December 2013 - Bremen High School District 228

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Final Exam
Schedule
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Holid
Dec. 18: periods 4, 8 & 6
Dec. 19: periods 5, 3 & 7
Dec. 20: period 1 & 2
Classes resume Jan. 6
15203 S. Pulaski Rd. Midlothian, Illinois 60445
Sheriff
honors
Bremen
students
Volume 60, Issue 2
December 16, 2013
‘Tis the season of giving
by Larry Acevedo
Echo reporter
The Sheriff’s Youth Service of Honor Award was established to recognize high school
students that volunteered around
their community.
The award is given to 300
young people throughout out the
Cook County area. Last year,
five students from Bremen High
School received this prestigious
award as together; they contributed over 500 hours of service
in hospitals, churches and other
charitable organizations.
This year, thanks to the
help of Mr. Terry Stephens, BHS
Science Instructor, an abundance
of Bremen students tried out for
the recognition.
Some Bremen students
were actually selected and given
the Sheriff’s Youth Service of
Honor Award.
“It was nice contributing
to the community and helping
those in need. The experience
was very beneficial and you feel
good knowing you made a difference,” stated Noemi Vaca,
2013 Sheriff’s Youth Service of
Honor Award winner.
There was a ceremony
that was held to distribute these
honors. This ceremony took
place on the UIC Forum on Dec.
11.
The medal was presented
by Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. At
the ceremony, Bremen’s recipients included: Noemi Vaca,
Wuraola Sosina, Jillian Lee, Nicole Quitman, Larry Acevedo,
Jasmine Silva, Madeline Schaal,
and Nicole Ames
photo submitted
Bremen’s Interact Club members Koren Johnson, Dyneica Dixon, Saadiqa Muhammad, Jillian Lee,
Corey Conner and Maklia Woods hold gift cards that will be donated to Together We Cope in Tinley
Park and to the Bremen Code of the Braves for families in need this holiday season. Interact is a club
for students who want to connect with others in their community or school. Interact clubs organize
at least two service projects a year: one that benefits their community and one that encourages international understanding. Bremen High School’s Interact Club is sponsored by Ms. Gina Arguelles.
New shot requirement leaves students
with more than just pain in the arm
by Brenda Rodriguez
Echo reporter
In the past year, the state
of Illinois added the TDAP vaccination to the immunizations students are required to have in order
to attend school.
Bremen’s Nurse Tamara
Pryor knows the importance of
this vaccine. “Tdap protects students from tetanus, diphtheria,
and pertussis (whooping cough),”
she said.
Many students at Bremen
were at the verge of school exclusion on Oct. 16 due to the Tdap
vaccination requirements. “I was
called down to PPS and they tried
to kick me out until I got the shot,”
said junior Jennifer Franco.
Many of the BHS students
were not aware that this vaccine
was mandatory; it was important
that all students turned in a copy
of the records of getting vaccinated or they were told about it.
Even if students did get the shot,
but not turn in proof, they were
called down to PPS and questioned about it. “The thing is I did
get it over the summer, but I never
turned in the proof of me getting
it,” explained Franco.
Many of the local pharmacies offered the vaccine for a fee.
CVS administered the vaccine for
$44; Target was giving the vaccination for $55 and Walgreens offered the shot for $63.
Many students were told
personally to get the shot as soon
as possible or else they would be
school excluded until they got all
their vaccination requirements.
The students impacted could go to
local pharmacies that made it as
easy as possible to get everyone
vaccinated as the stores allowed
for fast walk-in appointments.
Most people get scared
when it comes time to get a shot,
however, the students were told
that this vaccine was mandatory whether it was feared or not.
“When I got the shot it stung a
little bit and I was told to sit for
about an hour and to come back if
I felt any allergic reactions or felt
dizzy,” said Crystal Rodriguez.
Page 2
News
Bremen High School
Key Club, Lifesource thankful
for successful Fall Blood Drive
Bremen High School
15203 S. Pulaski
Midlothian, IL 60445
(708) 371-3600
ext. 3240
bremenecho@yahoo.com
Staff
Larry Acevedo
Nancy Avalos
Rosaysela Bravo
Ashlei Cole
Javier Covarrubias
Johnny Crim
Celeste Dean
Julie Faltisek
Abigail Ferguson
Jamaury Gaines
Jemilyn Hernandez
Destiny Hughes
Jose Mendoza
Andrew Milen
Tammy Mislich
Saadiqa Muhammad
Efua Richardson
Brenda Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez
Rachel Stalter
Na’Taija Watson
photo by Rachel Stalter
Donors visit the Bremen gym on Nov. 5 for the Fall Blood Drive sponsored by Key Club and Lifesource.
This year, 175 people donated blood to help those in need.
By Rachel Stalter
Echo reporter
It isn’t fun to think aboutthe needle and the prick as your
blood is slowly drawn from your
body, but it’s important! Life
Source is focused on collecting and
distributing your blood to someone
who needs it. Think of it this way:
that small pint of blood could save
someone’s life!
On Nov. 5, 175 people
donated blood at Bremen High
School- which happens to be a record for the fall blood drive. Mr.
Editor Policy
The opinions expressed do
not necessarily represent the
views of the faculty, staff,
or administration of Bremen
Community High School.
Letters to the editor can be
emailed to bremenecho@
yahoo.com and are subject to
editing for length.
to test whether or not the subject is
an anemic.
The blood pressure, temperature, and questions about height
and weight are asked at this step.
One of the final steps of the
blood drive procedure generally
makes some people squeamish;
this is the point at which a person’s
blood is actually drawn.
It is quite amazing to so
many people were able to take the
time to complete all of the steps
to give blood. 175 people really
helped to save lives at the most recent Bremen Blood Drive.
are either unemployed or working
in a job that doesn’t require a Bachelors’ Degree.
The high cost of college is
causing American students to drop
out before receiving their degree.
The debate over whether college is
worth it has never been a more important topic.
A college degree still increases the odds of landing employment and a better chance to make
more money on the long term. One
thing to remember is that college is
an intellectual pursuit and not a factory of future employees.
