December 2011 - Glenbard East High School

ECHO
GLENBARD
EAST H.S.
December 16, 2011
Volume 52, Issue 3
FEATURES
East is cracking
down on over the
counter drug use at
school
A&E
OPINION
SPORTS
Check out some great
movie reviews
Is it procrastination
or laziness?
Looking forward to
the Bears vs. Packers
Christmas Day game
2
4
5
EXTRA!
Enjoy our Christmas wordsearch
6
8
Dedication to a true Ram
Project starfish was
initiated this year by National
Honor Society (NHS) to honor Ms.
Banfield, a beloved teacher and
humanitarian, after she passed
away.
The purpose of Project
Starfish is to promote service
and community throughout East.
Ms. Banfield lives on not only in
our hearts, but through Project
Starfish. Her legacy at East is one
of servitude. By following in her
amazing example, we can make
East a better place; a place where
putting others before oneself is
common.
Project Starfish is a year
of service, this means East is put
to the test of trying to raise 7,000
hours of community service in
honor of Ms. Banfield. In June of
2012, the final tally wil be added
up to see if we achieved our goal.
Currently we are at 3,000 hours.
Ms. Banfield would say “not
enough!”
Get started now! There
she was the first female named
to the Illinois Athletic Directors
Association Hall of Fame.
The Fieldhouse is
one of Mares most well known
contributions to East, so it makes
sense that after 32 years of
working at East and 13 years of
retirement continuing her work
with the East community, it has
been decided that the Fieldhouse
officially be named the Mares
Fieldhouse.
“She was the driving
force behind the Fieldhouse.
It was her vision that made
the Fieldhouse what it is,” said
Mushrush.
She demonstrated
this attitude in every way
Tournament. She also helped
develop the computerized
scheduling system and other
related Athletic Department
functions that are still being
used now.
Many people that
know Mares and worked
closely with her have
nothing but good things to
say about her. She indeed
was the spitting image
of the philosophy she
developed for the Athletic
Department, “Commitment –
Sportsmanship – Integrity”.
“Everything East
stands for, she represented it
all. For years she was a very
positive face of East,” said
Koeller.
when getting the Fieldhouse
completed.
“We drove around to
all surrounding schools to get
an idea of how to construct a
Fieldhouse,” said Mushrush.
Once it was complete,
Mares continued to add to the
spirit of the Fieldhouse. For
example, she
donated a lot of
the Adventure
Challenge
Equipment.
Noree
Mares wasn’t
the kind of
person to make
a suggestion and
walk away from it.
When she started
something she
always stuck by
it until it was
complete.
“A lot of
people talked the
talk but Noree
really walked the
walk,” said Koeller.
Mares has also had
many other accomplishments
in her time spent working with
East. She started some of the
greatest invitational tournaments
in Illinois by creating the
Autumnfest Volleyball
Tournament, the Dvorak
Wrestling Holiday Tournament,
and the Rachel Bach Basketball
Graphic and picture used with permission of Bill Mushrush
S.T.E.M. Club
are plenty of service opportunists
throughout the school with
Student Council, Key Club,
NHS, tutoring, and you can find
more by looking at the bulletin
boards through out the school.
Or, you can go and make your
own volunteer opportunities,
something Ms. Banfield knew all
about. She wasn’t afraid to go out
of her way and help someone if
she thought they needed it, so
neither should you. Volunteer
your time by offering to help
a teacher after school. Also,
Christmas is the perfect time to
give back to your community
and help someone else. There
are plenty of people who need
help around the holidays, so this
is your chance to show them you
care.
“We want to see how
much East is capable of giving
back,” said senior, Executive Board
Member of NHS, Robert Kaylor.
Project Starfish is
installing a sense of community in
East, something we hope to hold
for years to come.
“I think whole-heartily
we can reach our goal of 7,000
hours, we just have to remember
to log the hours,” said Kaylor.
If it isn’t easy enough
to just walk down to the office to
log your hours, you can go to the
Project Starfish Facebook page
to log your hours or go straight
to the website to do it. The goal
of this is to make Project Starfish
convenient for you, the people of
East.
This is the charm that was given
service.
Spanish on page 3
By Emmanuel Morales
Staff Writer
In August of 2011 the
Science Department Chairman
Nicholas Scipione and biology
teacher Karen Beardsley
proudly present a new club that
includes Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math. They call
themselves the S.T.E.M club. This
club teaches students how to do
proper research.
“We do research in all
classes, so S.T.E.M. club will help
understand all necessary skills for
research,“ said Scipione
During S.T.E.M club
students get their topics for
research that is based on student
interest. Also the research
experience during S.T.E.M club
helps develop ways to prepare
into a real lab situation.
“I love it. We get to do
our own independent research
on what we find interesting and
we get really engaged in what we
do,” said student leader of S.T.E.M
club and senior Helom Berhane.
A goal for the S.T.E.M
Photos by Tony DiGregorio
By Madeline Smith
Staff Writer
the testimony, Mushrush had to
present all the information to the
District.
“I made a presentation
to the School Boards Finance and
Facility Subcommittee at their
meeting on November 14. The
subcommittee approved both
proposals and put them on the
agenda for the next
general School Board
meeting for final
approval which took
place on November
28,” said Mushrush.
With all the
things Noree Mares
has contributed to
Glenbard East High
School, there is no
doubt that all the
time and effort spent
to get the dedication
approved, was well
worth it.
Mares has
been an outstanding
member of the
Glenbard East
community since 1967. She was
hired to teach physical education
and excelled from there.
Mares had many
achievements while working
at East. Being a P.E. teacher she
was very involved in the Athletic
Department.
She moved on to
become one of the first female
Athletic Directors in Illinois. Then
Photo by Tony DiGregorio
By Sylvia Whitaker and
Jake Hill
News and Features CoEditors
On December 9, 2011
Glenbard East High School
honored Eleanor “Noree” Mares
for her contributions to the
Athletic Department. In February
East will also be honoring Ross
Kellan for his contribution to the
music department. His honor
will be discussed in the February
issue.
Assistant Principal
of Operations, Bill Mushrush,
discussed some criteria that must
be met before someone can
even be considered for such an
honor and the nominee has to
have been retired for at least five
years. Also, there must be enough
people to support the idea and
give testimony that the honor is
well deserved.
The possibility for this
honor has been considered for
a while. About four years ago
Business teacher, Gregg Koeller,
presented East’s Administration
with the proposal for this
honor to take place. After it
was approved they obtained
the testimony they needed to
proceed.
“We held two big
meetings with teachers, old staff
that worked with her and former
students,” said Mushrush.
Once they obtained
club next year is to make this
club a curricular class.
“We are just starting
out, but we are getting good
topics for our research and
people are getting into their
subjects,” said senior Helom
Berhane.
S.T.E.M. club is usually
open on Wednesday after
school in room 107. This club is
open to anyone who is willing
to learn how to do proper
research. See Mrs. Beardsley or
Mr. Scipione if you want to join
or want to learn more about
S.T.E.M. club.
search! Research topics
choices from science to
math.
2
Echo
News
Do you remember when
Swine Flu struck the nation two
years ago? Do you remember
the occurrences that came from
it? Do you remember when a
letter was sent home from school
saying students were getting
infected with Swine Flu?
As a freshman,
Samantha Georges experienced
Swine Flu in an intense matter in
November 2009.
“I had just gotten over
Swine Flu, and the night I went
to bed, the left side of my face
just went numb,” Said Junior
Samantha Georges.
The numbing on the left
side of her face wasn’t the only
downfall she had. Samantha was
affected physically and socially.
Physically, the numbing caused
the left side of her face to sag,
and she couldn’t taste anything
on the left side of her mouth.
She had to drink out of straws
for a while and couldn’t blink out
of her left eye. Socially, people
would stare at her and gave
her funny looks; some people
thought she was constantly
winking at them.
“I figured that people
would say things about me and
would think I was contagious,”
Georges said.
