Relay team leads boys’ track in early going

Last year, the boys track team had a very successful with several runners going down state. In particular, the 4 x 800 relay was one of the best in RB track’s history. The relay team consisted of Alex Amaya, Keegan Buttimer, Peter Lyson, and Mark McDonagh and finished tenth in state. It would be easy to be happy with that result with only half of the relay team returning this year (Amaya and Buttimer), but Amaya is hoping for a better finish.

“This 4 x 800 relay team could be the best ever at RB. If we don’t go to state, it would be a disappointment,” said Amaya. 

Replacing McDonagh and Lyson are juniors Travis Treviso and Chris Dziagawa. It is evident that they are more than capable of filling in as the relay team broke the conference indoor record in the process at Glenbard South. They finished with a time of 8:50.10, which beat the second place finished by nearly ten seconds.

There are standouts for the Bulldogs in other events. Since the Glenbard South Invite, the Bulldogs have competed in meets at Lemont and in the Gary Johnson Bulldog Relays at RB. Jayson Kerber does the high jump for RB and was good enough for second at Glenbard South, and won the high jump at Lemont. Buttimer was also second in the individual 800 at Glenbard South.

Other individuals who should be strong this year include senior George Smith (200 meter) and junior John Kingzette.  The 4 x 400 should also be able to compete for first place in conference. Both Buttimer and Amaya are part of this relay and are able to run the quarter mile under 55 seconds. 

As for the team’s chances, Amaya is optimistic. “We should have a good team overall, too, “ he said.

At the first meet at Glenbard South, the team finished second to Glenbard South. Glenbard South had 199 points and RB finished with 85 points as six teams competed in the meet. At Lemont, the Bulldogs finished a modest fourth out of seventh team and they also had a good showing at the RB invite, despite several juniors missing to take the ACT. The Bulldogs finished fifth out of ten teams.

The team is coached by Tim Olson, Gary Johnson, Tim Brasic and Larry Forberg. The captains for the 2011 boys’ track team are Amaya, Buttimer, Treviso, John Schraidt, and Joey Malone. Malone and Treviso are both juniors, while Amaya, Buttimer, and Schraidt are seniors.

Early start to 2011-2012 calendar

On February 8^th, the RB board passed a new schedule that has significant differences from past schedules. The new schedule has school starting on August 16^th about one week earlier than usual, and school ending on May 25^th, also about one week earlier.  This change means that this summer will be cut short by one week. The new schedule also adapts to the fall sports schedule which usually start the week of August 15^th.

Starting four years ago, RB changed their schedule.  Previously final exams were held after winter break, now they are held the week before winter break. This change was made to accommodate the 65 million dollar renovation that took place during the 07-08 and 08-09 school years.  The result of this change meant that the first semester was shorter than the second semester.

After the renovation was complete the administration did not make any changes to the schedule. Teachers and students agreed that they preferred to keep finals prior to winter break. However no change was made until now to balance out the semesters.

 “I’m totally fine with it. From an educational stand point it is nice because we have an extra week to prepare for the A.P. test as well as the ACT. From my personal stand point, I can deal with one short summer,” said math teacher Lindsay Mynaugh.

 Sophomore Vince Pozzie has a different opinion on the situation, “I don’t want to start school early even if it means we get out early. I think of summer break as June, July and August, not May”.

Wellness center open for community

Every New Year, millions of people make their new year’s resolutions for the upcoming year. Many of these for adults are about getting in shape and heading to the gym several times a week. In the local area, many people head to the YMCA in Lagrange, Cardinal Fitness in LaGrange, or the recently opened LA Fitness in Broadview. But as of January 11, adults are now welcome to exercise in Riverside-Brookfield High School’s wellness center.

The wellness center features 40 cardiovascular machines: 10 treadmills, 10 bikes, 10 ellipticals, and 10 stair-climbers. The machines are made by Life Fitness and all are in good condition.

The membership for the wellness center will cost $30 for district residents and $50 for those who live out of district. The membership is a six-week offer that goes through February 17, 2011. However, the Wellness Center is only open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 6:00- 8:00 PM for adults.

The Wellness Center is an affordable option for district residents. The membership for the YMCA in LaGrange is $40 per month (excluding fee for joining) and an LA Fitness membership costs $9.95 per week. These gyms do offer more equipment, but for cardiovascular equipment, the Wellness Center is a good financial option.

Students are still welcome to work out before or after school in the Wellness Center for free with their student I.D, so this offer is pretty much just for adults.  To sign up for this fitness experience, people that are interested can go to the RB school website (www.rbhs208.org)  and click on the athletics page. There is information about this offer at the top and a link to sign up and pay for the membership.

Career Day gives kids opportunity to explore their futures

On Wednesday, January 19^th, RB will be hosting its biannual career day.  Students will go to classes 1-7 before going to homeroom.  In homeroom they will receive their session schedule telling them which career presentations they will be attending.  The first session will start at 1:00 p.m.  An expo featuring colleges, businesses and military forces will be going on in the main gym. Over the course of the event, students will attend to career sessions as well as some time at the expo in the main gym.

