MAP: Class of 2012 College Destinations

Graduation means it’s time again to take a look at where RB’s Seniors are heading.  After they step across that stage on May 25th, they will scatter throughout the country.  Some are headed into the military, some to foreign countries abroad, and some staying right here at home.  You can view their plans with Clarion’s interactive map.

Click here to view our traditional Senior College Map as a PDF file.

Senior Goodbye: Madison Powers

It’s hard to believe that, four years ago, I was that little freshman walking through RB for the first time. When I first started everyone would tell me, “These years are going to fly by, appreciate your time here,” but I never paid much attention.

Turns out, they were right.

When I look back on my high school experience I realize it wasn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I may not have gotten that 36 on my ACT or qualified for state with my sports teams, but in the end I realized that didn’t matter. I received good grades, formed new friendships that mean the world to me, and grew as a person. I joined new clubs and took classes I never thought I would enjoy, but it turned out that those were the things that impacted me most. I loved being a part of SA and Clarion (shout out to Mr. Mancoff for convincing me to join). I loved being a part of the tennis and soccer teams, creating inside jokes, having pasta parties, and spending so much time together that people became WAY to comfortable with one another . I’d like to thank all my friends for accepting my flaws and weird attributes. The very best moments of my life have taken place in front of you guys.

I’d be lying if I told you I got to where I am on my own. I want to thank all the teachers I’ve had during my high school career: those who challenged me and pushed me because they knew I could do better, those who supported me through my career, and those who inspired me. I discovered what I was passionate about, that school shouldn’t be just about the grades, but how you contribute to help make it a better place, to form friendships, and to learn for the sake of learning rather than just getting an A on a test. I’d like to thank my parents and sister as well. I may not have been the easiest kid to put up with, but they were always there for me. Without their guidance, I would not be the person I am today.

To be honest, I never thought I would be sad to leave high school. I never realized that everything would be out last, our last homecoming, sport season, birthday at home. I realize that time has somehow slipped away and soon we will be saying good-bye our friends, our families, and our homes. Now we are getting excited about starting over, getting sad about what we will leave behind, and getting anxious to move on. Now we realize just how important our best friends are, how much fun we really did have in the four years.

So RB, it’s been a great four years, thanks for the memories.

35 RB students rub shoulders with Mayor Emanuel, Jimmy Carter, and more

On April 23, 2012, thirty five RB students and five staff members attended the Nobel Peace Laureates Summit at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Forum Center. The summit was titled “Speak Up, Speak Out for Freedom and Rights.” RB was lucky enough to be among the few schools invited, which also included New Trier, Lemont, and Walter Payton. A board of professors talked amongst themselves and voted on which school would and would not make the cut. After lengthy review, RB received a phone call asking if they would like to attend the event.

The students were greeted by the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel. He welcomed the Laureates and noted that the speakers would, “discuss their crusade for human rights and peace, giving our students an experience that will both inspire them and give them something to aspire to.” Emanuel was followed by President of Robert F.Kennedy Center, Kerry Kennedy, who further explained the objective of the summit and how the students could let this impact their everyday lives.

The Laureates were then introduced and were recognized for their accomplishments. MSNBC correspondent Chris Jansing began a conversation with former President Jimmy Carter, former Polish President Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Frederik Willem de Klerk of South Africa. The presidents all discussed the current problems the world is facing, such as the economy, lack of jobs, and man’s ongoing relationship with war. Every solution proposed relied greatly on the impact and creativity of the youth of the world. They explained how the only way things can get better are if young people come together and think of new ways to change the world. They also discussed how this would be easier than ever before because of the new technology we have developed. It will be much easier to converse with other countries due to web cameras, e-mail, etc. The idea of bringing the youth of the world was very prevalent, along with instilling the mind set of peace over war. Gorbachev said, “Humankind has got to say war comes last, peace comes first.”

After a short break, a new set of Laureates took place, but this discussion was primarily about the environment and global climate change. They discussed our reliance on machines that polluted the air and how to improve aspects of our planet. In discussing our advancement in technology/ fuel efficiency Dr. Rajendra Kumar Pachuari said, “It doesn’t matter how fast you’re going if you are headed in the wrong direction.” This discussion allowed students to discover new ways to change their life, for the better. New ways of being environmentally friendly were brought up, along with ideas of how the world needs to change or things will begin to spiral out of control.

