Ridgewood Reporter

Ridgewood High School

Norridge, Illinois

November 1997

Volume 13, Issue 2

First Lady comes to Chicago

By Debbie Barnes and Diane Guth

In celebration of her 50th birthday, Mrs. Hillary Clinton came back to her home state of Illinois. On the 27th of October, Chicago and Park Ridge welcomed her. She visited her childhood home, her grammar school, and attended a park dedication.

We were among the 440 who attended Mrs. Clinton's interview by Carl Anthony at the Chicago Historical Society. We were only four rows away from her. She wore a black pantsuit and sat on a stage decked out in red, white, and blue. There was a video screen to view prerecorded greetings from people important to her.

We learned a lot from her loved ones. Mrs. Clinton was named after St. Hillary; it was a name her mother loved. Growing up, Hillary was an honest, trustworthy, mature girl. Don White, her junior-high teacher, said Hillary was an intelligent girl who also had the power and energy to lead. She has always had a passion for reading. Mrs. Clinton has always wanted a "work to call my own." Among the people she admires are Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Madame Curie.

Mrs. Clinton seemed to be a very kind person. She cares about many causes. She is a religious person. The people speaking about her declared her to be honest.

"Chicago is my kind of town!" said Mrs. Clinton. She truly is a Chicago girl. She is a Cubs fan, though that is getting harder for us all. She is also a Bulls fan. Chicago pizza is her absolute favorite food. She loves the new renovations at Navy Pier.

The theme of the interview was how her childhood and youth influenced the person she is now. It was obvious from the recorded comments that she has been interested in children and others all her life. This interest was sparked by her parents and her church activities. She said education is still important for all, both then and now. It is also important for people to get involved. Experiencing different places and people is essential to understand the needs of our diverse modern world.

The interview ended, pictures were taken, and Mrs. Clinton went on to another party. Even though we didn't get to meet Mrs. Clinton personally, it was a very memorable night!

Attitudes are mixed about the block

By: Michelle Gulik

Recently during second block, every student had an opportunity to discuss his/her feelings about block scheduling in a survey conducted by Mr. London. Many students voiced concerns about lunch, length of class, and scheduling. People felt that lunch lines were too long, and when they finally received their food, sitting space was a concern. Almost every survey complained about the length of gym classes, and that many teachers lectured for the entire block.

Others voiced their concerns about schedules. Some people were worried that their classes were unbalanced: one term had all their "heavy" classes while the other term was very "light."

Students also voiced praise for block scheduling. Some individuals felt that less homework was given and that any questions they had about material covered were automatically answered in class.

Although the school was divided on how good an idea block scheduling is, the majority of the underclassmen liked it because, "they really don't have anything to compare it to" as one survey stated.

Some suggestions to improve were to split up the gym block to one part gym and one part study hall; to have each passing time be ten minutes, and to go back to homerooms so students can have a constant during their four years here.

Mayor Sieb sets new record

Mayor Sieb has set a new record in Illinois for the longest term as mayor. He broke the old record on October 17, 1997. He was first appointed to office in 1951. The village of Norridge is looking for student volunteers to help sort, catalogue, frame, and mount the papers of Mrs. Estelle Sieb. Mayor Sieb has donated these papers to the village. If anyone is interested, see Mrs. Maniez.

Machaj is bringing more Art to RHS!

by Diane Guth

Mrs. Machaj is making Ridgewood a much more colorful and artistic place as our new art teacher. Her face is not a new one to many of us here. She began as a student teacher under Mr. Gates. After graduating, she returned as a teacher aide, then as a substitute, and is now a full time art teacher. Currently, she teaches Art Start, Auto Cad, and Transitional Tutoring. She also sponsors the Art Club with Mr. Gates.

Mrs. Machaj has a bachelor's in Fine Arts, and teaching certification from Northeastern Illinois University. Her speciality is in jewelry, small metals, and sculpture.

Here's what she thinks of her job: "I really enjoy working with the students at Ridgewood. That's why I've worked to stay in this school district!"

