and many other
recognizable gangs that people are used to
seeing in alley ways, parks, and garages.
by christopher rubio/
journalism1
Paintbrush, markers, crayons, and ink;
these are materials used for producing what
society knows as art, but when a spray can
is thrown in, the word vandalism is often
used. However, there are so many messages
and meanings behind graffiti art such as
world poverty, and political issues. Some
people mistake this kind of art with gang
affiliation, which usually represents territory.
chicago
Chicago, a city filled with art
everywhere. No matter where you are, you
are bound to see some piece of art. Whether
it’s a Marilyn Monroe statue, a mural showing Mexican Independence, or a creative
signature. Some of this art is looked upon
as a waste of space or being very controversial, such as a stencil that was recently
found sprayed on the corners of buildings
of former Governor Rod Blagojevich running away and looking suspicious. Nobody
has caught this artist, but this has been a
very interesting piece of art. Some Chicagoans thought it was funny and an awesome print; others thought it was rude. The
debate over the usefulness of street art has
many perspectives.
what makes street art so controversial,
especially for some of the art presented
to the public that can be pretty graphic.
Aside from the professional art, some are
just simple graffiti. Some people tag their
signature; kind of just to say that they were
there. Of course, a person wouldn’t just
sign their actual name; they usually get
four or five letter word to sign and eventually design. All these kinds of paint can be
found around every corner, some people
really enjoy the sight of them; some people
hate it.
Varieties of Street Art
Street art can be a variety of things,
but is always visual art in a public place,
whether it is the usual graffiti, stencil graffiti, a sculpture, murals, or even stickers.
The reasoning for these kinds of art is to
present territory, show an areas culture, or
something known as “smart vandalism,”
to reveal political and social issues. That is
Pilsen
Pilsen, a neighborhood in Chicago, is a
beautiful area filled with Mexican heritage
that you can easily tell from the murals
and art filling the streets. Traffic is always
hectic, even in the after hours. There is
some gang activity, but lots of people call
it home.
Across the street from St. Pius V
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Ex-governor from Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, was placed on Chicago walls using stencil
graffiti. Its hard to find these now, for a lot of them have been covered up.
Church on 19th and South Ashland Ave. are
outstanding murals that cover the entire
side of an apartment building. If you look
above “John’s Lavenderia” (which is Spanish for Laundromat) you see three murals.
The one on the right has the Virgin Mary
looking over a family, who seem to be in
water. In the faded blue background a man
is putting his hand up to a fence as if he’s
locked out and trying to get in, maybe a
symbol of immigration.
The one in the middle has a purple background and has about 7 different Hispanic
workers. All of their faces are looking toward the right mural. On the bottom of that,
a man is holding out his hand. All the way
to the far left is the final mural on that wall.
On the bottom of it, a teacher is writing
on a chalk board that says “Si se puede,”
which means “yes we can” in English.
Right on top of that are a young woman
and young man wearing their cap and
gown, and above that layer are Hispanic
Little Village
“Lately, it’s been really bad around
here,” said Sal Flores, who referred to
Little Village, which can be found in
southwest side of the Chicago land area.
“About a week ago they shot my friend and
someone also shot a six year old too, kinda
scared to go out now.” Sal took a trip all
the way from Little Village, to Joliet to talk
about street art.
Sitting in the dark blue room, he pulls
out a black book. When the contents of the
book were revealed, inside were different
tags on each page. On every page was a dif
ferent artist, stamping their signature with
a sharpie; some were good, others could be
ignored. A lot were very colorful and big,
and a few had just black lettering. Most of
them were difficult to understand, as if they
had been written in their own language.
Sal has lived in Little Village as long as he
could remember. He sees lots of different
tags, but the ones that stand out the most
are the gang tags.
“I see a lot of stickers too” Flores said.
“Just like, random stickers?”
“Well, more like prints. The one I
usually remember are these two rats I see
around the area.”
“What about murals?”
