Homewood-Flossmoor’s Master Singers have toured 13other times since 1970, but this year’s spring breaktour — the group’s 14th performance trip — included atwist that might never recur. After performing in Budapest,Vienna, Melk, and Brno, the group headed for Prague in theCzech Republic for a stop inside the U.S. Embassy on Fri-day, April 1. There the group was welcomed by U.S. Am-bassador Andy Schapiro — someone who knewsomething about performance tours as well.

Schapiro graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor in 1981.He was also a member of Viking Choir and had toured andperformed with the Master Singers in Austria and Switzer-land back in 1980. As fate would have it, this year’s tour in-cluded a stop in Prague, where he now calls home . Luckily,the ambassador’s busy schedule opened up the week beforethe tour, allowing him time to visit — and sing with — thestudents at his residence on their last day in Europe.

Schapiro and his wife, Tamar Newberger, were gracioushosts, says Michael Rugen, H-F choir director and teacher.

They provided a meal for the group of 60+ and let the stu-dents explore the embassy. Schapiro also shared stories ofhis high school days and his career path that led him to hiscurrent political appointment.“Everything about Mr. Schapiro’s persona just brought

joy to everyone,” says Alexandra Lawton, a University ofArizona-bound H-F senior and tour bus captain. “Hearinghis stories were important for the choir because we rightnow are very much like he was in high school.”

“Visiting the embassy and meeting Ambassador Schapirowas truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says TristanDonohoe, a College of Wooster-bound senior. In return for the hospitality, the students lit up the resi-

dence with their singing. For the final song, Blessing ofAaron, Schapiro took his place with the bass singers. Ac-cording to Rugen, this song — arranged by the first VikingChoir director, Walter Rodby — has been sung tradition-ally by the choir since 1964. Schapiro was impressed.

“The choir sounded spectacular, and their vocal talent

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 233, 999 KEDZIE, FLOSSMOOR, IL 60422 • 708-799-3000

SPRING 2016 • Volume 44 • hfhighschool.org

Stars — and schedules — align for H-F singers & special alumnus

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

VIKING C ONNECTION

continued on page 8

The 2016 H-F Master Singers take a break from performing to pose for a photo with U.S. Ambassador Andy Schapiro at his residence inPrague, Czech Republic. Photo by Greg Petecki.

2 • VIKING CONNECTION SPRING 2016

GRADE 9 - Class of 2019HIGH HONORS: Maya Alborn • Oyindasola Ayorinde • JosephineBachus • Barbara Burns • Lily Callen• Lauryn Castagna • Joan Coderre •Victoria D’Astici • Kyndall Davis • Maggie Dunne • Jaida Fourte • Abigail Guerrero • Alannah Hill • Perry Hoag III • Aisha Ibrahim •Cameron Johnson • Winston Langston• Caroline Larocca • Jeremiah Mailey-Durodola • Laila Malak • Shallon Malfeo • Emma McKillip •Jada Montgomery • Jack Layden Mott• Kensuke Nakamura • Taylor Nash •Laurin Neal • Sally Pauss • MatthewPiotrowski • Camm Pollmacher • Joy Rhodes • Destiny Smith • Autumn Staples • Jeffrey Steele •James Steiner • Gia Troche • Maeve VanEtten • Hailey Weishaar •Mara Winfrey • Katelyn Zalewski

HONORS: Evan Abraham • ShelbyAkridge • Jordan Alfred • Kyle Allen •Jack Anderson • Tnaya Anderson •Udochukwu Anidobu • EdriannaAssam • Dominique Austin • ClayvonBedenfield • Jace Bell • Alex Benitez• Megan Bolling • Antonio Bonds II •Kaila Brack • Joshua Bridges • Charlie Brooks IV • Audrey Brown •Iesha Brown • Yvette Cano Montesino• Kamya Cave • Kaila Chambliss •Keyaira Cox • Donald Crocker •Kennedy Curtis • Lauren Donaire •Asha Dowell • Jasmyne Duffie • Jalen Duffin • Ashley Grace Dureke •Benjamin Eng • Jose Julian Garcia •Cierra Garrett • Kaniyah Gill • Eli Gonzalez • Michael Gordon • MichaelGrupp • Amya Hampton • MatthewHarkins • Zahra Harmon Cohran •Sierra Harris • John Hertel • CamilleHobson • James Humphrey • JackJohnson • Jason Johnson • JustinJohnson Sparks • Scott Klupchak •Darek Kois • Caroline Koranda •Owen Kreis • Mia Lanier • GabrielleLaws • Brianna Lewis • Leanna Lewis• Jeremy Libretti-River • ZacharyLueder • Dylan Lunceford • Jake Lutz• Mackenzie Lyseng • Joshua Maicach• Mia Martin • Rebecca May • AudreyMcKillip • Jessica McReynolds • KelciMerritt • Destiny Montgomery • Morgan Murphy • Kayla Norris • Grace Ongman • Aliyah Ouedraogo •Eniola Oyefeso • Brandon Prichard •Daeja Purnell • Peyton Riegler • Emily Robertson • Sean Roby • AlyssaRosales • Kamila Rose • Layla Ross •Innocenze Russell • Nora Ryan • Jasmine Sahagun • Jorge Santos •Kaylin Searles • Tiana Sharpe • Christen Slaughter • Myles Spain •Jalen Stennis • Aileen Straley • HenryThiros • Taylor Tomlin • Sabrina Treccani • Alexandra VanVoorhees •Katis Varela • Aniya Vaughns • JadanVines • Serena Webster • JosephineWenckus • Jaelyn White • AutumnWilliams • Alexandria Wilson • Kamiya Young • Samara Zinnerman