Juniors and Seniors take awards

By Alex Novielli

Homecoming King and Queen were George Mueller and Beth Bundalo. Juniors won first place for car decorations. Juniors also won first place for Gym decorations. Seniors won the Spirit Trophy.

Changes in the cafeteria being evaluated

by Iris Giannakis

This year, changes have been made in the cafeteria. We have fewer lunch periods and therefore more people eating at the same time. The Ridgewood Reporter surveyed some students. Here's what these people said about the new changes:

"The food is too expensive," one unhappy *Freshman said. "They don't have their vending machines on during lunch periods," another unhappy *Freshman added.

"I like that they have more variety of foods, but they should add more lunch periods because the lines are too long and it's very crowded in the cafeteria," said Elaine Thaniotis, a sophomore. "I hate it. I wait in line for

Honor Roll Changes

Honor roll status will now be calculated at the end of each term. Students who receive a GPA of 4.0 or better will achieve "high honors." Those with 3.5-3.999 will be designated as "honor roll." Those with 3.2-3.499 will receive "honorable mention."

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20 minutes to buy fries, and then I enjoy 5 minutes of pleasure. I don't even buy lunch from here any more," said Joey Cavataio, another sophomore.

"I don't buy lunch from here because it tastes terrible," one *Junior added. "The cafeteria is so crowded I can't even breathe," another *Junior added.

"I don't like it because the lines are too long, and it's not enough time to eat," said Scott Shudy, a senior. "The cafeteria is okay I guess," one *Senior added.

People will be happy to know that there is a committee which includes student members evaluating the food service and recommending changes if necessary. The committee is headed by Mr. Berquist, Business Manager. Student members are Beth Bundalo, Jennene Fields, Kristen Keglovitz, Louis Mezzano, Chris Soszynski, and Jennifer Starzynski.

*Name withheld by request

Student's poem to be published

Ridgewood sophomore Saaleha Dadabhai will soon be a published author. One of her poems, "Strong and Stronger" will be included in an anthology called Diamonds and Pearls. Saaleha has been writing poems for about a year. She said she was inspired to write this poem by the thought that, "...all the hatred in the world could be prevented if we just cared a little." She felt excited and overjoyed when she learned her poem would be published.

Lights, Camera, Action!!!

By Debbie Barnes

If you are an aspiring actor or actress, then get involved in RHS Drama Club. This year the club held a Comedy Contest for the humorous and talented people of Ridgewood on Oct. 18, 1997. People who did not show up that night to watch missed ten comedic acts. Mike Favia placed first, Saturday Night Live's Spartan cheerleaders imitated by Mrs. Lewandowski and Mr. Klaus with a couple of runners played by Emily Delvalle and Danny Swibel finished second, and third place was awarded to Danny Swibel also.

The Drama Club is presenting the fall play, Unspoken For Time , a drama, on Nov. 20, 21, and 22. The performance of the play will be evaluated as part of the Illinois High School Theater Festival by a theater committee. If Ridgewood is one of the three schools in the state chosen, the cast have a chance to perform the fall play on Jan. 8 and 9 of next year at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal. Come and watch your friends act, people! RHS students can get in FREE with an ID; $5.00 for adults, and $3.00 for kids. Don't miss it.

The Variety Show on Feb. 7, 1998 is the club's next project. Once again, if you want to "strut your stuff" to the whole world, be part of it! Auditions are on Jan. 21, 1998. For more information, show up at the meetings, along with the club's 60+ members. They are every Wednesday, at 3:15 in room 147.

Brighten your school-Join the Art club!

by Diane Guth

Let's support Mrs. Machaj and join the Art Club advised by her and Mr. Gates. It meets every Wednesday in Room 118 at 7:30 a.m. and again at 3:15 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join!

The Art Club was formed to involve all students in working on projects with new materials and techniques, as well as visiting museums, galleries, and studios.

The new mural is a large project of the art club. The theme is Learning For All- Whatever It Takes. Basically it will show how we all help each other learn. It will be on a library wall. Other projects include finishing the 35th anniversary mural by the gym hallway, and the McDonald's Holiday window murals. The Art Club's first major project was the backdrop for the Comedy/Drama Festival.

