Oct27

w e o e l l n a H s ’ t I

Non-profit organization US Postage Paid Permit 25 Evanston, ILLINOIS

Have ETHS students really seen ghosts?

FEATURE, page 6 Are you too old to trick-or-treat? OPINION, page 2 Looking for a “treat” this Halloween? ENTERTAINMENT, page 13

the VOL. 91, ISSUE 3

EVANSTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL, EVANSTON, IL

“Do you have a pass?” Prohibited for Use

Theatre company raises freshman Reinforced hall pass policy sparks controversy awareness of AIDS By Roberta Brucato News Editor

The ETHS hall-pass policy has been reemphasized with a set of restrictions on the types of passes identified as permissible within the school, sparking some controversy among faculty and students. As of Oct. 2, only blue, red, and yellow ETHS paper passes have been approved for use when students are in the halls during class time. A Saturday detention may be issued to students in violation of the rules. “This is really enforcing rules we already have,” stated Associate Principal Bruce Romain. “We’re just getting rid of the [plastic] paddle.” Notified Sept. 29, teachers are now required to see a student’s ID before writing an individual pass that includes his or her name, the date, time, and destination, as well as a legible teacher signature. “Mostly students get mad because everything has to be a signed pass. It slows down classes,” said sophomore Sean Kelly. “For many years [teachers] have had some sort of generic pass – kids could just take it,” said Pam Baumgartner, art teacher. “The majority of teachers would set the tone

[for use].” Baumgartner, who called the blue pass “invasive,” explained that frequent interruptions by students, especially when she conferences with individuals, is not beneficial to the learning environment. “None of my teachers really let us go to the bathroom anymore,” said senior Aaron Katz. Some faculty members have responded to the reinforcement of the pass policy with some skepticism. Eric Brown, Discipline Subcommittee chair, stated, “There are some teachers in support of [the policy] and some against it. It’s not a question that there’s a change – it’s just that there could be a better way.” According to Romain, the number of students in the halls during class was the main problem that led to this administrative action. “Students were being disruptive as well as not being in their own classes,” he said. Though some believe the new administration played a role in the reinforced policy, Romain explained that limiting measures had been in place since last year with students being subjected to random hall sweeps at various points in the year.

Okay for Use From left to right: Paddle pass no longer in use, blue hallway pass which every student must have in the hallways, yellow study hall pass for freshmen and sophomores.

ETHS contributes to its habitat By Nora Graham News Editor

Tomorrow, students at ETHS helping with Habitat for Humanity will set off for their first workday of the year. “Anybody that wants to go and build houses has to be over 16, and everyone has to help with fundraising” said Barbara Zimmer, Community Service Coordinator. Habitat for Humanity is an international non-profit organization that operates on a community level. Habitat’s goal is “to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world.” 5.1 million American families are “forced to pay more than half their income for housing, leaving little money for basic necessities like food, clothing or health care,” according to Habitat

Oct. 27, 2006

for Humanity. “When we got to the worksite, we met other adults and students who wanted to help the community, just like us,” said senior Tessy Orbea, a Habitat for Humanity committee member. An important aspect of students’ work with Habitat is raising money. “We always need help fundraising, and there are going to be multiple workdays that students can sign up for,” said senior Joanna Schiffman, a Habitat for Humanity committee member. “It’s a good feeling to know you are helping to remedy [poverty],” stated senior Mikael Cejtin. “We have been selling orange and blue bracelets around the school, having bake sales, and we sold paper houses to get

photo by Ian Finder

Habitat for Humanity committee members Joanna Schiffman, Tessy Orbea, and Emily Schnur help conduct a bake sale outside of the Main Office. donations at conferences,” said Schiffman. The other thing Habitat for Humanity always needs is teachers willing to come on the workdays. “A certain number of adults need to go each time, and at least one must be a school employee,” stated Schiffman. “I came away knowing lots of practical things that I’d never known before, like how to nail in

a window frame,” said Orbea. A few upcoming workdays this year include Nov. 4 and Dec. 16, either of which can be attended by 12 students each. Zimmer said anyone who wants to help with Habitat for Humanity fundraising and building, or get involved with other projects can go to the Community Service Office in N128.

By Miguel Sanchez News Reporter

To inform freshmen students about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Healthworks Theatre will perform today in an assembly in the auditorium. “I think it’s important to empower students in issues surrounding their health. They should be well-informed about HIV/ AIDS and put to rest any rumors that they have heard,” said Health Dept. Chair Shirley Nannini. The focus of this program is to bring into context the information freshmen students are receiving and the talks they are having in their health classes. “I think it’s good because they [Healthworks] talks about AIDS. They need to stress the facts about AIDS,” said freshman Jasmine Milton. “Half of the people living with AIDS are under the age of 25. It is very relevant to spread the word so that people will be well-informed,” said Artistic Director of Healthworks Theatre, Denard Lenord. According to Lenord, freshmen students will be divided into two groups, one meeting during periods one and two and the other during periods eight and nine. Students will see a performance in which actors as highschool students confront different scenarios high school students might experience and attend a session where they will be able to ask the actors questions. The program is also geared to show students how to handle certain situations such as encountering someone with HIV/ AIDS or finding out that someone has HIV/ AIDS. Healthworks Theatre is a non-profit, Chicago-based theatre company founded in 1988 by actors, writers and musicians. Michael Garcia’s, founder of Healthworks, intention was to spread as much information as he could about HIV/AIDS. It is directed at young high-school students, and covers a range of serious issues from school violence to HIV/AIDS prevention. “It’s a good idea that people are learning at a young age about HIV/AIDS,” said senior Jasmine Coe. According to the Center of Disease Control, statistics show that young adults (ages 13-24) with minority backgrounds have a higher chance of getting the HIV virus. In addition, there are many factors that make minorities more susceptible, such as poverty and lack of education. In the year 2004, 42,514 people were diagnosed with AIDS, and still many more remain undiagnosed.

Opinion

 Staff Editorial

A world of culture in your own backyard By Hannah Shefsky Opinion Editor

We already have diversity, now we need integration

ETHS prides itself on being an accepting, liberal, and diverse community. And it’s true, in many regards; we have an extremely diverse population. However, a closer look may show that although we are diverse, we are not integrated. There is still room for improvement. In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled that the practice of “separate but equal” violated the Fourteenth Amendment in Brown v. the Board of Education. Many people fought long and hard for this, but it seems that certain trends of segregation are reappearing. Looking in our cafeterias, people seem to be racially divided by table. Even sports tend to lean more towards one ethnic group than another. Most importantly, however, many classes appear to be segregated. While it is preposterous to talk to someone of another race just for the sake of it, especially if he or she has nothing in common with you, we must also avoid assuming that we have nothing in common with another solely due to race. Individually, we need to be more willing to experiment and be open to new experiences. The division between groups, though, is not all our fault. Classes are so racially unbalanced that it allows for minimal interracial interaction. We at The Evanstonian believe that classes should be more integrated. The gap between honors and regular classes is so wide that it discourages many from taking the other. By decreasing this gap classes could become more integrated because more people would feel comfortable taking classes. Mixed-level courses have touched upon this, but the gap is still too wide. Homebase, initially begun to try and integrate classes, has also touched upon this. However, this initiative seems to have been lost. Focus on integrated classes should be reaffirmed. In these ways, ETHS can become a truly diverse community. Being accustomed to diversity helps us to be more understanding of life and the world around us. But we need to take the next step. ETHS has the makeup to be a much more integrated community; so let’s make it happen. Diversity and integration, it seems, are not the same thing.

