Volume 36 Issue 6 - Hoffman Estates High School

The
Hoffman Estates High School 1100 W. Higgins Rd. (847) 755-5600
Hawkeye View
March/April 2009 Volume 36 Issue 7
Hoffman wins at Amy Rudolph Tournament
Ariel Ropp
Senior Editor
There were plenty of
smiles on February 27, 2009 as
Hoffman Estates High School special
education students became
third-time champions at the annual
Amy Rudolph Basketball Tournament.
“The crowd was fantastic,”
said Ken Harris, Physical
Education Department and coach.
“The students were so excited.”
Amy Rudolph consists of
four games between four competing
high schools. This year, HEHS
students beat Palatine High School
with a definitive win in the championship
game.
The tournament, which
was hosted in the HEHS gymnasium,
brought together special
education athletes from Hoffman
Estates, Hersey, Palatine, and Kirk
High Schools. Mainstream students
from Hoffman also participated
with coaching, refereeing,
INSIDE
the Hawkeye View
the past three years, said this is a
solid figure compared to previous
years.
The success of the Amy
Rudolph Tournament would not be
possible without several months
of preparation prior to the event.
Hoffman’s integrated gym program,
Partners P.E., was imperative
to this success. Partners P.E.
classes began training for Amy
Rudolph in late December. Mainstream
students, or “Partners” as
they are known, acted as referees
and coaches during the months of
training.
In addition to coaching,
the Partners also made banners
and hosted a pasta dinner prior to
the tournament. On the night of
the tournament they helped the
athletes get ready for the games
and cheered them on from the
sidelines.
“This is like the highlight
of the year,” said Ally Reed (’09),
one of the Partners. “I love knowscorekeeping,
and decorating the
gym.
“It was a great experience,”
said Shreya Patel (’09), who
helped coach the event. “I loved
watching the students because
they had so much fun with it.”
In addition to providing a
unique setting for mainstream and
special education students to work
together, the tournament was also
successful in raising money for the
National Kidney Foundation. This
tradition began 27 years ago with
the first Amy Rudolph Tournament.
The tournament was named
for an HEHS special education student
who died in November 1982
of kidney failure.
Since then, all proceeds
from the event have gone directly
to the National Kidney Foundation.
Funds are raised through ticket
sales, T-shirt sales, and sponsorships.
“We raised over $3,000
for the foundation this year, which
is really exciting,” said Harris. Harris,
who has coached the event for
News
Continued on page 2
Construction continues to create new changes
The College and Career Resource Center is currently under construction. George Kazlusky, or “Kaz” as he is known around the
school by college-bound students, says he expects the CRC to be finished by May and much improved. Other parts of the school
are still under construction. The upstairs floor is still lacking carpeting and the sounds of construction can be heard throughout
the school day.
Photo by Eric Liu
For more feature stories or NEWS UPDATES,
check out our website at
www.hehs.d211.org/clubs/newspaper/
Arts
Kameko Heine (‘09), a Hawkette, cheers on her team. HEHS has won the
Amy Rudolph Tournament for the third year in a row.
Photo courtesy of Halcyon
Jhanvi Shah
Staff Reporter
The construction at
Hoffman Estates High School is
not only running smoothly, but
it is actually right on schedule.
Construction inside the school is
set to finish by the end of May.
“The biggest obstacle
has been getting the construction
done without disrupting
the students,” said Tom Newton,
assistant principal. “And
the hardest part is getting all
the students notified [when they
have to] clean out their lockers.”
While the final touches
inside the building will be done
in May, construction on Garber
Stadium will begin this summer.
The school field and track will
be redone as well. The original
track will be replaced with
an eight-lane track, and the
field will have a synthetic turf.
The fence around
the track will also be replaced
with one closer to the bleachers.
There no longer will be
extra space under the bleachers
throughout which students
can roam. The bleachers and
the fence will be closer together
due to the eight-lane track.
The construction on
Garber Stadium is set to finish
by the end of the summer, before
the new school year begins.
Unfortunately, this might affect
those in sports who use the track
and field during the summer.
Currently, the focus of con-
Sports
struction is on the new science
labs on the second floor.
What used to be three science
labs is now going to be five.
Other changes next year
include the English rooms. The
English rooms will be located on
the second floor, said Newton.
The disadvantage of having
the construction going is that
it is disruptive. Crowded hallways
have also been a disadvantage.
“It’s really hard to get
to classes with smaller hallways
that are already so crowded,”
said Diana Bartkowski (‘10).
There are also advantages
to having brand new science
labs and a better school.
“It’ll be great to have
more classes that can handle
more students,” said Christina
Oda (‘09). “Once it’s done, it’ll be
good, but right now it’s a pain.”
Although some people
may have complained about the
construction, most have responded
quite well to this situation.
“If you don’t have people
that are willing to work with
you, then getting this done is not
possible,” said Newton. “We have
a great staff that is flexible, who
have made it possible. And the students
have taken this in stride.”
The construction
workers work on Saturdays
and in the evenings. Everyone
has worked together to make
the construction happen, but
we are now winding down towards
the end, said Newton.
Backpage

2
Hawkeye View March/April 2009 News
Amy Rudolph continued
Continued from page 1
of the year,” said Ally Reed (’09),
one of the Partners. “I love knowing
that we helped make this whole
tournament happen. It’s really important
to the kids.”
Not only did the tournament
give basketball players a
chance to shine, but it also provided
an opportunity for the special
education cheerleading squad, the
Hawkettes, to perform a dance and
cheer on their peers.
“It was really fun,” said
Ashley Jones (’10) about her experience
as a Hawkette.
The HEHS band, flag
Junior career shadowing
Afsara Zaheed
Staff Editor
How often do students
get to shadow a person in a career
the student is interested in? In the
Junior Career Shadowing program
at Hoffman Estates High School,
juniors got the opportunity to do
just that.
On March 17th, approximately
75 juniors went out on
career shadows to a job of their
choice and gained job experience
firsthand.
“Career shadows also
teach students responsibility and
gives them a chance to grow up,”
said Helen Henderson, career advisor.
The program has been at
HEHS for seven years now. Career
shadowing gives individual businesses
an opportunity to work with
students out of a group setting.
This gives the students more opportunities
to really find out what
the job is really like. It is different
from a regular career trek because
of its size- a career shadow is usually
a two-on-one experience.
There are many benefits
of a career shadow. Students get
to experience the profession firsthand.
Whether it be riding in a police
car or teaching a class for six
hours, students get to experience a
job firsthand and learn many things
squad, cheerleading squad, and
poms team also performed at the
tournament, providing entertainment
in between games.
“There was so much energy
at the tournament. And best
of all, it was all for a good cause,”
said Patel.
The National Kidney
Foundation is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to the prevention of
kidney and urinary tract diseases.
Each year, the foundation conducts
public and professional education
and supports kidney research for
new treatments. To receive more
information or make a donation, go
to the National Kidney Foundation
website.
that they wouldn’t have known otherwise.
Pinkesh Shah (’10) participated
in this year’s Career Shadow
Day. “I had the opportunity to
shadow my own dentist, and I got
to see an extraction,” said Shah.
He believes it was well worth his
time because he learned many
things that he hadn’t known before.