There are many reasons
why you should pursue a higher
education after graduation. A college education gives you choices. “I
want a better future,” states Karina
Barban BHS Senior.
A college education can
put you in a better earning position. However, if everyone goes to
college it will lose its value; there
are plenty of successful professions
that don’t require a college education and we need people to do those
jobs.
Over the last few years,
more and more high school graduates are pursuing higher education,
but with more and more educated
people vying for the available positions in today’s job market, the
investment of college tuition will
steadily lose its value.
“Some form of post-secondary education is required today for the majority of the jobs out
there; it is important that students
research their intended career pathway to find the best post-secondary
option for them,” states Ms. Rauch,
BHS counselor.
A four year college degree
is not always needed to get a good
paying job, but it does increase the
probability of a better paying job.
What is the value of College?
by Larry Acevedo
Echo reporter
Advisers
Ms. Jen Intihar
Ms. Jen Dwyer
Dyke, the organizer of the bi-annual blood drives at Bremen, was
proud of this accomplishment.
The Bremen Blood drives
always seem to run so smoothly.
There’s a system involved- a potential donor starts by signing in at the
front desk then moves to a station
where they answer questions about
their recent and long-term health.
The next step at the Bremen
Blood Drive is where the potential
donors are called one-by-one by a
Life Source associate. That associate pricks the potential donor’s finger to draw a small sample of blood
We have been conditioned
to believe that we need a higher education to succeed in life. Is college
worth it? This is a question millions of students and families are
questioning everyday as the cost of
a higher education skyrockets.
The job market is
getting more competitive, showing that college doesn’t guarantee
success. For every college graduate
who is successful, there’s another
that had to drop-out of college because the financial burden was too
much for them to manage.
According to The Washington Post, only 27 percent of college
grads have a job related to their major.
Furthermore The Associated Press states that more than half of
America’s recent college graduates
News
December 16, 2013
New IL law
legalizes
same-sex
marriage
Page 3
The music of the season
by Larry Acevedo
Echo reporter
As the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender community has stepped out of the
shadows and demanded more rights in recent
years, the support has grown.
Marriage is an official contract binding
two people together providing them with legal
and financial benefits. The question plaguing
Americans today is whether or not the rights
to these benefits should be extended to same
sex couples. The answer is simply, why not?
Many argue that same sex marriage
should not be allowed because is stated in The
Bible. Lev. 18:22 “You shall not lie with a
male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”
Although gay rights are wrong when
looking at the Bible verse above, God’s laws
can’t interfere; religion should have no effect
upon government affairs!
Mrs. Sala, BHS librarian states, “I believe that marriage isn’t between a man and a
woman but between love and love. More gay
rights are just a matter of time.”
The Illinois law that lets same sex couples married will take effect on June 1, 2014,
making Illinois the 16th state to legalize gay
marriage. The definition of marriage has been
changed from an act between “a man and a
woman” to an act between “two people.”
“At some point in our life, gay marriage will look as outdated as George Wallace
standing in James Hood’s way,” Benson Arson senior BHS student. Whether a person is
for the marriage between gay people or not,
the fact of the matter remains- the legislation
will allow for gay marriage in Illinois on June
2014.
photo submitted
The Bremen Band performs Christmas music along with the Kellar Band on Dec 6.
Each year, the Bremen Band, Choir and Color Guard visit the feeder schools to showcase music from each of the ensembles, including an assortment of holiday numbers.
The spirit of helping others
photo submitted
Items are displayed Dec. 14 in the cafeteria for the annual Code of the Braves Garage
Sale. The Code of the Braves simply asked for a reasonable donation for items purchased. All proceeds will go to the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Dec. 18
4th period 8:00 am - 9:20 am
8th period 9:25 am - 10:45 am
6th period 10:50 am - 12:10 pm
Connection 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Thursday, Dec. 20
5th period 8:00 am - 9:20 am
3rd period 9:25 am - 10:45 am
7th period 10:50 am - 12:10 pm
Connection 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Friday, Dec. 21
1st period 7:00 am - 8:20 am
2nd period 8:25 am - 9:45 am
Makeups 9:50 am - 11:10 am
Page 4
Winter Special
Bremen High School
Dear Santa, This year, all I want for Christmas is...
A life and friends
- Anonymous
------To wish Adelin a Merry
Christmas!
- Brian Hernandez
------Alexis Alzona and I want a
hippo!
- Heather Zubko
------A phone
- Daejak
------A tablet
- Diamond
------Nothing but love!
- M. Marquez
------Anything Hello Kitty!
- Alexis Alzona
------To time travel in the Tardst, &
be the doctor’s companion.
- Marlene Chavez
------To wish a Merry Christmas
to Lorena Raigoza
------A puppy!
- Mrs. Rucinski
------For Rodrigo’s dream of having his own famous show
brand to come true and to
meet Ashton Kutcher
------New tires for my Nissan
GTR. Also, a new soccer bag.
- Jose Hernandez
------Hello, Kevin. Thank you so
much for that dollar! Merry
Christmas and a Happy New
Year! PS I was talking about
Kevin Espinosa
- Marianelly Chavez
------Johnny Dominguez
- Jessica
------To wish a Happy Christmas
to all of my current and
former students! Hope Santa
is good to you!
- Mrs. McNeeley
------A new box, a grain of rice, a
stick and a chewed gum
- Justin Meziere
------A real Taris
- Michael Martino
------Niall Horan and Liam Payne
- Isabel Araiza
------To be able to spend the holiday with my girlfriend
- Tim Torres
------A New Orleans Saints
“Drew Brees” jersey; home
jersey/away jersey
- Jose Hernandez
------Mr. Rappold delivered back
to Bremen!
- Mr. Johnson
------Timmy
- Deire Sosa
------A life/friends
- Alan Debada
------A girl with a nice personality
- Alejandro Munoz
------Nick Scarpinato
- Johnny Crim
------To wish all my friends and
family a Merry Christmas
- Christopher Mara
------For everyone to enjoy their
year!
