November 10, 2010 - Minooka Community High School District #111

Peace Pipe Chatter
Volume 96
Edition 4
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A
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Black Friday
Preview
Pg. 7
Lennon
Celebration
Pg.9
November 10, 2010
Hidden Student
Talents
Pg. 6
2 Welcome
Peace
Pipe Chatter
Minooka Community High School
Blast from the Past
Looking back on previous
PPC stories
by
Katie Jostes / Features Editor
301 S. Wabena Avenue
Minooka, IL 60447
(815) 467-2140 Voicemail: ext 264
[email protected]
Editor-In-Chief
Soozie Bahret
A&E Editor
Cover Design
Jake Hoffman
David Tibble
Liz Purcell
Aubrey Aspan
Elaina Bartoli
Editorial Editor
News Editor
Alexa Bowen
Elaina Bartoli
School News Editor
5 Years Ago
25 Years Ago
MCHS over population
FFA
November 9, 2005
South Campus was still just a brainstorming idea. It
was planned that, overall, there would be two high
schools and they would hold 2,000 students each.
Eventually, the two schools will become two four-year
high schools as opposed to a freshmen- sophomore
campus and a junior- senior campus. It is predicted
that by 2014 Minooka would have over 3,000 students.
November 1985
Minooka FFA was chosen to host the parliamentary
procedure contest. The parliamentary procedure
method is used to conduct organized business
meetings. It originated in the English parliament.
Overall, Minooka took first place..
20 Years Ago
50 Years Ago
Students travel to Russia
Cheerleading group size
October 1990
Twenty-six students from Minooka traveled to Russia
for a government program called Friendship Caravan.
The organization teaches kids to remind themselves
of common humanity and to respect and care for
others. Throughout the trip, they had the opportunity
to see Moscow University and to see a World War II
memorial.
November 10, 1960
Twenty girls had tried out for the Minooka
cheerleading team for the 1960-1961 season. The
coaches felt that everyone deserved to be picked
for the team, but they only had so many spots.
Before that, there had been four or even eight
cheerleaders. That year they decided to have only
six make the team. They had practiced very hard
to make it the best team yet.
On the cover:
The school play MASH, celebrates their success after performing on
November 5th and 6th. Cover designed by: Aubrey Aspan
Designed by Taylor Roop
Peace Pipe Chatter
November 10, 2010
Extra Designer
Eric Klank
Taylor Roop
Design Czar
Interactive Editors
Melissa Magnus
Aubrey Aspan
Shannon Lawlor
Mallory Keck
A&E Photographer
Copy Editors
Danielle Luttrell
Danielle Luttrell
Taylor Roop
David Tibble
Shannon Lawlor
Liz Purcell
Eric Klank
Hayley Younce
South Photographers
Dutch Nave
Brandon Fierke
Sports Editors
Elliot Johnson
Chris Evans
John Walsh
Sports Photographer
Elliot Johnson
Chris Evans
Features Photographer
Dutch Nave
Features Editors
Baylee Dibble
Katie Jostes
Journalism I:
Alyssa Aspan, Ali Bagley, Victoria Bavaro, Diana Harkey, Aaron
Ladzinski, Jacob Lopez, David Magnus, Lindsay Miller, Ryan
Nelli, Sylvia Pokolenczuk, Cori Salamon, Sarah Schimanski, Allyssa Smith, Graham Taylor, Crystal Uribe,Caleigh Beverly
Submission Policy:
The Peace Pipe Chatter strongly encourages suggestions and/
or responses to material printed on its pages.
Letters to the Editor should be submitted to Mr. Thomas’s mailbox or to a Peace Pipe Chatter editor.
While submission does not guarantee publication, PPC staff
members will do their best to respond to all
admissions. Submissions will not be returned. All submissions
are subject to editing and will not be printed if they are
considered to be inappropriate. They must be signed but may be
printed anonymous upon request.
Opinion
3
Real life paranormal activity?
Ghosts are real!
by
Mallory Keck/ Interactive Editor
Although there is no scientific proof that
ghosts are real, it is proven that humans
fear the unknown. The thought of an
unseen presence in the room with us while
we are sleeping is undeniably frightening.
While it is only fear, one cannot erase the
evidence of the roaming spirits around us.
Scientists continually try their hardest
to prove that ghosts do not exist, however,
they live by the law of conservation
of energy: energy cannot be created or
destroyed, only change its form. Well what
are humans? Our thoughts, movement, and
feelings, are we not energy? This means
that are spirits cannot be destroyed, and
something has to happen to us after death.
There are so many pictures floating
around cyberspace of ghosts caught on
film. Yes, some may be fake. Some,
though, have been analyzed and proven to
be authentic.
There is a famous picture, the Jim
Morrison ghost. It is a picture of someone
standing by his grave and behind him you
can see a faded shape of someone doing a
pose often done by Jim Morrison himself.
Multiple experts have checked the photo,
and no manipulating has been done to it.
This applies many pictures or videos that
have evidence of ghosts. If it looks like
a ghost and sounds like a ghost, IT IS A
GHOST.
Millions of people surrounding us claim
to have been in the presence of a ghost. Is
every one of them making their story up?
If you are still feeling skeptical towards
ghosts, pay a visit to Bachelor’s Grove.
This is known as the most haunted place in
Chicago. There have been over 100 claims
of paranormal experiences including eerie
lights, phantom voices, ghostly figures,
strange creatures, unexplainable shapes in
photos and sounds on recordings. This is
Designed by Alexa Bowen
one of millions of places like it around
the world.
The reason people try so hard to
prove otherwise is to calm their own
nerves. For hundreds of years, people
have been claiming to have been through
a paranormal experience and not every
single person can be totally nuts. Even
skeptics can become open-minded after
going through a bone-chilling ghost
experience. But like most things in life,
you have to see to believe.
Ghosts? No way!
by
Dutch Nave/ Feature Photographer
The existence of ghosts has been
debated throughout the world of science for
ages. But there is simply no need, for the
answer is obvious.
“No, the whole idea of ghosts is
ridiculous,” said sophomore Jake
Kuchenbecker, “They don’t make any
logical sense whatsoever. You can’t explain
Cartoon showing the ghost of Jim Morrison. Jim morrison’s grave is outside the
house. Cartoon drawn by Alexa Bowen.
Peace Pipe Chatter
ghosts.”
There is simply no scientific proof.
Eyewitnesses have only reported pictures
and sketchy video evidence. So far,
science has only had proof that they do
not exist. Even though there are many socalled “eyewitnesses,” they don’t have the
physical evidence to back it up.
Ghosts are simply just “smoke and
mirrors.” The strange noises people hear
when they have “paranormal encounters,”
are simply just the wind. According
to gizmodo.com, a website
dedicated to gadgets, scientists
made a room with speakers
that emitted infrasound and
electromagnetic waves, which
simulated frequencies related to
paranormal experiences.