Oct. 27, 2006

Imagine being able to experience the cultures of the world without dishing out a single plane fare. In Evanston, all it takes is a quick trip on the “L,” a simple two dollars, and a day can be spent exploring cultures by eating ethnic foods, watching international films, browsing immigrant-owned stores and listening to world music. In truth, many Evanstonians don’t realize just how many amazing and truly unique cultural opportunities there are in the city next-door. It’s time we look around at all that is available in Chicago and learn about each other for our own sake and for the sake of world peace. As students living in Evanston, we would be crazy not to explore what’s out there. The various festivals and communities in Chicago that are centered on specific cultures, such as the African Caribbean Fest or the Pilsen neighborhood on the southwest side, are often good ways strengthen our individual cultural identity. Through them, our own culture can be reflected back at us in ways we have never before experienced. Moreover, Chicago is the perfect place to experience actual interactions with people of all

backgrounds. According to the Metro Chicago Immigration Fact Book, immigrants made up 18 percent of the Chicago’s 2003 population, giving it the fifth largest immigrant population in the country. Chicago even has a larger Polish population than the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. On a world scale, it is necessary for people to attempt to understand each other as humans in order for peaceful coexistence to be a reality. It is easy to make an enemy of someone, even another student in the hallway, who to you is nothing more than a faceless “other,” but once people know each other on a more personal level, it becomes hard to maintain hostility. Some may feel that this type of cultural interaction and exploration is useless; the problems our world faces are much more political and complex than can be solved by playing a get-to-know-you game. This may be true, but through such understanding, we can build a strong foundation for peace. There is much to be learned by experiencing other cultures on so many levels. At the risk of sounding cheesy, imagine for a moment that you are Princess Jasmine and that the city of Chicago is Aladdin; let Chicago “show you the world… take you wonder by wonder.”

Letter TO THE EDITOR

OUR RESPONSE

Dear Evanstonian,

Dear Mr. Hill,

I think you are too liberal Charlotte Cottier never ceases to amaze me with

her rambling, left-wing diatribe. In fact, Ms. Cottier is often so formulaic that, after reading her column “Vote God for President” last Friday, I feel, she should be using her column as commentary on the day-to-

day politics of the United States, and not to complain about Republicans.

I do not need her to inform me of Republican

misuses of religion which everyone already knows has been going on for decades.

Given Evanston’s voting trends for the past years,

I know it’s obvious that our school paper would have

outrageous liberal bias, and, to be honest, I have no problem with that. However, if The Evanstonian staff members are properly self-respecting liberals, why is

such tired, left-wing opinion repeated over and over again? Colin Hill, sophomore

Executive Editors: Anne Randhava, Elliot Vernon Layout Editors: Brian Blumenthal, Rochelle Brown, Ian Janicki News Editors: Roberta Brucato, Nora Graham, Genevieve Kapche, David Hertz News Reporters: Miguel Sanchez, Jamie Sloan Opinion Editors: Ava Gehringer, Hannah Shefsky Opinion Writer: Lizzy Foydel Columnists: Charlotte Cottier, Hailey Mattson Feature Editors: Laura Levine, Rachel Metter, Catherine Valukas Feature Writer: Anna Sanders

We welcome your opinion Your letter to The Evanstonian bewildered our

staff. Although you might not agree with my column,

I have to say that I think it is unfair of you to let those feelings control your entire outlook of our school paper.

Our main goal at The Evanstonian is to give students an unbiased view of news, features, entertainment, and sports.

You say that my column is by-the-book, bleeding-

heart liberal, and it appears that you are a politically-

conscious student. I feel compelled to point out that I did not complain about Republicans in my “Vote God

for President” column, but instead posed a universal cry to keep politics safe from all religions.

If you feel that strongly about an issue, The Evan-

stonian welcomes all views. Writing a guest article would also be a great way for you to share your perspective on any issue. We look forward to you submitting your writing. Charlotte Cottier,

opinion columnist

Entertainment Editors: Isabel Abrams, Matt Doo, Brittani Fowlin Entertainment Writers: Adrienne Hoopingarner, Nakimera Moore Sports Editors: James Ferguson-Mahan, John Goad, Aon Hussain, Ben Ossyra Sports Reporters: Patrick Malee, Sam Masters Photography Editor: Ian Finder Photographers and Artists: Claire Austen-Smith, Mike Miszczak, Mateo Molina, Mallika Roy, Emma Zbiral-Teller Art Editor: Brisa Becerril Advertising Manager: Michelle Redmond Advisers: Rodney K. Lowe, Sara Williamson

The Evanstonian is the official student newspaper of Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave., Evanston IL, 60204, published as an open student forum every two weeks. The Evanstonian welcomes comments and criticisms from its readers. Letters must be signed and delivered to The Evanstonian office. Anonymous letters will not be printed. However, names will be witheld on request. The Evanstonian reserves the right to edit portions of letters due to space constraints.

OPINION

OCT. 27, 2006



Verbatim

“Don’t wake us, we plan on sleeping in” Charlotte Cottier

Evanston is not Chicago, it’s a suburb By Ian Janicki Opinion Editor

Remember the old, quiet, shady, treelined streets of Evanston and its reasonably small downtown? This unfortunately is a thing of the past with the latest expansions of the cancerous urban sprawl we call downtown Evanston. The entire North Shore used to be the same: small and picturesque. Granted, Evanston was always a little bigger than the rest because it is a college town, but the overall idea of suburbs as quaint counterparts to the bustling, overcrowded city nearby was preserved. Development was monitored; few tall buildings were built, and the borders of the city were fixed and stable. In the last decade, however, Evanston has followed a program to bring in developers and create a revitalized downtown. Whether this is for the advancement of the community or the expansion of Evanston’s pocketbook, our town is beginning to resemble our southern neighbor too much. We have totally neglected the premise of what a North Shore town is and what makes it unique.

The City of Evanston’s response to this is that it wants to create a “vibrant downtown, with a 24-hour population,” explained Dennis Marino, a member of Evanston’s Planning and Development Committee. However, this commotion isn’t what Evanston is about. New York is the city that never sleeps, not us. With the newest addition to downtown, Sherman Plaza, thousands more will crowd the streets of Evanston and jam up the narrow streets. The problem with Evanston is that the city government has a rather twisted view that Evanston is an “urban center,” which it certainly is not. If you want an urban center, take the purple line south; don’t expect it from a North Shore community. Evanston feels the need to compete with the area’s other commercial centers like Old Orchard, yet we shouldn’t even compare the two since they are completely different. It is true that all these new residents downtown are paying heavy taxes which benefit the Evanston community and ETHS. Marino also makes the point that Evanston now has about 73,000 people compared to the 80,00 of the sixties, so it’s not like the addition of new residents

is something Evanston cannot handle. But maybe we shouldn’t try to squash all the extra people into a two block radius. Yes, Evanston wants an attractive downtown, who wouldn’t? But the Planning and Development Committee sure did miss the boat on helping the developers achieve this, because, in truth, the buildings are ugly! There is a serious lack of taste on their part, for the glass curtain monstrosities that are put up now are out of place in this low-rise, forested town. Sorry to break it to Evanston’s government, but we are still a North Shore community, not some sort of urban, chic center for the blossoming hip Chicagoans to infiltrate. Big-city building is not for us; it’s for Chicago. Evanstonians needs to seriously rethink their warped idea of what our town should be. Students have to realize as well that even though the downtown is expanding, this does not mean it’s getting better for us; all the good stuff is still down in Chicago, and that’s never going to change. Evanston should cease the development of its downtown; it is detrimental to the and picturesque community that surrounds it.

Aren’t you a little old to be trick-or-treating? By Ava Gehringer Opinion Editor

Students

Speak Out

As the years go by, it seems as though the average age of trick-or-treaters on the streets on Halloween has risen.  Caused in part because of overprotective parents who don’t let their ten- year olds out of their sight on the last day in October, people as old as 18 are now joining in on the door-to-door festivity.  While the cut-off age for parents undoubtedly varies, according to the Federal Center for Holidays, Halloween is a day for children between the ages of four and 14.  This statement is not backed up by reason, though, which causes one to question why 14 is necessarily the cut off.  It seems as though parents are even stricter, cutting their kids off at 12, convincing their young ones that, “Halloween is a holiday for babies” and “you’ll have more fun handing out the candy.”  Yeah right.  There are no 12-years olds who would rather spend their Halloween sitting on a cold porch with their parents by their side handing out candy to the lucky few kids on the block

who were allowed to go out past four.  And if there are, you could surely count them on one hand. Understood, there must be limits, but come on.  The adults who refuse to allow

their pre-teen kids to trick-or-treat are simply jealous that they can’t fit a load of candy into their own humorless pillowcases. No one has the right to tell a 12-year-old girl that she can’t dress up as a cheerleader this year because she’s too old. However, there is a point where the holiday loses its credit, and people take advantage of the free giveaways.  There are those few chaperoning parents who stand there idle, waiting for their share of mini Snickers with their newborn in hand.  Those parents who carry their 18-month-old child around on a cold fall night, claiming their little girl is dressed up as an angel, are the ones that give the holiday a bad name.  Technically there are rules, but in reality, cooperating houses are not going to ask for proper identification if someone looks over the age.  The fact that there is no good way to set a cut-off age is a sign that no one is too old to go out and enjoy the holiday.  If someone’s dressed up, give them candy.  Reward those who still celebrate Halloween the old- fashioned way with a couple pint-size treats.  After all, it could be worse. At least the kids aren’t egging your car.

