February 2018

W
westerner
@mwwesterner
www.mwwesterner.com
shooters shoot
Senior Julian Dones makes a clutch
basket to put the Warriors ahead 33-31
against Highland Park in a hard battle to
tie the Giants for first place in conference.
1755 S. Wolf Road, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018
The Maine West student voice for more than 50 years
DANNY FOWLER
Feb. 2, 2018
Volume 59, Number 5

2 news February 2, 2018
W
UP
BY SARAH SMAIL
reporter
and coming
DRAMA STUDENTS HIT THE ROAD TO SEE ILLINOIS’ TALENT
Full of chances to see high school thespians from
across Illinois perform their best shows, as well as
to participate in theater workshops, Maine West
students traveled to the Illinois High
School Theatre Festival -- often called
Theatrefest -- at Illinois State University
Jan. 11-13. Members from both
Drama Club and Thespian Club were
given the opportunity to go on this trip
in order to learn more about their theatrical
interests alongside professionals.
“I think it’s amazing that, over the
course of the first semester of the school
year, so many high schools from across
the state of Illinois are putting on these
amazing shows that we wouldn’t be
able to see without Theatrefest. Many
of them are phenomenal!” sophomore
Logan Kulbersh said.
“Noises Off,” a production created
by Maine South, won one of the positions
at the festival. In order for a
school to have their production selected,
they would have to ask for a judge
to come to their school and view their
production.
“They [judges] try to be fair and
equitable about picking shows that
represent different programs because
if you have a lot of resources then that
makes a difference. They don’t just pick
ELLA KURUTZ
shows based on the quality, they also pick a production
for geographical reasons. They want shows from
Northern Illinois, Central Illinois, Southern Illinois;
they want a show that represents a whole area. When
we got the call that we were picked, we were thrilled,”
said Carrie Saucer, Maine South teacher.
With another romantic comedy
production, the Fine Arts Department
presents the musical, “Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”. A
twist on the classic Cinderella tale,
performances will be held Feb. 23-25
in the theater.
Playing the title character, Cinderella,
junior Zoe Schmidt said, “As
with many princess-centric stories,
most people immediately think of the
Disney interpretation. Now, I love
Disney, but this version of the show
adds comedic value with all the grandeur
and ‘theater magic’ of the reallife
fairytale on stage.”
According to the performers,
this musical is something not to be
While students were there, they were able to participate
in a workshop: a small class that was available for
both students and teachers where they could learn specific
skills from a professional. They
got to work alongside a professional
on a specific theater component in
order to learn more about it, such
as a costume-change workshop or a
construction workshop.
“They end up with professionals
that are from across the country,
from major companies; some
are even from different parts of the
world. They come in to do these
master class workshops. It would be
like someone from the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra coming in to work
with the kids,” Drama teacher David
Harmon said.
Students returned inspired by
what they experience and excited to
put that inspiration to work at West.
“This was my first year going to Theatrefest
and it was amazing! I got to
spend time seeing other high schools
perform, which was great, and everyone
you meet is so talented. Going to
Theatrefest is an amazing experience
that I look forward for next year,”
sophomore Caroline Barnett said.
The trip to the festival itself is a
bonding experience of its own. “We travel with Maine
East and Maine South, so we’re all on the same buses. It
gives them [students] one of the few chances to get to
know each other well and go down as a district and not
a school,” Harmon said.
CINDERELLA READIES TO SPARKLE ON STAGE
missed. “This may not be your typical
version of ‘Cinderella.’ She believes
in more than just pretty shoes; she
believes anything is possible,” sophomore
Skye Peyton, who is playing
“Charlotte” in the musical, said.
Junior Maxwell Romza said this
production has given him the chance
to try several parts, including Jean-
Michel, a peasant revolutionary who
wants reform for the kingdom, plus
parts as a knight and a noble. “Jean-
Michael is proving to be a fun and
exciting character to play, and having
multiple roles gives an interesting and
unique perspective on the musical
and the events happening within it,”
Romza said.
Junior Claire Faust added her
own comments about playing the
role of the villain, “I play Madame,
Cinderella’s evil stepmother in the
musical. The role is fun because I get
to be mean to everyone and just be
ridiculous.”
The sparkle of this comedic Cinderella
story is just one aspect of why
students are excited for the musical.
“I joined the musical because I
enjoyed singing and had also come
to Maine West as a kid to see productions.
I was entranced. Later, I
made the goal of auditioning in
order to step out of my comfort
zone and give that
little kid of the past the
poetry
OUT LOUD
1,800+ COMPETITORS
FACE-OFF
BY CHRIS RIOS
news editor
For the fourth year in a row,
Maine West is holding the
annual school-wide “Poetry
Out Loud” contest, allowing
students to select and perform
their favorite professional poetry. This
Thursday, the final round will be held in
the Little Theater, with semi-finals at 4:30
p.m. and the final round starting at 6:45
p.m. Students who win the school-wide
competition represent West in the regional
competition before possibly heading to
state and nationals.
“We felt that students needed an opportunity
to express how they felt about
poems by performing them with their
own interpretations and feeling connected
to the reading,” Dr. Tim Pappageorge,
English Department chair, explained.
“It’s a great pleasure for us not only to
hear the range of choices the students
have made in terms of the poem they have
picked, but also to see the way they decide
to interpret it, which can be exciting.”
Although poetry can be difficult to
understand, by re-reading and connecting
to the piece, students can reap many
rewards.
“Most people find poetry to be confusing
and difficult, but something happens
when someone has taken the time to
understand a poem for themselves. When
students present, they present words that
are much more approachable for the audience
to take it in,” Pappageorge said.
ZAC ABERO
BY MASOOMA SULTAN
reporter
chance of being on a stage. This musical
means a lot to me because of the
magical feeling of being a part of a
show all about the impossibilities, as
we breathe life into a story
very connected to today’s
time,” Peyton said.

W February 2, 2018 news 3
BY ASHLEY DWY
news editor
owering
the future
STUDENT ACTIVISTS HELP TO
RESHAPE THE WORLD, EVEN NOW
Malala Yousafzai. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Mahatma Gandhi.
These well-known and celebrated
activists have changed the course
of the future because of their fights
for civil rights. At West, Voice for
the Nameless has won honors for
their advocacy for civil rights and
is known for their work in Des
Plaines, in Chicago, and throughout
the suburbs. Whether in a group
or individually, West students are
emerging as activists for important
social justice causes.
“When I volunteer at an organization
to feed people who are homeless
or unemployed, I’m not expecting
to change the number of people
who are homeless or unemployed.
But, I do it because I know I can
change the way someone feels on
one day -- maybe make them happier
-- and to possibly make a difference
in their lives,” senior Elizabeth
Sofinet said.
Because of their outstanding
contributions to community activism,
Sofinet and senior Jelena Pejovic
were honored two weeks ago as
part of the Daily Herald Northwest
Suburban Leadership Team. Sofinet,
for example, has volunteered
with Inspiration Corporation Cafe
by cooking, taking orders, serving
and cleaning up after meals for the
homeless; she has also helped in the
RefugeeOne after-school program
for refugee children. Pejovic has
been a regular volunteer at RefugeeOne,
too, as part of Voice for the
Nameless’ ongoing efforts there.
Current students and recent
graduates have found different ways
to advocate for equal rights and are
motivated by the individual impact
they can have, person to person.
“For me, when people come together
from different parts of the world,
seeing that they face the same struggles
and they’ve been in your shoes
at some point -- even if you haven’t
faced those types of issues -- and
having that ability to give someone a
voice who isn’t comfortable sharing
their experiences: that’s something
very special,” DePaul student Medinah
Furqan, Maine West class of
2016, said.
In some cases, their volunteer
work has transformed these students’
academic interests, too, shaping
their college experiences and the
majors they study.
“I became interested in transitional
justice, which has so many
applications around the world, to so
many different contexts, conflicts,
and societies. The classic examples
are truth and reconciliation commissions
in South Africa, Guatemala,
and other places, but other conversations
about transitional justice
and memorialization are relevant to
our own society: the content of the
9/11 memorial, how we memorialize
Confederate figures, and what
justice looks like in towns with histories
of lynchings,” Oxford University
graduate student Angela Remus,
Maine West class of 2012, said.
Studying social justice has influenced
students’ personal values, too.,
“Don’t get me wrong, I like materialistic
things, too. But, you find something
that looks good and then 10
minutes later when you lose interest,
you realize there’s nothing else left;
it’s kind of empty. But, when you
have the ability to give somebody a
platform, or giving people that ability
or having that relationship with
somebody is incomparable. That’s
why I wanted to do International
Studies with a focus on International
Human Rights Law.”
On top of that, Sofinet said, the
subject is always ripe with new ways
to improve the world for all people.
“There’s always more to fight for. I
plan on getting more involved with
large organizations and participate
in more events. Actually, one of the
things I looked into when searching
for colleges was how I can get involved
in activism on campus, and
ultimately it helped me in my decision
making process,” she said.
With only one earth and one
humanity, “You don’t have to be
Native American to care about the
[Keystone] pipeline; you don’t have
to be African American to care
about Black Lives Matter; it comes
down to caring because you’re a human
being. We have the same blood
coursing through our veins; we are
breathing the same air; we are living
on this Earth and we have a responsibility,”
Furqan said.
SNOW YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?
BY ASHLEY DWY
news editor
In response to the complaints made about the DJ for this past Homecoming,
Maine West’s Winter Formal has been renamed “Snowcoming” and promises to
bring a night full of music universally enjoyed. This “take two” on Homecoming
will take place tomorrow, Feb. 3 from 7-9 p.m. in the theater. Tickets are on sale in
the bookstore for $25, and the DJ made lunch-time appearances this week to get
students excited for the event.
Winter Formal usually has a smaller turnout than Homecoming, but students
are eager to experience a dance reboot. “I am most looking forward to seeing if
the music will be better than homecoming this year. I am also curious to see how
many people will come in comparison to previous winter formals,” senior Samantha
Dolatowski said.
In any case, the true anticipation of this dance lies in the wonderment of whether
or not this DJ will be as unpopular among the students as the previous one. “I am
excited to hear the new DJs, because the last ones weren’t that good. I’m also excited
to dance with all my friends, because this is almost like the last school dance as
prom will only be with seniors and not everyone else,” senior Monika Walaszek said.
A DECLARATION OF RIGHTS
BY MALAIKA ZAIDI
reporter
With one out of every three women
on the planet being beaten or raped
in her lifetime, the One Billion Rising
campaign aims to raise awareness about
violence, discrimination, and oppression
against women globally. Orchesis and
Voice for the Nameless will participate
in the One Billion Rising effort on Feb.
14 before school in the cafeteria.
Events will include a flash mob dance
to the song “Break the Chain” by Tena
Clark and recitation of poetry about the
violation of women’s rights.
“We’re the voice for the people who
can’t speak for themselves,” said senior
Aidan Grubbs, a member of Orchesis.
One of the main purposes of this
event is “to bring awareness to people's
rights -- especially women's rights -- to
shed a light on them and make sure everyone's
aware,” said senior Ahtziri Alviso,
member of Voice for the Nameless.
In particular, students need to better
understand the boundaries that exist
for safe sexual behaviors. “It’s more
about power and control. If you force
someone to do something, that is sexual
assault. A lot of people don’t realize it.
For it to be consensual, you need to get
consent,” said health teacher, Joan Hare.
Oppression isn’t something that
only happens elsewhere, according to
students. There remains a conflict in
student dress codes that comes into play
when speaking of matters based on One
Billion Rising’s ideals of ‘our body and
our choice’.
“Some girls are told to go change
or grab a jacket, taking time away from
their classes,” said sophomore Claudia
Morrison. “They have put boys’ educations
before girls for too long. Instead of
making girls miss valuable class time, we
RANDALL HARPER
Voice members also recently participated
at the Women’s March.
should be teaching boys that looking at a
girl like she’s a Barbie doll they can play
with is completely wrong.”
An art exhibition in Belgium named
“What were you wearing?” brushes on the
question women sometimes face after
experiencing sexual assault or harassment:
Did what you were wearing provoke
or invite attention? “That's absurd.
I've never heard anyone ask a guy ‘what
were you wearing?’ The fact that we still
have that prejudice is disgusting. It’s
their body,” said Grubbs. This art contains
everyday clothing -- ranging from
children to adults. “It speaks volumes for
the fact that it’s never because of what
they were wearing or doing.”
“It is 100% the perpetrator’s fault.
It is never the victim’s fault, no matter
what they’re wearing, no matter how
they acted. They don’t deserve to be violated,”
Hare said. The One Billion Rising
event is about speaking up for those
who can’t speak for themselves, regardless
of the circumstance.

