the pioneer senior issue 2008

THE PIONEER

SENIOR ISSUE 2008Maine East HIGH SCHOOL • Park Ridge, ILLINOIS

The Pioneer2 • Senior Issue 2008

TOP FIVE PERCENT OF THE CLASS OF ‘O8

Julie AlkhovskyAndrew Beierwaltes

Parshva BhavsarMarija Bulatovic

Fahad ChausLeena Danawala

Taniya EasowMartha GolonkoPaula Grzebien

Katherine KirschnerKatherine LenartAlex Paguirigan

Dipali PatelJay Patel

Ricardo PerezMathew Pils

Justyna PodgorskaFalguni Rana

Ava SocikAngela SurianoMichael TelwakFrieda Trovela

Veena Vijayakumar

Maine East honors its best and brightestAt the annual Senior Honors

Program last Thursday night, parents and friends gathered to honor Maine East’s best and brightest students in the Class of 2008.

The Grand Marshals of the evening were Mr. Barry Bianco and Mrs. Barbara Tobin, who are both

retiring after years of outstanding service to the students and commu-nity of Maine East High School.

After a welcome from Maine East Principal Mr. Steven T. Isoye and a tribute to the Class of 2008 from Class President Hongjong Isa-iah Joo, Community Award winners

were announced, followed by the winners of Scholarship Awards from Colleges and Organization Scholar-ships. The ceremony concluded with the announcement of the De-partment Award Winners, then the winners of the President’s Award for Educational Excellence were pre-

sented with their awards.Previously, the Maine Scholars

(the top one percent of the graduat-ing class) have also been announced at this event, but since Honors Night was held a week early this year, the Maine Scholars will be announced at the Graduation Marching Practice.

College, Organization, & Community Scholarships

Sabeen AbbasFawaad Ahmad

Sam BenderFahad Chaus

Leena DanawalaNeena Daniel

Janelle GianakopoulosMartha Golonko

Ashley GrobSuzanne Hansel

Mary KaragiannisElizabeth Kloser

Meghan Eileen MeyerAnnette Migala

Sahar Nawab

Megan O’GradyAlex Paguirigan

Manan ParikhKatherine Petersen

Georgia PistasMonika PrzybylekAnthony Scarpaci

Kelly SchmidtNiki ShahAva Socik

Michael TelwakMartha Vale

Dana VattanavanitkulVeena Vijayakumar

Alexander Zaborowski

Athletic Awards

Principal Steven Isoye congratulates the Class of 2008’s most outstanding students and athletes at Senior Honors Night.

Sam C. Marzulo Achievement AwardFawaad Ahmed

Sam C. and Ruth E. Marzulo Achievement Award

Julie Alkhovsky

Athlete of the Year – FemaleMegan O’Grady

Athlete of the Year – MaleAvery Roche

The Pioneer 2008 Senior Issue • 3

Department Merit AwardsEach department at Maine East may grant up to three Merit Awards to individuals who have completed at least two

credits of course work in the department. Recipients have demonstrated either excellent performance, unusual service, special accomplishment, or significant improvement in the department giving the award.

APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Applied TechnologyZaher Allababidi

Omar MontesinosErik Hagglund

Business DivisionChristopher Garvey

Parthiv PatelDaria Piekos

Family and Consumer Sciences

John GazlayMarta MilewskaSofia Gardanova

ENGLISH Ava Socik

Katherine KirschnerVanessa Azra

FINE ARTSArt Department

Meghan Eileen MeyerAshley Grob

Dana Vattanavanitkul

Music DepartmentKristin Kim

Joon LeeAlex Paguirigan

Speech Arts DepartmentOrhai Nooru

Frieda TrovelaDaniel Viveros

FOREIGN LANGUAGEPaula Grzebien

Ava SocikFrieda Trovela

MATHEMATICSJay Patel

Ava SocikMichael Telwak

PHYSICAL EDUCATIONDeepali Darji

Peter KimKatherine Kirschner

SCIENCEAva Socik

Falguni RanaFahad Chaus

SOCIAL SCIENCEDipali Patel

Martha GolonkoJustyna Podgorska

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

Dorine AzizDeepali Darji

Katherine KirschnerAva Socik

Mary SwobodaJason DaCosta

Hongjong Isaiah JooJohn Pesce

Mathew PlisAnthony Scarpaci

Good Will Awards


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

truly exceptional accomplishment throughout several years of study.

Kelly SchmidtArt

Azra AticForeign Language

Andrew BeierwaltesMathematics

Ethan EppleMusic

Anthony ScarpaciSpeech Arts

Keith Banaszak Applied Technology

Kevin SchutzBusiness Education

Taniya EasowEnglish

Ewelina CzerwinskaFamily & Consumer

Science

Hardikkumar PatelESL

Fawaad AhmadPhysical Education

Jay PatelScience

Jay Patel Social Science

Megan O’Grady Female

Athlete of the Year

Avery Roche Male

Athlete of the Year


Clark Duncan ScholarshipAfeefa Alikhan

D.A.R. Good Citizenship AwardHongjong Isaiah Joo

Ron Heiser Memorial ScholarshipsKatie O’Grady

John Pesce

SJB ScholarshipDeepali Darji

Martha GolonkoAva Socik

Laverne Flentie OrwollCOACH Scholarship

Martha Golonko1983 Scholarship

Jason DaCosta

Robert O. GrottolaMemorial Scholarship

Frieda Trovela

Marine CorpsDistinguished Athlete Award

Hongjong Isaiah Joo

U.S. Army ROTC Four-Year Scholarship

Nicholas Fernandez

Marshal K. Wells ScholarshipJason DaCosta

Hongjong Isaiah JooAndrzej Kozlowski

Mathew PlisAva Socik

Park Ridge Pan Hellenic AwardDeepali Darji

Kiwanis of P.R.Noon ScholarshipAva Socik

Army Reserve National Scholar AthleteJulie Alkhovsky

Jay Patel

Chick Evans Caddie ScholarshipDaniel Lescano

Charles Himel ScholarshipJintu ThomasFahad Chaus

Marine Corps Distinguished Scholarship Award

Michael Telwak

Semper Fidelis AwardJoon Lee

Club Z In Home Tutoring Annual Achievement Award

Jolly Mathew

Fine Arts Boosters ScholarshipsArt – Fawaad AhmedMusic – John Pesce

Speech Arts – Victoria Hurst

National Honor Society ScholarshipDeepali Darji

Senior Service ScholarshipsHongjong Isaiah Joo • Martha Golonko

Jason DaCosta • Deepali Darji Ava Socik • Asra Hasan

DECA Service ScholarshipDaria Piekos • Kevin Schutz

Helen Dobbins MTA ScholarshipVesna Dimic

Isaiah Joo celebrates with family. Isaiah won the D.A.R. Good Citizenship

Award and several other awards on Senior Honors Night.

Deepali Darji and her family talk with Principal Isoye. Deepali won a National Honor Society Scholarship.