Volunteers entered and were
asked to report any “strange
feelings” as soon as they felt
them. All feeling associated with
the paranormal had no link to the
volunteers location within the
room. The researchers came to
the conclusion that the volunteers
were expecting to feel something.
It is all in the mind.
For the ghosts sitting on
gravestones or faces appearing
on walls, are all examples of the
human mind playing its tricks.
According to about.com, “ghosts
are psychological phenomena: we
see them because we expect to
or want to see them. A grieving
widow sees her dead husband
because she needs to; she needs
the comfort of knowing that he
is all right and happy in the next
world. Her mind produces the
experience to help itself cope
with the stress of the loss.”
In conclusion, ghosts are just
figments of our own imagination
and depictions of our state of mind.
If you believe in them, then you might see
them. If not, then you will not.
November 10, 2010
4
News
End of the earth
postponed
by
Elaina Bartoli/
News Editor
The
good
news?
The world may not end
as everyone may have
thought in 2012.
The
2012 apocalypse may be
off by decades, according
to livescience.com. The
end of the world was
proposed to be in 2012 due
to the end of the Mayan
calendar, but that calendar
was converted to today’s
Gregorian calendar by
Mayanist researchers, a
and it was discovered
that this day might be off
by up to 50 or 100 years.
But there is bad news
to go with this discovery,
we now do not know when
this apocalypse will occur,
whether it will, or if the
world will end along with
it. All we know is that the
calendar may have been
inaccurately
converted,
and the Mayan calendar
end may not fall in 2012,
or any time in our lifetime.
Another controversy is
that although the Mayan
calendar ended in what we
thought was 2012, how do
we know this means the
world’s end? Maybe the
Mayan calendar maker just
got a hand cramp. It is,
indeed, a mystery.
local, national,
international
Typhoon hits
Eastern Asia!
Taylor Roop/
Copy Editor
by
In late October,
much of eastern Asia
has been preparing for
the incoming typhoon
named Megi. It first
struck on October 18th.
According to CNN.
com, Megi has killed at
least 11 people in the
Phillipines. Despite the
low death toll, the typhoon
has been estimated
to have affected over
250,000 Filipinos. It has
W h a t is
left thousands of them
homeless.
The hurricane then
headed over to China.
Megi may be the strongest
typhoon to hit China this
year. The storm hit the
island of Taiwan, causing
flooding and deadly
landslides that had killed
over 30 people.
China evacuated over
150,000 people and told
more than 50,000 fishing
boats to come back to port
to brace for the storm.
More than 150,000 people
have fled for safety in the
Fujian Province.
Mother nature can
cause both wonder and
chaos. Just be thankful
that we have men like Tom
Skilling to warn us when
trouble is on its way.
Veterans Day? The 2010 election
results are in
by
Jake Hoffman/
A&E Editor
Each year, there is no
school on November 11
due to Veterans Day. What
is the purpose behind this
holiday?
Although WWI
officially ended in June of
1919, fighting had ceased
seven months earlier when
an armistice between
the Allied nations and
Germany went into effect
on November 11, 1918.
In November 1919,
President Wilson
proclaimed November
11 as the first Armistice
Day. The original concept
was for a day observed
with parades and public
meetings to celebrate the
end of a disastrous war and
to honor the soldiers who
fought in it.
It was made a legal
holiday in 1938, but in
1954 it became a day to
Designed by Elaina Bartoli
honor American veterans
of all wars. It went from
Armistice Day to the
current Veterans Day.
Veterans Day
continues to be observed
on November 11 as a
celebration to honor
America's veterans and
all they have done for this
country.
At 8 p.m. on this
November 11t, HBO will
be airing a documentary
about Veterans Day called
Wartorn, sharing stories,
photos, and journals from
soldiers dating back to the
Civil War era up to the
present War Against Terror.
by
Hayley Younce/
Copy Editor
The results are in from
last week's 2010 Illinois
election.
In a close race for
governor, Pat Quinn (D)
beat Brady 47% to 46%.
The 84th district
rep is Tom Cross (R),
beating Grosskopf 56%
to 44%; Sue Rezin (R)
Peace Pipe Chatter
beat Gordon 56% to 44%
for 75th district rep. The
11th district US House
rep, Adam Kinsinger (R),
beat Halvorson 57% to
43%, and 14th district US
House rep Randy Hultgren
(R) had a 51% lead over
Foster’s 45%.
The newest addition
to Illinols’ senate is Mark
Kirk (R), who had a 48% to
45% lead over Giannoulias.
In addition, the
amendment to recall the
governor passed.
November 10 , 2010
5
School News
Board looks
at costs
by
Create
Students
Jake Hoffman/ Eric Klank
Money was the topic of discussion at
the October 21 District 111 school board
meeting.
The first part of the meeting was concern brought up by a local citizen, angered
by some of the spending. He had seen
that some extra money after the building of South Campus was going to be put
into dance rooms for the campus. He had
thought that it was unnecessary and the
money should’ve been put into returns for
the tax money.
Board members had a lengthy discussion on a request to purchase new wrestling
mats at South Campus for $38,000. Most
of the board members were in favor of
purchasing these mats from the MCHS
wrestling team.
However, Chris Balkema raised his own
For junior, Tasha Peters this lovely girl was designed
concerns about the high cost purchase.
from a picture she had seen once before. She got the
MCHS display their creative artwork. This lonely little bear
Balkema pointed out the fact that none of
inspiration and just started drawing on a day that she was
was designed by freshman, Kayly Windbiel. Captions by Katie
the members of the board knew about the
bored. This piece was named “Midnight Beauty.”
Jostes.
current condition of the mats, and whether
or not they even needed these mats.
However, James Butterbach came
back to Balkema’s points saying that the
increased amount of mats will allow more
athletes to play, and athletes are more likely
to get higher grades than a non-athlete.
by Aubrey Aspan/
This leads to the nurse’s plot of revenge.
plays Trapper John McIntrye. Throughout
After the board voted for purchasing the
Cover Designer
The performers flee in fear and discuss and
the play the entire cast in making mischief
mats, there was one nay, from Balkema,
ultimately don’t give the doctors the time
as they go throughout their daily lives.
the rest were unanimous for buying the
This year’s fall play M*A*S*H, a draof day.
Fans of the original M*A*S*H show
mats for MCHS’s wrestling team, the voted ma/dark comedy, took place on Nov 5 and
The antics continue throughout the rest
may ask how are they going to fit eleven
ended up being 6-1.
6 in the cafetorium. M*A*S*H or Mobile
of the story as the unit attends a football
years of storyline into only a few hours?
