The Pioneer Senior Issue 2009

THE PIONEER SENIOR ISSUE

~ Saying Goodbye to Maine East ~

BACCALAUREATE: Commencement is when graduates are handed their diplomas and flip their tassels. The Baccalaureate (bàk–ah- láw-ree-aht) is the farewell address recognizing the achievements of the graduating class.

HOOD: Hoods on the gowns represented the superior intelligence of Druids (Celtic priests). Now, color on the outer edge of hood symbolizes the type of degree.

CLASS RING: Rings were thought to bring eternal life to the Egyptians, victory to the Romans, and represent nobility throughout Europe.

DIPLOMA: The term, “hang your sheepskin on the wall,” originates from the fact that diplomas were made of sheepskin.

MUSIC: “Pomp and Circumstance.” It was composed by Sir Edward Elgar in 1901 in Liverpool, England.

CAP: Caps should be worn horizontally, not tipped, with the point in the center

GOWN: Starting in the 1950s, students were given gowns the colors of their school.

HAT: Find it after the toss by writing your name with magic marker on masking tape and place the tape on the inside of your hat.

TASSEL: For high school graduation, tassels are normally worn on the right of the hat, then flipped to the left side upon receiving the diploma.

TASSEL 2: In college, tassel colors are different for different fields of study.

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT GRADUATION

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. -Les Brown

Dear SENIORS,Forty-four minutes a

period, nine periods a day, 180 days a year, and four years and 23.5 credits later bring us to what we have been waiting for since the first day we walked into the grand old building at 2601 Dempster: Graduation.

Even though many of us are anxious and excited to go our separate ways, let’s remember what we have grown to love these past four years at Maine East.

Next year, we won’t be able to walk into a lunch room and order hot Chee-tos with cheese, or walk down the hallway hear-ing someone sing lyrics to a Lil’ Wayne song, or get chased by a hall moni-tor for not having a pass, or get kicked out of the library for “breathing too loudly”; we will even miss the opportunity to wake up early for a Saturday deten-tion because our cell phone went off during class the day before (silly friends – don’t they know not to call in school!)

It seems like just yes-terday we stepped foot into this school not know-ing where to go or what to think. Do the upperclass-men really throw pennies at freshman? Do they re-ally give out fake elevator passes? Of course, we soon learned that Maine East stu-dents save their change for

the vending machines, not ammo, and wouldn’t waste their time making a fake el-evator pass when they have two hours of chemistry homework to finish.

Now, after four years of hard work we are fi-nally stepping off this roller coaster that has turned us into the people we are today and given us the memories we’ll laugh at in our 40s. With every mistake and triumph, we start new chapters of our lives, yet hopefully keep in mind where we came from. After we leave here, we will step into a world that will look a lot like the hallways we walked in. We will be thankful that we know how to interact with people from many different cultures and backgrounds. There is the sadness of loss, leaving Maine East forever, but the knowledge we have gained here will stay with us.

To the class of 2009, with every decision in life there will be the chance for success and failure, admiration and criticism. Success in life comes with experience. Every opportu-nity teaches us something new, so when we fall down, remember how much you grew from freshman year to senior year. The only way to keep going is to get back up.

The last couple years have had a lot of ups and downs, but at the end of the day that’s what makes us who we are.

We all know how it feels to laugh, cry, have our first crush, and our first heartbreak. But we have grown to learn that as the world keeps mov-

ing we keep moving with it and sometimes it’s best to laugh at the rumors, forget the drama, and enjoy the moment.

I know that I will miss cheering on my friends dur-ing their games, walking into Mr. Zielinski’s class and having him explain the first Star Wars episode for half an hour, but most importantly I will miss the delicious food they served in the café. So, thank you Maine East for helping me, teaching me, and loving me.

Hopefully our years here at Maine East have prepared us for the chal-lenges we will face down the road. You never know, there may be a future Lil’ Wayne, Tina Fey, U.S. President or even a Mi-chael Phelps. But no matter what, always cherish your memories from Maine East High School. Good Luck and Congratulations Class of 2009, our high school days are forever over.

Sincerely,Alessandra N. IncandelaSenior Editor

Bittersweet Goodbye

P.S. To the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors: Enjoy high school, but re-member that it isn’t every-thing – the best years are still ahead!


“Sometimes I get e-mails from former students asking, ‘Mr. Gelz, Are you dead?’ I re-spond with ‘Yes butthead.’”

One of several staff mem-bers who will leave us at the end of the school year is Mr. Gelz. Having taught at Maine East for 37 years, Mr. Gelz has many fond memories of Maine East.

One memory that stands out was the closing of Maine North in 1982, and how well the new students adjusted to Maine East. Another moment that stands out was Hillary Clinton’s visit to Maine East in 1995, during which Mr. Gelz met the current Secretary of State personally.

His most positive experi-ences include the band trips to New Orleans, Florida, and Cali-fornia. These trips allowed for

strong bonds between Mr. Gelz and his band students, most of whom still maintain communica-tion with him.

Perhaps most comical is what others will remember about Mr. Gelz. When asked to say a few words about the band director, Fine Arts Department Chair Mr. Ed Eubank breaks into a rendi-tion of the “Teapot Song,” recall-ing an anecdote about the Rock and Roll Diner at MGM Studios, a stern waitress, and green beans. and Gelz and Eubanks laughing hysterically.

“This tale is just one of many that involve Gelz excep-tional sense of humor,” Mr. Eu-banks says, adding that Mr. Gelz is a wonderful person and will be missed profoundly.

So why is Mr. Gelz retiring? According to him, the timing is just right.

Mr. Gelz says “It’s time” for his kids, grandkidsBy Samra Matin

Mrs. Debra Koss is retiring from Maine East this year, after a career of 34 years of working for District 207.

Mrs. Koss began as a substi-tute teacher at Maine East after do-ing her student teaching at Maine West. She then became a teacher’s aide in Special Education and worked off campus in many alter-native programs for Special Educa-tion students.

Mrs. Koss found a profession she truly loves and devoted herself to a school that she loves, too.

“Maine East chose me, and I am forever grateful that they did,” she said. “I love this school, its his-tory and our beautiful campus.”

She also greatly enjoys the di-versity and energy of the students she works with every day and the creativity and dedication of Maine East’s staff. Mrs. Koss has thank-fully brought so much success to

our school with her many wonder-ful years hard work. She wants to express a big thank you to all the people who encouraged her to pur-sue her employment in District 207 and greatly appreciates the day-to-day enjoyment of working with Ms. Murphy in her classroom with their students.

Still relatively young, Mrs. Koss made the decision to retire now so that she can pursue new dreams. After her retirement she plans to continue teaching, this time at night school. She also hopes to kayak the Chicago River this fall and catch up on all of the books that she set aside while working.

Mrs. Koss has contributed so much to Maine East and has helped shape it into the great institution that it is today. Although we are sad to see her leave, we will remember everything she has accomplished and wish her the best in pursuing her future dreams.

By Annie Ziga

“It’s time to retire and spend time with my grandchildren,” he said. He has four chil-dren and five grand-children and he plans to devote a significant amount of time to them after he leaves Maine East.

But Mr. Gelz won’t be a stranger to Maine East; he plans to come back as a sub-stitute teacher. He will also be teaching trum-pet privately.

Mr. Gelz will be remembered as a su-perb instructor and person by his col-leagues and students.

“He is a really nice teacher,” said student Karen Ho. “He will be missed.”

The Maine East community offers its deepest thanks to Mr. Gelz for his 37 years of hard work. He has made a noteworthy difference at Maine East.

Mrs. Koss has dedicated 34 years to District 207

Mrs. Koss and her assistant, Ms. Murphy, have improved the lives of scores of students at Maine East.


Mrs. Carolyn Bohlman retires this year after two decades of teaching stu-dents here at Maine East.

She has taught English as a Second Language for over twenty years, which has led her to experience many new cultures and val-ues.

Mrs. Bohlman’s stu-dents come from a variety of places around the world. Thanks to her efforts, hun-dreds if not thousands of students have made the successful transition to American high school from foreign lands. In addition to her ESL teaching, she sponsored the Newcomers Club, which promotes unity

and friendship for these new students to Maine East.

She has enjoyed all the traditions at Maine East through the years, but notes that “the years have gone

Mrs. Bohlman helped students fit in at M.E.By Jiten Patel

by so quickly!” She par-ticularly enjoyed the visit by Secretary of State Hi-lary Clinton and has always loved the annual school events.

Another significant role that Mrs. Bohlman has performed so admirably at Maine East for the past several years is that of Pub-licity Coordinator – writing press releases to inform the local media about the inter-esting and important events at Maine East.

She has loved the op-portunity of letting the pub-lic know about Maine East students’ special achieve-ments, as well as highlight-ing important events at our school.

Ms. Bohlman will nev-er be forgotten by the count-less students she helped to make the transition not only to a new school, but to a completely different life. So many students who

have spent their entire lives in different countries have benefitted from her kind-ness and generosity.

“She was a great in-fluence on my life,” said student Maggie Sobieraj. “I will always remember her for all her hard work at this school. She put a smile on my face every day and taught me to appreciate ed-ucation so much more.”

“Now it’s time to leave,” says Mrs. Bohlman. “Goodbye, Maine East. It has been a great ride.”

Goodbye Ms. Bohl-man. The ESL department and all of Maine East ap-preciate the great work you’ve done over these past 20 years and will certainly miss you!

Social worker Dr. Joan Lampert will retire this year after serving the students at Maine East for 24 years.

One of the most edu-cated faculty members in the building, Dr. Lampert graduated with Honors from the University of Cincinnati, then earned a Masters Degree in Social Work at the University of Michigan.

After that, she earned a Masters Degree in Edu-cational Administration from Roosevelt University and an Ed.D. at Northern Illinois before serving as a Post-Doctorate Visiting Scholar at Harvard Univer-sity in 1999.

One of her favorite as-pects of her career at Maine East was “being a part of something that has been

here longer than any of us has been alive.”

Although she is retir-ing from Maine East, she plans to continue teach-ing at Northwestern Uni-versity and working at the Department of Leadership at Concordia University in Chicago.

Even after her depar-ture, Dr. Lampert’s influ-ence will continue at Maine East with the Freshman Ad-visory program she started several years ago. It helps students from junior high transition into high school life and has proven to de-crease failure rates and in-crease the sense of belong-ing for freshmen at Maine East.