“Career day has been designed for the entire student body. There is something for everyone. It is never too late to decide on a career, and this is designed to help the students do that,” said organizer and Applied Arts Chair, Patty Sarkardy.  

The career session will be taught by experts from the field. Some of the careers featured include massage therapist, T.V. broadcasting, Music, Law and Martial Arts.  Local FOX sports broadcaster Corey McPherrin will be the presenter for T.V. broadcasting.  Also attending career day will be Jim Peterik, who is most known for co-writing and performing “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.  He has also written songs for artist such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick and REO Speedwagon. Jim Peterik was born in Berwyn, Illinois.

 “I am very excited for career day because of the variety of interesting professions that will be showcased”. Phil Stepnowski

Wait until next year, St. Baldrick’s

It is the time of year when students are usually packed into the auditorium for an annual hair-shaving experience. For the past two years, Riverside-Brookfield High School has participated in the worldwide event called St. Baldrick’s Day, which supports cancer research.

This year, RB has chosen not to be a part of this event; there is a reason why RB has decided not to participate, though. It is the financial aspect of St. Baldrick’s. Not only does the school need money to hold the event, but it’s taxing to hold such an event every year.

“It wouldn’t have as much steam if they did it every year,” said Math Department Chair Doug Schultz, who has participated both years. “They decided to go every other year because of the time it takes to put together.”  Schultz has played a big part in each St. Baldrick’s day festivities because he has a special reason. “I have been a part of [St. Baldrick’s Day] each year because my niece passed away from cancer.”

Many of the shavees have special reasons for participating. Many people have loved ones who have been affected by cancer and they want to do their part. Last year on March 13^th the entire gym was packed for the event as many kids and teachers had their heads shaved. Both boys and girls were there to donate their hair to the cause.

Even some of the construction workers participated; the head of the construction company, Andy Totten, got his head shaved by Schultz. The shavers did a good job, though some kids did have to get it reshaped a little afterwards. These kids went to the seemingly ubiquitous Schultz to finish the job.

This fundraiser is not just an RB event. On St. Baldrick’s Day, schools all over the globe shave their heads to represent kids that have to lose their hair through the cancer process. In addition to this, they raise money for cancer research. All 50 states have done St. Baldrick’s Day as well as 24 countries.

St. Baldrick’s began in 1999 in New York City and has grown from just one event to thousands. Over $60 million has been raised during the decade that the St. Baldrick’s Foundation has been around. It has also received a lot of publicity at the national scale as stars such as Jay Leno and Jackie Chan have shaved their heads for cancer research.

This year, RB has decided to go for Locks of Love rather than St. Baldrick’s Day. It is going to be a small event, where students can donate hair if they want. The hair will be made into wigs for cancer patients.

The gym will not be packed this March to watch students get their hair cut, but next year, the festivities will continue in a strong fashion. And you can bet that the gym will be packed and the money will be flowing to cancer research.

What to be thankful and not thankful for at RB

As Thanksgiving approaches, people begin talking about what they are thankful for. Here is what students and staff should and should not be thankful for at RB in the upcoming weeks:

What to be thankful for:

New facilities and the end of construction. I’m pretty sure everyone in the school is relieved that every hallway is open and the construction is over. This also means there are new facilities that make everything easier. The field house, the new weight room, and the new swimming pool enhance the athletics at RB.

Football. Fans of any football team can agree on one thing: Thanksgiving is for football. The Thanksgiving weekend gives football fans the opportunity to watch the sport all weekend, highlighted by the annual NFL games on Thanksgiving.

Skyward: The new Edline has sure been a hit at RB. This online grade book is more updated and more visual-enhancing. The calendar on Skyward allows students to see what grade they got on each assignment. The gradebook mode shows students what overall grade they are getting in each class, and the message center is also very simple.

Thanksgiving break: This is always one of the best breaks of the year, but then again, what break isn’t great? Thanksgiving break is filled with food and family, and is a great holiday. This four day weekend is always needed for students and teachers alike.

What not to be thankful for:

Finals after winter break. Since we started school later than usual, RB had to change a few things. One of these things included having Finals after winter break rather than before. This makes winter break a little less enjoyable because rather than having no work to do over the break, students have to study for their finals.

Cold weather. When Thanksgiving arrives it brings with it some winter weather. Few people enjoy going outside in freezing weather to shovel paths or to warm up the car.

AP classes: This could go either way, but it lands on the not thankful list. This is the time of year when AP classes tend to start getting to students, and the homework load is very time consuming.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving: In the past, this was a day students could be thankful, but not this year. Because of the construction, this is a mandatory school day, rather than an extra day off. This is the second year in a row that school has been in session on this day; last year was because of the flood.