November 2019

MAINE

WEST'S

STUDENT

VOICE FOR

60 YEARS

WESTERNER

NOVEMBER 2019

MaKinG a

better

BreAk

spin here

GRETA

MARTIN

volume 61, issue 3

mwwesterner.com + @mwwesterner

2 news/westerner

November 22, 2019

71%

of students think

the legalization of

marijuana is a good

idea and support

the change*

*according to a Westerner

survey of 156 students

“It’s profitable,

plus it keeps

one source of

revenue away

from criminals

and in the hands

of the law.”*

ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE VOTES TO LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, STARTING JAN. 1

BY CLARE OLSON AND JENNA ROBBINS

asst. news editor and news editor

Recreational marijuana will officially become

legal, for people over the age of 21, in Illinois on

Jan. 1, 2020, making it the 11th state to officially

legalize marijuana for recreational use. Currently,

medical marijuana is legal to use in Illinois, along

with 33 other states.

“A couple of years ago, they legalized medical

marijuana, and there are a lot of people in our

communities who are using marijuana in a responsible

way. It’s clear that the sky didn’t fall and society

didn’t end, so the stigma was kind of broken,”

Des Plaines Alderman and Maine West alumnus

Andrew Goczkowski said. After the use of medical

marijuana was somewhat de-stigmatized, states

began to consider if recreational marijuana should

be decriminalized for adults, too. For Maine West

students and all people under the age of 21, however,

possession and use remains illegal.

The revenue that could be made by taxing recreational

marijuana was an important deciding

factor in Illinois’ decision to legalize the drug. On

Monday, Nov. 18, the Des Plaines City Council

was planning to vote on whether or not to allow

marijuana to be sold at shops in Des Plaines.

“Taxing marijuana can be a major source of revenue

for the state. Since a bunch of other states

have moved forward in legalizing recreational

marijuana, it was kind of a no brainer for Illinois

to move forward,” Goczkowski said.

Now that marijuana will be legally available

to adults, more people may be curious to try it,

as it’s illegality might have steered away individuals

before. “If it’s legal, there will be a fascination

with it at first. People who otherwise wouldn’t try

it are going to at least see what it’s about, so that

curiosity alone will likely generate demand,” AP

Economics teacher Diviak said.

Goczkowski, agreeing, said, “I think that the

demand is going to be enormous. If you open up

the market to folks who want to do something

like this in a way that’s safe and regulated, then it’s

not somebody going to a drug dealer. It’s people

who aren’t comfortable breaking the law who may

be interested in doing these things.” One hope is

that by decriminalizing marijuana use, fewer police

and court resources will be used to arrest and

imprison people, which will allow those agencies

to focus on more serious crimes.

Many people, however, have grown up with

the belief that all drugs are a taboo. “I think that

folks who were brought up in the decades earlier

than yours, and even mine, grew up with DARE

[Drug Abuse Resistance Education], and they

talked about gateway drugs, and said, ‘If you try

marijuana, you’re going to be

on heroin next,’” Goczkowski

said.

Although marijuana can currently

be bought for medical purposes, legalizing

recreational marijuana still

doesn’t sit right with some people. “I

don’t think it has to be scary, it’s just

something that we should know

everything about, properly regulate,

and stop minors from accessing,”

Goczkowski said.

Just as drunk drivers and intoxicated family

members can be a serious concern even for

people who don’t drink, it is possible that recreational

marijuana legality for people over 21 years

old could have an impact on students’ daily lives.

People could abuse the use of marijuana, even

when legal, like they could do the same with alcohol.

“Alcohol is as much a drug as cannabis in a lot

of ways, and if anything, folks who drink liquor to

the point of getting drunk are a much bigger implication

on society than folks who

are going to be using this

law to get high. They’re

much more likely to

drive drunk than

this situation,”

Goczkowski

said.

DARCY BUCHANIEC

november 22, 2019 westerner/news 3

Hosting 36 employers,

the Options Fair will

take place Nov. 22 in the

lower rotunda during all lunch

periods, third through sixth. The

Options Fair will focus on nontraditional

forms of post-high school

education.

“I am looking forward to seeing

the opportunities of what I could do,”

sophomore Said Nonoal said.

Students will have the chance to

learn about a variety of programs and

will be able to sign up to receive more

information. “This highlights the

programs that are two years or less

and are much less expensive than

a four year degree,” career pathways

coordinator Kayla Hansen

said. With only programs

of two years or less being

featured, the Options

Fair is engineered

BY ANDREW STUTHEIT

reporter

for students who aren’t

choosing to pursue a four

year degree. “There are plenty

of high-growth, high-demand

careers that pay a good salary and

that students are able to take in two

years or less,” Hansen said.

Court reporting, building inspecting,

and operating heavy machinery are

just some of the featured careers that

are in high demand for workers and pay

well, despite not requiring a four-year

degree. “It’s just like the college fair, but

for other options,” Hansen said.

For students who already have a career

decided, Hansen says they should

still try to attend the Options Fair.

“I think it’s best to get all of the information,

and it solidifies your

decision because there are so

many different options out

there,” Hansen said.

FAIR PRESENTS

OPPORTUNITIES FOR

STUDENTS OTHER

THAN A 4 YEAR

DEGREE

ptions

LILY CHEN

HOMELESS FAMILIES FACE STRUGGLES AND NEED, NOT JUST AT THE HOLIDAYS

For people living in a tidy, middle-class suburb

like Des Plaines, homelessness may seem like an

abstract problem. For some Maine West students,

however, the impact is real and challenging.

Even at Maine West, anywhere between 23 to

39 students have been considered homeless at any

given point in the last two years, according to Dr.

Claudia Rueda-Alvarez, assistant principal for student

services. The students who are homeless can

vary throughout the school year, depending on

family circumstances, as families move in and out

of stable housing.

“Some people don’t even have the basic needs

to survive,” senior Voice for the Nameless member

Valerie Etzwiler said. “People sometimes think

that others choose to be homeless, but in

reality there’s a multitude of factors that

go into it.” Etzwiler has had a chance to

view some of the challenges faced by the

poor and homeless during her time as a

volunteer cook and server with Inspiration

Corporation, a group dedicated to

helping those living in poverty.

In order to solve the problem, one

needs to stop and consider the cause. “I

think the lack of jobs and high population

density contributed to Chicago’s

problem. We have so many people, and as big as

Chicago is, there just isn’t enough space. There

aren’t enough resources for everyone,” senior Voice

for the Nameless member Kathryn Anderson said.

In fact, according to data collected by the National

Law Center of Homelessness and Poverty, lack of

affordable housing, mental health issues and domestic

abuse are all among the leading causes of

homelessness, showing that there isn’t just one

cause to this issue.

BY ALEXIS HUERTA

asst. features editor

XIAO LIN HE

According to the National Center on Family

Homelessness, over 1.2 million children were

considered homeless during the 2012-2013 school

year, which is defined by the US Department of

Education as “lacking a fixed, regular, and nighttime

residence.”

To help alleviate potential problems for those

children, the McKinney-Vento Act was passed, establishing

the ability to go to school as a right of all

children. “The McKinney-Vento was created with

the idea of serving our kids in what we consider

to be the most stable part of their lives, which is

school. Everything else around them is probably

shattered by all the needs that come with not

having a home. The act gives strict guide-

close to home

lines on how to identify these families, but also

gives us the means to legally help them, providing

instructions as to what we can and can’t do,” Alvarez

said. Under the McKinney-Vento act, schools

are required to provide things like transportation,

fee waivers, and free lunch. It also ensures that the

kids have access to any medical exams needed for

school, like yearly physicals.

That, however, only takes care of students

currently enrolled in school. For the adults and

anyone not enrolled, organizations like Inspiration

Corporation exist. “Inspiration Corporation

helps people get to the point of standing on their

own feet. It helps people get affordable housing,

put out resumes, get job training, and even has a

culinary program to help people work in the food

industry,” Voice for the Nameless sponsor Randall

Harper said. Harper has also worked with

other local groups, one of which is called PADS,

an acronym for “Providing Advocacy, Dignity,

and Shelter.” PADS has overnight shelters open

at churches throughout the suburbs, including

in Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect,

and at St. Mary’s in Des Plaines, allowing

the underserved to have dinner

and breakfast, spend the night,

and move on the next day with a

freshly packed lunch.