Aabad Naqvi Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAbdel Malak Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAfeefa Alikhan Northeastern University, Chicago, ILAfreen Khadeer University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILAhmed Tutanji Northeastern University, Chicago, ILAlan Torkelson ArmyAlejandro Zepeda Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAlex Paguiligan Depaul University, Chicago, ILAlexander Zaborowski Bradley University, Peoria, ILAlexander Srdanovic Depaul University, Chicago, ILAlexis Cariaga Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAlina Anitas Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAlmira Jezerak University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILAlwin Mathew Carthage College, Kenosha, WIAmanda Lauterbach Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAmanda Mashni Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAmanda Valentino Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAmir Zahirovic Depaul University, Chicago, ILAna Kalas Dominican University, River Forest, ILAnakaren Mariscal Northeastern University, Chicago, ILAndrew Beierwaltes University of Illinois, Urbana, ILAndy Kozlowski Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, ILAneta Wysocki Depaul University, Chicago, ILAngel Gomez ITT Technical Institute, Mount Prospect, ILAngela Suriano Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAngelika Dobija Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAngelo Liloc Northeastern University, Chicago, ILAnish Oberoi University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILAnja Vohasek University of Iowa, Iowa City, IAAnn Zachariah Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAnna Lymperopoulos Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAnna Podobana Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAnnette Migala Columbia College, Chicago, ILAnthony Guzzarde Northeastern University, Chicago, ILAnthony Catallo Parkland College, Champaign, ILAnthony Scarpaci Indiana University, Bloomington, INAntoinette Collman Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAriana Gindo Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAriel Gazlay The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, ILArkadiusz Pekala Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILArthur Sekscinski Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAshley Joy North Park University, Chicago, ILAshley Grob Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Milwaukee, WIAsra Hasan Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAva Socik Yale University, New Haven, CTAvery Roche Harper Community College, Palatine, ILAzizuddin Lalani Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILAzra Atic Loyola University, Chicago, ILBartosz Kura University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILBekir Veletovac University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILBel Rasho University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILBhaven Minawala University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILBindu Titus Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILBrandon Pham NavyBrian D’Amore Kendall College, Chicago, ILBrian Wattanasupachoke Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILBrian Martin University of Illinois, Urbana, ILBriant Cisneros Columbia College, Chicago, ILCarina Alvarado Harper Community College, Palatine, ILCarl Yu Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILCaroline Lazar Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILCaroline Samaniego Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILCatherine Kiczula Depaul University, Chicago, ILChandni Shah Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL

Cherish Scarpelli Michigan State University, East Lansing, MIChintan Patel Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILChris Hermer Columbia College, Chicago, ILChristian Perez Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILChristina Spigor Northeastern University, Chicago, ILChristina Wong Northeastern University, Chicago, ILChristina Kill University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILChristopher Samson Depaul University, Chicago, ILChristopher Garvey Dominican University, River Forest, ILChristopher Garvey Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILChristopher Norris Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILChristopher Owen University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILColin Grosse Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILConnie Zakharia Northeastern University, Chicago, ILDaisy Mercado-Rodriguez Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDajana Lukic University of Illinois, Urbana, ILDamarco Wilson Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDana Figueras Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDana Vattanavanitkul University of Illinois, Urbana, ILDaniel Viveros Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, ILDaniel Lescano Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, ILDaniel Kim Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDaniel Schreiman Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDaniel Kosinski University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILDaniel Carrasquillo ArmyDanny Machado Olympia College, Skokie, ILDanny Montes University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILDaphney David Chicago State University, Chicago, ILDaria Piekos University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILDarina McDee University of Illinois, Urbana, ILDavid Monk Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDavid Lyszkowski University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILDean Diakanis Columbia College, Chicago, ILDeepali Darji University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILDeepesh Patel University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILDeepu Kumar Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDerek Ellis Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDiane Maningding Columbia College, Chicago, ILDigisha Patel Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILDipali Patel University of Illinois, Urbana, ILDisha Patel Robert Morris College, Chicago, ILDomenica Galati Triton College, River Grove, ILDomenica Galati University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILDorine Aziz University of Illinois, Urbana, ILEbby Peter Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILEdward Escobedo Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILElizabeth Philip University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILElizabeth Kloser Tulane University, New Orleans, LAElvira Smajlovic Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILElvis Oliveric University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILEmmanuel Soto Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILEnrique Gayton Triton College, River Grove, ILEric Fleck Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILErik Hagglund Lewis University, Romeoville, ILErin-Jae Tagle American Academy of Art, Chicago, ILEthan Epple University of Illinois, Urbana, ILEunbi Oh Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILEwa Lojko Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILEwelina Tometczak Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILEwelina Czerwinska Carthage College, Kenosha, WIFalguni Rana Drake University, Des Moines, ILFarah Syed Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILFarhana Hoq University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILFawaad Ahmad University of Illinois, Urbana, ILFehad Chaus Loyola University, Chicago, IL


Frieda Trovela Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OHGeorge Joseph University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILGeorge Psoras University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILGeorgia Pistas Depaul University, Chicago, ILGrace Wechman University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WIHardikkumar Patel Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILHardikkumar Prajapati Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILHarshal Rathod University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILHeylim Ariza Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILHongjong Joo American University, Washington, DCHoracio Muro Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILIrena Oshanina Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILIulian Dragusin University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILIvory Wiley Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, ILIwona Zuber Illinois State University, Normal, ILIzeta Causevic Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJacob Gazlay Iowa State University, Ames, IAJaime Ariles Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJanaire Deocampo Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJanel Haretoun Dominican University, River Forest, ILJansen Teague Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, ILJason DaCosta Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, ILJason Lau Carthage College, Kenosha, WIJay Patel Northwestern University, Evanston, ILJeannine Saadeh Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJennifer Paulus Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJerry Thomas Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, ILJessica Mikos Depaul University, Chicago, ILJessica Murillo Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, ILJessica Alkass University of Illinois, Urbana, ILJigar Patel Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJintu Thomas University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILJoe Geist Triton College, River Grove, ILJohn Gazlay Kendall College, Chicago, ILJohn Youkhanna Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJohn Pesce University of Illinois, Urbana, ILJohn Esdicul University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILJolly Mathew Michigan State University, East Lansing, MIJon Herrera Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJoon Lee Depaul University, Chicago, ILJorge Ortigoza Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJoseph Larry Harper Community College, Palatine, ILJoshua Padrid Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJoslyn Joseph Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJuanita Aleo Northeastern University, Chicago, ILJudyta Hankus University of Illinois, Urbana, ILJulian Spencer Harper Community College, Palatine, ILJulie Alkhovsky Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, ILJustin Nicholson Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILJustyna Podgorska University of Illinois, Urbana, ILKamila Brandiuk Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILKanyada Vattanavanitkul Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILKaren Amigon Northeastern University, Chicago, ILKateryna Bagriy Drake University, Des Moines, ILKateryna Popovichenko Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILKateryna Popovichenko University of Illinois, Urbana, ILKatherine Lenart University of Illinois, Urbana, ILKatherine Kirschner Wheaton College, Wheaton, ILKatie Levinson Illinois State University, Normal, ILKatie Peterson Ball State University, Muncie, INKeanna Johnson Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, ILKeith Ditkowsky-Fink Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, WIKelli Caruvana Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILKelly Schmidt Columbia College, Chicago, IL

