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Volume 36 • Issue 4 • November 17, 2010 • wyoung.org
Seniors host first all school talent show
Alyssa Dee
Features Editor
page 3
page 6
page 9
After years of hosting an annual
Senior Talent Show, WY’s Class of 2011
tried something new this year. Students
from every class were allowed to perform
in the competition. The school-wide
contest had the first elimination round on
Nov. 8 and the final round on Nov. 10.
The musical performance by Sean
Akuamoah ‘11, Kynoisha Hurst ‘12,
Thaddeus Tukes ‘12, Julius Tucker ‘12,
Max Brown ‘12 and Kamila HinesMuhammad ‘12 took the top price,
winning $100. Judges and audience
raved over their rendition of “I’m Just
Living My Life.” Ellie Albarran ‘11 and
Angela Townsend ‘13 rounded out the top
three; both performed dance routines.
There were five judges scoring the
competitors each day. In fairness, the
Talent Show Committee planned for a
new set of judges each day so that the
same judges would not be reviewing
the same acts. Three of the five judges
that were critiquing each day of the
competition were volunteers from the
Talent Show Committee.
Mariah Matthews ’11 is a member of
the Committee.
“It was interesting to see what this
year’s performers had to offer the judges
and the audience,” says Matthews. “I saw
a variety of very well-done acts.”
With about 30 participants, the
audience viewed routines from all ends of
the spectrum. There was everything from
singing to dancing, and even a taste a
magic.
Retreat
in the
planning
stages
Daniel Finger
Staff Reporter
page 19
Index
News...1-4
Company...5
Freestyling...6
Thanksgiving...7
Editorials... 8
Culture... 9
In-Depth...10-11
Opinions..12-13
Movies...14
Entertainment...
15-16
Sports...17-20
The administration at WY
is planning a retreat for all
sophomores in the spring of
2011.
This retreat will become an
annual trip for the sophomore
class at WY. Tentatively,
the trip will occur in April
of 2011, just before spring
break. The retreat will be
an over-night trip for the
entire sophomore class. The
location has not been decided
yet, but a committee of WY
faculty is considering several
possibilities.The trip would be
chaperoned by 40-45 faculty
members in order to bring the
WY family closer together.
“The retreat will address
concerns of faculty and
students alike that there is
a lack of respect for peers
shown by students,” says
Lynn Zalon, Dean of Students
and co-chair of the retreat’s
planning committee. “We want
to make the student body
more tolerant.”
There is a growing
sentiment among the
Martin Kim/Staff Photographer
Starting off the final round of the WY talent show, Kinjal Shah ‘12 performs a traditional Indian dance. She was one of 14 performances that made it to the final.
“It was fun to get the audience
group together to pull it off and go wild
involved in my act,” says Rachel Wax ’12, on stage, and that’s just what we did.”
who performed a few magic acts.
The show came together with the hard
One performer, Max Brown ’12,
work of the participants, Talent Show
played a few songs of the 1970s band,
Committee, Felicia CLotworthy, Senior
The Doors, with three other students.
class adviser, and the WY Tech Crew.
“I really love the band we did a
On behalf of the Talent Show
tribute for,” says Brown, lead singer of
Committee, Clotworthy says, “they did
the band. “When I first found out we
an amazing job organizing the acts
were having a talent show for the entire
and making sure the performers were
school, I wanted to see if we could get a
prepared for their routines.”
administration that students
do not fully understand the
ramifications of hazing and
other forms of abuse, not
necessarily physical.
“Students don’t see their
hazing as bullying. They don’t
see that verbally abusing their
peers shuts off communication.
Shouting at another student
in the hall can be severely
damaging to that student’s
mental health and the overall
welfare of the WY family,”
says Brian Tennison, Dean of
Students and co-chair of the
retreat’s planning committee.
The administration is not
terribly disappointed with
the behavior of the student
body, but rather sees room for
improvement. Hazing at WY
is not nearly as prevalent as it
is at other schools throughout
the city of Chicago. However,
there is some segregation i
“We want to enhance the
culture, not necessarily change
it, because it isn’t that bad,”
says Tennison.
The sophomore class
has been chosen for the
retreat because they are
often forgotten in the school
environment. Freshmen bond
at freshman orientation, and
the juniors are busy dealing
with the ACT and SAT. Seniors
would not be available to
plan future retreats.
“We want the sophomore
class to really enjoy their
retreat and gain a lot from it
so that they’re compelled to
help plan it for the freshmen
next year,” says Attendance
Director Marianne Stojak,
a member of the retreat’s
planning committee.
Students
bond
over First
Fridays
Maggie Kindra
Staff Reporter
Looking for something to
do on the first Friday of every
month? This year, many WY
student athletes have joined
the new program First Fridays.
The athletes devote their lunch
period on the first Friday
of every month to hanging
out with students in the
Specialized Services Program.
Corry Irvin, a specialized
services teacher and girls
varsity basketball coach,
started First Fridays so
student athletes could work in
classrooms with students who
have disabilities.
“Students sign up with
me ahead of time and are
assigned to a specific class for
that day. Then, during their
lunch period on the first Friday
of every month, they come
and do different activities with
the kids depending on what
we are doing in class that
day,” comments Irvin.
Irvin started this program
in hope of integrating the
two different groups of WY
students.
“It is good for both sides.
It is good for the athletes
to volunteer because it is
something they will have to
do in college, and it benefits
the students in the classroom
because it combines WY
students and WY students with
disabilities into one big group
that ends up having fun. The
students also receive one-onone attention that they don’t
always get from only one or
two teachers.”
Jamie Vogenthaler ’12,
a member of the varsity
volleyball team and JV
basketball team, found out
about First Fridays in her sign
language class.
“My teacher made an
announcement to the class
because our class has a lot
of hearing-impaired kids
and I knew right away it was
something I wanted to do,”
comments Vogenthaler. “I think
that it is a great idea and I
am excited to go this month
and the rest of the Fridays this
school year!”
Mark Brown ’11, a
member of the varsity
baseball team, volunteered
last month and agrees that it is
a good experience all around.
“I had a lot of fun and got to
interact with different groups
of people while making new
friends. We hung out, read
books and worked on an
art project with them. It is
definitely something that more
students should get involved
in,” adds Brown.
All student athletes are
encouraged to get involved in
the First Fridays program.
2
editor • Jess Clement
designer •Ryann Starks
beacon • news
Students
take over
broadcast
during
division
Cary Shepherd
Photo Editor
You may have noticed
the new student run intercom
broadcast regarding sports
and school activities during
division on Mondays and
Wednesdays that are taking
place this year. These are the
product of an idea by Kevin
Caldwell ’11 and Joy Madison
’11.
Last school year Caldwell
and Madison approached
Assistant Principal Melvin Soto
to ask if they could make
these reports coming next
school year.
“They came to see me late
last school year,” said Soto.
“They wanted to get out the
info in a way that is more
Student
rewarded
for his
Dec. 3 marks second service
annual art fundraiser
Caroline Jang/Staff Photographer
Working on his self-portrait in art teacher Susan Rice’s Exploring Art class, Aidan Henry ‘11 adds shading and shadowing to
make his artwork more realistic.
Baxter Helm
Opinios Editor
Caroline Jang
Staff Photographer
Planning for WY’s annual
art fundraiser is already in
full effect. The fundraiser is
being called First Friday, after
the name of other art show
openings in Chicago.
This year’s fundraiser will
not be as massive in size as
last year’s fundraiser Night
Flight was. First Friday will
focus more on exhibiting work.
Last year was more about
selling work. This year it will
be more of a ‘neighborhood
art fair’.
“It is a student centered
event,” said Nancy Klark, art
department chair.
Although the event is more
focused on exhibiting work,
student pieces will be sold on
the arts bridge and in the art
gallery. Rather than selling
work during a silent auction,
as it was done last year,
student art work will be sold
at tables in a vendor manner.
Some pieces that will be on
display, as well as available
for sale, are sculptures, paper
Orchestra
ventures
into the
wild
Alex Skital
Staff Reporter
Not every cellist gets the
opportunity to practice their
latest piece surrounded by
nature. Yet, that is exactly
jewelry, and paper toys.
“I was active in last year’s
fundraiser; I’m excited to see
how this year’s fundraiser will
go,” said Emma Lisec ’13.
Student videos will be
screened in the cinema. In
addition, there will be music
and dance performances and
refreshments available on the
bridge.
The number one goal
of the fundraiser is to raise
money to purchase more
digital cameras for the
photography classes. The art
department is also looking to
purchase new stools for two of
the classrooms.
First Friday is set for Dec.
3 from 5pm-8pm, the same
day a performance of The
Young Company’s fall play.
“With both events going
on, it will truly be a festive
evening,” said Klark.
The fundraiser will be
an open event with a $5
door fee; student prices are
reduced.
“I’m excited about the
turn-out,” says Nick Gorisch,
graphic design teacher.
what the WY Philharmonic
orchestra got to experience
during their retreat to Camp
White Eagle in Leafriver,
Ill. Leaving after school, the
orchestra stopped in Dekalb
to pick up 10 Chamber music
coaches. These coaches each
held various musical degrees
and spent the weekend
working with the students.
After a three hour drive,
the orchestra went straight to
their cabins to rest up for the
next day. The first morning
at the camp marked the start
of a very intense weekend.
The orchestra awoke early
for a morning nature hike
At WY students are
required to have 40 service
hours by the time they
graduate. By the end of
sophomore year students are
required to have 20 hours.
Most freshmen haven’t gotten
more than five or so, but not
Brandon McCallister ’14.
He has completed a
grand total of 160 hours of
service thus far. With that
pace he could reach more
than 600 hours by the time
he graduates. His attitude
towards service is what
propels him past his peers.
“Whenever I start my
service, I always have a
positive attitude. If you go
into service with a negative
attitude then it’s not as
enjoyable, and people can
see that. When people
see me doing my service, I
want them to see me doing
it because I want to, and
not because I have to,”
articulates McCallister.
He has participated in a
mission trip to Mt.Vernon, IL
over the summer and helped
rebuild houses and fix them
up to make lives easier
and afterwards participated
in a variety of leadership
activities.
“We are all a lot closer
and we have a strong
bond now because of the
experience we shared,” Sacha
Dunkin ’12 says.
The outdoor rehearsals
made orchestra instructor
Michael Mascari, very glad
that his students got a chance
to experience playing in such
a natural setting.
“There was a cellist
playing on a log and a violin
duet practicing in the middle
of a cornfield, working outside
was incredible,” Mascaristates.
appealing and engaging for
students. I thought it was an
excellent idea.”
The broadcasts consist of
information for students about
how the week went for various
sports teams, clubs, and school
functions. It is an excellent
resource for students, and it is
an excellent idea to listen up
on Mondays and Wednesdays
because you don’t want to
miss the information they are
presenting.
In future years Soto hopes
to introduce a weekly video
broadcast to divisions with the
help of the broadcasting club.
“We hope to marry the
two,” said Soto, regarding the
help of the broadcasting club
in producing this weekly video
for divisions to see.
This broadcast would
require the use of projectors in
all of the division rooms, and
while the school now has either
smart boards or sympodiums
in most classrooms. This weekly
video is a great possibility
in future years, but today’s
seniors will not be a part of
this.
Caldwell and Madison will
be recruiting announcers for
future years, and hopefully
the weekly video will be a
great success in future years.
for the people living in the
community. He also has
volunteered at a weeklong
camp called “Walcamp”. He
volunteers cooking, cleaning,
and helping with the kids in
any way he can.
On Oct. 27 he was
honored with The Cook
County Sheriff’s Youth
Service Medal of Honor. He
applied at the beginning
of this school year, having
to write an essay on how
his service helped the
community.
“Students who have
volunteered a minimum of
100 hours within the last
year are eligible to apply,”
says Attendance Director
Marianne Stojak.
McCallister advises, “…
to find service projects you
could do close to you. Also
get a friend to do them with
you. It’s always more fun to
have someone you know to
talk to while you’re working;
it makes everything go by
much faster.”
His compassion for others
is a great example for our
students here. Because of his
achievements and attitude,
McCallister is a role model
and leader many here
aspire to be like.
“I would also say, don’t
complete your service
hours because you have
to; complete them because
you know you are making a
difference in someone’s life.
Sure it may be small, but
it still made someone’s life
a little bit easier,” reminds
McCallister.
The orchestra students felt
the same way.
“It was really cool because
we weren’t supposed to use
electronics. We got a chance
to play under the trees and
the stars,” says Hannah
Blackwood ’12.
The students spent seven
hours rehearsing with their
coaches, and later put on a
chamber music concert for
each other. A night hike closed
out a great day.
“The evening really
brought the group together. I
forgot how many stars there
were, ” Mascari says.
Five
students
perform
on Oprah
Maggie Kindra
Staff Reporter
It’s not every day that
five WY students are given
the opportunity to not only
appear on live TV, but sing on
“The Oprah Show” with singer
Susan Boyle in front of millions
of people. Nora Lubin ’13,
Machaela Reichart ’12, Riley
Kleve ’13, Emily Bish ‘13 and
Justin Wong ‘13 did this, with
the added pressure of Oprah
Winfrey looking on.
The Chicago Children’s
Choir is a renowned program
currently serving more than
2,800 students ages 8-18,
through choirs in 45 different
schools. Under Director
Josephine Lee, the Choir has
undertaken many successful
national and international
tours and received a Chicago/
Midwest Emmy Award for the
2008 documentary Songs on
the Road to Freedom.
The CCChoir was featured
on “The Oprah Show” with
Boyle on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
Boyle is a Scottish singer who
came to public attention when
she appeared as a contestant
on the reality TV show
“Britain’s Got Talent”. The five
students who participated in
the taping all agreed that it
was quite an experience.
“Before we did the taping,
we had a four hour long
rehearsal at the studio where
we practiced standing and
getting off stage for two hours
before we actually started
singing,” says Reichart.
The choir sang “Don’t
Dream It’s Over” with Boyle
not only in front of a live
studio audience but also in
front of the millions of Oprah
fanatics tuning in on their TVs.
“At first I thought I’ll be
fine, it won’t be that bad,
then before we went out I got
really nervous because we
wore these giant robes and
I didn’t want to fall and trip
on stage and be the girl who
made everyone re-do the
taping,” laughs Reichart.
Kleve agrees.
“I was extremely nervous
and all I could think about
was walking and not tripping.
The shoes I wore paired with
the big robe was an accident
waiting to happen!” adds
Kleve.
When asked what
their favorite part of the
experience was, each had
something different to share.
“The first time I saw
the audience was awesome
because when we rehearsed
it, there was no audience so
we had to try to be in the
moment without people in
front of us. It was really cool
to see the live audience’s
reactions and Oprah sitting
right in front watching us,”
comments Reichart.
Lubin agrees.
“The enthusiasm of the
audience combined with the
thrill of being in a live studio
was an awesome opportunity
that not many people can say
they have experienced,” adds
Lubin.
beacon • news
editor • Jess Clement
designer • Ryann Starks
Exchange
student wins
Washington tournament
Brown
goes to
Ari Taylor
Staff Reporter
Mark Brown
Staff Reporter
Every year the National
Youth Leadership Forum on
National Security (NYLF/
NS) offers selected students
an inside look at the many
opportunities available in the
field of national security. This
year, of the 350 students who
were chosen to attend the
forum, WY’s Ryan Brown ’13
was one of them.
At the conference, students
from all over the nation come
to meet with people from the
CIA, FBI, as well as private
security companies.
Brown says the conference
allowed him to get a better
understanding to what
national security entailed.
“I’m much more interested
in the field now that I got to
experience the conference
than I was before. It was a
really good experience for
me,” says Brown.
In order to be selected as
one of the members, a teacher
or counselor has to recommend
you to go.
Brown still does not know
who recommended him, but
many other students wish that
it could have been them.
“I’m really interested in
being a CIA agent and wish
someone would recommend
me for something like that,”
says Gianni Mancini ’11.
Brown says it was a
wonderful event to be a part
of, and would recommend it to
anyone interested in national
security.
Have you noticed a new face in the
halls at WY? If you have, it might belong to
Aydyn Abduaytov, a foreign exchange
student from Kazakhstan. Many students have experienced
foreign exchange students from
European countries, such as Germany,
but one from Kazakhstan is something
new. Of course anyone who is away
from home is going to feel at least
a little homesick, but Abduaytov has
been able to overcome it through WY’s
community and environment. “This school is the most important
reason I am still here, I am happiest at
the school,” said Abduaytov.
When you meet Abduaytov you first
notice his soft spoken voice and respect
for others, but what you might not
realize is that he is a karate master. “I have participated in karate for
the past ten years of my life, since I was
seven. I am a three time champion of
Kazakhstan,” said Abduaytov. Yes, you read that correctly.
Abduaytov was the champion of his
whole country for three straight years,
2007, 2008, and 2009. Abduaytov has
brought his incredible karate skills with
him to the United States and hasn’t kept
them to himself.
On October 8th and 9th Abduaytov
competed in the Diamond Nationals
World Karate Championships in
Minnesota. He did not disappoint, taking
1st place in the 16 and 17 year old
black belt traditional forms division.
While Abduaytov looks just like
any other WY student, he definitely has
mastered karate to a point that most of
the student body will never reach. He is
a person we should all get to know. Teacher
travels to,
aids Haiti
3
Alex Skital
Staff Reporter
Photo courtesy of Aydyn Abduaytov,
Foreign Exhange Student
“I think that karate is more than
just a sport, Karate is a way of life. It
is a purification of soul and body,” says
Abduaytov.
This week fashion teacher Theresa
Yaneck is taking on a huge cause.
Working with the Global Orphan Project,
Yaneck will be going to Haiti from
Nov.18-22 to bring relief to the largest
population of orphans in the world.
Yaneck first heard of the project on
“60 Minutes” and was touched by the
cause. She can relate to the orphans,
having lost her mother just one year ago.
“I feel like an adult orphan, I can
only imagine what it must feel like to
experience this loss at such a young age,”
she says.
All of Yaneck’s fashion classes are on
board with the cause. Her students have
sewn over 100 skirts for Yaneck to bring
to Haiti.
Fashion student Patricia Ward ’11
enjoyed working on the project.
“We don’t usually get a chance to
help people, and this project gave us an
opportunity to help those desperately in
need,” Ward says.
The Do Something club, NHS, and
Student Council are also partnering with
Yaneck to help collect medical supplies
and raise awareness.
“One of NHS’s pillars is service, so I
think it’s great that we are helping out,”
NHS member Elizabeth Quander ’11
says.
Yaneck will visit four villages spending
the night with the children. There she will
sing, dance, deliver materials and teach
them how to sew.
Going to Haiti, Yaneck hopes to bring
aid directly to the orphans and to “touch
somebody’s life, make somebody smile
and feel loved.”
Science Fair transforms into Science Day
Roberto Nieves
Staff Reporter
Digout your lab coats and
goggles; WY’s Science Day is
fast approaching.
Science Day will take
place on Dec. 8, in the blue
house area.
Starting at 9:00 (third
period) and ending after
seventh, Science Day is just
a “great day for students to
explore science, and show
off their own knowledge and
ideas,” said physics teacher
Paul Kash.
Previously known as
Science Fair, the science
department decided to
rename it to reflect its now
larger role in the sciences.
“Some teachers and I
discussed it; it was a collective
decision we made so that
we could get more students
to be involved,” said Lynn
El-Amin, head of the science
department.
Making more kids feel
important and able to take
on challenges in science was
one of the main reasons they
changed the event.
“We felt like making
Science Day include more
than just science fair opens
up doors to alot of other
other science competitions.
Competitions for those that
may have different strong
points; such as science
symposium competitions for
students that are excellent
speakers, or innovation
competitions for inventors,”
said El-Amin.
