September 12, 2013 - Minooka Community High School District #111

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Sept. 12, 2013
S chool N ews
Designed by Alyssa Aspan
Table of Contents
School News
Interactive
Sports
3.
7.
14.
4.
Changes in school rules
JJC courses to get ahead
New stoplight?
2 students score perfect ACT
Homecoming preview
Senior tips
Band camp
News
5.
Main summer news stories
Man turns 123
Speeding cameras
Sandy victims hit jackpot
Russia gay rights
Stand your ground
Tanning salons
Top apps used today
Features
8.
10.
11.
Minooka Community High School
301 S. Wabena Avenue, Minooka, IL 60447
[email protected]
peacepipechatter.com
@peacepipechattr
Editors-in-Chief
Alyssa Aspan, Sarah Schimanski, Ryan Nelli
School News
Editor: Sara Dobbyn
Photographers: Joshua Fierke, Samantha Magnus
News
Editor: Chelsea Cerveny
Interactive Editors
Jacob Pena, Chris Rubio
Features
Editor: John Anians
Summer healthy eating
Summer jobs
Student profile: Jake Joda
Shorewood fest
Channahon fest
Taste of Joliet
A&E
12.
The Peace Pipe Chatter
Where you went
Softball state champions
Weird sports
Athletes: new year, new goals
Junior Olympics
15.
9.
Opinion
6.
Jobs movie review
Summer movie sequels
Mortal instruments review
Summer songs
Xbox One vs PS4
GTA V
E3 recap
A&E
Editor: Graham Taylor
Opinion
Editor: Gabrielle Taylor
Sports
Editor: Tara Schumal
Photographers: Bri Bouchard, William Roberts
Copy Editors
Jacob Lopez, William Roberts
Broadcasting
Editor: Brennan Pagel
Photography
Editor: Alexis Sponseller
Editorial Board:
Alyssa Aspan, Sarah Schimanski, Ryan Nelli, Gigi Taylor
16.
Ray Liberatore in Leadville
Fall sports updates
About the
cover:
Clipboard of the
summer to do list
highlights this issue
of the PPC.
Photo taken by:
Sarah
Schimanski
Designed by: Alyssa Aspan, Ryan Nelli, Sarah Schimanski
Journalism I
Shelia Angus, Alexa Aspan, Mackenzie Baker, Miranda
Battaglia, Meghan Blenck, Tyler Castro, Brandt Compton,
McKenna Guertin, Danyelle Myers, Madalyn Odette, Garrett
Pagel, Keelin Polhemus, Alexis Schumacker, Kylie Schutzuis, Ashley Surrey, Josh Trainor, Michael Geyer, Lucas
Godsey, Jonathan Harb, Natasha Mentus, Sydney Monroe,
Brendan Riley, Ryan Satori, Brian Stabile.
Submission Policy:
The Peace Pipe Chatter strongly encourages suggestions
and/or responses to material printed on its page. 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 inappropriate. They
must be signed but may be printed anonymous upon request.
3
S chool N ews
Sept. 12, 2013
Designed by Bri Bouchard
Student
pa r k i n g
at South?
A new stoplight was installed over the summer at the entrance to South Campus on Route 6. The new light
could lead to students being able to park at the school.
PPC Staff Photo
By Bri Bouchard
Sports Photographer
Over the summer MCHS made
a dramatic change to its parking
dilemma. On July 18, a stoplight
on route 6 was installed at South
Campus. This could prompt students to be able to park at South
Campus for the first time since it
opened in 2008.
Some students have mixed
opinions on the stoplight addition
for various reasons.
Sophomore, Reilly Chytracek
said, “I think it’s good if the students are careful enough, but if
they aren’t careful I don’t think
they should be driving.”
On the other hand, some of the
juniors and seniors think otherwise.
Senior Angelica Highfill said,
“I don’t mind the stoplight because it’s almost always green.
I don’t think sophomores should
be allowed to drive, because we
couldn’t do that and because they
are to immature.”
Once a dean at South and now
at Central, Mr. Chris Fierko had
his own thoughts.
“I think it’s a good idea to have
parking at South Campus, it’s a
good opportunity for students to
have jobs and sports and such.
But with that responsibility it
gives students freedom, and some
students aren’t mature enough
to handle the freedom given to
them. I don’t know if it will cause
much of a problem, maybe some
tardies. My only concern is that
the students will not be responsible young drivers,” Fierko said.
The school board is deciding
whether or not students will be
able to drive to South Campus.
The current plan is to allow
the school to begin and to monitor the traffic at South Campus for
at least one month. Once South
Campus has observed that the students parking and traffic patterns
are normal, the board then plans
to begin the process of taking students driving to South Campus
into consideration, according to
Mr. Dave Dilorenzo, community
relations.
Getting ahead with JJC Classes
By Sarah Dobbyn
School News Editor Students that are currently enrolled in
JJC classes are mainly taking them for two
reasons: college credit and so they don’t
Every year when signing up for classes,
upper-class-men have the opportunity to
take a JJC class. But before their enrollment, they are required to take the Compass test and get a certain score depending
on the class. If you do not meet the score,
then you are moved down to a regular
class.
“I take the class now because it’s a college credit and it will get me ahead in life,”
Julia Goggins, junior, said.
‘I take the class now because
it’s a college credit and it will
get me ahead in life.’
-Julia Goggins, junior
have to do it later. The earlier they get it
done and out of the way, the earlier they
have the chance to graduate. Other colleges also like to see how much you challenge
yourself and like to see if you are in any
higher classes.
“I don’t want to do it
in college, and it is very
challenging,” Haley Dzarnowski, junior, said.
When taking a JJC class
and trying to finish high
school, it’s like living a
double life. Students that
are in these types of classes
feel that they are ready to
take on the challenge and that they can
handle it on top of everything else in their
lives. To be in these classes, you need dedication and a will to go hard.
“I think I can handle it, and it gets me
college credit,” Miranda Pehlke, junior
said.
JJC classes are a great way to push you
in the aspects of going to a college. A
MCHS, there are 11 JJC courses offered
including English 101-102, Speech 101
Political Science 101, History 103-106
Math 128, Math 170, and 102-140 Exploration of American Music. Whether you
are ranked 20 or 600 in your class, a push
should be a goal of some sorts to highe
your education. Take advantage of wha
you can do now before it is too late.
New school rules
By Lexi Sponseller
Photography Chief
School rules can be annoying at times and bother students when it comes to their wardrobe or what they carry
around with them. This year MCHS has decided to change
two things: the grading scale and the allowance of water
bottles in class.
“It’s about time they allow water bottles in school,” Ca-
mille Arroyo, junior, said.
Allowing water bottles seems to make students happy.
The grading scale prior to this year was a seven-point
scale. This year is the start of the 10-point scale.
“The grading scale is better now because it is easier to
get better grades than before,” Arroyo said.
“I am glad they changed the grading scale to the
10-point scale because now my grades will be better looking for colleges,” Jenny Harris, senior, said.
“I do not think we should lower the expectations of the
students because students will sink to the lower expectations,” Mr. Phil Harding, health, said.
“I believe this change in the grading scale will help the
average students more than the honor roll students,” Harding said.
New school rules change the atmosphere in classes and
hallways, it is something that will get students talking and
more involved.
4
S chool N ews
By Gigi Taylor
Opinion Editor
Homecoming is one of the student
council’s biggest events of the year, as well
as their first. The theme is decided by the
members and sponsors of student council,
as are the plans for the festivities and
decorations. This year, however, the dance
was moved up, giving them less time to
prepare for this year’s theme “Around
the World,” a vague yet intriguing idea.
Nevertheless, the student council seems to
be more than prepared for the challenge.
The theme “Around the World” will be
featuring different hallways for different
countries at Central Campus. During the
dance, there will be different games that
are common in some of the highlighted
countries, among other surprises.
The student council will also be
planning events for the week prior to the
dance, including the Powder Puff, an allgirls flag football game between juniors
and seniors. The pre-dance celebrations
will include an assembly as well as the
Battle of the Bands, information for which
can be found at the bulletin board at Central
Campus. Voting for the Homecoming court
will be from 9/11 to 9/17 starting at 11:59
PM, and again from 9/18 to 9/24 starting
at 11:59 PM.
“The preparations are going pretty
good, and the hallway groups will be
decided next week,” Marissa Kasuba,
sophomore, said.
The reason for the move was a direct
result of the day of the Homecoming
football game, according to senior Jenna
Gebhardt. The student council is simply
given the date of the Homecoming dance
based off of the football game. While an
inconvenience, the student council is more
than happy to still be in charge of the plans.
With everything starting to get rolling,
it won’t be long before Central Campus’s
halls are decorated and Spirit week is
underway, starting with Monday as PJ
day and the day of the assembly. Tuesday
has Thrift Shop day and the Battle of the
Bands; Wednesday has the Powder Puff
and Class Color day. Thursday owns the
Talent show and Twin day, with Friday
of course holding MCHS Spirit day, the
Parade, and the Homecoming football
game.
Even with only a few weeks to prepare,
the student council seems more than
capable to keep up and give MCHS one of
its best dances yet!
This Year at
Band Camp...
By Chelsea Cerveny
News Editor
Chelsea Cervany/PPC
For most students, summer is a time to
Band Students focusing on their music.
kick back and enjoy the three-month break
away from schoolwork and teachers. For
band kids, however, that is not the case.
MCHS students in band packed their
bags and headed off to band camp on Jul.
28th and returned home on Aug. 2nd. The
students spent the week practicing the
materials that were needed for this school
year as a whole.
Unlike the years in the past, the weather
was a mixture of everything. It wasn’t just
hot all weak to the point were the grass was
stomped on and looked like straw.
“Some days it was cold, some days it
was hot. I think it rained somewhere in
there,” Angelenia Cassella-Johnson, sophomore, said.
Even the nighttime temperature wasn’t
hot.
“There were actually people in sweatshirts one night,” Mr. Tyler White, music,
said.
The band didn’t just practice music
all week non-stop. Casssela-Johnson said
“there was even a dance one night.”
All in all, the band kids had a great time
at band camp this year and can’t wait for
next year.
From Seniors To Freshman
By Sara Dobbyn
School News Editor
Sara Dobbyn/PPC
Around The World in 16 Days
Designed by Sara Dobbyn
Lyndsey Seddon poses to share some
tips for freshmen.
As the freshman walk through the long,
wide hallways of MCHS on their first day
with scared faces, they begin to wonder
how the any of the upperclassmen had been
through this and what helped them. When
they look down the road to the next three
years they have left think that freshman
year will never end. The students begin to
think that it is not what they expected it to
be, some may think it’s amazing and some
may think it’s horrible.
“They shouldn’t be afraid to ask for
help from their teachers and any of the older classmen,” Alyson Pearce, senior, said.
After the first couple of days at school
and talking to upperclassmen, it starts to
become easier for the freshman because
they simply know what to, what not to do,
where to go, where not to go, and what to
avoid. Freshman to seniors is like looking
up to a big brother or sister. They rely on
you and learn from your mistakes.
“Never procrastinate, because once you
do it once, you will continue to do it, and
it will hurt you in the end,” Kayla Vidano,
senior, said.
The only thing you are hurting when
you procrastinate is yourself because it is
not going to get you anywhere in life. Most
people think it is the easier way out of
things so they can get the grade they want.
