(See Science , pg. 2)

Class of 2016 hosts prom

Inside

Class of 2016 hosts prom Science Olympiad

1

Math Academic Team heads to state

2

NHS Safe Prom

3

WHS students experience trip of a lifetime Europe Pictorial

4

5

Mr. William Auker Jazz Appreciation

6

7

Rachel’s Chal-lenge Shave for the brave

8-9

Honor Roll Spring break and Europe questions

10

11

Mr. Paul Laub Softball Baseball Tennis

12

13

Golf 14

Volume 92 May 7, 2015

(See Class of 2016, pg. 2)

Lilliana Ruiz

Reporter

It’s about that time, Whit-ing High School stu-dents….Prom is right around the corner! So ladies get your dresses and make your hair appointments, and gentlemen make sure you find that per-fect tux to match your date’s dress and get ready to enjoy a night filled with fun. This year the class of 2016 is re-sponsible for planning the special event, “Mad Hatter’s Ball,” based on the “Alice in Wonderland” theme, and it will be held at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts

in Munster on May 9 from 6-10 p.m. Pre-prom will be held in the high school auditorium at 4 p.m. “Prom preparations have been coming along very well. With the help from some of the juniors we have been getting a lot of the decora-tions done and will hopefully be able to put on an amazing prom!” said Junior Class President Samanta Zapien. “Planning is a lot of fun! It’s basically like planning one of the last moments the upper-classmen will have together, and it’ll hopefully be one of the best memories they keep from high school,” Zapien continued.

“Prom has been a wonderful to plan and the juniors have been working together greatly as they always do to make prom a success. Even though the planning of prom can be stressful, I enjoy the whole

Science Olympiad places 6th at state

Cecilia Gomez

Reporter

The Science Olympiad team begins every year with the motivation to do their best. As the year continues, these Science Olympians work harder and harder to do well in their events. On March 21, Whiting Science Olympiad competed in their state competition at Indiana University Bloomington, knowing that since they went to nationals the previous year, the competition would be stiffer than ever. “We know that we had to be more motivated and com-

petitive because we inspired a lot of teams last year,” said senior Mark Casanova, who placed first in both Experi-mental Design and Wright Stuff, along with third place in Bridge Building. For some new members, like Pablo Moore, it was the first time competing at the state competition. “As a B-Team member, it was a nice opportunity to see what state was like. Seeing A-Team compete made me want to do better, and seeing how other teams did made me want to work harder,” Moore said. At state, Whiting placed

sixth overall with medals in the following: Will Ramos and Jake Jacobson placed third in Compound Machines; Alivia Jakubowski and Lilly Ruiz placed fourth in Foren-sics; and Nolan Michniewicz, Ramos and Kelly Kertis placed third in Protein Mod-eling. Along with those med-alists, Whiting is home to seven new state champions: Jacob Brooks, Samanta Zapi-en, Casanova, Ramos, Cecilia Gomez, Michael Kolavo and Kertis. The team had a score of 172, only ten more points than the previous year. “There has been a shift in

players where some teams that used to be competitive have stepped down, but that has only left room for others to elevate,” said Brooks. Although the team was dis-appointed that they did not return to nationals this year, Jakubowski said it best: “Science Olympiad is not about the medals. It’s about the memories you make, the

(From Science, pg. 1)

P a g e 2 T h e T a t t l e r

In Need of Support: Seek the GSA

On March 16, Whiting High School’s Academic Team traveled to Lowell High School to compete at the Academic Invitational Competition. The invitational is the first competition they had a month before the Aca-demic Super Bowl competi-tion. At Lowell, the Science team, led by senior Jacob Brooks, received a fourth place ribbon, and the Inter-disciplinary team won a third place trophy. After a month of studying and prepping, the team was ready for the next competi-tion which was held at Wheeler High School in Val-paraiso on April 21. The team enjoyed lunch at Cici’s Pizza in Portage prior to the com-petition. The entire team re-ceived outstanding results that day. “I was very proud of how our team prepared for the

Math team qualifies for state competition

experience because of the students in the class of 2016,” said Junior Class Co-Sponsor Mrs. Elizabeth Saliga. “Planning prom is the larg-est event we have taken on. Just about everything (fundraising) has been poured into planning this. Our com-

mittee of students are having fun planning every detail. They’ve been looking for-ward to this for a very long time. I would say the most challenging part of planning prom is finding time to carry out all the details of this event. The memories we’re creating during our work

sessions have brought us all closer together and have strengthened our bonds. They have such a strong work ethic

and they have demonstrated that since day one,” said Jun-ior Class Co-Sponsor Mrs. Lisa Mendoza.

Mira Veljovich

Reporter

regional competition at Wheeler. They didn’t back down. They challenged them-selves to be better than the other teams. And the results showed as we placed in al-most every subject area” said Academic Team Coach Mr. Long. The results are as follows: the English team, made up of Maira Huizar (captain), Ro-drigo Hernandez, Mark Casa-nova, Cecilia Gomez, Saman-ta Zapien and Kata Bes,

earned 2nd place; the Math team, made up of John Resa (captain), Nolan Michniewicz, Eric Larsson, Ambria Sotello, Carlos Quinones and DiAnge-lo Diaz earned 1st place; the Fine Arts team, made up of Alivia Jakubowski (captain), Mireya Huizar, Casanova, Antonio Guerrero, Gomez and Gerry Osorio, earned 4th place; the Social Studies team, made up of Mira Veljo-vich (captain), Jacob Brooks, Jessica Butler, Larsson, Resa

and Guerrero, earned 2nd place; the Science team, made up of J. Brooks (captain), Qui-nones, Emily Brooks, Tara Gomez and Sotello earned 3rd place; and the Interdisciplinary team, made up of J. Brooks, Michniewicz, Huizar, Jaku-bowski, Casanova, Veljovich, Sotello and Resa, earned 2nd place. The math team is the only team this year advancing to the state competition on May 9. “Congratulations to the Math team on earning first place at Wheeler! They will be proceeding to the state compe-tition. Congratulations to ALL members of the Academic Team. We are very proud of all of your accomplishments for the last seven months,” said Academic Team Coach Mrs. Herochik. Good luck to the Math team at state!

