March 2018

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2 news March 2, 2018 W PLT AND MOVIE CLUB TEAM UP FOR THE CUSTODIANS n a roll BY SARAH SMAIL reporter UPto the challenge BY ASHLEY DWY news editor In order to raise awareness and funding for children with Down syndrome, Maine West is partnering with the UPS for DownS organization and hosting different in-school activities throughout March. These in-school fundraisers include the dodgeball tournament that took place last Friday, a BINGO game held during lunch periods and the Fun Fair. “We want to raise awareness for kids with Down syndrome. A good friend of mine has a daughter with Down syndrome, so I think this fundraiser was a very good choice,” assistant principal John Aldworth said. Student Council held a BINGO game on Feb. 22 in the cafeteria, selling three BINGO cards for $1. “We were brainstorming for ideas for the school-wide fundraiser and that was one of the ideas that came out of it. Plus, it was unlike anything we’ve done before,” Student Council sponsor Samantha Archer said. A dodgeball tournament was held last Friday in B-Wing Gym. It was $30 per team -- both students and staff were able to participate. “The kids love it! I actually had a few students come up to me and tell me it was the best experience they had in all of high school,” P.E. teacher Adam York, who ran the dodgeball tournament, said. The Fun Fair will also be held March 10 from 4-7 p.m. In order to make this happen, Maine West has teamed up with the Des Plaines Youth Commission. The juggler Andy Head and a balloon artist named Jazzy will entertain the children attending the fair, and West clubs will set up their own booths and create their own activities and games to entertain the kids. “The best thing about this fair is having people in the community witness how our West students come together for a greater cause,” Youth Commission chairperson Mary Dankowski said. Featuring entertainment ranging from “Thor: Ragnarok” to “Scooby-Doo,” the Principal’s Leadership Team and Movie Club have decided to team up to create “Movie Month.” This event will act as a fundraiser for both Custodian Appreciation Week and Movie Club itself. March is when Custodian Appreciation Week will take place, and this year, the Principal’s Leadership Team (PLT) is looking to bring back an old tradition to give custodians a barbecue on a weekday when students are off from school. Using money that is gained from Movie Month, PLT is hoping to host an appreciation luncheon for the custodians during Spring Break. “They could definitely get acknowledged more. I think that it’s an amazing idea because the custodians need to be honored for all the hard work they do at our school,” freshman Aiyana Puente said. In addition to the luncheon, students will be given the opportunity from March 19-23 to write notes as a thank you, similar to what happens during teacher appreciation week. Working around the clock at Maine BY MALAIKA ZAIDI reporter West, there are currently three shifts of custodians for a total of 33 workers. A variety of movies will be shown on Fridays after school in L101 throughout March. To attract more students, each individual will be given a box of popcorn, courtesy of the Pop Shop, when they pay an admission fee to enter. By combining movies with a great cause, the Principal’s Leadership Team is hoping that enough money will be raised to grant the custodians a treat they morethan deserve. “I don’t think custodians get enough appreciation because they’re the ones who keep our school clean and kids in the lunchroom don’t even pick up after themselves,” junior Justin Mendoza said. Movie Club is a logical fit for combining with the PLT initiative. “It was an idea that I brought up with some students in my classes and they thought watching movies on the big screen was a great idea. I thought it was a good idea to have students come together to watch and enjoy movies,” Movie Club sponsor Jeffrey Tieman said. ALL OUT FOR SERVICE With a Blanket Drive in March, the Daddy Daughter Dance on April 14, and the ongoing greenhouse project underway, National Honor Society members are focused on continuing their semester one success in helping the community. For the Blanket Drive, students are making blankets for the Harbor, a homeless shelter. “Since it’s been very, very cold outside and so many people are homeless, we thought it’d be awesome if we could make blankets and deliver them to a place with people between the ages of 12 and 21 years old. It’s more personal that way, since we’d be helping people like us who go through these hard times,” senior NHS secretary Ahtziri Alviso said. With plans also coming together for the Daddy-Daughter Dance, “we will have girls come and volunteer to dress up as princesses for the little girls. It’s absolutely wonderful,” senior NHS treasurer Elizabeth Sofinet said. Last year’s NHS members built the foundation of creating Maine West’s first-ever greenhouse. Members are now starting small, by planting the seeds in Behavior Redirect Program Facilitator Kathleen Petersen’s room and continuing their fundraising for the building. Senior Michael Montanile helps with “Seniors Teaching Seniors,” an NHS activity where members helped solved senior citizens’ tech problems. The year has been busy for NHS members from day one. Planned by senior NHS president Bhagirath Mehta, NHS members created “Seniors Teaching Seniors” -- presentations to teach senior citizens how to work with technology. They led the senior citizens step by step on how to work with social media, the mail app, YouTube, and emojis. Since NHS members get to pick which service projects they do, activities have been designed to appeal to a range of interests. The quarter two project consisted of making cards for hospitalized kids. Students also led poetry classes to teach younger kids poetry. “I did different types of projects. They were something I had never done before,” senior Josselyn Cruz said. NHS continues to be an outlet for going out of one’s way to do things one normally wouldn’t do.
