Drivers under eighteen have limited passenger seating
Aamair Tajuddin
Recently, the Illinois General Assembly has proposed a law affecting many high school students. It restricts the number of passengers under twenty to be in a car with a driver under eighteen.
This law would mean that only one person under the age of twenty would be allowed to drive with high school students. The proposed law continues by restricting drivers under eighteen to drive between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
This increased concern for drivers under 18 is due to the National Safety Council. Research has been done and it states that the risk of crash for a new driver is fifty percent.
The National Safety Council proposes a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) to make the streets a safer place. This would slowly give teenagers more responsibility behind the wheel.
Illinois is not the only state that is considering this law. In fact, thirty-one different states have some sort of GDL in effect.
This is not a blind experiment. The GDL system has been implemented in Canada and New Zealand with positive effects.
Students from East react negatively to the new law. Senior Mark Pakorny responds, “How are you supposed to go out with your friends then? If the curfew is eleven, why can’t we drive after nine? It doesn’t make sense.”
While Pakorny responds to what time he has to come home, others respond to what time they leave home for school. Since some students live far away and Wilson fills up rather quickly, they have to leave home relatively early. This would cause a problem with the new law.
Senior Tim Morrison sees the positive angle, but responds, “I see the point but don’t agree with it because it is too much of an inconvenience with everyone.”
Junior Hanzla Quraishi questions the validity of the state government in their right to give responsibilities. He says, “I think that if my parents trust me, then I’m fine. Some of my friends have their parents home at a certain time, and there shouldn’t be any state law declaring it.”
Aamair Tajuddin
Anti-War demonstrations
With all the political speeches and debates, every person is affected by the possibility of an upcoming war with Iraq. Students and staff alike at Glenbard East have mixed feelings on the issue.
While many support the choices of the government, others disapprove of the steps it is taking. Senior Jeremy Hammond, active member of the Student Liberation Committee (SLC), fears, “A pre-emptive war against an unprovoking country, which will undoubtedly kill hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, will only create more anti-American terrorism.”
To remedy a cycle of war and hatred, Hammond attends many demonstrations and actively disapproves of war. He comments that, “right now, since the war hasn't been officially announced yet, it's more of a demonstration of discontent.”
Students are not the only ones responding to the situation. Science teacher and sponsor of SLC, Joe Welsh, says he, “attended two rallies with students and one locally in town”
Welsh feels a moral responsibility to protest. He says, “If you feel something is wrong, you have to voice your opinion.”
Hammond describes his right to protest by saying, “Freedom of speech is not a right granted to me by any law or constitution. It is a natural right. People forget that the government is man-made.”
The SLC is not the only organization disapproving war. English teacher Jeff Ward voices discontent by attending a rally. According to Ward, “it was led by a coalition of interfaith organizations; Christians, Muslims, and Jewish organizations as well as neighborhood and social committees.”
Although there is no concrete proof of the demonstrations having an effect on national movements, Hammond responds, “The February 15th rallies have attracted upwards of 12 million people worldwide. They demonstrate that there is a movement of people against this war, and it helps provoke discussion.”
Welsh agrees that the demonstrations are having positive affects when he says, “we are seeing proof. I get three e-mails a week. The Lombardian asked about the work of the SLC. The democrats of Dupage approached them and asked to talk to them.”
Ward tells about the publicity the February 23rd rally had as he says, “I hear about it from fellow teachers. It was covered by newspapers, flyers, internet publicity, and every Chicago news station.”
While Ward is optimistic of the publicity, Hammond is more skeptical about it. Although Internet publicity and flyers work well, he says, “The media gives the protests very little coverage, especially considering the sheer numbers of people who took to the streets. They also give it very skewed reporting.”
Besides demonstrations, letters are being written to politicians, acts of civil disobedience are instituted throughout the world, and debates are raging to promote increased awareness. Whether it is to support or renounce the war, students and staff at Glenbard East have an opinion.
Wrestling Story
Aamair Tajuddin
Although wrestling is an individualistic sport, the Glenbard East team has banded together to form a cohesive group. Despite losing some strong seniors, the team has a lot of potential this year and hopes to have some of it’s athletes advance to the state competition.
Senior Jason Brusa is one such athlete that has high hopes for the season. Part of the varsity team, Brusa has been in the wrestling program at East for the last four years. He considers the future of the team by saying, “We have a lot of returning varsity members in the lower weight-classes and a team captain that is dedicated to making our team better.”