“The Controversy On
Street Art” Continued on
page 2
16
Designed by Jacob Lopez
P
“Prom Fashion Show” continued from page 14
hugs with squeals of delight.
Lined up one by one in perfect order
the girls and boys give nervous glances
waiting for their cue to begin walking
onto the runway. The music blasting
through the speakers and the sun lowering
behind the trees outside the wide window, creating a dreamy orange red glow
through out the crowded room filled with
friends and family.
“When the show started five years
ago, it was done with about 15 models (most of who were staff, interns
and friends of staff) in the basement of
Guardian Angel. We had approximately
30 people attend our first show,” said,
Watgen.
“ Last year, we were again honored to
partner with the Joliet Public Library, had
about 40 models all from the community,
and a teen girl from a local sexual assault
group shared her story. Overall, around
200 people attended. This year, we were
in the same place, had about 40 models,
and another girl from the local sexual
assault group shared her story about being
sexually assaulted and the impact it had
on her and people around her. No one
really counted how many people were
in attendance; however, we estimated
that over 200 people were in attendance
this year. I look forward to seeing how
much more we can grow in the upcoming
years,” said, Watgen.
The Guardian Angel Prom Fashion
Show has grown from once a small organization to a huge success in helping girls
and boys, grow stronger.
A Sad Story
Every unique person shows strength
and confidence with each stride as they
walked down the runway. During intermission a young girl walking up to the
podium, bravely spills her life’s story to
us.
“After the incident, I had never
‘G.L.E.E.’ continued from page 7
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been able to get happy until I met the
support group. Being with them gave me
hope and made me a stronger person. I’m
grateful because they give me the strength
I normally wouldn’t have had on my
own,” said the girl.
Eyes never once strayed off of the girl
who told her story of struggle; the mood
was stripped of its happiness and filled
with heartache. Confidently, with out
even any trembling hands or wavering
voice, the story was told. As she walked
down the podium steps, the crowd cheers
and claps with passion for such a brave
person.
Watgen explained that within the
last few years some of the children that
participate in the program where shy with
each other at first but once talking to one
another they would open up. Some of the
children she says were able to open up
and find the strength to show their own
stories and difficulties they have experienced in life as well, it’s all about moving
on to happiness from here.
“Together we can make a difference,”
said Erin, the coordinator, said.
The Facts
Every two minutes, someone in the
U.S is sexually assaulted, of that, 38%
of the victims are under the age of 18.
And 90 to 95% of all sexual abuse cases
go unreported to the police, according to
RAIIN.org, one of the largest anti-sexual
violence organizations. The Guardian
Angel Prom fashion show has grown into
a huge success with helping out girls who
have been sexually abused. The Guardian Angel program has given these girls a
place to go to and learn about the safety
against abuse, and a place to go and talk
about the bad experiences they’ve had.
This program has helped them grow
stronger and move on to a better period in
their life.
“I’ve had my fair share of struggles in life,
and although it was never because I was gay,
or lesbian, I can relate to the pain these people
must go through on a daily basis.” Belcher, said.
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‘JV Arrowettes.’ continued from page 20
Getting through the tough times
In order to have a superior team and
season, there are always drawbacks. The
JV Arrowettes had many hardships to their
season, but they all paid off in the end.
“Our team became stressed because
we would have to change our competition
dance because of injuries,” Casi Fernandez,
freshman, said.
During the season, the Arrowettes lost
two of their teammates to injuries. One had
ended up quitting the team because of it,
and one stayed on the team to help with the
competitions and keep the team focused.
“A hard time of the season was cleaning
our dances because it took a lot of time and
aggravation. It needed to be done, but we
hated doing it,” Angela Lezza, freshman,
said.
Cleaning dances and perfecting them
was what every practice after the football
season was about. Cleaning dances means
to go over every dance move in the dance
and fixing them until everyone looks the
same and has it all together with the music.
Having these tough practices had led to a
lot of tension.
“The worst part of the season was when
coach worked us really hard and there became drama between the team members,”
Lizzy Burrs, freshman, said.