So, show your creativity...join the Art Club!!!

Correction

Mrs. Murray teaches Language Resources, not Bilingual Resources as published in the September issue.

Jazz Band's Styling' With a New Group

by Mike Dicillo

If you saw the Jazz Band last year, you know that we did a lot of Jazz and 60's Rock. (Beatles, The Kinks) With a good majority of last year's group gone because five seniors graduated, we were out two saxophonists, a bassist, and a singer. However, our previous concerts aroused some interest in other musicians.

We've gained two new guitarists, one on both guitar and bass, and a monster brass section. Mr. Klaus, the band director plays a mean horn, while the two 'bones pound out the harmony. Our new saxophonist wails on the tunes while the talented keyboardist and the equally masterful drummer bang out the rhythm. We will be doing some Green Day and a funkified version of Low Rider concerts.

Rehearsals consist mostly of playing the songs with opened improv sessions. The band has great charisma and works well together. Ideas for songs are derived from the performers themselves, and we're always looking for new ideas and performers to come in on Mondays at 7:15 a.m.

Trumpet: Steve Klaus, Bass: Mark Kogut, Saxophone: Joe Albergo, Drums: Jeremy Wendel, Trombone: Peter Ziecik, Keyboard: Mike Dicillo, Guitar: Kevin Morris.

FBLA just keeps on rolling!!!

by Dina Politis

FBLA keeps on growing. Every week, new members learn the value of joining this organization which has social as well as academic activities. One of the recent activities was participation in the homecoming parade. FBLA entered the float that was used for the Harwood Heights Anniversary parade. Marie Weeks, our secretary, dressed up as Marilyn Monroe and jumped out of the cake. Many members rode on the float and showed their school pride by dressing up as Hollywood characters.

The FBLA recruitment party was a huge success. Over fifty new and old members attended and enjoyed a fun-filled evening. There was dancing, games and food prepared by our caterer Joanna Szyndlar. She did a wonderful job with the set-up, and as a result everyone had a great time. Chris Soszynski, our treasurer, was the D.J. He played great music and made the old honors commons into a techno scene.

This past Sunday, October 19th FBLA members took part in the an

Deca is off to an Awesome Start!!

By Maggie Georgiou

On October 15, twelve Deca members attended the State Executive conference at National-Louis University in Wheaton, Illinois. At the conference, they listened to keynote speakers and attended leadership workshops throughout the day. Marie Weeks was elected Deca State Vice President and was installed to serve the organization for the '97-'98 school year.

The next conference will be the Central Region conference in Milwaukee, which the chapter officers will be attending on November 21 through November 23.

Canned Food Drive Under Way

Bring in your canned or nonperishable food to Block I classes. You can also bring cans to the Library to pay off your overdue fines. The Block I class that brings in the most cans will win a breakfast. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be eligible to win money toward Prom.

Remember these go to the Salvation Army food pantry to help people in need.

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nual Red Ribbon Week Walk. This event is held every year at the beginning of Red Ribbon Week to promote a drug-free community. Red Ribbons are worn to show a commitment to being drug free.

FBLA also has many other activities planned for the coming weeks. We will host a few cookie sales at the end of October and at the beginning of November. Stop by and grab some of the best cookies around!!

On November 7-9 the FBLA officers will travel to St. Louis, Missouri for a leadership conference. Here they will part take in many activities that will help make our chapter even better than it already is.

Competition season has already begun. At present, FBLA members are preparing for area competition in January. There are decisions to make, and everyone is looking forward to a rewarding year of competition.

FBLA at Ridgewood could never be too big. We are always looking for new members to come join. The officers or advisors would be happy to help answer any questions you might have. Meetings are held every Tuesday in room 122. Come on by and see what we're all about!!!

Class of 2000 is looking for some entertainment!!!!!

by Iris Giannakis

The ice cream social was a success. $130 was made. "I never did anything like this before," said Ms. Michelon, the class advisor. "I am very happy about it. I hope we do this again."

Homecoming results- We got 2nd place on the wall and 3rd place for the car. "We did pretty good." said Kelly Thesen, treasurer. "Maybe we'll have better luck next year," Ms. Michelon said.

