Lemont High School 800 Porter Street Lemont Il, 60439

March25, 2011 Issue 24 IN THIS ISSUE by Caroline Celis p.2 Fifteen LHS Se- News writer niors Named Prarie The recent events in Japan have been the main concern of worldwide news sources. State Scholars Amidst the many tragedies that have struck the nation, a recent nuclear disaster has added to the concerns. p.3 Reach out, Provide A recent attempt to cool down nuclear reactions within the plant, using ocean water and pumps, by the Japanese military has failed. The power outages across Japan Relief have affected not only residential and commercial properties nation-wide, but also p.4 Lose Our Speech, temporarily shut down the Naiichi Nuclear facility that houses six nuclear reactors. The malfunctioning of these reactors has caused multiple explosions that have Lose Ourselves released drastically dangerous amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. The Japanese p.5 Give a Little Bit & government has advised all citizens living within 18 miles of the plant to stay inside their homes. The Diary of a Newly Erin Boyd, LHS Physics teacher, commented that she thinks Japan will “get it all under control soon.” Converted Vegetarian: While the world waits to see what will happen next in Japan, many solutions are One Month Later being suggested. Boyd suggested that when the plants are rebuilt that they “definitely plan for p.6 Hunger: A World bigger earthquakes” and said “this is something the U.S. can learn from too.” Boyd Issue also stated that Japan should next, “contain the radiation, so that it does not expand.” These recent events have taken up most the news’ stories, but it is widely speculated p.8 Jane Eyre that Japan is not releasing all information. The more knowledgeable the world becomes about the true problems within the country, the more the world can respond p.9 Rango with aid to them. p.10 Dig This! p.11 Hitting the Ground Running & Going, Going, Gone p.12 Lights Out p.14 Q&A With Con- cussed Athletes photos courtesy of Google 2 3 LHS also recognizes students who scored better Fifteen LHS Seniors Named than expected on their PSAE tests. These “Beat the Spread” honorees have increased over the years, with a record 85 students making the list this year. by Elizabeth Bernabe As Rogers optimistically predicted, “Hopefully by Erin O’Connor provide relief News writer News writer [those] results will continue!” Recently, 15 students from the Class of 2011 were named as Prairie State Scholars after taking the Prairie State On Friday, March 11, a 9.0 earthquake hit the islands Achievement Exam (PSAE) in April 2010. According to the Director of School and Community Relations Tony Prairie State Scholars this year include: Lindsay of Japan. The strongest quake ever to hit the region was Hamilton, the number of LHS students honored as Prairie State Scholars increased dramatically since last year, when Bromberek, Janelle Fennessy, Kevin Fritz, followed by a tsunami causing even greater damage to only 2 students were given the honor. Jake Groselak, Ryan Harding, Nick Hunt, Rita the country. Senior Arthur Laciak revealed, “I believe that [the Class of 2011] has a large number of highly academic students, Kuseliauskas, Arthur Laciak, Matthew Lithgow, The recovery efforts, which started almost immediately who are able to perform really well on the PSAE. I was shocked, but pretty proud of our grade to learn that 15 of us Aileen McGraw, Vijay Rajendran, Clare Rogers, after the tragedy, will help Japan overcome the damage compared to 2 last year have received the award.” Paige Szymanski, Nick Taluzek and Jessica from the natural disasters. The , along with The PSAE tests students’ levels in Math, English, Reading and Science. The test consists of an ACT and writing Wienand. many other nations, stand ready to give their aid to the portion that is given on the first day. On the second day, students are tested on an ISBE science assessment and two Beat the Spread students include: Allison country. WorkKeys for Applied Mathematics and Reading for Information. The test is required for all juniors in the state of Abril, Matthew Andrejko, Brian Arvans, Lindsay The United States and China, along with the Red Cross . Bromberek, Jacob Brzostowski, Francisco Castro, and several other charities, are helping to support Japan. Prairie State Scholars are chosen because in the Math, Reading, English and Science portions, they attained scores Andrew Chapman, Michael Czuma, John Daly, Even celebrities such as the band, The Black Eyed Peas, among the Exceeds Level. Megan DeVries, Gianna DiMenna, Lindsay are spreading awareness for the disaster through a clip at Senior Clare Rogers said, “We took practice questions for the test in many of our classes. The LHS teachers are very Dolezal, Crystina Dyer, Holly Ekkert, Brianna the beginning of their newest music video; the video was good at preparing us for what will be on the test.” Eslary, Maria Falese, Clayton Fejedelem, Janelle shot in Tokyo one week before the earthquake. Even here at LHS, relief efforts are already underway Laciak agreed, stating, “I believe that our school prepares the students well for the test. We have challenging courses Fennessy, Will Filer, Kevin Fritz, Jeff