Don’t worry – Lampert won’t have any trouble fill-ing her time. As she says, “I’m a complex human being with tons of things

to do.” She would like to spend more time with her her daughters, Heather and Shannon, as well as her husband of 43 years, Bill. She and Bill will also con-tinue running their small manufacturing business.

Dr. Lampert’s legacy will live on after her as she continues to positively af-fect others with one of her favorite things to do: laugh-ing out loud.

Maine East will miss Dr. Lampert’s dedication,

loyalty, and overall positive outlook towards life.

“Leaving here is a little scary,” says Dr. Lampert. “But going on to other op-portunities is exciting.”

Thank you Dr. Lampert and good luck in the future.

Dr. Lampert’s influence will continue at M.E.By Jenny Krawiec


On July 1st, Dr. Ken Wallace will become the new Superintendent of Dis-trict 207 upon the retire-ment of current Superinten-dent Dr. Joel Morris.

Wallace has served as the district 207’s Assistant Superintendent for Curricu-lum and Instruction for the past four years.

“As far as I’m con-cerned, this is as good as it gets,” Wallace said. “We have a great Board, great teachers, great students and families, great communi-ties and tradition, and it’s the kind of place where a person can come in and be successful over the long run because of the type of support that District 207 offers. I feel very fortunate and blessed. It’s on a short

list of the best superinten-dent jobs available. If I have learned anything in my four years in 207, it’s that you’re only limited by your imagi-nation. You can’t say that about very many districts.”

Wallace was one of 40 applicants from 10 states chosen by the Board of Education. The choice was “no surprise” according to Board of Education Presi-dent Joann Braam.

“We know him well,” said Braam. “He is a bright, accomplished leader with a proven track record. He embraces collaborative de-cision-making and is pas-sionate about making sure every student succeeds. We’re very fortunate to have Ken as our new super-intendent.”

Wallace sees District 207 as one of the most in-

teresting districts in the country. He believes 207 has a proud tradition and provides an excellent edu-cation for all of its students.

Specifically, Wallace appreciates Maine East’s friendly and inviting envi-ronment.

“The school makes people feel at home,” he said.

Wallace attended the University of Southern In-diana where he received a B.S. in English and a M.S. in English Education. Later Wallace received a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Indiana State Univer-sity.

One of Wallace’s prior-ities is to continue updating the classrooms of District 207 to meet the technologi-cal needs of 21st century learners.

Dr. Ken Wallace to lead District 207By Yogi Patel

Dr. Ken Wallace will be the Superintendent of District 207 beginning July 1.

“I’ve been here at Maine East for 17 years, and I feel so lucky to have been here,” said Mrs. Lesley Litwin, who has been a dedicated teacher in the Special Education and Math Departments at Maine East.

Mrs. Litwin is sad about leaving, but she feels very fortunate to have been able to work in such a remarkable build-ing. She is proud of her work and thankful for the opportunity to work at 2601 Dempster.

“Maine East is full of

extremely talented educa-tors and staff,” she said. She has also felt privileged to work with a unique and wonderful student body. She loved the diversity and being surrounded on a daily basis with students who were willing and wanting to learn.

In Mrs. Litwin’s eyes there is “No Quit” in our Demon student body. “They’re great kids, whom I will definitely miss.”

Mrs. Litwin is retir-ing to cut back on her workload. However, she would also like to spend more time with the people she loves, and doing the things she loves doing.

She is preparing to move this summer to Nevada, where she and her hus-band have purchased a new home. Although Mrs. Litwin loves it in Illinois, she feels she is getting too old for the cold Chicago winters and really looks forward to the non-stop warm weather.

Everyone here at Maine East who has had the pleasure of work-ing and getting to know Mrs. Litwin will miss her greatly.

We thank her and wish her the best of luck on her new home, and life-style, and hopes she enjoys her retired years.

By Vanessa Rosario

Mrs. Litwin will head for warmer weather

The Pioneer Senior Issue 2009


Senior Send-off


TOP FIVE PERCENT OF THE CLASS OF 2009

Preksha AgnihotriRose-Ann AragonMohammed BaquiRoxanne De Leon

Roberta DumeZafreen Farishta

Jayati GohelJames Kelly

Seul (Kathy) KuElma Lugonjic

Ryan Malitz

Jessica McMillanRehan Nizamuddin

Ravi PatelDavid Perez

Stephanie PeterSophia Rafiqi

David Sanchez-AguileraGregory Skoczek

Pete SrisukBlazej Szymoniak

Melvin Thomas

Senior Honors NightMaine East honors its best and brightest

President’s Award forEducational Excellence

Tina AggarwalPreksha AgnihotriRose-Ann Aragon

Donna AzizNaina Baledina

Mohammed BaquiKlaudia Bartyzel

Ankita BhagatAgata Bogucka

Patrycja BronowiczMichelle Buckle

Albert ChoHarish Chockalingam

Sabarish ChockalingamBrenda Cruz

Roxanne De LeonRoberta Dume

Tomasz DziergasZafreen Farishta

Jayati GohelMeeshali Gupta

Michael GuzzardeKevin Ho

Gemmy HormeseIdia Ifianayi

Alessandra IncandelaDong Hoon JangZhivko Kamenov

James KellyJelena Krstic

Seul KuDorota Kubowicz

Bradley LangloJong Lee

Marian LopezBrian Lov

Michael LuckiElma LugonjicFarrah MalikRyan Malitz

Luella MascarenhasSteevenson Maurissaint

Jessica Mcmillan

Beth Ann MelnickRitta Merza

Karolina MisBattulga Myagmarjav

Allison NettninRehan NizamuddinGuadalupe OlmosArielle Ordonez

Ema PajicMedgine Papillon

Akshar PatelKaushal Patel

Ravi PatelShreyangiben Patel

Urvika PatelDavid Perez

Stephanie PeterAnn Plamoottil

Magdalena PlonkaJohn Pondo

Hinaben PunjabiAbdulmateen Qaisar

Sophia RafiqiAaron Reinhart

David Sanchez-AguileraByeongguen Shin

Sarika SimonGregory Skoczek

Pete SrisukJoanna Swiatek

Joanna SzewczukBlazej Szymoniak

Rima TailorBansari ThakkarMelvin ThomasStacey Thomas

Bao TranMaryam Vali

Lian WeinsteinKevin WilliamsWun-Yan Wong

Jennifer Youkhana

Tina AggarwalPreksha AgnihotriRose-Ann Aragon

Agata BoguckaPatrycja Bronowicz

Michelle BuckleSabarish Chockalingam

Roxanne De LeonRoberta Dume

Tomasz DziergasZafreen Farishta

Jayati GohelMeeshali Gupta

Michael GuzzardeKevin Ho

Dong Hoon JangJames Kelly

Jelena KrsticSeul Ku

Bradley LangloMaxwell LewisMarian Lopez

Brian LovMichael LuckiElma Lugonjic

Ryan MalitzBradley Markovich

Jessica McMillanBeth Ann Melnick

Allison NettninRehan Nizamuddin

Arielle OrdonezKaushal Patel

Ravi PatelJayson-Angel Peralta

David PerezStephanie Peter

John PondoSophia Rafiqi

Aaron ReinhartDavid Sanchez-Aguilera

Sarika SimonGregory Skoczek

Pete SrisukJoanna Szewczuk

Katrina TanMelvin ThomasLian WeinsteinWun-Yan Wong

Jennifer Youkhana

Illinois State Scholars


DEPARTMENT AWARD WINNERSThe graduating senior who has excelled the most in a particular department at Maine East earns the Department Award, voted by the faculty of each department. This highly coveted honor recognizes

truly exceptional accomplishment throughout several years of study.

Stephanie ChanArt

Samantha LynnForeign Language

Kathy KuMathematics

Jinsol WonMusic

Beth Ann MelnickSpeech Arts

Akshar Patel Applied Technology

Tijo JoseBusiness Education

Allison NettninEnglish

Robert LewoszFamily & Consumer

Science

Shreyangiben PatelESL

Kathy KuScience

Jessica DemarsPhysical Education

Ryan Malitz Social Science

Tiffany JonesFemale

Athlete of the Year

James Kelly Male

Athlete of the Year


Department Merit AwardsEach department at Maine East may grant up to three Merit Awards to individuals who have completed at least two credits of course work in the department. Recipients have demonstrated either excellent performance, un-usual service, special accomplishment, or significant improvement in the department giving the award.

APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Applied TechnologyJohn Pondo

Christopher ScanlonZafreen Farishta

Business DivisionFarrah MalikShivam PatelArjun Verma

Family & Consumer SciencesJacquelyn Fernandez

Natalia AdamovicEileen Rayahin

ENGLISH Stacey Thomas

Roxanne De LeonJessica McMillan

FINE ARTSArt DepartmentRoxanne De Leon

Seena MathewSahak Zakarian

Music DepartmentRose-Ann AragonMichal TalarczykBeth Ann Melnick

Speech Arts DepartmentElma Lugonjic

Joanna SzewczukVivianne Velazquez

FOREIGN LANGUAGEElma Lugonjic

Brian LovRoberta Dume

MATHEMATICSDavid Sanchez-Aguilera

Pete SrisukMelvin Thomas

PHYSICAL EDUCATIONFarrah Malik

Aaron ReinhartJennifer Lescano

SCIENCEMelvin Thomas

Rehan NizamuddinRoxanne De Leon

SOCIAL SCIENCERavi Patel

Preksha AgnihotriTijo Jose

Good Will Awards are given to those students of the senior class who have done the most, as determined through nomination by the faculty and election by the senior class and faculty, to promote good will at Maine East and in Maine Township.