The Red Ribbon Parade was on Sunday October 19th from 12-1 p.m. Only one sophomore went. She is Jennene Fields. "Everybody stopped to read what the banner said," said Jennene. "I expect we will have more people next year to participate," said Ms. Michelon.

Remember to come to the class meetings on Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. in Room 232 to tell your bright ideas and help out. More and more people are coming every time. Keep up the good work.

****HOROSCOPES****

BY IRIS GIANNAKIS

THESE HOROSCOPES ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!

For those born this month:

Next year will be a wonderful period of change and opportunity. Your eyes will be opened to a future of bright new possibilities that you may have ignored until now.

Aries- Focus on others and learn to listen this month. There are many exciting things in store for you next month and you will have to face it alone.

Taurus- Get over it already. Your loved one has moved on and you don't need to relive the past. (Yuk) Besides, you'll find someone much better. (Trust me. I'll bet that someone you find will have dark hair.)

Gemini- You've been seeing someone and think of getting serious. (Oh my) It will last forever with fun-filled memories.

Cancer- Timing is everything this month. You're full of bright ideas and bursting to tell everyone but if you make your move now, things may not turn out as quite as you hope for it to be.

Leo- This month is a wonderful month for romance. Warning: Your sex appeal is in high gear, so turn on the charm with someone you like to impress.

Virgo- Something you say this month draws others closer to you. Romance? (Don't count on it!) Next month will be better.

Libra- Your popularity goes through the roof, and everybody needs your special sparkle. Warning: There's some serious romance in your backyard this fall!

Scorpio- You're ready to go on to bigger and better things. Now is the perfect time to settle unfinished business. (Like getting revenge for example.)

Sagittarius- Aspects in your dream zone may be sending important psychic messages. Watch out for your friends this month: They will try to irk you!

Capricorn- You never know who could pick up the phone and dial the magic digits. You'll be finding yourself thinking of your new honey. (How naughty)

Aquarius- Love is in the air this month. You might meet that special someone or make a love bond exciting again. (Look out!)

Pisces- Nothing can go wrong in your so-called life and not everything can be perfect. Just be happy with what you earn and everything you want will come soon.

1999 does well

By Michelle Gulik

Through hard work and dedication, the Juniors won first place in spirit links, the wall, and the parade, though they came in a close second for the all around competition. By winning first place in the parade and wall, they won monetary awards for their class.

At the only meeting of October, Juniors set tentative dates for a rummage sale and also talked about the possibility of having a ring dance. It was unanimously decided that the entire Junior class should vote, for or against, the dance.

Reminder: Any Junior wanting to become a "Senior Elf" next year must participate in class activities this year as well as next year.

NHS gets cultural

By Joanna Szyndlar

On Friday, October 17, National Honor Society took a field trip to the downtown Chicago area. The chaperones were Mr. Mitchell and Mrs. Brenner. They visited many famous landmarks such as The Picasso Sculpture, the Thompson Center, and of course, the Cultural Center.

Upcoming events will include caroling at a nursing home. We will also be distributing Happy Wheels soon.

Creative Waves is on a roll!!!!!

by Iris Giannakis

Creative Waves is a literary magazine full of poems and short stories written by Ridgewood students and published once a year by the Creative Waves Editorial Board. Creative Waves magazine is created by students for students to celebrate the talents that so often lie hidden in our midst.

The Board of Education saluted the student authors, poets and staff of Creative Waves 1997 for a job well done!

"We are currently working on 1998 Creative Waves magazine," said Mrs. Micklo, advisor. "We are looking for submissions of poems, short stories, plays, essays, black and white artwork, and photography."

Turn in your submission(s) by Friday January 23, 1998 to Mrs. Micklo in room 145 or to your English teacher. The magazine will come some time in the spring.

'98 rakes in the dough

by Scott Shudy

Senior class meetings are every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. in room 145. The Seniors owe a special thank you to Stefania Laricchia and her family for volunteering their house for the Homecoming decorating.