Along with the traditional
science fair, complete with
judges and winners who
advance to city, Science Day
will include a bridge building
contest, a physics photo
contest, and various scientific
demonstrations.
Every honors science class
is mandated to participate in
Science Day, while regulars
and AP classes are strongly
encouraged to also join the
“Students will be putting
on demonstrationsons, and
are eager to showoff some of
Grant
writers
rewarded
with iPads
Julia Dennis
Entertainment Editor
Lewis Etzkorn/Staff Photographer
Enjoying the use of iPads, biology teacher Anna Gallardo’s
students follow her instructions during eighth period.
Until recently, most
electronic use was banned by
the administration. Now, the
Science Department is using
the iPad to their advantage.
The iPad, which was released
by Apple in April 2010, is a
tablet computer controlled by
a touch display. Because it is
almost 10 inches tall and only
weighs 1.5 pounds, the iPad is
their scientific exploits,” said
chemistry teacher Ryan Neris.
The physics photo contest
is being run by physics
teacher Michael McIntosh, and
information is available on the
board outside of room 342.
Make sure to check out
the bridge building contest,
which in recent years has
been increasingly exciting
as students find new ways to
make their bridges withstand
more and more weight
Run by science teacher
Chad Soloman, the bridge
competition will begin fourth
period.
By making Science Day
open to non-classical scientists,
the science department has
attracted a lot more attention.
Derek Drozd ’12,
participant in last year’s
science fair, who placed at
state, said “I enjoyed last
year’s science fair experience,
going to city then downstate
was something I didn’t expect
to come out of a science
project. And even though I
didn’t build a bridge, it was
cool watching them being
tested.”
This year’s participants are
getting ready for the big day.
Noah Evans ’14, who will
be submitting a science fair
project this year, said, “I’m
looking forward to it; it makes
science seem more fun.”
easy to use and transport.
“It’s more convenient than
going to the tech center; the
information is right at your
fingertips,” points out Joe Platt
’11.
Science teachers Chad
Solomon and Lynn El-Amin
requested a grant from CPS
and Apple. Originally just
for Academic Center use, all
of the other science teachers
were quick to recognize the
helpful tool that iPads could
become.
iPads are used directly in
the hands of students. Solomon
points out that “science too
often is about where the
facts are. iPads put the facts
at your fingertips so the
understandings, connections
and conclusions” made by
students can “become the
focus of the class.”
Clara Byczkowski ’11,
enjoyed use of the iPad in
her AP Environmental Science
class, but notes that “while
iPads are really easy to
work on, they provide many
distractions.”
Solomon counters that by
keeping the class focused,
with an “end result that is
palatable and verifiable”
and by only using the iPad
when there is reason for it;
teachers will eliminate many
distractions the iPad offers.
Teachers are careful to
use iPads as an instrument
to further education, not just
using iPads for the experience
and fun in using them.
iPads have the potential to
revolutionize methods of
learning in the next couple
of years, and the Science
Department is sensible to
implement iPads into their
curriculum.
4
editor • Jess Clement
designer • Ryann Starks
Q and A with new
social worker
Alex Olivo
Sports Editor
Every year, WY silently picks
up a few new employees.
Usually, these members of
staff go unnoticed for a while
but social worker Marla
Vendor would like all of WY’s
young minds to know a little
bit about who she is.
Q: Now that you’ve wet your
feet a little, what is your
impression of WY?
A: The first thing I think of is
welcoming. You walk around
and it’s clear that people
care. What I love most,
though, is the diversity. I’ve
come from elementary schools
that were very homogenous,
it’s very refreshing to see the
mix of people here.
Q: Why did you choose to
come to Whitney Young?
A: Well, I was originally
offered the job here and upon
receiving the offer I was like,
“Is this a trick question?” I’ve
spent 15 years in the field and
nine years working for CPS
and I wanted to accept the
opportunity. At other schools
I had to almost parent the
other children. I had to seek
them out but here it’s different.
Here it’s a different kind of
challenge with a different kind
of people. Here I am sought
out.
Q: What is one thing you
would like your pupils to
know about you?
A: (Imitating Dr. Evil) “I’m
Hip. I’m cool.” Haha. I have
the sense of humor of a
ten year old. But seriously
I would want them to know
that nothing shocks me but
everything surprises me. When
you walk into my office there
are no pre-conceptions or
assumptions. It is because I
have the ability to do that that
allows me to do my job.
Q: What does it mean to be
a social worker and what do
you want to accomplish?
A: A social worker is someone
who helps others help
themselves. I’d like to serve
as an educator, not only to
students, but to all. I want to
influence the people here to
be able to identify problems,
issure, or people who need
help and be able to act.
Q: For those who come and
see you, what do you want
them to take away the most?
A: First and foremost that
success in life equals balance.
Success isn’t money, net worth
based on what college you
are accepted into. Success is
measured in the fulfillment and
richness you feel in everyday
life. You can have all the
money and possessions in the
world and be miserable. It’s
about balance.
Q: If there was one thing
you could tell every student
in WY that could relate to
anything in life what would
it be?
A: Human beings are not
commodities. I feel everyday
students and people in
general are being thrust into
education to compete in the
global market. Being pushed
and treated like resources.
True success in education,
again, comes back to balance.
You do it for you.
Long-standing
club changes
Mark Brown
Staff Reporter
What is BPA and why has
it replaced FBLA?
Business Professionals of
America just offers more for
WY students and it is just as
prestigious of an organization.
Business teacher, Joan
Kane, is the groups sponsor
and is responsible for
coordinating most of the
group’s events.
“The primary reason for
the change is that FBLA is
based mostly downstate and
in the suburbs. We were the
only city school,” said Kane.
This meant that the
competitions went on those
suburban schools schedules. An
example of this is when WY
had to go all the way out into
the suburbs for a competition
the Saturday after finals
last year. The other schools
competing were already in
their second semester and had
a much easier time preparing
without finals in the way.
BPA is much more
convenient, with competitions
being located in the city or
close to the city. FBLA’s state
finals are in Decatur , IL ,
which is a three hour commute
from WY. On the other hand,
BPA’s state finals are in
Oakbrook, IL, which is about a
20 minute drive from WY.
Also, WY is now able to
compete with other Chicago
Public Schools such as
Gwendolyn Brooks College
Preparatory, Curie, Simeon,
and others. This was not
possible through FBLA.
I’m happy that we will
be able to compete against
other Chicago Public Schools
because we can earn
bragging rights,” said Sam
Ghilardi ‘12.
On October 30th, many
members of BPA went to a
Chicago Wolves hockey game
because of tickets received
through the club. After the
game the students talked
with the president of the
Wolves about business and
how to manage a big market
professional team.
“It was an incredible
experience. I learned a lot
and I also had a lot of fun
at the game,” said Guillermo
Perez ’12, a member of FBLA
last year and BPA this year.
Overall, BPA is just a far
better organization for WY
than FBLA allowing many
opportunities that were not
available with FBLA.
“With BPA, if you win
the state competition you are
eligible for grants to help
pay for you to compete in the
national competition. FBLA did
provide this,” said Kane.
beacon • news
California
votes
down
Prop 19
Diana Rosen
Staff Reporter
On Nov. 2, California
constituents voted on one
of the most controversial
propositions to ever make its
way onto a ballot. Prop 19
called for the legalization
of activities relating to
recreational marijuana and
would have given local
governments the power to tax
those activities. It also would
have given those governments
the power to institute criminal
and civil penalties relating to
those activities.
To the dismay of the
advocacy group, Tax
Cannabis 2010, and
proponents Richard Lee and
Jeffrey Wayne Jones, Prop
19 was voted down 54 to 46
percent.
“I probably would have
supported it,” says social
science teacher Matt Heller.
“I don’t see the difference
between marijuana and
alcohol.”
CPS efforts
to salvage
funds
result in
furlough
Arissa Moore
Staff Reporter
The economic hardships the
city of Chicago has had due
to the recession are having a
direct effect on WY and other
high schools around the city.
CPS is requiring principals and
assistant principals to take
at least six unpaid days off
of work before the month of
February.
“Furlough days are
Critics of the proposition
ran commercials on TV
claiming that legalizing
marijuana, even in small
amounts, would lead to
more people going to work
high and driving under the
influence of drugs. Ironically,
the biggest donor to these
negative advertisements
was the alcohol industry.
Supporters of Prop 19 felt
that legalizing marijuana
would give the California
government additional
revenue through taxation.
History teacher Chris Gamble
agrees, “Legalizing marijuana
would be a complete
moneymaker.”
Economic benefits aside,
many people supported
Prop 19 on the principle that
carrying small amounts of
marijuana should not be a
criminal offence.
“I support the proposition.
We should move it to
Chicago!” says Justin Villarreal
’13.
Both Heller and Gamble
are skeptical about a similar
position coming to Illinois soon.
“If it can’t happen in
California, it definitely won’t
happen here,” says Heller.
Gamble sees the issue of
marijuana legalization as very
generational.
“I think we’re definitely
becoming accustomed to
the idea, but it won’t be
happening anytime soon,”
says Gamble.
considered zero days because
we don’t get any type of
pay,” says Assistant Principal
Mark Grishaber. “Dr. Kenner,
Mr. Soto and I are taking
these days as an effort to help
the bad financial situation.”
Although furlough days
have reached the highest level
of high schools, Kenner doesn’t
believe teachers or students
should be concerned.
“I don’t think these days
off will negatively impact us.
We have a very efficient staff
to pick up the slack for our
time out,” says Principal Joyce
Kenner.
Students, like Kenner, are
indifferent to this plan.
“It’s going to be weird
having three of our main
administrators miss that many
days,” says Nia Foney ’11. “I
don’t think the Board would
be carrying out this plan if it
wouldn’t set us closer to where
we need to be financially, so I
guess it’s necessary.”
Dance
your day
away
Ari Taylor
Staff Reporter
The dance department’s
annual Dance-A-Day
fundraiser is quickly
approaching with many new
changes.
Every year, the Dance
department offers a variety
of dance classes to the entire
community. The event is
open to everyone. Jeanette
Gordon Dance department
coordinator wants everyone to
know that beginners are more
than welcome and just wants
everyone to come out and
enjoy themselves.
“I expect a lot of dancers
in the space enjoying
themselves, trying something
new,” says Gordon.
Dance a day will be on
Nov. 20, and a widevariety
of styles will be offered to
dance-a-day participants,
at $5 a class. Yoga, Pilates,
Latin, Hip hop, Zumba and din
dada are only a few of the
class choices that the dance
department is offering.
Zumba and Flygirl are two
of the new classes that are
being offered this year which
have both seemed to excite
many. Gordon describes
Zumba as an exercise class
based off of aerobics and
Latin rhythms. While Flygirl is
a style of fun, sassy jazz. “It’s the equivalent of
a dance party, and you
barely even realize that you
are working out.” Gordon
continues.
“I plan on participating
in Latin and din dada,” says
Cierra Burton ’12.
Din dada is a form of
African dance that has been a
tradition here at WY for over
25 years. This year it will be
taught by Jada Cunningham
‘11, captain of the Guys n
Dolls Dance team.
“I’m just really excited
to teach and for a lot of
people to come out. I just
plan on having fun and really
getting everyone involved,”
Cunningham says with a smile.
Dance-A-Day this year will
surely be a great success.
Caroline Jang/ Staff Photographer
BPA members Ada Vargas ‘11 and Taylor Alcantar ‘11 discuss future competition plans; there are
eight groups of competitive events that members can participate in.
beacon • features
Winkler
shapes the
Young
Company
one show at
a time
Stage
Manager,
Oswald,
runs show
from the
wings
Nicole Middleton
In-Depth Editor
Every Shakespearean
theatre company had what
they called Young Companies.
They were theatre groups
training the younger ones in
the community to one day fill
the lead roles in the Company.
Dan Winkler, English teacher
and Director, renamed the WY
theatre group as The Young
Company in 2007.
“Mr. Winkler really prepares us for the shows,” says
Caroline Ullman ’12.
The Young Company is
lucky to have him. He graduated from the DePaul Theatre
Conservatory with his Masters in Directing and won The
Northwest Indiana Excellence
in Theatre Foundation Award
for the first play that he directed.
“Yes, his dedication to the
Company is evident,” agrees
stage manager Oswald Avile
’11.
Winkler is pleased with
how the Young Company has
grown and there seems to be
a fresh motivation within the
tight knit group.
“Drood is going to be challenging, but I plan to make
singers and dancers out of
my Young Company,” states
Winkler with a smile. “This
upcoming musical is going to
be quite the immersive experience; the audience cannot be
passive,” he continues.
In the future, Winkler wants
to expand the live music in the
shows, involve more departments in the process of putting
on a show, and cultivate new
audiences. He remains hopeful
for the upcoming season as he
leaps up on stage for the millionth time for blocking notes.
Molly Cinoman
Staff Reporter
As the Young Company
works diligently on the production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Oswald Avile ’11
is overwhelmed with work.
“My responsibilities as a
stage manager are mainly to
coordinate between the director, the actors, and the technical crews,” says Avile.
Avile is a perfect example
of the man behind the scenes.
“I am to ensure that the
vision of the director is carried
out through the work of the
other members of The Young
Company,” adds Avile. “It
is also my responsibility to
ensure the well-fare of The
Young Company. During live
performances, I call the show,
meaning I call all cues, both
technical and for the actors.”
The amount of time that
Avile invests into the Young
Company does not go without
recognition within the Young
Company.
Hannah Bernard ’11 acknowledges Avile, “Oswald is
very organized and on top of
things. He is constantly interacting with all members of The
Company from technicians to
costume design.”
Avile attributes WY for his
love of theatre.
“Really the only reason I
started theatre, which I only
started in high school, was
because a friend of mine who
was a sophomore at the time
told me it was fun,” says Avile.
Every since then, Avile has
made The Young Company
his home. Avile describes The
Young Company as fun and
his newfound love for theatre
stimulated his commitment.
Avile praises the people
he has the chance to work with
through Company, “I love the
people with whom I work and
I love sitting back at the end
of a great performance knowing that two months earlier we
were just starting to read the
play and we were having rehearsals on an empty stage.”
Although his interest in
theatre is not a huge focus in
Avile’s future plans in college,
he remains optimistic.
“If opportunities come
along to participate, I would
be more than willing to do so,
however my aspirations are
not leading me to the life in
the theatre.”
His hard work may not be
blatantly evident to the audi-
Molly Cinoman/Staff Photographer
Sam Kopec ‘12, Elise Parisian ‘12, and Eva Lopez ‘12 actively assemble the set of the
upcoming fall musical.
Drood’s
audience
picks how
the play
ends each
night
David Kyin
Sports Editor
Everyone at WY is
familiar with the Young Company and their plays. “The
Mystery of Edwin Drood,” is
the title of their newest play
and is an interactive murder
mystery. The play has many
aspects: romantic, comedic,
and filled with music.
“The Mystery of Edwin
Drood,” is a story based on
Edwind Drood’s uncle, Jasper the choirmaster. Jasper
is in love with his pupil, Rosa
Bud. There is also another
character trying to win Rosa
over named Neville Landless.
Neville and his sister, Helena
Landless, are from a different
area called Ceylon. The dilemma is that both Jasper and
Neville want Rosa and will do
anything to have her despite
editor • Alyssa Dee
designer • Jennifer Keyes
her prior betrothal to Edwin.
The play is the final piece
written by Charles Dickens. He
died before he finished the
manuscript which is where the
uniqueness of the play fits in.
The play is left open ended;
the audience chooses the endings. Audience members have
to choose the path of the play
three different times during
the production. The ending has
a multitude of options to pick
from but the Company urges
you to be creative.
“People pick some pretty
crazy stuff and it makes the
people working with the play
laugh. The play changes every
night,” says Madison Mattox
’12.
The play is taken from the
writings of Rupert Holmes. In
1985 it hit Broadway with
608 performances as well
as 24 previews. It has won
numerous awards including
five 1986 Tony’s, Drama Desk
awards, and Edgar awards. It
was Holmes’ ideas to have the
audience decide where the
story went but in doing so he
had to write numerous endings.
You can expect the Company to put on quite a show
with intense rehearsals on all
school days from now until the
opening in December. “The
Mystery of Edwin Drood” is
going to be a show you don’t
want to miss!
5
Oswald Avile ‘11
ence, but Avile’s personal gain
has made up for his lack of
public appraisal.
Avile reflects on his last
three years as an active member with the Young Company,
“My plans after high school
do not focus on theatre, however the love for the art that
has been cultivated throughout these past three years is
something that I will continue
to nourish throughout my life.”
Glimpse behind
the scenes
Roberto Nieves
Staff Reporter
The Young Company is at it again!
The school theatre group is working hard
behind the scenes to prepare for their
upcoming play, “The Mystery of Edwin
Drood.”
Many Company members meet every
day of the week, after school, in preparation for the play. Rehearsal usually
goes until about 6:30 p.m., and lasts
longer as opening night approaches.
There are many small parts that work
together to put on the great shows the
viewers see. Along with the actors, crews,
including costume, set, art, make-up, lighting, sound, prop, and public relations, all
meet throughout the week.
Making sure the actors get into character is a difficult task for the costume
crew.
“Designing costumes, finding materials to put the costumes together, renting
things we can’t make, and making sure
they fit correctly is always tough,” says
Elise Parisian ‘12, chief of costumes crew.
The challenge continues for the makeup crew as well.
“Getting to transform people into others is the best part of [being in] make-up
crew,” says make-up chief Felisha Gonzalez ’12.
The lighting and sound crews are the
most technical of any. The lighting crew
works hard on timing up spotlight cues
and other visual effects; while the sound
crew works with the microphones, amplification, and any other sound effects that
add to the play.
The art, prop, and set crews are responsible for most of the visual aspects of
the play. Whether it is collaborating with
other groups to finalize artistic decisions,
creating and purchasing props to be used
during the play, or creating the environment and background the play is set in,
these visual crews always deliver a great
final product.
Along with the time commitment, the
work can be strenuous.
A great set goes a long way, and this
year’s set “is probably one of the main
focuses of it, and more difficult than recent shows,” says actress Caroline Ullman
‘12.
Due to limited space and resources,
the various crews have to work on different days, which sometimes presents a
challenge in putting the play together as
a whole.
“It was tough getting one of last
year’s shows, ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’,
finished. We had all the pieces but we
had to stay late and come in on the
weekends to smooth everything out,” says
actor Montell Williams ’12.
Even though it’s time consuming and
difficult work, members of The Young
Company agree that the time-consuming
process pays off in the end.
6
editor • Alyssa Dee
designer • Jennifer Keyes
beacon • features
For those of you who are interested in
pursuing a hobby or simply a better
understanding of what a freestyling
sounds like, below are three freestyling
samples of fellow WY students:
This is the beginning,
Commence the operation.
Dreaming of the day
When I can have a lil’ vacation.
Because the money I’m making,
Barriers I’m breaking.
Looking for my golden chip,
Call it Frosted Flakin’.
Sitting in a classroom,
It’s almost like a cartoon.
Thoughts swirling through my head,
Something like a typhoon.
They call me the candy man,
Sometimes the candid man.
I’m the man to go to,
Yeah I got the master plan.
-Julius Henderson ‘11
Freestyling gains
popularity at WY
Martin Kim
Staff Reporter
Since the end of the 20092010 school year, WY has
been experiencing a new fad
that is taking over the hallways. Freestyling has been
growing in popularity all over
the nation and has been making its way into the lives of
many student hip-hop fans.
You may find students
“spitting bars” in settings such
as the classroom, hallways,
car rides, parties, and parks.
The trend is spreading rapidly
throughout Chicago, yet many
claim that WY is the freestyling central.
The well-known student
rapper Victor Mensah ’11
is arguably one of the most
skilled freestylers of WY.
“I’ve been freestyling since
the day I’ve been rapping,”
says Mensah. “It’s much more
than the standard rap. It
requires intelligence and quick
thinking, which makes it not the
easiest thing in the world.”
