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

Esther Lim

Esther Lim, co-a&e editor

Hey folks! My name’s Esther, and I’m a co-A&E editor for this year! I’ve been writing for The Oracle since freshman year, but this is my second year on edboard and I’m facing a bittersweet feeling as I start off my last year as a senior here at South and on our paper. Outside The Oracle, I spend a lot of time in the Fine Arts Department, whether it be playing the mellophone for marching band, or the french horn for the Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra, or jamming out in the pit under the stage during V-Show season. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to another great year of working with The Oracle!

All content by Esther Lim
Chilling with Choumiatsky: Creating music on her DJ controller, Choumiatsky was first interested in DJing in seventh grade. She has plans to produce music as a hobby in the future.  Photo courtesy of Svetlana Choumiatsky

Seniors pursue careers in the musical field

Esther Lim, co-a&e editor
May 21, 2021

As South’s seniors begin to look towards a new chapter in their future, they are also faced with many uncertainties about the possibilities ahead. However, for some seniors who are immersing themselves...

Illustration by Aubrey Palaganas

An ode to the Fine Arts Department

Esther Lim, co-a&e editor
May 21, 2021

Among the many water fountains peppered throughout South, I’ve always had a go-to: the Fine Arts Department fountain. It’s a different model than the others in the building. It has a boxy, awkward...

Twitch provides community-building tools

“Chat”: for some, this word may mean a casual tête-à-tête; for those spending their free time on the popular online live streaming platform, Twitch, this word describes the collective community...

Minari reveals a true American story

Esther Lim, a&e editor
March 19, 2021

Minari: a fibrous, tough plant that grows close to a water source, thriving in its habitat without much need for attention—graceful and resilient.  With the same name, Lee Isaac Chung’s autobiographical...

Voice of V-Show: Singing out her soul, Grace Nourbash performs Somebody  to Love with her band.

[Photo] Rise: Variety Show thrives despite pandemic

Caroline Ohlandt and Anna Marquardt
March 19, 2021

Voice of V-Show: Singing out her soul, Grace Nourbash performs "Somebody to Love" with her band.

Jovial Jannabi: Posing for their band portrait, the band derived their name from the pure Korean word meaning “monkey,” the Chinese Zodiac
animal that the bandmates share in common with each other. Bassist Kyung-joon Jang, guitarist Do-hyung Kim, vocalist Jung-Hoon Choi and drummer
Kyul Yoon (from left to right) have been bandmates since 2013.

Jannabi’s new EP offers sweetness of nostalgia

Esther Lim, co-a&e editor
December 18, 2020

A whiff of sweet, tooth-aching nostalgia, the recalling of a hazy childhood memory beneath the warmth of the bed covers in the midst of a particularly cold, dark, emotional night: this is the essence of...

South’s choirs belt through pandemic with album release

South’s choirs belt through pandemic with album release

Esther Lim, co-a&e editor
November 13, 2020

Tutti: a musical term that indicates all voices or instruments playing or singing together, translating to “all, or together” in Italian. While this term is common on the typical piece of sheet music,...

Russell pursues musical education passion at South

Esther Lim, co-a&e editor
October 2, 2020

Long tones—always play those long tones! These are the words of wisdom Markeises Russell, new Fine Arts Department instructional supervisor and co-band director, tells his students every band rehearsal....

South students use time in quarantine to explore new, old hobbies

Lexi Babich and Esther Lim
June 12, 2020

South students’ days fill up with one e-learning assignment after the next and with Zoom call after Zoom call. With so much time spent solely indoors, the seemingly endless days spent under quarantine...

Living with two cultural names leads to balance in life

Esther Lim, assistant features editor
March 16, 2020

If I’ve ever introduced myself to you, I probably introduced myself to you as “Esther.” Because, of course, that’s my name. What I probably won’t tell you upon our first meeting, however, is...

Toys AND Tots: Playing with LEGOs, two Titan Tots participate in their class time playing with toys.      South students have discovered passions for childhood education through through their experiences                 with Titan Tots.

Titan Tots Provides enriching learning environment

Esther Lim, asst. features editor
February 14, 2020

Welcome to Titan Tots: a place of care-free play, juice boxes, imagination, laughter, snacks and Hot Wheels™ right here at South. Junior Bella Trapp works alongside Preschool Teacher Michelle Goodrich....

Junior Dakota Betts stands strong as they hear microaggresions about transgender students that are ignorant of the identity struggles they face on a day-to-day basis.

