sequoitmedia.com online exclusives WAR BY TOM TOM SENIOR EDITOR JOHN PETTY When push comes to shove, the United States of America is traditionally at a crossroads of public opinion regarding its prized professional athletes. Given the recent uprising of professional football players and their protests of the National Anthem, the nation is truly at a war of opinions.
GETTING MENTALLY IN THE GAME BY TOM TOM SENIOR EDITOR MONICA WILHELM When the going get’s tough, athletes get going. Wilhelm explores in this story what it means to be mentally tough and how the best way to grow in a sport is to promote one’s own success. ALSO ONLINE
- “Game Preparation” by sophomore Tom Tom social media coordinator Mikayla Holway. - Setting world records by SBN junior Sean Weiser. - The rule changes in the ILC by SBN senior Faraz Khan. - SBN junior Tyson Baker talks fall fashion. - SBN junior Eric Hart and senior Julius Catalan return to taste testing, this time with local coffee.
HOMECOMING WEEK ACTIVITIES BY SBN SENIORS MIRANDA KARELLAS AND DREW PORTER, AND JUNIORS JACKIE SISTRUNK AND DREW SMITH On Wednesday night of Homecoming week, the Sequoits followed the five D’s of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge. Teams geared up in their matching uniforms as they challenged each other for the dodgeball championship title. Last Thursday, Antioch kicked off their homecoming parade. The town packed main street and whatcehd as every sport and club made their way down to the Stadium. Following the parade, each sport gave a pep rally skit. Cheer and football teamed up together to present an annual boy-girl stunt performance. To conclude the night, the Sequoits rushed down to the south end of the stadium for a bonfire and firework show. To see videos of all of these, go online now. FALL SPORT PROFILES Each sports magazine, the Tom Tom staff recognizes a number of athletes, parents, coaches and supporters for each sports. This issue, we featured new physical education teacher and football coach, Mitch Munda; freshman cheerleader Chloe Martinez written by junior Tom Tom team leader Dan Filippone; junior Zoe Semersky, written by senior Taylor Feltner; senior tennis star Kelsey Neville by senior photo coordinator Steffanie Richardson; and junior golfers Samantha Brown, written by senior Tom Tommer Julia Murillo; and Alex Riedl, written by senior social media coordinator Jared DeBoer.
EDITOR’S NOTE 04 Off The Field 05 On the Field 08 BAD BLOOD 18 Courage 20 50 Shades 23 Beyond the field 28 RUMMEL 31 What it Feels Like 32
table of contents
the tom tom // the cardinal issue // september 29, 2017
OFF THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
THE CARDINAL ISSUE
Continuing with this year’s theme of not seeing things in black and white, it only made sense that the first sports magazine’s color be that of our school. The idea of seeing things in cardinal was prominent in choosing stories for this magazine. As we always do, we sought out stories which aren’t told. We chose to search for those who have bad blood with someone or something. For the people whose internal struggles may be so internalized that you’d never have known anything was going on. The one’s courageous enough to break out of their comfort zone to try something knew. Finally, we chose to acknowledge the issue of school spirit that is becoming more and more visible within this community. In this magazine we wanted to give those who feel as though they don’t know how to get involved a way to do just that. Instead of the traditional in depth feature, we
Jessica Nettgen JASON R. WOOD editor-in-chief // @jason_wood7
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ne of the most common phrases among sports fans is “I bleed (whatever your team’s color is).” Now, while I do follow different sports teams, I know that, above all, I bleed cardinal. I love Antioch; the feeling of spirit that this school can have, and all of the people within it are what make me so proud to be a Sequoit. But since I first stepped through the doors of ACHS, I’ve seen this spirit diminish. For this reason, when we made the decision to make our first sport’s magazine color the color that embodies our school, I was overjoyed. It’s my senior year, this color and this magazine give a chance at redemption. A chance at bringing back that Sequoit spirit. Cardinal comes with both positive and negative connotations. It’s associated with bad blood between rivals, as well as war and internal struggle. On the flip side, it’s also associated with courage and, for our school, spirit. Our staff embraces and embodies the color cardinal. We have some of the most spirited people within the entire school on our staff. Captains, Cardinal Crazy leaders, theater members and band kids. The melting pot that is the Tom Tom staff allows us to strive to be role models of spirited school members. We have the courage to approach new stories from different angles, and to write the stories which we’re told to stay away from by people who are older and more powerful than us. That being said, we’re far from perfect. Just like anyone else, we too have bad blood and internal struggles. It’s inevitable; from the occasional clash between media programs to fights between staffers, bad blood affects us all. Despite the potential conflicts, just like me, our staff bleeds cardinal.
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challenged print director Branden Gallimore to write a guide to having sequoit spirit: “50 Shades of Cardinal of Gray.” As for the traditional features, managing editor Jillian Everett touches on how ACHS’s rivalries have changed over the years, particularly with our neighbors next door: Grant Community High School. Creative director Aliya Rhodes tells the stories of two courageous Sequoits and their transition to new sports and departure from those that made them most comfortable, and possibly, according to others, their most successful. If you’re curious as to why the “Sequoit Call” was ban, read team leader Eleni Sakas’ coverage of the matter. Read Tom Tom staffer Avery Frasch’s profile on sophomore cross country runner Samantha Wanke and photography coordinator Kat Zamudio’s profile on varsity soccer assistant coach Matt Bohmann to see how both embody the color cardinal in their respective sports. Digital director Kaylee Schreiner also found out what it felt like to choose the sidelines when she sat down with senior Thomas Scott in this issue’s “What it Feels Like” piece. And that isn’t all; this magazine is full of the stories and photos of why we bleed cardinal (and grey). To close, even if students may not have known her, we chose to honor one of the most cherished faculty members in Sequoit history: Debbie Rummel. Rummel was the former physical education department chair and pioneered how PE should be taught not only in our school, but also in schools across the state. Senior editor John Petty shares a heartfelt goodbye to a Sequoit who will be immortalized by her street scene and her passion for students, staff and her faith. As always, thank you for reading and helping us show that there is more to life than what we may see as black and white.
executive team
JASON R. WOOD Editor-in-Chief PATRICK R. JOHNSON, MJE Adviser JILLIAN M. EVERETT Managing Editor BRANDEN W. GALLIMORE Print Director KAYLEE S. SCHREINER Digital Director NICO L. CHIAPPETTA Public Relations Director CHLOE E.GRASS Creative Director DIANA ANGHEL Print Director ALIYA N. RHODES Creative Director Editorial Board DIGITAL ASSISTANTS Griffin P. Hackloer Jacob R. Johnson Alex L. Rapp Emily M. Torres
SENIOR EDITORS Lauren N. Bluthardt Jessica L. Lamberty John P. Petty Monica E. Wilhelm
Coordinators SOCIAL MEDIA Jared D. DeBoer Emily C. Hanes Mikayla M. Holway PHOTOGRAPHY Jessica J. Nettgen Steffanie A. Richardson Kat B. Zamudio
TEAM Peter A. Boeh Dan D. Filippone Alexandra C. Johnson McKenna R. Kalisz Madisen M. Krapf Valerie N. Rasmussen Eleni A. Sakas Karley K. Rogalski
staff journalists
Gianna M. Chiappetta Joyclyn L. Crawford Caden M. Davis Taylor A. Feltner Merrick W. Foote Avery J. Frasch Kayla E. Grenke Emily A. Higgins Robert S. Hulting Joseph M. Kestian Alexandria Q. Knight Emily Lara
Ella M. Maggio Julia M. Murillo Benjamin J. Nauman Jadda C. Pope Ashly M. Ring Tyler S. Skutnik Matthew P. Soberano Kevin E. Tamayo Sadie M. Vanderwall Skyler R. Wackenhuth Mollie T. Wagner Sierra M. Ward
staff interns
Haley Aitken Charlotte Bongratz Gavin Calabrese Evan Day Andrew DeBoer Matthew Edmark Brianna Fisher Julia Hackeloer Kaitlyn Howe Jackson Hugener Isabelle Hunter Jake Ilkka Sofia Klem Madison McBride
Alexis Olson Maggie Quirke Alexander Riedel Alessia Rivera Grace Rowe Maya Schon Rilee Schreiner Sarah Smith Cassidy Thomas Katelyn Vaskovsky Beatriz Warnes Alison Weiser Walker Winkler
mission statement
The Tom Tom seeks to not only be the premier source of student news, sports and lifestyles at Antioch Community High School, but it also aspires to do so with integrity, respect, responsibility and pride. The Tom Tom believes wholeheartedly in giving voices to the voiceless through unique engaging methods of storytelling, while engaging with the Antioch community to see diverse and challenging perspectives. In doing so, we choose to tell some of the more challenging or untold stories even when they can be controversial in order to make our community stronger, more caring, and more tolerant. This program envisions a holistic experience of quality journalism through print publications and digital content, as well as promotes student spirit and school culture through innovative and inspiring public relations and advertising campaigns. We are the Tom Tom. We are originals. It would be an awfully big adventure if you choose to come along with us and work as one community, One Sequoit.
