Letter urges involvement
February, 1995 February 1995 Volume 10, Issue 4 bold italic RHS Wins Again By Yannis
Styliaras Ridgewood’s Science Team took second place at the Junior Engineering
Technical Society District Competition for the second year in a row. This year’s
competition was held February 3 at Triton College. Students took written tests in areas
such as Engineering Graphics, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Fundamentals, English,
Chemistry, and Biology. As a team Ridgewood came in second between Holy Cross and Walther
Lutheran. Five Ridgewood students were awarded medals. Mark Szafran got a gold medal, and
Kim Garnier got a silver medal for Engineering Graphics. Jon Spychalski and Yannis
Styliaras won silver medals for physics, and Thanh Trieu won the bronze medal in
mathematics. Other students who participated and helped RHS win second place are Cynthia
Camacho, Mark Chwala, Brian Fish, Michelle Flynn, Kathy Georgiou, Kim Jachino, Ed Ku, Tom
Stranc, and Phenu Zachariah. The team advances to the next level of competition at IIT.
There students will compete against first and second place schools from six other
community college districts. The team is coached by Mr. Marusek. Creative Waves Debuts at
Ridgewood Creative Waves, a new student literary magazine, will be published in late May.
All students at Ridgewood were eligible to submit their work for the publication. It will
contain student poetry, short stories, plays, personal narratives, and essays. Student
artwork may also be included, although it is primarily a literary magazine. Twelve
students make up the Editorial Board. They selected the name of the magazine, established
guidelines for submissions, and set standards and goals for the first issue. Co-editors
are Niki Stavropoulos and Dawn Waisbrot. Other staff members are Nada Bankovic, Analia
Beltran, Kathleen Conneely, Ljiljana Furundzic, Mimi Gardner, Cheryl Gonzales, Anne Los,
Michelle Ness, Gina Sica, and Anna Wasilewski. The magazine is being funded in part by the
school and in part by community advertisers. Businesses who may be interested in placing
an ad in the magazine should contact the advisor, Ms. Cusack. Participate in Scholastic
Journalism Week Write about changing your school. Students who compete in this national
essay contest will get the chance to gripe about their high school education and could win
scholarship money doing it. Students entering the contest, sponsored by Newsweek magazine
and Kaplan Educational Centers, a test preparation firm, are asked to write a 500 word
essay in response to the following question: "If you could change one aspect of your
high school education so far, what would it be?" The presidents of the two
businesses, both owned by The Washington Post Company, said that they want to learn what
students have to say about their own schooling and how they’d improve it. Sophomores,
juniors, and seniors are eligible to win one of ten $1,000 scholarship prizes. Entries
must be postmarked by April 1. Winners will be chosen by the end of May. Get complete
rules and an official entry form from Mrs. Newhouse in the Library. Use It and Lose It By
Yannis Styliaras On January 1 the state’s new "Use It and Lose It" law went
into effect. This law affects Ridgewood students, but many don’t know about it.
Persons under 21 who are arrested driving with any trace of alcohol in their system will
lose their license for three months or longer. George Ryan, Secretary of State, says he
feels the new law will be another factor in decreasing alcohol and drug-related crashes
among our youth. Six people between the ages of 15 and 20 die in motor vehicle crashes
every day, and about two in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related
crash sometime in their lives. If you have a problem or anyone you know has a problem with
alcohol, see your counselor or another member of the Ridgewood Assistance Program,
formerly known as the Student Assistance Program. They can give you information on
treatment programs in the community. Varsity R Returns By Maggie Zdziarska This year
Varsity R Club was reintroduced to our school by Mr. Kalina. Membership is limited to
athletes who have received a varsity letter. The club is designed to promote athletic
activities and encourage young students to join sports. One of the club’s activities
will be visiting local grammar schools to talk to their students about the importance of
sports and encourage students to join teams. Officers of the new Varsity R club are Maggie
Zdziarska, President; Shari Mauer, Vice-President; and Maria Carparelli, Secretary.