Above, Academic Team members display their ribbons.

(From Class of 2016, pg. 1)

friendships you form, and the lessons you learn.” Science Olympiad will be losing seven seniors at the end of this year, leaving sev-en varsity positions open. “Our team will be the same as ever,” said Mr. Nichols. “Different faces, but we will still be one of the best teams in the state.”

Whiting will not be the only school losing key members, though. Many other schools in the district will be losing a great number of competitors, making it anyone’s game. “I’ve never really felt like losing seniors diminishes the quality of the team,” said Brooks. “I think that losing seniors just means that some-one else has the opportunity to step up… our (the team’s)

goal is to be better, whether or not we lose good competi-tors.” Science Olympiad is often connoted with the words “time-consuming,” “hard,” and “a lot of work,” but any one of these Olympians will tell you that it is worth the effort. “I think that Science Olym-piad is a really rewarding ex-perience,” said Jakubowski.

“You get to expand your knowledge in the field of sci-ence and you learn the value of teamwork and friendship. I would love to see the program grow and see Mr. Long and Mr. Nichols continue to ex-pand the program and make it as enjoyable as it was for me.”

WHS prom-goers attend Safe Prom

Volume 92

May 7, 2015

P a g e 3

Above, New National Honor Society inductees

New inductees spring into NHS

Leilani Bigott

Reporter

The National Honor Socie-ty is a group of high school students who dedicate their time to their community through leadership, service, character and scholarship. After a busy year filled with a number of service projects, the selection process for new WHS National Honor Socie-ty (NHS) members began prior to spring. Students who hold a GPA of 3.5 or higher were eligible for inclusion. Teachers re-ceived a rubric to score can-didates’ character, leadership and service. Also, each can-didate was required to write an essay exhibiting the three qualities rated by each teach-er in the selection process. A total of 15 new members were inducted: Courtney Blackwell, Alexis Bustaman-te, Emily Canning, Ana

Cornejo, Andrew Filipek, Christian Gamino, Reyna Gar-za, David Gormley, Tanya Jimenez, Margaret Mill-Groninger, Pablo Moore, Es-trella Patino, William Ramos, Jacqueline Zarate and Adam Zorich. This year all senior mem-bers took an active role in the induction. NHS President, Alivia Jakubowski, presided over the entire ceremony. Ambria Sotello (vice presi-dent) led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance and cre-

ated the brochure for the pro-gram. Scholarship, leadership, character, and service candles were lit by Jacob Brooks, Mark Casanova, Jake Jacob-son and Nolan Michniewicz, respectively. Serena Huss and Cecilia Gomez (secretary) alternated in reading the names of the inductees. In honor of the new inductees, Iliana Enriquez and Alexia Gomez sang “Somewhere over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. NHS spon-sor, Mrs. Klochan, presented

the NHS officers awards for their service and dedication during the past year. Junior Alexandra Danielides (treasurer) and Interim Prin-cipal Mr. William Auker distributed medals and certif-icates to the inductees. During the closing of the ceremony, Mr. Auker com-mended the National Honor Society members on the pro-jects they took part in over the school year. He also said inspiring words to the new inductees. Mrs. Klochan end-ed the ceremony by giving recognition to those who made the induction a success and congratulating the new members on being part of an extraordinary group. Jaku-bowski then expressed her appreciation for NHS and left new members with the mindset to make the best out of National Honor Society. Afterwards, guests were invited to enjoy delicious refreshments.

Anais Araujo

Reporter

Prom is just around the corner and staying safe at prom is one of the most important things attendees can do to make it a memo-rable night. In order to pro-mote this awareness, Whit-ing High School prom-goers participated in Safe Prom which was held at the Whiting Elks on Wednes-day, April 22, at 6 p.m. A safe prom is an event that brings awareness to students on how to be re-sponsible and safe during prom. Many important top-ics brought up are the dan-gers of drinking and driving or the use of drugs before prom which could endanger the lives of many people.

Students had the option of writing an essay on either one of two writing prompts. The first writing prompt was to describe five ways stu-dents can help a friend who was using drugs or alcohol, and the second prompt was to write about why some teen-agers feel the pressure to drink alcohol or use drugs. Many students wrote about important and creative ways to stay safe at prom. Their main goal was to focus on the importance of staying safe not only at prom, but also in general, from drugs and alco-hol, as well as other sub-stances or social and environ-mental factors that play a role on prom night. Some im-portant discussion points included having a safe and reliable driver, making the

night a drug, alcohol, and substance abuse free night, or even planning from the start to enjoy prom away from any negative influences. “I mainly wrote about the dangers of being influenced by drugs or alcohol,” senior Corina Diaz said. The bottom line is that it is important to plan ahead and choose friends whom you know will be sober as well as responsible to ensure a safe and fun night at prom. This year, as in years past, the Whiting Elks once again-donated the lodge and treated the students to pizza. During the event, Malia Comia and Dean Tallema shared their experience about the devastating effects of drinking and driving. “I really enjoyed the speak-

ers who spoke to us at Safe Prom. I felt it was a lot more effective hearing firsthand stories that really happened by the people affected. It made it more real. I felt more connected and saw the sever-ity of the consequences on a deeper level,” said senior Alexia Gomez. During the event 29 bids were given out, and, more importantly, the attendees were left with a valuable message. https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/who-was-injured/teen/underage-drinking-prom-night.html

