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v
999 Kedzie Ave.
Flossmoor, Illinois
April 13, 2009
Volume 50/ Issue 9
t h e
Pete Francis, former Dispatch singer-
gone-solo-artist, is returned last week
for his third performance at H-F. He has
been traveling around the East Coast with
Barefoot Truth supporting their EP “Wake
the Mountain.”
Business teacher and event organizer
Michael Patterson said the concert was
a great opportunity for students who are
interested in music to see an awesome
performer.
“Students enjoy the show because it’s
a good time with good music,” Patterson
said.
Last year, his concert sold more
than 450 tickets, according to Patterson.
This year he is hoped to get 500 to 600
students.
Francis was first introduced to H-F
. . .
Homewood-Flossmoor High School
o y a g e r
Pete Francis rocks out H-F
Voyager Q&A with Francis
Q: What’s the best part about touring?
The laughs! I have a lot of fun with the guys.
A: They are really cool and a great band. We
enjoy hanging out on tour and joking around.
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
ha n n a h Wi d m e r
Assistant News Editor
You were with Dispatch for ten years –
how is performing solo different?
I had to learn how to write and record on my
own. With a band, we could collaborate and all
put in our own ideas for songs, it is challenging
to be on my own. But now, I call shots.
What is the ongoing theme of your most
recent album, Iron Sea and Cavalry?
The theme was courage, strength, renewal,
and hope.
How would you describe your music?
Describing my music is kind of hard. I
guess I try to bring an element of rock,
soul, reggae, folk and a lot of different
styles. My music is unique.
Why do you come back to H-F?
I really like the spirit of H-F. The people have
a lot of good energy and love music. I love
how they are passionate about life and art. I
always have a lot of fun when I come.
when he met several alumni at
a concert. Patterson said he
keeps coming back because
of the kind of concert that
he can have here.
“It is different from the
big venues he has played, where
beer or partying can distract
from the show,” Patterson said.
“The students who come to the
show really care about music.”
H-F alumni Donald Pullen,
aka Rockie Fresh opened for
Francis. This will be his first
performance. Patterson hoped that
having Pullen perform diversified
the audience and attracted more
students.
“We want to get as many students
in the auditorium because this is
such a good opportunity for
them,” Patterson said.
Photo courtesy of Joe Longo Photography
Two art students paint until cows come home
. . . . . . . . .
on.the.inside
Page 9
Keeping up with the Jones’
Pitcock fever!
This fashion
forward trio
has made
their style a
family affair.
Turn to page 9
for an insight
on H-F’s own
trend setters.
Voyager Op/Ed writer
Candace Armour explains
how principal Ryan Pitcock
has done his part to make
H-F a more enjoyable
school.
news.shorts
. . .
. . .
P
a
g
e
1
2
For all juniors and seniors, prom will
be held at the Museum of Science and
Industry in Chicago on May 16. Tickets
will be $180/couple and $90/single.
Students can purchase their tickets in
the South Building Cafeteria Bookstore
starting April 20 through May 8. The
dance will last from 8 p.m. - 12 p.m.
Attention all college-bound seniors!
Let guidance know where you were
accepted to college by bringing your
acceptance letters to the guidance
office. Also keep your counselors
notified about any scholarships that
you have been awarded to include in
the H-F Honors Convocation Book. The
guidance office staff will make copies
and return the originals to you. See the
guidance secretary, Ms. Davis for more
information.
Le a h Po L a k
News Writer
In Jackie Wargo’s seventh period art
class, two students who are “udderly”
fantastic at painting are finalists in an art
contest where the “steaks” are high.
Junior Melissa Huang and senior
Piper Hudson have become finalists in
a national art competition created by
Lucerne Dairy Producers.
If either Huang or Hudson earns first
prize, the school’s art department wins
$20,000, and $5,000 goes to the winner,
according to Wargo. The winning cows
would also be displayed in various spots
for the public to see.
“We get the
contest sent into
us every year,”
Wargo said.
“I have my
s t u d e n t s
draw out a
picture of their cow based
on the theme of the contest.”
Huang and Hudson have
only been working on their
cows for a month and both have
been making very good progress.
“So far, I think Melissa and Piper
are having their cows come along very
well,” Wargo said. “They’ll be done by
continued on pAge 4
We all live in a yellow sub-moo-rine.
The theme and name of junior Melissa Huang’s
cow relates to the overall theme of the contest.
Photo courtesy of Jackie Wargo.
Next week is the official “H-F Goes
Green” week, sponsored by the Green
Team. The club encourages everybody
to find the most environmentally
conscious way to school: walking,
biking, carpooling, riding the bus, or
getting dropped off.
They plan on counting
the number of
cars to see the
results. There will
also be recycling
containers going
around the lunch
room for students to
recycle their brown paper lunch bags,
and plastic water bottles. Kick start the
week by wearing green on Monday!
news.1-6 editors’ page.6 feature.7-11 op/ed.12-15 sports.16-20

2 Monday,
April 13, 2009 Voyager.News
Guten tag, Austria!
(top) Seniors Sam
Sterbenc and Derrick
Tate skip down the
same tunnel that the
“Sound of Music” actors
once skipped. (right)
Junior Marty Arneberg
says good bye to America
as he boards his plane.
(below) Symphonic
Strings and choir perform
at Hayden Hall in the
Esterhazy Estate as part
of the 200th anniversary
of the composer’s death.
This hall is where most
of Hayden’s pieces where
originally performed.
With Doc stuck at home,
it is Rugen to the rescue
Ma x i M i l i a n Mcca n n
News Writer
Junior Robel Arega had been waiting
to go on tour since before he picked up a
viola for the first time.
“The main reason why I joined
orchestra in fourth grade was to go on
tour. I’ve been working for this since
the fourth grade,” Arega said.
Orchestra conductor Dr. Michael
Rogers was just as excited. While he
had not been preparing for this since the
fourth grade, he had been preparing for
this trip since early 2008.
Then, two weeks before the trip
he had emergency brain surgery for
evacuation of a left subdural hematoma
on March 14, in order to repair bleeding
around the brain. The recovery time
is around six weeks, which left “Doc,”
as called by his students, at home as
his orchestra headed to Austria and
Germany.
“[I felt] miserable! We were very
close, everyone had worked so hard on
both the fund raising and on the music,
and we were getting so close to realizing
the results of everyone’s hard work. I
felt like we were at that place where it
was just beginning to come together,”
Sioux Falls,
Worcester,
Enjoying the view (above, L-R) Seniors
John Ratko, Dan Gallagher, Dan Palombo,
and Jessica McKinnon chill out on the steps
leading up to a statue. Students were able
to sight see on their choir and orchestra
tour to Austria.
Rodgers said.
That is where choir director Michael
Rugen stepped in. He had the difficult
task of preparing 76 students for a
music tour 5,000 miles away in just two
weeks.
“The first concern was for his health
and safety. After he was healthy, we had
to decide if the tour [was] still going
to happen, yes or no.” Rugen said.
“Considering that we have a music
person going already, it was, ‘give me
the music and off we go.’”
Rugen said that despite his long
experience with music groups, the two
weeks he had with the orchestra left him
wanting a little more time to get used to
each other.
“My main concern is that I hope I
don’t screw up the kids in conducting,”
he said.
Orchestra President Erin Schmidt
said Rugen did a great job given the
circumstances.
“He did a fantastic job. We had to
work harder to help Mr. Rugen. He
doesn’t usually conduct orchestras and
his style was more simplistic,” Schmidt
said. “We were used to ‘Doc’ because
we’ve had him for years. We missed
him a lot.”
A federal judge sentenced a Sioux Falls man to probation, a fine, and
restitution for sending a letter containing animal feces in the mail.
Prosecutors said Jeffrey Dezeeuw, 45, smeared the excrement on a
traffic citation, a note. The cash that he sent to the Minnehaha County
Clerk of Courts on July 21. Dezeeuw was sentenced to three years of
probation, a $500 fine and ordered to pay restitution of $451.
South Dakota
A man, allegedly upset about a 20-year-old unpaid speeding ticket that
prevented him from renewing his license, was charged with pushing over a
nearly 150-year-old statue of Moses in a Worcester courthouse. Police said
he heavily damaged the eight-foot hollow plaster statue after storming
out of the clerk's office following a dispute over the $165 ticket. He was
charged with malicious destruction of property, disturbing the peace, and
being a disorderly person.
Massachusetts
Police said a Texas woman started a brawl at a wake in Arkansas when
she arrived at a church with a beer can in her hand and refused the leave.
She then allegedly grabbed a man by the face, leaving scratch marks on
his lower right cheek and causing him to bleed. The man's mother then
allegedly slapped the woman and kicked another woman in the chest.
Magnolia, Arkansas
Coast to Coast
Photos courtesy of Emi Nakamura, Marty Arneberg, and Greg Petecki
Graphic by Natalie Adeeyo Source: news.yahoo.com

Voyager.News
Monday, April 13, 2009
3
Students strut at this year’s prom fashion show
Photo By Rachel Whitman
Working the Runway The main choreographed routine performend
consisted of three students strutting to the end of the stage where the girl
would decide which guy to take to prom and leave the other behind.
Better Scores. Better Choices.
Huntington
Jo r d a n Mi l l e r
News Writer
Backstage at a fashion show one
expects to see a constant flow of people
moving about and preparing for the
upcoming event. Girls twirl in floorlength
gowns as guys straighten ties and
hats. Those in charge make sure that
things go according to plan.
The H-F Prom Fashion Show was no
exception.
“The Prom Fashion Show is to
showcase appropriate clothing for the
dance,” junior Sarah Jones, a model in
the show, said. “This year we got dresses
from the David’s Bridal in Orland and
D’s House of Fashion. Also [Casey
Roger’s] aunt made some dresses for
us.”
Jones helped organize her peers
backstage so that the Prom Fashion
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Show director and Clothing and Interior
Design Club sponsor Michon Dersein
could oversee other aspects of the show.
With Jones leading, groups of students
rehearsed quickly at the last minute to
keep the steps in their heads as the clock
ticked down to show time.
“This is the second time I’ve done
[the Prom Fashion Show],” Dersein
said. “But the students do everything.
They decide the music script. They
decide the times to go in the stores and
what dresses to wear.”
Even the choreography was decided
by each couple that strutted down the
runway.
The problem was getting word out
about joining the show. Unlike years
past, there was no audition this year.
Without a formal way of informing
students of this, the club relied mainly
on word of mouth.
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photo by Rachel Whitman
4 Monday,
April 13, 2009 Voyager.News
Goosehunt
What will they do next?
A goose sits atop South building, taunting a coyote decoy designed to scare geese
away. The birds have finally figured out the decoys. Assistant Director of Operations
Ossie Seaton said. At first, they were just testing their limits, seeing how close they
could get before the coyote attacked. When they realized the coyotes were not doing
anything, the geese moved in, seeking revenge. Seaton says the geese are more
aggressive right now because it is their nesting time and that once it is over they will
simmer down a bit. They have sprayed a chemical on the roofs that does not harm
the geese but gives off a certain scent the geese do not like to try and deter them
from H-F buildings. The alligator head is still being set up and soon will be ready to
put in the Bio-pond. The geese may have been too smart for the coyote decoys, but
perhaps the alligator will give them a scare! -Rachel Whitman
Jo r d a n Mi l l e r
News Writer
To simulate the Illinois government
general assembly, Youth & Government
traveled to Springfield March 20-22 to
pass their bills.
More than 1,000 students from
Illinois used the actual Senate and House
floor to gather and discuss which bills to
pass for the betterment of the state.
“We had three bills to pass. One
of them was the increase in number of
charter schools in Illinois,” sponsor Paul
Kolimas said. “...Another was to require
seatbelts on buses...The last [bill] was to
require parents to submit an income tax
form when applying for free and reduced
lunch [for their children].”
Each member of the club had a
certain position. Some were legislators,
people who make laws, and others were
lobbyists, people who try to sway the
legislators’ beliefs on behalf of a certain
group, or lobby.
A few students were even elected
for special positions at the conference.
Senior Dan Abramov was elected
Committee Chair and junior Blake
Hubbard was elected Chaplin of House.
“I didn’t know that there were so
many leadership positions available until
Art students show off their
moo-ving pieces in contest
continued from page 1
the end of the week.”
The contest’s theme this year is “The
Taste of Moo-sic.” The students sent
in their drawings earlier this year, and
Lucerne picked the finalists from all the
schools that participated.
H-F is the
only school
in Illinois
participating.
Huang and
Hudson are two of
the 30 national finalists.
They were given $250
for supplies, and plain
white models of life-sized
cows were sent to H-F in
February.
“I’ve worked on this
cow for a month, and it
[was] due on Friday [March
27],” Huang said. “I’m sort
of in a tight spot, since the udders
of the cow are all veiny and it’s
hard to paint over that, while the rest of
it is smooth. It’s going to take longer.”
Hudson thinks the same as Huang
about the difficult painting.
“The udders are difficult to paint
because they’re in such a small space,
plus the veins are really uneven,”
Hudson said.
Each cow has its own personal
theme in relation to the larger theme that
is presented in the contest.
“The theme I chose for my cow is
‘We all live in a yellow sub-moo-rine,’”
Huang said. “It’s very pun-tastic.”
Hudson chose the theme “Moo-ie
Armstrong.”
“I like Louie Armstrong, and think
it’s an interesting play on words. Plus,
we actually went down to Springfield,”
Abramov said. “There’s positions for
everything, from committee chair to
Governor, and the competition for the
highest positions is pretty intense.”
The club left for the conference
early on Friday March 20 and returned
on Sunday March 22. Abramov left a
day early because of his position.
Kolimas said that his main job is
making sure that paperwork gets filled
out. After preparation in the begining of
the year, the students manage to handle
themselves.
“I assumed that since we only had
a handful of students, that other schools
whatever theme we picked had to be
related to music, since that’s the contest’s
theme,” Hudson said.
Of course, Huang and Hudson got a
little help from their friends while they
painted.
“It wasn’t just me to
paint the
c o w , ”
Hudson
said. “I had
help from
others, like my friends
and Mr. Petecki.”
Huang and Hudson
have both given a-moosing
names to their
cows. Huang named hers
Bubble Butt, and Hudson
named her’s Louie.
“[My cow’s] original
name was going to be
Jean Paul, but Bubble Butt
ended up sticking in the end,”
Huang said.
“I named my cow Louie because
of the theme that I picked, after Louie
Armstrong,” Hudson said.
There is not much competition
between Huang and Hudson.
“I don’t care who wins this
competition,” Huang said. “I could
definitely use that money, and the art
department can use that money.”
“I wouldn’t mind if Melissa
[Huang] won. I’m sure she’d deserve
it,” Hudson said.
The winner of the contest will
be announced sometime in April, on
Lucerne Dairy Producers’ contest
website.
Youth and Government passes bills, lobbies at state
photo by Jackie Wargo
had only a few too,” Abramov said.
“But once we started getting into the
program, I realized that for lots of other
schools, Y&G is a pretty big deal.”
The club managed to pass two of
the three proposed bills and have them
signed by the Youth Governor. The last
bill, the Increase of Charter Schools,
was passed in the Senate but was denied
in the house.
“Youth & Government is a pretty
amazing experience,” Abramov said.
“You meet new people from all over the
state, and you get to see completely new
and different viewpoints that you really
can’t get in many other places.”