Most students get into freestyling after witnessing other
students. Initially, students start
off a bit weak, but after a
few tries, they begin to get the
hang of, and while they may
not be superb, their rhymes
will suffice in a freestyling
session.
“I know I’m not the best
freestyler at the school but it
doesn’t stop me from joining in
on a hitting instrumental,” says
Zachary Hinton ’11.
While many are known
for their ability to “spit a hot
cipher,” several students are
recognized for their beat-boxing skills. Alexander Peace ’11
is recognized for his intense
beats and unique sounds.
“I’ll take the beats of Alex
Peace over any instrumental,”
exclaimed freestyler Kene
Ekwunife ’11.
Ekwunife is one of the better known freestylers at WY.
Many compare his flow to that
of the world-renowned Gucci
Mane.
The majority of freestylers, however, do not claim to
possess skill in the hobby. Most
students claim they participate
in the activity simply because
it is enjoyable.
“I’ll be the first to tell you
that I am not a good rapper,”
says James Daniels ’12, “but
I’m not afraid to jump in. You
know, every now and then
you spit a decent line and it
makes you feel good. Hearing
the small crowd around you
go ‘Oh!’ makes you feel good
about yourself.
Whether you are a talented rapper or an unskilled
amateur, freestyling is always
an option. It provides entertainment in any situation. The
fad is growing rapidly and
everybody is trying to get a
piece of the phenomenon.
I spit the bars even as a youngster.
Flow steady, keep the beat like the drummer.
Gold house chillin’
I hit louder than thunder.
Flow smoother than a current.
Boy you better learn it.
Learn it freshman style
Don’t hit the button, don’t turn the dial.
Yes I’m still a freshman,
But you know I’m so fresh and
So clean, call me Andre three.
All the haters just want to spit it like me.
-Sterling Harris ‘14
Sometimes we freestyle,
My mind is like a fountain.
Rhymes flow like water,
You know Dasani? Ice Mountain?
I’m running like I’m Jones-Drew,
My earth is always quaking.
Grinding like I’m Al Pacino,
You know that I’m Scarfacin’.
So say hello to my little friend.
Don’t even act, don’t even
pretend.
Because I’m a lyrical genius,
I’m not trying to fiend this.
Whatever it is I achieve it,
I Alexander Peace it.
So this is the conclusion,
The flow like an illusion.
Laughing at the haters,
It’s all just so amazing.
-Alexander Peace ‘11
History
of freestyling
Lewis Etzkorn
Staff Reporter
Freestyle rapping, “spittin’
bars,” or simply “freestyling,”
refers to rapping in which
the lyrics are improvised.
When it first originated in
hip hop’s old-school era of
the 1980s, it was used as a
way of conveying one’s skill
in writing raps beforehand
and performing them in a
style that was free and in no
particular order-- hence the
name freestyling.
The lyrics could have been
about anything or nothing
in particular. The point was
not to have lyrics that gave
a message, or to be poetic,
but to simply show off the
writer’s skill in writing lyrics.
These lyrics were rapped
both acapella, or with an
accompanying beat.
Leaders in this field
included Myka 9, Big Daddy
Kane, and Kool Moe Dee.
Regarded as some of the
kings of freestyling, they were
the first to start this popular
subdivision of hip-hop.
Throughout the years, a
new type of freestyling was
developing.
The old, more lyrical
and somewhat sentimental
freestyling had turned into
what is called rap battling - a
form of freestyling in which
two rappers face off and
lyrically battle each other
through their rapping.
“You basically just brag
about yourself, and tear down
the other guy as much as
possible,” says Jeremy Milton
’11.
Freestyling and rap
battling made their
breakthroughs into pop culture
as popular TV stations started
to create shows in which
they filmed rap battles and
ciphers (freestyle sessions) and
broadcasted them.
At this point in the
evolution of freestyle, it had
gone from being pre-written
lyrics to lyrics that were
improvised on the spot. This
newer type of freestyle, in
which rappers improvise their
lyrics, is commonly referred to
as going “off the top of the
dome.”
“Nowadays, it’s frowned
upon for people to ‘spit’ lyrics
that they have prewritten,”
says freestyler Tim Frech ’11.
“But it’s only a big no-no while
freestyling; the same rules
don’t apply in other forms of
hip hop.”
Currently, freestyling
is practiced all the time in
hallways, parties, and social
outings by thousands of
people.
Freestyling has even been
called a social networking
utility by some. It brings
people from all walks of
life, and all skill levels of
freestyling together.
“It’s like a hobby that
is based on your creativity
interacting with the creativity
of others. The reason it’s so fun
is because the things you rap
are different every time, and
you never cease to surprise
yourself with what you can
come up with,” says Morgan
Howard ’13.
beacon • features
A Pie
for any
occasion
Jen Keyes
Copy Editor
Thanksgiving dessert
doesn’t have to be limited to
the basics anymore. Thanks to
Hoosier Mama Pie Company’s
creative spins on the classic
pie, everyone can enjoy a
tantalizing treat after the big
turkey feast.
The sweet shop is located
at 1618 ½ Chicago Avenue,
near Ashland Avenue. You’d
miss it if it wasn’t for the
amazing scent of baking pies
surrounding the area. Not only
can you order a pie to pick
up and share at home, but you
can also grab a single slice
and eat it there.
Hoosier Mama Pie has an
amazing selection of pies year
round, but their holiday array
is particularly delicious. “Bon
Appétit” magazine ranked this
place number three on their
list of best pie shops. Classics like apple and pumpkin
varieties are there, along with
Hoosier Mama specials like
chocolate chess, which is basically a brownie in a pie crust.
If you’re not looking for
a holiday specific pie, try the
Make
this
holiday
count
fantastic mix of fruit pies. The
pear-apple-cranberry with
walnut crumble or the very
light, very sweet passion fruit
meringue are both favorites.
Of course, there is always the
chocolate crème pie, which is
also available with bananas,
and the Hoosier sugar cream,
which both helped solidify
Hoosier Mama Pie’s credibility
as the best pie place around.
Not looking for sweets?
Hoosier Mama Pie also has
savory options like their
chicken pot pie and a variety
of quiches.
Gourmet pies can easily run
you well over budget, but not
at Hoosier Mama Pie Company. Twenty dollars will buy
you a whole pie that is easily
shared with eight people. If
you’re looking for something
smaller, their small pies are
just $8. The small pies can be
shared between four people
or if you’re really hungry, two.
Stop by the shop to grab a
single slice for only $4. For just
one more dollar, you can wash
down that piece of pie with a
cup of coffee.
Ordering is quite simple.
The easiest way to order is
online at hoosiermamapie.com.
Just pick your pie and pick-up
date, and it’ll be waiting for
you at the shop. You can also
call (312) 242-4846 and order by phone. Hoosier Mama
Pie warns that they have to
turn orders away so order in
the next few days to assure
your holiday order.
Ryann Starks
Design Editor
It feels like this year
has gone by so fast, but it is
Thanksgiving time already! So
everyone, gather your turkeys
and your pies because it is
that time of the year again.
At times, it is hard to
remember that not everyone
is as blessed and privileged
as you and your families are.
There are families that do
editor • Alyssa Dee
designer • Ryann Starks
Deviled Eggs
7
Need a short, simple
treat to add to the annual holiday dinner
this year? Deviled eggs
are a classic, delicious
delicacy that anyone
can make.
Ingredients
1 dozen eggs; 2/3 cup
silken tofu, drained; 1
tablespoon mayonnaise;
1 tablespoon of Dijon
mustard; ½ teaspoon
hot sauce; 2 teaspoons
prepared horseradish;
2 tablespoons chopped
chives; Salt and Pepper;
¼ teaspoon paprika
Directions
Place the eggs in water
and boil. When done,
peel the shell and slice in
half. Scoop out the yolk
and set aside the whites.
Place the yolks in a bowl
and mash with tofu,
mayonnaise, mustard,
hot sauce, horseradish,
chives, salt, and pepper. Place mixture inside
egg whites. Sprinkle with
paprika and serve.
Jen Keyes/Copy Editor
If the sweet scent of freshly baked pies doesn’t direct you to
Hoosier Mama Pie, then this adorable sign will. Located at
1618 1/2 Chicago Avenue, the shop is easy to get to via Ashland bus.
not have a house to eat their
Thanksgiving dinners in or
even food to put on the table!
Maybe with some new traditions, which include helping
others, you can change all of
that this year.
“People could work at a
soup kitchen, or even donate
food. You could even do
a community project like a
garbage pickup,” says Teresa
Smit ’11.
Helping others does not
take long, and in the end they
will be thankful for your help.
Volunteering or donating does
not have to be boring, volunteer with your family and
make the best out of it.
“I go to a soup kitchen
every month. It is fun cooking
and helping others,” says John
Qian ’11.
Making others Thanksgiving worthwhile does not have
to just be through community
service either, it could happen
Source: foodnetwork.com
Leia Brown
Staff Reporter
right in your own home.
“I love going around the
table and saying what we are
thankful for as a family. The
older I am the more introspective I get,” says Emily Schnolik
’12.
At the end of the day you
will be thankful for putting a
smile on someone’s face. Websites such as city-data.com
or volunteermatch.org offer
plenty of ideas on where to
volunteer on Thanksgiving!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving
Not your
usual
Turkey
Day
Cut here
Flash back to your childhood with this handprint turkey. Decorate the
feathers in festive fall colors , cut out, and hang on your parents refrigerator. Don’t forget to add the gobble!
of regularly served food like
sweet potatoes, stuffing–outside the turkey, of course–rolls,
greens and other veggies.
But we also sometimes have
tofurkey, beet burgers, and
even pumpkin soup,” Tinsley
recalled. Most people probably
couldn’t imagine a Thanksgiving without the turkey trimmings, wings, and thighs, but
Tinsley insists that “a vegetarian Thanksgiving is just as
good as a traditional one, if
not better.”
Riley Castle
Besides the meal, football
Staff Reporter
has become a large part of
Thanksgiving Day and has
Pumpkin pie, giving thanks, found itself tied into tradition
and too much turkey. This is
with families everywhere. what Thanksgiving means.
“Every year, my neighHere at WY, tradition and
borhood holds a large flag
food noticeably vary and
football game before we all
diversity is truly represented. eat,” says Jamie Vogenthaler
Turkey is usually the first
’12. “It’s nothing really intense
thing that comes to mind when but still makes the day even
thinking about Thanksgiving.
more enjoyable, as well as the
It has become the traditional
meal, since we’re all tired and
entree for American famistarving afterwards.”
lies to serve on this day. But
Quirky traditions are comwhat about vegetarians and
mon as well.
vegans, what special foods do
“My mother and I always
they serve?
break apart the wishbone.
Chelsea Tinsley ’12 is one
Whoever is left with the larger
of these students. Being a
end is the one whose wish
vegetarian, unique cuisine is
is granted,” notes Amanda
something that sets her family
Hedburg ’11. “It’s also always
apart from others. No meat is
fun to time how long it takes to
served and specific dishes are clear the table. Good times.”
always prepared.
“Generally we cook tons
Miners
embody
human
spirit
Nearly a billion people
around the world gathered in
awe around television sets to
witness the first of 33 trapped
Chilean miners emerge from
underground. In a world with
so much hatred and disunity,
it was special to have humans
of so many ethnicities, religions and political affiliations
coalesce and all relate to
the same harrowing story of
survival.
Humans naturally yearn
for survival. It’s the thread that
puts aside all of our differences and ties us together. But I
find we are all guilty of focusing on our individual survival,
rather than collective survival.
The world would be a far
more peaceful and productive place if we cared for the
common good not only during
natural disasters and accidents, but during everyday
life. The story of the Chilean
miners serves as proof.
The emerging story of how
the miners survived nearly
reaches a biblical magnitude.
It’s a story of a group of men
trapped for 70 days in a
mine. They held together and
never lost hope. They had little
space to exercise. Their rations
consisted of bits of tuna, sips
of milk, a biscuit and a peach
America,
change
takes
time
Charlie Stanton
Special to the Beacon
On Nov. 2, the United
States political world was
turned on its head. In two
years, Americans have gone
Will Ahrenholz
Freelance Cartoonist
beacon • editorial
slice every 48 hours. They had
a waterfall for showers. They
dug wells for fresh water.
Together they overcame
their misfortune, but they
wouldn’t have survived without
the compassion from the world
above them. American, Canadian, German and Australian
companies supplied the drill
rigs and specialized drill bits
that helped bore the rescue
holes at the San José mine.
An American firm, Aramark,
supplied vacuum-packed hot
meals to the miners down the
shaft. NASA donated a highcalorie liquid diet. Companies
from Japan and Germany
supplied additional equipment.
Who ever thought is was
possible to survive for 70 days
in a mine? I sure didn’t. Yet on
Oct. 13, all 33 miners arrived
on the surface in remarkably
good shape and in good
spirits, with the exception of
one who needed treatment
for pneumonia, and two others
who required dental surgery.
Mario Sepulveda, who was
the second miner to come up,
greeted the crowd by pumping his fists and passing out
souvenir rocks. Luis Urzúa, the
shift foreman, remained calm
and optimistic as he led his
crew through the first 17 days
when they had no contact with
the outside world and only an
emergency food supply.
Their story is a testament
to what humans can accomplish when they pool their will,
their ingenuity and their compassion for the common good.
When the world comes
together, so much can be accomplished. Uniform global
policymaking can solve major
problems. Through global col-
laboration, global warming
isn’t so daunting, starvation is
approachable, AIDS can be
cured, and genocide can be
stopped. The Chilean miners
showed us the power of the
human spirit. All we need is a
little love.
from “Yes, We Can!” to a
panic of “What do we do
now, our country is falling
apart.” This shift in attitude
can be attributed to a number
of different things.
The whole country knew
that whoever became president in 2008 would have
an upward climb. The Bush
administration created incredible debt from the war
in Iraq and cut taxes. Given
the mess he inherited from the
Bush administration, President
Barack Obama has made
great strides. Yes, here we go,
another Hyde Park Obama
buddy sticking up for the local
boy. Healthcare, tax reform
and education have been
three focuses of Obama’s over
the last two years.
The President passed a
healthcare bill that will give
approximately 30 million
Americans healthcare. His
healthcare reform bill prevents insurance companies
from denying people coverage because of pre-existing
conditions. The new bill also
makes young people part of
their parent’s health plans until
they are 26. Yes, I know what
you are hearing from right
wing politicians out of Washington: “The spending for this
is ridiculous!” The bill is going
to cut costs. There are tradeoffs for everything. Why not
cut spending on other things
like national defense, which
has been over-funded? Presi-
Admins
plan getaway for
sophs
It is always fun to spend
time with the people in your
own grade, whether that includes going to sporting events
together or hanging out at
someone’s house after school.
But the whole grade getting
together does not happen that
often. An entire grade isn’t
usually able to go somewhere
together, and because of that,
having a retreat every year
for the sophomores is a great
idea. Other high schools have
retreats that their students go
on, so why can’t WY?
If I were a sophomore, I
would most definitely be in favor of going on an overnight
trip somewhere with my entire
class. It would be a fun way
to get to know more people.
In such a big school, it is hard
to be introduced to everyone,
let along become close friends
with them. Doing team-building activities and playing a
variety of games with everyone would introduce students
editor • Baxter Helm
designer • Jennifer Keyes
to people they did not know
before, and it could create
new friendships that could last
for the rest of high school, and
even after graduation.
Sophomore year is also a
perfect year to go. When you
are a freshman, you are usually still learning the ropes a
little. Junior year is too hectic
to take off for a weekend.
Students are busy taking the
ACT or SAT, and grades mean
quite a lot, so you might not
get a large number of the
class to turn out for the event.
Seniors spend their time working on college applications,
and when they are not doing
that, honestly, I think they
already spend time with all
of their good friends, without
having to go on a get-away
with their whole class for a
day or two.
But the question is, is it
worth the money? I would say
that if going on the retreat
did not cost a whole lot of
money, then it definitely would
be. You would have a fun
overnight trip to go on, and if
all your friends were going,
you might as well pay the
price and go, too. It would for
sure beat staying home alone.
The administrators have put a
huge amount of time into trying to get this retreat to happen, not only for this coming
spring, but for every sophomore class from now on.
So, I say that having a
retreat for the sophomores
every year is an excellent
idea. It would be a change
from what students are
normally doing during their
weekends, and it would create
lasting memories for everyone.
WY’s size can be intimidating
to underclassmen.
dent Obama is trying to build
infrastructure for the future.
Having an efficient healthcare
system and providing healthcare to 30 million uninsured
people is paramount.
Our government is fiscally
irresponsible right? Republicans want all taxes lowered
back to how they were with
President Bush. If the government cuts taxes for people
making $250,000 and above,
it will miss out on four trillion
dollars in the next decade.
American income taxes are
some of the lowest in the
world. Other countries, like
Denmark and Sweden, provide social services and health
care with the high taxes. What
a novel idea.
Education is another
area the President has taken
seriously. Some Republicans
want to completely cut the
Department of Education. I
understand a lot of money put
into education—especially
in Chicago—is lost. Public
schools are getting federal
help in education. “Race to the
Top” and providing more Pell
grants to kids nationwide are
some very effective programs
the Department of Education
under Arne Duncan has implemented. Again, education is infrastructure. We need national
supervision so we can compete
with other world powers.
If the Democrats have
a spine, they will continue
to push for health care and
won’t cut taxes for the top
two percent of Americans. The
Republicans, particularly the
Tea Party, want the President
to fail. I’m sick of hearing “the
free market will figure itself
out.” Conservative politicians
can’t afford to see a black liberal have success as President.
So they’ll reject policies until a
new person, like Mitch McConnell or better yet, Sarah Palin
becomes president.
Beacon
Staff
8
Matthew Stanton
Editor-in-Chief
Jessica Clement
News Editor
Julia Dennis
Dylan Forster
Entertainment
Editors
Alyssa Dee
Features Editor
Baxter Helm
Opinions Editor
Nicole Middleton
InDepth Editor
Allie McRaith
Culture Editor
Alexander Olivo
David Kyin
Sports Editors
Jennifer Keyes
Copy Editor
Designer
Cary Shepherd
Photo Editor
Ryann Starks
Design Editor
Reporters and
Photographers
Leia Brown
Mark Brown
Kalia Buckley
Charles Burdick
Riley Castle
Molly Cinoman
Lewis Etzkorn
Daniel Finger
Eliya Hanna
Caroline Jang
Martin Kim
Margaret Kindra
Arissa Moore
Roberto Nieves
Diana Rosen
Alexandra Skital
Ariana Taylor
Alison Stojak
Adviser
Follow the
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Interested in
advertising or
want to submit a
letter to the editor,
email the Beacon
at
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gmail.com
American
Indian
heritage
month
Julia Dennis
Entertainment Editor
November represents
Thanksgiving, early action due
date for college applications,
cold weather, and also an
important heritage month.
beacon • culture
National Native American
Heritage Month was instated
in 1990 by President George
Bush.
The purpose of this month
is to honor and recognize the
accomplishments of people of
this culture.
In his 2010 proclamation
of Native American Heritage
Month, President Barack
Obama stated that, “Since
the birth of America, [Native
Americans] have contributed
immeasurably to our
country and our heritage,
distinguishing themselves as
scholars, artists, entrepreneurs,
and leaders in all aspects of
our society.”
The United States Census
Bureau estimates that about
1.6% of United States
residents are of American
Indian or Alaska Native
descent. Estimates of the
number of Native Americans
living in the United States pre
-1492 ranges from 1 million
to 18 million. The population
declined due to warfare,
genocide and epidemic
diseases brought to the
Americas from Europe.
After the American
Revolution, United States
citizens attempted to “civilize”
the Native Americans by
converting them to Christianity,
adopting the practice of
private property, build, farm,
and educate in order to gain
acceptance into American
society.