The 6th-8th grade dance held in September was a great success, thanks to the thirty seniors who showed up to work. The senior class made $741 profit in 2.5 hours. Thanks to Mike Amato for the terrific job as DJ and also for the discounted rate!!

Unspoken for Time

November 20, 21, 22

Support all school activities

The Ridgewood Reporter Staff

Debbie Barnes

Iris Giannakis

Michelle Gulik

Diane Guth

Anna Kritikakos

Louis Mezzano

Scott Shudy

Advisors

Cheryl Flinn

Edith Sauter

Editorial policy

The Ridgewood Reporter welcomes editorials. Editorials will be printed if they are signed and of general interest. Names be omitted by request. The Ridgewood Reporter reserves the right to edit material for space, legal liability, accuracy, and appropriate language.

and white, but it wasn't worth the effort.

Maybe we are just a microcosm of the worldconstantly moving but never choosing to belong. We know all the slogans of togetherness, but we aren't convinced that this means us. It's a shame that the fun of doing something together is missed by all the people who have created tiny enclaves in which they don't have to be identified with and values or causes. I'd like to say that those who don't participate lose out, but I know they simply don't care!

--Karl Gates

The following editorials were prepared and submitted as a class assignment.

Where is everybody?

While attending a football game on Saturday, October 4, (their homecoming) I became slightly envious of their student body turnout. I was also upset by their tremendous parent turnout. They filled each and every one of the seats in the stand and my friend and I found it very hard to find our own. I felt as if I was at a college game because of their spirit. Every one was either standing up or making noise. Now, given, I understand that it was their homecoming and spirits are usually higher during that day, but I found out that their games are always like that. Their band was dressed uniformly, and they filled up 10 rows! They had marching band uniforms on, and their faces were painted and their instruments were also dressed in the school colors. Because of the spirit in the stands, the team performed extremely well. Even though our Varsity team is doing awesome, I think if we filled the stands and maintained the same amount of spirit present at the night rally, the team would have a high amount of motivation and incentive to perform well. Games are a lot more fun when every one is a part of it and participates in a piece of it.

--Mike Dicillo

Keep the Library Open

It's 5:30 and practice just ended. I rush home to eat dinner before I start on my hours of homework. I remember I have an essay due tomorrow, but I can't type it tonight because my computer's incompatible. I'll have to get to school at dawn tomorrow to get it done. The library at Ridgewood High School should extend its hours to accommodate students who are involved in school activities or hold a part-time job. The school is equipped with modern technology, but the complaint of many students is that they aren't given a sufficient amount of time in the computer labs. For instance, Mrs. Micklo's Writing class was assigned a research paper with a minimum length of seven pages but Mrs. Micklo couldn't give the class more than five days in the lab in order to follow the syllabus schedule.

"They gave us less time for homework when they took away our studies. They should either keep the library open longer or give us more class time," commented Haidee Caturan who is a student in Mrs. Micklo's Writing class. She holds a part-time job and doesn't own a computer that's compatible with the school's system. Other classes require typed reports, but don't offer any lab time to students. I asked several students in the library if they felt they had enough lab time, and all strongly felt they weren't given enough class time.

The faculty and administration at Ridgewood encourages all students to be involved, whether it be in athletics or clubs. They're not making it easy. A computer lab is open some days before school and after school but only for a short period of time. The athletic teams practice after school, and most of the club meetings are held directly before or after school. They are still in progress long after the library closes at 3:30p.m. If the library was available to students from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday evenings, these students would have the opportunity to produce assignments with better quality. Teachers have heard the excuse "I couldn't get to a computer," too many times.

This change would benefit the library staff as well. "Why isn't this stupid computer working? Where's this book? I need it now, I'm in a hurry!" The librarian and clerk are often mobbed by ten or more students who are asking these questions at the

Letter to RHS officials about block scheduling

I am very upset with the block scheduling that the Board of Education instituted. Why? For many reasons. We get the same amount of homework as in prior years. The semester is too short to learn the whole course. We are being rushed to learn the material. Learning a chapter a day is hard.

The teachers don't plan enough "fun" activities for the students. Some teachers lecture for the whole period, and it is very boring and not educational. Many teachers aren't there after school to help their students with any problems the student has with the course.