Photo Courtesy of Georges Family
By Dominique Didier
Staff Writer
Samantha has had two
surgeries to try and fix what has
happened to her. Her first surgery
was during her sophomore
year, and her second surgery
happened just recently during
her junior year in November
2011. “This was my last and final
surgery,” Georges. Since this
was her final surgery, Samantha
wanted to have some fun with it.
Samantha cut her hair and styled
it way different than what people
expected. “I did this because they
would have to shave my head for
the procedure and I also wanted
to see the shape of my head
before they shaved it all off, “
Georges.
The recovery
time of her surgery could take
about a month or possibly longer.
Samantha is very active at East.
She participates in orchestra and
plays basketball, and started
cross-country last fall. “I will not
let my surgery stop me from
doing what I love to do,” Georges.
We wish you a well recovery and
hope everything went well in
your surgery.
December 16, 2011
East over the counter
Katherine Flood
Co- Editor in Cheif and
Staff Writer
Advil, Tylenol, and
Ibuprofen are pills kids carry
with them on a regular basis in
their wallet or purse, without
even thinking about it. These
painkillers are lifesavers in the
stressful days of high school
students.
Glenbard East’s drug
policy is one that all four schools
in District 87 share. Students are
not allowed to carry any type of
treatment, including over the
counter drugs.
Nurse Carol Lowney
understands there are students
who can be trusted. But not all
people are the same, and not all
students are at the same level of
maturity or accountability.
“You may be
responsible, but someone else
might not be”, said Lowney.
Many students are not
even aware of the drug policy.
Students are allowed to have
over the counter drugs, but they
must keep them in the nurse’s
office, and they need an order
from a doctor.
“I understand the
precautions in place for us, but
I honestly don’t know what the
policy is,” said senior Fareaba
Moradiahani.
In some extreme cases,
students are allowed to keep
their medication on them. These
are in cases of diabetes, serious
allergies, and asthma.
”We allow diabetic
insulin pens, epipens, and
inhalers on students,” said Rowley.
Another reason East
doesn’t permit students to carry
over the counter drugs is because
a nurse cannot legally dole out
medication in Illinois without
permission from a doctor.
If a student is found
violating the policy, the
consequence is a dean’s referral.
“If we found it, it would
be confiscated, and we’d give it
to a parent if they picked it up.
But we would not hand it to the
student it was taken from,” said
Shahe Bagdasarian, assistant
principal of Student Services.
The punishments for
different drugs vary.
“Large doses of advil or
Tylenol reap large consequences.
One prescription pill could be a
warning, where as several could
lead to suspension. If a student
doles out prescription drugs to
other students though, it results
in expulsion,” said Bagdasarian.
There is an argument
however, that some seniors are
at the age of 18 and are thus
legal adults.
“I think it’s dumb
because some people are
honestly sick and they’re stuck
at school without anything to
help them, and if someone’s 18
shouldn’t they be able to decide
whether or not they’re capable
of taking medicine?” said senior
Crissy Perez.
Students have a similar
opinion of feeling controlled by
a rule they don’t understand or
have much information on.
“Personally I think it’s
illogical. I don’t see why we have
to be punished for wanting to
feel healthy. But I only have a
general idea of the rule,” said
senior Joe Kirsh.
The school board
does take these things into
consideration though.
“This has been the
policy since 1959, and every
several years it gets reviewed. It
was just evaluated in October of
2010,” said Lowney.
East is constantly trying
to improve itself for its student’s
benefits, and this policy is
one that is meant to protect
everyone.
Test for success
By Ashley Antony and Sylvia
Whitaker
Staff Writers
and supporting evidence. The
difference in the readiness
level appears in their ability to
comprehend complex texts.
The ability to comprehend
complex text is essential to
college success. The college ready
brain must be able to integrate
decoding skills into analogical
thought, inferential reasoning,
perspective taking, critical
analysis etc.
Online reading
promotes fast reading of words
mechanically, but without
interpretation, thus leaving the
brain not used to capacity. FMRIs
(functional magnetic resonance
imaging) can demonstrate
which areas of the brain are
being activated while reading
electronically vs. on paper.
The parts of the brain
that need to be activated for
long-term recall show less activity
while reading electronically.
Besides, there are way too many
distractions online, (i.e. Email,
Facebook, and Twitter). If we want
students to improve their reading
skills, reading online textbooks
may not be the answer!
taking environment.
It stayed there until
after school when it moved back
to room 250. All the students
had to do was give the pass
from their teacher to the staff
member present in either of the
two testing centers. Then they
were free to take their tests. This
convenient plan worked and
continues to work.
“I think the testing center
has been a win-win. It has been
great for the students and for the
teachers. It’s a great resource,” said
Reece.
The testing center opens
before school at 7 o’clock and
is even available after school.
That gives the student many
opportunities to take a test.
The testing center served 2,035
students during 1st Quarter.
Overall, the testing center has
been a great success and has
helped many students and
teachers.
By Sylvia Whitaker
News and Features Co-Editor
Timothy Fawkes
Photos by Tony DiGregorio
By Ebony Rouse and
Diamond Ford
Staff Writers
Laura Broderick did
a presentation along with two
other teachers, Marti Seaton and
Dorothy Mukuska, on e-reading
on November 18th, 2011 at The
Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.
They presented for the National
Council of Teachers of English
(NCTE) 2011 Annual Convention:
Reading the Past, Writing the
Future. Broderick’s presentation
informed the audience that
of 3 million college freshman
in 2008, 43% of students at
2-year institutions and 29% of
students at 4-year institutions
are unable to do college work.
A 2008 study found that 80% of
college freshman are enrolled
in remedial classes. 95% of the
students in remedial classes
reported doing all or most of the
same work in high school.
The College Board
revealed that both college ready
and unready score similarly
on the ACT when it comes to
measuring their understanding
of main idea, word meaning,
You are checking your
grades on Powerschool. It seems
like you are failing math. But how
could that be possible? Oh, that’s
right, you were absent on the day
the test was given. But it will be
fine because you can just stop
by the testing center after school
tomorrow and take it. Problem
solved.
Making up tests did not
used to be all that easy. Three
years ago, before the testing
center was created, students had
to set up a time with their teacher
that was appropriate for both the
teacher and the student which
was rarely simple. There were
more math tests that needed to
be made up compared to all of
the other subjects. Students who
had to make up these math tests
were showing up at the math
resource room. Eventually, the
math resource room became
overcrowded with students who
had to take their test and with
students who actually came for
help in math.
It was at that moment
that former Assistant Principal
of Instruction and current
Spanish teacher, Jan Reece and
a few members of the building
administrative came up with the
idea of a room reserved just for
students to make up tests.
At first, their idea was
to use room 207. This worked for
some time. But, the room became
crowded after school because
too many students came in to
take their tests; the room was not
big enough. So, the teachers got
together again, and decided to
move the testing center to room
250, which was the study hall.
Unfortunately, this did not work
for much long either. The study
hall was too noisy during the day,
and it did not create a great test
Kurt Johansen
Jonathan Pietras
East continued the tradition of the Banfield Turkey Trot Fundraiser. Students participate by
donating to the collection of money for their favorite teachers. At the end of the fundraiser, the total are
added up and the top three contestants walk around school on the day before Thanksgiving weekend in
turkey costumes. It’s a nice way to raise money and have a good laugh. This year’s top three were Dean Kurt
Johansen who raised $1,261.02, Industrial Tech teacher, Jonathan Pietras who raised $136.39, and Orchestra
Director, Timothy Fawkes who raised $121.16. Runner ups included Special Education Teacher, Jamie Frain
who raised $118.94, Math teacher Jeff Sabol who raised $113.18, and Social Studies teacher Joe Latala who
raised $81.34.
News
December 16, 2011
Echo
3
Chamber of Secrets Part: III
He has learned from
his family and how to handle
with those situations. But he has
also learned a vast amount from
his peers in the district’s he has
worked in.