What is your favorite Halloween costume?

“A princess or Frankenstein.”

“A pimp.”

“A band-aid because I could make people feel better.”

“Towlie from South Park.”

Paul Lee and Sylvia Jackson freshmen

Emmanuel Egwu sophomore

Cat Novak junior

Jessie Gwilliam senior

Clothing wrinkled from getting dressed in the dark after a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call, bleary eyed, dark circled, graying and faded… a first-period ETHS student? With our stunning population of 3,164 students, certifiable labyrinth of a school, diverse cultural scene and top-rate academics, there seems to be one thing that ETHS just hasn’t given us: sleep. No matter what the circumstances, the fact will remain that teens need about eight and a half hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). A recent study by the NSF stated that about 85 percent of all teens just are not getting those minimum hours of sleep and are chronically sleep-deprived. One huge roadblock between ETHS students and our sleep is the universal joy of nightly homework. The administration requires teachers to give at least half an hour of homework a day, meaning that, with the maximum of seven academic classes, students theoretically receive a minimum of three and a half hours of homework each night. Of course, this minimum depends on each teacher’s definition of “half an hour,” so sometimes students can get stuck with four to six hours a night. These rules need to be changed, either being entirely abolished or tailored to each department, not just a blanket “give busywork” rule. Another incentive for teachers to not give out excessive homework: those hours of sleep students miss over late-night work will play a role in class. Want to minimize the heads on desks? Cut back on the workload! According to Dr. Judith A. Owens, associate professor of pediatrics at Brown Medical School, teens’ insufficient sleep can affect learning through a reduction in attention span, motivation, efficiency in performing tasks, and ability to think creatively. What is better: students actually learning in class or pouring all their time over pointless work at midnight? ETHS needs to remember that with our greatly advertised diversity of students also comes the great diversity of student interests and obligations. Whether that means working, helping out at home, taking test prep classes, or beefing up our extracurricular activities for college, we all have lives outside of school. We need the time to balance duties, fun, and work without being penalized by loosing sleep and letting our tired bodies limit us during our marathon of a school day. We would all love to blame school for all our problems, but of course we as students also have a little fault in our sleepless nights. Studies by the NSF show that very few high-school students put effort into going to bed before 11 p.m. and, in doing so, let their bodies get used to this schedule so that it becomes physically impossible to fall asleep before 11 or 12. Students, help yourselves and skip those late-night reruns in favor of your nice warm pillow. All and all, there is no way around it: we need our sleep. No negotiation, no half-hearted gestures will help. We need change on all sides, from ETHS and our homework, from outside pressures, and from our greatest opponents, ourselves.

News



News Briefs Anna Waymack is one of 606 high-school seniors in the country to have been chosen as an outstanding writer in the 2006 National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards.

Thirty-five ETHS seniors have been named commended students by the Evanston-based National Merit Corporation.

Senior Chasity Cooper, also Student School Board Representative, was elected President of the Illinois DECA association.

For the thirteenth consecutive year, ETHS has received the Bright Red Apple Award for educational excellence from SchoolSearch, an educational research and consulting firm.

The ETHS Saturday Science Seminar program featuring discussions about earthquakes, which will be led by Dr. Seth Stein, will be held on Oct. 28 in room A241.

The Fall Parent Open House will be held on Nov. 15.

The Financial Aid Workshop for Parents and Seniors will be held on Nov. 16.

Oct. 27, 2006

Students participate in CROP Hunger Walk By Genevieve Kapche News Editor

Students from ETHS participated in the North Shore CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Hunger Walk, which took place Oct. 22 in Wilmette at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Each walker strived to raise $100 to be used to fight hunger and poverty. Students Monica McCarthy, Emilie Schwerin, and Marie Semla volunteered as Evanston recruiters for the event through the Community Service Office. “It’s a great thing because it’s international and also helps communities in America,” explained McCarthy. Of the proceeds from the North Shore CROP Walk, 25 percent is given to local soup kitchens in Evanston and Rogers Park, while the other 75 percent goes towards fighting hunger nationally and worldwide. The five local agencies that benefit are Interfaith Action, Hilda’s Place, Soup at Six at Hemenway in Evanston, The ARK and Good News Community Kitchen in Roger’s Park. The proceeds will be used by the Church World Service and other international agencies to help provide food, water, safe shelter, education and medical care to poverty-stricken communities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 6,000,000 children under the age of five die each year as a result of hunger. In addition, 33 million Americans are faced with food insecurities. “When we, who are so well-to-do, know that some people are trying to live on two ounces of rice, the only fair thing to do is to do something about it,” commented Helen Yarbrough, a member of the North Shore CROP Walk’s planning team. According to Yarbrough, the CROP walks originated after WWII when American farmers would load crops onto trains to be taken to seaports. The crops were then shipped to war-torn European countries

photo by Emma Zbiral-Teller

Wonjae Sung, participates in the CROP Walk, Oct. 22. where agriculture was devastated. What originated as a post-war hunger relief program has grown into a national effort to combat hunger worldwide. The Church World Service sponsors 2000 different CROP walks in different communities across America. “It’s an important cause and a fun way to help the community,” stated Jackie Jahn, junior.

“Some people are trying to live on two ounces of rice; the only fair thing to do is to do something about it.” -Helen Yarbrough

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News

OCT. 27, 2006



Young Ambassadors educate students on Israel By David Hertz News Editor To educate Americans about their lives and culture, 23 Israeli students recently visited the Chicago area as a part of the Young Ambassador Program. The students traveled around Chicago and its suburbs presenting their interpretation of Israel from Oct. 9 to Oct. 18. The presentation included a number of songs and dances, along with information ranging from the history of Israel, to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and peace process, to the lives of teenagers in Israel. “[We came] to show Americans what Israel is all about,” explained Ann Ben Shalom, one of two Israeli teachers traveling with the students. According to Ben Shalom, the students hoped to dispel the perceptions of Israel in the media by teaching Americans about other facets of Israeli life. “All you hear about is war,” said Ben Shalom. The young ambassadors performed at four schools: ETHS, Morgan Park, Kenwood Park, and Highland Park, as well as many other community centers in the Chicago area. ETHS students in Hebrew teacher Semadar Siegel’s class volunteered to host the visitors. When Siegel heard in 2005 that the program was restarting, she scrambled to find host families.

“Exposure is very important, because ETHS is such a diverse and global place,” explained Siegel. Her Hebrew class jumped at the opportunity, and 11 students were selected to host the Israelis. Sophomore Anna Bleier, who hosted three Israeli students, described it as a learning experience. “It taught us about Israel and who Israelis are,” said Bleier. Many other students shared these sentiments. “For all those with an interest in Middle-East politics, the Young Ambassador Program came as a welcome relief,” said Aaron Rosenson, copresident of the Israeli Culture Club. One of the visiting Israeli students, Guy Reginiano, said that he frequently found himself explaining Israeli life to disbelieving students. The most popular question about Israeli life was mandatory military service. “They always ask about how we and our families feel about giving two years of our lives,” said Reginiano. When asked about how he responded, he Israeli Young Ambassadors perform a song and dance in the Auditorium. explained, “We tell them we from the city of Netanya. She was She ran the program with students are proud to serve.” involved in a related program and from Netanya until 2000. This visit The Young Ambassador and believed that more work was marked the first time the program program began in 1995 with needed, resulting in the creation of has run since Sept. 11. Ricki Neria, an Israeli teacher the Young Ambassadors Program. According to Rosenson,

courtesy of Semadar Siegel

Siegel hoped to host additional groups in the future, and possibly return the favor by sending American students to Israel.

give me the tools to succeed Safety website in the making

I’ll launch my career

just watch me

By Jamie Sloan News Reporter A new safety website to keep students up-to-date with recent safety rules and modifications at ETHS is being developed, with intentions of being finished by Jan.1. “The goal of the website is to provide all information that will be helpful to students and their parents,” said Frank Kaminski, Safety Department director. This includes staff-contact information, crisis plans for codes red, white, yellow and green, and a page of answers to frequentlyasked questions from students. Another section will contain basic facts pertaining to topics such as curfews, IDs, internet safety and parking tickets. The website will also have areas for reporting thefts, checking on camera updates in the school, and giving feedback to the Safety Department. According to Kaminski, these comments will promote suggestions for improvement and give the

safety staff an opportunity to hear criticism and praise. With an updated camera system, tightened security, and an upcoming new website, the safety division at ETHS is undergoing a lot of changes. A new logo is being created for the department to wrap up all of the changes that have been made. Although some students say that they support this new feature offered by the Safety Department, it cannot be assumed that it will be widely used. “I think that the new safety website will be a good resource for students, though I don’t think very many would use it,” said Aaron Nachsin, sophomore. Kaminski hopes the safety website to be accessible both inside and outside of the school and to have it linked to the ETHS homepage by the beginning on Jan. 1, 2007. Kaminski said, “No date is certain. It’s a work in progress.”