It is very difficult to find time for clubs, fun, and homework as well. Keyboarding and gym classes are way too long. We are so tired afterwards we can't even keep our eyes open to concentrate on the other classes for the rest of the day. The cafeteria is so crowded that none of us can breathe, the lines are too long, and there is not a lot of time to eat your lunch.

There are many ways to make block scheduling much better. I suggest that the teachers should come up with better techniques for teaching the course, like having more "fun" activities added. There should be study halls to relax our brains before they explode. Also we get to have time to study for the course before we take the test. Keyboarding and gym classes should be 40 minutes long

There should be more lunch periods. There should be more 10 minute passing periods so we won't have to rush and break our neck to get to class. There should be more fun clubs like a Ceramics Club or Sewing Club etc.... to learn, do, and have some fun. Also the half days and the 2 o'clock dismissals should be on Fridays instead of Mondays. Mondays are so aggravating these days.

The only good thing about block scheduling is that there are less courses to concentrate on, and you don't have to have the same course all year round. I hope that the Board will take my suggestions, make some improvements, and hopefully that next year will be much better.

Sincerely, A Very Unhappy Sophomore

An open letter to Ridgewood

It's funny, but sometimes predictions are so easy to make. As I walked into school the Monday of Homecoming week, I knew that we had lost before we began. In fact, I knew there would be no "We." It was Rebel Pride day, one in a series of events planned for Homecoming Week. There were the cheerleaders and poms for whom it was no stretch to achieve a green and white ensemble; there were the athletes for whom a jersey would suffice (and were those prompted?). The typical students were in their typical display of no spirit because spirit requires thought and participation and a sense of being part of something important.

In light of the fact that we managed to "Boomba" our way through a unifying special assembly, you could tell that its effect had no half-life and there wasn't a trace of change in attitude. No, we aren't the big happy family we should be. The student body can't make a single effort together, and for that matter, neither could the faculty or staff. Sure, it would have taken an extra minute or two to put together something green

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same time. It wouldn't cost an extreme amount for the school to hire another librarian to work the evening hours and possibly Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00. Mrs. Newhouse, Ridgewood's library clerk, informed me that the library has 6 Alpha Smart Pros. Alpha Smart Pros are laptop computers available for the students to take home. Six is not nearly enough to accommodate a school of approximately 740 students.

Many could argue that the community library is sufficient enough. They're wrong. The facilities of Eisenhower Library are in need of expansion, and it's open during the evening, but the computers available only have the card catalog on them and have no other use. Eisenhower Library shows that it realizes the needs of the community by having extended hours. When is Ridgewood going to catch on?

--Name withheld by request

Ms. Flinn responds

I agree it is difficult for many students to balance classwork, sports, homework, or other responsibilities. Mrs. Newhouse and I do indeed have trouble helping students find library materials while loading paper in the printer or showing people how to log on to the network. Mr. London and I have talked about some ways we can better use our resources to make more equipment and more personal assistance available to students. If you would like to work with Mr. London and me on some solutions to this problem, let me know.

PS I think if you saved your work in text format, you could transfer files between home and school.

Field of Dreams:

If you build it, they will come.

Every year Ridgewood has Saturday football games, but there is only a slim number of people in the crowd to watch the games. The players on the football team ask themselves, "Why aren't there any people here?" and "Don't they like us?"

Well ... it's not that they don't like to watch the game; it's because there are no lights for Friday night games. When the team plays on Saturday, many are not free to come.

"I have nursing class on Saturdays, which makes it very difficult to attend games," said Stefania Laricchia. "I have to work on Saturdays. I would go [to the games], but I have to work all day," said Grace Rihani.

If there were lights, there would be something to do on a Friday night. "It would give freshmen and sophomores something to do. It would give the parents a good feeling to know their child is at a school function instead of roaming the streets," said coach Sam Wasserstrom.

If you take a close look at the teams in our conference, you see many with lights. Kaneland has an estimated 4,000 people in the stands for games. "We changed to lights ten years ago, and our attendance has grown immensely. The main reason we changed to night games is that the wind is reduced at night," said Kaneland athletic director Jill Holmes.