Later on in the meeting while discussArmy Surgical Hospital, is about the
game and save lives in the process. This
Well, they accomplished this by combining the concerns of budgets, Dr. David
doctors and nurses of the 4077th during ing characters that originally weren’t in the year’s cast had a huge hurdle, to adapt
Middleton, superintendent, brought up the the Korean War
the play for the cafetorium instead of the
same seasons, while pulling out many of
loss of over $443,000 in revenue for school
The TV series originally aired from
auditorium. “The space is a lot different,
the original shows main events.
spending this year.
1972 to 1983 and is set in South Korean the
the stage is smaller and the acoustics are
In one part of the performance, a travelSome solutions that are going to be
50’s. The camp is isolated from the rest of
different,” said junior Christina Duris who
ing entertainment troop breaks down and
looked into in the future were suggested.
the war. It is full of their humorus
is forced to stay at the M*A*S*H unit. It
plays Margaret “Hotlips” Houlihan.
The biggest one would be the “pay-to-play”
antics that remind me of college kids
turns out to be three attractive women. In
Nevertheless, it is a fantastic play.
option. This would cause registration fees
pulling pranks and practical jokes.
order to impress the women, the doctors
The directing, acting, music, and humor
for student-athletes. A good amount of the
“They are in a terrible environment and
treat them like royalty. This frustrates the
all contribute to an outstanding dramatic
female nurses who have worked beside
performance.
“Board” Cont on page 13 they try to make the best of a bad situation,” said junior Chauncey Turpin who
them and have never been treated like this.
M*A*S*H:
The School Play ReMix
Designed by Soozie Bahret
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November 10, 2010
6
Features
MCHS Got Talent!
Eric Klank /
News Editor
by
MCHS has about 2,400 students that
roam both campuses each day. With the
wide variety of students MCHS has in its
district, you cannot help but wonder: What
are Minooka students capable of?
Minooka’s Battle of the Bands over
Homecoming Week showcased some
of the best musical talent MCHS offers.
Drummer Jacob George Jarz was a part of
the two piece band “The Roastbeef Nuns,”
who took first in the battle of the bands this
year.
“Winning was really cool, I work hard
and take lessons for drumming, and the
$430 I won wasn’t bad either,” said Jake
Jarz, senior. “Also, a big inspiration for
me and Matt Brick (the other piece of The
Roastbeef Nuns) is the band The White
Stripes.”
There are also a few rappers that roam
the halls of MCHS. Senior Greg Collins,
better known as Yung G, is one of the
better known rappers. He recently released
a new single called “Waiting” which is
even for sale on iTunes along with his new
and upcoming CD!
“I’ve been working a lot for the internet
self promoting myself and getting my
Jacob George Jarz shows off his drumming skills at Battle of the Bands during Homecoming
week. Photo by Eric Klank.
brand out there, and my CD has been
doing good on iTunes,” said senior Greg
Collins.
However, musical talent is not the only
thing that MCHS has to offer.
The competitive video game league,
MLG, recently had a competition in
Washington, D.C. the past month. Senior
“The looks I get from some
people when I show off is
pretty entertaining,” said
O’Brien.
Designed by Baylee Dibble
Zach Armstrong attended this tournament
for the video game Halo: Reach. “I was
disappointed in my run in the tournament,
but at the same time satisfied, we made
it to the sixth round in the tournament,”
said Armstrong. He plays the team slayer
circuit with other players from out of state.
Not every talent presented by MCHS
students is as widely known. Many
students have bizarre, yet useful talents
that can still be taken advantage of daily.
Beth O’Brien is a senior who danced
and participated in cheerleading for most
of her life. This helped account for her
talent, her flexibility. O’Brien is capable of
bending her body in all sorts of ways, she
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can bend her back to the point were her
head is below her waist while she is still
standing straight up with her legs. “I really
like my flexibility. The looks I get from
some people when I show off is pretty
entertaining,” said O’Brien.
“The speed that I can tie my shoes is
equivilant to the crack of Indiana Jones’
whip,” explains Danny Bahret, senior.
Bahret can tie his shoes at a pace that
is unmatched, except by his twin sister,
Soozie, he can tie the loops together at the
blink of an eye.
Brian Hushaw, junior, claims to be an
expert spear fisherman. “I spearfished with
my grandpa at a young age, and I’d like to
think I’m good at it.” His fishing talent is
something that can be used if he were to
ever be on a reality show like Survivor and
takes pride in his talent.
Overall, Minooka’s wide variety of
students allows for it to have some of the
best talents. Who knows what else could
be hiding in this student body.
Yung G is one of Minooka’s best rappers.
Photo taken from iTunes.
November 10, 2010
Features
7
Volunteering close to home
Volunteer Location
Morning Star Mission
Volunteer CoordinatorTerri Murphy
Volunteer Coordinator
350 E. Washington St.
Joliet, IL 60433
Phone: (815) 722- 5780
Fax: (815) 726- 9450
www.morningstarmission.org
They help by, “...providing
food for the hungry, clothing for the needy, shelter
for the homeless, and the
Gospel of Jesus Christ for
all”
all together,” said Tyler Cipriani, junior.
It’s a great opportunity for all students to
serve those who might not have the means to
It’s that time of year again. The time
provide a nice meal for them and their family
where everyone gets to stuff their faces with
otherwise.
delicious food and give thanks for all the
“Since we don’t have a lot of soup
great stuff in their lives. But, caught up in all kitchens close, I think it will help out our
the excitement,
community
“In a media saturated, fast-food, shallow
people tend to
and show that
forget about
a little help
relationships world, it’s nice to sit down and
those who are
can go a long
have a conversation over a bowl of chili,” said
less fortunate
way,” said
Pastor Jason Domingo.
and are lucky to
Alexa Smith,
have any meal,
junior.
let alone a Thanksgiving feast.
All of the volunteers are excited to get
There are plenty of opportunities in this
to make a difference. “I get to help out and
area to help those in need. One of them is
show God’s love to everyone!” Smith said,
right here in Minooka. The high school youth when asked why she was looking forward to
group, 360, at Minooka Bible Church is
this night.
hosting a chili dinner on November 21st for
“I’m excited to be able to just share a
anybody who wants to come. The students
meal with people. In a media saturated, fastwill be preparing and serving the dinner, as
food, shallow relationships world, it’s nice
well as just enjoying a good time with the
to sit down and have a conversation over a
people of the community.
bowl of chili.” said Pastor Jason Domingo of
“It’s just one of those things that brings us Minooka Bible Church.
Baylee Dibble /
Features Editor
by
Volunteer Location
Daybreak Soup Kitchen
Office of Youth MinistryJeremy Hylka
Contact(815) 730- 8599
[email protected]
611 E. Cass Ave.
Joliet, IL
Volunteers help, “...to
prepare lunch for those
less fortunate!”