Kenny Lee Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILKevin Schutz University of Illinois, Urbana, ILKonrad Grabowski University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILKonstantin Zabrovskiy Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILKristen Taylor Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, ILKristin Kim University of Illinois, Urbana, ILLambros Floros University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILLeana Serpa Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILLeena Danawala University of Missouri, Kansas City, MOLeticia Xicotencati Harper Community College, Palatine, ILLuis Lopez Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILLuisa Landi Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILLukasz Dobosz Depaul University, Chicago, ILLuz Rivera Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMaciej Kijak Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMaciej Kijak University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILMaciej Makowski Lakeland Community College, Sheboygan, WIMaha Ahmed Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMahatab Chatur Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILManan Parikh Wayne State University, Detroit, MIMansi Shah Depaul University, Chicago, ILMarcel Murray Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMarcin Cichocki Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMarcin Wlodkowski Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMaria Nikolaou Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NYMarija Bulatonic University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILMariya Hurmak Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMark Gerontzos Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMarko Markovic University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILMarlena Kietlinska Loyola University, Chicago, ILMarta Milewska Wright Junior College Chicago ILMartha Golonko Northwestern University, Evanston, ILMartha Landi Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMartha Vale Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMarthen Jajou Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMartina Stepanic Northeastern University, Chicago, ILMary Swoboda University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILMary Ann Karagiannis University of Illinois, Urbana, ILMateusz Karkola Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMateusz Bednarek University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILMathew Plis Northwestern University, Evanston, ILMathew Kot Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMatt Dickman Loras College, Dubuque, IAMatt Krawiec University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILMatt Okunowski Western Illinois University, Macomb, ILMaulik Patel University of Illinois, Urbana, ILMaysa Farraj Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMayur Patel Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMegan Meyer Bradley University, Peoria, ILMegan Hively Purdue University, West Lafayette, INMegan O’Grady Carroll College, Waukesha, WIMeghan Meyer Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Milwaukee, WIMehul Amin Northeastern University, Chicago, ILMehvish Mahmood Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMeikel Thomas Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMelissa Herrera Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMeraj Khan Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMercedes Sellers Lewis University, Romeoville, ILMichael Lawrence Devry University, Addison, ILMichael Betterman Int’l Academy of Design and Technology, Chicago, ILMichael Telwak Marquette University, Milwaukee, WIMichael Palaguachi Marines


Micheael Aoyagi Northeastern University, Chicago, ILMichelle Ahmed Loyola University, Chicago, ILMichelle Khatchadourian Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, ILMilica Plavsic University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILMilla Reyes Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMonica Hernandez Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMonika Przybylek Depaul University, Chicago, ILMonika Chwieralski Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILMonika Smietana Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILNandy Arias Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILNarcis Ed Manolache University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILNardin Kasso Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILNatalie Ostrega University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILNatasha Poonja Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILNatasha Adamovic University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILNathan Johnson Robert Morris College, Chicago, ILNeena Daniel North Park University, Chicago, ILNicholas Claeys Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILNicholas Fernandez University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILNichole Ross Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILNicole Lela Northeastern University, Chicago, ILNiki Shah North Park University, Chicago, ILNikki Conner Triton College, River Grove, ILNina Alhaj Northeastern University, Chicago, ILNina Magpayo Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILNoman Khan University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILOlga Zarkowska University of Warsaw, Warsaw, PolandOlivia De La Garza Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILOmar Montesinos National GuardOrhai Nooru Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, ILOscar Rodriguez Montana State University, Bozeman, MTParshva Bhavsar University of Illinois, Urbana, ILParthiv Patel University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILPaul Kosinski University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILPaula Grzebien Loyola University, Chicago, ILPaulina Polonska Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILPaval Patel St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MOPeter Prokopowicz University of Illinois, Urbana, ILPeter Kim University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILPeter Swain Wright Junior College Chicago ILPlez Roche Harper Community College, Palatine, ILPooja Gandhi Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILPooja Patel Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILPrerak Patel University of Illinois, Urbana, ILPriyanka Gopalakrishnan University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILPurvi Patel Loyola University, Chicago, ILPurviben Patel Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILRachelle Lazar Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILRadu Niculescu Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILRamina Odisho Northeastern University, Chicago, ILRaul De Los Reyes Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILRicardo Perez Stanford University, Stanford, CARichard Velazquez Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILRichelle Villegas University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILRikin Parikh Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MORobert Zielinski University of Illinois, Urbana, ILRobert Grozdanovic Marquette University, Milwaukee, WIRoshen Thomas Bradley University, Peoria, ILRoxanne Yousif Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILRoz Domingo Northeastern University, Chicago, ILRubina Boyrazian Northeastern University, Chicago, ILRustam Huseinau Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILRyan Nieva North Park University, Chicago, ILRyan Williams Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILRyan Lucena University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL

Ryong Lee Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSabeen Abbas Benedictine University, Lisle, ILSafia Khan Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSahar Nawab Depaul University, Chicago, ILSahil Chokshi Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSakif Ahmed Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSam Donets Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, ILSandra Morales Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSaniva Amlani Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSanja Dimitrijevic Depaul University, Chicago, ILSarah Monaghan Dominican University, River Forest, ILScott Klepadlo Illinois State University, Normal, ILSebastian Dzieglewicz Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSeema Khatri Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSelma Kurtovic University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILSemeehan Patel Marquette University, Milwaukee, WISergio Sahagun-Velasco Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILShadi Nazzal Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILShantel Yokana Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILShaquita McMillian Harper Community College, Palatine, ILSharo Yousif Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILShawn Liu Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSilvia Patino Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, ILSilvia Patino University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILSilviu Niculescu Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSimran Bains Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSirisha Vedula San Jose State University, San Jose, CAStefanie Melone Columbia College, Chicago, ILStephanie Chorkawciw South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SDSteven Messer Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, ILSteven Cheie Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILSuby Thomas Northwestern University, Evanston, ILSumit Punjabi Northeastern University, Chicago, ILSuzanne Hansel Dominican University, River Forest, ILSyeda Fatima Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILTaniya Easow University of Illinois, Urbana, ILTess Raser Brandeis University, Waltham, MATiffany Corpin Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILTimothy Geist Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILTina DeBenedictis Depaul University, Chicago, ILTina Marie Gaudio Pivot Point, Evanston, ILTomasz Dmyterko University of Iowa, Iowa City, IATomasz Dmyterko Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILTomasz Jablonski Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILTomasz Popawski Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILTracy Tiongson Northeastern University, Chicago, ILTurkhuu Bayasgalan Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILUsman Bhatti Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago ILVahan Boyrazian Northeastern University, Chicago, ILVanessa Azra University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILVasyl Myronyuk Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILVeena Vijayakumar University of Illinois, Urbana, ILVesna Dimic Northeastern University, Chicago, ILVicky Spanos Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILVictoria Hurst Illinois State University, Normal, ILVincy Varughese University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, ILVinit Shah University of Illinois, Urbana, ILWilliam Kim National GuardWojciech Snarski Carthage College, Kenosha, WIYdaliz Fonseca Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILYoung Kim Depaul University, Chicago, ILYuriy Bukatyuk Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILZaher Allababidi Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, ILZoe Hodgdon Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL


American Academy of Art, Chicago, ILErin-Jae Tagle

American University, Washington, DCHongjong Isaiah Joo

ArmyAlan Torkelson

Daniel Carrasquillo

Ball State University, Muncie, INKatie Peterson

Benedictine University, Lisle, ILSabeen Abbas

Bradley University, Peoria, ILMegan Meyer

Roshen ThomasAlexander Zaborowski

Brandeis University, Waltham, MA

Tess Raser

Carroll College, Waukesha, WIMegan O’Grady

Carthage College, Kenosha, WIAlwin Mathew

Jason LauWojciech Snarski

Ewelina Czerwinska

Chicago State University, Chicago, ILDaphney David

Columbia College, Chicago, ILAnnette MigalaBriant CisnerosChris Hermer

Dean DiakanisKelly Schmidt

Stefanie MeloneDiane Maningding

Depaul University, Chicago, ILAlex PaguiliganAmir ZahirovicAneta Wysocki

Catherine KiczulaGeorgia PistasJessica Mikos

Joon LeeLukasz Dobosz

Mansi ShahSahar Nawab

Young KimAlexander SrdanovicChristopher Samson

Monika PrzybylekSanja DimitrijevicTina DeBenedictis

Devry University, Addison, ILMichael Lawrence

Dominican University, River Forest, IL

Ana KalasJanel Haretoun

Sarah MonaghanSuzanne Hansel

Christopher Garvey

Drake University, Des Moines, ILFalguni Rana

Kateryna Bagriy

Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, ILChandni ShahOrhai Nooru

Steven Messer

Harper Community College, Palatine, ILAvery Roche

Carina AlvaradoJoseph Larry

Julian SpencerPlez Roche

Leticia XicotencatiShaquita McMillian

Illinois Institute of Technology,Chicago, ILUsman Bhatti

Julie Alkhovsky

Illinois State University, Normal, ILIwona Zuber

Katie LevinsonScott KlepadloVictoria Hurst

Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL

Andy Kozlowski

Indiana University, Bloomington, INAnthony Scarpaci

Int’l Academy of Design and Technology, Chicago, IL

Michael Betterman

Iowa State University, Ames, IAJacob Gazlay

ITT Technical Institute, Mount Prospect, ILAngel Gomez

Kendall College, Chicago, ILBrian D’Amore

John Gazlay

Lakeland Community College, Sheboygan, WIMaciej Makowski

Lewis University, Romeoville, ILErik Hagglund

Mercedes Sellers

Loras College, Dubuque, IAMatt Dickman

Loyola University, Chicago, ILAzra Atic

Fehad ChausMichelle AhmedPaula Grzebien

Purvi PatelMarlena Kietlinska

MarinesMichael Palaguachi

Marquette University, Milwaukee, WIMichael TelwakSemeehan Patel

Robert Grozdanovic

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Cherish ScarpelliJolly Mathew

Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Milwaukee, WI

Ashley GrobMeghan Meyer

Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, WI

Keith Ditkowsky-Fink

Montana State University, Bozeman, MTOscar Rodriguez

National GuardOmar Montesinos

William Kim

NavyBrandon Pham

North Park University, Chicago, ILAshley Joy

Neena DanielNiki Shah

Ryan Nieva


Northeastern University, Chicago, IL

Afeefa AlikhanAhmed TutanjiAngelo Liloc

Christina SpigorChristina WongConnie Zakharia

Juanita AleoKaren Amigon

Martina StepanicMehul Amin

Micheael AoyagiNicole LelaNina Alhaj

Ramina OdishoRoz Domingo

Rubina BoyrazianSumit PunjabiTracy Tiongson

Vahan BoyrazianVesna Dimic

Anakaren MariscalAnthony Guzzarde

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Daniel ViverosDaniel LescanoJansen TeagueJason DaCostaJerry ThomasSilvia Patino

Michelle Khatchadourian

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Jay PatelMartha Golonko

Mathew PlisSuby Thomas

Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL

Aabad NaqviAbdel Malak

Alejandro ZepedaAlexis Cariaga

Alina AnitasAmanda MashniAngela SurianoAngelika DobijaAnn ZachariahAnna Podobana

Ariana GindoArkadiusz Pekala

Asra HasanAzizuddin Lalani

Bindu TitusCaroline LazarChintan Patel

Christian PerezColin Grosse

Damarco WilsonDana Figueras

Daniel KimDavid Monk

Deepu KumarDerek Ellis

Digisha PatelEbby Peter

Elvira SmajlovicEmmanuel Soto

Eric FleckEunbi Oh

Ewa LojkoFarah Syed

Heylim ArizaHoracio Muro

Irena OshaninaIzeta CausevicJaime Ariles

Jeannine SaadehJennifer Paulus

Jigar PatelJohn Youkhanna

Jon HerreraJorge OrtigozaJoshua PadridJoslyn Joseph

Justin NicholsonKamila Brandiuk

Kelli CaruvanaKenny Lee

Leana SerpaLuis LopezLuisa LandiLuz Rivera

Maciej KijakMaha Ahmed

Mahatab ChaturMarcel Murray

Marcin CichockiMariya HurmakMark Gerontzos

Martha LandiMartha Vale

Marthen JajouMateusz Karkola

Mathew KotMaysa FarrajMayur Patel

Meikel ThomasMelissa Herrera

Meraj KhanMilla Reyes

Monika SmietanaNandy Arias

Nardin KassoNatasha PoonjaNicholas Claeys

Nichole RossNina Magpayo

Paulina PolonskaPooja GandhiPooja Patel

Purviben PatelRachelle LazarRadu NiculescuRoxanne Yousif

Rustam HuseinauRyan Williams

Ryong LeeSafia Khan

Sahil ChokshiSakif Ahmed

Sandra MoralesSaniva AmlaniSeema KhatriShadi Nazzal

Shantel YokanaSharo YousifShawn Liu

Silviu NiculescuSimran BainsSteven CheieSyeda FatimaTiffany CorpinTimothy Geist

Vasyl MyronyukVicky Spanos

Ydaliz FonsecaYuriy BukatyukZaher Allababidi

Carl YuAmanda LauterbachAmanda Valentino

Anna LymperopoulosAntoinette CollmanArthur Sekscinski

Brian WattanasupachokeCaroline SamaniegoChristopher GarveyChristopher Norris

Daisy Mercado-RodriguezDaniel SchreimanEdward Escobedo

Ewelina TometczakHardikkumar Patel

Hardikkumar PrajapatiJanaire Deocampo

Kanyada VattanavanitkulKateryna PopovichenkoKonstantin Zabrovskiy

Marcin WlodkowskiMehvish MahmoodMonica Hernandez

Monika ChwieralskiOlivia De La GarzaRaul De Los ReyesRichard Velazquez

Sebastian Dzieglewicz Sergio Sahagun-

VelascoTomasz DmyterkoTomasz JablonskiTomasz Popawski

Turkhuu Bayasgalan

Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OHFrieda Trovela

Olympia College, Skokie, ILDanny Machado

Parkland College, Champaign, ILAnthony Catallo

Pivot Point, Evanston, ILTina Marie Gaudio

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Megan Hively

Robert Morris College, Chicago, ILDisha Patel

Robert Morris College, Chicago, ILNathan Johnson

Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NYMaria Nikolaou

Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, IL

Jessica Murillo


Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO

Rikin Parikh

San Jose State University, San Jose, CASirisha Vedula

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

Stephanie Chorkawciew

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

Ivory WileyKeanna Johnson

Kristen TaylorSam Donets

St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO

Paval Patel

Stanford University, Stanford, CARicardo Perez

The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, ILAriel Gazlay

Triton College, River Grove, ILDomenica GalatiEnrique Gayton

Joe GeistNikki Conner

Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

Elizabeth Kloser

University of Illinois, Urbana, ILBrian MartinDajana LukicDarina McDee

Dipali PatelDorine AzizEthan Epple

Fawaad AhmadJessica Alkass

John PesceJudyta Hankus

Katherine LenartKevin SchutzKristin Kim

Maulik Patel

Parshva BhavsarPrerak Patel

Robert ZielinskiTaniya Easow

Vinit ShahAndrew Beierwaltes

Dana VattanavanitkulJustyna Podgorska

Kateryna Popovichenko

Mary Ann Karagiannis

Peter ProkopowiczVeena Vijayakumar

University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL

Afreen KhadeerAlmira JezerakAnish OberoiBartosz Kura

Bekir VeletovacBel Rasho

Christina KillDaniel KosinskiDanny MontesDaria PiekosDeepali Darji

Deepesh PatelDomenica GalatiElizabeth Philip

Elvis OlivericFarhana Hoq

George JosephGeorge PsorasHarshal RathodIulian DragusinJintu ThomasJohn Esdicul

Lambros FlorosMaciej Kijak

Marija Bulatonic

Marko MarkovicMary SwobodaMatt KrawiecMilica Plavsic

Natalie OstregaNoman KhanParthiv PatelPaul Kosinski

Peter KimRichelle Villegas

Ryan LucenaSelma Kurtovic

Silvia PatinoVanessa Azra

Vincy VarugheseBhaven MinawalaChristopher OwenDavid LyszkowskiKonrad GrabowskiMateusz Bednarek