It has been a priority of
Chambers’ that he would learn
from his peers and apply them to
his teaching.
The experience he has
received from the two other
districts and its administrators
have helped him immensely at
East.
“I have had the pleasure
to learn from many great
administrators. They knew how to
deal with many difficult situations
where some would become
fidgety and make others stressed,”
said Chambers.
They have taught him
how to deal with adversity in
school and how to handle those
“touchy” situations.
Chambers never gets
to walk away from his job.
By Seth Quam
Sports Editor
also felt that the day was a strong
success.
“Freshman Leadership
day showed many kids that upper
classmen are not all mean and
scary! I really feel like I can make a
difference now because of what I
was taught there,” said freshman
Amber Lopez.
Glenbard East hopes to
develop a leadership sequence
that will build self-awareness,
leadership skills, and interaction
with others.
To accomplish this,
there will be a sophomore
leadership day after the winter
sports season, tailor made to the
sophomore class.
Van Den Berg stresses
the importance of involvement
of students in their school so that
they have a voice and can make
the school as they want it to be.
Another attempt to
make our school a better place
came in the form of anti-bullying
week. Students for Students club,
along with Ms. Murawski and Mrs.
Lepsi worked towards having a
positive culture within the school,
in the form of anti-bullying week.
Each day had a
Being the principal means that
he gets informed on anything
that happens in school and its
students and staff.
“I’m pretty much on
call 24/7. I might have to drop
I thought Hug Day was a
huge success...
--Kendall Kott
sophomore leader
of Be the Change
different theme for how students
throughout the school could
dress or act, and this was an
attempt to spread awareness and
get students involved.
“I thought Hug Day
was a huge success, especially
because of our T-shirt sales,” said
sophomore leader of the Be the
Change Club Kendall Kott.
The funds gained
perspective on teaching because
she had done it for so long.
She is a good support
system for him and is always a
good person to get a perspective
from.
Chambers loves coming
to school everyday, but would
not rule out a move to a higher
position.
“I love this job. I don’t
imagine leaving anytime soon,”
said Chambers.
By Ebony Rouse
Staff Writer
are being used to bring back
“Challenge Day,” the one day
assembly featured in the MTV
show “If You Really Knew Me” to
Glenbard East again this year.
This year was the first
ever anti-bullying week and
the primary goal was to spread
awareness to the students and to
get them thinking that bullying
is unacceptable and is a real
problem.
“Bullying is a serious
issue,” said Mrs. Lepsi
Establishing that
bullying is a serious issue and
getting students to realize that
bullying is something that does
exist in our school was one of the
main goals of the week.
In future years, students
for students hopes to bring in
guest speakers to talk about
bullying in hopes that it will
connect with the students more
and will be another step towards
creating a bully-free environment.
Have you ever wanted
to join a club but you couldn’t
because you were in a spring
sport or just didn’t feel like that
sport was for you? Well, Fun with
Fitness is a new program that
is coming to Glenbard East to
raise awareness on healthy living
brought to you by Assistant
Principal of Student Services
Shahe Bagdasarian and Physical
Education Deparment Chair
Mindy Kunos.
This is a program that
targets students who are not in
a spring sport that want to get
active. All students are welcome
to apply but there is a cap on 2025 students that can participate.
Fun with Fitness will be available
2nd semester and will take place
after school in the field house
on Mondays in two, eight week
sessions. More will be discussed
on this in th February issue.
El Proyecto Estrella del Mar
By Maria Garcia
Staff Writer
El proyecto Estrella del
Mar fue iniciado este año por
parte de la Sociedad de Honores
Nacionales (NHS) para honorar
la señorita Banfield, una maestra
adorada y humanitaria, después
de que falleció.
El propósito de este
proyecto es para promover
servicio y comunidad a través de
Glenbard East High School.
La Señorita Banfield vive
no solo en nuestros corazones
pero también a través de el
proyecto Estrella del Mar.
Su legado en Glenbard
East es de servicialidad y
siguiendo
su
extraordinario
ejemplo, nosotros podemos hacer
de Glenbard East un mejor lugar,
un lugar donde poniendo otros
antes que nosotros mismos sea
común.
Proyecto Estrella del Mar
es un año de servicio, esto quiere
decir que Glenbard East esta en
reta para acumular 7,000 horas de
servicio comunitaria en honor a
la Señorita Banfield.
En Junio del 2012, el
resumen final será agregado para
ver si logramos nuestro meta. En
este momento estamos ha 1,200
horas. La señorita Banfield diría
“¡no es suficiente!”
¡Empiecen desde ahorita!
Hay mas que suficientes
oportunidades
de
servicios
comunitarios entre la escuela
como es Student Council, Key Club,
NHS, tutoría y también pueden
encontrar otras oportunidades
viendo los tablones de anuncios
en la escuela.
Ustedes mismos pueden
hacer sus propias oportunidades
voluntarias, algo que la señorita
Banfield sabía de mas.
Ella no tenia miedo de
salir de su rutina para ayudar
a alguien mas y menos tu.
Aprovechan su tiempo para
ayudar a un maestro(a) después
de la escuela.
La navidad es el tiempo
perfecto para dar, para retribuir a
tu comunidad y ayudar a alguien
mas. Hay suficientes personas
que necesitan de tu ayuda en esta
temporada, esta es tu oportunidad
para demostrar tu caridad.
“Nosotros queremos ver
cuanto East es capaz de retribuir
y de ayudar,” dijo el señor Robert
Kaylor miembro ejecutivo de NHS.
Proyecto Estrella del
Mar esta instalando sentido de
comunidad en East, algo que
esperemos mantener por los años
venideros.
“Con todo mi corazón
yo pienso que podemos lograr
nuestra meta de 7,000 horas, solo
tenemos que recordar marcar
nuestras horas,” dijo Kaylor,
Si no es tan fácil de
caminar hacia la oficina para
marcar tus horas, tu puedes
entrar a la pagina de proyecto
Estrella del Mar en Facebook para
marcar tus horas o pueden entrar
directamente al sitio oficial (web
page address) para hacerlo.
El propósito de esto es
para hacer el proyecto Estrella del
Mar conveniente para ustedes, la
gente de Glenbard East.
Photo by Tony DiGregorio
It’s been a busy last
few months for the Leadership
department at Glenbard East. Not
too long ago eight staff members
and twelve senior leaders hosted
48 freshmen participating in
Freshman leadership day.
Freshman leadership
day was an attempt to give
Glenbard East students the tools
to be leaders in our society,
community, and our school.
The freshmen went through a
variety of activities and exercises
to promote leadership and
cooperative group work.
Leadership coordinator
Mr. Van Den Berg was “over
the top excited” about how
the day went. Van Den Berg
also commended the senior
leaders for their hard work and
leadership.
“They did a tremendous
job,” said Van Den Berg.
Freshmen participants
I love this job. I don’t
imagine leaving anytime
soon.
--Josh Chambers
Principal
whatever I’m doing and deal
with a school problem, “ said
Chambers.
But it really, truly is a
love of Chambers’ to come into
school everyday and make a
difference at school on many
students. His passion for the job
is thick and he loves to come to
school every day.
“It wasn’t the perfect
path, but it got me here. All
the things I did before, like the
business, were both good and
bad experiences,” said Chambers
of his journey to teaching.
But he got there, much
to the delight of his mother, a
former teacher.
His mother was so
excited that she wrote letters and
sent them out to family members.
She has given Chambers a good
Photo by Dominique Didier
By Omar Vazquez and
Chris Celo
Co-Editor in Chief and Staff
Writer
Through out Josh
Chamber’s career, he has had
to make many decisions and
changes for not only himself, but
for everyone around him.
His family has played a
large role in his decision making
process ever since he’s had a
family to think about. But there
have been moments where he
has had to decide between school
and family events.
“Sometimes I do feel
that I have missed important
moments in my children’s lives.