Gurrister, to help this devastating occurrence. The school’s Manga that challenge us and keep us prepared for the PSAE and for other acronym tests.” Ryan Harding, Mikey Hayes, Nick Hunt, Gregg Husa, James Janik, Magdalena Jazowski, Rebecca Club is providing a relief fund for Japan. The club’s Jozefiak, Madeline Justice, Nick Kasperski, President, Ren’e Tovar explained, “As a club that TOM-TOM STAFF Courtney Keefe, Nathan Kievert, Abigail Korte, would not be around if it wasn’t for Japan, many of the News Editor: Design Assistants: Danny Kulasik, Rita Kuseliauskas, Arthur Laciak, members feel that they should do something to help in News: Editorials: any way possible.” Dylan Blaha Shawn Lawless, Matthew Lithgow, Danny Dylan Blaha Kelly Lyons Mary McKevitt Lombardo, Emily Marzo, Andrew Mason, Dylan The club will be selling chocolates after spring break Alexis Caspers Matthews, Denis McAuliffe, Matt McKenna, Mike and will proceed to give all money raised to the Red Brittany Baldwin Annie Lillwitz Editorials Editor: Cross. From there, the funds will go towards providing Haley Haase Medwed, Nicolette Mendoza, Jacques Mitrani, Caroline Celis Maribeth Van Hecke Kelly Lyons Milana Montalto, Gianni Morrone, Jimmy Myers, relief in areas of need in Japan. Morgan McPartland Rebecca Nelson, Natalia Okon, Mike Orszulak, After the devastating natural disasters each donation Features: Features Editor: Head Editor: Nicole Papiernik, Krystian Paszek, Sebastian can contribute to rebuilding Japan to its pre-earthquake Erin O’Connor stance. Andrea Earnest Andrea Earnest Dylan Blaha Ponicki, Stephanie Putna, Rebecca Radavich, Elizabeth Bernabe Rene Tovar Vijay Rajendran, Joshua Reed, Paul Reid, Sports Editor: Jonathan Remiasz, Rachel Rendak, Justin Rigler, Lindsay Simonetta Journalism Advisor: Sports: Gregg Husa Clare Rogers, Kelly Ronspies, Jeremy Santiago, Maddy George Sean Clark Alyssa Schroer, Jim Shupryt, Stephen Soljacich, Gregg Husa Richard Staszel, Nick Stokes, Kelly Swann, Nick Kyle Griffin Michael Gaytan Design Editor: Szerzinski, Paige Szymanski, Nick Taluzek, Lee Ryan Peraino Bridget Carr Rachel Hunter Taylor, William Udziela, Jerome Uthupan, Joshua Katelyn Bitke Weck, Taylor Westfall, Jessica Wienand, Colton Ian Stratta Wojnowski, Vicki Wrobel and Andrew Wroblewski. Mallory Christine photos courtesy of Google 4 5 Lose Our Speech, Give A Little Bit The Diary of a Newly by Taylor Westfall by Kelly Lyons Converted Vegetarian Editorials writer Lose Ourselves Editorials Editor by Kelly Lyons People can be very selfish about their money. I don’t mean Editorials Editor to criticize others; I see it in myself as well. Just the other day One month later Over a month has passed since I decided to When we enter the school, are our First Amendment rights to free speech compromised? I was shopping and spent more than necessary on clothing become a vegetarian. Although this has caused me To get a sufficient answer, we must crack open the history books and take a look back to yesteryear. As seniors when I really have more than enough to wear. But whether you’re a shopaholic or just stingy, it’s not a big deal… right? quite a bit of food trouble and unnecessary stress, I in American Government learn, the issue of students’ rights has been brought to the Supreme Court before. realized that this really could become a permanent The case of Tinker v. Des Moines proved instrumental in determining what form of free speech students Wrong. Whether or not you blow all your money on trivial purchases or keep it all to yourself, why not give a little to decision for me. maintain. In 1965, three high school students were suspended for wearing black armbands to protest the Rather than an added stress, finding new things government’s actions in Vietnam. a good cause? Most people living in the United States have a steady job and extra money to spend on entertainment, to eat has become somewhat of a challenge. Now After Supreme Court deliberation, the students’ protest was said to be quiet and peaceful, therefore protected clothing and daily Starbucks runs. Even donating a few extra that I consciously think about what I’m eating, I under the First Amendment. This court case established that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to dollars or spare change can help charities and other causes. find that I make much healthier decisions. Instead freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Maybe you haven’t heard from every single national news of eating cereal for two of three meals a day, I think This ruling sets up the framework for our rights - students cannot be punished for expressing their beliefs on source in the country, but Japan’s going through a bit of a plan my meals around what sorts of things I need to school grounds, so long as it does not disrupt the educational process. rough time right now. After an earthquake, tsunami and a few eat to stay healthy. Fair enough. nuclear power plant explosions, they could really use some But that’s not the only perk. Now that I’m eat- However, in the 80’s, a Supreme Court ruling put restrictions on the rights Tinker v. Des Moines granted, help. The problem may not be too close to home for Ameri- ing better, I find myself much more