Volume 91,
Issue 10
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
June 4 ,2013
Prom
Project LEAD
1
Academic Team
2
Junior Chamber
NHS Induction
3
Prom
Prom Pictorial
4
5
Summer Plans
King and Queen
6
7
Senor Trip
Pictorial
Senior Trip
8
9
Tennis
Softball
10
11
Golf
Baseball
Senior Section
12
13
Party at Gatsby's: Prom 2013
Elliot Bibat
Reporter
WHS students had a
chance to revisit the Roaring
‘20s with this year’s prom
theme being “A Touch of
Class: A Gatsby Gala”
which took place at Highland’s Wicker Park Social
Club on May 4. Coincidentally, it just so happened
that Bahz Luhrmann’s film
re-adaptation of “The Great
Gatsby” was due to be released the following week,
so it’s no wonder that this
year’s theme was highlyanticipated by the students.
That afternoon, the auditorium stage was decorated as
if it was taken right out of
Above, Seniors Mariah Aguilera and
Anthony Sotello were selected prom
queen and king.
the book, which made it a
perfect setting for the preprom ceremonies that started
at 4 p.m. Mr. Moynihan announced the couples, who
then walked onto the elegantly decorated stage accompanied by the applause and admiration of their family and
friends. As much as it was an
opportunity for students to
show off their stylish dresses
and tuxes, it was also a bittersweet wake-up call for the
seniors, who realized that this
would be their last high
school dance as a class. The
usual chaotic scene after the
ceremonies followed as promgoers, families and friends
took many pictures outside
the auditorium doors and all
across the middle school campus on New York Avenue
until the busses arrived.
(See Prom, pg. 2)
WHS students LEAD others by example
Abby Bondi
Co-editor
What is a mentor? According to “The American Heritage High School Dictionary,” a mentor is a “wise and
trusted counselor or teacher.” The objective of Project
LEAD (Leading and Educating Across Domains) is to
educate
Whiting
High
School sophomores and juniors to become mentors—
wise and trusted leaders—in
their school community.
The LEAD Initiative is a
four-hour training program
for students who want to be
student mentors. The program was created to develop
a group of younger leaders to
promote prevention pro-
gramming to their peers, to
help enhance the leadership
skills within the school, to
raise the use of the younger
leaders in ATOD (Alcohol,
Tobacco and Other Drugs)
programming and to reach
communities all throughout
the state by integrating youth
into the Indiana prevention
system. This allows the youth
to not only receive the pre-
vention message, but to receive it from their peers from
peer-led activities.
This program is sponsored
by the Geminus Prevention
Services and is funded by the
Indiana Family Social Services Administration-Division
of Mental Health and Addic(See WHS, pg. 2)
News
(From WHS, pg. 1)
tion.
The first training was held on Friday
May 17 in the Whiting High School
library under the leadership of Mrs.
Duncan.
There were 12 students who participated in Project LEAD: sophomores
Victoria Acosta, Mark Casanova, Iliana
Enriquez, Alivia Jakubowski, Maira
Huizar and Jake Jacobson; and juniors
Kaylyn Anderson, Miranda Buiter, Adam Cuculich, Grace Huss, Mollie
Lovasko, Gwen Stricker and Sergio
Zarate.
“Through project LEAD I have
learned many positive life skills that
will follow me throughout my high
school career,” said Casanova. “What I
especially liked about this program is
getting to know my fellow classmates
better,” he continued.
Some of the activities that the students articipated in during the training
included team building, peer pressure
activities and drug pressure activities.
The students also discussed Advocacy
and Philanthropy Community Service.
“The most important aspect of
LEAD is the training to provide students with the tools needed to handle
stress and deal with it in a positive
way,” said Mrs. Duncan. “It also helps
students to understand service and the
need to give back to the community,”
she continued.
The participants of the training will
also meet over the summer to devise a
plan for the eighth grade transition
into high school. There will be another
training in the fall of the 2013 school
year for the students who want to be
mentors. This program will also be
used to train mentors for the Freshman
Academy transition program. The program will allow the students to grow
up, handle social pressures and peer
pressures along with handling stress
levels.
If you are interested in participating
in LEAD next year, feel free to contact
Mrs. Duncan.
Academic team strives to end year in “glory”
Paige Guiden
Layout
As spring arrived, so did the first
competition of the season for the academic team as students continued
studying Ancient Greece to prepare in
the content areas of English, math,
social studies, fine arts and science.
At this invitational, schools were allowed two teams for each content
area, and WHS had two teams for all
content areas except science.
At Lowell High School, WHS received a third place trophy in the math
category, captained by senior Mason
Markovich.
Next, the academic team ventured to
Wheeler High School to compete in
the regional academic team competition. At this competition, WHS competed with high schools from the area,
including Wheeler, Munster and Bishop Noll.
A second place medal was awarded
to the science team, captained by senior Lauren Markovich. The math team
and interdisciplinary teams, both led
Page 2
Above, The academic team competed in the regional held at Wheeler High School.
by Mason Markovich, and fine arts
team, led by senior Brianna Scivinsky,
came in third place in their divisions.
The English team, led by junior Miranda Buiter, was awarded a fourth
place medal. A fifth place medal was
awarded to the social studies team
whose captain was junior Grace Huss.
“I think that academic team is a
great way for academically strong
students to show that they can compete with anyone from any other high
school,” said Academic Team Cosponsor Mr. Jeremy Long.
“Our students work independently
and hold their own against other
strong students from other schools.
We were only a couple questions
away from going to the state tournament in math, and I don’t think it was
our best effort overall. Imagine how
well we could do if we really put our
best effort toward the team,” Mr.
Long continued.
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Page 3
Feature
Junior Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working with businesses
Rachel Kometz
Co-editor
Though the rivalry between Whiting and Clark has been going on for
decades, students from the two
school will now be working together in a newly-formed organization,
the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Although it is just getting off the
ground, the commerce has high
expectations in helping the community.
The Junior Chamber consists of
25 students from Whiting High
School and about 25 from George
Rogers Clark High School. It was
created to allow WHS and GRC
students to participate in local business and community decisions
within the Whiting/Robertsdale
area. This organization promotes
student participation within the
chamber, allows students to see into
the business world and helps them see
how businesses work.
“The Junior Chamber of Commerce
is a really great way for students to
network with business personnel and
executives,” said Chamber Sponsor
Mr. David Hoffman.
Before the first meeting, the officers
for WHS were chosen by fellow club
members. Lauren Markovich was
elected president, Alex Bajzatt vicepresident, Desiree Kristek secretary
and Kevin Lema treasurer.
“I am very excited to see what the
Junior Chamber of Commerce will
achieve in the future,” said Bajzatt.
“It’s fun to be involved and help out
the Whiting/Robertsdale community
businesses,” he continued.
The first meeting was held on
Wednesday, April 10, at the Whiting
Chamber of Commerce. The topics
discussed at the meeting were the rules
and regulations of the organization,
how and when the group would meet,
how it would be run, and future
events.
Most activities and functions that
were discussed at the meeting were
mostly big events such as Pierogi Fest,
Cruise Night, Oktoberfest and the
Festival of the Lakes. Since these are
all community sponsored, students
gave their ideas on how to promote
businesses at them. They also talked
about how to sponsor the Junior
Chamber of Commerce at the events.
The Junior Chamber of Commerce
is a great way for students to see into
the business world and prepare themselves for careers in business.
Because it is a new organization,
members are in the process of acclimating themselves and brainstorming
new ideas to help further the interests
of businesses in the WhitingRobertsdale community.
National Honor Society lights the way for new inductees
Cecilia Mireles
Reporter
Each spring, a small number of
sophomores, juniors and seniors are
eligible to be selected for the National
Honor Society, a prestigious organization based on four pillars: Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship and
Character. To be considered for National Honor Society (NHS), students
must have a 3.5 GPA, must have performed at least 20 hours of community service, have three faculty recommendations, complete the application,
and write an essay. Once everything
is submitted, the package is sent to
the Faculty Advisory Council and
applicants are judged on service,
leadership and character.