Success builds for the Arrowettes
Aside from the negatives, there were a
lot of pleasurable parts of their season.
At their first competition, they had
placed first and qualified for state, while
going into the competition thinking that
they were going to do terrible.
“It felt so awesome qualifying for state.
I felt like we had just won state, but it was
only the beginning,” Jamie Romac, sophomore, said.
Another accomplishment of the JV
poms season was that they won their conference. It was against six other teams and
With the G.L.E.E. Club active at MCHS,
gay, lesbian, and/or bisexual students can now
feel comfort when going through the rough
times they are forced to endure because of their
had been a huge surprise. At that competition they had gotten third in their division
and had never thought that they would
become champions for their conference.
Moreover, the biggest accomplishment
that the team had faced was getting second
in state out of 13 teams. All of their hard
work had paid off and they showed it on
the dance floor.
“It felt amazing getting second in state.
I did not believe it. It felt like we were the
champions,” Burrs said.
“It felt really good. Our goal was to
make top three and we did. It felt especially
good because we beat Downers Grove and
Carl Sandburg,” Romac said.
“All our work we put into it really
showed,” Lezza said.
“We accomplished a big goal,” Sierra
Hilliard, freshman, said.
“I was ecstatic. I felt so accomplished!
We wanted first or second and we got it,”
Kaila Ziech, freshman, said.
Together until the end
All of these times had made an amazing
season to them.
“I loved this season because I got to
know everyone and we are so close now.
We’ve had rough times, but now we are so
close and we are more like a family then a
team. I met so many new people and improved my dancing skills so much, just like
everyone else,” Fernandez said.
The team had learned a lot from their
successful season. They learned a lot of
new dance techniques, how to work as
a team, how to be yourself, how to have
fun, how to dance as a team instead of an
individual, how to work with people, and to
love dancing even more.
“When you’re a team, you learn that you
have to stick together through thick and
thin. Everyone has their ups and downs, but
no matter what we will always be a team!”
Hilliard said.
preferences. The G.L.E.E. Club at MCHS is
able to take the magnified details of each students’ lives, and condense them, making them
less magnified.
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Designed by Adjani Robinson
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Orchesis kicks again!
By Adjani Robinson JI
“5…6…7…8!”
These numbers are what dancers rely
on. As soon as these numbers are shouted,
there is always that pounding feeling in
your chest. Then, the nervousness and
anxiety begin to rise. Corrections are running through your mind, you’re wondering
how many people in the audience, and you
are focusing on the impossible perfection
as you set up in your starting formation
behind the curtain.
This is the signal that all of your hard
work, dedication, and frustration you’ve
gone through at rehearsals was worth it.
It’s performance time. Everyone counts in
their head and feels the music as it begins
to play. The bass pumps through you body
and you’re ready. This is the feeling of being a MCHS Orchesis dancer.
First Rehearsal has
arrived!
The South Campus dance room
was filled with the excited hushed murmurs of the dancers as the beginning of
the rehearsal crept closer. Everyone was
more than ready, or the first rehearsal of
When you add this in with everything else
you have to do, that’s when the nervousness began to set in.
Tension rose as the dancers struggled
to keep up with the foreign choreography.
The first time the music was played, there
are many mistakes that could occur. People
could miscount, the choreographer might
Crossing the
Finish Line!
Becoming an
Orchesis Dancer
In order to be a part of the MCHS
Orchesis Dance Company there are a few
things that have to take place. There is an
informational meeting where the dancers receive a contract and three teacher
evaluation sheets. Teachers fill them out,
dancers sign the contract, and parents sign
a contract as well. On the day of tryouts,
you turn everything in and hope for the
best. Once MS. Warning and Ms. Lyons
(directors of MCHS Orchesis Dance Company) talk to the dancers they get everyone
warmed up and ask if there are any final
questions about the choreography or how
the auditions will be run.