Although these helpful

groups exist, you don’t have to

be a member of any particular

group to help. Sometimes, a simple donation

of food or time can be enough

to help. “Most of these people don’t

have thick enough jackets or even

shoes during the year. Donating these

simple items or volunteering to help

pack them can make an incredible difference,”

Etzwiler said. The PADS website, journeystheroadhome.com,

provides a list of things they need

for local homeless children and adults, as well an

information about churches where one can volunteer

to help set up for overnight visitors or to

prepare meals.

um

4 news/westerner

1.

2.

3.

4.

A T C H E

F I N A E

C O U N T

D O O W N

BY NATALIE CASTELLANOS

reporter

Iced coffee sales are about skyrocket and libraries

will soon flood with sleep-deprived

students preparing for final exams. Finding a

balance between maintaining a healthy mind and

good grades is the top priority for students, and

this year’s new four-day finals schedule aims to accommodate

that.

Finals have usually been worth at least 15 percent

of a grade, so if a student does poorly on the

final but usually does well in the class, their final

grade in the class might not fully reflect their

abilities.

As of this year, though, courses are no longer

MAINE WEST STUDENTS ADJUST TO THE STRESSES

AND CHANGES FINALS POSE

required to give cumulative finals. The decision

is up to the course teams. During the final exam

days, teachers may decide to give a unit test, assign

a project, give no assessment at all or stick

with the traditional cumulative final.

The Foreign Language Department, for example,

has decided to get rid of finals altogether.

According to the head of the Foreign Language

Department, Alan Matan, the decision to discard

finals is in the “best interest of the students.”

Junior Pelin Keceli said not having a foreign

language final is “better for me because it is less

time and less work.” However, removing finals

also has its drawbacks. “I feel as if I will not be

able to really test my knowledge of speaking or

knowing the language,” she said.

In the future, Matan is uncertain whether the

department will stick with the removal of finals.

However, Matan plans to keep seeing how “best

we can help our students succeed and help them

prepare for post-secondary opportunities.”

Finals in high school and those in college

share some similar aspects. As a senior majoring

in accounting at DePaul University, Asad Bashir,

Maine West class of 2015, finds high school finals

to be beneficial for college. “They’re similar in difficulty,”

he said. At DePaul, Bashir expect to see a

familiar sight during finals: mainly, “many people

November 22, 2019

in the libraries.”

Keceli prepares for her exams by setting up

certain days of the week for specific topics, and

she studies off of study guides provided by teachers

or makes her own.

Keceli finds the best place to study is a quiet

place with “no one I know unless it’s a topic that I

would want to study with a friend.”

Both Bashir and Keceli agree that working in

larger groups lead to chaos and socializing rather

than learning and studying.

new 2019

finals schedule:

two daily final sessions:

8:30-10 a.m.

10:15-11:45 a.m.

Dec. 17: Periods 1 and 3




NEVER

3 MONTHS INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR, LINK CREW

CONTINUES TO PROVIDE HELP TO FRESHMEN

DESPITE INITIAL GROWING PAINS

63.6% of Maine West Students

feel that freshmen don’t need

upperclassmen’s help adjusting

to Maine West*

break

theChain

BY JAMESON BECKMAN

news editor

Link Crew, Warrior Pride’s replacement, aims to ease freshmen into high

school and help them make connections with peers. While an important

initiative in theory, the project has a few issues in practice.

The program attempts to create groups for freshmen, where they can find

friends in their peers and role models in their upper class leaders. Senior

Rylan Turner, one of the leaders in Link Crew, said, “freshmen beginning

high school don’t always have an easy time finding their place with other

freshmen. The intention [of Link Crew] is to create a comfortable space for

freshmen to incorporate into the community.”

Link Crew is especially helpful for students coming to Maine West who

don’t know many other kids in their grade. Freshmen from River Trails, for

example, don’t always have as many established connections as those from

Algonquin. Link Crew hopes to remedy this and facilitate the social bonds

between students in 10 to 15 person groups.

Warrior Pride, the predecessor to Link Crew, similarly hoped to create

bonds between Maine West students of all grade levels, but the group met

only at the beginning of freshman year; Link Crew was adopted to help

freshmen adapt throughout the year.

While this was initially seen as a bonus to the program’s proponents,

there are students who believe the weekly meetings have turned out to be too

frequent. According to junior Jane Rothweiler, a Link Crew leader, “Maybe

every other week would be better. It’s good to meet with [the freshmen] every

couple weeks.” While the advice leaders give freshmen can be helpful, there’s

only so much they can give every week before groups end up resorting to

playing Uno instead.

Where some students take issue with Link Crew is in the time requirements

they feel might be better spent elsewhere. Because a part of their study

hall is taken up by Link Crew activities, freshmen and upperclassmen alike

feel like part of their work time is robbed from them.

This has lead to absences in the Link Crew community being commonplace.

“I feel like they maybe don’t want to be here. But there are always

those kids who don’t want to be in school,” Rothweiler said. Some freshmen

end up leaving in the middle of a session, and some never show up to study

hall at all.

The argument made by Link Crew sponsors is that no freshman is likely

doing homework for the full span of study hall anyway and that it’s a helpful

way to break up the block with

meaningful activities. “Students

come out of their 90 minute study

halls for about 35 minutes, which

allows them 55 minutes of a study

hall,” assistant principal John Aldworth

said. “[W]hatever is going in those lessons is worth the 30 to 35 minutes

that they’re not in study hall.”

According to Aldworth, Link Crew is specifically organized to introduce

freshmen to Maine West and its faculties. “We kind of look at things that

are happening throughout the year and what freshmen would need that they

might not get otherwise,” he said.

For example, one Link Crew session involved the leaders taking freshmen

around the school on a scavenger hunt, filling out a worksheet as they went

along. Each destination helped students become familiar not only with the

school layout but the student services available to them as well.

However, according to Turner, even the leaders cut corners. Freshman

Sarah Schill saw this trend in her group as well. “There was only one sheet

and my leader just had it the whole time, and so she was just filling it out.

We really didn’t do it.”

*According to a Westerner survey of 151 students

November 22, 2019 westerner/features 5

Accepted

Rejection

AN OPEN LETTER TO STUDENTS WHO AREN’T

ACCEPTED INTO THEIR COLLEGE OF CHOICE

BY KHUSHI PATEL

reporter

Dear Maine West Students,

We regret to inform you that the time has come again: the time for college

applications. With the early action deadline having passed on Nov. 1 and the

regular decision deadline approaching on Jan. 1, seniors are working their

hardest to prove to their respective colleges why they belong there.

“It’s a highly stressful time. You’re coming out of junior year and you’re

going right into all these applications and essays; that has high stakes and

you’re still trying to do well in school and have a social life,” Maine West psychologist

Lynn Perri said. “There’s fear when you put yourself, your grades,

achievements, and interests out to these institutions.”

Judd Palonpon, a former Maine West student who is now a senior at

Loyola University, has gone through a similar instance. He was rejected from

his dream school. “My initial reaction to the rejection letter was pure disappointment

in myself. I was heartbroken to hear that I was not accepted,

especially after I had worked so hard throughout highschool,” Palonpon said.

“Remember that a rejection from a school, even if it is your dream school,

does not mean you are stupid or not good enough. Your application does not

truly define who you are. Keep your head up and stay positive. Everything

happens for a reason.”

Giving friends some

Friendsgiving advice

Although a select few may not receive a rejection letter, those who do

should try to find a way to get their minds off of things. “Try doing something

positive. Whether it be hanging out with friends, going to do something

fun, exercising, doing something you’re good at, or playing a sport,”

counselor Allyson Adams said. Playing the piano, talking to friends, and

playing sports or video games were some of the ways Palonpon was able to

overcome his disappointment. “People can overcome this feeling of sadness

by learning more about themselves and realizing their self worth. I tried to

boost my confidence and remind myself that these applications, including

my GPA and ACT, do not define who I truly am,” Palonpon said.

There is no correct way to handle this situation. For some, a college rejection

may be the first rejection some have faced, but it won’t be the last. Feelings

of sadness and disappointment are okay after receiving a rejection letter,

but there are other great colleges and opportunities out there waiting. “Being

mad, confused, and disappointed are all normal responses to being rejected,

but it is important to not dwell on these failures. You must embrace these

feelings and let it strengthen you.” Palonpon said. Contrary to what many

may think, rejection is not the end of one’s hopes and dreams. There are other

ways you can fulfill your dreams.

In order to prepare oneself, Adams recommends having many options

ready. “Try coming up with a plan B, and applying to a mix of colleges that

include safety, target, and reach schools,” she said.

“Take a break and try not to stress that much. At this point all you can

do is wait, so rather than stressing everyday about something that is no longer

in your hands, treat yourself for getting through the application process.