Procrastination can lead to the inability to
do sports and so much more throughout
high school.
“Get involved in a sport or club! [Cross
Country]. You can meet a lot of people and
it makes high school a lot more fun,” Alex
Casserly, senior, said.
Even though sports are very competitive, it is a great stress reliever and a great
way to make new friends. Participating in
a sport actually makes the year move along
faster because you are spending a majority
of your time there instead of at home. As
shy as the freshman may get, they got to
speak up if they need something
“What other people say doesn’t matter,
be yourself and never change just to try to
fit in,” Lyndsey Seddon, senior, said.
Younger students shouldn’t worry about
others because the only person it concerns
is you. For some, school and students go
together like peanut butter and jelly and for
the rest of them, they are just trying to push
through. In the end, all that matters is that
you succeed.
“Make the most of high school because
it flies by faster than you think,” Bree Oshea, senior, said.
Take advantage of what you can do now
because sooner than later it is all going to
disappear and you will most likely regret
it. While in high school, try to make something good of yourself. Don’t not stress out
more than you have to because it is just going to make the situation worse.
Students Take Down
ACT Once Again
By Josh Fierke
School News Photographer
Junior Lily Benig and senior John
Josh Fierke/PPC
Sept. 12, 2013
Lily Benig poses to show her excitement from her ACT score.
Kaufman, both did what most students
would say is impossible, they got perfect
scores on their ACTs.
Benig prepared for the ACT by taking
four practice ACTs and getting tips from
her uncle. Amazingly, on Benig’s first attempt at her ACT, she had gotten a perfect
score. Benig was extremely happy when
she had found out what she scored. Benig
also plays soccer and tennis. Plus, being on
WYSE and math team, Benig also plays
the piano.
Senior, John Kaufman, being the other
student to have a perfect score on his ACT,
prepared by taking a class at JJC and taking a couple of practice ACTs. Kaufman
was so excited that he was jumping up and
down. He had gotten it on his first attempt.
Kaufman is on just about every band
that Minooka has to offer, and being on
SNHS and WYSE team.
“I was honored to have john in my class,
he was and assest to our class discussions
and activities. It was a big pleasure to have
him in class. Ms. Lehman, English.
N ews
5
What happened over the summer..
Sept. 12, 2013
By Jacob Lopez
Copy Editor
On July 13, the State of Florida found
George Zimmerman not guilty of the second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman was charged after shooting
17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26,
2012. There was a struggle between Zimmerman and Trayvon. Supporters of Zimmerman believed Trayvon attacked him.
Supporters of Trayvon believe that
Zimmerman killed him because he was an
African-American. Although there was a
reasonable amount of evidence to support
that Zimmerman killed Trayvon in selfdefense, the conclusion of the case caused
a lot racial tension in America and sparked
several riots.
In another major court case on June
26, the Supreme Court ruled that samesex marriage be recognized by the United
States Federal Government after the case
United States v. Windsor. Edith Wind-
Sandy victims hit the jackpot
By Alyssa Aspan
Editor-In-Chief
In Ocean County, NJ, a group of 16
employees at Ocean County’s Vehicle
Maintenance won big i*n the Powerball
lottery, winning a whopping $448 million
jackpot. In 2012, when hurricane Sandy
hit the east coast, Ocean County, NJ suffered severe damage to their community.
Over half of the 16 employees lost everything they owned, including their homes
and belongings.
“I feel happy for the people who won. I
like that someone who actually needs the
money got it. I feel like it went somewhere
actually useful,” Paige Perez, senior, said.
Ocean County, the company they work
for, claimed $86 million of the winning,
or one-third, because two other tickets
also won the jackpot. This means that af-
ter federal and state taxes are taken out,
each member will receive $3.8 million.
Co-winner William Seeley said he lost
his mother to cancer last year because after the hurricane, his family could not afford the hospital expenses. His father is
suffering from it now.
“That’s the first place I stopped, was
Pop’s house. I started crying in front of
him and told him I loved him and you got
nothing to worry about now except getting better,” Seeley said.
Surprisingly, 15 of the 16 workers
said they will continue to work for the
company that brought them their newly
acquired fortunes. But one co-winner,
Joeseph Odoardo, raised his hand when
asked whether or not any of them are going to retire now.
“After 34 years and almost retiring
last year, this happens, and you just don’t
have another choice,” he said.
Not enough candles
By Jake Pena
Feature Photographer
According to weather.com and the
country’s registry, Bolivian herder Carmelo Flores Laura turned 123 years old last
month.
“I should set him up with my grandma!”
said junior Lexie Reyes.
Laura lives in Frasquicia, a mountain
village near Lake Titicaca. He lives in a
small hut with dirt floor and a roof made
of straw.
The water he drinks comes from the
snow-capped mountain peak of Illampu,
one of Bolivia’s highest.
Laura cannot read or write, speaks no
Spanish and has no teeth. Laura has three
children, 16 grandchildren and 39 greatgrandchildren. About a decade ago, his
wife passed away.
Laura greatly misses his wife. He walks
without using a cane and doesn’t have
glasses. And though he speaks his native
language, Aymara, with a firm voice, a person would have to talk into his ear to be
heard.
Misao Okawa, a 115-year-old Japanese
woman is the oldest living person verified
by original proof of birth from the Guinness World Records.
The oldest verified age was 122 years
and a half: Jeanne Calment of France, who
died in 1997. The director of Bolivia’s civil records, Eugenio Condori, showed The
press the registry that lists Lauras’ birthday
as July 16, 1890.
Although he has no memory of it, his
27-year-old grandson Edwin says Laura
fought in the 1933 Chaco war with Paraguay. Laura says he doesn’t drink alcohol, but he did occasionally when he was
younger.
He fondly remembers hunting and eating fox as a boy. He’s eaten a lot of lamb,
and though he’d rather have pork, it’s hardly available.
Of his three children only one is still
alive, a 67-year-old man named Cecilio.
When asked about Laura, junior Tasha
Mentus states, “I think Laura is a very old
man, he seems cool.”
sor, resident of New York, was denied
her spouse’s estate after her spouse’s
death. Under the Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA), the state of New York only recognized only heterosexual couples.
Windsor took legal action against the
state and claimed DOMA was unjust to
same-sex couples. Her case was sent to
the Supreme Court, where it was ruled
DOMA is unconstitutional under the Fifth
Amendment.
Rolling Stone received negative criti-
Designed by Brennan Pagel
cism after printing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,
one of the men responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing, on the cover of
their July issue. The issue sold more than
double than a usual issue, despite being
boycotted by some sellers, including Walgreens and 7-Eleven.
Some said the issue praised Tsarnaev.
Rolling Stone defended their decision to
feature Tsarnaev and in a statement said
the story “falls within the traditions of
journalism.”
Slow down Chi-Town
By John Anians
Feature Editor
New speeding cameras are being installed in the Chicago land area as a way
for police to keep the law in order when
the law isn’t around.
Even if you might not see any cops
gunning the random passersby, you may
spot a white, binocular-shaped radar that
snaps your cars picture if caught speeding. This is a way for Chicago to guarantee vehicular safety on the streets.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel predicted that
this new system would bring in a dollar
amount somewhere in the 30 millions.
After setting up and testing these
speeding cams for a near month, the city
hall determined that they could potentially bring in around 100 million.
The city believes there is a problem
with speeding near schools and park
zones, so this is their way to help deter
that. Chicago plans to have around 50
cameras in various places by the end of
the year.
“It makes sense to put them by schools
for the safety of the kids,” Bobby Kaluza,
senior, said.
Drivers who violate speed limits for
the first time will receive a warning ticket
via mail. Second time violators will be
sent a $100 speeding ticket in the mail.
One student, however, disagrees.
“I don’t think people need to get tickets,” Eddi Sandal, junior, said.
Not all people agree on those estimations, however, since there are a handful
of potential sources of error. One of those
sources could be that Chicago motorists
notice the cameras, and change their driving habits.
Over the next couple of months the
Mayor and the city of Chicago are expecting these cameras to enforce the speed
limit more potently.
Hands free
By Sarah Schimanski
Editor-In-Chief
In our society we are highly attached to
our cell phones. Walk down Michigan Avenue in Chicago and more than 50 percent
of people will be on their phone, whether
it is texting, making a phone call, or simply getting directions to the nearest coffee
shop. Our cell phones are also popular in
cars, but not anymore.
A new law was passed that states that
Illinois motorists will be fined $75 if they
are caught not using a hands free device
starting on Jan. 1.
According to nwitimes.com, Governor
Pat Quinn said, “Distracted driving is not
only dangerous, it’s deadly. Too many Illinois families have suffered because of
accidents that could have been prevented.
Anyone driving a car should be careful,
responsive, and alert behind the wheel.
These new laws will save lives.”
“It is kind of bogus. I’m able to
talk on the phone and focus on driving,”
said Sean Matay, senior.
Before there were laws for no texting
and driving, and no using a phone in a
construction or school zone.
According to the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety, Illinois is the 12th state
and the first in the Midwest to pass this
law.
The governor also approved a law,
which boosts penalties to up to three years
in prison if a motorist causes a fatal accident while using an electronic device.
There are a lot more studies coming
out that show the level of danger you face
when texting and driving. According to
the Department of Transportation, you’re
four times more likely to be in a motor
vehicle accident, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stated their research showed no difference between being on the phone while it’s up to your ear,
or having a hand held device.
If you enjoy chatting on the phone in
your car to pass the time and you don’t
have a hands free device it is suggested
that you purchase one by Jan. 1, or else
you have a chance of being pulled over.
6
Sept. 12, 2013
O pinion
Designed by Gigi Taylor
Salons Send off Students What Are You Using?
By Sarah Schimanski
Editor-In-Chief
Soaking up the sun’s rays is what most
teenagers enjoy in the summer months,
but what happens during the cold and dark
winter? Tanning beds. Not only do they
give that desired bronze glow, but the time
required is at most ten minutes.
As of Jan. 1 2015, tanning beds will be
illegal for children under 18, even with a
parent permission slip.
The law is supposed to reduce the
amount of skin cancer in young people
when there are other ways to get that glow.
Some people own their own personal
tanning beds, which cannot be regulated all
the time. Even spending countless hours in
the sun is an option for people who would
love to have a darker skin tone. The sun
gives off UVA and UVB rays while the tanning bed only emits UVA rays.
Teenagers have such a busy schedule,
tanning beds suit them perfectly when trying to touch up those tan lines. What happens when teens are not allowed to do that
anymore?
Before, ages 14-17 had to obtain a parent consent form in order to use the tanning bed, which would seem to work, since
the parent has to attend the salon in order
to sign the waiver. No forging that one. If
your parents are okay with the use of tanning salons, teens should be able to do as
they please.
According to SkinCancer.org there is no
such thing as a safe tan. There are not any
laws on going outside for hours on end if
you are under 18.
Illinois isn’t the first state to pass the act.
In fact, the cities of Springfield and Chicago had already banned minors from tanning in the beds.
Our society runs highly on how people
look at us. We Americans truly are a pure
example of judging a book by its cover. So
taking away the right to look just the way
you want to is going to cause slight problems.
Not only is this hurting the self-esteem
of tanning teenagers, but it will also hurt
the business of the tanning salons.
According to Australian Tanning Salon,
a majority of their tanners around Homecoming and prom season are under 18.