Brusa holds varsity captain Senior David Salimos in high regard. He is confident in the team’s fate under his leadership and says, “I have faith in a good number of people to make it really far- Dave Salimos, Nick Tewell, John Collins, Dan Deleberto, and our sophomore Tim Walker, who has been wrestling for the past eight years.”
Another senior returning varsity member, Kevin Hilmers, feels that team is experienced and has a good chance this year. He says, “I think we have a strong, dedicated team, and that will lead us to wherever we need to go.”
Both Brusa and Hilmers feel their strengths are parallel to the rest of the team in that they are committed and hard working. Hilmers says, “I prepare well the week before the meet.”
While Brusa also believes his dedication has earned him a spot on the varsity team, he also believes his years of experience has taught him valuable life lessons. He says, “I always come prepared emotionally and take it very seriously.”
As with all sports, practices are every day after school, and meets occur once a week. The team has a program called ‘wrestling live,’ which entails them to pretend they are participating in a real meet, but actually practicing with fellow teammates. This experience helps them understand the intensity and rules of the sport.
But wrestling requires a more rigorous schedule than some other sports, as they have tournaments every Saturday, which could range to up to 10 hours.
The Dvorak Tournament, held January 3rd and 4th, is the toughest tournament the young athletes have to compete in because schools from all over the country come together. Therefore, the East wrestlers have a chance to contend with students from other states as well.
Before the actual competition, almost all the wrestlers share the ritual of calming down. With high pressures exerted on them, athletes deal with the stress in a different ways. Brusa explains the hectic situation and says, “I’m one of the last people to go, so I like to watch other teams wrestle. There are certain techniques taught at school, so you can anticipate that technique when it comes to you.” Besides the constant planning, Brusa says, “So I don’t lose concentration, I listen to music. I forget all my problems and go out and do my best”
Hilmers believes his weakness is a technical flaw he still has to master. But other team members, like Brusa, believe that, “if I lose, I get down on myself. I know winning isn’t everything, but it isn’t fun to lose.”
The team has a diverse mixture of experience and novices to field the team. It therefore hopes to achieve a high status at regional for this year and years to come. Even though the sport is based on individual efforts, the concept of teamwork is still alive and Brusa believes, “The team is blending together really fast.” Aamair Tajuddin
Latinos Unidos
Glenbard East accredits itself to be one of the most diverse high school populations in the area. Walking down any hall, students find themselves surrounded by many different nationalities, religions, and cultures. As an outlet for these minorities, many extra-scholastic activities are maintained to let these groups feel welcome. Among the largest group is Latinos Unidos.
Established approximately seven years ago by a small group of students with Mr. Maggio as its sponsor, it now has anywhere from thirty to fifty people coming with three different supervisors. Jorge DeLeon describes the intent of as, “Latinos Unidos is a Latino club which focuses on providing support for students by meeting twice a month and having activities including social events and discussions on relevant topics, such as how can Latino students be successful in school.”
In a non-Hispanic environment, Latinos Unidos is not the only channel students can express their concerns. DeLeon clarifies, “the Latino population is slowly increasing significant enough to require support. Besides Latinos Unidos, there are other initiatives assisting the Latino population, such as Hispanic Parent Meetings and Hispanic Task Force.”
While Glenbard East students may think the Mexican population is small, the Latino is quite large. DeLeon stresses, “Latinos in this school goes way beyond ESL and Mexican students. It includes students who are bi-lingual, bi-cultural, and from other countries besides Mexico.”
During the meetings, the group does anything from having a discussion to planning an upcoming social event. Sophomore Ricky Luna says, “we talk about serious discussion topics such as abortion, alcohol, drugs, and gangs.”
But the group is not just about serious talks. They recently had a dance on ??November 15th??. People were invited to experience some Hispanic culture and listen to the Latino music as well as taste some authentic food. They also have a cookout at the end of the year and incorporate a variety of sports throughout the year. Luna says, “it teaches you about someone else’s culture and music. There is always something about other people that you don’t know and is really interesting.”
While the group focuses primarily on the issues dealing with Latinos, it is open to all. Junior Brenda Acuna describes, “It’s about having fun and inviting everyone to come and check it out.”
Although Acuna has a positive outlook on the Latino population, not all members of Glenbard East do. DeLeon says, “Some integrate well but there are still small groups that stick to themselves due to linguistic and cultural differences.”
