February 2012 - Glenbard East High School

ECHO
GLENBARD
EAST H.S.
February 14, 2012
Volume 52, Issue 4
FEATURES
College- Possibly the
biggest decision you
will ever make
A&E
OPINION
Check out the review
of winter play
Is the media
obsessed with
apearances?
2
4
SPECIAL
EXTRA!
Valentine’s Day
salutes
5
6
Get a crack out of
some Valentine’s
Day jokes
8
Dedication to an inspirational musician
By Sylvia Whitaker and
Khushbu Patel
News and Features Editor
On February 1, 2012,
Glenbard East High School
made their second dedication
of the 2011-12 school year
to Ross Kellan of the Music
Department. Kellan received the
honor of having the music wing
dedicated to him. In December,
East honored Eleanor Mares for
her contributions to the Physical
Education Department.
The criteria for an
individual to be considered for
the honor are the same. The
nominee must be retired for at
least 5 years before deciding
to nominate them to ensure
the individual is still involved in
activities at East. There must also
be enough support for the idea
and enough people willing to
give testimony that the honor
is deserved. In Kellan’s case, the
initial proposal was co- signed by
the G.E. Music Boosters.
Kellan had a lot of
achievements in the 32 years he
worked at East. One of Kellan’s
biggest achievements was
getting a tax referendum passed
for creating a new orchestra
room. Few were in support of
this idea in the
beginning, and
many felt that the
project would fail.
Not if Kellan had
anything to do
with it. He worked
hand in hand with
the music booster
to gain excitement
and support for the
referendum.
“Without
Kellan, the
referendum
probably would not
have passed”, said
Assistant Principal
of Operations, Bill
Mushrush.
Ross Kellan came to East
in 1972, as the Associate Director
of Bands. In 1980, he became
the Director of Bands and the
Music Department Chair. Kellan
simply viewed his contributions
to East as a way of giving back
to the community that helped
shape him into the musician and
teacher he is today. He grew up
in Lombard and attended East,
By Frank Loconti, Candy Melara and Jason Ponce
Staff Writers
annual salary upwards of 51,000
dollars, while those who only
have their high school diploma
earn around 28,000 dollars a year”.
Earning a more advanced degree
moments.
College life can show you
who you really are and if you are
cut out for living independently.
Living on your own dollar forces
you to be self-sufficient and
requires great time management
skills to juggle your social life and
studies.
One thing that most future
college students worry about the
most is the cost of tuition. Tuition
for a major university can range
anywhere from 6,000 to 40,000
dollars a year!
One way students are
able to afford college tuition is
applying for scholarships and
student loans. Student loans are
a great way to build up a positive
credit score, and slowly pay the
college back for their loan. Local
scholarship forms can be a found
in the Guidance Office and are
a fast, easy way to get money
toward college tuition.
Alternate Options After
High School
College life is not for
everyone. There are other
options after high school that
can earn you a respectable
living. Such as a trade school,
graduating in 1966. His mother
was even a part of the East family,
being a guidance secretary for a
while.
“In coming back to teach
at East, it was always my hope to,
in some small way, give back to
the school and to the students
what I was so fortunate to receive
when I was a student”, said Kellan.
Kellan had positive
interactions with
everyone he came in
contact with while
working at East. He
worked with students
at all levels of music.
Despite the level a
student may be, Kellan
always made it his goal
to push each individual
student beyond what
they believed their
personal best was. To
start children off with
a better knowledge of
music before high school,
Kellan worked with the
elementary and middle
schools to develop music
programs and curriculum.
“He could push students
to do their best without coming
off as too pushy or demanding,”
said Mushrush.
Kellan put a lot of effort
into making the school better as
a whole. He wasn’t just dedicated
to advancement of the Music
Department and its programs.
He was a positive leader of the
entire school.
“He was one of the
nicest, most humble and
engaging guys someone
could ever meet,” said Music
Department Chair Brian Shaw.
Kellan currently works
at Elmhurst College as head
of the Department of Music,
Director of Music Education,
and Conductor of Symphonic
Band.
Photo by Courtney Ellis
To go or not to go?
Going to college brings
you connections for you
and your future.
--Evelyn Schneider
Guidance Counselor
will push even more money your
way. A masters or doctorate
degree will find you making an
average of 74,000 dollars a year.
Having the commitment and
drive throughout your schooling
will definitley payoff financially in
the long run.
Living Independently
College can be an
incredible once in a lifetime
experience. Students who attend
college will most likely live on
their own for the first time in their
life. You can make lifelong friends
and experience unforgettable
Graphic by Martin Kevil
Many believe and are
living proof that college can
be used as a stepping-stone
to a successful life. Some jump
into the work force as soon
as possible to try and get the
financial upper hand over their
graduating class.
The students who
decide not to go to college
claim their ability to work with
their hands makes up for their
lack of commitment in the
classroom. Although blue-collar
jobs are important, they pale in
comparison to the number of
jobs that do require a college
degree.
So the question remains
unanswered, can a college
degree make or break your life?
A college degree is
becoming a requirement in
more and more higher end jobs.
The days of “knowing the right
people” are over.
According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, “workers 18
and over who have earned a
bachelor’s degree can expect an
a trade school is a school that
only focuses on one particular
profession.
Take a construction
trade school for example:
individuals who are interested
in construction can attend these
trade schools and not have to
worry about having to take
general education classes that
major universities require.
“Trade school is a good
way to learn your profession and
not have to mess with general
education courses,” said senior
Tim Bast.
Trade school can be a
great, affordable option for some
one who is sure what profession
they will be in and is content
with working with their hands
to make a living.
Even if you drop out
of high school, it does not
necessarily
mean your
life is going
to end up in
the gutter.