“It made me rethink this
career,” he said. “It made me confirm
that this is what I wanted to
do. We also talked about getting
into dental school and what programs
and majors to look for; it
was a great experience.”
Students are required to
arrange their own transportation
to and from the shadow and are
expected to be very professional.
“It’s a great way for the
community businesses to give back
to the students and they rarely say
no,” Henderson said.
For a great program like
this, there aren’t really any negatives.
“The negative is that more
students don’t take up this great
opportunity. Only 75 students out
of the entire junior class participated,”
said Henderson.
For those who missed
out on Junior Career Shadow Day
this year, there are still many career
treks offered till the end of the
school year.
Sending off cellphones
Sayali Sakhardande
Staff Editor
As cell phone use continues
to be the school’s number
one disciplinary problem, a new
policy has been introduced to
Hoffman Estates High school: the
use of the cell phone envelope.
“The envelopes are basically
to help the teachers,” said Jacquese
Gilbert, assistant principal
and head of the discipline committee.
“It lets them document when
and why the phone was taken, the
condition of the phone and so on.”
This contraption is precisely
what the name suggests;
it is a regular white 4 x 9 _- inch
envelope. The front of the envelope
provides spaces for teachers
to record vital information such as
the student’s name and I.D number
and the time and date during
which the device was confiscated.
There is also a special
line for the student’s signature. Of
course, if the student should refuse
to sign there is yet another line on
which the teacher can write his
or her initials. Along with student
info, the envelope provides space
to write down “specifics” about
the phone being taken- the cell
phone’s model, and its condition
which can only be “good” or “poor”.
Yes, teachers have been
using these paper carriers, but has
the policy really helped the situation?
Students still continue
to text and update their facebook
statuses in class, and teachers continue
to confiscate the students’
phones. Only now, instead of just
taking a student’s phone away
and sending it straight to the office,
a teacher can be assured that
the phone is sent to the office in
a protective envelope that details
the specifics of the situation.
“It’s a waste of resources,
money and time,” said
Katie Simmons (’09). “Why
can’t the teachers just walk
the phones down themselves?”
The envelopes are meant
to make both the student and teacher
feel more secure. Only time will
tell how effective this policy will be.
SAVE club saves the world
Eric Liu
Staff Editor
With all the recent talk
about the environment, S.A.V.E.
Club has been trying to promote
the idea of “going green”
throughout the student body.
“Our goal for this year is
to increase environmental awareness
both in our school and the
community. This is why we have
been involved in community events
such as cleaning Kessel Park and
volunteering at Spring Valley Nature
Center,” said Jill Youngblood,
club sponsor and science teacher.
For the past few weeks
S.A.V.E. members have been passing
out buttons to students and staff
in order to get the message out.
“We thought that the buttons
would be a fun way to promote
school spirit and awareness of global
warming and also give students
a chance to decorate their lanyards
that they often express their dislike
for,” said Bill Anderson (’10).
S.A.V.E.’s main goal this
year is to increase awareness about
Breakin’ out the breakdancers
Jaime Notzen
Staff Reporter
The Breakdancing Club
is making its debut this year at
Hoffman Estates High School.
“What if, instead of violence,
all of the world’s problems
could be solved through breakdancing?”
asks Jasmin Chung,
club sponsor and English teacher.
This year breakdancing
gets its chance to shine at HEHS.
A devoted group of
breakers have been trying to get
this club started for several years.
Brian Manadero (‘09) and Edrian
Fernandez (‘10) finally took a
stand. They organized a petition,
recruited over 200 signatures, and
got themselves a sponsor, Jasmin
Chung.
“Break club is a group
of people who just come to dance
together. We’re all just there to
enjoy ourselves, said Fernandez.
“It’s our own form of expressing
Some of the breakdancers show off their flashy moves at the Variety Show this past fall.
They helped make the show a huge success with their original steps.
ourselves and we all work really
hard. We want to keep it fresh.”
The club does not compete
against other schools, according
to Chung. The club is not competitive.
However, groups within
the club do participate in various
shows here at HEHS, such as the
Dance Show. They hope to be incorporated
into other shows in the
future.
“The whole culture of hip
hop and breaking is just so that
they can get together and dance.
We are a very open club,” said
Chung. “All of our members are
very openhearted, patient, and
kind. They are all just there to
dance and share techniques with
each other. It’s awesome.”
Members of the club
bring in their own music, varying
from hip hop and disco-esc to
urban trip hop music. And B-boys
aren’t the only ones who can dance
in this club.
“We have a handful of
B-girls, but we could always use
the environment throughout the
school and community. Throughout
the years, S.A.V.E. club has volunteered
in the community by getting
involved at the Sugar Bush Festival
at the Spring Valley Nature Center
and cleaning up at Kessel Park.
Participating in the
Sugar Bush Festival is a fun
way for club members to interact
with a variety of people.
“I had an amazing experience
helping out at the event and
knowing that what I did was for
something good,” said Anja (???).
S.A.V.E. has also been
promoting the idea that everyone
can do things at home to help the
earth. Since the beginning of the
school year, S.A.V.E has posted tips
throughout the hallways that students
and staff can do to help the
environment. One of the tips was
participating in Earth Hour, which
was held on Saturday, March 28.
“I participated in earth
hour because I think it was a good
way to help the earth; it was a fun expierince,”
said Diana Martinez (‘12).
Earth Hour was the
first global event of its kind. Anytime
someone switched his or
her lights off during Earth Hour,
it became a “vote” for Earth.
Those who left their lights on
“voted” for global warming.
The point of Earth Hour
was to try and reach 1 billion votes.
The results were then presented to
world leaders at the Global Climate
Change Conference; these results
determine whether or not any action
will be taken against global
warming. Not only did students
and staff at Hoffman participate
during Earth Hour, but people
from all over the world did the
same as well. From the Golden
Gate Bridge in San Francisco to
the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, everywhere
was shrouded in darkness.
“I thought it was cool
that the whole world participated
in Earth Hour on Saturday. It
demonstrates that people really
do care about this world and its
limited resources,” said Amanda
Woszczak, science teacher.
Although there are
many opinions on the environment,
everyone can do their
part to make their voices heard.
Photo by Samantha Kubota
more,” said Chung.
Leaders of the group include
Manadero, Fernandez, and
Joshua Parado (‘12), the club’s
“Official Junior Officer.” They are
extremely patient and try to help
he more shy members break out
of their shell.
“My favorite part of the
Breaking Club is having the alumni
come back to Hoffman. They have
a lot more experience and can be a
lot of help,” said Parado.
Parado and his friends
could describe their lifestyle as
“Break, sleep, eat.” Not only do
they practice at school, but they
break dance outside of school on
their own on a regular basis.
The club is always open
to new members, even students
without experience. They try to
meet twice a month, but they are
looking into practicing on Tuesdays.
All students who are interested
in joining should pick up a
permission form before they attend
the next meeting.

News
Hawkeye View March/April 2009 3
The props in the Little Shop of Horrors add realism to the play Ṗhoto by Sam Kubota
Every year Hoffman Estates
High School and Schaumburg
High School produce some
of best basketball teams in the
Northwest Suburbs. And every
year there is a Bronze Boarder
Ball Trophy to win.