The idea of “Manifest
Destiny” was first used in the
editor • Allie McRaith
designer • Jennifer Keyes
1840s. It was the belief that
the United States was chosen
to take over and civilize the
rest of the continent, and
citizens were thus justified in
their actions of forcing Native
Americans to relocate. Many
Native Americans established
reservations where they could
comfortably practice their
traditions in a community.
Today, most Native
Americans live in cities, with
the largest concentration
in the states of Oklahoma,
California and Arizona.
National Native American
Heritage Month is a time to
reflect on the adversity Native
Americans faced, embrace the
lessons learned, and respect
the people and culture.
Q and A
Josee Starr, a third-generation
city raised Native American
shares her thoughts on the
stereotypes that Native
Americans face.
Q. What tribes are your
ancestors from? A. I am part
of three tribes. I am Arikara
from Fort Berthold, ND, Omaha
from Macy, Neb., and Odawa
from Wikiwemikong, Ontario.
Q. How do you celebrate your
heritage? A. Every weekend,
throughout all of the United
States and Canada there
are at least five pow-wows.
Here at the center [American
Indian Center] we have a lot
of traditional pow-wows. I’ve
been dancing in them since I
could walk. We also celebrate
the solstices. Everything we do
has a feast after too.
Q. What’s the most important
aspect of your heritage that is
passed down? A. Everything is
passed down by stories. Elders
tell stories that are 300 years
old. It’s important to know
tribal legends. My parents took
me back to North Dakota and
Ontario a lot so I could learn
those tribe’s traditions and
legends.
Q. How do you think Native
Americans are perceived in
the United States? A. Some
people don’t even know
Natives are still around. People
ask if I’m Asian or Hispanic.
They think our culture died
out. We try to help people
overcome the stereotypes that
we still live in a teepee or
wear feathers in our hair. We
are like everybody else – we
celebrate Christmas, Easter,
Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Allie McRaith
Culture Editor
Native Americans
Pueblos
offer trip
back in
time
Jen Keyes
Copy Editor
My parents have a great
appreciation for exploring
new places and learning
about the people there, a trait
they instilled in me. Over the
years, I was lucky enough to
visit several Native American
reservations and cultural
landmarks
Located in Colorado,
Mesa Verde is the ruins of
the Anasazi Indians. The
Anasazi, also known as the
cliff dwellers, built their homes
and villages in the cliffs of the
Rocky Mountains.
In order to get to the
dwellings, I had to climb down
a series of long wooden
Jen Keyes/Copy Editor/Designer
This map depicts federally recognized Native American tribe
locations throughout the Midwest.
Jen Keyes/Copy Editor
Built in the Rocky Mountains, Mesa Verde was the location of
the Anasazi Indians. The village is strategically located.
ladders and through rocky
trails. After reaching the
other side of the mountain,
I had made it to a point
where I could look down on
the dwellings. Below me was
a breathtaking view of a
village made out of stones
and covered with clay, built
literally in the mountain.
The town was built in layers
with ramps and staircases
leading to various floors. I
found the sunken rooms, used
for storage, interesting. Since
they were dug in the earth,
instead of built above it, the
rooms were cool and acted
like refrigerators.
As I drove away, I noticed
that from the other side of the
mountain it was impossible to
see any sign of a community.
Mesa Verde is a secretive
place that enlightens us about
the past.
The Pueblo Indians live in
apartment-like buildings made
of adobe, appropriately
called pueblos. The village
consists of a main pueblo plus
a few community buildings.
I was able to visit a Pueblo
Indian reservation in Taos,
New Mexico where there is a
thriving community of Pueblo
Indians residing, for the most
part, the way their ancestors
did.
Although there were some
modern day updates, there
was no electricity or running
water inside the pueblo. This is
to preserve the pueblo and to
keep it sacred. The history of
the Pueblo Indians is evident in
everything on the reservation.
I was most impressed
with the values the Native
Americans hold. The exposure
to the sense of community
that both the Anasazi and the
Pueblo have was a memorable
experience that will not go
unforgotten.
9
Natives
mix old
& new in
pow wow
Charlie Burdick
Staff Reporter
Many of us have a little
Native American in our blood
but do not know how to trace
it. Today many Native Americans work hard to educate
people about their heritage.
There are many Native
American centers throughout
the nation to help this process,
one being on the north side.
The American Indian
Center of Chicago holds
many different events for
local Native Americans and
educates people who are
willing to embrace the culture.
On Nov. 20th and 21st the
Center is holding the largest
gathering of Native Americans
across the nation in Navy
Pier’s Grand Ballroom.
Not only will there be
vendors and artists but the
event is a huge celebration of
culture and the biggest part
of it is the dancing. Native
Americans, known for their
interpretive dances, will be
teaching and performing their
dances. Hawaiian dancers and
Aztec dancers will be making
a special appearance. The
program will go from 12 to 5
p.m.
“This is our 57th annual
gathering,” said Catheryne
St. Germaine a representivie
from the American Indian
Center. “We strongly
encourage people who are
not even Native American
to come out and see this
gathering of over 140
different tribes.”
The event also gives back
to the community. People are
encouraged to bring canned
goods to support families in
need and money from the
event also goes back to the
center as well.
“We are a nonprofit
organization and money goes
back to the Center,” said
Germaine.
Many people will be able
to learn about the Native
American culture and see it
in all its glory, preserving
and displaying their ancient
tradtions. It is a great way to
spend $12 even if you are
only one-hundredth Native
American or even none at all.
Native American Fry Bread
Variations on fry
bread differed between
tribes and regions, but
this Native American
staple can be topped with
honey, jam or powdered
sugar. Ingredients: •4 cups all-purpose flour •1/2 teaspoon salt •1 tablespoon baking
powder
•1 1/2 cups warm water
•4 cups shortening
Allie McRaith
Culture Editor
Directions:
Combine flour, salt, and
baking powder.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups
lukewarm water.
Knead until soft but not
sticky.
Shape dough into balls
about 3 inches in diameter.
Flatten into patties 1/2
inch thick, and make a
small hole in the center of
each patty.
Fry one at a time in 1 inch
of hot shortening, turning
to brown on both sides and
drain on paper towels.
Source: www.allrecipes.com
10
Sporatic
car and
locker
searches?
Eliya Hanne
Staff Reporter
Controversial school policy
allows for locker and vehicle
searches
There is an unexplored
rule posted on a sign outside
the school parking lot and a
few offices around the main
building.
A little known fact about
students’ lockers and cars
is that they are susceptible
to searches and seizures
at the leisure of school
administrators. With any hint
of suspicion, locks may be
cut and cars broken into for
investigation.
The majority of the
students are uninformed of this
policy, with only a few noticing
the warnings.
“It’s not fair,” Chelsea
Dawkins ’11 says about the
searching of cars. “If it is
going to be a rule it should be
more clearly stated.”
beacon • indepth
Cafeteria
you can’t
eat in?
year they’ve really been
enforcing it.
“We give an initial
warning for freshmen and
sophomores we think are
uninformed on this policy,”
Zalon continues. “However, we
are not tolerating this from
upperclassmen who know the
rules. The punishment is an
Arissa Moore
automatic Saturday School.”
Staff Reporter
Students, on the other
hand, seem to be really
During the first two months
unhappy with the course this
of school there has been a
policy has taken.
constant conflict between
“Blue house is just a
students and administrators
lunchroom like all the others,”
over one simple thing: blue
says livid student Celeste
house. Although this rule has
Lightner ’11. “They shouldn’t
been intact for a while, Lynn
try to enforce this on us my
Zalon, Dean of Students,
last year here. We’ve been
and other administrators
eating there for three years
positioned in blue house
now and I think the quiet area
have began cracking down
is the library, not a lunchroom.”
on students eating any type
Other students think eating
of food there. This rule is an
in blue house is a thing of
effort to minimize the amount convenience and taking that
of students in blue house and away is making things hard.
the trash that comes with them.
“All the other lunchrooms
“Blue house is supposed
are dirty,” says Molly Block
to be for studying only,” says ’11. “They’re also too far from
Lynn Zalon, Dean of Students. the door by the parking lot
“There is no lunchroom staff
and by the time I reach them
assigned to clean up that
my food is cold.”
area and there are also two
Block, as well as many
classrooms that border that
other students, thinks she’s
area and students tend to be responsible enough to
disruptive.”
clean up after herself. She’s
This policy was actually
saddened that this privilege
started three years ago, but
has been ruined by a few
Zalon says this is the second
messy students.
Without any innocuous
intentions, the policy still brings
about debate. Ben Guttman
’11 believes “its invading civil
liberties, invading privacy, and
committing a federal offense”.
“Our car is not the school’s
property like the lockers
are,” Candice Dawkins ’11
adds. “It’s my car and I paid
for the parking spot for it.
It’s not like the lockers in the
school building- that’s school
property.” Dawkins adds that
she is now wary of what she
will keep in her locker and
car, in fear of her belongings
being exposed or obtained.
According to CPS, teachers
and administrators only
need reasonable doubt or
suspicion to take action. Often
times, police may accompany
administrators in this act of
confiscation or investigation.
Lockers and vehicles
on school property must
follow the school regulations
according to their guidelines.
Brian Tennison, Dean of
Students, claims that there
is “more leeway in schools
for investigation due to
safety purposes” than in law
enforcement. When a student
parks their car in the school
lot, they are susceptible to
searches as long as there is
reason of suspicion. The same
applies to lockers.
Are athletic
programs
funded better
than the arts?
Diana Rosen
Staff Reporter
“Everyone wants to know about the
money,” says Athletic Director Chris Cassidy.
Most WY students would find it hard
to argue with that statement. Last year’s
budget crisis almost left WY short 19
teachers and without multiple sophomore
sports. Now, there are questions about the
allocation of funding throughout the school.
Common opinion on the subject is that
arts programs are not funded as well
as athletic ones, particularly the boys
basketball team.
“We get very little funding for band.
We need more money for instruments and
trips,” comments Jessica Velazquez ’12.
Assistant Principal Mark Grishaber
feels otherwise. He claims that everything is
funded by the individual program and that
if sports appear to have more funding, it is
because they do more fundraising.
“Funding is contingent on what you want
to do,” he says.
According to Grishaber, if a club or
activity needs money, Principal Joyce Kenner
will try to give it to them. This depends on
Roberto Nieves
Staff Reporter
Counselors here at WY
have a lot on their plates:
balancing meetings, talking
to parents, working to get
schedule changes, and most
importantly, discussing and
averting crises with children
throughout the school day.
Another major role
they have is the one in the
college application process.
Counselors are responsible
for letters of recommendation,
sending transcripts, filling out
other forms, and then sending
them all to the right school at
the right time. It’s a daunting
task.
Counselors focus on senior
applications first during the
early months of the school
year. However, some seniors
have felt that they’ve been
abandoned.
A senior, who asked to
remain anonymous, says “my
counselor was never really
around. I looked up everything
about deadlines and the
process alone.”
Other seniors are feeling
this way too. College-bound
student Elyse Dillon ’11 admits
“my counselor is kind of hard
to get a hold of sometimes,”
adding that “she’s very helpful
though when I do get to her.”
Deadlines and due dates
can all be very confusing for
a student preparing to make
a transition from high school
to college; difficulties with
counselors, can make it even
more so.
Macie Stewart ‘11 says
“my counselor was out for
a while, for health reasons
so I completely understand,
but when they switched us to
another [counselor] everything
got mixed around.”
Stewart adds that
“when our original counselor
returned, we were never
what the money is needed for and how
much of an effort has been made to
fundraise.
Cassidy also feels that this assumption
about funding is misguided.
“There is no money budgeted by the
athletic department for teams,” Cassidy
says.
Each team’s budget is based solely
on their fees and fundraising. Basketball
and football have the advantage of
receiving revenue from admissions.
According to Cassidy, the basketball
fee is very high, which accounts for the
uniforms and shoes the team is known for.
Cassidy does admit that basketball has
multiple sponsorships which allows the
team to attend tournaments other teams
are unable to afford.
“I think more people see what the
athletic department gets. If the band
gets new instruments, they won’t be
noticed as much as new uniforms are,”
Cassidy reasons.
Still, if a team seriously needs
money, it has the ability to ask the school
administration for additional funding, like
the art programs do.
The discrepancy in this situation is
that most of WY’s art programs do not
demand multi-hundred dollar fees of
their participants or have the ability to
raise money to the extent basketball
does. In addition, the recent crackdown
on selling food due to a contract with
Chartwells greatly inhibits fundraising.
Grishaber urges the various art
programs to make use of resources such
as the Taste and Friends of Whitney
Young to fundraise.
Students asked.
Beacon found the answers.
Maggie Kindra/Staff Photographer
Students flock to their lockers after 9th period. As you can see it is a very tight
squeeze - a lot of people in a tiny space.
How do
counselors
manage
their time?
editor • Nicole Middleton
designer • Ryann Starks
notified, and because
of it, a lot of us had the
wrong counselor names on
applications. Going back and
changing them, plus having
to get another counselor
recommendation aren’t that
difficult, but it’s just stressful
thinking that you have things
set when you really don’t.”
Aside from the mix up
situation, the most common
problem with seniors and
their counselors has been
communication.
“Counselors have
stressed the importance of
communication, and try to
be available as much as
they can,” says Norma Chinn,
Counseling Department Chair.
Counselor Dana Stearns
brings her lunch into her office
so that she’s easily available
to students.
Stearns says, “I try to
handle any forms as soon as
I receive them, so I can get
them mailed out or back to the
student as soon as possible.”
Even though a counselor
may want to be available the
whole day, circumstances don’t
always allow for it.
“There are no typical days,
you can only have a general
outline of what you’re going to
try and accomplish that day,”
says counselor April Nicholson,
adding “we’re often forced to
leave for meetings, or handle
problems with kids that are
unforeseen.”
And while counselors can
seem to be hard to locate,
students need to realize
there are other forms of
communication or accessing
info.
“All of the deadlines for
getting in apps and other
forms to your counselor are
posted near every counselor’s
room,” said Nicholson. “I’d
much prefer to see each
student face to face to
make sure they know what’s
happening, but it doesn’t
always work out that way.”
For those that can’t seem
to find their counselor, there
are a couple different options
available: leave a note saying
you’ll come and meet during
such and such period or send
an email with your questions.
Multiple counselors said
that even though email isn’t
their favorite option, students
need to be able to use it,
and check it more often to
get important info and dates.
Another addition was that
there is a presentation on
Edline all about the college
app process which is easily
available to students.
“I spend the end of every
day answering emails and
phone calls, to make sure
people know their problem
or question is being looked at
and answered,” said Chinn.
For most seniors however,
counselors have been very
helpful.
“My counselor is pretty
great, she answered questions
I had and helped me on parts
of my apps,” said college
bound Aidan Henry ’11.
And even though seniors
already have enough on
their minds with grades,
sports, volunteering and other
extracurricular activities;
remembering to communicate
with counselors can make the
college application process a
little less stressful.
Do seniors
get a break
from
teachers
for college
process
Alexander Skital
Staff Reporter
As college application
deadlines draw nearer, WY
seniors are starting to feel
overwhelmed with having to
balance college applications
and their daily homework
load.
It is not always easy to
find this time in between
studying for classes and doing
homework.
John Kim ’11 admits that
he is feeling stressed.
“I feel like Hannah
Montana because I’m trying to
juggle two lives, and although
my teachers are helpful I still
feel overwhelmed,” Kim jokes.
Jose Chavez ’11 is
beginning to feel the pressure
as well.
“We have a lot of
homework and tests to study
for and this doesn’t always
leave us with a lot of time
to go online and work on
applications,” Chavez says.
“With early applications
it has been very busy lately,”
says Bianca Pillarella ’11.
“I am purposefully cutting
back on the work load to
give students some breathing
room,” says math teacher
Brian Sievers.
Business teacher Susan
Heaney is going one step
further by helping her students
in the actual application
process by incorporating it into
the lesson plan.
“My Accounting II class
is giving me a copy of their
personal statement and
we are working on writing
business letters and resumes,”
Heaney says. “And of course,
the seniors are always able to
do scholarship searches on the
computers.”
Brian Tennison, Dean
of Students and Academic
Decathlon teacher has had
much experience with teaching
senior classes. “Its hard
because you can’t stop a class;
the most you can do is be
understanding. I tried to make
allowances when I could, but it
wasn’t always a possibility.”
How
did this
locker
mixup
happen?
Mark Brown
Staff Reporter
How are lockers assigned?
The way lockers are assigned
is actually quite simple.
Freshmen are in the most
crowded area, the first row.
Seniors are in the last row,
either on the wall or facing the
hallway.
Sophomores and juniors fill
in in order of seniority in the
middle rows. Academic Center
lockers are in the walls so that
when they are at their lockers
they are in the hallways.
Lynn Zalon and Brian
Tennison, Deans of students,
check to see how many
students are in each division.
Then based on the grade
level, students are put in one
of the rows of lockers. Division
teachers than receive certain
numbers of lockers to which
the students are going to fill.
Once the student has
picked their locker partner
and notified their division
teacher, they will be assigned
to a locker that is theirs for the
rest of the year.
That is what happens in a
perfect world, but this year
there was a mix up.
“I didn’t understand why I
had the same locker as I did
freshman year,” said Max
Blinderman ’12.
Tennison is new to his job
and in a vulnerable position,
having to learn on the go but
also be in charge of hundreds
of students. The problem this
year was that Tennison was
unaware of the whole “seniors
on the outside,” deal.
“I used to have a division,
but I didn’t know that the
seniors were on the end, so
they had to be moved in that
process,” said Tennison.
Although it took awhile
and some students were
unhappy, the process went
rather smoothly especially
when the fact that over a 100
students were moved is taken
into consideration.
Why can’t
students
wear hats?
Alyssa Dee
Features Editor
In past years on the home front of
WY, students have sported all types of
hats: baseball caps, beanies, and many
more forms of fashionable headwear.
Recently, however, discussion about
wearing hats in school has risen. What
are the real reasons why students cannot
wear hats in school?
Many of us, particularly young men,
wonder what the problem is when the
brim of the hat remains facing forward.
“We don’t want to portray this at
WY because we are a school of young
scholars. We don’t want any gang
affiliations present,” says security guard
Ron Mayfield.
Girls are not allowed to wear hats
either.
The only acceptable head coverings
are those worn for religious reasons for
How does
WY get our
substitute
teachers?
Nicole Middleton
In-Depth Editor
You walk in just as the
tardy bell rings. You didn’t
get to finish your homework
last night. But Halleluiah,
there is a substitute teacher
passing around a sign-in
sheet. Subs are a part of our
everyday lives and we want
to know more about them.
“Substitutes are sort of
like a box of chocolates,
you never know what you
are going to get,” comments
William Veitch ’11.
11
Through all of the success,
a new crowding problem has
emerged.
“Most of my friends and I
go to our lockers at the same
time and it is really crowded. I
have noticed a big traffic jam
of students every day,” said
Ruby Keutzer ’14.
The schedules of much
of the student body line up
so that many people go to
their lockers after eighth
period. It is obvious to see
when you walk up and down
the hallways that there is a
definite crowding issue.
Lockers have been
assigned and for the most
part, everything has been
settled. A major reason
for the quick fix was the
communication of students,
letting Tennison know when
there was a problem.
No one could expect
Tennison to know that someone
was in the wrong locker unless
he was informed. Thus a chain
reaction of moves occurred
until every person was where
they were supposed to be.
“I relied on students
communication. I tried to
make everyone happy and
all I wanted to know is where
people were at. Students
helped a lot,” said Tennison.
anyone entering our building.
Mayfield comments, “Young men
don’t wear hats in buildings. It’s a sign of
respect for ladies.”