Photo courtesy of H-F website
Voyager.News
Wood is worth the work Senior Tom Lively helps the woodshop class set up a kiln
on the outside of the automechanics department. If the wood is not stored in a kiln,
they class wont be able to use it. Trees cut down by the Homewood Public Works
department can be stored here at H-F.
Monday, April 13, 2009
V.A.S.T collects pop can tabs to help Ronald McDonald
Ka m e e s H a sp e n c e r
News Writer
The Vocational Achievement
for Successful Transition program
sponsored by the special education
department aids graduated H-F students
raging in ages from 18-21 with life and
vocational skills.
“The students still come to H-F as
if they were in school except they do
not have to do any academic work,”
advisor Mary Labotz said. “Instead we
work on the fundamentals of life such
as cooking, doing laundry and other
things of that sort.”
VAST started collecting pop cans
tabs about 10 years ago for the Ronald
McDonald Homes, which are built
across the streets from major hospitals
for families of children who are terribly
ill with diseases that may be incurable
stay in the hospital several weeks to
several months.
Staying in the hospital for months
on end would be costly for most
families so the McDonald Corporation
started building homes to have families
of ill children.
The cost is couple of dollars a
day to stay in the homes built by the
McDonald Corporation, including
cooked meals by volunteer groups.
Collecting pop cans is one of the
many fundraisers that help build the
homes and minimize the costs.
“So we ask everyone to save their pop
can tabs and families in the community
who had children at HF at some point in
time to send us pop cans,” Labotz said.
“So far we’ve collected over 25 gallon
water bottles filled to the top”.
“It is such an easy thing to do, after
you drink a pop just pull the tab off and
when you collect a few in a bag just drop
them off in Room 117 North,” Lobotz
said.
April is Autism Awareness Month
so VAST is currently selling pins for $1
and donating the money for research on
the disease.
“The material on the pins look like
puzzle pieces because those with autism
see things differently then we do so it is
like solving a puzzle for them,” Lobotz
said.
VAST is also selling the 2009 Tassel
Key chains for $2 to raise money. They
are considered a nice gift for students
graduating pre-school, grade school,
high school, or college. They are on sale
until the end of the year in Room 117
North.
VAST have been collecting pop cans
for years and intends to continue the
work because it has made great progress
throughtout the community and has
increased awareness.
Corrections
March 13, 2009
On page 7, sophomore Clarice Tayui was incorrectly quoted. The correct quote
should say, “They are always so great...” Also, senior Olivia Codero’s quote should
say, “...Tori Allen came up and gave me a really big kiss [on the cheek]”.
On page 20, the girls’ soccer article incorrectly stated that the team placed second
at State last year. The team did not place at State, but they did advance to the
Elite Eight.
In ‘By The Numbers’ on page 20, the fourth number should read: “28: Number of
goals scored by the leading scorer Jonathan Toews on the Blackhawks”
As always, the Voyager apologizes for any mistakes.
Alert the Voyager of any observed mistakes by sending a correction via
e-mail to voyager@hfhighschool.org.
5
Woodshop builds kiln,
preserves infested trees
Ha n n a H Wi d m e r
Assistant News Editor
Homewood Public Works has
been cutting down oak trees due to an
infestation of emerald ash borers, an
invasive insect from China.
Jim Tresouthick, forester with the
Village of Homewood, said the logging
is necessary to save hundreds of other
vulnerable trees in our area.
“Ash trees, by their very nature,
are brittle upon decline or death,”
Tresouthick said. “The liability resulting
from so many trees dying at once would
drive the cost of management into the
millions in a brief period of time.”
The extra wood has been piling up,
and H-F is doing its part to save the
timber. To keep the wood useable, the
woodshop class is building a wood kiln
on the side of the small engines wing.
This will keep the wood warm and
prevent it from rotting.
“We have all this extra wood,”
automotive teacher Paul Mckee said. “It
would be a waste to just let it sit here
when we could be using it for wood
shop.”
The kiln utilizes a solar panel to run a
fan, keeping the wood dry. A translucent
roof will keep the wood safe from the
elements while allowing air to circulate.
The emerald ash borer has been in
the area for about nine years, but was
not recognized as an invasive insect
until 2006. Homewood has been the
most aggressive community in the area
in dealing with this insect.
“Some communities have made the
decision to ignore, or under-manage
this beetle,” Tresouthick said. “This
style of management has proven highly
ineffective, with the resulting cost of
dealing with the fall out being extremely
high.”
Despite the necessity, senior Sam
West is upset the trees on her street were
cut down.
“There used to be a whole forest, and
now there are just stumps,” West said.
“It just looks so bare down my street
with all the trees gone.”
Despite some disappointed residents,
Homewood Works Department said
that cutting down the trees was the
only effective way of getting rid of the
bug. The department also encourages
the community to not move firewood
because this helps the beetle to spread
further.
Insecticides have proven ineffective,
although residents wanting to try such
preventative measures can do so on
private trees.
Homewood will spread the logging
over a four-year time period for the
safety of the community members and
to stabilize the cost of managment.
Tresouthick said logging is the best way
to deal with the investation.
“If we were to wait for tree mortality,
the result would be catastrophic to say
the least,” Tresouthick said.
Buckets of Tabs Over 25 gallons of pop tabs have been collected by the special education
department. The V.A.S.T volenteers value thier work and will collect poptabs
next year.
Photo By Rachel Whitman

6 Friday,
April 13, 2009 Voyager.Editors’ PagE
Commentary
Commentary is an unsigned editorial that
reflects the views of the entire newspaper.
By Tim Testroet
editorial board
ed i t o r-iN-Ch i e F
Emily Siner
Ma N a g i N g &
de s i g N ed i t o r
Natalie Adeeyo
ph o t o g r a p h y
ed i t o r
Rachel Whitman
Fa C u lt y ad v i s e r
Glen Leyden
Letters to the Editor
Sour Kiss
Recently an article was published on
kissing in the theater department (March
10). This article—possibly aimed
at nothing more than being funny or
informative—was very distasteful. The
entire layout of the article was flavored
to send a certain kind of message, a
message that is completely and entirely
untrue. The “theater kids” written of
do not go gallivanting down the halls
“planting one” on each other as was
stated. Homewood-Flossmoor’s theater
department is home to some of our most
outstanding students. Tarnishing their
reputations with a gossip column is
unprofessional.
-Senior Olivia Cordero
“The Voyager seeks to reflect fairly
and accurately the interest of students…
in an honest, unbiased manner,” claims
the first line of the Voyager’s mission
statement. As an avid reader of the
Voyager, I usually find this to be very
true. This trend, though, has come to
a staggering halt with the last issue.
Ne w s ed i t o r
Marsella Lopez
Fe at u r e ed i t o r
Raj Tyagi
op/ed ed i t o r
Markeyla Henton
sp o r t s ed i t o r
Cory Marchi
sta F F Ca r t o o N i s t
Tim Testroet
Flipping through the pages, I stumbled
across an article titled “Theater kids
show friendship and affection with
kisses.” I found myself more appalled
with every line. This article claims that
“theater kids,” as we supposedly call
ourselves, go around “planting one” on
unsuspecting victims only for them to be
unsurprised “instead of bolting away.”
I find this claim utterly ridiculous
and say I do not get an uncountable
number of kisses a day. Yes, the theater
program bonds us together like a family,
not an insane cult of kissing freaks, as
this article seems to suggest. Articles
such as this put the theater in a negative
light. Theater is a place where you can
be yourself and have true friends, and
that’s the side of it I wish people could
see, but rarely do, as this article has
proven.
-Freshman Gloria Petrelli
Wrong Number
(In last issue’s ‘By The Numbers,’)
you list the number of days until the
start of the Cubs season. In case you
staff writers
Ne w s
Maxmillian McCann
Jordan Miller
Leah Polak
Kameesha Spencer
Hannah Widmer
Fe at u r e
Editorial Board
Kasaundra Armstrong
Angela Arrivo
McCoy Crawford
Olivia Lubeck
Olivia Willoughby
ed i t o r i a l
Candace Armour
Hayley Bostick
Abby Cin
Rudy Johnson
Tiera Patterson
sp o r t s
Laura Nichols
Stanton Polanski
Community support turns students
into world travelers over spring break
are unaware, there is another Chicago
baseball team that also begins the
season that same day. Leaving out the
Sox is something I would expect from
the Tribune, or as it is typically known,
‘the Cubune.’ I had no idea that the
Voyager had became ‘the Cubager’ in
the two years since I graduated. I would
hope that being that we are in the south
suburbs that the Voyager would have the
courtesy to include our side of town’s
team.
-Aaron Rusnak ‘07
Tech-Saavy
Congrats to Rachel Whitman for the
insightful article describing a week in
her life without Facebook.
Granted, technology makes
Meet thePaper
We left at the beginning of spring break as inexperienced, uncultured
Americans. Some of us had never been east of Pennsylvania; some of us
had never flown on an airplane before. Ten days later, we came back to
the hallways of H-F with fascinating stories about France and Spain and
Austria—stories so interesting that we feature some in this issue on pages
2 and 14. More importantly, we returned with a global perspective.
Not all students have these opportunities, and we must ask ourselves
why we have been so fortunate. Plane tickets increase by a few hundred
dollars a year, and sometimes it is just easier to stay local over spring break.
How did we get to travel, and how can we ensure such trips continue?
The answer lies in the community. These trips are run on the support
of the H-F parents who committed large sums of money to sending their
child overseas, neighbors who contributed to fundraisers, and teachers
who spent months organizing the trips.
As the voice of the student body at H-F, we want to thank the community
for its support, and we hope that these trips will continue for years to
come. The halls are never filled with more new world travelers than now,
after spring break.
Write to us!
Have an opinion on something you want the rest of H-F to
know about? Do you want to share a significant experience? All
comments, suggestions, or grievances are welcome.
Please submit signed letters under 15 full typed lines to A-2
or e-mail them to voyager@hfhighschool.org. We cannot accept
anonymous letters.
mission statement
communication much easier. Yet,
Rachel outlines drawbacks I also find
with the e-age; it’s a time robber and it
encourages impersonal relationships. It
was good to know she found benefits
from using “old etiquette” like enjoying
a talking conversation longer than five
minutes and having more time for other
pursuits.
We learn about people when we talk
with them. Facial expressions, voice
inflection and body language just aren’t
expressed the same way in text. In fact,
we miss most of what people are trying
to communicate with us because experts
say that over 50 percent of a message is
conveyed through those actions.
Maybe we can all learn something
from Rachel’s discoveries.
-Michaelene Spaulding, H-F alum and sub
t e a m
v o y a g e r !
The Voyager (Columbia Scholastic Press Assoc., National Scholastic
Press Assoc., Quill and Scroll) seeks to reflect fairly and accurately
the interest of the students and residents of the Homewood-
Flossmoor community in an honest, unbiased manner. We strive
to reach out to everyone and welcome student opinions. While
we encourage contributions from all points of view other than
our own, we reserve the right to revise or reject that which is
considered libelous, obscene, a personal attack, or otherwise of
questionable taste. Letters must be signed.
Final decisions of content rest on the Editorial Board. The
Voyager reserves the right to determine the minimum (11-1/2
picas by one inch) and maximum (61-1/2 picas by 8 inches)
ad size to run in the newspaper. Any content which is deemed
suggestive of illegal or socially inappropriate activity will be
rejected. The nameplate (front page) and masthead (page six)
were designed by Emily Siner. The viking ship on the nameplate
is courtesy of theplatelady.com.
Address: 999 Kedzie Ave., Flossmoor, IL 60422
Phone: (708) 799-3000; Fax: (708) 799-3142
E-mail: voyager@hfhighschool.org