Senior Jonathan Navejar has mixed feeling about Latino’s openness to others. He says, “Not so long ago, Lombard had no Latinos but now we get along with Latinos from Glendale Heights and Glen Ellyn. We’ve gotten bigger and added more people because we learn to communicate with each other”
Cell Phone Story
Aamair Tajuddin
As technology advances, more and more students at Glenbard East have cellular phones. In the past, students staying after school for sports or other extra-curricular activities were not allowed to use cell phones on school property. But recently a law was passed by the State of Illinois allowing cell phone use in the school.
This law does not simply state that all students are entitled to use cell phones all the time at school. Rather, it is the district’s decision to make rules governing the use of these devices. Last spring, the Board of Education decided to put the new policy into affect for the following year.
But District 87 is not the only area where cell phones are permitted on school campus. As **Board Representative** Julie Armatrot describes, “We’re not alone. A number of districts allowed this last year.”
The Board of Education has decided for the four Glenbard schools that cell phones would be allowed before or after school. Much like CD-players, they are to be kept in the locker and turned off during the school day. Wolfe describes the rule by saying, “For students, it can’t be on them. It has to be in the locker between 7:30 and 2:30.”
Senior Mauricio Herrera has had a cell phone for about a year now. He got it so he could call home if he needed a ride after a sports meet or game. He describes the restrictions as, “a good policy. Why would you use it during school? You really just need it for after school if you stay late.”
This new rule is not entirely new. Armatrot describes the process. “The Board of Educcation has discussed it for a long time because of requests from parents to have cell phones… So far the policy is working well.”
The Board consists of seven members. In order for a policy to be approved, it has to be voted as a majority. Armatrot explains their decision by saying, “They [cell phones] are no longer a novelty. With that, people have learned to use them more responsibly.”
According to Dean Wolfe, there has only been one cell phone disturbance that has been reported to the Dean’s office. Armatrot says no one has reported anything serious to the district office. Instead, Armatrot clarifies, “The feedback from the parents is very positive and appreciative.”
Armatrot further describes the reasons for allowing the policy by saying, “the Glenbard schools provide a great array of after school activities. Cell phones provide a way for students to communicate with families.”
Herrera is an excellent example of the strengthened communication he has with his parents due to the policy. He explains, “Initially, my parents didn’t want me to have a cell phone because they thought I’d have no use for it. But when I got it, they ended up calling me more. My parents like it that they can always call my cell phone and that I’m at close reach.”
Another reason Herrera got the cell phone was because he was unsatisfied with the pay phones at school. He says, “It was frustrating how all the school pay phones are turned off. Some have a mouthpiece ripped off or damaged. I couldn’t even call my parents then.”
Backyard Wrestling
By: Aamair Tajuddin
Wrestling has always been a popular sport. Not only do students participate in the team, they are also fans of the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) and WCW (World Championship Wrestling). After years of watching their favorite stars and competing in school, a group of Glenbard East students decided to start their own backyard wrestling community.
Junior Andy Piper describes it as, “It’s a gathering of friends. Some go out and do stuff. We see wrestling as entertaining. It’s fun because we still get to hang out with friends and we all like to do it.”
Junior John Turek describes it as, “It’s a way of expressing myself. I do it for the love of wrestling and put everything I have in it.”
Piper, as well as twenty-two other people started a backyard-wrestling group two years ago. Another early member, Junior Scott Swanson, describes how it got started by saying, “The first time, it was only four of us. We didn’t talk much about it when we got to school. As we got more and more friends to show up, we started talking about it more. Eventually, it became a pretty big thing.”
They call their group, the FTOA (For the Owner’s Association). They meet at someone’s house every other week and plan out fake matches. Although the fights are fake, the physical feats they reach are real. Swanson describes, “The only lasting pain is usually being sore after a match. It is like doing a strenuous workout, except more fun.”
The group understood that people could get hurt easily doing this type of stuff, so they took special precautions. Swanson says, “We started with basic stuff like taking bumps and falling down. We read books to make sure we didn’t risk injury. Parents are always home when we meet. They trust us and watch without an angry fist or anything.”
Piper further states, “There are a lot of risks in it, but when you are with friends, you trust each other. Technically there is risk in everything you do, but we keep it safe.”