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Feature



Oct. 27, 2006

Are you afraid of the

dark?

ETHS students share their supernatural experiences By Rachel Metter Feature Editor

Do you believe in ghosts, ghouls, or demons? To some people, Halloween evokes images of costumes, candy, and fun. However, others may not have such pleasant experiences. It may not be frequentlydiscussed in the H-Hall, but some ETHS students have crossed paths with the world beyond. Emily Berkson, junior, has had a few brushes with the paranormal. One such incident occurred directly after her grandfather passed away. His will and the property rights to his trailer were sealed in a lock box with a missing key.

“[My mom] took everything out of one particular drawer piece by piece, bit by bit, looking for that key.” Extremely frustrated, Emily’s mother sighed, “Hey Dad, we can’t move forward without this key, I need you to help me out.” The next morning Emily’s mother opened that same drawer and the key was sitting right on top. Emily is a firm believer in spiritual phantoms but, “I don’t think of them as scary shadowy figures, but more as friends or family that come back to visit for a little while.” Like Emily, Amelia Monar, senior, believes that she may have crossed paths with a deceased family member. Her house was built by her great-grandmother’s family. “There’s a lot of history that comes along with my house.” One night Amelia was startled awake by something grabbing at her legs. “At first I thought it was my friend, but then I realized she had slept over the night before,” she explains. “I opened my eyes and saw what looked like an old woman standing over my bed. It’s just weird because the room I was in used to be my great-grandmother’s room.”  However, unlike the peaceful and friendly aura that some ghosts emit, a couple of ETHS students have encountered some of Casper’s archenemies. In 1998, because most people

in the house were hearing eerie noises and odd occurrences (such as doors slamming shut by themselves), a ghost buster was employed to evaluate senior Jake Zunamon’s home for spirits. The ghost buster declared that instead of a ghost, a demon inhabited his residence and attempted to get rid of it.  For a few years, it was dormant. However, this past summer, Jake’s sister spotted a “red thing floating outside the window.” “I’m pretty creeped out when I’m home alone. But as long as the ghosts aren’t doing any harm, I’m cool with them,” admitted Jake. One night Bessie Rose, junior, saw an identifiable lady figure pacing the four corners of her ceiling. Bessie is positive that she wasn’t dreaming. “I pinched myself, I rolled over, I pulled my covers over my head, and then I ended up leaving my room.” She added, “I have never been so scared in my life.” Mikey Levine, freshman, doesn’t see the logic in ghost sightings at all, though. “When people die they get put in boxes and put underground... so how could they somehow get to us again?” he said. David Singham, senior agrees, “I don’t believe in ghosts; I’m a scientist and I believe that everything has to have a logical explanation.”  However, Kathy Mervis, English teacher, stated, “Well,

Top 10 Tips for Halloween

paranormal is often a term that people use for things that they just haven’t figured out yet.” Dale Kaczmarek, president of the Chicago-based Ghost Research Society and nationally-renowned expert believes that figures and apparitions are completely legitimate. “My interpretation of a ghost is a spirit that hasn’t crossed over, usually because of an untimely death like murder or suicide, and they are simply around because they don’t realize that they have died.” Kaczmarek conducts research with his team by using high tech equipment such as electromagnetic phenomena and night-vision technology to investigate homes, businesses, and public places for housing. Together, they have investigated 175 Chicago venues, including the Calvary Cemetery along Sheridan Road in Evanston.  He has received many reports that there is a figure of a ghost that often comes out of the lake, crosses the highway, disappears near the gate by the graveyard. Kaczmarek declared, “This has been going on for more than 50 years.” Whether you believe it or not, maybe the paranormal isn’t so out of the ordinary anymore. At least, this time of year spirits will be running high.

1. Buy stock in reflector tape--this could be helpful in trick6. Justin Case says 10% of students drink pop on Halloween. or treating. 7. It’s their fault if they aren’t home; take all of the treats! 2. Don’t worry, yolk is actually good for your hair. 8. Don’t compliment people on their scary masks unless 3. Girls-if you are going to dress like animals, remember you’re sure they’re wearing them. they have more than just ears. 9. Throw the apples back at the people who give them to 4. Be conscious of the weather; your Captain Underpants you. costume may have to wait until Purim. 5. Go to Wilmette; residents tend to give out full-size candy 10. Remember: you’re never too old to trick-or-treat; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. bars.

8 OCT. 27, 2006

Feature

Questions Jose Guerrero

By Laura Levine Feature Editor

Recently back from a year of service in Iraq, ETHS’s building and grounds manager Jose Guerrero has willingly shared his experiences of being in the military.

1. What was your specific job in the military?

I was an infantry squad leader. [My squad and I] conducted combat patrols around the Southwest Baghdad area.

2. How often could you call home, and what did you miss the most? At least once a week we could contact home. I missed my family and friends, mostly.

3. What was one of your proudest moments?

We captured an individual who had planted an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED). Someone gave us a tip and we were finally able to catch this guy after knocking on a lot of doors and searching. The IED exploded under a vehicle we were in, and my friend lost his arm. Within a couple days we nabbed the guy who planted it.



4. How did you feel when you were called to duty?

It was kind of an expected thing. I had mentally prepared myself as well as my family. So when the news did come, it didn’t affect me or anything. I was also kind of eager to go. It’s like practicing for a football game and having to sit on the sidelines; you want to get your turn to participate.

5. What did you do in Iraq to pass the time?

I started running, exercising more, reading. I definitely did more reading than I normally do. I did a lot of writing letters home and sending cards to people who had written and sent gifts to the troops.

6. How were the living conditions in Iraq?

The living conditions were not the best. At first we were in tents; when it rained the tents would leak. During sand storms, sand would come into our tents. Toward the middle we ended up in decent accommodations in trailers that were set up. The weather was extremely hot. I cannot even describe the heat in Iraq. The food was better than you would expect.

7. What are your plans for the future?

I just signed up for three more years in the military, and that will give me 25 years. Then, I’m going to retire. I’m going to continue working at ETHS as the building and grounds manager.

8. What would you tell a student who is interested in joining the military?

The military, despite all the negative things you might hear, offers a lot of benefits that were not around when I first enlisted. In addition to tuition money, the army offers lots of life experiences and the ability to have that “can do” attitude that the military instills in you. The ability to work with people from all walks of life has made me more well-rounded.

photo by Emma Zbiral-Teller

Students Hannah Shefsky, Olivia Nelson, and Jenna Pollack discuss world cultures during ETHS Culture Club.