Yorkville has lights, and even though they have not had a successful year, people come to see the games. Neither Evergreen Park nor Westmont has lights, and there is a small crowd at their games.

Ridgewood paid MC Sports $100,900 to rebuild the school tennis court. We don't even have a tennis team. But we do have a football team that is headed for the state playoffs in a couple weeks. Ridgewood has one of the best fields in the county, and it would look great under lights. "With lights, the Rebels would have a great atmosphere to play in," said Ridgewood senior Jack Jablonski.

Not only would lights bring a great atmosphere, they could also bring in more revenue. If more people attended games, more money would be generated for the school. This could be a joint endeavor between the school and the Parents Club. To pay for the lights, costs for entrance, food, and raffles could be raised slightly.

It's time for us, the students, to stand up and speak out, to convince the school just how beneficial lights would be to both the students and community. If we are serious about this project, our thoughts will count. Speak loudly...we will be heard.

--Louie Mezzano

Rebel Sports News

RUDE AWAKING

REBELS 7 MINOOKA 37

By Louie Mezzano

The Rebels are 3 out of the last 4. "The team was not practicing up to par all this week," said Captain George Mueller.

The team suited up and were trying to get ready for the game against the 2-1 Indians. In the first quarter, the Indians set the tone by scoring on the first drive. The Rebels were having a hard time adjusting to the defense of Minooka. As a result the Indians ran away with the game in the third quarter.

After winning the game, the Indians and their rude cheering section walked off the field and did not shake the Rebels hands. "I guess we know who had class," said offensive linemen Gandolpho Messina.

In my eyes it's a win, win situation for the Rebels. If they win, they will move up in the rankings and have another win. If they lose, they will be able to find fault and get ready for the next week that starts conference.

While the Rebels are getting ready for their next game, let us, the students, work on coming out and watching the home team.

Young Varsity Volleyball Team Digs Deep

By Debbie Barnes

The young Ridgewood Varsity Volleyball team have won 4 games so far. This year there are twelve players on the team: 2 freshmen, 4 sophomores, 2 juniors, and 4 seniors, including team captains Beth Bundalo, Deanne Guagenti, and Becky Nielsen. Joana Zych, a freshman is an outstanding player from Poland. She's been training and playing volleyball there for several years, and her skill of spiking the volleyball proves it.

The team is playing well; they are winning games, but not matches. The team hopes to increase the intensity of their game. They finished their season with a loss at regionals. but already are making plans for next year.

What is Going on With the Guys Soccer Team?

By: Anna Kritikakos

There were about 20 guys on the varsity team and about 20 on the fresh/soph team. The reason why there is such a difference in the record between this year and last year is because they are not the same team, and they are playing teams who are much harder and more experienced. There were a lot of close games, but they were not always able to play 80 intense minutes of soccer. Also they may have lacked the self confidence to win. They had a tough long year because of last year's success. The varsity team finished with an overall record of 4-13-3, and 2-5-1 in conference, which placed them fourth.

Check out Winter Sports

Wrestling

Boys Basketball

Back on Task

Rebels 34 Tigers 20

by Louie Mezzano

After losing the week before, the Rebels practiced hard and found their fire. The Rebels came out for their home crowd that Saturday. After the players handed their parents a flower and hugged them, they transformed into warriors on the battle field.

The Rebels scored on a huge pass play to #25 Sam Palazzo for the first touchdown of the game. The Herscher Tigers scored twice on two fluke plays to tie the game. At the half the score was tied at 14. Captain Ralph Cantal said at half time "we're a second half team."

In the second half, the Rebels came out to score 20 points to overcome their opponents. If it were not for the hard hitting linemen led by Vito Cossentino, the Rebels would've had problems moving the ball.

scoring. The Rebels quarterback Butch Defelice threw a huge pass to Sam Palazzo for a touchdown, only to have it called lack on a penalty.

"We are thinking too much about owed assignments and not about the game" said offensive lineman Chris Pielich.

In the second half of the game, it was an all out battle. The Rebels scored once more to seal the game to win by 7. Brian Rzewnicki ran for his seventh consecutive game of 100 yards or more.