Voyager.Feature
How to make
money fast!
By Angela Arrivo,
Assistant Feature Editor
It is under your couch, in between
the cushions, and underneath your bed.
Collect loose change! After gathering
all the change, take it to a local bank or
Coinstar machine, like freshman Jimmy
Austin. “If I really need some cash, I will
stop by the Coinstar machine at the
grocery store,” Austin said. “I’ve gotten
like $60 each time I went; it’s so easy.”
DDebate
Mcco y cr aw f o r d
Feature Writer
is a club known for its
intense arguments, but more exciting
things happen behind the doors of A-13:
eccentric exercises, rigorous research,
and the great goal of reaching the
tournament of champions, as some of
the best debaters in the nation.
Second-year debater junior Astead
Herndon enjoys debate and hopes to
make it to the tournament of champions
next year.
“Basically no other activity gets
your body flowing like debate. You
get to prove a point and people have
to listen to you,” Herndon said. “Next
year we will all be experienced thirdyear
debaters and should be able to get
more than one team to the tournament.”
Debate is known for the
argumentative side of its competition
because its competitor’s objective is
to support a point. However, more
goes into the process of preparing for a
debate.
With clarity comes understanding
and persuasiveness. Sophomore Kyle
Joseph and the team practice different
exercises to increase their enunciation
when speaking.
“In debate, we have to read and talk
as fast as we can, so sometimes we’ll put
a pen in our mouths and talk as fast as
we can so we enunciate better,” Joseph
said.
Debaters also read backwards, speed
read, and speed talk to make sure that
every debater is at the top of his or her
game.
Debaters must speak swiftly and
loudly to fully validate their point in the
timed rounds of a debate tournament.
According to debate coach Joshua Brown
each debater speaks for eight minutes, is
questioned by their opponents for three,
and speaks for five more minutes in a
single elimination tournament.
Debate members need to research
their topics so they can be ready for
any topic given to them. From reading
newspaper articles and researching the
economy, debaters must prepare for any
subject. Herndon has his own way of
preparing for a tournament.
“[The] first thing I do is look at
the team list to see who is debating,
and then research the schools and their
arguments,” said Herndon.
Even though this season was full
of improvement, the debaters have
different views.
“It has been a season of development,”
sophomore Valaria Duckworth said.
“Some debaters are still trying to figure
out what path they want to take and what
their style and voice is.”
Debaters enjoy their activity for
specific reasons. Sophomore Emily
Carroll likes debate because of the
competition, thrill of winning, and of
course, arguing.
“It brings out your competitive
streak,” Carroll said. “It’s my dream to
make someone cry!”
Duckworth enjoys debate for what
she can learn from her competition,
rather than just winning.
“You can learn anything from your
competition,” Duckworth said. “You can
Monday, April 13, 2009
7
Just because the economy is going down, does not
mean your earnings have to as well. Whether you are
low on cash or just looking to make a few extra bucks,
now you can do it fast and easy!
Picking up slack around your house and
neighborhood is an efficient way to earn a good
amount of money. Babysitting, walking dogs,
and doing extra chores are an easy task to do.
Sophomore Erin Barton uses all of these things.
“Doing chores will earn you money quicker, but
babysitting can earn you more money,” Barton
said.
Graphic by Angela Arrivo
edication
etermation
ebaternation
Rid your closet of all old clothes and bring them
to Plato’s Closet at 9234 159th St. in Orland Park.
Unlike typical used clothes stores, Plato’s Closet will
buy your gently used clothes and pays on the spot.
“To find good bargains on clothes” sophomore Jen
Huffman shops at Plato’s Closet “You get money for
clothes you sell there,” Huffman said. “It’s an easy
way to make money without working.” Huffman has
found a lot of clothes at good prices there, but her
favorite purchase was a $20 pair of Hollister jeans.
Benefits of Debate
Graphic by McCoy Crawford
Photo courtesy of Erin Barton
learn from [the opponent’s] moral values
to the state of the Russian economy.”
First-year debater junior Jeremy
Lentz liked his year in debate for the
traveling. “This year I found out I was
really good at debate,” Lentz said. “I
like to travel. We get to miss a day off
of school every week.”
The travel seems to be the most
exciting thing to all the debaters since
they travel across the country to places
like California and Georgia.
“The travel is great. You get to see
places you normally wouldn’t get a
chance to see,” said Duckworth.
There are many things that make
debate interesting from their preparation
to the travel, but what are the real
benefits of debate?
“Debate helps you a lot with writing
and research. Plus you get to do it all in
a competitive and fun atmosphere,” said
Brown. “Debate also helps you get a
scholarship and get into college.”
1. Improves writing skills
2. Improves researching skills
3. Possible scholarships for college
4. Improves public speaking abilities
5. Cross country traveling

8 Monday,
April 13, 2009 Voyager.feature
Dream job may bring high price
RA J TyA g I
Feature Editor
For hours a day, senior Steve Sifner
can be found practicing music. Whether
he is leading warm-ups for Viking Choir,
practicing singing, or playing the piano,
music is more than a passionate hobby.
To Sifner, music is his life.
“It is what I really love to do,” he
said about his hopes to major in music
education and become a professional
choir director. “I’ve been practicing
music for a good 10 years of my life, and
I’ve had fun doing it.”
While having considered majoring in
computer science or engineering, Sifner
redirected his goals last year. During the
spring of Viking Choir, two months are
devoted to Red and White where four
students are elected to conduct a portion
of the choir and compete. Sifner was
elected to head a choir.
“I had a blast,” he said. “That’s
when I seriously considered majoring in
music education.”
Tough decision
Making the decision to turn his hobby
into a career path was not easy. Besides
the lack of employment, job security, and
pay in a struggling economy for artists,
music and other liberal arts majors also
require a great deal of practice outside
of class.
“Liberal arts do not offer many
guarantees. If you need certainty in life,
such as a steady pay check, think twice
about it,” H-F college consultant Bonnie
Dolson said. “The hard part about
liberal arts majors is that many demand
an extraordinary amount of time outside
of class.”
To the passionate students, however,
these shortcomings are negligible as
the hours of practice become a routine
and the low-paid job becomes a small
sacrifice to pursue their dreams. Sifner
has realized the specific dedication
music study requires.
“Music is a different kind of studying
that I’m not sure a lot of people are
Ru d o l p h Ax e l Jo h n s o n III
Op/Ed Writer
The downfall of many songs in
the exciting genre of pop-punk is the
lack of lyrical quality. Some musicians
force their lyrics into songs to make
them memorable, and often end up not
making the cut. This is the poison that
runs through the veins of New Found
Glory’s sixth album “Not Without a
Fight.”
As far as producing a completely
mediocre album that may satisfy a diehard
fan, New Found Glory has pulled
through. But for the rest of the listeners,
this album is a repetitive mess of metalbased
guitar riffs and whiney lyrics that
make me sick to my stomach by the
fourth track.
The album’s one gem, “Listen to
Your Friends,” brings up memories
of previous hits that show off New
Found Glory’s true song writing ability.
However, this beacon of hope is only the
third track, processed by a whirlwind
of absolutely second-rate “I hate you”
songs that become background noise
halfway through the album.
The painful bombardment of
misplaced gang vocals and classic New
Found Glory breakdowns show no new
additions to the equation for the pop-
adaptable to,” he said. “For physics, you
read and take a test. But in music, you
are forced to lock yourself in practice
rooms for hours a day, practicing your
main instrument.”
The struggle is not over after the years
of intense practice and study. Similarly,
aspiring actor senior Michael Burton,
plans to face the harsh employment
opportunities after majoring in theatre.
“The biggest risk is having spent
thousands of dollars [on an education]
and coming out without a job,” he said.
“After I get my degree, I’ll be doing 20
auditions a week and maybe 100 before
I get my first part.”
In preparation for his major, Burton,
like Sifner, has taken advantage of H-F’s
Price of dreams
Job Hourly wage
Legal $42.53
Engineers $33.11
Actors $23.91
Music Directors
and Composers $25.95
Musicians
and Singers $27.27
Fine Artists $23.13
specialized resources. In addition to the
classes he has taken on film production,
theory, and history, he is also involved
in the theatre program. Burton has
acted in many productions, including
this year’s state-winning “Dessa Rose,”
which developed his passion for acting
and film.
Despite his determination to become
an actor, Burton has a back-up plan. He
plans to minor in cinematography to
possibly work at a corporate film or TV
studio if acting does not work out. With
a love for acting, film production is his
“second passion.”
Sifner also has a back-up plan. He
punk quintet hailing from South Florida,
except for new producer and Blink-182
bassist Mark Hoppus. Unfortunately,
even the punk legend could not save
New Found Glory from severely tanking
this one.
There seem to be a few appealing
numbers, including “Truck Stop Blues”
and the punchy opener, “Right Where
We Left Off.” After multiple listens,
familiarity heals some of the wounds
bringing this album up to a two out of
five rating, but with lyrics like “It’s time
for me to rain on your parade,” or “You
can steal my eyes…I don’t want to see
anyone other than you,” it feels like I’m
listening to an album that was written in
a week…Or Kelly Clarkson.
The worn out lyrics surrounding
some failing relationship send my heart
soaring in the wrong direction. The
cheesy, “you’re not worth my time”
attitude leaves me asking, did this guy
have anything else going on in his life?
The most sickening number on this
album is the whine-fest entitled “I Will
Never Love Again.” The gang vocal
shout at the climax of the chorus is a
slap in the face to all songwriters with
any lyrical sentiment.
However, this isn’t a fresh concept in
the band’s song writing themes. Previous
hits such as “My Friends Over You”
might major in math to make himself
more employable. However, Dolson
argues that liberal arts majors are
especially adaptable and offer many job
opportunities outside of those commonly
associated with it.
“Degrees in drama, dance, or music
are valid in other fields,” Dolson said.
“Businesses like to hire them because
they have confidence. Most performers
are very disciplined, have good time
management and organization, and know
what it takes as they have sacrificed so
many hours into practice.”
The payoff
Senior Christian Lorenzo’s
dedication to art and fashion has paid
off. After taking art concentration and
computer graphics, Lorenzo has already
demonstrated his passion in design by
creating his own clothing company,
“Plastic Party Clothing.” As an aspiring
entrepreneur, he plans to major in
graphic design and minor in fashion
and business to pursue all his dreams at
once.
“My ideal job would be to own
a company where you do artistic
illustrations,” Lorenzo said. “I can
learn to run a business more securely
while advancing my clothing and design
interests.”
With a seemingly refined interest of
study, these seniors hope to turn their
passion into a lifelong career. Although
jobs across the board are becoming
scarce, they still plan to chase after
the highly competitive and risky forms
of employment. Burton believes that
regardless of the desperate times, true
artists are always determined to continue
what they love.
“Yes, I have doubts, and all acting
majors have them,” Burton said. “But it
all comes down to that hard core passion
for the art.”
Burton is confident that his
diverse talents will make him more
competitive.
“I sing, dance, and act. I am a triple
threat,” he said.
New Found Glory = Same old story
and “Situations” show an exaggerated
trend of writing pop songs about the
complications of relationships.
But those songs were hits that catch
the ear and got decent radio play. This
album, released on March 10th, has no
radio worthy songs.
Overall, this album is a terrific
example of pop-punk gone wrong. The
feeling has fallen far from relatable on
this album, and the only thing left for
New Found Glory is hope.
Rudys Rating!
kklll
Though a seemingly
powerful effort, New
Found Glory has produced
a powerfully mediocre
album.
No good.
Mountain Meadow
Jazzberry Jam
Tickle Me Pink Banana Mania Neon Carrot Robin’s Egg Blue
Electric Lime Fuchsia
Laser Lemon
Mango Tango
Macaroni and Cheese
Can you guess which
baby is now an H-F senior?
Answers on page 9.
Baby A is known for her vibrant
red hair. She is also the setter for
the Varsity Volleyball team and is
a member of the National Honor
Society.
Baby B is on the Varsity Football
team. On his free time, he loves
to hang out with his friends and
play basketball. Baby B is also a
member of Friends of Rachel.
Baby C is deathly afraid of
belly buttons. Fortunately, she
manages to cope with her strange
fear. She is the Vice President
of the Spanish National Honor
Society and works at Bergstein’s
Deli.
Baby D is a member of the Varsity
Speech team and theatre. She
never protests to watching
the “Rush Hour” movies, with
the second and third being her
favorites. She can often be
spotted in her red pea coat and is
attending Robert Morris College
for business next fall.
Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown

Voyager.Feature
Keeping Up With The
Jones
Always fashionable and never
fashionably late, the Jones siblings
Samantha, Spencer, and Sarah, dominate the
category of knowing what is hot and what is not.
Olivia lu b e c k
Feature Writer
Senior Samantha Jones walks down
the hallway in a conservative hand-made
suit, high heels, and a sleek bag. Junior
Sarah Jones struts proudly in a posh
high-waisted skirt, cheetah print shoes,
and a matching cardigan. Freshman
Spencer Jones walks confidently in a
button down shirt, colorful bow tie, and
smart black glasses. People turn their
heads not only to acknowledge that these
three students are possibly the most
fashionable individuals at the school,
but they are also siblings as well.
Sam, Sarah, and Spencer, are known
to dress to impress. Freshman Spencer
explains how his interest for fashion
started at a very early age.
“My interest began when I was
around nine,” Spencer said. “However,
I didn’t grasp the concept of fashion
untill I was about eleven years old.”
The fashion industry has several
areas that a person can major in.
“I have always wanted to be a model,
but when I came to the realization that I
was short, I gave up that idea and moved
more towards the dream of becoming
a stylist for people who are famous,”
Sarah said. “I could definitely see
myself becoming a personal stylist.”
Spencer also has high hopes in the
fashion area.
“I want to go to design school, and
eventually make a high end collection of
A Band Life
Olivia F. Wi l l O u g h b y
Feature Writer
Say “hello” to “Weekend on a
Wednesday,” also known as WOAW, a
punk rock band formed just a month ago
by sophomore Jameson Dague when
sophomore Alex Brockman joined.
“I decided to join the band because
Jameson is a good buddy and I thought
it would be fun,” Brockman said. “I
love playing music with people and we
played music before I even joined.”
Dague thought of the idea for a band
while writing a song called “Weekend
on a Wednesday.”
“I was writing it in Michigan and
then I said, ‘Wow, this song sucks, but it
would be a cool band name,’” he said. “I
started playing percussion in fifth grade.
I stopped playing when high school
started. And that’s when I really started
focusing on the drum set. So I started a
side project.”
WOAW’s band life is not complicated
or stressful.
“It really is fun, like being in a club,”
Brockman said. “We don’t really argue a
lot. The only think we have ever argued
about, even a little bit, is what kind of
music we cover. But that usually isn’t
a problem because we all like the same
music.”
All members sing, but Dague plays
the drums, Brockman plays the guitar,
and Andrew Lesniack, who goes to
Marian High School, plays the bass.
Despite having a band member go to a
different school, the band does not worry
Sarah Sam Spencer
Dressed to impress Siblings Sarah, Samantha, and Spencer Jones feature their
own styles on what to them is just another day to dress up.
clothing and maybe one for department
stores as well,” Spencer said.
There are several skills people would
want to acquire to succeed in the fashion
business. All three of the Jones siblings
have taken steps to learn and master
these skills.
While doing fashion sketches in
his free time, Spencer has also taken
so much since the school’s schedules are
similar.
“It is kind of difficult having Andrew
go to Marian,” Dague said. “[We] don’t
see him as much as [we] would as
someone at [our] own school. But he
lives so close, so it isn’t really that big
of a deal.”
Practice is at Dague’s house simply
because it is not easy carrying a drum set
back and forth. After playing for three
hours, WOAW chills out and uses the
time to write songs.
A few of their most popular songs
include “PC vs. Mac” and “Go Back to
Bed, You’re Too Stupid,” both written
by Lesniack. The other members have
written songs as well.
“Jameson and I wrote ‘Jameson’s
Haircut’ in five minutes the day before
our first concert,” Brockman said. “We
didn’t even have any words for it so I
kind of winged it. I had to make up
words as I went.”
Booking their concerts seemed as
easy as writing “Jameson’s Haircut.”
Jameson does the scheduling, usually
with Myspace messages or e-mails.
Playing for friends, family, and the
public is very exciting for the band.
They played like The Zone in downtown
Homewood and Soundlab in Mokena.
Getting onstage was harder for
Dague, however, practice makes
perfect.
“When I first started playing, I did
have stage fright,” he said, recalling his
first concert. “But after playing so many
shows, being onstage is a lot of fun.”
Clothing 2. Sam has enrolled in sewing
classes to perfect her skills.
“I was really into sewing, but it
wasn’t until junior year that I took
serious courses on it,” Sam said. “Since
that class, I have made a suit, jacket,
three or four skirts, a book bag, and a
yellow summery chiffon dress.”
Siblings can be wonderful; they can
Despite the fun they have, being in
a band might not be on WOAW’s list of
careers.
“I don’t think we’ll be really famous,”
Dague said. “There are too many famous
musicians out there. But maybe we can
just be a big local band. It’d be fun to
play around in the Midwest.”
For now, playing locally is enough,
especially for their upcoming concert on
April 24 at the Zone.
“I’m really excited for it,” Brockman
said. “On a scale from one to ten, I’m
about a 57, simply because our last
concert was so amazingly fun. I’m so
excited to do it again.”
Photo by Olivia Lubeck
Monday, April 13, 2009
9
borrow each other’s clothes, shoes, and
bags. But in the Jones’ situation, this
is just not the case. Sam, Sarah, and
Spencer have their own very unique
looks.
“I have a more conservative style,”
Sam said. “Definitely more Michelle
Obama or Barbara Bush,”
Sarah describes her look differently
than her sister’s.
“My look is definitely crazier,”
Sarah said. “I encompass several styles
into my wardrobe. It is kind of all over
the place.”
Sam says creativity is one of the
main contributors to their impeccable
fashion taste.
“We have had to get creative to
come up with what we like and what is
available in our price range,” Sam said.
Sam’s witty use of her creativity
saved her a high sum of money.
“Blake Lively (from “Gossip Girl”)
was on the cover of seventeen magazine
and I loved a cardigan she was wearing.
I turned to see the price and it was
$1,065,” Sam said. “I looked at it again
and knew I could make it, so I did. I got
so many compliments, I was happy that
I was able to accomplish that.”
Although being able to wear unique
and fashionable clothes is fun and
entertaining, Sarah believes attitude
trumps style any day.
“The most important thing you can
wear is your confidence, no matter what
you wear, it works,” Sarah said.
Rock On WOAW band members Andrew Lesniack, Alex Brockman, and Jameson
Dague jam out at one of their first concerts at Soundlab.
Tales From the Crib Answers: Baby A – Shannon Herkert Baby B – Christopher Washington Baby C – Stefanie Camilli Baby D – Gianna Dorsey
Photo courtesy of Alex Brockman

10
Monday, April 13, 2009
Fans
“I like how the
Jonas Brothers
reach out to
their fans
”
and are so
appreciative.
-Junior Bria Purdiman
“Bambi’s my hero
because he’s so
”
courageous. I can
always look up to him.
-Sophomore Francisco Borrayo
“ I like Disney because
I think their shows
are funny. They’re not
super plots, but they’re
different.
”
-Junior Melissa Huang
“I went to Disney World every
year as a kid. It’s basically a
family tradition along with
”
collecting all the Disney DVDs.
-Senior, Anna DeVries
Page design and pictures courtesy of Kassi Armstrong
Voyager.F
The Dis
Disney captivate
Kassi ar m s t r o n g
Feature Writer
Junior Melissa Huang slumps lazily on her couch, r
for the television remote. Flipping through channels, she
passes shows like “Gossip Girl” and “America’s Next Top
Huang finally decides on a station with quirky kids and loud
the Disney channel.
“[Disney] has the kind of shows you watch when you
and have nothing else to do,” Huang said. “They don’t have
plots,’ but they get rid of unwanted boredom.”
The Disney Company was originally founded in 1
brothers Walt and Roy Disney. For decades, children have
shows and characters from the increasingly popular station
today, teenagers continue to adore characters and spo
ranging from Mickey Mouse to the Jonas Brothers past th
teen years.
Senior Anna DeVries in one of many that has expe
Disney traditions with family and friends.
“I went to Disney World every year as a kid,” DeVri
“My family also collects every Disney DVD possible.”
Creating a young connection with Disney has encourag
to keep watching and enjoying the station.
“I love the ‘Suite Life of Zach and Cody,’” Huang sa
such a ridiculous yet hilarious show.”
A large issue that has caught up with the Disney ch

eature
ney Craze
eaching
quickly
Model.”
music:
s children of all ages
’re tired
‘super-
923, by
idolized
. Even
kesmen
eir pre-
rienced
es said.
ed teens
id. “It’s
annel is
whether the values being taught to viewers are beneficial.
Junior Bria Purdiman is an advocate for Disney, believing it
influences children and teens into doing the right thing.
“I think that Disney channel does promote good values,”
Purdiman said. “For example, that mini show with Brenda Song
encourages kids to appreciate different cultures and try new
things.”
Others like Huang believe that the channel does not teach
values, but “simply entertains the public.”
Spokesmen for the program, including the Jonas Brothers and
Miley Cyrus, are rising quickly with increasing fans and promotions.
World tours and movies continue to catch the eye of many children,
influencing in their own ways.
“I think Nick [Jonas] is so adorable,” DeVries said. “[The Jonas
Brothers] are good kids and good role models.”
Jonas Brothers fans like Purdiman are happy that the “brothers
reach out to their fans and are so appreciative.”
Freshman Dan O’Leary disagrees with the Disney channel
being an entertaining station let alone a beneficial show for teens.
“I don’t like Disney because of its childish plots,” O’Leary
said. “It feels like I’m five again and I like to feel my age.”
O’Leary believes that the figure heads of Disney, like the Jonas
Brothers, encourage children to obsess over nothing.
“You’d think that with all their publicity, the Jonas Brothers
would put out a decent album,” O’Leary said. “But they have yet
to do so.”
Facts
Donald Duck
appeared in
more Disney
cartoons than
Mickey Mouse
himself.
In all the Mickey
Mouse cartoons,
no matter which
way Mickey
is looking, his
ears are always
facing forward.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Mickey Mouse's
original name was
Mortimer.
All the people
employed as
Mickey Mouse
in Disney
World must be
exactly 5ft 2in
tall.
Goofy’s
original name
was “Dippy
Dawg,” then it
became “Dippy
the Goof,”
and finally
“Goofy.”
11