Narcis Ed ManolacheNatasha AdamovicNicholas Fernandez

Priyanka Gopalakrishnan

University of Iowa, Iowa City, IAAnja Vohasek

Tomasz Dmyterko

University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO

Leena Danawala

University of Warsaw, PolandOlga Zarkowska

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WIGrace Wechman

Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

Manan Parikh

Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

Matt OkunowskiZoe Hodgdon

Wheaton College, Wheaton, ILKatherine Kirschner

Wright Junior College Chicago IL

Marta MilewskaPeter Swain

Yale University, New Haven, CT

Ava Socik

Lambros Floros and Mr. DiPrizio enjoy Senior Honors Night.

Meghan Meyer and Ashley Grob display their awards.

The Pioneer12 • Senior Issue 2008 SENIOR SEND-OFF

The Pioneer 2008 Senior Issue • 13ASSEMBLY


Dear Class of 2008,

As we start the next chapter of our lives with school, work or serving our country, I hope each and every one of us in the Class of 2008 takes with us the experiences and knowledge we have gained from our time at Maine East.

Now is the time to create a new beginning us-ing what we have learned in the past.

Remember your friends, your teachers, your classes, and those once-in-a-lifetime mo-ments. Those moments in high school shape the per-son you will become. With a heavy heart, we all must say good-bye to Maine East.

Take what has hap-pened during your time at Maine East as one huge learning experience and

carry that knowledge for-ward – it will help you live your life to the fullest. Personally, the difference four years has made for me is insane – I hardly rec-ognize the person I used to be, before Maine East.

So, as we move for-ward, let’s try to appreci-ate everything that Maine East has given us and what we have learned from each other. Some of us had trouble with grades, some

with teenage drama, some with authority; regardless, we all had to deal with the challenges and overcome them.

We have been through so many changes in the last four years. When we started out as little fresh-men, Collaboration Days consisted of students leav-ing early instead of the current late arrival. Our sophomore year we were no longer required to dis-

play our ID’s – we just had to keep them in our pos-session. Junior year was when Mr. Carlson decided to retire, a year before most of us would have the opportunity to take his government class, so we were unable to have such a legend teach us.

Last, but not least, this year, our senior year, we have faced many more changes. We welcomed a new principal to our school, Mr. Isoye, who began the year walking through the halls greet-ing students. Our gradu-ation date and place have changed from the tradi-tional Sunday at noon on the football field to a Tuesday evening at the Rosemont Theatre.

This year has been jam packed with new ex-periences. Students, fac-ulty, and parents battled the Board of Education for more student oppor-

tunity in extracurricular activities like Newspaper, Yearbook, and Student Government. There were conflicts about senior shirts, hoodies, and what happened to the senior panoramic photo? This year also saw some extra time off in the way of sev-eral snow days.

All in all it has been one intense year. I love Maine East High School, truly my home for the last four years. I am upset that I have to say goodbye, but it is necessary to move on in life. Remember that your roots are firmly planted at a fantastic school and that will help you remain grounded. Congratula-tions to the Class of 2008. We’ve been through so much, but it’s really just the beginning!

Sincerely,Georgia D. PistasEditor-In-Chief

Our Maine East history will help our future

Have you ever taken Automotive classes at Maine East? Well, many students have, and are sad to see their teacher, Mr. Barry Bianco, leave. Af-ter working at Maine East for 11 years and for 24 years total in the district, Mr. Bianco has decided to retire.

He has had many memorable experiences at Maine Township, most of which have been at Maine East. Mr. Bianco fondly recalls the day he

got hired and says that’s also his best memory here at Maine Township.

Mr. Bianco is a man in constant motion; he won’t just lie around the house during his free time. He plans to get out there and build houses for habitat for humanity, as well as his own sum-mer house. He also will spend time playing with his band mates making beautiful music.

Although he will be very busy he always will make time to return to Maine East. Mr. Bianco

takes the time to get to know his students and has an interest in their daily lives. He dreads not being able to interact and teach students, because he can learn from them as well.

We wish you the best of luck with the construc-tion projects, and a very happy future. Mr. Bianco leaves behind a great his-tory but he will go far with his next endeavor. His departing words for the students and faculty at Maine Township are “Everything in your life is important.”

SAYING GOOD-BYE

Mr. Bianco to retire after 24 years in districtBy Georgia Pistas

HEY SENIORS: Take the “Senior Exit Survey” to let teachers and administrators know how your Maine East experience prepared you for life beyond M.E. The survey can be found right on the MEHS homepage and will only take 5 minutes!* *

The Pioneer 2008 Senior Issue • 15SAYING GOOD-BYE

Have you talked to any students from ESL de-partment lately? One of the department’s most beloved teachers, Ms. Barbara Tobin, is retiring after dedi-cating 23 years to the stu-dents at Maine East High School.

One of Ms. Tobin’s most memorable moments at Maine East was partici-pating in the selection pro-cess and the program for Mr. Paul Carlson’s induc-

ESL teacher Mrs. Tobin calls it a careerBy Manan Parikh tion on the Wall of Honor

in May of 2007.For retirement, Ms.

Tobin plans to travel, read, garden, spend as much time as possible in nature, do volunteer work with Native Americans and Indigenous people. Most importantly, she looks forward to spend-ing more time with family and friends.

Ms. Tobin has some interesting advice she would like to leave for the students and teachers at East:

“Everyone at Maine East should offer respect and kindness to one an-other because all cultures and religions are united in peace and harmony on the Native American Medicine Wheel (the circle of life),” she said.

We wish Ms. Tobin the best of luck on her re-tirement plans and a very blissful future. We want to thank Ms. Tobin for all her hard work, commitment, and devotion she has put in her 23 years at Maine East.

ESL teacher Ms. Barbara Tobin has taught students at Maine East for 23 years.

The Pioneer is the student newspaper of Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois, dedicated to reporting on news, entertainment, and sports events for the Maine East community. The Pioneer is distributed to students, staff, and a limited mailing list. The Pioneer does not accept outside adver-tising. Readers may submit story suggestions, photos, letters to the editor or comments regarding

the content of the newspaper to sponsor Matt Miller via email: [email protected]

Editor-in-ChiefGeorgia Pistas

Managing EditorCherish Scarpelli

Julie AlkhovskySamiya AmlaniForum BhattDana Castillo

Jason Da Costa Vesna Dimic

Lukasz Dobosz

Jake GazlayJanelle

GiankopoulosPriyanka Gopal

Asra HasanAna Kalas

Caroline Lazar

Contributing Reporters & Photographers

EditorsSam DonetsTiffany Jones

Rachelle LazarKatie Levinson Alwin MathewJolly Mathew

Ana NericMatt OkunowskiMike Palaguachi

Katie PetersonPhebe Philip

Jennine SadehAnthony Scarpaci

Ava SocikChristan Spigos

Mr. Pope plans to travel and avoid cold wintersBy Janelle

GianakopoulosThis year we won’t

only say goodbye to our seniors, we must also say goodbye to a beloved coun-sellor at Maine East, Mr. Richard Pope.

