The Tom Tom | January 25, 2019

THE STUDENT VOICE OF ANTIOCH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

MAYBE THERE IS A BEAST. MAYBE IT’S ONLY US. the Lord of the Flies issue

volume 57 . issue 4. january 2019 sequoitmedia.com. @achstomtom. @sequoitsports 1133 main street. antioch, illinois. 60002

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IN THIS ISSUE SOCIAL

GET CONNECTED WITH US. FOLLOW OUR ACCOUNTS FOR UPDATES AND NEW CONTENT. @ACHSTOMTOM

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NEWS

07 | NEWS IN BRIEF

LIFESTYLES

12 | VIDEO GAMES ON THE HORIZON 13 | MARY POPPINS: THEN V. NOW 14 | DRESS FOR LESS: CELEBRITY EDITION

SPORTS

33 | SPORTS SNAPSHOTS

PERSPECTIVES 04 | EDITOR’S NOTE

06 | SEQUOIT TO SEQUOIT

05 | STAFF EDITORIAL

42 | WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE A LITTLUN

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THE TOM TOM | 2018-2019

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The Tom Tom is a student-produced magazine that is distributed to students, faculty and staff of Antioch Community High School, as well as the members of the Antioch Community.

Members of the Tom Tom staff contribute to sequoitmedia.com, the Sequoit Media website, on a regular basis. The student magazine serves as a public forum and is supported by New Voices legislation in Illinois and policies of Community High School District 117. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of ACHS or D117, nor Antioch Community High School’s faculy, staff or administration.

CONTACT INFORMATION Mailing Address: 1133 Main St., Antioch, Ill. 60002 // Phone: 847-395-9433 Website: sequoitmedia.com Email: thetomtom@chsd117.org MEMBERSHIP The Tom Tom belongs to the Kettle Moraine Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honor Society.

ADVERTISING Businesses and community members may sponsor the Tom Tom if their sponsorships adhere to guidelines. These can be found in the Sequoit Media Lab (room 263) or on our website (sequoitmedia.com).

FEATURES 16 | THE UNSPOKEN WAR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily M. Torres MANAGING EDITORS Diana Anghel

18 | WHAT LEADERS AREN’T

Gianna M. Chiappetta PRINT DIRECTOR

20 | POSSESSION OF POWER

Benjamin J. Nauman DIGITAL DIRECTORS Alex L. Rapp Karley K. Rogalsk

22 | FIGHTING SEQUOITS

SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTORS Jessica J. Nettgen

24 | SHATTERED IMAGES

Eleni A. Sakas CREATIVE DIRECTORS

26 | SURVIVING WITHOUT NECESSITIES 28 | SHADOWS AND TALL TREES

Merrick W. Foote ASST. DIRECTORS Joseph M. Kestian Avery J. Frasch ASST. CREATIVE DIRECTORS Kayla E. Grenke

30 | RENOUNCING INNOCENCE

Emily Lara

ON THE COVER WE REINVENT STORIES, SO WILL HE.

SOPHOMORE AIDAN TRUSKY GRACES THE COVER OF THIS MONTH’S ISSUE, A RECREATION OF THE SOPHOMORE REQUIRED BOOK LORD OF THE FLIES.

volume 57 . issue 4. january 2019 Cover Photo Jazzmyn Roman

SENIOR EDITORS Alexander J. Riedel Kevin E. Tamayo Joseph Whittall JUNIOR EDITORAL BOARD Emily A. Higgins Alex C. Johnson

Madisen M. Krapf Valerie N. Rasmussen Alessia N. Rivera Sarah M. Smith

Jazzmyn J. Roman Valerie M. Rosek Grace A. Rowe Adrian Ruiz

Mollie T. Wagner Sierra M. Ward

Rilee A. Schreiner Matt P. Soberano Cassidy A. Thomas Katelyn M. Vaskovsky Beatriz C. Warnes