Dropouts
have a
choice to get
a General
Education
Development
(GED), which
is a set of
tests given to
students to determine their
high school graduate level
of knowledge. Having a GED
proves that you are worthy of
a general education that high
school provides but you just
had an issue that kept you
from graduating high school.
There have been countless
very successful famous high
school dropouts that obtained
their GED, such as (Actor) Bill
Cosby and (founder of Wendy’s
restaurant) Dave Thomas.
Continued on page 2
2
Echo
News
February 14, 2012
To go or not to go?
Continued from page 1
By Frank Loconti, Candy Melara and Jason Ponce
Staff Writers
These self-made millionaires
prove that you should never
lose hope toward the future and
always keep striving toward your
goals in life.
Fight For Your Country
The U.S. military is a
great option for a post high
school career. Besides the honor
and sense of accomplishment
defending your country can bring
you, the military teaches you
valued skills that not many know
how to do.
Building military weapons
and running military computers
are just a few. Simply having
military experience on your
resume can place you far ahead
of the pack and will be a very
recognized credential for the rest
of your life.
Fighting in the military
brings supreme honor to those
who serve and an ever-lasting
respect from their fellow citizens.
“Completing any
education is worth it, it’s the
feeling of accomplishment that
you can do something you put
your mind to,” said Social Worker,
Binita Donahue.
The military is also willing
to pay for your college tuition
after you get out of the service
as a reward for defending our
country.
Set Your Self Apart
There are many ways
to make a living, but earning
a college degree is the most
efficient way to earn a decent,
stable living for your self.
A college degree sets you
apart from other applicants for
the same job that do not have
a college degree. Showing that
you have commitment, drive and
consistency throughout your
life will widen the eyes of future
employers.
College is not for everyone,
but it is a growing part of our
work force. A college degree will
place you at the front of the pack
and give you confidence entering
the work force.
“Going to college brings
you connections for you and your
future. These connections can
be regarding employment or
even personal,” said Guidance
Counselor Evelyn Schneider.
You do not have to be
absolutely set on one major
entering college as a recent study
from www.collegebound.net
reveals “More than 70 percent of
college students change majors
at least once.”
Whichever road you
decide to take, make sure you are
passionate about what you are
doing, it is secure, stable, and a
demanded profession for years to
come.
A college degree is not
required to make money in this
game we call life, but it helps a
great deal.
Students
give us
their
opinion
Graphic by Frank Loconti
Photos by Jacki Abdul
Students
(Fr.)
Nick Knowles
(Soph.)
Nick Waytula
(Jr.)
Jordan Abushnab
Most Important
Having a steady job
Money
Money
In state; Out of state
Out of state
Out of state
Out of state
more prepared
Out of state
College right out of
high school
College
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Undecided
Undecided
Undecided
University of Iowa
Major
Undecided
Undecided
Civil Engineer
Business major
Students and teachers gathered to make valentines for
veterans on February 8, 2012.
(Sr.)
Rod Engblom
Teachers
share their
opinions
Photos by Jacki Abdul
Pictured- Michelle Pugacewicz
and Alona Makoviychuk
Pictured- Cassie Bocchieri
and Angelica Villafuerte
Photos by Synthia Whitaker
Graphic by Frank Loconti
Pictured- Rachel Tumlos and
Claire Castelli
Teachers
Ms. Freeman
Mr. Koeller
Mrs. Schneider
Most Important
Out of State: In State
Organization and study Lets you live life without
skills are key to sucess restrictions of deans
in college
In State
In State
Gaining skills, knowledge, and the potential
for greater earnings
In State
Right out of high school
Yes
Yes
Yes
College
St. Xavier, Concordia
Lewis University, Roosevelt
Major
Education, English
major
Concodia University
UIC undergraduate for
5 years
Business Administration and Political Science,
Finance
Spanish, Guidance
Advice
Opens up doors and
opportunities
Most important investment
you will ever make
Networking is key right
now in this job market.
News
February 14, 2012
Smooches!
We’ve all realized when
we walk down the hallways, all
these twilight couples that just
can’t seem to get their hands
off of each other, right? Those
empty hallways where it feels
so lonesome and when you
least expect it, you’re pretty
much standing in front of two
people locking lips like there’s no
tomorrow.
This is public display of
affection, in shorter terms, PDA.
You might ask yourself, what
might be the consequences of
PDA in public schools? Are there
any consequences at all? Maybe
it’s awkward for other students
witnessing these encounters.
How do you feel when you see
it? What thoughts come to your
mind?
“We very rarely
consequence for PDA, we just
usually ask students to stop
when we see them. If there is any
highly inappropriate touching,
depending on the nature, may
result in an extended detention
or small suspension.” said Dean
Athena Toliopoulos.
Some of our school
they don’t have their hormones
under control yet” said Connor.
For some people, it can
be an awkward situation to walk
past a smooching couple.
“People overdue it. Like,
if you’re going to make out or
something, go to your car. That
should be something private.”
said senior, Richard Perez.
For others, it might be a
source of entertainment.
“I think it’s hot.” said
junior, Cody Kouba.
For the rest, it’s really
just normal or they simply find
no wrong or right in PDA here at
school.
“I don’t really care. I do
it sometimes.” said senior, Daniel
Aparicio.
Whether you like PDA or
not, it’s a topic that soars around
all the time. Like most say, good
or bad, it should kept to a certain
limit, and in privacy.
authority is disturbed with the
amount of PDA displayed.
“Students should be
more discreet about how they do
it, because it can be very awkward
for everyone.” said Annie Frain,
Kennetha Connor.
Connor admits being
like that when she was younger,
and says even some of the adults
I see mostly underclassmen doing it. I guess
they dont have their
hormones under control yet.