GRADE 10 - Class of 2018HIGH HONORS: Rachel Berey Wingate• Joseph Cipriano • Megan Connors •Lauren Davidson • Levi Dobben •Evgenia Ermasova • Opeyemi Fatuki •David Hill • Melvin Keeler • Jonathan Luong • Allie Mangel •Madeline Moxley • Enrique Munoz •Emma Novak • Lior Rafalovitz •Michaela Reid • Jalen Spain • Tara Thrall • Chloe Walls • Cole Weber• Simone Williams • Kayla Winfrey

HONORS: Paige Adams • MaryamAdebayo • George Adkins • Kylie Andersen • Emma Anderson •Gage Anderson • Antonio Archilla •Taylor Ausley • Mariam Babawale •Kori Barnes • Andrea Barrera • Hayli Bentley • Grace Bingham •Ramon Blanco • Antoine Bouyer •Harrison Brooks • Hasani Broomfield• Ronald ButlerII • Ava Calpino •Kendall Carter • Dylan Case • SierriahClemons • Jaylan Cook • BraydonCrawford • Terrance Crocker • LucyCrump • Kennedy Dames • NatalieDavis • Raven Davis • Anthony Dowd• Griffin Doyle • Sandra Driscoll •LeByron Dudley • Max Dunlavy •Meghan Dwyer • Oritsematosan Egbesemirone • Alexandra Fieramosca• Amanda Fieramosca • Karen Fonseca • Leia Fuentes • ChloeGallery • Arianna Garry-Bell • JohnGeary • Jaden Gladden • Ryan Gorton• Chase Gray • Danika Griffin • JarrettGunn, Jr. • Philip Hallam • SydneyHampton • Nathaniel Hardy • AndrewHarris • Asante Hayes • Jordyn Hester• Whitney Hopson • Allison Hrechko •Joseph Humphrey • Brendan Hurley •Caleb Izenbart • Angelina Izguerra •Destiny Izguerra • Tristan Kalas •Omar Khalyfa • Aaliyah Korkoyah •Jorden Levine • Jonathan Lewis •Ariyana Maddox • Elyse Mansfield •Erik Manzig • Chad Martin • RicardoMartinez • Kayla Matthews • AyannaMayes • Ruth McManus • NacylaMitchell • Pershia Mohseni • StephenMorrow • Amirah Muhammad • GarretOatis • Liam O’Connor • Nathaniel Oh• Olufemi Orekoya • Uriyah Patterson• Le Roy Patterson, Jr. • Stephen Peacock • Claudia Pollmacher • GracePrado • Courtney Pugh • Andre Reed• Raven Reeves • Samantha Rober-son • Tyler Roberson • Sierra Ross •Noor Ryan • ClareGrace Ryndak • Kyle Salley • Kathleen Schmidt •Grace Sowacke • Kyla Stinson • Luca Strohmeier • Margaret Sullivan •Emma Temple • Josha Thomas • Mya Toliver • Bridget VanEtten • Tyler VanKley • Alessandro Vazquez •Zaid Walker • ZiOnay Walker • Jameria Washington • John Weeks •Chad Wheeler • Chloe White • ArthurWillis • Kyla Wilson • John Wootton •Kiara Yranela

GRADE 11 - Class of 2017HIGH HONORS: Michael Bonthron •Jenna Bostick • Emma Brown • VioletBuchtel Devine • Joshua Chambers •Rebecca Cockrell • Cooper Dague •Aislinn DeButch • Bailey Didier • Sydney Gear • Sydney Hayes • Bless-ing Ibe • Shannon Jordan • BrennanKaiser • Reese Kaiser • SamanthaKlupchak • Gabrielle Pizza • LucySloan • Ian Stern • Eliza Sykes • Malika Toguem • Catherine Wassilak •Tsai-Yun Yang