“You don’t belong here.” Transgender students reveal stigmas pertaining to gender non-conformity, find pride in identity

Mia Merchant and Esther Lim
December 20, 2019

Thirty-two percent of the student body believes transgender students at South face stigmas around their gender identity, whereas 56 percent believe that they do not, according to an unscientific survey...

Natural disasters teach value of charity

Natural disasters teach value of charity

Esther Lim, asst. features editor
November 15, 2019

It was a normal school day in 2018 for freshman Sakura Honda. She went up to the teacher ask them a question during her English class in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she was attending school at the time....

Sensei Smith: English Teacher Austin Smith diversifies his passions by teaching karate to his students. Photo courtesy of Austin Smith

South teachers gain new perspectives through second jobs

Esther Lim, Asst. Features Editor
October 4, 2019

Holding tarantulas, lunging kicks, and controlling breathing for pilates exercises: these are just a few of the dynamic responsibilities some South teachers have held in jobs outside of the classroom....

South students take part in Amigos service trip in Latin America

Maia Schwallie and Esther Lim
May 24, 2019

It’s easy to become a couch potato during summer break for many students, and rightfully so—it’s time to relax, let go of all the stress of the school year, and enjoy the greatly missed warmth of...

Students experience effects of school-related anxiety

Students experience effects of school-related anxiety

Esther Lim and Sloane Shabelman
April 22, 2019

Freshman Maya Williams* laughs with her friends during finals week when she suddenly starts thinking about her English final next block. The room around Williams starts to spin and she feels her knees...

Braving the cold, Stankowicz directs school traffic. The West lot is full of students and cars after school, and Stankowicz works to keep students safe no matter the weather.

Paraprofessional creates welcoming environment at South

Esther Lim, staff reporter
March 15, 2019

Waving directions for incoming traffic, scanning students back into the school, and keeping them safe in the halls are all integral parts of Frank Stankowicz’s job at South as a paraprofessional. However,...

Beautifully built :  Beaming with smiles, (left to right) freshmen Nermeen Abdelgaward, Mya Wagner, sophomore Alina Bergquist, junior Jazmin Montesinos and senior Jenny Vargas advocate for South students to participate in their campaign during lunch blocks. The ‘You Are Beautiful’ campaign was brought to South by the club Images with the help of SAFE.

‘You Are Beautiful’ campaign promotes positive self-image

Esther Lim, staff reporter
February 8, 2019

Within the busy hallways during hectic school days, some take a brief moment to stop in their tracks and look up at a wall that stands in front of the cafeteria. On one of these walls hangs the beaming...

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...

Childhood cartoons shape students lives into adulthood

Childhood cartoons shape students’ lives into adulthood

Esther Lim, staff reporter
November 12, 2018

The early morning sun beams through the windows as a comforting glow fills the room. The house should be silent with slumber and yet the distant but familiar sound of a television plays in the background....

Fresh Faces: Presenting to her sophomore English class, new teacher Jen Jun teaches a lesson on fables. Glenbrook South hired 11 new staff members this school year.

South welcomes new teachers with fresh perspectives

Esther Lim and Julia Mariott
September 28, 2018

Of all the emotions that new staff members at South are feeling, excitement seems to be the most prominent. With smiles on their faces and hearts full of passion for their profession, these 11 new staff...

SIGNS THAT SHINE: Demonstrating a new sign, Rosemarie Carsello, American Sign Language teacher shows sophmore Kendall Grenolds a new phrase in sign language. The American Sign Language class participates in events like Silent Weekend in order to immerse students in Deaf culture.

ASL course promotes inclusion

Esther Lim, staff reporter
May 25, 2018

Under the ambient lights, the orchestra starts to play a slow, melodic tune as students of all grades and backgrounds stand throughout the auditorium, their hands rising elegantly to sign these four words:...

Strumming the guitar and singing into the microphone, sophomores Clare Dunne Murphy and Taylor Rudolph-Woitesek perform at Jamnesty on April 13. Several student bands at South perform at Jamnesty for peace and human rights.

Student bands form connections, fulfill love for music

Esther Lim and Sarah Jones
April 20, 2018

They attend their day-to-day classes, eat lunch, laugh with their friends, and like any common GBS student, face the daily hardships of high school. However, these students know that they will always have...

EXCITED EXECS: Beaming with happiness, Stephanie Ornduff (left),  newly elected executive secretary, and Kate Gregory (right), elected student body president, celebrate their wins. The Executive Board elections occurred on Tuesday, March 13, with a new policy that candidates could run for more than one position.

Student Council ballot change implemented despite controversy

A change to the structure of Student Council Executive Board elections was implemented by Josh Koo, assistant principal in charge of student activities, for the March 13 election, despite dissent from...

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