Acting Principal, Mr. David Gilligan By Carolina Aceves and John Abarca Staff Writers Winter Break came and went, and students returned to Hubbard to face more hanges. Dr. Bessie Karvelas finished her term as acting principal just before break, and we now have the pleasure of welcoming Mr. David G. Gilligan. He took the position of acting principal the fi rst day we came back from break and will be working with Mr. Antonio Perez, who is now the new acting assistant principal, until the Local School Council appoints a new principal. Mr. Gilligan was born in Ireland and was brought to the U.S for a better future. He was raised in Chicago in the Morgan Park neighborhood with nine siblings and attended Leo High School. Mr. Gilligan shares with us that he was an “average student, not the best student in his class.” Mr. Gilligan enjoys bike riding because “it’s a good way to get exercise; you also get to cover a lot of ground and get to see a lot of things.” Our acting principal has worked for Chicago Public Schools for over 30 years in various positions. He attended Chicago State University for his undergraduate degree in education, then later earned his master’s degree in educational administration at Governors State University. He was a carpentry teacher for 22 years and was assistant principal at Kennedy High School. He became principal at Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and after that became Chief High School Offi cer for CPS. Mr. Gilligan, now retired from CPS, will only be at Hubbard temporarily, as mentioned before. When asked about his stay at Hubbard, he said, “Hubbard has been a great place, everybody has been fantastic and the staff and students are very friendly. It’s been a great experience.” Mr. Guiden By Edith Mesa Staff Writer Although many of don’t realize it, we have teachers who are musicians. That is the case one of Hubbard’s very own psychology teacher, Mr. Guiden, who currently enjoys playing in his own band as a recreational hobby. His love for music lead him to believe that this was the “most expressive of all art forms” and lead to express himself with lyrics. Currently, the name of his band is called “Dust to Dust” and is comprised of himself and his good friend Jim. They both share the love for music and play a variety of genres. Some of the genres of music consist of Americana, folk, country blues, camp meeting, and field chant. Their songs contain a bit of each, so no one genre would be able to define it. Each song that is created is an original composition and composed by his band. Even though his band only consists of two members, Mr. Guiden trusts his friend Jim with strings, which include bass guitars and 6/12 strings, and also works as the sound tech. Mr. Guiden writes lyrics and although he says it’s a bit excruciating, he finds it “very satisfying” and “it’s a rewarding pastime that keeps him thinking and creating.” Both take great passion in creating music that suits their taste. His love for music helps him encourage young musicians to pursue their dreams as professional artists. If he were given the opportunity to go worldwide, he would reject it. His family is more important to him. He would rather continue playing music as a hobby, meeting musicians, and song writers. Edith Flores By Viridiana Munoz Staff Writer Edith Flores, a graduate from the class of 2011, came back to Hubbard to give some advice to the seniors. She was not an IB student, but she did take Honors and Advanced Placement classes, which she recommends for all students to do. When asked what college is like and how it is different from high school, Edith said, “College gives you a lot more freedom than high school; it is definitely more studying, but that is done independently, and it is really up to you to keep up with classes and look for your professors when you need help.” Edith is currently attending University of Wisconsin at Madison. She earned the Posse Scholarship, which pays for her entire tuition with the exception of books and room and board, which is paid for with her fi nancial aid money. In order to win the scholarship, she was interviewed three or four times, wrote essays, and had to apply to the university she wanted to attend. She is away from her family and had to get used to a new community, but she was able to manage it. Edith strongly urges seniors apply for scholarships because they can help cover the many costs that come with college. She also recommends students to apply to different schools and to keep an open mind. Edith said getting involved also benefits students since it helps you meet people, learn about yourself, and the way things work. By Carolina Aceves Staff Writer This year, Hubbard High School has changed in a number of ways, from new faculty and staff to starting off the year with a different schedule. One of the most significant changes, however, would be having a new principal. Dr. Bessie Karvelas came to Hubbard as an acting principal, meaning she will be here until the Local School Council appoints someone to the new seat. A Chicago native, Dr. Karvelas attended a number of schools such as the University of Illinois for her Bachelor’s degree in English, Lewis University for her Master’s degree, and Nova Southeastern University for her Doctorate degree in School Leadership. She was principal at Lincoln Park High School for six years, where the first International Baccalaureate (IB) program in Chicago started. During her stay here, she wants to support the IB program, as well as the AVID program, and General Education as much as she can. When asked how she likes Hubbard, she commented, “Oh, it’s wonderful! I have met wonderful, wonderful students, and I have to say that you have fabulous teachers.” When the LSC chooses the new principal for Hubbard, she hopes to be a superintendent. When asked if she had any words of wisdom for