RB students found this experience to very enriching and eye-opening. Senior Nina Wazsak said, “It was an honor to be invited to attend this event and I feel everyone at the summit realized how important our generation is for the future. It was a once in a life time opportunity and I really took a lot away from attending.”

EVERY STUDENT HAS A STORY: Abbey Perry

Though shes getting ready to leave RB in a few months, senior Abbey Perry has grown a lot since she arrived four years ago. She is a strong student with a passion for running, saving pit-bulls, and collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia.

Perry has been a long-distance runner since her sophomore year. Her motivation to start running was because she never did a sport. She wanted to try to be a part of different aspects of RB. She feels running has made her a stronger individual and really helps her focus on the task at hand. Running a cross country race seems like a daunting task at first, but with the drive and determination Perry has, her times have improved and she now cant imagine her life without running with her teammates.

Cross Country isn’t the only thing Perry is passionate about. Perry has a pet pit-bull. It frustrates her that pit-bulls get such a bad reputation. She has had her pit-bull for four years and doesnt understand why people hate them so much. Her dog, Jelly-Bean, shows her unconditional love and attention and she can’t imagine her dog hurting anyone.

Perry feels pit-bulls are just misunderstood animals. She said, “People always blame dogs when really its the person who raises [the dog's] fault.” Perry has tried volunteering for a local animal shelter to help defend pit-bulls. She said, “They are just as good of pets as any other animal.”

In her free time, Perry collects Coca-Cola memorabilia. She has collected over thirty objects. They range from tins from 1920, to glass bottles, to coffee mugs. When she visited Tennessee on a past vacation with her family, they stopped in an antique store and she kept finding Coke collectors items. Perry said, “I plan on collecting this stuff for the rest of my life. Its fun and I enjoy finding new things.”

RB has helped shape Perry into the well-rounded person she is today, but the music department has been her biggest influence. Perry has taken every single fine arts class RB has to offer. She said, “[Being a part of the music department] has affected what I want to do when I grow up.”

Perry plans on studying music as North Central College. She is grateful for the phenomenal teachers at RB that have helped guide her. Her band director, Kevin McOlgan, made band such a fun environment, while also encouraging the students to play to their best ability.

She didnt have room for choir these past two years, but her band directors helped bring in a singing aspect to Perrys performance. In this past show she had the courage to stand up in front of an audience and start singing. Perry said, “Normally I would never see myself doing something like that.”

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This feature is part of our “Every Student Has a Story” spotlight.  We believe every student at RB has an important story to tell, and we’re committed to getting as many of them told as possible.  Look for new additions regularly.

Board, give the community a chance to vote again

On April 5th, 2011, voters of the Riverside Brookfield community voted no to the proposed referendum. They also replaced four board members, including the president of the board Jim Marciniak who made the decision not to run for re-election.

The community members were fully aware of what they were voting no to. The school board and administration had posted online a proposed list of cuts that would take place over three years. In theory, the public would have the ability to vote every year to a referendum. Unfortunately, the current board has completely changed everything about the promised situation.

I understand that the new board brings new ideas and different changes, but I can’t grasp the idea that the community has no say in the future of the school from now on. The board is faced with the difficult task of balancing the budget, but the way they are approaching it does not seem to be fiscally responsible.

The board is cutting aspects of RB that make it such a great unique school that we students are proud to be a part of. As senior who recently applied for colleges, I have a firsthand experience of seeing how participating in a wide variety of clubs set me apart from the crowd. This board is now trying to cut clubs and sports in order to save money.

Yes, these cuts will obviously save money, but what do they propose to do after everything is cut? Once a club is cut, it is extremely hard to start it up again. What are the students supposed to do? When Student Association, the student representatives of the school, tried to share the feelings of the student body with the board, we were literally ignored by a board member who was reading a book.

“Isn’t the board supposed to be looking out for our education and our best interests?”

My main concern is not letting RB lose the reputation we have worked so hard to maintain. We are outstanding when it comes to academics because of the amazing staff. We never used to be the school that didn’t let kids play sports, and there is always a club for kids to join. RB made a niche for everyone. Losing that aspect of the school would be devastating.