This group is not exclusive to Glenbard East students. Five members are in college. Tim Piper, East graduate of 2001, is an active member of the association, despite his commitment to college. He describes how the group started by saying, “It didn’t cost much money. Ropes and poles cost about fifty dollars. We leave the poles set up and whenever we wrestle, we lay a mattress and tarp over it. It really doesn’t hurt at all.”
The group is just a bunch of guys who want to have fun. Although they all have other stuff to do, they try to devote some time to it. T. Piper says, “Now some of us have college, jobs, girlfriends, or family obligations or something, so we don’t meet as often.”
Swanson describes, “For wrestlers, we devote a day every two weeks. It is hard to run a taping because no one comes on time.”
The wrestling is not exclusively for the people in the association. Although many people do not watch it in person, a lot of the member’s girlfriends or colleagues at work know about it. Turek puts in extra effort and operates a website at www.ftoa20001.homestead.com. Swanson helps write the scripts and edited the tape for the ‘Best of FTOA’, which they are selling online.
The group knows their limits, and is not trying to mimic the WWF. They are learning what it is like to be a wrestler at the same time as having fun. They also get to form deeper bonds with their friends. With more obligations, such as jobs or girlfriends, the group has lately been suffering, but they all make the effort to stay together and have fun.
Mario Tajuddin
Oda a mi hermana
Es necesario que conozcas su importancia.
Ojalo que comprendas.
Me alegro que me des aviso.
Y me consolas cuando estory triste.
No peinsas que todos te respeten.
Pero ellos te admiran.
Es probable que seas una doctora o abogada o periodista
O algo prospero.
Temo que no me gustes. Y
Lo siento que no veas un hermano pefrecto en mi.
Pero quuiero que conozcas . . .
Yo soy agradecido que estes mi hermana.
Swimming
Aamair Tajuddin
Glenbard East went through a large construction phase during the last few years. Although a pool would be beneficial to the school, one was not constructed. Because of this, the school does not have a swimming team. Despite the lack of a team, many students compete at sectionals and state level competitions, and concerned community members submitted an application to start a swimming team at Glenbard East.
Although there is not a set team for Glenbard East, many students swim competitively with other schools. Junior Alan Kaszubowski competed at the sectional competition alone for the last few years. He is preparing for the next sectional meet held on February 16th. He has advanced to state, and represents Glenbard East in the 100-meter backstroke event and 200-meter individual melody. He says, “I practice separately with a different team in the Elk Grove Pavilion.”
Kaszubowski started swimming only recently. He started within the last five years, and admits he has a lot of room for improvement. He practices 3 days a week, year-round. In the summer, he swims independently at Glendale Heights. He explained how he competitively started, “I’ve had friends before tell me about it. It is not real noticeable to be on a team, but I found out.”
Whereas there are only two boys representing Glenbard East in the sectionals, back in fall, there were a few more girls. Sophomore Caitlin Scaliatine, Junior Heather Johnson, and Senior Jaclyn Dixon have competed at sectionals in the last few years. Dixon has been swimming for 12 years. She practices five days a week and participates in weight training. Similar to Kaszubowski, Dixon swims with other schools. She says, “I swim in clubs with the West Chicago Sharks.”
She originally swam for the Carol Stream Dolphins, but the team split up, so she moved practiced with West Chicago. In the fall, she describes her schedule by saying, “We compete two weekends a month. That includes all Saturday and Sunday.”
She expressed interest with Glenbard East having its own team, but knows that it will not happen in the near future. But she did comment about East joining with other schools by saying, “A lot of teams have a couple schools involved like Wheaton Warrenville and Addison.”
This last November, she competed in the 100-meter backstroke and 100-meter freestyle. She usually races in distance events. She explains, “The sectionals are in November. I didn’t swim for East this year, but in previous years, I’ve placed 12th.”
Both Kaszubowski and Dixon realize that a Glenbard swimming team will not happen in the near future, but are hopeful that it will eventually come. Members of the community have expressed interest for a Glenbard team and have admitted an application. Athletic director Todd Cassens says, “They have been requesting it for two years. They presented it in the January 14th Board of Education meeting.”
The application required costs for startup supplies as well as ongoing equipment. In addition, it required 25 signatures by students interested in the activity. It also needs the approval of the athletic director and principal. Community members had to research possible pools that the East team could use, in addition to other expenses. Cassens mentioned, “As part of their study, they looked at different pools for availability. For East, they mentioned Oakbrook.”