Students Display Work at Triton By Kevin Szaflik Greg Missok won "Best of Show"
and the "Hallmark Card Award" at Triton College's Scholastic Art Awards in
January. Dawn Wojciechowski won a Gold Key. Kristoffer Pueblos and Ewa Prochowska won
honorable mentions. Other students chosen to submit their work were George Alonzo, Chris
Chiampas, Rhiannon Cobb, Edith Dabros, Janet Pozdol, Joanna Wieczorek, and Sandy
Zaprzalka. We’re Going To Disney World By Lisa Insidioso Ridgewood’s band and
chorus will be in Disney World from March 22-28. Nearly seventy students will perform in
Florida. The groups had to audition for Disney officials in order to be selected to play
at the park. RHS Music Boosters are helping raise money for the trip by sponsoring
activities such as the variety show "Korns-a-poppin," the poinsettia sale at
Christmas, circus ticket sales, and candy sales. The trip costs $475 per student, with
nearly half the money paid by the fund raisers. The band and chorus will perform a Pops
Concert Tuesday, March 21. Monson Goes to State Competition The Wrestling team ended its
season on a positive note by sending one member to State competition. Manny Monson won at
regionals to qualify to wrestle in the State competition in Champaign on Feb. 18. Nick
Spychalski took third place at regionals. NHS To Induct New Members By Rosa Auriemma The
National Honor Society advisor, Mr. Mitchell, along with a faculty committee, has been
working on the selection of new members. The induction ceremony will take place on March
14, at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. To be in National Honor Society not only takes strong
academics but also participation in school organizations, leadership and community
service. In December NHS members participated in Elf Day and caroled at area nursing
homes. They also caroled at Shriner’s Hospital. Mrs. Delores Kelly, Director of
Public Relations at Shriner’s and a Ridgewood alumna, sent a note stating that the
children had enjoyed the singing and were overwhelmed by the syncopated tunes and efforts
of the group. Meet the Mr. and Ms. Right Contest Winners The Ridgewood Reporter sponsored
the contest, "Who's Your Mr./Ms. Right," to see what makes an ideal match. Good
entries were received from Cecylia Lukasik, Melissa Pena, Roxanne Rodriguez, and Andrzej
Wojcik. The following two winners will each receive a pair of movie tickets courtesy of
The Ridgewood Reporter. Who’s your Mr. Right? 1. My Mr. Right is unique because you
can tell him anything, and he’ll understand. He is also the only one who makes me
feel special. He definitely does not care how I look. He always says, "I fell in love
with the whole package not just looks." 2. What I look for in a Mr. Right is a person
who makes you feel special, a person who is committed to only you. Somebody who will
always be there for you. Someone you can talk to as a best friend but on a romantic level.
3. I feel communication is definitely the answer to making a relationship work. It is also
important to be committed to each other, to care, and to always be there for them. 4. My
Mr. Right’s achievements are that he is still committed to me and he loves me for me.
Niki Eichhorn Who’s your Ms. Right? 1. My Ms. Right is unique because she is an
individual. She does what she has to. She always looks for the good side of things. She
has a very positive attitude. 2. Ms. Right’s qualities should include having a great
personality and a sense of humor. She has to be sensitive and caring but not
overprotective. 3. Our relationship is based on a very close friendship. We trust each
other and are always there for each other. We don’t let outside affairs come between
us. 4. The achievements of my Ms. Right include having a positive mental attitude. She is
in numerous school activities and does well in all of them. She has also put up with me
for four years. Tim Ludston Spring sports start soon despite cold weather Formal practice
sessions for the spring sports of Baseball, Softball, and Track have or are soon starting.
It is not too late to participate. See the coaches involved to become active in your
school. Students of Second Quarter The Ridgewood Faculty has selected the following as
Students of the Quarter for Second Quarter. Joe Melendez, Business and Vocational
Education Robert Stranc, Computer Science Yannis Styliaras, English Slawomir Rokita, ESL
Adam Sammartino, Foreign Language Agatha Li, Mathematics Joseph Dugo, Physical Education
Sue Micek, Practical Arts Antonella Ciccone, Science George Vasios, Social Studies Kathy
Georgiou, Social Studies STUDENT COUNCIL WORKS FOR OTHERS BY KATHY GEORGIOU Student
Council has been actively involved in various activities. During the December Blood Drive,
a record number of students volunteered to donate. Unfortunately, many were rejected
because of health conditions such as colds. Life Source received 39 pints of blood from
the students and the faculty. Another Blood Drive will be held on March 17. A successful
Clothes Drive was held in December. Many clothes, books, and toys were donated for the
needy and given to Amvets. At the beginning of February two amendments were proposed to
the Bylaws of the Constitution of Student Council. One states that Student Council
reserves the right to fine certain clubs and organizations which schedule activities that
do not take place. The second is that posted materials which have not been approved by
Student Council will be removed. The Parents Club has proposed offering a sum of money to
the school to be used for everyone’s benefit. Students are encouraged to think of
ideas to use the money wisely. Greek Student Teacher Comes to RHS By Sofia Frangiadakis
Mr. Tsichlis is the new student teacher in Social Studies under Mr. Best. He was born in
Chicago, and he is Greek. Mr. Tsichlis graduated from Ridgewood in 1990. He is currently
attending Northeastern Illinois University majoring in history and secondary education. He
has been at Ridgewood since January 5 and is teaching World History and Social Studies I.