Hubbard students, she said, “I would like to share with you the fact that is it very, very important to think about your future and to listen to every word that comes out of your teachers’ mouths, because those teachers are going to prepare you for tomorrow’s future.” By Geovanna Estrada Staff Writer Ms. Szwajkowski, the head of the social studies department, was recently seated as acting assistant principal, the position that was left by Ms. Batie. Ms.Szwajkowski was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. She got her Bachelor’s degree at Northern Illinois and her Master’s at St. Xavier University. Although she is now an acting assistant principal, she is still head of the social studies department, which means she is very busy. “I admire what Ms. Batie did,” she says. Apart from these responsibilities, Ms.Szwajkowski still has one class of IB juniors and teaches Theory of Knowledge. As for Hubbard students she did have a lot of great advice to share, “Don’t self yourself short. You have the world ahead of you. Take advantage of opportunities here at Hubbard to further your education. The more education you have the more marketable you are. Don’t do anything to close doors, keep your options open.” She also advises that the minimum education students should get is their bachelor’s degree and that they should “make the most of everyday.” By Lucero Lerma Staff Writer Ms. Wiley has worked here at Hubbard High School for many years now. She was known as the Dean of Students up until this year and has worked in the Discipline Office for sixteen years, always willing to help a student in need. However, she wasn’t always working in the discipline office. After graduating from Hubbard High School, and graduating from Saint Xavier University, she became a Math teacher and taught math for an incredible eight years. Ms. Wiley described how teaching at Hubbard High School for so many years has impacted her life in a positive way. “I really like working here, it gives me the opportunity to help students,” said Ms. Wiley. She continues on to say, “It’s nice to see students return to Hubbard and talk to me about what they have accomplished.” Ms. Wiley is happy to be one of the new assistant principals at Hubbard, especially with the possibility of becoming the new principal. If she becomes principal, she looks forward to raising test scores, making college a possibility for more students, helping students earn more scholarships, and creating more opportunities to make programs to help kids succeed. The Hubbard Cavalier wishes Ms. Wiley the best of luck! By Brenda Manzo and Ivan Robles Staff Writers Applying to colleges is always a stressful experience. Seniors know this, and soon the underclassmen will too. In order to reduce some of that stress, we asked Mrs. Pinter, who is known to help seniors with college, for tips. In this interview we asked her questions that would help those students applying for colleges. Mrs. Pinter states that there’s no such thing as the best college; it all depends on the person. To get into the college you want, the best things to have would be a good GPA, good letters of recommendation, a well-written personal statement, and of course extracurricular activities. A personal statement is a way to express yourself and let the college get to know you; it should be about a page and a half. This year students have been provided with Senior Seminar, which is a class to help you apply and prepare for college. For those who don’t have Senior Seminar, Mrs. Pinter recommended that they either go to the College Lab on Mondays and Wednesdays after school, or Tuesdays and Thursdays before school. “If you don’t have enough credits and you don’t know if you’re graduating, the best thing to is work hard and try to graduate. Take night school, American school, or Saturday school. Just don’t give up. Every student can go to college and be successful!” Tips for Seniors
By Karina Alvarado Journalism Club 1. Are there any websites for finding scholarships? Yes, chooseyourfuture.org, fastweb.com, HHF.net, salliemae, whatsnextillinois.org 2. Do you recommend applying for work study? Yes, if you want to work 3. What should be included in a personal essay? Something that highlights your strengths and tells something that isn't provided on the application 4. What should NOT be included in a personal essay? Don't be negative and don't put yourself down 5. What colleges DO NOT require a written essay? St. Xavier, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Robert Morris, Illinois State University, and many many more 6. What's the difference between binding and non-binding applications? Binding means if you're accepted you have to go. Non-binding means if you're accepted you choose whether you want to go. 7. Which colleges help students with no social security number? Private colleges are good especially the associated colleges of Illinois 8. Why is it important to visit colleges? Because you're going to be spending a lot of time there and you need to like the campus 9. What should be on my checklist while researching colleges? Available majors, class size, accreditation, campus, scholarships, financial aid, living situation, programs/activities, location 10. Who do I ask for letters of recommendation? How much time is needed in advance? Counselors, teachers, someone who's not related to you and knows you well and can give you a positive review. It should be 2 weeks in advance but it really depends on the teacher. 11. Where did the majority of Hubbard students go last year? St. Xavier, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, U of I, Robert Morris, Elmhurst College, UIC, St. Francis, etc. 12. Any last words of advice? Don't give up or get discouraged because your hard work will pay in the end and research scholarships. |
Interviews
All
Staff WritersSusana Garcia Archives |