4 news February 2, 2018
W
That’s the way the
McDonald’s crumbles
A TREASURED DES PLAINES ARTIFACT
WILL NOW BE A LOST MEMORY
BY ARLINE VARGAS
reporter
DANNY FOWLER
Slated to be demolished last month, the landmark
63-year-old First McDonald’s Museum in Des Plaines
will no longer honor the iconic restaurant’s origins
here. Due to repetitive flooding incidents, the city had
to discontinue admissions to the museum. Since then,
visitors have only been allowed to see the building from
outside, but now its complete disappearance has some
members the Des Plaines community feeling the loss.
Its famed golden arches have brought great recognition
to the city of Des Plaines. The old-fashioned display
attracted tourists to visit the replica of Ray Kroc’s
first chain restaurant. It had provided a real life experience
of how the world’s largest burger chain was in the
1950’s.
“When I was a kid, the McDonald’s looked exactly
like the museum. There were no drive-throughs, you
would have counters with stools, and that was the only
place to eat,” social science teacher Matthew McClure
said.
For those who grew up in Des Plaines and would
regularly pass by the red and white tiled museum, they
will have to embrace the withdrawal of one of Des
Plaines’ most celebrated locations. “When I first found
out about the removal of the McDonald’s, I thought it
was a lie. That McDonald’s has been there for so long,
and it was kind of upsetting of the idea that we were going
to lose something that a lot of people in Des Plaines
had pride in having,” junior Katia Trejo said.
Other residents see the removal as just another sign
that life is always marching forward. “The McDonald’s
museum wasn’t as important to me because I enjoy Mc-
Donald’s for its food rather than the museum itself. I
don’t think many people have an emotional connection
to the museum because it never had a significant impact
on the community,” freshman Hana Dempsey said.
It is guaranteed that Des Plaines will be a different
city after the demolishment. “A weird thought is that
the generations to come will have little, to no knowledge
that Des Plaines had once owned the McDonald’s
museum. It’s amazing how fast things can change,” Mc-
Clure said.
Cryptocurrency:
Fad or Future?
THE POWER OF A TRUE FREE MARKET HAS
CAUGHT THE INTEREST OF MANY INVESTORS
Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum.
To the majority of the population,
these words sound straight
out of a Sci Fi video game, but to
around 15 million people around the globe,
this is a new financial investment that may
make them into multi millionaires one day
or result in the biggest financial “bubble” of
all time.
All of these words fall under the umbrella
of a not-so-new trend called cryptocurrencies.
Satoshi Nakamoto was the creator of
Bitcoin, back in 2009 -- a currency that is
completely decentralized with no server or
central authority. Nakamoto’s identity has
not been fully verified but he is believed to
live in Japan. His purpose was to eliminate
banks as the middlemen, creating an online
currency with no interference between
transactions and without government intervention.
The first transaction ever recorded was
when 5000 Bitcoins were bought for $27
through Paypal in 2009. The price started off
at 0.0054 cents per Bitcoin, but at the time
of this article the price for one Bitcoin is at
a skyhigh price of $12,000. Today, there are
over 1000 cryptocurrencies all ranging from
3 cents to $12,000 which is getting the attention
of worldwide financers.
These are all digital currencies that are
not controlled over a centralized banking
system, meaning that the trade of these
“coins” will avoid ever having frozen accounts
and arbitrary spending limits. Since
transactions of these “coins” aren’t controlled
by the central banking system, then the trade
is done through the internet, allowing transactions
around the globe with minimal fees
and total privacy among transactions.
China is making legislation to ban exchanges
where one can buy and sell cryptocurrencies
such as Bitcoin. “If more countries
do end up banning exchanges, then
simply they will be missing out on a lot of
money. Recently a US based exchange, Binance,
made $5.5 billion in small transaction
fees in a day. These countries have a
mass impact in the market simply because
they bring volume which results in price increases.
More money is a positive impact for
any economy,” senior Viktor Bavdas said.
China has expressed concern about energy
usage involved in creating cryptocurrencies.
To operate the CPUs and motherboards
in China necessary to create this virtual currency,
Bitcoin mining has already used an estimated
4 gigawatts of electricity, equivalent
BY DOMINIK BRONAKOWSKI
news editor
to three nuclear reactors’ production levels,
according to the Washington Post.
“I think the lack of government oversight
into the cryptocurrencies appeals to
younger investors. Many younger people
have a certain lack of trust in the government
and banking system after the 2008
financial crisis. Cryptocurrencies can serve
as an alternative to those institutions. The
downside of this is that the coins are very
susceptible to price manipulation due to a
lack of government oversight,” senior Spencer
Mabrito said.
Cryptocurrency is obtained is through
two methods. One way is that coins can be
bought and sold through websites such as
Coinbase and Binance. Another method
more skilled crypto users use is “mining” for
these currencies. “Mining” is when transactions
are sent through devices running code.
This code doesn’t actually do any physical
mining, but what it does is it lets the transaction
be sent through their system to be
encrypted and sent to around five other users
who encrypt the code as well, enabling
the entire system to remain as secure and as
private as possible. Each user the transaction
goes through is awarded a minuscule percentage
of the transaction and is also awarded
a brand new coin. The creator of Bitcoin,
Mr. Nakamoto, created the system to stop
the creation of new Bitcoins at 21 million
so once they are all created, no more coins
can be produced. This was implemented in
order to create a high demand for the limited
amount of coins, which causes the price to
skyrocket and to prevent a surplus of Bitcoin
on the market.
“Only invest what you can afford to lose.
Blindly investing will never get you far. My
picks for currencies in 2018 are DGB (Digi-
Byte), UBQ (Ubiq), and ETH (Ethereum),”
Bavdas said. The easiest way to get into cryptocurrency
is to download the Coinbase app.
Bavadas’ warning about the potential
pitfalls of cryptocurrencies can be seen
elsewhere, too. As of Jan. 30, Facebook announced
the banning of all advertisements
related to cryptocurrencies. The reason
Facebook is choosing to do so is because of
a recent outbreak of scams using Bitcoins
as their platform. For example, they have
banned ads that encourage consumers to
“use your retirement funds to buy Bitcoin!”
or to “click here to learn more about our
no-risk cryptocurrency.” Just like any other
investment, the buyer must beware.