“The hardest part of the application
would probably have to be the essay
that has to be written. You didn’t want to
sound too modest, but you didn’t want to
sound over the top,” said inductee Gianna Mesarina. “I was extremely nervous
about whether or not I got accepted. I
usually get overlooked for a lot of
things. Knowing this is such a prestigious program made this honor so amazing.”
On the Sunday, April 21, at 4 p.m., the
NHS gathered in the auditorium to induct the individuals who were accepted
into the society. The evening began with
an introduction by NHS Sponsor Mrs.
Michelle Duncan. After the introduction,
the senior members of NHS sang the
song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, a song whose lyrics reflect the new
chapter in the seniors’ lives and learning
how to handle it with poise and assurance.
Then, after reciting the National Honor
Society Pledge, members began the candle-lighting portion of the ceremony.
“The candles were to symbolize the
knowledge that each individual
brought to National Honor Society.
The lighting of the central candle was
to symbolize the spirit of the Whiting
NHS and then the senior members
would light all the other candles,” said
Mrs. Duncan
Towards the end of the ceremony,
Mrs. Duncan shed a little more light on
what NHS stands for and how members set themselves apart from others.
“Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments, but challenges them to develop
further through active involvement in
school activities and community service. Induction into the National Honor Society is a prestigious distinction
awarded only to the most proficient
students. Few students are nominated
(See National, pg. 6)
Feature
(From Party , pg. 1)
The entrance of the social club
was decorated with posters depicting the glamorous lifestyle of the
1920s, along with postcards with
pictures of Jay Gatsby, Daisy, and
other scenes of Gatsby’s parties.
One postcard quoted the famous
last line of the book. The junior
class officers and their sponsors
captured the Gatsby theme perfectly: it was classy, elegant and
romantic.
“I think the Gatsby theme definitely added to the romance of the
evening. With the French doors
leading to the veranda and the
glowing lights on the pathway,
students were transported to a
romantic 1920’s gala,” said Mrs.
Rena Mindas, junior class cosponsor.
Shortly after their arrival to the
prom, dinner was served. Beginning with salad and rolls, the main
course of the evening included
Greek chicken, mashed potatoes
and green beans. For dessert,
prom-goers enjoyed a small dish
of mint-chocolate ice cream. After
dinner, they went out into the veranda, with its bright green grass,
peaceful lake, and beautiful white
gazebo to take pictures; at the
same time, Memory Makers took
pictures of the couples and also
provided a fun photo booth. It was
also during this time that students
voted for the prom court.
The dancing, with DJ services
provided by DJ Donnie, officially
began with “The Harlem Shake,”
which kicked off the festivities
with a loud roar. When promgoers weren’t on the dance floor,
they could enjoy sprite-and-cherry
cocktails that were served at the
small bars on either side of the
hall, or they could enjoy the cool
spring air outside on the veranda.
Students also had fun with the
Page 4
prom favors that were given to them,
including foam fedoras and fake
moustaches for the guys and whitefeathered boas for the girls.
The overall atmosphere of the dance
put many prom-goers in a romantic
and sentimental mood. “The thing I
enjoyed most about prom was the
beautiful scenery and dancing with
my best friends,” said junior Grace
Huss. “It made me want to go back in
time.”
For some students, like senior Luke
Matulewicz, the night was so surreal
that it was as if they were living the
book. “I wanted to feel like Gatsby
that night,” Matulewicz said, “and I
can honestly say that I did.”
After a good two hours into the
dance, it was time to announce the
2013 Prom Court. The juniors who
were crowned prom prince and princess were Dominic Pagan and Valarie
Winkleman. The seniors who were
Above, Juniors Valarie Winkleman and Dominic
Pagan were chosen prom princess and prince.
proclaimed prom king and queen were
Anthony Sotello and Mariah Aguilera.
The royal slow dance to Aerosmith’s
“Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” followed, in which all other couple joined
the dance after the first verse. The
night finally ended with the senior
song, which was Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit
of
Happiness.”
The success of this year’s prom is all
because of the hard work, time and
dedication of the junior class officers
and their sponsors Mrs. Mindas and
Mrs. Jean Lovasko.
“The decorations came together to
create such a beautiful dance,” said
Class of 2014 Vice-President Gwen
Stricker. “I couldn’t have imagined it
better. Everyone seemed to have a
great time, so I think it was a huge
success.”
“Preparing for prom was exciting
and fun, but also very hectic,” Junior
Class Co-Sponsor Mrs. Lovasko said.
“Making sure every little detail was in
place was exhausting. Working with
Mrs. Mindas and the class officers
made the process much easier,” she
added.
“We had a few minor difficulties,”
said Mrs. Mindas. “We were short on
prom favors and had to order more, the
delivery of the centerpieces was late,
just little things like that,” Mrs. Mindas continued. Despite the minor difficulties, to guests, the prom was perfect.
It turned out to be a great night for
prom-goers, a night that had just a simple, but elegant “touch of class.”
And so they danced on, shoes against
the dance floor, borne back ceaselessly
into the past…
Feature
(From National, pg. 3)
and even fewer are accepted. Each
year, following the NHS national
guidelines, Honor Society chapters throughout the country collectively dedicate countless hours
to school and community service
projects as well as fundraisers for
local, national and international
charities. Instilling these values
early in life helps lay the groundwork for a lifetime of service,”
Mrs. Duncan said.
Near the end of the ceremony, new
members were inducted into the society.
Eleventh grade inductees include
Alexander Bajzatt, Andrew Campos,
Adam Cuculich, Matthew Dvorscak,
Erin Mahony, Gianna Mesarina and
Matthew Wooden. Sophomore inductees include Jacob Brooks, Mark Casanova, Serena Huss, Alivia Jakubowski
and Nolan Michniewicz.
“This has been a year of change for
National Honor Society,” said
Mrs. Duncan. We have really increased the level of service and
outreach in the community. All of
the members have stepped up to
the challenge, grown as individuals and made a difference,” Mrs.
Duncan continued.
Thank you to the graduating
members for their leadership and
service, and congratulations to the
new members.
What are your plans for summer vacation?
Gwen Stricker
Reporter
“Ashley Lupo and I
have an absolutely
ridiculous summer
bucket list planned
out! This summer is
going to be filled with
tons of stupidly crazy,
fun stuff.” junior
Valarie Winkleman
“My plans are to
connect more with
God and my amazing
youth group. I am
going to spend a lot
of time studying the
Bible, going to CIY
and spending time
with my youth
group.” senior Johnny Blood
“This summer
when I’m not on
the practice field, I
plan on getting a
season pass to Six
Flags and working
on my tan!” junior
Matt Wooden
“I plan on going to
my friend’s lake
house and training
for the next wrestling season.” sophomore Zachary
Szmuc
“Six Flags, Six
Flags, Six Flags
and more Six
Flags!” junior
Erin Mahony
Have a safe and
enjoyable summer!
Page 6
Page 7
Prom Queen Mariah Aguilera and King Anthony Sotello
Who is your role model?
Gwen Stricker
Reporter
Mariah: My mother <3
Anthony: My dad
What went through your mind
when you found out you won?
If you could be anyone for a day,
who would it be and why?
Mariah: I was just super surprised and really happy!
Mariah: Ellen Degeneres because
she is always happy and it would
be cool to host a TV show.
Anthony: I was shocked. I
couldn’t believe that I had won.
Anthony: Neil Armstrong. It
would be incredible to be one of
the few who walked on the moon.
Why did you want to run for
prom queen/king?
Mariah: To make my senior
prom very memorable.
What is your dream vacation?
Anthony: I always thought it
would be cool to win prom king.
What did you do after prom?
Mariah: I went downtown on a
party bus with my friends and
had a great time dancing with
my girl Kaylynn!
Anthony: The party bus took us
downtown to Howell and Hoods
Restaurant.
How was your overall prom
experience?
Mariah: My prom was fantastic,
and the best one I’ve gone to.
Thanks to the junior class for all
of their hard work. I could not
have asked for a better date either, Keegan Rooke <3.
Anthony: It was awesome. The
junior class did an excellent job
with decorating, and the place
was perfect. And I had the perfect date.
Mariah: My dream vacation is to
go anywhere in the world where it
is peaceful and relaxing.
Anthony: A year of travelling to
different places around the world.