12
Monday, April 13, 2009 Voyager.Op/Ed
Rookie of the Year
Pitcock’s connections to students, infectious spirit make a difference
Ca n d a C e ar m o u r
Op/Ed Writer
Dr. Ryan Pitcock has a lot on his
plate this year, including recently
receiving his doctorate in education.
Despite heavy responsibilities, he
still found time to start one of H-F’s
favorite chants at the boys’ basketball
game against Marian
High School last
month.
Y-E-L-L, Y-E-
L-L, everybody yell
GO VIKINGS, GO
VIKINGS….! Pitcock
pumped up the fans
and encouraged them
to support the team.
“I was proud
of the crowd at the
game. If we happen
to get out of line a
bit, we can be gently
reminded to correct
things and get back
to cheering. I thought
the evening was a
great representation
of H-F,” Pitcock said.
His influence
stretches beyond
the basketball court,
however. Our firstyear
principal goes
out of his way to
do what he feels is
appropriate to make
H-F a positive place
for students.
“Dr. Pitcock is student-friendly, but
he’s not a pushover. He still used his
authority role to calm students down
when the language got a little foul at the
game,” senior Raleigh Fatoki said.
Pitcock wants to make our
experiences at H-F as memorable as
possible. He walks the hallways often,
but behind the scenes Pitcock strives to
get the job done.
So far, it’s worked. He has connected
Legislators fail to pass gun bill despite alarming shooting deaths
Ti e r a PaT T e r s o n
Op/Ed Writer
A large number of Chicago Public
students have become victims of gun
violence, which has spurred Princeton
and Howard University students to
help St. Sabina Catholic church go to
Springfield to ratify House Bill 48.
These university students gave up
their spring break to push for their state
legislators in Springfield to strengthen
background checks on prospective gun
buyers through House Bill 48.
Unfortunately, House Bill 48 was
denied last week. The bill would have
required private transfers of firearms
to be done through federally licensed
dealers.
Basically, it would have added an
extra step to the firearm buying process,
which would have made it harder for
irresponsible gun owners to get their
hands on firearms.
Nevertheless, there is still hope for
a change. The problem starts with the
youth and it is our job to find a solution.
In the past 16 months, 508 teens have
died from gun related violence in
Chicago, according to ABC news.
open with the expectations in a given [students] sitting at those lunch tables,”
class from day one,” Pitcock said. Pitcock said.
From the free burgers before football Junior David Crews says Pitcock is
games to the infectious smile at the popular with students because he is not
doorway each morning to his weekly afraid to get involved with student life.
visits on VTV, Pitcock helps students “Pitcock does not act like he is
feel more comfortable at school. higher than everybody just because he
“Dr.. Pitcock is doing a good job is principal,” Crews said.
bridging the gap between students and Crews says the distinction between
administration. He keeps himself very
Pitcock and
the traditional
stereotype of
administrators
VIKING?
“ ”
is that he goes
beyond what
students would
expect of an
adult.
“I do not
want it to
be about Dr..
Pitcock; I want
it to be about
“When I say ‘make it a great day to be a Viking,’ the first H-F, for H-F to
be a wonderful
hope is that I can reinforce many of the positive images of experience,
academically
school and H-F. Secondly, and probably more important, and socially,”
Pitcock said.
however, I hope there is some greater significance
He plans to
focus the rest
in the choice of the word “make” (opposed to of the year on
improving the
“hope” or “have”) to give credence to each one success rate of
students not
of us being the determiner and owner of how our performing to
the best of their
day, even life, plays out.”
abilities.
Right now, he
is also working
approachable,” said senior Stanten with the department chairs to formalize
Jones, who interviews Pitcock for a program that increases communication
VTV.
between H-F and its feeder schools, like
Our principal’s spirit connects Parker Junior High School and James
him to us in a way that makes the H-F Hart Junior High.
experience more personal. Students who In time, those same junior high
enjoy school and feel more connected to students will be fortunate to go to a school
it tend to perform better.
run by a principal who understands
It helps that he can still relate to the the importance of connecting with
students, he said.
“I still don’t feel so far from you
students.
with students, parents, faculty, and
administration. He wants the faculty
and staff, himself included, to develop
meaningful relationships with the
students and parents at H-F.
Pitcock is now focused on
incremental improvements to better H-F
as a whole. He has developed a scope
and sequence program where parents
What does Dr. Pitcock really mean when he says...
Make it a
great day to be a
and students can get a weekly outline of
what students will be working on.
Scope and sequence is available on
H-F’s Web site and displays the goals,
activities, and major assignments that
come along with each course.
“During first semester we focused
on enhancing our curriculum through
the creation of a scope and sequence.
The purpose was so students, parents,
and faculty could all be aware of and
Suburbanites can help the fight
gun violence as well, participate in
anti-violence rallies, write legislators,
whatever needs to be done, do it. Do
not allow one failed attempt to defer
aspirations to clean up the streets of
Chicago.
If everyone gives up on the problem,
a solution will never be found.
Friends of Rachel member and
junior Tyler Avery detests gun violence.
Part of the reason she joined Friends of
Rachel was out of her abhorrence for
gun violence. She believes that the issue
is everyone’s problem.
“I think people can help the Chicago
gun violence. You have to go to Chicago
in the heart of the issue and help there,”
Avery said.
If the efforts to take guns off of the
streets fails, the violence will increase.
Pastor Michael Pfleger led the St.
Sabina group to Springfield. He talked
about the importance of anti-violence
support right before the group went to
Springfield.
“Where are the voices when 508
Chicago children are shot in 16 months?
I applaud you, Howard and Princeton.
I applaud you for caring about your
brothers and sisters,” Pfleger said.
The death numbers keep reaching
“Where are the voices when 508 Chicago children are
shot in 16 months?”
-Pastor Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Catholic Church
higher tolls. House Bill 48 would have
made a small effort, but more would
have needed to be done. Since, House
Bill 48 was not passed, it is possible that
people could push for a new bill that
will positively affect the gun crimes. Of
course, action would have to accompany
the bill. Simply writing a bill does
nothing if there is not a community there
to enforce it.
Howard University is a historically
black college and Princeton is a
graphic by Candace Armour
predominately white university. Though
the majority of students that are victims
of gun violence are minorities, the
fact that these two culturally different
universities are coming together for
a common cause shows that the gun
violence is not a racial problem.
It is a community’s problem, but it
can only be solved if everyone comes
together to stop the hostility.
“I think it is good that these two
schools are coming together. It sets a
good example and people are learning
that they need to unite in a crisis, like
the one we are having,” Avery said.
Some may think that gun violence
is a “Chicago” problem, but the reality
is that without proper gun laws and
a community that does not support
violence, gun violence can occur
anywhere at anytime. For example,
Lincoln-Way Central sophomore Ryan
P. Burke was killed Feb. 13 when his
brother accidentally shot him in the
chest in their home, just miles away
from H-F.
A whole generation can be saved
through gun violence prevention: get
involved, be proactive, and make a
difference.

Voyager.op/ed
pPHOT
PINIONh
Students express their opinion on the
topics that affect them.
How do the new parking
lot rules effect you?
Senior
“ It is out of control. They need to
reopen the path from North or have
a traffic guard. It should not take 20
minutes to get out of a parking lot.
“
My dad picks me up and he won’t even
come until 3:20 to avoid the rush, so I
am stuck here waiting while they are
trying to kick us all out.
Junior
Austin Saunders
Katrina Jackson
Joey Thielen
“ It is dumb. It takes me a lot longer to
get out. It’s congested and not really
safe for people walking through the
lot.
Roya Fallah
Senior
Freshman
“ It takes longer to get home.
My parents come at 3:00 but I
don’t leave until 3:20.
”
”
”
”
Ab b y Cin
Op/Ed Assistant Editor
Senior Becca Jones had no idea
pulling out of the South parking
lot would be such a frightening
experience.
“It was an extremely busy day, just
like any other day, with all students
trying to get out of one exit,” Jones
said.
“The car in front of me took off
after a dean was going after them for
playing a joke on me,” Jones said. “I
was not going to be stupid and take a
risk like that so I inched up as much
as I could, looked both ways, pulled
out and bam, that’s when the accident
happened out of nowhere.”
The path between North to South
was shut down to help make the
parking lot safer, but we need to take
an extra step. The school or Flossmoor
Police Department should also provide
someone to direct cars out of the lots
safely.
If the school simply put two
people on each side of the parking lots
directing out traffic for a minimum
of 10 or 15 minutes at the end of
the school day, students would feel
comfortable pulling out of the lots
safely.
“The second I found out about the
path gates being shut after school,
Monday, April 13th, 2009
1 3
Provide security to help
drivers exit parking lot
Naviance program relieves
student college fears, anxieties
HAy l e y bo s t i C k
Op/Ed Writer
June 5 is one of the most anticipated
days of the entire year: the celebrated
last day of school.
But for junior Kelly Smith, the last
day of school is a reminder that she is
one year closer to deciding the rest of
her life. It is a reminder that college
applications and ACT scores will soon
be due. She will have to join the flock
of students scrounging around for
teacher recommendations and personal
statements. And this, for her, does not
bring celebration, but dread.
“I have absolutely no idea what to do
for college. There are so many choices
out there and I don’t even know where
to start,” Smith said.
There are ways to subside Smith’s
fears. One great way is with the
Naviance program. The program is
designed to help students, like Smith, to
figure out their plans after high school.
H-F is one of the few high schools in the
south suburbs to pay for such a program.
This resource is at student’s fingertips
and they all need to use it.
One of the many helpful features of
Naviance is the College Search. This
feature is a good place to start the college
process. The College Search engine
helps students find colleges that are best
suited for them. Students answer various
questions, such as school type or desired
location, and the program will generate
a list of colleges that may interest them.
For students who are already
interested in a certain college, the
College Lookup feature is helpful. It
can give all the statistics in a particular
college. It gives the average GPA,
ACT and SAT accepted by admission
from former H-F applicants from the
past five years. It even can provide the
I thought to myself that someone
was going to get in an accident.
Unfortunately, that happened to be
me,” Jones said.
Governors Highway is an
exceptionally busy road, combined
with the hundreds of student’s pulling
out of the school at the end of the day
can create accidents.
“If the school is trying to keep us
safe, they should have police there to
help. Unfortunately, I had to be the
first to experience an accident because
of the unorganized parking lot,” junior
Grant Malcolm, a passenger in the car
with Jones during the accident said.
Although deans and security
guards are staggered around the
parking lot helping out, officers or
guards placed on Governors highway
would make it that much safer for the
students.
With the end of the year
approaching, students the parking
lot is only going to get worse. From
seniors getting ready to finally
graduate to remaining students rushing
to be outside in the hot weather, the lot
will be a pool of madness.
“It is summertime and students
will be hectic and crazy to get out of
school, police and security should be
on close watch to help students get out
of the parking lot safely,” Jones said.
statistics to incoming college applicants
nationwide. It allows students to see how
they compare to others, and helps them
evaluate their chances for admissions.
Once students have finally narrowed
down colleges, Naviance can provide
information over 300 scholarships
available for students. From meritbased
scholarships to community
service scholarships, Naviance can
helps students find opportunities to ease
financial strain of college.
Guidance counselors also benefit
from Naviance. The program makes their
jobs more effecient and successful.
“We want to help students in every
aspect we can, and [Naviance] helps us
do that,” guidance counselor Tiphnee
Staples said.
According to Staples, counselors are
able to help students more efficiently
with the Naviance program. For
example, students can fill out the student
questionnaire, which helps Counselors
write letters of recommendation.
Junior Liz Lindeman is just one of
many students who decided to work
with the Naviance program and found it
helpful.
“Naviance is really helping me with
my college process. It is easy to use,
while at the same time answers all the
hard questions,” Lindeman said.
Lindeman even encourages other
students to use the program.
“I encourage all students to use
Naviance if they are stressed about
college and need guidance,” Lindeman
said.
And others should definitely take
her advice. Students like Smith no
longer have to fear the last day of junior
year. They do not have to cringe when
someone asks them their plans for the
future, because Naviance can help.

