1. art and entertainment
2. movies and tv
3. movies

Peace Pipe Chatter
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February 11, 2008
Vol. 93, Edition 7
Teachers’ facial hair raises
one question. Why? Pg 5
Illinois Primary Results
Cover Page
Democratic
Barrack Obama
65%
In an attempt to make President’s Day
more exciting at MCHS, six members of
the MCHS teaching staff are competing
to grow beards representing some of our
past and forgotten presidents. From left
to right Phil Harding, Kevin Gummerson,
Matt Marino, Matt Thomas, Louis Kanolis,
and Kevin Murphy display their beards for
the PPC. Cover by Brittany Pendry.
Peace Pipe Chatter
Minooka Community High School
301 S. Wabena Avenue
Minooka, IL 60447
(815) 467-2140 Voicemail: ext. 264
mthomas@mchs.net
Editors-in-Chief:
Brittany Pendry
Jeff Beguin
School News:
D.J. Valera
Front Page Editors:
Brittany Pendry
Advertising Manager:
Eric Reynolds
2 Designed by Jeff Beguin
Arts & Entertainment Editors:
Kristi Lawrence
Iman Bradley
Zach Nabor
Photo Editors:
Sam Menne
Jacki Kaluzny
Amanda Alexander
Lauren Keers
Angela Mateo
Ryan Miller
Features:
Christa Jenkins
Sarah Silverman
Sam Kelley
Sports Editors:
Tommy Stokke
Mike Noe
News Editors:
Jacki Kaluzny
Hillary Clinton
33%
Republican
John McCain
47%
Mitt Romney
29%
Mike Huckabee
16%
Ron Paul
5%
PPC Chatter Room
Managing Editors: Sam Kelley
Lauren Keers
Opinions: Megan McEvilly
News: Amanda Alexander
School News: Sam Menne
Features: Ryan Miller
Arts & Entertainment: Ryan Kelley
Sports: Carissa Weyer
Advisors:
Mr. Matt Thomas,
Ms. Laura Erion
Copy Editors:
Eric Reynolds
Megan McEvilly
Sarah Silverman
Carissa Weyer
Journalism 1:
Susan Bahret
Kaitlynn Barker
Sarah Delaney
Breanne Downey
Michael Horath
Amanda James
Eric Klank
Morgan McMurtry
Cassie O’Malley
Chris Rolnicki
Taylor Roop
Jackie Schmidt
Sarah Stropus
David Tibble
Sydney Trepel
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.
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
The Answer Really is in Black and
Sarah Silverman /
PPC Copy Editor
by
As we all know, Minooka does
not host a dance, other than Homecoming, that all students can attend.
How much fun is that? Students only
have two dances a year, Homecoming and Prom. That means that from
September to the end of April there
are no dances for them to attend.
The problem is even more severe
for the underclassmen that have only
one dance a year. Homecoming is
in the very beginning of the school
year and then there are no other
dances for the year. After Homecoming the first month of school, they
have nothing else to look forward to.
Sophomore Matt Bechard said, “I
really wish they had another dance.
I have a lot of friends that are upperclassmen and they’re all talking
about how they can’t wait until prom
from like the day after homecoming
until the day of prom. I wish that I
had something to look forward to.”
My freshmen year of high
school,
student
council hosted
the Winter
Formal
in January.
formal! I wish they had kept it. It
was nice to have a dance to look forward to once homecoming
was over. It was a
small dance
but that
I had so much fun at the
winter formal! I wish they had
kept it. It was nice to have a
dance to look forward to once
homecoming was over.
This
was
a nice
dance,
what happened to it?
Even though there was
not as big of a turnout as there was
at Homecoming, students attending still had a lot of fun. And, at
least students were given the option of attending another dance.
“I had so much fun at the winter
made it more
fun because it was crammed
in there and all of the classes
were dancing and blending together,” said Justin Senffner, junior.
Joliet West High School is hosting
a mid-winter dance on Feb. 16. This
Save the Schedule!
Angela Mateo /
PPC Photo Editor
by
At seven in the morning
on B days, my math class
and I look out the window
and watch the sunrise. Most
of the freshmen and sophomores are probably still snug
in their beds dreaming away
while we learn. But, on the
other hand, when the underclassmen are sitting and
learning, the upperclassmen
are already out with friends,
doing homework, taking a
nap, or at work.
Sammy Wachowiak, freshman, said, “I like the current
time schedule because I like
sleeping in late.”
Wachowiak is going to be
a sophomore next year, and
I’m sure she would love to
sleep in once again
She isn’t the only one who
enjoys the extra time to
sleep.
“I like the schedule we
have now because we’re able
to sleep in.” said sophomore
Marykate Sadowsky.
Frankly, I enjoy waking
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
up and getting out of school
early. For the rest of the day I
am still free to do as I please.
I know I’m not the only one
who feels this way.
Junior Adrain Corral said,
“Personally, I like the schedule I like getting out at 12:21
p.m. and next year it will be
better cause I’ll have less
classes.”
As a junior, going back to
the schedule we had freshman year just sounds awful.
I take eight classes now and
get out at 12:21 p.m.; next
year, I’ll be taking fewer
classes and if the schedule
goes back to the way it was
I’d be getting out later.
“The schedule we have
now is so much better! We’re
going to be seniors next year
and if you have to take a full
schedule, you wouldn’t get
out until almost three, and
keeping a job would be way
harder. Plus I don’t want to
have lunch again in school,”
said junior Cassie Smith.
Not eating lunch saves
both time and money. There
is no need to waste time in
the morning to pack a lunch
and absolutely no need to
spend money in the cafeteria. Having lunch again as
seniors would just be ridiculous. We’ve already spent a
year without it, why go back
now?
Holly Blaskey, junior,
said, “I only like the schedule from a couple years ago
because school started later.
I still haven’t gotten used
to waking up so early for
school this year. But getting
out at 12:21 gives me the rest
of the day to do whatever I
want so I guess we could
keep the schedule we’ve had
the past couple years now.”
Going from starting at 9:45
to 7:00 is a big difference.
But after a while, I began
to realize that the benefit of
getting out early outweighed
the disadvantage of having to
get up so early. I understand
the verdict has not yet been
finalized, but I would appreciate some consideration as
to next year’s seniors who
are already looking forward
to getting out early.
White
Editorials
dance, open to all age groups, is called
The Black and White Dance. All attendees must wear dresses or suits that
are a combination of black and white.
“How simple is that? Why can’t
Minooka do the same as west? I
think that it would be really fun. And
it wouldn’t be as formal as prom
so it would be nice. It could be a
way for our school to be more spirited and have some fun. They could
theme the dance and it would be a
blast,” said Brooke Gramm, senior.
MCHS should look into the option
of hosting a midwinter dance.
The students
want it
and
it
would
be
nice
to have something for the underclassmen to attend other than Homecoming.
P
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Designed by Angela Mateo
3
PP
C
News
So Long,
Heath Ledger
By Angela Mateo PPC Photo Editor
On Tuesday, Jan. 22, Heath Ledger was
found dead in his New York apartment
by his masseuse, Diane Lee Wolozin. The
cause of death is unknown but because
of the pills found near his body there is
the possibility of an accidental overdose.
There is still speculation as to why Wolozin
called Mary-Kate Olsen before alerting the
authorites. Ledger was 28 years old.
Ledger starred in numerous popular
movies such as: 10 Things I Hate About
You, A Knight’s Tale, The Order, Lords of
Dogtown, The Brothers Grimm, Brokeback
Mountain, and is due to appear as “The
Joker” in the new Batman movie, The Dark
Knight.
Because of Ledger’s role in Brokeback
Mountain, the religious group of the West-
boro Church felt it necessary to pickett his
private memorial service held on Saturday,
Jan. 26 in Los Angeles. They held up signs
such as “Heath is in Hell.”
Junior Kelsey McGuire said, “Just
because Heath was in Brokeback Mountain doesn’t mean he was gay. And even
if he was, he wouldn’t deserve to have his
memorial trampled upon by strangers who
only want to be in the paper. If the people
of the Westboro Church want to promote
‘morals’ or whatever, they should know
that nobody deserves to be disrespected
during their own memorial.”