Finally, they run through the dances,
give the dancers their audition numbers,
and begin the auditions. There are three to
four dancers in each group, and Warning
and Lyons choose which dancers they will
watch and evaluate. Once they have the
dancers do the routine as many times as
they need, the dancers are dismissed and
they wait until the results are posted later
that night.
paying attention to the time. Okay, you can
start now and I’ll be here if you need me.”
“Ms. Warning, I don’t think I should do
that,” Chauncey Turpin, senior and only
male in the group, said as the choreography
became more and more feminine.
“Don’t worry Chauncey we will figure
something else out for you that’s a little
more masculine.”
“Okay [gives thumbs up] sounds good
because that would be extremely awkward
if I did that on stage…just saying.”
“No we will definitely not make you
do that, but for right now just learn it and
we will tweak some of the moves for you
later.”
Orchesis dancers on the Central Campus stage performing at showcase.
the year. With the show coming up in just a
few short months, everyone knew that they
had to be focused and perfect the steps they
were going to be taught. There were two
clear categories of dancers one could see
while looking around the room. The more
confident people crowded the front, but
the more timid in the group drifted toward
the back when Warning announced that
rehearsal was starting.
At this point, the room became silent as
everyone focused on the task ahead. The
dancers realized that the first rehearsal is
crucial. They must show their full potential
in order to stand out because they never
know when the choreographer is watching.
mess up, or some dancers may completely
forget what they learned. Although the first
rehearsal is stressful and maybe even frustrating, it’s what dancers look forward to
the most especially after a long break from
the thing they love most…DANCE!
“Clap once if you can hear me…clap
twice if you can hear me,” Ms. Melissa
Warning says, getting the attention of the
Orchesis members in order to start rehearsal.
“Okay, so we have a lot of things to get
done today, so with that being said I need
everyone to be as focused as possible. Also,
[addressing the choreographer] we have to
end at exactly 6:30 so make sure you are
The costumes are decided and done
being made, the music is edited, the theme
had been incorporated into the show and
the choreography has been finished. The
dancers have been practicing for many
weeks and have spent many day, nights,
hours, and minutes of their own time to
make this show happen.
Feeling that excited, nervous energy
before they go on stage. The Orchesis
dancers were more than ready. Lyons and
Warning have helped them prepare for this
moment, and the students know that although they have never ending butterflies,
they are more than ready. Practicing their
dances and committing them to memory
and putting the finishing touches on everything else is a lot of work, but by working
together as a unit they pulled it off.
There have been many unforgettable
moments and the members, especially the
seniors, are sad to see the season come to
a close so quickly. The dancers went from
the being nervous during auditions, to practicing and creating routines, to designing
costumes, to listening to their hearts beat
frantically in their chests as they walked
onto the stage.
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Designed by Sofia Medina
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Welcoming girl sports to minooka
by Sofia Medina/
Journalism 1
To start their 2012 season, the
Minooka varsity soccer team traveled to
Edwardsville for a tournament where they
played three games during a weekend in
March.
This is a girl’s soccer team. The school
paid for the uniforms, equipment, the
many things have been done to make sure
women have the equal rights as men. One
of those has been Title IX.
The Title Nine amendment of 1972
was passed by Congress to make sure
the schools were not discriminating
their students’ education and sporting
opportunities because of their sex. Even
with Title IX, Minooka did not allow girls
to participate in sports until a few years
Minooka girls varsity soccer team takes a break to take a picture infront of the lake before
returning to their Saturday run at McKinley Woods, on April 2.
coaches, and the bus that took them there.
When the season is over, they will hold
an awards night to honor these athletes.
This could not have happened in
Minooka 40 years ago.
The Law that made a
Difference
It wasn’t even allowed for women to
participate in any sports as late as 1972, but
now-a-days women have their own teams.
Now it’s not uncommon to see a woman in
sports, they have proved a lot along with
all the other rights women have received
throughout the years. Women have now
entered the sports world.
Women have come a long way and
M ay 1 5 , 2 0 1 2
later.