Cassens also says, “None of the Glenbards have a swim team or a pool. We are not sure if we will have a solo or district team.”
The petition has to be signed by 25 students in grades 8-11 who are willing to dedicate themselves to the team. Cassens also mentioned, “There has been a lot of students signing the petition, but not a lot of people compete in the IHSA state series.”
Individually, students at East have strived to compete in sectional and state competitions. But no school team has been made. Many obstacles are in the path for East receiving a team. Even if the application were accepted, East would not start a team, until all necessary provisions are met.
Aamair Tajuddin
TRUTH/MSA meeting
After school on Thursday, November 1st, TRUTH (Teaching Respect and Unity Towards Heaven) and the MSA (Muslim Student Association) had a joint meeting. For the past few years, both groups thought about getting together and comparing the religions, and for the first time, it happened.
Michelle Tufano, senior leader of TRUTH, and Nyla Khan, senior leader of MSA, were good friends and always talked about the differences and similarities of Christianity and Islam. They approached each other to have a joint meeting one day. Michelle says, “We both felt the need to spread the type of understanding that we have for each other. I think both groups realize how much of an impact we have in the school. Showing the two faiths, Christianity and Islam, can understand each other, demonstrates the character and values of the students.”
Steve Hoogerheide, TRUTH sponsor, relates the multiple intentions of the meeting. It was “to learn about the Islamic Faith and adequately share what it means to be of the Christian faith.”
Umar Choudhry, junior, attended MSA for the last three years and went to the MSA/TRUTH meeting. Similar to Hoogerheide, he says the goal was, “to get to know more about the Christian religion and show them what most Muslims are like.”
Especially after the September 11th attack, the MSA wanted to show what it means to practice Islam. Hoogerheide agreed by saying, “We showed a lot of unity by meeting. With the events of the past couple of months, some people say one religion hates another, but that’s not true.”
The meeting on November 1st was an introductory meeting for the two groups. Tufano explained the format of the meeting by saying, “The atmosphere in the room was great, and everyone seemed excited to do this. We both gave introductions of our faith, and then answered questions MSA had about Christianity, and vice versa.”
Choudhry explained the latter part of the meeting by saying, “We basically compared the role of women in each of the religions and it was cool because it is pretty much the same. They also talked about the basic idea of trinity, which I learned is more complicated than I thought. Then we talked about monotheism, and I guess since it was a little different for them, they didn’t understand it, kind of like we didn’t understand trinity.”
Before the meeting, the MSA students, like every week, prayed. Hoogerheide, not accustomed to seeing this, commented, “It was neat to see and hear the prayers of the Muslims. It is good that they are willing to share their religion and not be embarrassed.”
Both groups felt a need to have another meeting. But during Ramadhan, the MSA does not want to have a joint gathering since most of the Muslims want to be home early. Both groups decided that they would try to meet again sometime second semester. Everyone agreed that they could not fully understand each other in one hour, but it was a start. Hoogerheide said, “The sharing time at the end was really good. Next time, we should go straight into the Q & A part.”
Choudhry also says, “Since this time we did an introduction, maybe next time, we could just go straight into the open forum part, except we should have it a little more organized. I kind of understand the Christian religion a little more, but I’d like to meet with them again.
Dan Tani going into space
By: Aamair Tajuddin
Glenbard East is proud to have many types of alum to go on to various different fields. Some have even come back to teach. Some are newscasters and others are still in college. But Daniel Tani, class of 1979, has become an astronaut, and is going into space for the first time on November 29th, and will return to earth on December 10th. Proud of attending East, he says, “I’ll be bringing the GE flag with me. Astronauts get to bring about 10 items with them… and of course I wanted to bring something from Glenbard East.”
Tani has achieved a lot and has worked hard to become an astronaut. He received his bachelors and masters degree in engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). From that, he joined a company that built rockets and satellites.
His mother, Rose Tani, a resident of Lombard, always knew that Dan wanted to be an astronaut. She said, “He always liked rocket ships ever since he was little.”
Rose Tani, along with 350 of Tani’s friends and family, will be on the launch site. Although they will not be able to see him personally because of tightened security, they will be able to see the rocket launch in Florida. She is very proud of her son and has “Trust that everything is going to be okay.”
At Glenbard East, Tani led a very active life. He was the photo editor of ECHO, was on the tennis team, and helped out at the 1st church of Lombard. The most important attribute that led to Dan’s success, her mother described, was, “Dan has a good sense of humor. When you are in a small space for a long time, you just have to get along with people.”
