The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

The Oracle

The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

The Oracle

The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

The Oracle

Shannon Mathew

All content by Shannon Mathew
Tenacious Titan: Completing her rehab exercises at the Ability Institute of RIC, Kristin Meyer, program director and conductor of the Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra, perseveres despite severe injuries after the plane crash. Photo courtesy of Kristin Meyer.

Meyer’s passion for teaching perseveres in the face of adversity

Sloane Shabelman, Abby McKew, and Shannon Mathew
February 12, 2021

The sun was low in the sky on that Sunday afternoon six years ago in Monee, Illinois. Suddenly, the plane hit the power lines, the aircraft shuddered, the field of weeds below rushed up and Kristin Meyer...

Illustration by Renee Choe

Media bias pushes country further apart in politically divided era

Shannon Mathew and Abby McKew
February 12, 2021

Words can be powerful. Especially when they can reach millions of people in minutes. Large news entities’ access to mass audiences gives them the ability to impact the opinions and actions of many....

South students escape into literature during quarantine

Shannon Mathew, staff writer
November 20, 2020

When the pandemic limited people to their homes, restricted social activity and caused school to move into an online space, many students experienced screen time overload, librarian Lauren Gruber said....

Students with insomnia share struggles

Students with insomnia share struggles

Lexi Babich and Shannon Mathew
November 15, 2019

We have all heard the constant reprimands from doctors and parents: “Teenagers need at least eight hours of sleep each night!” But how many of us actually do get “enough” sleep? Less than 15 percent...

Illustration by Patsy Carolan

Students reflect on stress caused by social media

Shannon Mathew, staff writer
October 4, 2019

What would life be like without social media? Happier, according to a 2017 article called “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” published in The Atlantic. Teens who spend more time looking at...

Fearless Fellows :  Waiting for sectionals to begin, Speech Team members are willing to face the common fear of public speaking through a variety of speeches including dramas. comedies and poems. This year’s sectionals took place at Glenbrook North.

Speech Team eliminates common fear of public speaking

Shannon Mathew and Julia Marriott
April 22, 2019

Speaking in front of a large group of people is an underlying fear for many students at South. According to the National Social Anxiety Center, 70% of people struggle with public speaking. Fortunately,...

illustration by Margo Kazak

South celebrates the holidays in different ways

Agnosticism Growing up in a Christian household, Jane Emerson* went to church frequently and celebrated Christian holidays without fault. Now, Emerson does not celebrate these holidays out of faith, but...

History Hangout: Playing a Kahoot after a presentation on history, seniors Yvonne Fondrevay (left), Samuel Polyakov (center) and Maja Markovic (right) wait for the next question to appear. History Club plays Kahoots after presentations and participates in quiz bowls once a month.

History Club explores passion of the past

Shannon Mathew and Youjin Shon
November 12, 2018

The word “nerd” is not an insult every Thursday in room 230 from 3:30-4:30. At South, many students refrain from joining more academic based clubs such as History Club with the fear that they will...

What   a   view:  Sitting amongst his fellow summer interns, senior Brendan Garvey (in the salmon shirt) attends a viewing party at an Apple store in downtown Chicago. Through this internship at Apple, Garvey hopes to explore his options for a possible future career.

Students explore internships for future careers

Shannon Mathew
September 28, 2018

As seniors decide what interests to pursue in college, many turn to summer internships to find a career they might want to pursue in the future. According to senior Lily Dolan, her internship at Jiobit...

Koo finds meaning in backpacking passion

Koo finds meaning in backpacking passion

Samantha Boas and Shannon Mathew
March 21, 2018

Calling his mom through a payphone along the way, Josh Koo, assistant principal of student activities, said that he was headed to Niagara Falls. According to Koo, on a Friday after school, he told his...

Overwhelm of student stress calls for relief

Overwhelm of student stress calls for relief

Shannon Mathew, staff reporter
January 19, 2018

Stress. It is the six-letter word that creates the idea that “I can’t”, according to South social worker David Hartman. It is a word that connotes to a lot of sacrifice whether it be sleep, social...

Illustration by Raya Shoilekova

GSA changes club name to SAGA to promote inclusion

Shannon Mathew and Anne Ribordy
November 10, 2017

The first time junior Kaleb Garden attended a Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) club meeting his freshman year, he was greeted by the previous club sponsor, Katrina Prockovic. According to Garden, current...

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