HONORS: Leah Adams • NicholasAdams • Brian Aguilar Guerrero • Desean Aikens • Boluwatife Ajanaku •Sopuluchukwu Anidobu • Kendal Bai-ley • Isolde Belisle Dempsey • OliviaBergeron • Melinda Berman • JoshuaBishop • Nathaniel Bouchie • VanessaBowers • Justin Caldwell • Tylar CantyWest • Lauren Clay • Hailey Coghlan •Cinae Collins • Courtney Commodore• Anne Julie Constant • AnneRodieConstant • Erin Cook • Courtney Davis• Eboni Davis • Kerrington Davis •Lance Davis • Maya Dent • CamronDeVine • Abigail Diemer • CarnellDodd • Ashley Domer • Philip Don-ahue • Kathryn Donermeyer • Krystal-Flora Dureke • Zion Epperson • JamesFields • Claire Fortman • PaytonGallery • Alexander Garcia • JosephGreenebaum • Eric Hagerman • LillianHamer • Azrien Handy • Amber Hay-wood • Henry Heligas • Joseph Henry• Chinyera Hicks • Michael Hillegass• Kyle Hinton • Benjamin Hoefle •Katelyn Holmgren • Mary Huffman •Alexis Hunter • Ashley Hunter • EricHunter • Tiara Jackson • Demi Jeffer-son • Lauren Jennings • Sophia John-son • Jaylah Jones • Max Jung •Jamezz Kimbrough • Cierra King •Stephen Kirchschlager • William Knox• Katya Kolimas • Henry Kreis • AnnaLane • Elijah Leake • Hannah Leonard• Dylan Lewers • Jayln Lockett • LeahLondon • Lester Loyd IV • CarolineMadden • Nicholas McAlister •Kendall McGowan-Durr • BrittanyMcLaurin • Glynnis McManamy •David Meehan • Alexis Meiner •Alexander Mendoza • Brianna Meyer •Jessica Minor • Emily Montalvo • Keithina Montgomery • Thomas Moore• Jessica Myles • Morgan Myles •Chiedozie Nwaru • Cessanye Osby •Nana Osei • Meera Patel • VincentPeo • Gianmarco Petrelli • Emma Piotrowski • Michael Price • James Rhyne • Jennifer Riner • JaimieRobinson • Lauren Robinson • JacobRothchild • Ethan Runburg • DilanRutland • Kaitlyn Sanders • KyraSchaffer • Matthew Scholefield •Michael Schutz • Aminat Shittu •Kennedi Sidberry • Joshua Simonton• Malik Sims • Jordan Singleton •Clayton Smailes • Kimani Smith •Tess Sobolewski • Tamara Stevens •Hayley Sutherland • Juno Suzuki •Aira Tantoco • Todd Taylor • TaahTompkins • Mya Valadez • SebastianValentin • Michael VanEtten • RobertVenegas • Zakiya Walker • TashaWashington • Sarah Weiner • EuniceWhang • Deja Wilkins • KatherineWillis • Harrison Wojcikowski • Alex Wright • Kevin Zhang

GRADE 12 - Class of 2016HIGH HONORS: Jessica Barry • Ryan Bergal • Mae Carroll • Juliana Castagna • Shiloah Coley •Heather Culbertson • Samuel Cutrara• Elaina Dague • Meagan Donermeyer• Aliaa Eldabli • Arlaina Gardner •Michael Gislason • Brittany Henry •Morgan Jackson • Morgan Jordan •Rosemary Joyce • Lauren Kuchta •Syria Laird • Hannah Lichtenberg •Grace Lipscomb • Michelle Maass •Jacqueline Mazique • Ikeoluwapo Nelson • Sophia O’Connor • ThomasPlanera III • Kayla Reiser • WarrenRichards • Mandy Sigale • NicholasThompson • Aubria Thornhill • IsabelWeber • Brittany White • Kayln Wright

HONORS: Alexis Anderson • JomarieArban • Christine Augustin • MegAustin • Marcus Baker • Tia Baldwin •Taiylar Ball • Carli Bell • Anthony Bello• Wesley Blakely • Tamika Bobo •Temara Bobo • Miles Bohlman • Kai Brady • Caleb Brayboy • RashelleBrownfield • Matthew Brownlee •Khaliq Carr • Kristen Clark • ThomasClaxton • Bernie Coderre • SarahCoghlan • Luke Colin • MargaretColton • Santago Concepcion Wall •Benjamin Conforti • Kayla Conner •Tyler Connors • Jeremy Correll • TaylorCox • Brendan Crawford • Jade Curtis• Margaret Danielian • Anthony Davis• Mizani Day • Mary Donkel • TristanDonohoe • Angelica Dorn • BrendenDrinkard McFarland • Jack Dunlavy •Shannon Dunne • Daniel Estelle •Christian Evans • Riley Farkos • Jessenia Figueroa • William Flowers •Jordan Fox • Michael Gavin • PrestonGenett • Gabrielle Glomb • Lila Grant• Nora Grasse • Bryce Gray • AlexiaHamilton • Vatsana Hargrove •Michael Havighorst • Hailey Heining •Brent Hughes • Kasey Hull • AileenHumphrey • Joshua Izenbart • Isabella Jimenez • Alvin Jones • EthanKaiser • Raina Kalas • Laura Larocca• Luke Logan • Kyle Loudon • Mia Luckett • Sean MacCormack •Jaida Macklin • Alexis Malone • Faith Martin • Emily Mathews • KateMorrill Ploum • Zakkiyah Muhammad• Paris Napue • Linda Nwumeh •Ianna Oatis • Nija Onuegbu • MaryPaetow-Fanning • Brianna Rauch •Ann Reilly • Claudia Roberts • CobiSabo • Taylor Saucier • JohnathonSchmidt • Mia Schumann • JuliaSchwieterman • Ethan Senesac •Marcos Serrano • Mechai Sharks •Natalie Shute • Luke Smailes • Cassidy Spuhler • Koryn St. Clair •Keani Staton • Kevin Steiner • Andriana Stephens • Andre Thomas •Courtney Thompson • Cassie Toolan •Johnathan Truex • Kira Van Voorhees• Blake VanNiel • Elizabeth Voelker •Nicholis Walker • Brooke Watson •Destiny Watson • Kendall Watts •Tyler Wheeler • Payton White • Nina Williamson • Shaleahk Wilson •Chad Yranela