Although senioritis is rough and real, don’t let your grades drop and keep

working hard in school,” Palonpon said. “Do not let this rigorous process

make you doubt your self-worth. You are all amazing people that will do

amazing things!”

Congratulations to the early decision and early action applicants on finishing

this process, and good luck to everyone applying for regular decision.

There are people rooting for your success!

A STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO HAVE A

GREAT FRIENDSGIVING

BY LUCY ELLSWORTH

reporter

Move over, Thanksgiving! There’s a new

holiday in November. “Friendsgiving”, a celebration

of Thanksgiving with friends, gives

people a chance to eat delicious food in a more

laid back setting than in a typically formal

Thanksgiving dinner surrounded by generations

of family. After you’ve invited your

friends,check out this step by step guide

for how to have the best Friendsgiving.

2: Eat! The food can be Thanksgiving-themed,

but it’s also fun to branch

out. “I thought it was really cool that people

brought food from their culture,” junior Carter

Stephen said. Sometimes, it’s easier not to cook at

all. “One year, one of my friends brought Panda Express

catering,” junior

Olivia Loewes said.

“It was nice to not

have to worry

about cooking

anything.”

Friendsgiving provides a great opportunity

to make memories with friends, no matter

whether you just met them in Link Crew or

you’re rounding out senior year with friends

you’ve had since elementary school. . “It’s a

good reason to hang out with friends and

appreciate one another before we leave for

college next year,” Sobjack said.

1: Once the guest list is set, it’s

time to plan who will bring what. Most

Friendsgivings end up resembling a potluck.

“My friends make a group chat and

everyone chooses two things to bring, usually

one food item and one dessert,” senior Taylor

Sobjack said.

LILY CHEN

3:Plan

activities. Once your

meal is over,

you can enjoy spending

time with your friends.

“We are planning to

have a bonding time with one anther and watch movies

all night,” junior Carlos Gonzalez said. Fun activities

include board games o r taking pictures, especially

if you’ve opted for a more formal Friendsgiving. “We

make sure to dress up and put on makeup because it’s a

good time to look nice, especially with your friends.”

Sobjack said. You can also move to another

venue. “After eating, we all went to a park

to hang out,” junior Belle Gerstmayr said.

Friendsgiving also creates a more

easygoing environment than the more

conventional Thanksgiving dinners many

students attend with their families. “My family

Thanksgivings are pretty formal, so I like

that Friendsgiving is more laid back,” Gerstmayr

said.

6 entertainment/westerner

BY LILIANNA VAUGHAN

reporter

As of earlier this month, over 11,000 scientists

have declared that our planet is experiencing

a “Climate Emergency.” One major trend

contributing to climate change is fast fashion,

which brings inexpensive and trendy styles to

the market as fast as possible.

Companies like H&M, Zara, Fashion

Nova, and Forever 21 are notorious participants

in fast fashion. According to the Fast

Fashion documentary “The True Cost,” the

average American yields 82 pounds of textile waste each year. Companies like

these profit off of American consumerism and materialism as trends seen in

popular culture stimulate constant demand for more.

Material such as polyester and cotton are being used at an increasingly

high demand, taking a major toll on the environment. Animals are also being

impacted as toxic dyes and microfibers are polluting the oceans.

According to the website GoodOnYou.eco, a tool that rates how ethical a

fashion company is, here are some ways to spot a fast fashion brand:

• Trends are seen on the shelves as soon as they become popular in the

media

• Items are manufactured in the cheapest ways possible, usually sacrificing

decent wages and the quality of life for workers

• Various styles that fit a variety of current trends

The good news is that there are simple solutions to ending the fast fashion

cycle within your everyday life. “You can have more responsible fashion, where

fabrics are made from recycled plastic,” AP Environmental Science teacher

Kristi Ryken said.

The Climate

Crisis

In Your Closet

November 22, 2019

When considering a new purchase, Ryken

recommended the following, “There’s nothing

wrong with getting something new, but

realize: is this something you really need or is

THE SIDE EFFECTS OF FAST this something you’re getting sucked into by

FASHION ARE TAKING A TOLL consumerism in the economy?”

ON OUR ENVIRONMENT

Checking online for sustainability ratings

of your favorite shops and brands is a

simple way to begin evaluating your closet

and shopping tendencies. The app Good On

You—Ethical Fashion allows you to check

the ratings of brands while on the go.

Brands such as Patagonia and United By Blue are discovering new ways to

transform the waste that is drowning our planet into new, high-quality clothing.

“While it’s best for the environment to avoid fast fashion, if that won’t

work for you, then keep your choices minimal. Balance those with classic pieces

made of natural fibers that are better for the environment,” Environmental

Club sponsor Leslie Karpiak said.

Another way for students to find new additions to their wardrobe without

the environmental toll is to visit local thrift stores or websites like Poshmark

and Ebay. According to the Student Environmental Resource Center at University

of California Berkeley, “Through thrifting, you keep the resources invested

in all of these clothing items from going to waste.”

For students interested in thrifting, Goodwill offers a very inexpensive

shopping experience while training and employing individuals that may otherwise

have a harder time finding a job. When looking for brand names and

clothes in good condition, Plato’s Closet in Schaumburg is filled with lots of

gems. Junior Madeleine Larson, an avid thrifter said, “It’s like recycling with

clothes!”

Reality vs.

Runway

EXPENSIVE RUNWAY LOOKS DIFFER DRASTICALLY

FROM EVERYDAY STYLE YET ARE STILL PRAISED DUE TO

THEIR BRAND NAME

BY HANA DEMPSEY

entertainment editor

When the word fashion comes to mind, it’s common to think of high

end brands and an almost formulaic way of dressing.

“When I think fashion, I think of the trends that people try to establish

for the runway. It’s not created by the person wearing it, but by someone

else trying to make that clothing item ‘stylish,’” junior Jagoda

Sobotka said.

Style, on the other hand, can be seen as something completely

different. “Everyone has their own personal style and

personal way they like to dress,” senior Grace Breton said.

Style is much more free-form in comparison to fashion which

can be seen as having guidelines and rules when it comes to what

you can and cannot wear. “Style can be your own thing. It’s what

you make it. It isn’t confined like fashion is,” junior Ellie Martin

said.

While runway looks for high end brands like Gucci and Prada

can be seen as symbols of fashion, it’s unlikely that they’re seen as

inspiration for someone’s everyday, personal style. “It’s really cool,

but sometimes can be a little crazy. I don’t think the clothes that they wear

are very practical. They’re just for ‘the look,’” Martin said.

However, just because the types of outfits showcased on name-brand

runways aren’t that wearable doesn’t mean they can’t be appreciated. “It’s

really aesthetically pleasing. I see it as art. It’s really an extravagant show

because it can have aspects that are not everyday, like heavy makeup and

crazy hair,” Breton said.

In general, the goal of runways is not to portray everyday looks, but

showcase experimental clothing styles to stand out and spur a reaction.

“They make fashion into an art, rather than something wearable on a

day-to-day basis. They make it look visually appealing in its own strange way

where you can’t really look away,” Sobotka said.

Furthermore, it may not even be the looks themselves that make

runway shows so popular, but rather the well-known brands that host

them. “It’s really more about the brand when it comes to why it’s worth

so much. If you wear Gucci, that’s considered fashionable,” Breton said.

People are usually more compelled to describe something as fashionable

if they know it’s made by a high-end brand. “If you’re a

fashion designer and you’re really popular, people will want to get

your clothes, maybe even force themselves to like it. For example,

Gucci. I don’t think the clothes they make are cool, but a lot of

people like it just because of the brand name,” Martin said.

However, these expensive brands don’t have to dictate what you

wear. “People need to understand that you don’t need to wear name

brands to dress well,” Breton said.

Many people find inspiration elsewhere, like social media. “I

usually get inspiration from Instagram, mainly from people like Kylie

Jenner. Even though she’s basic, she can have cool looks. They’re

more wearable looks that you can get inspiration from,” Breton said.

It takes some effort, however, to find a style that you like and one that

represents you well. “I used to just throw on whatever I thought looked

good, without taking into account if the outfit as a whole looked good.

Not only did I have to learn what went well together, but also what fit my

body,” Sobotka said.

No matter where you get your inspiration from, experimenting and

having fun is what style is all about. “I wear the things I feel like wearing

without caring about other people’s opinions. I would probably even wear

some of those slightly strange [runway looks] just because they look

fun,” Sobotka said.

XIAO LIN HE

november 22, 2019 westerner/entertainment 7

Just for Show

Featuring everything from slime to stand-up,

this year’s V-Show had many memorable moments.