New club embraces cultures

By Anna Sanders Feature Writer Known for its cultural diversity, ETHS has always been home to students from all over the globe. Culture Club was founded to embrace this aspect of the ETHS experience. Culture Club was founded by seniors Hannah Shefsky and Tali Cornblath. The first meeting was held on Sept. 25. They wanted people to get involved, so they decided to meet every B-Day in Aaron Becker’s room, S307 An interesting aspect of Culture Club is its name. It took some time to agree on, but seniors Cornblath, Shefsky, Karen Schousboe, and Sarah Loeb finally chose it because it was simple and informative. Their newsletter, Into the World, is a little more attention- grabbing. The name is a quote from the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic. The first issue came out the week of Oct. 9. Each printing will come out every two weeks. and will contain articles focusing on a different country. “Culture Club grew out of last year’s Middle Ground,” explained Tali. Middle Ground was a newsletter started two years ago that focused on the political characteristics of the Middle East and Africa. “We decided we would rather focus on different things, such as the cultural, rather than political aspect of other places. We also decided it would

be more interesting for everyone if we covered the whole world.” “Many of the students who have founded Culture Club were leaders of Middle Ground last year, and I was faculty sponsor of that club,” said Aaron Becker, Culture Club sponsor. When students came up with Culture Club, Becker was eager to help out. “As a Global Studies teacher, and one with a passion for travel and diversity, this club seemed a natural fit for me.” At the start of every meeting, members listen to music and eat food from various places around the world. Students then chat about their weekends, relax, and work on their articles for the club’s newsletter. The club also plans on taking field trips, including one to the International Film Festival, which was held in Chicago during the month of October. Culture Club plans four events every semester, two field trips and two ETHS events. “[Culture Club is] important because it’s easy to get stuck thinking only in terms of your limited community,” explained Schousboe. “[This is] expanding to the massive amount of various cultures and people out there.” Given the current state of global relations, Culture Club is vital. Culture Club and Into the World will help put an end to ignorance at ETHS.



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Oct. 27, 2006

Feature

OCT. 27, 2006



It may not be your choice anymore A look at the new Illinois teen abortion law rules to implement this new law,” according to The Chicago Tribune. Many believe that involving parents is not a bad idea. Kathy Swartwout, manager of the Health Center, stated, “Any involvement of parents is not a bad thing; it means the girls aren’t alone in a process as mentally straining as abortion, and in fact many teens do involve their parents.” While not agreeing with the law, Elle Spacek, senior saw an upside to it. “It makes girls think twice and make better decisions about sex.” “ I am pro-choice as long as people don’t take advantage of abortions. They are there if a girl absolutely needs one, but I don’t think they should be a form of birth control. This law will make girls think twice before getting one. Safe sex is the answer, not abortions,” agreed Courtney Hammel, senior. Still, many pro-choice advocates believe that the law is a very dangerous idea. Linnea Carlson, junior agreed. “ I believe that this law is not a very good idea because one reason girls turn to abortion is because they cannot tell their parents because of the consequences that will arise.” Elle explained, “ I am pro-choice, and I strongly believe that it’s nobody else’s business but the girl or woman getting an abortion. I believe that if you need an abortion you should be able to get one no

ABORTION LA WS: ST ATE BY STATE

By Cassie Valukas Feature Editor

“On Sept. 17, 1988, 17 year-old Becky Bell died of complications that resulted from an unsafe illegal abortion, which she sought out in a desperate attempt to avoid telling her parents that she was pregnant. Becky lived in Indiana, where the law mandates that young women obtain parental consent before getting an abortion” This account was written by Jon Platner, Planned Parenthood. That was 1988. Now, in 2006, 18 years later, Illinois has passed a similar law requiring all minors to obtain parental permission before getting an abortion. Is this new law really making teen abortions safer? Or is it just forcing more young women into situations, which jeopardize their well-being? The new law was passed on Sept. 18, 2006. The law was a revival of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995, which never went into effect because the Supreme Court ruled it too vague and unenforceable. The parental involvement law requires that all girls seeking to obtain an abortion must get parental permission at least 48 hours in advance. Parental permission is not needed “if a girl is sexually abused by the parent. A judge can also deem a minor sufficiently mature or decide notification is not in the minor’s best interests. The Illinois Supreme Court is currently drafting

it’s just an illusion.

2 PARENTS

1 PARENT

matter who you are or where you live.” Whether people agree with the new law or not, many are worried about the negative consequences of the it. According to abortionfacts.com 13 percent of illegal abortions end in death. Pro-choice advocates worry that there will be an increase in runaways or girls crossing state lines to obtain abortions in other states. Linnea concurred. “In my opinion it will have very negative effects, including girls leaving the state. It may make girls

NO PARENTAL PERMISSION

take matters into their own hands, be it terminating the pregnancy illegally or by themselves.” Swartwout expressed concern “that girls would attempt to do something medically unsafe.” Whatever the opinion, most would agree that the Supreme Court must be very careful when working out the details of the new law. The safety and well-being of all young women in Illinois is in its hands.

picturethis

Do you see a young woman or an old lady? (look again, you should see both. the chin of the young woman is the nose of the old lady)

Think you can write a fun photo caption? Send in yours to see if you make the cut. Every issue we’ll run a new photo and the winner will be shown in the next issue. Drop off at S103 or e-mail it to: evanstonian@

does it look like “everybody’s doing it?” look again. it’s just an illusion.

gmail.com. Entries must be received by Nov. 3.

LAST ISSUE’S WINNERS

3 out of 5 ETHS students choose not to drink alcohol.

(only 14% of ETHS students accurately believe that MOST ETHS students choose not to drink alcohol.) 2005 Drug Perceptions and Use Survey. N=2,345 ETHS students. Sponsored by the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council. Funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug-Free Communities Support Program, Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, and Tobacco Settlement Funds.

“The important part is to maintain a firm center of gravity midtoss.” -Joey Spiwak, junior.

“Uh-oh. Looks like Oscar the Grouch woke up on the wrong side of the bed again.” -Maya Kosover, sophomore.

“When I said to dump your boyfriend, I didn’t mean in the garbage can!” -Loretta Howell, sophomore.

10

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Oct. 27, 2006

LAST TWO SHOWS

Oct. 27, 28

OCT. 27, 2006

Leaves

Entertainment

11

Fall now

Band

is on

call

By Izzy Abrams Entertainment Editor

O

n Oct. 24, Evanston residents put down their bowls of pumpkin ice-cream, bundled up in their fall jackets, and headed on down to the high school? Why? For the annual ETHS fall band, orchestra, and choir concert, of course! Every year, when leaves are falling off the trees, our Main Auditorium is graced with a performance by our own band and orchestra. This year, according to Band Director Dr. Fodor, they plan on putting on just as exciting of a performance. “I encourage the student body to come out and hear

photo by Ian Finder

Student band members Jake Montanaro and Dan Fronczak learn a rhythm from ETHS drum coordinator Matt Coley.

performances,” said Dr. Fodor. For the first half an hour or so, the symphony orchestra played. The orchestra is known for the classical pieces they play each year. “I think the orchestra looked good this year. We’re looking solid and rebuilding slowly from all the losses of last year’s seniors,” explained senior cellist Justin Lee.  They played two pieces: Concerto Grosso for string orchestra and Piano Obbligato, both by Earnest Bloch.

“I was in string last year, so I didn’t know how symphony was, but this was good!” said senior pianist Emma DeGrand. After the orchestra was done, there were performances by the choir and the ETHS band. The ETHS band, some famous for their appearance at ETHS sporting events, and all famous for the popular music they play. “Many students have come out to see the marching band, but the indoor band worked really hard to put on good music,” explained Dr.

Fodor. They also played for about half and hour. This year, they played Witch and Saint, Emperada Overture Court Festival, and Spoon River. Band is one of those things where it’s fun no matter what you play or how you play it,” explained senior clarinet and French horn players Allison Laurence and Emily Rolando. The fall band and orchestra concert took place in the Main Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24.