JASON R. WOOD editor-in-chief
THE TOM TOM STAFF
2017-2018
Eleni Sakas Senior Gabriel Tijerina hustles acroos the field as Antioch takes on
Jessica Nettgen Football coach Brian Glashagel talking to his fellow coaches in the press box at Grant on September
Round Lake. Rould Lake would move on to win the game 4-2. “It’s easy for me to see the game now that I have had experience on varsity,” Tijerina said.
15. Antioch would move on to trump the Bulldogs with a final score of 42-0. “We anticipate the same offense and same defense that we’ve been doing and them for us too,” Glashagel said.
BEHIND THE GAMEPLAN
Coaches minds are never at rest; they are always thinking about how they can beat future opponents.
BENJAMIN J. NAUMAN tom tom staff // @bnauman48
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t is a popular opinion that being a coach can be one of the most stressful jobs to have because the pressure to do well is always on their shoulders. Coaches have many different components to think about when they are planning for games. Depending on the sport that is being coached, sometimes games may be back-to-back or they could be a week apart. Preparation and planning differs depending on the coach and sport. “Every coach in every sport has got to factor the health of their players and any other factors like who you are playing and what does your opponent run,” head football coach Brian Glashagel said. “Are you playing on a short week? Is it an opponent that runs the same type of offense and the same type of defense? I think that would help. If you’re playing a team that’s really good versus bad.” Glashagel is not the only person who is constantly thinking on the football staff. Glashagel makes sure that he gets input from all of his fellow coaches, and even from his players. “If you think about Branden Gallimore and Julius Catalan, both played in Varsity football games as sophomores, so now this is three years later,” Glashagel said. “They’ve seen it all; that’s an advantage.” Given the experience that Catalan has, Glashagel is always sure to incorporate his ideas. “If it will help us score points, [Glashagel will] definitely take what I say more heavily into consideration,” senior football player Catalan said. Being a coach for the football team and having a week in between each game, Glashagel has gotten into a routine where Mondays are for conditioning and watching film, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are days of actual practice, and Thursdays are for special teams and pre-game walk through. However, the one game each year that Glashagel and his team have one fewer day, he simply bumps the practice schedule one day forward. Coaches need to be strategic when creating their game plan during short weeks like these. Not everyone has the luxury of always having a week in between each game. This is the case for varsity soccer coach and physical education teacher Marni Polakow and her soccer team. Having back-to-back games benefit teams because players never get out of “the zone.”
Eleni Sakas Varsity boys soccer coach Marni Polakow heads to the sideline before they take on Round Lake. “We have a lot of young guys, but we also have a lot of older guys that don’t have a lot of varsity experience, so this year [our captains] have been super helpful,” Polakow said.
“No one likes to practice,” Polakow said. “So the closer the games are, the more you can have fun and play.” Like many coaches, Polakow is willing to do whatever she needs to do in order to put her team into the best possible positions to win any game. Polakow will even go as far as to change into a formation that her team may not be very familiar with if that is what it takes. As with Glashagel, Polakow has a wide assortment of people to consult with and trust when preparing for a game, such as her senior captains and her assistant coach Matt Bohmann. “[Coach Bohmann] plans tons of practice sessions for me, comes up with different ideas, and I trust his input,” Polakow said. “If he wants to make a change in the game, then he comes up to me and we do it.” Along with Bohmann, the captains are very helpful and willing to do whatever they need to do to help out, such as coaching some of the younger, less experienced kids so that Polakow can concentrate on other players, or even pointing out something that they may see in a game. Coaches see and act different on details of the game depending on the situation and even in some ways that are similar. 5
OFF THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
Jessica Nettgen
SEQUOIT TO SEQUOIT
When it comes to off-season training, these Tom Tommers and Sequoit athletes all believe that there are different approaches to maximizing success.
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lay after play, snap after snap, another hit, another bump or bruise. One of, if not the most rigorous and pounding sports, is football. Football players can land an injury at any given moment in a game or practice. An injury on an athlete can make or break a season for some teams. In all levels of football, more specifically in the NFL, repetitive BRANDEN amounts of hits on the brain has caused numerous GALLIMORE // SENIOR cases of CTE or even death. The scary part is how many injuries that have gone undocumented. For a lot of injuries, there is no way to prevent them, but for some it is the work athletes put in that determines if an injury will happen or not. Off-season training for football players can be the most important time to get healthy, stay healthy and become a better player. The most important part of an athlete’s football season is staying healthy and out of the trainers. Even if the trainers are as great as Bryn and Ryan are, football players want to stay away from them as much as possible. In order to be strangers with the trainers, it is a must for football players to take 6
off-season lifting seriously. The most important off-season activity for football players is lifting. Gaining strength to improve their game and to help prevent injuries is a necessity. Time spent on the weight deck has a direct correlation to the football field; the more time an athlete spends working on their body on the weight deck, the better their play will be and the less prone to injuries they will be as well. Personally, the small bumps and bruises that I used to get, I no longer get anymore due to the commitment I made on the weight deck. Yes, we all know, lifting is nice, but nutrition is also just as important. If I were to go home after lifting and eat Twinkies and brownies, my workout prior to that would be a waste. On the other hand, if I go home and grill some chicken and vegetables for dinner, I will get more out of each of my workouts, putting me in a better situation for my season. Taking care and treating the body right is the best way to get a step ahead of the competition. This consists of getting proper rest, eating healthy and lifting regularly. In football, where men go out and legally beat up on each other, the best way to spend the offseason is making an athlete’s body healthy and ready.
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f you think playing travel softball comes with a designated off-season, then let me stop you right there. Sure, there’s summer which consists of a tournament every weekend along with two to three regular practices a week, but nobody realizes the work that’s put in throughout the rest of the year. Softball season starts in August with a stressful KAYLEE two weeks full of tryouts and waiting for that phone SCHREINER // SENIOR call that tells you that you made the team. As soon as those two weeks are over, practices and scrimmages begin. Fall is the time of year where softball players are plagued with schoolwork and hold out for the weekend only to be bombarded by doubleheaders and two-day tournaments. I spend my week going from school to softball to a weekend with a Saturday practice and a Sunday doubleheader. I can’t even escape softball when snow begins to fall on the ground. You’re probably thinking how could you possibly play softball in the win-
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he off-season is a crucial time for all athletes. Soccer is a sport where I need to stay in shape and keep up my endurance so I can benefit my team in a more effective manner, which is why playing basketball in the winter helps me to stay in shape for soccer. After basketball ends, my real off-season starts. PETER In the spring, I run about two miles almost everyBOEH // SENIOR day to keep my endurance up come summer time. Some days, after running, I will do sprint workouts to help with my speed. These consist of multiple 40’s or 100’s sprint intervals. I also do additional agility drills, such as ladders, to improve my game even more.
ter? The answer is simple: turf fields. Though winter would be what I consider an “off-season,” it’s still filled with biweekly practices and the occasional indoor tournament. If you’re really lucky, your coach will throw in one or two extra speed and agility practices a week to whip you into better shape and leave you feeling sore up until the next practice. When it’s finally time to stop travel softball, only to start high school softball, it’s already the end of February. With practices every single day after school, high school softball is arguably worse than travel. High school softball goes through March until possibly June, with travel picking up again right after high school is over. With the end of high school comes the continuation of travel. You’re thrown into a series of practices and tournaments within the first week back, having to relearn all of your old teammates names and positions. This trend continues through the rest of June and all of July, usually ending with a huge college exposure or National tournament. After travel softball ends the real off-season begins: one to two weeks of pure relaxation before tryouts start again in August. In order to keep my technical ability sharp, I juggle every chance that I get. At home I will watch TV and juggle at the same time because juggling helps with my first touch. Whenever I get the chance, I will get a friend to go to McMillen with me and do different drills. I start out with one and two-touch passing and then go into long passing both in the air and on the ground. Once in awhile I will do some shooting drills but those are not as important for the basic needs of being a defender. To finish the training session, I focus my attention towards my defending. These drills would usually involve oneon-one defending and shape. Off-season training consists of various activities on what I feel needs improvement. Most days are different from each other, but I always try to find time to do some of these workouts in my off-season. The off-season is where I usually can improve the most for the upcoming season.