W February 2, 2018 entertainment 5
SOCIAL MEDIA MELTDOWN
LOGAN PAUL’S FIASCO IS JUST ONE OF
MANY PROBLEMS FACING YOUTUBE
Videos -- ranging from
children vomiting to
disturbing pranks on unsuspecting
victims, from
graphic images of beloved cartoon
characters to suicide victims discovered
after their deaths -- have created
a massive backlash for YouTube and
its owner, Google.
Connecting millions of people,
directly from creator to viewer, You-
Tube is seen as a great path to link
with an audience on a more personal
level than movies or TV shows. Yet,
YouTube has had to take action as
content creators have tried to work
around its content guidelines and
post hundreds of thousands of rulebreaking
videos.
In recent months, YouTube terminated
hundreds of well-known
accounts and removed more than
150,000 videos from the platform,
according to CNET. The site also
turned off comments on more than
625,000 videos targeted by alleged
child predators.
The negative side was further
brutally exposed
when content creator
Logan Paul uploaded a
video called ‘We found a dead body
in the Japanese Suicide Forest…’
which featured a victim in it. He
went into the Japanese Aokigahara
Forest (known as Suicide Forest),
and filmed a dead man, and if that
wasn’t enough, he posted the video
to YouTube.
Many viewers flagged it as inappropriate
content and demanded
that YouTube take immediate action.
“There’s no other reason for him
to go there than to catch a suicide
victim on video. That’s horrible,”
sophomore Sydney Schroeder said.
The video was seen worldwide, and
the backlash that followed prompted
Paul to delete the video and take
a break from YouTube, “to reflect,”
as he put it.
When advertisers
started pulling their
ads from Paul’s site,
it didn’t take long
for him to realize that his choice
to initially post the video was going
to cost him. In the end, it was
Paul who removed the video, not
YouTube. Sophomore Rylan Turner
said, “I think it would’ve been in the
company’s best interest to have manually
removed the video themselves
because of the topic of the video.”
YouTube instead put the offensive
video on the trending list — and
it sat there at #10. Users criticized
YouTube for further exploiting the
suicide victim for the sake of clicks
and ad revenue.
Junior Grace Carlino observed
that YouTube and its millions of
content creators aren’t using their
power wisely. “People that have a
wide audience have a platform to
encourage positive actions, but they
aren’t taking advantage of their position,”
she said.
How did Paul’s video end up
on the trending list? “I’ve definitely
seen videos that did eventually get
banned from Youtube that should
have never been put up because of
the restrictions,” Schroeder said.
Restrictions, however, may
need to be enforced by
humans rather than an
algorithm. “YouTube
should have more people manually
looking for videos that are too inappropriate
to be on the website,”
Turner said.
As for Paul, he tried to make
amends. He took a break from all
social media, along with deleting
the video and releasing an apology.
“He’ll just end up being known as
the guy who thought suicide was
okay to record,” Schroeder said.
Whether or not viewers will ever
enjoy and respect his work remains
unknown. “What would be nice is
to see if he is really sincere -- maybe
he makes donations to suicide prevention,
or he partners with them
BY JENNA ROBBINS
reporter
and does some promotion for suicide
prevention programs, maybe
even talking to younger kids about
what’s appropriate and what’s not
appropriate,” guidance counselor
Katelyn Pantke said.
Turner agreed, saying, “He
should use his power to speak out
against suicide and possibly towards
a suicide prevention program.” In
a further attempt to repair his image
and reconcile with his YouTube
audience, Paul recently pledged to
donate $1 million to organizations
that work to prevent suicide.
The video may have been
disrespectful and distasteful,
but improvements
may have come out of
it. “You can always turn a negative
into a positive. The backlash could
be momentum to bring attention
to the fact that suicide is still one of
the number one reasons youth die.
You could take the opportunity that
there’s attention on it now to highlight
warning signs; talk about how
depression is common,” Pantke said.
However, Carlino also sees it as a
way to teach others what not to do,
saying, “He showed others that your
content has to be acceptable for your
audience. Others should take this as
a sign to upload what is good for
their audience.”
Although Logan Paul made
an irreversible error, he may have
brought to light some important
topics of discussion. “It sparks a
good conversation about things
we do and say, and how they affect
other people. The things you post,
how does it affect other people? The
topics you are endorsing by posting
them, the people you could be hurting
by posting, it brings that to light
especially when you’re that popular.
You have a responsibility,” Pantke
said.
Similarly, “this experience should
be a reminder that you should look
at what you’re about to show the entire
internet, specifically millions of
viewers,” Turner said.
PREVIOUS LOGAN PAUL
CONTROVERSIES INCLUDE...
In October 2017, Paul was
arrested in Rome for flying a
drone too close to the
Colosseum. He shared his
experience with the law in a
video titled “I Got
Arrested By Italian Police!”.
In March 2017, Paul faked
his death in front of his fans.
With the help of his friends,
Paul “pranked” his fans by
pretending he got shot.
During his trip to Japan in
January of 2018, Paul talked
about respecting Japanese
culture, but then proceeded
to break merchandise in a
store and throw Pokeballs at
people.
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/CHAN-
NEL/UCG8RBF3G2AMX70YOD8VQIZG/
FEATURED

6
features
Deep in our nation’s history, immigrants
saw “No Irish Need
Apply” signs on businesses, a
rise in KKK activities against
Catholic Italians, and internment
camps created for Japanese arrivals.
Recent news reveals that anti-immigrant, antiminority
sentiment isn’t a thing of the past, though.
In a meeting focused on immigration with U.S.
Senators three weeks ago, President Donald Trump
said he’d rather have immigrants from Norway than
from certain African nations or Haiti, which he
called “sh****le countries.”
This comment, however, is not only reflective of
the president’s beliefs but many of his supporters’
beliefs too. “I would hope that this comment makes
people sick to their stomachs,” Voice for the Nameless
sponsor Randall Harper said. “The truth is that
there are people who agree with him, though they
might not use those exact words.”
On Monday, Jan. 8,
67%
of students think
that the Trump
administration
is showing antiimmigrant
sentiment by
ending TPS
and DACA*
it was announced
that, in addition to
Haitians, all Salvadorans
would
lose their Temporary
Protected
Status (TPS)
and have 18
months to leave
the country.
According to
the U.S Citizenship
and Immigration Services website,
a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is
a “temporary immigration status granted to
eligible nationals of designated countries.”
Senior Dennis Gaitan explained how
this specific decision would impact his
loved ones. “This would affect my parents
who came here with a TPS after the
Civil War in El Salvador and my aunt
who also came here with TPS after the
earthquake in 2001,” Gaitan said.
The Trump Administration’s decision
to end TPS for Salvadorans will have lifechanging
consequences for Gaitan’s family. “I
don’t know how I am going to deal with them leaving,”
Gaitan said.
Even though El Salvador can be a nice place to
visit, Gaitan explained, “my home is here. I have
family that lives there and even though they think
El Salvador is safe, there are too many gangs and
violence. You are always in danger in El Salvador,
and there is no opportunity to succeed there like
there is here in the United States,” Gaitan said.
In most cases, families are being sent back to
places where they have no homes, no jobs, and no
protection from the same violence or danger they
originally fled. What people sometimes neglect to
understand is the desperation that is felt by people
who benefit from TPS. “Sending us back won’t
solve the problem. If anything, it would worsen
the issue,” Gaitan said. “Parents are sending their
kids to the United States on a very risky journey
to escape the violence with the hope that they will
receive refuge and help here.”
Harper explained how the Trump Administration
has the complete authority to end TPS for these
ZAC ABERO
Life Behind
The Law
NATIONAL POLITICS CAN PUT MORE
THAN ONE LIFE ON THE LINE
BY MARTYLINETTE SANCHEZ
features editor
countries. “When people were given TPS, it was
with the intention that it was temporary. Sending
them back wouldn’t be illegal, but I don’t understand
how it would really help our country. I also
don’t understand why after all these years, they are
being sent back now,” Harper said.
Like TPS, the Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA), a program that protects from
deportation 800,000 undocumented individuals
who arrived here as children and meet numerous
requirements, ended after President Trump signed
an executive order ending DACA in September.
If DACA recipients have their DACA status expiring
before March 5, they will be able to renew
their DACA if they apply before Oct. 5. If Congress
is not able to pass a new bill, after March 5 DACA
recipients will be in danger of deportation.
Because Congress could not reach an agrement
about the national budget, the federal government
shut down on Jan. 19 at midnight. Both parties
February 2, 2018 W
had priorities they wanted to get accomplished
before sealing the national budget, and they only
agreed temporarily on the terms to fund the government
through this coming Thursday. The future
of DACA and border enforcement are two of the
key things Senators want resolved, and each party
is using their priorities as bargaining chips in the
budget debate. “Democrats need Republicans’ support
for the bill, but as part of the deal, Democrats
want DACA and Republicans want more money
for programs that secure the border with more border
agents,” Harper said.
One Maine West student who is a DACA recipient
explained how DACA has helped her live
a normal life in the United States. “Because of
DACA, I am able to get a job and license, and I
don’t have to live in fear of a police officer pulling
me over and arresting me,” the anonymous student
said about the legitimacy she has because of DACA.
It also allows her to pursue a college education later.
An extremely common misconception is that
DACA recipients do not pay their taxes just like
American citizens. “We are not taking anybody’s
jobs. We get up every morning and go to school
and work to obtain a better life. We also have an
IT number that allows us to pay our taxes just like
everybody else,” the DACA student said.
Although there is always uncertainty in one’s
life, the type of uncertainty DACA recipients face
is unimaginable to most. “I don’t know if I’m going
to be here tomorrow. We are living a [nightmare]
because we’re living in two worlds at the
same time: one where we’re hiding and another
one where we’re trying to live a normal life,”
she continued.
Leaving this country would crush all that
her family has worked to build here. “This
is the only life we know. This is the only
place we have been able to call home, and
it’s hard for people to understand that,” she
said.
Harper described the dilemma felt
by Americans who support and who oppose
the DACA program and the undocumented
immigrant community. “I
understand why people that went through
the long process of getting into this country
the ‘right’ way feel resentment, but to say that the
recipients of DACA should be deported is soulless
and completely flies in the face of
the values that are supposed
to make the United
States great,” Harper
said.
As the anonymous
student explained,
“at one
point or another,
unless one’s family
is Native American,
we are all immigrants,”
she said.
Having seen how his family
79%
of students think
that our country
should allow a
path to citizenship
for the 800,000
DACA recipients*
has worked for years and years contributing to the
American economy and local community, “being
American is more than just a piece of paper that
tells who you are. To be American is to have the
courage to be able to overcome obstacles, follow
your dreams, and work hard for them,” Gaitan said.
*According to a Westerner survey of 115 students