Rose-Ann Aragon Tijo Jose

Stephanie Chan James Kelly

Alessandra Incandela Brian Lov

Jelena Krstic Ravi Patel

Phebe Philip David Sanchez-Aguilera

Good Will Awards


Clark Duncan ScholarshipAllison Nettnin

D.A.R. Good Citizenship AwardJames Kelly

Ron Heiser Memorial ScholarshipsAlyssa JenrickJoshua Myers

SJB ScholarshipRoxanne DeLeonBlazej Szymoniak

Maine Township District 207Educational Foundation

ScholarshipPreksha Agnihotri

1983 ScholarshipAmanda Grzetic

Robert O. GrottolaMemorial Scholarship

Roberta Dume

Marine CorpsDistinguished Athlete Award

Agnieszka DadejChristopher Scanlon

Park Ridge Pan Hellenic AwardSamantha Lynn

Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete

James Kelly

Chick Evans Caddie ScholarshipErick Garcia

Charles Himel ScholarshipPreksha AgnihotriBlazej Szymoniak

Marine Corps Distinguished Scholarship Award

Seul (Kathy) KuRavi Patel

Semper Fidelis AwardRose-Ann Aragon

Bradley Langlo

Assoc. of Illinois Townships Committees on Youth

Ronique Shaw

Park Ridge Juniors &Foundation Scholarship

Blazej Szymoniak

Rotary International Clubof GlenviewRyan Malitz

Jiffy Lube ScholarshipRoxanne DeLeon

Fine Arts Boosters ScholarshipsArt – Roxanne De Leon

Music – Jinsol WonSpeech Arts – Ronique Shaw

National Honor Society ScholarshipFarrah Malik

Senior Service ScholarshipsRoxanne De Leon • Seena Mathew

Preksha Agnihotri • Kevin HoSadia Younus

DECA Service ScholarshipFarrah Malik

Tijo Jose

Helen Dobbins MTA ScholarshipJayati Gohel

Samantha LynnChristopher Ripple

E.C. Hildebrandt ScholarshipJayati Gohel

College, Organization, & Community Scholarships

Stephanie ChanCrystal Cisneros

Julia ComiaMichael CristinoCameron Davis

Erick GarciaAlessandra Incandela

Marian LopezElma LugonjicAllison Nettnin

Magdalena PlonkaBirju Shah

Wun-Yan WongSahak Zakarian-

Sam C. Marzulo Achievement AwardFawaad Ahmed

Sam C. and Ruth E. Marzulo Achievement Award

Jennifer Lescano

Al Carstens AthleticLeadership Award

Blazej Szymoniak

Athletic Awards


National Honor Society

Maine East NHS Class of 2009

Established in 1921, The National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the nation’s premier organizations to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, the NHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.

These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning. NHS chapters are found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, many U.S. Territories, and Canada. Today, it is estimated that more than one million students participate in activities of the NHS, challenging themselves to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service. For more information, visit the NHS website: www.nhs.us.

Tina Aggarwal Jelena Krstic Ravi Patel Sadia YounusPreksha Agnihotli Seul(Kathy) Ku Urvika Patel James KellyRose-Ann Aragon Malian Lopez Stephanie Peter Kaushal PatelNaina Baledina Brian Lov John Pando Jennifer YoukhanaAnkita Bhagat Elma Lugonjic Sophia Rafiqi Wun-Yan Wong

Alben Cho Farrah Malik David Sanchez-Aguilera Akshar PatelRoxanne-Milli De-Leon Ryan Malitz Sarika Simon Gemmy Hormese

Roberta Dume Jessica Mcmillan Katrina Tan Lian WeinsteinZafreen Farishta Karolina Mis Melvin Thomas Arlelle Ordonez

Jayati Gohel Allison Nettnin Stacey Thomas Kevin HoMeeshali Gupta Rehan Nizamuddin Bao Tran


Senior Memories

What was your most embarass-ing moment at Maine East?

“Freshman year, when I walked into my flap bio class at the regular bell time and was 20 minutes late.” -Maddie Buttitta“Falling into the Chicago River on an APES fieldtrip.” -Ayisha Zec“All my prom dates.” -Shane Long

What was the best quote you heard from a teacher?“You are here physically, but mentally you are off into Lake Michigan.” -Mr. Brown

“Students don’t get grades, they earn them.” -Mr. Zielinski

‘When you look in a concave mirror, you will see that it is enlarged, erect, and real.” -Mr. Fedewa

What teacher would you like to be like if you were a teacher?

“Mr. Tomasiewicz” -Akshar Patel“A mix between Mr. Z and Mrs. Caliendo” -Rocky Ruiz

Where is your favorite hangout spot at school?“Parking lot” -Tia Soumbasis“Kristina/Alessandra’s locker” -Rita Simon“Fedewa’s room” -Allison Nettnin

What is your favoritedoor to exit the building?“Fieldhouse” -Jenny Scaletta“Bus shelter doors” -Rafaela Sahagun“That one door” -Nick Barlock

What is the best book you were forced to read?One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest -Joe Lucchesi

Freakonomics -Nick Nitti

To Kill a Mockingbird -Phebe Phillip

“Every day is a Holiday.” -Papa O (Coach Olson’s dad)

“Senor Cintado” -Roberta Dume

~


Best HairKristina Louras

Thach Tran

Biggest BrainKathy Ku

Melvin Thomas

Biggest FlirtAbby Blan

Armando Figueroa

Most Contagious

LaughAlbert CariagaArjun Verma

Biggest JockLauren RossiJosh Meyers

Most OutgoingAyisha ZecShane Long

Knows Everything About Everyone

Labrini GiannakopoulosSherif Aly

Class CoupleJenny Zajac &Brad Markovich

Most likely to be late to Graduation

Agata BoguckaDanny Radovanovic

Next Bill Gates(Most likely to

be a billionaire)Farrah Malik

Tijo Jose

Most Artistic

Roxanne De LeonSahak Zakarian

Best TwinsRaquel & Rachel Barkan

Best FriendsDanny Radovanovic

Rocky Ruiz

Next American Idol

Natalia FlorczykAnthony Sanders

Next TalkShow Hosts

Alessandra IncandelaSpiros Loukopoulos

Most FashionableTia SoumbasisCesar Yanez

Class Clowns

Tiffany JonesEman Montes

S E N I O R S U P E R L A T I V E S


NATALIA ADAMOVIC Northeastern Illinois UniversityANGELICA ADAP Oakton Community CollegeSAHAR AFSHAN International Academy of Design and TechnologyTINA AGGARWAL University of Illinois at ChicagoPREKSHA AGNIHOTRI Loyola University ChicagoGLORIA AGUILAR-GUANO Wilbur Wright CollegeMOHAMMED AHMED Elmhurst CollegeALEXANDRIA AL-BAZI Northeastern Illinois UniversityPREETHU ALEX Saint Augustine CollegeSHERIF ALY Oakton Community CollegeTABISH ANSARI Oakton Community CollegeNICKOLAS G. APERGIS Lewis UniversityROSE-ANN ARAGON University of IllinoisJAPHLET ARANAS, JR. Oakton Community CollegeSTEPHANIE ARAUJO Oakton Community CollegeANTON ATANASOV Oakton Community CollegeDONNA ROSE AZIZ Oakton Community CollegePRABHJOT BAINS Oakton Community CollegeERIK BALAGA Oakton Community CollegeCHRISTINE BALDERAS Oakton Community CollegeNAINA BALEDINA Loyola University ChicagoRHENESSA BALLESTEROS University of Illinois at Chicago RUBINA BANU Oakton Community CollegeMOHAMMED BAQUI University of Illinois RACHEL BARKAN Millikin UniversityRAQUEL BARKAN Millikin UniversityNICHALOS BARLOCK Western Michigan UniversityKLAUDIA BARTYZEL Carthage CollegeFRANK BELIZAIRE Oakton Community CollegeALAN BETANCE City CollegeANKITA BHAGAT DePaul UniversitySHEHZAD BHAYANI Northwestern Business College - Southwestern CampusAMALIA BIR Northeastern Illinois UniversityABEER BLAN Northeastern Illinois UniversityETHAN BODZIN United States Marine Corps RecruiterAGATA BOGUCKA University of IowaNEMANJA BOJIC Oakton Community College KARISHMA BRAHMBHATT Oakton Community CollegePATRYCJA BRONOWICZ Illinois Institute of Technology MICHELLE BUCKLE Pennsylvania State UniversitySARIQ BUKHARI Oakton Community CollegeZARIN BUSHRA Oakton Community CollegeJULIANA BUTTITTA Virginia Western Comm. CollegeMADELEINE BUTTITTA Virginia Western Comm. CollegeROCKY CAMARILLO University of Illinois at ChicagoALBERT CARIAGA Oakton Community CollegeSALVATORE CARUSO Oakton Community CollegeLILIAN CASTILLO Oakton Community CollegeSTEPHANIE CHAN University of Illinois at ChicagoAMITH CHANDY Oakton Community CollegeCHRISTIAN CHAVERO Oakton Community CollegeALBERT CHO University of IllinoisHARISH CHOCKALINGAM University of Illinois at ChicagoSABARISH CHOCKALINGAM University of Illinois at ChicagoAVADH CHOKSHI Oakton Community CollegeREENA CHRISTIAN Oakton Community CollegeSONIA CHROSTOWSKI Northern Illinois UniversityJOSEPH CIMINELLO Oakton Community CollegeCRYSTAL CISNEROS Oakton Community CollegeJEFFREY COLLINS Universal Technical InstituteJULIA COMIA Blackburn CollegeDERRICK CONTRERAS Lake Forest CollegeMICHAEL CRISTINO Carthage CollegeBRENDA CRUZ Oakton Community College

CARLOS ANTONIO CRUZ Oakton Community CollegeKIRSTIE ANN CUA University of Illinois at ChicagoALEXANDER CZUBAK North Park University AGNIESZKA DADEJ Lake Forest CollegeAYA DAJANI William Rainey Harper CollegeKAMRAN DARAMJEE Oakton Community CollegeSOLONGO DASHZEZEK Oakton Community CollegeCAMERON DAVIS Universal Technical InstituteDWIGHT DAVIS Northern Illinois UniversityROXANNE DE-LEON Brown UniversityJESSICA DEMARS William Rainey Harper CollegeJENNICA DIMAILIG Trinity International UniversityMIRJANA DIMITRIC Northeastern Illinois UniversityNICHOLAS DIMOULIS DePaul UniversityRICA MAE DIONISIO Oakton Community CollegeANKIT DIXIT Oakton Community CollegeMERCEDES DOZIE College of DuPageROBERT DOZIE William Rainey Harper CollegeROBERTA DUME Lake Forest CollegePAOULA DYANOVA Roosevelt UniversityPATRYK DZIEGLEWICA Columbia CollegeTOMASZ DZIERGAS University of IllinoisVASYL DZIVORONYUK Universal Technical InstituteRACHEL ENBLOM University of Illinois at ChicagoDONNELLE ESDICUL University of Illinois at ChicagoANDREA FALCONI Oakton Community CollegeZAFREEN FARISHTA Grinnell CollegeJACQUELYN FERNANDEZ Southern Illinois UniversityARMANDO FIGUEROA Oakton Community CollegeNATALIA FLORCZYK Lincoln CollegeAMANDA FORNECK Northern Illinois UniversityNIKITA GANDHI Oakton Community CollegeERICK GARCIA University of IllinoisERIKA GATO Northeastern Illinois UniversityERVIN-JOSHUA GAYAPA Northern Illinois UniversityJACKSON GEORGE Oakton Community CollegeJOBIL GEORGE Oakton Community CollegeMEGHAN GERMAINE Oakton Community CollegeSHOAIB GHALIB Oakton Community CollegeLABRINI GIANNAKOPOULOS Oakton Community CollegeJAYATI GOHEL Northeastern Illinois UniversitySARAH GOLENIA The Illinois Institute of Art-SchaumburgJULIE GONZALEZ Oakton Community CollegeLILIA GONZALEZ Oakton Community CollegeHENRI GONZALEZ-VALEZQUE Oakton Community CollegeBRIAN GREENBERG Oakton Community CollegeMIRSADA GRIZIC The Illinois Institute of Art-SchaumburgBARTOSZ GRONKIEWICZ Oakton Community CollegeKYLE GROSSE EMT SchoolAMANDA GRZETIC Northeastern Illinois UniversityMEESHALI GUPTA Drake UniversityGLADYS GUZMAN Missionary WorkMICHAEL GUZZARDE DePaul UniversityVITALIY HAFYCH Oakton Community CollegeLINNEA HERNANDEZ Oakton Community CollegeOliverio HERNANDEZ-CISNERO Lincoln Technical Institute-ChicagoSERGIO HERRERA Oakton Community CollegeKEVIN HO University of IllinoisGEMMY HORMESE Oakton Community CollegeDEREK HOWARD Oakton Community CollegeALEKSANDER HRNJAK Oakton Community CollegeNASIR HUSSAIN Marquette UniversityIDIA IFIANAYI University of Illinois ALESSANDRA INCANDELA Columbia CollegeLIYA ISSAC Oakton Community CollegeJENI JAMES Oakton Community College