Dan also commented on the importance of social interactions by saying, “One of the aspects of being an astronaut that many people don’t realize is the ability to be a good team-member. A space shuttle crew is a group of 7 people that have to work and live together in a very small space… Respecting others’ feelings and personalities is essential.”
Tani also comments on how Glenbard East has helped him by saying, “At GE, I met so many people different from me- and instead of separating myself from them, I had the opportunity to work and play with them…That set the stage for me later in life to interact with many different types (and colors) of people and to focus on our similarities ad not our differences.”
Becoming an astronaut is a very tough process. In addition to being a good team player, one has to be extremely qualified. Tani applied to NASA in 1983, after talking to astronauts he had talked to in his job. He received a call from NASA in 1985, and was accepted as the astronaut class of 1996. Out of the 2,400 applicants for the job, he was chosen as one of 44. Before graduating, he had to go through an 18-month basic training course to learn, “the basics of flying in space.”
Tani received his mission on January 7, 2001, almost four years after he became an astronaut. This long wait was due to the large number of people in his class. For the last 11 months, he has been training for this mission. Tani says that being an astronaut is, “The best job you can ever have,” but says the one downfall if the job is not being able to control your future. There is a lot of uncertainty in Tani’s future, so he could be traveling from Houston, to Japan, to Russia and Canada, or helping others who are going into space.
Tani’s mission is to deliver the 4th International Space Station crew (ISS) and to return with the 3rd. He also says, “We will also be delivering about 10,000 pounds of equipment and supplies for the ISS, and boosting the stating to a higher orbit… We will be deploying a satellite called “Starshine” which everyone on earth will be able to see as it goes around the world. We are also scheduled to perform a space-walk to replace a broken mechanism on the ISS.”
Tani also commented about going to space by saying, “I feel privileged to be an astronaut… I’m so lucky to be given the chance to do something that so few people have… In the history of NASA, only about 300 people have flown in space, and it will be such an honor to join that group.”
Tani is a true inspiration to all students at Glenbard East, and will represent Glenbard East with pride on November 29th.
Aamair Tajuddin
New Teachers
With another new year, the Glenbard East staff and students, as always, welcome the newcomers. This has been another year, where not only does the number of students attending has increased, but the teachers as well. This year, the faculty has the pleasure of welcoming 27 new teachers and counselors to East.
Mrs. Harris (find first name), new assistant principal of East, welcomed the new teachers at the orientation held before school started. At the orientation, Harris describes, “We familiarized them with the ‘nuts and bolts’ of Glenbard East, and the great things we are doing here, not just help the kids succeed academically, but also socially, emotionally and physically.”
Twenty-seven new additions to the faculty is a lot as compared to previous years. The largest amount of new staff members before this year was 17 new teachers. This is not a common trend, having so many new faculty members join the Glenbard East family at once. But last year, in addition to the expansions of the school, as well as many retirements by veteran teachers, many spaces opened up for new staff members.
One of the new staff members is Pedro Alegre. Alegre had his expectations of East fulfilled as he ventured through his first day. He commented, “It [Glenbard East] is a motivated, professional, academic institution that prides itself in educating students to learn that they are fee to make choices and must measure the consequences to their choices.”
Teaching in Chicago public schools for the last year, and a lab trainer before that, Alegre really appreciates East. As a science teacher, he states, “Students here will never be able to appreciate the gift they have in this school until they meet students from other schools or visit another school.”
Math teacher, Valerie Pinzker, relates to Alegre’s notion of appreciating Glenbard East. Alum of the school, Pinzker taught math at Wheaton North for the last three years. But she had to come back to somewhere that felt more like home. She describes her years as a student at East as, “It was important when I was a student and I want to continue to make it important.”
Pinzker also stated how East has changed over the years. “It has changed in a huge way. The administration is out in the halls. Students know who they are. They go to the athletic and musical events. When I was here, there was a distinction between the two.”
Pinzker feels fortunate for coming to Glenbard East as a student. She already considers the school a home. She describes the relationship she has with her old teachers by saying, “A lot of my old teachers were here and they made me feel comfortable. The teachers at the Math department made me feel welcome.”
The new staff is happy to be part of the Glenbard East community. Alegre could not conceal his ebullience and remarked, “Glenbard east is such a wonderful place, students may not know it, but it is.”