energetic saying schools could restrict speech they deem “vulgar and offensive.” can citizens, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. than I used to be. Instead of zoning out by ten in What vague words those are. “Vulgar and offensive”- some might find a rip in a pair of jeans above the knee Of course, there are many people who have donated to the morning during school, I’ve been much more the size of a quarter to be vulgar, while I find Taylor Swift concert t-shirts to be offensive to decent music. It’s Japan and regularly donate to charity. But that’s the thing alert. Instead of sleeping through first period, I can often subjective. with charitable people; helping out is a regular part of their almost make myself focus on Pre-Calc. And hey, American Government teacher Rick Prangen looks past the subjectivity of the law and outlines the clear-cut routines. Those who don’t commit to helping others on a maybe it’ll even cure my Senioritis… maybe. facts. “The rights of students in school are limited; however they do retain some basic civil liberties.” Prangen regular basis usually don’t think to do it at all, unless heavily But aside from any health benefits, I also feel that went on to explain the limitations on students’ rights “… while Tinker does protect symbolic speech, this prompted. This ignorance should not continue. I’ve grown personally from this experience. When I protection does not go beyond those forms of expression that are deemed to be disruptive to the educational People should feel socially responsible for helping those in first debated becoming a vegetarian, I opted against it because it seemed nearly impossible for me. But process. In short, students do retain some First Amendment rights.” need. Unless you are a person in need, you should feel per- in the past few weeks, I’ve proved to myself how Senior Kevin Fritz understands that our rights as students and citizens are often subjective and definitely not sonally responsible for donating your time or money to better strong I really am. Some aspects of this change are absolute. But that does not mean we should surrender them all at the door. “Students should always be able to the lives of people who aren’t as fortunate as you are. still difficult, but I think I can manage. express their opinions as long as it doesn’t hurt other people,” Fritz explained. It’s a little troubling to see how many people don’t give to charity or volunteer these days. Even if you’re an unem- Maybe I will have to start cooking for myself “Sometimes we need to reveal injustice, and sometimes we need to stand up for what is right.” He also detailed now; but it won’t be the end of the world. And yes, the wildly important difference between sharing opinions and simply having them, stating “If we are told to hold ployed teenager with no means of money to spare, you can always give you time. Volunteering may seem like a drag, sometimes I still get upset that I’ll never be able to our opinions silent, we can bite our lips. If we are punished for having them, then there is a problem.” set foot inside Buffalo Wild Wings without mourn- With the lines of what is acceptable and what is obscene often blurred, the importance of understanding what but bring a couple friends and you can actually have a good time helping others. What better things do you have to do ing the loss of chicken wings in my diet. But I’ll get our rights of speech truly entail cannot be stressed enough. If we do not understand them, we cannot possibly anyway? over it. Sometimes the best decisions require some know when they are being violated or inhibited. And the ability to convey opinions and voice beliefs is what Maybe I’m just a little angry at the portion of the popula- sacrifices. allows us to grow socially and intellectually. Fritz explained, “Without our symbolic and free speech, even in tion who don’t give back, but I want to stress just how easy But whether it is for the animals or just for places like school, we begin to lose the things that make us who we are.” it is to help people in need. Whether it’s a few hours or a few health, vegetarianism is something everyone should If we are ever to become “life-long, independent learners and productive citizens in a rapidly changing world,” dollars, you can make a difference in people’s lives. I don’t try. Why not take a couple weeks to experience it is essential to not lose ourselves by losing our right to speak. mean to preach, but honestly people; it really doesn’t hurt to something that could be good for you? You’ll never do something for others every once in a while. know how it can impact your life until you try it. Images courtesy of Google Images courtesy of Google 6 7 American Hunger Global Water Crisis Surprisingly enough, one in six Americans are “food insecure” accoring to the charity Feeding America. Feeding America writes that one in four Hunger: A World Issue “More people in the world own cell children are also food insecure. For being one of the top ranked countries in phones than have access to a toilet,” by Maribeth Van Hecke the world the US should not have trouble feeding it’s people. reports water.org. While the developed Editorials writer In Lemont, there are many families