Luckily for Ledger’s friends and family,
the Westboro Chuch will not attend the
funeral. He is to be buried in his hometown
Perth, Australia.
Bin Laden Makes Peace
By DJ Valera PPC School News Editor
Like father, like son. Well, not exactly
the case for the father-son relationship of
Omar Osama Bin Laden and his father
Osama Bin Laden.
In Jan. 2008, 26-year-old Omar Osama
Bin Laden spoke out saying he wanted to
be an ambassador for peace between Muslims and the West. Of course, this brought
on mixed reactions as some looked at it
positively while some couldn’t look past
his background.
“I guess it’s good,” said sophomore Erin
Williams. “He’s trying to show that he isn’t
like his father.”
Other people have reacted at this on
both ends, positively and negatively,
mainly because they want to hear it from
someone else.
“That’s a step in the right direction,”
said John Bond, sophomore. “But I know
4
Designed by Jacki Kaluzny
that I would like to hear that from Osama
himself.”
The main reason why Omar wants to
become an ambassador of peace is to break
the stereotype of Muslims in the West. In
an article found on cnn.com, he stated that
this [the stereotype] is not true and that the
truth should be known instead.
“I think he’s doing a good thing by
breaking stereotypes, but I don’t think
people will take him seriously,” said sophomore Matt Surges.
Omar Osama Bin Laden is the fourth
eldest of 19 children and was born in
Saudi Arabia. He lived with his father in
Sudan and when he was forced to move to
Afghanistan in 1996. He trained in an alQaida camp but left the camp and went to
Sudan in 2000.
New study:
Caffeine may
affect pregnancies
By Carissa Weyer PPC Copy Edior
New research was released on Jan. 21, which made mothers everywhere re-consider
their daily drinking habits. This newly
recent study shows
that pregnant women
who consume more
then 200 milligrams
(which is equal to
two cups of coffee) of
caffeine a day will
have up to two times
the risk of having a
miscarriage then women
who consume no caffeine at all.
There have been
studies done in the past
that came out with
similar results to this
recent study, but Dr.
De-Kun Li helps point
out the importance in
this study.
According to
CNN.com, Dr. De-Kun
Li stated, “We were
able to address the issue
of if the increase is
really due to caffeine or
due to women changing their drinking patterns. Other studies
have reported the same
results but had some
biases in the research.”
Dr. De-Kun Li is a
lead author and investigator with the Kaiser
Permanente Division
of Research. This
study focused on 1,063
women in the earlier
stages of pregnancy.
The miscarriage
rate for women who
consumed no caffeine
was 12.5 percent, compared to the women
who consumed more
Special Education teacher Katie
then 200 milligrams
of caffeine a day was
Clower supports not drinking
25.5 percent, and had caffinated beverages during her
a miscarriage.
Researchers say
that the risk for women
pregnency and instead drinks wawho consumed less
then 200 mg of caffeine
ter. Photo taken by PPC Features
a day was not as
significant, but they are
Editor Sarah Silverman.
still at great risk. This
200 mg can come from
coffee, soda, tea, or
hot chocolate, it makes
no difference.
According to CNN.com, caffeine is very dangerous during pregnancy because it
can cross through the placenta to the fetus and can be difficult for the fetus to metabolize caffeine. It can also influence cell development and decrease blood flow to
the placenta. If arteries are constricted it may restrict blood flow which can result in
miscarriage.
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
School News PPC
Honoring the Presidents.... with our Facial Hair?
Lauren Keers / PPC Photographer
To most students Presidents Day is just another average
day to them. They don’t take time out of their day to think
about the previous presidents of the United States.
To liven up the school, a group of teachers decided to
start up a contest to create excitement about U.S. History
and the presidents.
“Purpose of this contest is to bring a little entertainment
and novelty to a traditionally boring and drab time of the
year. It also helps that it is a presidential election year,”
said Mr. Matt Marino, psychology.
At the end of 2007, the department began their quest
to grow their facial hair in honor of our nation’s forgotten
leaders.
The teachers that started off in the beginning were; Mr.
Kevin Murphy, Mr. Matt Thomas, Mr. Phil Harding, Marino, Mr. Mark Brown, Mr. Ben Swierz, Mr. Kevin Gummerson, and Mr. Louis Kanolis.
“I am still in the contest despite numerous attempts by
my wife, family, and random people trying to encourage
“I am honoring Benjamin Harrison even
though I have only been
growing mine for two
weeks the rest cheated.” said Harding
me to remove the beard,” said Gummerson.
Although, now the only teachers that are still going
strong are Gummerson, Murphy, Thomas, Kanolis, Hard-
Scholarships
the escape from tuition
by Sam Menne /
Chatter Room School News Editor
Senior year heralds the coming of freedom and the coming of debt a student will
earn due to the high cost of college. An
easy solution to the problem of ridiculous
tuition fees is to apply for scholarships.
However, with senioritis inflicting most
of the senior population, who really wants
to sit online and look up scholarships, let
alone fill
out the
applications.
S e nior Leah
Davisson said,
“I have
looked
into a few scholarships, but it’s my mom
who mostly pushes me to do it.”
In the Career Center there is an easier
way to find scholarships called Prep HQ.
Prep HQ is a website that allows students
to search scholarships and find ones that
they can apply for. This website holds
scholarships that are both local and inter-
national so students have a wide variety of
scholarships to choose from.
“With scholarships it is all about if you
apply of not. There are a lot of scholarships you may not be able to apply for
because they have limited requirements,
but Prep HQ lets you search for particular
scholarships,” said Mr. Casey Carrino.
Senior Megan Rodriguez said, “There
are insane scholarships out there, like
mine for being left-handed.”
Another wonderful thing the
Career Center
has done is group
all local scholarships together.
To make things
easier on students the forms
are all the same
to make filling them out less painful.
Every freshman has to go to the Career Center and get a Prep HQ account,
if you do not have one, go to the Career
Center, and they will be able to give you
one. The web site is www.prephq.com and
students can access it any time from any
computer.
“There are insane scholarships out there, like
mine for being left-handed.” said Rodriguez
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
Children’s Theatre is Buggin’ Out
by
ing, and Marino.
“I am honoring Benjamin Harrison even though I have
only been growing mine for two weeks the rest cheated.
I am still in the contest and I might keep it till June when
my son is born!” said Harding, Health.
Along with Benjamin Harrison being recognized, Marino is going for the friendly mutton chops of Chester A.
Arthur, U.S. Grant is taken by Thomas, Murphy is taking
on the president James Garfield, Gummerson is emulating
Abe Lincoln, and Kanolis was thrown into this competition and given the president Rutherford B. Hayes.
“I am to look like Rutherford B. Hayes. I had no choice
in this. Marino saw that I was growing a beard and put me
in the contest,” said Kanolis.
This fun, unique way to spread some fun will be going
on until President’s Day, although according to Marino,
this is an exhibition and all wagering will be discouraged.
They might even add to the contest who can last the longest even long after President’s Day.
by Ryan Miller /
Chatter Room Features Editor
Currently at MCHS, some students are participating in a play
called “Bedbugs”, a play for the
younger kind. It is about a bed bug
village
(that live
on the bed)
being terrorized by
two “wicked witches” jumping on the
bed causing earthquakes and
havoc on
the peaceful town.
“I think
there is a
strong message of no resorting to
violence when you have a problem.
It shows fairy tales from a different
point of view,” said Juli Puoci, Junior.
The play is performing at the
school’s P.A.C. center on Feb. 5 for
parents and Feb. 6 for surrounding
elementary schools.
Directing the play is counselor
Ms. Patricia Grawey-Beeler. The
“two witches” are being played by
Amanda Dobrowski, senior, and
Emily Kratz, sophomore.
“I play
R, one of
the two
bug paramedics,”
said Jake
Breunig,
sophomore.
T h e
parts of
the bedbugs are
b e i n g
played by
juniors
M i t c h
Pursell, Paula Bernhand, Connor
Sewing, Juli Puocci, Lacey Bersano; sophomores Carla Kundert,
John Bond, D.J. Valera, Jake Bruenig; and freshman Brent Barnes,
Stephanie Engel, April Zmudka,
and Nathan Zarazinski.