5 Top A TOM TOM
We rank our best ways to train in the off-season.
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LIFT WEIGHTS
Going to the gym four or five times a week can not only help you get in shape, but also help you gain strength. Change the amount of reps and the weight you use; the higher the weight, the lower the reps and vice versa.
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RUN DAILY
Running will help increase your endurance for when the off-season is over with. Then, when conditioning starts, it won’t be as difficult to keep up or to continue running while everyone else is huffing
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EAT HEALTHY
Make sure you get the right amount of nutrients and not too much of the bad foods like carbs and fats.
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CROSS FIT
It is a short and intense workout that will get you in shape. It focuses on lifting and endurance all in a short period of time.
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YOGA
It will relieve your stress, relieve tension in your body and improve your flexibility. Becoming more flexible can help lengthen your strides and improve your cardio. 7
ON THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
FIELD HOCKEY JR Johnson 8
VOLLEYBALL Eleni Sakas 9
ON THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
FOOTBALL Jessica Nettgen 10
TENNIS Matthew Soberano 11
ON THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
SOCCER Caden Davis 12
WHEN WINNING COUNTS THE MOST The outcome of a game can drastically change how a team reacts to the next situation given to them. KARLEY K. ROGALSKI team leader // @karley_rogalski
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inning a game can mean everything to a team. All the hard work that was put in during practices, weekends and personal free time meant something and lead them to this victory. The opposite can be said for losing. It can show a team what they still need to improve on to come back and win the next match. Sometimes, there is nothing a team can do to avoid losing; even if they tried as hard as they could, the other team could just have better skills. The same concept can be applied to winning. If a team defeats someone that is not near their skill level, they must realize that the other team was bad and focus on getting better and improving their skills after the game is over. If they cannot do that, overconfidence can take over and make them less focused on getting better in practice. “People can get too confident in themselves or other people,” JV volleyball player and junior Katie Vilardi said. “It could bring energy down [after losing] because we expect to win and when we don’t we get more upset about losing.” Practice for any sport is a place where the team can take what they did wrong from the last game and learn more so they are not wrong again. However, practice after a win tends to be easier for a team because everyone, including the coach, is not in a bad mood. The players can still train, but there is less pressure to do things correctly on the first try. “Winning helps during our practice because...we know how to work together a little better,” varsity field hockey player and junior Carrie Miller said. “It’s a lot less stressful because no one is trying to prove themselves to anyone else or trying to do everything on their own.” Nonetheless, practice after losing can be good or bad for a team depending on how they played in the previous match. If they put forth all that they could and still lost, the coach could be more understanding and focus on what needs to be improved after what he or she saw. However, if the team was not trying their best in the previous match, practice could become completely focused on getting what was wrong right,
JR Johnson The girls varsity field hockey team prepares to go onto the field by talking about what they need to improve. The girls are always ready to take on new challenges and respond to different situations. “We try our best at practice and hope that we can take what we learned to apply it in games,” varsity field hockey player adn junior Carrie Miller said.
along with some possible conditioning. “After a loss, we like to focus on improving any small aspect of our game that wasn’t up to par in the previous match so that next time, we can put what we worked on into play, keep our scores low and win,” varsity golfer and junior Nick Gagman said. After practice, the only thing left is the next game. If a team goes into a game off a win, then they are more likely to have a strong desire to win because they want to uphold their current record. However, there is a possibility that the team might be expecting another win and will not be ready if they face a strong opponent. On the other hand, if a team goes into a game off a loss, then there could be a desire to win because the team does not want to lose again or the morale could be down and they could end up losing because that is what they expect to happen. “You need to have a lot of energy on your side of the court and having the momentum really helps keep your team going,” Vilardi said. All in all, winning and losing a game can have a variety of effects on a team during practices and the next games. Whether a team wins or loses, there are still many aspects of their sport that they can use to learn from and improve on.
HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LOSE? “It’s okay to lose if you’re playing your best... [it] is okay because that other team is just better.” -KATIE VILARDI “Winning makes the team feel good because it shows that what we worked on in practice was effectivly shown in the match.” -NICK GAGMAN “Some lessons from losing are the need to keep up energy on your side of the court, talking to your teammates and staying positive.” -KATIE VILARDI
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ON THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
Matthew Soberano Some of the new cross country runners warm up with their verteran teammates. The newcomers to the team oftentimes find this opportunity to be incredibly helpful in order to learn pacing and the dynamics of the sport in high school in general. “Teammates are very helpful and give me strategies on how to run and pace myself,” sophomore Alex Barbarise said.
RUNNING FOR GREATNESS New athletes work toward developing success with experienced teammates. TYLER S. SKUTNIK tom tom staff
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ew athletes and freshmen are usually perceived as not capable of doing what more experienced athletes have done for years. Leaders are prevalent in sports and shape the way a team functions and performs. The inexperience of new teammates brings out the leaders of the team and creates a positive environment for teammates to learn new strategies and improve on their skills. The new athletes are getting to know the program, their teammates, and their coaches. These leaders make their new teammates feel comfortable and welcome into the team. “I’m new to the team and they want me to feel comfortable,” freshman cross country runner
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Logan Phillips said. Athletes need their teammates to push them to their capacity. Once someone falls behind and slows down it is crucial for their teammates to step in and push them to points they may not be mentally or physically comfortable with doing. This shows them that they have teammates that care. Athletes that push their teammates are athletes care about their success and the success of the team. “They also tell us how to push ourselves so that we can become a better team,”sophomore cross country runner Alex Barbarise said. The coaches have a large impact on why or why not athletes enjoy a sport. The coaches are especially important to the new athletes because these coaches need to build relationships with their team and are always there to support them. A good coach could be very laid back or could be hard on their team in order to achieve what they know the team is capable of. “Mr. Bailey seems really supportive and he’s really nice to the athletes and treats us really well,”
Phillips said. New athletes play sports because they love the game, want to get better, want to make new friends and want to get stronger. Some cross country runners simply love to run and push themselves towards reaching their running goals, but cross country is also a great example of a sport that strengthens legs and conditions athletes bodies. This is key in many other sports and many of these athletes use it as a way to have an advantage over their opponents in sports like wrestling. “For me since I am a wrestler, [running and cross country is] good for our conditioning,” Barbarise said. The new athletes are crucial to a team’s success not only in the current season, but also in the following seasons if they choose to come back. The leaders on the team help the new athletes become comfortable, their teammates push them to success and the coaches build relationships and support them.
Q&A WITH JUNIOR CALLIE TUBBS
Jessica Nettgen Sophomore Sean O’Hara watches his teammates stretch before the second half of their football game versus Grant. The Sequoits beat the Bulldogs 42-0, bringing their record to 4-0. “This is probably the hardest thing I have had to do, having to deal with an injury,” O’Hara said.
INJURED, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Coming face-to-face with sitting out, possibly for a career, pushes some Sequoits to find other opportunities and reflect on growth.