TOM TOM STAFF Grace R. Acello Haley M. Aitken Kylar A. Arias Charlotte M. Bongratz Reagan C. Brewer Gavin R. Calabrese Kyle A. Christian Evan M. Day Lena M. DeVore Kara C. Galarneau Julia C. Hackeloer Kaitlyn A. Howe Robbie S. Hulting Izzy J. Hunter Jake T. Ilkka Athan A. Kaliakmanis Sofia C. Klem Avery A. Krizanovic Jacob R. Leitza Kyle A. Miller Madison R. McBride Bridget J. Nauman Alexis N. Olson Brandon R. Pinto Shannon E. Price Maggie M. Quirke Brandon R. Reynolds

Walker A. Winkler ADVISER Patrick R. Johnson, MJE SEQUOIT MEDIA TEAM Iwona Awlasewicz, SBN Sarah Ogborn, Sequoia Sam Worden, Finesse ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CHAIR Dee Andershock ACHS ADMINISTRATION Eric Hamilton, Principal Aryan Haren, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Scott Leverentz, Assistant Principal for Student Services Steve Schoenfelder, Athletic Director Teri Klobnak, Activities Director Patricia McGuigan, Dean Grant Murray, Dean DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION Jim McKay, Superintendent Brad Hubbard, Asst. Superintendent Brie Cederna, Asst. Superintendent Jennifer Nolde, Asst. Superintendent Ryan Miles, Chief Technology Officer

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.

RESPONDING TO THE TOM TOM Letters to the Tom Tom can be submitted through sequoitmedia.com or directly to the adviser’s email. All letters must be signed, must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The Tom Tom is committed to seeking the truth, minimizing harm and presenting the most accurate reporting as possible. If you notice any inaccuracies in this or previous issues, please contact the adviser at patrick.johnson@chsd117.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE

THE LORD OF THE FLIES

An adventure to a deserted island isn’t the only way to find stories about savagery, hygeine or innocence.

EMILY M. TORRES editor-in-chief @emily_marilynnt

B

eing original is something that our society struggles with despite everyone claiming they want to be their own person. The staff from two years ago decided to be original by taking unoriginal language in the form of clichés and making it their own in the form of original content. From topics relating to sex, drugs and alcohol to uncommon diseases, Sequoits in prison and everything else in between, the staff from two years ago found a way to make those broad topics original again. The Tom Tom makes a conscious effort to be original in what we write and not only did the staff from two years ago achieve this, my staff is starting to make the same effort again.

This semester, the Tom Tom has decided to start producing thematic feature magazines again instead of the news magazines we presented our school with first semester. In order to be different than everyone else, we decided to theme our magazines based off of books that you read throughout high school. While the stories in this magazine are not surrounding the plots of the different books you read, they are about the key ideas that are intertwined in these classic stories. We wanted to make this second semester original in our own way by taking the things that students dislike the most and making them into a creative and thoughtful pieces; we chose to show the student body that those stories they felt had no connection to their everyday lives can be found right here in Antioch, Ill. The stories in this magazine are based off of the book “Lord of The Flies,” a core text all of our sophomores read. In this magazine, we decided to focus on topics such as savagery, betrayal, greed and more.

Throughout your years in high school, you are forced to find symbols, imagery, main ideas and anything else that your teacher tells you to look for while reading. This repetitive action has made students dislike reading during class because the fun of reading and enjoying the book, as many students put it, is taken away. The Tom Tom has decided to say that it’s time to start being original again and we can’t wait for you to see what we have been working on—in this case, breathing new life into stories many felt were dead and gone. Throughout the process of switching back to thematic feature magazines, our staff has seemingly become original in their own way based off of what they are producing. We hope that through these pages of our magazine, you see that this is not another book to read during school but rather stories that are enticing and relevant to an audience today.