Black Friday: Day of the Jungle
by
Soozie Bahret / Editor-in-Chief
The traditional day-after-Thanksgiving
shopping bonanza has become a fullcontact sport, with crazed shoppers
determined to find the best deals. Retail
stores turn in to jungles, and the shoppers,
animals.
In last year’s frenzy, a worker at a New
York Wal-Mart was trampled to death
when the store opened its doors. Also, two
shoppers were shot in a dispute at a Toys
“R” Us in California, and all in the name of
Black Friday.
Black Friday is the Friday right after
Thanksgiving, and the most anticipated
shopping day in the U.S. As early as
Designed by Katie Jostes
the 19th century, shoppers have viewed
Thanksgiving as the traditional start to
the holiday shopping season, an occasion
marked by celebrations and sales.
Department stores in particular locked
onto this marketing notion, hosting parades
to launch the start of the first wave of
Christmas advertisements.
According to Time.com, the term
“Black Friday” itself was originally used to
describe the Sept. 24, 1864, stock-market
panic set off by plunging gold prices. In
the 1960s, Newspapers in Philadelphia
transformed the phrase, using it to describe
the rush of crowds at stores.
The justification actually came later,
tied to accounting balance sheets where
black ink would represent a profit. Many
see Black Friday as the day retailers go
into the black or show a profit for the first
time in a given year.
By the 1990s, Black Friday became
an unofficial retail holiday nationwide.
Now in 2010, the sales are not only in the
stores, but online. It is easier to find what
one is looking for and even easier to see
something is sold out. And at least on the
web, shoppers know they are safe from a
human stampede.
Most stores will release their Black
Friday ads about a week from the actual
event. Despite the store efforts to keep
their sale prices unknown until as late
as possible, most ads are usually leaked
Peace Pipe Chatter
online way before they are supposed to be
seen.
Consumers must beware of scams or false
bait. For example, Sears has an ad out for
“Black Friday Now!” that will occur on
October 29th-30th.
According to bfads.net, “We have
gone over the advertisement and it is
nothing more than a standard weekly
advertisement. In fact, some of the ‘hot
deal, 50% off’ items on the front page
aren’t discounted from their current
prices.”
As of now, there are no ads leaked,
but only rumors of what is sure to be a
monumental Black Friday that is expected
to account for over $40 billion in sales.
November 10, 2010
8
South
Coffee craze in kids
Jacob Lopez/
Journalism 1
by
What is coffee? Teachers, parents, and
now even some students are seen with the
mysterious drink. What is it, and how does
it affect your body?
South Campus’s Ms. Shelly Kruse,
teacher of child development and Foods
and Nutrition I, said, “I drink two cups a
day, and usually another caffeinated drink,
such as a soda. It’s important for me to
have at least one cup a day. My first coffee
was recommended to me when I was 15 or
16 years old, by my friends… I think that a
person should be no younger than thirteen
before drinking caffeinated drinks.”
Kruse further explained herself by
stating, “Caffeine stimulates the central
nervous system, making a person jittery,
and increasing their heart rate. I think that,
developmentally, teenagers are ready for
that.”
Kruse included that caffeine
consumption has tripled since 1970.
In 1999 there were 108 million coffee
consumers spending 9.2 billion dollars
in the retail sector and 8.7 billion dollars
in the foodservice sector for coffee in
America (SCAA 1999 Market Report).
In 2000, the National Coffee Association
Freshman football looks back
by
Graham Taylor/
Journalism 1
The freshman football team had an
eventful first year, with the A squad
finishing with a 5-4 record. Before the last
game, some of the players reflected about
their first high school football year.
Orange team right guard, Mike
Kasencak, freshman, said he had never
played before.
“Nope, [it’s my] first year,” he said.
Kasencak said he liked football.
“I get to hit people. [It] gives me
something to do and keeps me out of
trouble,” Kasencak said.
He said he was proud of both his
performance and his team’s performance.
Kasencak said he can improve on,
“staying low and breaking down [before
hitting].”
As the team goes, he offered
suggestions.
“[We need to avoid] penalties,” said
Kasencak.
David Kohler, freshman, also shared his
views about football. Like Kasencak, it was
also his first year.
Designed by Mallory Keck
He enjoyed the season saying it was
“alright.” Kohler, however, wasn’t satisfied
with his performance.
“I haven’t caught a ball, he said.
Kohler said he could improve, though,
by “work[ing] harder and be[ing] a team
player”.
Avery Wilkins, freshman, was also eager
to talk about his first year playing football.
He is the second right tackle for the orange
team.
Wilkins summed up his experience by
saying, “Ehh… practice was okay, [but] I
did it all for the playing. The games were
worth it.”
“I guess I did the best of my abilities.
It was only my first year, “ said Wilkins.
He continued to say he needed to work on
firing out during the snap.
He’s planning on playing next year.
“I’m gonna go through weight training
in the off-season and I’m gonna go for it,”
Wilkins said.
For many first-time players, the
freshman football team had a good first
season.
found that 54% of the adult population
drinks coffee daily.
Mr. Kevin Murphy, social studies,
said, “ I had my first cup of coffee around
10 years old. I remember it was a cold
morning, a little foggy. I was sick of
drinking juice. I poured my first cup and
never looked back.”
Murphy thinks coffee would be
appropriate in a school environment, with
students as well as teachers.
“Life is too short for bad coffee. Believe
it should be allowed if it is of high quality
(Kenyan High Growth), [and] if students
can handle the pressures that come with
coffee drinking (spilling),” he wrote.
Like Murphy, Mr. Kevin Gummerson,
social studies, thinks that coffee
consumption is okay for students.
“There are some proven health benefits
to having a cup of coffee each day. There
is an urban legend that coffee stunts, so
if that is the case you might want to wait
until you’re done growing. If you don’t
you might not ever be able to ride a roller
coaster at Great America,” he wrote.
Who knows, maybe MCHS will support
coffee and students someday.
Girls golf putts their way
through great season
Alysse Bagley/
Journalism 1
The MCHS girl’s golf team has made
success look easy in their 2010 season by
winning conference and even winning their
own regional.
“Even though I did not compete
in conference or regionals, it was still
awesome watching all my teammates
compete,” said Becca Peeples, freshman.
Leading the scores for Minooka were
Rachel Herzberger with an 82, Sam Gewalt
with an 88, Allie Omatto with a 94, and
Krystal Paramo with 95.
“We did not just rely on one player or
a really low score to win our matches,
we won conference and regional’s with a
strong performance from all of our girls,”
said Joe Host, varsity coach.
Coming together for the conference
win led the girls to a strong start in
their regional match, which they hosted
themselves.