who depend on the town’s support world spends their summers at parks to keep steady. Teri O’Niel, community/ human service director for the full of water running leisurely through township and founder of Hope and Friendship Ministries nonprofit, says, slides and pools, millions of people “We have families in town now that are absolutely not getting an income.” around the world do not even have Lemont has two different food pantries set up in town and separately serve access to clean water for drinking or Mud pie is a mixture of dirt and water that is consumed by the starving populations in Haiti and parts of Africa. The 100 families. Each pantry can be found close to downtown Lemont. Bethany sanitation. cookie has little or no nutrients and is eaten to fill paining stomachs for a short amount of time. Many mothers buy these Lutheran Church can be found at 500 Lemont St. and the Lemont United Today, 1.1 billion people do not have cookies with the little money they have to temporarily quench their children’s excruciating hunger. Methodist Church can be found at 25 Custer St. Lemont residents and access to safe drinking water and 2.6 According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, 950 million people are not getting the food they organizations, like Hope and Friendship Ministries and the Lemont Junior billion do not have proper sanitation. need. This number is more than the US, Canadian and European Union population combined. There are many reasons Women’s Club, supply Lemont’s pantries. Both pantries are always looking Water is one of the most important for hunger, the main one being poverty. Although many Americans feel as though we should be focusing on our own for any donations. problems, it is important for anyone who can to help end and prevent of world hunger. components of life and obviously a Ways to Help human necessity. However, in many regions around the world, water is Helping one person can change more than one life. Taking the time to Suffering Statistics hard to obtain. educate and donate can change someone’s fate. You probably don’t need The rare access to clean water in Everyone can relate his or her stomach growling while anticipating a meal, as well as craving a certain item. However, that extra piece of dessert, anyway. There are many organizations that would developing countries makes it difficult not as many can truly say that world hunger affects their own stomachs. Worldhunger.org. describes world hunger as the love your sweet time. to drink the recommended 64 oz of “want or scarcity of food in a country.” One organization that asks for a bit of your time is Feed My Starving water every day. Many people, mainly There are approximately seven billion people in the world. If 950 million people are suffering from world hunger, about Children. FMSC has two locations in the land area, one in women and children, walk miles to one in seven people are hungry around the world. Some areas could be living off of what little food they can forage for, or Schaumburg and the other in Aurora. Volunteers flock to FMSC’s giant get what little water they can. Water. buy with what little money they have. For many families- the solution is dirt cakes. warehouses to throw on a hair net and pack food to be sent all over the org reports that, “in just one day, 200 Another serious risk in these areas is the absence of clean water. Many diseases are linked to the consumption of world. A delicate formula of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, million hours of women’s time is unsanitary water. Sometimes families walk miles for clean drinking water. FMSC’s food is essential food for thousands of meals every day. Volunteers consumed [of] collecting water for The World Food Programme states that 98% of people suffering from world hunger live in developing countries. always leave refreshed because they know they will help so many people. domestic use.” “Developing countries” are considered to be counties that have a low GDP, life expectancy and literacy rate. The An easy and educational way to give back, without a hair net, is freerice. Many people who drink unsafe organization also claims that, “65 percent of the world’s hungry live in only seven countries: India, China, the Democratic com. Free rice is a jeopardy-like game site sponsored by the World Food water will die from infectious diseases Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.” Programme. For every answer one gets right 10 grains of rice are donated caused by bacteria found in the to hungry people. A player has a choice of English, art, chemistry, language water. According to the World Health learning, math and geography. No money involved! Causes of Hunger Organization, “3900 children die Sponsoring a child is another way to lend a hand. Many organizations every day from water borne diseases.” have set up ways to sponsor a child. Two wonderful examples of this kind of The lack of water cuts regions “If you think about all the food we throw away,” LHS junior Becky Baker wonders, “we could probably feed [all those] organization are World Vision and Love a Child. Both organizations directly opportunities short. As a human right, people.” The world produces enough food