COLLEGES – ALPHABETICAL BY NAME


ORNINA JANDO Oakton Community CollegeDARIUSZ JANDURA Oakton Community CollegeDONG JANG University of IllinoisADRIANNA JAWORSKY-FORTE Oakton Community CollegeLUKASZ JEDRYCHA Oakton Community CollegeALYSSA JENRICK Illinois State UniversityRADU JENTIMIR Oakton Community CollegeMIRELA JEZERAK Northeastern Illinois UniversityJACOB JONES Oakton Community CollegeTIFFANY JONES William Rainey Harper CollegeTIJO JOSE DePaul UniversityJEFFREY JOSEPH University of Illinois at ChicagoJESSICA JOSEPH Saint Xavier UniversityJIBIT JOY Oakton Community CollegeMUHAMMAD JUNAID Oakton Community CollegeCYNTHIA JUSTINIEN Oakton Community CollegeAIDA KAEWWILAI Oakton Community CollegeZHIVKO KAMENOV University of Illinois at ChicagoARAN KAMRANPOUR Oakton Community College DHRUV KAVI University of Illinois at ChicagoROSE KAYE Northern Illinois UniversityJAMES KELLY Northwestern UniversityHANA KHALED Community College of the CUNY-ManhattanGEORGIA KHAMO Oakton Community CollegeSHAHREQ KHAN Dominican UniversityNEKOLLE KHVILOVSKY Oakton Community CollegeBRIAN KIM Oakton Community College TSU-YU KO Oakton Community CollegeAGNIESZKA KOROL Oakton Community CollegeJULIE KROHN Oakton Community CollegeJELENA KRSTIC Carroll University (Wisconsin)NELYA KRYSHCHUK University of Illinois at ChicagoSEUL(KATHY) KU Harvard UniversityDOROTA KUBOWICZ Oakton Community CollegeELVIS KUJUKOVIC Triton CollegeAID KURTOVIC Oakton Community CollegeCRYSTAL KURUVILLA University of Illinois at ChicagoARKADIUSZ KUSIAK Oakton Community CollegeANGIE LALL University of Illinois at ChicagoLAUREN LALUZ Marquette UniversityBRADLEY LANGLO Marquette UniversityJONG SEOK LEE University of Minnesota – Twin CitiesJENNIFER LESCANO University of Illinois at ChicagoKORI LEVY Milwaukee Institute of Art and DesignROBERT LEWOSZ Kendall CollegeJOHN LEYNES Oakton Community CollegeJOSHUA LINDNER Oakton Community CollegeSHANE LONG Oakton Community CollegeMARIAN LOPEZ Loyola University ChicagoSPIROS LOUKOPOULOS Northeastern Illinois UniversityCHRISTOULA LOURAS Oakton Community CollegeBRIAN LOV University of IllinoisJOSEPH LUCCHESI Carthage CollegeROI-CEDRIC LUCENA Oakton Community CollegeMICHAEL LUCKI Loyola University ChicagoELMA LUGONJIC Loyola University ChicagoSAMANTHA LYNN Bradley UniversityLUISEL-AYBIL MACATUAL Oakton Community CollegeHANAN MADBOULY Oakton Community CollegeFARRAH MALIK University of Illinois at ChicagoRYAN MALITZ University of ChicagoPETER MARES William Rainey Harper CollegeBRADLEY MARKOVICH Oakton Community CollegeJACQUESLEAN MARSALIS National GuardSARA MARTINEZ City Year Los AngelesLUELLA MASCARENHAS Oakton Community College

BRIAN MATHEW DePaul UniversitySEENA MATHEW University of Illinois at ChicagoJESSICA MCMILLAN Vanderbilt UniversityMORGAN MCMILLIAN Oakton Community CollegeKURT MEISTER Oakton Community CollegeBETH ANN MELNICK Millikin UniversityRITTA MERZA Oakton Community CollegeIOANA-DIANA MIHULET Harrington Inst. of Interior DesignKAROLINA MIS Loyola University ChicagoLETICIA MONTESINOS University of Illinois at ChicagoZULEYMA MONTESINOS Oakton Community CollegeJOSE MONTIEL Oakton Community CollegeANGIE MOON University of Illinois at ChicagoMAIDELY MORENO Oakton Community CollegeSAAD MUGHAL Oakton Community CollegeSERGIO MURO Oakton Community CollegeSYEDA MUZAFFAR Oakton Community CollegeJOSHUA MYERS William Rainey Harper CollegeBAYARSAIKHAN NADMID Oakton Community CollegeMARIA NAJARRO Oakton Community CollegeALLISON NETTNIN Allegheny CollegeNICK NICHOLOPOULOS Oakton Community CollegeFELICIA NIKOLAOU Oakton Community CollegeMICHAEL NITTI Machine OperatorNICHOLAS NITTI Oakton Community CollegeREHAN NIZAMUDDIN University of IllinoisJANET NUNEZ Oakton Community CollegeVERSA ODESHO Oakton Community CollegeGEORGE ODICHO Trinity International UniversityGUADALUPE OLMOS Loyola University ChicagoARIELLE ORDONEZ Marquette UniversityRITA OSTASZ Wright CollegeEMA PAJIC Northeastern Illinois UniversitySTEPHANIE PALAGUACHI William Rainey Harper CollegeMEDGINE PAPILLON University of Illinois at ChicagoERWIN PASIA Oakton Community CollegeGEOMIL PASIA Oakton Community CollegeADIL PATEL Oakton Community CollegeAKSHAR PATEL Illinois Institute of TechnologyDHRUVIT PATEL Oakton Community CollegeDIXITA PATEL Oakton Community CollegeHARDIK PATEL Oakton Community CollegeJAY PATEL University of Illinois at ChicagoJOYAL PATEL William Rainey Harper CollegeKAMAL PATEL Oakton Community CollegeKAUSHAL PATEL DePaul UniversityKRUNAL PATEL Oakton Community CollegeMIRAJ PATEL Oakton Community CollegeRAVI PATEL Northwestern UniversitySHITAL PATEL Oakton Community CollegeSHIV PATEL Tallahassee Community CollegeSHIVAM PATEL Northern Illinois UniversitySHREYANGIBEN PATEL Oakton Community CollegeURVIKA PATEL University of Illinois at ChicagoVAIBHAV THAKOR PATEL Saint Louis UniversityJAYSON-ANGEL PERALTA University of Illinois at ChicagoDAVID PEREZ University of IllinoisDAVID PETER Oakton Community CollegeSTEPHANIE PETER Knox CollegePHEBE PHILIP Carthage CollegeSONU PHILIPOSE Oakton Community CollegeJASON PILLAI University of Illinois at ChicagoANN PLAMOOTTIL Oakton Community CollegeMAGDALENA PLONKA University of Illinois at ChicagoJACINTA POLICHT North Park UniversitySUDEEP POLUDASU Knox CollegeJOHN PONDO Milwaukee School of Engineering


LAURA POP Northeastern Illinois UniversityRAHUL PRAJAPATI Oakton Community CollegeTERESA PRZYBYSLAWSKI Northeastern Illinois UniversityADRIANA PULIDO-MEDINA Oakton Community CollegeHINABEN PUNJABI Oakton Community CollegeUTKARSHKUMAR PUNJABI Oakton Community CollegeABDULMATEEN QAISAR Loyola University ChicagoDANIEL RADOVANOVIC Columbia College SOPHIA RAFIQI Northwestern UniversityEILEEN RAYAHIN Oakton Community CollegeMA.CECILIA REGASPI Oakton Community CollegeAARON REINHART University of Illinois CHRISTOPHER RIPPLE Augustana CollegeANDRAE ROBINSON Oakton Community CollegeDANIEL ROJAS-BAZAN Oakton Community CollegeJASMINE ROMERO The Illinois Institute of ArtKARINE ROSIME Northwestern UniversityLAUREN ROSSI University of KansasPAUL RUKAWICZKIN Dominican UniversityKRZYSZTOF RYGIEL University of Illinois at ChicagoRAFAELA SAHAGUN-VELASCO Oakton Community CollegeALAA SALEH Northeastern Illinois UniversityVASILIKI SAMIOTAKIS Oakton Community CollegeSAMCY SAMUEL William Rainey Harper CollegeNATHALIE SANABRIA Oakton Community CollegeDAVID SANCHEZ-AGUILERA Brown UniversityJENNIFER SCALETTA Northeastern Illinois UniversityCHRISTOPHER SCANLON Northeastern Illinois University ARIANA SERNA Oakton Community College BIRJU SHAH St. Louis College of PharmacyRONIQUE SHAW California State University, NorthridgeBYEONGGUEN SHIN University of Illinois at ChicagoKELLY SHORT Carroll University (Wisconsin)OMERA SIDDIQ Oakton Community CollegeJUAN SILVA Oakton Community CollegeRITA SIMON Northeastern Illinois UniversitySARIKA SIMON University of the Sciences in PhiladelphiaMANSI SINGAPORI Loyola University ChicagoJATINDER SINGH Wyotech InstituteGREGORY SKOCZEK University of IllinoisKEVIN SLEWO Oakton Community CollegeLATOYA SMELLIE Oakton Community CollegeISAK SONG Oakton Community CollegeRUCHIR SONI Oakton Community CollegeSTAMATIA SOUMBASIS Dominican UniversityPETE SRISUK University of IllinoisMARIAM SUBHANI Oakton Community College