But it was something that we
talked about before I took the job.
I was going to have to make some
sacrifices,” said Chambers.
Echo
Arts & Entertainment
Countdown to New Year’s A new approach
Eve
4
From the same director
and producer that brought you
Valentine’s Day, Gary Marshell’s
New Year’s Eve is a movie about
fresh starts, second chances, hope
and love.
The story takes place in
the heart of New York City on its
most dazzling night of the year.,
December 31st.
This
movie
includes many familiar faces such
as, Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher,
Lea Michele, Bon Jovi, Sarah
Jessica Parker, Robert Di Nero,
Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, and
many more.
Critics say it’s the perfect
movie for this time of the year. It’s
charming, romantic, and funny.
“New Year’s Eve, a schlock
ensemble love-o-rama timed for
the season of easy good feeling,
is a movie I often found myself
laughing at in ridicule, and one
that also gave me a lump in the
throat.” said movie critic, Owen
Glelberman.
This romantic comedy
will ring the 2011 Holiday Season
when seven couples and singles
in New York intertwine over the
course of New Years Eve including
two people who get trapped in
an elevator, a couple preparing to
give birth, and a man who enjoys
his last New Year’s before dying.
This Holiday, go see a
movie that will make you laugh,
cry, and love.
However, even though
it seems like the star studded cast
will be capable of fulfilling their
usual potential, it’s also possible
this movie may have too many
story lines that create a jumbled
mass that makes you feel it’s
almost forced.
Although, it does have
a good New Year’s Eve vibe that
leaves you excited for your very
own New Year’s night.
It cameout December
9th, and is a perfect date night
movie. Many guys won’t exactly
be too excited to watch it, because
it’s a complete chick flick.
If you give it a chance
though, and don’t just look at the
other reviews that have negatively
critiqued this up and coming
movie, you might be slightly
surprised.
The moral of the story is:
if you don’t like chick flicks or have
a special date to go to enjoy this
New Year’s specialty, it’s best to
save your money and go watch
something a bit more obtuse and
capable of satisfying everyone.
Possibly Valentine’s Day,
which is almost the exact same
story line along with a much
cheaper price: 1$ at the Redbox.
Coldplay exceeds expectations
By Phillip Schellenberger
Staff Writer
It is a rare occasion such
as this, that an album receives
an excessive amount of hype. It
is also rare that an album has so
many great expectations; however, that is what comes with being one of the greatest alternative
bands of our time.
The band in question is
none other than Coldplay. This
year Coldplay has generously provided us with a rare gem, their
latest album ‘Mylo Xyloto’. Many
are left wondering, is this next
colossal success for the popular
group? Or, is this vastly superior to
‘Viva La Vida’? Well, that depends
on your personal preference, and
whether or not you embrace the
new sound Coldplay is attempting
to achieve.
First and foremost, the
album begins with the self titled
track ‘Mylo Xyloto’, this track is
nothing more than ambient
sounds which do a nice job is leading into the second track.
That being said, the second track is titled ‘Hurts like Heaven’, this tune is thoroughly impressive and has a wonderful vibe to
it. The energy is high, and it is just
a pleasure to listen to. The instrumentation is done very well, and
truly reveals the merit Buckland’s
abilities. This tune is sure to be an
instant success, and audiences everywhere will embrace it.
The third track on the album titled ‘Paradise’, has already
ascended to the status of “mass
appeal”, and has received copious
amounts of air time, and has been
embraced by audiences from a
wide range of musical tastes.
It begins with ambient
sounds, which set the tone, and
do a wonderful job of familiarizing
the audience with the deep and
rich sound utilized throughout.
Martin delivers a pitch-perfect
sound, and serenades listeners
with his smooth tenor voice. The
song has a sentimental air, but
never steers towards the overly
“whiny” sound of today’s popular
alternative.
Following “Paradise” is
the track ‘Charlie Brown’. In accordance with the albums progression, the track begins with more
ambient sounds leading into Mar-
tin’s lyrics. The highlight of this
track is the superb acoustic guitar playing of Buckland. The music and lyrics work perfectly, and
portray a beautiful tale. This track
is wonderful for relaxing, and
clearing you head. It is calm, and
serene, and contrasts “Paradise”
quite well.
Proceeding
“Charlie
Brown” is ‘Us Against the World’.
First and foremost, it is essentially
filler, and really holds no worth
on this fantastic album. The lyrics are “sappy”, and to be honest,
overdramatic. Also, the vocal style
abandons the rich and smooth
sound of Martin’s voice, and favors
a more raspy (dare I say blues inspired) voice.
This would work well in
most cases; however, the lyrics do
not fit the style well at all. Also, the
acoustic guitar feels like noting
more than background noise. The
lyrics are not intelligent, and for
the most part deliver cliché “love
lines”. I do not recommend this
particular track.
The track, ‘Every teardrop
is a Waterfall’ is simply amazing,
and I cannot stress that enough.
It begins with a wonderful synth’
line, which leads in to Martin belting powerful lyrics; the acoustic
guitar begins to play some simplistic chords, but is quickly over
shadowed by the incredible electric guitar riff. Instrumentally this
song works well in all aspects, and
is the true gem of the album.
Lyrically the song delivers a powerful message expressing Martin’s deep affection
towards music. It is quite odd to
see Martin expressing lyrics about
music, as opposed to his typical
romantic love pieces; however,
I think it is a nice path. The song
possesses a high energy, and is
just amusing.
‘Major Minus’ is my particular favorite, and I must say it
may not be Coldplay’s “tried and
true” sound, but this tune works
on so many levels. The track begins with a fantastic slide acoustic
guitar riff, and may leave the audience confused.
No, this is not a country
track you are listening to Coldplay. I was shocked and awed by
this unique twist on the band, but
overall I was impressed. The vocals
are affected, and it’s difficult to decipher what the intended sound
was, but it works quite well.
I have not spoken of the
drums specifically throughout the
procession of this review; however, credit is due in this track.
Champion does a wonderful job
with creating a thundering beat,
and bassist Berryman delivers a
rich groove. This song is superb,
and will satisfy a vast majority of
listeners. Following the high energy of ‘Major Minus’, the band
wisely selected a tranquil acoustic
piece titled ‘U.F.O’.
‘U.F.O’ features serene
vocals, and an emotionally driven
message. Instrumentally it is quite
simplistic, with an acoustic guitar
repeating chords; however, it does
feature a wonderful violin which
complements the sound rather
well. It is a nice tune, but nothing
to praise.
This next tune has been
created quite a stir, and has been
met with some fascinating criticism. The track is titled ‘Princess
of China’, and is a terrific song. It
possesses a wonderful electronic
sound, and would fit in quite well
in the clubs of Ibiza.
This song features the
pop princess herself, Rihana. This
song may turn some heads, but
I must admit Rihana’s vocals are
fantastic, and hearing her truly
sing for a change was quite the
treat. She utilizes this wonderful
sound, and it complements Martin perfectly. The duo work well,
and I am surprised that it ended
up being an incredible treat for
my ears.
Recommended Tracks:
1. ‘Every Teardrop is a Waterfall’.
2. ‘Paradise’.
3. ‘Princess of China’.
By Greg Figge
Staff Writer
W i t h w i n t e r
approaching so is a new play.
In February the Glenbard East
Theatre group will be performing
a “deconstruction” of Swan Lake,
a nineteenth century ballet
written by Russian playwright,
Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
The Glenbard version
will follow the original plot but
have much of the music adapted
to styles of heavy metal, hip-hop,
classical and contemporary.
Some of the leading
characters of the cast of 28
includes freshman, Sean Preins,
junior, Colton Pittman playing
Prince Siegfried, and senior,
Courtney Heneghan, playing
Odette, the White Swan Queen.
The story of Swan Lake
is of Prince Siegfried, heir to the
kingdom, who meets Odette, a
princess that has been turned
into a swan during day by an evil
sorcerer named Von Rothbart.