for every single person to consume 2,720 kilocalories a day. The problem is reach out to children around the world. These organizations are the reasons every person should have access to both insufficiant land to grow and the wealth distribution. many children are alive. all the water they need. However, that Poverty is the number one reason for world hunger. “Almost half of the world lives on less than $2.50 a day,” writes These are only a few ways to give back. Of course, there are countless is not the case. Without action, the globalissues.com. Even more, 80% of the world lives on ten dollars a day. To some, that may seem impossible, but people organizations worldwide that directly fight the war against world hunger. same human beings who are suffering do it every day. Globalissues.com also says that one in two children is in poverty. Although there are countless organizations and people supporting the end from world hunger will continue to go The reason for poverty is blamed in a variety of directions. One might blame the poor for being lazy or making bad of world hunger, it doesn’t mean we need to stop there. 925 million people without an appropriate food and water descitions. One also might blame the government and question whether the poor were taken advantage of. The problem are hungry right now. If you think you can get away with thinking it’s not supply. could simply be that sufferors are simply stuck in a food desert, or an area where any type of food is hard to obtain. No your problem you are wrong; this is the world’s problem. matter who the fault is, people who have nothing should not be left in the dust. Images courtesy of Google 8 9

by Lindsay Simonetta by Mallory Christine Features writer Features writer Prom Garters - $10.00 Jane Eyre New movies are always coming out, and it Rango Personally designed to can be hard to tell the good movies from the bad. match your dress! Jane Eyre is a movie about an orphan sent to a boarding school called Lowood. After Who better to pursue an acting career than a chameleon? Gore maturing physically and mentally at her Verbinski’s adventurous western comedy takes off when an unnamed new home, she auditions for a position as pet chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) is left behind in a Nevada a governess at Thornfield. Although being Call Melissa at 630.209.1619 desert. picked for this amazing opportunity should be Longing for a sense of self, he finds himself in the troubled town something to be happy about, this job could or email [email protected] to provide of Dirt, occupied by cheeky lizards, surprisingly soiled rabbits and change her life - and not necessarily for good. a water supply gone dry. What Dirt needs is a hero – instead, it finds Like many stories, there is always the your dress color and arrange for pickup. Rango. conflict of love. InJane Eyre, Jane falls in **All proceeds will be donated to the Ten- Unlike some animated movies today, Rango is taken on with love with master Rochester, but this older man quality. The originality of the plot guarantees an unpredictable holds a dark secret that could threaten her der Loving Care Animal Shelter element, which stays intact throughout the film. From wagon chases chance for happiness. with western hoodlums through canyons to inspiring enlightenments However, this movie is anything but new; of self-worth, Rango keeps every element of a good comedy western Jane Eyre premiered first in 1943. The new rolling and the laugh-to-cringe-to-sap ratio constantly in balance. and improved Jane Eyre premiered on Mar. Aimed for any audience who can grasp the concept of destiny, 11 in selected theatres. It’s likely that people Photos courtesy of Google Rango’s script is surprisingly smooth and mature for an animated are unsure whether the movies are the same or not. To answer that question, they are the same film. Joining Depp, voice actors Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin movies with the same plot, just modified. and Alfred Molina display the writing’s brilliance, including Jane Eyre is not only an old movie, but an minimal stale jokes that leave the audience feeling awkward. old book as well. In 1847, a novel called Jane And with morals like “no man can walk out on his own Eyre was published in London. The novel was story,” Verbinski and the writers prove they know what considered ahead of its time because of the they’re doing. description of the deep development of young Seeing what chance a chameleon has against a rattlesnake Sizes 0-26 may sound unnerving and guarded lizards whose softened • Shoes • Purses • Jewerly • Women’s Clothing women. • prom and graduation dresses I for one have not seen Jane Eyre yet. I *Price does not include charm feelings show may sound cute, but even a positive review • Fabulous Selection of Cocktail Dresses believe that reading the book first is the best or engraving won’t display the emotion Rango has. If an animated film is • Gift Certificates Available way to go, and that is what I plan on doing in able to make audiences fear for its characters and get lost in First Thursday of Every Month is Ladies Night 6-8 Guest Speaker this case. Nevertheless, the movie sounds like its situations, its creators