W Feburary 2, 2018 features 7
THE FCC’S REPEAL OF NET NEUTRALITY MAY DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE INTERNET
BY NATALIA WOLNY
THE PAIN OF
asst. features editor
FRIEND BREAKUPS
Accustomed to having
access to anything online
right at our fingertips,
the noise over why
your favorite Netflix
show isn’t streaming smoothly or
why you can’t access a certain website
is about to go up a decibel. The
Internet itself could be facing some
dramatic changes with the end of net
neutrality.
“The Internet is like a highway
that cars drive down. The cars themselves
are the data and information
that is put out. With net neutrality,
anyone can travel freely and take
any highway they want,” AP Computer
Science teacher Rachel Levin
explained. Now, that net neutrality
has been ended by the Federal Communications
Commission, users
may face increased costs for their usage.
“It’s possible that nothing may
change, but it’s definitely concerning
that the ISPs will have the ability to
control what we get to see and how
fast we get to see it.” Internet providers
now have the option to charge
you more to access your favorite sites
and apps, as well as the option to slow
down or block access to sites that are
run by competing companies.
The repeal on net neutrality raises
concerns as to what is in store for the
free Internet. “Net neutrality insured
that ISPs could not take advantage
THIS
of their customers, but ISnow they
have that ability,”senior Paul Loewes
THE said. “It is reasonable END to think that
if a company has the ability to take
advantage of their powers, they will.
Therefore, I question the sensibilities
of even giving ISPs this ability in the
first place.”
In the long running debate of net
neutrality, a central question is continually
being asked as to whether
or not the Internet is a public utility
and if that is enough to subject the
ISPs to stricter regulations.
“The decisions are now being
made by private companies as opposed
to being regulated by a government
bureaucracy as a utility,” AP
Government teacher Daniel Fouts
said. “We use the Internet like it’s
electricity; [the argument is that] it’s
in the public’s interest, which preserves
it from being managed by private
companies. However, it hinges
on what the definition of a public
utility is and until we have a clear
definition of what a utility includes,
we’re going to be debating this.”
Senior Paul Loewes argues that,
“the Internet is an
equalizer. It allows
[the] disadvantaged]
to have the ability
to become successful.
Because of this,
it must be protected
and should be regulated
as a utility, like
water,” Loewes said.
Small companies
and startups, like
farewell to free
BREAKING DOWN
NET NEUTRALITY
“Facebook started
with a college kids
creating something
online where everyone
had access to it,”
Levin said. “One of
the biggest concerns
for programmers is that without net
neutrality, there’s a possibility that
individuals trying to put an idea out
might not have the means to buy
their way into the fast track of the
Internet or be able to reach people
the way they used to.”
The battle to keep net neutrality
alive continues among the states,
cities, Congress and the American
people. The governor of Montana
signed an executive order that bars
state agencies from doing business
with those that violate net neutrality.
A wave of lawsuits from 21 states
were filed to block the FCC’s repeal
and Senate Democrats are pushing
the vote to restore the regulations.
“Net neutrality is generally a liberal,
democratic, pro-regulatory policy,”
Fouts said. “It has a chance of passing
in the Senate, but the identical
bill has to go through the House of
Representatives in which the Republicans
have a majority.”
Even though the majority of
Americans support net neutrality,
“President Trump has been supportive
of leaving this in the companies’
hands. With the numbers right now,
and with the President being a Republican
who
Under the Obama Administration,
a principle known as net neutrality,
was implemented to ensure that
the Internet would remain open
and free by barring Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) from slowing or
blocking web traffic. The goal was
to guarantee that all data on the
Internet would be treated equally. The
Federal Communications Commission
has dismantled these guidelines.
Internet providers may now have
the ability to slow certain data or
charge for faster delivery of content
supports deregulation,
I
don’t think
there’s enough
support,”
Fouts said.
Although
legislation
is the most
desired and
permanent
fix concerning
net neutrality,
public
backlash has
intensified.
[Net neutrality
activists]
are making a political statement to
get people’s attention and to cause
grassroots movements around this.
“If we, the public, get angry, our legislators
may feel pressured to change
the law,” Fouts said. “But, that all
depends on how much we care
about the Internet. If it’s important
enough, we’ll pay attention.”
Many are unsure what lies ahead
for net neutrality but, “The Internet
is not going away,” Levin said. “All
they did was loosen the rules, and we
don’t really know how companies are
going to react so now we just have to
wait and see.”
BY IVONNE SANCHEZ
reporter
Whether it was something that
was said or simply because two
people found themselves going
in different directions, friendship
break-ups affect even the closest of
friends. Valentine’s Day, with its focus
on those we love most, can also
be a reminder of those friends who
have broken our hearts, too.
Though it’s a sad experience,
as AP Psychology teacher Suzanne
Savard explained, it’s a necessary
experience that many people encounter.
“When you break up with
a friend, it’s like severing ties,” Savard
said.
As Savard recounted, friends are
normally made when two or more
people share the same interest and
when they are most likely in close
proximity.
“Common
interests
This is
the end
shape
teenagers
and
w h o
they
hang out
with,” junior
Ashna
Thomas
said.
Sometimes
relationships drift
apart due to situations that they
can’t control where two people
eventually figure out that they
aren’t as similar as they once were.
Other times, there is a specific event
that involved the real or perceived
betrayal of a friend that leads to a
more abrupt end in the friendship.
“[Friendship breakups] are a
mark of growing up and maturity.
Adolescence is a time to define
yourself and friends are a great way
to find yourself,” Savard said.
Contrary to some beliefs, the
pain felt by a friendship breakup,
can be more painful than a relationship
breakup.“People can
cope the same way they do when
it’s a romantic breakup, but friend
breakups are much more traumatic
because having a friend betray you,
or leave you, is harder and deeper
to deal with,” school psychologist
Lynn Perri said. “Surround yourself
with people who listen to you, have
your best interest at heart and who
like to do the same things that you
like to do.”
ZAC ABERO

8 in-depth
February 2, 2018
SOPHOMORE SARAH BORGMAN PERFORMING
HER FIGURE SKATING ROUTINE ON THE ICE
GAMBLING AWAY CHANCES TO
TO COMPETE IN THE OLYMPICS
BY MATTHEW MONTANILE
assoc. editor-in-chief
BY MARAYA ADAMS
asst. in-depth editor
Russia’s entire national team
was suspended by the International
Olympic Committee on
Dec. 5 for a government-sponsored program
that encouraged athletes to use performanceenhancing
drugs in an effort to medal in past
Olympics and to qualify for this year’s Olympics
in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Athletes that aim to
compete in the Olympics have to push their bodies
to extraordinary lengths that awe the crowds, but the
Russian Olympic program went too far in pushing its
athletes to win.
“Clearly there needs to be an evaluation of the drug
testing procedures for the Olympic system,” West assistant
athletic director Erik McNeill said.
The Russians, who hosted the 2014 Sochi
Olympics, are accused of an elaborate cheating scheme
during those Olympics in addition to the doping scandal.
However, the International Olympic Committee made
the decision that some Russian athletes, who have been
cleared of wrongdoing, will be able to compete in the
upcoming Olympics as neutral athletes. Being neutral
means that the athletes can compete in the Olympics
but without their national anthem, national flag, or a
national uniform.
“More stories like this one will continue to
American figure skater Nathan Chen
is known for being unique in having
five styles of quadruple jumps.
Russian Roulette
knock down
the credibility
of the Olympics,
but once
the games start
most people will
enjoy it for what it’s
worth. People will still
enjoy the games even
if there is a trust issue
because it’s rooting for your
country and seeing some of the
best athletes in the world,” McNeill
said.
The pressure to win and set records has
led to illegal drug use throughout professional
and international sports, but it also has infiltrated
amateur and school sports.
“I have witnessed this and I know of athletes at the
high-school and collegiate level that turned to performance
enhancing drugs during their career. Athletes
want to gain the edge and get quick results and they only
see the upside of the drugs: bigger, faster, and stronger.
They don’t weigh the risks of these drugs. These athletes
are looking for the power, prestige and status of being
number one,” McNeill said.
YOUR GUIDE TO THE
Winning
BY ABIGAIL
MILOVANCEVIC
asst. entertainment editor
From skating to skiing, a total
of 92 countries will be competing
in this year’s Winter
Olympics, with the lavish opening ceremonies
kicking off this coming Friday in PyeongChang,
South Korea. Athletes in fifteen sports are preparing
to compete with the best of the best. This year 75% of
students plan on watching the games, with figure skating
being a fan favorite for 42% of students.
Awaiting the games are students who are hoping to see
the world’s best winter athletes perform under the spotlight.
Sophomore Grace Olsen, goalie for the Glenview Stars U16
travel hockey team, is looking forward to seeing new strategies
on the ice. “I watch for the positioning and if the players are in
the right areas to receive a pass or to even shoot the puck. Being
in position is very important to the game. Goalie-wise I look for
goalies who are squared to the shooters and are ready for the
shot,” Olsen said.
Junior Nico Lavalle of the Maine 207 team is excited for
intense matches. “I watch professional hockey as well as the
Olympics. I look for close, back-and-forth games that are fairly
low-scoring and fast paced,” Lavalle said.
For students who want to give hockey a shot, Olsen recommends
going to the Franklin Park Ice Arena as “they have a
great open house program open to everyone.” Lavalle suggests
the Ice Land Skate & Swim Complex in Niles. “There are rat
hockey [scrimmage] sessions held at Niles each week. Anyone
is allowed to play in these sessions, and there are always
some beginners there trying to learn the flow of the game,”
Lavalle said.
Figure skating is home to more icy action. Sophomore
Sarah Borgman, a figure skater for twelve years,
said her favorite Team USA skaters are Nathan Chen
and Mirai Nagasu. “For men, I like to watch Chen
because he has amazing jumps, but he has also
improved his artistry a lot. For ladies, my
favorite is Nagasu because of the fight
she has had in her these past four
years. I look at the technique
on their jumps a lot to
see how I can