Entertainment

12 Better Know a STUDent Band

Oct. 27, 2006

Jestorial humor makes a triumphant debut By Matt Doo Entertainment Editor

W

ho ever said that there was no fun in music? Just the thrill of even being in a band is fun in itself. And there’s nobody having more fun than Evanston’s own Jestors of Love. With a blend of crude and generally explicit lyrics and computer generated sounds, the Jestors of Love are the band to see for a good time. “Our songs are all about sweet lovin’ or fart jokes,” laughed junior Pat Gescheidle, one-half of this two-man power trip. “It’s the ultimate medley of musical mastery!” Pat and band mate Morgan Bass, junior, got their start after working on a project for their Advanced Broadcast Media class. “We were finished with our project and just made some songs on Garage Band,” said Pat. Garage Band is a computer program that allows the user to easily create beats or ensembles with a number of premade riffs and instruments, or create their own with the use of a keyboard. “We thought they were good, so we showed them to our friends, and they thought that we were hilarious, so we decided to make some more,” Morgan added. The duo immediately began working on their first (soon to be released) CD, “Banana Funk,” a double feature of epic proportions. The song writing process was not hard due to an infinite amount of ideas and a world full of

inspiration. “Usually we come up with ideas about funny, everyday situations. We see something, or something happens, and we’re like, ‘Hey! We could make a song about this!” commented Morgan. While the group has a truly unique sound, they follow in the footsteps of a few well-known bands. “We try to be like Tenacious D, just ‘cause they’re funny,” Morgan said. We’re also like the Red Hot Chili Peppers just ’cause they’re funky,” Pat added, “and definitely like 2 Live Crew because they’re sexually explicit.” “Even though we are like all those bands, we definitely still try and keep it original so their influences on our work are kind of small,” stated Morgan. The lyrics are definitely the main draw of the band, but the musical content is no laughing matter either. “We use a mixture of rock, funk, some hip hop influence, and definitely R&B,” said Morgan. “We’re just trying to make millions of dollars and move to Hollywood,” Pat modestly admitted. “We also want to use this band as an opportunity to jump start our film-making career,” Morgan added. The group, like their influence Tenacious D, also work with movies, writing, producing, directing, and starring in short films. “The great thing is that we can create our own soundtrack,” said Morgan.

courtesy of The Jestors of Love

The Jestors of Love get into some “risky business,” trying to make it big.

Whether the group is writing its own soundtrack or whether it’s in the process of writing more

comic lyrics, one thing is for sure: they’re having a good time doing it.

Upcoming Events •

Guns n’ Roses on Nov. 27 at the United Center, but buy tickets early.

•

New James Bond flick, Casino Royale, opens on Nov. 17.

•

Saw III playing in all theaters on Oct. 27.

•

Ciara concert on Nov. 5 at the House of Blues.

•

Halloween is being celebrated on Sunday Oct. 29.

•

IMEA District Band/Choir/Orchestra Festival on Nov. 11 at 3 p.m. TBA

•

Wilco at the Auditorium Theater on Nov. 24 and 25.

•

Barenaked Ladies concert on Nov. 16 at Soldier Field at 7:30. Tickets on sale

•

Running with Scissors in theaters on Oct. 27.

•

Catch a Fire in theaters on Oct. 27.

•

Fall Sports Awards on Nov. 8 in the Auditorium at 7 p.m.

•

Last weekend for Six Flags Frightfest. Tickets are $54.99

•

Panic! At the Disco on Nov. 22 at UIC Pavillion

Comic’s CORNER

•

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan opens Nov. 3.

for $34-54.

Entertainment

OCT. 27, 2006

13

ON THE E-TOWN

What to do when TRICKING gets old  The least janky By Brittani Fowlin Entertainment Editor

T

he easiest time of year to act a fool and blame it on the costume, also known as trick or treating, is right around the corner. For some, trick-ortreating is considered a guilty pleasure. It’s not easy trying to provoke strangers into giving you treats on any random night aside from all Hallows Eve.

Trick-or-treating is an activity most schoolchildren take part in, but it seems the older you get the less willing households are to give out candy. Should there be an age limit on Halloween?  Senior Andrew Day responded, “No, it’s all about having fun and students should have fun, unless you’re a trick.” In opposition, Matt Walsh, logic teacher, explained, “I think when people are there for the right reasons it’s good but when you come to my house in jeans and a t-shirt don’t be mad when I don’t give you any candy.” What are some other options besides trick or treating that might spice up your Halloween

night? Six Flags Great America has three weeks of Fright Fest every year on the Fridays and Saturdays leading up to Halloween. Tickets are $40 but the park has many attractions to keep you entertained including haunted trails, creepy costumes and rollercoaster rides.       “I wasn’t ever scared but it was a lot of fun, and stuff does catch you by surprise!” commented senior Jared Borlack, who attended Fright Fest last Halloween.       If you’re hoping to not travel too far for a spooky Halloween night, visit the Haunted House at Oakton Water Park. Admission is $7 per person and it’s a great place to go for a short but fun adventure. A guide takes you through the haunted house filled with mad scientists and blood sucking vampires who aren’t afraid to grab you.       If you’re interested in just watching a scary movie, then venture out to Navy Pier and see Haunted Castle in 3D at the IMAX Theater for $10.50. This thriller opens the

weekend of Halloween and will surely having you jumping out of your seat.       Of all the different events taking place around Halloween, students of all ages around Evanston trick-or-treat. Snickers and Twizzlers and Kit Kats, oh my! Junior Danny Kruger explained that he goes trick or treating because, “Candy is delicious!” Enough said!       When choosing an outfit keep in mind originality, expense and audience since it will suck to be one of fifty M&M’s on the block. Also, you’re only going to wear it once and you don’t want such a vulgar costume that you get rejected at the door.       There’s a ghastly amount of fun Halloween activities to do around town that can get you in the spirit. Whether you like dressing up, watching movies or visiting creepy old houses there’s something lurking right around the corner for you this Halloween.

Is there a doctor in the House? By Rochelle Brown Entertainment Writer

T.V. is said to be one of the biggest wastes of time for young adults today. This fall there has been a recent hype for medical shows, however, ETHS feels differently. These shows give insight into real-life situations, thoughts, and feelings that possibly go through each doctor or intern’s mind potentially determining the life of another person. House and Grey’s Anatomy are the newly-marketed medical shows that provide not only insight into the featured medical phenomena, but into the lives of those who treat these illnesses. House and Grey’s Anatomy, however have seemed to take over the student body, leaving E.R. high and dry. “Dr. House’s bitter tendencies and the way he treats people may seem like he doesn’t care, but he really does,” freshman Ahjah Bates said. “I appreciate how in House how Omar Epps is portrayed as a positive role

A diagnosis of the medical TV series epidemic model for black males today: he’s not a criminal or a thug, but a black doctor,” Jesse Richardson, security guard, stated. “Dr. House is really interesting, and the storyline keeps changing. I think House can be

funny and serious at the same time. Overall, House just seems more realistic than the other shows because not every patient has to die. E.R. is too gory, and Grey’s Anatomy is too much like a soap opera,” sophomore Loretta Howell explained. Sophomore Katie Warner, who watches the show every week, disagreed. “I won’t watch the other shows; Grey’s Anatomy has a hotter cast, and it finds more ways to enhance its characters’ personalities. Each week we see more into each doctor’s life.” So the gloves are off to House and Grey’s Anatomy for there fall season stunts that have stolen our students’ attention. Dr. House, Dr. McDreamy, and Dr. Grey seem to provide these medical series with the blood and needles that they need.

article ever

Hailey Mattson Our beloved hometown of Evanston is a cultural hotbed for Wikipedia entries. For example, one former Vice President and one of my favorite people to ever exist, Charles Gates Dawes (Chuck D) lived here. There’s also Northwestern University, whose undergraduate students meander the streets drinking cans of Diet Sprite and occasionally asking where the nearest el station is. But one of the greatest parts about living here is that we, as a collective student body, have over time developed our own vocabulary of slang words that has defined our southern-most North Shore suburb. The following is a list of a sample of these words, with definitions attached to educate our friends and foes at neighboring schools. Bomb dot com (adj) – deserving of praise. Note: I have tried my hardest, to no avail, to incorporate the phrase “dot com,” to be added after adjectives, to our little list of Evanston slang. The general student body seems to care about this phrase in the same manner that James Blunt cares for ugly girls, or in the way that a fat kid cares for his life when he’s at McDonald’s and all he is able to buy is a Fruit-n-Yogurt parfait. Example: “All I did today was hibernate on my couch and watch marathons of Flavor of Love 2, isn’t that the bomb dot com?” Flame (adj) – especially spectacular, usually pertaining to the description of food Example: “Last fortnight, I enjoyed a flame meal of a chicken burrito from Chipotle, paid for via a certificate I received in the mail, probably from being a loyal customer. Oh! The glory!” Jag (Verb) – to make a mess of, to ruin Example: “I jagged on my math test because I was too distracted coming up with definitions of Evanston slang for the Evanstonian.” Janky (adj) – of poor quality Example: “I found these wooden shoes in the alley behind Dominick’s, but my mom said they were too janky to wear to school.” Treated (verb, most often put in past tense) – to put someone down, to acknowledge said put down. The use of “treated” branches off into separate phrases, such as “trigonomotreated,” used in more complex situations; “trick or treated,” used during the month of October; and “you must be a bird because you just got tweeted,” which I don’t recall ever being used, but still sounds funny to me. Example: “Your mother is so portly, she eats Wheat Thicks, rather than the popular nosh Wheat Thins.” “I say, dear sir, you just treated me. And my mother.” Okay, there you have it: a probably incomplete, but still stellar list of slang terms unique to Evanston. Everybody who goes to ETHS already knows that they’d rather drink Purell hand sanitizer than go to a school like Glenbrook North (don’t you love my bomb dot com analogies?), but we have something those other schools will never have – our own vocabulary. Be proud.