In our first issue for 2019, junior editor’s Alessia Rivera and Sarah Smith go head to head on doing things for the greater good versus not doing things for the greater self in “Peace vs. Piece of Mind.” In our lifestyles section, Tom Tom staffer Kara Galarneau looked at public influencer’s fashion style and gave our readers cheaper alternatives to their looks in “Dress For Less: Celebrity Edition.” Our lifestyles section also features a review of the newest Mary Poppins film by sophomore staff Lena De Vore. To start off our feature section, Tom Tom staffer Shannon Price talks about how bad leaders outweigh the good and what a good a bad leader may look like. Tom Tom staffer Kaitlyn Howe writes about the effects that malnutrition and poor hygiene can have on the body. To end off our first thematic magazine of the year, Tom Tom staffer Beatriz Warnes shares her experience with being a “littlun” in this generation. As always, thank you for reading the Tom Tom, we hope that you find our spin on a classic piece of literature enticing enough to chant and cheer around a Lord of the Flies of your own.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES this month WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE by Assistant Director Joey Kestian and Jacob Leitza BREAKING DOWN DIFFERENT DIETS by staffer Valerie Rasmussen SOCIAL STATUS ISN’T A SCIENCE by senior editor Alex Riedel AND MORE...

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE A LITTLUN as told to staffer Beatriz Warnes

4 | PERSPECTIVES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK SEQUOITMEDIA. COM DAILY FOR NEW CONTENT AND FOR ALL OF THESE ONLINE EXCLUSIVES.

STAFF EDITORIAL

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH

Grace Acello

The choir boys weren’t the only ones defined by what they wore.

Y

ou’re walking the halls at Antioch Community High School.

It’s the passing period before third hour and you’re curiosity strikes, you’re trying to learn more about your peers . Out of all the students you pass, you start to realize a common thread: nearly everyone is being defined by a label. Whether it’s by the Gucci flip flops one wears on their feet or the AirPods that stream music through their ears, they are being mistaken for the things they have instead of the person they truly are.

High school is a place where most teens use their time trying to discover who they are and who they want to be. With that being said, fashion can be an implication of who someone is; one can wear bright colors in favor of their bubbly personality, while another can wear a concert t-shirt to honor their favorite band. Celebrating who we are as people has never been an issue, it’s when people start to rely on their clothes to make them feel accepted that ruins the purpose of it.

Wearing Lululemon doesn’t make one popular; at the end of the day, you wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear you. One of the downsides of growing up in a technology-based society is that almost everyone has eyes on someone else at all times. There’s never a moment when someone isn’t being judged. No one’s to blame for constantly feeling

the need to be accepted because it’s the way society has taught us to behave.

According to Data USA, Antioch’s average household income is $81,406; compared to other surrounding areas such as Libertyville or Lake Forest, that amount is considered a fraction of those towns’ average household incomes. Additionally, one in every five students at Antioch Community High School is considered to be low-income. Yet, we’re more concerned about the brand on our chest or our hip, than the creation of equity that will allow us all to feel fairness. We judge by the similarities of others, when we really should be celebrating the diversity of our fellow Sequoits. In the end, who cares how much your family has and who cares about the cost of what you wear; we all bleed cardinal and gray.

Antioch is known for being a well-mannered community, but if all we’re doing is trying to compete with one another, are we living up to the name? Or are we degrading it? The clothes one wears and the brands one buys mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. When we all graduate, we’ll remember each other from the impact we made, not the clothes we wore to school. Instead of thinking about what clothes you have to wear to impress your friends, think about why they’re your friends in the first place. Is it because they’re good people, or is it because they look the part of someone you feel you should associate yourself with?