3 r d Q u a r t e r Ho no r Ro l l — 2 0 1 5 / 1 6

As a school year rolls along, somany amazing, unexpected oppor-tunities that benefit students and staffpresent themselves. One of these re-markable opportunities occurred inearly April when David Coleman,

president and CEO of the College Board, visited H-F. Mr.Coleman was in Chicago for one day and requested tostop by to see Homewood-Flossmoor. Through conversa-tions I have had with him over the past few years, he hasbeen extremely impressed with our school, teachers andstudents, and he wanted the chance to see H-F first-hand.On Friday, April 8, he was welcomed by an auditorium

full of nearly 700 students. David shared with them hisrecommendations for how to prepare for and how to suc-ceed in college. Among his suggestions included challeng-ing yourself by taking an Advanced Placement class whilein high school, registering for free sample SAT reviewsand tests via the Khan Academy, and — once in college —seeking out and studying with the bestprofessors on campus. David was then joined on stage by

four AP students — seniors Sara Val-divia, Andre Thomas, Taah Tomp-kins and junior Alex Wright — whoprovided anecdotes of their own APexperiences while here at H-F. Guid-ance Counselor Roberto Suarez actedas moderator for their discussion. Afterthe school day ended, David stayed aslong as his schedule would allow, pro-viding an opportunity for teachers andcounselors to ask him additional ques-tions.It was a wonderful experience to

have an educator of his caliber at ourschool. David was named to the “2013

Time 100,” Time Magazine’s annual award for the 100 most-influential people in the world. I have personally knownhim to be an amazingly talented individual, whose bril-liance is only equaled by his passion to see all studentsachieve their very best. In addition, David is a recipient ofthe prestigious Rhodes scholarship. In his role at the Col-lege Board, he continues to work tirelessly with students,educators, academic institutions and governments aroundthe world to ensure all students and faculty understand andchampion “Equity and Access” to a rigorous education. David enjoyed his afternoon at H-F and appreciated the

warm Viking welcome he received. We were fortunate tohave him personally visit — he does not get many oppor-tunities to visit schools. He acknowledged H-F has an out-standing student body and expressed how much heenjoyed conversing with H-F students, as well as staff. Wewere very fortunate to have had this unique experience; itis occasions like these that distinguish H-F as a school ofexcellence. — Dr. Von Mansfield, Superintendent

Note from the Superintendent

SPRING 2016 VIKING CONNECTION • 3

Facebook: Homewood-Flossmoor-High-School-85443134455

Twitter: @HFHS59

YouTube:HFVikingTV Homewood-Flossmoor Fine Arts

Instagram:@HFHS59

College Board President visits, inspires students

SAVE THE DATE: Friday, Sept. 16, 2016

H-F Foundation’s6th Annual Golf Outing & DinnerGlenwoodie Golf Course, Glenwood, IL

Get more details at hffoundation.org

A special moment on the Mall Auditorium stage on April 8 — Left to right: Superintendent Dr.Mansfield, District 233 Board President Richard Lites, Sara Valdivia, College BoardPresident/CEO David Coleman, Andr e Thomas, Taah Tompkins & Alex Wright.

2 0 1 6 H - F H i g h S c h o o l R e t i r i n g S t a f f & T e a c h e r s

PE/Health Teacher; Swim & Water Polo Coach• Memorable Moment: “I have spent a big part of my life hereteaching and coaching but having the opportunity to coach both ofmy daughters then to have my youngest coach with me was spe-cial.”• Greatest Reward: “I have been given the opportunity to have ajob and a place to work that I truly love.”• Retirement Plans: “Immediately, I’m dying to see what it is liketo do nothing, to wake up when I want, not eat brown-bag lunches,take naps and stay up late if I want. Long term ... I will probably of-ficiate and maybe try working at a motorcycle shop or car dealer-ship.”

Tim Ca ldwe l l - 27 years of service

Instructional Assistant / Accompanist• Memorable Moment: “Traveling to Italy with the MasterSingers for my son’s senior year (1995). It was my first timein Europe, my family came and we visited Milan, Florence,Pisa, Padua, Verona and Venice.”• Greatest Reward: “The kids -- they become part of my ex-tended family. It is a joy to see them grow as performersand gain their confidence. I've kept in touch with so manyof them and have even attended and played at some oftheir weddings."”• Retirement Plans: “To continue freelance playing andsinging and also spending time with friends and family.”• What Will You Miss: “My relationship with Mr. Rugen(choir director) and with the students -- I will miss makingamazing music together as we've done over these pastyears."

Susan Pawlak - 24 years of service

H-F Librarian• Memorable Moment: “I have a‘memorable moment’ every timestudents who are not ‘readers’come in looking for a book be-cause the teacher told them theyneeded to check one out and a fewdays later they come back formore.”• Greatest Reward: “I have reallyenjoyed being involved in the IBprogram and working closely withthose students.”• Retirement Plans: “I plan to stayin the community and will continue

to work part-time at the Homewood Public Library. I will alsocontinue as a member of the Flossmoor Public Library Boardof Trustees. Obviously, libraries are my life!”

4 • VIKING CONNECTION SPRING 2016

Kathy Ti sonc ik - 14 years of service

WorldLanguageDept.Chair• GreatestReward:“Seeing mystudentsevery day —it is trulythe best

part of my day. Also, I have enjoyed hiring new teachersand watching them grow into seasoned professionals.”• What Will You Miss: “The people, especially the stu-dents — it’s a nice place to work and I have a lot of nicefriends here.”• Retirement Plans: “I will continue to be a grader for theSpanish AP exam. I have also applied to be an AP consult-ant with the College Board and will begin a two-year pro-gram to become a Spanish art docent for the Art Instituteof Chicago. I will also spend time with my grandkids andeventually do some traveling, including visiting family inPeru.”