--Kennetha Connor
Annie Frain
in this building have committed
this act when they were younger,
which is why she understands the
reasons students like to show so
much affection. Connor also said
that they should know when and
where to do it.
“I see mostly
underclassmen doing it. I guess
Graphic by Martin Kevil
By Isabel Garcia and Cassi Davila
Staff Writers
Leadership changes for 2012-13
By Jake Martin
Staff Writer
On January 24, 2012, Dr.
Hector Garcia sent a staff email
announcing his resignation as
the Assistant Superintendent for
Educational Services effective
June 30 2012. We wish him the
best at Plano District 88.
Garcia joined the
Glenbard district in 2009 and
since has been a key instrument
in our success. His efforts have
resulted in the development of
our common core curriculum
for freshmen and sophomore
levels, an increase in the number
of students taking Advanced
Placement, AP, courses a
reduction of the failure rate across
the board, and an increase in
the effectiveness of Professional
Learning Communities across the
district.
Garcia strongly
expressed his gratitude towards
the entire district and his honor
and pleasure of working with
“some of the best educators
in the state of Illinois”. He has
committed to his work with the
districts strategic plans through
the rest of the year and we as a
district are very thankful of him.
Superintendent
search update
As many people
know, as of June 30, 2012, our
Superintendent, Dr. Michael
Meissen will complete his
contract with District 87. The
big question now is, who will be
stepping up to fill the position?
The District 87 Board
has contracted with School
Exec Connect to conduct a
Superintendent search. As of
November 16, 2011 School Exec
Connect presented a timeline for
the search that is posted on the
district website.
Back in December and
January, ads were placed in
Education Week, a national trade
publication for educators, as well
as on the website of School Exec
Connect. There were also focus
group interviews conducted
throughout the district, and
administration surveys.
An online survey of
about 530 people was conducted
and the results for that are in.
It was determined
that the public feels
the top 5 goals the
new Superintendent
should focus on are as
follows: 1. Teach 21st
century skills; 2. Build
relationships with
staff and community
members; 3. Engage
students through
best instructional
practices; 4. Focus on
student achievement;
5. Assure student wellbeing.
Echo
3
Experience East
By Chris Celo Jacki Abdul
and Courtney Ellis
Staff Writers
Violent hallways, drugs
deals, and never having the time
to eat lunch. These are the images
that are usually filling the heads
of parents that don’t really know
our culture. Because of this, they
are fearful of the experience their
son or daughter will have at East.
They might think their teens are
not ready for the high school
experience in the 21st century
based on the rumors. Since the
school was noticing the parents’
unrest, Experience East was
created before Josh Chambers
became principal. Mr. Chambers
has done a great job continuing
this event.
“Parents think that
Glenbard East is full of immature
students and nasty hallways”, said
Social Worker, Dawn Zatt.
Regardless of popular
belief, East is actually filled with
great opportunities and a very
diverse environment.
This year’s Experience
East is being held on February
16, 2012 from 9AM – 12PM. The
event is designed for the parents
to take a walk in their students’
shoes. Parents are able to be
with a senior leader, witness
passing periods, and even sit in
class. At the beginning of the
event, the parents are welcomed
Results and reports will
be presented to the School Board
in the scheduled meeting on
February 13, 2012. On February
15 and 18, the Board will
conduct its first interviews with
6 candidates. On the 28, they
narrow it down and interview
with 3 candidates. And on March
19, the Board plans action on the
new superintendent’s contract
to the LLMC by Principal, Josh
Chambers and Assistant Principal
of Operations, Bill Mushrush.
Chambers and Mushrush provide
a brief look back on East’s history
and senior leaders then give a
tour of the school. During the
tour, parents will quickly see the
positive attributes of East; despite
the rumors they might have
heard.
At the end of the tour,
there is a questions and answers
section.
“Parents will ask
questions from curriculum
to requirements to discipline
to open lunch policy”, said
Mushrush.
All in all, most parents
are pleased to hear that East is a
welcoming, happy environment
and not what they thought.
Experience East has given a lot of
parents the opportunity to make
the full circle and feel secure
about their students going to
East.
Photo by Dominique Didier
and he will take his position July
1, 2012.
According to Assistant
Superintendent for Human
Recourses, Mr. Rod Molek, our
board takes very seriously its
responsibility to hire a school
leader who will continue our
tradition of excellence and build
upon Glenbard’s many successes.
Echo
Arts & Entertainment
Swan Lake glides
Skyrim continues to
into East theatre
garner praise
4
Tony Digregorio
Staff Writer
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, was released on November
11th, 2011, and it quickly became one of the most critically
acclaimed games on the market.
It topped 3.4 million copies sold
just two days after its release, and
it was named game of the year at
Spike’s eighth annual Video Game
Awards ceremony.
Skyrim has also amassed
more than 50 perfect review
scores. Skyrim, an action roleplaying game, is set in an open
world environment.
Skyrim starts
with our protagonist regaining
consciousness in the back of a
horse drawn wagon. You soon
discover that you’re not on this
wagon by choice; you are mistakenly being accused of being a
member of the Stormcloak Resistance, a group fighting against the
ruling Imperial Legion.
A civil war has
erupted in the province of Skyrim and Imperials are killing off
all Stormcloak members, which
is very unfortunate for our soon
to be named hero.
You arrive in a
town called Helgen where you get
off the wagon. You then customize your character to your liking.
There are 9 races to choose from,
and you can customize your character in a number of ways.
You can change their
skin color, weight, eye color, and
many other facial features. You
can also change the hairstyle on
your character and add things like
facial paint, facial hair, and scars.
February 14, 2012
After you name and customize your adventurer, it’s off to
the chopping block, and seemingly, the end of your very short journey. But don’t worry; you won’t be
dying any time soon (I can promise that)!