“I think there is a
strong message of
no resorting to violence when you have
a problem. It shows
fairy tales from a
different point of
view,” said Puocci
Designed by D.J. Valera
5
PP
C
Features
Christa Jenkins/
Features Editor
by
Now it is the month of February,
which seems to be the month full of
chocolate kisses, stuffed animals, and heart
shaped balloons. But what many fail to
realize is that since 1926 the celebration of
Black History had been given recognition
in February, too. It is also the time to realize
that Black culture has affected and given
many contribution to the American culture.
Most suburban schools sometimes put
little or no actions towards the recognition
to Black History Month, but that does not
mean everyone.
Ms. Sharon Sanford, social studies,
said, “I think it is very important to study
different cultures than your own. Talking
about something different than your own
can be a very positive experience.”
In some schools, history classes may not
focus on all the contributions that AfricanAmericans have made to this country.
Sanford tells her class and others about
her own history in relation to Black History.
As a Caucasian woman, she found in her
own family that a great grandfather of hers,
a few generations back was actually half
African American. He was from South
Carolina and escaped in the 1900s through
the “underground railroad” to Mississauga;
a suburb of Toronto, Canada.
“And that is only one side of the family
and it is really interesting,” said Sanford.
There are also other ways that the
school district has taken little part in Black
History. A Black History assembly was
started in the Minooka Junior High and was
successful for some amount of time, and
later hosted by student council. Although it
did not last, it was a big step to take, started
by Brittany Heath, who graduated Minooka
Junior High in 2002.
It’s the little steps that can
6
Designed by Iman bradley
Have a Heart for
Black History
make a difference. Most suburban schools,
including Minooka could do a little
something to take acknowledgement to
Black History Month. For example the
announcements every morning for at least
February could dedicate each day to a
famous African-American, contribution, or
movement that took place in Black History.
Even more, by adding a week to invite
guest speakers to come to the school and
speak on the subject of Black History.
Student Council member, Vannesia
Darby said, “I feel it would be a good
idea to have some type of Black History
recognition, and to acknowledge the
parents who were former slaves, he spent
his childhood working in the Kentucky coal
mines and enrolled in high school at age
twenty. He graduated within two years and
later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard.
The scholar was disturbed to find in his
studies that history books largely ignored
the black American population-and when
blacks did figure into the picture; it was
generally in ways that reflected the inferior
social position they were assigned at the
time.
He established the Association for the
Study of Negro Life and History (now
called the Association for the Study of
Harriet Tubman, Barack Obama, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Mays are few
among many who have affected black history. Photo by PPC Sports Editor Tommy
Stokke.
contributions African Americans have
made; with the growing diversity in the
school and community, it makes it even
more important.”
Some still may not know
what Black History Month is or why it
is important to celebrate. We owe the
celebration of Black History Month, and
more importantly, the study of black
history, to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to
Afro-American Life and History) in
1915, and a year later founded the widely
respected Journal of Negro History. In
1926, he launched Negro History Week
as an initiative to bring national attention
to the contributions of black people
throughout American history.
Woodson chose the second week of
February for Negro History Week because it
marks the birthdays of two men who greatly
influenced the black American population,
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
Not only the birthdays of these two great
men were in February but also a lot of
important dates to Black History including:
February 1, 1960: In what would
become a civil-rights movement milestone,
a group of black Greensboro, N.C., college
students began a sit-in at a segregated
Woolworth’s lunch counter.
February 3, 1870: The 15th Amendmen
was passed, granting blacks the right to
vote.
February 12, 1909: The National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) was founded
by a group of concerned black and white
citizens in New York City.
February 21, 1965: Malcolm X, the
militant leader who promoted Black
Nationalism, was shot to death by three
Black Muslims.
February 23, 1868: W. E. B. Dubois,
important civil rights leader and co-founde
of the NAACP, was born.
February 25, 1870: The first black U.S.
senator, Hiram R. Revels (1822-1901), took
his oath of office
February is not just about the candy
sweethearts, but to be in part of the
national celebration in why it is called
Black History month. Take a little time
to learn about the contributions African
Americans have made to the nation and
world.
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
Meet the Students
by Samantha Kelley /
PPC Features Editor
Name: Olyvia Phillips
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Chicago
Favorite Movie: Monster-in-Law
Favorite Food: Macaroni & Cheese
Favorite Music: R&B
Favorite Class: English
Jr. High: Minooka Junior High School
Interesting Fact: I like to dance.
Plans after High School: College
This is the third of a continuing
series of student profiles. The
students were chosen at random
in an effort to showcase the
entire student body.
Name: Steven Kosicek
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Channahon
Favorite Movie: Superbad
Favorite Food: Mexican Food
Favorite Music: Country
Favorite Class: Lunch
Jr. High: Troy/Minooka Junior
High School
Interesting Fact: I’m a really
hard worker.
Plans after High School: To
have a good job and maybe go to
college.
Name: Brittany Perczynski
Year: Junior
Hometown: Channahon
Favorite Movie: Too many to
choose
Favorite Food: Hamburgers and
Fries
Favorite Music: Hip-Hop/Rap
Favorite Class: Criminal Justice
Jr. High: Channahon Junior
High School
Interesting Fact: None
Plans after High School:
College
P
Features PC
Name: Teresa Abbonato
Year: Senior
Hometown: Bolingbrook
Favorite Movie: She’s the Man
Favorite Food: Lasagna
Favorite Music: Anything
Favorite Class: Math
Jr. High: St. Dominic’s Junior
High School
Interesting Fact: I was born in
New Jersey.
Plans after High School: Going
to Eastern to be a buisness major.
Valentine’s Day: Gifts & Ideas
Megan McEvilly /
PPC Copy Editor
by
Whether you like Valentine’s Day or
not, it is a day for people to show their
affection, and better yet, receive cute,
thoughtful gifts.
“I think a cute place is at the house
because your parents might go out for
dinner. You could make dinner for the
girlfriend and have a nice comfortable
romantic evening at your house and
exchange gifts there. Even taking her to
Chicago to the Cheesecake Factory would
be nice. Anything from the heart is a
perfect gift for a guy or a girl,” said senior
Joey Schuett.
Surprises are always amusing and show
that you can be thoughtful. Remember,
it’s the little things that count.
“A typical present for Valentine’s Day
would be the usual: flowers, some heart
shaped box of chocolates, and maybe a
teddy bear. But, what I think would be
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
the sweetest thing a guy could ever do is
take you on a little adventure and have
a special thing waiting for you at each
destination surprising you with things
you never would’ve expected, something
sentimental and from the heart,” said
sophomore Carabeth Cavins.
“I just think it’s really cute when guys
surprise girls, like the guys know that what
they plan on doing is going to make the
girl like him even more, and the girl has
absolutely no idea,” said sophomore Alex
Ramsay.
Teddy Bears are a good idea for
Valentine’s Day. Although they’re not so
original, every girl loves a teddy bear.
“Well me and my boyfriend have talked
about Build-A-Bear. I think it’d be so cute
if he actually got me one,” said junior
Trish Chudy.
“I think a cute teddy bear and flowers
would be cute for a gift. And for places to
go, I think a good idea is to take her to a
place where the girl loves, like her favorite
restaurant,” said sophomore Chrissy
Bateman.
Jewelry also is a popular gift for girls.
Jewelry doesn’t have to be expensive
though. Even making someone a gift can
be meaningful.
“I think it’d be really cute to get a little
necklace for Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t
even have to be expensive or anything,”
said freshman Madi Bahr.
“Jewelry would be cute for Valentine’s
Day,” said junior Courntey Horvat.
Also, cooking or making dinner
for your special someone is one of the
sweetest things you can do to show you
care.
“I think a cute date would if your
boyfriend cooked for you. It’s cute to
know that they at least tried. A cute gift
would be a teddy bear and chocolates
or a dozen roses. It’s original, but then
again you know they mean it,” said junior
Megan Bersano.
“Flowers and nice dinner is a good
idea,” said senior Ryan Pittman.