They believe this new law will hurt their
business, but are hopeful that more people
will use the spray tanners instead.
Our economy is not in the best place
currently and reduction of customer’s
means reduction in employees. Being unemployed means no money and putting
that much more effort into finding a brand
new job.
This is a tough position for the government, but they have chosen the wrong path
and will most likely be harassed in the future.
By Ryan Nelli
Editor-in-Chief
merman’s attorneys did not use this law
as a defense in his trial. This is often assumed, but it‘s not true. One of Zimmerman’s attorney’s pointed out that the law
does not state in its statute that it’s okay to
pursue a threat. It is known that Zimmerman pursued Martin, so using the law as a
defense would not help their case.
“Stand-your-ground” laws were originally lobbied for by the NRA (National Rifle Association) in 2005 after 77-year old
James Workman had to spend months in
the legal system when he shot an intruder
in his RV.
Since Florida became the first to create a solid “stand-your-ground” law eight
years ago, more than 30 states have also
created one, including Illinois.
On Dec. 31, 2011, this law protected
Sarah McKinley in Oklahoma who shot
one of two men trying to break into her
home while she was with her three-monthold son. She barricaded her door with a
sofa before they managed to break into
McKinley’s home. Justin Martin, one of
the intruders, was armed with a 12-inch
56 students were surveyed on what they use to broadcast their photos/videos and view
others’.
Does “Stand Your Ground” Stand Up?
By Jacob Lopez
Copy Editor
After the shooting of Trayvon Martin,
“stand-your-ground” and other self-defense laws have been put under examination. Despite what it seems, these laws are
not justification for murder.
A “stand-your-ground” law is a law
that justifies use of deadly force under
home protection or under “presumption of
fear of death or great bodily harm.”
It’s important to note that George Zim-
hunting knife.
This law is simply a person’s right to
self-defense. That’s why there’s a second
amendment. Crime happens, and “standyour-ground” laws exist to protect American citizens from criminals. If somebody
pointed a gun at you, you should be able to
point one back.
Although it may not happen to everyone, those who find themselves at some
point needing to defend themselves with
deadly force will have the law on their
side.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
By Gigi Taylor
Opinion Editor
Although homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, are gay rights
being pushed back once again? It would
seem so.
Russia has recently passed a law making it illegal to promote gay rights or share
information about homosexuality to those
under the age of 18.
The upcoming Winter Olympics are to
be held in Russia, causing talk of a ban,
boycott, or pressure to move the games
to another country. Russia, however has
promised the safety of all athletes during
the games, making such measures seem
unlikely, regardless of the urging of some
sort of action.
The law itself, though, creates whole
new problems for Russia, and for its newer
generations.
One of the biggest problems with the
new law is that it’s geared towards minors.
Anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed
to be taught about homosexuality. Adoles-
cence is a tricky and difficult time as it is,
and in various cultures homosexuality is
still frowned upon by many. Without the
ability to even learn about it, how could
kids ever be expected to accept their own
or others’ sexual orientation?
Perhaps the worst thing about this law
is that while homosexuality has been decriminalized, there is still a very strong
prejudice against gay and lesbian people.
In Russia, there is no place in which samesex marriage is legal. A report done by
ILGA-Europe rated Russia as the hardest
country for gays and lesbians to live in, an
anonymous man even claiming that the
prejudice was the only reason he decided
to leave Russia. This law only reinforces
that stigma and continues to push back gay
rights, as well as suppress the voice of the
people.
The freedom of speech is considered a
basic human right, regardless of gender,
age, race, or sexual orientation. Russia is
using this new law to suppress the voice
and opinion of its people and is promoting
prejudice against its citizens.
I nteractive
Sept. 12, 2013
7
Designed by C. R. & J.P
We Want To Know Where You
Went Last Summer
‘In ______, I
went camping and
to an amusement
park.’
– Jessica Golas,
Junior
‘Whoever knew there was a
rainy season in ______. It was
hard to speak all in Spanish.’
‘All I did was stay ____
and work but I quit after
four weeks.’
– Malik Ferguson,
Senior
– Itzel Sandoval,
Senior
‘I skipped across the
ocean and tanned on the
sand in _______’
– Tasha Mentus,
Junior
‘I walked all of national
park and saw the memorials
in __________’
– Devin Brezak,
Senior
Guess The Location!
•Washington D.C. •Florida
•Mexico
•Indiana
•Home
8
Features
Sept. 12, 2013
Samantha Mangus/PPC
The Fight Against Cancer
Mr. Pavelka, posing for a picture in Room
S-340.
By Chelsea Cervey
News Editor
Cancer is hard for everyone. Whither
you have it, or you know someone who
has, or you even lost someone because of
it. Cancer takes it toile on everyone it encounters. For someone who has had it, they
will easily say that their worst fear is that
it returns.
For Mr. Samuel Pavelka, science, his
worse fear became a reality in Jun. of 2012
when he felt a pain in his lower back where
his tumor was. Unsure of what it was,
Pavelka called his doctor who said it was
probably nothing. Never the less, he got it
scanned and on what was supposed to be
a fun day for his two year-old daughter,
turned into a huge nightmare.
Pavelka’s cancer, Ewing sarcoma on his
L4 vertebrae, had returned. Pavelka was to
under go twelve rounds of chemotherapy,
each round containing 10 days of chemotherapy infusions. Despite his chances of
survival, 30%, the treatment was strong
enough to shrink the cancer. After a very
risky surgery, Pavelka had his L4 vertebrae
removed.
Through the rough year, Pavelka had
many people help him and his wife, who
was pregnant with their second daughter,
and his daughter get through it. His two
daughters, Taylor and Madelyn, made him
forget how sick he was every time they
smiled at him. He had many of his fellow
teachers support him. Mr. Phil Harding,
health, would drop everything whenever
Pavelka needed him. Ms. Melissa Warning, health, and Ms. Alexa Tancil, science,
would send him positive text messages
each morning to boost his sprits. Mr. Andres Torres, English, brought his church
to the Pavelka house and put in their new
swing set and even painted his daughter’s
room pink. He also had several organizations help in various ways.
His former students helped him a lot. At
last year’s recognition assembly, Pavelka
made an appearance. He had no idea that
he would be pointed out or that he could
have the entire student body stand and
cheer for him.
“Needless to say I did not blend in to the
background. I did not know that my name
was going to be announced. When it was,
and my students stood up and cheered me
on, it felt like a dream. When you take the
year off and are in the house on the couch
for nine consecutive months, you think
that people forget about you. I was loosing
my grip and I needed my mental strength
to make it through the treatments. That
day boosted my spirits and gave me the
strength to finish the round,” Pavelka said.
Pavelka’s doctors were reluctant to allow him to return to work. Even though his
cancer was gone, he still had a long time
to go before his back was fully healed.
Despite having steel rods and screws in
his lumbar spine, having a lot of physical
therapy to under go, and having pain in his
back everyday, Pavelka couldn’t be happier to return to work.
“One of the best decisions of my life was
to go become a teacher. Being at MCHS, I
always seemed to inherit great groups of
students. They make my job much easier.
I also am lucky enough to work with an
amazing set of co-workers. I am still in
pain, but being back at MCHS is a return
to normalcy and happiness,” Pavelka said.
Pavelka also added that he was still under post-traumatic stress and talking about
his experience helps.
Designed by Will Roberts
Summer Jobs
By Samantha Magnus
Feature Photographer
What comes to your mind when you
think of summer? Do you think of swimming, sleeping, relaxing, or hanging out
with friends? Many teens think of work
and money. Junior or senior year is when
students need gas money and want more
things that parents can’t get. So, how many
students at MCHS had summer jobs?
Twenty-one Minooka students were
surveyed about their summer jobs. Some
of these jobs included babysitting, manual
labor, restaurant, clothing store, or did no
job over the summer. Forty percent did
babysitting, 24 percent did manual labor,
24 percent worked at a restaurant, 5 percent worked at a clothing store and 10 percent of students had no job.
“If I did a summer job it would have to
be babysitting and I would like to get paid
five dollars.” Rachel Schoell, junior, said.
Students need to do a job over summer
to get their own money. Their parents encourage it so they can buy their own things
and not beg or complain to their parents
for something they want. They always tell
their kids “when you have your own money then you can buy it.” Every single parent says that to their kids when they want
something that is not affordable. So with all that, students should get a
job. There is always something out there
for everyone and anyone.
Jake Joda Feature Healthy Eating
By Sarah Schimanski
Editor-In-Chief
Sarah Schimanski/PPC
Bedlam, I like that one.”
CPX is located in Joliet and contains
the ultimate experience in Paintball exFreshman year is full of new adven- citement. There are many cool themes,
tures, crossroads with new paths to choose, from the games you play, to the fields you
and long roads that lead you to your des- play on, like Armageddon, an apocalyptic
tiny. For Jake Joda, freshmen, this is a time town’s ruins of dozens of burned out buildto really see where
ings creating the eehe wants to go in furiest of landscapes.
ture endeavors.
Or the Jungle of
Joda really enDoom where the
joys fishing, and
objective becomes
is currently on the
finding a golden idol
MAC team. This is
inside an ancient
the first time he has
Aztec Temple. Then
done any kind of
there’s The Town of
fishing competition.
Bedlam, Illinois, by
“I’ve been fishfar the most exhilaing since I was three
rating playing field
years old,” Joda
ever created. The
said. “Me and my
two-story, millionfriend, Duke Hill,
dollar,
10-block
always go out.”
town is complete in
The MAC club
every detail.
starts off by having
Joda is most paslittle tournaments
sionate about basebetween all the Jake Joda stands holding one of his prized
ball though. He
member of Minoo- baseball trophies.
plays for the Troy
ka. This then leads
Titans as a catcher.
to the top eight
This is where he met
qualify for a place in the sectional tourna- one of his role models, Turner Washington.
ment.
Washington played for Alabama A&M
“Last weekend we played in a bass tour- also as a catcher.
nament and I really enjoyed it,” Joda said.
“I would love to play college baseball,”
He enjoys a relaxing time by the pond, said Joda. “I know I want to go to Northern
but also the fast past game of paintballing. Illinois.”
“A bunch of buddies and I go to CPX to
Joda wants to be a electrical engineer
battle against one another,” said Joda. just like his dad, Brad Joda. Brad now
“There are a whole bunch of fields. Then, works for ComEd and Jake would love to
there is this one field called the Town of follow in his father’s footsteps.
By John Anians
Feature Editor
Eating healthy is one of those things
that people often talk about doing, but
don’t necessarily stick to their plans. Or, if
you do, it’s commonly done in a way that
people believe is healthy, but is causing
more harm than good.
“Setting lifelong goals, like getting
healthier and losing weight, can sometimes feel a bit daunting. However, take
a deep breath and remember – the actions
you need to take on a daily basis can most
likely be boiled down into a few simple,
easy-to-remember steps,” said Dr. Oz from
an article on www.doctoroz.com.
As cliché as it would be for me to tell
you to “eat your fruits and veggies”, it is
still recommended by most doctors to do
so.
“In general, the more closely your food
resembles a fruit or veggie, the better,”
said Oz.
If that is the case, why does our generation eat less healthy than previous generations? Now, there are actual reasons as to
why people today choose the less healthy,
more flavorful variety of foods.
Many people who are in need of dietary
improvements will continue to eat junk
food, or food high in carbohydrates, preservatives, fat and salt, even though it is
most likely deteriorating their health.