What is your favorite movie?
What is your favorite quote?
Mariah: “You have brains in
your head. You have feet in your
shoes. You can steer yourself any
direction you choose. You’re on
your own. And you know what
you know. And YOU are the one
who will decide where to go…”
–Dr. Seuss
Anthony: “Live as if you were to
die tomorrow. Learn as if you
were to live forever.” –Mahatma
Gandhi
Mariah: I am obsessed with
“TRANSFORMERS”! (All of
them)
Anthony: “The Lion King.” It’s a
classic.
What are your summer plans?
Mariah: Spend time with friends,
move to Texas and have fun!
Anthony: Work and hang out with
friends as much as possible before
we all go away for college.
Congratulations!
Feature
Page 8
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Feature
Page 9
Senior class takes on Disney World during trip
Katie Wheeler
Reporter
At 4 a.m. on April 25, seniors loaded
up the school bus with their luggage
and took their seats, anxiously waiting
to arrive at Midway airport for their 8
p.m. flight to Orlando, Florida.
After smoothly passing through security, the students boarded their flight
and were on their way to the sunshine
state. For some students, this was their
first plane ride.
The plane arrived at Orlando National Airport just before noon and the
group was driven to Rosen Point Inn,
the hotel they stayed at for the course
of their trip. After changing and unpacking, the students were given until
the early evening to walk around the
hotel until the bus arrived to take them
to Downtown Disney.
Friday morning, the group explored
Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios.
Saturday was the most anticipated day
for most students, however. The parks
on the agenda for that day included
Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios
where the Grad Bash was held.
“I enjoyed the scenery of the parks
and the way you felt like you were actually in another world. Animal King-
Reporters
Elliot Bibat
Lauren Markovich
Cecilia Mireles
Katie Wheeler
Gwen Stricker
Crystal Villafuerte
dom was my favorite!” said senior
Marcilena Nodal.
“Grad Bash at Universal was AMAZING! I got to go on numerous rides, see
Pitbull, meet new people and dance like
crazy with my girls: Adri, Sam, Lauren,
Ivy, Alexis and Kristiana! Best night
ever!” said Senior Class President
Vaytta Arroyo.
With only one day left in the beautiful, sunny weather of Orlando, a waterpark was sure to be the calendar for one
of the days. Sunday, April 28, the last
day of the trip, the students were taken
to Typhoon Lagoon, site of a huge
shipwreck.
“Typhoon Lagoon was awesome,
especially the surf pool…even though
Eduardo reset the waves,” said senior
Mario Rodriguez.
Sadly, the trip had come to an end.
The flight back to Chicago was at 8:15
p.m. later that Sunday, and the group
arrived back in Whiting around 11 p.m.
“My favorite part of the senior trip for
me was hanging out my friends at Grad
Bash,” said senior Nick Lawson. “I had
a good time going on rides with seniors
from other high schools as well,” continued Lawson.
For most seniors, this trip was a way
to reconnect with friends or make new
ones, reconcile differences, or make
Co-editors
Layout
Abby Bondi
Paige Guiden
Rachel Kometz
Desiree’ Kristek
Adviser
Printing
Ms. Hylek
Mr. Cain’s Computer
Class
new memories that will last long
after the remainder of time left in
high school.
“I thought the trip was great! I’m
proud of the way the students conducted themselves,” said Senior
Class Sponsor Mrs. Morando. “I
want to thank Ms. Gazda, Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Milenkoff for their
help on the trip,” Mrs. Morando
added.
The Tattler Staff and
Ms. Hylek would like to
extend a big
thank you
to Mr. Cain and his
computer class for
printing our publication,
all who contributed
pictures and provided
copy,
and to Principal Harker .
Lady Oilers tennis team SECTIONAL CHAMPS!
Lauren Markovich
Reporter
Due to many cold and rainy weeks,
the Lady Oilers had matches postponed day after day. They spent
countless hours practicing in the gym,
being unable to go outside. They did
not let a little rain stop them, however.
The girls never gave up and neither
did their coach, Mr. Young. Their
hard work and dedication final paid
off when they became SECTIONAL
CHAMPS for the second year in a
row.
After a very long two weeks off
from matches, the Lady Oilers took on
Merrillville at home on April 22 and
defeated them, 4-1. The team then
defeated Wheeler 5-0 on April 24. The
following day, they played Calumet
and had a few lineup changes because
of the senior trip. The Oilers defeated
them, 5-0 and defeated Lake Station 3
-2 on the 26.
The following week, the team traveled to Hobart to avenge a tough loss
from last year. After a long battled tiebreaker from the number one doubles
team of Kaylynn Anderson and Mariah Aguilera, Whiting came out victorious with a 3-2 win. Next, on April
30, Whiting took on cross-town rival,
Clark, where they easily swept the
Pioneers, 5-0. In a non-conference
play against Morton on May
1,Whiting defeated them 5-0 with the
help of the number one doubles’ third
set tie-break. On May 6, the girls traveled to Griffith and swept the host
team, 5-0.
The following day, the Oilers were
given the chance to take the conference title away from Marquette Catholic. After long and tough battles in
every spot, the Oilers were defeated 14 with the only victory coming from
the number two doubles team of
Alivia Jackubowski and Lauren Markovich. May 8 brought on another
conference match up against Bishop
Noll, and the Lady Oilers swept them 50. In the last home game of the season
on May 9, the rain held out long enough
for the Oilers to defeat Hammond High,
5-0. The next day, the team traveled to
Lake Central. Although the matches
were hard-fought, the Oilers lost 2-3
with wins coming from the number one
and two singles Grace Huss and Brianna
Baez, respectively. On May 31, Whiting
picked up a game against the new assistant coach’s former team, Highland.
Unfortunately for the Oilers, they were
defeated 0-5 with their sectional play
quickly approaching.
On May 15, the sectional play began.
East Chicago Central was the host, and
Whiting drew them for the first round.
After a 5-0 sweep, the Oilers moved on
to the semi-finals the next day. The
team then swept Morton 5-0, moving on
to the finals. Due to scheduling conflicts, the sectional championship was
held on the same day with two matches
being played back to back. Whiting
once again met Bishop Noll in the
championship and after a long night of
matches, beat them 5-0, and again became Sectional Champions.
On May 21, the team moved on to
Sports
regional play which was held at Highland. In the first round, the Oilers proved
their small school ability when they beat
Andrean 3-2 in a long, tough battle. For
another year in a row, they would be advancing to the regional finals. However,
the Oilers’ season came to a close when
they were defeated 0-5 by the defending
Regionals Champions, Munster.
“This year we had a lot to live up to. I
can proudly say that we exceeded our
expectations. Our team just keeps improving and I can’t wait for next season
to start,” said junior captain Grace Huss.
“We had a great season this year! I am
really proud of the way the team played
this year,” said coach Young. “We
showed a lot of growth from last season. I
must say that the defining moment for me
was regional finals against Munster. Last
year when we stepped on the court with
them, we were in awe...We did not feel as
though we had a chance. We felt as
though they were untouchable. This year
we played them and felt that we could
compete. The look I got from them after
the match, was 'Coach, this will be very
different next year,’” continued coach
Young.
Congratulations to the Lady Oilers and
their coaches!
Above, After defeating Morton and Bishop Noll on the same evening, the Lady Oilers and their coaches
celebrate a well-deserved Sectional Championship.
Page 10
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Lady Oilers end successful season
Abby Bondi
Co-editor
After coming off of a losing season last
year, the Lady Oilers’ softball team ended
this season at 21-5. The Oilers had some
big key wins during the season, and both
the players and the coaches are already
looking forward to next year with big
goals in mind.
“After completing the season like we
did, I have very high expectations for next
year,” said coach Laub. “We will be returning a majority of players from this
year’s team. I hope that they realize that
we have a lot of potential next year and
will do things to make themselves better
softball players,” he continued.
“My goals for next year are to hit better
and win more games and win sectionals,”
said first-baseman Alex Danielides.
One of the many of the accomplishments that the Oilers had this season was
that they beat many teams by a margin of
10 or more runs. Some of these games
included River Forest (11-0), Marquette
Above, Pitcher Mollie Lovasko, junior, fires a
strike.