Donna Say le r - 13 years of service

Superintendent takes newpost at College Board

Superintendent Dr. Von Mansfieldwas recently appointed the Chairof the Committee on Membership atthe College Board. In this two-year termhe will oversee the process of reviewingapplications for College Board member-ship from the U.S. and around theworld. The membership committee ischarged with looking at applicationsfrom K-12 schools and school districts,higher-education institutions, as well asnon-profit agencies to recommend tothe Board of Trustees for acceptanceinto the College Board. In addition, themembership committee also discussesways to engage member institutionsand agencies to improve educationalequity and access through program-ming.

He says his service to the CollegeBoard has enhanced his role as districtsuperintendent.

“It has broadened my knowledgebase of resources to better supportstudents, parents, teachers and admin-istrators,” he says. “In addition, it haskept me abreast of the latest profes-sional-development opportunities thatsupport teaching and learning at thehighest levels. I have been able to seefirst-hand what is needed to make asuccessful transition to post-high school educational opportunities.”

A College Board trustee since 2013,Dr. Mansfield has served the organiza-tion in various roles since 2010. Basedin New York City, the College Board is amission-driven, not-for-profit organiza-tion that connects students to collegesuccess and opportunity. The member-ship association is made up of morethan 6,000 of the world’s leading edu-cational institutions and is dedicated topromoting excellence and equity in ed-ucation. HF

Special Education / VAST Teacher• Memorable Moment: “I will neverforget the day Carol & Andy Lindstromcame into my classroom with ... a dec-laration stating that ‘Sweetest Day ...from this day forward shall be knownas Mary LaBotz Sweetest Day be-cause of her many kind, thoughtfuland wonderful things she does for theHomewood-Flossmoor school commu-nity.’”• Greatest Reward: “Getting to work

so closely with my students and their families. When they come into the VAST program,they are with me all day for three or four years, so I get very close to them. I am stillamazed to see the students mature into adulthood and become prepared to make it inthe real world, learning to succeed despite their disability. It is hard to put into wordshow hard my kids have to work to succeed and they do it with such grace. Also, the ad-ministration and Board of Education have always been extremely supportive of theVAST program.”• Retirement Plans: “I am planning to move out near my daughter and babysit the twomost beautiful grandchildren in the world. I am also planning on traveling; this year Iam going to Greece and I want to learn to fly a plane.”

Mary LaBotz - 31 years of service

Operations & Maintenance• Retirement Plans: “Nothingspecific. I used to work as a vol-unteer firefighter, so I maychoose to do that again.”

Guidance Department Registrar• Biggest Challenge: “It’s a very busy officeand the start of the school year is always a bigchallenge.” • Memorable Moments: “Helping students outwith deadlines and college applications. Theyare so stressed out senior year!”• Greatest Reward: “The students & staff.”• Retirement Plans: “Long-term, I plan totravel.”

SPRING 2016 VIKING CONNECTION • 5

B e t sy D iaz -Kudra- 17 years of serviceR ich Warne r

- 30 years of service

#1 — The H-F Steppers earned 1st Place in theU-19 Co-Ed Minor Division at the 2016 NSAChampionships, held the weekend of April 9 inMemphis, Tenn. The team is coached by Cather-ine Cook, English teacher, and Jaron Boyd.

#2 — The annual Guitar Showcase made itsway to the Mall Auditorium this year, due to thegrowth of H-F’s Guitar Ensemble classes. Nextschool year the Fine Arts Department will addViking Guitar Ensemble to its course offerings.

#3 — H-F’s art and literary magazine, Edda,released its 2015-16 edition, Reflections, thisApril. A release party was held April 18 for stu-dents, parents and magazine sponsors. Thebook is available for purchase in the CampusStore.

#4 — H-F’s Group Interpretation cast and crewfinished 8th in the IHSA State Tournament thisMarch. The production, titled Better Nate ThanEver, featured two All-State performers: JacobRodriguez and Jessica Ashby.

Homewood-Flossmoor Snapshots

#1

6 • VIKING CONNECTION SPRING 2016

#4

#2#3

SPRING 2016 VIKING CONNECTION • 7

Homewood-Flossmoor Snapshots

#5

#5 — Ten of Scott Aronson’s International Re-lations students represented H-F at the IllinoisCapitol Forum, a program sponsored by the Illi-nois Humanities Council held at Illinois StateUniversity in April.

#6 — Sophomore Emma Novak received Bestin Show for her drawing of an elephant, Entan-gled, made with string and nails, at the 3rd An-nual Illinois High School Art Exhibition at Zhou BArt Center in Chicago. More than 500 studentworks were showcased in six categories.

• Adam Benjamin, Jr. VA• Agilent Technologies• Dr. Shelley Amuh• Arbor Eye Care Center• AT&T• Athletico• BMO Harrris• BP• Breckenridge • CAAN Academy of Nursing• Carpenters Apprentice Program

• Chez Delali Salon & Day Spa• Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center

• Chicago Heights Fire Dept.• Cook County Sheriff's Dept.• DLA Architects, Ltd.• EADG4• Edward Jones• Elite Ambulance• Every Tooth Counts Pediatric Center

• Federal Bureau of Investigation

• Flossmoor Animal Hospital• Flossmoor Fire Dept.• Flossmoor Police Dept.• Flossmoor Public Library• Good Shepherd Center• Governors State University• HFF• H-F Parent Association• The Hart Wellness Center• Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co.