(See Whiting City Court Safe

Prom Sponsors, p.6)

P a g e 4 T h e T a t t l e r

WHS students experience trip of a lifetime

Tara Gomez

Reporter

Traveling is a way of experi-

encing the world from a dif-

ferent perspective by immers-

ing yourself in a different cul-

ture. Mrs. Marina Klochan,

WHS Spanish teacher, once

again sponsored the Europe

trip over spring break where

13 lucky students had the op-

portunity to travel to four dif-

ferent European countries

including Switzerland, Italy,

France and Spain. The stu-

dents included Kata Bes, Lei-

lani Bigott, Alex Danielides,

Chris Dietz, Isaiah Garcia,

Alexia Gomez, Ceci Gomez,

Tara Gomez, Celia Juarez,

Kelly Kertis, Estrella Patino,

Martin Petruf and John Resa.

Along with the students, Mr.

Dan Nichols, WHS biology

teacher, chaperoned the trip,

and five other adults also at-

tended.

After a rough start due to

some complications, the group

departed from O'Hare Airport

on April 3. The first country

the group visited was Switzer-

land. The hotel was a beauti-

ful, family-run hotel located at

the base of a breathtaking

mountain range. The group

arrived and met their tour

guide Isabelle and the other

groups that they would be

travelling with: one from New

York and one from Virginia.

The guide taught the group

how to say common phrases

like "thank you" and "hello" in

German, which is one of the

official languages of Switzer-

land. The group visited the

nearby city of Lucerne, where

they could buy authentic

Swiss Army knives, take in

the beautiful scenery and get

accustomed to the European

life style. The group also took

a gondola to the top of one of

the enormous mountains.

"The view was surreal. See-

ing something that grand and

magnificent makes you really

appreciate life and what the

world has to offer," said A.

Gomez.

The next country the group

traveled to after a long bus

ride was Italy. They stopped

in Milan for lunch and some

free time. After that mini trip,

the group was back to the bus

to reach their hotel, which

was just a walk away from a

beautiful beach. The gelato,

which was available in many

flavors, was delicious. The

culture and agriculture of the

whole country left an impact

on many of the students.

"My favorite place that we

visited was Italy because of

the people, atmosphere and

the sights; it was indescriba-

ble. The food was very deli-

cious," said Danielides.

After that, they visited a

small city with five different

districts called Cinque Terre.

They travelled to four of the

five districts via the train

system. In each of the dis-

tricts, there was plenty of

sightseeing and walking.

"Cinque Terre was amaz-

ing! I loved the Italian au-

thentic feel of it. Each district

had their own unique feel to

them," Danielides added.

The group also had the op-

portunity to visit La Sagrada

Familia, which translates to

“Holy Family.” It is a famous

chapel that has been in con-

struction since 1882 and

won't be finished for another

16 years.

The next country was the

group visited was France.

Before arriving to their hotel,

they went to a perfume facto-

ry where they learned about

the process of making per-

fume and other products,

such as soap and cologne.

The students had the oppor-

tunity to purchase some of

the fragrances at the end of

the tour. Traveling from

country to country, the lan-

guage barrier was a bit diffi-

cult for some of the students.

"The language barrier was

weird to get used to at first,

but after Switzerland it got

better," said Juarez. The

group visited many different

museums and castles in

France, as well as in other

countries. The architecture

left everyone in awe. The

group also had the oppor-

tunity to taste authentic

crepes.

"The crepes were deli-

cious," Petruf.

Last, but certainly not

least, the group visited

Spain. The group traveled to

Barcelona first. The high-

light of Barcelona was the

bike tour that the group went

on. The group got to tour the

heart of Barcelona and even

got to spend some time in the

tourist areas, such as the

beach. Many enjoyed this

part of the trip. It was a great

way to see the beautiful city

Mrs. Klochan said.

"The whole atmosphere of

Barcelona was just amaz-

ing!" agreed Resa.

After Barcelona, the other

groups were either going

home or staying another day

in Barcelona while the Whit-

ing group traveled to Madrid.

The group traveled via a high

speed train called the "Ave."

The train travels about 200

miles per hour, which cut the

eight-hour trip of a bus to

only about three hours. Once

in Madrid, the students ex-

plored and the famous Prado

Art Museum and the Royal

Palace. They then visited

Toledo, a small, walled, me-

dieval city that holds a lot of

history.

"The landscape is breath-

taking. The narrow streets and

cobblestone walkways are so

inviting, welcoming, and

quaint. The San Martin Bridge

over the Tajo River that runs

through the city allows for a

spectacular panorama of the

city," said Mrs. Klochan, who

also said that she would love

to live there someday.

While there, they also visited

a sword-making factory where

they learned about the art of

blacksmithing. The students

and the rest of the group were

able to purchase authentic

swords.

On the last full day in Spain,

the group had a tapas night,

which is basically a meal con-

sisting of appetizers. These

tapas consisted of tortillas

española, chorizo and calama-

ri. The group had a great time

listening to and dancing and

singing along with the Tuna,

which is a musical group of

university students dressed in

medieval jester-like costumes.

This night was many of the

students’ favorite. The Tuna

not only played classic Span-

ish music, but also played pop-

ular songs by recent artists,

such as Shakira. After tapas,

the students enjoyed classic

churros courtesy of Mr. Nich-

ols.

The return flight went ac-

cording to plan. The trip over-

all was a great way for stu-

dents to learn outside of the

textbook. They were able to

actually not only see the cul-

ture, but also experience it.

"This was such a beautiful

trip. I got to see so many

things that I haven't seen be-

fore," said Petruf.

"I loved going to all those

beautiful countries! It was the

best experience ever!" said

Patino.