- Jackie
------Chucho
- Shelby Gunaka
------Karina love Ada more than
Lalo
- Ada Garcia
------My friends to know I love
them – Layla T., Julissa
G., Dulce A., Lilydian T.,
Alondra C.
- Jessica Zayas
------An Xbox one, a 52” flat
screen TV, and surround
sound stereo system
- Tiara Brazier
------Larry to continue to be the
best writer for the Echo.
- Mrs. Evbuoma
------A happy holiday
- S/O Smith
------A BMX bike
- Jayden Kimrey
------Peace on Earth
- M. Mecozzi
------A car seat for Emma
- Ms. Webb
------World Peace!
- Marielle Sweeney
------An iPod touch
- Sarah Martin
------To meet my “Mr. Right!”
- Jeanine
------A Build-a-Bear
- Paola Zambrano
------A guinea pig because
they’re cute and fluffy!
- Paige Shaw
------A doggy
- Antonio Garcia
------A football or a fit BMX bike
- Jovari Brown
------A BMX bike
- Jovari Brown
------AN Xbox one
- Jonathan Munoz
------New phone cases and clothes
- Taylor Ganzol
------A new Xbox 360 headphone
- Petroofoa
------Ipods
- Mikyah King
------A lot of candy
- Aaron Mensan
------A lot of money
- Asten Battles
------The Bremen staff to have a
wonderful holiday season
with family and friends
- Mrs. Miller
-------
A laptop
- Diamond Smith
------Peace and joy to all Bremen
students and staff and their
families!
- Mrs. Sala
------DS vita
- Roberto Panchero
------For My Chemical Romance
to get back together…I’m
asking nicely.
- Marlene Chavez
------A copy of the movie Stepbrothers
- Kyle Devries
------Taco Bell, Hairspray and a
boyfriend
- Anonymous
------This cookie…it’s what I’m
paying for!
- Enrique Esparza
------Anything. I don’t care. An
iPhone 5C OMG
- Jacky Ortega
------For the Bears to win the
Superbowl
- Nick Faltisek
------My students to turn all of
their work in on time
- Mr. Pries
------For all of my students to have
a wonderful winter break
- Mrs. Reid
------World Peace
- Jacob Zarobsky
------A pendulum
- Mireya Negrete
------Cortez Whitney and I to go
riding on a one-horse open
sleigh
- Nicki Manji
------To have Juan Remigio to
notice me <3
- Anonymous
------All the students and staff of
BHS to enjoy the Christmas
season
- Mr. Rappold
------Converse; iPhones
- Anonymous
------iPad 2 and iPhone 5
- Anonymous
------2 pairs of shoes
- Maria Mendoza
------Money
- Xavier
------Heat in the greenhouse
- Mr. Cappel
------A pork chop sandwich
- Mr. Cappel
------A girlfriend
- Edwin Guzman
------To wish my favorite two
teachers a Merry Christmas
(Ms. Dwyer and Mr. Stell)
- Best student ever!
------To wish all my friends a
Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!
- Jasmine Escamilla
------XBox one, Tritans, Forza5
- Jacob Jordan
------To wish the students of
Bremen High School a great
winter break!!
- Mrs. Miller
------For everyone to have a great
vacation – curling up with a
good book!
- Mrs. Sala
------A lot a lot a lot of Maybelline mascara. YAAAASSS!
- Jennifer Franco
------A trip to Mexico
- Alexa Rodriguez
------To wish my friends and family a Merry Christmas
- Michelle Rodriguez
------Band Merch and stuff
- Haley Sanders
------My girlfriend to be a sweetheart and make me chocolate milk…since I hate hot
chocolate. Love you.
- Christopher Munoz
------A trip to Paris
- Anonymous
------A new phone
- Amy Vargas
------Free oatmeal cream
pies and a Range Rover.
YAAAAASSSS!
- Jennifer Franco
------A laptop, XBox 1, Forza5
- Joseph Kaminski
------To wish all Echo Members a
happy holiday!
- Ms. Dwyer and Ms. Intihar
15 Interesting Christmas Facts
compiled by: Julie Faltisek
1. The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed
goose feathers.
2. Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S.
alone.
3. According to the Guinness World Records the tallest Christmas tree
ever cut was a 221 ft Douglas Fir.
4. Christmas Day is the least favorite day to break up.
5. Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850.
6. Christmas trees usually grow fifteen years before they are sold.
7. The British wear paper crowns while they eat Christmas dinner.
8. Alabama was the first state in the U.S. to officially recognize
Christmas in 1836.
9. Christmas wasn’t declared an official holiday in the United States
until June 26, 1870.
10. Oklahoma was the last to declare Christmas as a holiday in the
United States.
11. President Teddy Roosevelt, an environmentalist banned Christmas
trees from the White House in 1912.
12. The first printed reference to a Christmas tree was in 1531 in
Germany.
13. Approximately 30-35 million real (living) Christmas trees are sold
each year in the U.S.
14. In 1962, the first Christmas stamp was issued in the U.S.
15. Christmas purchases account to for 1/6 of all retail sales in the U.S.
Source: http://facts.randomhistory.com/christmas-facts.html
December 16, 2013
News
Chess Strategy
Page 5
Divergent perfect
for those looking
for something a
little different
by Destiny Hughes
Echo reporter
photo by Tammy Mislich
Seniors Jesus Benitez (left) and Jacob Widstrom practice their chess strategy as they
prepare for their upcoming matches.
Meatless lifestyle provides
many health benefits
by Larry Acevedo
Echo reporter
A society in which no meat is eaten
is rare and usually exists through necessity
rather than choice. However, in America
vegetarianism is voluntary. When describing a vegetarian, it must be said they are
very disciplined people.
One of the main reason people choose
to be vegetarians is to reduce the suffering
of animals or to change their diet for health
reasons.
The number of people who reject eating meat is constantly increasing because of
the widespread publication against animal
abuse or because of the health benefits. Vegetarianism used to be an unusual lifestyle
choice. Today it is becoming more common
and accepted. While there are many reasons
for choosing a vegetarian diet, the most important is health reasons.