Whenever men enter any building,
whether it happens to be a school or
not, they should remove their hats from
their heads. WY wishes to enforce this
courteous gesture along with other
reasons for the prohibiting of hats.
“I just don’t understand why I’m not
allowed to wear my hat if I’m not in a
gang,” questions Jose Arias ’11. “It takes
away from my swag.”
Students like Arias who are against
the “no hat rule” have encountered
hindrances on their individual identity.
They believe the school-ban on hats is
taking away from their overall styles.
The hat policy has now been enforced
for about two to three years. Lynn Zalon,
Dean of Students, says, “I think [the
policy] is working better this year than it
has been in the past.”
When baseball caps became the
“big hit”, the administration had no other
option but to enforce it even more.
“It’s not our favorite thing to do, but if
kids don’t follow the rules, then we have
to tell them to put their hats away,” adds
Zalon.
No interview process
is necessary to become
employed by CPS as a
substitute teacher. There
are no resumes of any sort
that have to be submitted
before being hired. The CPS
schools do not know who they
are getting when they call
the headquarters to request
subs in the beginning of the
year. These facts present
a predicament for adults
entrusted to the care of
children and teenagers.
Chicago law has changed
regarding substitute teachers
for the benefit of everyone.
The new law states that any
person qualifying for the
position of a substitute teacher
must have obtained their
teaching certificate and it
must be current. This was not
always the case though.
“In the past, our substitutes
only needed some form of
college degree,” shares
payroll clerk Jeanne Murphy.
Murphy is in charge of
organizing subs for all absent
teachers throughout the school
year. One of the substitutes
that she calls frequently is
Michael Starr.
“I just thought that it would
be a wonderful idea to go
into education,” shares Starr.
He highly enjoys his job
and lucky for him, CPS did not
hire any new substitutes. Looks
like his job will be secure for
a while.
This is hurting us and
other schools in the city. For
example, WY uses about
seven to 10 subs per day. We
haven’t gotten to this point
yet but it would be a problem
when there are no teachers to
supervise the students.
Substitute teachers are in
high demand. They are also
essential for our school. You
asked, and Beacon found the
answer.
12
beacon • opinions
editor • Baxter Helm
designer • Ryann Starks
Burning
Up
Carp
battle
Burned rages on
Out
Nicole Middleton
InDepth Editor
ICE SKATING- Bust out the
old skates because it is the
perfect weather to hit the
ice. You can look cute without
totally bundling up yet, and
all the gliding and jumping
and falling on your butt is a
great experience.
OBERWEIS PUMPKIN ICE
CREAM- They have the best
seasonal flavor out on the
market, but only available in
November so hurry in!
CIRCLE SCARVES- These are
the perfect fashion accessory
for the fall weather, and you
can pair them with anything.
Not to mention they are way
more dynamic than any other
scarf.
YOUR FATHER’S SWEATEROversized sweaters look cute
and they are so comfy. So
raid your dad’s closet, pair it
with leggings, and you’re set.
HENNA TATOOS- You can
have a unique design without
it being permanent. Plus, the
brown color blends with all
skin colors very nicely.
WINTER HATS- Knitted or
heavy duty, make sure they
cover your ears. Beanies or
a puff ball at the top, make
sure you match it with your
jacket.
DARK NAIL POLISH- Fall is
the season for darker hues in
everything, from hair color to
clothing, and your fingernails
should follow suit. Pick up a
brown or grey and it works
with anything.
WATCHES- Nobody takes
out their cell phones to check
the time anymore, the strapon clock is back in style so
make sure to fit it to your
personality.
ROLLY BACKPACKS- These
are way too annoying for
other commuters and you
really don’t need to be
carrying that many books
home.
FRAPPUCINOS- It is too cold
outside to be drinking an iced
anything. The drinks also
contain sugar amounts that
add up to a stomach ache,
try a chai tea instead.
CARGO PANTS- You really
don’t need ten thousand
pockets on a pair of pants;
they should only be worn
for appropriate Halloween
costumes.
BOAT SHOES- Socks and
boat shoes is definitely not ok
and it is not summer anymore
so put the nautical wear in the
back of your closet for now.
7-11- We want White Hen
Pantry back! The food is
worse and the staff treats all
the students like criminals, not
worth the walk anymore.
TRICK-OR-TREAT BAGSPillow cases can hold so much
more and wait you still go
trick or treating?
COLLEGE APP FEES- I have
to pay money for every
school I apply to? Say what?
I am already going to be
giving them thousands upon
thousands to attend one of
the schools, it is annoying to
continually be pulling out the
credit card.
SILLY BANDS- Ok, really
these are completely
pointless. It looks like a
mutilated rubber band on
your wrist and I could care
less that it is an octopus.
Matt Stanton
Editor-in-Chief
Fish swim fast.
Policymakers don’t. That’s
the crux of the Asian carp
problem that Lake Michigan
faces. If we plan on saving
our Lake from the ravenous
Asian carp, policymakers will
have to act swiftly to keep up
with the carp that are literally
eating away our aquatic
ecosystems.
As I write this, the Asian
carp are breaching the
barriers to Lake Michigan’s
waters. In fact, last June, a
commercial fisherman netted
a carp 30 miles beyond
the electric barrier that is
supposed to prevent the carp
from entering the Lake.
In response, politicians from
across the Midwest frantically
petitioned to close the river
locks to Lake Michigan, the
Teachers
get techy
Baxter Helm
Opinions Editor
We live in a time that
depends on technology.
Everywhere you look there is
a technological advancement
that has made the world a
more efficient place. Think
of the Kindle, now we can
download thousands of books
right onto our little pad. It is
the lightest book shelf man has
ever carried.
Surrounded by these
advancements schools have
adapted. In WY there are
projectors and smart boards
in almost every class. We
just received 32 iPads for our
science department. We use
the most up to date calculators
in our math classes. We have
big flat screens in every house,
only surefire way of keeping
the Asian carp out of Lake
Michigan. However, the
federal government and
Illinois government refused to
close the locks. They were too
concerned about losing the
commerce that needed the
locks open for transportation. I
guess they didn’t consider that
the multibillion-dollar fishing
and tourism industries of the
Great Lakes would collapse
if the carp’s spread into Lake
Michigan is left uncontained.
Policymakers need to
understand that if they are
serious about stopping the
Asian carp, they will have to
sacrifice some commerce. But
tradeoffs are the nature of
solving problems. Stopping an
entire population of invasive
species from entering an
invaluable body of water
requires more precautions
than a couple electric barriers
and concrete and mesh fences
that aren’t entirely effective.
Politicians in Washington
better stop the bickering and
mandate the locks be closed.
Until a permanent Asian
carp solution is thought out, I
offer some of my ideas.
One potential solution
would be to release Asian
carp pheromones near the
Lake’s entrances. Asian carp
pheromones are released
by carp when they are
attacked by a predator. Thus,
when other carp detect the
pheromones, they swim away
in the opposite direction.
Less technology-intensive
solutions exist as well.
Louisianan chef Philippe
Parola serves Asian carp in
his restaurants and says they
taste great. Why not create a
carp fishing industry? It tastes
great, it would create jobs, it
has the potential to curb Asian
carp population growth and
it’s relatively easy to execute.
Solutions to stop the Asian
carp are endless. It’s up to
environmentalists, scientists
and politicians to coalesce
and advocate decisive action
against the Asian carp. Carp
populations are growing, and
we’re just sitting here on our
hands. Now is the time we
determine the fate of Lake
Michigan and all of the Great
Lakes. Do we act now and
stop the carp, or do we hold
off until it’s too late? I think the
answer is pretty obvious.
for news and announcements
available to the students and
faculty. But we still have many
teachers who have learned to
teach without all of this.
My grandfather loves to
talk about his senior year
schedule in which he took
courses such as wood carving
and typing. When I tell him
the advanced classes WY
offers he is astounded by
how far schools have come.
Schools have come a long way
with curriculum, and creating
more effective ways to learn.
Now with this technology
available there is a quiet
battle between teacher style
and technology.
I know some teachers
at WY who do not use the
advanced state of the art
devices we have in the
classroom. Some do not
know how to use it. This is
understandable. But it would
be very beneficial if they
learned how. The motivation
to learn to use these devices
can be hard to find. For one,
many of these teachers have
wonderful teaching styles
that do not need the use of
a smart board, or maybe a
projector. But, what may not
be understood is the student
attention span. In a world
of technology, kids have
information at their fingertips
with their iPhones.
I remember the first time I
had a smart board in a class
at WY. The whole room fell
silent and we were amazed
at its capabilities. Now it
seems ordinary. Students
have raised their standards,
times have changed. Teachers
should incorporate technology
into the lesson. It keeps
attention spans much better
than lectures with no visual.
It is no wonder that kids
diagnosed with ADD continues
to rise.
I don’t want teachers to
take this the wrong way. The
older style of teaching was
very effective. But students
have changed; now our
teachers must change.
Beacon asks:
What are
you thankful for?
Photo
Opinion
Cary Shepherd
Photo Editor
I am thankful for being Mexican.
Manny Almazan ‘11
I am thankful for Ms. Wiggins.
Max Blinderman ‘12
I am thankful for basketball
season, I’m excited to make
the high school team.
Josh Hurley ‘14
My video classes are beginning to really work on editing skills. They’ve turned a
corner.
Nancy Klark, Staff
I am thankful for my parents
and my family.
Chandler Buchman ‘16
I am thankful to be going to
WY.
Malik Williams ‘15
I am thankful for Madill.
Misa Myong ‘13
I’m thankful for my family,
my friends, and my morning
coffee.
Matt Swanson, Staff
Reality
TV gone
too far
Shoppers
get ready
for Black
Friday
Leia Brown
Staff Reporter
A line of maybe a hundred or so forms in front of
the door and extends down
the block. People in the crowd
are shuffling from foot to foot,
teeming with anticipation. A
certain buzz fills the air as the
clock ticks closer to that magic
hour. No, they’re not going to
see the premiere of the latest
blockbuster movie or mustsee concert. They’re going
shopping! Welcome to Black
Still
hope
for the
Hawks
Phones
best for
teens
Arissa Moore
Staff Reporter
Apple and Blackberry.
What do these two items have
in common? Well besides them
being fruits, they are also
the leading companies in the
production of smart phones
beacon • opinions
Kalia Buckley
Staff Reporter
editor • Baxter Helm
designer • Jennifer Keyes
Every Tuesday night I deal
with my friends tweeting
about new episodes of “Bad
Girls Club” and “Teen Mom,”
I can never fully understand
why they watch these shows.
In my opinion, they are just
garbage.
Every now and then I
watch shows such as “Jersey
Shore” because they provide
me with something to laugh at.
Watching others make a fool
of themselves is rather funny,
but has the whole reality TV
gone too far?
First there was “My Super
Sweet Sixteen.” Now MTV
has created “16 & Pregnant”
with spinoff “Teen Mom”.
These shows don’t promote
being pregnant at a young
age; they try to give insight to
the horrors of being a teenage mom, but with the stars
gracing the covers of popu-
lar magazines, it makes you
wonder about how big of an
influence reality TV show stars
are having on America’s youth.
With shows like “Bad Girls
Club” and “Real World,”
participants go on to make
themselves known by being
a fool. BGC consists of girls
acting like complete idiots,
fighting and swearing, for a
hour each week.
It is sad that the network
allows shows like this to be
aired. What I don’t understand is why people continue
to watch. It is demeaning to
women and should not be allowed on TV.
People will do anything
now in hope of achieving
stardom.
Shows like “Flavor of Love”
had contestants, such as New
York, go on to get their own
TV shows. They are making
money trying to find love on
TV. This is ridiculous.
I don’t understand why
people would want the world
in their personal business. It
seems like this would only
create more drama in their
personal life.
On the other hand, some
of the footage that is aired on
these reality TV series makes
you wonder how real the
shows actually are. Sometimes
the shows are so extreme that
it is near impossible that the
camera just happened to be
rolling when it happened.
I honestly think that reality TV is staged and nothing
aired is real. I believe that
the producers of these shows
are only trying to increase
their ratings. By creating
drama and fights, they bring
in watchers who want to see
what’s going to happen.
Reality TV has such a large
influence on America, but at
some point, the foolishness
that is on TV must decease.
These shows in no way actually
relate to real life.
Friday.
It’s the annual tradition of
many: waking up at 2 a.m the
morning after Thanksgiving,
still full of turkey and stuffing,
slipping on your most comfortable shoes, and heading out
to your favorite stores to get
deals you probably won’t see
for another year. Black Friday
is the equivalent of Christmas
to a shop-a-holic and the
opportunity to get a jump on
holiday shopping for everyone
else.
Many naysayers question
the big deal about this hypedup business day. The answer
is simple: the deals! Do you
really want to pay $200 for
those cute shoes you saw at
Macy’s? Is your little brother
really worth that $50 game
he won’t stop talking about?
Do you really want to be
broke until January? Of course
not! Hence, we have Black
Friday.
Now, unfortunately, there
are some dangers associated
with this day. Shoppers are
at risk for stampedes, petty
arguments, stress-related
headaches, and mid-morning
meltdowns. If you are not
a morning person, I do not
suggest standing in front of a
shopping mall at three in the
morning on a frigid November
day. Don’t fret, the stores will
be open all day.
For novice shoppers, Black
Friday can be kind of intimidating. No worries! Make sure
to do your research before
spending your cash. Also, even
though it may be time consuming, make a list and stick to it.
Many shoppers can admit to
being seduced at one time or
another by new, shiny, tempting products put on display
by stores to entice consumers.
You may feel geeked about
buying that new iPhone now,
but when you realize that you
don’t have enough money to
get grandma her Snuggie,
you’re sure to feel like a jerk.
Now that you have some
David Kyin
Sports Editor
I’ve come to the conclusion
that the Blackhawks are no
longer babies anymore and
aside from that, they aren’t at
all the 2009-2010 Hawks.
Watching the team
struggle in their recent games
due to injuries, a lack of team
chemistry, and just flat out
being outworked has really
opened my eyes to what the
Blackhawks are now. They
are at this point in time, very
average.
Don’t get me wrong,
they’re still the Stanley cup
champions of last year, they
still have Kane, Towes, Hossa,
and Sharp, and last time I
checked, they’re still from the
best sports city in the world,
Chicago. But they aren’t the
same.
Due to salary cap issues,
they lost key players from
their stanley cup run like Dustin
Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, and
Antti Niemi. Don’t get me
wrong, Stahlberg, Bickell,
Skille, and Boynton are all
pretty skilled players in their
own right. But they don’t reflect some of the skill we had
last year either.
However, there’s still a lot
to be optimistic about. We
don’t have a losing record, the
core is still intact (for the most
part), and Hossa will be coming back soon. Despite some
issues that the Hawks need to
address on the defensive side
of the puck, we still look solid
and our biggest problem of
team chemistry is something
that can be cured with time.
With the recent performance of Stahlberg in some
games, he seems to be the
most promising prospect that
we have at this time. Three
points against a pretty good
yet underachieving Devil’s
team is nothing to scoff at.
Looking at our top line,
we’re still underperforming
there. I’d like to see more production out of Kane and Towes
but as far as Patrick Sharp
is doing, he started off the
season red hot. I’m hoping as
the season goes along, we’ll
see at least similar or hopefully better seasons from Kane
and Towes.
Last season, Kane had 30
goals as well as 58 assists. It
was his breakout year and
all Hawks fans are hoping to
see something similar. Towes
was out a good amount of the
season and we’re hoping to
see even better point totals
from one of league’s youngest
captains.
All in all, it’s still pretty
early to jump ship. The Blackhawks still have an offense
to reckon with and hopefully
defense will come along soon.
I can’t say that I’m 100% sure
that they’ll repeat this year
as world champions, but the
outlook still looks good.
right now. If teenagers have
a smart phone it is one of two
types: a Blackberry or an
iPhone.
This is clearly represented
by most of the WY population. With the release of an
updated version of one of
these phones every six months
I would guess the rest of the
student body isn’t far behind.
I have owned a Blackberry
for about a year now and at
times it is very efficient. They
are very good with holding
service and they don’t drop
calls as often as iPhones do.
Also, they have a special mes-
saging feature that allows you
to chat with other Blackberry
users more quickly than with
text messaging. Blackberrys are really durable and
they are made to withstand
the damage that comes from
being dropped multiple times,
unlike iPhones which are really
fragile and break easily.
There is also a lot more
versatility in Blackberrys varying between touchscreen, without touchscreen, track balls,
and touch pads. I also really
appreciate the functionality of
a keyboard, as opposed to a
touchscreen.
The alternative has many
features that Blackberrys don’t
and that make iPhones seem
more appealing. They have
a more professional look and
the 3G and 4G versions of the
internet are very efficient, but
don’t always work in places
with bad service. They do
offer many more applications
than Blackberrys do and even
double as an iPod. However
cool the other features an
iPhone offers seem, they aren’t
really applicable to what
teenagers need especially
at their costly price ranging
between $200 and $400.
13
Cheers
Baxter Helm
Opinions Editor
The anonymous voices of
our school, speaking their
minds.
-The school lunches have
been vastly improved, and
are much healthier! - Sophomore Female
-More teachers are receiving their National Board
Certifications! - Senior
Female
-The tech-center printer
doesn’t break down as
much. –Junior Male
-I love that we can text in
the hallway. –Junior Male
-All the clocks are synchronized so I know exactly
when the bell will ring. –
Seventh Grade Male
tips, you are ready to shop. All stores should have some
sort of sale going on that day,
but department stores such as
Kohl’s, Target, JC Penney and
Macy’s are known for having
huge crowds, so be careful.
However, if it means having an
extra $100 in your pocket at
the end of the day, the trouble
should be all worth it. So, get
up out of your turkey coma
and hit the stores on Nov. 26.
The deals are unbeatable.
-I really like being able to
play outside during gym
class! –Freshman Male
-Having iPads in my science
class! –Senior Male
-The first quarter is almost
over, only three more to go!
–Senior Female
-The coffee machine is
working, and it helps me
get through 2nd period. –
Junior Female
Jeers
-Why can’t we sit in blue
house after eighth period!?
–Senior Male
-The lunch tables are
always gross, and sticky. –
Freshman Female
-Our substitutes are not
the brightest people in the
world. - Sophomore Male
-I want new gym uniforms;
these ones look old and
out of style. -Eighth Grade
Male
-Why is ESPN blocked on
the server!?- Senior Male
-I am so upset our swimming
pool isn’t fixed yet! - Junior
Female
-Whenever I need to do
work there are kids playing
games in the tech-center! –
Junior Female
-Why is everyone in this
school complacent about
their grades!? –Junior
Male
14
editors • Julia Dennis and Dylan Forster
designer • Ryann Starks
“Saw
3-D” fails
to wow
viewers
Cary Shepherd
Photography Editor
In what has been planned
to be the final installment of
the Saw movie franchise, “Saw
3D” is the first ever Saw movie
to come out in 3D, and has
been described by many to
be overly gory in an attempt
to capitalize on the 3D effects.
The opening scene is a
flashback to the first Saw movie, in an attempt to explain
what would quickly become a
beacon • entertainment
complex and bizarre series of
events that would compose this
Saw movie. This Saw, however
contained a lot of new elements and scenarios that were
previously unheard of in saw
movies.
“Wow! It was super
scary!” exclaimed Sonja
Coates ’11. “I went to go see
it with my brother and he kept
telling me to close my eyes as
a joke, but sometimes I almost
needed to!”
Coates was not very clear
on the actual plot of the
movie, but she did think that
this movie was considerably
more violent and disturbing
than the last installment in the
series. She also commented
that the additional violence
did not add to the story at all,
and even though the film was
a horror, it seemed counter
productive to the plot. Coates
isn’t alone in her view of how
the movie went.
Many critics cite the movie
as being an unnecessary ad-
WY says,
“Accio Harry
Potter!”
dition to the series that did
not further add to the story
or give any type of surprise
worth seeing.