“My idea of a perfect Valentine’s date
would have to first start off with a long
walk on the beach, followed by a long
stare at the humpback whales exhibit at
the local zoo. And to top off the night, a
long candlelit dinner at the nearest KFC,”
said sophomore Jeremy Perez.
“I think for Valentine’s Day there
should be gifts, flowers, and a date
somewhere cute that shows you care, even
if it’s for pizza. And a card is everything.
Don’t forget the card,” said sophomore
Zach Weyer.
Yet, it’s really the little things that
count. You don’t have to go out of your
way and buy extremely expensive things.
“I think that what girls want for
Valentine’s Day is for a guy to be
thoughtful and creative. It’s really not
about the gift but the thought behind it,”
said junior Maggie Null.
Designed by Sarah Silverman
7
PP
C
Features
Brittany Pendry /
PPC Editor-in-Chief
by
It’s time to trade in those sappy
romance movies about love stories that
don’t really exist in real life, as well as
those comedies about events that are
never actually going to be that funny.
Instead, it is the perfect time to sit back
and watch the ultimate classic action/
drama movies that have to be relived over
and over again. And, if you have to “live”
with these movies at all, then I suggest
you take an entire Friday night out of
your life and watch all 10 of these classic
movies.
10. GoodFellas
Gangsters. Deceit. Burglaries.
Betrayal. Murder. What more you can
ask for in a movie? Three of Hollywood’s
biggest hotshot--Robert De Niro, Ray
Liotta, and Joe Pesci--all star in this
movie about Henry Hill (Liotta) a local
boy in New York turned gangster. Soon,
Hill is paired up with his intimidating
gangster best friend, Tommy Devito
(Pesci), by none other than Jimmy
Conway (De Niro). The movie explores
the daily life of these three who are trying
to make their way up the criminal ladder
and into the true world of the Italian
Mafia. With as many clever tricks as
downfalls, the question always remains:
who’s going to be bumped off next, and
who will sell out just to save himself?
9. First Blood, a.k.a Rambo
It is evident that Sylvester Stallone
only made two movies that cannot only
be called classics, but actually considered
good. First Blood is one of them. Stallone
plays John Rambo, an ex-Green Beret
who has just returned from the Vietnam
War with a very unusual welcome home.
That is, he didn’t get one. Instead, when
refusing to leave a town because the
people did not want a Vietnam veteran
there, the sheriff (Brian Dennehy) arrested
him and locked him in jail. Here, a few
police officers proceeded to abuse him.
Enter a scene of extreme stunts, tricks,
and pure beat downs by Rambo. As a
matter of fact, from here on out the rest
of the movie contains those three factors.
Rambo escapes and the officers of the
town miserably fail at their attempts
to capture him. Rambo is a pure action
movie filled with scenes that you cannot
even being to wrap your head around
(knocking a man out of a helicopter with
a rock anyone?). It’s an edge-of-the-seat
8
Designed by Sam Kelley
Top 10 Must-See
thriller that brings about the true feelings
of that era, and has an ending that is so
moving, you can’t picture it any other
way.
8. Indiana Jones: Raiders of the
Lost Ark
Admit it. You ran around the house
with your fedora hat on and the loosened
button down-shirt while diving out of
the way from the imaginary boulder
that was booby-trapped to stop you
from stealing an ancient artifact. In this
world, you were Indiana Jones, and hey,
why wouldn’t you want to be? Sexy
archaeologist with muscles perfected to
a T, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is in
for the adventure of his life, and he takes
us along with him. Jones is hired by the
U.S. government to find the Ark of the
Covenant, which is believed to still hold
the 10 Commandments. It’s never that
simple though is it? Jones is hunted down
by Nazis, and comes face to face with
snakes, weapons, multiple near death
experiences. It’s okay though, he has his
whip.
7. Terminator
It’s safe to say when people still use
lines from a movie that made its debut
more than 20 years ago, it’s almost
blasphemy if it wasn’t considered a
classic. The Terminator was way ahead
of its time, with technology no one
from that era had ever seen before.
Today, anyone can put together a movie
with better special effects, but no one
can put together another movie with
such substance or storyline like the
Terminator. No one. The terminator
(Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in
time from the year 2029 to 1984 to kill a
woman, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton),
because she is someday going to give
birth to boy who will grow up to lead the
last humans in existence. Unfortunately,
this terminator is a cyborg who is
virtually unstoppable, which is why John
Connor (Sarah’s son) sends back Kyle
Reese (Michael Biehn) to protect her and
stop the terminator. This legendary film
with its non-stop action and edge of the
seat thrills will stand the test of time.
6. The Usual Suspects
Never before have I seen a movie
with such shocking twists that I am left
completely speechless at the final scene.
Never. After an explosion on a boat that
N
O
I
T
C
A
leaves
27 men dead,
Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey)
is taken into questioning as he is one
of two eye-witnesses. Here Kint begins
telling the story of five criminals brought
into custody in New York for an ordinary
line-up six weeks earlier. However, this
usual line-up eventually turns into the
ultimate question: who is Keyser Söze?
An entire movie filled with deception and
double-crosses, it will leave you guessing
until the very end.
5. Rocky
Overrated? Not in the slightest because
any true Rocky fan never hesitates to
watch it for the millionth time and never
misses a chance to read about it. Sylvester
Stallone, in his greatest movie role of all
time (yes, even better than Rambo), plays
Rocky Balboa a.k.a the “Italian Stallion,”
a struggling boxer in Philadelphia
waiting for his ultimate dream: to
become a professional boxer. And, when
heavyweight champion Apollo Creed
(Carl Weathers) comes to Philadelphia,
he chooses Balboa as his opponent in
his newest experiment: the chance for
a “nobody” to become a “somebody.”
Viewers watch as Balboa transforms
himself into a true opponent who won’t
go down without a fight. And, in the final
scene, all viewers are on edge for the
moment that they’ve all been waiting for.
Rocky is truly far from overrated. It’s
inspirational and phenomenal in every
aspect, including the acting, which is
where Stallone usually fails in most of
his other movies. But, it’s safe to say,
even Stallone’s acting can be called
phenomenal.
4. The Goonies
Okay, so it’s more of an action/
comedy, but c’mon, it’s the Goonies! I
think we can make an exception because
it is one of the best classic movies ever.
In a small town lies a very big legend
about the hidden treasure of “One-Eyed
Willy,” and with developers wanting to
build a golf course in the place of the
neighborhood where the Goonies live,
finding treasure to out buy the developers
sounds like a great plan. So, with the
treasure map found in Mikey Walsh’s
S
M
FIL
(Sean
Astin) attic, the
gang sets out an adventure
without any idea of what lies ahead.
Secret passages, booby traps, and
disastrous inventions will keep the legend
of the Goonies alive til the end of time.
3. Lethal Weapon
Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny
Glover) has just turned 50 and is just a
few short years away from retiring, but
when he gets paired up with a suicidally
sarcastic Sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel
Gibson), it’s evident that the stuff is
going to hit the fan. Riggs has no rules,
no boundaries, and has every intention
on driving Murtaugh crazy. Now, they
have to set aside their differences and
work together to discover all about a
drug-smuggling operation. Unlike any
other cop movie out there, Lethal Weapon
serves up the action, the drama, and the
comedy in unbelievable doses that after
20 years people are still in love with.
2. Boondock Saints
Even though the Boondock Saints
was only released 9 years ago, it is quite
evident that it will soon become an epic
movie. Two extremely religious fraternal
Irish brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery and
Norman Reedus) are living in Boston and
believe they have received a message from
God: “destroy all that which is evil so that
which is good may flourish.” Now the two
brothers are going to carry out this message
by trying to take out all the evil men living
in and around their neighborhood. Not just
members of the mafia, but drug dealers
and rapists too, and they’re doing it in style
(incorporate scene where they take out a
group of mafia members by accidentally
falling through the ceiling while being
suspended by a rope). Bad guys all over
the area are being murdered and one FBI
investigator (Willem Dafoe) is trying to
figure out who is behind taking the law
into their own hands. However, the deeper
Dafoe delves into the case, the more he
struggles with his secret thoughts that these
men are doing everything that he wishes
he could do. They are killing the corrupt
and are doing so in a highly entertaining
way that makes you ask yourself why
don’t we have guys like this around here?