(14-0), Plymouth (11-1), Calumet (142), River Forest (14-3), Marquette (131), Morgan Township (11-0) and St.
Francis (12-2).
In contrast, the Lady Oilers beat some
teams by just a couple of key runs,
which also led to their success. Some of
these games include Pioneer (4-1),
Wheeler (2-0), Lake Station (2-0), North
Newton (1-0), Washington Township (96), Gavit (3-2), Clark (8-4), Clark (3-1),
Kouts (9-1) and Westville (4-3).
Although the Oilers were very successful this year, they suffered some losses,
two of which were against Bishop Noll,
3-7 and 0-4. The third loss in the season
came against North Newton, 0-5.
“I feel that the season was very successful because we got better as the season progressed,” said coach Laub. “To
have a losing season last year, and eventually win over 20 games this year, truly
makes this season one to remember,” he
continued.
As the season came to end, sectionals
was approaching and the Oilers drew
Bishop Noll in the first round: the team
who had defeated them twice before.
Though the Oilers were trailing behind
the Warriors after they scored on a tworun homerun, they quickly regained the
runs after key hits from Destiny Smith
and Abby Bondi. The game remained
tied 2-2 until the bottom of the eighth
when Bondi hit the ball to the short stop
to allow Michaela Brown from third to
score, breaking the tie and defeating the
Warriors, 3-2. Mollie Lovasko, pitcher,
gave up no earned runs and struck out 10
girls.
“I feel that everyone would have to
agree that the biggest win this year was
beating Noll in the sectionals, especially
after we lost to them twice during the
year,” said coach Laub. “I think that the
dramatic way in which we won makes it
very memorable and big,” he continued.
The Oilers then advanced to play
against Wheeler, whom they beat and
lost to previously in the season. Having
the lead at the beginning of the game due
to a double by Bondi which eventually
led to her scoring, the Oilers went ahead,
1-0. The Bearcats tied the score and
Sports
Page 11
went on to defeat the Oilers 2-1 in the
bottom of seventh inning. Lovasko only
allowed three hits and had 10 strikeouts
for the Oilers.
“Sectionals could be summed up with
the phrase, ‘the thrill of victory and the
agony of defeat.’ We definitely had a
roller coaster ride in the sectionals,” said
coach Laub. “We went from a walk-off
victory against Noll to a walk-off loss
against Wheeler. We played hard, had our
opportunities, but unfortunately lost to a
very good Wheeler team,” he continued.
Thought the majority of the team will
return, the Oilers will be losing four seniors: Abby Bondi, Desiree Kristek, Roxy
Maslikowski and Katie Shannon. These
seniors will be missed and they will also
miss some things in return and have advice for the underclassmen.
“I am going to miss our entertaining bus
rides home, playing on our home field
and stealing Desi’s ranch seeds,” said
Maslikowski.
“Don’t swing on 3 and 0, always listen
to the wise words of Mr. Laub and always
wear a visor in right field,” said Kristek.
Above, Despite the cold (and rain) this season, the
Lady Oilers were always ready to take on their opponents.
Golf team shows improvement
Paige Guiden
Layout
The golf team made strides this year
and finished up their season ranking
third in conference. With an overall
record of 8-10 and a conference record of 3-3, they advanced to sectionals at Palmira.
Looking back at the season, there is
much to be proud of. In matches
against Calumet and Marquette, the
team shot under 200—a big accom-
plishment.
“We have consistently putted well
throughout the year, and our first year
players have improved tremendously,”
said head coach Marty Furiak.
Along with first year players, returning players have also stepped up their
game and improved throughout the
year. Senior Sam Novak, ranked second on the team, looks back on his decision to join the golf team and has no
regrets.
“In the match at Turkey Creek, I was
afraid that I had hit my ball into the
water, but when I saw that I hadn’t, I
Sports
chipped it from the fringe onto the green,
and it went right in the hole. After that, my
swings and putting picked up and we won
the match,” said Novak. “I felt good about
that match and about the one after that at
Indian Ridge.”
Sophomore Jake Jacobson, a driving
force behind the team’s success, earned All
-Conference this season; this puts him as
one of the top twelve golfers in the conference.
“When I found out, I was really excited.
I plan to keep practicing through the summer by going to courses to play and watching the golf channel,” said Jacobson.
Oilers earn second in conference
Crystal Villafuerte
Reporter
After a season filled with bad
weather and long road trips, the Oilers’ season ended in the first round
of sectionals against Bishop Noll.
Playing a competitive schedule, the
team’s overall record was 13-12-1
and 10-4 in conference, which earned
them a second place finish in the
conference. The season was filled
with ups and downs, and the inclement weather throughout the season
definitely made an impact.
“When you have to play so many
games in consecutive days it doesn’t
give you a chance to practice. We
need a practice or two per week to
work on team and individual skills
necessary to compete at a level we
want,” stated coach Kevin Lenz
Although the Oilers were not able
to defeat Noll, they did beat rival
Clark both games. They also played
well against Highland, Morton and
Portage. The season was very hard to
predict, as some players thought it
would be more successful, while
others thought it would have been
less.
“I thought the season would have
been less successful. We knew it was
Page 12
going to be a rough year,” said senior
Justin Jendreas.
“I thought it would be more successful. I wish we could’ve beat Noll because we all dislike Noll,” said junior
AJ Veloz, “but the Portage game was
my favorite because we were able to
compete with a 4A team the whole
game and almost beat them.”
“We had our ups and downs, but overall I was very happy with the effort and
results. With a lot of new faces in our
lineup we got better as the year went on
and as a coach that is very important.”
stated coach Lenz
Although this season is over for the
seniors, the underclassmen have now
had another year of experience to help
prepare them for the seasons ahead.
“We had an overall good season. I’m
thankful for the dedication and production of our seniors: Jendreas, Nick Filipek, Tom Hildebranski, Josh Sparks and
Zack Branham. All of them contributed
to help make our team successful,” said
coach Lenz. “Some younger players got a
chance to play at the varsity level, which
will only help them in the future. Thanks
also to our ‘new’ coaching staff: Hoffman, Chance and Carpen who worked
hard during pre-season and regular season to make our season successful and
something to look forward to in the future
years,” added coach Lenz.
Above, Seniors Justin Jendreas, Zachary Branham, Tom Hildebranski, Nick Filipek and Josh Sparks are
honored during their last home game of the season.
Page 13
V O L U M E 9 1 , I S S UE 1 0
Congratulations, Class of 2013
Mason Markovich
Valedictorian
Mary Gundich
Salutatorian
Lauren Markovich
Paige Guiden
Brianna Scivinsky
Elliot Bibat
Thomas Hildebranski
Nicholas Verta
Matthew Lowe
Rachel Kometz
Senior staff bids farewell
Four score and seven years ago…
actually, it was 716 days, 5,012 hours
and 300,720 minutes ago that the class of
2013 walked into the doors of Whiting
High School for their freshman year.
The class of 2013 experienced many
practical moments throughout their four
years. Falling off floats, being impeached
as class president, kicking a hole in the
Spanish room wall, rolling out of class
during an Honors English 10 presentation
and getting left on the bus in Florida are
just a few of the memories that will stay
with the whole class forever.
With all joking aside, the class of 2013
has also had some unforgettable achievements during their four years at WHS.
Among these achievements include
Vaytta Arroyo being class president
three out of four years, the volleyball,
girls basketball and football teams winning conference, the girls basketball
team winning sectionals, Science
Olympiad placing third at state for the
past three years, the band placing second at their first competition and so
many more! Alongside the extracurricular activities, the class has also had
many academic achievements.
However, for us seniors, it is time to
say goodbye to high school for good.
Graduating on June 9 will be a bittersweet moment for all of us, but with all
of the friends and memories we have
made, it is all well worth it. Thank
you to all the teachers and staff who
have helped make this happen. It
seems as if it was just yesterday that
we were all walking into WHS for
the first time. People always say
“Enjoy your time in high school
because it goes by fast.” We didn’t
believe it at first, but it’s definitely
true now. These past four years have
flown by. But now it is time to start
a new chapter in our lives. Although
we are moving on and leaving Whiting High School, our hearts will stay
here forever.