Many argue that the vegetarian diet
is not healthy because you don’t get enough
protein from not eating meat, however, protein doesn’t have to come from animals,
animal protein is actually known to promote
certain cancers in humans.
“I went vegetarian about two years
ago when doctors thought I had lung cancer,” stated Math teacher Peter Matushek,
“Turns out I didn’t have cancer, but I keep
the diet because of the health benefits.”
Vegetarianism can be adopted for
different reasons. Many object to eating
meat out of respect for the animals’ feelings.
Such ethical motivations have been codified
under animal rights. “Don’t eat anything
you aren’t willing to kill yourself,” Jessica
Marquez senior BHS student.
Other motivations for refusing to eat
meat are aesthetic. Taste is an individual’s
personal choice and preference. “I have
been a vegan my whole life simply because
I don’t like the taste of animal products,”
said Ben McClerklin, Bremen student.
The difference between a vegan and
a vegetarian is that vegans eliminate all animal products from their diet including dairy
and eggs. Vegetarians don’t eat meat, fish or
poultry, but they do consume dairy products
and eggs.
Vegans and Vegetarians can be described as very disciplined people for following a very strict diet that requires no
animal products. “Being a vegetarian is actually pretty easy; being a vegan was difficult, but being a vegetarian is a breeze,”
Matushek said.
The first thing that pops into many
people’s heads when they hear of a vegetarian is that they only eat vegetables. This
is wrong as vegetarians don’t just survive
by eating vegetables. Tofu, Mushrooms and
all plant sources are a good example of the
daily vegetarian diet.
It is said that vegetarians and vegans live five to ten years longer than average than meat-eaters do. “I want to live a
longer healthy life; hot dogs are not worth
dying for!” explained Matushek.
Divergent is a story about a young girl
trying to find herself with a post-apocalyptic
society mixed in. The setting of the book takes
place in Chicago years from now and this is
evident in the author’s description.
The book is a best seller for obvious
reasons such as its riveting action and fantastic character development. The book has received abundant reviews from students, teachers, and critics alike.
The reviews about this book can be
seen in bookstores and media sites. Common Sense Media, reported that “Tris Prior
is a strong, generous, and beautifully flawed
female protagonist.”
Book reviews of Divergent can even
be found in the halls of Bremen High School
“Divergent is different from the other books
in its genre but great none the less” said senior
Julie Faltisek.
Many students really seem to have enjoyed this new best-seller. “The book is very
suspenseful and extremely creative,” says
Margarita Tiscareno.
Katie Catalano also found this book
entertaining as she referred to it as “a compelling read; I didn’t want to put it down!”
Bremen’s Book Club sponsor even
had some things to say about Divergent.
“Fabulous, engaging, suspenseful, thought
provoking, horrifying, and horribly believable” exclaimed Ms. Ignelzi.
The book is a part of a three part series. Books like this are rising in popularity
for obvious reasons. The detail and complexity allow for life-like characters with morals
and real-world struggles that everyone can relate to. Pick up a copy of Divergent today!
If you would like to
own the Divergent
series for yourself,
the Circle Book Club
is holding a raffle for
all three installments
of the series. Tickets
are only $1! See
Mrs. Ignelzi or
a Circle
book club member
Page 6
Honors With Distinction
Seniors
Anas Ali
Joseph Biesiada
Nelly Campos
Bernardino Carrera
Emerald Dee
Thomas Garber
Ashley Leib
Taylor Lewis
Benjamin Loza
Magdalena Martinez
Alliyah Mason
Jonathan Mayoros
Sarah Powers
Nicole Quitman
Halle Rudd
Cecilia Sandoval
Kaylie Standfield
Noemi Vaca
Jacob Widstrom
Jacob Zarobsky
Juniors
Nicole Ames
James Christ
Staci Ficht
Cricelia Flores
Veronica Garcia
Edward Gross
Kathryn Hayes
Haley Henschel
Randy Jasien
Stephanie Jones
Brian Luong
Giovanna Mendoza
Andrew Milen
Star Ortega
Israel Rodriguez
Jonathan Sanchez
Madeline Schaal
Stephanie Shelton
Desire Sosa
Ian Tang Wee
Timothy Wooten
Sophomores
Diego Alvarado
Delfino Gomez
Jade Jenkins
Darrell Keller
Mercedes Lee
Clarissa Maloney
William Patton
Demetrius Phillips
Freshmen
Jermaine Armwood
Guadalupe Ballinas
Nyrasia Beal
Matuka Bender
Michael Cook