PURA SUGADUGA Oakton Community CollegeMENSUR SULIC Oakton Community CollegeJENISH SURATI Oakton Community CollegeJOANNA SWIATEK Oakton Community CollegeSANDRA SWIETLIK Northern Illinois UniversityJOANNA SZEWCZUK Illinois State UniversityPAWEL SZYMANSKI Oakton Community CollegeBLAZEJ SZYMONIAK University of IllinoisRIMA TAILOR University of IllinoisMICHAL TALARCZYK University of Illinois at ChicagoKATRINA TAN Marquette University BANSARI THAKKAR University of Illinois at ChicagoMELVIN THOMAS Drake UniversitySTACEY THOMAS University of Illinois at ChicagoMILAN TIJANIC Carthage CollegeBAO TRAN Loyola University ChicagoSAMAD USMANI Oakton Community CollegeBENEDICTO UY Carthage CollegeJOANN VACHACHIRA Bradley UniversityMARYAM VALI Northeastern Illinois UniversityANSUMOL VALLIKATTUCHIRA Oakton Community CollegeALVIN VARGHESE College of Southern NevadaVIVIANNE VELAZQUEZ Illinois State UniversityARJUN VERMA Oakton Community CollegeRASHIED VILLARINO Oakton Community College CHERRIE-LYNE VIRAY Oakton Community CollegeJOSHUA VIRUET Oakton Community CollegeJESSICA VOEGTLE Northeastern Illinois UniversityRIDDHI WAGADIA Oakton Community CollegeDAVID WAITE University of Wisconsin at MilwaukeeDANIEL WALKER Oakton Community CollegeBARTOSZ WARJAS Oakton Community CollegeLIAN WEINSTEIN Loyola University ChicagoKRYSTIAN WIDLAK Oakton Community CollegeWOJCIECH WILCZYNSKI Oakton Community CollegeKEVIN WILLIAMS University of IllinoisDANHI WILSON Ashland UniversityDANIEL WITKUS Oakton Community CollegeJINSOL (JENNY) WON Illinois State UniversityWUN-YAN WONG Michigan State University CESAR YANEZ Carthage CollegeJENNIFER YOUKHANA University of IllinoisSADIA YOUNUS University of Illinois at ChicagoARTHUR YUROV University of Illinois at ChicagoJENNY ZAJAC School of the Art Institute of ChicagoSAHAK ZAKARIAN School of the Art Institute of ChicagoAYISHA ZEC Dominican University FAIZAN ZIKARIA Oakton Community College

One of the most important as-pects of your college application is your score on the ACT test. Prepar-ing for this test is crucial and can dramatically affect your chances of getting into the college you want to attend after Maine East. Thankfully, there are several resources available to help you do your best on this im-portant test.

One of the most important things you can do to prepare for your

ACT is very simple: do all of your homework. Since the ACT is based partly on the skills and knowledge you should be learning in your class-es, you will be more knowledgeable, and more prepared, if you do your homework.

Another way to improve your chances of ACT success is to take an ACT Prep class, (some of these classes are available through Maine East). There are also many ACT Prep books available at Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and even

Wal-Mart. Hint: if spending any money is a problem, ask to borrow an older student’s ACT Prep book that he or she won’t need anymore.

The most proven way to im-prove your ACT Test score is to take practice tests. This cannot be over-emphasized -- taking practice tests will not only increase your knowl-edge in the relevant subject areas, it will make you more comfortable with the test format and reduce your stress levels when you take the test for real.

Here are some free websites that for ACT preparation and to as-sist in your search for a school once you get past the ACTs:

www.number2.comwww.collegezone.comwww.collegeboard.comwww.actstudent.orgwww.march2success.comwww.testprep.sparknotes.comwww.highereducationstation.orgwww.4tests.comwww.act.org