“During regionals Sam Gewalt, Rachel
Herzberger, and Krystal Paramo had
outstanding performances,” said Host.
by
Peace Pipe Chatter
It is safe to say most eyes were on
freshman, Caroline Brown.
“To be honest I was really nervous
because I was a freshman competing with
much more experienced golfers,” said
Brown.
Caroline proved herself with a solid
score of 42 in her first varsity match. This
is when Coach Host decided to give her a
chance.
Another key golfer who contributed was
Sam Gewalt. The senior was a team leader
along with a motivator.
“Almost every match this year was won
by Sam. She really took a lot of pressure
off our younger girls,” said Host.
The girls had many amazing athletic
abilities.
“I would have to say our biggest asset
of our team this year was our consistency
and evenly distributed scores,” said Host.
Athletes, such as the MCHS girl’s golf
team members, know success does not fall
in your lap. However, it is obvious they
have achieved.
November 10, 2010
Arts
John Lennon: 70 years of influence
& Entertainment
Liz Purcell/ A&E
Editor/ Copy Editor
by
This past October 9, the 70th
anniversary of John Lennon’s birthday
was celebrated by bringing his
influence out to a new generation.
According to www.gigwise.com, the
music, media and gaming industry
honored his work by reissuing his
albums and bringing his music to
youthful audiences via Rock Band.
Though this musician will always
be greatly missed, his lyrics and music
live on. His widow, Yoko Ono, believes
that the former Beatles’ lyrics are
still relevant today and hopes the reissues of the albums will “help bring
his incredible music to a whole new
audience”.
Also in honor of preserving his
influence, the track “Imagine” is
being featured in Rock Band 3 and
the entire Imagine album is going
to be downloadable for Rock Band
games. The exact day that Imagine
will be downloadable has not yet been
announced, but Rock Band 3 is now
available.
Lennon lived a full life of music and
activism in both universal issues and
strong controversy.
On the night of October 9, 1940, the
legend was born. John Lennon faced
destiny as it lead him through a rich life of
fame, controversy and adversity.
Lennon was referred to as “the smart
one” of The Beatles. He has been fully
credited in being the founding member
of the band itself. A pensive thinker with
a strong social awareness, Lennon’s
influence within The Beatles pushed a lot
of the cultural movements of the 1960s.
“He was one out of the few whose
unique and capturing voice and style
of writing will always be heard,” said
Andrew Wojnarowski, junior at Joliet
Catholic Academy. “His impact on music will always be
Designed by Liz Purcell
listened to John Lennon’s peace cry,
back in the 1960s and 70s and today.
“And this is only the beginning,”
said Lennon on a documentary
called Man of the Decade, filmed
December 1969. “This sixties bit
was just a sniff. The sixties was just
waking up in the morning, and we
haven’t even got to dinner time yet.
And I can’t wait, you know, I just
can’t wait.”
Lennon left the Beatles in the
fall of 1969, following up with the
album Imagine, a simple yet strong
message about how the world would
be without some of the biggest
difficulties (war, religious disputes,
hate crimes). According to www.
9
Bieber
Fever
Sweeps America
by
Melissa Magnus/
design czar
Justin Bieber captures the hearts of teenagers everywhere. Photo credit of sodahead.
looked at with great pride.”
Writing songs such as
“Norwegian Wood,” “Revolution,”
“Strawberry Fields Forever,” and
“A Day in the Life,” Lennon’s
creative power produced universal
Beatles hits. Lennon was fully
aware of his talent. When asked
what he thought of fellow band
member George Harrison in a
From top left: John Lennon stands in New York
Rolling Stone interview, he replied:
City. The Beatles walk the streets of London in
“He’s pretty good. I prefer myself. I
the famous portrait. Photo credits of iconvsicon.
have to be honest, you know.”
com and beatles museum.com.
In the decade of change, Lennon
became a peace activist, encouraging
biography.com, Rollingstone would later
everyone to “give peace a chance” and to
list the title track as the third greatest song
stop hate and violence. Not only did his
of all time.
music affect the entire world, his activist
As his musical accomplishments
cries changed the way the world would
continued far after the breakup
view war forever.
of The Beatles, Lennon’s peace
“Give Peace A Chance” continues to be
“Lennon” continued on
an anti-war anthem to this day. Imagine
(no pun intended) if everyone in the world
page 13
Peace Pipe Chatter
Justin Bieber has been touching the
hearts of teens and tweens around the
world since 2006 after videos of him
singing were discovered on YouTube.
The 12 year old boy’s innocent
appearance, and upbeat songs spread like
an epidemic across the country leaving
millions of teenage girls struck with
“Bieber Fever.”
Being the youngest person to reach
the top of the charts since 1963, Bieber
became more than successful, so it is
no surprise that this teenage heartthrob
is expanding a line of merchandise
throughout stores across America.
“I think its crazy how popular Justin
Bieber became in such a short time,
especially considering how young he is,”
said freshman, Haley McCabe.
Although Bieber’s expansion into the
merchandise industry is not a surprise to
many, it may be shocking to some that
Bieber is entering the beauty market.
The 16-year-old singer teamed up with
OPI to design a new collection of nail
“Bieber” continued on
page 13
November 10, 2010
10 Arts
New ways to love Star Wars
& Entertainment
by David Tibble /
A & E Editor/Copy Editor
Since 1977, Star Wars has been the most
popular and most enduring film franchise
of all time due to its groundbreaking
special effects, likeable characters, and a
compelling story of good vs. evil. Though
the movie series has ended, George Lucas
and friends are doing a lot to ensure that
Star Wars will live on for years to come.
Star Wars still impacts MCHS students
today.
“I didn’t watch my first Star Wars
movie until this year,” said senior Cesar
Villalobos. “All my life, I really didn’t
think Star Wars was that big. I only
thought those people who went to Star
Wars conventions liked those movies.
After asking around, however, I noticed
that there were lots of different kids my
age that had watched Star Wars. It seemed
like I was the only one who hadn’t. So I
ended up watching my first Star Wars
movie. After I was done watching it, I
couldn’t believe I had missed out on this
during my childhood. It was such a great
movie.”
Recently, it was announced that all
six movies would be rereleased in 3D in
numerical order starting in 2012. Only one
movie will be released per year, meaning
that those who only like the original trilogy
will have to wait until 2015.
All six movies will also be
released on Blu-ray next
fall. The original
trilogy movies
will feature
neverbefore
s e e n
deleted
scenes
in high
Fawcett, senior.
The Star Wars universe is also being kept
alive through TV as well. After spoofing
the original Star Wars, Family
Guy will spoof Return
of the Jedi in a
new special
airing next
y e a r
called
“It’s a
Tr a p . ”
“It’s just a way to
steal money from
nerds”-Hayden
Fawcett, senior.