Madalynn Derro
Jessica Gonzalez
Dustin Hilton
Haley Krumrie
Hannah McNaughton
Ashley Moore
Cheyenne Moore
Ashanti Perkin
Yvette Quiroz
Nicolas Robinson
Markayla Rule
Rosemary Schroeder
Na’eemah Shaheed
Alexandra Torres
Anjel Vaca
Amparo Villanueva
Arrin Westbrook
David Wright
Shaniya Wylie
Juan Zambrano
HIGH HONORS
Seniors
Eduardo Aceves
Alfred Adekahunsi
Aurora Aguilar
Luis Ahumada
Kaitlin Alton
Melissa Alvarado
Rosaura Amezcua
Kaprice Anderson
Benson Arceo
Megan Banasiak
Tyler Banovich
Karina Barban
Tyler Barnes
Mark Barr
Reagan Battles
Latiana Bell
Jesus Benitez-Gorostieta
Brittney Black
Ericka Bland Hughes
Michelle Borgman
Quarter 1 Honor Roll
Demetrius Bradley
Tiara Brazier
Luke Bullard
Omarr Bush
Alexis Cerrito
Jeravon Cotten
Rebecca Dryan
Lindsey Dudek
Marisa Ensworth
Enrique Esparza
David Estrada
Julie Faltisek
Angelica Figueroa
Laura Flores
Ana Frank
Matthew Frank
Angel Garcia
Elizabeth Garrison
Austin Garza
Emanuel Gelfo Sanchez
Emily Gerhardt
Gabriela Gomez
Sean Grant
Jeremy Green
Shavon Harden
Khayla Hargis
Bridget Hayes
Genaro Hernandez
Jemilyn Hernandez
Janet Herrera
Peter Herrera
Dijon Holmes
Jared Housman
Alexius Hughes
Contrell Jackson
Danijah Johnson
Devon Jones
Marco Kirkwood
Lauren Kroner
Marisa Little
Austin Lopez
Kaitlin Lovrich
Daisy Lozano
Brandon Luong
Raquel Magana
Michael Martino
Melissa Master
Yesenia Mejia
Sonia Melchor
Francisco Melgoza
Alejandro Mendez
Diego Mendoza
Justin Meziere
Alondra Moreno
Ariana Neiheisel
Hanah Nelson
Alicia Olik-Egner
Pedro Perez
Michael Pilny
Daniele Posch
Karla Quiroga
Santiago Realmo
Takia Reese
Justin Richman
Luis Rodriguez
Alex Savala
Nicholas Scarpinato
Sulema Serna
Jasmine Silva
Anna Smith
Christyle Smith
Wuraola Sosina
Violeta Torres
Melanie Vazquez
Jacqueline Zuniga
Juniors
Dulce Alvarez
Sarah Anderson
Alaina Anton
Jaime Bazan
Laresha Box
Rosaysela Bravo
Samantha Bravo
Stephon Broaden
Destinee Burton
Adrienne Carrel
Alondra Carrillo-Perez
Marianelly Chavez
Vita Chavez
Noelle Ciemny
Kimberly Clifford
Ashlei Cole
Brittany Condon
Corey Conner
Nicole Coppolino
Camaron Covington
Paul Deanda
Omar Delafuente
Patrick Doran
Sarah Ely
Bailey Erffmeyer
Idalis Esparza
Kevin Espinosa
Zachary Esposito
Richard Gutierrez
Edwin Guzman
Brianna Hardy
Cheyenne Harmon
Jason Jenicek
Kierra Jones
Taylor Knispel
Craig Krygowski
Carla Llerenas
Berenice Martinez
Miguel Martinez
Ben McClerklin
Kassidy Meisner
Karina Mejia
Rafael Mejia
Mariah Milner
Christopher Misner
Dalia Montes
Ericka Moore
Christopher Mora
Brianna Ochoa
Claudia Pacheco
Thomas Parchem
Adrian Perez
Grace Prack
Meghan Pruett
Abraham Ramirez
Brianney Reyes
Efua Richardson
Kayla Rivera
Brenda Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez
Joshua Rooney
Jabria Rucker
Robert Scott
Kayla Smith
Taylor Smith
Javier Soto
Julian Spear
Rachel Stalter
Nicholas Stoffle
David Strom
Elizabeth Talis
Mercedes Thompson
Lilydian Tolbert
Pablo Villar
Na Taija Watson
Houston Weatherly
Maklia Woods
Sophomores
Esmeralda Aguilar
Amber Anderson
Janet Avila
Isaias Bravo
Olivia Burbatt
Olivia Butt
Miguel Calderon
Matthew Calich
Arturo Carrillo
Tyler Cassin
Diamond Cheffin
Imani Clark
Javier Covarrubias
Jose Mari Delos Reyes
Makayla Denson
Kyle Devries
Tyler Deyoung
Jessica Dominguez
Nicole Durden
Georgina Ellis
Suhayb Froukh
Erika Garcia
Monica Garcia
Samuel Grutzius
Ricardo Gutierrez
Tywond Hamilton
Kelsey Hargis
Annie Holder
Mayte Holmes
Wayne Huffman
Hasana Hughes
Magdalene Janisse
Zoe Janisse
Marquelle Johnson
Sterlen Johnson
Raquel Johnson Williams
Chloe Kaleta
Brandon Kim
Michael Lake
Ariana Ledesma Rosales
Agustin Leyva
Gianna Lococo
Felipe Lopez
Alyssa Marshall
Dejah Martin
Claude Martinez
Jalisa Mauldin
Jamila Mauldin
Jordin McKean
Jose Melchor
Jazmin Mercado
Kaylynn Morris
Itzel Murillo
Aaron Norman
Raymond Perez
Brooke Pisciotto
Chloe Popilchak
Carly Potts
Philip Powers
Russell Pruitt
Juana Ramirez
Miranda Ramirez
Diamond Rich
Emmanuel Rivera Martinez
Winter Rudd
Sarah Santoro
C’aira Shields
Karina Simanis
Sarah Smith
Jessica Stewart
Brianna Szudy
Arshad Vahora
Anibal Vargas
Karen Vargas
Jose Vazquez
Ariana Vieyra
Jessica Walsh
Abbie Wick
Cierra Williams
Kenneth Wormely
Freshmen
Oluwatomisin Aina
Michael Alfrejd
Maria Alvarez
Veronica Arias
Diane Baer
Kelly Banasiak
Asten Battles
Pedro Benitez
Ximena Benitez-Marquez
Armon Bennett
Nicole Bergstrom
Margaret Bigelbach
Naya Blackwell
Jillian Bulow
Mackenzie Cali
Celeste Calleros-Lopez
Daniel Cardenas
Maria Cardenas
Katherine Catalano
Aashaun Chapman