14 Monday, March 13, 2009 Voyager.Op/Ed
Experiencing things across the pond and realizing life in a much bigger world
MA r k e y l A He n t o n
Op /Ed Editor
Walking under the Eiffel Tower and
riding along the Seine, these experiences
in France enriched my life immensely.
They showed me that the world is much
bigger than I ever thought. I saw that it
is important to realize the world is much
larger than the American culture alone.
By stepping outside of my area and
seeing how other people lived their
lives, I became a better person who is
more cultured, appreciative, and aware.
France riddled me with memories, from
small things like the way they walked
across the street to the traditions which
I wished to bring home with me here in
America.
I stayed in the home of Nicole
Camille and her daughter Bénédicte,
also know as Béné.
All throughout my time in their home
the Camilles offered me
experiences t h a t
left a lasting
Facebook invaded by prying family members
An g e l A Ar r i v o
Assistant Feature Editor
Facebook is used for everything
these days including party invitations,
gossip, chatting with friends and even
conversations with mom and dad.
Not that we do not particularly
dislike our family, but it is weird logging
on to see that Aunt Molly is having a
‘beer headache’. Nothing comes closer
to an awkward moment like that does.
For most Facebook-savvy students,
it is out of the ordinary to think about
family members looking at their photos
or reading their wall posts. Though it
seems hopeless to solve the issue, there
are multiple, simple solutions to this
invasion of privacy.
A) Delete your Facebook account,
B) do not let any family member become
one of your ‘friends’, C) delete anything
and everything on your account that you
would not want certain people to see, or
D) change privacy options to restrain
what certain ‘friends’ can see.
Generally, the easiest route to take
would be to modify certain privacy
settings on your Facebook account
because that way the privacy standards
are set to your own liking.
Facebook is a way of life for some.
Not knowing all the current gossip can
force some students into what is called
‘Facebook withdrawal’. [So option A is
automatically gone.] Still, the phobia of
Bonjour France, Au Revoir H-F
positive impression in my life. From the
way they dined together every night, to
the way that they save energy, I gained
more than I gave to them.
But the best gift the Camilles gave
me was that of the Versailles Palace.
When we walked up to the palace, I
knew it would be gorgeous by its gold
gilded gates. When we began to walk
from room to room, my assumption
morphed from amazement and awe to
breathlessness and humility.
I realized just how small our little
district was in the grand scheme of
things. Of course, I knew there were
things outside of Illinois. I had studied
French culture for years in French class,
but experiencing those other things was
like knowing I had eyes and finally
opening them to see.
When my stay with the Camille
family ended I felt that I had created a
tie with their family and that I offered to
them a similar, fresh outlook on
other cultures. I
felt like I left a
p o s i t i v e
receiving a friend request from family
members remains.
Strictly following one of these
options is sure to solve the constant fear
of parents and other unwanted onlookers
sneaking their way into your personal
life.
Whether it is the fact that your
personal and social life may be corrupted,
or the lack of independence, Facebook is
just not the place for parents to socialize.
Yes, Facebook is a worldwide web site
used for communication, but when the
much older crowd decides to join in
on the fun, the youthful fundamentals
of Facebook, such as the permission to
invade anyone’s privacy and learning all
ends of the latest gossip, is completely
lost.
Sophomore Marissa Werner also
believes that parents are not meant for
Facebook.
“I don’t want my dad lurking on my
things like that; looking at my pictures
and status, not that I have anything to
hide,” Werner said. “I think it’s nice that
other kids trust their parents enough to
be friends with them, but I am not that
brave.”
Brave or not, sophomore Christian
Bandy does not believe in hiding his
personal life from his family.
“I don’t have anything to hide,”
Bandy said. “We write on each other’s
walls and stuff.”
On one hand, parents and Facebook
Hello France, Goodbye H-F
impression, and for that I was proud of
myself. But I was not alone; all nine of
the students who came from H-F left
their French homes with something,
whether it was a physical memento or
a memory.
I could see that we were offering
an exchange of cultures at the school
that majority of us attended with our
French host. Lycée François Truffaut,
or François Truffaut High School was
filled with students who were generally
interested in the lives the American
students lived. They engaged in
conversation and interrogated the
students with vigor.
Just as I had dreamed about
life in France, they dreamed
of American life. This contrast
was so interesting to me and it held
the famous quote true: The other side
of the grass always seems greener. I
thought that France trumped America
with its gorgeous landscape and historic
buildings. But just as I was mesmerized
all the French students spoke about how
they would love to visit America.
After experiencing things
outside of my vicinity,
I am smarter, and
I can offer more
to people. I
realize that the
world has so
many views of
the sun that to
just see one is
to live closeminded.
Of course
Pictured from left
to right: (in front)
Juniors Whitney Boyd,
Mia Preston, Rachel
Weed, Sophomores Myles
Hendricks, Lantanya Tharpe,
Shareefa Williams, Nasthalia
Casimir, (in back) Junior
Krista Nelson, Senior
Markeyla Henton, and
Sophomore Taylor
Jaicks.
just seem
so foreign
to each
other; we
t h o u g h t
they barely
knew how
to use a
computer.
W h e n
they were
teenagers,
t h e y
wanted to
keep as
much of
their social
life away
from their
p a r e n t s
as we do
now, and
Facebook
defeats the purpose of a private
social life. Yet, on the other hand it is
understandable that parents would want
to have a Facebook account for social
reasons, as hard as it is to believe they
have friends. Just because they are
adults does not mean that they can not
have the same thrill of gossip as we can.
But it’s definitely preferred if they did
not use the exact same web site as all of
our friends do.
Parents not only use Facebook just
to invade their children’s privacy, but to
“My favorite
memory was the
last day we were in
France, when we
were looking at
the Eiffel while it
was lit up. It was
one of the most beautiful
”
things i had ever seen.
“I think my favorite part of
the trip was the family stay.
My family was so welcoming
and they really encouraged
me to improve my French. For
the few days spent with them,
I learned a lot about their
culture.
Taylor
Myles
”
“My favorite memory was when
me, my host and a bunch of her friends
took the train and spent the day in
Paris. It was fun being able to see the
city through the eyes of a local.
”
Whitney
everyone cannot just pack up and
pay for a trip oversees, but everyone
can make an effort. Try to rent that
Spanish movie; even if you can barely
understand it, at worst you just got
some laughs at your ridiculous accent.
Never live without branching past
your walls of comfort, it is like living
in silence. There are so many sounds;
the rhythm of other cultures, the music
that joins strangers, the and the sound
of you own heartbeat intertwining
with it all. Who would not want to
experience that?
make sure they are not doing things that
they think are ‘bad’. Some see that as
being nosy and not trusting, but others
see it as parental concern. Parents just
want the best for their children, and if
logging on to Facebook to check up on
our daily actions is how they want to do
it, then let that be so.
Still, no one wants their privacy to
be violated. Facebook is a fun way to
connect with others, but when it is used
to invade an individual’s private matters
it turns into more than just that.

Voyager.op/ed
Rachel’s
Ramblings
Rebel with a budget!
Rachel Whitman, Photo Editor
Monday, March 13, 2009
15
Barbie, Dora doll explore new, grown up look
Nat a l i e ad e e y o
Managing Editor
When the average woman celebrates
her 50th birthday, she looks in the
mirror to find stretch marks, varicose
veins, a few gray hairs, and crow’s
feet. However, when Barbara Millicent
Roberts celebrates her 50 th birthday, this
year, she can still slide into that tight,
pink mini dress she wore 50 years ago
and drive off in her pink Corvette.
When the Barbie doll enters a young
girl’s home, she has the power to shape
that girl’s idea of what a beautiful
woman should look like. From her
disproportional curves to her picture
perfect teeth, skin, and hair, Barbie has
a major impact on the young girls who
have their allowances to spend.
The Barbie we have gotten used to,
the one that wore knee length dresses
and adorned full-body bathing suits,
has changed into the very thing that all
mothers across the country fear their
daughters may become: fast. This skinny,
flawless doll is now adorning larger lips,
smaller clothing, and a greater amount
of makeup. Even the Kimora Lee
Simmons Barbie Doll is flashing her
Fifty and still
Flawless
From knee-length skirts and full-length
jackets to skimpy bikini tops and an
adorned tattoo on the stomach, Barbie
celebrates her 50th birthday with a new
sexier look. Check out how Barbie has
changed since 1959.
fishnet stockings underneath her thighlength
boots and short skirt.
The Barbie dolls of today are creating
a poor image of beauty, causing girls to
imitate what they see; thus causing them
to grow up too fast.
A most recent example of the
problem with dolls today is the new
Dora doll. After Mattel and Nickelodeon
released a “teaser silhouette” to create
anticipation for the new teen version of
Dora the Explorer, there was a different
kind of excitement than Mattel and
Nickelodeon expected. Moms across the
country were outraged at the too grownup
transformation of Dora, according to
Entertainment Weekly. After seeing a
petite, tomboyish, bilingual kid make the
transformation into a shirt and leggings
wearing, long-haired, jewelry-adorned
teen, it became even more evident that
doll companies are trying to produce
a different, impressionable image on
girls.
“I think they make young girls think
that short skirts and tighter low v-neck
shirts are what you-re supposed to wear
if you want to look older,” said junior
Tyler Avery, a fan of Barbie herself
when she was younger.
stages in their development that leads
to underage drinking, sex at a young
a g e , and teenage pregnancies,
according to the cofounder
of the
Campaign for
a Commercial-
F r e e
C h i l d h o o d
as reported by
MSN.
Little girls
d o not need
t o h a v e
d o l l s
with bodies
like theirs yet
dressed in their
mommy’s club
wear. Children
g i r l s
need to see more
positive figures of
women as dolls fully
clothed.
“I think the dolls should
come in different sizes and
heights and skin tones so that
can have a realistic idea of
w h a t all girls look like and
s h o u l d look like,” Avery said.
Photo courtesy of ew.com
Barbie was Born The change begins Barbies Today
Her creators, Ruth and Elliot Handler
(co-founders of Mattel) modeled
Barbie after the German doll known
as Lilli. Lilli, who began as a cartoon
character in a daily newspaper called
the Bild-Zeitung (BillyBoy 19). This
character, known for her large breasts
and sexy clothing, was created for adult
entertainment as “a symbol of sex and
pornography for the men of Germany.”
Too sexy dolls started with the
Bratz dolls released in 2001 by MGA
Entertainment. These “passion for
fashion” dolls were geared towards girls
between the ages of seven and 11 years
of age, according to MSN Health and
Fitness. Therefore, this company must
have also wanted their seven to 11-year
old consumers to have a passion for low
cut tops and tight jeans.
Creating such a doll and releasing
it for mass market only encourages
young girls to emulate the bad
influences parents already try
to stop their girls from
becoming.
It is startling to see little girls
in barely kindergarten with painted nails
and makeup. Now imagine these girls in
tube tops, tight glitter skirts, and kneehigh
leather high heel boots. This is just
the image that mothers and fathers fear,
yet is being mass produced for their
daughters to purchase and carry around
in their pink, flowery purses.
By creating dolls decked out in clublike
halter tops and enough eye shadow
for prom, this encourages adolescence
to jump from childhood to adulthood,
causing children to skip very important
Continuing to soften Barbie’s image,
Mattel gave her a face-lift in 1961. The
plastic surgery consisted of curved
eyebrows and blue eyes. Because
Barbie is known for keeping up
with the latest styles, she received a
bubble hairstyle similar to the one
worn by Jackie Kennedy.
With five face-lifts, Barbie has
maintained her status as the most
popular fashion doll ever created.
The staff at Mattel researches trends
to keep Barbie current. Whatever
is in the pre-teen section of
department stores is likely to be
on the Barbie shelves in toy stores.
Barbie’s popularity has held steady
for five decades and is likely to
stay that way.
1959 1960s 2009
Fancy, calligraphy typed ticket: $90. Dazzling evening gown: $350. Sparkly high-heels: $50. Seat in a group limo: $70. Night
sweating in a room of 700 or more people in a dress never to be worn again with shoes that make blisters the size of quarters and a
chauffeured drive that lasts maybe 40 minutes: overrated.
I never thought that I would be the kind of girl who boycotts her senior prom, but lately I have been considering the idea. The thought
of spending so much money on one night of fun makes me cringe.
You know what they say, “Don’t blow all your money in one place.” Prom would equal about two of my paychecks. That is 48 hours
of my life spent working towards one evening.
I went to prom my junior year and had a good time, but I am told these memories last a lifetime, so why do I have to go twice? Last
year my mother paid for all of my essentials, so I did not realize the expense of it all. I get the feeling that I will be on my own for the
majority of this year’s extravagances, but I do not think Mr. Piggy Bank would appreciate having such an empty stomach. How much
would a night of bliss cost me anyway?
Let us start with the dress, as every memorable night does. I walk into the boutique (we cannot just call it a store) and I see sparkles
and sequins, glitter and gold. Every color and style imaginable is right in front of me in satin heaven. There are halters and strapless,
princess and sleek, lemon yellow and baby doll pink; anything I could ever want all at the drop of…$500! So I go for the
second dress, $350, which is not a whole lot better, but the saleswomen sucker me in. They use phrases like, “one of a kind”
and “nothing else like it.” Here I am two hours later, $350 less, holding a dress that I treasure more than my own life. I carry
it as if it is a newborn.
Next on the list are shoes. They have to match the dress perfectly (who cares if they are comfortable), so I go to three
different stores. Finally, I find the perfect pair, and of course they are not on sale, so I shell out $60. This is starting
to hurt--and I am not just talking about my feet.
My third task is ordering a limo. Last year, it took us an extra twenty minutes to get there because the
driver first dropped us off at the Museum of Science and Industry when prom was, in fact, at the Field Museum.
Maybe since it is at the Museum of Science and Industry this year we will get it right on the first try. After my
phone call to the limousine company my wallet is $70 lighter.
Last, but probably not least (money-wise that is), hair and makeup. What is that you say? Wear the
makeup I already have? What an absurd thought! Of course I need special “prom” MAC makeup! Luckily,
my mother happens to be a hairstylist so I am good to go in that department, but what if I did not fall into
such a money-saving situation? Hairstyles for prom are between 60 to 100 dollars. Then you need the right
makeup to match the outfit which means new eyeshadow, nail polish (professionally done), lipstick, and blush,
which ends up probably being another 60 or 70 bucks.
After all of this, I am completely broke and my feet are killing me. But hey, I look great!
Or maybe I will just skip prom and lay around in my new fancy outfit. It is really all about the dress anyway.
Graphic by Natalie Adeeyo Source: umd.edu