EMILY M. TORRES assistant digital director // @emily_marilynnt
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njuries are a difficult experience to go through, whether it be long-term or short-term; they are a rough patch in someone’s athletic career. After a certain amount of time being out of a sport due to an injury, the athlete tends to be out of shape by the time they are healed, which means they have to work even harder to get back into their sport. Even so, all of those injured athletes deserve to feel like they still belong on their team. Sophomore Sean O’Hara, a three-sport athlete, had a serious concussion last spring during an indoor baseball practice. “I don’t know exactly how it happened, but a baseball flew out of a batting cage last bat and hit me in the back of the head,” O’Hara said. O’Hara also added that he is still experiencing some symptoms, which has made him unable to play his sophomore year of football. “This is my sophomore year, this is my first year with the varsity guys and I’m just trying to see what they do, how they practice, how my position works and what I should do on certain plays,” O’Hara said. O’Hara expressed that many of the guys on the team have been giving him pointers and have been telling him what to do and what not to do in order to get better, despite his inability to play this year. Unlike O’Hara, some athletes take either a year off of their sport, or are even done playing for the rest of their life after an injury. Senior Cameron Norris has had many injuries that have forced him to stop playing the sport he loves: football. Norris has two torn labrums, one in each shoulder, Osteochondritis in his right knee and finally, he has had about 20 concussions. “The last concussion was the worst. I don’t have symptoms anymore but it was the worst experience I’ve ever had,” Norris
said. “Constant throbbing headaches, throwing up, blurred vision and sometimes blacking out, loud ringing in my ears and overheating.” Norris claimed that each time he got a concussion, they would get worse. Due to all of these injuries, Norris had to stop his football career before his senior year. “I think for most of us the love for the game fades throughout the years,” Norris said. “The games are fun but the preparation becomes more of a burden over the years, but all the practices and games are just a small detail in what really matters, which is the teammates. The team truly is a family. That is the thing that hurts most. Knowing that my time got cut short with my second family.” Sitting out can be extremely hard for athletes. Watching your teammates is a difficult thing to do. Injuries can take a toll on someone and make them feel like they are helpless. It is up to them to get better and their teammates can help them by being encouraging. Head freshman football coach and physical education teacher Matthew Larsen gave his input on injured athletes and expressed that as a coach they must first assess the injury and see if the trainers need to be called. The trainers will then decide the seriousness of the injury and go from there. “I tell them the athletes to work their hardest to get back. If they love it, they’re going to try their hardest to get back,” Larsen said.” I make sure that they do the right stuff and that they don’t try to skip past like most athletes do. They try to skip past the levels of the athletic trainers so I try to make sure they get through them.” Being injured is scary and hard. Athletes often feel like they will lose a connection with their team, but, in the end, it is up to the athlete to involve themselves and be part of the team as much as they can. Teammates are teammates, injuries and all.
TOM TOM: How did you get injured? TUBBS: I got hit in the face with a softball.
TT: What kind of pain did you go through? TUBBS: It was very painful and my face swelled up instantly. TT: What was the healing process for you? TUBBS: The healing process took a long time because my whole face bruised and I had blood in my eye.
TT: Do you get scared that you might get injured again? TUBBS: Yes, I was scared that I might get injured again because I have had a lot of injuries playing softball.
TT: What were some of your restrictions after being injured? TUBBS: My restrictions were that I wasn’t supposed to play for a few weeks. TT: Did you still feel a part of your team during your injury? TUBBS: Yes, I still felt a part of my team during my injury because I still played even though I wasn’t supposed to. TT: How will this injury affect you in the long run? TUBBS: This injury didn’t have any long term effects.
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ON THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
THE SCIENCE BEHIND WINNING Team chemistry can make or break a season. MERRICK W. FOOTE tom tom staff // @mfoo42
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ou may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime,” Babe Ruth once said. Chemistry within the team and talent are the two keys to athletic success. However, while talent is consistently prioritized, chemistry the team has become less of a focus as time has progressed. This is not because of an increasing lack of importance, but instead because people simply don’t understand the importance of team chemistry anymore. Many athletes think that skill, speed and strength are all that are necessary to win games, yet without chemistry, it is nearly impossible to succeed as a team. “Chemistry is needed to know when you’re going to do something or how you’re going to do something on the field without instruction,” Adam Lynn, a sophomore on the varsity soccer team, said. In other words, even with all the coaching and talent in the world, without team chemistry you cannot do what is necessary to win. Even if a team does everything perfectly during practices and scrimmages, once they get on the field or court during a game it is a different story. Games are won with fast decisions, and team chemistry allows teams to make those decisions more quickly and efficiently. Now, one of the ways to increase chemistry is through team bonding. Bonding comes in many forms including hanging out, talking and planned activities. Teryn Jones, who is on the sophomore volleyball team, said that her team likes to jam together on the bus, along with other traditions. They also celebrate certain in-game events like aces and kills on court together. “The closer we got...the more we talked and the better we played together because everyone called the ball and wasn’t afraid to go after it and be aggressive,” Jones said. “It ended up being better because we won more games.” As the team bonded, they began to play better and their on-court cohesiveness increased. 16
Merrick Foote Senior Ben Lee, junior Joey Whittall and sophomore Brandon Pinto mess around before their home game on September 18. They used this energy to win their game 4-3. “The games after we bonded have been some of the most successful games of the season so far,” Pinto said.
With chemistry, a group of people can go from being individuals to being a team. On top of that, their communication increased, and their passes became more accurate. Knowing their teammates allowed them to work better as a team. Increased chemistry has translated into an increased number of wins for the sophomore volleyball team, as well as many others. It is important not only to know the effects of good team chemistry, but also those of a lack of chemistry. Without chemistry, a team will neither succeed nor accomplish their goals. A lack of chemistry quickly becomes a downward spiral of losses. “[My club team] didn’t talk as much and we lost more which wasn’t cool and then we all blamed each other,” Jones said. “It wasn’t for the best.” Her team did not have any chemistry and it resulted in losing games as well as a breakdown within the team. It made Jones’s season frustrating, and her team ended with a losing record. However, once she started her high school season, that all changed because she was close with the people she played with. Lynn also experienced the effects of a lack of team chemistry at the beginning of last year’s soccer season. “Last year there wasn’t really any leadership and we didn’t have any chemistry because no one took charge,” Lynn said. The results were a season with only six wins out of a total of 19 games. A lack of chemistry results in losing seasons, no matter the sport. Overall, chemistry is necessary for winning games. It is often the difference between good teams and bad teams. Chemistry has on-field results like increased communication and more accurate passes. The well-oiled win machine that is a successful team comes to a grinding halt and becomes covered in rust without chemistry, and bonding is the only way to get it running again.
Eleni Sakas The varsity girls volleyball team huddles up before their third set at their home game on September 19. The team needed some motivation between sets. “The team plays and communicates very well together,” sophomore Teryn Jones said. “It’s impressive to watch.”
When asked if team chemistry resulted in wins for their team, the majority of Sequoits said yes.
THE CARDINAL ISSUE features 92917
FEATURES | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
BEFORE THE DISTRICT LET THEIR EAGLES FLY, THE SEQUOITS SHOT THEIR ARROWS AT THE BULLDOGS CAUSING JILLIAN M. EVERETT managing editor // @jilly_everett Photos Jillian Everett // Makeup Chloe Grass
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BAD
here is sweat dripping from the foreheads of adrenaline-filled athletes waiting to stomp on their victims, screams wailing from the mouths of the jam-packed fan section and hope springing from the minds of tense parents in the crowd. All of these components add up to the perfect storm: the storm of rivalry. There is almost a dense feeling in the air when rivals compete against each other. Reputations are on the line, all each team is thinking about is beating the other in whatever sport or activity is taking place. Many of the most thrilling and entertaining sporting events are played against rivals because there is an expectation that both schools will fight, both mentally and physically, to come out on top. Against any team, athletes are trained to perform to the best of their ability. Oftentimes, certain opponents bring out the best, and the worst, in players and teams. At Antioch, when the word “rivalry” is heard, most students automatically think of Lakes. This thought is relevant now, as the Lakes Eagles have obviously been Antioch’s biggest rival since 2004, when the school was built to contain the overflow of Antioch students. But this poses the question: who
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BLOOD.