Sports

14

Oct. 27, 2006

photo by Mike Miszczak

Kendal Farlow, Nickcaro Golding, and Michael Bolden are some of Evanston’s most promising football prospects.

The Adventures of Sports Recruitment Bolden, Farlow, Golding look past ETHS athletics By Sam Masters Sports Writer

Every year, college football recruiters scour the nation in hopes of getting the next great player for their respective university. This year they have set their sights on three of ETHS’s best players. Seniors Michael Bolden, Kendal Farlow, and Nickcaro Golding have all been asked to play at college football’s highest level, on some of its most respected teams. While Bolden has already committed to Northwestern, the other two are still being sought after by schools such as Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, Iowa State, and Boston College. “It’s kind of been a dream ever since I was little,” explained Bolden. “I never thought it was a possibility until it was real, and, now that I have the chance, it’s like a wake-up call.” Bolden had shared his childhood dream with many others, but the chance of actually realizing this dream for most is very small. According to a study by The National Collegiate Athletic Association, while there are roughly 281,000 high school seniors playing football, there are only about 16,000 freshmen spots available every year. That means only one in 17 seniors will go on to play college ball. The first step to getting to play on a

Sports Briefs Girls Cross Country

Oct. 28: @ Niles West Sectional (1:30 p.m.)

Girls Volleyball

If team wins first round of regional, team advances to final game of regional: Oct. 28: @ Senn High School (4 p.m.)

Boys Cross Country

Matt D’Arcy, Sam Levon and Matt Marol qualified for sectional meet: Oct. 28: @ Niles West Sectional (2:30 p.m.)

Girls Swimming

Today: Glenbrook South (5:30 p.m.) Nov. 4: CSL meet @Maine South (9:00 a.m.)

Girls Tennis

Finished season: 7-5 Bridget Larson made it to Round 3 of State Playoff

Football Golf

Finished season: 4-5 Finished season: 9-4 All-conference players: Jake Bielawski Philip Kohnken Michael Peters Wonjae Sung James Strzalka Jack Wadden

big name team is to get noticed. “When the athletes are sophomores and juniors, we begin to scout the potential players,” explained Brad Engles, an assistant coach for the Northwestern football team. “We correspond with coaches throughout the year and get recommendations from them. There are also organizations that we can pay to go throughout the country and find us potential players. And sometimes the kids themselves may contact us and tell us that they’re good and we should evaluate them.” Once a player is noticed by his potential suitors, he may receive multiple scholarship offers, as did our three players in question. However, in order to receive the scholarship, the athlete must have completed the 16 core-courses decided on by the NCAA Clearing House. When the athlete has met the requirements set forth by the NCAA, it is time to figure out what they want in a school. “The things I look for in a school are the academics, how well I get to know the coaching staff, and whether or not I’d want to go there even if I didn’t have a scholarship,” said Farlow. While he was able to narrow down his list of what he

wanted, there are multiple things to choose from. Probably the most important thing to consider, besides academics, is the coaching staff. The athletes will be playing under this collection of men for the next three to five years, and they will be best served if they get along with the staff. “Coach Tiller of Purdue probably had the best impact on me,” claimed Golding. “When I visited and was talking with all of the players, they just kept telling me about how good the coaches were. It impressed me how highly the players spoke of their coaches.” The coaches, however, have to follow a lot of constantly-changing rules when recruiting athletes. “Recruiting has changed drastically over the last 20 years,” said Anthony Johnson, head football coach. “The academic requirements in place now weren’t even existent when I was being recruited. All the rules about contacting the players have changed as well, but coaches have brought most of the new rules forth on their own. They are trying to prevent misconduct which could result in an unfair advantage for some coaches.” There is no limit, however, on the number of text messages a coach may send a player. “It’s kind of a recent phenomenon as technology advances,” commented Engles. “We’ve always been able to write an indefinite amount of written letters to our prospects, but now we can contact them faster. It’s just a way to let the players know that we’re still interested in them.” Once a coach succeeds in persuading a player, and the athlete has decided on the school that he wishes to attend, the only issue left is committing. While signing day may be a long way off, the players can verbally commit, or write a letter of intent, as early as their junior year. Engles explained that there are also ways of pressuring the players to commit earlier. If a player is on the fence but leaning towards a certain school, the coaches of that school may mention that the NCAA only allows a school to hand out 25 scholarships per year. If the player takes too long in his decision, he could miss the opportunity to be able to play for the university.

OCT. 27, 2006

Sports

15

FROM THE STANDS

Sports is gettin’ pretty scary

JAMES FERGUSONMAHAN

photos by Mateo Molina

From left to right: Peter Zerbe, junior, moves in on a Maine West player. David Sippel, junior, fights with a Maine West player for the ball during a recent home game.

Boys soccer fights through postseason By James Ferguson-Mahan Sports Editor

Most sports seasons are filled with ups and downs, and this year, boys soccer was no different. Although expectations were lower than usual, because of only seven returning players, the Kits fought through one of the tougher schedules in state to finish at a mediocre 8-11-2. The record does a poor job of showing the accomplishments of this team. The record does not include the strong showing the team exhibited at the Peoria tournament earlier this year where they finished a strong second place in a field with many worthy foes. “We probably played the best team, Notre Dame, I have seen in high school soccer at the tournament,” said Coach Franz Calixte, “and we stayed with them for the entire game.” Another thing that the record does a poor job of showing is the adversity the

team faced during the year. “We always had someone hurt,” said Calixte. “Players had to play positions that they never played before.” The Kits also had many close games that could have gone either way. “I believe we only had three legit losses that the other team just flat out beat us,” added Calixte. Last Friday, in the cool damp air, the Kits were awarded their biggest accomplishment of the season. In a truly hard fought game, the Kits outlasted the Niles West Wolves 2-1 to win the regional championship. “It was one the hardestfought games I have ever played in,” said senior midfielder David Pelsoci. The Kits struck first on a beautiful header from junior forward Chris Henrichs to put them up early. They struck again on penalty kick from senior midfielder Thomas Kaufmann. The penalty kick was awarded to the Kits because of a hand ball in the

box. “It was real important to get ahead 20 on this team because it gave us breathing room in the second half,” said Pelsoci. The Kits would need all the breathing room they could get as the Wolves turned it into a close game in the second half. The Wolves scored their first goal on a header halfway through the second half to cut the margin to one. The Kits had been completely dominating the game up to this point and once the margin was cut in half the momentum seemed to switch. The Wolves won many balls but could not really muster any other opportunities until a little under 10 minutes left in the second half. The Wolves had a wide open net and booted the ball over the cross bar. “I just felt my heart drop when that ball was kicked; I thought they tied it,” said Pelsoci. The Kits finally had a bounce go their way and held on to win the regional championship.

Girls swimming hopes to end on high note By John Goad Sports Editor

The powerful Wildkit girls swim team hopes to end its successful regular season on a high note tonight when it hosts Central Suburban rival, Glenbrook South. Evanston will be led by senior Jenny Kruse and junior Sophie Borchers, both of whom have excelled in recent meets. This will be the last regular season meet at ETHS for Kruse, along with the other senior swimmers. “This has been a very positive season thanks in large to our seniors,” said Head Coach Kevin Auger ecstatically in his announcement on Senior Day, last week.   Glenbrook South (4-4) will come into the meet after a crushing loss to New Trier last week. However, they are not to be underestimated. The Titans have handled quality swim teams such as Maine South and Barrington, who defeated Evanston 11868 early in the season. While the Kits will be heavy favorites, they will also be under pressure as the meet has major implications for conference seedings. The conference playoffs will take place on Nov. 4, and from there the Kits will begin the IHSA playoffs.   Evanston will have the advantage of momentum, however. The Kits are currently on a tear, having most recently defeated Rockford Guilford on Senior Day, Oct. 21. The Wildkits dominated Rockford, winning the majority of events, most notably the 100 freestyle which Kruse won at a time of

photo by Mateo Molina

Freshman R. Capron practices the breaststroke in preparation for playoffs. 50.23 seconds, and the 100 backstroke which Sophie Borchers won at 1:06.94. However, the Rockford meet is not a good measure of just how good the Wildkits are. “Not to be modest, but Rockford was not at its strongest. They are missing 14 swimmers who were recently kicked off the team,” explained senior Grace Hatcher. The Kits have also had impressive wins on Oct. 20 and Oct. 13 against Niles West and Maine South, respectively. However, their most impressive win, and perhaps the defining moment of the season, came on Oct.