Lets give credit where credit is due. If it were not for the huge blocks by Brian Floral and the fabulous offensive five, there would be a huge difference in the game and the games before. Their small and outsized in every game, but they have the heart to take us were no team in this school has ever been before.

Every time Brian Rzewnicki carries the ball, his teammates and dear friend Brian Floral is throwing his body in front so that Redznicki can get the huge yards.

I give credit to the players who came out week in and week out to work hard to get the first string ready for the next game. Knowing that there is slim to no chance of getting in the week's game, The Crunch Crew kill themselves in practice hoping for a chance to get to step up in the game.

Winning is not everything. It's the only thing

R.H.S. 41 Yorkville 14

By Louie Mezzano

Winning is something the Rebels are getting good at. As the Rebels have just capped up their third win in a row, they are headed for their first state playoff appearance in five years.

The Rebels took a long trip to the cornfields to play the Foxes of Yorkville last week to repeat the win from last year. In the first drive of the game the Foxes drove down the field to punch in the first score of the game. After the slap to the faces the Rebels began. The Rebels drove the ball all over the field to take a 21-7 lead after one half of the play.

With one half left to play the Rebels drove the ball all over the field once again. Brian Rzewnicki ran for his ninth straight game for over a hundred yards. But the star of the game was one Sam Palazzo who received every pass thrown to him and broke every tackle attempted on him. After this huge win the Rebels face off against Benet in the State playoffs.

Game to remember

Rebels 26 Knights 28

By Louie Mezzano

After a hard week of practice the Rebels set off for a long trip to Kaneland, to face the 5-0 Knights.

In the first quarter of the game the Rebels could not get rolling. At the end of the first half the score of the game was 28-7 in favor of the Knights.

The Rebels came out the second half of the game steaming. Everything was working, but a little to late. They scored 19 unanswered points that half, to lose the game by two points.

"To know the intensity of the game you had to be there" said John Kurzatkowski.

"The whole team played well, especially the defense in the second half. We had 8 penalties for 90 yards." said defensive back and wide receiver John Cossentino.

Offense also had a great rushing game. Brian Rzewnicki had 24 attempts for 150 yards and 2 tds. Brian Floral had 12 attempts for 75 yards. "We took it to them in the second half, but we were too late. If we were to have taken it to them in the first half they would have been in a lot of trouble," said offensive running back coach Tom Pagliaro.

After the loss, the teams record went to 4-2. And the Rebels suit up the eleventh of October for their homecoming game against Evergreen Park.

The Scent of Playoffs Is Getting Close

R.H.S. 41 Westmont 0

By Louie Mezzano

After the previous week's victory over the Mustangs of Evergreen Park, the Rebels got ready to avenge last year's loss to the Spartans of Westmont.

The Rebels came out in the first quarter with the intensity they had in the first week game against the bulldogs. "We usually take a long time to get our motors running, but this week we got it going from the first play," said defensive lineman Tom Flahive.

In the first quarter, Butch Defelice dropped back into the pocket and connected with Woody Palazzo for the opening of the game. That play was the beginning of a Rebel day. At the end of the first quarter, the Rebels led 21-0.

In the second half "T" Marti and George Mueller led the Rebel defense to their first shut out of the year.

The major contributors to the game were Rich Valdez who gave his heart in every play and once again Brian Floral and Brian Rzewnicki who both ran for over a hundred in three quarters of play. "I see some potential and heart in the team. If they keep playing this way people will know the name Rebels," said spectator Loyola Rambler Greg Kula.

The Ridgewood Reporter Staff

Debbie Barnes

Maggie Georgiou

Iris Giannakis

Michelle Gulik

Diane Guth

Anna Kritikakos

Louis Mezzano

Scott Shudy

Advisors

Cheryl Flinn

Edith Sauter

Homecoming 97

Rebels 14 Evergreen Park 7

By Louie Mezzano

After the prior week's loss, the Rebels step it up to face off against the Mustangs of Evergreen Park for the 1997 Homecoming game.

The game was intense and both teams were having a difficult time