“I am always excited every
year to play Schaumburg. I
always look at our schedule to see
when we play them. Our players
always play their absolute hardest
when we versus them,” said Bill
Wandro, varsity coach.
When both teams meet,
it’s always an exciting game to
watch. Unfortunately there could
only be one winner. To recognize
this winner, a group of friends created
the Bronze Border Ball Trophy
tradition which was given to
the winner, Schaumburg. The trophy
is engraved with the name of
the winning school.
“Well, Andrew Danforth,
Patrick Danforth, Zack Downey,
John Quaglia (Schaumburg Senior),
Taylor Hartsough, Jon Scannicchio,
and I thought of the idea
while looking at other schools traditions,”
said Patrick Kelly (’09).
Yet another group of
friends came up with another tradition.
At Schaumburg, many of the
fans wear shirts with the Superman
symbol on it. So Joe Gordon,
Stevin Hoeck, and Mike Mertel
thought it would be cool if the Blue
Crew section all had shirts with a
kryptonite symbol on it.
“I made several designs
on www.customink.com and then
talked to Mr. Lindeen [social studies
department chair and student
council sponsor] about it and we
were able to order them through
the same company that makes the
Blue Crew shirts,” said Mike Mertel
(’10). “We ordered 200, made a
Facebook group, and made flyers
around school about it. They ended
up selling out quickly so it was a
success.”
These students were hoping
to raise school spirit and bring
along more fans than ever to the
game. Some might see some irony
in this, Hoffman and Schaumburg
students working together to create
a trophy which resurrects the
rivalry.
What really keeps a rivalry
alive? Pride, respect, honor? Do
we know exactly how the Schaumburg-Hoffman
rivalry started? The
schools are separated by merely
two miles. Yet, both schools and
their students have differences in
Startin’ up the new spring play
Cierra Gould
Staff Reporter
As spring rolls around,
the Hoffman Estates High School
thespians are preparing for their
upcoming performance of “The
Little Shop of Horrors.” This will
be the first time that HEHS has
produced two musicals in one
year.
“It is mainly about a pact
with the devil,” said Christina Ordonez,
English Department, who
is one of the show’s directors.
The plot involves a young
man, Seymour, who is secretly in
love with his co-worker, Audrey.
Battle for the Bronze Border Ball
Steven Chin
Staff Reporter
opinions, who they cheer for, and
the colors they wear.
“I see it as good healthy
competition between schools, but
you are friends with many of them.
Things like the bronze border ball
trophy or kryptonite shirts were
bound to happen soon or another,”
said Patrick Danforth (09’).
Most of us went to the
same junior high schools, but geographical
borders separated us.
After tip-off, friends became enemies
and nothing from the past
matter. Each player fought his or
her hardest to claim that honor
which resided in the victor. For
years, both teams have been doing
two-a-days and hitting the weights,
just to keep the slightest edge over
the other. Every parent, fan, and
player knows the true essence of
the game; there is simply more
than what meets the eye.
The trophy was symbolic
for each team, as one overcame
struggle and the other faced the
agony of defeat. Each team felt
the passion and will of the fans that
were and always behind them the
entire way. There were die-hard
fans supporting each team and
Schaumburg may have won, but,
in the end, both teams seemed like
winners.
The story follows Seymour as he
is manipulated to kill people in order
to win Audrey’s heart.
Mikey Saubert (‘09) will
be playing the lead role of Seymour,
and Meghan Redding (’09)
will be portraying Audrey.
“This particular play was
chosen because we wanted to try
a smaller musical,” said Ordonez.
“The students wanted to take
ownership and the whole production
is very student driven.”
Rehearsals have been in
progress since the week before
spring break. The cast will have
six weeks of rehearsal before the
show is presented.
In the last four years,
Hoffman Estates High School softball
head coach Lindsey Hamma
has gained a lot of experience. That
experience might be just what the
team needs to reach its goals.
“We’ve done well in the
past, but we haven’t been satisfied
with our record. Hoffman is in a
tough conference, but the team
tries to get better all the time,” said
Hamma.
The team has set many
goals, both individually and as a
group. One thing the team has
shown is that it is not going to set
its goals low. “Regional Champions”
is the title they hope to earn
at the end of this season. To help
achieve this goal, the team is going
back to the basics.
“We need to work on
playing error-free defense. We
just want to execute the little stuff,”
said Hamma. The team also wants
to work on getting the runners in,
because they left many runners
stranded on base last year.
According to Hamma,
“the whole team is on the same
page, and we’re all looking forward
to success.”
Many of the students have already
participated in a production of
this musical while in junior high,
and they’ve all been working very
hard.
“The show is very high
energy,” said Angela Wnek (’09).
“The set pieces are very cool, and
everyone should come to see it.”
The shows will be on
Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m., Friday,
May 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday,
May 2nd at 7: 30 p.m. in the
Auditorium.
Tickets will be $10. There
will also be an afternoon show on
Saturday, May 2 at 1 p.m., where
tickets will be sold for $8.
Girls’ softball is on a roll
Avni Bavishi
Staff Reporter
With four seniors, two
juniors, five sophomores, and one
freshmen, the team definitely has
the personnel list to perform well.
The seniors include Kaitlyn Kliver,
Colleen Roberts, Kaitlin Walsh, and
Alex Wulbecker. This solid leadership
should help lead to success.
A standard softball season
has 35 games, and Hoffman’s
softball team aims to have at least
a .500 record. However, they do not
want to stop there – in the last four
years, the team has not had 20-win
seasons. “Twenty wins is a very
solid season,” said Hamma. That is
what the team is aiming for.
Games are set up with
seven innings, and most of the rules
are similar to baseball. Two major
differences, however, are in pitching
and base running. The pitcher
must throw the ball underhand in
softball, and both hands must be on
the ball to start the pitch. Also, the
runner cannot lead off on the base,
or steal.
“I think we’re a good
team, but we won’t know for sure
until we play [more games],” said
Taylor Mann (’11). “We have a
chance to be really good this year.”
“We’re ready to pull everything together,”
added Hamma. The team
is currently 1-2.
Boys’ Waterpolo work to wash away competition
The boys water polo team takes on their competition in a fierce battle for the ball. The team has consistently worked to do
their best. They share the pool with the girls water polo team which reduces their practice time compared to swim season.
Photo by Sayali Sakhardande
Alex Oda
Staff Editor
With the start of a new
competitive season for sports, the
boys’ water polo team has been
making a remarkable attempt
at restructuring their group
and building a brand new base.
After an amazing season
last year, the team has had
to deal with the challenge of
rebuilding and training new
players to replace graduated seniors;
nonetheless, the Hawks
are stepping up to the test.
The varsity squad, led
by Coach Chris Fetterman, has
been hit hardest this year with
its gap of veteran players; however,
powerful contributions
have been made by Alex Jessie
(’09), Brian Brajczewski (‘09),
Josh VanHee (’09), Paul Organ
(’10), and Tim Prusnick (‘09).
Despite the odds
against the Hawks, nothing will
stop them from achieving their
season goals of rebuilding and
getting straight to the fundamentals.
“We’re small in numbers, but
great in spirit,” says Paul Organ.