“I thought that the 3D
wasn’t that great anyway,”
said Justin Falconer ’11. “It
was almost like they were
trying to market something
like you were somehow in the
movie because it was 3D. It
didn’t feel that way at all.”
Other people complain
that without Jigsaw, the main
character of the first three
Saw movies, it is not worth
seeing at all, and it is hardly
the same movie anymore.
“I thought the original Saw
movie was alright,” said Mark
Wicoxen ’11. “After that, they
just seemed to go downhill.
Kind of like watching a dying
TV series, I wish they had just
stopped when they were still
good.”
Ultimately, few viewers
saw few positives in the movie.
Most people would be happy
if it were Saw’s last hurrah.
“Harry Potter” Movie Budgets
Diana Rosen
Staff Reporter
Tomorrow night, “Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 1” will take theaters by storm. Over 10 theaters in the
Chicago area will be hosting special midnight screenings of the highly anticipated
seventh film in the “Harry Potter” series.
WY students don’t have school Thursday, the night the movie will be released,
but Friday is a regular day. Many
students are more than willing to come to
school exhausted the following day.
“I already got my midnight tickets!”
says Montell Williams ’12. “I’m thinking
of dressing up for it.”
Noah Hamlish ’12 plans on dressing
up as well.
“I’m really excited because I’m going
as Alastor Moody,” says Hamlish.
English teacher Rosemarie Foy, sponsor of the new Harry Potter Club, is also
excited for the new movie.
The club will be going as a group
to see the new movie once it comes out,
although Foy suspects most of them will
have gone to midnight showings already.
“I think it’s fun [to go to a midnight
showing],” says Foy. “I mean, you’re only
young once.”
The WY population is excited about
the movie opening and teachers should
expect lots of very tired students on Friday, if they manage to get out of bed.
Most students probably wouldn’t disagree with the assessment Clara Dayley
’12 made of the series coming to a close.
“I seriously don’t know what my life
will be like after the Harry Potter movies
are over,” she says.
“Due
Date” will
make you
giggle
Matt Stanton
Editor in Chief
As Todd Phillips’ follow-up
to “The Hangover,” one of
the most legendary vulgar
comedies of all-time, “Due
Date” serves up yet another
“odd-couple-road-trip-gonewrong comedy” that is pure
Source: Box Office Spy Blog
Maggie Kindra/Staff Photographer
At the Orvis Theater on the Northside, passerbys
receive a pleasant reminder about the upcoming
Harry Potter movie when they look at the marquee.
entertainment.
The moment wannabe
actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach
Galifianakis) struts out of a
wood-paneled station wagon
at the Atlanta airport toting
his French bulldog, Sunny, and
a Folgers coffee can of his
father’s ashes, the stage is set
for an amusing clash between
the high-strung architect Peter
Highman (Robert Downey Jr.),
and Tremblay, the human embodiment of Murphy’s Law.
Tremblay and Highman
first meet in the Atlanta airport terminal when Tremblay’s
car collides with the car door
that Highman had just opened,
ripping the door from its
hinges. After a brief shouting
match, Tremblay and Highman
part ways, only to be reunited
on the airplane back to Los
Angeles. Downey’s harried
and preoccupied Highman is
hoping to make it back to LA
in time to watch his wife (Michelle Monaghan) give birth
to his first baby, while Galifianikis’ naive misfit Tremblay
is hoping to begin an acting
career after being inspired
by watching “Two and a Half
Men.”
When the two rekindle
their innocuous feud in their
seats before takeoff, flight
attendants become suspicious
of them, and a federal air
marshal orders them to be
placed on the no-fly list, and
escorts them off the plane.
From there, the cross-country
road trip from Atlanta to Los
Angeles ensues, with plenty
of sporadic detours, twists,
high-speed chase scenes,
vehicle changes—from Subaru
Impreza to Mexican Border
“Megamind”
tops box
office
“Fair
Game” a
must see
movie
Jessica Clement
News Editor
Allie McRaith
Culture Editor
Animated films about
superheroes never seem to get
old. “Megamind” is yet another extremely entertaining twist
on the classic storyline. With
an all-star cast of Will Ferrell,
Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Ben Stiller,
and Jonah Hill, it will have you
laughing from the very start.
In the movie, Megamind is
a super villain, but he does not
have the greatest career behind him. He has tried to take
over Metro City multiple times,
but is never able to because
of his rival, the superhero,
Metro Man. There are many
twists and turns to the story,
making it not “just another
superhero movie.”
“The movie was absolutely
hilarious!” exclaims an excited Greta Baldwin ’11. “I
had tears in my eyes from the
very beginning because I was
laughing so hard, and I am not
a big fan of cartoons, so that
is saying a lot.”
Baldwin was right; the
movie had many clever sayings in it that made the audience crack up throughout the
entire movie.
“The movie was not just a
kids’ movie,” says Liza Dennis
’14. “I went with my whole
family and we all enjoyed it.
Even my parents and my older
siblings thought it was quite
the funny movie.”
Some animated films are
geared toward little kids, but
this film can be fun for all
ages.
“I went on opening day
right after school,” says Edgar
Lopez ‘11. “I could not wait
to see the blue man pop up on
the movie screen.”
I saw “Megamind” in 3D,
but it was not necessary. The
action scenes would be just
as great without paying the
extra money to see the film in
3D. Although some movies are
fun to see on a big screen, you
can probably wait until “Megamind” comes out on DVD to
watch it.
“Megamind” will keep your
attention for the entire movie
and have everyone wondering
if Megamind will have what it
takes to save the day.
The true story of Valerie
Plame and Joe Wilson depicted in “Fair Game” dates back
to the Bush Administration of
2002-2003 when the decision
to invade Iraq was imminent.
Although I was young when
this happened, the movie set
up the premise very clearly.
Plame was a CIA agent
and her husband, Wilson, was
a former US Ambassador that
was sent by the CIA to Niger
in order to determine if Saddam Hussein had bought a
large amount of yellowcake
uranium, used in explosives.
Wilson determined that Hussein did not purchase this, but
the White House refused to
believe him. They publicized
the incorrect results which
led Wilson to write a piece
for The New York Times that
contradicted the former claims
made by President Bush.
In retaliation, the White
House leaked Wilson’s wife’s
name to a reporter. “Fair
Game” followed the PlameWilson family before and
after the article.
Plame was played by
Naomi Watts, who did a
magnificent job of showing
Plame’s balance of being
mother, wife and CIA agent.
Sean Penn played Wilson, the
husband left in the dark about
his wife’s whereabouts and the
one that started the fiasco.
With A-list actors, an
excellent screenplay and
storyline, this movie is a mustsee for anyone who desires to
know about the inner working
of the government. For not
being a documentary, Wilson
himself said it was “an accurate rendition of those times.”
Ending the movie with actual footage of Valerie brought
the viewers back to the fact
that this was a real mistake on
the government’s part. Until
someone like Wilson has the
courage to contradict them,
people believe the falsehoods.
“Fair Game” is recommended for everyone, especially those more politically
minded and who were watching the news when this ordeal
unfolded.
Patrol pickup truck, and stops
on the way.
“Due Date” is saturated
with laughs, but the movie
never quite reaches the level
of hilarity of Phillips’ “Hangover”. Aside from an hysterical
scene in Birmingham, where
Tremblay stocks up on smokable “glaucoma medication”
courtesy of a trashy home
grower (Juliette Lewis), and
Downey Jr.’s character is left
to look after the dealer’s kids,
most of the laughs come from
punchy one-liners and the peculiar quotes that spew from
Galifianikis’ mouth.
Since most of the laughs
come in short 30-second sayings from Galifianikis’ character, whoever made the trailer
for “Due Date” decided to
make it a highlight reel of all
the movie’s funniest sayings.
Regrettably, Phillips
doesn’t elaborate on some of
the funnier plot twists, one of
which puts Highman’s paternity into question. Despite
the stale, one-dimensional
plot, “Due Date” delivers with
quick, witty jokes, outlandish
twists and the ingenious fusion of the stoic and talented
Downey Jr. and the goofy
Galifianikis. If you’re in the
mood for cheap laughs and
a ridiculous plot that includes
a Mexican border crossing, a
harrowing encounter with a
handicapped Western Union
clerk (Danny McBride), and
a stop at the Grand Canyon,
then “Due Date” is worth a
watch. The pairing of Downey
Jr. and Galifianikis is an acting
combo I hope to see utilized
more often in future films.
beacon • entertainment
fashionicon Countdown
The
Eliya Hanna/Staff Reporter
5
Craziest Crayon
Colors Crayola crayons
are notorious for having
names strange enough
to make your head spin!
Their eccentricity is what
makes their crayons so
enjoyable. Check out the
wackiest five we could
find:
•Alien Armpit
•Metallic Seaweed
•Lemon Lime Zing
•Sasquatch Socks
•Fuzzy Wuzzy
4
Fun Fall Crafts with
all the fallen leaves,
why not try:
Ryann Starks
Design Editor
is trending.”
Meet Adjua Pryor ‘11, known
for her flicking dreads. Her
lovely and unique style has
gotten her nominated for the
senior notable “Best Dressed.”
Who are your fashion
icons and why?
“Solange Knowles because
she shares my passion for
shoes. I also like Vashtie Kola
because her fashion is more
than just the clothes she wears,
it’s her lifestyle. I also like:
Pharell, street etiquette(blog),
and sartorialist(blog).”
Where are your favorite
places to shop?
“I love stores like: Urban
Outfitters, Nordstrom,
Bloomingdales, outlet shops,
Georgetown in Washington
D.C., and shops in Bucktown or
on Milwaukee Ave.”
What is the secret
to your style?
“Accessories can make a
difference. It helps to have a
favorite part of your outfit;
mine is shoes. Also, I like what
you are wearing, not just what
How would you
describe your style?
“Sophisticated Bohemian.”
What inspires your
outfit everyday when
you are in your closet?
“I decide what shoes I want
to wear first, then I go from
there. “
What is your favorite
pair of shoes?
“Heels: Black suede Aldo
wedges. Sneakers: My
burnt orange authentic Vans
because I have had them for
awhile, they have character
and have been through a lot.
Boots: Leather mid-calf Steve
Madden boots. Everyday
shoes: My Mineetinka
moccasins or Toms because
they are very versatile.”
What do you think
completes a look?
“A crisp belt.”
What is something you
could wear with everything?
“My rings and my Fossil watch
with the leather wristband.”
gamer’s delight
Riley Castle
Staff Reporter
Looking for games and excitement this fall? The Chicago
Toys and Games Fair will be
held this year at Navy Pier in
hall B on November 20 and
21.
According to the Chi-Tag
official website, there will be
a large Monopoly tournament,
gigantic interactive wobble
board, and the worlds largest
etch a sketch!
“My whole family was
able to look at all of the
exhibits and new games and
toys that were coming out and
even got to try them all out,”
says Jessica Velazquez ’12.
Another more exciting
feature of the fair is the
Young Inventor Challenge.
Each year contestants 18
and under are given the
opportunity to present their
original game and toy ideas
to top toy and game industry
executives from companies
such as Hasbro, Lund and Co.,
and more. The winner receives
a dinner with the head of
Hasbro and promotion of their
idea to other companies.
“I plan on taking my
younger cousins to the fair,”
says James Daniels ’12. “They
love board games and all
types of toys, so I figure this
would be perfect.”
Live entertainment,
seminars for parents and
educators, and the most
exciting new games and toys
for you to sample will all be
there.
The fair costs $10 for those
above the age of 13 and
$5 for those under 13 and is
open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Be sure to check it out!
Word of the Month
Do you read the Beacon? The
word of the month will appear
in articles throughout this issue. See if you can find them
all. The first person (student or
staff) to bring in this issue to
218 on Nov. 17 with the word
of month highlighted five
times will receive a prize.
Etymology: Latin
Definition: producing no
injury, harmless
Times used this Beacon: 3
in•noc•u•ous
Date: 1598
Part of speech: adjective
Synonyms: anodyne,
benign, innocent, inoffensive, safe
Let us see who is worthy.
•A decorative colored
leaf print? All they require is some Crayola
washable paint.
•For a bit of model magic
fun, try making a table
ornament for the Thanksgiving table.
•Simple pencil colored
napkin holders always
adds a bit of originality
to your holiday spread.
•This year make a set of
candles blooming with
color made from melted
Crayola crayons for any
night’s candlelit dinner.
3
New Products
•Check out the new “Glow
Explosion Pop & Glow”
markers. Using the glow
markers and glow activators, you can activate
glow-in-the-dark features
on any of your drawings!
•The “Liv Crayola 3-in-1
Pen” is a must have for
every student. The small
pen provides highlighter
yellow, glittery blue ink,
and your classic black for
all school work.
•The “Window Crayons”
add a bit of fun to every
car ride. Also, they provide the perfect easy way
to show school spirit! The
bright and bold colors
wash off easily with water.
editors • Dylan Forster & Julia Dennis
designer • Alex Olivo
add it
to the
shelf
Martin Kim
Staff Reporter
Temperatures are
dropping below freezing
and everybody is gearing
up for the long, cold Chicago
winter. Although the season
may be a season of fashion
decline, many are taking this
opportunity to make a new
type of statement.
Beanies (a.k.a. knit caps
or skull caps) are making
their way up the fashion
scale. They are a great way
to stay warm and stay stylish
at the same time.
“Hot, cold, medium, the
weather doesn’t matter to
me,” says Julius Henderson
’11.
There are several styles
of beanies that fit any type
of person. Standard knitted
caps, earflap beanies, and
athletic beanies are the more
preferable styles. They are
all acceptable as they keep
you warm and provide an
addition to your personal
look.
“I prefer the beanies with
the earflaps and tassels,”
says Jolanta Szkodon ’11. “I
15
have collected four already.”
You can catch students
like Szkodon and Henderson
all around school. Although
there is a strict policy of no
hats in the building, students
manage to find ways to
sneak them past security.
Just look in blue house after
eighth or ninth and you
should spot a good number
of individuals sporting a
beanie.
“I wear the sportier
beanies,” says Samuel
Barder ’12, “but I seem to
always get unlucky when it
comes to wearing them in
school. I see everybody else
wearing them around yet I’m
always told to take them off.”
You may purchase your
own beanie almost anywhere.
Prices can fall under $10 so
they are quite affordable.
However, if you prefer
quality, it would be innocuous
to spend a few extra dollars
and purchase beanies from
popular brands such as Coal
and Neff.
Julius Henderson ‘11
hot • spot
2
Fun Facts.Did you
know:
•The name Crayola came
from Alice Binney who
founded the company with
her husband. The name
comes from the words
“craie” which is French
for chalk and “ola” for
oleaginous because the
crayons are petroleum
based.
•The first box of crayons was sold in 1903 for
a nickel! It included the
same colors available in
the eight count box which
were red, blue, yellow,
green, violet, orange,
black and brown.
1
Original Website
•The website crayola.com
has just about everything
you could possibly imagine when it comes to art
projects, Crayola products, and even games! If
you’re ever looking for
a bit of colorful fun, this
website has it all.
Caroline Jang
Staff Reporter
Cupcakes are no long just
a childhood treat, they are the
new craze. Check out some of
Chicago’s very own cupcake
boutiques. Molly’s: Molly’s Cupcakes
is found in the heart of Lincoln
Park; located at 2536 N.
Clark Street. Molly’s is truly
a hidden gem. If the fun
school themed décor, swing
chairs, sprinkle station, and
board games aren’t enough
to draw you in - the cupcakes
definitely will. Molly’s is known
for baking all their cupcakes
from scratch everyday; at
Molly’s you can pick your cake
flavor, choose a frosting, and
dress it up with any topping of
your choice. Cupcakes range
from $2-$3.75, for the center
filled treats. “Their specialty cupcake
is the Ron Bennington, a
chocolate cake filled with milk
chocolate, peanut butter, and
butterscotch filling, topped
with chocolate ganache and
crushed butterscotch. Their
cupcakes are cheaper than
most places and they have
more of a variety of flavors.
And they have really cool
swing chairs as well,” said
Catherine Stanton ’11.
Swirlz: The bright neon
green “Swirlz Cupcakes” sign
outside 705 W. Belden gives
passersby an indication of
the ambiance inside. Although
the interior is small it is very
bright. With a menu that
changes seasonally, different
flavors every day, customers
are guaranteed to never get
bored. Baked daily, every
cupcake is topped with rich
two-toned frosting.
“The frosting is dynamic,
and for only $3.50 it’s such a
deal,” said Daniel Barnett ’11.
With gluten free and
vegan cupcakes available
daily, Swirlz offers something
for everyone, even “pupcakes”
for your dog.
Lil
Wayne
finally
freed
Charlie Burdick
Staff Reporter
Grammy award winner Lil Wayne was released
from jail Nov 4th after an
eight month sentence in New
York. Even with having almost
4,000 songs on the market,
the rap industry has been
missing something for a long
time. Wayne was sentenced to
jail because of an automatic
weapon found on his bus.
Wayne stayed connected with
his fans through letters release online. His record label
released previously recorded
songs. Also other Young Money
artists updated their own and
his twitter with information.
“I couldn’t really tell if he
was in jail because he still was
releasing songs,” said Lissette Nunez ’11. “But I’d hear
something that I hadn’t heard
before and think it’s new but
it would be something he re-
Rihannon Holzman ‘13
Gossip
Girl
fashion
ideas
Jen Keyes
Copy Editor
The hit TV show “Gossip
Girl” brings you to Manhattan’s Upper East Side and all
the styles that can be found
there. It’s one of the only
shows that display a mixture
of various styles and trends.
All the title characters have
distinct looks that are easy to
replicate for real life.
“Blair is the preppiest,”
says Josa Johnson ’12, an avid
watcher of the show. “She
loves matching outfits and
super bright clothes.”
Showing off your preppy
side is easy with a few key
accessories.
“Blair always wears headbands,” adds Madison Freeman ’12. “She has the craziest
beacon • entertainment
leased a long time ago.”
Wayne released the CD
“I Am Not a Human Being”
Sept. 27 and the song “Right
Above It” was a hit single.
The 10 songs from the album
were previously on his soon to
be released “Tha Carter IV”
album but producers said that
he had more than enough to
make one album into two.
Through a series of phone
sessions producers selected the
10 songs that would go on this
album. Wayne also recorded
verses to feature on tracks
over the phone as well.
“He [Wayne] is going to
come out and snap,” said
Malcolm Sanchez ’11. “He has
had all that time, something
great is going to come out of
that man.”
Wayne has fans getting
ready for his next big album.
“Tha Carter IV” is soon to be
released and it will without
question have fans rushing
to stores to get it. No singles
were released from it so the
anticipation was like no other.
“It was a little depressing
in my opinion” said Hilario
Dominguez ’11. “I’d rather
have Vic Mensah’s EP any day
of the week though; people
need to explore other new
artists.”
Though some people get
tired of hearing Wayne, he
has changed the hip-hop
industry forever. His determination is not only bringing the
best out of himself, but out of
a lot of other rappers as well.
ones!”
Headbands are a great
way to style your hair because
they can be dressed down if
they’re thicker but also appropriate for fancier events if
they’re thinner. Go for colors
that contrast with your hair
color; lighter bands for darker
hair, and darker bands for
lighter hair.
Vanessa brings the Bohemian look to the show.
“Vanessa mixes all her
clothes. She’ll wear a long
skirt with a sparkly shirt and
loads of jewelry,” says Sydney
Hart ’13.
Layering jewelry is a great
way to get the Bohemian look.
Start with a few long necklaces and pile more on, decreasing the length for each one. If
you’re not a jewelry expert,
be sure to keep the metals in
the same color.
“One of my favorite things
is how the boys dress on the
show,” says Johnson. “They
always look so handsome and
put together.”