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Jazzmyn Roman

SEQUOIT TO SEQUOIT PEACE V. PIECE OF MIND SARAH J. SMITH junior editor @smsmitty3

ALESSIA N. RIVERA junior editor @alessiariveraa

PEACE

I

am a strong believer in one saying; “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Growing up I was raised to avoid unnecessary conflict. I’ve always wondered which hurts more: the regret of saying something you should not have, or the regret of not saying something you should have. I tell myself that there’s always a chance to speak, but after you say something you can’t take it back. I value having a voice, but there’s times where I choose not to speak. Whether it’s due to fear or the avoidance of consequences, there are times when saying something is not the best option.

Speaking

up doesn’t come naturally for some people, but I think it’s a skill that can be learned. Oftentimes when I stop myself from saying something, it’s because I’m afraid of hurting somebody else’s feelings. Some people may be timid or anxious; others may simply have poor social skills or feel that others are constantly judging them. Although my tendency of keeping quiet can make me seem compassionate, I still have thoughts of anger and resentment in certain situations. For me, things are easier thought than said.

Not speaking up for myself in certain situations doesn’t mean I’m not confident. I find that sometimes holding back is what’s best.

I see having self-restraint as being the bigger person. Not saying anything at all can have more of an effect than actually saying something.

6 | PERSPECTIVES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

PIECE OF MIND

W

hen people are put into different situations, the reactions they have say a lot about the type of person they are. When in an argument with someone else, my thought process immediately goes to doing what’s best; although my actions may not be immediately beneficial, I try to suggest what will help the most in the long run.

I am involved with many sports; therefore, it is important for me to be a good leader and voice my thoughts well. I believe telling the truth can hurt, but it’s often necessary in order to be on the same page about things. I can be brutally honest and some things I say may hurt people. However, whoever is hurt by my words realizes that I only suggest what I believe is best for them.

My intentions are never to hurt them, but to help them. In my opinion, being blunt is better than trying to sugar coat everything to protect someone’s feelings.

“Speaking up for myself reassures me that I believe in who I am, and what I am,” Quora author Arlee Hang said. “Being able to speak up for myself means I have beliefs I actually stand by, and I’m willing to defend it if anyone tries to wave it off.”

I have always had problems with self confidence; speaking up for myself allows me to share my intelligence and opinions while also feeling like my voice matters. Speaking out about what matters has not only helped my friends, but it has helped me become more confident and stronger in my beliefs. Using my voice and making my values known has helped me become a better leader. I’m an outspoken person, and I feel it’s important to speak up for myself and others.

IN BRIEF

GERMAN CLUB FILLS HEARTS AND STOMACHS AT FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN On January 15 the German club, along with the Teen Advisory Board, set out on a trip to Feed My Starving Children. The clubs took part in a four step process to package meals to then send to countries where children are in need of healthy food. They packaged meals for about

an hour and a half before finishing, then everyone who helped package the food helped bring the boxes to the storage room where they would stay until they were shipped to their designated location. By the end, the clubs had packaged 28,728 meals, which is enough to feed 79 starving children for a full year.

JAZZMYN J. ROMAN

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8 | NEWS | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

IN BRIEF DISTRICT 34 RENOVATIONS NEARING CONCLUSION W.C. Petty Elementary School is close to finishing renovations.

According to The Chicago Tribune, renovations to the existing building have already been completed and the new addition to the school has almost finished construction. They are also beginning work on the interior design of the new space.

W.C. Petty recently released a video to Youtube showcasing the interior of their new addition and says that the addition will be fully functioning come the beginning of the 20192020 school year.

Jazzmyn Roman JAZZMYN J. ROMAN

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10 | NEWS | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

IN BRIEF EIGHTH GRADERS BEGIN SEQUOIT JOURNEY AT JANUARY OPEN HOUSE EVENT The future freshmen were instructed to attend at a certain time depending on their last name. The open house gives the parents and students knowledge on what there soon to be high schooler should be expecting in the new school setting.

“I’m looking forward to just being in the ‘high school experience’, as for my goals I just hope I get good grades and am in good classes,” eighth grader Syerra Gilmore said.