Just as your head is going
to be forcibly removed from your
body, a dragon arrives and cuts
short your premature execution.
Taking this moment of confusion
as a chance to escape, you get up,
hands still bound, and run for your
life.
This is only the
beginning of your journey, and
you won’t be running for long.
Before you know it you’ll be taking
the fight back to Alduin, a fierce
dragon who is also known as the
World Eater, and whose mission is
to bring about the end of time (he
is also the dragon that unknowingly saved your skin in Helgen).
Alduin
is the Nordic god of destruction,
and without you, a dragon born
hero, (also known as Dovahkiin
in the games dragon language)
the world is surely doomed.
So sure, a lot of people have a lot
of good things to say about Skyrim, but what makes it so worthy?
Maybe it’s the fact that
there is over 300 hours of gameplay, or that the quests seem to
never stop coming. Skyrim also
has roughly 16 square miles of
land that you can traverse.
The terrain includes
foggy swamp lands, snowy paths
that cut through the mountains,
the mountains themselves with
the somewhat horrifying frost
trolls and the occasional Sabre
Toothed Tiger, lush green forests
with an entire ecosystem of living
creatures ,large expansive grassy
plains where Giants and their
herds of Wooly Mammoths roam.
The list of places goes on and on,
and I personally have stopped to
admire the scenery on more than
one occasion.
Perhaps the reason Skyrim is so well liked, is that feeling
you get when you stumble upon
the bone littered mouth of a dark
ominous cave, or the crumbling
entranceway of a long forgotten
Dwemer ruin (Dwemer, or more
commonly, Dwarves, mysteriously
disappeared thousands of years
before the events of Skyrim).
You can wander around the world of Skyrim for
hours and have nothing to show
for it except a mountain of gold,
some new armor, a rare weapon or
two, and a bunch of good stories.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing!I could quite literally ramble on and on about what
makes Skyrim so fascinating, but
I fear that my description would
be making Skyrim something less
than what it really is.
Skyrim is really what you
make of it, whether you become a
thief that lurks in the shadows, or
a noble warrior who storms into
battle with his many allies.
Whether you
use magic spells, or a bow and
arrow, or a sharped steel blade,
Skyrim has something in store for
you. This game brings to the table
beautiful graphics, an unbelievable amount of content, and great
gameplay along with many other
great things.
On a scale of one out of
five, Skyrim shouts its way to the
top, and earns itself a definite five.
Greg Figgie
Staff Writer
With winter approaching
so is a new play. In February the
Glenbard East Theatre group will
be performing a “deconstruction”
of Swan Lake, a nineteenth
century ballet written by Russian
playwright Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
The Glenbard version
will follow the original plot but
have much of the music adapted
to styles of heavy metal, hip-hop,
classical and contemporary.
Some of the leading
characters of the cast of 28
includes freshmen Sean Preins
and junior Colton Pittman playing
Prince Siegfried, and senior
Courtney Henneghan playing
Odette, the White Swan Queen.
The story of Swan Lake
is of Prince Siegfried, heir to the
kingdom, who meets Odette, a
princess that has been turned
into a swan during day by an evil
sorcerer named Von Rothbart.
Heir to the kingdom, Prince
Siegried is forced to choose a wife
at his birthday ball.
Siegfried is upset that
he cannot marry for love and runs
into the forest. He soon finds a
flock of swans flying over him and
decides to hunt them. When he
gets close he sees Odette, more
woman then swan, and dances
with her and finds out who she
really is.
There is not a single word
of dialogue throughout the play,
and instead all communication is
done through dancing.
“I like that you can
express your emotions with your
face or body instead of just using
words, and it’s a more powerful
form of art because it can be
interpreted in so many different
ways” says white swan maiden
junior Maddie Moeller.
Mrs.
Lifonti,
the
choreographer and director,
proposed the play knowing
Swan Lake has recently been a
popular story due to the release
of Black Swan; a movie directed
by Darren Aronofsky, about a
theatre group that performs
Swan Lake.
East’s version of Swan
Lake is to be more true to the
original plot then Black Swan’s,
but people who have watched
Black Swan should be able to
recognize many similarities.
Compared to their last
theatre performance Harvey, the
play Swan Lake is much different.
Harvey was a traditional comedy
whereas Swan Lake is both
imaginative and mysterious.
“The show is like a dark magical
fairy tale”, says Theatre teacher
Mark Kaetzer.
All the music is prerecorded. Make-up, costumes,
and lighting will prove to be fun
for the cast, and equally as fun
for the audience. The play will
be very well done, and we hope
everyone will go out to see it.
“I’m always excited about dance
shows, and I think this will be
very well-received!” said Kaetzer.
The play will be
held at Rider Hall on the dates
of February 8,9,10 and the
11th, with tickets selling for 6
dollars. Sales of tickets will start
on January 23rd and can be
purchased during lunches, or
after school.
Tickets
will
also
be sold at the door but it is
recommended to buy tickets in
advance, as many of the previous
dancing shows have sold out.
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developing the whole person –
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At Benedictine, we are
welcomers, learners and leaders.
We are caretakers, competitors
and explorers.
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March 11 at 12:00 p.m.
Krasa Student Center
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Opinions
February 14, 2012
Monkey see, monkey do
By Katherine Flood
Staff Writer
In today’s modern world
we are trained to believe that
what you see is what you get.
All around us the media
is overwhelming us with images
of men and women who are
perfectly fit, basically “perfectly
perfect”. Little do we know that
those images are all a fake and
took hours to airbrush and perfect.
So why do we get so absorbed
in it all? We spend hours of time
and money to look like something
that couldn’t possibly be real.