“The simple fact is that our diets have
changed radically within the last 50 years,
with great and often very harmful effects
on our health…Too much fat, too much
sugar or salt, can be and are linked directly to heart disease, cancer, obesity, and
stroke, among other killer diseases. In all,
six of the ten leading causes of death in
the United States have been linked to our
diet,” said Senator George McGovern.
The hard part to understand about this
is that everybody who does this knows that
what he or she is putting into his or her
body is unhealthy.
Well, there are three simple answers to
one huge problem: convenience, cost, and
habit. In our society, we don’t have the
time to be preparing healthy, home cooked
meals 3 times a day, and even if we do
have the time, we prefer to go with what
we are used to and what we like.
An article called ‘Small Choices, Big
Bodies: How Countless Daily Decisions
Contribute To America’s Burgeoning
Waistline’ from The Center for Consumer Freedom In 2007 said, “Obesity is not
a ‘disease’ in the traditional sense of the
word. It’s not communicable. Obesity is
a consequence of our choices. And many
of those choices are made passively, in a
comfortable but rigor-free environment.”
Millions of Americans live off of fast
food and packaged, store-bought products because of how cheap they are. Why
wouldn’t you want to get the most for your
money, right? People today sacrifice their
health to save a few bucks nowadays, and
it might be affecting us more than we think.
Most importantly, we live in a self-indulgent world. People satisfy their wants
more than their needs, and healthy eating
doesn’t seem to fall into the want category.
Of course, a cheeseburger feels good now,
“Healthy Eating” continued
on page 13
9
Features
Sept. 12, 2013
Designed by Lexi Sponseller
Taste of Joliet: great food, great music, great times
Lexi Sponseller/PPC
Good
food,
fun
games, and music. Three
things that make up the
Taste of Joliet. Many
people went to the Taste
this year to see the four
country singers that
were said to be performing. The performers that
were there were Emily Rose, Dustin Lynch,
Easton Corbin, and
Hunter Hayes.
“The Taste was a lot Maggie Rose sings her heart out on the center of the stage.
of fun, I enjoyed seeing
“I just went to hang out with people, walk
all of my friends I hadn’t gotten to see over around, and taste some good food.”
the summer,” Sydney Monroe, junior, said.
Most of the food was just like some-
thing you’d find at a carnival: corn
dog stands, funnel cakes, pizza, and
that famous lemonade everyone
loves.
The Taste has a lot of good qualities, some may be the food, it may
even be the music, or maybe just being able to be with all of your friends.
It is located in Joliet right by the
Joliet Park District. It is held every
year in June and always has a very
large turn out.
“I didn’t enjoy the Taste as much
as I did in previous years, the music
was okay, but hanging out with my
friends was what made it fun,” Jenny
Harris, senior, said.
Some like it and some do not but
either way it is a way to meet new people Dustin Lynch really focusing on the crowds
or see some old faces.
reaction of his preformance.
Lexi Sponseller/PPC
By Lexi Sponseller
Chief Photographer
Come one, come all
Three Rivers Festival, also known as Channahon Fest, features a Ferris wheel every
year. This year’s festival took place over the
weekend from Aug. 9 to Aug. 11.
“Shorewood Fest is something I look
forward to every year just because I get to
see people that I haven’t seen for a long
time,” said Kyle Swanson, senior.
“I usually go to Shorewood Fest for the
social aspect,” said Jake Smith, senior.
To adults, the fest is the perfect night
to escape from the kids and enjoy tribute
bands such as ARRA and maybe have a
drink or two while you’re at it.
The weekend festivities end with a funfilled parade that goes all through Shorewood. Acts in the parade include: marching bands from surrounding schools, a float
commemorating Miss Shorewood, and
mixed martial arts demonstrations.
So if you’re looking to ride the notorious carnival rides, or just wanting to sit and
talk with friends from school, Shorewood
Fest satisfies needs for everyone.
Small town get-together
The view from many locals windows of the Shorewood Fest.
By Jacob Lopez
Copy Editor
The annual Three Rivers Festival, also
known as Channahon Fest, was a real blast
this year for returning and new attendees.
“I’ve never gone before, and I thought
it was really fun with the rides. And my
favorite part was when I won a fishy. His
name is Sharkbait Uhahah,” Brianna Walter, senior.
Many rides returned this year, such as
the Pharaoh’s Fury, the Himalaya, and the
Ferris Wheel. There were also traditional
carnival games, such as dart balloons and
Lucky Ducks, but perhaps the most celebrated is the fish bowl game.
“It was my first year. I rode a lot of great
rides, and I won a hermit crab. It was the
most exciting thing in my life. I’d definitely go again,” said Alicia Ruth, senior.
Festive food and drink such as candy
apples, popcorn, and corn dogs, were
served at several stands. The funnel cakes
were to die for.
Kody Block, junior, said, “It was my
first year going. I thought it was pretty fun.
They had a lot of cool rides and the food
was pretty good.”
For some, Three Rivers Festival is a
good place to just hang out and see old
friends.
“It was fun. I didn’t go on any rides.
I just played the games. I liked walking
around and seeing everyone before school
started,” said Gabe Parker, senior.
Officer Potts (Left) and Officer Casey (right) from the Channahon Police Department enjoys a snack while on duty at Three Rivers Fest
on Aug. 10.
Jacob Lopez/PPC
It’s that time of year again. Summer is
winding down and you want to make the
most of every last day. A great way to end
summer with a bang is to attend Shorewood’s very own Crossroads Fest, or as
most of you know it, Shorewood Fest.
The fest means many different things
to many different people. To younger kids,
it’s a night to ride exhilarating rides and
play on the edge of your seat carnival
games.
“I look forward to Shorewood Fest every year because of the funnel cakes,” said
Giacomo Raimondi, senior.
To teenagers, it’s a great night to meet
up with friends you haven’t seen all summer and enjoy each other’s company.
mymclife.com
By Brennan Pagel
Chief of Broadcasting
10
Sept. 12, 2013
Arts & Entertainment
Designed by Alyssa Aspan
Summer of sequels
So far this year, the 2013 movie industry has been filling up box office with sequel after sequel. The following are all sequels released after the start of summer in
May: Hangover Part III, Iron Man 3, The
Smurfs 2, Red 2, Grown Ups 2, Despicable
Me 2, Kick-Ass 2, Percy Jackson: Sea of
Monsters, Monsters University, Cloudy
with a Chance of Meatballs 2, and Insidious Chapter 2.
Of the list, Despicable Me 2 swept the
box office. It was not only easily one of
the top sequels this year but also movie of
the summer. The movie is enjoyable for all
ages, both adults and children, keeping it
No. 1 at the box office for an entire month
after it came out on July 3. It made an estimated $404.6 million as of Aug. 21st, when
the film only cost $76 million to create.
Another sequel of the summer is Iron
Man 3. It received 7.5 stars in ratings and
made $408 million in box office as of Aug.
18th. Unlike most third sequels, it wasn’t a
disappointment at all. It was filled with action packed fight scenes and a brilliant plot
with twists that tests Tony Stark’s mettle
and every turn. It was obvious that Marvel wasn’t just dragging on the series to try
and make a quick buck like
other third movies.
The Wolverine is probably
the most talked about movie
of the summer though. The
problem is critics are questioning whether Wolverine is
a sequel or not. Even though
it has fewer mutants compared to the other movies,
the ending leaves viewers
in a questionable debate on
whether or not it is a sequel.
For those who don’t know, after the credits there is a scene
(SPOILER ALERT), that involves a character believed to be dead in a
previous another movie. Wolverine knows
he died, and questions how this is possible.
This means it has to have come after the
first and second X-Men movies. So, even
though it is not labeled as a sequel to the
other X-Men movies, we can only infer
that it is, in fact, a sequel.
Are there any sequels to look forward to
for the rest 2013? You betcha. Some sequels to keep
a sharp eye out for include:
Anchorman 2: The Legend
Continues, Thor: The Dark
World, Riddick, Machete
Kills, and The Hunger
Games: Catching Fire.
It is clear that 2013
is definitely the year for
sequels. Why is this?
Producers believe that
since the first movie did
so well, the second will
strive, which is exactly
the case this year. Returning reviews and fans of the first movies
pull in big crowds and high expectations to
see what is going to happen next.
seem as if you went back in time and were
having a look in at
the life of a young
Steve Jobs. The
second main role
in the movie is Josh
Gad, who plays
Jobs’ best friend
Steve
Wozniak.
Gad plays a believable computer nerd
and actually lost
30 pounds after the
filming of Jobs.
Jobs is a pretty
entertaining movie.
It has tension, betrayal,
enemies,
and anything else
you would expect
to find in a blockbuster. Though Jobs has a strong plot, it’s
based off a storyline that is 30 years long.
Since a movie cannot trail on for 30 years,
many parts of Steve Jobs’ life
were cut out. Jobs’ time at
Pixar, his deep involvement
in Zen Buddhism, and many
other fine details were left
out of the movie.
Jobs is overall a very
confusing movie. Even if
you read the biography on
Steve Jobs, you would still
be questioning some of
the events in the movie
that seemed thrown in at
random. I would recommend Jobs to those who
know very little about
Steve Jobs as you won’t
leave the theater knowing
that there were many better ways the movie could
have been laid out. Taking everything into
consideration, I give Jobs 3/5 stars.
By Gigi Taylor
Opinion Editor
and angels, trying desperately to find out
who she really is.
The movie was poor at best. The casting
for the main characters was fine, but the design for the supporting characters was terrible. It was made in the simplest of changes; someone had different colored hair, the
character was too old or two young, or, in
more common cases, the character simply
didn’t exist.
If you didn’t read the book, it barely
made sense; however, if you did read the
book, the movie was so far off the mark it
wasn’t worth your time. Entire characters
were cut out of the movie, family and other
relationships weren’t even given the time
of day, and the timeline had been cut up
beyond recognition.
The soundtrack was horrible. Under no
circumstance should dubstep be played for
a fight scene in the same movie that had a
Courtesy of teaser-trailer.com
By Alyssa Aspan
Editor-In-Chief
By Will Roberts
Sports Photographer
Exploring the exciting and sometimes
terrifying life of Steve Jobs, Jobs, is a fast
paced film that has been spreading its commercials anywhere commercials can be
spread.
Jobs opens up in 2001 in front of a
cheering, supportive crowd where Steve
Jobs (Ashton Kutcher) is introducing Apple’s world-changing device: the iPod. The
remainder of the movie is a long summary
of what it took for Steve Jobs to get from
a greasy college kid to the leader of one of
the strongest companies of the 21st century.
The actors that were chosen for Jobs
were given the role almost exclusively on
looks; each actor looked almost exactly
identical with their real life counterpart.
Ashton Kutcher, playing Steve Jobs, fit the
role of the crazy hippy genius quite nicely.
Throughout the movie, it really made it
Courtesy of teaser-trailer.com
Jobs isn’t doing its job
Top summer songs
By Christopher Rubio
Interactive Editor
Summer is finally ending, but the tunes
that were played at family gatherings or
the beach still remain in our heads even
back in school. These summer songs
are sure to stick for years to come, and
some probably won’t be mentioned after
2014. Artists like Robin Thicke, Pharell
Williams, and Daft Punk ended up on
Billboards most played songs this summer. Whether you hated or loved them,
the radio overplayed them.
Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” was hit
No. 1 on the charts for the most listened to
song this summer. This catchy song will
have you singing its chorus over and over.
Although controversial for its music video
and lyrics, it still catches an audience on
almost every radio station. The song features fellow R&B artist, Pharell, who also
contributed to the production of “Blurred
Lines” while rapper T.I. has a guest verse
on it. The track is definitely a rememberable one for this year.
Second on the list, is Daft Punk’s “Get
Lucky” which gained popularity since its
release in April. The electronic duo mixed
70s disco with their signature house music
and created a perfect song for the summer.
The song also features Pharell, putting
him with the top two songs for this summer.
No. 3 on the charts is “We Can’t Stop”
by Miley Cyrus. This is a Miley that fans
aren’t used to hear and it is clear in the
lyrics that she doesn’t care what anyone
thinks about her. Some people love what
the new song is bringing to Cyrus’s career,
while others just want her to go back to
the teenager she was in her Disney days.
The pop song grew popular over the
summer and stayed stuck in our heads
throughout the day. Who knows what this
will lead to in her future projects.
Even starting school, all of these songs
are still played everyday on the radio and
we even hear them in the halls. It will be a
while before they’re outplayed and we’ll
have some new music before the year
ends (we’re only hoping).
Courtesy of teaser-trailer.com
Pages vs pictures
Readers beware! Most fans of the new
series, The Mortal Instruments, were ecstatic to see their beloved series turned into
a movie, but how did it hold up? As always,
the books were better than the movies.
This PG-13 movie, directed by Harald
Zwart, begins with a day in the life of
young Clary (played by Lily Collins) a
seemingly normal girl with a best friend
named Simon (played by Robert Sheehan).
The two visit a café to watch their friend
read his terrible poetry, and decide to end
the assault on their ears and leave early.
Before they head home, however, they stop
at a club they spot on the way, where Clary
swears she saw someone murdered. One
thing leads to another, and soon Clary is
thrust into a world full of magic, monsters,
love song -lyrics and all- during a first kiss
scene that made the movie feel like a bad
chick flick.
The animation for some of the creatures
was just bad because they made the creatures so much weirder than they needed to.
The ravener, for instance, was animated as
a strange, slimy octopus-like creature with
a dog head, rather than the many-legged
alligator type creature it was described
as. This change made the animation just
strange as it tried to give what appeared to
be muscle a Jello-like quality.
The soundtrack was strange, the animation was bad, and the plot had enough
holes to make a gopher dizzy.
After everything, the book wins out. I
would have to give the movie two out of
five, and I will not be seeing this again anytime soon.
Sept. 12, 2013
Arts & Entertainment
VS
Designed by Ryan Nelli
:
ALL OVER THE PLACE
By Ryan Nelli
Editor-in-Chief
THE REAL DEAL
By Ryan Nelli
Editor-in-Chief
11
the company and console were met with
widespread hate and disapproval from
gamers. Gamers made it clear that when
they bought a game, they wanted to be
able to do what they want with it, be it
sharing the copy with a friend, reselling
it, or keeping it forever, just as they’ve always been able to. Many also disapproved
of the “always-online” policy because not
all gamers have an Internet connection
and therefore would not be able to use the
Xbox One.
While the consoles are clearly different, they do hold some important factors
that are the same. Neither console has restrictions on used games or game sharing.
Microsoft has changed their previous policies due to the mass hate. Both consoles
Courtesy of http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/
in second place.
One big argument that caused PS3 and
Xbox 360 fans to butt heads was the graphWith all the talk about next-gen conics. Even though Sony won that battle in
soles and which is better, many people
the current generation of consoles, how
are unsure of which to buy, the Xbox One
will their new console perform compared
or the PlayStation 4. Rumors are floating
to the Xbox One? The PS4’s RAM is a
around like crazy, and the speculation is
high-bandwidth GDDR5 while the Xbox
so out of control that people don’t know
One’s RAM is the more common DDR3.
what’s true and what’s not. Here’s what’s
The debate over which controller is
really up:
better is a is a never-ending battle, mainly
First of all, Xbox Gold is still $60/year
due Xbox 360 and PS3 users having perand required to play online. However, if
manent preferences toward their console
you want to play your games online on
and the way they use it. New additions for
your PS4, you now need to have a Playthe Xbox One’s controller include a modiStation Plus account which gives you acfied D-Pad and extra rumble features. As
cess to discounted prices, cloud storage,
for the PS4’s DualShock 4, it has slightly
automatic game updates, early access to
increased in size, though it doesn’t appear
game betas, free games, and
to have a size increase for most
multiplayer. The price is $50/
PS3 users to become unhappy
year and only needed for online
with the change. It also ingaming. For PS3 users planning
cludes a touchpad on the front.
on getting the PS4 though, this
As for the analog sticks, they
change is received with much
have a central divot for easier
less criticism due to the fact
gripping. The DualShock 4 also
that the PS3 didn’t charge you
possesses a color-changing
to play online like the Xbox 360
motion sensor on the top of
did. Sony has also confirmed
the controller.
The Xbox One’s 1080p Kithat you don’t need to have a
nect 2.0 is able to track up to
PlayStation Plus membership
six people at once, and have
to be able to stream video like
2GB processing data per secNetflix, Hulu Plus, or MLB TV.
ond, allowing better detection
One major innovation is the
of joints, rotation, and heartuse of a second screen. Through
beat. The PlayStation Eye will
the use of the PlayStation app
not be included with the PS4
and the Xbox SmartGlass app,
and features two 1280x800px
you’ll be able to manage your
cameras and will continue to
media and play certain compatinteract with the PS Move conible games.
trollers.
On a side note, many as- Current President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment,
One major deterrent of people
sume the Wii U is out of the Andrew House reveals the PS4.
thinking of purchasing an Xbox
race because they did not have
a conference, although it is likely that the use online cloud storage and can record One is its management. Many gamers no lonconsole will pickup within the year fol- gameplay. The Xbox One has also adapted ger trust the Microsoft due to its poor management and communication with the developlowing the release of highly anticipated a Blu-ray player.
games, just as Nintendo’s 3DS did. But for
An innovative aspect of the Xbox One ment of the Xbox One and the decisions the
the most part, Nintendo isn’t participating includes an HDMI input for your cable company has made. Throughout the developin the console war.
box. This allows for the replacement us- ment and early announcement of the console,
When it comes to E3 2013, Sony clear- ing the cable box through just the TV; Microsoft’s Xbox division has gone through
ly dominated through the announcement now you’ll be able to view your cable box many management changes. As of now, Larof their DRM free and unrestricted game- through the Xbox One, a feature the PS4 son-Green becomes head of all Microsoft
and Terry Myerson is in charge of all opsharing policies, along with their line-up does not include.
of blockbuster exclusives and indie develA majority of the internal specs for the erating systems including the Xbox One.
To most people purchasing one of the
opers. Sony Computer Entertainment of consoles are nearly identical except for
America CEO, Jack Tretton, won gamers one of the most impressive parts of the next-gen consoles though, the main deciding
over when he revealed during Sony’s press PS4: its 8GB GDDR5 RAM. To most of factors are what your preference is and what
conference that the PS4 will not require an us, all of this fancy lingo about GPU and your friends are getting. While PS4 preorders
internet connection to work, gamers will core processors doesn’t mean too much. greatly outmatch the Xbox One preorders,
be able to share their games as they please, But a lot of us have heard what RAM is. it appears that so far, many have chosen to
and a price of $399, $100 lower than the In simple terms, RAM is the console’s ca- get the PS4. Generally, if you had the Xbox
price of the Xbox One. These announce- pacity for doing stuff. So what this means 360, your first choice was the Xbox One. If
ments were followed by thunderous ap- is the PS4 has 8GB, which is a lot, but the you had the PS3, your first choice was the PS4.
plause, cheers, and praise from the audi- Xbox One has 8GB as well. So what’s the The best thing to do is to talk to your friends
ence, leaving an ear-to-ear grin on Tretton big deal? Well the PS4 has 3.5GB reserved and see what they’re getting. A lot of gamers
in one of the greatest E3 moments of all for the OS dedicating 4.5GB to the game today have friends on the opposite console, so
time.
developers. Xbox One has a guaranteed talk and find out what console you’re getting
After the announcement of the Xbox 5GB for developers and 3GB for the OS for next generation.
One’s DRM and game-sharing policies, though the use of DDR3 leaves Microsoft
APRIL 4: Microsoft creative director
Adam Orth’s tweets hint that the Xbox
One will have to have a required internet
connection along with the hash tag #dealwithit. He left the company one week later.
APRIL 10: Xbox chief product officer
Marc Whitten states that the Xbox One
will be able to support used games. Also,
the system will not come with a headset,
encouraging the use of the Kinect microphone. Xbox 360 headsets will not work on
the Xbox One.
MAY 21: Xbox One conference. Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison
and spokesperson Major Nelson reveals to
Kotaku that if your friend wants to play one
of your Xbox One games and is not signed
into your account, he or she will have to
pay a fee; the same price you paid for it.
MAY 22: Matt Booty, Microsoft general sales manager of Redmond Game Studios and Platforms, reveals to Shack News
that indie developers cannot create games
for Xbox One unless they have a publishing partner.
JUNE 6: Microsoft reveals that the
console will not support used games and
will need to check in online every 24 hours
or else it will lose the ability to play videogames.
JUNE 10: Microsoft reveals at E3 that
the Xbox One comes out in November for
$499.
JUNE 12: Don Mattrick, Microsoft
President of Interactive Entertainment
Business responds to the “always-online”
criticism: “Fortunately we have a product
for people who aren’t able to get some form
of connectivity. It’s called Xbox 360,” and
is received with more criticism. It is also
revealed that the Poland is not included in
the region-restricted online tier. CEO Marcin Iwinski says, “From my perspective,
it’s a sad situation.”
JUNE 19: Microsoft abruptly changes
their policies and states that the system no
longer requires an Internet connection, except for its initial setup. Also, the support
of used games is revealed.
JUNE 27: Microsoft is working on an
adapter for Xbox 360 headphones to work
on Xbox One.
JULY 1: Don Mattrick leaves Microsoft to be the CEO of Zynga.
JULY 3: Julie Larson-Green, Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Windows
Program Management takes over the Xbox
division of Microsoft.
JULY 11: Larson-Green becomes head
of all Microsoft and Terry Myerson is in
charge of all operating systems including
the Xbox One.
JULY 24: Microsoft states that indie
developers no longer require a publisher.
12
Arts & Entertainment
New generation of gaming ushered in at E3
Designed by G. Taylor
Sept. 12, 2013
Every summer, the Electronics Entertainment Expo
(E3) rolls around to Los Angeles. From June 11th to June
13th, technology and software took over the LA Convention Center for the biggest computer and video game trade
fair in the US. This year’s E3 was one of the biggest so far,
and it has a lot to show for it.
Microsoft took the stage first, showing off a rather impressive line-up of first party software exclusive to the
Xbox One. The first game they showed, “Ryse: Son of
Rome,” follows Marius Titus, an ancient Roman general
on “an epic tale of revenge spanning an entire lifetime.”
Gameplay will consist of melee combat and leading a legion of Roman through battles. “Ryse” is being developed
by Crytek, best known for making the “Crysis” series of
games.