are doing something right. Refreshments, Special Sale, Raffles, Fun for all it will entertain all different types of people Incorporate a narrating mariachi band of owls and you’ve and I believe, from my research, that the got yourself a classic animated film. Resembling a wild 630-243-9790 majority will really enjoy it. ride, Rango’s charismatic charm is displayed in a story that 1243 State Street • Lemont defines what a hero really is, and the movie’s message will Now Accepting Consignments by Appt. stay with you for some time. 10 11 Hitting the Going Ground Going Running by Ian Stratta by Gregg Husa Sports writer Gone Sports Editor With the combined strength of both last year’s extremely successful by Kyle Griffin The boys track team began its season sophomore team and this year’s strong senior class, coach Joe Rodeghero has Sports writer on the wrong foot after competing in enough talent to create a championship caliber team. the first meet of the season at the Plain- This year’s incoming sophomore players were very successful last season. field South Invitational on March 12. Furthermore, they are joining a very successful ball club that accumulated The boys were only able to get one a 25-9 record last season. Juniors Giovanni Schmitt, Mike Hall and Mark Recently returning to the gym, the Lemont High School boys varsity team has been training hard in first place finisher at the varsity level, Kirkman all aim to lead their new team to even more success than last year. preparation for the upcoming season. Players have been attending open gyms for the past three months in hopes senior Jared Bruns in the shot put. In th Last year’s varsity team led by graduating senior Pat Driscoll also had of improving upon last season’s 6 place conference finish and accomplishing more than any Lemont boys vol- addition, sophomore Justin Stanwyck a 16-3 record. Pat led the team in hits (47), RBI’s (42) and home runs (7). leyball team has before. posted a personal best in the pole vault, He also had the “triple crown” in hitting with a .452 batting average, a .721 One of the goals the team has set is to defeat Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Reavis, Richards and Shepard in confer- vaulting nine feet and taking first in the slugging percentage and a .528 on base percentage. Current senior Josh Ferry ence play, which has never been done before by a Lemont boys volleyball team. Completing such a task will not Fresh/Soph. level. led the team with 20 steals. be easy as the team is going to be fairly young this season. Coach Brett Nelson was a little Ferry was the team’s most impressive pitcher. The right hander had an The team will have only three seniors leading them this season, such as Kevin Leadley. Head coach David concerned with his team’s performance 8-1 record in 65 innings pitched. He did not allow a triple or a home run over the weekend saying, “We did ok, Heller is expecting a lot out of his returning seniors and really depending on his setter, Leadley. “Kevin has put on the season while leading the team with 86 strike outs and a .969 earned but we have a long way to go.” in tons of work at open gyms and has really been focused, which makes him a great role model for the rest of run average. Current junior Tyler Jay was very impressive as well going This meet was the team’s first meet, the team,” stated Heller. undefeated with a 5-0 record in 34 2/3 innings. which could explain some of the As the setter, Kevin plays a very important role and “he directs the team’s offense,” according to Heller. In their first game last Saturday, the Lemont Indians played exceptionally Leadley has been playing at the varsity level since his freshman year and over the years has “grown smarter and troubles, especially because, according to Nelson “Many of the other schools well last Saturday with a win over Joliet Catholic by a score of 9-2. stronger,” said Heller. Senior Trevor Murphy said, “The game went really well, we came ready to A big strength of the team is their mental toughness and ability to intimidate the opponent. “Intimidation helps have already had 5 or 6 meets, and this was our first.” “We were more con- play and showed it in the first inning by scoring 3 runs. We won 9-2. I feel we us communicate a play better on offense,” said junior Sahil Rana. Proven to be successful in the past, Heller performed pretty [well] and worked well together as a team.” encourages his players to be louder than the other team. cerned about getting everyone to the lines for their races [this meet] than go- Three LHS seniors have already committed to playing collegiate : At the end of last season, the team was down by ten points in regionals against Lincoln Way North and rallied ing for personal bests,” added Nelson. Murphy, Ferry and Kevin Goergen. Murphy will play at Southern Illinois back within two points. Such a rally would not have been possible without the team’s enthusiasm. Senior distance runner Tom Hoster College, Ferry at the University of Illinois and Goergen at Michigan State Since the team has a lot of young players this season, the future outlook of the program seems great. “Getting had similar thoughts to Nelson when University. Goergen has a very positive