When did we all become so
obsessed with how others view
us? Hasn’t it always been said that
beauty lies within the eyes of the
beholder?
I believe that what truly makes
you beautiful is how you choose
to act towards others. You could
be given a beautiful girl but if
she opens her mouth and is the
crudest person you’ve ever met,
well then she has lost all beauty.
I think there is no way for us to
live up to what we see all around
us. Everyone is different and we
shouldn’t all be treated as a whole.
The media practically forces
these images down our throats
so it’s no wonder that we get
so caught up in them. Instead
of showing images of healthy
people of all different shapes and
sizes, it has a perfect cookie cutter
cut out for everyone.
We should embrace who we are,
and not be who the media wants
us to be.
I believe that you are only as
beautiful as you feel. The media is
too focused on how we appear to
be on the outside. We don’t focus
enough on a person’s character.
They are constantly encouraging
us to lose weight to fit the
image they have of society. And
although health and fitness
are very important, they don’t
encourage it for health reasons;
they encourage these things so
that you “look good”.
There are entire magazines
dedicated to getting skinny and
fit, but few mention anything
about loving they way you are,
and being happy with yourself.
I’ve noticed that it isn’t a
new problem. The media has
been feeding lies about how we
“should” look for decades. But if
you ask me there is no way that
you should look.
What you should be is happy
with the way you do look. If we
were all meant to look alike we
would, but we’re not. People have
no right to tell you that you are
not acceptable to how the rest of
the world wants to see you.
I’ve always felt that everyone
is beautiful in their own way, and I
can only hope that everyone else
feels happy with they way they
look. All you need to remember
when you see the things in the
media, that probably only about
5% of it is true, and you are much
more real than the pictures in the
magazines.
I think the media needs to
start showing healthy images
of people of all different shapes
and sizes. Although appearance
shouldn’t matter if it’s being
shown in the media it should only
have a positive effect on who
we are, not kicking us down on
how we look and making us feel
negative about ourselves.
By Seth Quam
Sports Editor
The NBA offseason,
although stressful for everyone
involved, was certainly eventful.
The NBA lockout seemed to last
forever, and when the players
and owners eventually agreed
to a new contract, a flurry of
trade talks stormed in.
The
star
players
involved in trade talks were
Point Guard Chris Paul and
Center Dwight Howard. The
New Orleans Hornets seemed
to have completed a three way
trade that would deal Paul to
the Lakers, the Lakers would
send Power Forward Lamar
Odom to the Hornets and 7 foot
center Pau Gasol to the Rockets,
who send Luis Scola, Kevin
Martin, and Goran Dragic to the
Hornets. NBA Comissioner David
Stern vetoed the trade, shocking
everyone involved. It seems
that David Stern and the other
league owners did not want to
allow a trade that would benefit
a large-market team like the
Lakers, and allow them to get
another superstar player.
New Orleans was
anxious to unload superstar
Chris Paul before he becomes
a free agent next offseason.
The Hornets were eventually
By Madeline Smith
Staff Writer
Love is in the air! It’s
Valentine’s Day. But, do we really
know what today is? Valentine’s
day isn’t quite like any other
holiday. Growing up, Valentine’s
Day ment exchanging Valentine
cards and candy with your
classmates. By the time you get
to high school Valentine’s means
getting ready for dances, buying
flowers to be delivered to the
classrooms of those you like, and
the pressure of finding a date so
you’re not alone. Valentine’s Day
is so much more than that.
Valentine’s Day marks a
celebration of love throughout
the world. Originally, this holiday
was meant just for couples, but
now it has escalated to so much
more. Valentine’s day is a day
devoted to sharing your love with
friends, family, and of course,
significant others. The more love
the merrier.
It’s true to say that
Valentine’s Day has become a
5
NBA pre-season sets
scene for an exciting year
able to trade Paul to the other
Los Angeles team, the Clippers,
in return for Eric Gordon, Chris
Kaman, and Al-Farouq Aminu.
Eric Gordon and Chris
Kaman give New Orleans a good
core to build around, and are
decent replacements for Paul.
Depending on young Eric Gordon’s
progression in the coming years,
this deal may actually end up
better for the Hornets than the
original one with the Lakers.
The Hornets eventually
ended up happy, but for a
moment it looked like they would
not be allowed to trade Paul and
attempt to rebuild.
“I thought the league’s
veto of the Chris Paul trade was
ridiculous. From a basketball
standpoint the trade made
sense for the Hornets.” said avid
basketball fan and junior Sam
Scully.
It seems that David Stern
attempted to prevent a largemarket team like the Lakers from
benefitting from getting another
Superstar, but in the process he
punished the small market team,
the Hornets, by not allowing them
to trade a very expensive player
and try to rebuild. David Stern is
fortunate that the Hornets were
able to complete the trade with
the Clippers, because if they had
not, he would have been blamed
for this whole fiasco.
In any case, 4 time allstar Chris Paul is now with the
Clippers, where he joins 2011
Rookie of the Year, All-Star, and
Slam Dunk contest winner Blake
Griffin to challenge the Lakers for
the dominancy in Los Angeles.
After all the Chris
Paul trade talk had settled,
NBA fans were left with no
news on the other superstar,
Dwight Howard. Apparently
the Magic could not find a
satisfactory deal or him, and
they will be forced to either
trade him mid-season, or run
the risk that he will sign with
a new deal next off-season
when he is a free agent.
Throughout all this
activity in New Orleans, Los
Angeles, and Orlando, the
Chicago Bulls have been
quietly preparing to match
up with the other top teams
in the East; The Boston Celtics,
the Miami Heat, and the
Atlanta Hawks.