was Antioch’s rival before the creation of Lakes? Grant. Dating back to the 1950s, the Grant Bulldogs were the team to beat. English Department chair and Antioch alumna DeeAnn Andershock graduated at ACHS in 1981, at this time the rivalry was at its peak. The late 70s and early 80s were the wild west of rivalries with Grant; that’s when it flared up the most. One of the craziest things that took place regarding this rivalry was the burning of each other’s football field. Students from Grant burned a “G” in the middle of Antioch’s field, and then students from Antioch burned an “A” in Grant’s field. No one really got caught because they did it in the middle of the night, but imagine how much hate that stirred up in the minds of students and faculty. After this, whenever the Sequoits competed against the Bulldogs, especially in football, the deans, security guards and even the police would constantly circle the field to make sure no students snuck in and vandalized their opponent’s field the night before. Another element that has drastically changed since then is the fan
section. Back in the day students were never told to be civil and hold back on saying any cheers. They had free range to do and say whatever they wanted. Now everyone tries to keep things civil, which is probably for the best. “They didn’t care if you were civil or not,” Andershock said. “Fans didn’t get thrown out, I don’t remember ever being scolded for any cheer we did.” When Andershock went to school at ACHS she remembers the rivalry against Grant as being vicious, but others remember something a little more lighthearted. Another ACHS alumna is ILC Secretary Kathleen Stewart; when she went to ACHS she doesn’t remember many situations that got out of hand. Both of her parents went to Grant and she went to Antioch, so whenever Antioch would play Grant, Stewart would make her parents sit on Antioch’s side, and people would jokingly throw popcorn on them because they would cheer for Grant. In this case, it was all fun and games, nothing serious ever came of it-- unlike the burning of the letters in the field. Stewart’s daughter’s boyfriend started high school at Antioch, but was the first graduating class at Lakes, so he had to transition to a different high school and leave some of his friends which soon became his competitors. He claims that he is an Eagle, but Stewart reminds him to remember where he came from. “Once you’re a Sequoit, you’re always a Sequoit,” Stewart said. In Stewart’s family, there is the Antioch vs Lakes rivalry engrained in all aspects of life, and they purposely instigate each other all the time to poke fun at the competitive nature of a classic rivalry. As time has gone on, the rivalry with Grant has died down significantly due to the creation of Lakes. Some of the attention that was focused on Grant has been averted to Lakes since Lakes was created from Antioch. Because of this, students felt like they had to prove something in a new school; plus, Lakes is so close to Antioch that it is difficult not to vie for the win.
‘‘ IF YOU DON’T BEAT ANYONE ELSE,BEAT THEM. DEE ANDERSHOCK
Lakes is Antioch’s sister school so there’s that feeling pulling on the students’ conscious, that they have to help support them. Antioch students never had that with Grant, people could just hate each other and want to beat each other at anything no matter what sport or activity. The establishment of Lakes isn’t the only reason that the Grant rivalry has dissipated. The once fierce competitiveness has calmed down; it’s not that nobody cares, it’s more that people have more things to do now than back in the day. It used to be that the whole school didn’t have anything better to do than to go to the football games on Friday nights. People have more interests now, there are more sports to get involved with and there are more activities to be associated with both in the school and out of the school. There are more distractions with technology-- especially with every high school student having a phone and being able to instantly get the score of games through social media rather than physically being there. Department Chair of P.E., Health and Driver’s Ed. and Director of Activities Teri Klobnak went to Grant High School from 1996 to 2000. In 1997, Grayslake left the conference that Grant was in, leaving the Bulldogs without a conference of their own. This significantly decreased school spirit because Grant’s sports teams didn’t have the same competitive fervor as they once had during conference games. “In basketball, we would always open our season against Antioch,” Klobnak said. “That was one game we always looked forward to.” Even though these were non-conference games, both teams had the desire to beat the other because of the past history. Rivalries between schools are inevitable. These competitions between schools should increase spirit and help the school and community be involved. As long as the schools don’t become disrespectful or rude, a rivalry should bring out the pride that students and staff have for their school. 19
FEATURES | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
Chloe Grass 20
HAVING THE HEART OF A LION
Athletes reveal the secrets of being courageous in a time of eternal conflict and stress, and how it emerges during an athlete’s season.
ALIYA N RHODES sports creative director // @aliya_rhodes
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veryone knows of the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz; the character who undoubtedly lives up to his name. Throughout his adventure to the Emerald City, he demonstrated small acts of bravery that are bigger than they seem, such as picking fights with palace guards and venturing off alone, even when he is afraid. With that being said, what exactly does it mean to have courage beyond the context of a fictional character? According to Merriam-Webster, courage is defined as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Anyone can show an act of fearlessness, from firemen to high school athletes, even a lion for that matter. Stepping outside a person’s comfort zone can be fairly difficult to do considering no one wants to be the one standing alone. However, Antioch Community High School holds a variety of students and athletes that take these risks of venturing off into the unknown. Imagine this: a boy who lived and breathed football his entire childhood decides to take a year off and try a sport completely different. He ends up making the varsity team and is one of only two guys there. Cheering on the sidelines for the activity he loves the most; junior Justin Stevens is a varsity cheerleader for ACHS and represents what it takes to be courageous. After playing the same sport for eight years, trying something new could be refreshing. With the encouragement from his football team, Stevens began attending open gym sessions that helped lead him to his decision of trying out for the cheerleading squad. During the open gyms is when everyone really got a taste of what the team was going to look like; everyone was trying to figure out their competition. 21
FEATURES | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
as a person and as an athlete. They will not let an injury keep them from playing sports. They are open to trying new things, even if it means failing before they master a skill. Throughout the first few weeks of the fall season, Stevens was still getting a taste of what it meant to be a cheerleader. Tumbling and randomly throwing backflips has always came naturally to him; however, stunting was a different story. “The flipping and tumbling, I’ve been doing that awhile,” Stevens said. “But picking up on the stunting and jumping was hard.”
Aliya Rhodes “[I felt uncomfortable] probably the first day during open gym. I’ve never even talked to most of those girls and I was just really nervous,” Stevens said. “A dude on the cheerleading team… I was nervous [about] what they would think of me.”
“Well for cheer, I have an injury on my shoulder, so I can’t really do any tumbling anymore,” McWilliams said. “I can’t really do any stunting without it hurting a lot, and it wasn’t really my thing anymore.”
Being a cheerleader is an invitation for stereotyping, especially when talking about a male. Along with the typical assumption that all cheerleaders are stuck up and better than everyone else, male cheerleaders also have to deal with the connotation of being gay. Stevens has obtained homosexual comments throughout the first few weeks of partaking in the cheerleaders events.
Luckily, McWilliams had a backup plan. She is a big fan of hockey and has always wanted to try it. Sometimes the courage hidden within a person just needs a little push in order to crawl to the surface. Despite her admiration for hockey, there were still times coming into the sport that she did not know what to do.
“I guess it’s not that bad, [but I have been called] gay and [have] been told to stick to football or stick to wrestling,” Stevens said. “[Mostly] just teasing me.” No matter the circumstance, anyone that is looking to try something new will often receive either discrimination from people who disapprove or reassurance from friends. After all, that person is putting themselves out there with the possibility of failure. The lack of courage should not be about the fear of gossip one might hear, and acts of courage should not be about the credibility attached to someone’s name. Having a real heart of a lion consists of trying to better a situation or a person’s life. There are other athletes that have been in Stevens’ situation, but for other reasons. Maybe the parents of an athlete are forcing their child to change up their typical routine, or do not have the money to continue the sport. Maybe a physical trainer wishes that their client try a new sport to exercise different muscles. For sophomore Abigail McWilliams, an injury is what finalized the journey from cheerleader to field hockey player. 22
“The first time I went, I had no idea what I was doing,” McWilliams said. “I wasn’t really able to do anything good. The first game I got a green card even though I didn’t know what was going on.”
Friday nights are looked forward to because of football; watching the Sequoits fight to keep their record, and the fan section; Cardinal Crazies screaming chants as loud as possible to intimidate the other team and help provide school spirit. For Stevens, all he could think about was how he was going to be on the field but for a different reason. No more adrenaline rushes from the crowd cheering players on. It was time to be the voice that made the quarterback throw further and the running back run faster. Each athlete has their own position, their own job. Stevens’ role as a cheerleader does not include touching the football anymore and that was a struggle that really set in during the first home game of the 2017 season.