By Lance Lindsey

The ACT is one key to get into your dream college


Allegheny CollegeALLISON NETTNIN

Ashland UniversityDANHI WILSON

Augustana CollegeCHRISTOPHER RIPPLE

Blackburn CollegeJULIA ANN COMIA

Community Coll. of the CUNY – Manhattan

HANA KHALED

Bradley UniversityJOANN VACHACHIRA

SAMANTHA LYNN

Brown UniversityDAVID SANCHEZ-AGUILERA

ROXANNE DE LEON

California State University – Northridge

RONIQUE SHAW

Carroll University(Wisconsin)JELENA KRSTIC

KELLY MARIE SHORT

Carthage CollegeBENEDICTO UYCESAR YANEZ

JOSEPH LUCCHESIKLAUDIA BARTYZELMICHAEL CRISTINO

MILAN TIJANICPHEBE PHILIP

City CollegeALAN BETANCE

City Colleges of Chicago, Wilbur Wright College

GLORIA ESTEFANIA AGUILAR-GUANO

College of DuPageMERCEDES DOZIE

College of So. NevadaALVIN VARGHESE

Columbia CollegeALESSANDRA INCANDELA

DANIEL RADOVANOVICPATRYK DZIEGLEWICA

DePaul UniversityANKITA BHAGATBRIAN MATHEWKAUSHAL PATEL

MICHAEL GUZZARDENICHOLAS DIMOULIS

TIJO JOSE

Dominican UniversityAYISHA ZEC

PAUL RUKAWICZKINSHAHREQ KHAN

STAMATIA SOUMBASIS

Drake UniversityMEESHALI GUPTAMELVIN THOMAS

Elmhurst CollegeMOHAMMED AHMED

EMT SCHOOLKYLE GROSSE

Grinnell CollegeZAFREEN FARISHTA

Harrington Institute of Interior Design

IOANA-DIANA MIHULET

Harvard UniversitySEUL (KATHY) KU

Illinois Institute of TechnologyAKSHAR PATEL

PATRYCJA BRONOWICZ

Illinois State UniversityALYSSA JENRICK

JINSOL (JENNY) WONJOANNA SZEWCZUK

VIVIANNE VELAZQUEZ

International Acad. of Design and Technology

SAHAR AFSHAN

Kendall CollegeROBERT LEWOSZ

Knox CollegeSTEPHANIE PETER

SUDEEP POLUDASU

Lake Forest CollegeAGNIESZKA DADEJ

DERRICK CONTRERASROBERTA DUME

Lewis UniversityNICKOLAS APERGIS

Lincoln CollegeNATALIA FLORCZYK

Lincoln Technical Institute-Chicago

OLIVERIO HERNANDEZ-CISNERO

Loyola UniversityChicago

ABDULMATEEN QAISARBAO TRAN

ELMA LUGONJICGUADALUPE OLMOS

KAROLINA MISLIAN WEINSTEIN

MANSI SINGAPORIMARIAN LOPEZMICHAEL LUCKI

NAINA BALEDINAPREKSHA AGNIHOTRI

Marquette UniversityARIELLE ORDONEZBRADLEY LANGLO

KATRINA TANLAUREN LALUZNASIR HUSSAIN

Michigan StateUniversity

WUN-YAN WONG

Millikin UniversityBETH ANN MELNICK

RACHEL BARKANRAQUEL BARKAN

Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design

KORI LEVY

Milwaukee School ofEngineeringJOHN PONDO

National GuardJACQUESLEAN MARSALIS

North Park UniversityALEXANDER CZUBAK

JACINTA POLICHT

Northeastern Illinois University

ABEER OTHMAN BLANALAA MAHER SALEHALEXANDRIA AL-BAZI

AMALIA BIRAMANDA GRZETIC

CHRISTOPHER SCANLONEMA PAJIC

ERIKA ALEXANDRA GATOJAYATI PANKAJ GOHEL

JENNIFER LYNN SCALETTAJESSICA RURIKO VOEGTLE

LAURA AMALIA POPMARYAM FATIMA VALI

MIRELA JEZERAKMIRJANA ANDJA DIMITRIC

NATALIA ADAMOVICRITA SIMON

SPIROS LOUKOPOULOSTERESA PRZYBYSLAWSKI

Northern IllinoisUniversity

AMANDA FORNECKDWIGHT DAVIS

ERVIN-JOSHUA GAYAPAROSE KAYE

SANDRA SWIETLIKSHIVAM PATEL

SONIA CHROSTOWSKI

COLLEGES – ALPHABETICAL BY COLLEGE


Northwestern Business College - Southwestern

CampusSHEHZAD BHAYANI

Northwestern UniversityJAMES KELLY

KARINE ROSIMERAVI PATEL

SOPHIA RAFIQI

Oakton Community College

ADIL PATELADRIANA PULIDO-MEDINA

ADRIANNA JAWORSKY-FORTEAGNIESZKA KOROL

AID KURTOVICAIDA KAEWWILAIALBERT CARIAGA

ALEKSANDER HRNJAKAMITH CHANDY

ANDRAE ROBINSONANDREA FALCONIANGELICA ADAP

ANKIT DIXITANN PLAMOOTTIL

ANSUMOL VALLIKATTUCHIRAANTON ATANASOV

ARJUN VERMAARAN KAMRANPOUR

ARIANA SERNAARKADIUSZ KUSIAK

ARMANDO FIGUEROAAVADH CHOKSHI

BARTOSZ WARJASBARTOSZ GRONKIEWICZBAYARSAIKHAN NADMID

BRADLEY MARKOVICHBRENDA CRUZ

BRIAN GREENBERGBRIAN KIM

CARLOS CRUZCHERRIE-LYNE VIRAYCHRISTIAN CHAVEROCHRISTINE BALDERASCHRISTOULA LOURAS

CRYSTAL CISNEROSCYNTHIA JUSTINIEN

DANIEL WITKUSDANIEL WALKER

DANIEL ROJAS-BAZANDARIUSZ JANDURA

DAVID PETERDEREK HOWARDDHRUVIT PATEL

DIXITA PATEL

DONNA AZIZDOROTA KUBOWICZ

EILEEN RAYAHINERIK BALAGAERWIN PASIA

FAIZAN ZIKARIAFELICIA NIKOLAOUFRANK BELIZAIRE

GEMMY HORMESEGEOMIL PASIA

GEORGIA KHAMOHANAN MADBOULY

HARDIK PATELHENRI GONZALEZ-VALEZQUE

HINABEN PUNJABIISAK SONG

JACKSON GEORGEJACOB JONESJANET NUNEZ

JAPHLET ARANAS JRJENI JAMES

JENISH SURATIJIBIT JOY

JOANNA SWIATEKJOBIL GEORGEJOHN LEYNES

JOSE MONTIELJOSEPH CIMINELLO

JOSHUA VIRUETJOSHUA LINDNER

JUAN SILVAJULIE KROHN

JULIE GONZALEZKAMAL PATEL

KAMRAN DARAMJEEKARISHMA BRAHMBHATT

KEVIN SLEWOKRUNAL PATEL

KRYSTIAN WIDLAKKURT MEISTER

LABRINI GIANNAKOPOULOSLATOYA SMELLIELILIA GONZALEZLILIAN CASTILLO

LINNEA HERNANDEZLIYA ISSAC

LUELLA MASCARENHASLUISEL-AYBIL MACATUAL

LUKASZ JEDRYCHAMA.CECILIA REGASPIMAIDELY MORENOMARIA NAJARRO

MARIAM SUBHANIMEGHAN GERMAINE

MENSUR SULICMIRAJ PATEL

MORGAN MCMILLIANMUHAMMAD JUNAID

NATHALIE SANABRIANEKOLLE KHVILOVSKY

NEMANJA BOJICNICHOLAS NITTI

NICK NICHOLOPOULOSNIKITA GANDHIOMERA SIDDIQORNINA JANDO

PAWEL SZYMANSKIPRABHJOT BAINSPURA SUGADUGARADU JENTIMIR

RAFAELA SAHAGUN-VELASCORAHUL PRAJAPATI

RASHIED VILLARINOREENA CHRISTIAN

RICA MAE DIONISIORIDDHI WAGADIA

RITTA MERZAROI-CEDRIC LUCENA

RUBINA BANURUCHIR SONI

SAAD MUGHALSALVATORE CARUSO

SAMAD USMANISARIQ BUKHARISERGIO MURO

SERGIO HERRERASHANE LONGSHERIF ALY

SHITAL PATELSHOAIB GHALIB

SHREYANGIBEN PATELSOLONGO DASHZEZEK

SONU PHILIPOSESTEPHANIE ARAUJOSYEDA MUZAFFAR

TABISH ANSARITSU-YU KO

UTKARSHKUMAR PUNJABIVASILIKI SAMIOTAKIS

VERSA ODESHOVITALIY HAFYCH

WOJCIECH WILCZYNSKIZARIN BUSHRA

ZULEYMA MONTESINOS

Pennsylvania State University,

MICHELLE BUCKLE

Roosevelt UniversityPAOULA DYANOVA

Saint Augustine CollegePREETHU ALEX

Saint Louis UniversityVAIBHAV PATEL

Saint Xavier UniversityJESSICA JOSEPH

School of the ArtInstitute of Chicago

JENNY ZAJACSAHAK GEORGE ZAKARIAN

Southern Illinois University

JACQUELYN FERNANDEZ

St. Louis College of Pharmacy

BIRJU SHAH

Tallahassee CommunityCollege

SHIV PATEL

Oakton cont. Oakton cont.

The Illinois Instituteof Art

JASMINE ROMERO

The Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg

MIRSADA GRIZICSARAH GOLENIA

The University of IowaAGATA BOGUCKA

Trinity InternationalUniversity

GEORGE ODICHOJENNICA DIMAILIG

Triton CollegeELVIS KUJUKOVIC

United States MarineCorps Recruiter

ETHAN BODZIN


Universal TechnicalInstitute

CAMERON DAVISJEFFREY COLLINS

VASYL DZIVORONYUK

University of ChicagoRYAN WILLIAM MALITZ

University of Illinois at ChicagoANGIE LALL

ANGIE MOONARTHUR YUROV

BANSARI THAKKARBYEONGGUEN SHINCRYSTAL KURUVILLA

DHRUV KAVIDONNELLE ESDICUL

FARRAH MALIKHARISH CHOCKALINGAM

JASON PILLAIJAY PATEL

JAYSON-ANGEL PERALTAJEFFREY JOSEPH

JENNIFER LESCANOKIRSTIE CUA

KRZYSZTOF RYGIELLETICIA MONTESINOSMAGDALENA PLONKAMEDGINE PAPILLONMICHAL TALARCZYKNELYA KRYSHCHUKRACHEL ENBLOM

RHENESSA BALLESTEROSROCKY CAMARILLO

SABARISH CHOCKALINGAMSADIA YOUNUS

SEENA MATHEWSTACEY THOMASSTEPHANIE CHANTINA AGGARWAL

URVIKA PATELZHIVKO KAMENOV

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

AARON REINHARTALBERT CHO

BLAZEJ SZYMONIAKBRIAN LOV

DAVID PEREZDONG JANG

ERICK GARCIAGREGORY SKOCZEK

IDIA IFIANAYIJENNIFER YOUKHANA

University of KansasLAUREN ROSSI

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

JONG SEOK LEE

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

SARIKA C. SIMON

University of Wisconsin, MilwaukeeDAVID WAITE

Vanderbilt UniversityJESSICA MCMILLAN

Virginia Western Community College

JULIANA BUTTITTAMADELEINE BUTTITTA

Western MichiganUniversity

NICHALOS BARLOCK

William Rainey Harper College

AYA DAJANIJESSICA DEMARSJOSHUA MYERS

JOYAL PATELPETER MARESROBERT DOZIE

SAMCY SAMUELSTEPHANIE PALAGUACHI

TIFFANY JONES

Wyotech InstituteJATINDER SINGH

KEVIN WILLIAMSKEVIN HO

MOHAMMED BAQUIPETE SRISUK

REHAN NIZAMUDDINRIMA TAILOR

ROSE-ANN ARAGONTOMASZ DZIERGAS

Wright CollegeRITA OSTASZ

University of Illinois cont.

Walking down the halls during the last few weeks of school, you probably overheard most of the ju-niors’ shrieks of relief about this very stressful year finally coming to an end, and for good reason.

Junior year is considered the most important year in your high school education. With all the stress caused by the increased difficulty of homework, the search for colleges, the fulfillment of high school require-ments and the ACTs, it is hard to stay focused throughout the year and not lose your mind a bit along the way.

What sophomores need to re-member before going into junior year is that the upcoming year is really important: it can determine how col-leges look at you and can set the bar for what you want to do in life.

This does not necessarily mean that all the fun of high school goes down the drain – that’s not the case at all. What you need to do is realize that you have to take the next school year very seriously and avoid slack-ing off; if you take it seriously, you will reduce your stress levels and you will be able to balance your school work with your personal life.

This past year caught me a bit by surprise because I went into it not fully prepared and unaware of what the year was really all about. I thought that the work was going to be easy and that I could just focus on my personal life and have fun, but now, having gone through it, I realize that the key word for junior year is bal-ance.

You need to start with the knowledge that you can have aca-demic success and a pleasurable so-cial life at the same time, IF you take your work seriously and focus. You cannot go into junior year with the mentality that the work will be done for you. More than ever, YOU are the only person who can make it hap-pen during junior year.

I’m not trying to scare you soph-omores out there. When the summer ends and junior year arrives, you

shouldn’t be afraid, you should just be prepared. If you get things done and don’t slack off, especially at the start of the year, you will be able to have a successful junior year, aca-demically and socially.

And if you do find that you are struggling with your work, I strongly suggest you take action early. Take advantage of all of the assistance Maine East has to offer. You can go to COACH or the Math Resource Center to get help with your work, and the Writing Lab has an English teacher every period to help you.

Talk to your teachers about as-signments or projects and make sure you understand them and get them done.

Also, make sure you talk to your counselor about your required classes, such as Driver’s Ed. or other required classes you might not have taken. You do not want to be stuck with a surprise required class when you are gearing up for senior year and graduation.

This summer, you can already start getting prepared by making sure you do your summer reading -- it will get you off to a great start in your junior year English class and might even help you connect with the other students and teachers who read the same book.

If you have room in your sched-ule for fun elective classes, then go for it! These classes can really help and can be a major stress reliever throughout the day.

Junior year also means that you are becoming an upperclassman; you have been at Maine East for a while now, so you know basically how things work. Just focus on your work, be positive and enjoy your re-maining years here.

If you concentrate and constant-ly reach for your goals, then it will work out in the end and your junior year will be a highlight and a great springboard into your senior year, in-stead of a year you regret.

Have a great summer and con-gratulations on becoming an upper-classman!

Junior year is filled with challenges By Annie Ziga


“I can’t talk now... I’m Tweeting!”

It’s the latest and hot-test social networking craze in the world. Over 2 million people a day do it. Celebrities like Oprah, Ashton Kutcher, Pete Wenz, Britney Spears, Shaquille O’Neal, and P. Diddy do it. President Obama does it. And that’s not even the tip of the communication iceberg that is the internet phenomenon Twitter.

The novelty of Twitter is being able to broadcast a sentence or two -- called a “Tweet” -- to a few people who are “Following” you (or a few thousand people, or, if you’re Ashton Kutch-er, to over ONE MILLION Followers) instantly and at any time from a cell phone, PDA, or computer.

There’s little time (and no space) for thoughtful analysis or reflection -- each Tweet has a limit of 140 characters; the value of Twitter rests in its scope and immediacy. And this reporter, along with mil-lions of other “Tweeters”, finds Twitter ingenious and amazing.

Twitter is relatively easy to figure out and mod-ify to your personal desires -- all but a few features are optional. Therefore, you can make your Twitter ex-perience as involved or as detached as you wish.

When you join Twitter and start an account, you choose what Tweeters you want to follow (similar to the friends feature on Face-book and Myspace). When you follow someone, every-thing they “tweet” comes to you on your Twitter home page. You can follow addi-tional people or at any time

choose to unfollow people. You can also choose to ac-cept or block people from following you. (This is an important aspect of Twitter to be aware of -- as with any new technology, there are those creepy crawly people out there who want to use Twitter to snoop into others’ lives or worse.)

Most Twitter users fol-low between 20 and 1,000 other Tweeters, usually

including friends, family, news sources, companies, and celebrities. Oprah, CNN, and Ashton Kutcher were all in a close race to be the first to have 1 mil-lion followers on Twitter, which Kutcher won (by a tweet?).