“Quantum Break” was also shown during the conference, and it is being developed by Remedy Entertainment,
known for their Max Payne and Alan Wake series. First
shown at the Xbox One reveal, “Quantum Break” will follow three protagonists after they gain time-travel ability.
Not much else has been revealed, other than a Quantum
Break television show is also in production, and will be
influenced by how you play the game.
Insomniac Games, known for the Ratchet and Clank
series, also brought something new to the table: “Sunset
Overdrive” a fast-paced, “agile” first person shooter. The
game will be take place in a large, colorful, open world
filled with mutants and other hazards.
Capcom’s survival horror series Dead Rising will be
rising up the ladder with “Dead Rising 3,” but this time,
it’ll be an exclusively Xbox One experience. Featuring a
handful of survivors and hoards upon hoards of the undead, the game will have a huge open world with a grittier
tone than previous games, but it also promises the same
silly antics we’re all so used to by now.
The iconic Halo series is also getting another game.
Very little is known, as only a short trailer was shown. In
the trailer, Master Chief seems to be hiding out on a desert
planet. It was confirmed that it is part of the Reclaimer
Saga (which began with “Halo 4”), but it is not “Halo 5.”
A Halo TV show was also announced, in association with
Steven Spielberg.
Finally, perhaps the biggest announcement of the Microsoft conference was “Titanfall,” a futuristic first-person
shooter made by Respawn studios. Featuring frantic combat, players will either fight on foot or in giant, robotic
mechs in order to accomplish different team-based objectives. “Titanfall” will be exclusive to both Xbox consoles
and other Windows devices.
Sony took control the latter part of the day, and also
showed off an exciting catalogue of first-party software,
mostly for the PlayStation 4. “Knack” kicked off the presentation, the upcoming action-platformer from Sony’s
Japan Studios. Knack, the titular character, is the result of
experimenting with ancient relics. He is able to absorb different elements into his body and expand his size in order
to fight an army of Goblins. Game director Mark Cerny
has been quoted saying that the gameplay will be “like
‘Crash Bandicoot’ and ‘Katamari Damacy,’ with a touch
of ‘God of War.’” “Knack” will launch alongside the PS4
in November.
“Killzone: Shadowfall” will also be a launch title for
the PS4, set 30 years after the events of “Killzone 3.” The
Helghast and Vektan races are locked in a bitter cold war
after Helghast refugees take shelter on the planet of Vekta.
Sucker Punch Productions is also taking to the eighth
generation with a continuation of their inFamous series.
“inFamous: Second Son” is the sequel to 2010’s “inFamous 2,” where players follow Delson Rowe, a Seattle
graffiti artist. After he discovers that he has super powers
(initially, the power to control smoke) he is hunted down
by the oppressive Department of Unified Protections, as
having “conduit” abilities is illegal.
The last big exclusive that Sony announced was
“The Order: 1886,” which is being developed by Ready
at Dawn. Not much was revealed, but this third-person
action-adventure game will be set in an alternate London, where humans have been battling monsters for the
past couple of centuries. The games looks to have a very
“steampunk-y” artistic direction, being set during an industrial revolution, but it won’t be complete for another
few years.
Sony also displayed an entire library of independent
games that will be exclusive for players to download off
of the PlayStation Store. They are also looking to expand
the indie market, letting almost anyone develop for the
system.
Finally, many next-gen exclusive games will be coming
to both systems sometime in the near future. Third-party
developers stepped up and showed their stuff. Ubisoft
unveiled “Tom Clancy’s The Division,” a massive multiplayer online role-playing third-person shooter action
game. “The Division” is set in a near future New York, a
few weeks after an event called Black Friday, when a virus decimated the population and collapsed society. Players will band together online in order to fight whatever
threats appear to this already unstable world.
The free-running, first-person action platformer “Mirror’s Edge” will also be getting a long-awaited sequel.
After the first game gained a cult following in 2008, fans
wanted another game and rumors have been flying around
for years. But finally, EA’s DICE announced a sequel during E3. Players will be parkouring into the same dystopian
city as the last game, but this time around, it boasts an
open world.
DICE also announced another, even longer-awaited
sequel: “Star Wars: Battlefront (3)”. After the Battlefront
franchise missed the entire last generation and suffering from the entire Lucas Arts fiasco, fans were relived
to hear that the game was still being made. Sometime in
2015, players will be able to return to that galaxy far, far
away and wage war however they feel, be it on land, air,
or space.
And finally, one last long awaited sequel. After dancing around with prequels, interquels, and reboots, Square
Enix finally confirmed a third main entry in their Kingdom Hearts series. What is best described as Final Fantasy meets Disney, players will join Sora as he travels
through many digitally recreated Disney settings. “Kingdom Hearts 3” will serve as the final chapter of the “Dark
Seeker” saga, but it is not yet known if the series will end
here.
E3 is always a big time for the gaming community, but
this year seemed especially big with two new consoles
rolling in and an abundance of new games and revived
series. This is one E3 that’ll be hard to beat.
Games shown
(from left to right):
The Order, Killzone, Mirro’s Edge,
inFamous, Kingdom Hearts Dead
Rising 3, Ryse,
Titanfall, and Halo.
Graphic Designed
by Graham Taylor.
‘Grand Thef Auto 5’ goes Online
By Christopher Rubio
Interactive Editor
Photo from usgamer.net
the bottom doing small missions and jobs
alongside friends or players met online.
The more things you do, the more opportuOne of the most anticipated video nities open up to almost an endless supply
games of all time recently released a pre- of fun and mayhem in the online world.
view of their online gameplay and the You can buy an apartment for friends to
gaming community cannot wait to get visit, fully customize your character, and
hands on the new “Grand Theft Auto V”.
even buy a jet to fly around the entire city
With talk already spreading about GTA (visiting countries have been rumored).
being game of the year, Rockstar game Get a crew of players together and you can
developers strive to obtain just as many recreate the bank heist from the Robert De
players as the “Call of
Niro film Heat.
There is only so
Duty” franchise. With
much that Rockstar
what was previewed in
the short video, everyhas revealed shown,
thing you love about the
we can only imagine
open sandbox world is
how the actual game
being brought back as
will turn out. Grand
beautiful as ever with an
Theft Auto V is
online interactive comscheduled to release
munity that will continue
September 17, but
to grow and grow.
online wont be acTrevor, Franklin, and Micheal
Players will start from
tive until October 1.
from ‘Grand Theft Auto V.’
Photos from playstation.com, gamingbolt.com, firsthour.net, playstationgang.com, gamefaqs.com, edge-online.
com, polygon.com, highrespic.com,
and craveonline.com.
By Graham Taylor
A&E Editor
Trash Talk Trouble
By Graham Taylor
A&E Editor
Just like all other hobbies, gaming has
its own community. Gaming has its share
of “rules,” jargon, and social expectations
for when communicating with other players. One such expectation is playful banter
and harmless trash talk. Well, mostly harmless. Because of trash talk, Texas teen Justin Carter, age 19, was arrested on February
21st and spent five months in prison.
Carter was a player and fan of the popular online game “League of Legends”,
and frequented the Facebook page for the
game. Carter had gotten into an argument
with another player on the public Facebook
page. The other player supposedly called
him “crazy” and “sick in the head.” Carter
responded to the trash talk with sarcasm.
He responded to being called crazy by
saying he would “shoot up a kindergarten.” Obviously, this “joke” was chosen in
very poor taste at a very vulnerably time.
Carter ended that comment by saying “jk”
and “lol,” which mean, “just kidding” and
“laugh out loud” respectively.
The comment was reported by a Canadian woman, and Carter was arrested. He
was charged with a third degree felony for
“terroristic threats” and had his bond set at
$500,000. His sentence could have lasted
up to 10 years. However, Carter was released after spending five months behind
bars after an anonymous donor paid off his
bond.
“I think it got taken out of context, and
it’s been blown out of proportion,” Carter said to CNN. “I certainly would have
thought a lot more about what I said and
how permanent my writing - and everyone’s writing - is. People should be very,
very careful of what they say. It’s being
recorded all the time, if you say it on any
website, anywhere. And you can get in
trouble for something that’s not something
you should get in trouble for. I just want
people to be warned.”
Sept. 12, 2013
Jump
“The Race Across The Sky”
continued from page 16
13
Designed by Ryan Nelli
Recalling back to his race, he will always remember
It take a true warrior to finish an ultra marathon, es- finish line. Per my coach’s recommendation I walked in
the toughest parts which included the first part of the race pecially the Leadville 100, and it all finally sunk in when the last 20 meters of the red carpet which led to the finin the dark morning along a single track. This consisted Liberatore started to gain positivity towards the finish line. ish. It was a moment filled with emotion that I can’t even
of “somewhat dangerous maneuvers and hopping along Finding the motivation to continue on closer and closer, begin to describe. I gave a big hug to my mom with tears
roots/rocks to get pass other runners.”
in my eyes. I found out that
“The toughest parts for me was the climb up Hope
James would miss the 25
Pass. You begin the five-mile ascent at 9,200 feet and
hour belt buckle due to poor
top out at 12,600 feet. For all but the elite, this is a gruelcourse markings but even
ing hike. Many runners result to using trekking poles in
so was thrilled to finish. I
this section in attempt to save their quadriceps for the 55
would love to say it was pure
miles of the race. Every 1,000 feet you climb, you lose
guts and determination that
about 3 percent of the available oxygen.
brought me to the finish line,
And he will even remember some of the random
but it was simply following
strangest things too along the way.
the instructions of my coach
“From Hope Pass to Twin Lakes, we would pass
throughout training and relya man wearing a tutu and 10 llamas, neither of which
ing on past race experiences
were illusions.”
to bring me through.”
But it wasn’t all fun and games for Liberatore, for it
Not only was Liberatore
took all the concentration and help of his pacers to keep
and his family thrilled that
his schedule as close to perfection as possible. And runhe finished one of the toughning with his friend James, Liberatore was thankful for
est ultra marathons around,
their coach Scott Weber who reminded them along the
but his former coach was,
way whether they needed to slow down or where fine
too.
on track.
“That race is one of the
“Scott had to remind us to slow down as our intended
true tests of endurance for
arrival time was 10 minutes quicker than we anticipated.
athletes. He was prepared
Little did we know that this occurrence would become
and it was great to see it all
the trend of the day.”
pay of for him. It’s such a
They even encountered a woman a bad race oppor- Liberatore poses for a picture after the race with his mom, Tammy Liberatore, left.
great accomplishment and
tunity.
I’m proud of him,” Kevin
“We followed a runner for a few miles who was
Gummerson, track coach,
noticeably shivering so we gave her hat, gloves, and two even hitting one of the miles at a 6:40 pace, he recalls said.
garbage bags for extra layers. After the race we would find turning the corner and hearing the yelling and screaming
“I’m quite impressed with his beard growing abilities.
You know it’s a long run when you’re beard is longer at
out that she was sliding in and out of consciousness be- off into the distance.
cause of the cold, but finished nonetheless.”
“We reached the top of the hill and there it was, the the end then when you’ve started.” but it takes a toll on your health and their nutrition-lacking food based
won’t feel so good in the future. An wants.
“Healthy Eating” contin- example of this would be things like
If people can decide to cut out
Thanksgiving, Halloween, birthdays, these bad eating habits, maybe we
ued from page 8
“Softball Wins State”
and Christmas. These are all excuses can expect healthier lifestyles and
for people to overindulge and relieve personal longevity in the future.
continued from page 14
pected what she did. All season she was a pull
In the first we held them, nothing hurt. A hitter and had so many home runs on the left
two-run single from Smith and then an RBI side of the foul pole, but this time she waited
single from Melone allowed for us to jump a little bit longer. She poked that pitch on the
on top 3-0. In the second inning, St. Charles right side of that pole this time. The crowd
East bounced back tying the score 3-3. Novak went wild. What a way to end your senior seasingled in the bottom of the second to put us son.
up again 4-3.
None of us were really paying attention to
Not only did Novak have a dominant day the score, but we just 10-run ruled a team in
on the mound, but she struck St. Charles East the state championship, winning the game 14with her bat too going 4-4. In the fourth in- 3. Not only did we get our first softball state
ning she hit a two-run homer to accompany title in school history, but we broke three state
records: most runs (14), most hits (19), and
the other two runs produced.
In the fifth Larsen was at it again when she most home runs (3).
got ahold
of another
long ball
making
the score
10-3. Kelli
Holstine’s
RBI single
scored Lilek who
doubled in
the sixth.
The next
thing to
occur was
unheard
of. Rachel
May came
up to bat
with two The final score board at the end of the game.
runners
on and
all we
That is one great story I know I’ll be sharwere looking for was a hit from her. She was
ing
in years to come.
definitely a great hitter, but no one really ex-
S ports
Sept. 12, 2013
Designed by Sarah Schimanski
Softball wins state
By Sarah Schimanski
Editor-In-Chief
allowing for us to get within five. She also
returned to the mound and retired 11 of the
last 13 Lockport batters, not allowing a hit.
With the grand slam, we got our momentum back and had a seven-run sixth inning
to come back on top. It was amazing how
we pulled it together. With every swing of
the bat, from either side, our dugout was
smiling and banging on the bottoms of the
buckets that originally contained softballs,
which became our new tradition. In the mi-
Courtesy of PPC staff.
Courtesy of PPC staff.
on to Illinois State for the Super Sectional
against Normal West.
We were the underdog coming into the
super sectional. Normal West had a 31-3
All of us swarmed the field with looks
record, and we were 21-8. Although the
of pure excitement. The crowd roared so
first time through the lineup wasn’t as efloud it was ringing my ears. I was honestly
ficient as we had hoped, Coach Brown just
in another world and felt as if I was levitatkept saying six inches to the right or left is
ing amongst our huge fan section. June 8
a base hit.
was just another day to put into Minooka
In the bottom of the third Lilek pitched
softball history.
out of a bases loaded jam, which carried
Every player has a goal for an athletic
over to the top of the
season, whether it is winning conference
fourth. Novak, after
or being on the All-Area team. My team
grounding out her first
dreamt much further than that. I played
at bat, crushed a solo
right field for the Varsity Softball team, and
home run over the left
we wanted post season wins. Hopefully the
field fence. Even though
state title would come with that.
it was one run, we knew
Playing Joliet West was a blessing, after
we had broken it open
having been beaten by them and previously
and showed Normal
eliminated in the 2012 season during the
West that the Indians
regional semi-final. We got our sweet rewere here. In the fifth
venge and defeated them 9-1 allowing us
inning, Jordyn Larsen,
to advance to the regional championship.
junior, kicked it off with
The next game was a big one, when we
a triple, which produced
faced No. 1-seed Lincoln-Way East. Afa three run inning, putter many innings of being down, Mikayla
ting us up 4-0.
Melone, senior, hit a base clearing double
After that, it was
to put us up 3-1, which was enough to win
all us. We had two
a regional title.
in the sixth and two
The adrenaline was pumping going into
in the seventh to dethe Lockport game. Previously in the year
clare our victory 8-0.
we had beaten them in extra innings after
On the bus ride home
coming back from a big deficit. I knew my
coach Brown did his
team had the talent and drive to beat them.
traditional post-game
We all knew coming in that this game was
Sara Novak, senior, trots around the bases after her two-run
speech and told us we
going to require a ton of runs, as we were
homerun.
got it this far, why stop
both good hitting teams.
We came out ready to do what we raculous sixth inning, we saw three differ- now?
State was definitely the most fun I have
needed to in order to advance us one game ent Lockport pitchers.
After all was said and done, Lockport ever had. We arrived at our first hotel on
closer to the overall goal. Having the first
bats wasn’t new to us. We saw it as an op- had scored one run in the seventh, but it Thursday, but we weren’t there long due to
portunity to score first and shut down the just wasn’t enough. We came out with a gross conditions. After that, we had a certeams’ confidence early. Scoring two runs 15-14 win. Not only did we do it for our- emony with all the 3A and 4A teams.
Friday came rolling around and we were
in the first, I knew it wasn’t going to be selves, but we did it for Coach Amy Saelenough, but we really needed to hold them. ens who had gotten kicked out earlier in the all ready. York was another underdog in
the tournament with a record of 23-14. We
Unfortunately, the game doesn’t always game for arguing with an umpire.
Any victory after that would allow us to got the opportunity to bat once again, and
go as planned. The Porters jumped on our
pitching, scoring five runs in their first at- go further and break more records in Mi- produced two runs with a bomb by Kelsey
Smith, senior. York capitalized upon some
bat. Our coach, Mark Brown, decided it nooka softball history.
Revenge against Joliet West, an upset errors made defensively on our side, also
was time to put in our other pitcher Sara
Novak, senior. The results were the same, of top-seeded Lincoln-Way East, and a ri- scoring two in the bottom of the first. Then
allowing Lockport to score four in the sec- diculous comeback against Lockport, why once more in the bottom of the second, but
ond, and four in the fourth to lead the game not make our run a little more out of the that was it for the Dukes.
ordinary?
With the score 3-2 in favor of York,
13-4.
The next game in the playoffs was Larsen stepped up to the plate and hit
One thing we were told by Brown the
whole season was to loosen up and play the against our conference rival, Plainfield an opposite field three-run bomb for the
same game we had been playing since we Central. Again we were the visitors, and go ahead in the top of the sixth. Marissa
were six. We knew we had to score runs again we put up the numbers early scoring Burns, junior, had an RBI single up the
and fast. In the fifth inning, Jackie Lilek, four in the first against starter Kaleigh Na- middle to bring in the final Minooka run in
senior, cleared the bases with a grand slam gle. Caroline Brown, junior, started it off sixth, winning the game 6-3 in yet another
with a two-run double. come back fashion.
Melone and Lilek both
With all we had worked for right in front
also had RBIs. After of us, we went into the state title game
that our bats got quiet mentally and physical prepared for anyand defensively both thing. What happened that night, no one
teams were solid un- had ever imagined. We faced St. Charles
til the fifth inning. A East for the last game of the season, and,
miscommunication on of course, we wanted to be the last team
a popup allowed the with a win.
only two Plainfield
Changing things up a little, we were the
Central runs to home team. We did our pregame dance outscore.
side the dugout and the announcer shouted
Novak got Mi- our names through the microphone as alchaela Schlattman ways. After the “Star Spangled Banner,” it
to pop out to right was time to play ball.
to end the game.
“Softball wins state” conAnother
plaque was
The softball team gathers around homeplate after Rachel Mays’
awarded and we were tinued on page 13
walk off three-run homer in the championship.
Wacky
Sports
By Chelsea Cerveny
News Editor
All over the world, ready, set, go,
is used for different things. Here in
America, it is used for NASCAR drivers and jockeys on horseback to start
the race. In the rest of the world, horses and cars aren’t very popular to see
at the starting line during a race.
Throughout history, animals have
been involved in races. Horses and
camels are two amongst the animals
that race. Yes I said camels. Men
throughout the Middle East, such as
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
Australia climb on a camel’s back and
race. In Australia, the second largest
race is the Camel Cup in Alice Springs.
Racing usually involves some form
of running, but, if you’re the one person who sits on the bed during bed
races, all you have to do is cheer on
the six people pushing the bed, that is
on wheels, downhill for a couple miles
and try to figure out someway to make
sure your bed is the one to cross the
river and the finish line first in North
Yorkshire, England. The Great Grove
Bed Race will be held on Nov. 3rd of
his year in Miami.
Just like bed races, in outhouse
races, there is one person who doesn’t
have to run, but that person has to sit
inside a porta-potty, one that is cleaned
out and the door is removed. Held in
rural Washington, a team of three has
to make adjustments to a porta-potty
so it can handle going downhill at high
speeds.
Sports, just like everything else,
there’s always that one group of people who just takes it too far and makes
everything weird.
Courtesy of http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/107515
14
The Camel Cup is a big deal in the
Middle East.
Summer Olympians
By Tara Schumal
Sports Editor
The annual season of track and field
normally ends around late spring, so when
it runs into summer, it means business.
And for these four runners, it doesn’t just
stop at summer practices, it leads to a
whole new level.
Not only representing Minooka but
also Illinois at the Junior Olympics in
different parts of the US, these four
definitely got their names out. Below is a
profile of each track athlete and their bigtime experience.
Devin Ingram
Competed in: USATF Junior Olympics,
Greensboro, North Carolina
Event: 100m
Results: 40th place in the nation.
Experience: “It was rather exciting
knowing you were top in Illinois running
for Minooka. Once you got there and saw
all those people, it was shocking. People
were setting records everywhere and they
were pretty fast.”
Nerves: “I was more excited than
nervous. It all kind of changed though
when I saw the times list and where I was
ranked.”
Meaning: “It was already an
accomplishment to get there. To know you
made it this far.”
“If you have the drive to
get to that meet, you’re
the only one to hold
yourself back from your
goals.”
Advice: “Don’t make an excuse. Go there
with a fresh head. At this moment, you’re
all basically equal. Everyone’s fast. Go
out there and win.”
Shabari Bailey
Janile Rogers
Competed in: Michigan
Event: long jump, triple jump, 4x100, and
4x400
Results: 10th in long jump (needed 8th
for finals), 12th in triple jump, 4x100 with
a disqualification (“let’s not talk about
that”), and 4x400 for a win at nationals
with a time of 3:46.
Experience: “It was a really fun
experience. There was a lot more
competition and it felt good running a
400 for the first time since freshman year.
It wasn’t bad because there were always
people to push you. My 400 split was a
solid 56 too.”
Nerves: “I was very nervous. I never ran
a 400 with a team. My team consisted of
other schools like Plainfield Central and
whatnot so it was cool to run together like
that. We saw that we were ranked fourth
and Jenna Moody, from Plainfield Central
(running a fast 55 sec. 400m all season)
definitely brought up our confidence and
got us ready for our 4x400.
Meaning: “I left wanting to run again. To
know I made it this far was awesome and
I had no intention of wanting to leave.”
Advice: “I’ll just say this, you have to put
your mind to have the mindset.”
Nolan Barajas
Competed in: USATF Junior Olympics,
Greensboro North Carolina
Event: High Jump
Results: 10th overall ending up jumping
1.95m at the end
Experience: “The whole atmosphere
was not nearly what you would expect
from a normal high school track meet. It
was a lot of professional. Everywhere I
would walk I would see a track official,
police officers, newspaper journalists,
college scouts, and even various T.V.
stations like ESPN. The whole event
Photo Courtesy of Nolan Barajas
Competed in: AAU National, Eastern in
Michigan
Event: 400m hurdles and 110m hurdles
Results: 5th nationally in 400m hurdles
and 12th overall in 110m hurdles.