in-depth 9
2018 WINTER OLYMPICS
Winter
apply that
to myself, to challenge
myself to try and do
the same spins they perform, and
also to watch the way they perform to
the music,” Borgman said.
Alpine skiing, along with other ski
disciplines, have been present in the Olympics
since the Garmisch-Partenkirchen games in 1936.
“Downhill skiing is my personal favorite. It gives you
a kind of special thrill almost like a rollercoaster, which
I enjoy,” senior Amanda Grzebien said. Like many others
at West, Grzebien cheers for the US athletes. “I love watching
the Olympics; I’ll be rooting for team USA all the way. A
personal favorite moment of mine from the last Winter Games
would have to be [skier] Ted Ligety winning gold,” Grzebien
said. Currently, American Mikaela Shiffrin is the top-ranked
female skier in the world, based on International Ski Federation
competitions this winter, and she will be representing the United
States in the downhill, slalom, giant slalom, and super-G events.
Among the men, Ligety will be back on the team competing for
medal-winning runs.
Students who want to try the sport themselves can rent skis
and learn to carve through the snow at several nearby ski hills,
including one at Villa Olivia just 30 minutes west in Bartlett or
at Wilmot Mountain, an hour north on the Wisconsin border.
Other Olympic sports include the bobsleigh and luge, with
both sports hailing from Switzerland. Luge is an older sport,
with its roots set deep in the 1600s. Like the bobsleigh, luge
gained popularity when Swiss hotels began offering the sport
to its wealthy guests. Daring students can attempt the luge at
the Muskegon Luge Track, a roughly four hour drive from
Maine West in Muskegon, Michigan. The Muskegon Luge
Track is a facility designed for beginners; it is staffed
with coaches to teach you the skill and rentable luges.
Currently, only 17 competitive luges exist in the
world, with only two of them being here in North
America.
Whether attempting a sport or leaving it
to the professionals, the Winter Olympics
offer the excitement of global competition
as well as inspiration to try
new sports.
One of the most
important elements
of figure
skating is elaborate spins.
Skaters start with their arms held
out at their sides and bring them in,
spinning faster as they do so.
“It is like a merry-go-round. When
you ride the merry-go-round, you walk toward
Winning with Momentum
the middle and you go faster. When the skater
moves their arms inward while they’re turning their
body, it becomes like you on the merry-go-round moving
toward the middle. As you move toward the middle, there’s less
of the body spinning. Since there’s less body spinning, it can
spin faster, ” AP Physics teacher Philip Sumida said, illustrating
the principle of the conservation of angular momentum.
Snowboard halfpipe is an Olympic event where stars
like Shaun White glide back and forth from one side of a
halfpipe to the other, while performing tricks and gaining
amplitude.Sumida described how snowboarders like White
performed difficult tricks like the frontside 1080 double
American World Cup alpine ski racer
Mikaela Shiffrin is the youngest slalom
Olympic champion.
BY BHAGIRATH MEHTA
editor-in-chief
DURING A HOCKEY GAME
SOPHOMORE GRACE OLSEN DEFENDING THE GOAL.
LEARNING THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SPORT
cork. “What they are do is build up
as much momentum as they can. It is
pretty intense. White’s center of mass stays
still, like any falling object. By keeping the
center of mass constant, it means that he can
use this energy to be able to increase his height.
because what he wants to do is he wants to use all
of his energy to lift up. He uses muscle to put a torque
on himself, to give himself that extra height - that way
he’ll go even higher the next time. He twirls around to
conserve his angular momentum. If he can pull himself in,
you can get really cool-looking fast turns. The hardest part
is rotating around and keeping his center of mass in the same
spot,” Sumida said.
“These Olympic athletes have crews of people telling
them they need energy to turn a 100th of a second sooner,
so they can get an extra inch higher. That’s what they practice,
getting that extra inch, just enough to be able to clear [the next
jump]. It’s pretty amazing. It’s really all about building extra
energy and momentum. If you think about it, he’s just a big pendulum
- a huge swing back and forth. When you use a swing, the
place you want to pump is at the top. That’s when you want to
throw your body back, and when you throw your feet back what
you’re really doing is pushing your center of mass upward. The
last thing you want to do is go side to side. When you do, you
don’t go as high, because you use all your energy slipping.
You’re trying to move yourself up because when you move
yourself up you’ll fall further with more gravitational
potential energy.”

To some, awards shows
mean three hours of
unbearable boredom,
but for others it is an exciting way to watch
favorite performers receive recognition for
their work throughout the year.
With the Academy Awards coming up
in one month and the Grammys crowning
Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar, Alessia
Cara, and Ed Sheeran with top honors last
Sunday, this time of year brings speculation,
celebration, and frustration over who
should win.
According to a Westerner survey of 115
students, 77% of students watch award
shows.
Recognizing any number of things from
musicals to movie music composers to best
TV show, which particular award shows
people tune in to depends on their
personal interests in the forms of entertainment
being honored. “I mainly
watch the MTV Music Awards because
I love music, but I don’t watch
the Tonys because I’m not into musicals,”
junior Megan Schore said.
Some people avoid watching
award shows because they seem like op-
10 entertainment February 2, 2018
W
and the award
ARE THE GRAMMYS, EMMYS, AND OSCARS WORTH WATCHING?
portunities for already award show fun is by predicting the winners.
“Before the winner of the nomination
goes to...
successful people to pat
themselves on the back. [is announced], I like to guess which one
However, they simply will win,” junior Maja Kozerski said.
aren’t captivating for But many can agree that it’s always exciting
to see your favorite celebrity win an
BY KARA DEMPSEY
people who aren’t deeply
immersed in that field. “I’ve seen most award. “I like watching award shows be-
entertainment editor
award shows, but I can never sit all the way cause I get to see some of my favorite artists
through any of them because it does get perform, and it’s even better if my favorite
boring,” sophomore Caroline Barnett said. artists win an award,” Kunz said.
While many admit to watching and enjoying
award shows, there are still certain
aspects that push viewers away. “A ‘bad’
part of award shows are when the host tries
to be funny, and it just comes out very awkward,
not funny at all, and kind of annoying,”
Schore said.
Award shows, however, give performers
a chance to be recognized for facing a lifetime
of challenges in a difficult career. In
reality, “not all [nominees or winners] have
always been rich. They had to work hard for
what they have now, and some people deserve
recognition for that,” freshman Sadie
Kunz said.
Not everyone who watches award
shows finds meaning in them, but
“regardless of genre, it’s incredibly
hard work. From cinematography to costume
and set design to acting, all aspects require
huge dedication and a monster work
ethic,” English teacher Angelica Corbett
said.
There are even small things about award
shows that make watching them worthwhile.
A simple way to make watching an
Even if your favorites don’t take home
a trophy, seeing them live – instead
of in scripted situations – can be exciting
enough. “I like to see how some of
my favorite celebrities dress in the award
shows and just in general,” Kozerski said.
“[Award shows] should be significant
because they determine some of the best
artists, actors, movies, songs, and albums
from a very talented circle of people,” Kozerski
said. If you are looking to be entertained
by the best of the best, award shows
“may convince viewers to listen to certain
artists more, watch the nominated and winning
movies, and form an opinion on them,
so they gain more popularity and respect,”
Kozerski said.
Some may dislike award shows because
they are used for more reasons than simply
presenting awards. “Awards shows are for
entertainment and more often than not
they turn into personal platforms for the
winners to discuss the controversy of the
day. And I don’t think that’s what an awards
show should be about,” Corbett said.
BY CORINNE BELLOT
reporter
Outside influences such
as peers, celebrities, and
social media all affect the
choices students make
about clothing. Often, students see
the same brands constantly worn and
advertised and begin to believe that
these clothes, while more expensive,
are better. However, others believe that
clothing quality is what’s key, whether
it contains a popular logo or not.
When visiting the mall there are
many brands and stores to choose
from, but there seems to be an unwritten
list of popular stores that students
frequently visit, depending on each
person’s style. Some popular brands
that students are inclined to buy from
come at a steep price as well.
“I tend to wear Nike shoes a lot
because I think they’re comfortable,”
sophomore Amanda Byrne said.
Similarly, “I wear Fabletics a lot
because I love their clothes, not only
to work out in but also to wear to
school,” senior Nicole Taneva said.
Sport brands aren’t the only ones
with loyal followers. “I like skate
brands so I wear a lot of Supreme,
Thrasher, and RIPNDIP,” senior Nathan
Gramith said.
Students tend to be walking advertisements
for many of these different
brands while at school, but popular
clothing brands also target a certain
audience through various advertising
methods. “Recently, I have seen
ads for lots of different cloth- ing
brands on Instagram as
I’m scrolling through,”
Gramith said. As technology
has evolved, so have
companies’ forms of engagement
with potential
customers.
Although popular
clothing brands
are advertised everywhere,
and
many students
wear them,
most people
also frequently
wear
XIAO LIN HE
non-branded clothing. “I actually have
a lot of off brand clothing because it’s
essentially the same thing so I don’t really
care if it has a special logo or not,”
Byrne said.
Similarly, Taneva agreed saying,
“While I prefer Fabletics, I do own
and wear some off brand clothing
quite regularly.”
Many parents question whether
or not popular brands are worth the
PAYING
FOR AN
image
price, but so do many students.
“For the most part I
don’t see or feel a difference
between brands
except for that some
gym shoes are a
little different for
the brand name,
and better quality,”
Byrne said.
Fashion teacher
Jennifer Chen says there are clues to
look for that will help you know if the
clothing you’re buying is going to last.
The first clue is to look at how sturdy
the sewing is at the areas that require
the greatest range of movement. “Before
buying, check the underarm
seams or crotch seams because these
are the areas where rips happen most
frequently,” she advised. “If the garment
has embellishments or buttons,
check that they are sewn on securely.
Often times with brand name clothing,
you will notice a spare button
sewn onto the inside tag of a garment.”
The fabric itself can vary in quality.
Yarn dyed clothes -- where both sides
of the fabric retain the color because
the color was dyed into the threads
before being woven into cloth -- won’t
fade as quickly as clothing where the
color dye was applied only to the outside.
“I would look for a fabric that
washes well and doesn’t snag or rip easily,”
Chen said.
In such cases, the price is worth it,
logo or not. “It’s the fact that the more
expensive clothing will last me a longer
time than the generic non branded
clothing,” Taneva said.