The Bulls did add
guard Richard “Rip” Hamilton,
a sold role player who played
for the Detroit Pistons for the
passed 9 years. Bulls fans are
not disappointed at all with
the way the Bulls went about
their offseason since Derrick
Rose has propelled the team
to a great start and the Bulls
looks poised for another deep
run in the playoffs.
“I think the addition
of Rip Hamilton, a legit
scoring guard, will propel
the Bulls past the Heat to a
championship. Plus D-Rose is
unstoppable,” said Scully.
The wonderful thing
about basketball is that is it
nearly unpredictable, and it
will be interesting to see how
this unique season ends up.
a love for the sport.
In order to play a sport at
East you have to be eligible, get
good grades and behave well in
class. I also feel being an athlete is
not always fun.
There are also some cons
that come from being an athlete.
Whether you are on a freshman,
sophomore, JV, or varsity team, it
will require hard work.
Trust me, you
have to work really hard but it
pays off in the end. If you were to
add up all the time you were at
practice and the amount of times
spent at games, meets, or even
tournaments, you would be surprised.
Most
athletes have 2 hours of practice 5
days a week. That’s 10 hours of ath-
letic time right there. Athletes
have a lot of time spend on
the sports but the best thing
about being an athlete is that
you’re doing it for yourself.
You get to
be on a team at Glenbard East,
and when I play on a sport, I
havetwo families,one at home
and one at Glenbard East.
Athletes are really nice people
once you get to know them.
The pros and cons will put an
athlete on a rollercoaster. It`s
what makes being an athlete
fun. No matter what whether
it’s the pros or cons that day,
they are there. The pros and
cons follow the athlete from
day to day.
Through the eyes of an athlete
A time to show true love
holiday heavily advertised by
the media. Some would argue
it has become too materialistic.
The tradition of exchanging gifts
with loved ones on Valentine’s
Day goes back over hundreds of
years. Yes, the media enforces
this, Valentines Day is advertised
everywhere by February first.
You can definitely find boxes
of chocolates and candy hearts
in every convenience store.
But this enforcement by the
media isn’t a bad thing. The true
meaning of Valentines Day is to
show our love, the media helps
us do that. Not everyone can
find the words to say, “I love you,”
so flowers or chocolates might
be the best little thing to help.
This doesn’t mean one is being
materialistic; it’s just their way of
showing that they care.
Whether
with
chocolates or a card, an original
poem or just a smile, today
is the day to share love. We
must embrace days like today
because they are a great reason
for us to step out of our comfort
zone and be bold. Don’t just
say, “I love you,” sing it. Don’t
just wave at the person you like,
go and talk to them. Don’t take
your significant other out to Mc
Donald’s, make them a meal,
(Even if it doesn’t turn out well,
it’s the thought that counts).
The time is now! Show
you care, share the love. It’s
Valentine’s Day!
Echo
By Lauren Cali
Assistant- Sports Editor
Honestly, being an athlete has its pros and cons.
Some people may say
that any sport is easy, but it’s not.
Being an athlete personally requires dedication, hard work, and
Glenbard East High
Editor-in-Chief: Omar Vazquez, Isabella Aguilar
Features & News Co-Editors: Sylvia
Whitaker, Jake Hill
Graphics/Photo Editor: Anthony DiGregorio
Sports
Editor:
Seth
Quam
Assistant Sports Editor: Lauren Cali
Extra-Extra Editor: Chris Celo, Dakota Dynek, Tyrell Holmes
Advisers: Jeffery Kargol, Laura Koeing
Staff: Jaclyn Abdul, Alaia Akhawaja,
Alenka Balderrama, Cassandra Bocchieri, Fiona Crews, Cassi Davila,
Dominique Didier, Anthony DiGregorio, Dakota Dynek, Courtney Ellis, Damaris Estrada, Gregory Figge,
Katherine Flood, Diamond, Izzi Garcia, Daniel Hartmonowski, Krissy
Jordan, Marty Kevil, Dave Koonce,
Jake Hill, Francis Loconti, Jake Martin, Jasmin Mayorga, Candy Melara,
Colin O’Brien, Khushbu Patel, Magdalena Pecyna, Seth Quam, Robert Rodak, Madeline Smith, Omar
Vazquez, Hannah Walsh, Bryant
Westbrooks, Sylvia Whitaker, Jenna
Winiarczyk, Robert Zibrat, Haley Lydon
The Glenbard East Echo is
published regularly by the
students of Glenbard East.
1014 S. Main St. Lombard, IL
60148. Editorials represent
the views of the executive
board. The Echo reserves the
right to edit or shorten any
letter without altering its
intent. Letters to the editor
must be signed and will be
printed on a space-available
basis. The unsigned editorials
are the opinions of the Echo
staff. The opinion columns are
the beliefs of the writer and
may not express the views of
the entire Echo staff.
Echo
Valentine Salutes
6
To: Tariq Aldaas
Tariq,
You are an amazing young man.
High school is agreeing with you we’re happy that you are enjoying
your freshman year. Remember
to smile and have fun!
Mom & Baba
______________________________
To: The Echo Staff
To: Kelsey
Hey Kelsey,
You will always be our Valentine.
Congratulations on such a great
run at East.
To: Fareaba Moradiahani
Fareaba,
Love,
Happy Valentine’s Day to our
favorite daughter. May God bless
you with a daughter as nice and
kind as yourself.
Mom & Dad
Love you so very much.
______________________________
Mahroo and Morteza
To: Kendall Shmendall,
______________________________
Hearts to you and lots of love!
Let’s go driving soon! Happy
Valentine’s Day!
To: Sal Struhart
Ms.Koenig
_____________________________
Love,
You are the best! Happy
Valentine’s Day.
To: The Front Office Staff
Mom & Dad
Ms. Koenig wishes the Echo Staff
a lovely day and thanks them for
all their hard work!