"This trip was absolutely

amazing! Everywhere we went

was breathtaking. I met some

Volume 92 P a g e 5

really cool people too! I'd go

back in a heartbeat!" added

Bes.

Mrs. Klochan is still decid-

ing whether or not she will

be returning once again in

two years; however, if you

have the opportunity to go,

take it because you never

know when you'll have the

chance again. You won't regret

it.

Above, New WHS Interim Principal Mr. William Auker

P a g e 4 T h e T a t t l e r

Maira Huizar

Chief-in-Editor

Introducing a new Oiler: Mr. William Auker

As the Whiting High School year approaches its end, the school and its stu-dents are still facing many changes. With the retire-ment of former principal, Mr. Jay Harker, effective June 30, Whiting High School welcomed Interim Principal William Auker. Mr. Auker will be acting principal for the remainder of the 2014-15 school year. Until this last quarter, Mr. Auker was retired. He spent his days playing golf, work-ing around his house and spending time with his cat, Sunny. His love for the education community and his energet-ic personality were the de-termining factors when deciding to take the posi-tion at Whiting High School. “I enjoy being around kids and people, so when the opportunity opened up, I took it,” said Mr. Auker. For the next month, Mr. Auker hopes to make sure that on June 7 the seniors

who graduate are able to look back at their high school ca-reer with pride and fond memories. He also hopes to make sure the school contin-ues to move in the right direc-tion. During his own senior year of high school, like many of us, Mr. Auker was unsure of what his future held. He was resistant to the idea of attend-ing college, but one of his close friends was quite persis-tent. The winter following his senior year, he found himself at Ball State University and never looked back. His college career allowed

him to earn a bachelor’s de-gree in industrial technology, and a master’s in secondary administration and industrial technology, and he was also one class shy away from earning an educational spe-cialist degree. After his college experi-ence, Mr. Auker became a part of the education com-munity and an industrial edu-cation teacher and football coach for 15 years at Fair-field High School. The fol-lowing five years of his life were spent as an assistant principal in Churubusco Jr-Sr High School. His career

as an assistant principal contin-ued for another three years at Columbia City High School. After that, Mr. Auker worked at North Judson San Pierre High School, where he became a principal for 10 years. Lastly, Mr. Auker ended his career at Kankakee Valley Middle School as a principal for 12 years. “Although I enjoyed teaching and coaching, being a principal was the most rewarding. Not only could I make an impact on a classroom or a team, but on a whole student body,” said Mr. Auker. Having experienced many different environments throughout his career, it’s easy to determine the differences between prior schools. “Unlike the other schools I have been a part of, Whiting High School is more city-like with greater diversity. It’s easy to notice the rich traditional culture it holds,” said Mr. Auker. “I am really enjoying my experience at Whiting High School. The students are well mannered and respectful. It’s a place I can come to and feel at home,” continued Mr. Auker.

We would like to congratulate the ACC students who com-

peted in the Skills USA State Tournament in Indianapolis

recently.

Bronze Medalist in Construction Adam Spanier

Silver Medalist in Childhood Education Ariel Jakubczak

Gold Medalist in Childhood Education Reyna Garza

Gold Medalists in Crime Scene Investigation Unit

Cassidy Cadle and Jason Corral

We are very proud to have these students compete in a state

tournament against schools and teams all across the state of

Indiana. These students did not only represent the Hammond

Career Center, but Whiting High School as well. Good luck to

the students who qualified for nationals, which will be held in

Louisville, Kentucky.

Judge Ann P. Likens Mayor Joseph Stahura Baran Funeral Home Midtown Station Center Lounge Amvets Sunrise Restaurant Roosevelt Club Centier Bank Whiting City Council Chucker LLC Shared Resource Solutions (Dabertin) Whiting/Robertsdale Chamber F.O.P. Lodge 68

Whiting Lions Club Rebeca’s Full Service Salon Strack & Van Til Class of 2015 Class of 2017 Booster Club Tom Mordus John and Stephanie Strabavy Pablo and Wanda Unate Knights of Columbus #1696 Attorney David Dabertin Whiting Elks Lodge Donation of Lodge and Food

2015 Whiting City Court Safe Prom Sponsors

Thank you!

ACC Students

Volume 92 P a g e 7

Alivia Jakubowski

Reporter

Jazz Appreciation Month

April is a very exciting time for the members of the Whit-ing Band and Choir because April is Jazz Appreciation Month. Born in America in the early 20th Century, jazz music has impacted our cul-ture and has been a big part of the music department here at Whiting High School. “Jazz is freedom. The stu-dents get to take all of the classical music knowledge they have gained and now break away from all of the rules and create something from nothing. From an educa-tional aspect, they get to ex-perience an art from that was created in America,” said Band and Choir Director Mr. Patrick Pecher. The members of the band and choir become exceptionally excited for this time of year. “I love playing jazz music because it’s not like anything I’ve ever played. Concert band is really strict and re-quires you to play exactly what is on the page, but with jazz music, there is a ton of room to add fun things that aren’t necessarily written in the music. That’s what makes it so special,” said senior band member Jessica Butler. Prior to the month of April, Mr. Pecher chooses different jazz charts for the band and choir to perform at the annual

jazz concert on March 30. Some of the songs that the students prepared included, “What a Wonderful World,” “Buffalo Wings,” “Just a Closer Walk,” “Swing’s the Thing!” and many more. The first event that the band did to kick off celebrat-ing jazz was going to the Jazz Ambassadors concert held at Hebron High School. The band got to listen to the United States Army Field Band perform a jazz concert to see how professional mu-sicians improvise and play together as a tight-knit group. “Going to the Jazz Ambas-sadors concert was a great experience for me. Seeing how the drummer used dif-ferent instruments and tech-niques to make different sounds helped me try to be more creative with my drum solo and to think out of the box,” said sophomore band member Kayla Laseter. After the concert, the stu-dents were able to talk to the professionals about touring and the life of a traveling jazz musician. The students got to see firsthand how a musician uses jazz tech-niques to expand on their playing. The two groups prepare and learn many different mu-sical techniques such as im-provising, which is creating music on the spot without having a written part in front of the performer and scatting,