Deshelle Croft
Joana Cruz
Summer Davis
Kitara Dee
Rosa Deluna Tostado
Jose Diego
Giselle Esparza
Leonard Feil
Estefania Flores
Petro Fowler
Jamaury Gaines
Annette Galeas
Tori Galvin
David Garcia
Maricela Garcia
Victor Garcia
Alyssa Garza
Colin Grad
Kayla Green
Haley Greybill
Jenelle Guinn
Joel Guzman
Jessica Harris
Elise Harrison
Raymond Heavener
Destiny Hughes
Jacob Iniguez
Brittany Jones
Nickalos Josephson
Mario Julian
Mercedes Key
Mikyah King
Alicia Kolacki
Amir Lindsey
Denise Lopez
Andriana Malone
Henrietta McDonald
Alexis Meadows
Alberto Mejia
Christian Mercado
Martha Montes
Mariela Munoz
Tyra Myrick
Brent Ochoa
Yensen Olayo
Miriam Pantoja
Paige Pisciotto
Kevin Powers
Richard Rhein
Juan Roque
Raquel Scapardine
Sarah Sellers
Paige Shaw
Caleb Short
Christian Silva
Giovanni Simental
Jordon Simmons
Joseph Smith
Bremen High School
Blandenah Stewart-Turner
Jimara Thomas
Jonathan Tunzi
Giovanni Valdez
Joseph Vazquez
Colin Walton
Nikia Watkins
Vikia Weathersby
Christian Williams
Royale Williams
Paola Zambrano
Jesus Zarate-Sanchez
Nathan Zielinski
HONORS
Seniors
Larry Acevedo
Osvaldo Alcala
Thomas Alva
Alexis Alzona
Brittany Anderson
Jasmine Anderson
Devon Andrews
Cynthia Arriaga
Jason Arvanites
King Assaf
Nancy Avalos
Morgan Bailey
Markeisha Banks
Jessica Bartucci
Alena Beach
David Beckberger
Silvia Bernard
Anna Blackburn
Syndel Bonito Serratos
Erica Branch
Christian Burton
Natalie Cameron
Andres Carmona
Eduardo Carmona
Cayden Colyer
Terriel Dantzler
Fatima Delarosa
Luis Delgadillo-Silva
Marlon Delos Reyes
Amanda Demario
Elizabeth DeYoung
Christopher Diaz
Alma Diego
Robert Doeden
Chanel Driver
Antonio Duarte
Emannuel Esparza
Jada Figgins
Chaya Flassig
Emmanuel Flores
Nestor Garcia
Darius Gary
Katherine Garza
Shelby Gunaka
Jesus Guzman
Keantay Hamilton
Morgan Hampton
Denise Hernandez
Jose Hernandez
Alexander Humek
Deon Jackson
Louis Johnson
Stephonn Johnson
Joshua Jones
Thomas Kaniewski
Keith Kendrick
Cristian Lagunas
Takesha Langston
Jillian Lee
Alexandra Lemke
Jessica Marquez
Matthew Martinez
Jeremiah Matthews-Wilson
Justice McCallister
Gavriel McClerklin
Latrice Montgomery
Kenneth Moore
Alondra Moreno
Ramon Mosqueda
Jaquelyn Murillo
Melissa Nunez
Luis Pacheco
Juan Pantoja
Michael Paredez
Catrina Parham
Raven Parker
Anthony Partington Patterson
Kishan Patel
Jose Perez
Lissette Perez
Kaitlyn Pfeiffer
Eduardo Prado
Cynthia Ramirez
Jose Ramos
Jesus Reynoso
Jessie Marie Ritz
Nancy Rodriguez Venegas
Jozlyn Santana
Joseph Stack
Nicholas Strache
Justin Svihula
Dakota Szudy
Jeremy Taylor
Nicholas Theilgaard
Darious Tolbert Jones
Timothy Torres
Yolanda Valadez
Lorena Villanueva
Nakya Wallace
Thomas Walton
Nicholas Watkins
Anthony Weaver
Tatyana Whittler
Josh Wick
Ariel Wilcopolski
Cynthia Woods
Jaimie Zamzow
Juniors
Austin Allen
Jose Ambrosio
Charles Antoniazzi
Roberto Aranda
Hazel Askew
Cynthia Avalos
Salvador Ayala
Dakari Bass
Adam Batton
James Beaver
Maria Bonales
Kendarion Brown
William Bruckman
Kayla Burns
Taron Burton
Juan Orlando Carbajal
Maria Cazares
Samantha Cazares
Floyd Chamblis
Elva Chavez
Ramiro Chavez
Micheal Cleary
Austin Coleman
Ashley Davis
Celeste Dean
Russell Deer
Kirstia Dehoyos
Millicent Derro
Deon Dodson
Marissa Durden
Jasmine Escamilla
Abigail Ferguson
Derrick Fields
Jacob Flores-Arias
Guadalupe Frausto
Rachel Fuentes
Annamarie Galik
Bryanna Gallegos
Ada Garcia
Deja Garrett
Abdon Garza
Norma Gaytan
Wesley Graniczny
Jamar Griffin
Gabriele Grutzius
Vanessa Guerrero
Brianna Gundich
Ronell Harris
Christen Henderson
Asaan Hendricks
K’yairra Henry
Roxxana Hernandez Zuno
Mack Holder
Jerrell Jackson
Sierra Jett
Josemaria Jimenez
Koren Johnson
Mark Johnson
Debria Jones
Raymond Juarez
Taylor Kanofsky
Robert Koehne
Brett Kolacki
Jacob Lafine
Davonta Lewis
Joshua Lira
Carlos Lopez
Sabrina Lopez
Natalia Loza
Abel Lozano
Anthony Luth
Pierre Martin
Brianna Martinez
Christian Martinez Garza
Ytxayan Mendoza
Alejandro Meza
Tammy Mislich
Jonathan Montes
Lynette Moreno
Rachel Mosqueda
Saadiqa Muhammad
Alejandro Munoz
Christopher Munoz
Jose Najera
Mireya Negrete
News
December 16, 2013
Chrisean Noble
Jacqueline Ortega
Roberto Pacheco
Christian Paredes
Melissa Pruett
Valeria Quiroz
Sierra Ramirez
Kyle Ramos
Daniel Reyes
Carlos Rivera
Paola Rocha
Selena Rodriguez
Demetrius Salcedo
Haley Sanders
Erin Schaffrath
Mariah Silva
Tyler Simmons
Brittany Smith
Brianna Snyder
Alize Thomas
Keyaira Tolbert
Samantha Vargas
Michelle Ventura
Zulema Villalobos Orozco
Antonio Washington
Ashlee Wiggins
Destinie Williams