The junior varsity squad,
led by Mr. Fidler, has also experienced
a change of pace this
season. With a near recordbreaking
amount of athletes
joining the lineup, the team has
a lot of material to work with;
die-hard swimmers are also joining
water polo in order to keep
in shape during the off-season.
By focusing on the
fundamentals and base building,
the hawks have a lot
of potential to work with.
By balancing their love of the
game and structural training, it
is without a doubt that we can
expect great things from the
hawks in the near future. The
coaches see some great potential
in the junior varsity team,
while the varsity team is fired up
and ready to continue through
a strong and focused season.
Don’t forget, it’s not
too late to join the boys’ water
polo team; if you have any questions,
contact the head coaches
Mr. Fetterman and Mr. Fidler.

4 The Arts
Opinion
5
Hawkeye View March/April 2009 Hawkeye View March/April 2009
Go, grease lightning
Maitri Majithia
Staf f Repor ter
If you see poodle
skir ts, leather jackets, high
tops and saddle shoes, one of
the first things that comes to
mind is the popular fifties musical,
Grease.
That’s right, this year
Hof fman’s theatre went back
in time and transformed the
stage to a scene straight from
the fifties, complete with
cheerleaders, T-Birds, Pink
Ladies, and the rest of the students
at R ydell High School.
In contrast from last
year’s musical, Evita, this
year’s show was much lighter
and comedic. It also attracted
a variety of students to audition
and bring their talents to
the stage.
“It’s such a relatable
musical, all about the variety
of people in high school and
just being yourself, and I love
how ever yone can connect
with it,” said Meghan Redding
(’09), who played the par t of
Sandy Dumbrowski.
“I absolutely love this
‘Slumdog’ wins award for Best Picture
Amita Prabhu
Staf f Editor
The 81st Academy
Awards, held on Febr uar y
22, ended up being a night
for the dogs, with Danny
Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire
coming out on top receiving
eight awards including Best
Picture and Best Director.
Keeping in mind that these
results are just based of f of
the Academy’s decision, what
did Hof fman Estates High
School think of this moder n
day rags to riches film? Did
the Academy get it right?
“I absolutely loved Slumdog
Millionaire,” said Ric Lindeen,
Social Studies Depar t-
ment. “It showed a great deal
show,” said Kathy Wandro,
English Depar tment. As head
director, it was Wandro’s duty
to put together the musical
and bring the script to life.
The directors began working
on the script last summer,
tr ying to make this musical
the best it could be.
“Ever y time I do a
show, my favorite par t is how
we all put it together, from
the beginning to end, and it
makes all the hard work pay
of f,” said Wandro.
To create this musical,
it took a whole lot of people.
Along with Wandro, there
were other directors who specialized
in various areas and
helped to per fect the musical.
Laura Mallon, World Language
Depar tment, was the
show’s choreographer. Dancing
is a big par t of Grease as
well as all other musicals, and
she worked hard to make it
seem as though they were really
back in time with the fifties
dance moves. Songs like
“Summer Nights” wouldn’t be
the same without the choreography.
“One thing I loved most
about Grease was the dancing.
It was coordinated and it
made it look like a lot of fun,”
commented Shr utva Parikh
(’11), who attended one of the
per formances.
Kim R yon, Social Studies
Depar tment, Dung Pham,
Music Depar tment, Jason Stevens,
English Depar tment,
Juan Medina, Ar t Depar t-
ment, and Matt Schlesinger,
Music Depar tment were all
assistant directors for Grease.
They produced the show, led
the orchestra pit, designed
the amazing scener y and sets,
and trained the actors and actresses
to sing like stars, respectively.
Ter ri Busch, principal,
even joined in the fun,
choreographing two dances
for the show, “High School
Hop” and “The Hand Jive.”
The directors, cast, and
crew worked tirelessly to
make this musical one that
will always be remembered. It
was a great hit and, all around
the school, the musical was
something ever yone talked
of realism and had a message
that there is always hope.”
Lindeen felt the movie
was well deser ving of its
awards as it had an excellent
script as well as enduring
characters por trayed by
ver y talented actors. The
realism of the movie made
it ver y touching as opposed
to another top film of 2008,
The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button, which he found to be
too technical.
Slumdog Millionaire is
the stor y of a young boy who
is raised in a slum yet ends
up on the show “Who Wants
to be a Millionaire.” He has
no formal education, but he is
able to answer ever y question
using knowledge he gained
throughout his vibrant childhood.
The plot is formed around
the concept of destiny, and its
practical approach made the
film ver y popular.
“I liked the way the
romance was inter twined in
the stor y. It made the film appealing
to a wider audience”
said Vicki Shah (’11). “It was
not only an accurate way to
depict the slums in India but
there was also a lot to lear n
from the movie”
The film does have
some intense scenes, which
explains its R rating for violence
and disturbing images.
In India, there was some controversy
over these scenes
as the residents of the slums
felt their homes were not being
accurately depicted.
Cast members of Grease dance to ‘We Go Together’ during a per formance
of the popular show this past March.
Photo by Marshall Macri
However, the HEHS
reaction was overall ver y
positive. Many students were
able to interpret the main
message of the stor y.
“It was a ver y touching
stor y. I liked the movie because
it succeeded in showing
the evil side of society which
many movies fail to por tray,”
said Kulsum Ishrati (’10).
Ishrati also noted that
the film was based on a book
and she felt the movie was a
successful interpretation of
the book, a feat she finds to
be ver y rare. “The cast and
crew deser ved ever y award
they won,” she said.
If the thrilling plot
and por trayal of characters
weren’t enough to create interest
in the film, the original
about. In fact, the show was
sold out almost ever y single
night, an impressive feat for a
high school production.
The students and directors
began working on the
musical in December. There
were per formances held on
March 6 and 7 and March 12-
14.
score by A.R. Rahman was another
feature that drew a new
audience.
“I heard the music from
the movie first and really
liked it. That made me more
interested to see the film”
said Luke Lewicki (’11).
Other notable movies
from the night included Milk,
for which Sean Penn won the
Best Actor award, and The
Reader, for which Kate Winslet
won the Best Actress
award.
“Kate Winslet was well
deser ving of her award,” said
Lindeen. “She had a tough
role but ended up doing a
great job. Par ts of this movie
were dif ficult to watch but
the plot had an interesting
twist.”
HEHS band receives top scores at IHSA
Will Creedon
Senior Editor
It was a cold, rainy
morning and high school
students from all corners of
the Nor thwest Suburbs were
already beginning to make
their way to Lake Zurich High
School. They did not have
their track spikes or their tennis
racquets; these students
were bringing their tr umpets,
violins, and flutes. These students
were young musicians.
The day was March
7, and these musicians, some
having prepared for months,
were ready to per form solos,
duets, trios, and small ensembles;
the IHSA State Solo
and Ensemble Contest had
ar rived. The students performed
their musical pieces
in front of experienced judges
who rate each per formance
using established criteria.
Many students enjoy
the freedom to make the most
of their individual musical talent.
“Solo and Ensemble Contest
is a chance for music students
to express themselves,”
said Apur va Bhatt (‘09). “In
my four years I’ve never had
a better oppor tunity to do so
with my instr uments—playing
the recorder and clarinet
has been an awesome experience.”