The first plan was to drop two men
sports and two women sports at schools,
which would allow them to save money,
but people claimed it was unfair. Those
who did not agree with law argued that
when women sports got more attention then
the men sports suffered.
Scholarships were beginning to be given
out and other things were being done to
make sure that the women sports would
have money and would be available.
Title IX had to do with more than just
equal rights with women sports and their
education but it is interesting to point out
what has changed, and what has changed
is the amount of women sports that are
available now than what it used to be back
before Title IX was enforced.
Proving the Board
Wrong
Poole tells about the upcoming season and
what the girls needed to do to be successful
for that season, she also talked about the
key players they had that year. Another
sport was track and field, that was in about
1984-1985 and there are multiple small
articles kept that talk about the girl’s track
team.
Another woman that experienced this
was Mrs. Carolyn Kinsella, South Liberian,
but from a different point of view. Kinsella
was one of the students at MCHS that
were not allowed to participate in sports
when she was in school but looks back and
knows that if she were given the choice,
she would have been an athlete.
“All the board thought about was
well, where are we going to put the girls,
where will they practice, we can’t use the
gym because that’s where the boys are,”
Kinsella said.
“I look in retrospect and I believe that
I would have been a pretty good athlete, I
was fast,” Kinsella said.
At MCHS, a lot went into getting
girl teams started and one of the people
involved in doing this was Lyn Andracke.
Ms. Andracke is former teacher at MCHS
who went through many obstacles to make
sure that first of all there was more girls
sports and second, that they were treated
equally to the boy sports. The girls didn’t
have the benefits that the boys did.
“In high school, boys went into school
sanctioned sports and girls went to a less
competitive group sanctioned by the state
called Girl’s Athletic Association. This
was more like a club because you rarely
competed with another school,” Andracke
said.
Although the school board was allowing
some sports, it was not too fair. The girl’s
volleyball team that started in about 1979
was practicing at 6 a.m. every morning
just so that the boy’s wrestling team would
Feedback from Girl
Athletes
have the afternoon to practice.
“The Board of Education at the time
Some girls put themselves in the shoes
was only interested in lip service for girl’s
of those girls to give their feed back on
sports,” Andracke said.
The board then wanted
some proof that the girls
would be interested and the
girls gave them the proof
they needed when 100 out of
the 400 girls at school came
out to participate the sports,
according to Andracke.
Some of the sports that
opened up for the girls were
soccer, that started in 1980Minooka JV girl’s cross country team races in the Mi1981. Another sport was
basketball; this was big because nooka Invite on Sept. 10, 2011.
the first story about girl’s sports
was in the Joliet Herald newspaper on Sat,
“Welcoming” continued
Dec. 13, 1980. In this article Minooka was
on page 2.
added in as the varsity head coach Sue
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Designed by Sara Dobbyn
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Living Fast Forward
By Sara Dobbyn/ Journalism 1
As the speedy legs of the MCHS girl’s track team
move up the steep hill at Four Seasons Park, the beaming sun falls down on as if they were in the middle of a
desert. All around it smells like a mixture of mulch and
sweat like they were working on a farm.
The girls forced their way to the top with their legs
burning of pain of practicing harder than ever in the hot
air with swarming, little black bugs. With running 10
rounds of hills, the hour goes by extremely slow like a
turtle losing to a rabbit in a race.
After the girls get to the top, they walk down forwards to feel the cool, breezy wind against their bodies.
The practice itself was not as bad as they thought it was
going to be. It got harder as they got higher in the number of rounds. It was a perfect day outside.
Running in the
Past
Minooka girls track has improved in the last decade.
From 2002 to 2006, the girls won the Minooka Invite
only once. But since then, they have won it three out
of the last four times. Workouts have gotten better and
harder. In 2011, they won conference for the first time
since 1991.
Melissa Fox, sophomore and Nicole Caccano, freshman, run
the 4x200 meter dash in 2002.