16 Monday, April 13, 2009 Voyager.SportS
AAU gives large opportunities for young athletes
La u r a Ni c h o L s
Assistant Sports Editor
Even though the school basketball
season ended, sophomore Julian Lewis
still has practice three days a week
and up to six basketball games on the
weekend. Even basketball players who
did not play for the school team are
spending hours on end practicing with
their teams. School season has ended
but the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
season is just beginning.
AAU is a program that organizes
teams for a variety of sports and gives
them the chance to compete against
other kids around the country and also
to get seen by college coaches. Illinois
Wolverines president and U16 coach
Jack Lira loves coaching AAU because
of the opportunities it brings.
“AAU opens a lot of doors to
college coaches who might never get the
opportunity to even hear about a youth,”
Lira said.
Even though AAU is a lot of work,
Lewis looks forward to it and loves
playing. For Lewis, AAU is very
different from high school basketball.
“You are traveling most of the time
to different tournaments. During high
school basketball you usually have
about two games a week while in AAU,
sometimes you will have five to six
games in one weekend,” Lewis said.
AAU brings lots of exposure to
basketball players. Sophomore Khyreed
Carter does not play for the school
team but still feels like he is getting the
opportunity to showcase his abilities.
“AAU is more competition and more
college coaches go to those games than
Writer Max McCann gives his prediction
of who will win the World Series. The
Boston Red Sox will be the last team
standing because their rotation can
dominate any playoff series, and
they do not have a weak
spot in their line up.
high school games,” Carter said.
According to Lira, AAU coaches
and high school coaches often have bad
relationships because “they don’t like
them or feel like they have too much
influence over them.” However, Lira
is an example of an AAU coach who
gets along well with all of his players
coaches.
“I talk to high
school coaches mostly
to see how my players
are doing on the court
but most importantly
how they are doing
in the classroom. I
even ask their opinion
on different offenses
and defenses, but I
never interfere with
the coaching of my
players,” Lira said.
AAU coaches
and players also get
opportunities to interact
with college coaches.
“I have a good
relationship with a
few college coaches
because of the way my boys play during
the summer they are recruiting them to
come to their schools, Lira said. “Right
now the University of Akron, Iowa State
University, Indiana State University,
University of Kentucky, and Marquette
University are seriously recruiting a
few of my players because of how they
played in Florida last year and how they
backed it up playing with their high
school team this past winter.”
Carter, who plays for the FYA
Angels, always looks forward to his
games and the unique chance to interact
with college coaches.
“They talk to you and try and get a
feel for your personality and who you
are. They ask about your grades and
things like that,” Carter said.
It is not only NCAA college coaches
who go to the games and recruit athletes,
Lira explained.
Shooting for the Future
What is AAU?
The Amateur Athletic Union is a sports organization that
works towards skill development and physical fitness.
Present Players
Sophomore Khyreed Carter
Sophomore Julian Lewis
Junior LaDon Singleton
Junior Courtney Jones
Sophomore John Bradley
Freshman Tyrone Sherman
Junior Ty Allen
Freshman Delvon Rencher
Rick Pavinoto
Chemistry Teacher
Red Sox
Past Players - now in the NBA
Carmello Anthony- Denver Nuggets
Deron Williams- Utah Jazz
Dwight Howard- Orlando Magic
Dwayne Wade- Miami Heat
Tyrus Thomas- Chicago Bulls
Shaquille O’Neil- Phoenix Sun
Lebron James- Cleveland Cavaliers
Kobe Bryant- Los Angles Lakers
“I also have a couple of division
two and NAIA (National Association
of Intercollegiate Athletics) looking at
some of my players because everyone
can’t play division one basketball but
everyone can go to college on some
level and play if they focus on their
school work, basketball will take care of
its self ” Lira said.
Sophomore John Bradley plays for
the College Bound Elite Spartans and
thoroughly enjoys playing basketball.
“The advantages of playing are that
you get to travel and showcase your
talent and the disadvantage would be
not getting a lot of playing till if you are
not an developed as the other athletes,”
Bradley said.
While none of Lira’s players have
played college basketball yet, he can’t
wait for the opportunity to see his
players succeed
on the collegiate
level in the near
Graphic by Emily Siner
future.
“I haven’t
had the privilege
of having one of
my players play
on the college
level yet, because
my players are
just juniors in high
school. But I can’t
wait to be able to
see that,” Lira said.
AAU is
preparing young
athletes for not
only their school
season but for
future seasons when they
graduate from high
s c h o o l . Even if a player does
not end up playing college basketball
they improve as all around people and
develop good work ethics. Lira is a
dedicated coach who loves to see his
players improve.
“I make it a goal of mine to always
send my players back better than when
we started the AAU season and if they
don’t get better than I have failed to do
my job, and I love my job to much to fail
at it,” Lira said.
With the 2009 baseball season upon us, the Voyager asked some baseball
experts how they think the standings will look at the end of the season.
Stanten Jones
Baseball Player
Laura Nichols
Sports Writer
AL NL AL NL AL NL AL NL
Tigers Cubs Indians Cubs White Sox Cubs Twins Cubs
Angels
Royals
Cubs
Phillies
Dodgers
Dbacks
Todd Sippel
Head Baseball Coach
Red Sox
Angels
Yankees
Cubs
Mets
Dodgers
Cardinals
Red Sox
Angels
Yankees
Mets
Mets
Dbacks
Phillies
Rays
Angels
Yankees
Cubs
Mets
Dodgers
Phillies

Voyager.sports
Softball gets ready
after spring games
Sta n t o n P o l a n S k i
Sports Writer
Coming back from a 4-3 record off
of spring break may not seem like too
much to be proud of, but playing a long
stretch of away games and battling the
weather conditions put the girls where
they want to be so far.
“Overall I am pretty pleased with
the season thus far,” Head Coach Angela
Altman said. “The greatest thing that I
have noticed so far is a never give up
attitude on the field and in the dugout.
Even when we are down in a game,
intensity remains high. We have also
thrown a lot of different things at other
teams. Some teams have had a difficult
time figuring out how to play defense
against our slappers, bunters, and
hitters.”
The Vikings have a solid mix of
power hitters and players who worked
over the offseason to become effective
slappers.
“Our bats have come around, last
Sta n t o n Po l a n S k i
Sports Writer
The 2009 World Baseball Classic
held a wide array of languages and
different cultures brought to fight for the
international crown. But as the U.S. team
easily lost to Japan in the semifinals, the
U.S. fans witnessed the “great American
pastime” slip through their fingers.
In the second annual World Baseball
Classic, the tournament featuring sixteen
teams from nations around the world
ended up a battle held by two Asian
rivals. Japan, who won the first classic,
matched up against South Korea in the
championship-- a game that put pressure
on Japan since South Korea had beat
them in two of their previous meetings.
On Monday night, over 50 thousand fans
from overseas
packed into
D o d g e r
Stadium in
Los Angeles to
witness a 5-3
Japan win in
extra innings
and celebrate
“The U.S. pitchers did not pitch
well at all, they pitched like little
women.”
- Junior AJ Sciford
their repeat from the year before.
The cultures of the U.S. and their
dominant Asian counterparts seemed as
different in the way the teams thought of
the games. The American team consisted
of the superstar players from the MLB
and they seemed to lack energy and
determination compared to Japan’s
attitude.
“The U.S. pitchers did not pitch well
at all, they pitched like little women,”
junior AJ Sciford said.
On the other hand, the two Asian
teams brought an intense and focused
attitude because winning the tournament
means so much more to them. Japan
took advantage of the mistakes the U.S.
committed and stressed the fundamentals
by getting a sacrifice bunt down in a
crucial situation and effective pitching.
“There was a definite lack of effort
and pride, only a few of our players
came out and played,” Oliver said.
When the Americans were beat
1-11 against Venezuela, Derek Jeter
responded to the media saying it did not
year we struggled with hitting but
this year we’re dominating. I hope by
playoffs we can keep up our bats and our
defense,” junior Jessica Kuester said.
At the beginning of spring break, the
girls also traveled to Carbondale, which
not only gave them more practice,
but also added a unique sense of team
unity.
Junior Sam Ehlebracht recalls the
loud music and the not so good singing
on the way there. The seniors pulled a
prank on the younger players and went
so far as to get their coaches in on it.
“The only underclassmen who wasn’t
showered with water balloons a silly
string was sophomore AJ Contreras,”
she said. “But the seniors have already
planned to use all their energy to prank
her in the upcoming overnight games in
Missouri.”
At practice, the girls are talkative and
full of jokes, but only when the action
stops. They are remaining focused on
continuing to get better until the playoffs
come around. So far the Vikings have
U.S. players disappoint
matter if they lost by one or 11, it was
still a loss nevertheless. Well, the way
a country plays is viewed by the whole
world, and it shows pride in playing for
the team in the front of the jersey, not the
name on the back.
“It seemed like they played with less
passion and energy as the other teams.
They were playing not to lose, instead
of to win. Peavy should have started
because Japan used their ace Dice-K,
so we should have gone all out too,”
sophomore Eric Oliver said.
While the U.S. players reported
back to spring training, they could only
watch the game they set out to win on
television at home. While losing did not
affect their multi-million dollar contracts
or chances at a World Series, they lost
out on a chance to give baseball fans
something to be
proud of which
other countries
see as an honor.
Junior Dylan
Spratt disagrees
and explained the
U.S. lost because
of some players.
We need to send our best players and
treat it like the basketball Olympics,”
Spratt said. “The setup is fine, we just
need to win.”
The U.S. baseball team found
themselves in the same situation the
Olympic basketball team faced, and
this year reestablished themselves by
winning gold, after three disappointing
finishes. They abandoned the strategy
of gathering up the most prominent All-
Stars and using talent alone because
basketball in other counties caught up to
the level of competition. So last year, in
the Beijing Olympics the U.S. brought
a team that was unified by the intense
practices and a desire to not just be
average.
“The foreign teams are still
competitive, but the Americans are
still the best, raw overall talent-wise,
but we need to bring those players and
make sure they play. As soon as we start
taking it more seriously like the redeem
team did, we’ll start winning regularly,”
Oliver said.
Monday, April 13, 2009
17
Back to the basics Head Coach Angela Altman prepares her infield to be ready for
anything as she bunts the softball to the left. The Vikings have an experienced team
with nine seniors and Altman said it will be consistent hitting that will be their key.
been challenged by the weather, but that
will not stop them.
“We play through the bad weather
and focus on our goal,” Ehlebracht said.
“Before the game, we all come up with
a team goal and focus on achieving it the
rest of the game.”
Besides consistent hitting, Altman
expects the seniors to continue to be
vocal leaders and make sure the younger
players stay on the right path.
“I look for leadership on and off the
field. Some of these girls have several
years of varsity experience. Younger
players in the program should look up to
them and strive to get to their position,”
Altman said.
A VIEW FROM THE
soccer field
Varsity soccer coach Todd Elkei was recently
recognized as one of the top eight soccer coaches
in the nation.
I am honored to be recognized as a finalist for the National
High School Athletic Coaches Association Girls Soccer Coach
of the Year Award. This is an honor that I share with my
assistant coaches, our athletic department, our soccer parents,
and most of all my former and current players. This is a reward
that we all can share because without the efforts of everyone
involved, our success would never have been achieved.
I will never forget the feeling that we all had when we
beat Lemont to finally reach our goal of making to the State
Tournament. I look at the picture of our girls celebrating on
the field and dumping water over my head every day. Last
year was truly a special year.
I was equally moved by the number of e-mail and letters
that I received from former players congratulating us on our
achievement and saying how much they missed H-F soccer.
When we made it downstate it was as if each of our former
players were there as well. Many of these players helped me
train our current girls when they were in the H-F youth soccer
program.
We have always tried to keep a family atmosphere and
stress what it means to be a good teammate in our program.
As a coach it makes everything worthwhile when you hear
from former players about how much you helped them prepare
for life.
Photo by Stanton Polanski

18 Monday, April 13, 2009 Voyager.SportS
After 38 years of winning Conference, varsity boys’ tennis is...
back
Em i ly Si n E r
Editor-in-Chief
The atmosphere last Tuesday on the
boys’ tennis courts behind G building
seemed too carefree to be the location
of a varsity sport. Some players were
changing on the bleachers next to the
courts; some were joking about the other
players.
Fifteen minutes later, the Bolingbrook
team showed up unexpectedly for a
meet that had been cancelled. Within
two hours, the players showed that
they do not take tennis as lightly as
their conversations: they swept the
impromptu meet.
“We had to go from a practice
mindset to a match mindset, which is
challenging within itself, but we are
a very competitive team. Our scores
across the board showed that we were
ready to play,” senior Patrick Kenney,
on
co-captain, said. “Of course we were
ready to play.”
The team has a long legacy of
winning. After 41 years of consecutive
Conference wins and 37 consecutive at
Sectionals, Head Coach Michael Sacks
wants to keep the streak going.
“We’re going to have a lot of matches
down the stretch that could go either
way, and anything we can get better
with between now and the postseason
may give us the extra edge we’ll need,”
Sacks said.
The boys started the season off
strong over break with a 6-1 dual meet
against Stagg.
That weekend in Edwardsville, at
their first tournament, the team played
five dual meets, won three, and finished
13th out of 32 teams.
Kenney said the team can do more.
“We could have easily been in the
top ten if a few tiebreakers went our way,
the
but it’s a building block from which we
must progress,” Kenney said.
The players’ strengths this year are
their skills, according to Sacks. Because
most players are so experienced—
Kenney, for one, has been playing since
sixth grade—their skill sets dominate
many of their opponents’.
In fact, Sacks foresees the biggest
weakness on the team as frustration.
“All of the biggest challenges revolve
around the mental aspect of the game,”
he said. “Dealing with frustration, [the]
ability to play your best under pressure,
and trying to wring out every opportunity
for improvement during practice and
easy matches are aspects that I see some
of the players struggling with so far this
season.”
Though seven players graduated
from the team last year, Sacks points to
Kenney, seniors Ben Koltun and David
Gilbert, juniors Ryan Halliday, Kevin
Serves them right
Senior Patrick Kenney
and junior Ryan Halliday
walk towards the net
after a successful first set
against Stagg. The team
won the meet 6-1.
court
Bayles, and Tim Weber, and freshman
Bradley Holt as some of the leaders of
the team.
“We all hit year-round at the
Racquetball Club,” Kenney said. “We
have a lot of players who work hard—
Jack [Galen, senior], Bradley. We have
a lot of depth.”
Holt, a rare freshman on the team,
plays first singles—the top of the
lineup—but Sacks said the team accepts
this.
“Most of the team knows Brad from
the Racquet Club and hitting with him
for a number of years, even though he’s
younger,” Sacks said. “I think the team
respects his game.”
Holt agreed.
“I’m welcome, but they play jokes
on me sometimes,” he said seriously.
Jokes are just part of the team spirit.
“You can’t get uptight when playing
tennis,” Kenney said.