A cutoout of fan-favorite bounty hunter Boba Fett in Mr.
Matt Thomas’s room at Central Campus. Photo taken by
A & E Editor and Copy Editor David Tibble.
definition.
These scenes
will be special
features
separate
from the movie.
Students shared their views
on the 3D movies.
“I’m not big on 3D,” said
senior Tom Dwyer, “but I will
buy the Blu-rays.”
“It’s just a way to steal
money from nerds,” said Hayden
Another
s h o w
having a
new
Star
Wars
special
is Robot Chicken.
Robot Chicken Star Wars
Episode III airs Sun. Dec. 12 on Cartoon
“Star Wars”
continued on
pg. 13
Easy A earns a solid A
by
Danielle Lutrelle /
Copy Editor
Olive Penderghast has a flawless
reputation, a best friend, and an awesome
family. But when a gay friend asks her to
have a false hook-up with him to get the
bullies off his back, Olivia’s world begins
to change.
One after another, more and more guys
are asking to have an “imaginary fling”
with Olive in exchange for gift cards until
her reputataion has officially turned sour. Designed by David Tibble
People start to think that Olive is someone
she’s not, and she lets them. She starts to
dress more provocatively and wears a red
“A” on her shirt, standing for Adulterer,
like in the Scarlett Letter.
Easy A was released on Sept. 17,
starring Emma Stone as Olive, Penn
Badgley as Todd, Amanda Bynes as
Marianne and Alyson Michalka as
Rhiannon. Easy A was directed by Will
Gluck and written by Bert V. Royal.
Overall, this movie was great. The cast
for this movie was hilarious.
Stone and Bynes were hilarious and
played their parts perfectly.
The writing was great. Everything
flowed together and kept you on the edge
of your seat.
Here is an example of some of the
impressive screenwriting:
“Whatever happened to chivalry? Does
it only exist in 80’s movies? I want John
Cusack holding a boombox outside my
window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower
with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from
Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church
for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his
fist into the air because he knows he got
Peace Pipe Chatter
me. Just once I want my life to be like an
80’s movie, preferably one with a really
awesome musical number for no apparent
reason. But no, no, John Hughes did not
direct my life,” said Olive (Emma Stone)
when describing how she wished the guys
in her life would act like.
A great things about this film is that you
could start watching it in the middle and
still understand everything that is going on
within a few minutes.
It starts out with a bang and leaves you
wanting more. The Easy A has earned a
solid A in my book.
November 10, 2010
Arts
& Entertainment
11
Apple
Apps
That you may not know about
4) iDoodle
Jake Hoffman/Soozie Bahret
If you have an iPod or an iPhone,
you may have a selection of apps on
the device. But what about some of
the strange or comical apps that you
may not even know about? Here
are 10 Apple apps that can be both
productive and entertaining:
by
Let’s face it: you’re too productive.
But with iDoodle, you can wile away
the hours drawing on your iPhone
– circles, polygons, many colors.
Designed specifically for the iPhone.
5) Can I Drive
Yet?
Helps you calculate if you’re sober
enough to operate a motor vehicle; enter
your relevant data (how many drinks,
your body weight, etc.) and it spits out
an answer, using national blood alcohol
standards.
1) 911 Help
Turn your iPhone into a safety device: this app displays a big bold red
911 sign visible dozens of feet away
from the device. It flashes to help
others realize you need assistance.
2) Calorie
Counter
Calculate your daily calorie intake
based on age, weight and exercise
level. If you’re feeling disciplined, it
also gives you a number to shoot for
to lose weight. (Cupcake, anyone)
The ever so popular Apple iPhone.
Retailed starting at $199 for the 4G
and $99 for the 3G
3) Dictionary
Not just a dictionary, but also a thesaurus. Comes in handy when you’re
typing that business email and you
want to seem suave.
Pandora:
Shannon Lawlor /
Interactive Editor
For many who have not heard of the website
Pandora, here’s the scoop:
It offers an exclusive Internet radio service
by playing related songs based on how
closely the songs are musically. According
to webtrends.com.
Pandora was created by the Music Genome
Project in the early 21st century. Pandora’s
process is that it breaks down a song into
components and categorizes it with similar
music. Therefore, a listener can hear new
music according to the style they enjoy.
by
Designed by Jake Hoffman
6) Podcaster
An incredibly useful program to
stream audio and video podcasts, using an iTunes-styled control panel.
7) MobileLife
A cellular automation game, “Game of
Life,” has been developed specifically for
the iPhone and iPod touch.
8) Speed
Type
Measures your typing speed, with the
top 200 scores saved. This game is
not only fun but also improves your
iPhone emailing skills.
9) MacLight
Turn your iPhone into a flashlight, or
give it a “campfire” flickering look,
or a strobe light. Might be useful the
next time the power grid goes down.
10) Gumball
Bingo
A multiplayer game that lets you chat
with others while you wait for your
winning combo. Plus: play 3 bingo
cards at the same time.
For more visit James Maguire’s article
“64 Seriously Cool Ipohone Applications” on http://itmanagement.earthweb.com
Explore Music
The website popularity has grown
enormously because of its enjoyable music
and new method. It has
over 2,000 different
categories
by which a
song can be
measured,
according
to wisegeek.
com.
I decided to
give the website
a try, so I typed in
the song Just The Way You Are, b y
Bruno mars. The song that came up was,
Gallery by Mario Vazquez. After going
to this website for the first time, I became
addicted. I now know a lot of new
songs that vary within the type of
music I love to listen too.
“I love this cite because I
have discovered a lot of
unknown artists,” said
senior Derek Gorga.
Everyone has their
favorite website they go
on everyday to ease their
boredom. For most people it
would be Facebook, YouTube, or
Twitter. For others, it would be a website
where you can play games. More music
lovers, Pandora is the word.
“I
have
discovered a lot of
unknown artists.”
-Derek Gorga
Peace Pipe Chatter
Pandora Radio screenshotted here in this
photo. Photo courtesy of Pandora.com
November 10, 2010
12Interactive
Would You Rather...
-Would you rather skip Christmas for a year, or skip
your birthday for a year?
-Would you rather be invisible or be able to read
minds?
-Would you rather find true love or 10 million dollars?
-Would you rather be rich and ugly, or Poor and good
looking?
-Would you rather love and not be loved back, or be
loved but never love?
-Would you rather always take a cold shower or sleep
an hour less than you need to be fully rested?
-Would you rather always have to say everything on
your mind or never speak again?
-Would you rather be able to hear any conversation or
take back anything you say?
-Would you rather be able to read everyone’s mind all
the time or always know their future?
-Would you rather be forced to tell your best friend a
lie or tell your parents the truth?