W February 2, 2018 opinions 11
VIEW FROM THE BOARD OF STUDENT EDITORS
EDITORIAL POLICY
The student-produced newspaper of
Maine West High School, the Westerner,
is dedicated to maintaining the
values of truth, integrity, and courage
in reporting. The Westerner provides
an open public forum for free
and responsible expression of student
opinion, as well as balanced coverage
of issues of student interest. The staff
encourages discussion and free expression
between all members of the
school and community and maintains
its responsibility to inform and educate
the student body.
Unsigned editorials represent the
majority viewpoint of the editorial
board. Letters to the editor, which
are subject to editing for length and
clarity, must be signed by name and
may be published upon approval from
the editorial board. Opinions in letters
are not necessarily those of the
Westerner, nor should any opinion
expressed in the Westerner be construed
as the opinion or policy of the
adviser, the Westerner staff as a whole,
the school staff, the school administration,
or District 207 school board.
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Editor-in-Chief:
Catherine Buchaniec,
Bhagirath Mehta
Associate Editor-in-Chief:
Matthew Montanile
News Editors:
Chris Rios. Ashley Dwy
Features Editor:
Linette Sanchez
In-Depth Editor:
Matthew Montanile
Sports Editors:
Amaan Siddiqui, Dominik Bronakowski
Opinions Editor:
Catherine Buchaniec
Entertainment Editor:
Kara Dempsey
Photo Editor:
Danny Fowler
Art Editor
Zac Abero
Assistant Editors:
Danny Daod, Natalia Wolny, Abigail
Milovancevic, Maraya Adams,
Suzy Linek, Nina Palmer
STAFF MEMBERS
Sarah Smail, Masooma Sultan,
Malaika Zaidi, Ivonne Sanchez,
Arline Vargas, Corinne Bellot,
Jenna Robbins, Destiny Onyeise,
Nana Agyarko, Jelena Pejovic,
Monroe Torkelson, Vincent
Parcelli, Sarah Lane, Alexandra
Malewicz, Greta Sorenson,
Xiao Lin He, Kevin Schill
ADVISER:Laurie McGowan
a tradition of racism
America: the Racist. That is
the unpleasant reality we
don’t like to talk about. The
skeleton in the closet. The
cancer of our supposedly
great nation.
We are not a post-race society developed
from an era following segregation;
we are, instead, part of an epoch
marked by denial and silent contempt.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream,
and today, we still have not fulfilled it.
From the entertainment industry to our
justice system, from presidential remarks
to the very foundations of the social interactions
we have at Maine West -- racism
has pervaded the way our society
currently functions, and has functioned
since its foundation.
When one goes to the doctor with
symptoms of suffering, their claims are
not rebuffed and minimized, yet that
is exactly what America has done with
its own systemic disease. Disregarded it
with ignorance. Dismissed evidence of
systematic disenfranchisement. Refuted
the problem right in front of all of our
faces.
Racism in 2018 is not blatant displays
of refused service or
separate accommodations
but rather
a silent pestilence,
interwoven into all
aspects of our lives
through stereotypes
that feed off each
35%
OF STUDENTS FELT LIKE
THEY HAVE ACTED IN A
MANNER THAT COULD BE
PERCEIVED AS RACIST*
other. According
to a 2014 study
from the Entman-
Rojecki Index of
Race and Media, 89% of black women
in movies are shown swearing and acting
in offensive behavior while only 17% of
white women are portrayed in this manner.
And we sit and watch. We accept it
and let it absorb into our subconscious.
Over the course of our lives, it has
silently festered -- in some more than
others.
Yet, when revolution does rise, the
cries of outrage ring even louder than
the initial resistance itself.
“All lives matter.”
“Reverse discrimination.”
“You will not replace us.”
These are the chants of opposition
from people who
deny their position
as a racist, yet fight
against movements of
egalitarianism.
Furthermore, our
current political climate
has only exasperated
the problem
at hand by uniting
America not through
a shared goal of equality,
but by the fear of people who look
different. According to our president,
those from Norway seem to be the ideal
immigrants when compared to those
from “sh****** countries.” Mexicans are
criminals and rapists but white nationalists
are “very fine people,” he said.
These statements from those
in the highest position of
authority are the ones that
make our allied countries
wince, but our president is
only the tip of the iceberg. The subtlety
in which racism affects
all of us is the paradigm
of our ignorance
of racism. No one is
going to admit they are
racist, for they might
not even recognize
the connotations their
thoughts and actions
have.
The Asian student
doesn’t have to be on
math team or automatically know all the
answers or get straight A’s. The black student
does not have to play basketball or
be a good dancer. Dark hair and tan skin
does not mean someone speaks Spanish.
Some generalizations do have a reasonable
basis and in some circumstances
prove to be accurate, but they should not
be the foundation on which we base interactions
with our fellow classmates and
workers. We should caution ourselves on
readily forming generalizations about
our fellow human beings.
We need to recognize that although
we say we’re not racist, in some ways, we
are. During incidents of large-scale violence,
those in hijabs,
turbans, and topis
are the first to be suspected.
Anti-semitism
hauntingly remains
a problem across the
globe through denials
of the Holocaust. Being
on welfare is seen
as being equivalent to
being a minority. This
is not a black vs. white
problem. This is a problem of people of
all representations, and before we can
even make change, we need to to recognize
that we have a problem.
It is not the doctrines dictating
our justice system that are flawed,
but rather the applicability to
our present day court and prison
system that are corrupt. The bias
found within each of us, including police
officers, judges, and prison guards have
led to a system of inequality. Although
white Americans are statistically proven
to participate in drug usage more often
than those of other ethnicities, blacks are
more likely to be incarcerated.
These issues are not going to be fixed
lightly and will require decades of not
just a shift in laws, but a shift in mindset.
Instead of denying our plague of racism,
we need to take the first step in the
road to recovery and say, “Hi, my name
is America and I have a problem.”
To recognize that when we look at
lower A-Wing, we shouldn’t think of
those with a darker shade of skin. To
recognize not all minorities are firstgeneration,
ESL students. To recognize
that being white does not automatically
make you Christian. To recognize
that Hispanic does not mean broke. To
recognize that having a different race,
religion or creed should not mean being
judged by the worst of one’s kind. Only
after admittance can we start the process
of fixing our relations, our institutions,
and moreover, our way of life.
“
*ANONYMOUS STUDENT RESPONSES FROM A WESTERNER SURVEY OF 115 STUDENTS
Have you ever felt
like you accidentally
said something or did
something that someone
could have felt or
perceived as racist?
18%
OF STUDENTS STATED
THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
THE TARGET OF RACIST
BEHAVIOR*
I was taking attendance for a group of people
that I didn’t know. There were two names left
on the list, one I assumed to be traditionally
prevalent among African Americans and the other
common among white people. Seeing that there were
two kids left, one black and one white, I assumed
their names based on my stereotype. It turned out
that I was wrong, and I awkwardly apologized to
the two students.
—A STUDENT RESPONSE IN THE
ANONYMOUS WESTERNER SURVEY