which is improvised singing using nonsense words to fol-low the rhythm of the music. “It’s always really cool ex-panding your interest in mu-sic. I never really listened to jazz until the concert came along. Learning how to scat was definitely awesome be-cause my girlfriend loves it,” said senior choir member Gerardo Rodriguez. The stu-dents also got to experience playing with a professional jazz piano musician, Chris Davis who is a colleague of Mr. Pecher’s. “The concert was the best band concert I’ve been a part of. Soloing and watching my other peers solo was just so awesome. Having Chris Davis play was super cool, too,” said junior band member Carlos Quinones. When the students per-formed, they enjoyed every moment, especially the solo-ists. “Doing a jazz solo was magical! The music took me away, and I let it take me. It was all about letting loose and having fun; I loved it,” ex-claimed sophomore band member Maggie Mills-Groninger. The solos that were performed by the band members were all improvised, and this taught the students a whole new skill. “Playing my improvised solo was special because I had to make it all up on the spot and really feel the music for it

to sound well. I loved this jazz concert because it was so much fun, and the solos were all really awesome,” said sophomore band member Bri-an Flores. Even after the concert was over, the band and choir de-cided to keep up with playing jazz and listening to different types of jazz music. “I loved singing the jazz songs. They made me want to dance con-stantly, and they put me in a great mood! I listened to a lot of jazz afterwards because of the effect it had on me,” said senior choir member Jennifer Barrera. The band and choir now has a different apprecia-tion for music and playing jazz has deeply affected them all. “Jazz is my favorite music to play. To me, it’s the easiest to connect to. It’s American and allows for more personal expression through improvisa-tion. I personally feel that I make my biggest gains in my playing ability. I also learn more things like techniques and rhythms. Jazz just really pushes you to be new and creative,” said senior band member Jacob Brooks. The band and choir encourage YOU to appreciate jazz music in the month of April just as they have. Try listening to Louis Armstrong, Miles Da-vis, or Ella Fitzgerald, and you’ll see why the band and choir love jazz music as much as they do.

P a g e 8 T h e T a t t l e r

Whiting High School has accepted the challenge

During the week of March

30-April 2, Whiting High

School held activities that

promoted bullying awareness.

Every day of the week daily

announcements included sta-

tistics about bullying. After-

wards, students completed

activities in their first hour

classes.

On Monday, students made

a paper chain which included

negative things they may have

been called or have called

others. Then they wrote some-

thing positive that they have

been called or said to others.

The idea behind it was to cre-

ate a chain reaction of kind-

ness.

On Tuesday, students cut

out a template of a shoe and

wrote down anything they

have to manage in their lives.

Its purpose was to show what

it was like to be in someone

else’s shoes.

On Wednesday, students

viewed a bullying video. Dur-

ing third hour, the high school

and the middle school gath-

ered in the auditorium to par-

ticipate in a very moving as-

sembly presented by a speaker

from Rachel’s Challenge.

Rachel’s Challenge is a non

-profit organization that sends

speakers around the nation to

talk to students about a young

woman named Rachel, a 17-

year-old girl who was the first

victim of the Columbine

shootings. Through her tragic

death, Rachel left an impact

on people by challenging

them to be kind to one anoth-

er. This program focuses on

her legacy. She felt like a

little kindness can go a long

way, and can eventually start

a chain reaction of kindness

and good deeds. Her chal-

lenge is : Look for the best in

others; dream big; choose

positive influences; speak

with kindness; start your own

chain reaction.

Rachel’s Challenge also

promotes a program in

schools call the “FOR

(Friends Of Rachel) Club,”

whose members are dedicated

to taking the initiative to ful-

fill Rachel’s five challenges.

After the assembly was over,

the students who participate

in STAND, NHS, Student

Council, Helping Hands,

MYAC and athletics attended

a training to become mem-

bers of the FOR Club. The

training was not only limited

to those particular students,

however; anyone who is inter-

ested in making a difference

can become a member.

“The FOR Club is open to

any students who wish to join

and become a mentor for other

students. The goal of this club

is to carry of Rachel’s Chal-

lenge and to create a positive

environment,” said Ms. Selene

Giron, WHS counselor and

STAND sponsor.

The assembly on Wednesday

made a big impact on the

school immediately. Soon after

training, after both A and B

lunch, the members of the

FORClub waited outside the

halls to cheer on the students

coming back from lunch. As

small as this gesture may seem,

it really did change the mood

of many people. On Thursday,

the students of Whiting High

School were asked to sign an

anti-bullying pledge. Also,

being inspired by Rachel’s

Challenge, the positive word

bulletin board was created. All

in all the Anti-Bullying Week

was a success, and has defi-

nitely left an impact on the

students.

“I thought the presentation

was eye-opening and that it

had a powerful message behind

it,” said sophomore Alyssa

Javier. “Her acts of kindness

touched many people’s hearts

and changed the lives of many

people. I really loved how her

kindness changed her whole

city. I think that it’s important

to be kind to everyone you

come into contact with so that

we can end bullying, racism,

hatred, etc.,” Javier continued.

“To me, the story and

presentation of the Columbine

incident and the death of Ra-

chel Scott was really sad and

tragic,” said sophomore Sonny

Santana. “But what really

stood out/spoke to me was

how much Rachel believed in

how kindness was such an

important value to have in life.