Two Hof fman per formances
received third place
or “good” scores, 28 per formances
received second place
or “excellent” scores, and an
outstanding 32 per formances
received first place or “superior”
ratings.
Overall Hof fman was
well represented with a total
of sixty-two individual and
group per formances. Eightyeight
students from the band
and orchestra made the valiant
ef for t to prepare and perform
in the state contest.
“It’s fun to do something different
and focus on your individual
instr ument and performance
and not the entire
band,” said Elijah Johnson
(’09), a percussionist. “This
year went ver y smoothly for
percussion.”
These young musicians
are judged on categories such
as tone quality, rhythm, balance/blend,
and technique,
as well as appropriate appearance
–musicians had on their
formal, professional apparel
to complement their clean,
distinguished per formances.
The day may have its tension
as students tr y to get ever
ything to sound just right,
but it is also a fun experience
to share with friends. Dave
Kr yzpicki (’10) said the contest
is “a special day in which
we have the ability to display
our individual talent, as well
as per forming with friends.”
The pressure of per formance
“is not that stressful,”
and “it’s mostly fun preparing
for contest,” said Elise Hwang
(’10). Elise is a flutist and is
already looking for ward to
next year.
Band Director Bob Erickson
also shared the students’
enthusiasm and satisfaction as
he was “ver y pleased with the
way ever yone per formed and
it is cer tainly a credit to the
students who are so involved
in so many dif ferent activities
that they are able to per form
so well.”
For fur ther listening,
keep an eye, and an ear, out
for the Choral Classics concer
t showcasing Hof fman’s
Chor us at Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church on April 16;
Hof fman Estates’ 50th anniversar
y parade, led by Hof f-
man’s marching band, on the
morning of April 18; the Symphonic
Winds Spring Band
concer t May 5; the Jazz Band
concer t May 14; the Choral
Showcase May 21; and the Orchestra
concer t May 27.
Prom nomination process needs revision
Alex Oda
Staf f Editor
I’m excited to say that
this year’s prom cour t seems
to represent the school’s diverse
student body extremely
well- oh wait, didn’t you know?
Apparently, this year’s prom
cour t nominees have already
been chosen! By whom you
ask? The ten to fifteen members
in junior and senior class
club of course!
That’s right, you
heard cor rectly. Prom cour t
nominees have already been
chosen by our class club representatives.
If you didn’t hear
about the nomination process,
it’s obviously your fault,
right? Isn’t it your fault that
you didn’t hear the one announcement
about class club
voting? Isn’t it your fault that
you didn’t question why there
wasn’t a single poster in the
halls publicizing the event?
And isn’t it your fault that you
didn’t know this process has
been used ever y single year?
Sarcasm aside, this
is a problem that most people
are not aware of. In fact
if it weren’t for select friends
and insiders, I wouldn’t have
known about this until prom.
Ever y year since the class
clubs have been formed, students
in the clubs have voted
on prom cour t nominees.
The clubs eventually allowed
the addition of students going
to the class club meetings
on “election day” in order
to nominate nominees.
Many of you may be thinking
that this is a fair and legitimate
process, right?
Wrong. First of all,
how could students come to
the election meeting when
the event is hor ribly adver
tised? The mor ning announcements
barely mentioned
any news sur rounding
election day for the prom
cour t. To those of you who
may say, “Well they made
the announcement, so it’s
your fault for not listening,”
I can honestly tell you to cut
the crap; some students miss
first block because of seminar-based
late star ts, while
others are unable to hear
the announcements over the
roar of their immature peers
(shame on the students and
teachers).
The lack of flyers and
posters around the school is
also pathetic; if class club
wanted to honestly make
an ef for t to keep voting fair
and unbiased, they could
have created posters to be
approved by the activity director.
Secondly, the excuse
that this process has been
used for years is invalid.
Even though seniors and
juniors of years past have
gone through the same process,
it doesn’t necessarily
make it excusable; low class
club par ticipation and single-minded
voters guarantee
that the process can be biased.
This leads me to my
third point- rigged voting.
As much as many would like
to deny it, rigged voting is
an unavoidable consequence
Freedom of speech stretched?
Will Creedon
Senior Editor
Nobel Prize winning
author Alber t Camus wrote, “A
free press can be good or bad,
but, most cer tainly, without
freedom a press will never be
anything but bad.”
Many of us remember
when, two years ago, a Danish
newspaper published a car toon
depicting the Muslim prophet
Mohammed with a bomb in
his turban. Muslims were outraged,
and they surely weren’t
alone as the stor y circled the
globe and the media had a field
day disseminating the impassioned
comments of of fended
Muslims or those arguing publishing
freedoms.
More recently, this
past July saw the controversial
New Yorker car toon of Barack
Obama in Muslim attire with
Michelle Obama in a commando
suit with a Kalashnikov rifle
and the American flag smoldering
in the fireplace.
Already this year, on
Febr uar y 20th, the New York
Post published the car toon
that made national news by, according
to some, depicting the
president as a shot-dead chimpanzee.
So what is going on?
Car toonists, of course,
are protected by the liber ty of
free speech. They were in Denmark,
and they cer tainly are in
the U.S., where that freedom is
guaranteed in the First Amendment
of our Constitution. As
we have seen, some recent cartoonists
have fully exercised
that liber ty.
There are limits, however,
to this freedom in the
U.S. and other countries. The
Supreme Cour t, where the
gravest cases of possible First
Amendment violation are tried,
“
uses several tests. In the Danish
case, it might apply the
clear-and-present danger test
to determine if the speech
creates an imminent danger
of inciting an unlawful act. In
Denmark, the questionable
car toon did, in fact, lead to
violent threats from ter rorist-like
Muslims.
What the Danish
newspaper did when threatened
was even more newswor
thy. It republished the
car toon as an act of defiance
and an asser tion of their right
to free speech. Muslim leaders
disagreed with the tactic,
Media has the
attitude that they
can publish whatever
they want,
however they want
calling it “divisive” and unsuppor
tive of ef for ts to live
in peaceful coexistence.
It appears, then, that
newspapers and other media
have taken the attitude they
can publish whatever they
want however they want to.
This is the wrong
attitude—there does need
to be close scr utiny of the
freedom of speech and punishment
may result in some
cases. In one sur vey, one in
ten people believed Obama
was a Muslim. Clearly, the
creative car toons of the New
Yorker perpetuated a false
understanding—Obama is indeed
a Christian.
Fur thermore, racism,
whether intended or
not, can be interpreted from
these car toons and they can
send inappropriate messag-
”
es. With regard to the most
recent red-flag car toon, author
Andrew Rojecki wrote,
“The cops are saying, ‘someone’s
going to have to write
the next stimulus bill.’ Well,
who wrote the last stimulus
bill? It’s Obama and the
Democratic Par ty, but really
it’s associated with one person
- and that’s Obama.”
Following up, Al
Sharpton commented the cartoon
reminded him of “historic
Black attacks…which
depicted African American
as monkeys.”
Now the civil rights of citizens,
in this case African
Americans and Muslims, are
being stepped on.
The problem of continuing
to guarantee the
press freedom while ensuring
that false assumptions
or racist implications are not
published is a delicate problem.
For tunately, this
problem is in par t solved by
the fact that the news media
is a business that must satisfy
its readers and viewers.