ABIGAIL MCWILLIAMS // SOPHOMORE
The importance of family and genuine friends throughout these times of trial and error in regards to a new sport is huge for success. Reassuring chants of encouragement can be the motivation someone might need in order to make themselves vulnerable, yet confident enough, to leave something that they love behind. “Just don’t be afraid. If people are mean to you, they’re not your real friends,” Stevens said. “If they’re being mean, just don’t be around them. Try to find people around you to accept [you] for what you want to do, and like to be around you for who you are.”
Attached to any sport is either a performance or a game, which usually involves a crowd or audience with excited eyes anticipating the competiJUSTIN tion. Friends, family and even enemies STEVENS // The Cowardly Lion never truly sit down to watch a specific athlete. JUNIOR has the confidence to think of himself The amount of pressure that is placed anything other than a coward; howupon an athlete during a competition ever, his perspective changes after is tremendous because they are looking for suchearing the thoughts of the Wizard of Oz. cess, both for the team and for themselves. Mis“You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you takes made during game day, even with the help need is confidence in yourself,” Oz said. “There of preparation from hours of practice beforehand, is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces forever exist within the mind of an athlete. danger. True courage is in facing danger when With the exception of Stevens and McWilliams. you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have A courageous athlete will take one for the in plenty.” team. They will put themselves in uncomfortable situations in order to make themselves grow, both
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shades of
cardinal gray & BRANDEN W. GALLIMORE print director // @brandengal
In-Story Photos Jessica Nettgen Cover Photo JR Johnson
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FEATURES | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
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Wear your school colors.
A simple way to show school spirit is to wear cardinal and grey. The easiest way to notice a Sequoit around town is to see them wearing those cardinal t-shirts.
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Competition season is a very important time for cheer, dance, winter guard and band. With the amount of work all of these students put in, they deserve support from their fellow Sequoits.
Get
involved.
Join sports, clubs or other activities at the high school. There are so many different activities that our school does an amazing job putting together so make the most of as many as you can.
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Watch school performances.
Don’t
forget to smile.
This tip can not only be used in school, but also in life. The best way to enjoy life is to laugh and smile. Your smile may do more than you think; it can create other smiles and improve the vibes of situations.
Join clubs.
Have an interest that you wish you could do on school grounds? School clubs might just be the place for you! With different activities for students to enjoy, the possibilities are endless.
Go to sporting events.
One of, if not the best way to spend time with friends is watching other friends play sports. Sequoit sports are some of the best in the area. The atmosphere is uncomparable to a lot of places, so take advantage of Sequoit athletics.
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Dress-up on spirit days.
Whether it is mis-match day, jersey day or western day, it is always fun to see students and staff showing their school spirit when dressed up.
Scream and shout.
Scream, shout and let it all out! Go all out for Sequoit athletics and activities, and enjoy it while you’re at it!
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Win the Y-EL-L chant between grades.
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Join Finesse, The Tom Tom, Sequoia, or SBN. Support
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fundraisers. The school puts together fundraisers for you, the students, so why would you not support yourself? Be thankful for all the good the school does for its students and support them along the way.
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School pep rallies are some of the best days out of the school year, so go all out and scream as loud as you can! Winning the Y-E-L-L chant gives you and your friends bragging rights as the grade with the most school spirit.
Go to as
many events as possible.
Four years may seem like a long time, but high school goes by in what seems like the blink of an eye. Don’t go out with any regrets! Go to as many different school associated events as possible to make the most of these four short years.
Face Paint.
Go cardinal crazy at Sequoit sporting events by screaming, shouting and putting on your war paint.
17. Wear school
clothes and gear. 18. Play sports. 19. Put your high school in your social media bio. 20. Follow, retweet and like the Antioch Sequoit pages. 21. Follow the themes.
Cause “Go Sequoits!”
The real question is not “Why show school spirit?” it’s “Why not show school spirit?” Appreciate the amazing fans this community has and be a fan yourself. 25
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FEATURES | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
23. Speak highly of your school. 24. Put in time with the school. 25. Get hype for the school fight song. 26. Become a cheerleader. 27. School signs in front yard. 28. Sequoit car stickers. 29. Get the “A” painted on your driveway. 30. Go on school trips.
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Say “Hi” in the hall-
ways and classrooms.
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Say hi to a friend, past friend, acquaintance or faculty member. Time flies by, take advantage of every moment you get with the people that mean something to you.
Participate in spirit weeks.
For three short weeks out of the year, students and staff enjoy following themes and dressing as crazy as possible. Spirit weeks are a fun way to dress up goofy with friends and teachers.
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Go to school dances.
The most exciting days of the year for all students to get together and enjoy a night. Dances are a fun time spent with your friends and there aren’t many of them, so enjoy them while you can.
... AND Actually Dance.
Go up and ask that guy or girl to dance with you! Or just live it up with all of your friends. Dances are a time to let it all out, so just do it!
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35. Listen to morning announcements. 36. Try in school. 37. Come to school. 38. Join Student Council. 39. Respect your
teachers 40. Meet a new friend 41. Say Hi to Janice and all of the security guards. 42. Build strong relationships with staff and students.
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Start a club.
We are lucky enough to have tons of different clubs at our disposal, but if something is missing that you may enjoy doing, go start it. Odds are plenty of other people are interested in the same thing as well.
44-46 44. Get hype during pep rallies.
Pep rallies, like school dances, are a place where you can completely be yourself, be wild and show your spirit for your school and community.
45. Get weird .
Now, this does not literally be a weirdo, it simply means enjoy being yourself and accept how others are as well. Just because someone is not in your friend group does not mean they should be treated differently. Enjoy being able to be yourself and let others do the same as well.
46. Get cardinal crazy.
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The best part about being a Sequoit is that it’s a positive to be crazy: Cardinal Crazy! The absolute best way to show school spirit, at Antioch and a lot of other places, is to get cardinal crazy.
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Go to girls’ games. Our female Sequoits have had tons of success in their respective sports, but they have not gotten the recognition they deserve. For the great play our female sports do, they deserve as many fans that can possibly fit in our gymnasium and field.
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Give Stan a high five.
Stan the man! The one man that completely connects the entire school together into one person. Show Stan some love for everyone!
Have FUN!
Enjoy high school! It’s is too short to not enjoy every bit of it. Laugh, smile and crack a joke every once in awhile. There is no point in being a Sequoit if there is no love and passion in being a Sequoit. Enjoy every moment and be proud! These four years go quick, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Be
proud to be a Sequoit!
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OFF THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
Noor Abdellatif Samantha Wanke (left) running in one of her cross country meets in Aurora, Illinois. “Running on the cross country team has helped me become moreapart of the school and school events as a freshman,” Wanke said. “They keep me motivated and I wouldn’t trade the friendshps I’ve made for anything.”
THE SOPHOMORE RUNNING IN THE SHADOWS AVERY J. FRASCH tom tom staff // @averyfrasch
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unning is hard. It is dreaded by most because of the physical stress it puts on a runner’s body, and the mental toughness it takes to complete a race of any kind. But for sophomore Samantha (Sammy) Wanke, it’s an escape from life’s hardships and a way to get involved. Even though there are other successful runners on the team that are well-known throughout the Antioch community, Wanke’s love and dedication for cross country shows how strong of an athlete she really is. “Sixth grade was when I first knew I liked [cross country],” Wanke said. “Originally, I wanted to do cross country just to stay in shape for track, but once I started practicing I fell in love with distance running.” Cross country is a sport in which teams or individuals run a race over natural terrain on open-air courses. In other words, it’s the outdoor version of long-distance track events. The Antioch cross country teams compete in a series of meets and invites throughout the fall season. Last year, Wanke ran her best three-mile race as a freshman when the team travelled to Aurora, Ill., for an invite. Now, in her sophomore season, Wanke hopes to keep improving her times as the years go by
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because continuing her running career in college is something she would love to do. In Wanke’s eyes, being on the cross country team the past two years has helped her make so many friends. During tough races it’s hard to stay motivated, but running with such supportive teammates makes the rough ones that much easier. “For high school, running on the cross country team helped me be more a part of the school and school events as a freshman,” Wanke said. “Everyone I run with is extremely supportive so it’s easy to make friends. My teammates and coaches help keep me motivated because they both encourage me to be better.” Thanks to the cross country team, making friends for Wanke is easy. Yet, she hasn’t forgotten about the friends that have been there through it all. Varsity tennis player Sierra Ward is one of Wanke’s best friends. They went to middle school together and have been attached at the hip ever since. “Sammy is a very hard worker,” Ward said. “She is so dedicated to what she does and pushes me to be the same way. She loves running a lot and works really hard to succeed in it.” Even though Wanke works hard and receives lots of support from her coaches, friends and teammates, not everything in her life is positive. There was a time when Wanke wanted to cut her
running career short. “I just felt like I didn’t fit in anymore and I wasn’t capable of being a successful runner,” Wanke said. Cross country isn’t necessarily a walk in the park. It’s more like a run as fast as you can in the park. So, for the sophomore, doubting the ability to be a successful cross country runner was not uncommon. After receiving tons of support from friends and a variety of coaches, Wanke regained her confidence and found her passion for running again. Balancing school and sports is no easy task, but Wanke manages to keep her grades up as well as preparing for races as best as possible. Wanke explains that planning ahead and completing homework before a big race is a big help so she has time to relax and prepare for upcoming meets. Putting school aside, practice plays an extensive role in the success of a runner. On average, Wanke runs about eight hours a week, which translates to 35 to 40 miles. Being a part of a high school sport helps teach commitment and dedication to many student athletes like Wanke. No matter how wellknown or talented an athlete is, being on a team of any kind will provide an athlete with many lessons learned and memories that will last a lifetime.