Mr. Pope has worked at Maine East for 21years and says he “loved every minute of it.”

He is on the counsel-ling staff in the Guidance Department and frequently supervises Maine East ath-letic events. Staying in-volved in sports is natural for Mr. Pope, who has been

a basketball player for most of his life.

“I’ve been at every boys’ home game for the past five years,” he says with pride. “And I plan to be back for as many games as possible.”

It is apparent that Maine East means a lot to Mr. Pope and he says it is like “the real world, where everyone is accepted and living in peace regardless of factors like culture, color, or race.” Maine East has been more than just a job – it has been like a family.

For the next chapter of his life, Mr. Pope plans

to travel with his wife do-mestically and internation-ally. He has some road trips planned this summer and fall to see the United States and next January he travels to India. He also hopes to visit more countries after that. One thing is for sure, Mr. Pope says he definitely won’t miss being in Chica-go for the winters!

The Pioneer staff would like to give our best to Mr. Pope and his family and hope to see him back in the halls at Maine East many times. Best wishes to the next chapter of your life!

*


The ultimate goal of Maine East’s School Based Health Center is to improve the physical and mental health of Maine East stu-dents.

On April 9th, the School Based Health Center and members of the Student Ad-visory Board defined that goal by going to Springfield for Advocacy Day. The ob-jective for Advocacy Day was to talk to State Represen-tatives about voting for a bill that gave money to School Based Health Centers.

Going to Springfield, I had no idea what to expect. On the surface I seemed very calm…as if I talk to repre-sentatives everyday! But in reality I was really nervous.

Other people on the bus rehearsed what they were going to say to the repre-sentatives they were going to meet. All the dialogue sounded the same: “Hi, Rep-resentative! We are from the Health Center and we would like to tell you about all the wonderful things the Health Center does (…list impres-

Making a Difference... One Representative at a timeBy Phebe Philip sive facts…). Don’t forget

to vote for the bill that sends us money!”

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what I was go-ing to say. I knew I had to talk about all the great and helpful things that the Health Center does, but I didn’t want to bore the representa-tives with my quick facts and statistics! I figured that the only way I could convince the representatives into vot-ing for our bill would be by being myself. I realized that the way to the hearts of the representatives would not only be through the facts, but through the charisma of our group. If we were to show our enthusiasm for the Health Center, the repre-sentatives would notice and vote for our bill.

Going into the Capital Building, we were welcomed by large crowds of people known as “lobbyists,” who come to fight for whatever bill they supported. It was one of the most chaotic and hectic places I had ever seen.

– PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE –

see ADVOCACY,next page


People were running up and down the hallways, trying to catch a glimpse of their representatives so they could talk about supporting their bill. A mix of cultures, ages, ideas, and beliefs had all come to the Capital Building for one sole purpose: get the support of a representative for a certain bill.

Our group decided to wait in the lobby for our representatives to come out. The guards in front of the lobby told us that our repre-sentative was “in- session.” We handed a scrap of paper to one of the guards that in-formed our representative that we were waiting for her outside.

After pushing our way through the huge crowd in front of the lobby room, we finally caught our represen-tative. The president of the Student Advisory Board, Meeshali Gupta, started talk-ing to State Representative Rosemary Mulligan about all the benefits the Health Center provides for the stu-dents at Maine East. I was relieved to see that Rep. Mulligan seemed eager to help the cause, but disap-pointed when she went back to her meeting because I missed my chance to speak to her. Unfortunately, my nerves had caught the best of me.

Next was State Sena-tor Kotowski. We searched what felt like the whole Cap-ital Building for him; it felt like we were on a big scav-enger hunt. We finally found him when he left one of his meetings to talk to us. Ev-erything was a little calmer because we had escaped the crowds near the lobby room.

We introduced our-selves and told him about

the bill to support Health Centers. I was pleased to see that, like Rep. Mul-ligan, Sen. Kotowski was excited about the bill, but when Sen. Kotowski faced me and asked me about how the Health Center has helped me, I started to panic.

Thirty seconds of si-lence seemed like thirty hours. I managed to utter something about physicals, but to my surprise, my mut-tering turned into a full-fledged argument.

I told him about all the kids at Maine East that de-pend on the Health Center. I told him that so many of the students come to the Health Center to receive the help that they can’t receive else-where. I think that Sen. Ko-towski noticed the passion our group had behind our bill and I was so happy that I contributed to it in some way.

Getting on the bus for the four-hour bus ride home, I was glad I made the trip to Springfield for Advocacy Day. I was tired from all the walking we did, but I would do it again in a heart beat.

We feel like we were really making a difference. We believe the things that we said to the representatives stuck with them. The words that came out of our mouths were actually the voices of the students at Maine East that come to the Health Cen-ter for a shot or a cold.

Maybe our voices even represented someone that just wants to talk to the men-tal health counselor about problems they are having at home or with their bodies. We were their voices. I felt empowered because I knew I was making a difference, and all it took was a couple of words with our Represen-tatives and Senators.

ADVOCACY,from previous page


Summer is here and as teens we want to have fun, but we also want to make some spare cash. As more teens head out to look for jobs, many will be surprised to find there are not many jobs left for teens.

Though teenage unem-ployment is low it is still in double digits. Some theories produced are that employers would rather have people with more experience than teenagers, or that many im-migrant workers will do the same jobs, for less money.

Also there are not many jobs left for teens to apply for leaving many unem-ployed for the summer or during the school year. Teen Michael Palaguachi said, “ It took me a year before I found a job.

Employers do want more experienced workers so they won’t have to spend more time or money train-ing them. Employers look for well-rounded people, especially in sales; you will not only have to be a good communicator but a person whom a costumer can easily approach.

Summer jobs harder to find for teenagersBy Jolly Mathew Then there is the theory

of immigrant workers. There are a lot of immigrants, from the Center of Immigration Studies, “between March of 2000 and 2004, the number of unemployed adult na-tives increased by 2.3 mil-lion, while the number of employed adult immigrants increased by 2.3 million.î They do take up the jobs most teens would be do-ing, but for a smaller wages which saves the employer more money. Like flipping burgers at McDonald’s, an immigrant who is thirty years old can do the same

Mr. Sinclair wins WGN Teacher of the Month

job that a teen usually does for the same money. Em-ployers think older workers to be more mature or reli-able and still available long after teens have returned to school, according to a Northeastern report.

What does this mean for all you unemployed teens out there? Teens have to work twice as hard to get jobs, meaning they should not only use the Internet as resources but newspapers and local community cen-ters. Also, many schools like Maine East have job boards that have a number of em-

ployers looking for teens to hire. The Job Board can be located in the guidance of-fice right out side the Career Resource Room.

If you are looking for a job, first look locally, like community centers and parks or schools near you. The U. S. Department of Labor has a youth labor site to help teens find a job:

www.youth2work.gov

Yes finding a job will be difficult, but it is worth it for the experience and inde-pendence it gives person in the long run.