All I want is the board to give another chance for the community to think about how their decisions are affecting the students. Yes, it is very tough, but we elected them because they tried convincing us they were capable of positive change.

Now, I want them to prove it.

Girls gymnastics spreads the enthusiasm all season long

The RB girl’s gymnastics team ended their season on a good note. The girls finished with personal best scores and a sense of camaraderie amongst their fellow teammates.

Though the season did not end in their favor, the girls enjoyed their time and were able to improve their skills. They had a team goal of 120 points of combined scores and they were able to attain that goal. The varsity team was made up of freshmen Jackie LaBelle, senior Kristen Santoro, junior Rachel Descola, and freshmen Reilly O’Donnell. One other spot was able to be alternating between the rest of the remaining teammates.

Freshmen Jackie LaBelle said, “The season went pretty well, the team didn’t do very well score wise, but we did improve a lot.”

Santoro said, “We were more enthusiastic this year and motivated to get better throughout the whole season. I also really enjoyed our bus rides to and from gymnastics meets. We had a lot of fun and many laughs.”

Instead of having a team Christmas Party, the team brought gifts for the Ronal McDonald house and war veterans.

The team was named one of the top three most improved gymnastics teams in the state of Illinois

Matchmaker shows consistency in finding true love

Every year, Student Association sponsors a fundraiser called Matchmaker. By participating in this fundraiser, you take a survey that matches you up with people from your grade and the rest of the school. This year, I was lucky enough to be matched up with senior Joe Sauer. I decided to investigate further to see if we really are compatible.

 Q: Favorite movie?

A: “Anchorman”

Compatibility: I prefer movies like Mean Girls or any Romantic Comedy, but I suppose throwing in a raunchy comedy every now and then won’t be so bad. Nice pick Sauer, so far you’re still a keeper.

Q: Artist:

: “Jackson Pollock”

Compatibility: Joe seems to always be mixing it up. I was referring to music artist, but Pollock is a pretty cool guy. I approve of this choice; matchmaker really did get this right.

Q: Dream wedding?

A: “I want to be married on a mountain with live music, trombones, and have Dovas dressed as all the Mumford and Sons. Oh and a fly over.”

Compatibility: I’m not a fan of outdoor weddings, but with a special appearance from Dovas could seal the deal. We’ll have a very memorable wedding and I won’t have to worry about the groom hitting his head at some stuffy banquet hall. Just out of curiosity though, what is a fly over?

Q: Dream girl?

A: “My sincerest regrets, but Lauren Wienke was my number one, so I’m going to have to pick her. You were my number two, so you’re alright.”

Compatibility: Wienke was my number two most compatible friend….yikes.

 Q: Kids?

A: “12 just like in Cheaper by the Dozen.”

Compatibility: Great movie, terrible number of kids. This is starting to feel uncomfortable.

 Q: Coke vs. Pepsi

A: “RC is the scum of the earth.”

Compatibility: Solid response, I’m just hoping he doesn’t mind the stock pile of Coke Zero that will be in the fridge.

Q: Favorite Superhero?

A: “Batman, but not regular Batman, Christian Bale Batman.”

Compatibility: I’m so glad I found a guy who agrees that Batman is not only a superhero, but the coolest one out there.

Final Q: Think we can get married?

A: “I’d love to, I do, I do.”

Compatibility: I think this speaks for itself.

Every Student Has a Story

The Clarion is proud to present “Every Student Has a Story” – an evolving, interactive feature site to chronicle what makes Riverside Brookfield High School unique – the human beings involved in it. Look for more students (and staff, parents, community members) to be added as time goes on.

Visit the interactive site HERE.

During-game entertainment brightens RB basketball

The boy’s basketball season is underway, but the boys are not all that  people come out to see on Friday nights. The Poms team, the Cheerleaders and the Hip Hop Dance team are all part of the entertainment.

 Free gif maker

Meet the Winter Art Show artists

Clarion’s recent Winter Quarterly hard copy featured a two-page spread related to the art presented at the annual Winter Art Show.  Take a closer look in color at some of these pieces of art and read quotes from the artists themselves in our slideshow gallery.  Did you participate in the show?  Do you have more pictures and quotes about what you created?  Consider sending them to us through our U Report option at the top of this site.

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