A new fan-favorite act this year was a musical

duo between junior Lucas Varga and senior

Jovani Delao. The act was different from

your typical piano performance as

it was staged as a “duel” where

they would take turns playing

a song of their choice and

try to top each other’s last

song. “The audience was

able to interact a lot. Jovani

would tell the audience to

boo me, I would say ‘If I

say he’s, you say trash’ and

things like that,” Varga said.

Even with experience in a more

formal setting, the atmosphere of

the V-Show gave them the chance to

perform in a unique way compared to a traditional

and more serious piano performance. “My

favorite part was the new relationships I’ve created

with people in different grades,” Varga, who has

never been involved in a school production before,

said. “That was the best experience, talking

with other people, making new friends.”

Senior Joe Cangelosi had two separate performances

for V-Show. “Our band ‘Isle 4’ covered

BY BLAZEJ EZLAKOWSI

reporter

‘Paranoid’ by Black Sabbath in which I played

the guitar. I also had a solo banjo act,” Cangelosi

said. “I’ve been practicing my banjo song for

around half a year, and the band’s been practicing

‘Paranoid’ for around two months,” Cangelosi

said. Cangelosi likes the sense of community

performers feel with the V-Show audience.

“My favorite part of V-Show is

how hard everyone works to put

on their performances, and that

you’re performing in front of

people you know. When they

compliment your performance,

you know if they’re genuine or

not, which you don’t know with

strangers,” Cangelosi said.

Junior Miranda

Villanueva sang “Always

Remember Us

This Way” by Lady Gaga

and played in the Warrior Strings

act. “I decided to join V-Show because

I used to sing a lot when I was

younger, but then I stopped. I wanted

to start singing again, and thought this

would be a good opportunity,” Villanueva said.

A lot of time and effort went into Villanueva’s

performance. “Since October, I’ve been practicing

around an hour after school,” Villanueva said.

V-Show participants weren’t there just to perform

LOOK BACK ON ACTS FROM

THIS YEAR’S V-SHOW

but to see some amazing acts, too. “My favorite

part of V-Show is that there are people there that

you’d never expect, and that you can see a different

side to them.”

Seniors Lauren Sobjack and Jasmine Sepulveda

comprised a duo in the show, singing “Sweater

Weather” by The Neighborhood. “Jasmine is on

ukulele, and we both sing,” Sobjack said. The

two spent a long time deliberating their choice of

song. “Originally, we wanted to do ‘Riptide’ but

we decided it was too basic. Then we spent a while

going through other songs, and finally landed on

‘Sweater Weather,’” Sobjack said.

The road to the performance did not come

without its challenges, however. “We had to modify

the song for ukulele chords, since the original

song uses the guitar,” Sepulveda said.

They practiced for seven weeks, “making

sure the lyrics and the chord progressions

are right,” Sepulveda said.

Above all, they

looked forward

to “all the diversity

there is. There’s

singing, dancing, playing

instruments, stand-up

comedy, and skits. You won’t

see this type of variety anywhere

else,” Sobjack said.

PHOTOS BY

GRETA MARTIN

Lettuce

Celebrate

A day to spend with family thinking of all the

things we’re grateful for, a day to spend camping

outside a store waiting for Black Friday deals, or

the start of the Christmas season- these are just

some of the things Thanksgiving is known for.

Above all else, however, it’s known for the food.

While most people picture a traditional meal with

turkey, cornbread, and pie, this may not be the

reality for students with eating restrictions.

The decision to cut out meat and become a

vegetarian is a relatively common one that many

people make, whether for personal or cultural reasons.

Holidays, especially those centered around

eating and food, can be a trying time for those

who don’t eat meat, especially if they’re surrounded

by omnivores. “I have been a vegetarian

for three years; it was a personal choice because I

was grossed out by meat and stopped liking it,”

sophomore Haley Good said. “For Thanksgiving

they make a bunch of sides and I eat the mashed

potatoes, salads, rice and things like that. I can’t

eat most of the main dishes.”

For those concerned with the state of the environment

and their own health, some choose to eat

only a vegan diet. Senior Jonathan Kang has been

eating vegan for almost six years, and originally

made the change because of concern for animals

BY AILEEN O’CONNOR

asst. entertainment editor

but has also seen his diet benefitting his health

and performance as a runner. Because of these

benefits, Kang recommends the lifestyle to everyone,

even if it can have some slight drawbacks

during holidays and other celebrations. “All my

friends are omnivores, so they invite me to restaurants

and a lot of times I can’t eat anything,”

Kang said. “It’s not the end of the world; I just eat

at home more.” When someone makes a lifestyle

change as big as that, families often have to make

a change too and be more accommodating, especially

during the holiday season. “My family will

make something separate for me, and it’s usually

pretty good,” Kang said.

Some abide by certain dietary restrictions due

to their family or culture, such as junior Alex Sofinet,

whose family doesn’t eat pork due to their

religion. “The way it affects me most often really is

with pizza, since most people will order that with

pepperoni or sausage, but it’s not that hard since I

can just take it off,” Sofinet said. A few years ago,

Sofinet’s sister chose to cut out all kinds of meat

and become a vegetarian. “We make a lot of

extra side dishes for her. My mom makes stuffing

both inside and outside the turkey since my

sister loves stuffing and will eat the one without

turkey,” Sofinet said. “The other difference is

that some people eat ham on Thanksgiving,

CELEBRATING HOLIDAYS WITH

EATING RESTRICTIONS

but we just don’t have that.”

If the choice is influenced by a person’s family,

it can be less of a headache to find a good meal

around the holidays. “It’s all vegetarian food, so

we eat a lot of vegetables and pasta,” sophomore

Roshni Shah, who comes from a family of vegetarians,

said. However, there are always some challenges

anyone with a dietary restriction will face.

“It can be hard to get protein, since most people

get it from meat,” Shah said.

Despite sometimes dealing with the occasional

inconvenience, the increasing number of vegans

and vegetarians — as well as “flexitarians” who

eat meat only occasionally — not only at Maine

West but across the country has opened up new

doors to those who follow these lifestyles. Specialty

restaurants are popping up in food courts and

strip malls, and many fast food places are adding

meatless options to their menus. “Lots of vegan

places are opening up, and more people are drifting

towards that,” Good said. “It gives me more

options.”

20% according to a Westerner survey

of students have considered

becoming a vegan/vegetarian,

of 155 students

8 IN-DEPTH/westerner

November 2

Cook up

a storm

Staying home is the perfect

opportunity for making cookies,

pancakes, or even a full-course

meal. Check out the famous

creations at https://www.

bonappetit.com/ and fill your

kitchen with the warmth of

good food.

Bond

with a Sibling

Whether it’s watching “Home Alone,” “Christmas Vacation”

or “A Christmas Story,” “I like watching Christmas

movies with my little brother while we drink hot

cocoa,” senior Jeidy Cruz said.

Play a Game

Whether it’s a video game, mobile game, or board game,

there’s one that will pique your interest. If you’re looking for

a board game that isn’t Monopoly or Sorry!, check out the

article on the bottom to find the right one for you.

Stay in

Do you wa

at home o

BEFORE YOU REWAT

AGAIN, FOLLOW TH

CHART TO FIND SOM

what

THE HOLIDA

t

what

NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S

BOARD GAMES

TO HELP YOU FIND THE BEST WAY T

PASS THE TIME AFTER THANKSGIVIN

DINNER, WESTERNER EDITORS FIELD

TESTED GAMES THAT MIGHT BE GOO

TO ADD TO YOUR HOLIDAY WISH-LIST

Ease of learning

Scattergories

“Scattergories” is a race against the clock. To win, you need to think of as

many unique words that fit the category as you can. There are 10 different categories

per round, and your word for each category has to start with the same

letter--which is determined by rolling a die. Win points by being the only player

using a specific word, since players with the same responses do not get points.

Play with 2+ people.

“It’s great for dinner parties or game night,” junior Jameson Beckman said.

Exploding Kittens

Imagine Russian Roulette except with a lot more fur and a lot less danger.

Each player starts off with seven cards, one being a “diffuse” card. The diffuse

card can be used to avoid an immediate knockout from one of the Exploding

Kitten cards that are hidden within the deck. The rest of the cards have special

effects that can give you an edge over your opponents to make sure you’re the

last one alive.

“People who have a lot of time and patience will enjoy this game. “Exploding

Kittens” is fun but pretty complicated,” junior Aileen O’Connor said.

