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
Maia Schwallie

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor

Hi! My name is Maia Schwallie, and I am one of the Opinions editors for the Oracle this year. This is my second year on the Editorial Board, and I am so excited to work on the paper again this year! In addition to the Oracle, I am also involved in the Variety Show, choir, theater, Onward House, and I am a TLC tutor. I also love to sew, cook and bake vegan desserts in my free time! I am looking forward to a great year!

 

All content by Maia Schwallie

How to be a productive second-semester senior

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
May 21, 2021

Senioritis: the infamous disease that often overtakes second-semester seniors, plaguing us with apathy, laziness, and a general lack of motivation. Teachers dread it, GPAs drop because of it and colleges...

A letter to men in the Glenbrook community

Maia Schwallie, Opinions Editor
April 23, 2021

To all of the boys and men in the Glenbrook community: Whether you are a student, a teacher, or a parent, this column is for you. It is for you to reflect, to learn and to ask yourself what you can do...

Fashion: from trendiness to sustainability

Fashion: from trendiness to sustainability

Maia Schwallie, Co-opinions editor
February 12, 2021

Sweater vests! Leather blazers! Juicy Couture tracksuits! These funky fashion trends took 2020 by storm. As we kick off 2021, fashion-lovers across the nation await the new trends that will soon replace...

LGBTQ+ films struggle under dated storylines

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
December 18, 2020

Can films just let queer people be happy already? I’ve asked myself this question three times recently, as I’ve sat through three disappointing LGBTQ+ movies this month. Centered largely on tragedy...

Illustration by Sneha Augustine

Americans need to recognize Thanksgiving’s problematic history

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
November 20, 2020

Thanksgiving is a beloved holiday for many Americans. Families gathered around the dinner table, giving thanks and eating pumpkin pie is a staple of autumnal tradition. However, amid turkey-eating and...

“The gay side” of TikTok unites LGBTQ youth

“The gay side” of TikTok unites LGBTQ youth

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
October 2, 2020

“So, are you on ‘Gay TikTok’ or ‘Straight TikTok?’” If you are an avid TikTok user like me, someone has probably asked you this question at some point. After all, these “sides” of TikTok...

Sex education in America suffers under societal taboo

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
March 16, 2020

Let's talk about sex! If that sentence made you a little uncomfortable, I'm not surprised. As we have all probably gathered from the giggles and grimaces that fill our health classes, sex is one of...

Photo illustration by Maia Schwallie and Nicole Surcel

Living ethically in a world of moral ambiguity

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
February 14, 2020

I have a confession to make. My overarching goal in life has always been to live as ethically and sustainably as possible. But to be honest, I feel like I’m failing in nearly every way. I’m a vegan,...

Last Christmas makes you wish this Christmas would be the last

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
December 20, 2019

As I sat down to watch the holiday romantic comedy Last Christmas, I was expecting a generic, feel-good, Hallmark- type of film. I was ready to watch an annoyingly peppy male protagonist spread Christmas...

Illustration by Faith Roche

Students with synesthesia see sounds at South

Maia Schwallie and Julia Marriott
December 20, 2019

Imagine if temperatures made noise, voices had their own scent or numbers flaunted their own unique personalities. Inside the mind of someone with synesthesia, intriguing mixtures of senses like these...

Loving Lizzo: Playing her flute at the BET awards, Lizzo flaunts her musical talents. Her flute can be found in multiple songs throughout her album.

Lizzo promotes self-love in most recent album

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
November 15, 2019

If I could get a tattoo of anything in the world, I would easily decide on an image of my icon: Lizzo. An American singer, rapper and classically trained flutist, Lizzo spreads her infectious self-confidence...

Illustration by Esther Lim

Self awareness proves essential for discovery of happiness

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
November 15, 2019

Self-awareness is a concept high schoolers are supposed to have mastered by now. We’re expected to know our passions so we can join sports teams and clubs that make us happy and understand our personalities...

Illustration by Hannah Franklin

Amazon rainforest burns; solution found in veganism

Maia Schwallie, co-opinions editor
October 4, 2019

When I was in fourth grade, my class spent a full school day celebrating the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest. We praised the majestic animal kingdom that inhabits the forest walls and thanked the “lungs...

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...

Five Feet Apart disappoints with unoriginal script

Maia Schwallie, staff reporter
April 22, 2019

Five Feet Apart is an underwhelming melodrama cluttered with overused Hollywood tropes. These unsettling flaws first became apparent to me when I saw the film’s trailer. Normally these imperfections...

World Cultures Event highlights diversity

Maia Schwallie, staff reporter
February 8, 2019

On Feb. 2, 2019, culture clubs and language classes united in the West Cafeteria from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. for the fifth annual World Cultures Celebration with about 60 participants, according to Esther Bowen,...

Former CPS students explore new academic options

Maia Schwallie, staff reporter
December 14, 2018

Marking the end of summer’s perpetual pleasure and bliss, the school year is notoriously dreaded by most students around the world. However, for students who transfer from Chicago Public Schools (CPS),...

Furry Friends: Cuddling her pet, sophomore Emma Bird holds her albino chinchilla Faux for a picture. South students own a variety of exotic animals.

South students keep exotic pets, form unique bonds

Maia Schwallie and Sloane Shabelman
November 12, 2018

A hamster wheel squeaks as small rodents run in circles. Two chinchillas tease one another as they receive a dust bath, squeaking along with the wheel. A dog barks at a cat who turns around and hisses....

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