The boys of “Gossip Girl”
always look suave. Take a cue
from Chuck and Nate, guys,
and step up your everyday
look. Swap out your basic
t-shirt and hoodie for a button
down or pull over sweater.
Simple things like a blazer will
add class to your everyday
look.
“Gossip Girl” has a cast
with evolving looks, so keep
tuning in to see what they’ll
wear next.
Josa Johnson ‘11
Lil Wayne’s Life
Lil Wayne’s roller
coaster life has its up
and its downs.
1982 Born Sept. 27 in
New Orleans, La
1991 At nine years
old, signed with Young
Money Recording Label
1995 Accidently shot
himself with a .44 caliber gun
1999 Released first
platinum album “Tha
Block is Hot”
2007 Arrested for marijuana and gun possession
2008 Arrested and
charged with four felonies for drug possession
2010 March 8, sentenced to one year in jail
for previous arrest
2010 November 4, Lil
Wayne released from
his eight month jail term
Source: Life.com
Apple
store
hits
home
Molly Cinoman
Staff Photographer
Many Chicagoans conclude that a portion of Mayor
Daley’s budget funded the
construction of the new and
attractive Red line “L” stop at
North and Clybourn, but the
station’s restoration guaranteed Apple’s rights to such
valuable property.
On Saturday, Oct. 23 Apple finally opened the doors
of their new location situated
about a mile east of Interstate
designer • Jennifer Keyes
editors • Julia Dennis and Dylan Forster
Save
these
sweet
dates
16
Lincoln Hall), John Mellencamp
(Nov.26, The Chicago Theatre), Mike Gordon (Nov.18,
Lincoln Hall), Benise (Nov.20,
The Chicago Theatre), Grinderman (Nov.22, Riviera Theatre), Midnight Juggernauts
(Nov.30, Empty Bottle), Brandon Flowers (Nov.23, Riviera
Theatre), and many more!
One concert seems to be
on everyone’s mind: Edward
Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. Coming to the Congress
Theater on Dec. 4, the eagerly
awaited band is participating
in The Chicago BlueGrass and
Dylan Forster
Blues Festival. Grace Potter
Entertainment Editor
and The Nocturnals, as well as
many other bands, will also be
Looking for something to
participating in the festival.
do now that the weather’s
“There’s nothing I’m more
turning cold? Go to a concert! excited for to feed my artsy
Many popular concerts
side than Edward Sharpe and
that people enjoyed in
the Magnetic Zeroes,” says
October/November were
Zach Deitz ’14.
Rusko, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg,
Others students also eaDeadmau5, LMFAO, Kid Sister,
gerly
anticipate their arrival.
Chromeo, Shakira, Robyn,
“I’m so excited to see my
Drake, Atmosphere, and U2. “I don’t know what my life boy Eddy! The concert is going
would be like without concerts. to be so fun and chill. I can
sing ‘Home’ all day long.” says
Robyn was sick nasty,” says
Andrea Cory ’12.
Meghan Robinett ’12.
However, if you’re not into
Some popular ones coming
that kind of music, no worries!
up in November are Wolf
With all the popular artists’
Parade (Nov.23, House of
new albums released such
Blues), Never Shout Never
(Nov.27, House of Blues), Lady as Lil Wayne, Kanye West,
Kid Cudi, and Taylor Swift,
Antebellum (Nov.18, Chicago
Theatre), Bruno Mars (Nov.27, there’s bound to be some
great upcoming concerts! Any
Bottom Lounge), Circa Surinformation on these upcoming
vive (Nov.19, House of Blues),
concerts can be found at www.
Sam Adams (Nov.22, House
eventful.com.
of Blues), No Age (Nov.21,
90/94 in Lincoln Park, at the
intersection of North Avenue
and Halsted Street.
Exiting the station’s glass
doors is an inviting patio and
fountain, but the prominent
silver structure containing a giant illuminated apple is what
grabs an average pedestrian’s attention.
Apple exceeded Chicago’s
expectations with its geometric
design combined with towering crystal windows at the
front and back of the store
providing visibility throughout
the store.
At night, the overhead
bright lights illuminate the vast
Apple products, drawing in
the average passerby.
“I appreciate the new
Apple store,” says Max Blinderman ’12, neighbor to the
new Apple headquarters. “It’s
aesthetically pleasing and livens up what was once a very
dull corner.”
Apple makes efforts to
reach out to the Lincoln Park
community by “Creating New
Worlds with the Steppenwolf
Theatre Company,” located
Molly Cinonman/Staff Photographer
Like a beacon, the Apple store is best viewed at night.
on Halsted Street just north of
North Avenue.
The creative team from
Steppenwolf Theatre Company are collaborating with
Apple on Nov. 15th to give a
behind-the-scenes look at their
productions.
Apple is also providing
free hands-on workshops
for families so that they can
become more familiar with
simple tasks such as composing a song, producing a movie,
creating a photo album and
making a presentation.
The new Apple development is utilizing several selling
points to draw consumers.
Through enticing advertisements dispersed throughout
the city, an architecturally
appealing store, free classes,
and much more.
It would be impossible to
ignore Apple’s influence on
modern technological advancements, especially when
their acclaimed products illuminated under the bright lights
are just beyond the pristine
glass doors.
beacon • sports
NFL Power Rankings: Who’s
on Top? (As of week 10)
Alex Olivo
Sports Editor
NFL has had a tumultuous
year filled with scandals, triumphant returns, rule changes,
fines, injuries, streaks, close
wins, and blowouts. Now half
of the season is gone. The cup
is half empty. Or half full for
those anticipating this year’s
Super Bowl. Here are the
ten teams that have weathered the muck to emerge as
contenders for sports most
coveted title.
No. 8 New Orleans Saints
Although it is apparent these
are not the Saints of 2009 it
appears that QB Drew Brees
and Head Coach Sean Payton
have righted the ship after
a key win against the Steelers at home and a slaughter
of the division rival Panthers.
Their rushing attack is understandably struggling without
starting RB Pierre Thomas and
Pro-Bowl RB Reggie Bush but
a top ten offense coupled with
a defense that allows less than
170 pass yards a game is going to translate into wins. Key
wins: Steelers, Buccaneers. Key
losses: Browns, Cardinals.
No. 7 Atlanta Falcons
Pro Bowl WR Roddy White
is delivering MVP type stats,
the team averages 137
rush yards a game, and the
defense is only allowing 19
points a game. If that wasn’t
enough, two close wins versus
division rivals and playoff
contenders in the Bucs and the
Saints, in addition to only two
losses against the high octane
Eagles and the tough Steelers defense has me believing
the Falcons could return to the
playoffs. Key Wins: Saints,
Bengals. Key Losses: Eagles,
Steelers.
No. 6 Green Bay Packers
Beating a drowning Cowboys
team does not impress me.
That being said it’s hard to
deny the heat exuding from
this Packers team. The inability to finish close games is the
only major problem hampering this pre-season playoff favorite. That and the fact they
are one of the most penalized
teams in the league. Still, it’s
hard to exclude a team that
shut out the Jets in New York.
With the offense avoiding mistakes and the defense holding opponents to 16 points a
game this high powered passing team will make their way
to the promise land. Key wins:
Jets, Eagles. Key Losses: Bears,
Redskins.
No. 5 New England Patriots
Cleveland? Really? I know
they have improved but a
super bowl contender does not
lose to the Browns. Now that
the elephant is out of the room
its time to ration out Kudos.
QB Tom Brady has returned
Let’s talk
‘Hawks
Daniel Finger
Staff Reporter
“I expect nothing less than
a repeat,” says Josephine
Johnson ’12, a life-long Blackhawks fan.
The Blackhawks face a
tough road to repeat as National Hockey League (NHL)
champions. Not only did the
to pre-injury form. Virtual noname RB Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis has stepped up to help the
Patriots achieve over 112 rush
yards a game. The always
dominant offensive line has
been reformed with the return
of G Logan Mankins. They
have done away with “playwhen-I-want” WR Randy Moss
and recalled an old friend to
the team in WR Deon Branch.
The team from Foxborough
averages a league secondbest 27 points a game. The
only chink in the armor for
this New-era dynasty would
be a meager defense that
allows 380 yards and 22
points a game. The arduous
second half of their season
will reveal the true character
of this year’s installment of the
Patriots but based on what
we’ve seen so far, I wouldn’t
bet against them. Key Wins:
Ravens, Dolphins. Key Losses:
Jets, Browns.
No. 4 New York Jets
It’s no secret that the Jets are
probably the most complete
team in football. They allow
less than 16 points a game
and score an average of over
22. They rush for 150 yards
a game and give up less
than 90. They have a daunting defense that can pass
rush and cover complete with
two All-Pro corners in Darelle
Revis and Antonio Cromartie.
They’ve got a Hall of fame
RB in Ladainian Tomlinson, an
experienced and powerful
offensive line, speedy wide
outs with hands, a mix of
youth and age, and a coach
that has possibly the greatest modern defensive mind.
Still, if we went by what was
on paper games wouldn’t be
played. You still have to show
up. Something they didn’t do
against the Packers at home
after their bye week. They
couldn’t muster a field goal.
Key Wins: Patriots, Dolphins.
Key Losses: Ravens, Packers.
No 3. New York Giants
After beginning the season
with a one and two record
the Giants have stormed
back into the picture with four
straight wins and adopting a
“we are still here” attitude.
Head Coach Tom Coughlin
and QB Eli Manning have the
Giants running like a welloiled machine. They score
27 points a game and have
a top three rush and pass
attack, due in large part to
the emergence of RB Ahmad
Bradshaw and WR Hakeem
Nicks as premiere players. The
most impressive aspect of the
2010 Giants, however, is that
they are second against the
pass, allowing less than 175
yards a game in a league
where every QB gets at least
25 attempts on average. Right
now the “G” men are the
bigger men in New York. Key
wins: Texans, Bears. Key Losses:
Titans, Colts.
No. 2 Baltimore Ravens
Anytime your team is in the
top 5 in each defensive category opposing teams can’t be
scoring too much. And it just so
happens this year that the Ravens offense is putting up just
enough to slide past opposing scores. In four games this
seasons the decision has been
by a score of 3 or less points.
QB Joe Flacco, as always, is
doing just enough to keep the
offense afloat and LB Ray
Lewis continues to get whoever
is on the field with him to play
lockdown defense. Of all the
teams in the NFL the Ravens
have beaten the most high win
teams. That means when you
look at all your favorite teams
and you ask, “Who did we
lose to?” The answer is the Ravens. Key Wins: Jets, Steelers.
Key Losses: Bengals, Patriots.
No. 1 Pittsburgh Steelers
Player Injuries, losing a Super
Bowl MVP WR, possibly retiring an All-Pro LB, and starting a third string QB are all
problems that would plague
the season of any team in
the NFL, except the Steelers.
With wins against the Bucs,
Falcons, Dolphins, and Titans,
Head Coach Mike Tomlin has
shown that he’s got a team full
of players that can step up
and beat any so-called “top”
team. Now that the team’s
controversies have calmed
and they have starting QB
Ben Roethlisberger at the helm
again, it appears the offense
is back in the swing and the
number one ranked defense
has the support to take this
team to the top again. The
only losses Pittsburgh suffered
were a one point loss to division rival Baltimore and a ten
point game basically lost on a
fumble to a Saints team that
needed a win in New Orleans.
It’s apparent that you might
want to book a flight when
you see the black and yellow coming to your town. Key
Wins: Dolphins, Falcons. Key
Losses: Saints, Ravens.
Hawks lose some key players
from last year’s Cup champion
team, other teams improved
dramatically. The Blackhawks
stiffest competition in the
NHL’s Western Conference
may come from right inside
their own Central Division: the
St. Louis Blues.
The Blackhawks’ Midwestern rivals started this season
off great with a lot of young
talent including center T.J.
Oshie and defenseman Erik
Johnson. The Blues young defensive core has allowed the
fewest shots in the NHL so far
this season. Goalie Jaroslav
Halak has been playing out
of his mind lately, which has
the Blues on a tear through
the rest of the NHL, including
a win over the Blackhawks.
Of course the perennial
NHL powerhouse Detroit Red
Wings will contend for the
Stanley Cup, as they do each
season. The Red Wings are a
star-laden team with a proven
system that seems to have
them in the hunt for a championship every year. Jiri Hudler
has re-signed with the team
after playing last season in
Russia, and he will definitely
make a huge difference both
offensively and defensively
for the Wings. Future Hall of
Best of the Rest
Here are the teams that
have a shot if they can
get the gears to turn
together.
9)Eagles
10)Colts
11)Titans
12)Buccaneerss
13)Bears
14)Chiefs
15)Seahawks
editor • Alex Olivo and David Kyin
designer • Ryann Starks
Basketball
begins
boisterous
return
David Kyin/Molly Cinoman
Sports Editor/Staff Reporter
After the Lebron James’s
dramatic decision that was
broadcasted on ESPN on
July 8, Miami Heat fans
have high expectations. Not
only did James move to
Miami, but he is only one of
Miami’s triple threat.
Along side Dwayne
Wade and Chris Bosh, people can not help but wonder,
will the Miami Heat live up
to the hype?
This leads to several
more pressing questions:
can the Los Angeles Lakers
three-peat? Can Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City
Thunder make yet another
leap? Do the Boston Celtics
have one more run left in
them?
The Boston Celtics started
off the year with a very surprising win over the Miami
Heat shocking the nation and
what many consider to be
the best trio in basketball.
About six or seven games
into the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are undefeated
and hold the best record in
basketball.
The real sleeper in the
mix to most of the basketball community is the Chicago Bulls. They now have
an all-star power forward in
Carlos Boozer soon to return
in December as well as an
all-star point guard in Derrick Rose. The Chicago Bulls
boast a three and three record right now while missing
one of their key players.
In a league where one
conference has posted
dominance over the other,
the Eastern Conference
finally has some legitimate
contenders aside from the
Celtics. Very similar to the
way the American League
has dominated the National
League in the MLB, teams
like the Bulls and Orlando
Magic have put their names
into the mix for world champion contenders.
Hopefully, when the
season is all over and done
with, we hope to raise
another banner here in
Chicago to match what the
Jordan era of the 90’s did.
Being the city of broad
shoulders, Chicago hopefuls
like myself would love to see
our hard working team beat
out teams that spent extravagant amounts of money
like the Heat. All in all, the
NBA can promise an exciting
year.
Fame center Pavel Datsyuk is
on fire and leading Detroit’s
offensive attack, which is scoring the third most goals per
game in the league.
“Datsyuk is probably the
best overall player in the
league. He has some of the
dirtiest moves and just makes
defensemen look dusty on the
daily,” says Tim Frech ’11,
who has followed Datsyuk
since his days playing in the
Russian professional hockey
league.
The upstart Los Angeles
Kings have made a huge
splash in the league with
their exceptional start to the
17
San Fran
bridges
Giant
gap
Charlie Burdick
Staff Reporter
“I knew the Giants were
going to do it,” said Jamie
Vogenthaler ‘12. “The Rangers
didn’t stand a chance after
those first two games.”
The San Francisco Giants are the 2010 World
Series Champions beating out
the Texas Rangers after five
games. The Giants won it in
Texas Nov. 1st after another
outstanding pitching performance by Tim Lincecum.
Lincecum, a Cy Young award
winning pitcher, got the win in
both game one and five.
Pitching was the highlight
for this year’s World Series
from both sides. The Rangers ace Cliff Lee was perfect
going into the World Series
and his team’s batting performance would be tough to
match.
They got off to a great
start after overcoming Lee’s
great performance scoring
eleven runs to beat the Rangers 11-7.
Game two in the eyes of
many fans was a little league
game. The Rangers relief
pitchers gave up four consecutive walks and four hits to give
up seven runs in the bottom of
the eighth inning. The Rangers
pretty much fell apart giving
the Giants a 2-0 lead in the
series.
Game three went to the
Rangers after another great
performance from Colby
Lewis. Only giving up two
runs and getting some support
from Josh Hamilton and Mitch
Moreland, the Rangers got the
win 4-2.
Game four, the Giants got
back on track with a rookie
pitcher. Madison Bumgarner
threw eight innings of shutout
baseball to lead the Giants to
a 3-1 series lead.
Game five started out
as a pitching duel. Scoreless
through the first six innings,
both pitchers just needed a
little run support.
Edgar Renteria, Giants’
shortstop in the top of the
seventh inning hit, a three run
homerun to put the Giants up
3-0 late in the game. Nelson
Cruz, Rangers right fielder,
though in the bottom of the
seventh put the Rangers on the
board with a solo homerun.
Brian Wilson, Giants’ season save leader, finished the
game off to lead the Giants
to their first world series in 58
years.
season. A franchise suffering
from disappointment since
trading away the Great One,
Wayne Gretzky, the Kings are
off to a running start opening
this season with eight wins and
three loses.
These three teams are just
the toughest opponents the
Blackhawks will face this year.
The Hawks, however, have
both the experience and the
talent to repeat as Stanley
Cup champions. They are
definitely the team to beat
because they have kept the
core of their team from last
year and have a proven system in place.
18
beacon • sports
editor • David Kyin and Alex Olivo
designer • Ryann Starks
AC runs
into city
champ
status
Eliya Hanna
Staff Reporter
After a challenging season,
the AC Cross Country team
brings home several wins, two
city championships, and the
first AC state qualifier student
in CPS.
With rigorous practices
and a motivating coaching
staff, the team has grown in
both numbers and victories
this year. Although there is
no “official score record” for
cross country meets, both boy
and girls are Area 9 champions and received fifth place in
the Illinois Elementary School
Association (IESA) Sectional
Championships.
At their City Meet, the
team ranked highest out of all
the other schools.
“I am very proud of all the
runners,” Alan Edwards AC
cross country coach declares.
“Everyone did a great job at
the meet.”
Edward recounts the grand
Maia Sanders ‘16
stand filled with WY fans
including students, parents,
teachers, and Principal Joyce
Kenner. Having her there was
“great motivation for the kids
to do even better,” Edwards
assures.
The team placed highly in
all its events, often placing in
the top five. Edwards says this
was “an empowering moment”
because it showed the team
“truly working together the
way [the coaches] taught them
to run”.
Maia Sanders ’16 particularly stood out this season.
Having placed sixth at the
Niles West meet, second at
both University High and the
WY Invitational, this season
was proving to be a successful one. Previously saying that
the team would go to state,
Sanders found herself making
her own prediction come true.
This year, she was the first AC
student to ever qualify for the
State Championships.
At her meet, Sanders
placed 72nd out of 100 runners. As for city, she not only
won her individual race but
beat her biggest competitor
by fifteen seconds.
Fellow city competitors
Emily Ash ’15 and Andrew
Johnson ’15 felt their season
was also victorious. Johnson
feels that as their season went
on the team “gained more
experience” which bettered
their results.
“I learned that hard work
constitutes results,” Ash says.
“The sport requires a lot of
dedicated time and effort
that pays off in the end.”
Edwards thinks the team
showed “that WY is not only
the best academically, but
also athletically” and that the
AC “deserves the recognition
for their achievements”.
He hopes to send more
runners to state next year. In
the meantime, a majority of
the dedicated participants
continue the sport with the
upcoming AC track season.
Five
by
Five
Daniel Finger
Staff Reporter
Zach Dietz‘14
Point,
set,
match
Dylan Forster
Entertainment Editor
Serving up some wins
once again! It’s no shocker that
the Girls Tennis team definitely isn’t one to disappoint.
Before state, the girls
made some huge accomplishments. This included being
undefeated against all CPS
schools and winning the city
championships for the third
year in a row. They had just as
much success at state.
After a tiring and gruesome battle, Gabby Moore
’11 and Brittany Ballog ’11
Golfer
goes
to state
meet
Omari Whitmore ‘12
Molly Block ‘11
What is your favorite fall sport at
WY?
Who is your favorite fall sport athlete at WY?