Jessica Zayas
Sophomores
Adenike Adekahunsi
Jaret Ahern
Faith Alfrejd
Ashley Allen
Arturo Antunez
Jennifer Ayala
China Bailey
Malik Ballard
Damian Behymer
Lidia Bravo
Aaliyah Brown
Joshua Brown
Roger Burns
Samantha Carrano
Cristian Cervantez
Amiir Chambers
Jose Chavez
Kendall Coleman
Nathaniel Cordova
Christian Criglear
Dylan Crisman
Deanna Daniels
Rhae Darring
Shakira Davenport
Verdarius Davis
Reyes Del Rio
Coral Diaz
Krystal Donegan
Maria Dorado
Samantha Duffy
Arnoldo Duran Alcala
Michael Elrod
Cody Esparza
Matthew Esparza
Timothy Fehil
Dalia Fernandez-Morales
Sydney Ferreira
Justyce Galeano-Davis
Brandon Garcia
Eduardo Garcia
Julissa Garcia
Jenna Gaskin
Michelle Genta
Lorena Gomez
Jacquelyn Gonzalez
Erykah Grady Cohen
Brandon Grage
Jesse Gross
Adiel Guerrero
Dave Handing
Nia Harden
Brian Hernandez
Ricardo Hernandez
Yulisa Hernandez
Alejandra Hernandez - Rios
Daisylinet Herrera
Mayrena Herrera
Kayla Hughes
Diana Ismail
Mustafa Ismail
Kennedy Jensen
Gabriel Jeronimo
Joanna Jimenez
Zachary Johnson
Kayla Jones
Daquan Jordan
Emily Jurgovan
Linda Kimbrough
Shane Kois
Ana Lagunas
Julian Lagunas
Arielle Lewis
Marissa Licea
James Lofquist Wrenn
Mireya Lopez
Marissa Manrique
Adam Mariscal
Vanessa Marroquin
Tania Martinez
Deborah Martinez-Naranjo
Karl Matthys
Rebecca Maynard
Jeremiah Mcewen
Michael Meckler
Miguel Mejia
Daniela Meza
Jose Meza
Athena Michel
Angelo Montes
Estefania Montoya
Jessica Muhr
Danielle Nevin
Dashae Newell
Brianna Nudo
Morgan O’Brien
Ethan O’Connell
Yocelyn Olayo
Jocelyn Ortega
Diana Pacheco
Irma Padilla
Teresa Pompa
Samantha Posch
Jennifer Prado
Jessica Propst
Precious Quintero
Caila Katrina Requierme
Jason Rodriguez
Jamilex Salas
Daejah Sally
Ana Sanchez
Giselle Saucedo
Eric Schmidt
Stacey Shelton
Annette Smith
Michael Smith
Jalen Speaks
Curtis Stokes
Marshall Stokes
Abrial Suarez
Brandon Szudy
Elisa Talis
Damani Thomas
Kathryn Tieri
Damien Toro
Veronica Torres
Kathleen Traynor
Eduardo Valadez
Christopher Valladares
Arbaz Vhora
Rodolfo Villalba
Arsil Vohra
Alyssa Walsh
Jennifer West
Calvin Williams
Myla Willis
Amber Winters
Matthew Woods
Alexis Yanez
Marco Zendejas
Freshmen
Angel Aguilera
Cristian Alva
Emmanuel Avila
Christian Ayala
Jala Baker
David Baranowski
Jahana Blount
Kaleb Bosan
Erica Boss
Ashleigh Calloway
Alan Camacho
Gabriela Campuzano
Jasmine Cervantes
Aashauntae Chapman
Maria Corona
Andrew Costello
Jeremiah Cuthbert
Kacey Daniel
Janee Earnest
Samuel Edwards
Kamerin Edwards-Fournier
Carrington Ellis
Gabriel Estrada
Alex Felix
Donato Figueroa-Ramirez
Zachary Fischl
Daniela Flores
Joseph Forgette
Michael Fuentes
Jazlyn Galindrez
Juana Gallardo
Jennifer Garcia
Noemi Garcia
Oralia Garcia
Christopher Gonzalez
Ivan Gonzalez
Michael Grabe
Tyler Gramm
Joseph Hardcastle
Antanisha Harris
Jeron Harris
Kennedy Henderson
Erik Hernandez
Kaitlyn Hobbs
Jordan Holmes
Luis Jaime
Felipe Jimenez
Eric Karjaka
Taylor Kolasa
Cristian Lopez
Victor Lopez
Janay Lowery
Cristal Lozano
Julia Luna
Cindy Marquina
Corina Marshall
Jasmine McCallister
Alexandra Meza
Osiel Montes
Jakena Moore
Christopher Morgan
Donald Murphy
Sean Murphy
Kayla Nolan
Josue Paredes
Alberto Perez
Dawn Putnam
Christopher Ramos
Ronald Roche
Ricardo Rodriguez
Johana Salas
Daniel Santana-Pimentel
Steven Schmidt
Giselle Silva-Rico
Javier Simental
Amaris Stokes
Ceidi Tamez
Tyler Tatro
Jeffrey Teslow
Margarita Tiscareno
Kayla Tuley
Nicholas Urban
Lionel Vaca
Jacqueline Valencia
Emma Vargas
Fatima Vargas
Usiel Vargas
Jorge Villanueva-Millan
Ashley Wall
Chase Wilke
Matthew Woods
Have a safe and
happy winter break!
Classes resume Jan. 6
Page 7
Cross Country tests
endurance, strength
by Larry Acevedo
Echo reporter
Our sport is your
sport’s punishment; this
is the motto of the BHS
Cross Country team.
These athletes smile at
the face of hard physical
activity.
When other athletes complain about doing laps as punishment,
the Bremen Cross Country athletes laugh while
they run twice that in
warm-ups.
The competition,
the family, and outlasting
the pain are some minor
details of being part of
the BHS Cross Country
team. The competition
is extreme, each race you
are going against about
200 other competitors.
Ribbons, medals, trophies- or even those 18
minutes in the spotlight
help understand their
passion for running.
Although our cinder men started slow this
year, they ended the season by placing first in the
conference meet. “It is
not how fast you start;
it is how strong you finish!” exclaimed Joseph
Velasquez, BHS Cross
Country athlete.