Worship the movie. Worship “the saints.”
Guaranteed you won’t regret it.
“Movies” continued on pg. 13.
02.11.08
The Anticipation...
...of the
Kristi Lawrence /
PPC A&E Editor
by
The 2007 Oscars are on its
way. Celebrities and fans from
all over the world are excited to
find out the outcome of this years
well-known awards show. The
nominations were released Jan.
23. This year’s Oscar awards
show is scheduled for Feb. 24.
The writer’s strike that has been
ongoing since November, that is
threatening whether or not the
show will go on, or even be a
success.
The nominations for Best
Picture are Into the Wild, Juno,
Michael Clayton, No Country
for old Men, and There Will Be
Blood.
“The Oscars are like a
train wreck, you can’t stop…
watching,” said junior Mikey
Caesar.
David Carr, from The
Carpetbagger, predicted Tom
Hanks would receive the
nomination for best actor in
Charlie Wilson’s War.
“I love the Oscars because
you never know what’s going
to happen,” said junior Nicki
VanMeter.
Best Actor nominations are
George Clooney in Michael
Clayton, Daniel Day-Lewis in
There Will Be Blood, Johnny
Depp in Sweeney Todd, Tommy
Lee Jones in In the Velley of
Elah, and Viggo Mortensen in
Eastern Promises.
Arts & Entertainment PPC
Oscars
Best
actress
nominations are Cate Blanchett
in Elizabeth: The Golden Age,
Julie Christie in Away From
Her, Marion Cotillard in La
Vie En Rose, Laura Linney in
The Savages, and Ellen Page in
Juno.
“I’m hoping that Juno will
win Best Picture because it
was very good, ” said junior
Stephanie Muirhead.
With
all
the
anxious
anticipation from hundreds
of thousands of people, the
outcome of the awards will
be exciting. There have been
many phenomenal movies that
have been well-directed and
put together, it will be a hard
choice to determine the ultimate
winners.
Movie Review:
27 Dresses
by Jacki Kaluzny /
PPC News Editor
We’ve all seen our fair share
of cliché romance movies such as
The Notebook and A Cinderella
Story. When choosing to see 27
Dresses, some may have been
a little apprehensive thinking it
will be the same as all the rest,
but it’s far from it. This witty,
laugh-out-loud romantic comedy
hooks you from the beginning.
“I went into the theater
thinking it would be a typical
2.11.08
love movie,” said sophomore
Carla Kundert, “but the plotline
was great. I really liked it.”
Grey’s Anatomy’s Katherine
Heigl stars as Jane, a wedding
fanatic. Although she has never
been in a wedding of her own,
she takes pride in participating
in 27 of her friends’ weddings.
But not only does she partake in
the weddings, but also organizes
them. From the cake to the
seating arrangements, she does
it all.
Besides being in love with
weddings, Jane’s also secretly
in love with her boss George
(Edward Burns). When Jane’s
sister Tess (Malin Akerman)
moves back into town, she falls
in love with George. Jane now
has to put aside her undying
love and painstakingly plan the
wedding for the two of them.
All the while she is unknowingly
falling in love with Kevin
(James Marsden) the newspaper
journalist writing about Tess’s
wedding.
“I loved it,” said junior Alex
Hill. “It’s definitely a date
movie.”
27 Dresses is definitely a five
star film. This unpredictable
Oscar
Nominations
Best Animated Feature Film
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf’s up
Best Picture
Atonement
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Best Director
Julian Schnabel
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Reitman
Juno
Tony Gilroy
Michael Clayton
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson
There Will Be Blood
Best Actor
George Clooney
Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis
There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tommy Lee Jones
In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen
Eastern Promises
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie
Away From Her
Marion Cotillard
La Vie en Rose
Ellen Page
Juno
Laura Linney
The Savages
Best Original Song
“Falling Slowly”
Once
“Happy Working Song”
Enchanted
“Raise It Up”
August Rush
“So Close”
Enchanted
“That’s How You Know”
Enchanted
Designed by Kristi Lawrence
9
PP
C
Arts & Entertainment
By Eric Reynolds /
PPC Advertising Editor
It’s kind of sad what happened to “The
Apprentice.” Once, it was one of the more
captivating hours of reality TV, a show
that turned Donald Trump’s hair into
a weird sort of national treasure. But
like its star, it quickly overleveraged
First came an ill-advised foray into the
Martha Stewart franchise, followed by
the ill-fated Los Angeles season, and soon
enough, relevance was lost.
Now, Trump and producer Mark Burnett
are trying to restore old glory with the help
of some low-wattage star power. In the new
opening of “Celebrity Apprentice,” which
premiered Thurs., Jan. 3 on NBC, Trump
announced that he had assembled “14 of
the world’s most successful celebrities”
- people hungry enough for attention, at
least, that they’re willing to divide into
men-versus-women teams and take on
business challenges for charity.
Some of them you might have heard of.
The contestants included Playboy playmate
Tiffany Fallon, boxer Lennox Lewis, and
actor Vinnie Pastore, who starred in “The
Sopranos.” But the main thing you needed
to have known is that they’d brought back
Omarosa, the first-season “Apprentice”
contestant who won fame by virtue of her
superhuman abrasiveness.
Of course, fame born from reality
TV only spreads so far. Some of her
“Apprentice” competitors claimed that
they’d never heard of her, so Omarosa
carried herself with the fervor
of
someone who wanted
to prove she’s
legitimate.
like you to show up and buy a $5,000 hot
dog. All the money goes to charity. Will
you do that for me?”
Of course, “the pot calling the kettle
black” is not a racist comment.
This season, Trump asked Omarosa
if she knew fellow
celebrity Stephen
Baldwin, and Omarosa
responded with a cold
“unfortunately, I do.”
After Piers Morgan (the
judge from “America’s
Got Talent”) took a stab
at her, she told him to
tuck his shirt in and told the rest of the
celebrities that he was an alcoholic.
“The alcohol coming from your breath
is just...embarrassing,” Omarosa said.
On the Feb. 7 show, after a disgruntled
Piers returned from the Board Room,
Omarosa said: “We know how much you
like alcohol, Piers. Help yourself to the
liquor.”
By contrast, most of these so-called stars
fade so easily into the background that it’s
hard to remember they’re here. (Couldn’t
Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci have
done a back flip or two to sell hot dogs?
Apparently not.)
No one seems especially engaged,
since there’s so little at stake, and getting
“fired” doesn’t carry much sting. Omarosa
is hungry, at least; she’s a vestige of the
old “Apprentice” spirit, and a reminder of
what’s been lost.
“The Celebrity Apprentice” airs every
Thursday on NBC at 8 p.m.
y
t
Apprentice
i
r
b
e
l
e
C
Quite
honestly, that’s just
how she is; she entered in a
silver snakeskin dress, trash-talking
and demanding to be in charge.
On the men’s side, her attentiongrabbing counterpart was KISS front man
Gene Simmons, a marketing mogul in
his own right, who seemed to know he’d
be better off giving business tutorials to
Trump.
Unfortunately, he became the third
celebrity fired by “the Don” after failing to
admit his own loss to the opposing team.
At the very least, Simmons knew enough
about business to understand that this show
has practically nothing to do with it.
The first task was no different. The stars
were charged with setting up a hot dog
stand on a Manhattan street corner, and the
team that made the most money would win.
Simmons, sneering behind his sunglasses,
casually picked up his black address book
and started to call his friends.
“Could you do me a favor?” he said as
his teammates looked on admiringly. “I’d
Ah, so this is how it’s going to go:
Celebrities showing off their rich contacts
and begging for money. Even mostlyforgotten “Taxi” star Marilu Henner, it
turns out, knows some people rich enough
to buy bottles of water for $5,000 apiece.
However, at the end of the day, it was the
men who came out on top. In the Board
Room, the men watched with amusement
as the women got grilled.
“Omarosa’s a survivor,” Simmons
declared, as the show’s loudest contestant
made a case for herself. “Like a
cockroach.”
He’s right, on several levels. Omarosa’s
resident-evil act has already worn thin,
but she has the advantage of a distinctive
personality, and the producers clearly need
to keep her around.