Heir to the kingdom, Prince
Siegried is forced to choose a
wife at his birthday ball.
Siegfried is upset that
he cannot marry for love and
runs into the forest. He soon
finds a flock of swans flying over
him and decides to hunt them.
When he gets close he sees
Odette, more woman then swan,
and dances with her and finds
out who she really is.
There is not a single
word of dialogue throughout
the play, and instead all
communication is done through
dancing.
“I like that you can
express your emotions with your
face or body instead of just using
words, and it’s a more powerful
form of art because it can be
interpreted in so many different
ways” says white swan maiden
Maddie Moeller, Junior.
Phyllis LiFonti, the
choreographer and director,
proposed the play knowing Swan
Lake has recently been a popular
story due to the release of Black
Swan; a movie directed by Darren
Aronofsky, about a theatre group
that performs Swan Lake.
East’s version of Swan
Lake is to be more true to the
original plot then Black Swan’s,
but people who have watched
Black Swan should be able to
recognize many similarities.
Compared to their last
theatre performance Harvey,
the play Swan Lake is much
different.
Harvey was a traditional
comedy whereas Swan Lake is
both imaginative and mysterious.
“The show is like a dark
magical fairy tale”, says Theatre
teacher Mark Kaetzer.
All the music is prerecorded.
“I’m always excited
about dance shows, and I think
this will be very well-received!”
said Kaetzer.
The play will
be held at Rider Hall on the
dates of February 8,9,10 and the
11th, with tickets selling for 6
dollars. Sales of tickets will start
on January 23rd and can be
purchased during lunches. This
new play is something many
students’ families can enjoy.
Photo by Greg Figge
Ahlaia Alkawaja
Staff Writer
December 16, 2011
Colton Pittman is Prince Siegfried in the
upcoming Deconstruction of Swan Lake, playing
February 8th,9th,10th, &11th.
Ray Davies is better
than ever
By Rob Rodak
Staff Writer
On the momentous date
of 11/11/11, I had the privilege
of seeing the great Ray Davies.
For those who do not know, Ray
Davies was the lead vocalist and
songwriter of the British invasion
rock band, The Kinks. The concert
was phenomenal.
He played
many well known Kinks songs
such as “You Really Got Me”, “All
the Day and All of The Night”,
“Sunny Afternoon”, and “Lola”.
He also played some songs from
his collaboration album See My
Friends. He even read an excerpt
from his autobiography X-Ray.
Opening the concert
was The 88, a band that has
opened for and played with Ray
Davies before. After their set Ray
Davies took the stage with one
other guitarist. The guitarist was
the very skilled Bill Shanley. The
duo played some of Ray’s slower
songs. Then The 88 joined Ray on
stage jumping in during the song
“20th Century Man,” and went on
to play his more energetic songs.
Although his voice has matured a
little since the Kinks, he sounded
amazing and performed with as
much vigor and energy as ever.
December 16, 2011
Prescription or prosecU
By Katherine Flood
Staff Writer
I imagine that if I’m sitting
in class in pain, I can take a few
Advil to get past it. Well, due to
the schools drug policy, I have to
tough it out.
The drug policy is a bit severe
due to the fact that there are
more responsible students than
irresponsible.
We come to school everyday
for seven hours, and it’s hard to
pay attention when your head
is screaming stop the agony. If
we were allowed to keep over
the counter drugs such as Advil,
Tylenol, and Ibuprofen, it would
be easier for certain people to pay
attention in class.
Granted we would have to have
bring what we have approved by
the nurses first, but it should be as
simple as showing them.
The schools drug policy says
we can only keep these over the
counter drugs in the nurse’s office,
with a doctor’s note included.
That’s a bit over dramatic.
Not to mention when girls have
menstrual cramps, we do not want
to go out of our way to walk to
the nurse’s office to get medicine,
considering we are already in a
Echo 5
Opinions
tion?
Title In Progress
great amount of discomfort.
Not only is the way we can have
these over the counter drugs a bit
strict, but the consequences of
having them without permission
is a harsh as well.
To be referred to the dean
simply for having a Tylenol due to
a migraine is a bit much. I feel if
you should be referred anywhere
it should be the nurse’s, for them
to check that the medicine is
approved.
I can’t imagine the countless
times I have heard my fellow
students complain about how
bad of a headache they have,
or cramps, with nothing to help
them get through that pain.
If the school is not
willing to omit certain aspects
of the drug policy, they should
at least make them a bit more
reasonable.
It’s miserable trying to sit
through a fifty minute long class
with a pounding headache,
knowing that’s the only thing you
will be able to focus on until it
goes away. It would be better for
the staff to allow the use of over
the counter drugs; so that they
don’t lose the trust they have with
their students.
If students had the right to carry
these over the counter medicines,
they wouldn’t abuse the privileges
that they earned for themselves.
The allowance of over
the counter drugs such as Advil,
Tylenol, and Ibuprofen, would
only benefit the students health
and welfare.
The best time of the year
By Tony Digregorio
Graphics Editor
Christmas, a time of the
year filled with family, friends,
good music, and good times.
There is nothing quite
like the morning of Christmas.
Nothing quite like the moment
you see all the presents sitting
under the tree, wrapped in
multicolored paper. The feeling of
joy and happiness you get when
you unwrap the kaleidoscopic
mystery boxes. There is simply no
other experience that compares
to it.
And
even
though
(SPOILER ALERT) there is no Santa
Clause sliding down our chimneys
delivering our presents, and then
flying off in some magical sleigh
powered by flying reindeer, we
can still enjoy the festivities and
surround ourselves in the warm
feeling that is Christmas.
The warm feeling of
Christmas is best shared with
others, and I believe Christmas is
a time that should be spent with
your family and friends.
We should focus more
on sharing good times with each
other, and lose some of the focus
on just giving out gifts bought
in stores. Don’t get me wrong
though, I enjoy colorfully wrapped
boxes as much as the next guy.
What can I really say
about Christmas?
Well I can definitely
say that it is my favorite holiday,
and I believe it is one of the best
holidays. That is purely opinion
based though.
The new focus of
Christmas seems to be buying
extravagant gifts for all your
friends.
It’s actually become
something that is expected! Just
think about how you feel when
you get a pair of socks when you
were expecting much more!
As I grow older, I realize
that it really is the thought that
counts. I also realize how cliché
that sounds. We should all be
happy and grateful for whatever
gifts we receive, whether it is a
brand new flat screen TV or a
homemade sweater.
Not everyone is lucky
enough to have Christmas, so any
gift would be a wonderful one to
these unfortunate people. Even
your least favorite Christmas gift
would be a joyous and memorable
for less fortunate people.
Sure, whenever we think
Christmas, we think of the tree and
the gifts below, but think a little
more. Listen to some Christmas
music, be thankful for your good
fortune, and give back.
Giving is within the very
essence of Christmas, (we could all
learn A LOT from good old Saint
Nick) and we should all practice it
this Christmas. Give your family
your time on Christmas day,
volunteer for something, give
back to your community, and be
thankful for the things you do get!
It is known that “for
every action there is an equal
and opposite reaction”, Said Sir
Isaac Newton. We get from this
holiday what we put into it. Bring
happiness to others and it will
make its way back to you.
Merry Christmas, Happy
Hanukkah, Hapy Kwanzaa, and
Happy New Year! Be thankful
for everything you receive, and
remember to give to others!
Happy Holidays and enjoy the
break.
By Jake Hill
Co-Editor of News
and Features
The misconception of
being a procrastinator is that
you are either too lazy or can’t
manage your time; the truth?
Procrastination is fueled by
weakness in the face of impulse
and a failure to think about
thinking.
We all want to achieve in
what are mind is set too, but in fact
there’s that point we can’t get past.