• The Illinois Institute of Art• Illinois Media School• Illinois State Police

• Ingalls Memorial Hospital• ITT Tech• Jenner and Block, LLP.• John Amico School of Hair Design

• Jordy Cakes• LeMay Productions• Lewis University• Mary Kay• McCormick Place• Melody Mart• Nokia• OAI, Inc.• Shirley Oberg, Nurse• Timijanel Odom, Attorney• Pipe Fitters Union 597• Prairie State College• South Suburban College• State Representative William Davis

• Thornton Township Youth Committee

• Trace Ambulance Service• U.S. Air Force• U.S. Army Recruiting Station• U.S. Bank• U.S. Marines• U.S. Navy• UIC College of Nursing• Union 134 IBEW• Urban GIS• Karla Weisel, Occupational Therapist

• Westcon• Daphne White, Journalist• Linda Wright, Psych. D. • The Wright Touch Athletics• Yesterday's Gentlemen Barbershoppe

#6

Thank you, 2016 Career Fair participants

Ne w s f r o m C a m p u s

was matched by their maturity, poise, and obviousaffection for each other, which was the nicest thingof all to see,” he says.After the performance, students were able to

speak privately with the ambassador and take photoswith him to memorialize this part of their trip. Thechoir tour was sponsored by the Homewood-Floss-moor Fine and Performing Arts Council, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the growthand cultivation of the fine arts in the community. On tour this year were: Emma Anderson,

Alyssa Beverly, Jacob Bodine, Jenna Bostick,Zoe Branch, Violet Buchtel Devine, BrookeButler, Najee Chatman, Luke Colin, SantagoConcepcion Wall, Anthony Crecco, HeatherCulbertson, Elaina Dague, Margaret Danielian,Tristan Donohoe, Shelby Dorsey, Ryan Dowell,Sydney DuBose, Brianna Dunlap, Zion Epper-son, Sarah Esparza, Sydney Floyd, Jaden Glad-den, Joseph Greenebaum, Nina Harris, MichaelHillegass, Aaron Holiday, Holly Hughes, HannaJohnson, Alvin Jones, Dubois Jones, Rosemary Joyce,Raina Kalas, Katelynn Karner, Caitlin Lamb, Alexan-dra Lawton, David Meehan, Nacyla Mitchell, SophiaO’Connor, Jasmine Penman, Gianmarco Petrelli,Emma Piotrowski, Victoria Pope, Adam Reed, AnnReilly, Olivia Ryan, Marcia Schwieterman, MarieSherlock, Mandy Sigale, Keani Staton, Hayley Suther-land, Lauren Torian, Kirstin Washington, BraxtonWilliams, Simone Williams, Harrison Wojcikowskiand Alex Wright. HF

H-F Master Singers (l. to rt.) Nacyla Mitche ll , Alvin Jones,Santago Concepc ion Wall, Mag gie Danie lian, SophiaO’Connor & Adam Reed enjoy some warm beverages at theU.S. Embassy in Prague. Photo by Greg Petecki.

8 • VIKING CONNECTION SPRING 2016

continued from page 1

Student memories fromthe tour

“As soon as we ar-rived in Vienna, Aus-tria, we stopped atour hotel to get set-tled into our rooms.We all, coincidentally,had rooms that hadwindows looking overa courtyard that es-sentially separatedthe hotel in half. Aswe got into ourrooms, everyone hadthe same idea tostick their heads out

of the window and see what was below. Because we allhad popped out at the same time, we decided to singfrom our room windows, and as we sang people walkingthe streets of Vienna came into the hotel courtyard andlooked up at us singing our set list. It was incredible.”

— Emma Piotrowski, senior

“My favorite concert was the St. Stephen’s Cathedral inVienna. It was the greatest experience to sing there.The decor inside and out of the building is breathtak-ing. In the middle of a nice little city, this amazing,gothic building is just a site to see. The acoustics inthere were the greatest we've heard. It was the experi-ence of a lifetime and I can't wait to go back!”

— Alexandra Lawton, senior

“The dozen people in the audience at the abbey inMelk, Austria, made our pieces feel that much more in-timate and enjoyable. Once we finished ... our tourguide came to me and pointed out a man sobbing nextto his wife in the pew and said to me, ‘You made himcry.’ It captured the whole point of the tour and ofchoir: to share the passion of music. In the words of Mr.Rugen on our last night in Europe together, ‘It's allabout the music. It's always been about the music.’”

— Tristan Donohoe, senior

A sea of red robes streams down a cobblestonestreet in Vienna, as the H-F Master Singershead to a performance. Photo by Greg Petecki.

SPRING 2016 VIKING CONNECTION • 9

Al umn i New s & Ha p p e n i n g s

Austin Smith, ’06 — The fine artsprogram at H-F has launched the careers ofnumerous alumni throughout the decades, includ-ing Broadway star Austin Smith. After perform-ing in such H-F productions as Scapin!, On theRazzle, MacBeth, The Five People You’ll Meet in Heaven and The Importance of BeingEarnest, Austin enrolled and graduated from Columbia University in New York,then was accepted into the prestigious theatre program at Juilliard. Cast in thehottest Broadway musical in years, Hamilton, Austin (above, fourth person clockwisefrom front) is a member of the ensemble and an understudy for the roles of AaronBurr and George Washington. The cast was recently invited to perform at theWhite House!