During her initial Apprentice runthrough, Ereka, a fellow contestant, told
Omarosa that something she was saying
was like “the pot calling the kettle black.”
Omarosa responded with “There you go
again, Ereka, with your racist comments.”
A’won Made It To HOLLYWOOD
By Iman Bradley /
PPC A&E Editor
Dallas,
for
It’s not
about the
fame for her.
Angela
Martin
auditioned in
Texas,
American
Idol.
This 26-yearold woman
from Chicago,
IL is a single
mom fighting for her daughter, Jessica,
with Rett’s Syndrome. Her daughter was
diagnosed with Rett’s Syndrome when she
was two years old. She auditioned in
Dallas for her daughter; she is doing
this for her.
The contestant told the
cameras, “It’s not about fame
for me, it’s about getting her
the best
care and the
best therapies,
because the doctors
told me my baby
was never gonna
walk or talk, and
I’m gonna get
that for her.”
Martin’s
supported her at the audition, which talked
about how they all pitched in to help raise
Jessica and considered her like a daughter.
When she was at the auditions, Simon
Cawell asked her to tell him something
interesting about herself. Angela
told him that she is in a
band that
performs at
weddings and
bars. She is also
an artist in Music
Nation. She calls herself
A’wun. She has a song out
called “Man Like That,” which
has a R&B feel to it. Recently,
she performed at Open Mic
at INCLUSIVES in Berwyn,
where she performs
“It’s
not
about the fame
for me”.....
family
sometimes.
She shined in the audition singing
Stevie Wonder’s “Singed, Sealed,
Delivered (I’m Yours).” The judges didn’t
like the performance,
but enough
for
her
to go on to
Hollywood.
Randy Jackson,
Paula
Abdul, and
Simon
Cawell all
said yes
and she
ran out of the
room with that
golden ticket to
Hollywood with
only the warning
that she needed
to “de-wedding-ize”
her voice. Angela would like to fulfill her
dreams; she is on American Idol for her
little daughter.
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
P
Arts & Entertainment PC
Obtaining music
legally
3 of the best ways to acquire
music without illegally downloading
By Zach Nabor / A&E Editor
With all of the news stories about people getting
caught by the government
and receiving large fines
for downloading music illegally, is it worth the risk? If
you are not willing to take
the risk of illegally downloading music
or think it is
wrong, here
are some of
the best ways
to obtain music legally.
1. T h e
internet is a
great way to
get
music,
you can you
many websites including ebay.com or amazon.
com, or you can go to the
band website and buy it
from there. The internet has
the best selection, but you
will then have to pay a shipping fee and wait for a shipping time.
2. iTunes is a good
way to get music. You can
buy single songs if you
don’t want a whole album,
or you can buy the whole
album. This is great unless
you want the actual CD
including the case and the
liner notes, sadly iTunes
is only a file that does not
stores. Freshmen Colin Otis
says “I can’t find Mountain
Heart or any good bluegrass
at those stores.” Stores usually share the average price.
“I buy most of my music at
Best Buy.” says DJ Valera,
sophomore. But if you want
obscure, unpopular, or
independent
music many
major stores
may
not
stock them.
These are
three of the
major ways
to buy music legally.
The internet
is probably
the
most
convenient
and useful way to buy music, because you can find
almost anything on it. But
it also has shipping fee and
the purchaser may wait a
while to receive their purchased item. If that is not a
big problem the internet is
the recommended way to
buy music.
“I can’t find
Mountain Heart or
any good bluegrass
at those stores.” says
Colin Otis, freshman.
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
come with the case or booklet. iTunes isn’t the only site
for downloading, this can
also be done on Rhapsody.
com or Napster.com.
3. Stores are a good
way to buy music; music can
be bought at most stores including Best Buy, Wal-Mart,
and many other smaller
Guitar Hero vs.
Rock Band
by
Ryan Kelley / Chatter Room A&E Editor
Rock Band or Guitar Hero? Two games that both rock, but
the big question is, which one is better?
Harmonix and Red Octane released Guitar Hero in November 2005. It became our decades biggest rock phenomenon as it sparked about $360 million as it came out with Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, and Guitar Hero III. Guitar Hero
includes many of rock’s biggest bands from Nirvana to Guns
n’ Roses. It has four difficulties in which you can choose
from easy, medium, hard, or expert. If you play in career
mode, you can name your band, and then you start playing a
five song set list. After each set list is beaten, you move onto
“Rock Band is very similar to
Guitar Hero except for the fact
that it not only allows you to play
guitar, but it enables users to play
vocals, bass, and drums. “
a new, and bigger venue, where you get the chance to play
five new songs. Also, starting on Guitar Hero II, you have to
play an encore song at the end as the crowd is roaring.
Harmonix drifted away from Red Octane, and created
Rock Band in November 2007. Rock Band is very similar
to Guitar Hero except for the fact that it not only allows you
to play guitar, but it enables users to play vocals, bass, and
drums. It can be played on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
The factor separating the two games are price. Guitar Hero
III is $80, and comes with a wireless guitar controller. Rock
Band is $165, and it comes with a wireless guitar controller,
microphone, and a five piece drum kit. The good thing about
Rock Band is that the guitar controllers from Guitar Hero
will work on Rock Band if you plug them in.
Overall, both games have a lot of potential, but I would
have to go with Rock Band since it has a lot more features
than Guitar Hero. The drums and microphone top it all off,
and make Rock Band very impressive. Its price is very high,
but it has a good reason for it since it comes with the game,
guitar, microphone and drums. Clearly, Rock Band dominates Guitar Hero, but if Guitar Hero was never created,
Rock Band wouldn’t exist. Both games are a success, and if
you really want to rock out and play some air guitar, pick up
Rock Band or Guitar Hero.
Designed by Zach Nabor 11
PP
C Interactive
Valentines Word Search
Valentine’s Day
jokes to enjoy!
What did the boy light bulb say to the
girl light bulb on Valentine’s Day?
I wuv you watts and watts.
What type of flowers should you
never give on Valentine’s Day?
Cauliflowers
What did the valentine card say to the
stamp?
Stick with me and we’ll go places.
What did frankentstein say to his
girlfriend?
Be my Valenstein!
What did the painter say to her
boyfriend?
I love you with all my art!
Dates
Hearts
Love
Red
Valentine
12 Designed by Lauren Keers
Candy
Chocolate
Cupid
What do you call a very small
valentine?
What did the paper clip said to the
magent?
February
Flowers
Hugs
Kisses
Jokes from http://jokesfunny.wordpress.com
Pink
Poetry
Romance
Sweetheart
Word Of The Week:
Dour- severe; gloomy;
stern.
I find you very attractive.
Card
Arrow
A valentiny!
Admirer
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
“Movies” Continued from
page 8
1. Die Hard
The end is here, and with it comes
the No. 1 action/drama movie. Not
only is Bruce Willis phenomenal
in one of his best performances
ever, but it is non-stop action from
beginning to end. Not to mention
one of the most memorable moves
lines ever beginning with ìYippiekay-yay.î John McClane (Willis)
is a New York City cop that is
visiting his wife in Los Angeles.
However, the visit takes a nasty
turn when terrorists take over the
building that she is working in and
holds everyone hostage. Willis,
however, escapes unnoticed and
decides that he needs to take
matters into his own hands instead
of waiting around for help that
may or may not come. In a series
of witty remarks and shoot-em-up
scenes, this movie is responsible
for creating a true human hero that
is rarely seen in any film, even
nowadays.
These top 10 movies make us
believe in hidden treasure and time
travel, and allow us to escape from
our everyday lives once in a while.
So, if youíre home on a Friday
night, forget about crying to some
of the famous predictable lines in
the Notebook, and instead pop in
one of these movies that will keep
you on the edge of your seat and
guessing until the final scene.
P
Jump PC
“Top 10 Freshmen”
Continued from Page 15
1.