Drama teacher Mr. Andy Sinclair received WGN-TV’s Teacher of the Month award in April. WGN’s Valerie Warner presented the award and a WGN crew taped Mr. Sinclair’s 4th Period Drama I class in action.


Clockwise from bottom left: Anthony Sanders gets seriously poetic; Mr. Hes-sert slams some verse; Carl Yu gives an ode to ‘poetry’; The M.E. Poetry Slam Team chills after the show; The ‘White Boys’ perform; Mr. Sinclair breaks out a haiku; Danny Radovanovic keeps it real; the scorekeepers like what they see; Jessica McMillan tells it how it is.

Open Mic Night


What was your most embarrassing moment

at Maine East?“Cherish got me in trouble with Mrs. P. by making me laugh at her, when I really didn’t do anything wrong.”

~Manan Parikh

“Going to my sister’s old locker during the first week of junior year and wondering where she was, until I remembered she graduated.”

~Rubina Boyrazian

“Being seen with Cherish in the hallways”~Annette Migala

“Drivers Ed Room”-Jason Lau

“Broadcasting Room”~Zoe Hodgdon

“Mr. M’s room.”~Erin Tagle

“The Rat Hole.”~Georgia Pistas

What is your favorite hangout spot at school?

What is the best book you were forced to read?

“To Kill a Mocking Bird” ~Richelle Villegas

“Frankenstein” ~Annette Migala

“The Portrait of Dorian Grey”~Tracey Tiongson

“The Great Gatsby”~Nam Vattanavanitkul

What is your favorite door to exit the building?“The Auditorium door.”

~Megan Meyer

“Industrial Hallway doors.”~Christian Spigos

“The Field House doors.”~Jason Lau

“Any door out.”~Cathy Kiczula

Which teacher would you be like if you become a teacher?

“Mr. Tsagalis. He’s not mean just brutally honest.”

~Jason Lau

“Mr. Seig because even though, at first, his voice might scare you, you get used to it. Plus, he is al-ways is there to help you with the material.”

~Rubina Boyrazian

“I would be the baby combina-tion of Mr. Glenn Simon and Mr. Zielinski because, yeah, I am that awesome.”

~Christian Spigos

“Mr. M. because his funny an-tics always makes me smile and happy to be at Maine East.”

~Erin Tagle

“Ms. Matzen. She is such a strong and amazing person. She can make you laugh all day while, grabbing a hold of your concen-tration. It is never a dull moment with her.”

~Meghan Meyer

What was the best quote you heard from a teacher?

“Mr. Montesano told his math class to ‘square sex’ on purpose, to see if the students were paying attention.”

~Tracy Tiongson

“Mr. M hisses like a cat.”~Annette Migala

“If this doesn’t work, I’m going to sacrifice…Max.”(From Mr. Wunderlich)

~Sam Donets

“I got my mind on my money, and my money on my mind.” (From Mr. Sieg)

~Richelle Villegas


Best HairJanel Haretun

Carl Yu

Best EyesIwona ZuberBrian Martin

Best SmileTaniya EasowJohn Esdicul

Best DressedSanja Dimitrijevic

Sam Patel

Biggest FlirtMarlena Kietlinska

Peter Swain

Biggest GossiperTina Debenedictis

Ethan Epple

Class ClownDeepali DarjiShadi NazzalChris Samson

Class ScholarMartha Golonko

Jay Patel

Best AthleteMegan O’Grady

Plez Roche

Best MusicianKristin Kim

John Pesche

Best SingerAnet Wysocki

Nikko Fernandez

Best Actress/ActorOrhai NooruMike Telwak

Most Service to Class

Mary SwobodaIsaiah Joo

Most Likely to SucceedPaula Grzebien Falguni Rana

Mat Plis

Most Likely to Ditch School

Disha PatelAnthony Catallo

Most Likely to Win an Academy

AwardVicky Hurst

Tony Scarpaci

Most Likely To Discover a

Cure for CancerAva Socik

Fahad Chaus

Most Likely to Become Famous

Frieda TrovelaJason Da Costa

Most Likely to Become a SupermodelSarah MonaghanTony Guzzarde

Oddest CoupleEd Manolache and

Farhana Hoq

Cutest CoupleSilvia Patino and Matt Dickman

Genius, Yet LazyBeth Kloser

Wojciech Snarski

Most likely to teach at Maine East

Katie KirschnerRoshen Thomas

Most Likely to Become President

of the United StatesKatie Lenart

Christian Spigos

Most Likely to become a millionaire

Katya PopovichenkoKevin Schutz

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES


This past Spring Break, a few of the lucky Italian students had the op-portunity of a lifetime: a tour of Italy.

For one week, we ex-perienced the food, culture and language. Our first stop was the Rome, where we saw the Colosseum, Ro-man Forum, Trevi Foun-tain, and Vatican City.

After three days in Rome, we headed towards the holy city of Assisi where we saw the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi as well as a breathtaking view of the rest of the country.

After our departure from Assisi, our next stop was Florence where we were given time to see some of the world’s most famous works of art such as the David by Michel-angelo. After Florence, we went to Venice, the city on water.

In Venice, we were all given the opportunity to roam through the city’s ca-nals in a gondola. The last city we visited was Milan, the city of fashion. We walked through the streets of Florence exploring the elegant shops and taking in our last day in Italy.

This trip enriched us with culture, art, and his-tory. It is impossible to describe how it felt to be within feet of paintings and

buildings that back home in the United States, we read about in school books.

Aside from getting to see some of the most famous buildings, paint-ings, and sculptures, we also interacted with the na-tives, ate a good deal of ge-lato (Italian ice cream) and practiced the language.

We learned and saw so much, that by the time it was over, we were all sad to have to go back home.

We all have different favorite parts of the trip, but we can all say that the trip to Italy was an unfor-gettable one that will be remembered for the rest of our lives.

By Dana Castillo and Anthony Scarpaci

Italian students visit sites in

Rome, Florence, and Venice

Maine East Italian students (top) took in many famous sites like the Coliseum (middle) and the Fountain of Trevi (bottom) on their trip to Italy over Spring Break.


Mr. Mastrolonardo and sophomore Joy O’Campo

Senior Julie Alkhovsky Senior Kanyada Vattanavanitkul

Freshman Kathleen De Leon

Senior Dana Vattanavanitkul Senior Nicole Lela and Ms. Fierro


AWARD WINNERSMost Improved

Molly WuestGabi Mercado

Vanessa RosarioIssamar Herrera

Positive AttitudeEddie EstradaRamanjit KaurMaggie Nunez

Most HelpfulFlorida Dozie

Zayra Martinez

Sustained Academic AchieverMarie Ansu

Anna GalonskaChristina OliverPaulina Kunda

Teamwork AwardMary Davis

Joanna EspinozaAshley MazariegosKristina Abusamrah

Hardest WorkerEdgar Cruz

Brian MercadoAlina Mollova

Most MotivatedNikhil DesaiAaron Clark

Sunny Pandya

Academy Program celebrates high achievers


Ms. Childress’ Environmental Science classes are working hard to build a new garden right outside

the Science Wing of the building.

Lens Yearbook Distribution

Environmental Science: Building a New Garden


New Boys Gymnastics Coach Mark Seske made a huge impact on the team this season.

“We’ve come a long way as team in terms of form, routines, and overall cleanliness,” he said.

The varsity team strug-gled in the beginning of the season, but with the help of the coaches’ conditioning program, the Varsity team got stronger throughout the season and broke its all time dual-meet record on Senior Night against Glen-brook North High School.