-Would you rather be forgotten or hatefully remembered?
-Would you rather be happy for 8hrs/day and poor or
sad for 8hr/day and rich?
-Would you rather end hunger or hatred?
-Would you rather forget who you were or who everyone else was?
-Would you rather get even or get over it?
-Would you rather live without music or live without
T.V.?
Designed by Shannon Lawlor and Mallory Keck
Peace Pipe Chatter
November 10, 2010
Jump
“School board” continued from page 5
board saw this as an option and plan
to pursue investigating it.
However, Butterbach raised concern that some of the students would
not participate in sports because
they are not as fortunate. Members
from the board all agreed that they
would be able to give financial aid
to those who needed.
“Star Wars” continued from
page 10
the show other than it will take place
during the beloved original trilogy of
films. Supposedly, it will be aimed
for kids but have appeal for adults as
well.
Star Wars is also being kept alive
through videogames as well. The
major release this year is Star Wars:
The Force Unleashed II, the sequel to
the best-selling Star Wars game of all
time. Future Star Wars games include
the online role-playing game Star
Wars: The Old Republic and Lego
Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, based
on the hit TV show.
All this goes to show that Star
Wars is not and never had been just a
fad. If anything, a galaxy far, far away
is even less far away now.
“Bieber Fever” continued from page 9
polishes inspired by his hit songs.
The nail polish line will debut exclusively at Wal-Mart in early December.
Teen fans will be able to purchase up to
14 shades in bright and vibrant colors.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love Justin
Bieber, but isn’t it a little weird that he
came out with a line of nail polish?” said
sophomore Amanda Burdick.
Starting up a nail polish line is not
the only breakthrough in Bieber’s ever
expanding line of merchandise.
Bieber’s die hard fans are eager to get
their hands on anything to do with the
teen pop sensation, and will soon be able
to buy a Justin Bieber doll that plays small
clips of his songs.
Also, Bieber’s very first book,
Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever:
My Story, hit the shelves on October 12
this year.
It has also been said that a 3-D move
about Bieber’s life is scheduled to premier
in theatres next year.
“I am so excited that Justin Bieber is
coming out with books and movies, he’s
such an amazing role model for teens and
kids,” said sophomore Alexa Miller.
Coming out with new merchandise
items, starring in movies, and making
music is not the only things that Bieber
has been up to lately.
Although Bieber is extremely busy, he
13
still gets time to spend as a normal teenager with his friends.
Unfortunately for Bieber, an innocent
game of laser tag in early October resulted
in a violent outbreak between him and
another group of boys.
For millions of teenage girls, Bieber
can do no wrong, but according to online
sources Bieber’s squeaky clean image was
questioned after being accused of an alleged assault on a 12 year old boy during
the heated game of tag.
Apparently, Bieber was cornered by
a group of boys at the arcade who began
harassing him with gay slurs.
Sources claim that Bieber retaliated,
resulting in the father of the boys to file an
official complaint.
Although Bieber’s situation may not be
ideal, this 16-year-old role model took the
incident as an opportunity to spread the
word about the dangers of bullying.
It has been reported that Bieber is
planning on speaking out to his fans during many of his concerts about the kind
of bullying he experienced that made
headlines.
Whether it is dealing with issues on
bullying, or coming out with a new line of
merchandise, Bieber’s career continues to
grow. Each and every day, this 16-yearold pop sensation is taking on the world
one teenage heart at a time.
“Lennon” continued from page 9
Beatles, Lennon’s peace promotions and
hate for the Vietnam War earned him an
unfavorable spot in the Nixon administration’s eyes. They put an effortful attempt
to have Lennon kicked out of the United
States for a marijuana conviction that had
taken place in Britain three years earlier.
Documents later proved that the
true reason he was kicked out was his
activism against the unpopular Vietnam
War. Once being granted U.S. residency
in 1976, Lennon returned to the music world in 1980 by releasing Double
Fantasy.
On the night of December 9, 1980,
Lennon was shot in the back by a deranged fan in front of Lennon’s apartment
Designed by Soozie Bahret
Peace Pipe Chatter
complex. The world was not prepared for
the heartbreak that the loss of one of the
most influential and powerful musicians
would cause.
The smart Beatle will always be a
prominent model for any humanitarian,
peace activist and musician. Though his
life was short, the success he accomplished in such a short amount of time is
admirable and his advice lives on:
“You are all geniuses, and you
are all beautiful. You don’t need anyone
to tell you who you are. You are what you
are. Get out there and get peace, think
peace, live peace, and breathe peace, and
you’ll get it as soon as you like.”
November 10, 2010
14 Sports
BCS Standings
Chris Evans/
Sports Editor
The new BCS standings came out
October 24th with a surprising No. 1 team.
The Auburn Tigers took the top spot after
the fall of Oklahoma to Missouri. The No.
2 spot stayed with Oregon and following
the still third is Boise State who many
believe should be No. 2, but due to lack
by
of schedule strength have failed to climb
past the three spot. Rounding out the top
ten are TCU, Michigan State, Missouri,
Alabama, Utah, Oklahoma, Wisconsin.
Seven of the top 10 teams are
undefeated while the other three have one
loss. The one-loss teams are Alabama,
Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Auburn will
have to stay perfect through the regular
season and Alabama will be their biggest
test the last week of the seas.
Oregon has the best shot at staying
undefeated with a weak Pac-10, while
Michigan State has to play Iowa this
weekend. Missouri will play Nebraska.
Basically college football is unpredictable
and any team can lose any week such
as Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma
have found out. But my prediction for
the BCS Championship Game is Oregon
vs. Michigan State both has favorable
schedules the rest of the way and many
experts believe they’ve done enough to
get in. Nocsae Rethinks Helmet Standards
John Walsh/
Sports Ediotr
by
Football is a rough contact sport .
but when does rough become dangerous?
Helmet to helmet injuries have steadily
increased this year in pro football and in
college.
On Saturday, October 16th, Rutgers
defensive tackle Eric LeGrand was
paralyzed below the neck after making a
tackle in a game against Army. LeGrand’s
neck and helmet smashed against the
shoulder of an Army kick returner, and he
collapsed instantly.
Neurologists who reviewed LeGrand’s
case said that it is unsure whether or not
LeGrand will ever walk again.
This brings up the danger in the sport.
Concussions in football this year are
incredibly high, and this has promoted
officials to act. The NFL estimates
that there are about 100 concussions
each season. The National Organizing
Committee for Standards of Athletic
Equipment (NOCSAE) have been looking
into the helmet safety standards.
On September 7, 2009, Buffalo Bills
tight end Kevin Everett suffered a fracture
and dislocation of his cervical spine after
being tackled and doctors said he had
almost no chance of surviving. He defied
Designed by Chris Evans
Rutgers devensive tackle Eric LeGrand recovers a fumble. Photo by sports illustrated.