Ease of learning

Competitiveness

Competitiveness

Level of Fun

Level of Fun

according to a survey of 6 Westerner editors


2. 2019 westerner/in-depth

nt to stay

r leave?

Go out

CH “THE OFFICE”

E ACTIVITY FLOW

ETHING NEW FOR

Y AHEAD

o do,

to do

O

G

-

D

BY ABIGAIL

MILOVANCEVIC

in-depth editor

&

SAROSH KHAN

asst. editor

BY JAKE THVEDT

reporter

&

SARIFF ALVISO

reporter

Indoor

adventure

Outdoor

adventure

Check out the

Lights Festival

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is today

from 4-8 p.m. and tomorrow from 11 a.m.-4

p.m. Head to 401 N. Michigan Avenue for

live music, a photo-op, and food.

Go to

the Movies

Play

Hockey

or Ice Skate

“I like to go to West Park to play pond hockey with my

friends. Cornell Park also has a good pond hockey rink,” junior

Alexander Montanile said of the Des Plaines Park District

free outdoor rinks. Senior Joey Engel, a big fan of outdoor-rink

games, agrees: “I love to play hockey

because it’s fun, and it’s icy. ODR season

boys, let’s go!”

9

In perfect holiday timing, “Frozen 2” officially opens

today. Take your student ID to an AMC theater for a discounted

ticket, and with the savings, you can watch it

enough times to have all of the songs memorized

by Thanksgiving.

ART BY ANGELICA GARIN

Box of Lies

“Box of Lies” is a game of bluffing for 2+ players. Player 1 starts off by picking

a card with an absurd design out of a box. Then, they pick a card that tells

them to either describe the card or lie about what’s on it. The other player has

to determine whether Player 1 is telling the truth or not. If the game sounds familiar,

it might be because you’ve seen it on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy

Fallon.” Check out some of his videos of the game on YouTube to see if it’s

something you’re interested in.

“People who are looking for fun and silly games will enjoy this one. It’s really

fun to make things up off the top of your head,” senior Sarah Smail said.

Ease of learning

Ease of learning

Spoons

“Spoons,”a party classic, is easy to play with a crowd. All you need is a deck

of cards, spoons, and quick hands. To play, cycle through the deck of cards until

you have four-of-a-kind. Once you have four-of-a-kind, take a spoon from the

middle. When the other plays notice one of the spoons gone, the spoons are up

for grabs. However, there are less spoons on the table than people playing. The

player without the spoon is knocked out. Repeat the process, removing a spoon

each round, until a winner is crowned.

“It’s great to play with a group of friends or a family that’s competitive but

also know how to have fun,” senior Jenna Robbins said.

Competitiveness

Competitiveness

Level of Fun

Level of Fun



10 features/westerner

once upon a

DREAM

XIAO LIN HE

DREAM EXPERTS EXPLAIN THE

SIGNIFICANCE OF DREAMS AND

WHAT THEY REVEAL ABOUT OUR BRAINS

60%

OF STUDENTS OFTEN WAKE UP WITH

A VIVID MEMORY OF A DREAM THEY

HAD.*

November 22, 2019

BY MALAIKA ZAIDI

editor-in-chief

that we were in a girl scout meeting

“I had a dream at my house and all of a sudden I saw

that pirates were coming to town. We hid under our dining room table in plain

sight, but the pirates broke into my house. I was seven years old,” senior Sarah

Borgman recalled. Whether it be engaging in a battle with aliens, running away

from ghosts, being pursued by pirates or simply being embarrassed in a public

setting, we all dream. Sigmund Freud, the famed Austrian neurologist who first

established the use of psychoanalysis, believed that dreams are a product of the

wishes of our unconscious mind; they reveal things about us that we may not

consciously be aware of.

Not all modern scientists agree. “I think people like to think that dreams

reveal things about us. The popular culture of dreams is revealing something

about our innermost deepest thoughts. However, there isn’t much evidence that

Freud got it right,” Maine West school psychologist Dr. Sandy Flores-Rodriguez

said. “The neurocognitive dream theory, a more modern theory, says that when

we sleep our brains process our days and the information we have acquired. Our

brain stores information into our long term memory and throws away things it

doesn’t deem necessary. One school of thought is that dreams are a byproduct of

that: our mind takes random pieces of information, piece it together and adds

an emotional component to it, which is why our dreams are so weird.”

The neurocognitive theory of dreaming reveals that while we dream, the

activated portion of the brain is the “imagination network.” Dreaming can be

described as similar to daydreaming, in which the imagination roams freely.

When there are no external tasks driving our mind, our imagination network

is active. “This goes all the way back to the first mammal. We periodically get a

period of sleep called the rapid eye movement phase, or REM for short, when

we are likely to have a more active brain and the only part that gets activated is

the imagination network. The one that keeps you ‘thinking straight’ is asleep.

So, your mind is running wild, its imagination running around. The truth is, we

probably dream for accidental reasons,” Dr. William Domhoff, who is author

of four books about dreaming and is a psychology professor at the University of

California at Santa Cruz, said in a Westerner interview .

Although dreams may not reveal information about our unconscious state,

they do dramatize waking personal concerns. “You dream about what worries

and interests you. The frequency of what you dream about reveals the intensity

of interest or concern. That being said, I don’t think dreams are the royal road

to the unconscious or to understanding your personality,” Domhoff said. “One

of the most surprising things found in the 1980s is that little children probably

do not have the cognitive capacity to dream. We take it for granted that little

kids can dream. We all remember a dream from when we were young, but our

memories play tricks on us. We dream more frequently as we grow.”

Dreaming is a way for us to channel our creativity by creating a reflection of

the concerns that take over our minds. We experience stages of dreaming, with

the earliest stages making dreaming difficult to remember. The REM stage of

sleep is a very active stage of sleep in which we may be able to recall our dreams,

especially if you wake up mid-dream. “We dream every single night. There is a

certain subset of the population that says they don’t dream, however, we dream

every single night and we don’t remember them if they’re not in the REM sleep

state,” Flores-Rodriguez said.

ONE STUDENT DREAMT ABOUT

“BEING A SECURITY CAMERA AND

SEEING SOMEONE CHASED.”*

70%

OF STUDENTS BELIEVE DREAMS

ARE A REFLECTION OF THEIR

MENTAL STATE.*

ONE STUDENT DREAMT,

“I WAS IN A MENTAL ASYLUM

CONVINCED THAT THE DEVIL

WAS MY BOYFRIEND. THE NURSES

TRIED CONVINCING ME HE WASN’T,

BUT IT TURNS OUT HE

WAS.”*

XIAO LIN HE

*According to a Westerner survey of 156 students

November 22, 2019 westerner/opinions 11

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:

Editors-in-Chief:

Sarah Smail, Malaika Zaidi

Associate Chief Editor:

Suzy Linek

Chief of Digital Media

and Graphics Editor:

Abigail Milovancevic

News Editors:

Jameson Beckman, Jenna Robbins

Features Editor:

Malaika Zaidi

In-Depth Editor:

Abigail Milovancevic

Sports Editors:

Suzy Linek, Monyca Grimmer,

Daniel Vicens

Opinions Editor:

Sarah Smail

Entertainment Editor:

Hana Dempsey

Photo Editor: Greta Martin

Art Editor: Xiao Lin He

Digital Content Chief:

Nitin Nair

Assistant Editors:

Clare Olson, Jenna Daube, Alexis

Huerta, Aileen O’Connor, Sarosh

Khan, Monisa Yusra

STAFF MEMBERS

Maha Zaidi, Katy Wilczynski, Natalie

Castellanos, Andrew Stutheit, Lucy

Ellsworth, Khushi Patel, Blazej Ezlakowski,

Lili Vaughan, Jake Thvedt, Sariff

Alviso, Niki Vujcic, Joanna Vogt, Tej

Parmar, Marc Rizkalla, Karim Usman,

Kevin Schill, Anahi Sosa, Dominika

Szal, Johnny Nguyen, Zaid Usman,

Pratiksha Bhattacharyya, Angelica

Garin, Kira Palmer, Lily Chen, Mia

Reyes, Miguel Patino, Darcy Buchaniec

ADVISER:Laurie McGowan

VIEW FROM THE BOARD OF STUDENT EDITORS

Thank Goodness!

Dear Unacknowledged Maine West Person,

We see you. We see the hard work that you put

in everyday for the students and staff of Maine West.

And for that, we want to thank you. Here a few of

these people, among the hundreds that work hard

each day to make Maine West function for students:

Retake Center Workers: Thank you for always being

patient with us and for always having a smile on

your face. It means a lot that you welcome us so kindly

and that you make us feel comfortable. Thank you for

staying after 4:05 p.m. when we’re furiously trying to

finish a test and running out of time.