Tweeters can also fol-low major corporations like American Airlines, who updates flight information on Twitter, and Starbucks, who answers all your drink-related questions.

After the basic set up on a computer, you have many options for setting up Twitter with your cell phone so you can tweet and follow via text-messaging.

You can also set up your phone to share pic-tures with your followers instantaneously. In fact, a picture of the U.S. Airways crash landing in the Hud-son River in January ap-peared within moments of the event, via tweets from a passenger on the plane.

So what do tweeters tell their followers about? Most of them are enlight-ening friends and fans

with routine updates about the spectacular banality of their everyday lives: shop-ping, doing laundry, meet-ing friends, reading other people’s Tweets. Perfect examples of such ordinari-ness are pop start Demi Lo-vato’s tweets, a majority of which read like “I should clean my room.” “I should go to sleep.” “I should do a lot of things that I’m sup-posed to be doing, but.... I don’t wanna. :)”

The triviality of Twit-ter is what attracts celebs to it. According to Ashton Kutcher, “It’s so personal. I can interact with my fans and set rumors straight be-fore the tabloids air them.”

The time-saving fac-tor of twitter is another big plus. All of the updates of the people you are fol-lowing appear in real time (meaning that you don’t need to refresh your brows-er) on your Twitter page. To reply to them, you sim-ply hit a button and type your message. Voilá, you have just communicated with someone in less than 140 characters and without

visiting dozens of profiles. And if Twitter hasn’t

won you over yet, it can actually help save lives. In 2008, Twitter was credited with helping a man get out of a foreign jail. A Califor-nia college student named James Buck was arrested during an anti-government demonstration in Egypt.

Tweet Tweet Tweet: Meet

BREAKING TWITTER NEWS!!! You can now follow The Pioneer on Twitter! Pioneer sponsor Mr. Miller will tweet about news and events related to Demon Nation. Seniors-- keep updated about Maine East after you leave! Sign up at www.twitter.com and follow mehspioneer.

By Madiha Khan and Samra Matin

As he was hauled off to jail, he managed to Tweet one word: “arrested.” That Tweet immediately noti-fied his friends and family, who began contacting the authorities for his release. Within hours, the Ameri-can Embassy was notified and Buck was freed.

Twitter, currently the third most popular net-working site in the world, has gained a dedicated net-work that has quadrupled in the last few months. Al-most everyone who joins finds it easy, useful, and, at times, even addicting.

Some companies, such as the one that Michelle Jones applied to, have be-gan accepting job applica-tions through Twitter. Your mission: to make yourself seem as qualified as pos-sible in 140 characters or less.

Skeptics say that Twit-ter is a fad, diminishing it by comparing it to pet rocks and the Macarena. And recent studies show that over 60% of new Twit-ter users stop using the site within a month.

And what do loyal Twitterers say to that? They agree, but they also believe that for the time being, Twitter is a useful, time-saving, and overall fun social network to use. Just ask any of 2 million people probably sending a Tweet right about now.


Cable network TLC’s popular show John and Kate Plus Eight drew a record viewing audience for its fifth-season premiere, accord-ing to Nielsen Media Research. The boosted ratings are mostly due to the media siege about Jon Gosselin’s alleged affairs and the Gosselin’s troubled marriage.

The family of ten – with twin eight-year-olds and five-year-old sextuplets – is America’s new fa-vorite family to watch. Recently, Jon the man of the house, has been under heavy scrutiny from view-ers and the media.

According to US Weekly, he has had an affair with a third grade teacher. Jon and Kate have been married to Kate for almost 9 years.

They claim to have had a good marriage for many years, prior to the reality show. Accord-ing to viewers on their own web-site, they do not believe that they were telling the truth. Frequent viewers of the show know that John and Kate seem to constantly annoy each other.

Could this be caused by all the media attention this family has been receiving? It seems as if any couple that decides to put their lives on television for the world to see regrets it later on.

For example, Jessica Simp-son and Nick Lachey decided to put their first year of marriage on television. They seemed to put on a front for the camera, so when the camera is not there, they don’t understand what’s different with their significant other.

Jon and Kate may have for-gotten what reality was like before all the fame and they may have

Will Jon and Kate Gosselin separate?By Ebboney Wilson forgotten about what each other’s

personality is like. Putting your life out there for the world to see is not a smart idea.

Psychologists will tell you that when a camera rolls, people tend to change their behavior and perform for the camera. Then, when the director yells “Cut!”, their behavior reverts back to ‘nor-mal’, and they can’t understand

why things seems so different. Yes, the Gosselins have made

quite a bit of money for their fami-ly, not to mention getting a tummy tuck (Kate) and some hair plugs (Jon), but it looks like it was bad decision for them to put their lives out there for the TV world to see. They will forever be scrutinized and their family and marriage will likely never be the same.

Rumors of marital difficulties fueled higher ratings for Jon and Kate Plus Eight, but will the marriage survive?

Graduation Sensation

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19. Female Athlete of the Year: ______ Jones

23. A graduate's garb

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15. Department Award Winner Beth Ann ______

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19. M.E. Graduation location: Rosemont ______

20. Department Award Winner Stephanie ______

21. Cold summer treat on a stick

22. Destination for many high school graduates

26. Department Award Winner Akshar ______

27. Department Award Winner Tijo ______

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13. Top academic achievers: Maine ______


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20. Department Award Winner Stephanie ______

21. Cold summer treat on a stick


26. Department Award Winner Akshar ______

27. Department Award Winner Tijo ______

28. Department Award Winner Samantha ______

30. Department Award Winner Jinsol ______

CROSSWORD ANSWERS ON PAGE 25


A blast from the pastDo you think you’re cool?

Here are some of the cool. hip,

and radical things that the

Maine East Fac-ulty thought was cool during their senior years of high school.

“Bellbottoms were still ‘groovy’."

-Mr. Harper

“Respecting our elders.”-Mr. Kett

“I graduated high school in 1996 and the big trend me and my friends spent most of our time on was ska

music.”-Mr. Reuhs

“Vanilla Ice, ‘Ice, Ice, Baby’ and MC Hammer

‘Can't touch this’”-Ms. Bonifazi

“All things preppy, and Really Big Hair!’

-Ms. Wolfe

“‘Cool’ then was tight clothes, lots of polyester,

too much hair, and tall shoes.”-Mr. Lloyd

What do you get when you mix R.E.N.T, High School Musi-cal, Dirty Dancing, Fosse, Slumdog Millionaire and The Sister Act?

A musical montage of course, that is what theater dance periods 2 and 6 are doing with Mrs. Greiwe.

“This will be my 8th year of doing these mini performances. We have done Grease, High School Musical, Thriller, Chicago, and West Side Story, oh, and Hair-spray too!” said dance instructor Ms.Greiwe with enthusiasm.

This year’s theme for her sec-ond and sixth period classes was “Love in Life” and “Brothers and Sisters United”.

With all the practice that has been going on this is sure to be one of her best.

By Erika Oppermann

A Musical Montage is coming this way

Some friendly advice for sophomores-to-be

Now that freshmen year is drawing to a close, you will be proceeding into your sophomore year and there are a few quick things you should know.

Sophomore year is just as im-portant as any other high school

By Brittany Krawiecyear – starting off the year, make sure you do not fall behind in your homework.

Make a good impression on your teacher; after all, you’ll be stuck with your teachers for either all or most of the year. Tests are a very important part of your grade, and if you feel as if you don’t un-derstand something before a test,

always go to your teacher for some extra help. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, you wouldn’t want to get a problem wrong just because you were afraid to ask the question.

One thing I regret is taking a sick day from school; I fell behind a whole day and had two days’ worth of assignments due for the

day I came back. Absences are not the best way

to do well in school, so try and limit the number of times you take “sick days.” As you are making your transition into your sopho-more year, remember to have fun because next year, with the ACT and college planning, most of your time will be consumed!

Maine East basketball star Danhi Wilson signs a full-ride scholar-ship to play basketball at Ashland University next season.


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The Maine East DECA club continued its victorious streak all the way through the National Competition in Anaheim, California, which attracted over 15,000 stu-dents and advisors.

After setting a record with its number of victories at the State level, our DECA chapter sent 13 national qualifiers to the worldwide DECA Conference.

Senior Lauren Rossi placed in the Top 10 of the world, defeating students from countries like the U.S., Canada, England, and Ger-many. After three days of intense competition, 10 of the 13 Maine East national qualifiers finished in the top 1% of DECA competitor’s worldwide.

“Our students demon-strated on a worldwide stage that they can compete and win against the best in the world,” said Mr. Schwan, one of the DECA advisors.

The national conference also presented the Muscular Dystrophy Association with a check for over a half-mil-lion dollars.

The MDA is an organi-zation supporting people with neuromuscular disorders. Over a course of a longtime partnership with the MDA, DECA has donated over $5 million to the charity.

This year alone, the Maine East DECA chapter has raised $5,000, plac-ing it 9th out of over 1,000 high schools worldwide and awarding them with a presti-gious banquet.

Besides the entrepre-neurial activities taking place in Anaheim, the attendees also visited multiple area attractions, like Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the sunny California beaches.

The estimated eco-nomic impact coming into Anaheim from the DECA conference was about $14 million.

The Maine East DECA club is a chance for the stu-dents to show off their skills. It is also a fundamental op-portunity for success.

“Students in DECA ex-pand their communication and thinking skills,” said advisor Mr. Baysingar. “This experience will eventually lead to excellent future ca-reers.”

Maine East Students enrolled in Ms Etzwiler’s and Mrs. Klein’s chemistry classes that have earned and maintained a grade of 94% or higher are now part of a new program called the Chemistry Plus Program.

The students meet ev-ery other week after school to talk about what’s new in the chemistry world and to perform various demon-strations and labs that are normally excluded from the regular chemistry curricu-lum.

Students in Chem Plus opt out of doing regular homework as long as they keep a 94% grade and meet every other week. They also

M.E. DECAstudents perform

on worldwide stage in California

By Judy Bielaga

complete extra assignments.Several weeks ago, the

Chemistry Plus Program took a trip to Gemini Junior High School to present some of the demonstrations at which the students worked hard to excel. They not only presented the demos but explained the chemical and real-life applications behind them to the captive junior high audience.

Both Ms. Entzwiler and Mrs. Klein believe that such experiences will benefit both groups of students.

“The middle school students will look forward to doing similar activities in high school,” said Mrs. Klein.

“I look forward to ex-plaining the chemistry in

Chemically proven to cause a reaction

each experiment and inspir-ing students to study chem-istry,” said Chem Plus stu-dent Shaina George.