Page 14
What are you going to miss most about high school?
“I’m going to miss all the friends I
made that won’t be going to the
same college as me and the ones
that have some time left before
they graduate.” Juan Aceves
ball and running cross country.” Cameron Chorba
“The community.” Alex Dillon
“I will miss all of my friends, the
school events and most of all, the
football games!” Mariah Aguilera
“Basketball.” Nick Filipek
“I am going to miss all my friends
and teachers.” Loren Alvarado
“Being in the hallway with all my
friends and making jokes about literally
everything.” Luciano Galvan
“The beautiful girls in the school!”
Fabian Arambula
“Being involved in so much and
all of my close friends.” Vaytta
Arroyo
“Ms. Flaris.” Russell Eldridge
“Seeing all my friends.” Andy Franko
“Homecoming, dances, band, all my
favorite teachers and my homies that
are underclassmen :).” Gigi Garcia
“I am going miss all my teachers and
my friends.” Kristen Garza
“White chocolate chip cookies.”
Vanessa Barajas
“Buffalo bites.” Lupe Gomez
“Seeing my friends every day.”
Alex Bejar
“I’m going to miss talking to my
friends in class.” Jessika Gonzalez
“I’m going to miss the irresponsibility I could afford during my
high school days. I’m going to
miss the sense of family and community that Whiting High School
has given me throughout the past
four years: you don’t see that in
most high schools.” Elliot Bibat
“Getting dolled up for dances and seeing my friends every day.” Adri Graciano
“I’m going to miss volleyball season with my awesome team, getting dolled up for school dances,
leading the way with Mr. Cain and
being surrounded by friendly faces
in the hallways.” Samantha Bock
“Playing sports and seeing Gustavo every day.” Abby Bondi
“Um… Spirit Week and football
games, one-act rehearsals and JB
Lupo. Oh! And those random
school day adventures. Hehe.”
Alexa Cano
“I’m going to miss always having my
friends around.” Angelo Guerrero
spicy chicken sandwiches.” Adrianna
Hopson
“Superfanning, football games, volleyball
season, getting to see my friends every
day and everything just being so carefree.” Kristiana Jacinto
“Seeing my friends every day.” Ray Jansky
“Getting to see all of my friends.” Brad
Kieltyka
“I will miss seeing everyone that I have
known for so many years and also Homecoming Week and dances.” Rachel
Kometz
“Being so close with my class with the
late night swimming and bonfires, football games, volleyball, dances and trips to
Steak ‘n Shake.” Desiree Kristek
“I will miss hanging out with my friends,
the teachers with all their different quirks,
Mrs. Strabavy and Mrs. Tobias and their
patience towards me. (I will not miss the
copy machine!)” Jasmine Lopez
“My friends, not having debt, and homecooked meals.” Matt Lowe
“Football.” Joey Lytle
“I am going to miss all of the clubs
and activities I got the chance to take
part in and all of the people I am in
them with. I will also miss my teachers,
dances, volleyball, my team, my daily
routine and Brizzle and Millie.” Paige
Guiden
“My friends and teachers.” Mary Gundich
“I’m going to miss not having adult
responsibilities.” Yazmin Hernandez
“Being with all of my friends every
day.” Tom Hildebranski
“All of the friends and teachers that I
have met here, especially my awesome
doubles partner, Alivia. :) The memories I
have made will truly last a lifetime.” Lauren Markovich
“Seeing some of my friends every day
and my girlfriend.:) ” Mason Markovich
“I will miss playing on the court and the
diamond with my talented teammates,
getting ready for all the dances, and, most
of all, I will miss seeing my friends every
day.” Roxy Maslikowski
“Science Olympiad.” Luke Matulewicz
“My workout crew!” James Hilton
“I’m going to miss playing basket-
Page 16
“Seeing my friends, and the hot and
(See Miss, pg. 17)
Page 17
V O L U M E 9 1 , I S S UE 1 0
(From Miss, pg. 16)
“My friends and my teachers.” Yvonne
Meraz
“Seeing some of my best friends every
day!” Delaney Michniewicz
“The teachers and everything they’ve
taught me.” Cecilia Mireles
and Jan’s cookies!” Cathy Osorio
“The pep rallies, my friends and baseball.”
Ruben Paredes
“Nothing.” Jordan Patrick
“Football.” Patrick Petruf
“Knowing everybody!” Natalie Reyes
“I am going to miss spending time
with my friends, my lunchtime with
friends and spending time in the office
with my cadet teachers in Nathan
Hale.” Elizabeth Morales
“My I’m definitely going to miss seeing all my teachers and friends.” Jesus
Nevarez
“Being able to see my friends every
day and the fact that everything was
easy.” Marcilena Nodal
“I’m going to miss the high school
dances and I’m going to miss playing
golf for the team.” Sam Novak
“My friends and all of the fun I had in
school.” Nico Obregon
“Seeing all of my friends throughout
the school day and having to pay for
the amazing lunch in the cafeteria…oh
“Seeing my friends on a daily basis.” Ana
Ruiz
“Seeing my friends, especially my BFF’s
Tati and Vaytta L.” Ivy Salazar
“I am going to miss the late nights that I
spent with the Science Olympiad team and
all of the invites that I attended with the
team. We are like a big family and I am
going to miss them a lot.” Brianna Scivinsky
“Homecoming Week and football games.”
Katie Shannon
“Seeing all of my friends.” Anthony Sotello
“I am going to miss hanging out with my
friends since our lives will be taking different paths. I will miss my teachers, especially Ms. Hylek, Ms. Guaccio and Mrs.
Thomas.” Vanessa Tirado
“I’ll miss how helpful people are
in high school because after graduation, we enter the real world
and not every is as nice/helpful.”
Desmond Torres
“Friday night lights, being with all
my friends that I grew up with and
the school dances.” Noe Torres
“What I’m going to miss most
about high school is the wonderful
friends I have made and the wise,
amazing teachers I’ve met.” Jessica Trevino
“Being able to see my friends every day and having fun with them.”
Rudy Wanek
“Being with all my friends.” Keelan Wendorf
“Football.” Nick Verta
“I’m going to miss seeing my
friends every day, football games
and the dances.” Katherine
Wheeler
What is your favorite high school memory?
“Acting on stage with a great group of
people, and procrastinating hard in precal with Fernando and Adri.” Juan
Aceves
“My favorite high school memory is every football game and going to every
dance with Keegan Rooke.” Mariah
Aguilera
“When I met Mrs. Saliga.” Loren Alvarado
“The Senior Skit!” Fabian Arambula
“Definitely the senior class trip!” Vaytta
Arroyo
“Prom 2011.” Vanessa Barajas
“Senior trip.” Alex Bejar
“My favorite high school memory is
definitely the trip to Europe. It changed
my life entirely.” Elliot Bibat
“One of my favorite memories is dancing the night away with my girls at
Grad Bash on the senior trip in Florida.” Samantha Bock
“Definitely the senior trip to Florida
when I got to chill with all my best
buds, and, of course, my senior prom
because I had the most handsome date.”
Abby Bondi
“Cristina and I were super late for
a tennis match. She ran up to a cop
and asked him for a ride, but when
he dropped us off, he made it seem
like we were really in trouble.
Coach Young’s face was priceless!
Also, jumping in the lake in the
middle of March with Brad and
Cristina.” Alexa Cano
“Playing Dirty Harry freshman
year during cross country.” Cameron Chorba
“Probably when I went to St. Ignatius’s homecoming.” Alex Dillon
(See Memory, pg. 18)
Seniors
(From Memory, pg. 17)
“Everyday lunch conversations.”
Russell Eldridge
“Going to Europe with Gigi.” Yazmin
Hernandez
“Going to Florida.” Nick Filipek
“All of the fun times I had with my
basketball and baseball teams.” Tom
Hildebranski
“Beating Wheeler in football and
winning
conference.”