W March 2, 2018 news 3 Down with the Sickness STUDENTS SUFFER THROUGH THE WORST YEAR IN DECADES With thousands of patients heading to hospitals and more than 90 children dead, this year’s flu season has shaped up to be the worst in America in over a decade. “It’s miserable. I’m hot and cold at the same time,” senior Ashley Cedeno said while home with a flu diagnosis this week. “I had a sore throat, fever and chills.” Students who come to school when sick are perpetuating the problem, as 71 percent of Maine West students say they feel pressure to attend school even when they are ill. Even still, the impact of the flu and other illnesses has a dramatic impact on attendance, with 31 percent of students saying they have missed school this year because of a fever. “I would tell people who have the flu to not come to school since it was probably other people that were the ones that got me sick,” Cedeno said. The flu is a contagious respiratory infection that can be caused by different kinds of viruses. The most prevalent ones are Types A and B which cause the flu season to occur. While Type B can cause some severe reactions, Type A constantly morphs and is usually behind the large flu epidemics. “It seems that the flu is hitting people very differently,” health teacher Joan Hare explained. “The flu vaccine was not as effective as they hoped, so even people who have gotten the flu shot are still getting it.” That rings true for Cedeno. “Even though I had the vaccine, it’s only 33 percent effective,” she said, so now she’s stuck at home resting and on a prescription from her doctor. The impact of the flu is rapid: “Sunday was when I had a sore throat, and I couldn’t even talk at all by Monday.” This year’s intense flu season was caused by a particular virus strain known as H3N2. The strain causes an intense reaction from the body’s immune system where the lungs can become inflamed and airways become blocked by mucus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this year’s flu shot was only 36% effective against A and B virus strains. Different strains of the flu virus are able to mutate over time and constantly replace older strains of the virus. The flu shot is changed every year to try and target what strains of the disease will be the most common, though the process isn’t foolproof. SHORT DAYS = MORE SICKNESS Although there’s not a definite answer as to why we have flu seasons, there are theories that could explain why these occur annually. “I think it’s because people are indoors more and are spreading the flu easily in more enclosed areas,” Hare said. The short days and long nights of winter also provide less sunlight, which means people are absorbing less vitamin D. During exposure to sunlight, the skin absorbs UV-B radiation and begins the process of converting it to D3. “In the winter we don’t get enough vitamin D and that links to your immune system. Without having a strong immune system, you’re more likely to get sick,” Hare said. PREVENTING THE MISERY “You are going to get exposed to the virus so the question is: what are you going to do to put up defenses against it?” Hare asked. “For me it is to just eat well, sleep well, and manage your stress. These choices can strengthen your immune system so when the virus does enter your body, you don’t get as sick. Other than washing your hands and avoiding close contact with people who are sick, it’s important to be conscientious of others when it comes to health. In a Westerner survey of 140 responses, 91% of students wash their hands or use hand sanitzer at school one or more times per day. Yet, only 37% of students received their flu shot this year. “There are obviously guidelines for a school that you have to stay home for 24 hours if you’re sick,” Hare said. “If you come to school, you’re going to get others sick but I know for students that if you miss a day or two, it’ll become very stressful. The best option for you and for the people around you is to stay home, email your teachers, and try to keep up as best as you can.” BY CHRIS RIOS news editor 31% OF STUDENTS HAVE MISSED SCHOOL BECAUSE OF A FEVER 71% OF STUDENTS FEEL PRES- SURED TO COME TO SCHOOL WHEN THEY ARE SICK 91% OF STUDENTS WASH THEIR HANDS OR HAND SANITIZE ONE OR MORE TIMES AT SCHOOL EACH DAY According to a Westerner survey of 140 students 63% OF STUDENTS HAVE NOT GOTTEN THEIR FLU SHOT THIS YEAR ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION THERE HAS BEEN 97 FLU-RELATED DEATHS AMONG U.S. CHILDREN
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