Families are to attend an informational meeting to be introduced to the school. After, the eighth graders are welcome to go to the north and south gyms to sign up for sports teams, extracurricular classes and clubs they would like to join and pursue during their experience at Antioch Community High School.

Valerie Rosek VALERIE ROSEK

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VIDEO GAMES ON THE HORIZON

A glimpse at a few of the major video games being released in 2019. earning over 6 million dollars from a Kickstarter campaign, Sega, another developer, allowed Yu Suzuki to direct the game. Sophomore Eric DeVries believes that people who want to get involved in the series should start at the beginning with “Shenmue 1.”

JAKE T. ILKKA tom tom staff @19_Rocker

A

number of Triple-A video game development companies recently announced their major game releases for 2019. These are four of the major releases:

“Players can get their own feel for the game and experience how it plays out by themselves,” DeVries said. “They should try to find the first game instead of watching someone play the game.”

While these are not the only games coming out this year, they are expected to set the standard for other games in the future.

“Kingdom Hearts III” (Jan. 29)—an action-RPG set in the worlds of Disney and Pixar movies. It is set to release on XBOX ONE, PC and Playstation 4. While these games may not appeal to everyone, freshman Edward Tindell is excited for the other things the year can bring.

“I’m looking forward to more ‘Fortnite’ skins and ‘Battlefield’ downloadable content,” Tindell said. “I like to play video games until my mom yells at me.”

“Animal Crossing” (early 2019)—a simulation game where the player controls a virtual town of animals. The game will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo recently offered a mobile version of the series in 2017.

“The Elder Scrolls: Blades” (March 31)—an actionadventure game set in a medieval world filled with dragons is planned for release on all major consoles, PC and mobile devices. “The Elder Scrolls” series has not released a new game since “Skyrim” in Nov. 2011, which sold over 30 million copies to date. Sophomore Justin Frye thinks the game is a smart move for Bethesda, the developer, to regain players and critics’ trust after a critical release was received negatively.

“I think this will help change the direction that Bethesda is going in,” Frye said. “It’s good for them to realize that nobody likes the direction they are going in and they are making bad choices.”

“Shenmue III” (Aug. 27)—an actionadventure game set in the 1980s in China following Ryo Hazuki as he tries to avenge his father’s death; the game comes after an 18-year break in the series. After

12 | LIFESTYLES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

Kylar Arias

MARY POPPINS THEN VS. NOW REVIEW

LENA M. DE VORE tom tom staff @lenaadevoree

T

he return of Jane and Michael Banks from the old Disney film, “Mary Poppins Returns” directed by Rob Marshall, shows the two Banks children as grown up individuals.

The two siblings struggle with the same adult problems. Michael has his own family consisting of two elder twins, John and Anabel, and a younger son named Georgie. About a year ago, Michaels wife, Kate had passed away and the family has not been the same since her death.

The movie takes place during the Great Slump in Britain. On an ordinary day, two men come to the Banks’ house with a letter from the banker, William Wilkins. William is secretly trying to take the Banks’ house away so that he can have the house for himself. But an unaware Michael does not realize his scheme and is doing everything he can to come up with the money they need to save their home. William tells Michael they only have a week to get the money or they are going to be evicted.

nanny, just like she had in the original film. The new film has more of an impactful story line while keeping the same idea as the first movie.

“I think it’s really cool that Disney is making sequels to some of the classics,” sophomore Jessa Vangorp said. “I think we should still watch the old ones and not forget them or replace them with the new ones.”

Mary Poppins is played by Julie Andrews in the original film and

by Emily Blunt in “Mary Poppins Returns.” The original movie came out on August 27, 1964 and the other one came out on December 19, 2018.

“In my opinion I prefer Julie Andrews better as Mary Poppins because she is one of the most well known and loved actresses; she is also a very classy and poised woman,” junior Paul Valdivia said.