I remember going home later

that day with the presentation

still in my mind and just pic-

turing a world without hatred,

but instead filled with kind-

ness. That is why to me being

able to take part in FORClub

is really important mainly be-

cause I believe that kindness

will help eliminate problems

like hatred, jealousy and bully-

ing. I just hope that the FOR

Club really does inform stu-

dents about how important

kindness is,” Santana added.

Iliana Enriquez

Reporter

Volume 92

May 7, 2015

P a g e 9

Above, Gerardo Rodriguez before and after shaving his head.

Shave for the brave

Rummage through those college letters! Separate out letters from colleges you’ve

been accepted to and start thinking about which you really want to attend. Hard de-

cision? Make a Pro’s and Con’s List for each!

If you’ve been waitlisted, decide whether or not that college is really for you. Is the

answer yes? Let the college or university know! Not for you? Let them know also!

Realize that there are more people out there that really want to be accepted.

Talk to your family about how you plan to pay for college!

Thank all your teachers and anyone else who wrote you a recommendation letter!

Keep up with any scholarships you plan or already have applied for.

Nothing says “Senior” like having all your fees paid, so make sure you get them in.

Make sure your order is in for your cap and gown.

Make sure you look your best for graduation!

Study for your finals! They’re still important!

Graduate!

Samanta Zapien

Reporter

Every year, people around the country shave their heads in support of St. Baldrick’s. According to its website, St.Baldrick’s is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives. On January 22, senior Gerar-do Rodriguez decided to sup-port this charity. He decided that that this year he would shave his head for the second time. “I had shaved my head soph-omore year, and the thought occurred to do it again this year because of a picture I saw,” said Rodriguez. This photo was of a little boy, Obadah, shaving his fa-ther’s head. Obadah’s hair began to fall due to chemo-therapy. Obadah’s parents decided to shave his head be-fore he noticed and became

saddened by it. The father told his son, “What about taking turns? I shave your head and then you shave mine?” In the caption of the photo, the father stated that Obadah agreed and happily ran to the bathroom. “As long as he looks like Daddy, he’ll always be happy,” said the father. The caption ends with the father asking for others to pray for his son Obadah. “I saw this on Twitter and it completely overwhelmed me. I’m going to be a father one day; and even though I have no idea what it’s like to have cancer or have someone

close to me have it, I would-n’t like to find out,” said Ro-driguez. Following this decision, Rodriguez had signed up to be a participant of the St. Bal-drick's Foundation. He set up his account on the St. Bal-drick’s website and soon had many donations. Rodriguez set a $500 goal, but he was eager to surpass that goal. Aside from soliciting dona-tions online, Rodriguez had donation boxes in businesses. He encouraged people to donate by publicizing it through social media such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

and Snapchat. “Plain and simple, I don’t want to see people suffer from cancer, especially children. I thought that this would be me getting a few donations here and there, but I had a change of mind. Why do something if you’re not going to give it your all? I want to make a difference,” said Rodriguez. As time flew by, the day had come. On March 28, Rodri-guez said goodbye to his lus-cious locks and hello to the beautician who left him bald. “I felt aerodynamic, like I can run around the world. I felt like I had done something meaningful,” said Rodriguez. Overall, Gerardo had raised $827, surpassing his goal by $327. “Thank you to everyone who donated and helped me out,” said Rodriguez. Thanks to Rodriguez and other caring individuals across the country, research for cures for childhood cancers can con-tinue helping those in need.

Sofia Rogel

Reporter

9th Grade Hope Huss, Dejan Kloth,

Julianna Scivinsky

10th Grade Courtney Blackwell, Marga-

ret Mills-Groninger,

Pablo Moore

11th Grade Chrysta Bishop, Tara

Gomez, Brianda Guadarra-

ma, Tanya Jimenez,

Diana Lopez,

Peter Villanueva,

Samanta Zapien

12th Grade Victoria Acosta, Aleashea

Bentley, Serena Huss, Alivia

Jakubowski,

Nolan Michniewicz

9th Grade Josemanuel Alcantar, Jocelyn Brianna Alvarez, Jocelyn

Yolanda Alvarez,

Ashley Andrade, Marissa Baez, Amanda Bonchik, Emma Burke,

Oscar Figueroa,

Erica Gomez, Rana Hamad, Faith Huss, Jake Jakubowski,

Emily Jimenez,

Miya Kennedy, Valerie Kristek, Timothy Lowe, Jasmine Malagon, An-

drea Mendez, Xavier Nunez, Kristie Ormes, Michelle Pimentel,

Ana Pina, Adriana Rosado,

Stella Rothenberg, Brianna Servin, George Skavdis, Daniel Solis, Jr.,

Katherine Spanier, Seth Trevino, Joseph Trombetta, Desiree Vega

10th Grade Tylesha Bates, Luis Becerra, Ethan Bibat, Samuel Bibat, Emily Can-

ning, Kendra Davis, Brianna Figueroa, Andrew Filipek, Christian Gam-

ino, David Gormley,

Eliseo Gutierrez, Jr., Morgan Hawkins, Karina Maldonado,

Callie Mansfield,

Anastacia Melgoza-Placzkiewicz, Brianna Ramirez, William Ramos,

Guadalupe Ruiz,

Sonny Santana, Jr., William Stricker, Adam Zorich

11th Grade Brianna Baez, Mackenzie Bayless, Rodolfo Becerra, Kata Bes, Emily

Brooks,

Victoria Conlin, Alexandra Danielides, Sergio Hernandez,

Michael Kolavo,

Thomas Parrillo, Jr., Estrella Patino, Carlos Quinones, Jr.,

Austen Segura, Meilla Springfield

12th Grade Anais Araujo, Cassidy Cadle, DiAngelo Diaz, Isaiah Garcia,

Nidra Hamad,

Maira Huizar, Jake Jacobson, Kelly Kertis, Eric Larsson, Peyton Maley,

Kevin Mejia, Jennifer Ojeda, Jose Ramirez, Ambria Sotello

Note to seniors: Don’t let seniorites kick in! Keep studying! Less than one quarter left! Note to juniors: Junior year is the most important year so finish strong!