Andy
Franko
“When I passed my Algebra ECA
my senior year.” Luciano Galvan
“Going undefeated during football season and winning conference.” James
Hilton
“Prom 2013.” Adrianna Hopson
“I have many, but my favorite two
are winning prom princess my
junior year, and also, at one of the
football games this year, I was
doing an Oiler chant, and as I
yelled it out, I didn’t realize until
everyone stopped cheering that I
yelled it wrong and everyone
laughed at me hysterically.” Gigi
Garcia
“When I met Mrs. Saliga.” Kristen
Garza
“Becoming a senior and soon graduating.” Lupe Gomez
“My favorite high school memory
would be ceramics my sophomore
year. It was fun and I liked creating things for my friends and family.” Jessika Gonzalez.
“Senior prom was amazing!” Adri
Graciano
“My favorite high school memory
is the events that led to Rachel and
I dating. I will never forget that
night.” Angelo Guerrero
“Beating BNI in volleyball sophomore, junior and senior year; Prom
2013, meeting Javier, and all the
good times I had with my friends.”
Paige Guiden
“Our Science Olympiad trip to
Ohio with my great friends and my
sister Samanta :)” Mary Gundich
Page 18
“Volleyball season, and going crazy at
Grad Bash with the Foxy Mamas.”
Kristiana Jacinto
“Beating Wheeler in football.” Ray
Jansky
“Going to my girlfriend’s prom.” Brad
Kieltyka
Mireles
“My favorite high school memory would
most definitely be my senior promJ.” Elizabeth Morales
“My favorite high school memory is my
senior prom with my beautiful girlfriend!”
Jesus Nevarez
“Disney World and dancing the night
away at prom.” Marcilena Nodal
“My favorite high school memory was
when I won homecoming king, the prom;
and the senior class trip to Florida.” Sam
Novak
“German class <3.” Nico Obregon
“Seeing Eduardo Gomez kick a hole in the
wall in Spanish class sophomore year!”
Cathy Osorio
“My favorite high school memory was
spending Prom 2013 with my amazing
and handsome boyfriend Angelo Guerrero, and also the senior trip to Florida.” Rachel Kometz
“My junior year in my old school there
was the biggest food fight ever.” Ruben
Paredes
“Freshman year and the senior trip.”
Desiree Kristek
“Football.” Patrick Petruf
“My favorite high school memories are
the funny moments in choir, the sarcastic comments in class, making an ugly
jug in ceramics, the insane stories in
English class, the bargaining in calculus class and hanging out with my
friends.” Jasmine Lopez
“Falling in Barcelona while playing
‘Ninja.’” Luke Matulewicz
“Football games while playing in the
band with Mr. Pecher.” Yvonne Meraz
“Going to Disney World for the first
time with my two best friends, Marci
and Katie, and having two awesome
dates to my senior prom.” Delaney
Michniewicz
“Meeting
Jesus
Nevarez.”
Cecilia
“Graduation.” Jordan Patrick
“The moment when I realized that high
school isn’t the end, but only the beginning. That happened when I got accepted
into Lewis University.” Natalie Reyes
“Walking back from lunch with Andrew
Campos and he walked into Ms. Flaris’s
door. Hilarious!” Ana Ruiz
“The senior trip to Florida and seeing
Alexa Cano roll off the homecoming float
during the parade sophomore year.” Ivy
Salazar
“My favorite high school memory would
have to be the Wright State Invitational
Competition for Science Olympiad my
sophomore year. The bus broke down on
the way to the competition and, once at
Wright State, we all experienced the effects of a ‘speed mountain.’” Brianna
Scivinsky
Page 19
V O L U M E 9 1 , I S S UE 1 0
“Senior trip.” Katie Shannon
“There are too many great memories to
choose from!” Anthony Sotello
“Singing all those camp fire songs and
winning conference for football!!!
Woo!!” Noe Torres
“My favorite high school memory was
when somebody asked me if I had like
twenty cousins in this school.” Vanessa
Tirado
“I think high school was a journey and
all the experiences I’ve had are memorable, but prom and the class trip would
probably be my favorite ones.” Jessica
Trevino
“Becoming class president for like a
week and then getting impeached.” Desmond Torres
“There are too many to explain and narrow down to one choice.” Rudy Wanek
“Florida with my friends, and prom.”
Keelan Wendorf
“Hanging out and laughing with
friends, and playing football and
winning conference and going 90.” Nick Verta
“Freshman year, Homecoming
and Prom 2013, the senior trip,
walking to school with Adrianna,
and spending all my free time
with my friends.” Katherine
Wheeler
What are your plans after high school?
“Going to IUN and finding what makes
me happy.” Juan Aceves
“I’m moving to Texas and going to college at Texas State University to study
elementary teaching.” Mariah Aguilera
“Go to Paul Mitchell School.” Loren Alvarado
“To work for FedEx.” Fabian Arambula
“Go to Ball State University.” Vaytta
Arroyo
“I am going to attend Purdue Calumet
to major in biology. Then, if everything
goes according to plan, I will go to dental school to become an orthodontist.”
Abby Bondi
“I plan on attending PUC and then
transferring down to Ball State and majoring in social work and joining the
Peace Corps, somewhere in there.”
Alexa Cano
“Go to college, get married, and live happily ever after.” Vanessa Barajas
“I plan on attending Purdue Lafayette
and majoring in computer and information technology and becoming a network admin for a company in Chicago.”
Cameron Chorba
“Work and go to ISU to major in criminal
justice.” Alex Bejar
“Attend IU Bloomington and go on
various adventures.” Alex Dillon
“I will be attending Columbia College
Chicago this fall. As of now, I am undeclared; however, I plan to get involved in
Columbia’s theatre program as well as
their newspaper.” Elliot Bibat
“Criminal justice at whatever college
I’m going to.” Russell Eldrige
“I plan to attend Indiana University
Bloomington, study pre-medicine and
human biology, attend medical school,
and become a doctor. I plan to join Doctors Without Borders, marry the man of
my dreams and have a positive impact on
society.” Samantha Bock
“I plan on attending Indiana University,
getting a good job and starting a family.” Nick Filipek
“Go to Purdue Cal.” Andy Franko
“Going to Ivy Tech to become a certified welder and then going back to Ivy
Tech to major in Graphic Design.” Luciano Galvan
“College at Purdue, major in wildlife/ environmental sciences, graduate, get married and have babies!”
Gigi Garcia
“Go to college and get a job.” Kristen Garza
“Work.” Lupe Gomez
“I am going to school at Makeup
First School of Makeup Artistry in
Chicago. I will try to get my license for makeup artistry and then
become successful.” Jessika Gonzalez
“University of Indianapolis then
move to California.” Adri Graciano
“My plans for after high school are
to join the Army and become a
military police officer. Then after
that, I want to join the police force
in Chicago.” Angelo Guerrero
“I will attend IUB and major in
public policy analysis, become a
lobbyist or the director of a nonprofit organization, marry and start
a family with the love of my life,
change the world and make TIME
magazine’s list of 100 most influential people.” Paige Guiden
(See Plans, pg. 20)
Seniors
(From Plans, pg. 19)
“I will attend University of Southern Indiana to study food and nutrition business. I will spend time
interning abroad. I then plan to go
to culinary school. I aspire to one
day own my own business and
start a family.” Mary Gundich
“Attend the University of Minnesota,
graduate with a job in the computer field
and go from there.” Matt Lowe
“Hopefully, I plan to graduate
from ISU, major in pre-med studies and later become an orthopedic
surgeon.” Yazmin Hernandez
“I plan to major in engineering at Purdue
University in West Lafayette, become
very successful and move to Italy. :)”
Lauren Markovich
“Go to Purdue to become an architect and
go to the Army (active duty).” Ruben
Paredes
“Attend Purdue University West
Lafayette and major in engineering.” Tom Hildebranski
“Go to college, get a degree, get my master’s, get a job making new drugs to make
life easier for people.” Mason Markovich
“Go to Roane State for one year, then the
University of Tennessee for three years to
major in radiology.” Jordan Patrick
“To get my personal training degree.” James Hilton
“Attend Purdue West Lafayette, major in
athletic training, graduate and attend
physical therapy school.” Roxy Maslikowiski
“Attend IUB.” Patrick Petruf
“To attend IUN, transfer to IUB
and become an accountant.” Adrianna Hopson
“Attend college, major in elementary and special needs education
and hopefully live a full and happy
life.” Kristiana Jacinto
“Go to college and try getting a job
at BP.” Ray Jansky
“Attend Purdue Cal for nursing.”