Mr. Greenberg, Ms. Brennan, and Ms. Thompson:

Thank you for always helping us find what we

need. We would be so lost without you! Thank you

for making the library a comforting, safe space. Thank

you for always having colored pencils, staplers, scissors,

and anything else we might need. And most of

all, thank you for always tolerating the substantial

amount of papers that we print daily. It it wasn’t for

you, we wouldn’t have turned in half of our assignments.

Custodians: Thank you for keeping our school

clean and presentable to anyone who comes in. Each

morning we come in and see spotless floors, classrooms,

and bathrooms. Thank you for creating a tidy

environment for all of us to learn in. Thank you for

always restocking the pools with clean towels for everyone

and getting any equipment or fields ready for

different games or activities. And thank you for the

amazing clean-up you do in the spec gym after assemblies.

We know cleaning up all that confetti from

every corner isn’t easy.

Counselors: Thank you for making sure that we’re

on track to succeed. We know you have a lot of students

to look over and thank you for not forgetting

us or overlooking us. High school isn’t easy, and you

make it a little more manageable. We’re especially

thankful for the help you give us during college season.

Nurses: Thank you for always taking care of us

when we need it. The concern you have is genuine

and we really appreciate all the hard work that you

do. Thank you for keeping us safe and healthy. Thank

you for giving us comfort after a gym class incident.

Thank you for sharing our worries after not feeling

well in class. Thank you for giving us the

time and space to be in a protected and

respectful environment that cares for

our wellbeing.

Ms. Manning, Ms. Hansen

and Ms. Masini: Thank you

for all the effort you put

into your presentations.

You help us feel a little less lost and you give us a

sense of security as you help as figure out what might

work best for us. Thank you for all the work you do to

help us feel like we belong and that we have a right to

the future just as much as everyone else.

Teachers: Thank you for the hard work you put

in to teaching and supporting us—for coming to our

events, listening to our problems, and writing letters

of recommendation to get us into college. Thank you

for designing lessons that help us make sense of complicated

material—for making the learning environment

not only productive, but fun as well. Thank you

for going a above and beyond, like Mr. Kay and Mr.

York, for example. Mr. Kay: Thank you for always

cleaning up after students and pushing in any chairs

after lunch periods. Thank you for always brightening

up our day with your excited “oh yeah!” fist bumps.

That small bit of positivity is something all H-wing

pedestrians look forward to. Mr. York: Thank you for

taking the time out of your day to send supportive

messages to your sophomores. They make all the difference

for someone having a bad day, and it’s nice to

know there’s someone who cares for our wellbeing.

Security guards: Thank you for working to keep

our school a safe place. Thank you for being there for

us. You’re always glad to talk to us or listen to us without

judgement, and it makes us feel accepted.

Hall monitors: Thank you for always smiling at

us and talking to us. Thank you for greeting us at the

doors when we arrive at C-wing, the fitness center

hall, and the bus concourse. Thank you for always

saying hi to us and asking how we are.

Charles Bailey: Thank you for always being a lifesaver

to the teachers and to the Westerner. You are the

person that always comes through no matter what.

We thank you for all the time you put into getting

the monthly Westerner copy out, even when we want

to make last-minute changes. You do it without fail,

and for that, we thank you.

We are aware that there are many other people

who deserve thanks, and this list doesn’t come close

to recognizing everyone. We are grateful and appreciative

to every single individual that works towards

creating a better environment for Maine West and we

hope to bring attention to these individuals, and all

the other ones that do the same.

Here’s your challenge, students: Take

a moment to say thank you—to these

people and to the people that aren’t

on the list—to anyone that makes

your day a little better. A little

bit goes a long way.

Sincerely,

The Westerner Staff

12 opinions/westerner

November 22, 2019

FOR

SEARCHING

The intercom fizzles, pops, and spits out your stance on important issues; coasting through

the first words of the day: “Good morning Instagram is not. So, for those people who don’t

Maine West, please rise, face the flag, and recite have an excuse other than “I’m tired,” or “I don’t

the Pledge of Allegiance.”

have time for that,” or “I don’t care,” I challenge

One might think that students would be inclined

to stand and recite the Pledge. After all, it I dare you to stand.

you.

is only ten seconds of standing, and maybe five Maybe you are tired, sore from practice, exhausted

because you didn’t go to sleep till one in

seconds more for a moment of reflection. Unfortunately,

this isn’t the case.

the morning, but saying the Pledge isn’t just two

Many students, unfortunately, don’t rise, don’t random sentences. But if we want there to be “liberty

and justice for all,” then we should speak up

face the flag, and don’t recite the Pledge. They

often completely ignore the intercom, sitting at for it here and advocate for it in other ways, too.

their desks and checking their phones. While saying

the Pledge isn’t a requirement because of the go through my head. For one, I think about the

When I stand for the Pledge several thoughts

First Amendment, which protects the freedom of fact that I live in America, a country with numerous

opportunities and protected freedoms. I can

speech, surely standing for ten seconds can’t be

too much to ask. Surely saying two sentences isn’t believe what I want to believe, worship where I

an inconvenience. Apparently, it is.

want to worship and say what I want to say. I

I understand that some people have valid reasons

for not rising during the Pledge, whether where I live because there are millions, if not bil-

think about the fact that I am blessed to live

because of their beliefs or background. There is, lions, of people who wish they could live my life

though, a vast difference between kneeling during here in America. There are people out there waiting

for decades, sitting in refugee camps for years

the National Anthem to protest police brutality

against minorities and staring into a phone during

the Pledge of Allegiance during first period. a chance to live and work in the United States,

or walking literally thousands of miles hoping for

Kneeling, as opposed to standing, is a way to waiting for a shot at the life I lead.

speak out against social injustice and demonstrate Yes, life in the USA isn’t perfect by any means:

Measuring Up

BY PRATIKSHA

BHATTACHARYYA

colunnist

Imagine walking through a maze of funhouse mirrors.

Some mirrors make you taller, others shrink you, while

still others inflate your head and make your legs look like

those of a chicken. Interestingly, it isn’t just the funhouse

that changes your look- photo editing apps can just as

easily warp your image.

These days, we are all too accustomed to the plethora

of pictures that fill up our Instagram feed, all of them

full of seemingly perfect people. But the truth is most

of those pictures seem perfect only because of photo editing.

With extremely advanced technology, it’s easy to

trick people into thinking your waist is 24 inches or that

your legs are cellulite free. Anyone and everyone with a

smartphone can easily manipulate their image to appear thinner, smoother,

and more perfect. While these editing apps temporarily relax our insecurities,

they actually promote ridiculous body standards.

At one point, we actually believed that celebrities looked perfect by just

working out and eating healthy foods. However, celebrities have also pulled

the wool over our eyes, and poor photo editing shows that they aren’t as perfect

as they seem. We have realized that the hourglass, Barbie-esque figure is

simply unrealistic. In fact, if Barbie was a real person, she would have to walk

on all fours with half a liver because of her outrageous proportions.

PATRIOTISM

THE ENDLESS PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

our society is deeply flawed,

people are treated unfairly,

and our government and

criminal justice agencies often

protect the wealthy and powerful

at the expense of those

who aren’t. We aren’t perfect,

but we can be thankful for

the opportunities and security

we have merely by being in the

United States. Besides this, I

think about the more than one

million U.S. soldiers -- people’s

KIRA PALMER

BY JENNA

DAUBE

asst. opinions

editor

children and parents -- who have died in service

to our country. I think about their sacrifice to our

country, their lives lost for the sake of ours. For

living Veterans, I think about how many times

their lives have been changed in catastrophic ways

because of their service. I hear their stories and

think, how could I not stand?

My family is not the type to dip-dye themselves

in red white and blue while waving sparklers,

but I can still find a lot to be grateful for

in our flawed country, and I stand because I dare

to be hopeful we can be even better. If you look

hard enough, I hope you’ll find something worth

standing for, too.

This ideal body type has done much

more harm than good, and has promoted

extreme body standards on social media

that deeply impact the mindsets of the

many young girls. 80% of 13-year-old

girls have admitted to attempting to lose

weight. These unrealistic standards cause

young girls, who have only just begun growing

into their adult bodies, to undereat and work out

as much as possible. The attempt to lose weight

and have the tiniest waist possible has caused

95% of eating disorder victims to between the

ages of 12 to 25. Young girls starve themselves, all

to achieve something unrealistic. young girls don’t

see falsities behind such images. Instead they see their

favorite celebrity broadcasting the best way to get thin fast.