I asked him what made him become a teacher and he said, "I was becoming interested in
history during my sophomore year in college, and then I became interested to the point I
wanted to teach history to high-school students. When I asked him what he liked most about
teaching, he told me, "I’m still kind of new at it, but I like the relationship
between a student and a teacher. The feeling you get when a student is interested in the
material you are teaching, it’s nice." Here is what Mr. Tsichlis had to say when
I asked him what goals he has for the kids he teaches. "One goal I set is that when
my class is over, the kids I teach have some sort of understanding when they leave my
classroom. For example, if I ask them a question, that they can answer it and put
something more in it besides the basic answer, like their own beliefs and opinions, to
show they have actually thought about it." I asked him what he thought of Ridgewood
High School, he said, "It’s a lot different from when I graduated. It seems like
the school has become more structured. When I was here we had the mod system. The new
system is very different." Student Teachers Practice at Ridgewood By Sylvia McAloon
What have you always wanted to ask a teacher and never had the courage to do it? As a
reporter for the school newspaper, I had the opportunity to ask some of my questions. The
first person I interviewed was Mr. Timothy Hart, who is student teaching with Mr. Lovelace
and Mrs. Netterstrom, and who attends Northeastern Illinois University. Why did you want
to become a teacher? I was a born teacher. [He wanted to know if anyone would catch his
humor.— ed.] I decided when I was pretty young. I was influenced and impressed by my
grade school and high school English teachers. English has been fascinating to me for a
long time. As a teenager I began to write poetry and also lyrics to songs. To me the
marriage between lyrics and music is fascinating. Have you any words of wisdom to share
with the students at Ridgewood? If you learn nothing more than how to cooperate, to work
properly and socialize with other human beings, you have learned a great deal in high
school. My next interview was with Ms. Linda Di Legge, who is student teaching in Italian
with Ms. Michelon and who attends Loyola University. Why did you become a teacher? I
didn’t always study to be a teacher. I worked for three-and-a-half years in sales,
but teaching had always been at the back of my mind. I knew that I wouldn’t be happy
until I started to teach. I am Italian, and I wanted to continue the language and culture.
How did you come to be placed at Ridgewood? I was asked to choose a region where I would
prefer to be placed, and Loyola’s clinical office placed me here. The school is close
to my home, and it is in a nice area. There is a considerable number of Italian families
in this neighborhood, so I’m happy here. My last interview was with the student
teacher in math, Mr. Wojciech Bejnarowicz. He is working with Mr. Hart and attends DePaul
University. Why did you decide to become a teacher? I was influenced by my family. In my
opinion, teaching is a way in which I can help. Teachers are probably the only
"real" role models that kids have today. How do you like Ridgewood? Ridgewood is
a nice school. I am glad that I have the opportunity to come here. Compared to other
schools where I have been, Ridgewood is one of the best. It’s not run down like
others, nor has it any graffiti. It is definitely a clean school. There isn’t a lot
of gang activity. Not only that, but the students and teachers are friendly. Would you
like to add something for the students of Ridgewood? I just want to tell everyone that I
am here if you need help. I am in the math office every day by 7:30 and also here after
school for an hour and a half every day. If you have a study and need to talk, make an
appointment, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I am Polish, so I can help
Polish student in English as well as in math. I will be here until March 17, so come and
see me! Student Teachers Practice at Ridgewood By Sylvia McAloon What have you always
wanted to ask a teacher and never had the courage to do it? As a reporter for the school
newspaper, I had the opportunity to ask some of my questions. The first person I
interviewed was Mr. Timothy Hart, who is student teaching with Mr. Lovelace and Mrs.
Netterstrom, and who attends Northeastern Illinois University. Why did you want to become
a teacher? I was a born teacher. [He wanted to know if anyone would catch his humor.—
ed.] I decided when I was pretty young. I was influenced and impressed by my grade school
and high school English teachers. English has been fascinating to me for a long time. As a
teenager I began to write poetry and also lyrics to songs. To me the marriage between
lyrics and music is fascinating. Have you any words of wisdom to share with the students
at Ridgewood? If you learn nothing more than how to cooperate, to work properly and
socialize with other human beings, you have learned a great deal in high school. My next
interview was with Ms. Linda Di Legge, who is student teaching in Italian with Ms.