Public distr ust of the media
has steadily grown since
1985 and due to the high degree
of competition between
news sources today, the
sources must appear fair and
reliable, not biased and inaccurate.
Returning to Camus’s
wisdom, we must protect the
privilege of an open society
and many of us would agree
that without such press freedom,
we risk the loss of liber
ty and the foundation of
cultural-political and intellectual
growth. We must also
accept that from time to time
inappropriate and of fensive
statements will be made.
of the cur rent nomination
system. Now I am not saying
that our noble class club representatives
would ever tr y
to sway nominations in their
favor, but the likelihood of
this happening is extremely
high. Besides, friends vote
for friends, and groups of
friends become nominated
as a result; it’s only natural.
Incidentally, the cur rent
nomination process is full of
ridiculous flaws.
What’s the solution
to this chaotic system? It’s
simple: change the voting
process to the way students
vote during homecoming.
Clubs should nominate students
for prom cour t, but
only if you haven’t been nominated
for homecoming; this
way, a diverse group of students
would be represented,
the school would see a new
group of nominees, and voting
would be fairer in each
club. Fur thermore, you have
to be a junior or senior to
vote in your respective clubs
(sor r y underclassmen, you’ll
have to wait like the rest of
us). Don’t like that solution?
Fine, here’s an even simpler
way to get fairer results: AD-
VER TISE! This means making
more than one announcement;
class club should
create flyers, make posters,
and notify the student body.
In shor t, the solutions are
painfully obvious. Either student
reform or mass notification
will prove to ef fectively
guarantee an unbiased prom
cour t.
Some students care
about prom cour t nominations,
and others don’t. To
those who care and have
hopes of being nominated,
you deser ve a chance. It
doesn’t matter which side of
the fence you’re on; what’s
impor tant is that the underrepresented
should deser ve
a chance to be noted for
their accomplishments in
school. And besides, to those
of you who are a little cocky
about being nominated, you
shouldn’t have to wor r y about
a little competition, right?
Lend a helping hand
Amr uta Bhatt
Staf f Repor ter
A student r ushes down
the stairs holding a lot of
belongings. He trips on his
shoelace and is plunged face
for ward with all of his books,
letters of recommendations,
and papers scattered across
the ground. Some students
point and laugh, while others
just stare. But one studentappalled
by other students’
reactions- bends down and
helps the student pick up his
belongings.
It seems that teenagers
are so caught up in their
own problems and are so
self-centered that they forget
what an impact they can have
on other individuals. If a student
sees something wrong,
the student will most likely
hesitate to do anything about
the situation, wor ried about
other people’s opinion. A
Hof fman Estates High School
student who wished to be remained
anonymous stated, “I
absolutely feel that majority
of HEHS students are selfcentered,
but it’s not their
fault. The society that we live
in definitely encourages and
expects this self-centeredness
from all high schools
students. We care too much
about our so-called image and
reputation.”
Margaret Mead once
said. “Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the
world; indeed, it‘s the only
thing that ever has.” Teenagers
often forget what an influence
they can have on others.
Sure, all teenagers have
their own share of problems.
Just because a teen is going
through a lot of problems
at home doesn’t give them
a right to degrade others. I
once had a conversation with
another student. She stated
that she “had an excuse” to
behave the way she was behaving
because she never really
got to see her dad. She
would constantly have a pessimistic
attitude, and she had
the power to negatively influence
others around her. She
treated her situation at home
as an excuse.
Another situation that
comes up is students or individuals
standing up for what
they believe is right. A great
example of an individual who
stood up for what was right
was my English teacher, Mr.
Macnider.
I recently recall a stor
y Mr. Macnider had told to
our class. It involved teenagers
vandalizing a public speed
limit sign. He witnessed
countless others who just
drove by, without even stopping
to confront the teenagers.
Now Mr. Macnider didn’t
know whether or not the teenagers
had any sor t of threatening
weapon, but he stood
up for what he believed was
the right thing to do.
Our society needs
more people like this, people
that will not be ashamed or
frightened by standing up for
their beliefs.
So the next time you
see a degraded individual, an
angered student, or a shy individual,
smile and introduce
yourself. Sit by someone new
in the cafeteria. Reach out to
others who need your help.
Stand up for what you believe
is right.
In the end, you’ll find
that your actions, attitude,
and character are what really
can change society.

6 Sports
Hawkeye View March/April 2009
Water Polo girls are fierce competitors
Meran Liu
Staff Reporter
The HEHS girls’ water
polo team is off to a great start. The
team beat Schaumburg and Palatine
in some of their first games of
the season.
After this first taste of
success, the girls are eager to meet
the rest of the challenges that lie
ahead.
“We’re hoping to pick up
where we left off last year,” said
varsity coach, Carrie Koch, Math
Department. “We had a lot of success
late in the season, including a
big win over Schaumburg at sectionals.”
These victories do not
come easy—the team has spend a
lot of time training, which is a requirement
to effectively play water
polo. Daily practices involve conditioning,
which means swimming
anywhere from 600 to 1000 yards
in just a half hour.
The team spends a lot of
time practicing its passing skills,
which is accomplished with only
one hand on the ball at all times.
Boys’ Baseball working hard for success
Jacob Rice
Staff Reporter
Boys’ Baseball at Hoffman
Estates High School has
pitched itself into another season,
and they are off to an excellent
start. With players improving
every day and working strong
together as a team, Head Coach
Todd Meador has high expectations
to compete in Conference.
The boys’ baseball team has been
working rigorously during practice
to go into each game with a
strong chance of winning.
“Practice usually lasts
for two hours on a regular day. We
start out with throwing then some
situational rundowns, including
batting and bunts,” said Meador.
Both Meador and Assistant
Coach Tim Heyse said that
they are anticipating the game,
and hopefully a win against Schaumburg
High School and Conant
Afterward, they break into JV and
varsity to practice different techniques
and strategies. The JV team
learns positions and basic plays,
while the varsity team focuses on
more advanced tactics, such as
driving in after the ball instead of
sitting in the water and waiting for
the ball to come to the players’ positions.
“It’s a really intense
sport,” said Sayali Sakhardande
(’10). “You’re trying to stay on top
of the water and not drown while
scoring against the other team at
the same time.”
According to Koch, water
polo is more difficult to play than a
lot of people think, so team members
have to be willing to work
hard. They also need to be committed,
because “it’s a team sport, and
they don’t play well unless they
work together and play as a team,”
she said.
Water polo is a mix of soccer,
basketball, and hockey in the
pool. The ability to swim well is a
necessity if one is going to excel
at the sport, so players can move
quickly and efficiently in the playing
area. There are seven players
High School. “The team tends to
be a little more fired up because
they are our rivals and the athletes
all usually know each other,”
said Heyse.
“Naperville Central won
state two years ago, and I like
playing them because then our
team can kind of get an idea of
how good we are,” Meador adds.
Besides games that
should be the ones to watch and
look out for, Meador said there
are some great athletes that are
the ones to watch including Mike
Kivaranta (‘10) and Mike Eisele
(’09.)
Not only Hoffman Estates,
but also other surrounding
towns have been affected by the
cold rainy weather. Meador says,
“I just wish I he had more control
of the weather. The first two
weeks, players had been inside
practicing. They usually spend
most of their time passing and
setting up hitting cages when the
in the pool at a time: the goalie, the
hole, the point, two wings, and two
drivers.