The regular use of photoshop on social media manipulates young

girls into believing that they need to have perfect bodies with skin smoother

than plastic. This epidemic causes young girls to undereat, overwork, and

even use harmful products on their bodies. So, in the future, encourage your

friends, and even yourself, to be happy with what you have. What you have

is just as beautiful, if not more, than any unrealistic standards.

KIRA PALMER

November 22, 2019 westerner/opinions 13

On and On and On and On and On and On and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on

DOES THE LECTURE EVER END?

Going to school is not exactly the highlight of anyone’s week.

After surviving a painfully lengthy school day, students are rewarded with

an endless supply of homework, on top of any extracurriculars they’re involved

in. As a result, students usually stay up late and wake up in the morning

feeling like a mess, inevitably starting the cycle all over again. One of the

main things that make the school day feel so long is the manner in which

classes are taught. A student’s day more or less consists of sitting at a desk for

roughly 6-7 hours and listening to a teacher’s sleep-inducing voice. Not only

is this a health issue, but it gets excruciatingly repetitive and dull.

The extended periods of time that students are seated

during school make them prone to a number of

medical problems. According to the Mayo Clinic,

sitting excessively causes much of our energy to

go unused and essentially be stored as fat. This

potentially leads to conditions such as obesity,

high blood sugar, high blood pressure, metabolic

syndrome, an increased risk of heart disease and

cancer. Students already have various unhealthy habits

of their own, such as sleep deprivation and excessive stress,

and sitting for too long only adds on to the list of things

that result in poor student health.

It’s difficult to pay close attention to a teacher who

talks a lot, especially when they’re talking about something

that doesn’t naturally interest you. Obviously,

it isn’t beneficial for the student to be missing out on

important material, but oftentimes, they can’t

help it. As mentioned earlier, the vast majority

of the student population is sleep

deprived and can barely keep themselves awake during

the school day. When sitting at a desk listening

to a teacher’s repetitive voice for a long time, many

students tend to doze off and completely miss all the

important information. Having students sit and listen

to lectures is not an effective way for them to retain

information as it isn’t engaging enough to keep

them focused.

Multiple techniques can be used to fix the broken

system, many of which are already in use. One

of the most simple and effective solutions is

group work. Students are more likely to

stay focused when working with a smaller

group of people, as they would feel

XIAO LIN HE

BY MARC RIZCALLA

COLUMNIST

obligated to contribute their thoughts and ideas. As a result of

the dynamic nature of group work, there would be less room for

zoning out or dozing off. This also confronts the issue of sitting

in the same place by having students move around the room to find

a place to settle in with their groups. Though it isn’t much physical

activity, it’s enough to keep them awake for a good amount of time.

Another strategy is playing games that involve standing up or

walking around the room. This increases students’ interest

in the material while also getting them out of their seats.

These are only a few examples out of the endless possibilities

that exist. In the end, it comes down

to how much effort a teacher is willing to

put in order to make their class enjoyable.

Broken Binge

We are all too familiar with the soul-crushing feeling of finishing a great

show.

Whether you choose to watch one of the many great titles in the vast catalog

of Netflix or view an Amazon original, we all have at least one show we

watch religiously -- one that leaves us heartbroken when it finally ends. Depressed

and aching to fill the gaping hole in our hearts, we try to find a show

of equal caliber but to no avail; we return for our third or fourth run-through

of the same program.

We whittle away the ever-so-short weekend,

spending an unholy number of hours

cooped up in bed, casually clicking

through the notifications saying “Are you

still watching?” As other people are being

productive, we shamelessly binge multiple

seasons while wearing clothes

from two days ago and eating

microwaved pizza.

When the show inevitably

ends, we are left as a greasy,

inconsolable mess that has

spent two days and three nights

completely isolated from civilization

and any human contact.

We return to school looking

like zombies, thinking in the

Broken Heart

WHAT COMES AFTER THE BINGE?

back of our heads, ‘What I am going to watch this

weekend?’ Our friends and coworkers invite us

out, but we make excuses so we can retreat to our

rooms like vampires, allergic to sunlight, cuddled in

a warm blanket, dark except for the soft glow of a

laptop or smartphone. Eventually, we try out a new

show and sometimes, it’s really good and we get

hooked. Other times we are disappointed

when nothing can live up to our old

favorite.

The emptiness after finishing a

binge is indescribable. It’s as if a part

of you has broken off and will never

grow back, as if you are incomplete

without the dedication and determination

it takes to go on an episode

rampage. A part of you is missing

and you can’t find it, no matter

how hard you look. To all

those suffering from postbinge

depression, you are not

alone and the only way to escape

its evil grasp is to branch

out and give sunlight and fresh

air a try.

BY ZAID USMAN

COLUMNIST

LILY CHEN

14 sports/westerner

november 22, 2019

EAT, SLEEP, COMPETE, REPEAT.

ATHLETES SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE WHEN IT COMES TO EXCELLING IN SPORTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.

BY SUZANNA LINEK

sports editor

After years of being a Chicago Blackhawks

fan and having a dad who played when

she was young, senior Grace Olsen grew a

passion for hockey. Starting this experience

as a ten-year-old rather than as the typical eight-yearold,

she was still able to reach success by putting in

extraordinary effort. Olsen began by playing for the

house league Franklin Park Panthers before advancing

to the travel league on the Glenview Stars team,

where she played until she was 15. She was admitted

onto the Elite AAA team, Team Illinois, and has

double-rostered on the Maine Girls team since last

year. Over the years, Olsen has accomplished earning

all-state honors, being MVP of 2018-19 Team Illinois,

winning the state-championship in 2017 and getting

second place in state last season. Excelling in hockey

makes it difficult to live a typical high school teenage

life, though. “My social life is limited due to traveling

on Thursdays and Fridays, and I miss a lot of school

but I wouldn’t give up hockey for my social life; it’s

what I love doing and what I will continue doing in

college. Juggling school and a social life is hard but

I make sure that I prioritize everything and get done

the important things first,” Olsen said. With practices

four days a week and games almost every weekend, she

continually gets the support from her peers, boosting

her confidence and overall helping her do better in the

game.

Freshman Michelle Kaner’s posted top

times during her record breaking swim

season. She is not just a Maine west

swimmer. She is a swimmer with hopes

to make it into the Olympics. Thus, will be determined

two weeks after IHSA State for girls

swim or in March if she reaches the Olympic

trial times. “If not, I hope to achieve my dreams

by next Championship season,” Kaner said. She

started taking swim more seriously beginning at

the age of 12 when the Des Plaines River Racers

closed down and she moved to swim for G Tac,

a team at Glenbrook South. Kaner has won age

12 state top 3 and 5 for the first time in most

of her events. However, she experienced a major

setback when she dislocated her kneecap at 13.

But after therapy, she was able to have a quick

recovery and that summer get top 3 in her events

and again the following March at age 14. So on

the daily her schedule goes as “always swimming,

go home, take a nap, practice, and homework.

If I don’t have swimming I either rest or incorporate

time with friends,” Kaner said. Luckily,

club doesn’t overlap with highschool swim season

so she is able to balance both into her year.

But still Kaner is constantly at the pool training,

and in effect very rewarded for her actions by getting

high point awards, and advancing to various

championships.

Along with soon to be being a four-year Varsity

three-sport athlete for cross country ,

diving, and baseball at Maine West, senior

Raymond Ure manages to compete at the

national level in handball, too. Handball, simply put,

is “racket ball with your hands,” Ure said. He uncovered

his interest for this unfamiliar sport back when

his brother’s climbing instructor at Lattof YMCA

showed his brother, and he joined his brother at just

five years old. Since he took it more seriously than

his brother, starting younger and practicing more, Ure

has been able to take on big competitions all across

the country. Ure trains year-round but more in the

winter, when he plays two-three times a week with

his current coach Don Quinlan. Handball in general

is very “different because there’s not that many people

who play it. Anybody can play it, and you don’t have

to be in top shape to be good. It is based mostly on

strategies compared to other sports,” Ure said. Every

year he goes to men’s tournaments around the Midwest,

and travels once a year just after Christmas to

the west coast to compete in the junior nationals.

This year, he’ll compete in Tucson, Arizona, against

men and collegiate players. Ure has been the 9-and

11-and-under national champion, 13-and 15-and 17-

and-under singles and doubles national winner, and

17-and-under worlds doubles winner.

H O C K

E Y H N D B A

SW IM

How to Train Your Athlete

ATHLETIC TRAINERS SHARE THEIR SYSTEMS FOR KEEPING ATHLETES SAFE AND READY TO PLAY.