Michelon and who attends Loyola University. Why did you become a teacher? I didn’t
always study to be a teacher. I worked for three-and-a-half years in sales, but teaching
had always been at the back of my mind. I knew that I wouldn’t be happy until I
started to teach. I am Italian, and I wanted to continue the language and culture. How did
you come to be placed at Ridgewood? I was asked to choose a region where I would prefer to
be placed, and Loyola’s clinical office placed me here. The school is close to my
home, and it is in a nice area. There is a considerable number of Italian families in this
neighborhood, so I’m happy here. My last interview was with the student teacher in
math, Mr. Wojciech Bejnarowicz. He is working with Mr. Hart and attends DePaul University.
Why did you decide to become a teacher? I was influenced by my family. In my opinion,
teaching is a way in which I can help. Teachers are probably the only "real"
role models that kids have today. How do you like Ridgewood? Ridgewood is a nice school. I
am glad that I have the opportunity to come here. Compared to other schools where I have
been, Ridgewood is one of the best. It’s not run down like others, nor has it any
graffiti. It is definitely a clean school. There isn’t a lot of gang activity. Not
only that, but the students and teachers are friendly. Would you like to add something for
the students of Ridgewood? I just want to tell everyone that I am here if you need help. I
am in the math office every day by 7:30 and also here after school for an hour and a half
every day. If you have a study and need to talk, make an appointment, and I will get back
to you as soon as possible. I am Polish, so I can help Polish student in English as well
as in math. I will be here until March 17, so come and see me! '96 Holds Dance The Junior
Class held its Ring Dance February 18 in the Honors Commons. The disk jockey was a
Ridgewood graduate. At this dance, members of the class received their class rings.
Mathletes are adding up Mathletes will compete on February 22. Alan Huebner and Justyna
Augustynska had perfect papers in the last meet. Junior Mathletes came in second place in
their last competition. The team could use new members. See Ms. Tanner if you care to
join. Teacher’s Aide Comes to Ridgewood’s Aid By Sofia Frangiadakis You’ve
seen him in the halls, the classroom and on the athletic field, and you’re probably
wondering who he is. Mr. Borg is a new Teacher’s Aide in Special Education.
"Being a teacher’s aide, I get to help students in their academic
endeavors," said Mr. Borg. "I grade papers and try to do anything that will help
the teachers and students. I coached Freshman Basketball with Joe Swilley, and I’m
going to be coaching track." When I asked him about his academic background, he told
me that he attended Oak Park High School, spent two years at Triton College, and received
his Bachelor’s degree from Rosary College. He received his teaching certificate from
St. Mary’s College in Minnesota. Mr. Borg told me that the thing he likes most about
teaching are the kids. I asked him why he chose to become a teacher, and he told me it was
because he loved kids and wanted to do something with his life that was positive and fun.
"My experiences in my other jobs, managing a store and as a debt collector, showed
that I could do something with my life that was more positive than the things I was doing.
The biggest change from Ridgewood High School to my other teaching experience in Minnesota
is the number of things kids in the city have to deal with," said Mr. Borg. I asked
him what goals he has for the students at Ridgewood, and he said, "Don’t make
the mistakes I did when I was younger. You should work to reach your goal, and hopefully
that goal is a college education. Last, but not least, you should always give 100% and do
the best you can." I asked him what some of his outside interests are, and he said,
"I fish, I lift weights, and I swam competitively in college. My new main interest
will be the child that my wife and I will have in early September." "The first
semester that I spent at Ridgewood High School has been a very positive experience that I
hope will last for a long time," said Mr. Borg. New Teacher’s Aide feels like a
freshman at RHS!!! By Sofia Frangiadakis You might have seen Mrs. Swan around school. She
is one of the new special ed teacher’s aides. A teacher’s aide has a variety of
jobs. She performs these in all areas of the school. Why did you choose to work at RHS? It
looked like a good opportunity because I’ve never worked in special education before.
I’ve found that special education is basically the same as all education. What is
your academic background? I received my Bachelor of Arts at Cornell University, and I took
some education courses at the University of Chicago. What do you like most about working
here? I enjoy seeing students being successful. It’s a very nice place to work and
it’s a lot of fun. Nothing is ever dull in school work because there is always
something new. I worked for the federal government for quite awhile. Compared to
education, it was dull and repetitive. What are your responsibilities at RHS? I have
several studies, and I assist in special education classes and work on records and
paperwork for special education classes. I also work with students in their other classes.