Psychologist relate procrastination
to six separate problems: You’re
too disorganized, you feel
overwhelmed, it is something
so important – a speech, a job
application, a resume, important
letter or a novel – that you have
to do a great job, it’s something
you really don’t want to do, or you
keep getting sidelined by more
other enjoyable activities. They
suggest several simple techniques
to combat these several obstacles
such as setting aside activities and
focusing more on the object, and
break down major goals while
taking them step-by-step, etc.
Many others just straight
up confess to something else,
laziness, which is somewhat
similar to procrastination but
has more of a truthful impact.
We can either do something or
forget about the whole thing
either way it doesn’t affect us. An
example would be seniors. We
don’t have to, as our parents say,
“Go the extra mile” or go “above
and beyond” such as taking extra
classes, applying for scholarships,
making our first semester our
best, etc. Being lazy is a decision
that a person makes on their own,
plain and simple.
As a high school
senior, I can pretty much
advocate for both of those
terms. I am a seventeen-yearold with a job and college right
around the corner I only feel
but in needs a break from all
the stress. Sadly, those breaks
become way overdue as I
miss assignments, deadlines
and make my teachers even
more stressed to have to deal
with me. I do not purposely
look act this way; life just sets
in at a bad time and causes
obstacles I have to overcome.
After reorganizing and setting
priorities straight I am back to
where I need to be.
Procrastination gets
the best of us and affects us
at the worst possible timing,
laziness on the other hand is
something we can all control
and not let it determine what
we can achieve as a person. We
can all be the best we want to
be, we just can’t let anything
interrupt that successful finish.
Christmas comes early
By Omar Vazquez
Co-Editor In Cheif
As the NBA was getting
into the thick of its “Nuclear
Winter,” an agreement was
announced on November 26th,
149 days after the work stoppage
on July 1st.
After
months
of
bickering between the two sides,
finally a labor agreement has been
worked out between the NBA’s
players and owners but neither
side is jumping for joy over the
agreements. The NBA could not
risk anymore bad publicity and it
seemed that in order to save face,
they agreed on a feeble contract.
The specifics have not
been all released, but changes will
not occur immediately, as some
will be phased in over the next
few years.
Some of the key points
of the contract are: Players will
receive 51% of the revenue, there
will be a harsher luxury tax on
big-market teams, and teams will
be allowed to use the amnesty
clause, or dump a bad contract
(watch out Mike Miller, Baron
Davis, and Gilbert Arenas).
Although games will
start on the Christmas Day, it is a
bittersweet beginning to a season
that should not have taken so
long to get started.
In times where families
are losing homes and finding a
job is getting even more difficult,
people do not like to hear about
rich people bickering like children
on how to split the money on a
billion dollar industry.
It seemed as if the players
and owners had forgotten what
had gotten the NBA to what it was.
The NBA was beginning to expand
as more and more teams were
competing for championships
the players were beginning to
make a mark in America and
overseas. Fans were coming out
to games in droves and the game
was advancing in leaps in bounds
since its last work stoppage in
1998-1999, where there were only
50 games that season.
The NBA could do no
wrong, at least until July 1st.
It seemed odd that they
could not find a way to share the
wealth of a billion dollar industry,
whereas the arena workers who
need the NBA season, are starving
to feed themselves and, in some
cases, their families.
It was looking as if the
season would never start as talks
between the two sides were
constantly ending in a stale mate,
with neither side appearing to
budge on the either issues of
revenue sharing, contract lengths,
salary caps, and other issues.
Hearing all these blessed players
and owners whining about
receiving 53% or 52% was not
fun, when they could have been
entertaining us. Finally, they came
to their senses and agreed to
come to an agreement for at least
a few more years.
But there are still
some kinks in the agreement
between the two sides. One
major difference between just the
owners was the fact that it was
Glenbard East High
Editor-in-Chief: Bella Aguilar,
Omar Vazquez
Features Editor: Jake Hill
Graphics Editor: Tony DiGregorio
News Editor: Sylvia Whitaker
Sports Editor: Seth Quam
Assistant to the Sports Editor:
Lauren Cali
Advisers: Jeff Kargol, Laura Koenig
Greg Canfield
Staff Writers:
Alaia Alkhawaja,
Cassie Bocchieri, Chris Celo, Chris
Cisnero, Laura Davis, Dominique
Didier, Dakota Dynek, Greg Figge,
Katherine Flood, Diamond Ford,
Sara Fromer, Maria Garcia, Daniel Hartmanowski, Tyrell Holmes,
Frank Loconti, Haley Lydon Jake
Martin, Katie Martin, Emmanuel
Morales, Jason Ponce, Rob Rodak, Ebony Rouse, Madeline
Smith, Brian Tellez, Hannah Walsh,
difficult for small market teams
like Toronto or Minnesota to
compete with the likes of Los
Angeles or Chicago.
The Christmas day schedule
obviously shows that the
problem has not gone away
with games of Chicago and
Lakers, Orland and Oklahoma
City, Boston and New York,
Miami and Dallas, and Clippers
against Golden State.
Don’t
expect
Milwaukee to be in the hunt for
Dwight Howard is all I’m saying.
It will be difficult to
come to an agreement when
this contract runs out, when the
owner’s side is divided as is the
players union, which disbanded
in November. The contract is a
10-year agreement, but it only
guarantees NBA games for six
years, and then either side can
opt out of the contract and it
would cause another lock-out.
Some fans of the
game may feel resentment
towards the issue, but many,
like me, are glad that there will
be a season that was only cut
15 games, from 81 to 66. It will
be wild start to the season as
the free-agent signing period,
pre-season games, and many
more things that usually occur
over a few months, now will all
happen in less than a month.
But I can confidently say that
as the season draws nearer, I
am excited to see what a the
shortened NBA season will
bring and how many story lines
will play out. But don’t expect
the good times to role after the
six-year opt out can happen.
At least the NBA can
Fear the Dear this year.
The Glenbard East Echo is published regularly by the students
of Glenbard East. 1014 S. Main St.
Lombard, IL 60148. Editorials represent the views of the executive
board. The Echo reserves the right
to edit or shorten any letter without altering its intent. Letters to
the editor must be signed and will
be printed on a space-available
basis. The unsigned editorials are
the opinions of the Echo staff. The
opinion columns are the beliefs
of the writer and may not express
the views of the entire Echo staff.
6
Sports
Echo
December 16, 2011
Bears prepare for Christmas Day showdown vs. Packers
By Frank Loconti
Staff Writer
Nov. 27th 1921:
Godfather of the NFL and coach
of the upstart Decatur Stayleys,
George Hallas, walked into Green
Bay Wisconsin with a young and
eager football team ready to take
on Vince Lombardi and the Green
Bay Packers in what would be the
first meeting between the two
franchises.
George Hallas and
his hardnosed Decatur Stayley
football team trampled the
cheese heads with style. Shutting
the prolific packer offence out
with a 20 to 0 victory for the
Bears. This game would forever
set the tone for the oldest,
most historic rivalry in all of
professional football.
The Transition to
Chicago
Decatur is a small
country town in central Illinois.
But in 1920 Decatur was home
to the most feared football
team in the whole country: The
Decatur Stayleys. George Hallas,
the coach of the Stayleys, was a
graduate of University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, which is
Photos by Tony DiGregorio
The First Battle
Mr. and Mrs. Adler will be on opposing sides for the Christmas Day Packers vs. Bears showdown.
not far from Decatur. When given
the chance to start a football
franchise, Hallas didn’t travel
far from home and also carried
on the same colors from the
University of Illinois’ blue and
orange.
After the turn of the
New Year, January 1st 1922, the
franchise was renamed the Bears
and relocated. George Hallas
picked up his newly renamed
football franchise to Chicago
ensuring a stronger fan base
Winter Sports Updates
By Alaia Alkhawaja
Staff Writer
Girls Gymnastics
The Girls gymnastics team has gotten off to a great start
with a total of 30 dedicated girls. The girls have practiced hard and
competed strong. There are four girls returning athletes from the
varsity squad last year: Senior Jessica Griffin , Junior Jamie Gradishar ,
and Sophomores Karen Sebby, and Elizabeth Flint. The new additions
to the varsity team are freshmen Angela Kerndl, Emma Slinkman, and
Olivia Carone.
