The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

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The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

The Oracle

The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

The Oracle

All content by Brigid Murphy
FOUR YEARS OF SMILES: Smiling for pictures on May Day, senior academites (from left to right), Brigid Murphy, George Wood, Elizabeth Shaw and Bonnie Puppala have endured the rigors of Academy. The Glenbrook Academy of International Studies is a four-year GBS & GBN collaborative program promoting an interdiciplinary education in social studies, English and world language.

Academite details unorthodox high school experience

Brigid Murphy, senior editor
May 25, 2018

The Glenbrook Academy of International Studies. Academy. Acad. Casting all formal titles and nicknames aside, this elusive and exclusive group of teenagers yielded an academic experience so unconventional,...

AP Environmental Science confronts harsh truths

Brigid Murphy, co-features editor
April 20, 2018

I never thought I’d take AP Environmental Science (APES) because sophomore year I found my calling: chemistry. No other subject had ever come so easily to me; my little sophomore self began to formulate...

A changing Earth evokes response, urges action

A changing Earth evokes response, urges action

Brigid Murphy and Aidan Graham
April 20, 2018

On April 22, 1970, over twenty million Americans participated in the first ever Earth Day to voice their support for more sustainable practices with regard to man’s relationship with the natural world....

Under Pressure: the American relationship with firearms encourages teen voices

Under Pressure: the American relationship with firearms encourages teen voices

Brigid Murphy and Eliza Schloss
March 16, 2018

“We are grieving, we are furious and we are using our words fiercely and desperately because that’s the only thing standing between us and this happening again,” wrote Emma Gonzalez in her essay...

   Posing with fellow Make-A-Wish recipients, junior Anna Shabelman (third from left) smiles with musician John Legend and model Chrissy Teigen. Shabelman suffers from kidney failure and was given the opportunity to attend the Grammys to fulfill her wish on Jan. 28. Photo courtesy of Anna Shabelman

Shabelman’s wish granted, attends Grammys

Brigid Murphy, co-features editor
February 9, 2018

Junior Anna Shabelman attended this year’s 60th annual Grammy awards ceremony on Jan. 28. The trip was granted to her by the Make-A-Wish Foundation because of her kidney failure, according to Shabelman....

Personal style changes attitude, boosts confidence

Brigid Murphy, co-features editor
February 9, 2018

Individual style is not confined to awareness of fashion trends or personal taste in clothing. Style is not synonymous with fashion. It exists in many forms: attitude, expression, beliefs, values, even...

IN THE ZONE: Concentrating on her eight-angled pose, senior Alexandra Anderson practices yoga at Core Power Yoga Studio (above). Gazing at her hand, Anderson strikes a Lord of the Dance pose (below). Anderson started practicing yoga three years ago and intends to continue into the future.

[Photo] Yoga inspires positivity, provides mindfulness

Ashley Desserich, asst. features editor
February 9, 2018

IN THE ZONE: Concentrating on her eight-angled pose, senior Alexandra Anderson practices yoga at Core Power Yoga Studio (above). Gazing at her hand, Anderson strikes a Lord of the Dance pose (below). Anderson...

Illustration by Riley Gunderson

Stress of unrealistic body ideals manifests in eating disorders

Leah Dunne and Brigid Murphy
December 22, 2017

“Slim down.” “Finally lose those last 10 pounds.” “How fit are you?” These magazine headlines encapsulate the unrealistic body standards imposed on today’s society. According to The National...

ROLE REPLACEMENT: Pictured from left to right, actors Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, and Finn Wolfhard play the returning characters Lucas, Dustin and Mike in Season 2 of Stranger Things.  Pictured on the right, actress Sadie Sink portrays the new heroine, Max, acting as a replacement for Eleven and evoking backlash from the fan base.

Stranger Things falls flat, lacks character development

Brigid Murphy, co-features editor
December 22, 2017

“Nothing’s going to go back to the way that it was, not really,” sighs Hawkins Police Chief Jim Hopper to a distraught Joyce Byers in the dimly lit, dank hallway of Hawkins National Laboratory. Both...

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): opinions, impacts throughout South

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): opinions, impacts throughout South

Brigid Murphy and Eliza Schloss
October 6, 2017

What’s at stake: the futures of nearly 800,000 young Americans.  On Sept. 5, a consensus was reached by the Trump administration on the status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); the current...

Singing for Service:  Performing with Yael Sheinfeld and Kai Erber, Jack Riley (seated on the left), senior academy student, sings a song with a message of love and acceptance. Riley held a concert on May 21 with the goal of raising money and collecting clothing for the WINGS program, which aims to provide services to domestic abuse victims. Other academy seniors participated in service projects that aligned with a global or local issue they chose to research.