The hole is generally the
best player on the team. She leads
the offense, directing the attack
toward the goal. The point defends
the hole because the hole is usually
closest to the goal and sometimes
gets double-teamed. The wings
and drivers are perimeter players
who may help with both defense
and offense. A team’s goalie is the
main defense, and she should be
able to jump out of the water with
little more than the core and legs
in order to block the ball.
The most experienced
players on the HEHS girls’ water
polo team are the hard-working and
dedicated seniors. Among these
talented players are Bailey Jayko,
Michelle Allen, Justine Samek, Katie
Simmons, and Lauren DeSalvo.
There are several new
faces on the team this year too.
“We have a lot of newcomers,” said
Kamila Sierzputowski (’11). “It’s
great to have all these different
people on the team who will grow
and succeed with us as the season
progresses.”
weather keeps us inside.”
To describe a typical
week of practice in one word,
Heyse says “Challenging; you
never know if you are going to be
outside or not.”
Weather aside, Meador
likes to use positive pep talks and
help develop relationship among
team members because when you
have trust in each other, a game
is more likely to be successful, he
said.
“Our team this year has
quite a few juniors on the varsity
team, so the team needs to work
on experience. The team needs to
work a little better on the field as
well,” Meador says.
Heyse, who coaches the
freshman team, says his team
needs to work on clean fielding
and straight throwing. The mixture
of that equals us winning. “I’d
like to see us be motivated on the
field and do great throughout the
season,” said Kyle Hendle (‘12).
Lacrosse looks ahead to conference
Meghan Redding
Staff Reporter
The 2009 lacrosse team
looks forward to a tough but successful
season with high hopes of
becoming conference champions.
“The team looks good.
This is the toughest schedule Hoffman
lacrosse has ever seen, but we
are all confident we will have a winning
season at the least,” said Greg
Gliniewicz ’09, “The determination
level we are showing right now
makes a conference championship
title seem very achievable.”
The lacrosse season began
March 21 at Oak Park-
River Forest High School where
the team battled for its first win.
The team ended its last
season with a record of 1 win and
16 losses, but Joe Garofalo, head
coach, believes there is a huge difference
in the team from last year
to this year.
“The commitment level
and work ethic is the biggest difference
from last season. All the
boys are working hard and are
more focused,” said Garofalo.
After losing only six seniors
last year, many of the juniors
from last year that are currently
seniors have already had opportunities
to learn and practice. In addition,
many of those boys played
lacrosse during a winter league to
continue working on their skills.
To have the best season
possible, the team works on what
they call the “pride system.” The
boys are required to spend four
days every week in the workout
room year- round.
After winter break, the
team is required to spend an additional
two days a week running.
During the first two
weeks of the season, the lacrosse
team spends sixteen-hour days at
school. Garofalo would hold morning
practices from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00
a.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00
p.m.
“We’re taking conference,
period,” said Mike Liang(’09), senior
captain.
This year’s captains include
seniors Mike Liang and Pat
Kelly as well as juniors Joe Divizio
and Kyle Dooley.
“As a team, we talk about
the championship banners in the
gym. There is no lacrosse banner
yet. That is one of our driving forces
- to earn a spot up on that wall.
You only get up there by being a
champion,” said Garofalo.
The team looks forward
to many exciting games this season.
They recently suffered a
loss to Palatine with a score of 10-
2 at their first game of the season
which was held on April 3. Players
recalled this as a very “tough
game”
Lauren DeSalvo practices with her teammates in a scrimmage. The girls occasionally
plan practice for themselves but they always practice hard.
Photo by Samantha Kubota
Wrestling wraps it up
Farwa Shirazi
Staff Reporter
The beat of the drums
sounded through the halls of
Hoffman Estates High School on
Friday, February 20 as the boys’
wrestling team walked proudly.
The team worked through
a rough year to finally reach its
goal and go down to state. It was
not always pretty because there
were always bumps on the road especially
because the dual matches
were not meeting expectations, so
the boys had to work exponentially
harder at tournaments to win the
points.
“It was a rough start because
not everyone was in the line
up, but in the end we had a very
successful conference tournament
with three champs,” said Andrew
Pettit (’09), team captain.
The stats boiled down to
winning the conference tournament
and placing second at regionals
as a team. After the regional
tournament, the team took an
unfortunate turn and had to have
three wrestlers sit out for the remainder
of the season.
Patrick Scully (’10) was
the only one to place in state, and,
as of right now, he is the ‘sixth
man.’ He has been an elite wrestler
since he started high school, and
he still has a year to go. This year
his goal was to go down state and
he already has his next goal written:
win the state championship.
“My goal for this year was
to place in state, and I achieved
that. I would have liked to place
higher, seeing that earlier in the
year I beat the kid who placed 5th
and I beat the state champion by
5,” said Scully. “But being all-state
as a junior is something that I will
have with me forever.”
The Hawks are losing
their team captain to college next
fall. Pettit has had a sufficient season
and plans on wrestling at the
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater,
which he will be attending in
the fall.
“I was voted as team captain,
and I also had a very successful
year,” Pettit said. “I hope I continue
improving my next four year
at college.” .
Jose Flores (’09) also
kept his goals in mind because he
knew he had one last try at them
while wrestling for HEHS; he said
he wanted to do his part to conference
and make it down state, and
he did.
His anxious attitude in the
beginning of the trip ended quickly
when he was defeated in his first
match; unfortunately, that was his
last. Nonetheless, he left his legacy
of the most dedicated wrestler on
the team; the team voted on that
superlative.
“I’m happy that [Bill] Scully
and [Mike] Levanti have been my
coaches for all four years. They are
the ones who got me downstate
through the time and effort they
put into me,” said Flores.
A Hoffman Estates High School lacrosse player attempts to score the ball into the
net. They are working hard to keep up their “pride system.”
Photo by Samantha Kubota

Sports 7
Hawkeye View March/April 2009
Justin Prince (‘09) holds his form as he plunges through the rings to keep up his
strength.
Photo courtesy of Halcyon
Boys’ Gymnastics raises the bar
Christian Gollayan
Staff Reporter
As the HEHS boys’ gymnastics
season starts, the coaches
and team remain optimistic after
their first two meets.
The current varsity team
is relatively new considering the
numerous seniors they’ve lost.
Regardless, their overall stats of
117.6 as compared to last year’s
117.2, proves to be a small indicator
of this year’s crop of boys’
potential, even with a significant
amount of newcomers entering
the team.
Scott Phillips, head
coach, responds to these numbers
with a positive outlook, citing
the team’s particular strengths
in floor, vault, and parallel bars.
Though when it comes to areas of
improvement, there is much to be
desired in events such as pommel
Boys’ Tennis off to smashing start
Steven Chin
Staff Reporter
A new season of Hoffman
Estates High School tennis has begun,
and there are many news faces.
The seniors from last year will be
missed, but the junior varsity players
from last year will have many chances
to make the varsity team and
make this season a successful one.
“I see our strengths this
year in singles. Tyler Buchinger
and David Krzepicki played as
our number two and three singles
last year so they have the experience
to lead our team this year,”
said Greg Rouse, varsity coach.