Training Towards a
New Beginning
“Track has gotten harder and more fun. The competition as you go up from junior varsity to varsity is
incredibly different from making faster times to making
friends at other schools compared to the ones we had
since freshman year. I think freshman year was the
hardest and gets better as you go on,” Sara Bechard,
senior, said.
On Tuesday, March 27, 2012, the sprinters ran on the
black, 400-meter track that looked like a road that was
never ending. Trying to keep a good posture, the sprinters ran over to the starting line.
“We will be running eight 200 meters at 82%,”
Coach Hilary Holden, sprints, said.
“Eight, is she crazy?” the sprinters, said.
After the workout, the girls had sweat all over them
and their faces were as red as a fire truck and red tomato
mixed together. Their breathing level sounded like cat
coughing up a hairball. Panting like a dog to sign that
they need a break and water, they finally get to rest.
“The numbers have changed dramatically. A lot of
our runners have
come
from
other
people
telling
them to
try track
since
I first
started
coaching
during
the 2002
track
season,”
Matt
Thomas,
sprint
coach, Kaitlyn Chetney, sophomore, runs the 800
meter dash at the Minooka Community High
said.
School Invitational.
The coaches are a big impact on your training during
the season. Some of the workouts may seem irrelevant
but they do work. It’s just a matter of how they are
interpreted.
“It’s changed because the coaches are more strict.
They put more pressure on us to win, and its been working because we’re always winning,” Michelle Jakaitis,
junior, said.
Throughout the past, present, and future, track and
Bianca Graton, senior, runs the 200 meter dash at Oswego
High School.
all sports are going to change. They may get harder so
that the team has a better success in the long run.
“Track has changed due to the fact that the freshman
coming in are so good that they’re taking the place of
the seniors this year. It is also more competitive, more
determined participants and higher standards,” Mariah
Stonitsch, senior, said.
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Designed by Kayla Vidano
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JVArrowettes build to success
Rachel Lambert’s face like the first rain in
spring.
“When are the awards going to start?”
Nina Manzo, freshman, says impatiently as
she goes to sit down to rest.
A couple minutes later, it starts. As the
poms state fight song begins to play, everyone starts to cheer and scramble to sit down
to find a seat.
This is it. This is JV Poms State. This
is the end of the season that changed their
lives.
Since one of the Minooka Arrowettes
teams is JV, they aren’t recognized for most
of their hard work and accomplishments.
However, it has been said that the JV poms
team dances like a varsity team.
They placed first at many of their competitions, and finished second in state out of
13 teams in February.
JV poms had a lot of dedication, hard
work, and success during their season of
2011-2012. However, to get this much success, the girls had a lot of help to get them to
where they are now.
The JV Arrowettes get into their formation and wait to begin their performance at JV State Finals at Argo High School.
by Kayla Vidano/
Journalism 1
As all the teams come down to the center
of the gym floor, the tension rises. The humidity in the air grows as everyone crowds
together into their own circles with their
team. There are more than 3,000 people in
the gym at Argo High School in Summit on
Feb. 12.
There are so many bodies in the room
that they end up giving off extra body heat,
making it unbearable. Every seat upstairs is
full of spectators, and they are all looking
down at the teams.
The lights in the gym are bright florescent yellow, making it difficult to see because of the brightness.
The announcer turns on the music. It’s
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blasting the song “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus. One by one the teams get up and
start to dance.
In about five minutes the winners will
be announced, and it will be all over. This
poms season will end.
As the MCHS JV Arrowettes team is up
dancing, their head coach Rachel Friedman
is sitting on the ground shaking, with nervousness showing on her face.
Emma Siegel, freshman, who has been
out most of the season with an injured hip,
is sitting on the ground by the coaches. The
anxiety in her eyes is noticeable as she spaces out into the distance.
Hayley Graf, junior, one of the team’s
captains, is busting out her signature moves
in the middle of their circle. Typical Hayley.
Sweat begins to drip down freshman
“JV Arrowettes” Continued
on Page 16
At JV State Finals at Argo, the JV Arrowettes poze with their second place trophy after
awards.