Brad Kieltyka
“I will be attending Purdue West
Lafayette to study Biology and
room with Rox.” Rachel Kometz
“Attend Ball State University to
receive a bachelor of science degree by majoring in advertising
design, pursue my dream of working at a high-end magazine corporation, and create a family after
marrying my best friend.” Desiree
Kristek
“I will graduate from college, have
a successful career and travel the
world, helping people in need
along the way.” Jasmine Lopez
Page 20
“Go to IU Bloomington, get a business
degree, get rich and marry Ms. Lemmon.”
Joey Lytle
“I plan to attend Calumet College and
major in psychology. I then hope to get a
job and win a Nobel Prize before I die.”
Luke Matulewicz
“Go to National Guard training and go to
college.” Yvonne Meraz
“Go to IUN for a year and then transfer to
IUB!” Delaney Michniewicz
“Go to Purdue Calumet and major in psychology.” Cecilia Mireles
“I will be attending Indiana University
Northwest in the fall and will be studying
to earn a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.” Elizabeth Morales
“Join the Navy and travel the world.”
Jesus Nevarez
“Attend Indiana State University and
study for my Ph.D in zoology.” Marcilena
Nodal
“My plans after high school are to attend
Ivy Tech in East Chicago my freshman
year and then transfer to Purdue Calumet
or Calumet College of St. Joseph.” Sam
Novak
“Go to Purdue Cal then work at BP or the
steel mills, marry Alexa Avila and have
three kids and two pugs. J” Nico Obregon
“Work hard this summer and prepare for
Basic Training and AIT, then college…
Oh yeah!” Cathy Osorio
“Going into dental.” Natalie Reyes
“Go to college then become a police officer.” Ana Ruiz
“Attend college to study nursing and minor in marine biology to become a dolphin trainer.” Ivy Salazar
“I plan to attend Saint Mary’s College of
Notre Dame and pursue biology/pre-med.
After I graduate, I hope to study medicine
at the Feinberg School of Medicine at
Northwestern University. Eventually, I
would like to specialize in hematology
and work at a hospital in Chicago. After
all of this, I would like to get married and
have a family.” Brianna Scivinsky
“Attend Purdue Cal, have a part-time job,
and be a part of Purdue’s dance team.”
Katie Shannon
“Attend Purdue Calumet for mechanical
engineering.” Anthony Sotello
“I will go to IUN and graduate in business
administration. I will marry and live a
happy and successful life.” Vanessa
Tirado
“Start my path on becoming a mechanic.”
Desmond Torres
Page 21
V O L U M E 9 1 , I S S UE 1 0
“I’m gonna go out and make it happen
and watch SUCCESS come my way.”
Noe Torres
“Going to Purdue University to major in
building construction management.”
Rudy Wanek
“After high school, I plan to attend Purdue Calumet (still undecided on my major), then I plan on having a successful
career and loving family and eventually
travel the world.” Jessica Trevino
“Go to college for media arts and pursuing my magic career.” Keelan Wendorf
“Attend IUN my first year, transfer to IUB and get a bachelor’s
degree in dietetics. I plan to live a
long, adventurous life. :)” Katherine Wheeler
“Attend Indiana University Bloomington.” Nick Verta
What would you change during your high school career?
“Get involved in drama (club) early on.”
Juan Aceves
“I wish I paid attention a lot more in class
and strived to do my best every day.”
Mariah Aguilera
“Study harder and do my read-ups.” Loren Alvarado
“I would have cooperated from the beginning.” Fabian Arambula
“I wish I would have taken more
chances and risks for those greater rewards.” Cameron Chorba
“Hmm… I would spent a little less
time chasing females and spent a little
more with my closer friends.” Alex
Dillon
“Not getting kicked out of wrestling
senior year.” Russell Eldridge
“I would focus more on school work and
take advantage of all events that happened.” Vaytta Arroyo
“Try harder. I should have taken every
hard class possible and worked on my
sports every day of the year.” Nick
Filipek
“Get good grades since day one.”
Vanessa Barajas
“No regrets. I would not change a
thing.” Andy Franko
“Nothing.” Alex Bejar
“If I could go back, I’d probably be
more outgoing.” Luciano Galvan
“Nothing. I made the mistakes I’ve made
for a reason. I’ve learned from them and
I’ve grown because of them. In all honesty, however, I could have been more outgoing in certain situations.” Elliot Bibat
“I do not have any regrets; I think I made
the best out of high school.” Samantha
Bock
“I would have worked harder in cross
country, basketball and softball to help
the team achieve even more.” Abby Bondi
“I would definitely try harder and not
procrastinate and maybe stop myself
from falling off the float our sophomore
year at the homecoming parade.” Alexa
Cano
“To have better time management. I
procrastinate way too much.” Gigi Garcia
“Study harder and getting A’s on my
tests and reading more.” Kristen Garza
change that.” Angelo Guerrero
“I would have concentrated more on
making myself happy instead of the
people around me.” Paige Guiden
“I wouldn’t make any changes!”
Mary Gundich
“I would be much more involved
with school activities.” Yazmin Hernandez
“I would’ve played basketball my
sophomore and junior year.” Tom
Hildebranski
“Not to get hurt in football and
wrestling my first three years of
high school.” James Hilton
“I wouldn’t procrastinate with
school work.” Adrianna Hopson
“I wish I wouldn’t have gotten so
caught up ‘high school scene’ and
paid more attention to my school.”
Kristiana Jacinto
“I would do all my work.” Lupe
Gomez
“I would have played basketball my
freshman year and kept playing
sports.” Ray Jansky
“I would go back to my freshman year
and I would try to get along more with
some people.” Jessika Gonzalez
“I would have taken Spanish instead
of German my freshman year.” Brad
Kieltyka
“Nothing!” Adri Graciano
“I would have taken Spanish my
freshman year.” Rachel Kometz
“I would not have changed anything
because the mistakes we make in life
make us who we are and we cannot
“Trusting too many people and be(See Change, pg. 22)
Seniors
(From Change, pg. 21)
ing too lazy to read my read-up
books.” Desiree Kristek
who take advantage of my being nice.”
Cecilia Mireles
“If I could change one thing, I
guess I would have talked more.”
Jasmine Lopez
“I would have gotten involved into more
activities.” Elizabeth Morales
“Slept more or hang out with
friends more often.” Matt Lowe
“It would have to be my freshman year if
I could focus more on my classes and not
missing so much school.” Jesus Nevarez
“I would go back and win state in
football.” Joey Lytle
“I wouldn’t trust as many people as I
have.” Marcilena Nodal
“I would have joined drama (club)
my freshman year so I could have
gotten to know Mr. Pecher sooner! :)” Lauren Markovich
“I wish I would have joined drama club.”
Sam Novak
“I would go back in time and buy
the winning Power Ball ticket for
the drawing for my 18th birthday.”
Mason Markovich
“I would’ve behaved better in German
class.” Nico Obregon
“Not slack in all my school work freshman year because it went on until my
senior year.” Cathy Osorio
“I wouldn’t change anything. I believe
that everything I have experienced in
high school has helped me to learn to
grow as a person. I have no regrets.”
Brianna Scivinsky
“To have cared for my grades and kept
to myself more.” Katie Shannon
“I would go back and try my hardest to
get straight A’s.” Anthony Sotello
“I wouldn’t change a thing!” Vanessa
Tirado
“I wouldn’t change a thing, because if I
were to change something, I wouldn’t be
where I am today.” Desmond Torres
“Not a gosh darn thing! Live it and love
it!” Noe Torres
“To fix my grades my freshman year, so I
could have gotten on the A/B Honor
Roll.” Ruben Paredes
“If I could go back in time and change
one thing I did during high school, it
would have to be how hard I tried at getting good grades…etc.” Jessica Trevino
“Nothing, I would never go back. I am
almost done.” Jordan Patrick
“I would have played football my sophomore year.” Rudy Wanek
“I wouldn’t have taken AP Bio.” Patrick
Petruf
“I wouldn’t change a thing. I love the
choices I made.” Keelan Wendorf
“Pay more attention in chemistry.”