Ms. Koenig wishes the Front
Office Staff a lovely day and
thanks them for all their hard
work!
Ms.Koenig
______________________________
To: Ms. Koenig’s Period 1-4 Class
Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!
______________________________
To the Glenbard East Pom Pon
Squad,
To: Ms. Koenig’s Period 7-8 class
Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!
Ms. Koenig
______________________________
To: Katie Danylevsky
Hey Sweet Pea,
Mom and Dad just wanted to
wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Have a great day! We love you
Girlie!
Mom & Dad
____________________________
To: Katherine Zatt
You are the GREATEST! Kiss,Kiss!
From: A secret admirer!
Ms. Koenig wishes you a lovely
Valentine’s Day!
Ms.Koenig
Jayden and Alexa
Thank you for doing fundraising
with us and for your fair
representation of G.E.!
What a great group of young
adults that I am proud
my daughter is a part of.
Congratulations to all and Happy
Valentine’s Day!
Mrs. Kott
_____________________________
To: Linda Heino
We are so happy that you are
enjoying influencing the lives of
so many during your last year at
East.
Hugs,
Ms. B & Ms. H
______________________________
To: Glenbard East Speech Team
Hannah,
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thank you for having the courage
to face difficult issues with an
open mind. You Rock!!
To: Echo
______________________________
Thank you for the great job you
do every day – for helping our
kids and always smiling!
To: PRISM
______________________________
To: Hannah Misar
You guys are terrific!
Congratulations on a great
season! Can’t wait to see what
you bring next year!
PRISM
______________________________
To: Ecology Club
Thanks for caring about the world
and joining us in the fundraiser!
PRISM
______________________________
To: Students for Students
We love you!
From our students to your
students, thanks for helping to
fight against discrimination and
labels!
Mom and Dad
PRISM
______________________________
______________________________
To: Madeline Misar
To: Miranda Wozniak
Madeline,
Miranda Mina,
You are more than halfway way
done with being a freshman!
We love you!
Roses are red, Violets are blue,
You’re adorable and adored, so
who cares if this doesn’t rhyme!
Happy V-Day and Lots of Love.
Mom and Dad
LW
Love,
M&D
_____________________________
_____________________________
______________________________
Mahroo and Morteza
To: Alex Yugar
To the Glenbard East Community,
To: Jamie (James) Wareham
Alex,
Thank all of you who have
supported Day of Silence in the
past. May this year be the loudest
silence yet!
Jamie,
PRISM
Love you!!
____________________________
_____________________________
Ms. Koenig
______________________________
Uncle Sal,
To: Ms. Koenig’s Period 12-13
Class
Febuary 14, 2012
GEHS Parents
______________________________
To: Jessica Rajcevich
To: Kelly Dumas
Jessica,
You’re truly one of a kind. Your
presence is a present to the
world. Have courage, be strong,
and don’t ever forget how special
you are!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you,
Fareaba’s bestest friend. You are
like our second daughter and we
love you as much.
______________________________
To: Mark Sliwa
Mark,
Valentine’s Day is the perfect day
to say
May your heart be filled with
smiles
And your day filled with all the
warmth
And joy you bring to my life.
Mom
Your doing a great job your first
year at GEHS! Keep up the good
work, and always stay sweet!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Chicken
Noodle…aka “my only son…”
Love,
To: Jolie-Grace Wareham
Mom, Dad, and Tom
JG/Joze,
Happy Valentine’s Day, future
prez! We’ll find that city on the
hill…!!
Love,
Mom, Jimmy C. & Anderson
Sports
Winter Sports Updates
By Seth Quam
Sports Editor
Girls Bowling
The Girls bowling team
has been dominant so far this
season. They have won all but
Boys Bowling
Rams boys bowlers had another
terrific season this year led by
their two strongest bowlers,
seniors Tommy Clay and Joe
Girls
Gymnastics
The girls gymnastics
team has had a successful season
so far. The team has improved
their team score from 125 points
at the beginning of the season
to 131points at the end of the
Boys
Basketball
The Boys Basketball
team is experiencing an up and
down season. They currently have
an overall record of 9-10 and 3-5
in conference play. They finished
Wrestling
Rams wrestlers have had a great
season so far. The team is currently 13-6, and won the Urbana 14
one match this season, and won
the Sectional meet on February
4th, sending them to State for
the second year in a row. The girls
varsity and junior varsity teams
both took first place in the Lake
Park Tournament earlier in the
season with a handful of girls
winning individual medals. The
girls have had a terrific season
and we wish them best of luck
down at state! At the Sectional
meet, “We started the day in first
and never looked back until we
were champions.” said Sophmore
Hannah Mackie.
Gajewski. Glenbard East hosted
the first ever Rams Invite for
bowling this year, and both the
junior varisty and the varsity
teams took third. Junior Frank Sic
and Seniors Clay and Gajewski
finished 5th, 4th, and 2nd
respectively as individuals at the
invite. The Rams had wonderful
leadership from their seniors this
year and hope that this will be
beneficial as the years to come as
the underclassmen step up into
leadership roles.
season, by improved routines. A
great accomplishment.
“Our goal for the rest of the
season is to finish strong and
try to get as many gymnasts to
qualify for sectionals as possible”
says coach Jessica Bugajsky.
Key contributors for the girls so
far have been freshman Emma
Slinkman, junior Jamie Gradishar,
and senior Jessica Griffin. “It takes
a lot of strength and leadership
to be a key contributor because
gymnastics is a team sport as well
as an individual sport so while
I’m trying to focus on my routines
I’m also cheering on my teammates in hopes that they do the
best they can,” said senior Jessica
Griffin.
strong in two tournaments,
finishing 2nd in the Glenbard
District 87 tournament, where
junior Marvin Grant Clark and
senior Dante Bailey were named
all tournament.