Note to sophomores: Don’t slack off! It will affect the rest of your high school career! Note to freshmen: Take initiative and work hard!

What did you do over spring break?

Mireya Huizar

Reporter

Volume 92 P a g e 1 1

"Over spring break my family and I drove up to Michigan for the whole week. I went on boat rides and pretty much slept the whole time. When I wasn't sleep-ing, I drove a four-wheeler and went camping. Overall, I had a great spring break." freshman Joseph Ivezic

"Over spring break, my grandpa came in from Texas and I was so excited to see him. I also met my new baby cousin, Ryan. I had an awesome spring break and I wish it wouldn't have gone by so quickly!" freshman Sarina Schreiber

"My spring break was full of baseball, playing it with the team and playing it with my friends. I also hung out with my girlfriend, Kali." sophomore Ryan Veloz

"Over spring break I went to Florida with my family for 12 days. We went to Universal Studi-os and spent our days going on all the rides. We swam and even went pad-dle boating." junior Ashley Johnson

"During spring break I went for a nice run along Wolf Lake and 119th St. with the bro, Rene. I also attended a bonfire at Oscar's with some of my closest friends." senior Julian Sanchez

What did you enjoy most on your trip to Europe?

“Switzerland! It was beyond gorgeous. The mountains were in-credible. I felt like the pictures couldn’t even capture the beauty. It felt surreal talking with Mrs. Elza about the Chapel Bridge and then going to see it! Overall, it really was the trip of a lifetime, and I’m grateful for having the opportuni-ty.” junior Leilani Bigott

“I enjoyed all of the beautiful things I got to see (including the females). But the thing I enjoyed most was when Juan Resa ran into a clear door and got a huge knot on his head. It was the funniest thing ever.” junior Martin Petruf

“I really enjoyed the whole atmosphere of the trip with the whole group. We made some great memories. I enjoyed traveling to different countries and experi-encing the authentic culture. It was crazy beautiful.” junior Tara Gomez

“Being able to expe-rience a little bit of every country. We got to eat the foods that they normally eat and observe their lifestyle.” jun-ior Celia Juarez

“The thing I loved most about my trip to Europe was the food! The food in Italy was TO DIE FOR! And there were plenty of sights to see, if ya know what I mean (;” senior Alexia Gomez

Sofia Rogel

Reporter

Above, The softball team celebrates Mr. Laub’s 600th career win.

P a g e 1 2 T h e T a t t l e r

The Paul Laub Softball Field Naming Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the field.

Softball season in full swing; Coach Laub achieves 600th win

With the softball season

now in full swing, Varsity

Coach Mr. Paul Laub and

the Lady Oilers are looking

to head into sectionals with

a winning record.

The varsity team consists

of freshmen Samantha

Brown, Valerie Kristek and

Desiree Vega; sophomores

Courtney Blackwell, Callie

Mansfield and Sydney

Neyhart; juniors Mackenzie

Bayless, Alex Danielides,

Heaven Reyes and Selena

Reyes; and seniors

Michaela Brown and Jessi-

ca Butler.

Although the team has

faced major problems with

the weather and being able

to practice outdoors prior to

opening day, the Oilers

were victorious in their first

game against Morgan

Township in the 4-2 win.

Emily Brooks

Reporter

“It feels great to get the

first win of the season, but

our goal is to win multiple

championships,” said sopho-

more Sydney Neyhart.

The Lady Oilers followed

up with a successful 10-0

win against Calumet New

Tech. The team unfortunately

then suffered a loss by

Wheeler the same week.

“Presently we are 7-8 but

we have played many of

those games without a full

roster due to one thing or

another. I feel we will only

get better as the season goes

on,” said Coach Laub.

One highlight of the season

thus far occurred on Wednes-

day, May 6. In the game

against Washington Town-

ship, the team not only de-

feated its opponent 8-1 in a

three-hitter by Blackwell, but

it also marked a milestone in

Coach Laub’s career—his

600th win—a truly amazing

accomplishment.

The team this year is made

up of a very coachable group

of girls who truly love soft-

ball. The girls are very versa-

tile and can play different

positions. The team possesses

strong leadership roles from

the two seniors. The younger

players may lack experience,

but are learning quickly.

“I’m very excited for my

senior season. The girls and I

all seem to have the same

goals. I couldn’t have asked

for a better group of girls,”

said senior Michaela Brown.

The team has set numerous

goals since the beginning of

the season. They are working

hard every day to improve and

hope to be playing their best

when sectionals begin. Whit-

ing softball expects to have a

winning season and a section-

al championship.

“We are in a very tough

conference. It will be a real

challenge playing that kind of

competition day in and day

out,” said Coach Laub.

Good luck, Lady Oilers!

Volume 92 P a g e 1 3

Oilers take the field

Sabrina Saucedo

Reporter

Alex Danielides

Reporter

Take me out to the ball

game, take me out to Oil City

Stadium to watch the Whiting

Oiler baseball team! Coach

Lenz said the Oilers are

working hard to become bet-

ter individual players while

finding and learning their

roles in order to become a

better team.

This year’s team consists of

Mitch Alicia, Jonathan

Alonso, Cody Bucsko, Jason

Corral, AJ Fruth, Julian Gon-

zalez, Joseph Hawkins, Jake

Jakubowski, Kyle Kompier,

Giovanni Marin, Manny

McKibbin, Andrew Navarro,

Matt Solis, Zack Szmuc,

Joey Trombetta, Pedro Va-

lerio and Ryan Veloz. Many

players will shuffle between

varsity and JV, so the roster

can change depending on

who is pitching at each level.