6 in the New Trier pool. Evanston pulled together and won 9888, beating New Trier for the first time in 17 years. As they have all year, the Kits received help from a fairly large variety of swimmers. Freshman Kristina Walsh shocked the Trevians by taking first in the 100 yard breaststroke. Evanston also saw impressive performances by juniors Becca Thompson and Jordan Schweizer. Carrying their five-meet win streak, Evanston will turn their attention to Glenbrook South tonight at 5:30 in the Evanston pool. 

With only a couple of days until Hallow’s Eve when the ghosts and goblins await their time for shrieks and sweets, you don’t have to look to hard to find something very frightening. Just turn on one of the many sports channels, and you’ll probably hear a story of violence in sports: an athlete in trouble with the law or your favorite player just was indicted on using steroids. Whatever the bad news is, the status of sports is getting pretty scary. Just a couple of weeks ago, Albert Haynesworth, a defensive tackle from the Tennessee Titans and pretty scary ghoul, stomped a defenseless opponent in the face during their game. It was an awful display of violence as the victim was forced to have two dozen stitches to close up the wound. I know football is a violent sport, but no way is there reason to stomp on an opponent’s face. Another event which showed how the violence in sports is getting out of hand was during the Miami and Florida International game. Both teams’ benches cleared, and a brawl ensued. These two events just show how sports have taken a turn for the worse. If it isn’t the violence on the field, it’s the crimes the players are committing off the field. In recent months, players have been picked up on a slue of different crimes. Sports have reached a point in our society where these players are role models for us. These players have a responsibility and cannot continue to be involved in crime. The worst of all the atrocities sports has been putting us through recently is the steroids. Recently, leaked information from steroid hearings has linked Roger Clemens and many other all-stars to using performance-enhancing drugs. We have no idea if our favorite player is just your average ball player or a Frankenstein produced in a factory. Another pretty scary part about steroids is how kids in high school are even using these drugs. Whoever is using them, we need to get steroids out of sports. Sports in our society are supposed to be an outlet for people. It takes participants away from their life for four quarters. Recently, though, it seems sports have just added stress to people’s already hectic life. Maybe it’s not the athletes’ fault, though. Maybe it is our society’s fault for putting this much pressure on athletes. With the amount of commentary on every little event in sports today, I don’t blame athletes for losing it once in a while or cheating to get a step ahead of the opponent. Whatever the case is, there needs to be a change. We either need to take pressure off of athletes, or they have to take responsibility for their role in society. This Halloween season, don’t look at sports for a break from scary movies and the haunted houses because the status of sports is probably scarier than all of them. With the violence and cheating going on, something needs to change because sports are too big in our society for this to continue.

Sports

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Phat Stats

4 Number of times senior Brigit Larson has made state for girls tennis.

13 Number of goals scored by senior striker, Marco Corona.

16:03 Time it took for Matt D’arcy, junior, to complete a threemile race

Oct. 27, 2006

Girls volleyball “setting” the pace for regional play By Aon Hussain Sports Editor

Tomorrow, at 4 p.m. at Senn High School, the winner of the Senn Regional bracket will be decided. The ETHS girls volleyball team headed into regionals at Senn as the second overall seed for their bracket. Before heading on to sectionals, the girls have been paired in regionals against the likes of Senn (18), Amundson (19), Kelvyn Park (7) and Schurz (15). Although it may seem like a breeze, the girls should be cautious and know to not overlook any of these teams. However, the morale of this team could not be any higher. “As a team, our unity is improving day by day. Everything is flowing well, and the team is coming together,” said Jane Handel, junior. She also said that in order to win, minor improvements need to be made, and the team has to play flawlessly. “Even though we’ve improved a lot throughout the season, we’ve  got to fix certain aspects like blocking and running the offense.” The team currently attained a 21-11 record for the season and has momentum on its side. Last weekend on Oct. 20 and 21, the girls placed fourth out of 24 teams at the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational. This was done shorthanded as many of the juniors couldn’t attend the games due to PSAT testing. “We’ve had our ups and downs during the season, and our experiences have prepared us physically and mentally for postseason play,” stated junior Rachel

photo by Mallika Roy

Emma Folz sets the ball to Emily Brenner in a game against Lake Forest. Kamienski. Senior Alexa Dogterom added, “This team has shown the most heart I’ve ever seen.” Dogterom exclaimed, “It would be amazing if we went downstate! But we’ve got to do it one step at a time.” Coach Pamela MacPherson said that certain aspects of the game have improved tremendously throughout the course of the year. “We have improved to make us a little more of a threat with a quicker offense and more hitting options. Our focus has definitely improved as well,” she said. Contrarily, MacPherson points out that in order to be successful, a team must also be consistent. She added, “Our biggest weakness is consistency, but I think you are going to find that a lot in high school

sports.  We need to work with the freshmen on mental toughness, so they can start early on knowing that volleyball is more than a physical sport.” MacPherson is also quick to point out that a great team shouldn’t have any egos, and they shouldn’t worry about who they’re playing. “We need the whole team to play their part in order for us to win.  All 14 players play a crucial part on our team. Our team needs to focus on playing our side of the net and not worry about what is going on the other side.  When we play our game, we win,” said MacPherson.

Football’s loss to Maine South ends playoff hopes By Ben Ossyra Sports Editor

The boys varsity football team capped off yet another disappointing season last Saturday with a devastating loss to Maine South at home. The team, who went 4-5 this year, showed promise after a sound win over Waukegan on Oct. 14, but couldn’t match the performance against conference powerhouse Maine South and lost the game by a final score of 56-21. After a 3-6 season last year, the Kits went into this season with confidence and more talent than they have had in a long time. “We were definitely confident that we would make playoffs, but we lost some key games that put us in a hard position,” said senior linebacker Sam Alden. After failing to make playoffs the past few years, the Kits entered this season with something to prove but were unable to capitalize in big games. Opening with a close loss to a strong Hinsdale Central was not the start the Kits were looking for, and throughout the season winning close games proved to be difficult. If you take a more in depth look at the season the record may not give the team enough credit for their efforts. “We feel we’ve done a nice job throughout most of the season in most of the games,” said Coach Tony Johnson, evaluating the season as a whole. The Kits were up and down throughout the season and were never able to string more than two wins together at a time. Every time they would start to get rolling, they’d suffer a loss and have their momentum killed. “When we played with energy and enthusiasm, I thought we could beat any team,” said Brian Murphy, senior. “We were an underachieving team. When we were motivated we played well, but a lot of times we came out flat.” Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the entire season was the Kits game against Maine South. Coming in with a 4-4 record, a win would have sent them into the playoffs. Although the team had some confidence going into the game, Maine South quickly destroyed any hopes the Wildkits had putting up 23 points in the first quarter, two of which came off of a safety. They would get the run game going a little bit as the game wore on but the Maine South attack proved to be too relentless as they marched up and down the field amassing a total of

photo by Mike Miszczak

Kendale Farlow runs with the ball on Saturday during their last regular-season game versus Maine South. 56 points and drowning any hope of Evanston making the playoffs. With 25 returning players, perhaps the Kits will have better luck next year. However, as the CSL South proves to be one of the toughest high-school football divisions in the area, it’s not going to be easy for Evanston to make the playoffs. The key to their

success may lie in winning the close games and playing team football and not relying on individuals to carry the majority of the workload. “I thought the season came apart when the team started to play as individuals and not as a family,” said Alden in retrospect. Let’s hope that next year ETHS football can get back to its winning ways and begin the upward climb to the playoffs.