Academy seniors take action through service

Maddy Ruos and Brigid Murphy
May 26, 2017

As part of the Glenbrook Academy of International Studies senior curriculum, students are tasked with the assignment of researching a global or local issue that culminates in a research paper in tandem...

Leaving their mark: South teachers reflect on careers before retirement

Leaving their mark: South teachers reflect on careers before retirement

Table of Contents: Kathy Hargesheimer Paul Zwiercan Chris Valles Carol Buresh Bernice Kirchler Anne White Suzanne Shore Gregory Johnson   Kathy Hargesheimer by...

Peaceful Performance:  Singing at Jamnesty, senior Stephanie Zenzola takes part in the event hosted by STAND and Amnesty International. Jamnesty is one event that remained during a changed Peace Advocacy Week.

STAND spreads same message through new Peace Advocacy week

Brigid Murphy, asst. features editor
April 21, 2017

STAND for Peace is one of South’s clubs centered on the issue of global human rights. Their passion is captured in one of their main events: Peace Advocacy Week. Students can see their efforts for peace...

Methods   in   Motion:   Helping his students with a lab, Science Teacher Robert Cowhey explains the flow of electrical charge through a circuit. This year, Cowhey has not assigned any homework to his students, and he is one of several other teachers who have introduced unconventional teaching methods in their classes.

Teachers implement unconventional classroom methods

Grace Shin and Brigid Murphy
March 21, 2017

When imagining a typical high school course, homework, letter grades and points are common attributes of any class offered at South, but some teachers are beginning to stray from these norms. As new philosophies...

A Helping Hand: Engaged in classwork, a mentor and student work to complete a writing worksheet. Mentors use their elective time to work with the students in the classroom to create a comfortable setting for all involved in the program.

Peer Mentors bond with students, take interest in teaching

Brigid Murphy, asst. features editor
December 16, 2016

While some students enjoy their elective time in the dark room or woodshop, others choose to spend their time helping out in Special Education classes.  These students belong to South’s Peer Mentoring...

Stranger Things lives up to the binge-worthy hype

Brigid Murphy, asst. features editor
November 4, 2016

“Something’s coming. Something hungry for blood,” whispers Mike Wheeler after a silent first few minutes of the show. Not only does he foreshadow the anticipated drama of the Netflix original Stranger...

Illustration by Ala Jankowski

South faculty works to guide students struggling with self harm

Abby Grant and Brigid Murphy
November 4, 2016

To many South students, between the classroom walls lie homework assignments atop homework assignments. To other students, the area between these walls institutionalizes a place of love and friendship....

RETIREMENT READY: Joining together to reminisce about their careers, South retiring faculty prepares to end the school year for one last time. These staff members have devoted countless years to helping students learn and grow. Featured from left to right: (top) Jerry Zabin, John Lewis, Todd Hansen, Peter Masciopinto, Terry Jozwik, Marty Sirvatka, (bottom) Janice Osowski, Ellen Eichler, Mary Vicars, Kay Sopocy, Dawn Fendt. Not featured: Fred Kocian, Carol May.

Retirement is now in session: South faculty say goodbye to GBS with lasting memories, relationships, legacies

Alexandra Sharp, Eliza Schloss, Brigid Murphy, Hannah Buchband, Anne Marie Yurik, Yoon Kim, Youjin Shon, Savera Zulfiqar, Kathy Yoo, Abby Grant, Aakash Bhojwani & John Park, and Kyle O'Shaughnessy & Maggie Eschenbach
May 24, 2016

Table of Contents: Terry Jozwik Todd Hansen Mary Vicars Fred Kocian Jerry Zabin Dawn Fendt Ellen Eichler John Lewis Pete Masciopinto Janice Osowski Marty Sirvatka Kay...

Students aim to hop into workforce, urged to consider college as option

Brigid Murphy, staff writer
April 8, 2016

College is not for everyone. Though the majority of the GBS student body goes on after graduation to pursue a form of higher education, there is still a group who decides to follow different paths. According...

South students explain dietary choices

Brigid Murphy, Staff Reporter
February 29, 2016

When one hears the word “diet,” weight loss regimens often come to mind.  However, around South many students practice diets, and they vary from the typical expectation.   According to senior...

Illustration by Jini John

South students, staff express individuality through tattoos, piercings

Brigid Murphy, staff reporter
January 28, 2016

Little music notes curl along the arms and a bright red rose’s petals gently caress the top of the shoulder. Tattoos and piercings adorn many members of the South community. Whether it be a student or...

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