Teresa Jackson, ’12 — Teresa is graduating thisJune with a B.A. in Gender & Women’s Studies fromKnox College. She has been accepted into the Ph.D. program atIndiana University, where she will pursue a Ph.D. in GenderStudies. The program is fully funded, and she also has a fellow-ship for her first year of study. While a student at H-F, Teresabelonged to the H-F Speech team and was a member of theNational Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society.

Dr. Bob Derick, ’78 — Dr.Derick, who was on his way to acollege visit with daughter, Ali,and wife,Vivian, popped into campus for a quicktour earlier this month. Bob, who is anophthalmologist currently living inColumbus, Ohio, is the 1978 Cal Mallwinner, having played both football andbaseball for the Vikings.

Reunion seasonhas begun

The first groupout of the gatethis year was theClass of 1976 with

an early April reunion, complete with afull array of events and activities forclassmates to enjoy, such as a tour ofcampus (photo below). Special thanksto the fine reunion committee, includ-ing lead reunion coordinator Jim An-field and his co-coordinators: Amy(Crawford) Dolan, Bill Carpenter, BillJames, Caryl (Hopkins) Wade, Cathy(Wendt) Kasper, Janis (Pressendo)Atkinson, Janet (Sills) Goldstein, JohnLaPine, Liz (Rieve) Dolan, NatalieVenezia, Pattie (Aitken) Housing andVal (Scianni) Tyrell.

UPCOMING REUNIONSAdditional information to come, soplease check hfhighschool.org/ resources/alumni for future updates:

• 1966 50-Year Reunion - Sept. 23-25• 1986 30-Year Reunion - Oct. 1• 1991 25-Year Reunion - TBA• 1996 20-Year Reunion - Aug. 27• 2006 10-Year Reunion - Oct. 7-8

— Ann Cherry, Director of Development& Alumni Relations

Austin col-lapses into thearms of RonBowden, ’08during Onthe Razzle.

Vikings helping Vikings! All proceeds from this outing willbe used to fund summer sports

camp scholarships and to supportH-F’s 75+ athletic teams for 2016-17. Last year’s outing helped raisenearly $10,000 for H-F’s Strength& Conditioning program that bene-fits all students. Please join us thisyear: put together your own four-

some or let us do it for you! Enjoy a day with friends and for-mer teammates. Sponsorship op-portunities available! For details,

please call 708-335-5003.$125/person • $500/foursome $99/young alumni h f h i g h s choo l . o r g / a t h l e t i c s / g o l f - o u t i n g /

More Viking student-athletes sign with colleges• Luis Carbajal - Soccer to MacMurray College

• Brendan Crawford - Volleyball to North Central College

• Alex Daubon - Football to College of Dupage

• Booker Donelson - Football to Carthage College

• Christopher Elion - Football to Valparaiso University

• Cyle Harrison (pictured above) - Volleyball to Elmhurst College• Erin Lee - Volleyball to Robert Morris University• Aaron Lopez - Soccer to MacMurray College• Kaela Mack - Tennis to McKendree University• Emily Mathews - Water Polo to Monmouth College• Emanuel Mohan - Football to Benedictine University• Tyler Newkirk - Football to Valparaiso University• Simeon Nwokenkwo - Football to the University of Dubuque• Luke Smailes - Baseball to Coe College• Amira Taylor - Tennis to University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff• Zach Thompson - Football to Millikin University• Devon Toban - Football to Elmhurst College• DeAngelo Wofford - Football to the University of Dubuque

H-F Vik ing Ath le t i c s

Boys Varsity Volleyball won the championshipmatch at the Eisenhower Invitational in April.

Upcoming Senior Night GamesGirls Soccer vs. Joliet Central

May 9 • 4:30 p.m. • North Field

Boys Volleyball vs. Joliet CentralMay 10 • 5:30 p.m. • North Gym

Softball vs. Joliet CentralMay 11 • 4:30 p.m. • Varsity Field

Lacrosse vs. LemontMay 12 • 4:30 p.m. • North Field

Baseball vs. Glenbrook SouthMay 20 • 5 p.m. • Varsity Field

10 • VIKING CONNECTION SPRING 2016

Principally SpeakingDear Stakeholders of H-F Community High

School:

Three times each year at Homewood-Floss-moor Community High School teachers,department chairs and administrators come to-gether to recognize students who have been

outstanding in the classroom through their academic achievementor their effort or their attitude. These Students of the Quarter arenominated by each department and are a great example of whowe are together as a school. The students – along with their par-ents – are invited to a breakfast where the teachers introduce thestudents, present them with a certificate and explain why theywere selected. Students then take a turn introducing and thankingtheir parents and families. It is a special morning, full of positivefeelings and good emotions. The best predictor of future successis establishing a track record of success, so these students areheading in the right direction. I am also pleased to present our stu-dents who will receive recognition in the 2017 National MeritScholarship Program in the fall. There is no shortage of talent atHomewood-Flossmoor High School. I would like to thank all ofour students, educators, parents and community members formaintaining our culture of success here at H-F. Go, Vikings!