They finished 4th in
the State Farm Classic Christmas
tournament, where Bailey again
received All-Tournament Honors.
The Rams played a thrilling
game against Crete-Monee for
the comcast Game of the Week.
The Final scoring was 65-58
losing in double overtime. the
team continues to work hard as
they continue their season. “the
basketball season is going good.
Just go to keep pushing ourselves
as a team.” said Bailey.
team tournament by more than
80 points over the #15 ranked 2nd
placed team. Freshman Jake Drew
(34-5) and seniors Angelo San
Juan (36-2) and Eriberto Carreon
(24-4) hold the top records on the
team.
“Dedication and hard work. It’s all
mental toughness” says Senior Angelo San Juan. Angelo San Juan,
Jake Drew, Gustavo Garcia, Eriberto Carreon and Matt Chlebek have
all qualified for sectionals.
Echo 7
Lady Rams Basketball
By Bryant Westbrooks
and Yanni Bess
Staff Writers
If you haven’t seen them play
yet you should go out and
watch the Glenbard East Rams
girl basketball team. They are
an exciting team to watch. With
young talent from freshmen
Rachael Leifheit and Allison
Hansen, the Rams have become
an exciting team.
Also they have good
leadership from their seniors,
Maggie Angst and Teke Graf. The
Rams have a new coach. English
teacher, Jennifer Ennis, and her
goal with the program was to
get the girls excited to play and
play hard every time they step on
the court.
The team motto this
year is “We can do this”. Ennis has
a plan to turn the whole program
around from last year, and the
girls are catching on quickly.
Ennis takes the game back to
the fundamentals. She teaches
the girls how to play defense the
right way, go for every rebound,
and tells them to “just go out
there, believe we can do it, have
fun, and play hard.”
“I would like to
instill a hustle and play hard
attitude into the program” said
Ennis.
“Coach Ennis is
a good coach that we all enjoy.
She is fun, but at the same time is
serious about our development
as individuals and as a team.” said
Senior guard Teke Graf.
Their team goals are
plain and simple : to compete at
a high level and just go out and
have fun. Another in-game goal
was to shoot 15 shots per quarter
at the beginning of the season.
That was a struggle for them at
the beginning of the season, but
they have improved their shot
selection. They hope to continue
to work on this and cut down on
lower percentage 3 pointers.
Another in-game goal
is that more of the freshmen,
sophomores, and juniors need to
play at a higher pace and higher
level.
The young players
show great promise for years to
come. They are very hard workers
and love the game.
“Our record doesn’t reflect
how hard we work, some things
just don’t work out at times but
we keep playing hard.” said senior
Teke Graf.
Expectations Exceeded
By Cassie Bocchieri
Both JV and Varsity
AWFG Renegades hockey teams
participated in the Big Bear
Tournament in Indiana over
Martin Luther King Day Weekend.
The JV team ended up placing
third in their division. Junior
Varsity Renegade players include
both sophomores Eric Galfano
and Trevor Reeg. Win or lose,
Galfano says the tournament was
“real fun, and a great bonding
experience”.
As for Varsity, while they
only placed 10th overall, newly
appointed coach, Dale Ohman
says that the 11-skater team is
doing “real well” this season, and
are “exceeding expectations”.
Varsity players from East include
sophomore Dean Cribaro, and
juniors Justin Gunderson and Tom
Ohman. All three skaters have
been having good years, each
respectively scoring in a majority
of games played.
Up
next for the Renegades is the
Illinois Suburban Hockey League
playoffs, which are eagerly
anticipated. Varsity Renegades
mark the ranks among other
Illinois high school teams with 21
points. Also, the spring hockey
season awaits. Anyone interested
in playing for the Renegades
should feel free to contact Coach
Ohman through the Renegades
website-http://www.usahockey.
com/awfghockey .
Photo by Tom Adams
Februrary 14,2012
East players L to R: Eric Galfano, Justin Gunderson,Tom Ohman, Dean Cribaro,
Trevor Reeg
8
Echo
Extra-Extra
Febuary 14, 2012
Are You Looking For
a Laugh on Valentines
Day?
1) What did the light bulb say to the switch?
You turn me on
2) What happens when you fall in love with a
French chef?
You get all buttered up
3) What did the stamp say to the envelope?
His ghoul-friend
5) Why did the banana go out with the prune?
I only have eyes for ewe, my Dear
Scrambled Valentine’s Day
1. ucdip__________________
2.aveltneni________________
3.acdr___________________
4.dre____________________
5.orwar__________________
6.oelv___________________
7.iknp___________________
8.ssnidken________________
9.aerht__________________
10.nadcy_________________
11.epailcs_________________
12.erso__________________
13.sigtf__________________
14.siks__________________
15.shgu__________________
1.cupid,2.valentine,3.card,4.red,5.arrow,6.love,7.
pink,8.kindness,9.heart,10.candy,11.special,12.rose,13.
gifts,14.kiss,15.hugs
Graphic done by Martin Kevil
Innkeeper’s –
Movies To
Watch Out For Now Playing
and Starring
1) The Women Sara Paxton
In Black – Now
4)The Vow
Playing and
Starring Daniel – Release
Date Feb. 10
Radcliffe
and Starring
2)The Chronicle Channing Tatum
– Now Playing
5)Safe House
and Starring
- Release Date
Michael B.
Feb. 10 and
Jordan
Starring Denzel
Washington
3)The
6)This Means
War – Release
Date Feb. 14
and Starring
Reese
Witherspoon
7)Gone –
Release Date
Feb. 24 and
Starring
Amanda
Seyfried
Contents found by: Khushbu Patel
and Cassi Davila
Staff Writers