Senior Sumit Shah is a Graphics/Photos Editor on the Blueprint staff. In addition to being part of the Blueprint staff, Shah has also been a part of the DGS speech team since his sophomore year. He has participated in the 3D Visualization portion of the SkillsUSA contest his sophomore and junior year....

Itzel Sanchez is a senior, and this is her first year working on the Blueprint staff as a Graphics/Photo Editor. In 2023, they started making editorial cartoons for the Blueprint and qualified for the IHSA journalism state competition for Advertising shortly after. Sanchez’s love for the arts started...

Junior Melo Medina is a first-year Video Editor for the DGS Blueprint. Along with being in Blueprint, Medina is a member of the DGS stage crew club and Latino Student Union. They are also a part of the Changemakers organization and the AVID program. Medina’s interest in editing developed when they...

Senior Vanja Bogdanovic is a Graphics and Photo Editor in her first year on the Blueprint staff. Bogdanovic is involved in numerous school activities, such as being a French tutor and an active member of the internship program at DGS. Bogdanovic is also an AP Photography student this year. Photography...

Senior Lucas Penavic is a first-year Video Editor for the DGS Blueprint. Outside of working on the newspaper, he plays in the DGS Concert Orchestra and attempts to pass his math class. Penavic’s interest in video production truly began after taking TV 1 his sophomore year and TV 2 in his junior...

Senior Juliana Conyer is an Editor-in-Chief for the Blueprint Staff. This is her second year as a staff member, but she has been a part of the publication for three years. Besides journalism, Conyer is a part of book club, the varsity speech team, the PE Leading program, the service coordinator for the...

Senior Anthony Addante is a second year staff member and is an Opinions Editor on the Blueprint. Addante is a member of the cross country and track team. He is passionate about learning and is consistently a high honor roll student. He is also a member of Model UN and politics club. In addition, he...

NB Bandera is a senior at DGS and a second-year staff member in Blueprint. Bandera was a Video Editor her first year, and now she is an Entertainment Editor. Other than Blueprint, Bandera participates in girl’s varsity badminton and directed a IHSA film in a competition of 2023 for the state of...

Senior Carson Kass is a Sports Editor for the DGS Blueprint. Kass is an honor roll student who is in charge of live broadcasts for DGS Esports and commentates for the DGS football team. Kass enjoys being the voice of many different programs in the school and beyond. Kass’ interest in journalism...

Senior Olivia Velazquez is a News Editor for the Blueprint staff and it is her second year on the staff. Besides journalism, Velazquez is also involved in Blue Crew, Mad Dash, Snowball, DECA and Key Club. She was on the DGS softball team her freshman year, as well as a travel softball league outside...

Senior Grace Rerucha is a Features Editor for the DGS Blueprint. Rerucha is a member of the Fillies, as well as dancing at her studio, DLD Dance Center. In addition to her roles as student council vice president and orchesis officer, she participates in National Honors Society, madrigal choir, the spring...

Senior Sabrina Crowley is so excited for her first year on the Blueprint staff as a Copy Editor. As the daughter of two English teachers, Crowley has loved writing for as long as she can remember. However, her interest sparked in her freshman year when she joined the speech team and found love in writing...

Senior Jack Pastore is the Copy Editor-in-Chief and an Entertainment Editor on the Blueprint Staff. In addition to this, Pastore is involved in multiple school activities and works at Mariano’s. Outside of Blueprint, Pastore has had a long acting career at Downers Grove South. He has acted in two...

Senior Taylor Beattie is an Entertainment Editor and this is her first year on the Blueprint staff. At DGS, Beattie has participated in tennis and band; she previously was a member of their concert and symphonic ensembles. Beattie had taken Journalistic Expression her junior year of high school and decided...

Senior Kate Dziewinski is an Editor-In-Chief for the DGS Blueprint. During her sophomore year, Dziewinski took Journalistic Expression, which sparked her interest in writing. Journalism quickly turned into one of her passions as she continued her writing as the Sports-Editor for the Blueprint last year. In...

Senior Nicholas Sadelski is an Opinions Editor for his first year on the Blueprint staff. Additionally, Sadelski is on the varsity cross country and track team, part of the a capella and madrigal choirs, a member of National Honors Society, an honor roll student, and participates in various clubs including...

Senior Caitlin Spindler is a first year News Editor for the DGS Blueprint. Spindler is an honor roll student and is also a member of the DGS/DGN lacrosse team and a club lacrosse program. Spindler took Journalistic Expression her junior year which continued to prove her love for journalism and further...

Senior Sebastian Blanco is a Features Editor in his second year on the Blueprint staff. Here at DGS, Blanco is an ILMEA all-state and honors student, president of our Masque & Gavel club, a state journalism champion in radio news and a national speech champion in expository. When not at school...

Senior Owen Chaidez is an Editor-In-Chief for the DGS Blueprint. He is an honors student who is dedicated to bringing awareness to the daily lives and struggles of people with disabilities, as he has a disability called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita. His journey with journalism began his sophomore...

Senior Maya Homberg is an Editor-in-Chief, and this is her second year on the Blueprint staff. Homberg is an honor roll student and has been swimming for over 10 years. At DGS, she is the president of NHS and also takes part in ACE, Spanish NHS, Earth Action Club and Key Club. Homberg joined journalism...

Senior Lauren Miranda is an Editor-in-Chief on the Blueprint staff. In addition to journalism, Miranda is the captain of the DGS varsity dance team and dances in a company outside of school. She is an English tutor at DGS and a member of National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Athletes...

Kari Alore loves Downers Grove South.  In fact, her full 17 years of teaching have been spent right here at DGS.  This school year she is excited to be teaching English II, English II Honors and Journalistic Expression and Media Literacy at DGS. Alore has two children who she loves dearly but woul...

Mark Indreika has been an English teacher at DGS since 1996. He graduated from DGS in 1984, and he attended Northern Illinois University where he received degrees in English and journalism. He advised The Blueprint, teaching the advanced journalism class for eight years. He is now happy to assist Ms....

Mary Long teaches TV 1, TV 2, Writing for Broadcast, Creative Writing, Journalistic Expression, Advanced Journalistic Writing and Drawing and Painting 1 at DGS. Prior to working at DGS, she taught in Wisconsin for eight years and in Cicero, Il for one year. Her undergraduate degree is from the University...