Michael Beasley,
Kansas State
The most complete player
in college basketball has to be
Beasley. Standing at 6’10, he
has the ability to score from
anywhere on the court. He is
too quick to put a post player on
him. He is too tall and athletic
for a guard to play him. If he are
a step off of him, he will shoot
it in your eye. If you guard him
close, he will take on dribble
around you and dunk over your
teammate. This is probably
why many feel Beasley is the
unanimous number one pick if
he makes himself eligible. He
has Kansas State competing in
the Big 12 as well. He makes the
most of the players around him
and realizes his role. Together
with fellow freshman Bill
Walker, Kansas State could be
an upset special come March.
Honorable Mention: Bill
Walker,KSU, Johnny Flynn,
‘Cuse, JJ Hickson, NCST,
DeAndre Jordan, T A&M, Nick
Calathes,FLA.
This is definetly the year of
the freshman. With talent like
Beasley, Gordon, Love, or Mayo
next years draft class could eb
exceptionally talented. Don’t
be surprised to see multiple
freshman on the All-American
team for the first time. Come
March, the pressure will build
and we will be able to see who
can step up and lead their team
to the promised land. And in
the long run get to be the first
person called to the podium by
Commisioner Stern.
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C
Sports
Some things better
left unsaid
The Worst Quotes by Sports Commentators
by
Jeff Beguin / PPC Editor-in Chief
As sports fans, we all love and hate our
fair share of sports broadcasters. At times
some analysts are articulate and extremely
eloquent with their knowledge of sports, and
then in other times they’re better off with a
foot in their mouth.
The most frequent on-air chaos involved
Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel.
Tilghman was recently suspended for, in an
attempt at humor, poorly wording advice
to the other golfers that they should “lynch
Tiger Woods in a back alley” so he will stop
winning. Lucky for Tilghman she works for
the Golf Channel and no one was watching.
Someone needs to consider matching
Tilghman up with Don Imus. Together, they
can formulate the ultimate dream team of
sports talk, and as an audience the viewers
can go ahead and not respect either of them
at the same time.
Taking this most recent mishap into
consideration, there have been plenty of
other brainless blunders to be blurted out in
front of the American sports’ fan base.
As far as baseball commentary goes,
there are plenty of greats out there. Peter
Gammons, Tim Kurkjian, or Steve Stone
make up a few. On the other hand, when it
comes to slip-ups, or just flat out nonsense
statements, no one compares to Tim
McCarver.
Just take a look at these stellar lines of
analysis:
“Roy
Oswalt is a drop
and drive pitcher.
What is a drop
and drive pitcher?
He is a guy who
drops and drives.
Very
simple.”
Truly
Emmy
winning material,
but if you think
that last statement
is obvious you
haven’t
heard
enough “McCarverisms.”
Check out
McCarver’s in-depth report on New York
Yankee pitching.
“Yankee pitchers have had great success
this year against Miguel Cabrera when they
get him out.” How this guy got his own
show is a mystery.
For those of you who know Shannon
Sharpe, you know that in his playing days
as a tight end for the Denver Broncos, he
had big stats, big talent, and a big mouth.
The big mouth he carried into his career as
an NFL analyst. Sharpe’s most outrageous
statement comes when referring to the
tenacity of Baltimore
Raven’s linebacker
Ray Lewis.
“Ray Lewis is
the type of guy, if he
were in a fight with a
bear, I wouldn’t help
him, I’d pour honey
on him because he
likes to fight. That’s
the type of guy Ray
Lewis is.”
Though extremely
impressive
to
incorporate the dangers of wilderness into
his commentary, Sharpe’s annotations are
almost always outlandish and completely
useless.
In the continuation of a football theme,
there is one man, one legend who has
made himself the king of all stupid on-air
“Yankee pitchers have
had great success
against Cabrera when
they get him out,”
said Tim McCarver.
comments. That man: the notorious John
Madden. While Madden has for years
been making a fool of himself via “Tough
acting Tinactin” commercials, excessive use
of the phrase, “Boom,” or his unorthodox
drawings with the onscreen yellow marker,
some of his worst commentary falls under
one word, obvious.
“Here’s a guy, who when he runs, he
moves faster.”
“See the goal of football is to score more
points than your opponent.”
Though the obvious statements are
Madden’s bread and butter, he still has
a knack for the obscure and gibberish
comments as well.
“Yes, turns out yellow and red make
green, I found this out when I spilled yellow
mustard on my red tie and it turned lime
green, not orange.” Madden has always
been one for deep thoughts.
“From the waist down, Earl Campbell
has the biggest legs I have ever seen on a
running back.”
As long as there is sports talk there will
be bad broadcasters saying unintelligent
things, just leave it to ESPN to go out there
and sign them.
IHSA Starts Random Drug Tests
Next School Year
by
Mike Noe / PPC Sports Editor
On Jan. 14, the Illinois High School
Association board approved the proposal
that random drug tests should be conducted
on IHSA athletes during state series. This
will go in effect starting in the 20082009 school year in hopes of eliminating
performance enhancing drugs from high
school athletes. Illinois now joins Florida,
New Jersey, and Texas as the fourth state to
approve the proposal.
Athletic Director, Mr. Robert Tyrell,
14
Designed by Mike Noe
said, “I think it’s a positive thing. We’re all
for the testing process. I hope it serves as
a deterrent for
kids not to do
it.”
Random
drug
testing
was suggested
to the board of
directors after
a survey was
taken by 750
of its school’s
principals. Out of the 750 principals, 525 of
them said “yes” to the drug testing. Many
coaches approved the random drug testing.
“I
think
that the steroid
issues is serious
enough
that
anything
that
could address
the issue is a
positive thing,”
said Coach Ray
Liberatore.
Athletes will
be tested on anabolic steroids and other
“I think it’s a positive thing.
We’re all for the testing process. I hope it serves as a deterrent for kids not to do it,”
said Mr. Robert Tyrell.
banned substances. The list of IHSA banned
substances is the same as NCAA’s list.
Cocain, methamphetamine, marijuana will
all be tested under the banned substances
list. The tests will be performed once the
athletes reach the Regional round of the
state series.
When asked what he thought about using
performance enhancing drugs sophomore
Mac Simotes, said, “I think it gives you
an unfair advantage.” Penalties for being
caught with performance enhancing drugs
have not yet been decided and will be
discussed next month.
2 . 1 1 . 0 8
Top 10 Freshman
By Tommy Stokke /
PPC Sports Editor
Following a freshman class
loaded with talent such as Greg Oden,
Kevin Durant, and Brandon Wright
is a tough act to follow after having
successful years. This year’s NCAA
men’s basketball freshman class is
doing all that and then some.
The class of 2008’s freshman class is
the best freshman class in history. Any
top ten list could contain 20 different
names. With the talent so deep and the
skill so good,
every ranking
is debatable.
Before
I
begin the list
I would like
to thank David
Stern,
NBA
commissioner.
Without him,
many of these
players would
be starting in
the NBA today.
Possibly all of
them could start for the Bulls.
10. James Harden, Arizona State
Harden is a 6 foot 4 forward whose
efficiency has been his biggest key.
He is averaging close to 19 points
a game while grabbing 5 boards a
game. His play against rival Arizona
proved what kind of player he is. He
led his team to an overtime victory
while pouring in 26 points. Oh, not to
mention he played all but one minute
of the game.
9.
P a t r i c k
Patterson, Kentucky
Kentucky’s stand out power
forward has been a big reason
for the Wildcat’s successes
this year. Although the season
has been a disappointment by
Kentucky standards, Patterson
has impressed many. He played
50 minutes in the double
overtime upset versus Vanderbilt and
played a key role in the comeback
upset against number 5 Tennessee.
He could be a one and done player
so Kentucky coach Billy Gillespie
should enjoy him while he can.
8.
Kyle Singler, Duke
Singler is the signature “love him
or hate him” Duke player. He has the
tools to be a JJ Redick type of big
time player. He keeps himself on the
floor with his hustle and production.
He seems to show up when it matters
most. He scored a season high 25
points against ranked Marquette on
the road in a victory.
Donte
Greene,
7.
Syracuse
This 6’9 forward is averaging 18
points a game along with 8 rebounds. He
is the centerpiece of a young Syracuse
team. Along side fellow freshman
Johnny Flynn, Syracuse seems to have
a bright future, depending on if they
stay or not. The
Orange might
not be getting
the scoreboard
results
they
would like, but
with a player
like Greene, a
win is possible
on any night
against anyone.