The Oilers are coached by

Mr. Lenz, Mr. Hoffman, Mr.

Jendreas, Mr. Musielak and

Mr. Rokicki.

“Our strengths are our depth

and our youth,” said coach

Lenz. “Since we have so

many young players, it will

take us a while to define our

roles and find our identity.

“The team is currently 4-10,

winning against Marquette in

a doubleheader, Munster and

Noll. The team has faced

some pretty stiff competition

their first few games includ-

ing Portage, Highland, Heb-

ron, Morton, and Hanover.

“Although we haven’t

played to our full potential,

we still have big goals in

mind and are working hard

every day,” stated junior AJ

Fruth.

“With the difficulty of our

schedule, it will be important

to get better every game,”

coach Lenz added.

One of the Oilers’ goals

includes winning their sec-

tional.

Come out and cheer them

on at Oil City Stadium. So

let’s root, root, root for the

home team, at the old ball

game.

Lady Oilers tennis team off to a winning start

With the start of a new sea-son comes new challenges, new goals and even new team-mates. As the season officially started on March 16, the play-ers took plenty time with con-ditioning beforehand. They had 25 girls attending the con-ditioning but now have 22 girls on the tennis team. The varsity team includes junior Brianna Baez; seniors Victoria Acosta, Alivia Jaku-bowski and Serena Huss; freshman Marissa Baez; soph-omore Ana Cornejo; juniors Mireya Huizar and Kata Bes; and freshman Hope Huss. Surprising many of their opponents last season, Coach Young said, “If we do not work hard or play smart, those teams will be happy to return the favor.” Coach Young hopes that this plays out to be the only set-back for the team this season. With it also being early in the season there are still plenty of goals the team hopes to achieve. They have so far played 12 matches where they have defeated 11 of their oppo-

nents. Their only loss thus far has been to Lake Central. “It was not a bad loss, as Lake Central is a very highly ranked team,” stated Coach Young. Having many seniors on the varsity team provides great strength for the team. Using this to the team’s advantage, Coach Young has paired some of the returning players with first year players, giving them any assistance they may need. Another strength Coach Young sees in his team is the strong play from a few of the freshman players. With prac-tices of 22 players, it can be difficult at times also, having a diverse level of play. Players not only have each other and Coach Young to go to for any help, but they also have assis-tant coaches Adam Baez and Kayla Perez. “I don’t know what I would do without my assistant coaches,” Coach Young said. His goal is to have each player finish the season as better players then they were at the start. As the season con-tinues they also hope to con-tinue getting better as a team. “Our level of play is high, but we need to keep working

to get to the next tier,” Coach Young said. He wants to be an elite program in which the players gain more experience. The confidence of the team grows with each

match and practice each day. “There is no limit to what we can accomplish if we believe in ourselves,” said Coach Young.

P a g e 1 4 T h e T a t t l e r

Whiting golf has a shot

The Whiting golf team has been working harder than ever these past few weeks. They have had four matches and one invite so far, proving that with prac-tice comes results. “They went well,” said coach Furiak. “Jake Jacob-son did well and so did Jacob Brooks….The new-comers are getting better at every match and they are constantly improving, whether it’s on putting or tee shots,” coach Furiak added. The four matches played throughout April were against the following: Cal-umet on April 4, River Forest on April 15, Mor-ton on April 20, and Grif-fith and Clark on April 23. “We played decently as a team throughout these

matches,” said Jacobson, who, along with Brooks, was unable to play against Griffith and Clark due to attending the senior trip. “There’s room for im-provement, but with so many new members on the team, we have been doing well,” continued Jacobson. This year the team golf has new members: senior Gerry Osorio, sophomore Rodrigo Hernandez, and freshmen Matthew Plavec and Joel Vega in addition to Brooks, Jacobson, sen-ior John Resa, and sopho-more Justus Jones. “Being in golf has been a great time, not only for the game, but also for how enjoyable it is to be with good golfers like Jake, Jacob and Justus,” said Osorio. “I honestly did not think it would be this fun, but it most certainly is. I

plan to keep on golfing even after high school.” The invite, played on April 29, was the first one of the season. “It was rough, but the tournament is a good way to start,” said Jacobson. For many on the team, the invite is a reminder of what is expected at future competitions. “Early matches like this help me prepare myself for matches later in the season,” said Resa. “They also allow me to improve my game and find my stroke.” “This team is going to get better as the season goes on,” said coach Furi-ak. “It gets easier in warmer weather. It’s tough to play in the cold. I tell them ‘fight through it’ because I want golf to be something that they play beyond high school,”

coach Furiak added. The next match, on May 12, is against Michi-gan City Marquette. “They’re a really good team,” said Brooks. “They’ve won two out of the three conferences and they’re really tough... but-the quality of our team has gone up, so I think we may have a shot…no pun intended.” A competition that the Whiting golfers are excit-ed for is on May 16 be-cause it is an invite that consists of many good teams. “We’re anxious because it’s a tough course… it’s very hilly,” said Jacobson. “But I believe that we will do well because by then we will have had some practice….We’re hoping to turn some heads.”

Anais Araujo

Leilani Bigott

Emily Brooks

Yesenia Castelan

Reporters Alex Danielides

Iliana Enriquez

Cecilia Gomez

Tara Gomez

Chief-in-Editor Adviser Printing

Maira Huizar Ms. Hylek Mr. Cain’s Class

Maira Huizar

Mireya Huizar

Alivia Jakubowski

Sofia Rogel

Lilliana Ruiz

Sabrina Saucedo

Mira Veljovich

Samanta Zapien

Cecilia Gomez

Reporter