12 opinions February 2, 2018
W
Nothing seems more like two perfectly
connected puzzle pieces than teenagers
at a mall, notched together in
social and economic unity. From
movies, like the classic “Mean Girls” to what you
see on any visit to Woodfield, teenagers for years
have been associated with spending their days at
the mall hanging out with friends while shopping,
eating, or watching a movie.
However, the weekends of shopping sprees
and free samples are coming to stop. According
to CNN, statistics show that 20% to 25% of U.S.
malls will be closing down in the next five years.
The number of malls has slowly been declining in
recent years, but the amount predicted to close
down in 2018 is the highest it has ever been.
The age of technology appears to be a leading
reason why physical stores are plummeting
while online stores are gaining more clicks every
day. The trend of shopping online is more popular
than ever and it is showing no signs of failing any
time soon.
Furthermore, not only are smaller businesses
moving out of their local malls, but major stores
with large brands are shutting down as well. Department
stores such as Sears, JCPenney, Macy’s
and clothing and accessory stores such as Michael
Kors have closed storefronts in not tens, but in
hundreds. The collapse of physical stores have
cost thousands of employees of these former stores
their jobs. Everything a mall stood for and has offered
is being torn down before our very eyes.
Although at first glance it may seem that the
purpose of a mall is
just for shopping,
malls have been a
part of teenage culture
for decades.
Malls still provide a
PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO
SAID THEY VISIT A MALL
SEVERAL TIMES
A MONTH*
comfortable, accessible
environment for
socializing in person,
which is still something
that’s important
to maintain. No one
has to convince their
parents it’s ok to have friends over, and no
one has to worry that their parents will be
hovering the whole time. Malls provide a
bit of freedom it’s hard to find elsewhere
in the suburbs. Though the statistics are
showing nothing but decline in the number
of malls, there’s still hope for the more
major, popular, and stable malls. Stronger
malls aren’t giving up just yet and are still
constantly renovating their buildings to
bring in more shoppers for a better experience.
Adjustments are being made
to adapt to the competition of technology and
ideas are being put into play to continue the attraction
of people towards their local mall. Attractions
such as bowling alleys, movie theaters, and
new experiences for people to try are being built
35
BY ALEXANDRA MALEWICZ
columnist
in order to emphasize the social
environment malls provide. Additionally,
some malls are even
establishing grocery stores into
their building so that necessary
tasks can bring in customers.
Malls are trying to go beyond
the limit of just shopping and
give people more reasons to
come through their doors.
Although many malls
will still close down due to a
lack of not keeping up with
the times, there are still some
malls who may just have
enough innovation and creativity
left to draw in a new
generation of mall-goers.
Let’s hope so, or we may be
on the verge of being the
last generation to experience
mall-roaming freedom.
THE CHANGING
FACE OF
DATING
BY SARAH LANE
columnist
RANDHURST VILLAGE: BEAME ARCHITECTURAL PARTNERSHIP, AMC, WOODFIELD MALL: SIMON PROPERTIES, GOLF MILL
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, we see
how thoroughly we’ve internalized the message
that we must have someone -- anyone --
to celebrate with. And with the rise of digital
media to solve every problem and meet every need, people are
experimenting with drastically different ways
to find that “true love.”
Finding someone face-to-face has now
33%
OF STUDENTS SAID
THEY WOULD
CONSIDER GOING
ON A BLIND DATE*
become somewhat of a rarity, whether its a
blind date your friend set up or if you finally
got the nerve to talk to the cute person sitting
next to you. Now, more often then not,
the “how we met” stories all revolve around
the internet. Online dating sites and apps,
and even Instagram and Snapchat, have
made it as easy as the swipe of a finger to meet the 100% “perfect
person” for you, even if that means you may go weeks or
even months talking to them without ever meeting in real life
or knowing if they are, in fact, real.
Of course there are some downfalls to this way of connecting.
The Internet has become a haven for criminals and pedophiles
and even just plain old immoral, bored jerks to target
their unsuspecting victims, either by catfishing or just withholding
the key information needed to understand they’re not
really who they say they are. But everyone still seems to think
that the risk is worth it if they actually can find their “soulmate”
whom they probably would have never even known existed
without the help of their iPhone or computer.
But, of course, not every social media site should be grouped
together. Many actually do help improve communication
and make it easier to meet new people
they would have never talked to because they aren’t
involved in the same activities as them or go to
a completely different school, especially for high
schoolers who are still limited with where they
can go to meet new people. Also with apps such
as Instagram and Snapchat it is harder for online
predators to target teenagers because of the ability
to set your account on private and block others
who make you uncomfortable. Having pictures be the main
purpose of these social media apps increasingly helps weed out
the predators because the tech savvy youth of today will notice
unusual pattern of posting, like never posting pictures of themselves
or posting pictures that are more likely than not fake or
Photoshopped.
However, this shouldn’t cause you to hide your inner hopeless
romantic because with every bad date or interaction there
may be numerous good ones that make all your efforts worth it.
*ACCORDING TO WESTERNER SURVEY OF 115 STUDENTS

W February 2, 2018 opinions 13
THIS IS
NOT
Arguably one of the most important
aspects of the college application
process, the SAT proves to be a major
stress-producing experience, more
so than almost anything else in high
school. With such huge consequences
at stake, shouldn’t the school try to
help its students get the scores they
need?
Yes, our school
does offer a SAT
prep course which
will help prepare the
students for the big
test. However, that
course is about $300
-- a hefty amount to
pay when the material
could just as easily
be taught during students’
free periods.
Throughout the
years leading up to
the official SAT at the end of junior
year, we are only given
three official practice tests
which are supposed to
help us gauge our progress. Obviously
this is better than not getting an practice
at all, however, three tests spread
across three years is not at all enough
for a student to see significant growth
since the SAT requires a specific set of
test-taking skills not typically used by
students in the every-day classroom
setting.
One way that the school could
help to improve the student’s testing
abilities is to dedicate specific days or
weeks of class each quarter to solely
how to prepare for
A TEST
practice certain skills for the English
and Math portions of the test. Doing
something as simple as this every two
months or so could greatly increase a
student’s test taking abilities and add
to their overall success as a test taker.
Another way the school might be
able to strengthen the student’s testing
skills is by receiving homework
directly related to SAT
prep such as using Khan
Academy where it is personalized
to strengthen the
skills. This would help to
prepare the students for
what the real test is like
and strengthen their ability
to take the test -- repetition
is the most vital component
to helping students
perform well on a test that
will be a determining factor
in deciding what colleges
students will attend.
Understandably,
BY VINCENT PARCELLI
columnist
the responsibility is
mainly in the student’s
hands when it comes to preparing
for such an important test.
Yet, Maine West should take steps to
try and better the students’ abilities,
whether that be extra guided practice
or simply taking time out of the day
to walk through a couple practice
questions. That way, such an important,
stressful test might be more familiar
to the students, thus resulting
in greater confidence, and hopefully
improved overall test scores.
fast path
to failure
As we all parade to our counselors to
register for next year’s classes, many students
have overlooked the newest course offering for
CATY BUCHANIEC
2018-2019: Plagiarism 101. Taught by the best
of the best, this will be a class equipping students with the right tools to save time
on their essays while presenting a professional outlook on their topics by writing
exactly what a professional has previously written or said. While frowned upon by
universities, scholarships and teachers in general, this class will prepare students
for the challenges they will face while introducing new skills into their writing
assessments. The class will show students how to find a good source to plagiarise,
how to eliminate the underlines from the hot links they accidentally copy and
paste, and even how to spot plagiarism in the real
world. Plagiarism 101 will take the school by storm
showing everyone how handy and great plagiarism
can be for a student in the technological era.
Colleges and universities are sure to appreciate
all of the good work and insight that you have on
issues that only professionals understand and could
write. The class starts slowly by teaching how to
copy a web site without accidentally including the
pop-up ads. After covering the basics, the class will
move into advanced topics such as how to make up
lies and flimsy justifications when you are caught,
such as “If Melania could do it, why can’t I?” With
proper concealment (which is Unit 3) no one will
ever know that you borrowed work from Wikipedia,
SparkNotes, or the essay you purchased from a “Yale
Graduate Student.”
BY KEVIN SCHILL
columnist
While it may help you sneak through with some credit now, many of the
students who plagiarise are slowly ruining their futures; they will lack important
skills in researching and writing, will have no experience with thinking for themselves,
and will continue to fail when facing challenging reading. These things are
all high stakes once you get to college and are paying tuition for classes you aren’t
prepared to handle.While fear of punishment can motivate some students who
don’t have the drive or motivation to write a whole essay, the majority of students
will just go right back to what was saving them effort and time throughout their
day. Seeing students who can’t do what’s expected of them is heartbreaking.
Students should take advantage of the many options that Maine has to offer.
Instead of sitting around at home watching Netflix or playing video games, students
should be preparing for essays or at the least making a rough outline. That
show is 45 minutes long, this could only take a measly 20 minutes and you get
a grade you know that you earned and the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing
your part in your education.
“OVERLOADED”
ZAC ABERO

14 sports February 2, 2018
W
Taking
Down
ThePost
WRESTLING CONTINUES
WINNING TREND, ALREADY
EXCEEDING LAST YEAR
Season
BY DANNY DAOOD
asst. editor
B
oasting a record of 16-5
the Maine West Wrestling
team has had great
success this season, improving
upon last year’s
12-10 record with the Regional tournament
and the rest of the postseason
approaching. On January 20th, the
team competed in the CSL conference
tournament . The tournament
did not count towards a team score
but is meant for individuals to go
against the best from each school for
All-Conference selections.
At the tournament Senior Arsalan
Afshar placed 1st overall for the 132
lb. weight class, Junior Jacob Bellizzi
placed 2nd overall for the 195 lb.
weight class, Junior Zak Chrisovitsiotis
placed 4th overall for the 120 lb.
weight class, while Junior Ilia Tomov
also placed 4th for the 126 lb weight
class.
Coaches have been preparing the
Regional tournament starting tomorrow.
Head coach Christopher Brassell
says the team has preparing by “Just
trying to make sure we focus on all
the little things, our nutrition, staying
healthy, focusing in practice. If we do
all that I think we’ll be really successful
heading into Regionals.”
This year’s team has been
far younger and less
experienced than years
past, but have still found
ways to succeed. Brassell
says, “This year’s team has extremely
strong leadership from our seniors,
particularly captains Arsalan Afshar
and Jayton Hall. We’ve had 17 different
guys step up into the lineup, a
lot of first year varsity wrestlers, many
sophomores and even some freshmen
who have stepped up and we need all
those guys to succeed.”
The team has high hopes to get as
many wrestlers into deep postseason
runs as possible, along with goals of
conference and regional championships.
Junior Jacob Bellizzi, who was
a state qualifier in the 2016-17 season,
hopes to travel once again to the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
for the state tournament and
to wrestle under the spotlight at the
16,000-seat State Farm Arena. “I want
to return to state this year and redeem
myself for last year. I’ve been working
with good partners that train me hard
and teach me a lot so I feel confident
in my ability,” Bellizzi said. Seniors
Arsalan Afshar and Jayton Hall have
had postseason success in the past and
hope to build off their victories this
season.
All season long the coaches
have been training their
wrestlers for this crucial
stretch of meets and Afshar
believes “in terms
of preparation, they’ve embarked on
the journey we are currently on, many
times, so they have the experience and
are able to precisely craft practices
to allow us to perform to the best of
our ability. As long as we trust in our
coaches and trust the process, good
things will come in regionals.”
The team altogether feels
very ready for regionals.
They have trained
relentlessly all season.
The team has a drill
called “Stance in motion” which senior
Jayton Hall refers to as “ruthless.
We have to get in our stance for a certain
amount of time and go through
our shots, sprawls, and fakes. It really
works on our footwork and leg
strength,” he said.
Senior Arsalan Afshar feels that the
lessons of the season go beyond what
happens in competition. He said it is
“incredibly motivating to have such
amazing coaches who are dedicated to
not only the success of our wrestlers
on the mat, but changing us into leaders
in the community as well.”
AMAAN SIDDIQUI
Sophomore Nikolina Vujcic hits a
high lib cheer stunt at assembly.
LOUD AND PROUD
CHEERLEADING TAKES ITS LAST ROUTINE TO THE FLOOR THIS YEAR
BY SUZANNA LINEK
asst. editor
Posting their highest score of
the season, Cheer team had their
best performance of the year at
Niles West this past Saturday, hitting
every stunt.
In the week between the Huntley
competition on Jan. 21 and
the Niles West one, “we changed
formations and increased difficulty
so that our score could be raised
but we could stay clean as a team
in our performance,”sophomore
flyer Niki Vujcic said. “We added
a stunt where we switch legs from
the ground up. We added a heel
stretch and successfully did a fullaround
in extension” where the
whole group moves while one flyer
is elevated.
“I think our energy we had before
the end of the routine, during
the dance, showed all of the sassiness
we try to bring to the mat,”
Vujcic said. “We were all really
proud of ourselves and it pushes us
to push for bigger goals next year.”
After each competition, using
the judges’ feedback, the team
added additional elements such as
tumbling to their routine to improve
it and make it more challenging.
Even though the early
competition season required lots of
revising and practicing to improve
their routine, the team felt satisfied
“knowing that everyone did the
best they could and that they ‘left
everything on the mat’ which is our
way of saying ‘give 110%,’” senior
base Zenaida Chavez said.
Cheerleading as a whole is a
very complex sport, so Maine West
needs adaptive players involved.
The West team is coed and competes
with a routine that includes a
series of dancing and tumbling that
demands a lot from each person in
competitions and practices. “One
time, I didn’t set for the backflip
correctly. I jumped in the air, but
midway through, I stopped rotating
and ended up dropping on my
head. It was really funny to me, but
most of my coaches and teammate
thought I broke my neck,” senior
backspot Stanislaw Ezlakowski
said. It is all about trial and error
when learning new things, but just
like in any competition, there is no
second chance.
As the season comes to an end,
the team will have their last chances
to work with the five seniors.
Chavez highlighted what she’ll
miss most: “I’ll miss the coaches
and all that they have done for me
and my team because we all felt
like a family. It’s going to be hard
to break away from that.”