Before stepping to
the starting line, before
the whistle blows, and
the clock starts ticking,
remember- there is no
equipment to blame for
a poor performance, no
referees who robbed you
of your glory. When you
are a cross country runner, at a meet, only you
can change the outcome.
“The only person who can decide how
fast you go is yourself,”
explained Jacob Flores,
BHS varsity cross coun-
try athlete.
The athletes who
perform well during the
season are sponsored by
Nike, in the Northside
vs. Southside challenge.
This gives the athletes
the opportunity to compete with hundreds of
different schools in an
invitational meet on the
marathon course while an
actual marathon race is in
progress.
The race starts at
mile twenty three where
accepted
participants
compete against one another to finish the remainder of the marathon
course. The race ends at
the same official Marathon finish line.
For the past couple of years the Northside has won beating
the South. However, the
South Side BHS athletes
are ready for a victory
from the South over the
North. “Not only were
we, the South, ready to
win this competition, but
history has shown that the
south is on the upswing,”
stated Craig Krygowski,
varsity cross country athlete.
While many people may feel pleased when
completing a goal, the
real purpose of running
cross country isn’t just to
finish and win a race, but
rather the goal of a BHS
Cross Country Runner is
to test his strength.
After a bad injury
and experiencing pain
beyond comprehension,
Jacob Widstrom, BHS
Cross Country Captain
knows that quitting is not
an answer. “Seven days
without running makes
one weak,” explained
Widstrom.
Cross Country - go the extra
Basketball Diving into winter sports season
team sets
high goals
for 2013-14
by Andrew Milen
Echo reporter
The Boys Basketball season did not start
in mid-November as with most winter sports;
for the boys this year, they have been gearing up
for quite some time. “Our student-athletes have
been dedicated to getting better as a player and
as a person since last spring, by showing dedication in the weight room and throughout fall conditioning,” said Coach Matt Meany.
Due to all the effort from the team in
the off season, the boys are off to a great start.
They currently sit at 4-0 and recently won their
annual Bremen Tournament. In addition to the
tournament the team recently beat CICS Longwood by the score of 52 to 47- A game in which
the Braves trailed the Charter school early being
down 13 in the third quarter.
“Longwood tested us but we kept fighting and ended up with a victory” said junior
Mack Holder. A great effort was put forth as a
team. In particular was Kreayshawn Noble who
tallied 9 points, Jeremiah Wilson who pulled
down 15 rebounds and Mack Holder who scored
22 points to go along with his 15 rebounds.
“Having a team that works hard to win is
a blessing” said Holder after the win. “We want
the coaches to work us hard so we can compete
with the elite teams such as Hillcrest and Richards.”
Working the players hard is exactly what
the Coaches are doing, not only in the gym but
in the classroom as well. “Our goal is to create young men that are going to be successful
not only on the floor, but in the classroom and
more importantly in life.” said Coach Meany. It
is clear that the message of the student coming
before athlete is loud and clear for the team.
“Our goal is to be a good student for
Bremen High School, as well as an upstanding
citizen for the community” added Meany.
Consistency and depth have also been
key for the Braves. Senior point guard Deon
Jackson is averaging near 8 assists a game while
Mack Holder is averaging 15 points per contest.
Defense is also a point of emphasis as
Deamonta Carpenter has average 4 steals per
game so far. The depth of this team goes far past
the statistical leaders. “When we get into foul
trouble we have guys on the bench ready to step
in and fill big spots” said Holder.
photo by Tammy Mislich
The Boys Swim Team prepares for the 2013-2014 season during practice Dec. 11. The
Boys team opened the season by hosting the Pentathlon at Bremen on Dec. 6
Boys soccer playing at top
level, eyes state title next year
by Javier S. Covarrubias
Echo reporter
Boys Soccer is one of the most successful sports programs at Bremen. This year’s team
did not fall short of its expectations.
The varsity Braves led by coaches
Steve Granat and Julio Martinez made quite an
impressive run into the 2013 postseason. Entering the playoffs with an overall record of 19-4-1,
only one conference-match loss, and a SSC Blue
Division Championship title, they were able to
clinch an IHSA regional title before falling short
in a matchup versus Washington Community
High School in the IHSA Sectional Semifinals.
After setting the bar high and falling
short of its goals (no pun intended), the three
captains of the soccer team were able to reflect
on the season with pride and satisfaction.
“The season went amazing,” said AllState senior defender Jesus Guzman. “I couldn’t
ask for more from my team. The fact that it was
short doesn’t mean anything; I’m proud of my
guys for playing their hearts out each game.”
Guzman really seemed to enjoy his role
as captain. “Being a captain was a privilege to
me; the guys looked up to me, and I was a role
model to some players-the big brother,” he said.
Alex Mendez, an All-Sectional senior
forward and co-captain of the team, agreed, “It
was a pleasure. They were great players and also
a great team to lead. I will miss them.”
This year’s varsity squad was a promis-
ing one, with talent and skill up and down the
roster. Key players for the team were senior forward Christian Lagunas, senior forward Alexis
Salas and freshmen midfielder Ricardo Avalos.
Although a team does need skill to
achieve great things, it also needs heart and unity, and this team was not missing either.
“What I loved most about this season
was that we all were so close and treated each
other like family,” said the All-Conference senior goalkeeper Emmanuel Esparza. He was
only one vote away from being All-Sectional.
Esparza’s words were proved bulletproof
when the Braves beat conference rivals Lemont
and Eisenhower.
Both were great games that came down
to the wire, which were looked at as memorable
moments from this season, along with the Regional Championship. The Regional Championship was played against Providence.
“We all got along with each other, played
as a team, and no matter how the game went; we
all had fun at the end of the day.”
Overall the 2013 BHS Boys Soccer
Team where more than satisfied with the season. “The season went well…better than I had
thought it would go. After all, we did only have
one loss in conference,” explained Mendez.
The team really united as a family this
season. “It was a pleasure being with such a
good group of people,” Esparza said. “I loved
being with them on and off the pitch. It was great
and I wish them the best next year.”