Experience: “It was such a huge
opportunity. One of the biggest stages I’ve
ever been on it and it felt awesome.”
Nerves: “I actually wasn’t too nervous. I
was more ready to run than anything and
hyped to perform well.”
Meaning: “I had a personal record in both
my events so after running two years this
was an awesome drive.”
Advice: “Just enjoy it. Enjoy the great
experience in front of the crowd. And if
you’re nervous just know that everyone
is. Just relax, this shouldn’t be stressful.
You’ve done the work already.”
Nolan Barajas, junior, clears the bar for high jump
was extremely professional but also very
strict. In all it was a great experience to be
there.”
Nerves: “The only time I got nervous
was the ride from my hotel to the track on
my event day, but once I stepped into the
stadium all of my fears melted away and
I knew I had to step it up if I even wanted
a shot at all-American. After all I was
ranked 15th going in and needed to take
another 7 places.”
Meaning: “This was a major
accomplishment to me. My first year
of track in 8th grade the coach got me
interested in high jump. That year I
missed state by 2 inches. Then freshman
year I started to get a little more serious
and improved from a 5’4” jump to a 5’10”
jump, again I missed sectionals because
I wasn’t good enough. Now last track
season as a sophomore I improved yet
again to a 6’2” jump and I was ranked
about 19th in only our state. That summer
though, I was determined to get better and
I went out for the summer league track
and field games. I took third in both the
sanction and regional meet for USATF
and took first in the national qualifier
for AAU. I have now increased to my
personal record 6’5” (in practice) and took
10th at both the AAUs and USATF Junior
Olympics which is a national meet. It’s a
great feeling knowing I’m ranked 2nd in
our state from those meets.
“If you truly want to
be great and have the
desire to get better and
be able to compete in
not only high school
meets but make it to
National meets, then
you can’t slack off. I’m
out on the track every
week day training to
get better while my
competitors sit around
and party with friends.”
Advice: I have an extremely strict diet to
help my body perform at levels I never
believed possible. The best advice to give
someone who wants it bad enough is to
never quit. The pain you feel when you’re
working hard is just a reminder that you
aren’t working hard enough. Your desire
to not step on the track and just go home
and sleep is just your competitors letting
you know they are better than you. You
have to push through every emotion and
keep going no matter how bad you just
want to collapse and quit. The results you
get will outweigh any negative outcomes
you’ve ever had in your previous track
career.”
Designed by John Anians
New Year,
New Goals
Brock Whalen, Right Tackle, #71
Scott Schimanski, Left Tackle, #51
William Roberts/Copy Editor
S ports
Sept. 12, 2013
15
By William Roberts
Copy Editor
With fall sports building up, athletes are preparing for successful
seasons. If you drive past Central
Campus after school, you will see
the teams out working their tails off
preparing for their upcoming seasons.
With practices even during the summer, these athletes have committed
themselves to making this season the
best season yet. Here are some goals
of athletes for their fall sport:
Gabe Ceballos, junior
cross-country:
Season Goal: “My goal this year is to
get under 16:30 and to push myself to
be the best I can be.”
Previous Season: “By the time the
season ended last year, I improved a
lot.”
Andrew Highbaugh, junior
hockey
Season Goal: “Try not to get suspended from penalties.”
Previous Season: “It was off to a slow
start at the beginning, but I got progressively better.”
Dustin Hadley, senior
football
Season Goal: “Beat Morris and compete.”
Previous Season: “I didn’t play, but I
got better.”
Elijah Atkinson, junior
soccer
Season Goal: “Make it to state.”
Previous Season: “Last year’s season
was average.”
Blake Herzberger, sophomore
golf
Season Goal: “My goals are to shoot
in the low 40s and keep it consistent
throughout the season and have fun
doing the sport I love.”
Previous Season: “I shot in the low to
mid 50s, so not so well.”
With many of these sports’ top athletes
gone from graduation, the remaining
athletes are stepping up in order to fill
their shoes. MCHS has always been
doing great things in their sports programs and will continue for the future.
16
S ports
Sept. 12, 2013
Designed by Tara Schumal
The Race Across The Sky
“You are better than you think you are,
and you can do more than you think you
can” is the Leadville 100 Motto.
More than 12 months of training and
anticipation later, with a total of 2,500
miles and around 425 hours in, Ray Liberatore, proved that quote. It was all about
the training and mental effort.
When the gun went off at 4 a.m. on
Sat., Aug. 17th, he knew what he wanted.
Amongst the other 1000 runners, he wanted more than anything to take down the
paved, dirt, and single-track roads and to
climb 16,000 ft in and out in a course of
high altitude. Located in Leadville, Colo.,
Courtesy of Ray Liberatore
By Tara Schumal
Sports Editor
Liberatore passes another checkpoint as he
takes on more miles.
the former MCHS 800 meter runner, Liberatore, wanted to finish in under 30 hours.
He wanted to conquer one of the biggest
marathons itself, the Leadville 100.
The Leadville 100 isn’t your normal
marathon itself. It’s considered one of the
hardest ultra marathons. Consisting of 100
miles uphill, the Leadville 100 has a few
checkpoints to make sure you’re set on
staying hydrated.
But for Liberatore, it was the ultra he’s
been waiting for all year long, and he
couldn’t have been happier about his finish.
He was with the total of 52 percent of
runners who would actually finish this
race. Finishing with a time of 25 hours and
56 minutes, he had hit his goal under the
tough terrain.
And the race itself was anything but
easy.
“At 12,000 ft, every breath you take
brings in only two thirds of the amount of
oxygen that you would take in at sea level,” Liberatore said.
Having to battle through a majority of
the race like this, the degree of temperature
would feel about 10 degrees warmer and
the UV radiation was 35 to 50% more intense. Thankfully, Liberatore found mountain streams along the way.
“I didn’t hesitate to splash some water
on my face at all.”
“Race Across The Sky”
continued on page 13
Fall Sports Updates
All statistics below are as of Thursday Sept. 5
Boys Cross Country
Boys Golf
Results: Normal West Invitational-2nd Place
Athlete: For goals this year, it’s our team advancing to sectionals and even a few more to state. As a team, so far we
are looking good. We’re a deep team and I see a lot of kids
who can play well,” Kent Hudson, junior, said.
Coach: Our goals this season are conference champions
at all levels a most importantly for the boys to qualify for
state. I’m looking forward to watching these guys realize
that they can run together and become a dangerous team.
The potential is there, they just need to figure out how to
dig deep and use it to their advantage,” assistant coach,
Nick Lundin said.
Girls Golf
Athlete: We’re doing great and improving each and every
day. I’m looking forward to our goals for a conference, sectionals, and regionals win,” Brendan McGrath, junior, said.
Athlete: “Sadly, I’m currently recovering from an injury,
but my team’s goals were to win conference and work hard
each and every day,” Emily Knaub, junior, said.
Girls Cross Country
Girls Tennis:
Results: Normal West Invitational-1st Place
Coach: “This was a great start to the 2013 Cross Country
Season. The girls team looked great as they placed seven in
the top twenty. We now need to get back to work and keep
improving each and every meet,” Kevin Gummerson, head
coach, said.
Athlete: “I really just want to see everyone out there racing. Being injured and sitting out made me realize what a
gift we all have that we tend to take for granted the ability
to just run. So I want an injury free team. I also want all
groups to win their conference and I expect to see another
trip down in Peoria (state) this November. And I really believe this girls team can have seven girls under 18:30 (for 3
miles) this season. I’m excited to see what everyone can do.
I’m super thrilled to see not only what our verterans can
accomplish but all the freshman and rookies out there this
year. I love watching how far kids come from start to finish.
It’s just incredible,” Haley Renison, senior, said.
Football
Overall Record: 1-0
Coach: “We’re focusing on achieving our potential. I have
all positive thoughts. We had a good start with the win over
Morris. Our goal this season is to go 1-0 each week,” Paul
Forysthe, head coach, said.
Athlete: “Our goals this year are trying to get to and through
the playoffs. We have a lot of potential we should use. I’m
looking forward to working hard and succeeding with my
teammates,” Josh Bouie, junior, said.
Overall Record: 3-0
Coach: “The girls tennis team is off to a great start. Our
goal for the season is to place higher in our conference
tournament that we did last year. The outlook is good.
Last year, we took 4th place. I’m confident that the girls
will come though. They are improving and getting stronger everyday. And, as always, we strive to beat our rival
team Oswego!” Jessica Carter, head coach, said.
Athlete: “It’s the best start a season that we’ve had in a while.
I’m looking forward to us winning as many games as we
can and doing well in tournaments. This team has great
potential,” Lily Benig, junior, said.
we have the talent and leadership to be a competitive team
this season. We really want to make a name for ourselves
here in Minooka. We want people to think about soccer
too and the way this program is heading, it looks like we’re
getting closer to our goal. What I’m looking forward to
the most this season is having fun with my teammates. We
have a great group of guys that are fun to be around and
we really have a good time. I’m also looking forward to finishing my high school career with hopefully some playoff
wins. Again our record isn’t that great but we have a lot of
young players that are getting better each and every day
and I think come playoff time we will be a force to reckon
with and that should be fun to watch,” Mauro Medina, senior, said.
Girls Swimming
Athlete: “The team this year works really well together. I’m
looking forward to learning with them and meeting the
new freshman. The more I know my team, the more we
work well as a family almost. It builds up our confidence.
Our goals this year are just to be ready and drop our times.
Personally, I’m currently trying to drop my 100 meter
backstroke time,” Makenzi Claasen, junior, said.
Girls Volleyball:
Overall Record: 0-2
Boys Soccer
Overall Record: 1-3-1
Coach: “When you get a group of guys like this, things are
special. They’re fun to be around, they strive to improve
everyday and success is in their future. We took a giant step
tonight (9/5) scoring two goals in the second half to pull
out a tie against Riverside Brookfield. That team I saw in
the second half tonight is the team I envisioned competing
this season. I’m most looking forward to the growth and
success that we will find this season. We’ll find the right
mix of players to take us where we need to go. After winning a regional with the girls, I’ve placed that thought and
more in the minds of the players. It’s a special thing to win
in the playoffs and if we put in the time and work, we’ll
satisfied,” Chris Brolley, head coach, said.
Athlete: “Our overall team goal is to make it as far as possible into the playoffs and have a winning season. I believe
Coach: “We have high hopes for the season. Our goal every year is to win our conference (We finished second last
year.) and our regional. We would like to add a sectional
title as well. It will be tough in conference because Plainfield North is loaded, and there are some dynamite young,
new players at some of the Plainfield schools. Still, we have
quite a bit of talent, too. Skyler Day and Jessica Karalow
are both in their third year on varsity. Natalie Yard, Brenna Perinar, Gabriella Shepherd, Ginger Perinar, and Kelly
Clucas all gained valuable experience last season and are
much improved this year. They know what the expectations are at the varsity level, which will help them bring
along our newcomers,” head coach, Chris Hoelscher, said.
Athlete: “I think our team is looking great so far. We all
encourage each other and work well with each other. My
goals would be to win conference and I’m looking forward
to spending these next few months with my teammates.
They’re great and I can’t wait to accomplish our team goals
together,” Tara Pentoney, junior, said.