Yvonne Meraz
“Take the ACT after sophomore year and
take it more than once.” Natalie Reyes
“I would have wanted us to win sectionals in football.” Nick Verta
“I wouldn’t change anything.”
Delaney Michniewicz
“Getting into fights with good friends.”
Ana Ruiz
“I would be more outgoing and participate in more events at school.” Katherine
Wheeler
“I would’ve gone back to change
my attitude so that I wouldn’t have
gotten walked all over by people
“To not procrastinate as much and join
more clubs and activities during school.”
Ivy Salazar
“I would not change anything because I believe whatever you do
makes you, you.” Roxy Maslikowski
“I wish I would have lived in the
moment instead of worrying about
the small details.” Luke Matulewicz
What advice would you give to the underclassmen?
Page 22
“For the most part if you stay true
to who and what you are and if
you know what you really want to
get out of life, life will give it to
you.” Juan Aceves
“To study hard, do you homework, and
pay attention in class.” Loren Alvarado
“Success is not a good teacher; failure
makes you humble.” Vanessa Barajas
“To cooperate every day in school.”
Fabian Arambula
“Don’t slack and do your work or you’ll
end up like me.” Alex Bejar
“Make the most of every day because before you know it, you will
be graduating.” Mariah Aguilera
“Stay focused, set goals and see them
through, make the best of the time you
have left.” Vaytta Arroyo
“To the juniors, your worst year is over.
Hang in there and enjoy every moment
you can next year. It flies by. Sopho-
Page 23
V O L U M E 9 1 , I S S UE 1 0
mores, you’re in for a rough ride next
year. This is the year that will make or
break you. Work hard, but don’t stress
out too much. Freshmen, you still have a
long way to go but don’t worry, you’ll be
a senior before you know it. Enjoy the
next three years and watch yourself grow
in the process.” Elliot Bibat
“Surround yourself with positive people.” Adri Graciano
the rest of your time in high school.”
Matt Lowe
“Be yourself, and don’t let anyone make
you feel bad about it, always leave people with a smile, strive to make a difference, and never take anyone or anything
for granted.” Paige Guiden
“Don’t be scared to take a risk, but be
prepared for consequences. Live with
no regrets.” Joey Lytle
“I would tell them to be their own person
and not let stereotypes define them. To be
confident and kind and leave those they
encounter with a smile.” Samantha Bock
“Focus on school and take every class
seriously.” Mary Gundich
“Manage your time well and do not slack
off! Stay focused and have fun!” Abby
Bondi
“Enjoy your time in high school because it goes by fast.” Tom Hildebranski
“Take it seriously and don’t procrastinate! You’ll be graduating before you
know it!” Alexa Cano
“To try 100%. If you fail, at least you
tried.” James Hilton
“If there is something you want to do or
achieve, do it. Don’t go through school
and life wishing you would have done
something, because you’ll regret that you
didn’t later on.” Cameron Chorba
“Don’t slack.” Alex Dillon
“It goes by very fast so just live it up.”
Nick Filipek
“Stay on top of your school work and
play as many sports as possible.” Andy
Franko
“Stop being so annoying… please.” Luciano Galvan
“Time management; respect the teachers
if you want to be respected by them.
Make smart choices.” Gigi Garcia
“To study hard, do your homework, and
pay close attention.” Kristen Garza
“Do all their work and don’t get lazy too
soon.” Lupe Gomez
“My advice to the underclassmen is don’t
get involved with drama because it’s really not worth it. You should focus more
on your school work because that is the
most important.” Jessika Gonzalez
“Stay focused!” Yazmin Henderson
“Do your best to stay out of pointless
drama because in the end none of it will
have mattered.” Kristiana Jacinto
“To do as many activities as you can for
school. Try not to miss out on anything
because the time flies by in high school
and you don’t want to regret things that
you didn’t get to do.” Ray Jansky
“Just have fun and make the most of
your high school years because it goes
by fast.” Brad Kieltyka
“To not be lazy and start off each year
right.” Rachel Kometz
“Never take out a pack of gum in front
of a group of people.” Desiree Kristek
“Don’t ponder on the bad, but think of
all the good. Laugh when you feel like
you want to scream or cry. Never stop
learning.” Jasmine Lopez
“Make the most of your time; high
school doesn’t last forever. Life is not a
game, there are no redoes. Find your
dreams and chase them; don’t run in
fear. Don’t be afraid to step outside of
the box and do your own thing. Share
moments with everyone. You’re only
young once, and good luck surviving
“Make the most of every day and get
involved! Being involved in as much
as you can in high school will benefit
you greatly in the end.” Lauren Markovich
“Social life, sleep, good grades.” Mason Markovich
“Smile at everyone because you never know whose day you can make.”
Luke Matulewicz
“Work hard in all your classes and in
the end it will pay off.” Yvonne Meraz
“Never let anyone or anything change
who you are. Don’t grow bitter towards anything. Forgive, but never
forget.” Cecilia Mireles
“I would have to say keeping your
grades up, getting involved and put
effort into all your work.” Elizabeth
Morales
“Get your work done and respect
yourselves, teachers and peers.” Jesus
Nevarez
“Make these four years memorable
because they go by way too fast.”
Marcilena Nodal
“I would tell all the underclassmen to
be dedicated to their studies, come to
school on time, go to all of the high
school dances, and have fun.” Sam
Novak
“Have fun, live, and don’t take things
serious.” Nico Obregon
“Do not slack off! And have fun in
high school, make as many friends
possible, stay fit and positive! Be
(See Advice, pg. 24)
Seniors
(From Advice, pg. 23)
kind to others and keep peace between yourself and others—high
school is too short to have grudges
or feuds.” Cathy Osorio
“Don’t try to rush high school, it
goes by way too quick. It feels like
just yesterday I was a freshman.”
Ruben Paredes
“Good luck.” Jordan Patrick
“If you’re not first, you’re last.” Patrick Petruf
“Don’t ever slack on anything! Every grade counts! Take the ACT and
SAT before senior year and more
than once! Never do anybody’s
homework without getting paid! Lol,
jk” Natalie Reyes
“Good luck, live it to the fullest because it goes by a blink of an eye!
Avoid drama! Juniors becoming
seniors: Don’t let anyone rush you
into anything. Senior year goes so
quick!” Ana Ruiz
Just get it done or it’ll never get done.”
Desmond Torres
“To have fun, but stay focused in your
school work over everything. You’ll
thank yourself in the long run.” Ivy Salazar
“Do your homework, have as much fun as
you can, don’t be a lame, laugh a lot, be
funny, live it up!” Noe Torres
“Don’t procrastinate! Even if you’re
really tired, remember what your ultimate goal is graduation. Enjoy high
school and experience as much as you
can. It all goes by very quickly.” Brianna Scivinsky
“The advice I would give to the underclassmen is to try as hard as you possibly
can, because if you don’t, you’ll regret it
down the road. Also take your ACT or
SAT at the end of junior year or the beginning of senior year.” Jessica Trevino
“Work hard, play hard.” Katie Shannon
“Make as many friends and memories as
possible.” Rudy Wanek
“Enjoy high school. And try your best.
It’ll be over faster than you think.” Anthony Sotello
“Don’t slack but have fun. It is going to
go by fast.” Keelan Wendorf
“Do your work because it is worth it,
but you can still have fun along the
way.” Vanessa Tirado
“Never push aside work or something
that needs to be done for the next day.
“Get good grades while you are a freshman.” Nick Verta
“Never give up, everything happens for a
reason, and things will fall into place
when you least expect it.” Katherine
Wheeler
Gwen Stricker
Reporter
Place to Eat: 1. Buffalo Wild Wings
Sport: 1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Baseball
Class: 1. Spanish
2. Art
3. PLTW, English
Teacher: 1. Guaccio
2. Hylek
3. Pecher
Page 24
2. Olive Garden
3. King Chop Suey
Artist: 1. Kid Cudi
2. Eminem
3. Taylor Swift
Hobby: 1. Playing sports
2. Going out/hanging
out with friends
3. Sleeping
Sports Team: 1. Bears
2. Blackhawks
3. Sox
Social Networking Site:
1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Instagram