outlook for his future at Michigan to play at the varsity level for more than two years will only make the team better down the line,” stated Heller. he stated “We have a long way to go.” State. He added, “I am very excited to play at the next level and especially at Although some of the players are young, they can still make an impact on how well the team does in confer- This weekend the track team will host MSU.” ence. its annual indoor invite, the Lemont In- Murphy is also excited about his future in college baseball stating, “It’s Heller knows that conference schools such as Oak Forest and Reavis have steady programs because they have door Invite. The team has done well at an honor to be given the opportunity to continue my baseball career on the constantly finished at the top of conference for the past five years. However, Heller is looking to “take a few this meet in the past, finishing second collegiate level and as excited as I am to get down to Carbondale I’m still unexpected wins away from teams Lemont has never beaten before.” last year. more excited for this varsity season with Lemont.” The team’s first game is Tuesday March 22 at Richards at 6 pm. “This meet will tell us a lot about With the addition of so much new talent, Lemont is bound for another who we are,” concluded Nelson. productive season under Coach Rodeghero. 12 13 Continued from page 12

and light, loss of concentration and more. (see sidebar) “I didn’t have any exams until two months after the injury,” says Mary, a high school junior who suffered three concus- Lights sions. “But when I did, the headaches and fatigue came back immediately. I lost focus during one test and had no idea by Ryan Peraino what I’d just written” (Time Magazine) Sports writer Out The most serious problem that a concussion can present is second impact syndrome. This happens when a player returns It’s a 3-3 soccer game with a conference title on the line.Out The ball is centered across the middle of the field. Two players to the field before his or her brain is fully healed. A study shows that 40% of players return to the field before their brain is go to head the ball and they collide. One player goes down and grabs his head. His head is pounding and he has an instant healed. Another blow to the head leads to fatal brain bleeding and about six people die every year from this. headache. His teammates and coaches encourage him to keep playing because a conference title is on the line. He gets up and continues to play the rest of the game with a major headache. After the game the player goes to the doctor where the What Has Been Done? doctor tells him he has suffered a concussion. He is very lucky he didn’t cause more damage by staying in the game. This Leagues all over the nation have done more and more to limit concussions and their effects on the body. The NFL and is the story of LHS sophomore Kyle Hamman. Millions of similar stories are happening every day across America. the NHL have been the two biggest leagues to make changes. Head injuries are a problem that is becoming more and more significant each year. Every day kids and adults have to sit “We have also mandated changes to the rules. We have mandated changes to equipment,” said NHL Commissioner Gary out of sports, school or be taken to the hospital because of a head injury they suffered. Head injuries from sports are seri- Bettman. “We have mandated changes to the playing environment. All designed to increase player safety.” ous and should never be taken lightly. The NFL has also been very proactive in their approach to limiting concussions. They’ve made a significant amount of rules protecting players, such as: a player who suffers a concussion has to be cleared by an outside neurologist before What is a Concussion? participating in another game or practice, a runner whose forward progress has been stopped and a receiver who has made A concussion, as defined by MedTerms, is a traumatic injury to tissues of the body such as the brain as a result of a vio- a catch but hasn’t yet gathered himself cannot be hit in the head by an opponent’s head, shoulder or forearm, and another lent blow, shaking or spinning. new rule ends any play immediately when a ballcarrier loses his helmet. Many people do not know what actually happens to the brain while suffering a concussion. Between the brain and the The NFL is also looking into rules that outlaw the three point stance and other rules to eliminate head to head collisions. skull there are fluid-filled vessels. Therefore, the brain and the skull do not move in tandem. When the head gets hit, the IHSA has also been cracking down on concussions. “We are more liberal with our diagnosis,” said LHS soccer coach brain fires back and forth, sometimes multiple times, against the skull causing swelling. Rick Prangen. “Athlete’s came back way to early but now they have to sit out at least a week.” In each of these the recipient doesn’t have any major sign that screams, CONCUSSION. There is no blood, and the Another thing that has already been done to limit concussions is that helmets are now made much safer than they were person might not always black out; there are certain small signs that people need to look for. According to