The Chem Plus stu-dents definitely feel the ex-perience will help them with their future goals. “I look forward to explaining the demos since I’m consider-ing being a teacher,” said Justina Kaczmarczyk

No matter what their futures might entail, the high school students will gain confidence and get to share their love for science with the youngsters.

Students in this pro-gram also go on field trips to see demonstrations per-formed by well-known chemists and to visit chemi-cal companies.

By Judy Bielaga

Transformers II comes out June 24 and the much- hyped movie is even get-ting the average movie-goer pumped.

Michael Bay and Ste-ven Spielberg are back as director and producer, and stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and John Turturro re-turn to form the A-list cast.

Transformers ended when the noble Autobots and the devious Decepti-cons fought for a strange cube called the off-spark. Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) gets pulled into the story when his grandfather’s glasses hold the key to the cube’s location. Sam and Mikaela (Fox) ultimately help the Autobots protect

the cube from the Decepti-cons and save mankind.

The movie’s special effects and amazing plot drew in a huge audience, earning over $320 million dollars. Transformers II is expected to be this year’s huge blockbuster and will compete with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for the top grossing movie of the summer.

Sam Witwicky un-locks the history of the Transformers on Earth, which leads to the Decep-ticons’ attempting to hunt him down again. They plan to forcefully pick Sam’s brain in order to figure out the crucial informa-tion. This leads to Optimus Prime, leader of the Auto-bots, joining forces with

armies from countries all over the globe. They fight an epic war against the Decepticons over the lands of Egypt. Secrets about both human and Cybertro-nian history are revealed throughout the storyline.

The sequel incorpo-rates some ideas from last year’s blockbuster The Dark Knight and treats its audience to giant explo-sions in a number of new settings. Many new robots are introduced, some even bigger Transformers are thrown in.

With director Michael Bay using IMAX cameras, the images will fill the en-tire eight-story screen. This means you’ll be seeing your favorite Cybertrons at double their actual size.

Transformers II will battle for box office gold this summer By Jiten Patel


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[PATEL]

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11. Summer month [JULY]

14. Graduation ceremony [COMMENCEMENT]

16. ______ Vacation [SUMMER]

18. The ______ of 2009 [CLASS]

19. Female Athlete of the Year: ______ Jones [TIFFANY]

23. A graduate's garb [ROBE]

24. National ______ Society [HONOR]

25. Money awards for college [SCHOLARSHIPS]

27. Male Athlete of the Year: ______ Kelly [JAMES]

29. Internet communication phenomenon [TWITTER]

31. Department Award Winner Robert ______ [LEWOSZ]


[NETTNIN]

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2. Department Award Winner Ryan ______ [MALITZ]

3. Graduate's newest possession [DIPLOMA]

5. Summer month [AUGUST]

6. Top graduate (grade‐wise) [VALEDICTORIAN]

7. Department Award Winner Jessica ______ [DEMARS]

9. Common graduation month [JUNE]

12. _______ Will Awards [GOOD]

13. Top academic achievers: Maine ______ [SCHOLARS]


[MELNICK]

17. TV show on TLC: Jon and Kate Plus ______ [EIGHT]


[THEATER]

20. Department Award Winner Stephanie ______ [CHAN]

21. Cold summer treat on a stick [POPSICLE]


[COLLEGE]

26. Department Award Winner Akshar ______ [PATEL]

27. Department Award Winner Tijo ______ [JOSE]


Transitioning into high school, most freshmen would like to spend their first year getting used to how things work, keeping up with homework, maybe joining a sports team or a club, and simply falling into place.

I was the same way. I never dreamed of be-ing a leader and taking on responsibility outside of my academic career. That all changed on August 25 when I walked into ninth period and was given an opportunity I couldn’t re-fuse.

I knew being Editor-In-Chief of a school news-paper was going to be hard work, and because I never did it before, I knew that

wouldn’t be easy. But the only word that could come out of my mouth at the time was “yes”.

I remember coming home that day and think-ing, “What did I just get myself into?”

It hadn’t been a week and I already was in over my head. But I stuck with it and decided that I would take on the challenge of be-ing an Editor.

That decision changed what I thought was going to be a relaxed freshman year.

It wasn’t easy at first working with a group of people I had never met, but slowly we all came together and brought our own origi-nality to The Pioneer.

I’ve gotten used to staying up late at night during deadline weeks and making layouts not thinking

about all the Math and Eng-lish homework that is wait-ing for me when I get done. Or pondering for hours in my room about how to start an article and then sud-denly pouring words onto a sheet of paper. Those acts have become second nature to me.

The memories and experience that I gained throughout this year will stay with me forever.

But obviously one per-son can’t do it alone. This year’s staff has been sim-ply perfect. Starting from the first day, everyone has helped me get situated into high school and has worked so hard to contribute to the newspaper. There is only one word to describe you guys: incredible.

And to our lone senior editor, Ms. Alessandra In-

candela: you have been so amazing this year. I’m sad that you have to leave but you’re moving on to bigger and better things. I wish the best for you and I hope to work with you again in the future. You are an awesome friend.

Most importantly, I would like to thank Mr. Miller, without whom pro-ducing The Pioneer would be impossible. Your guid-ance, support, and wisdom is greatly appreciated. Words cannot describe how thankful I am for your help. I am honored to be working with such a great man.

I am extremely grate-ful for this opportunity and will continue to work hard on The Pioneer. Hey, I still have three years left! And I promise to make the next three years at The Pioneer incredible.

Sincerely,

Yogi PatelEditor-In-Chief

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused ef-fort.” --Paul J. Meyers

Biting off more than you can chew, and why it tastes so good

Dear Demons,

THE PIONEER STAFF 2008-2009Editor-In-Chief

Yogi Patel

Editors

Andrew SurianoSean Foley

Madiha KhanLance LindsaySamra Matin

Ericka OppermannJiten Patel

Antonette Puleoudit Parikh

Ebboney WilsonAnnie Ziga

Brittany KrawiecAlessandra Incandela

jenny Krawiec

reporters and photogrAphersJudy Bielaga

Christina FlournoyDhruv Kavi

China LukadoSophia Rafiqi

Vanessa RosarioOnon SugarAriana Serna

Sam Stankowicz

Sarah KrawiecErwin Pasia

Frank BelizaireDerek HowrdArthur YurovPratik Vaidya

Eileen RayahinSagar patel

Rachel krawiecJenish Surati

THE PIONEERMaine East High School • Park Ridge, Illinois

The Pioneer is dedicated to reporting on news, entertainment, and sports events for Maine East High School and the surrounding community. The Pioneer is distributed to students, staff, and a limited mailing list. The Pioneer does not accept outside advertising. Submit story suggestions, photos, letters to the editor, or comments regarding the content of the newspaper to sponsor Matt Miller via email: [email protected]


Mr. Glen Olson has done a terrific job as the Head Coach of the varsity boys basketball team, but he will be leaving Maine East to coach at rival Niles North High School next season.

With a very successful past two seasons, includ-ing taking the team to the Regional Championship last season, Olson has lead Maine East basketball to respectability in the Central Suburban League and has accomplished so much.

Although all of Demon Nation is sad to see Coach Olson go, this hit home particularly hard with the members of the basketball team. The players were sur-prised when he told them he was leaving. Olson had been working with some of the players for as many as 10 years now. Many of the players were upset by this

decision, and it wasn’t an easy one for Olson.

The question on a lot of people’s minds is what will this mean for next sea-son at Maine East?

Olson himself tries to answer that. “The future looks bright for Maine East basketball,” he said. “They will hire a great coach and the team will do very well.”

Teaching at Maine East was an amazing experience for Coach Olson. “The teachers were not only great professionals, they are qual-ity people and we had a lot of fun together,” said Olson. “I will miss them greatly. Mr. Chovanec is as good as a boss as there is.”

One memory Olson will never forget is obvi-ously winning the Regional Championship. He will continue to treasure the re-lationships he developed with all the players and will remember all the fun they had in practices.

“I have been able to coach the greatest kids in the world and that is the most important thing to me!”

The coach will be greatly missed but promises to return to Maine East and visit when he can. He will be back here to scout when

the Niles North Vikings play the Maine East Demons.

This year, we are sad to see the great Coach Ol-son leaving us, and going to coach the Niles North Vi-kings beginning the 2009-2010 season. Olson says he has a similar coaching plan for the Vikings.

“Similar to what we were at Maine East, we will play a fast and aggressive style of play,” he said.

Coach Olson says he will still root for all of his former players, even when he competes against them.

“I want to thank all the players who committed to the Maine East basketball program,” he said. “The im-provement they have made has been tremendous. I hope they keep working hard. They truly have inspired me and I want nothing but the best for them as individuals and as a team.”

Olson is excited about the challenge ahead at Niles North. His new team will work extremely hard, hop-ing to bring its program up from where it now exists. Although we would all pre-fer for him to stay a Demon, the Maine East faculty and students wish the best for Coach Olson.

By China Luckado

Coach Olson leaving M.E. for Niles North next season

Coach Olson turned around the Demon basketball program and hopes to do the same at Niles North.

By Antonette Puleo

SPORTSFall All-Conference Athletes

Top row, L to R: Natalia Bialecka, swimming; Cesar Yanez, soccer; Laura Wise, volleyball. Bottom row, L to R: Jeremy Umansky, foot-ball; Stan Babon, soccer; Nick Barlock, golf. Not pictured: James Kelly, soccer; Michelle Zdobylak, cross country.

Winter All-Conference Athletes

Top row, L to R: Josh Myers, wrestling; Danhi Wilson, basketball; Christine Balderas, gymnastics. Bottom row, L to R: Nusrath Khan, basketball; Shahreq Khan, basketball.

Spring All-Conference Athletes

Top row, L to R: Christopher Ripple, baseball; James Kelly, volleyball; Aleksan-dr Hrnjak, water polo; Michael Guzzarde, volleyball; Daniel Walker, baseball. Middle Row, L to R: Jeremy Umansky, tennis; Jessica Demars, softball; Natalia Bialecka, water polo; Chris Scanlon, water polo; Jenny Krawiec, softball; Tiffa-ny Jones, soccer. Bottom row, L to R: Rinel Tabamo, gymnastics; Elisa Gerena, track; John Agsao, gymnastics.

Maine East’s Three-Sport Athletes, L to R: Laura Wise, Aleksander Hrnjak, and Josh Myers

Three-Sport Athletes at Maine East

The Pioneer Senior Issue 2009

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Transcript of The Pioneer Senior Issue 2009