“My expectations for this year are to score in the 130s and
learn new skills to enhance their individual scores,” said Head Coach
Bugajsky. At the Naperville Central Meet the girls did their best and
are continuing to practice and compete at their best.
Boys Wrestling
The wrestling team is starting off with a great record of
4-2 and after placing 2nd in their Hinsdale South tournament. The
wrestling rams have a 1-0 record in the DVC after a big victory against
Naperville Central.
“ I just think we have a really good group of guys this year
and we have a lot of potential to be really good,” said Junior, Jake
Lueck.
The team has a promising young core of wrestlers that have
a lot of potential and depth.
“I feel like our team is just as deep in talent as we were two
years ago when we won our first regional title, if not deeper,” said
senior Alec Noa.
Girls Bowling
The Girls Bowling team has been quite successful so far.
They took second place in a recent tournament and were victorious
in their only match thus far. The girls are hoping they will be able to
carry on their success throughout the season.
Boys Bowling
The Boys Bowling team has had a good start to the season.
The team is focused on improving and having fun.
“ My only expectation is to get better, and we have a lot of
fun bowling,” said Steven Vitale.
Hopefully the Ram bowlers will continue having a great
success and most importantly, fun!
Boys Hockey
The AFWG Renegades Hockey Team have been
tremendously helped this year by 2 Glenbard East students, who are
both key members of the team. Sophomore Dean Cribano and junior
Justin Gunderson have both been contributing to the score board.
In the Thanksgiving Holiday tournament back in November,
both participated and tallied up points. Another East student, Tommy
Ohman had to sit out this tournament due to a foot injury. So far this
season, the varsity team is 10-7-1.
and a more accessible city. The
Chicago Bears were welcome to
play their home games no where
else than the most historic sports
stadium in the whole country,
Wrigley Field. George Hallas and
the Chicago Bears had to pick
up a big name player to fill the
seats at their new home field
and also stay one step ahead of
Vince Lombardi and the Green
Bay Packers. George Hallas acted
quick wasting no time signing a
Tackle by the name of Ed Healy
to the first ever Chicago Bear
contract for $100! This may not
sound like much but in 1922 this
$100 deal was twice the going
rate for professional football.
The All Time
Series
Vince Lombardi and
George Hallas are the founding
fathers of the NFL, making them
great rivals and allowing their
teams to have a bad-blooded
rivalry for decades to come.
George Hallas and
Vince Lombardi are still the two
most prestigious names in all
of professional football, having
their names engraved on two
of the most important trophies
attainable in the NFL. The George
Hallas NFC Championship Trophy
and the Vince Lombardi Super
bowl Champion Trophy. It is only
fitting that the two most historic
franchises are the two most
successful franchises ever to exist
in professional football.
The Teams’ Weapons
With Aaron Rodgers
being a shoe in for league MVP,
the Packers always have a chance
to score a lot of points in a short
period of time. But the red hot
Chicago Bears defense have been
a turn over machine this year
and plan on taking down Aaron
Rodgers and the perfect Packers.
The Bears donít only pride
themselves on defense.
The Bears also have
a ground game that has been
hampered by injury. What
seemed to be a savior for Chicago
in Matt Forte is beginning to
look like an unfortunate end of
the season for the upstart tail
back. The Bears have not lost
hope though. Matt forte was
injured in week 13 with sprained
MCL ligament. Forte is feeling
better as the weeks go by, and is
planning to come back around
Christmas time, just in time to
help Chicago plow over the
Packers. With Jay Cutler breaking
his thumb against the San Diego
Chargers, the Bears will have to
utilize their assets and push all
their chips in with Quarterback,
Caleb Hanie. Hanie has sat the
bench for a couple years behind
Jay Cutler and was asked to step
in when Jay Cutler broke his
thumb against San Diego.
Cutler’s backup Caleb
Hanie is 0-2 as a starter. The Bears
need prime time performers such
as Devin Hester and Johnny Knox
to step up and make play for the
Bears to keep hold of a wildcard
spot in the playoffs, as the
Divisional title has been wrapped
up by the Cheese Heads.
Injuries Effect
the Bears
With Jay Cutler out for
likely the rest of the season, and
running back Matt Forte out for
3 to 4 weeks, the defense will
have to “Bear down” and provide
key turnovers and touchdowns.
Not to mention Chicago’s secret
weapon, the unpredictable
absolutely electric Devin Hester.
Devin Hester can turn a game
around at any given moment if
the opposing team so chooses
to kick to him. His lightning
quick speed and nose for the
end zone has made him the NFL
record holder with the most
punt returns for touchdowns in
NFL history and also Devin is the
only player ever to take back the
opening kickoff of a super bowl
for a touchdown. If kickers and
punters so choose to kick away
from Hester, it can still put the
Bears at an advantage in field
position because the kickers and
punters will often shank a kick
short out of bounds trying to
keep it away from the NFL record
holder.
The Packers have found
a diamond in the rough with
Aaron Rodgers. Dating back to
last year the Packers have been
on a roll winning 17 straight
games. Part of this success is
due to the Packers seemingly
unstoppable 3rd ranked passing
offence.
Bears Defensive Lineup
The Bears star-studded
defense is led by future hall of
famer Brian Urlacher and have
more turnovers than any other
defense since 2000. The Bears
have a star on each level of
the defense starting with the
defensive line lead by premier
pass rusher Julius Peppers
followed by the line backing core
lead by seven time Probowler
and all decade team selection
Brian Urlacher, the defense
is wrapped up by a turnover
hungry secondary led by 8 year
veteran corner Charles Tillman.
The Bears defense is explosive in
every aspect of the game and are
hungry for revenge. There would
be no better Christmas present
for Chicago than to spoil the
Packers perfect season and bring
back a victory on Christmas day
The rivalry means just
as much to current Bears and
Packers as it does retired Bears
and Packers. The bad blood will
forever run through players of
these two teams until the day
they die. These two historic
franchises have the two most
hall of fame players ever to play
in the league. The Bears have
26 hall of fame players and the
cheese heads have 21 hall of fame
players.
Whether you’ll be
cheering for the Bears or the
Packers, the Christmas Day
showdown is sure to be a game
for the ages.
Sports
December 16, 2011
Echo 7
Boys basketball team work toward another successful season
Boys swim team dives into the season
Photo by Tony DiGregorio
By Lauren Cali
Assistant to the Sports Editor
Rams varsity Basketball players (left to right) Tahron Harvey, Joey Plimmer, Brandon Havenga, Greg
Ludwig, and Dan Ryan practice their jump shots.
28 game DVC winning streak.
The season started off
with a tournament at Glenbard
West. Beating Glenbard South
in first game and outscoring
Glenbard North in the second
game brought the Rams to the
championship game. The Rams
put up a fair fight, taking it to
overtime.
Having a home court
advantage gave Glenbard
West that little extra support to
pull ahead and win the game.
Glenbard East finished in second.
Holding a current record of three
By Dakota Dynek,
Alaia Alkhawaja
Staff Writers
Rams spirit is flowing
through the halls at Glenbard
East. With the start of the
basketball season, there is much
anticipation of going down state
two years in a row.
“We are excited and
fully expect to defend the DVC
title we have won the last two
years,” said Coach Scott Miller.
No one is doubting that
this years team will continue the
and one with a solid win over
Naperville Central. Seniors Patrick
Walsh and Dante Bailey are the
right people to lead their team to
victory.
“Every team in the conference
is gunning for us, so there are a
lot of teams that want to beat us.,”
said Walsh.
The team is motivated to give
their all. Also having a supportive
fan base at every game gives the
team confidence they need to
take on the next competitor on
their long way to making it down
state.