Voyager.sports
Monday, April 13, 2009
H-F legends honored with jersey retirements
Sta n t o n Po l a n S k i
Sports Writer
Like last year, the McLegends
basketball game will be filled with
excitement from the Jessie White
tumblers’ insane stunts to fans getting
the chance to get autographs signed by
the NFL stars. But this Saturday, two
guests will steal the show.
Former NFL
players and H-F
g r a d u a t e s
N o l a n
H a r r i s o n
and Wes
Hamilton will
be honored
at halftime as
their jerseys, 74 and 78
respectively are retired.
This marks the first
time in H-F history.
“It’s an incredible
honor, especially
after putting in so
much work during
my career,” Harrison
said. “It means
everything to me; this
is where I first put on football pads for
the first time.”
Hamilton graduated in 1971 and
moved on to play at Tulsa University.
As a rookie on the Minnesota Vikings,
he played in the Super Bowl but lost.
Now, his son Ben plays for the Denver
Broncos.
Harrison played at H-F before going
on to becoming an All Big 10 player at
Indiana, and then getting drafted in the
sixth round by the Los Angeles Raiders.
He remembers his favorite memories
at H-F spent alongside his close-knit
friends, whom he still calls his brothers.
For Harrison, staying focused on
making his dreams become a reality
took hard work and inspiration from the
Shuffling Crew.
I had the desire and the passion to
make it,” Harrison said. “After watching
the 85’ Bears dominate in the Super
Bowl, I was motivated to reflect the way
they played. I cut my goal into stages
la u r a ni c h o l S
Assistant sports editor
“And all these years, no one
knows just how hard you worked, but
now it shows.”
At the end of the NCAA men’s
basketball tournament each year,
the whole tournament is made into
a slideshow, with the song called
“One Shining Moment” played in the
background. It shows the innocence
and pure love of the game that these
athletes have.
There is no Kobe vs. Shaq drama,
no Allen Iverson rants about practice,
and no divas. There are just college
athletes putting all of their years of
hard work on the line. Sure, over
the years some of them are bound
Possible future Jersey
retirements
Olayinka Sanni
(Women's Basketball)
Larry Rothschild
(MLB)
Eric Hillman
(MLB)
and made sure I continued improving at
each step: high school, college, then the
pros.”
This jersey retirement ceremony
will not just be special for the two stars,
but also their friends and family, who
will share the moment with them. Tom
Krysinski coached the two of them at
H-F at different times, and when he heard
the news of the homecoming celebration
he will be able to
retell old stories
to his former
players.
Source Joe Skowronski
“ W h e n
Alan told
me the news
I was ecstatic.
When you look
at the athletic program
at H-F and all the great
athletes that have
played, these two
guys making it says a
lot. I’m also excited
to see them again for
the first time in years,
so I’ll be there at
halftime giving hugs
and congratulating
them.”
Athletic Director Joe Skowronski
revealed the timing is right to have the
ceremony at a game which features
former NFL players.
“Since we are going to celebrate our
50th anniversary, this would be a fitting
time to honor our two distinguished H-F
alums that have played professional
football,” he said.
When recalling his coaching days,
Krysinski said it was easy keeping the
two of them on the right path because of
their involvement with other sports and
their impressive academic records
He said they set a goal and worked
for it without getting distracted and
instead kept their heads on straight.
“It was not one person, but a bunch of
people that kept them on the right track.
I helped recognized their potential, but it
was the college coaches that developed
them. A lot of players I have coached
have had the talent, but did not put the
Backtalk from the Bench
NBA players should learn from college athletes attitudes
to have diva moments, but during the
tournament they know that team work
will help them win.
The tournament is a time of miracles
and surprise. Who would have thought
that a slender kid from Davidson would
be the face of college basketball, or that
a team like George Mason would make
it to the Final Four? In just the past few
weeks, Johnnie Flynn went from being
“that one guy on Syracuse” to the guy
every sports fan is talking about.
In the NBA, players get mad about
playing time or not making enough
money. In college basketball, what you
see is what you get: young kids trying
to make their dreams come true and
doing whatever it takes to get there.
Flynn played all but three minutes in a
six-overtime game on March 14 game
against the University of Connecticut
in the Big East tournament. That
night, instead of going to sleep, Flynn
reportedly stayed up and called a
coach to watch film for his game the
next day. Instead of being asleep on
the court on March 15, Flynn was the
spark of energy in yet another game
that went into overtime. Starting to feel
inadequate now, Shaq?
Blake Griffin, a basketball player
for Oklahoma, recently had to sit
out because of a concussion-- yes, a
concussion in basketball, not football.
That just shows how hard Griffin plays
every time he steps onto the court. How
often do you see that in the NBA? It is
amazing what a difference there is when
there is not money involved.
No matter how well Lebron James
plays, he makes thousands of dollars
a game. These young athletes make
nothing. At the end of day, all these
young men have is basketball.
NBA players rave about their fancy
cars and nice clothes, but some men in
college basketball come from nothing
and have no one but the basketball court
and their team.
A few years ago, Jermario Davidson
played basketball for Alabama. He
was driving with his girlfriend on their
19
A long journey Former H-F graduate Nolan Harrison chases after the Broncos John
Elway, wearing the same number he did in high school. He and former Minnesota
Viking Wes Hamilton will have their jerseys retired for the first time in H-F history at
halftime in the McLegends game April 18.
amount of work in,” Krysinski said.
Harrison retired after 10 years in
the NFL when he realized his body had
taken a toll from the punishment of the
physical nature of playing on the line.
After a successful NFL career, he
still would like to spread a message
to all of the football players hoping to
move on to the next level.
“I want to tell the football players
to work hard in school and on the field.
If you’re dedicated and have the talent,
don’t look back. Never put yourself
in the position where you’re saying: if
I only ran more sprints, if I only lifted
a little harder. Make sure you focus
on school, dumb players don’t exist
anymore,” Harrison said.
way home from visiting Davidson’s
brother, who was in critical condition
in the hospital when his girlfriend lost
control of the car. As they arrived to
the hospital, she was pronounced dead.
Just a few days later, Davidson’s brother
died in that same hospital. Davidson
still continued playing basketball and is
now in the NBA.
If that happened to an NBA player
they would probably take a few games
off. But not Davidson: his love for the
game keeps him going.
Over about 11.3 million hits come
up when you search for Kobe Bryant
stats; only 174,000 come up for Johnnie
Flynn. That’s a difference of 956,000,
yet Flynn is the one who everyone was
watching this March. Flynn is the face
of pure love of the game and hope.
Flynn is the definition of hard work and
perseverance, and Flynn is the one who
Bryant should be taking notes from.
Photo courtesy of Alan Macey

20 Monday, April 13, 2009 the Voyager.SportS
By The
NumB3rs
0
Number of losses the women’s
UConn basketball team had in the
entire season.
2
Number of Arizona Diamondbacks
who hit home-runs from both sides
of the plate opening day.
72,922
Number of people who attended
the NCAA men’s championship
game. North Carolina beat
Michigan State 89-72.
10,142
Number of assists Jason Kidd has
in his career, (good for number
three all-time).
47
Number of non-winning races
NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon had
before winning the Samsung 500
Sunday.
in
sports
this
issue
I’m loving it (left to right) Ted Reichert (quarterback on the 1994 H-F state championship football team), Antwaan Randle El of the Washington Redskins, McDonald’s
owner Derrick Lott, Ronald McDonald, McDonald’s owner Randy Conn and H-F’s Mr. Basketball Kevin Dillard share the opening tip from last year’s game.
Pros vs. Joes
NFL stars return for McLegends game
Co r y Ma r C h i
Sports Editor
Every aspiring athlete taking shots
in his driveway hopes to someday face
off with professionals.
Now, some H-F athletes will get that
chance as McLegends returns to H-F
Saturday.
The basketball game pits former and
current NFL football players against a
team of high school basketball all-stars.
The game, returning to H-F for the
second straight year, is a local product,
said Alan Macey, sports reporter for the
SouthtownStar Newspaper.
“The idea of the McLegends started
in 2002 when former Chicago Bulls
player Craig Hodges was sitting with
me in the Rich East High School
gymnasium and said, ‘The basketball
stars from the past could beat the
stars of today,’” Macey said. “So,
the challenge from the old guys was
accepted by the kids and away we went.
In the beginning, the kids have had their
way with the ‘old’ guys. But since we’ve
inserted the NFL players in the game, the
kids have had trouble, especially when it
comes to rebounding.”
Athletic director Joe Skowronski
said H-F is happy to host the game,
which was won by the professional
Legends team last year.
“We had a great event last year and
hope to have an even better event this
year. The Star Newspaper started the
event as a fund-raiser for a local charity,”
Skowronski said. “There are corporate
sponsors who donate money and
products to make this event happen.”
Sponsors McDonalds, Coca-Cola,
Aurelio’s, and Lansing Sport Shop help
pay for the event, he said.
Tom Baffes is the captain for the
Softball slams
after spring
break
See p.17
Coca-Cola Legends team. He graduated
from H-F in 1981.
“I wish I was on the same level as
these guys,” Baffes said. “I’m only
captain because I’m the only H-F alumni
on the team.”
The Legends starting line up is Tom
Baffes, Superintendent Von Mansfield,
(former Philadelphia Eagle), Napoleon
Harris (Minnesota Vikings), Dave Diehl
(New York Giants), and Antwaan Randle
El (Washington Redskins). Baffes said
playing with the professionals will be a
great experience.
“It’s a
t r e m e n d o u s honor to
be a part of a team with so many good
athletes,” Baffes said. “I’ve been
working out, jumping rope, and shooting
baskets in my driveway to prepare for
the game.”
The high school all-stars come from
many different schools. Senior Jeremy
Saffold has played against some in the
regular season, but says it will be like
playing with old friends.
“All the people that are playing in this
game I am cool with. So when I played
them in the regular season, we were
cool, and now it’s just an opportunity to
play with them and their talent instead,”
Saffold said.
Tennis
smashing
to victory
See p.18
Their starting line up consists of the
following: senior Michael Buchanan (H-
F), Aaron Nelson (Bloom Township),
Shaun Pratl (Richards), Jamal Gray
(Thorton), and senior Jeremy Saffold
(H-F).
Saffold said he cannot wait to play
in the game.
“I know that these are NFL players,
and it doesn’t bother me that I’m playing
against them,” Saffold said. “Sure they
are way stronger than me, but to me,
they are just another opponent to play
with them and their talent instead of
playing against them.”
This is the eighth time McLegends
will be played. Macey said these games
are important to many people.
“This game keeps happening
because our communities like it, and
so do the younger and older players.
The games are for bragging rights: a
bunch of 17-year-olds who think they’re
the greatest in basketball but then get
a reality check. I always tell the senior
high school all-stars that this is their first
college game, because of the physical
play,” Macey said.
“And we can’t forget that much of the
money goes to charity. The benefactors
are the Ronald McDonald House and
the SouthtownStar’s Project Share,
which feeds needy families during the
holidays,” he also added.
Superintendent Von Mansfield said
he wants a full house.
“I expect every student to be in the
crowd cheering me on. Every time the
students say my name, I’m going to take
a shot, even if I’m at the half court line,”
Mansfield said.
Tickets for this game are $5 and the
game is Saturday at noon. The Lady
McLegends game is Friday at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $4.
Retiring
Jerseys
during
McLegends
See p.19
Photo courtesy of the Southtown Star Newspaper