At our school, there is an abundant amount of work that happens behind

the scenes that allows the Warrior athletes to perform at the best of

their ability. Maine West has a staff of two athletic trainers, Ryan Melligan

and Nicole Tinetti, as well as multiple student trainers, Joanna Vogt and

Aiyana Puente.

They all work under six domains of athletic training: prevention of

injuries, clinical evaluation and diagnosis, immediate care of an injury or

emergency, treatment and rehabilitation of an injury, and organization and

administration of documenting injuries and professional responsibility.

Melligan graduated from North Central College with a double-major in

Athletic Training and Psychology and Tinetti graduated from North Park

University with a major in Athletic Training. During their years of education

A L L

BY NIKOLINA VUJCIC

sports reporter

they became exposed to real-life situations through clinical rotations within

respective college sports teams, as well as, orthopedic offices, high schools,

and physical therapy clinics. “Through these clinical rotations, I instantly

knew the secondary school setting was for me, so I chose my last two to be

at a high school,” Tinetti said.

Not only have they learned to heal physically, but they also learned how

to better handle injuries on an emotional aspect. “I think if you can understand

people’s different perceptions of pain and their mindset when they

withstand a major injury you can understand and help them better,” Melligan

said. These emotionally sensitive skills help assess and manage any injury

thrown at them.

November 22, 2019 westerner/sports15

The

Transition

STUDENT ATHLETES HAVE LITTLE TIME IN

BETWEEN SEASONAL SPORTS

BY MONYCA GRIMMER

sports editor

Flip flop, flip flop, Maine West’s seasonal

sports are almost all complete opposites.

The beginning of the school year starts with

boys and girls cross country, football, boys

and girls golf, boys soccer, girls volleyball,

and girls swimming; switching right over to

our winter sports: girls and boys basketball,

cheerleading, poms, fencing, gymnastics,

wrestling, and boys swimming.

Three sport varsity athlete, junior Jane

Rothweiler goes from swinging a club, to

shooting a basketball, to kicking a soccer ball.

“The biggest difference in playing different

sports is probably the skills needed for the

sport. For example, I play basketball and soccer

which involve two different element. The

rules of basketball are much more different

than the rules in soccer. Basketball involves

your hands and is inside, while soccer is outside

and involves your feet,” Rothweiler said.

But, there are more than those transitions.

Junior Joshua Schacke transitions from football

to wrestling, with little rest time. “The

biggest difference between wrestling and

football is how in wrestling, when you’re on

the mat, it is only you out there, but on the

football field you have 10 other guys out there

playing with you as a team,” Schacke said.

All athletes go through a change between

their seasons- this affects their fitness, health,

social life, and education. “Between seasons,

my body aches from the soreness. It is hard

to go straight into another sport because your

body has little time to recover,” Schacke said.

Not one athlete is the same, some may

love the adrenaline rush, others may prefer

to have a resting period, and some may be

pressured to continue playing. Students are

expected to live the high school experience,

to be the best of their ability, and to be involved

in as many extracurriculars as possible.

But, these all-star students may overload their

schedules and may not have time to consider

their other dedications.

Playing sports that are close in timing is

not the only option. Senior Lauren Sobjack

plays tennis, a fall sport, and water polo, a

spring sport. “I like having a break between

sports because I get time to relax, work and

hangout with my friends more frequently,”

Sobjack said.

Athletes can be juggling school, three

hour practices, and other related things simouitaneously.

They find it hard to balance

all of these things at once, and for three sport

athletes, this continues for the length of the

school year. “You have less time for your studies

and school work, making it hard to manage

both sports and school at the same time.

I’m usually a procrastinator, but when I’m in

a sport, it’s important to go right home and

really get things done. It is definitely hard to

play two different sports back to back, mainly

because of the time management,” Rothweiler

said.

BounceBack

Returning from a record breaking season,

going 35-0 and being crowned

state champions, the girls basketball

team wants to achieve nothing short of

last year’s success, starting this week in the Schaumburg

Thanksgiving Tournament.

A key person to watch this season is senior

Angela Dugalic, ranked by ESPN as the number

six forward in the nation and the 24th best player

overall this year. Along with playing a crucial role

in leading the Warriors to a state title, Dugalic is

committed to the University of Oregon, and teams

around the state know her capabilities. “I know I

have to be the leading scorer and rebounder. Because

I am so tall, I have an advantage around the

basket, but I love to shoot as well. I believe other

teams will focus on me a lot this season, and if opportunity

strikes, I’ll give it to someone who has

that open shot. But if I’m open, I’m taking that

shot,” Dugalic said.

Still holding an undefeated streak, the Warriors

are the team-to-beat in Illinois. The title

of reigning state champions will bring out some

fierce competition this year for the Warriors. But

the Warriors have been state-wide legends for several

seasons, after finishing third in state in 2018.

“You cannot talk to someone about our team

without them asking ‘are you going to make it

down state again?’ That puts a lot of pressure on

each and every person on the team to perform at

their best ability. We don’t know exactly what the

season holds for us, but if we work hard and stay

focused, we can have a great season,” senior Lena

Albo said.

GRETA MARTIN

BY KARIM USMAN

AND TEJ PARMER

reporters

THE VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM IS BACK AT IT THIS SEASON WITH HOPES TO KEEP THEIR REPUTATION HIGH

This bright team has as much potential as anyone

else, but these players have big shoes to fill. “I

hope this year to be more of a leader as a senior

and make this year the best I can as well as preparing

and teaching players to continue on the legacy

of the girls basketball program,” senior Dylan Van

Fleet said.

With their own high expectations, the girls are

ready to define Warrior basketball on their own

terms. “I think we will do good. We have three of

our starters returning and a couple of underclassmen

who have a lot of potential. It’ll be hard to

follow up because we had such an amazing season

last year, but as I said, I believe in us and think we

are capable of having that same season,” Dugalic

said.

16 sports/westerner

Inside the

Mind of the

Athlete

BY DANIEL VICENS

sports editor

November 22, 2019

As lives get more and more stressful in high school, participating

in sports may seem like a bigger challenge than what it’s worth.

Between the high expectations coaches hold, loads of schoolwork,

and responsibilities at home, there seem to be a million reasons that

could draw students away from sports. Nevertheless, students show up, rosters get

made, and games get played. “Initially sports are played because it’s fun. There is

a happiness you get when you start pursuing and training for something you love

doing,” assistant athletic director Erik McNeill said. “Being able to compete with

your friends and represent your school is a great benefit and many athletes play

for this reason. Being part of a team creates unity and strong social bonds. With

this identity, people keep playing sports.” To really get an understanding of what

motivates the Warriors, the Westerner went inside the minds of West athletes.

“I love doing

dance because it

keeps me in shape

and it allows me to

grow closer bonds

with my friends,”

senior dancer Tess

Watson said.

“I love being competitive,

and when I’m

on the court all the

stress around me goes

away and I can just be

in the moment of the

game,” senior basketball

player Dylan Van

Fleet said.

“I play volleyball because

I get to enjoy every

game playing with my

friends. It makes me a better,

well-rounded leader,”

junior volleyball player Bart

Wolinski said.

“I joined tennis

because I wanted to

get more involved in

school, and stay in

shape during offseason

for badminton,”

junior tennis player

Ivana Damjanic

said.

“I love when I am

able to win and compete

with other girls.

When my friends

come out to support

us, it makes it even

better,” junior badminton

player Riya

Patel said.

“I like bonding with

other girls who have just

as much passion for the

sport as I do. Playing

golf allows me to have a

great time while also getting

super close with my

friends,” junior golfer

Madeleine Larson said.

“I play volleyball because

playing a sport really

allows me to push myself

to my top ability to succeed,”

freshman volleyball

player Denise Franco said.

“I love playing

soccer because

my parents have

played it so it’s

been a part of my

life since I can remember,”

senior

soccer player Jose

Maya said.

“I play soccer

because I love being

able to create

lifelong memories

while doing

a sport I love,” senior

soccer player

Liana Bravo said.

“I love being able to

push myself to my top

ability, and at the end

of the race I feel a wave

of accomplishment,” junior

track sprinter Maya

Gherman said.

“Both of my brothers did

it, so seeing them be successful

when I was younger made

me want to join and be just

as good as them or even better,”

sophomore diver Audrey

Peters said.

XIAO LIN HE

“I play softball

because I have been

playing since I was

young. Being able to

play with my close

friends makes it better,”

junior softball

player Amber Boland

said.

November 2019

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