5K Run raises money for East Athletics
By Haley Lydon
Staff Writer
East students seemed to find it a
fun and enjoyable time.
“I thought it was a fun and
a good experience. And at the
end, I liked how people cheered
us on!” said Lily Zimmerman.
The 5k run
raised $4500. All proceeds went
to the athletic activities and
programs at East.
A major sponsor involved in the
race was Dick Pond Sporting
Goods and MCS Trade Show
Company. The pre-registered
runners and virtual runners
received a gift bag at check-in
filled with a 5k t-shirt, a reusable
Sunday morning,
November 20th, 2011, Glenbard
East High School hosted their first
5k Turkey Trot. The 5k run was 3.1
miles long and took place in a
neighborhood north of Glenbard
East. Over 200 runners hit the
streets for an 8 am start. The race
was won by Nathan Peterson with
a time of 14:40.
Glenbard East hosted
this event with a hope of starting
new ways to raise money for
athletic programs.
Name
Alex Symonds
Glenbard East water bottle, lotion,
and a gift certificate to one of
the sponsors. After the race, the
participants received bottled
water, hot chocolate, trail mix,
and bananas. Post run raffles were
held in the field house to give
people an opportunity to win a
turkey for Thanksgiving.
A big Glenbard East thank you to
all of the East Athletic boosters,
community volunteers, Cub
Scouts, and the Lombard Police
for making the inaugural 5k
Turkey Trot a very profitable
endeavor!
Sammie Symonds
The boys of the
Glenbard North/East Co-op Swim
Team started their season on
November 21, 2011. It is a 16week season, coached by Jason
Maddux. The boys are preparing
for a strong season, and hope to
improve throughout.
Since neither school
has a pool, the team had to figure
out a way to get to practice: they
carpool to LA fitness in Elk Grove,
IL. There, they can train and
practice the entire season.
Most people would not
consider swimming anything
more than a fun recreational
activity, but it is in reality a
competitive sport. Our boys
co-op team trains for the entire
season.
They compete in
different events like the 200-yard
Medley Relay, 200-yard freestyle,
and many more . At the end of
the season all the swimmers have
an opportunity to make it to DVC.
From there, if their times make
the cut, they backstroke their way
to Sectionals. The big meet most
swimmers hope to fly to is State.
Being on a swim team
has its perks.
“It’s fun to compete in
races and see your improvements,
and having an extended family
that enjoys the same things you
do,” said senior Jacob Peters.
Our girls co-op swim
team finished with a splash.
Every swimmer on the team
improved from the beginning of
the season.
Some of the swimmers
made accomplishments this
year, including senior Alyssa
May and sophomore Gracie
Schendel. They improved their
50-yard freestyle times by several
seconds. Such an improvement
from the beginning of the year
is a huge accomplishment for
swimmers, since every second
counts when improving times.
Participants also discussed
many positive aspects to being
on a swim team. “Swimming
is full of opportunities.
Friendships are made and
goals are met. It’s perfect,” said
sophomore Gracie Schendel.
Some of the highlights
this year included team bonding
at their Halloween party, a team
sleepover, and they learned
dance moves.
Even though the season is
over, coach Delgado and coach
Maddux are ready for the next
season.
The girls swimmers showed
improvement throughout the
season and are hoping they
will continue their success
and improvement into next
year.
Nick Symonds
Ben Symonds
Mike Heim
Mimi Heim
His brother David Peters
is a sophomore here at East.
David agrees with him about
family team atmosphere, but
the other important thing to
swimmers is friendship.
“The fact that everyone
is friends with everyone else
on the team, being on a small
team allows us to form close
friendships”, said Peters.
But are the athletes
really comfortable with sharing
the team with the Glenbard North
swimmers?
“East could do better
on their own, because it allows
the East swimmers to represent
their school,” said freshman Mike
Sikora.
For any sort of sporting
event, there are a lot of fans and
family members.
“There is a lot of
encouragement from your
teammates and coaches. The fans
can get crazy too. The energy and
excitement of the meet gets you
ready to swim your best and try
your best to improve knowing
you have a supportive team,” said
junior Sam Zimmerman.
Swimmers appreciate all the
encouragement and support they
receive from spectators and fans.
This season their
coach, Coach Jason, is hoping for
personal records and he wants
the boys to improve and do their
best.
Favorite Color
Neon Green
Blue
Blue
Blue
Red
Blue
Favorite Movie
The Notebook
The Hangover
The Breakfast Club
Tommy Boy
Money Ball
Cast Away
Favorite Restraunt
Olive Garden
Jimmy Johns
Malnatis
Portillos
McDonalds
Panda Express
Volleyball
Basketball
Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball
Jersey Shore
Pretty Little Liars
The Office
NCIS
Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights
Summer
Winter
Fall
Summer
Summer
Summer
Adele
Rihanna
Howie Day
N/A
Eminem
Lil’ Wayne
Math
English
English
Math
Math
Math
Ms. Behnke
Sr. Klatt
Mrs. Humphreys
N/A
Mr. Vandenberg
Mr. Vandenberg
Christmas
New Years
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Christmas
The Bahamas
Florida
Australia
California
California
The Bahamas
Favorite Sport
Favorite T.V. Show
Favorite Season
Favorite Band
Favorite Subject
Favorite Teacher
Favorite Holiday
Favorite Vacation Spot
By Frank Loconti
Staff Writer
interviewed a few of them and compiled a list that compares and contrasts their likes and
Extra -Extra
Echo 8
December 16, 2011
Winter cross-word search
Graphic by Veronica Severini
Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year from the
Basketball
Family
Kwanza
Presents
Snow
Blizzard
Hot Chocolate
Lazy
Reindeer
Tree
Christmas
Jolly
Lights
Santa
Warm
Elf
Joy
Ornaments
Sleigh
Wrestling
Glenbard East Echo!
Check us out online!
1) Go to the students
section
2) Click student
newspaper and
choose one of our
past issues
Winter Sports
Girls Basketball
12/17/11 Sat vs. Oswego- Away
1/3/12 Tue vs. Lockport- Away
1/5/12 Thu vs. Naperville North- Home
1/7/12 Sat Vs. West Chicago- Away
1/14/12 Sat vs. West Aurora- Home
1/17/12 Tue vs. Willobrook- Home
1/19/12 Thu vs. Naperville Central- Home
1/21/12 Sat vs. Glenbard North- Home
1/24/12 Tue vs. Wheaton Warrenville South- Away
1/26/12 Thu vs. Wheaton North- Home
1/28/12 Sat vs. Naperville North- Away
1/31/12 Tue vs. Wheaton Warrenville South- Home
Graphic By Martin Kevil
Boys Basketball
Gymnastics
12/16/11 Fri vs. Wheaton North- Away
1/6/12 Fri vs. Naperville North- Home
1/7/2012 Sat vs. West Chicago- Away
1/13/12 Fri vs. Wheaton Warrenville South- Home
1/20/12 Fri vs. West Aurora- Away
1/27/12 Fri vs. Naperville Central- Home
1/31/12 Tue vs. Glenbard North - Away
2/3/12 Fri vs. Wheaton North- Home
2/10/12 Fri vs. Naperville North- Away
2/17/12 Fri vs. West Chicago- Home
2/18/12 Sat vs. Wheaton Warrenville South- Away
2/22/12 Wed vs. West Aurora- Home
1/7/12 Sat vs. Naperville North Invite - Away
1/10/12 Tue vs. Naperville North- Home
1/14/12 Sat vs. District 87 Tournament- Home
1/19/12 Thu vs. Wheaton Warrenville South- Away
Boys wrestling
12/16/11 Fri vs. Wheaton north- Home
1/5/12 Thu vs. Glenbard North - Away
1/6/12 Fri vs. Naperville North- Awayl
1/13/22 Fri vs. Wheaton Warrenville South- Away
1/20/12 Fri vs. West Aurora- Home
1/28/2012 Sat vs. DVC Tournament - Home