6.J e r r y d
B a y l e s s ,
Arizona
Bayless has
remained somewhat under the radar
due to an injury during the year.
Arizona was pleased to greet him
when he got back. Bayless started
and scored a career high 33 points in
his first game back against Houston,
including an impressive 18-20 from
the free throw line. He seems to be
back on track and that is good news
from Arizona fans and bad news for
the Pac-10.
Before I begin the list I
would like to thank David
Stern, NBA commissioner.
Without him, many of these
players would be starting in
the NBA today. Possibly all
of them could start for the
Bulls.
Singler is the
signature “love
him or hate him”
Duke player
2 , 1 1 . 0 8
5.
Kevin Love, UCLA
The High School Gatorade Athlete
of the Year has performed well during
his freshman campaign. Of the top 10
freshman, he is most likely to stay.
He dropped a career high 27 points
against then undefeated Washington
State to go along with 14 boards. The
freshman from Oregon is averaging
a double-double, 17 points and 10
rebounds. If UCLA wants to get back
Sports
to the Final Four, they will depend
heavily on Love’s inside game.
4.
Derrick
Rose,
Memphis
A Chicago native, Rose has been a
big factor in Memphis’ undefeated run.
Rose runs the point for the undefeated
Tigers. He doesn’t have to do as
much as the people ahead of him on
this list due to the players around him.
Anytime you have players like Chris
Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey on
your team, you know you like your
chances. The pressure on Rose is far
less than those ahead of him which is
why he isn’t higher. He is average 14
points and 4 assists a game.
3.
O.J. Mayo, USC
No one will question Mayo’s
athletic ability. However, it is his off
the court issues that shy teams away.
He can be found on YouTube, not
just for his dunks, but for him hitting
a referee in a high school game. He is
averaging 19 points a game however
and is considered one of the top talents
in the draft, assuming that he goes.
He might be the most likely to go. He
led USC to a win over powerhouse
UCLA, playing all 40 minutes.
2.
Eric Gordon, Jr.,
Indiana
Eric Gordon came into the season
under a lot of scrutiny already. After
the Illini realized their team had no
chance of competing this year, they
turned their focus to almost-teammate
Gordon. Gordon, out of North Central
High in Indianapolis, had verbally
committed to Illinois. When Indiana
coach Kelvin Sampson was hired, he
changed his mind and sign a letter to
commit to Indiana. Right away more
bad blood was added to the rivalry.
Gordon started out his college career
with a bang, scoring 30 plus in 3 of
his first 4 games. He has stepped
into the role of being the face of the
Hoosiers and accepted it well. His
ability to take the ball to the rim and
finish and his unlimited range makes
him virtually unguardable. He led the
Hoosiers up to a 7th ranking before
falling at home to UConn. His 24
points a game are 4th in the nation.
“Top Ten Freshmen”
Coninued on Page 13
P
PC
Wrestling Tops
Conference
Again
Individuals advance to
sectionals
By Amanda Alexander / CR
News Editor
MCHS gave Lincoln Way
Central, who is currently
ranked 6th in state, a run for
their money taking a lead of
30-18, that is until Nequea
Valley came in a won with a
score of 31-30 on Jan 3, at the
Minooka was worried of the
outcome going up against
Plainfield Central.
“It felt good to beat
Plainfield Central, because
they thought had had us even
before the game had begun.
We wrested really good, we
got many of our bonus points
for the team from pins,” stated
wrestler
Brian
Bokoski.
Conference Team
Standings are 1.
Minooka 216.5, 2.
Plainfield Central
193.5, 3. Plainfield
North 149, 4.
Morris 112, 5.
Romeoville 83.5,
6. Oswego East
61, 7. Oswego 55,
8. Plainfield South
52.1.
N o w
that conference is
over, with MCHS
will go up against
some
tough
teams in regional
including Providence and
Marian High School. “We are
looking forward to reginals
and practicing a lot, our main
competition is Providence,”
stated
wrestler
Marcus
Rangel. We wish them the
best of luck.
We wrestled
very well and
definitely
upset LincolnWay Central,”
stated Coach
Ruettiger.
Rudy Cup.
“ We wrestled very well
and definitely upset Lincoln
Way Central,” stated coach
Ruettiger.
With a lot of practice, hard
work, and ambition it has
lead to a phenomenal season
and the sixth Conference
championship for Minooka.
Before the Conference match,
Designed by Tommy Stokke 15
PP
C
Sports
State Bound
Girls bowling sets hopes high
by
Jessica Pieszchala
When it comes to bowling, sophomore
bowler Jessica Balsamo defines success as
“doing your best, picking up your spares,
and having a good time no matter how
you’re doing.”
If one were to use this definition as
success, it would seem that every bowler
on Minooka’s girls’ bowling team has been
successful this year.
“I’ve definitely improved a lot on my
spares,” said Kelly Schneider, sophomore.
“I’d like to be more consistent.” Schneider’s
high score is 234.
However, some of the bowlers choose
to focus on their team rather than their own
personal success, which embodies the true
definition of teamwork.
“We started
off rocky, but we
ended up being
really
good
in the end,”
said freshman
K a i t l i n
Condon.
S e n i o r
D a n i e l l e
Drummond
focuses
on
herself and also the team at the same time.
“We’ve come together and really worked
together. The last few years we’ve been really
separated,” said Drummond. Drummond
recently earned a personal achievement of
seven strikes in a row, and a high score of 263.
B r e a n n e
D o w n e y
realizes that
everyone
is
improving at
their own rate.
“This year
I got my new
high score of
229. I knew
some
other
girls got new
high scores as well.”
“We’ve been making improvements as
the year goes along,” said coach Mickey
Resner. Some of the girls choose to set even
“I love my team. I love
going to practices and
to meets,” said Kelly
Schneider.
higher goals for themselves.
“I just want to have a 200 game,” said
Balsamo. Freshman Alyssa Rak has a high
score of 236, but has a personal goal of
“getting a 300 before [she] graduates high
school.” Schneider also looks at bowling as
a lot of fun.
“I love my team. I love going to practices
and to meets,” said Schneider.
At press time, the most recent meet was
SPC, in which they placed fifth out of eight
teams. “We have sectionals this weekend,
and if we make that, we go to state next
weekend,” said Resner.
Balsamo
looks
at
everything
lightheartedly and laughs, “Yay! Bowling!”
Boys bowling nets 5th place
Tommy Stokke /
Sports Editor
by
The boys’ varsity bowling
team made history this year
being the first team to go to state.
However, they weren’t done
there. The Indians went on to
finish fifth in state.
The Indians advanced to
state following a 10-1 regular
season. Bowling in one of the top
sectionals in the state, the team
16
Designed by Tommy Stokke
leaned on the arm of sophomore
Tyler Heintzelman. Heintzelman,
who was bowling on the JV
team just two weeks prior to the
secional, placed second place
overall in the sectional.
“I just wanted to do my best
to help the team, I wasn’t really
nervous,” said Heintzelman.
The Indians had a promising
first day. The team was in third
following day one at the state
finals, just 147 pins behind first
place. Led by Heintzelman’s
1,314 series, the team felt they
were in good position to win.
Sam Biesack, junior, helped out
with a 1,304 and sophomore Ryan
Lakota added a 1,295.
Day two didn’t start out like
the team had hoped. Nerves may
have started to play a factor.
Coach Derrick Rapsky agreed.
“The guys were definitely
nervous coming out on day
two. But we felt we were still in
position to have a chance.”
Minooka dropped down to
seventh, but they rebounded well
and finished in fifth place. There
were 24 teams competing.
The strength of the team was
their depth. With only five spots
to fill, Rapsky had the luxury of
choosing out of a big talent pool.
There were nine to 10 individuals
he had to choose from. However,
this wasn’t always a good thing. It
put more pressure on him to make
the right choice.
“It is hard to get everyone in
when we have eight of nine guys
fully capable of being on varsity
and only five spots,” said Rapsky.
The Indians seem to have an
even brighter future. The team
is returning six of the eight
individuals that went with the
team to state. This year is a sign
of greater things to come.
2 . 1 1 . 0 8