Senior Mike Aoyagi, a team Captain and Most Valuable Player, placed third at the Conference Meet. At Sectionals, Aoy-agi finished just two-tenths of a point away from mak-ing it to the State Meet.

“Seeing him compete at State would’ve been an enjoyable experience.” said Coach Seske. “His hard work in the gym and practicing every day has definitely paid off. He has also set a good example as to how far you can go if you challenge your limits and not limit your chal-lenges.”

The teams’ other Cap-

tains, seniors George Jo-seph and Erik Hagglund, showed tremendous lead-ership. They gathered the

New coach inspires successful seasonBy Manan Parikh

team together, cheered each other on, and moti-vated one another.

The freshmen on the

team came a long way and showed improvement throughout the season. As-sistant Coach Eric Noriega

hopes that the freshmen stay in shape and do gym-nastics year-round to better themselves. He said that he has never had such bright group of ambitious young kids before.

Coach Seske handled things differently than the previous coaches. For in-stance, he alternated work-outs to have conditioning some days after practice and other days before prac-tice. This challenged the varsity team with more in-tense workouts. “Saturday practices helped us get new moves in our routines,” said Varsity Captain Hag-glund.

The first day of the season everyone was so out of shape and Coach Seske gave a look like “this is go-ing to be a long season.” But, by being consistent, the team proved to their coach that they could have a worthwhile season by working hard and motivat-ing new team members.

Coach Seske says he has seen a major improve-ment in every way, and is optimistic about the future of Maine East Gymnastics. “I strongly believe that giv-ing it your best today is the only preparation for tomor-row.”

Senior Michael Aoyagi was the team’s Most Valuable Player; he finished just two-tenths of a point away from qualifying for the State Meet.

This year the boys track team experienced a great deal of success, both individually and as a team.

Against some of the best competition in the State, the team thrived, even though they were such

a young group, with many freshmen and sophomores.

The team’s best per-formance was in an indoor track meet here at Maine East. Against tough confer-ence opponents, M.E. fin-ished in the top three.

“We were a young tal-ented team and we were all really close, kind of like a

family,” said senior Captain Jason Lau. The seniors were mentors to all the young guys, teaching them how hard you have to work to succeed.

Individual successes also highlighted the season. Avery Roche was selected All-Conference for the high jump and was one of the

team’s top performers. “I was really excited

to find out that I made All-Conference,” said Roche. “I hope the younger guys can learn from my hard work.”

At the Highland Park Twilight Invitational, many team members earned per-sonal records. The freshman

and sophomores competed very well in all the meets and the experience of these track meets will make them much better next year.

Although the players, especially the seniors, are sad the season ended, the returning members of the team have a bright – and fast – future.

Track team enjoys team and personal successesBy Lukasz Dobosz


Park and nationally ranked New Trier. Nonetheless, the team managed huge wins over Niles North and an upset victory over Glen-brook North, finishing with 4 wins and 10 losses.

The offense didn’t have any trouble scoring runs – the team hit more than 10 home runs. Se-

nior catcher and desig-nated Hitter Chris Garvey and third-year varsity player junior Dan Walker both hit 2 home runs, and senior Danny Kosinski hit a Grand Slam home run against Niles North. Sophomore second base-man Nikko Andriotis also hit a long-ball this season.

“The season had it’s ups and downs,” said Garvey. “We were good

BASEBALL,from page 24

Maine East Athletic Booster Club AwardsCOACH OF THE YEAR – Scott Guilfoil

Award of Excellence Male AthleteJohn Pesce

and bad, but it was just baseball.” Garvey hopes to play baseball next year at Dominican University in Chicago.

Next year the Blue Demons may face a chal-lenge. The sophomore team won just two games, but Coach Haftel hopes the players will react well to Coach Dolney’s Summer League and turn things around for next season.

Award of Excellence Female AthleteMegan O’Grady

…Mrs. Sadler’s team, Useless information, for winning Maine East’s first ever World Series of Pop Culture. The team: Srdjan Vasilic, Kristine Duffey, and Ashley Corbin

… to Junior Alessandra Incandela, who was selected Grand Prize Winner in the category of “On Air Radio Personality” in the Columbia College Chicago High School Radio Festival.

KUDOSK

OR

NER

Congratulations to...

... to Senior Sam Donets, who was selected First Prize Winner in the category “Play By Play Sportscasting” in the Columbia College Chicago High School Radio Festival.

…the winners of Student Government elections: Class of 2011 Vice President: Alex Nitti Class of 2011 President: Sarah HanClass of 2009 Vice President: Phebe Philip Class of 2009 President: Jessica McMillan

… Kevin Schutz, for finishing in 11th place at DECA Nationals, where over 14,000 high school students competed.

…the Broadcasting students who earned awards at the Chicagoland High School Video Festival: James Kelly and Rose Kaye placed 2nd in Video Demonstration; Tony Scarpaci and Chris Samson placed 3rd in TV Commercial; and Derek Howard, Matt Okunowski, Laura Wise, and Tony Scarpaci placed 3rd in Drama. Dan Viveros received a Gold Award in the Music category.

…Sophomore Michelle Zdobylak, who set two personal records and meet records. Zdobylak ran a mile in 5 minutes, 46 seconds, which was fast enough for 6th place. She also finished in second place finish in the two-mile, with a time of 12 minutes, 17 seconds.

…Mrs. Koss’s First Period Special Education Class, for winning the DECA Muscular Dystrophy Coin Contest. Mrs. Koss’s class raised more money than any other first period class at Maine East. Way to go!


2007-2008 ALL-CONFERENCE ATHLETES

Top row. L to R: Natalie Bialecki; swimming; Avery Roche, foot-ball; Ana Kalas, volleyball. Bottom row, L to R: Julie Alkhovsky,

tennis; James Kelly, soccer; Marko Markovic, soccer; Megan O’Grady, cross-country.

Top row, L to R: Avery Roche, basketball; Danhi Wilson, bas-ketball. Bottom row, L to R: Tommy Boblett, Maciej Makowski,

Matt Dickman, and Adam Tokarzewski, wrestling.

Fall Sports Winter Sports

Spring Sports

The Maine East Blue Demons varsity base-ball team started the season strong, but ended the season with an overall mediocre record.

Early in the season, the weather was the strongest opponent. Several games were called due to poor field conditions and bad weather. Rain and snow continued to hit the Chicago area into late March, essentially canceling the first two weeks of the season.

The team stayed strong, though, winning three games and losing just one to open the season in non-Conference games.

The Demons faced another tough sched-ule, playing in the highly competitive Central Suburban League, with Deerfield, Highland

Baseball team survives bad

weather, tough competition

By Sam Donets

see BASEBALL, page 23

Top row. L to R: Elvis Oliveric, volleyball; Wojciech Snarski, volleyball; Avery Roche, track; Chris Ripple, baseball. Middle row, L to R: Natalia Bialecki, girls water polo; Jeremy Umansky, tennis; Parthiv Patel, boys water polo; Jasmina Markovic, soccer;

Jenny Krawiec, softball. Bottom row, L to R: Megan O’Grady, track; Idia Ifianayi, track; Michael Aoyagi, gymnastics; Meeshali Gupta, badminton.

the pioneer senior issue 2008

Documents

maine scholars

maine east principal

senior honors night

community award winners

honor maine easts

graduating class

winners of scholarship

annual senior honors