Students of the 3rd Quarter are:Alexandra Fieramosca — Family & Consumer ScienceAugust “Augie” Schlaffer — PE/Sports MedicineAris Brown — Social ScienceMolly Yang — World LanguageOmolola Ogunlade — Career & Technical EducationEmily Robertson — Business EducationJames Fields — ReadingFrank Lepore — EnglishMargaret Martinez — GuidanceChad Martin — GuidanceKayla Davis — GuidanceJames Rhyne — Fine Arts (Music)Mike Radosta — Fine Arts (Art) Brendan Hurley — Science Sace Addison — Math

2017 National Merit Scholarship Program Honorees:Michael Bonthron • Nathaniel Bouchie • Emma BrownKathryn Donermeyer • Lillian Hamer • Henry Heligas

Blessing Ibe • Thomas Simon

— Ryan Pitcock, Ph.D., Principal

SPRING 2016 VIKING CONNECTION • 11

4 “The limitations of U.S. pro-Democratic foreign policy in regards to human rights” — Kwame Amuh

4 “What factors contributed toJohn F. Kennedy’s foreign policy regarding Berlin in1961?” — Jessica Barry

4 “How can ski resorts adaptto climate change and remainprofitable in adverse climaticconditions?” — Ryan Bergal

4 “What role does scarcityplay in the entirety of fantasyfootball?” — Bernie Coderre

4 “Gender presentations andcharacterization in ancientGreek theatre” — MargaretColton

4 “The effect of pH on the activity of catalase in beef liverand in potato” — Heather Culbertson

4 “What is the reasoning forthe different uses of grasses ingeneral sports?” — PrestonGenett

4 “Historical French ballet’s influence on American contem-porary dance” — Lila Grant

4 “Examining the large increase in political polarizationin the United States Congress”— Michael Havighorst

4 “What role do sacred valuesplay in the decision-makingprocess involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?” — Hannah Levy

4 “How and why are African-Americans treated unfairly inthe film industry?” — JaredMoore

4 “How have changes in technology over time impactededucation in the classroom?”— Leah Moss

4 “How have technologicalchanges impacted the qualityof golf?” — Jackson Mulligan

4 “The adverse health effectsof rainbow herbicides” — Christopher Norling

4 “The change of languagepatterns in Asia” — MichaelOjeda

4 “What effects did immigrants to America afterthe 1900s have on economic,cultural and social circum-stances within the country?” — Demetrio Reed

4 “How was the popularity ofthe Toyota Prius affected by themovement of the hybrid carmarket from a monopoly to anoligopoly in the 2000s?” — Julia Schwieterman

4 “Open-source security effectiveness and data integrity” — Nicholas Thompson

4 “How do lighting techniquesand imagery in the film, Selma,affect the audience’s view ofthe protagonists?” — Lauren Torian

4 “An analysis of the role ofClair Omar Musser’s works inthe establishment of the modern concert marimba” — Kira VanVoorhees

4 “How does The Second Sexby Simone de Beauvoir shedlight upon the final installmentof The Trade Pact Universetrilogy by Julie E. Czerneda?” — Isabel Weber

4 “South Park’s critique of militant belief and plea for religious pluralism” — Shaleahk Wilson

IB Extended Essay Topics 2016Congratulations to our 2016 IB Diploma candidates! As part oftheir requirements, the students composed special essayswith one-on-one guidance from an H-F teacher. See theiramazing topics below:

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U.S. POSTAGE PAIDECR WSS

FLOSSMOOR, ILPERMIT NO. 5

Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School District 233999 Kedzie, Flossmoor, IL 60422Viking Connection is a newsletter for residents of Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School District 233.

********* ECRWSS *********

POSTAL CUSTOMER

M A Y5.............Band & Wind Ensemble Concert

@ Mall Auditorium, 7 p.m.Symphonic Band Concert@ Mall Auditorium, 8:15 p.m.

6.............Thespian Induction Ceremony@ Mall Auditorium, 7 p.m.

11 ..........National Art H.S. Exhibition@ South Cafeteria, 6 p.m.Jazz Band Concert@ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

12 ..........Theatre Class Showcase@ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

13 ..........AP Studio Student Art Show@ Union Street Gallery, 6 p.m.Adv. Theatre Showcase@ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

17 ..........Chamber Orchestra Concert@ Mall Auditorium, 6 p.m.Senior Conductors’ Concert@ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

19 ..........Red & White Choral Concert@ Mall Auditorium, 8 p.m.

26 ..........Senior Athletic Banquet @ Idlewild Country Club, 7 p.m.

29 ..........Graduation Ceremony@ H-F Stadium, 1 p.m.

J U N E6.............Summer School Semester 1

begins @ South Building7.............H-F Foundation Meeting @ So.

District Conference Room, 5:30 p.m.

27 ..........Summer School Semester 2 begins @ South Building

J U L Y14 ..........Summer Theatre Production

@ Mall Auditorium 7 p.m.15 ..........Last Day of Summer School

@ South BuildingSummer Theatre Production @ Mall Auditorium, 2 & 7 p.m.

22 ..........Red & White Golf Classic @ Coyote Run Golf Course, 1 p.m.

A U G U S T3-4 & 8 ..Book & Fee Days @ South

Building, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.6.............Book & Fee Day @ South

Building, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.10 ..........Freshman Orientation

@ Mall Auditorium, 8 a.m.17 ..........First Day of School

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President Richard T. Lites

Vice President Dr. David Mayer

Debbie L. Berman, H-F ’84

Gerald Pauling, H-F ’85

Jody Scariano

Tim Wenckus

Dr. John Farrell

C O M M U N I T Y   C A L E N DA R

H-F High School Summer Sports Camps 2016

Affordable sports camps will be offeredthis summer for kids in Grades K-12.Registration is going on now at:

h f . 8 t o 1 8 . c om / d a s hb o a r d

For more information, please call 708-335-5004.