Girls Volleyball. I love Football because
spandex.
I enjoy watching
T-Bag set scoring
records.
Maddy Lenzini ‘12 of Number three on
girls volleyball. She
the football team.
just always looks great His butt looks great
out there.
in uniform.
What is your favorite sport to
watch on TV this
time of year?
What sporting
events do you like
to attend this time
of year?
How do you keep
warm during the
fall?
Baseball’s World
The Canadian curlSeries because of the ing league is all I
nail-biting excitement. watch on TV.
fiercely fought their way to the
top. Winning three matches in
the front round and two more
in the back, the daring duo
successfully beat Glenbrook
North and Hinsdale Central,
two powerhouse teams. In the
end, they lost to New Trier
and finished eighth in state.
Kate Ushakova ’13 and
Syedah Cabell ’13 continued
the success. As underclassmen,
they fought just as hard as the
older girls to win two matches
in the front and three in the
back. They too were unsparing
against their unfortunate opponents, finishing 11th in state.
“As seniors, this was a
great way to end our season.
I couldn’t ask for it to happen
any other way,” says Moore.
However, this wasn’t an
individual effort. All the girls
traveled to Arlington Heights
to cheer their teammates to
victory. Many stayed as late
as 3 a.m. But, it was all worth
it.
“I was surprised on how
easily the kids could come together as a team. They were
fantastic,” says tennis coach
Ed Cruzat.
The team shares the same
enthusiastic attitude.
“I’m really proud of our
season this year. We got it
crackin!” says Erin Platt ’12, a
member of the team.
Moore is furthering her
tennis career by playing in
college. She recently signed
with Southern Louisiana in
Baton Rouge.
Cruzat said, “The team
concept is hard to get with
an individual sport like tennis,
but this year’s team has come
together as a unit and supported each other throughout
the entire season. I’m really
looking forward to next year
being another banner year
with new kids coming into
WY.”
Kalia Buckley
Staff Reporter
“Competing with golfers
all over showed me exactly
how much work I have to do,”
said Whitmore.
After only coaching for
one year, Coach Kevin Snider
was very optimistic about the
golf team’s city championship
victory.
“We have some areas
for improvement to work on
during the off season,” said
Snider.
In hopes of going back
and winning the state championship next year, Whitmore
plans on working very hard on
his swing over the winter.
Ending out the season, in
addition to Whitmore, Snider
also has many hopes for the
next season. He believes that
there are many talented golfers who are not coming out.
Hoping to gain more players,
Snider plan on keeping their
city title.
“I want people to know that
golf is a sport we take seriously at WY,” said Snider.
“This season, we reached all
of our goals and then some,”
said Zachary Stuart ’11.
After having a great
season, the golf team took the
city championship title on Oct.
2nd. Topping off their victorious season, the golf team was
able to send Omari Whitmore
’12 downstate to compete in
the 3A state golf championship.
“The biggest challenge
was probably staying mentally focused through the
windy conditions and having
your swing hold up under the
pressure,” said Whitmore.
“Next year I want to be more
consistent with my play and
make it to state for the second
year in a row.”
With the chance to compete with other golfers from
all over the state, Whitmore
has learned a lot about the
game of golf.
Thyra
Sandstrom ‘13
Izzi Friend ‘12
Football. When
there’s football,
there’s Homecoming.
Eddy Boche ’13.
He’s my little football star.
Boys Cross Country. Football because
Who doesn’t love
I’m on the team.
guys in short shorts?
Xavier Joy ‘12
Gabe Spingola ’12.
She’s the most dedicated runner on the
girls cross country
team.
Football. I find it
Men’s soccer.
amusing to see the They’re supremely
Bears get crushed. sexy.
Definitely not Terry
Baggett ‘11. He’s
overrated.
Women’s hockey.
It’s painfully addicting.
Football games because I thoroughly
enjoy the nip of the
wind!
The Homecoming football game
because everyone
shows their school
spirit!
Boys soccer because I enjoy their
style of play.
Football games.
I’m a professional
tailgater.
Canadian treesapping. It exhilarates me.
I put my hands in
warm places and
always keep my head
covered.
I make s’mores and
snuggle with my
mommy in my chartreuse snuggie.
A classic hoody
and a Columbia
fleece.
A pleasant pea
coat and a warm
mug of hot cocoa.
I wear a mahogany
full body FUBU suit
for warmth.
Final lap
for girls
swim
Leia Brown
Staff Reporter
The girls swim team is
ending the 2010 season with
a splash.
After a lukewarm start,
the ladies are anxious to
end the season with big wins
and impressive finishes. If
their third place showing
at city relays on Oct. 16 is
any indication, the rest of
their meets should keep the
competition on their toes.
“We weren’t expecting
it,” recalls Captain Nayeli
Langarica ’11 of the relays.
“We only had seven varsity
players and the rest were JV.
We thought we’d get sixth if
beacon • sports
we were lucky.
After hearing the results,
Langarica and co-captain
Julie Jew ’11 burst into tears.
“It was shockingly
amazing,” says Jew.
A few weeks later on
Nov. 5, the ladies took an
impressive fourth place
finishing in the swimming city
championships
“We held our position at
fourth, which is really good,”
recounts Jew. “Curie got third
and they have a lot of great
swimmers. We were definitely
the underdog.”
The team is looking
forward to Sectionals during
the second week of November
(results were not known at
press time). They hope to finish
in the top three.
The team is filled with a
roster of talented players,
many of whom got placed into
different events this year.
“I got placed into a lot of
personal bests that I didn’t
expect,” says Langarica.
She also mentions distance
swimmer Suzy Zizumbo ’12
as an athlete she is “really
impressed with.”
The senior swimmers
are leaving the team with
bittersweet feelings. They look
back on their years with the
team with fond memories, but
leave a little disappointed
due to the mediocre season.
“The season has been a
disaster,” proclaims Langarica,
“but this just leaves a lot of
room for improvement. The
girls on our team are so
talented and they have tons of
potential.”
“Our girls are great,”
agrees Jew. “I love them so
much.”
The seniors hope that the
younger girls on the team will
stay dedicated to the sport
and not give up when the
going gets tough.
“Just stick with it,”
Langarica advises.
“Swimming’s a tough sport.”
Girls cross
country
season
ends
Jen Keyes
Copy Editor
Girls cross country ended
their season earlier this month
after racing in sectionals. Even
though the team didn’t fulfill
their goal of making it to the
statewide race, they still had
a great season that everyone
can be proud of.
“Sectionals was sad but I
would say we still did a great
job, considering we lost some
Cary Shepherd/ Photo Editor
A dedicated swimmer exhibits her butterfly stoke during
City Championships on Nov. 5. The ladies ended up taking
fourth place at the event.
Dolphin
football
finally
finds
state
Lewis Etzkorn
Staff Reporter
After a long four months
full of monumental triumphs
and demoralizing defeats, the
WY football season has come
to a close.
They ended the season
with a 5-4 record, which is
impressive as they are in the
top conference in the city,
and have been pitted against
football powerhouses Simeon,
Dunbar, and Lane Tech.
Some notable wins have
been against Lane Tech on
Homecoming, Lincoln Park on
their Homecoming, and a last
minute victory against Dunbar.
Since the team finished their
regular season ranked in the
top three of the conference,
they were able to advance to
the city playoffs.
In the first round of the
city playoffs, they played Orr
Academy, where they lost 24
– 12.
“We played a great first
half in which we scored all 12
of our points, but had no luck
in the second half,” recounts
Julian Lopez ‘11, starting
defensive lineman.
Their rigorous schedule
and record made them
eligible to enter the state
playoffs for the first time in
four years.
In the first round of the
state playoffs, they played
Loyola Academy, who is
ranked in the top five teams
of the state.
Lacking their star player
Terrence Baggett ’11, who
had suffered an ankle injury in
a previous game, the Dolphins
had a tough game. They
ended up losing 42-0.
Being eliminated from the
state playoffs ended their
season.
“Hopefully, next year we
will get more publicity for
the team so we can pick up a
few more players and gain
support,” says football coach
Tim Franken.
Now, the team is taking a
brief reprieve before starting
to prepare for the next
season.
“I feel like we’ve made
major improvements this year,
and I hope the football team
is as successful next year,”
says Jim Daniels ’12.
Boys cross
country
finishes up
Cary Shepherd
Photo Editor
Among the hardest
working teams at WY, the
boys cross country team just
finished their season last week
after months of running and
hundreds of miles under their
shoes. Starting last summer,
the team has been amping
up the miles and consistently
editors • Alex Olivo and David Kyin
designer • Jennifer Keyes
Don’t
knock ‘em
sock ‘em
Jessica Clement
News Editor
The WY boys soccer team
ended the year on a good
note. They did not come away
with the City Championship
title, but there were a number
of notable accomplishments
throughout the season.
“We had a tough season,
but everyone tried hard,”
comments coach Ian McCarthy.
“even with the difficulties
we faced the past couple of
months.”
Cole Keutzer ’11,
Alejandro Sanchez ’11, and
Matt Snidal ’11 all ended
the season with All-Sectional
19
Honors. Matt Stanton ’11 and
Manny Almazan ’11 made
Academic All-City.
“We give it our all
during the season and it is
great when our efforts are
recognized,” says Charlie
Stanton ‘11.
The team won their first
state tournament game
against Clemente 1-0, with
a goal scored by Keutzer. In
their second state tournament
game, the Dolphins lost to
Downers Grove South 3-1.
There are 11 graduating
players on the team this year.
However, the returning players
are planning to come back
next year just as strong as
ever.
“We had a wonderful
group of seniors this year,”
notes Tim Sonnefeldt ’12.
“We are hoping to come back
next year with a lot of energy
and excitement, even without
everyone who is graduating at
the end of the year.”
great runners from last year,”
says runner Veronica Rozynek
’12.
The team did excellent
in the all city meet, placing
second to Lane Tech HS by
eight points. Next up were
regionals where the girls
also placed second to St.
Ignatius HS by a mere three
points. This advanced them to
sectionals.
“City and regionals went
great,” says Rozynek. “Most
schools would be thrilled with
coming in second but since
we’re so used to coming in
first, it’s tiring to not quite be
there.”
Unfortunately, sectionals
did not go as desired. The
team came in eighth place,
which did not qualify them for
state.
“It’s somewhat
disappointing,” says coach
Bob Geiger, “But overall I
think the season ended on a
good note.”
Even though they didn’t
qualify, the team did out
run both Lane Tech and St.
Ignatius, whom they had lost
to earlier. This is a prime
example of how the girls
have just gotten better as the
season has gone on. According
to Geiger, they girls were
about two weeks from where
they should ideally have been
at the time.
Both Rozynek and Geiger
are looking forward to next
year though.
“We’ll gain from
experience we got this year
and make next season a
better season,” says Geiger.
Hopefully, next year the
team will obtain their goal
of winning city and getting
downstate.
making it to far points on the
lakefront from school since
late July. Their progress has
been great since last year,
and their dedication has really
shone through this season.
“Most kids decided to run
as a whole,” says Head Coach
Billy Poole-Harris. “We put
a lot of work in this year to
run at my expectations, and
because of it the runners got
consistently better.”
In the city meet, there
were several runners that
placed very well in their two
mile races. Among them was
Aiden O’Carrol ‘14 finishing
second in the freshman race
with a time of 11:23, Taro
Salinas ’13 placing third in the
frosh-soph race with a time
of 11:01, and Logan Means
‘13 who won the frosh-soph
race with a time of 10:55. The
team placed third in city for
the final score.
“I think we had a really
good season,” says Ryan
Flood ’11. “We may not have
ended it with the big win, but
the competition was good
and we trained as hard as we
could.”
Flood has ran cross country
with the team since the summer
before his freshman year, and
has a lot of experiences to
look back on.
All in all, the team had a
successful season, and has a
bright future ahead.
Girls volleyball beats Payton
to become the city champs
Allie McRaith
Culture Editor
The fourth time is a charm
at the city championship for
the WY girls volleyball team.
“Winning city was the
highlight of the season,”
outside hitter Maddy Lenzini
’12 comments.
In the third game of the
set, they were losing but they
ultimately came back and
won.
“We were down 1318 and came back to win.
I called a timeout and the
girls didn’t look scared.
Amanda [Hedberg ‘11] got
in their faces. She’s been a
great captain,” Coach Jaime
Walters says.
Not only did they make
a comeback, but the girls
triumphed over their long time
opponent, Walter Payton.
“I felt really accomplished
after finally winning city.
People really stepped up
their game – that’s why we
won. We all wanted the win,”
says Jenna Jacobson ‘12.
Other team members
might say the highlight was
Malik Coburn’s ’11 role as
team manager. He was at
every game, encouraging the
girls.
“My favorite encouraging
phrases were ‘stop that
soft stuff’ and ‘smile when
you mess up, frowning is
contagious,’” says Coburn.
In their regional match
against Oak Park River Forest
(OPRF), they played three
games. They won the first,
lost the second by a couple
of points, and in the third
and determining game, they
couldn’t pull out the win.
Although this ends the
seniors’ season, Cassie
Tijerina ’11 rightfully says,
“For the most part the season
was successful and I hope we
started a tradition by winning
city.”
The juniors have some big
shoes to fill next season.
20
editors • David Kyin and Alex Olivo
designer • Ryann Starks
beacon • sports feature
Stay chic
in the
snow
Riley Castle
Staff Reporter
Cary Shepherd/Photo Editor
You can find these warm fleeces at Sport’s Authority or the
North Face store. Catch them while they are on sale for the
winter season.
about everything for athletes
workout needs. Their leggings
and jackets are both great
because they are tight fitting,
allowing athletes to move
freely, and insulated greatly
keeping athletes warm.
“I love working out in
my Under Armour leggings.
Running is a lot easier than in
heavy jogging pants, and I’m
still just as warm,” states Janel
Simpkins ‘11
Ariana Taylor
If price isn’t a concern for
Staff Reporter
you, Lululemon offers a great
line of athletic apparel. Its
Winter is the season for
extremely comfortable, and
hibernation. However, with
feels almost like an extra
spring break coming up ,and
layer of skin rather than
prom soon after, fitness is
clothing.
something that cannot be
Many believe that the
forgotten about.
quality
and functionality of
Work out apparel for winter is Lululemon
well worth the
always a topic of conversation expensive isprice.
and controversy.
“I’m super cheap, but
What to wear and where
Lululemon
is definitely the
to get it from are two of the
best
way
to
go” said dance
main concerns that people
teacher
Jeanette
Gordon
always have.
Others
may
go
to
The truth is, there is no
unorthodox
places
for
their
wrong way to go with workout workout needs.
apparel. No matter the
“All my winter workout
season, the workout will most
apparel
is Polo,” said
likely be the same no matter
Douglass
Brewster ’11.
what athletic apparel you
If
you
aren’t willing to
have on. It all depends on
splurge
on
apparel, Target
whether you want to save or
offers
a
great
affordable line
splurge.
of
athletic
wear
that will still
If exercising outside,
get
the
job
done.
it’s important to stay warm
Many students like that the
without being too bulky.
affordability
allows a larger
Thermals and fleeces are a
variety
and
a
way to express
definite must.
themselves.
They
have apparel
Under Armour is a brand
offered
in
a
lot
of
bright
of clothing that has just
colors and designs.
Keep
Yourself
Fit and
Warm
It’s becoming that time of
year again, but don’t worry;
we can all take steps to
properly winterize our clothing
and accessories in order to
survive the brutal Chicago
cold.
Sometimes it can be
too much to take, but all
of us at WY find ways to
manage under the harshest
of conditions. Purchasing a
proper coat is important, but
so is acquiring a hat, gloves,
warm socks, and any other
accessories. Students have
as they don’t restrict your
hand movement and also keep
them warm and dry.”
One person big on winter
fashion is Kate Jordan ’12.
“I love to buy new boots
and other clothing that looks
good and keeps you warm”,
says Jordan. “Earmuffs, hand
muffs, and long thermal socks
are all cool additions to
anybody’s winter wardrobe.”
Being prepared for the
winter is all very important,
but you don’t have to sacrifice
looking good for staying
warm, according to Josa
Johnson ’12.
“The winter is great. I get
to wear my favorite Chullo
winter hat with the tassels
that keeps my ears and head
warm,” says Johnson.
For many of us that take
the train early each morning,
it is crucial that we dress in
order to face the cold. With
clothing to accommodate each
part of the body, it is realistic
to keep warm.
Cary Shepherd/Photo Editor
Whether working out, indoors our outdoors, or going for a jog, these items will keep you toasty.
Winter
wear is
warm and
stylish
Lewis Etzkorn/Staff Reporter
Jordan Boswell ‘11 is showing off her winter style. boy
does she look warm and cozy!
(above)
Lewis Etzkorn
Staff Reporter
Cary Shepherd/Photo Editor
Stay warm and casual with this nice Under Armour that can be
found at Sport’s Authority. Ranging from $50 to $60 dollars.
found ways to accessorize
fashionably during the winter
season.
“My family and I go on
several skiing trips throughout
the winter and I’ve gotten
used to protecting my whole
body from the cold,” claimed
Courtney Barrios ’12. “Winter
ski masks may appear
intimidating and cover your
whole face, but they really
are the best way to protect
your face from the blistering
winter wind.”
Also an avid jogger,
Barrios gears up well.
“I always enjoy listening
to music when I run so a
waterproof Ipod armband is
perfect for running in snowy
weather. Headbands work
well to keep my hair out of my
face and ears warm.”
But what Barrios claims is
most important is keeping her
hands warm while running.
“Under Armor gloves
that are tight and warm are
perfect for any sports outside
As autumn comes to a
close, and the last of the
leaves fall from the trees, one
may find him or herself saying,
“I need a winter jacket, but
what kind should I get?”
When trying to find what
outer-garments to wear in
the winter, one should have
two main concerns: first
and foremost that they are
comfortably kept warm and
protected from the harsh
Chicago temperatures, and
second, that they look stylish
since you can’t just show off
the goodies like in the summer.
As parents have been
telling their kids for years, to
keep warm, the best way to
do so is with multiple layers.
Doing so is comfortable, warm,
and looks great.
“I usually layer with a
warm sweater under whatever
jacket I wear. It is just a
surefire way to keep warm.”
says Sydney Hart’13.
Zip-up “hoodies” are a
great option for wearing
under a jacket because they
can always be zipped or
unzipped if it gets too hot or
cold, and they also add a
hood to an outfit if it doesn’t
already have one. Just a
simple under-layer can totally
transform an outfit in ways one
would never imagine.
As for the outerwear itself,
there are many different
types one can invest in.
For a classy look, look for a
wool coat. These come in many
styles such as pea-coats or a
traditional overcoat. These can
be found at any department
store, and many smaller
boutiques. The prices of these
can be from semi cheap, to
incredibly expensive, but
they are frequently worth
the money because they last
a long time, and are very
tasteful.
For a more casual
look, one can try investing
in a cargo jacket, or a
windbreaker. These alone
aren’t warm enough to get you
through that piercing Chicago
cold but if that layering
technique we discussed earlier
is used, then everything should
be A-OK.
If one is going for a look
that is in between casual and
classy, a great option is the
world renowned North Face
jacket for 90-150 dollars.
These are very warm, and
very comfortable.
“I have a North Face
jacket, and although so many
people have one, you can’t
deny that they are incredibly
warm and comfortable,” says
Hart.
Another option is Forever
XXI (and yes, they will have
a section for all you stubborn
manly-men out there). During
the winter season, they
specialize in all types of
outerwear.
“Almost every clothing
store has a line of outerwear
in the fall and winter, you just
need to look around,” says
Jose Arias ’11.
Whatever you choose to
purchase, as long as you enjoy
wearing it, it was the right
choice.
Cary Shepherd/Photo Editor
This authentic North Face
jacket can be found at Sports
Authority. Grab this popular
item quick.