THE ASSISTANT COACH ON A MISSION KAT B. ZAMUDIO photo coordinator // @katzamudio
such as senior soccer captains Bart Krumpos, Rolando Vazquez, Jr., and Gabriel Tijerina. Bohmann leaves an impact on his team on and off the field, whether it be or six years, Matt Bohmann has been the assistant about the sport itself or his lifestyle. coach for the varsity boys and girls soccer teams “He always shows us something we did right as well at Antioch Community High School. He’s assisted as wrong,” Tijerina said. “He will often give us one-onboth soccer teams through some tough wins and lossone advice if we ask him for it and it is easy to get along es, but overall just strives to make his players the best with him.” that they can prepare for. At a young age, Bohmann Bohmann isn’t only influential in the soccer world, but grew up idolizing Ryan Giggs, striving to be just like his also towards his players’ life in different aspects. idol. “He is very passionate about soccer, the team and “I remember him dribbling through the opponents his family,” Vazquez said. “I look up to him as a role and scoring the game winning goal in a big tournament model in my life.” and ever since then I said, A lesson that Bohmann ‘I want to play like that guy,’” teaches his players and has Bohmann said. learned over the years is that Coach Bohmann has talent doesn’t always win. always been a Sequoit— “I think that teams that graduating with the class of are less skilled can still 2005. Bohmann played on beat superior teams if they the varsity boys soccer team stay organized and if they for his junior and senior years. have that desire,” Bohmann After graduating, Bohmann said. “If the team can come later attended Carthage together as a unit and really College in Kenosha for his play for one another, you freshman year, but transferred can overcome a team that to Christian Life College for might be better than you on the last three years only playthe field.” ing soccer for freshmen year. What separates a great Despite leaving mid-season, player from the others is their his love for the sport continattitude and determination. ued to grow. This is because, in college, Even as a coach, those students made it and MATT BOHMANN // CLASS OF ‘05 Bohmann continues to eduthey proved to be superior. cate himself in what it takes One of Bohmann’s best to become a better athlete and coach. To Bohmann, memories was when the varsity boys soccer team beat education is the key to improving and one’s knowledge, Lakes Community High School for the regional chamespecially if one would want to be the best and improve pionship in 2014. Bohmann hopes the team will make their own skills. it as far as winning the conference championship and “I am constantly looking into different books, looking winning another regional title this season. up different resources,” he said. “I try to take one coach“We obviously want to win, but we want to grow ing course every year, this past year I’ve taken three.” and develop,” Bohmann said. “It’s a learning process, Teaching and sharing his passion of the game with we don’t expect to win every single game.” the soccer teams, the advice that Bohmann shares The best coaches teach that failure is feedback, and with his players is to be constantly working on bettering feedback is the best way to help improve an athlete's themselves. performance; what the players do with it, is up to them. “If you can show that you have a really good attitude Coach Bohmann is a coach with determination and canand are willing to sacrifice yourself every single time you not wait to see improvement on the varsity boys soccer step onto that field, you’re going to get noticed by a team through this year’s season. college coach,” Bohmann said. Bohmann has made an impact on several players,
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‘‘ WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO WIN, BUT WE WANT TO GROW AND DEVELOP. MATT BOHMANN
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OFF THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
WHAT HAPPENED: “THE SEQUOIT CALL” The reasoning behind the beloved Cardinal Crazies’ chant becoming banned.
ELENI A. SAKAS tom tom leader // @eleni_s7
I
’m a Sequoit, you’re a Sequoit, we’re a Sequoit all. And when we get together, we don’t do the Sequoit call. One of Antioch’s most well loved and known chants, “The Sequoit Call” was recently retired from being chanted at sporting events. This ban was extended to hallway posters with the chant listed on it, without the politically incorrect gesture and noise, they were forced to be taken down. Many students are confused on how and why the ban came into effect now and disagree with the quick decision. “I don’t believe it is offensive, because it neither has a demeaning tone nor inappropriate words,” Antioch Community High School alumna Heather Beckman said. “It merely is a representation and illustration.” A concept to consider is, “what is a Sequoit?” Not many know, but the literal word “Sequoit” comes from the Native American word “sa-da-quoit,” which means a smooth pebble in the bed of a stream. It is completely unrelated to an original Antioch Native American tribe. The ban on the “Sequoit Call” chant was initiated after a member of the school community found the last part of the cheer, the gesture and noise, to be offensive. The complaint was brought to the attention of last year’s administration. “We are trying to be respectful and we are trying to keep our history as much as possible too,” athletic director Steven Schoenfelder said.
Jessica Nettegen The varsity cheerleaders encourage the Cardnial Crazies to cheer on the football team at Grant Community High School.
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Kathleen Stewart ILC secretary Kathleen Stewart’s 40-year high school reunion was this year’s homecoming in honor of Sequoit alumna Lonna Crawford Hickmann. Here Lonna is pictured with Stewart’s husband at the class of 77’s thirtieth reunion.
This is not the first time that a ban was placed on Native American related chants/mascots. The University of Illinois had their war chant banned a couple of weeks ago, which was played during football games when the opposing team was on third down. Their original mascot, Chief Illiniwek, was used to represent the Fighting Illini; however, his symbol was of a Sioux Indian. According to the Chicago Tribune, “The Illinois’ board of trustees banned Chief Illiniwek in 2007 — two years after an NCAA decision barring teams that use potentially offensive Native American imagery from hosting postseason play.” However, other teams such as the Washington Redskins or the Florida State Seminoles are allowed to keep their Native American influence because they claim its traditional and respectful. On the other hand, one can argue that having the chant is a way to preserve and remember the Native American history. “I wouldn’t even know what a Sequoit was if I didn’t go here,” senior Jake White said. When looking at Antioch’s old yearbooks, people can even notice that the high school used to be decorated with Indian heads. Football coach Mike Gordy, who has been coaching at Antioch for 40 years, has seen the high school evolve with it’s images and chants. “There is a cultural identity especially in a culture that’s a minority in a particular area you’re running the risk of needlessly offending people and when you have grown up doing it, you don’t see it as that because a) you’re not part of the culture and b) you have nothing else to associate it,” Gordy said. Kathleen Stewart is an alumna of Antioch Community High School and graduated with the class of 1977, making this year her 40th annual reunion. Her friend, Lonna Crawford Hickman, was the indian mascot when she attended Antioch, which is one of the main reasons Stewart disagrees with the ban. “We see it as an honor… That’s our indian, I bleed Sequoit,” Stewart said. The “Sequoit Call” chant was a great way for the Cardinal Crazies and the student body to come and chant together for the high school. It was a way to show our “Sequoit Spirit,” but there are other ways to be prideful too. In the end, we are all Sequoits: and being a honorable Sequoit means to be respectful, responsible and proud of being one.