What were the biggest changes you had to get used to here at RHS? Everything was new from
the times on the schedules to the computers and the students. I felt like a freshman
because it takes a while for everything to fall into place. What goals do you have for the
students at RHS? I wish them the ability to enjoy life and be able to pursue their own
goals. What are some of your outside interests? I like music, and I play the flute. I also
do a lot of volunteer work in the Austin District of Chicago. SENIORS * Rosa Auriemma Mark
Balek Urmil Bhatt • Tara Burkhart Anthony Camarda Maria Camarda Joan Carnegie * Maria
Carparelli Anthony D’Acquisto Melissa De Felice Dawn Domek Joseph Dugo Loredana
Ferrante Antoinette Fetsis Zack Frangiadakis Laura Guzman Lisa Hauptman Rafal Izycki
• Elizabeth Johnson * Joanna Kacprzynski Caroline Kamka Kelli Kmiecinski Aleece
Komperda Chris Komperda Kristie Kopczyk • Katarzyna Krakowiak • Anna Krzeminska
• Edward Ku • Dorothy Leja James Le Vvintre • Agatha Li Marta Los Tania
Martinez Shari Mauer Vito Mazza Joseph Melendez David Micek Matt Mulawa John Novielli
Andrea Oster Francesco Paladino Rosa Parente Mari Penesis Tina Perna Kimberly Plescia
Aspasia Revelis Kimberly Ryan Richard Rzewnicki Adam Sloniec • Jon Spychalski
Christina St.Martin Lorand Stranyiczki • John Styliaras Debra Stypka Magdalena
Swiderska * Kevin Szaflik Konstantina Therrios • Amy Vertelka Bradley Wendel * Agnes
Wieczorek • Nancy Zagone • Magdalena Zdziarska JUNIORS Katarzyna Batorski * Lisa
Begley Nicole Belcastro * Analia Beltran Giovanni Berardi • Zaneta Blazejczyk Anna
Borzecki * Rosaria Bragioli • Anna Cantal Maria Cerra • Mark Chwala •
Francesca Cipriano Brandon Cook Robert Crosoli Tamara Czeszewski Selena Delaurentis
Katerina Demos Michelle Dombroski • Brian Fish • Michelle Flynn Ljiljana
Furundzic • Kimberly Garnier Agnes Gebka • Kathy Georgiou Michael Groenwald
Jason Guyon * Lauren Igaravidez * Elizabeth Insidioso • Kimberly Jachino Jennifer
Jasinski • Justyna Kolodziej Andrzej Koziol Steven Marlette Arkadiusz Mroz Richard
Mulica Rosanna Nardulli Adrian Nigrila Timothy Norton Jakub Olkiewicz Thomas Panocha Karen
Piatek Gina Sica • Nicholas Spychalski Pam Stratigakis Dorota Szulewska Dominic
Szurko Marianna Talluto • Thanh Trieu * George Vasios • Dawn Waisbrot Andrzej
Wojcik • Phenu Zachariah SOPHOMORES Tina Addante • Nada Bankovic Natalie
Biancalana • Cynthia Camacho Andrew Carnegie Mary Jo Chrabasz • Antonella
Ciccone * Loree Conway Daniel Corsiuk Melissa Cortese Jennifer Del Angel Veselin Denkov
Sharon Dopak • Dominika Drozdzal Kelly Dziwulski Sofia Frangiadakis Urszula Gajko
Mark Giannini • Alan Huebner Luke Klatka * Christina Klocek Margaret Kopec George
Mananedakis * Kristi Marx • Samantha Meyer Adam Milczarek Elizabeth Moe • Agnes
Piekarz • Margaret Radzikowski Salvatore Randazzo Jenny Samaras Valerie Sass •
Sanja Stevovic • Ewa Stos Imola Stranyiczki * Robert Stranc Thomas Stranc John
Szymanski Laiza Trujillo • Kristina Tunzi • Katherine Walczyk Ewelina Wasilewska
• Irene Ziec SOPHOMORES Tina Addante • Nada Bankovic Natalie Biancalana •
Cynthia Camacho Andrew Carnegie Mary Jo Chrabasz • Antonella Ciccone * Loree Conway
Daniel Corsiuk Melissa Cortese Jennifer Del Angel Veselin Denkov Sharon Dopak •
Dominika Drozdzal Kelly Dziwulski Sofia Frangiadakis Urszula Gajko Mark Giannini •
Alan Huebner Luke Klatka * Christina Klocek Margaret Kopec George Mananedakis * Kristi
Marx • Samantha Meyer Adam Milczarek Elizabeth Moe • Agnes Piekarz •
Margaret Radzikowski Salvatore Randazzo Jenny Samaras Valerie Sass • Sanja Stevovic
• Ewa Stos Imola Stranyiczki * Robert Stranc Thomas Stranc John Szymanski Laiza
Trujillo • Kristina Tunzi • Katherine Walczyk Ewelina Wasilewska • Irene
Ziec missing photo: swan
The