Peace Pipe Chatter
all odds
and walked again less then 3 months
later, but people were still very uneasy
about the safety of the sport.
If these concussions continue the way
they are, then NOCSAE will have to
work harder on designing a better, more
safer helmet for not only college and
pro players, but for little kids in pee-wee
football, who are also at risk.
It will be difficult for NOCSAE to
design a safer helmet for every age
group because they need to take into
consideration what causes concussions,
such as where the player comes in contact
with another player (helmet to helmet,
helmet to shoulder pad, helmet to ground,
etc.), so they need to make a helmet that
can handle various conditions.
The NFL has already been stepping
in and setting fines for people that make
illegal hits, such as helmet to helmet
injuries and late hits that can cuase
injuries.
This is a very big issue in sports, in
fact, there have been an estimated 100,000
concussions were reported among high
school football players each season. That
is an insane amount of injuries and that
needs to change.
November 10, 2010
15
Sports
The Fun of Fantasy Football
John Walsh/
Sports Editor
by
We all know fantasy football is
incredibly addicting, and mostly every guy
student at MCHS plays it.
But why? Let me explain what
fantasy football is and
how it started. Fantasy
football is a virtual game,
usually played through
the internet, that allows
owners (people who play
fantasy) to pick from a
pool of every NFL player
from every team for that
year. Given the player’s
performance each week,
they earn points for the
fantasy team. Offensive
players tend to score more
points than defensive, and
running backs tend to be
the first drafted. Owners
compete against other
owners in leagues, and
the winner of the league
at the end of the year gets
either a cash prize, or
bragging rights.
Fantasy football has
really taken off since the
Internet became popular,
and it’s made the NFL a lot
more fun and entertaining
to watch. More people
are watching NFL games
because they want to see
how their fantasy team is
doing. NFL game packages such as NFL
Sunday Ticket from DIRECT TV profit
because of fantasy football, because fans
want to watch every game every Sunday.
Many people have different opinions on
why they play.
Designed by Elliott Johnson
“I play for the money,” said junior
Jamie Smith, “Who doesn’t like the nice
100 dollars?”
Other people, such as junior Josh
Jimenez, play for fun.
“I just like to play with my friends,”
“I don’t play fantasy for the cash or the
glory,” said sophomore Mike O’Neill, “I
play for the ladies.”
Most people agree that fantasy is so
addicting because when you win, you
want to play more. But when you lose, you
said Jimenez.
Most fantasy websites have cash
leagues or free leagues, and even in some
of the free leagues, there is a cash prize at
the end of the season for the best fantasy
team on the site.
begin to fade interest.
“I never lose,” said senior Dylan
Harvey, “therefore, I can’t be stopped. Its
kind of hard to get off.”
Another reason why fantasy football is
so addicting is the websites. Most websites
Peace Pipe Chatter
that offer fantasy football like to promote
their site and make it the best for fantasy.
So far, espn.com, and yahoosports.com are
the premier fantasy leagues.
ESPN and Yahoo both have great user
interfaces and Stat Tracker that helps
even inexperienced fantasy
football players have some
sort of understanding of
what’s going on.
“I use the nicest Yahoo
Sports,” said Smith, “It’s a
lot better than ESPN.”
Most fantasy football
users have their favorite
players as well. There are
a total of between 12 to
20 players on a team, and
most owners have one or
two standout players that
are really important to their
team.
“I love my Peyton
Manning to Dallas Clark
combo,” said Smith, “but
Ray Rice has to be my
favorite.”
“Aaron Rodgers is a true
phenom,” said Harvey, “And
he’s closely followed by Tim
Tebow.”
Most people choose
quarterbacks, running backs
or wide relievers as their
favorite players because they
can get your team the most
points, but Mike O’Neill
chose a different direction.
“My favorite player, no
doubt, has to be Houston
Texans kicker Neil Rackers,”
said O’Neill.
People play fantasy for many different
reasons. For bragging rights, for money,
or for fun. But no matter how you play,
there’s no doubt that fantasy football is a
way to bring people together.
November 10, 2010
16
Sports
Inside 10.30.10: Best Day in Sports History?
Sports Football starts off strong in playoffs
by
The battle against the Quincy Blue
Devil’s was won by a huge margin on Oct.
30. The score was 26 to 7. The MCHS
defense was flawless and special teams
blocked a total of four punts.
The Indians went 8-1 during the regular
season. This record has not been achieved
in over 20 years. They played for title of
conference champ against the Oswego
Panthers on Oct. 22.
The third and fourth quarters against
the Panthers were filled with ups and
downs and those infamous “huh?’ moments. The game came down to a goal
line stand in overtime. Camron Thwaits
intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter that
College
Football
Player
Paralyzed 14
Fantasy
Football
Page 15
Elliott Johnson/
Sports Editor
completely changed the atmosphere of the
game. the offense stepped up big in over
time as Senior Kyle Banks steam rolled
through the line to score on second down
of the offensive drive.
Blake Montella recovered a forced
fumble after a huge hit by Zach Colvin
and the Indians took the conference title.
It was a three-way tie between Plainfield
South, North, and them good ol’ Minooka
Indians.
“It was great to win back to back
conference championships again. I think
that we’ve proven that regardless the score
or time on the board, we can find a way to
win the game, and that’s a great characteristic to have going into the playoffs,”
Junior Taylor Salazar muscles past a storm of Quincy Blue
Coach Kooi.
Devils in the first round of the IHSA 7A state playoffs.
XC advances
Chris Evans /
Sports Editor
by
Both the boys and girls cross country
teams have both advanced to the state meet
BCS
Standings
Page 14
Designed by John Walsh
for a third consecutive season. They are
also both coming off their highest ever
finish at sectionals at Maxwell Park in Normal. The boys took 2nd with Joe McAsey,
senior finishing eighth overall while the
girls took third with Laura Simon (left),
sophomore, finished seventh overall.
The week previous the boys and girls
team won the regional championship at
Channahon Park. This was the first girls
regional title since 2006 while this is the
boys second consecutive regional title.
The boys and girls were both undefeated in conference as well as winning the
conference meet, making them undisputed conference champions.
Both teams competed at the state
meet at Detweiller Park, in Peoria on
Saturday.
Peace Pipe Chatter
Volleyball: champs
On Nov. 2, the volleyball team won the first round sectional game against Quincy, beating them 25-23 and 25-21.
They also won the first regional championship (below) in 11
years on Oct. 30, beating Normal Community High School
who they swept in two games.
They won conference with a 13-1 conference record and
their only loss came to Oswego East.
They played for the sectional title against Edwardsville
in Pekin on Thursday.
November 10, 2010