WebMD, early in past years. According to Lindy Washburn, the problem is “helmets don’t prevent concussions. The brain is like an egg concussion symptoms may include confusion, disorientation, memory loss, unequal size pupils, headache, dizziness, tin- yolk inside an eggshell formed by the skull. The helmet keeps the shell from breaking, but the yolk still sloshes around. nitus, nausea, vomiting and vision changes. Late concussion symptoms include memory disturbance, poor concentration, Sometimes it hits twice, once at the sudden stop, and then again when it bounces back to the other side.” irritability, sleep disturbance, personal changes and fatigue. If any of these signs are exhibited after possible concussion, one should stop playing immediately and seek medical help. Some Solutions The obvious solution to all of these problems is to ban all sports completely. This isn’t a very logical approach, seeing What is the Importance? that sports are a major part of many people’s lives. What we need to do is develop test that can detect when a concussion Almost everyone knows and is aware of the increasing problems of concussions. A study in the journal Pediatric reveals happens to eliminate future damage and get more protective equipment. that the number of concussion patients from 1997 to 2005 has doubled. A couple tests to detect concussions are the University of Michigan’s reaction time test or the University of Pittsburgh’s Many people realize that football is the sport with the biggest problem. This is no surprise since there is the most con- ImPACT test. The ImPACT test measures an athlete’s memory, reaction time and processing speed. It then compares the tact out of any sport. Football accounts for over half of all concussions. That means that the other half comes from other results to the ones the player took at the start of the season (called the athlete’s baseline) and when they are similar the sports like cycling, baseball/, lacrosse, , , wrestling and others. player is alright to continue playing. This detects concussions and prevents players from coming back too soon. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that up to 3.8 million Americans are getting concussed each year. Another solution in soccer would be the full 90 head gear. “This hasn’t been adopted by players because of comfortabli- This is clearly a problem, but why are concussions so bad? ty and the game just hasn’t been played with helmets. The other reason is athletes become more reckless with a helmet.” What is the Big Deal? Sports are a wonderful activity and play a major part in the economy and in many lives. If they are properly monitored People across America realize that concussions are dangerous to the brain. Many American’s don’t realize the actual sports will continue being played. Concussions are a problem and will continue to be because players are getting bigger, problem that concussions present. faster and stronger. The best thing that we can do is try to limit them as much as possible. There are two different types of concussions: simple and complex. As you might have realized, they are determined by the severity of the concussion. In a simple concussion, the patient can function normally within 7-10 days. Some common effects of a simple concussion are headaches, change in sleep pattern, loss of concentration and other minimal things. Complex concussions are more serious. A patient can experience vertigo, pain, exhaustion, depression, sensitivity to noise Continued on page 13 14

by Ryan Peraino Q&A Sports writer With Concussed Athletes The Tom Tom recently sat down with two athletes who have suffered concussions over their career. Joe Rimbo is a junior at LHS who suffered four or five concussions while playing football. The other LHS student, who preferred to remain anonymous, suffered a concussion after he lost a fly ball in the sun during a baseball game and the ball hit him in the head. This was one of his three concussions.

Tom Tom: How did you feel after you got the concussion? Joe Rimbo: I felt like crap. Everything was foggy and I was really tired. Anonymous Student: I woke up in the hospital not knowing where I was. I felt really crappy.

TT: What were some of the symptoms you suffered? JR: I blacked out, I didn’t know what was going on, I was dizzy, I had headaches, my ears were ringing, and I saw funny colors. AS: I had severe headaches, blackouts, lapses of memory, blurry vision, and trouble concentrating.

TT: Did you return to playing right after you got your concussion? If so why? JR: Yes because I still wanted to play and didn’t want to stop. AS: No

TT: Did you have trouble in school after suffering the concussion? JR: Yes but after resting and recovering no. AS: The first day I got back I went to trig class and I thought my head was going to explode.

TT: Do you remember receiving the concussion? JR: I kinda remember what happened and how I felt but I don’t remember any- thing from the game. AS: Not at all.

TT: Do you feel a little worried about suffering another concussion? JR: No. AS: No.

TT: How long did your concussion put you out for? Joe Rimbo JR: A month or two. I couldn’t finish the season or lift. AS: A month and a half. Photo by Tony Hamilton