Last year, the team placed
fifth in conference and had an overall
record of 5-12. Many of the players feel
this year will be better than last year.
“We have a lot of people
moving up this year, so that will add
to our overall depth and will fill vacated
positions by the seniors that
left,” said Shawn Damodharan 09’.
“Overall I think it will be a pretty
good season with growth and team
Bowling strikes out competition
Renee Zhu
Staff Reporter
The Hofffman Estates
High School girls’ bowling team
had a smashing end to its 2008-
2009 season. All levels of the team
performed strongly, but varsity did
especially well. This year the varsity
team qualified for state, which was
held on February 13 and 14 in Rockford.
When the girls found out
they qualified, some bowlers, even
head coach Dan Pfligler, were somewhat
amazed.
“We were very surprised,”
said Kailey Schlosser (’11) who went
as an alternate. Kara Hartel (’11)
agrees.
“Well, I think we were kind
of in a daze because we were so
shocked that we made it and went
further than anyone else thought we
could. We were all very excited to
get the chance to go to state,” Hartel
said.
The girls finished 20th in
state and only two of the eights girls
chemistry. I have high expectations
to do well as a team.”
Practice begun on March
3, but many of the players have
been working on strength and conditioning
during the off-season.
Players have worked in the weight
room, spin room, on the shelf or
even at a local park playing tennis.
This year was one of the
first that many of the players have
been working out together and
playing together in the off-season.
Currently they are working
on using more backhand shots,
slices, and more offensive play.
While working on the
fundamentals, the players are
also challenging each other for
positions on singles and doubles.
The first meet is against
St. Edward on April 8th so they
have plenty of time to work on
drills and solidifying positions
on the varsity and junior varsity.
“I feel this is going to
be a great year. We have good
team unity this year and we all
get along with one another and
all look for the same outcome: a
good and fulfilling season. This
season will give many players a
shot at a new position and partner,”
said Marko Popovic 09’.
The tennis team has
some big invites this year. The
Hawk Invite will include many
strong MSL teams. The Lake
Park Quad will be a good challenge
for the team. The meet
includes West Aurora and Glenbrook
South, which are teams always
ranked in top ten every year.
The tennis season usually
lasts until mid-May or later. There
are many home meets this year
for the boys’ so there will be many
opportunities to come and watch
them play. This tennis season for
the boys will be one to watch.
“I tell the boys’ team
to always go for your shot and
play your own game. If the boys
can work on playing at the net
and practicing hard, I’m sure the
boys will do well this season,”
said Rouse. “We have the pieces
to be a good team this year.”
had ever competed in state before.
“Working together at
sectionals and cheering for each
other all the time really helped
the girls as a team,” Pfligler said.
“They really worked hard at practice
and learned from their mistakes.”
For aspiring bowlers interested
in participating next year,
Pfligler says that being a part of
the team offers an opportunity to
learn bowling skills, have fun and
be a team player.
“It’s great for your friendship
and concentrations skills,”
said Cate Brown (’12). “If you
want to be in bowling, or have an
interest in it, just go for it.”
For girls who want to
make it to varsity next year, Pfligler
advised to get involved this
summer with summer camps and
to keep working hard. “You’ve got
to develop a good attitude,” he
said.
Being a part of the bowling
team taught the girls many
other things besides the techniques.
“I have learned that
when you’re not doing so well,
you always have teammates to
help you out. You’re not alone,”
said Hartel. “You’ve got to think
about your team and not just yourself.”
The girls believe that
bowling is a great way to have fun
and to make friends. However,
they never lose sight of their goal.
The girls made it a goal at the beginning
of the year to finish in the
top three at conference, and almost
achieved it when they placed
fourth.
“We will definitely work
hard again next year to reach the
top three at conference and hopefully
see another trip to state,” said
Pfligler.
Hartel has similar goals
for herself and the team. “I’m
looking forward to working with
the team and raising the expectations
people have for us. I think
we could make it pretty far next
season; we just have to work hard
and put our minds to it,” she said.
horse and the high bars.
Coaches David Calisch,
Ryan Brown, and Phillips have
strived to focus in on these weaknesses
by working with both Varsity
and Junior Varsity members.
“All three of us work in
rotation with all the boys to provide
a holistic approach with our varying
strengths in certain events,”
said Phillips. “It’s something that
most other schools don’t do.”
This unique form of
coaching resonated with the boys,
such as Marcos Galvan (‘11). “I really
like how all three of them are
helping us individually; it definitely
gives more opportunities to improve
and lets us get to know each
coach better,” he said.
Even with the favorable
outlook, Phillips is adamant about
nailing the basics. “It’s always been
a goal of ours to fulfill basic event
requirements,” he said. “We’re currently
focused on breaking the 120
barrier, and if our performance is
consistent, our ultimate target is to
reach 130.”
Of course, it’s always
been every team’s goal to send at
least two or three athletes to state.
This year’s seniors Brian Manadero
(‘09) and Justin Price (‘09) are
looking to be state bound in the
coming months.
With a strong crop of seniors
leaving, coaches are already
starting to look ahead. “Right now
with the handful of varsity boys
that we have, and even fewer juniors,
we’re really emphasizing on
the lower levels to fill these shoes,”
said Phillips. Current juniors such
as Joe Naka (‘10) are expected to
take the leadership positions next
year.
For all the pressure that
is weighing on this year’s seniors,
Tunde Aransiola (‘09) is taking this
all in stride. “It’s definitely hard
work, but I’m always excited working
with everyone on the team in
every practice, every meet.”
Girls’ Track takes off
Agniezska Bar
Staff Reporter
After a strong start, the
Hoffman Estates High School
Girl’s Track Team is aiming to end
their indoor season with a victory
at conference on Saturday, March
21.
The team already has several
girls qualified for this year’s
state tournament, including the
two mile relay. aIf they succeed,
this would be the track team’s first
time to win conference in Hoffman’s
history.
“We having a very good
year,” said head coach, Daniel Andersen,
Science Department. He
said that because the team has expanded
in size and many talented
freshmen joined, the team has
been able to make vast improvements.
Hannah Worman (’10), a
varsity runner agrees, saying that
“a lot of young talented runners
came out this year.”
Worman also says that
because of the new members
and hard training over the winter,
“times are already faster then
what they were last year.” Teammate
Kati Mattes (’10) adds that
the team is off to a good start and
is hopefully going to compete at
a higher level and place better in
competitions.
The team’s improvement
is evident and can be seen
with their impressive record and
numerous wins in various invites.
They have been practicing since
February 2nd, but many of the
girls run all year.
They had a great season
last year, and with new members
and hard work, they are planning
to make this one even better. The
determination to do better than
last year is pushing many girls to
try their best.
Grace Watkins (’10), a
runner, is very excited about conference
and thinks anything is possible.
She has been on the track
team for three years and states that
this year is definitely the best one.
Besides a victory at conference,
Anderson hopes the girls
will win some medals at this year’s
state tournament.
Photo by Joseph Winner
Melissa Schmidt (‘10) flies past competitors at a recent track meet during the 800 meter run.
The track is continuing to set record times while representing Hoffman.

8 Spring Photos
Hawkeye View March/April 2009