W
February 2, 2018 sports 15
NOW IS
A LOOK INTO THE BEST GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM
SINCE THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM
AMAAN SIDDIQUI
sports editor
Standing at 23-1 and
pummeling opponents
from all over
the Midwest, the Lady
Warriors will not be
derailed by anyone or anything
in their quest to be conference,
regional, and state champions.
They triumphed in the first
half of the season by scoring 94
points against Maine East and
beating Beaver-Dam, the standing
Wisconsin state champions.
They take on the East Blue Demons
again in their final home
game tonight at 7:30 p.m.
In their win over Beaver-
Dam, the girls won by nine,
while putting 60 on the board,
and snapped their opponents’
31-game winning streak.
“Beaver-Dam was a battle,
but we led the entire way and we
brought it to them and set our
own tempo,” head coach Kim
DeMarigny said.
With wins against every
team in conference and another
Dundee-Crown holiday tournament
trophy under their belt,
things could not be looking
brighter for the girls. Beating
some of the best teams in Illinois
so far, the girls have had only one loss this
year, coming up two points short against the
reigning Illinois state champions from last year,
Geneva, where the Warriors went 20/70 from
the field,
However, even after losing a second time,
the girls are not fazed or demoralized. “We
had a rough first three quarters and we started
playing as if we were intimidated,” sophomore
Angela Dugalic said., “If we see them again [in
the state tournament] it will be a good game.”
Last Friday, the Warriors crushed Deerfield,
Sophomore Angela Dugalic takes a floater to add more points to
the warriors early run against Deerfield on Jan. 27.
64-22, in another dominating performance
that relied just as heavily on defensive intensity
as it did shooting accuracy. “We have a lot
of height which works to our advantage, and
we have a few different defenses that we have
practiced a lot that can throw other teams off.”
junior Rachel Kent said.
With five returning starters,
consisting of three seniors,
a junior, and a sophomore,
the girls have a mix of both
youth and experience they
bring to the court.
THE TIME
This mix allows the knowledge
and experience of players to
be passed down from girls with
multiple years of varsity basketball.
“Rachel and Angela are definitely
the future of the program,”
senior captain Alisa Fallon said “I
think that Angela has the potential
to be the best player of all
time at Maine West.” With a lot
of success as of now, and a lot
of potential for coming years, it
seems that nothing could be better
for the girls program.
For some girls, however, there
is some unfinished business:
state.
With an abundance
of
wins, college-bound
athletes, and
all-conference players, it can be
said that this is perhaps the best
team to play at Maine West since
the turn of the millenium. Fallon,
who made it to state two
years ago when she played for
Trinity, said, “I know what it
feels like to get down there, and
I want nothing more for us than
to finish with a win. Of all the
teams I have been on in high
school, this team by far is the
best.”
Yet, even with all of the hype
around the team, the girls are focused
on the task at hand and are ready for the
path ahead. “Our team motto this year is ‘well
done is better than well said ,” ] Demarigny affirmed,
and their “WD>WS” ideal has been the
mindset since the preseason.
Regionals begin Feb. 13, with sectionals
hosted at Maine East on Feb. 19. “Our sectionals
were realigned and we definitely have
the hardest sectional in the state,” senior Jessica
Riedl said. “We might see Loyola and Montini,
two great teams and we will have to come out
strong.”
GRETA SORENSON

16 sports February 2, 2018
W
BOYS BASKETBALL REBOUNDS
INTO SUCCESSFUL SEASON
CRASH THE BOARDSDANNY FOWLER
Senior Corion Staten looks to get the Warriors into their offense during the third quarter of their win against Highland Park, Jan. 19.
BY REILLY OLSEN
reporter
The Warriors boys basketball team
had a slow start to the season, but
has since bounced back to make this
a 12-6 season to remember, with a
0.667 winning percentage. Looking to
add to the win column, tonight they
face Maine East in the Demons’ gym
at 7 p.m.
Standing 6-1 in conference, the
boys are tied for first in the CSL with
Highland Park. The team is well positioned
to seize their first conference
title in over 20 years.
With each win, the team is becoming
more and more confident of its
ability to secure a conference title. The
victory over Highland Park on Jan. 18
kept the dream alive because a loss
would have eliminated the Warriors
from any chance at the championship.
The Warriors pulled away with a
big victory over Deerfield in another
conference game on Jan. 26 at Deerfield.
Coach Tom Prokopij said the
team is preparing for a state tournament
run by “trying to save our legs
so we’re not worn out come March.
We’re shortening up our practices right
now and doing a lot of maintenance
on the ‘little things’ that have earned
us the success we’ve been enjoying thus
far.”
Starting on Monday, the Warriors
will have a six-game home series that
will finish their regular season, including
games against conference foes
Vernon Hills and Glenbrook North
(GBN). Every conference game from
now on plays a major role in the road
to a conference championship. The
team is building from previous victories
including over St. Viator, GBN,
PROGESS CHECK
BOYS SWIMMING
Tonight the swim team looks to post faster times against
Niles West in the CSL crossover meet at the Wolves’ pool.
Boys swimming also has hopes to place fourth overall as a
team in the upcoming CSL tournament on Feb. 10.
The team has had many memorable races this year but one
that especially stands out was the meet against Vernon Hills
on Jan. 19. “Completion wise, it was definitely our best meet
of the season, and although we lost, it was very competitive
and multiple swimmers finished with season-best times and
many of the races were lost by just tenths of a second,” senior
Paul Loewes said. Loewes’ season- best was a 1:06 in a 100m
backstroke at that meet.
Lowees is optimistic about individuals excelling beyond
the current regular season. “Sophomore J.J Sebastian and
freshman Ian Listpod have shined this season and are definitely
going to be the future of our team,” he said.
—DANNY DAOOD, SPORTS EDITOR
and Notre Dame. Senior Shivam Patel
said one of these wins stands out
among them all: when the Warriors
“beat the 15th ranked team in state,”
St. Viator.
But the season has not been all
work for the Warriors. The team
knows how to celebrate after a big win.
Senior Matthew Kentgen said one of
his favorite memories is the team tradition
of post-game dance sessions. “We
have this huge speaker that we bring
with us to home and away games and
after every win we blast it in the locker
room. It’s a really fun time to enjoy
the win.”
Junior Justin Scholler agreed, noting
“the whole team waits for coach to
walk in and then we all start dancing
and yelling and going crazy.”
With senior night approaching on
Feb. 14 against GBN, the seniors are
CATHERINE BUCHANIEC
Foil captain Connor Ryan (on left) competes at Catholic
Memorial High School at the start of the season.
feeling bittersweet about the last time
playing on their home court with their
teammates of many years.
Senior Jack Collins knows what he
is looking forward to on senior night:
“to be able to play with the guys that
I have been playing this sport with
since 7th grade one last time on our
home floor.” Collins explains what
makes this team so close is “that the
core group of people have been playing
together forever.”
Because of this long history among
teammates, Prokopij said, “The team
chemistry and dedication to the program
this year has been incredible.”
He said he has “truly enjoyed
coaching them and watching them
grow into young men” and that he
“really excited for them and what the
future holds for them.”
FENCING
After placing first at state
for men’s team foil, fencers will
compete at the Great Lakes conference
meet this weekend.
“I have become much more
focused on working out to make
me a better fencer and not just
be in better shape. This new
speed and strength has given me
the ability to be more versatile in
how I beat my opponents. The
biggest challenge of conference
will be keeping my focus so I
can beat off anyone who thinks
they can beat me,” said senior
foil captain Connor Ryan, who
also placed first in foil individually
at state.
— CATHERINE BUCHANIEC,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF