February 8, 2006 - Minooka Community High School District #111

Chatter
Peace Pipe
February 8, 2006
Vol. 91, Edition 9
Jazz
Band
Golden Globe
Awards
Spring Sports
Preview
Page 4
Page 7
Page 8
Page 11
Tardy sweeps here to stay
Students tardiness on a downfall
____________________________
Toni Bryant
PPC Photo Editor
There are numerous students
late to class everyday for many
reasons ranging from the car not
working to the hallways being to
congested. So the school officials
came up with the pink pass system,
also known as tardy sweeps.
The tardy sweep was put into
place to lower the number of
students late into school. Parapros
are placed at the end of hallways
to give out the bright pink passes.
Students are required to have their
IDs to get the pink passes from the
parapros. Teachers are not allowed
to let students into their first hour
classes without a pink pass or a
pass from another teacher. The
passes work just like the tardy
policy stated in the handbook:
the first one is a warning and the
second one is a detention. The
passes started just for first hour,
and have now become in effect for
do, they make me want to go to
class, so I guess the passes are
a good idea,” said Sam Surges,
sophomore.
The pink passes are handed out by the parapros at the end of
each hallway to everyone late to classes first and second hour.
Photo taken by Toni Bryant, Photo Editor
second hour also.
The school officials are working
toward making the sweeps
throughout the whole day.
“Since I do not want to get any
more detentions then I already
________________________________
Eric Reynolds
PPC A&E Editor
This past summer, The WB and
executive producer Ashton Kutcher
introduced a reality show called “Beauty
and the Geek.” Now, Joe Block, a 23year-old speed chess champion from the
Minooka-Shorewood area, is a “Geek”
on the second season of the show.
Take eight self-proclaimed “Beauties”
and put them in a house with eight
“Geeks.” Then, take eight pairs, each
pair containing one “Beauty” and one
“Geek,” and have them learn from each
other through a series of challenges.
While the “Beauties” are given questions
about the economy and politics, the
“Geeks” are given questions about
celebrity relationships and popular
music. As with most of today’s reality
shows, the end result of the show is in no
way supposed to negatively affect any of
its contestants, but rather, benefit them.
As the distinctly different groups live in
the house, they would learn from others,
Some
students think
the
passes may actually be making
them later to class.
“I think the passes make you
later to class because you have to
and also about themselves. The show
became wildly popular, and on Jan. 12,
the WB premiered its second season of
its new hit reality show, Beauty and the
Geek 2.
“I initially heard about the show while
watching a Cubs game,” said Block. “I
actually think I might have seen some
things about it online too. I went to the
open casting call and actually made it
past the first round by beating Richard
from Season 1 at a game of speed chess.
I heard that there were around 200,000
applicants, so to be one of the eight
‘geeks’ was great. I honestly didn’t think
I was going to be picked, but once I found
out I was, it was a great feeling.”
After the application process, the
taping of the show finally occurred
during October. For about a month, the
“beauties” and “geeks” lived in the house
together.
“Upon entering the house, everyone
was nervous. I was nervous about seeing
the other guys and just not knowing what
to expect,” Block said.
After all, Block was entering the realm
stand and wait to get the pass, so
instead of being a minute late, you
are 10 minutes late,” said Marissa
Munoz, sophomore.
With having more than 1,800
students in a school built to hold
1,500 students, the school has to
think of plans to make the school
run smooth, such as the split
scheduling and now the tardy
sweeps.
“The pink passes are a great
idea because it is cutting down the
amount of students that are tardy
to class,” said Allison Beasley,
parapro.
“It is also better for teachers
because they do not have to deal
with the tardies and the deans
office does,” said Beasley.
All in all, the pink passes are
just another thing to keep the
school running smoothly.
that is reality television, and his entire
stay at the house would be videotaped.
“There was not acting; everyone was
very honest about themselves. I decided
to be very open and genuine in order
to get something out of the experience.
Acting wouldn’t have benefited me in any
way, so I approached in that light. I never
thought that any of the other contestants
were lost causes either. I never once had
anything bad to say about any of the
people on the show with me,” he said.
Despite the initial feeling, the
experience ahead of Block was much less
intimidating than the “geeks” perceived
it to be.
“I really got along with Wes the most,”
said Block, “but I also liked my partner,
Brittany. She was very cooperative and
“GEEK” Continued
on page 10
Local Geek
Minooka Community High School
Relying on the
Internet
Meets Beauty
2
Peace Pipe Chatter
School News
Leave
of
absence
The personal experience from
a student who did not let the
school rumors affect her
___________________________
Krystal Moya
PPC Features Editor
A letter that was sent home
with students on Wednesday, Jan.
18, read, “Late last week, a rumor
began circulating regarding a
situation that indicated potential
harm coming to MCHS students
and staff. During this investigation
a threat written in graffiti
appeared in a student bathroom.”
The rumors had already begun
to fly that Friday, Jan. 20,
was the day this “potential
harm” was supposed to
appear. As a student of
MCHS, I had heard my
fair share of rumors,
and personally I knew
the idea of Friday being
Doomsday for MCHS
was stomping over the
line of ridiculous. Idea in
hand, I had no doubt that
I would attend school on Friday.
Morning: I drove my turquoise
cavalier into the parking lot music
blaring and heat cranked, same as
any other day at school. My sister,
sophomore at MCHS, had decided
to stay home. I on the other hand,
had a test in Economics first hour
and no time to spare to make it up.
Nonetheless, I thought nothing
abnormal about coming to school
on Friday; it was just another
day. I grabbed my books from
the back of my car and headed in
between the trailers to enter the
school. Suddenly, I was awakened
from my coma-like routine by a
gentleman in police attire; “To
the auditorium,” he told me, and
suddenly I realized how different
the day was going to be.
I walked into the first sea of
people, and the last, I would see all
day. I looked around and saw the
deans searching people’s bags up
ahead. Some students had handheld metal detectors passed over
their bodies. Some people were
laughing, others were just staring
into the line ahead, vacant. “I hope
they find the metal plate in my
head,” I joked about the detectors.
Finally, my turn came. It was
painless.
I walked into the void that
the school had become and was
since a week before. However,
there were two rumors-- neither
that were factually based-- that had
penetrated my armor that comes
with being a senior in high school.
The first was that the incident
would happen at 1:20 p.m.
(coincidently the date). More
frightening still was a second
rumor that it would happen during
the lunch hours.
Lunch: The bell sounded, two
lunch periods had been completed
with no sign of danger. In my
head, my thoughts
conflicted
with
each other. I had
unsoundly reached
a decision that
my
fears
over
hapless
rumors
were unwarranted.
But, the media
attention
that
the school was
receiving
had
made many who had reached
the same decision doubt them.
I walked into the line and
everything seemed to be accounted
for, all the lunch ladies, all the
officers, but awkwardly little to no
students compared to the regular
amount that usually crowded
the round tables that grace the
linoleum floors. The time passed
talking about a fellow senior’s,
Brett Winters, appearance on the
news.
The day’s end: Nothing
happened. It was a rumor. A
hapless rumor raging out of
control and penetrating the heads
of usually sound of mind people.
The experience was… well
nothing short of what I expected: a
completely uneventful day.
“The stationed security guards stood as
an ominous reminder
of why so many students were absent.”
approached by my counselor, Mr.
Stan Tischer, and he said to get
to class. It was strangely pleasant
to walk the hallways freely in a
passing period. I made it to class
and ten students were missing.
Attendance would continue to
dwindle as the day went on. The
class passed by effortlessly.
Second hour: I walked to my
second hour class, once again
in a strange ecstasy about the
flow of the halls. However, the
stationed security guards stood as
an ominous reminder of why so
many students were absent. Four
people, including myself, showed
up to my second hour class. Third
hour had eight.
The day was filled with awkward
jokes about the rumors that have
been flying throughout the school
February 8, 2006
Peace Pipe Chatter
Minooka Community High School
301 S. Wabena Avenue
Minooka, IL 60447
(815) 467-2140 Voicemail: ext. 264
[email protected]
Co-Editors-in-Chief:
Zach Pisut and Kelly Hernandez
Managing Editor:
Jessica Dumas
Front Page Editors:
Chandell Pet and Cassie Carlson
Features Editors:
Krystal Moya and Angie Wiatrowski
Sports Editors:
Jeff Beguin and Julie Schenck
News Editors:
Brittany Pendry and Erin Engel
Arts & Entertainment Editors:
Eric Reynolds and Jessica Pieszchala
Copy Editors:
Chandell Pet and Taylor Bowen
Photo Editors:
Toni Bryant and Mike Speek
Secretary/Business Manager:
Stacy Kelley
Advisors:
Mr. Matt Thomas and Mrs. Julia Riedmaier
Staff Writers:
Nick Condotti Steven Kelly
Kristen Neville
Jessica Larkin
Journalism I
Amanda Alexander
Angela Mateo
Anna Bertrand
Megan McEvilly
Rocco DeCristofaro
Zachary Meyer
Tommy Fincher
Caitlin Oretelli
Brandon Johnson
Allison Papp
Michael Kashuda
Mark Photakis
Lauren Keers
Sarah Silverman
Ryan Kelley
Michelle Speckman
Samantha Kelley
Carissa Weyer
Ryan Kelsey
Colin Whittle
Kristi Lawrence
Submission Policy:
The Peace Pipe Chatter strongly encourages suggestions and/
or responses to material printed on its pages. Letters to the Editor should
be submitted to Mr. Thomas’s mailbox or to a Peace Pipe Chatter editor.
While submission does not guarantee publication, PPC staff
members will do their best to respond to all admissions. Submissions
will not be returned. All submissions are subject to editing and will
not be printed if they are considered to be inappropriate. They must be
signed but may be printed anonymously upon request.
Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/KRT
Campus High School Newspaper Sevice.
Editorials
Peace Pipe Chatter
Focus!
Why students do and don’t
apply themselves
___________________________
Taylor Bowen
PPC Staff Writer
with friends, or a variety of other
random things.
Instead of telling these people
to give up these things completely,
and telling them that they should
spend all their time working, I
think this would be much better.
Do you apply yourself at
school? I mean, truly. Think about
it. Do you actually put forth an
effort and try to do well
in school? At MCHS a
vast majority of students
don’t actually put their
best foot foreword
and just think they can
breeze through high
school doing nothing.
At the beginning of
a class do you tend to
see people huddled in a
group copying answers
from each other or one
select person? Why is
that? Why can’t they all
Many students manage their study
do the work that they are
time by utilizing review time,
supposed to like that one
like junior Paige Carson during English.
person? Laziness is the
answer.
Instead of doing homework
like students here are suppose to, These somewhat lazy people can
they talk on the phone for hours, take it from me that they don’t
play video games, party, watch have to give up these things to
TV, go to the mall, hang out get good grades and do their
homework. Instead, manage your
time. When you get home, eat
something to refresh yourself
and get some energy. Maybe
watch a half an hour of TV or call
someone. After that half an hour,
crack down on the homework and
finish as much as you can
without help. After you are
done you get the rest of your
day to hang out, go places,
and so on.
Just because you have
homework doesn’t mean you
have to give up on all the fun
things you do. So instead
of telling yourself that you
aren’t going to do your
homework because then you
will not have a social life,
think of it this way.
If you do your homework
now, graduate high school,
get into a good college, and
make good money because
of that, then you will have
enough money to party like a
rockstar every weekend, go places
with your friends, buy yourself
things, and have more fun. So do
your homework now, party later.
Letter to the editor in response to
“America the Great”
In Brittany Pendry’s political
and social critique editorial
(Jan. 18) “America the Great,”
she states, “They have all died
fighting for something they
believe in.” Though this may be
true for some, has she ever heard
of the draft? Or is something like
that too harsh for her, because it
upsets the “perfect” history of
America that is going through
her mind?
The article is about the War in
Iraq, and she says that if “Osama
was able to get us once” he could
do it again. Wasn’t Osama from
Afghanistan? Correct me if I’m
wrong, but her article was about
Iraq, not Afghanistan.
Or “the government of Iraq
was in shambles”? Iraq had a
dictatorship, last time I checked,
that was indeed a form of
government. It’s certainly not the
best form of government, but it is
one nonetheless.
- Sam Nabor, sophomore
Editor’s note: Osama bin Laden
was born in Saudi Arabia in
1957. He left for Afghanistan
in 1979 to help fight against the
invasion of the Soviet Union.
He returned to Saudi Arabia in
1989, but left for Sudan in 1991.
He was expelled by the Saudi
government in 1994. He lived in
Sudan until he was expelled from
that country in 1996. He returned
to Afghanistan, where the last
reports have him still living.
February 8, 2006
3
Boys, Boys, Boys
How old is too old?
___________________________
Jessica Larkin
PPC Staff Writer
Back in the early 1900s, women
chose men for money and security
rather than for love. While we may
think that lifestyle from that time
has ceased, in all honesty, it is still
around, if only partially.
People of all sexes and ages tend
to socialize with people of certain
ages. Age to most, is almost like
a quality. If they are not the right
age, there is no interest beyond a
hello. Even as we walk down the
hallways of MCHS, this trend is
taking over. Girls seem to be more
effected by the age than the boys.
Girls tend to be choosing older
boys over younger guys and ones
their own age. It is not necessarily
a pick and choose situation, it
seems girls are more interested in
older guys.
Many believe security and
maturity play a major part in
relationships.
“One part is that older guys have
more maturity, and they think more
about serious relationships,” said
Danielle Drummond, sophomore.
Rhiannon Honiotes, sophomore,
believes that the maturity has to be
at a level to where the boy has a
better opinion and knowledge of
relationships. “It seems older guys
know more about how they feel
and what they want. And that’s
exactly what I want,” she said.
To some, the maturity and
security level of a guy’s personality
isn’t always a key part in the
attractiveness of a female.
“Dating older guys makes it so
much easier because they have a
car, so we can actually go out and
hang out more than if they didn’t.
Just in the run long, it seems that
relationships with older guys last
longer,” said Samantha Quiram,
sophomore.
One problem that girls,
even at MCHS, face when dating
an older guy is their parents. More
times than not, they believe an
older guy has more influence on
a girl than a one her own age. It
always seems to be a problem with
parents when a girl dates an older
boy.
“Your parents approve
more than a younger guy than an
older guy, but when I talk to older
guys, age isn’t even an issue until
later on,” said Krystin Smith,
sophomore.
Boys, however, don’t
seem to have the same tastes in age
as girls.
“I really don’t care how
old the person is as long as they
care about me,” said Kyle Gleason,
sophomore. Some have no problem
admitting to dating older girl’s.
“Dating older girls is OK because
it doesn’t really matter their age,
as long as you like them,” said
Alex Coleman, freshman.
A few girls even admit
to staying with an older boy not
only for maturity, but other things,
“They feel more protective because
if someone knows they are dating
an older guy they won’t intimidate
them or harass them in anyway,”
said Jacy Moriarty, sophomore.
It is said that a girl who
grew up with a distant father, will
tend to be drawn towards older
boys. Is this necessarily true? I
don’t really know but I do believe
that there is truth in the saying. As
we know, lots of girls are insecure
about many things, and show
more of their emotions in public
than boys do. Possibly the real
reason behind why girls tend to
choose older boys is simple, girls
mature faster than boys. So when
a girl is ready for a real, serious
relationship, a boy won’t be ready
to commit for a few more years.
News
Peace Pipe Chatter
February 8, 2006
Patriot Acts up for renewal
__________________________
Jessica Pieszchala
PPC A&E Editor
Since Sept. 11, 2001, this
country has been fighting a war
on terrorism. Many acts have
come out of this war, as well as
deaths, and probably the most
patriotism this country has seen
in decades.
The concern for U.S. safety
has risen to a point where some
acts are putting freedoms promised in the Constitution at risk.
Some are willing to risk the lack
of privacy and certain freedoms
for the end of terrorism while
others are not in agreement with
the terms laid down by the Patriot
Act that was to be renewed on
February 3.
On October 26, 2001, Congress laid down the terms of the
Patriot Act. Many know the basic
terms of it are to give the FBI the
grounds to search (without the
standard, court-ordered warrant)
anyone that is suspected to be a
Are students willing to give
not “above the law,” as some
terrorist. This searching includes
up these rights? Do students
reporters have put it.
wire-tapping, internet tracking,
think George Bush and Congress
“I do not believe he [the presiand
dent] is
What the Patriot Act Entails
searchabove
ing the
the
sus- Condemns discrimination against Mulsims & Arabs law,”
pect’s
said
belongsopho- Enhances surveillance procedures
ings.
more
Also, a
Vince
Aguilar,
coun- Employs translators for FBI
“Whatterterever
rorism
- Adds four more district court judges
hapfund
pened to
was
- Sets up counter terrorism fund
checks
setup.
and
Basibalances
cally,
- Protects the U.S. Northern Border
in this
all 1016
counsections
try?”
of the Patriot Act are written to
should be able to act on suspiAccording to a poll on cnn.
fight terrorism.
cion?
com, in 2003, 48% thought the
However, the Foreign Intel“I’m not worried about it. I
restrictions were “about right”
ligence Surveillance Act of 1978
shouldn’t be talking about terroras compared to 40% now. Also,
requires that eavesdropping on
ism on the phone anyways,” said
in 2003, 28% felt the restrictions
U.S. citizens on American ground Nick Gibson, freshman.
had “gone too far” compared to
must have a warrant.
Many think the president is
Did you know that...
- President Theodore Roosevelt
was the first to announce to the
world that Maxwell House coffee
is “Good to the last drop.”
- Julius Caesar was self-conscious about his receding hairline.
- George Washington was
deathly afraid of being buried
alive. After he died, he wanted to
be laid out for three days just to
make sure he was dead.
- Roosevelt was the most
superstitious president—he traveled continually but never left on
a Friday. He also would not sit at
the same table that held thirteen
other people.
- When the Hoovers did not
want to be overheard by White
House guests, they spoke to each
other in Chinese.
laration of Independence who
actually signed it on July 4.
- When John Wilkes Booth
leaped onto the stage after shooting the President, he tripped—on
the American flag.
- Leonardo da Vinci could
write with one hand and draw
with the other at the same time.
- Theodore Roosevelt was
blind in his left eye.
- George Washington died on
the last hour of the last day of the
last week of the last month of the
last year of the 18th century.
- The waffle iron was invented
August 24, 1869.
- The toothbrush was invented
in 1498.
- Teflon was discovered in
1938.
-Thomas Jefferson was once
given a 1,235 pound hunk of
cheese, giving us the term “the
big cheese.”
-The first VCR, made in 1956,
was the size of a piano.
- John Hancock was the only
one of fifty signers of the Dec-
(all facts gathered from angelfire.
com)
- Most toilets flush in E flat.
5
38% now. In 2003, 21% felt the
restrictions were “not far enough”
against a slight drop to 19% now.
A steady 3% both times agreed
with “no opinion.”
“The president can not just use
9/11 or terrorists to scare people.
It’s disgraceful to the Constitution and our rights,” said Sarah
Newcomb, junior.
Also, according to another
cnn.com story, “50% of the
public said they support minor
changes to the law, and 24% said
they want to see major changes.
Seven percent called for it to be
scrapped.”
However, in a conference on
Jan. 26, referring to warrantless
surveillance, President Bush said,
“There’s no doubt in my mind it
is legal.”
At press time, Congress is
still debating over what to do
with the Patriot Act, and the
United States should know soon.
Class Electives
Business
- Advanced Microsoft Office Applications
I & II
- Automated Accounting I & Honors
- Buisness Law
Agriculture
- Floral Design I & II
- Horticulture/Greenhouse Production
- Landscape Design
- Pre- Veterinary Studies
- Small Animal Sciences
Family & Consumer Science
- Adult Living
- Child Devlopment I & II
- Culinary Arts
Features
Peace Pipe Chatter
February 8, 2006
Jazz Band: The funky side of the band
___________________________
Mike Speek
PPC Photo Editor
Yet another year of jazz band is
underway, and it looks better than
ever. With a variety of new blood
and young, talented musicians,
MCHS’s jazz band looks very
promising this year. Unfortunately, there is not much time before it
comes to a halt.
Jazz band is an extracurricular
program where musicians group
together to play various swing,
rock, and jazz tunes with one another. In order to be in jazz band,
one must be in the MCHS band as
well, with bass guitar and guitar as
the only exceptions. This year, it
seems that everyone, including the
bass guitarist, freshman Greg Alexander, has plenty of band experience, so this can only mean good
things for this group of talented
performers.
“Jazz band not only rocks, it
jazzes,” commented senior Zach
Sutton.
There are 26 members in jazz
band, with eight saxophones, fivetrumpets, two pianists, two drummers, one bass guitarist, and eight
members in the low brass. There
are only two seniors in the band;
however, this does not mean that
the group is inexperienced, as a
large percentage of the members
are returning for their second or
third year. One unique thing that
returning players may not have
seen in the past were the try-outs
for the drumset position. Two of
the strongest and most versatile
drummers in the school claimed
their rightful positions in the group
through these try-outs.
In the past, the jazz band has
been known to play at the Festival
of Trees in Joliet, jazz competitions, the Joliet Junior College, and
even at the Louis Joliet mall. This
year, the only real events that the
jazz band has played in were the
2005 Talent Show, the Winter Band
Concert, and the Jan. 20 women’s
varsity basketball game against
Morris High School. Nevertheless, the band would more than
likely have been well prepared to
attend the other events they missed
out on, had they been given the opportunity to participate.
This year’s retertoire of jazz
music includes songs such as latin
jazz tune “Here Comes Big ‘Un,”
fast swing “Song of the Volga
Boatmen,” steady rock song “Super Sized,” and slow jazz ballad
“Summertime.” While many of
this year’s songs include one or
two solos, such as the sax and
trombone solos in “Here Comes
Big ‘Un,” some songs feature entire sections, such as the stand-out
piano line in “No Deposit/No Return” and the baritone sax part in
“Bari Bari Good.”
This year’s most important
performance, just like every year’s
greatest performance, is at the Valentine’s Ball on Feb. 11. The jazz
band will play in the evening a collection of swing and jazz tunes for
roughly an hour as entertainment
while guests at the Valentine’s Ball
keep their eyes open for auction
items to pick up. The group has
spent countless hours of preparation to give the best show they can
give, as this will be the end of jazz
band for a while until preparations
must be made to give one final
show at the Spring Band Concert.
“Every year at the Valentine’s Ball
we raise over $20,000, which is
really awesome since [the band is]
going to Hawaii this year!” mentioned junior Amanda Nownan.
One more year is heading toward an end for the jazz band season. Some may have spent this
year as their first, and some will
have spent their last. Minooka’s
jazz band may be full of students
barely old enough to drive, but
they would certainly drive one
crazy with their ability to play
good quality jazz with the greatest
of ease.
7
The Jazz Band serenades at their practices and will for
their concert on February 11: Clockwise-- Andrew Santillo, sophomore, playing tenor saxaphone; Mike Carnahan,
junior, playing trumpet; Conner Canaday, junior, playing
baratone saxaphone; Two freshmen playing saxaphone.
Features
Peace Pipe Chatter
February 8, 2006
Diets beware... fast food cuisine
___________________________
Kristen Neville
PPC Staff Writer
Ever since the diet craze hit
the nation about three years ago,
the U.S. went into a healthy food
frenzy, ultimately cutting out fast
food. After the movie Super Size
Me, which proved fast food ruins
health; major fast food corporations started making healthier
foods, but still for the low fast
food price. Fast food is a convenience, especially when out shopping or driving. It is a good choice
because it is quick, cheap, and, depending on food choice, it is actually does not have to be that bad.
Forget Subway and its high priced
subs; look no further than McDonalds for healthy, yet inexpensive,
alternatives.
McDonalds has a new Grilled
Chicken Select sandwich, which
only has 370 calories (without
mayonnaise dressing). 240 of
becomes a healthy treat
which are in the honey wheat roll.
“If I have to go there I get Grilled
Chicken Selects, grilled because it
is a lot better for you,” said Laura
Taylor, sophomore.
Also at McDonalds, are the Apple Dippers with low fat caramel
dip that is only 100 calories. Perhaps in a more Wendy’s mood, try
a delicious side salad with fat free
ranch dressing; it is only 99 calories. They are also large, so it fills
even the biggest person up.
“At Wendy’s I get salad; it’s
good,” said Lauren Ziemann,
sophomore.
What about a beef mood, try
Wendy’s Jr. Cheeseburger with
only 320 calories. It is also only
99 cents.
Taco Bell is very popular among
teens for its cheap food and great
taste. Not many people are aware
of the “Fresco” style, which replace cheese and sauce for a salsalike topping. Two Taco Supremes
with beef, and regular nachos
comes out to over 700 calories.
The same two Taco Supremes and
nachos, but “Fresco” style comes
out to 500 calories. For the vegetarians or people who are not
fond of Taco Bell meat can try the
7-Layer, a bean and rice burrito
“Fresco” style, which is only 410
calories.
The Joliet mall has a good selection of food, but Panera Bread is
one of the best. Have a craving for
some broccoli cheddar soup? Do
not feel guilty because it is only
230 calories for an entire bowl.
Even better is the low fat chicken
noodle soup that is 100 calories.
After the health food kick and
the controversy from Super Size
Me, almost every restaurant offers
healthy substitutions to their usual
foods. This makes eating fast food
a bit less of a guilty pleasure. It
also is a lot more convenient to get
fast food, rather than sitting down
at a restaurant, not to mention a lot
cheaper.
Chainsaw Massacre, and an old
flick that has been remade; When
a Stranger Calls.
Horror films created from urban
legends often add a little more
“scare” to the film. When viewers walk out of the movie they do
not know if it is “just a movie,
nothing to be scared of” or if it is
the real deal, and something like
it could happen again.
“I love scary movies! I always
make sure to see it when there is
a new one out,” said sophomore
Chrissie Ramsak.
Other urban legends are played
around with such as the game
“Bloody Mary” which told by
warphead.com said if you stand
in front of a mirror in a dark room
and chant “Bloody Mary” 12
times starting at midnight the face
of a hideous woman will show
up. It is said that it is the spirit of
a girl who was born with a disfiguring disease and was killed by a
cruel joke gone wrong.
“I tried Bloody Mary once,
nothing happened but I was a
little freaked out I guess,” said
sophomore Shannon Reigh.
There are also urban legends
out there that seem to have a
moral in them. Warphead.com
also tells these next two stories
reminding you drinking and driving is wrong and how dangerous
chatting with strangers online can
be.
“A man got home late from
a night out drinking with the
boys and staggered inside, his
wife heard him and helped him
into bed. The next morning she
complained about his behavior
and how she worried about how
he made it home so drunk. He
agreed that he had no memory
Mcdonald’s has recently came out with healthy meals, such as the fruit
walnut salad. Photo by: Toni Bryant PPC Photo Editor.
Boo! The Best of the Best: Urban Legends
__________________________
Cassie Carlson
PPC Front Page Editor
Urban Legends are stories with
a questionable author involving a
story line of the recent past, often
including elements of humor and
horror, that spreads quickly and
is popularly believed to be true.
These stories are usually spread
through word-of-mouth that happened to “a friend of a friend” at
gatherings, to freak someone out
or make them laugh.
“I love having that scared feeling that comes along with scary
stories, even if I know they aren’t
true,” said Katie Kuzma, senior.
Some of the best or most popular urban legends have spread
even wider. Movies have been
made from the outcome of these
legends such as Bigfoot, Texas
7
of the last few hours of his night
out, but said he’d never had a
problem before. As he pulled out
of the garage to go to work, his
wife, who had been watching
him angrily from the front door,
screamed when she saw the little
girl crushed into the grill of the
car.”
“A young boy met a new friend
in a chat room and began talking
to him regularly. The friend was
from out of state but would be in
town in a couple weeks and they
made plans to sneak out and meet.
The boy began to feel odd about
the arrangement and confessed
the whole thing to his father. The
father contacted the authorities
and after a couple hours the chat
was traced to a local prison. The
prisoner, who’d been using that
computer, was scheduled for release in two weeks.”
“I guess that urban legends
with a moral do work. When I
read that I did not want to go run
to a computer and talk to some
strangers,” said junior Angela
Martin.
Urban legends are not always in
story form. There are shows such
as Myth Busters and The Big
Urban Myth Show that simply
set myths straight. These shows
highlight more so on rumors that
have been told then stories that
entertain. Anything from the “always butter sides down” to “dogs
have cleaner saliva than humans”
have been tested and figured out
from these shows.
Whether fact or fiction, humorous or scary, recent or from long
ago urban legends and myths will
always be around...it is up to you
which ones you believe.
Peace Pipe Chatter
Arts & Entertainment
_______________________
Nicholas Condotti
PPC Staff Writer
Bling
Bling
celebrities
spending
millions
Top photo: Rapper The Game in South Beach at P. Diddy’s spring festival.
Bottom: Carlos Boozer, a basketball player for Utah Jazz. Both spend millions on their “bling.” Photos by Nick Condotti.
According to dictionary.com,
Bling Bling means jewelry, often
gaudy or flashy, and celebrities are
spending millions upon millions
of dollars to be “iced out.” One of
the most famous celebrity jewelers
is Chris Aire aka “The Ice Man.”
He has sold millions of dollars
worth of precious jewels that
only the rich and famous can
get their hands on. He has sold
Bling to Allen Iverson, Paris Hilton, 50 Cent, Missy Elliot, Justin
Timberlake, and rapper Birdman.
Aire sold Birdman a necklace
worth $2.1 million.
Another celebrity jeweler, Lorraine Schwartz sold P. Diddy a
ring worth over $1 million that
he flaunted at the MTV Music
Awards. Back in late 2004
Enrique Iglesias presented
girlfriend, Anna Kournikova with a $5.4 million pink
diamond. Actress Angelina Jolie owns a $10 million Athena dia-
mond necklace that has 85 Karats
divided among oval, emerald, pear
and round-cut diamonds of various sizes and a diamond ring by
H. Stern.
Other than basic jewelry, the
hip hop community is taking Bling
to a whole new level with pimp
sticks, large pendants, grills, and
pimp cups. Rapper Lil Jon doesn’t
go to any old jewelry store, he has
not one, not two, but three personal jewelers by his side at all
times. Lil Jon spends thousands of dollars on Bling every
year. He owns a $35,000 diamond
studded pendant, but of course
that isn’t enough, he must have his
Pimp cup.
Thirty down at the bottom, 30
more at the top,the grill, no not
the cooking grill, the grill that
celebrities have in their mouth,
and they’re not joking around
with aluminum foil, we’re talking diamonds. Rappers Nelly
and Paul Wall paid big bucks
to get their mouths “blinged up.”
Which will have all the girls saying, “smile for me daddy.” Paul
February 8, 2006
9
Wall also bought his wife a grill
for her birthday.
On Nov. 12, Utah Jazz vs. Chicago Bulls, Utah star Carlos Boozer had no problem getting attention
from his Bling.
“My wife just bought me all
this, she wants me to show it
off.” Boozer stated. Boozer was
iced out with a new Jacob watch,
bracelet, diamond stud earring,
and wedding ring.
Speaking of wedding rings according to Vibe Magazine, rapper
Trina aka The Diamond Princess
has a new “sparkler” on her wedding finger. But who bought her
the diamond? Her supposed new
Fiancé rapper Lil Wayne. As Trina
says “The ice just keeps on freezing.” The ring was purchased at
Tiffany and Company and totaled
$30,000. Lil Wayne also has an
insurance policy on the rock.
Freshman Alex Gajcak said,
“Through the past few years, celebrities have made jewelry into
Bling, and pearl necklaces into
diamond encrusted teeth.”
The greatest music of 2005...
...and potential for 2006
__________________________
Steven Kelly
PPC Staff Writer
As 2006 rolls right in,
2005 music is remembered as
yesterday’s hits.
With 2006
hopefully bringing many joys,
let’s hope good music is one of
those aspects. This year has
already brought us 55-degree
winter days, so who knows,
maybe Ozzy will become a
rapper… okay, maybe not that far,
but it doesn’t mean that the music
won’t be any less entertaining.
The list starts off with moneyloving rapper, Remy Ma. Ma
has been in and out of the studios
and recorded her most promising
record yet, entitled There is
Something about Remy: Based
on A True Story. This album,
released on Feb. 7 through
Atlantic Records, is set to mark
an anniversary of her mentor,
Big Pun, who died six years ago
of a heart attack at 700 pounds.
Ma stated that the date releasing
helps remind her of why she is
where she is, and that Pun was
the first one to give her a shot.
There is Something About
Remy will also feature quite a
few bonus material items because
of the delays in which the album
took. Ma states on BET.com that
since it’s her name on the album,
it has to be good.
Italian goth rockers, Lacuna
Coil, have mixed and mastered
their
most
recent
effort
Karmacode and will try to live
up their last album Comalies.
Comalies, which was released in
2002 and sold over 230,000
albums in the United States
alone, was one of Century
Media’s, the record label,
biggest success ever. Now their
first single off of Karmacode has
been featured on the soundtrack
to Underworld II. “Our Truth,”
the new single, features great
aggression and melodic moments
all in one. Vocalist Christina
Scabbia takes a little bit of a
different direction with her
vocals range wise, but it sounds
better then ever and much more
emotional. Scabbia stated on
Blabbermouth.net that this is their
best material to date, and that fans
should expect to see much more
energy on stage. Lacuna Coil
will be opening for Rob Zombie
on April 8 at the Riviera Theatre
in Chicago.
For another beautiful
soaring voice, classical artist
Enya is said to be recording her
sixth album. Pending title, The
Darker Shades of Autumn, is
said to have a little more dirge
driven influences. Enya is best
known for her teary-eyed gloomy
hit, “Only Time,” which was
featured on many news castings
during Sept. 11, 2001. Expect
this to be an emotional album, as
Enya likes to create music for the
lonely.
For something with a little bit
more energy, thrash metalcore
band, HIMSA, has recorded and
mastered their third full length
record, Hail Horror. Producer
Tue Madsen, who mixed and
produced the whole album,
states on Blabbermouth.net
that he assures everyone that
this record is tightly structured
and captures the band’s talent
from their darkened roots. Hail
Horror which features new
single “Sleazevil”, has hit the
metal community and is being
loved. Expect this to be their
most intense record yet, and if
you have heard their past records,
that can be quite a task.