R
emembering ummel JOHN P. PETTY senior editor // @johnppetty
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eople say that it is advantageous to make the moments count instead of merely counting them. This means there are opportunities of large and small proportions and instead of addressing the quantity of these, it is better to appreciate the chances and make an effort to utilize them. When it is all said and done, time is created for what is most important; lengths of time exist only on a clock, which means that in order to make use of what each individual is given, they must put forth all available effort into daily endeavors. Science and the opinion of the average person may indicate that time keeps going, yet with the passing of long-time staff member and beloved Sequoit Debbie Rummel, time stopped. Rummel was a former physical education department chair, teacher, and, most importantly, a believer. Her beliefs are not to be disputed, for they were focused on multiple main goals. She came off as someone who would do anything to help other people, as well as find every possible way to accomplish a task, no matter what it was. It is normal to have feelings towards something, especially when there is passion behind it. Turning these ideas into action is a task that Rummel achieved in her life. Having a plan and the will to accomplish goals cannot be taught in a class, rather it is something possessed at birth. Paul Petty’s time teaching at Antioch Community High School lasted 23 years, more than 15 of which were spent with Rummel. Conversations were plentiful, and the lessons Petty learned became part of his everyday work ethic and attitude. Rummel in no way lectured him, and the topics they discussed involved teaching points whether they were explicitly stated or not. “I remember countless conversations in her office that usually included topics that had nothing to do with school, but rather her family or mine,” Petty said. Whereas teaching students every day could become stressful or redundant, Rummel always found time to listen and discuss matters that were closer to home. One of Petty’s biggest takeaways from his time with Rummel had a lot to do with pace and tempo. He mentioned in magnitude how she made it a point to always work as quickly and efficiently as possible. “She had very high energy, a very positive attitude and the ability to emphasize in any situation,” Petty said. He recalled several times when her pace and work ethic were reflected by her pace in the hallway—always on task. Rummel was a go-getter; a
woman who wanted to do everything in her ability to accomplish her goals. Petty believes Rummel’s teaching style and her lifestyle could be summed up in a simply adage: “lead, follow, or get out of the way.” It is easy to assume that Rummel would identify most simply with a leader role, yet she actually fits each variable in a different way. According to Petty, Rummel was a strong leader and took pride in enlightening young minds and strengthening her faith. As getting out of the way is a method to not disturb those working diligently, in Rummel’s eyes, getting out of the way was a method to avoid anything that would slow her down or bring negativity to a situation; when there was a task at hand, Rummel would embrace it. While it seemed as though Rummel would stick to the script and simply do her job well, she also possessed the ability to branch out from the uniform tree of education. Current PE department chair Teri Klobnak feels blessed to have been guided by Rummel during her first days at ACHS. “I was honored to be able to become the PE Department Chair after her retirement,” Klobnak said. “With her passing, it pushes me to continue the excellent and well respected PE department that we have at Antioch.” During her time at Antioch, Rummel was the pioneer for classes such as Fit for Life, Physical Best and Food and Fitness. Her ideas to create these classes to better-fit students paved the way for new health and fitness ideas in the future. Her desire to constantly make the Sequoia Archives physical education department better created standards that were shared by the surrounding teachers and even students for decades to come. After multiple years, Rummel lost her battle with Cancer on August 20, 2017. Her accolades may have involved concrete awards and recognition, but her legacy lies within the minds of everyone she touched in all facets of her career. Thousands of students were lucky enough to witness her presence, as well as the teachers both inside and outside of her department. She was someone who would do just about anything for a belief, and now her beliefs live both in her household and in the community to which she gave everything. Her life was short-lived. A quality lifetime cannot be measured by age, however. It is true that time will continue, yet only for those willing to create and utilize it. It may not be as simple as having a plan, working quickly and efficiently, or being a believer and a leader. It may be as simple as creating opportunities and making the moments count, instead of merely counting them. 31
OFF THE FIELD | September 29, 2017 | The Cardinal Issue
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO
CHOOSE THE SIDELINES BY THOMAS SCOTT as told to kaylee schreiner
T
en hours until the game… nine hours until the game… I’ve loved football since around eighth grade. As soon as I started watching it on TV, my dad encouraged me to play. I always used to go out and practice with my friends, which was what really started to make me love it. Even though I loved football, I didn’t really know much about it until I became a manager. My interest in football grew every year that I was involved with it and as I learned more about the sport, I learned more about people, as well. Through football I figured out who really appreciates and cares about me. I’ve noticed that some people just look back at me and be like ‘look at this kid. He’s not playing, what’s wrong with him? Is he too scared?’ No, it’s not that. It came down to my grades. I couldn’t keep up with football during my freshman year so I decided to manage and it’s honestly been one of the best experiences of my life. Eight hours until the game… seven hours until the game… People don’t realize how much goes into being a manager. Even though it isn’t all that hard to do, it’s a huge time commitment. I went to football all summer; five days a week in June and three weeks in July. I also went and conditioned with the team just because I loved being with them; I come everyday. I’m always hanging out with the linemen if they need me to step in front of a drill. Whether it be PAT’s (Point After Touchdown), blocking drills for the running backs or quarterbacks, tip drills, high point drills, etc., I’ll do whatever they need me to do. Sometimes I just help people mentally. Plenty of people will go run the ball and fumble, and then they’ll beat themselves up for it. After that you have to go up to them and give them support. You have to tell them ‘you’ve got this, you’re okay.’ You have to make sure that they feel great about themselves and that they can come out with con-
32
fidence because if you’re feeling like crap, you’re going to play like crap: look good, feel good, play good. Six hours until the game… five hours until the game… Being able to be a part of the team and be a part of football, it’s really my favorite thing in the world. Even though I don’t miss playing, I love the sport. When it came down to it, playing football as a team sport just wasn’t my thing, but I love friday night lights and being on the sidelines. If I could get a job later on in my life where I could work with a football team or any sports team, it would be my dream. I couldn’t let it go: once you start getting into football, it’s like an addiction. You don’t just become addicted to the sport, you get attached to the people, too. You have to be open-minded with everyone because they’re all different. There’s the popular kids and then the lower-ended ones, but at the end of the day, we all come together as a family because we respect each other. There’s so many people within the football program that I never thought I’d be friends with. I mean, when you’re able to be good friends with the star quarterback, the captain of the team, I think that’s pretty cool. You have the respect from everybody else and it all comes down to having good relationships with the coaches, the trainers, the other managers and all of the players; I love each and every one of them and I’d do anything for them. Four hours until the game… three hours until the game… This year they gave me a jersey for my senior year, which all of the coaches and last year’s players recommended me for. I was really excited during summer camp when coach called everyone’s number and, somehow, I was the last one. My heart dropped a little bit. I was kind of like ‘are you kidding? Is he being serious?’ I wasn’t going to cry but I felt pretty emotional, I was really
happy; it’s definitely a moment I’ll remember. With that being said, I think it’s a big deal for me, at least, to be a part of the team and ultimately be a part of a family. Just like all of the other football players who wear a jersey on Friday, I can’t focus on game day. When you get to school you’re practically counting down the hours until the game starts. The whole day is unreal, almost like you’re in a videogame; nothing seems real. I don’t even know how to explain it, but it’s really hype. It’s really exciting to be a part of such a big thing in our community and school. Everybody comes to our games so it’s really awesome to be down there on the sidelines with the rest of the team. By the end of every game I always lose my voice and have a great time; I’m always giving high fives and cracking heads, it’s all so much fun. Two hours until the game… one hour until the game… I’m going to really miss it when it’s over. Football and managing has been such an important part of my life for the last four years. If I wasn’t a football manager I’d just be sitting around being lazy. Football’s even introduced me to weightlifting which has helped me get healthier, stronger and lose weight. Some of my best high school experiences have come from managing the football team and the last game after we lose, I’m definitely going to cry. Football has made me a much more caring person in general. I have gained a lot of friends from going through football or even from friends knowing friends from football. Some of my best friends are people from the football team. I think it’s taught me loyalty and determination on the field, on the weight deck, in the off-season and off the field. A lot of football players train to get better, I train to better myself. Game time.
Jessica Nettgen 33
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