Within 2006 lies so much
potential for some great music.
Now it’s only up to us, the fans,
to make sure it is heard.
Sports
Peace Pipe Chatter
February 8, 2006
Female Focus on SI: Good or Bad?
__________________________
Kelly Hernandez
PPC Editor-In-Chief
Every year since 1996, Sports
Illustrated has produced their
famous swimsuit issue. Men
across the nation squawk and
gander at thousands of images
of exposed models and oddly
enough they like it. What I can’t
seem to understand is how do the
photos pertain to sports and what
purpose do they serve?
If you have ever seen the
swimsuit issue, you know that
it is basically filled with over 90
worldly known models. What
I find most detesting is that
women’s bodies are getting more
media coverage rather than their
accomplishments in their lives.
Females across the world are
conquering cancer and winning
Olympic gold medals, yet men
still think it’s perfectly normal
to look at women like pieces of
meat.
Sports Editorial
Furthermore, it is even more
common for young girls to
expect their bodies to look like
the women in the pictures. It’s
completely unrealistic because
even though the
models get paid
to be beautiful,
no one is perfect
and they too
need airbrushing
to make their
bottom look
nice. In today’s
society people feel
enough pressure
to be beautiful and
accepted by their
peers, but how sad
is it that someone
is devoting a
whole magazine
issue emphasizing
impossible
perfection?
Going back to my first
statement, what do photos of halfnaked women have to do with
sports? These women are laying
on beaches and exotic places
wearing barely-there outfits. I
don’t see any of the images that
show the girls playing soccer or
working
out. Unless
photography
just became
a new sport,
I don’t
believe
it’s suiting
to be in a
swimsuit
issue.
Granted I
am aware
that Sports
Illustrated
doesn’t
deem
photography
a sport, but
my question still remains, what
purpose does the photographs
serve in a primarily sports
devoted magazine?
What do
photos of
half-naked
women have
to do with
sports?
Also, my final comment is,
girls are continuously dogging on
guys for being egotistical males,
it’s a common fact. So what are
guys trying to prove by picking
up the swimsuit issue and talking
about how hot a girl is? Seriously
it just makes girls even more
correct.
It is a common fact that sex
sells and now-a-day everyone is
doing anything they can to make
money. Personally, I don’t see
why Sports Illustrated needs to
promote the need to be perfect
because that’s already been taken
care of in other aspects of media.
There are plenty of magazines
out there that exploit girls, but I
particularly have a problem with
Sports Illustrated because their
general audience is male, so what
are is being promoted here, sports
or sex? It is kind of sickening to
see it in every magazine I pick
up. I suppose it all boils down to
pictures of women have nothing
to do with sports.
Good start on spring sports:
Atheletes prepare for upcoming sports
___________________________
Chandell Pet
PPC Front Page Editor
With winter coming to a close,
spring sports are only beginning.
This year’s athletes have been
working hard and staying in shape
for their various sports.
“I can’t tell you how pumped
up I am about this year’s
track team. We have a good
combination on age levels,
needless to say amazing talent,”
said Coach Kevin Gummerson.
Some athletes play other sports
to keep up their great shape.
“I play club volleyball
and with that we do Get Fast,
Acceleration. It keeps me in
really good shape,” said Morgan
Bucciferro, senior.
When not playing a sport for
almost a year, there is a lot of
anticipation
to get started
as soon as
possible.
“I
can’t wait
until this
upcoming
season.
There will
be so many
different
things
because so many people left last
year and so many people are
coming up this year. I am excited
because I believe this years team
has a lot of love for the game and
that can take us far if we all work
together,” said Lauren Peters,
junior.
With high
expectations
coming
from last
years boy’s
volleyball
performance,
this year is a
whole new
game.
“This
season
will not be as exciting as last
year, but I think we will play
well. All of our starters left so
This year’s athletes
have been working
hard and staying in
shape for their various
sports.
this means a whole new line-up
and opportunity for many more
players,” said Zachary Gray,
senior.
This year’s baseball team
already has two signed seniors,
Tom Cerven and Cole Tyrell, so
hopefully all goes well in the up
coming season.
Most sports from soccer to
softball can be seen running
the halls or lifting weights after
school. Training for most of these
sports started weeks ago.
So, a lot of talent seems to be
for all teams this year, hopefully
MCHS can add another State-title
for 2005-06.
11
Upcoming
MCHS
Sports Events
Varsity Wrestling
IHSA Regionals
Feb. 4th 9:00 a.m.
IHSA Sectionals
Feb. 11th
IHSA State
Feb. 17-18th
Girls Varsity Bowling
IHSA Sectionals
Feb. 4th 9:00 a.m.
IHSA State
Feb. 10-11th
Poms
Stagg Competition
Feb. 19th 8:30 a.m.
Downers Grove North
Feb. 25th 8:00 a.m.
Finals- Bloomington
Feb. 26th 8:30 a.m.
Girls Varsity Basketball
IHSA Regionals
Feb. 13th @ Joliet
Boys Varsity Basketball
IHSA Regionals
Feb. 13th