Jane and Michael remember that their father had shares in many stocks and they can find the certificate, the amount of money earned will be enough to keep their house back. The children find out that the two men from the bank want to take their home and feel as if it is their problem to deal with to save their family. During all of this, Michael is oblivious to how he is acting around the children and does not realize that they are just trying to help him.

Both of the films include iconic Disney songs like in the original, “Super‐cali‐fragil‐istic‐expi‐ali‐docious” and “A Spoonful of Sugar” and the new film it feature the songs “Overture” and “Can You Imagine That?” The movies also have multiple surprise cameos from the original cast including Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Junior, the bankers uncle and Angela Lansbury as the Balloon Lady.

Then the mystical and independent Mary Poppins comes down from the sky to the Banks’ family, offering to help the children.

Her entrance is just as iconic as it was in the original. The movie portrays the same idea of Mary Poppins coming to turn Michael into a family man, making him believe once again to reviving the childish ways out of the children. She does this by being their

“I liked the end scene with the balloons the best because throughout the scene it made me feel happy and the song was really well written,” sophomore Kate Keating said. “I enjoyed the newer [movie] better because the quality and special effects were better in it and I liked the music in the newer one.”

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DRESS FOR LESS: CELEBRITY EDITION Celebrities are known for their great style but it comes with a big price tag.

Look just as great as your favorite

celebrities for a more affordable price.

KARA C. GALARNEAU tom tom staff @karag__

NICK JONAS

ZAC EFRON

Junior Treshawn Watson can be found wearing outfits inspired by singer and songwriter Nick Jonas.

Jonas is known for his style;

Sophomore Caden Jimenez is often seen in outfits inspired by actor Zac Efron.

Denim jackets can be seen not only on Efron, but various other style icons.

Depending on the brand, these jackets can become very pricey, reaching up to thousands of dollars. At Rue 21, Jimenez was able to find a more affordable option for $30.

GQ, an international men’s magazine that focuses on fashion and lifestyle, just named him the best dressed man of 2018. A more casual look from Jonas is a hoodie paired with a simple black jacket. A look similar to Watson’s jacket is available at Forever 21 Men’s priced at $35.

EMMA CHAMBERLAIN Senior Claire Reband takes fashion inspiration from influencer Emma Chamberlain, who is known for her style; however, the price range of Chamberlain’s clothing items aren’t always accessible for the average person. Reband is often seen wearing Vans, a shoe worn often by the influencer, as well as a colorful striped sweater that is similar to the one that Chamberlain has. Chamberlain’s sweater is priced at $88, where as Reband’s is less than half the price at Shein for $15.

MADISON BEER Sophomore Alyssa Colpaert regularly flaunts a pair of trousers with a simple pattern. This style of pant is favored by many influencers and celebrities, and singer Madison Beer can oftentimes be seen in a similar style. The most popular version of this pant is from the brand Brandy Melville, which has become increasingly popular with celebrities. Brandy Melville is trendy and has fairly moderate prices, but is not fully inclusive with their sizing. Most clothing items from the store only fit one size, which is not ideal.

The pants Colpaert wears retail for $30, which is close in price to the ones from Brandy Melville; Hollister is also a more inclusive brand with a variety of pants.

Grace Rowe

14 | LIFESTYLES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

Features | 15

THE

UNSPOKEN WAR

A fight between good and evil almost always promises a good story— but what if the stories aren’t fantasies, and are instead a real life battle.

L

EMILY A. HIGGINS junior editor @emilyhiiggiiins

ife is filled with decisions and every decision made in the present can affect the future. Every decision has a motive and with every motive, personal values are shown. There is a positive and negative to every situation, and it’s up to the individual to weigh the options and choose the best one. It is a dangerous oversimplification to say that people

are either naturally “good” or innately “evil.”

Human nature is more complex than dividing people into two categories.

The argument over whether humans are naturally good or evil has been a controversial topic since the 17th Century. Philosophers Hobbes and Rousseau put forward opposite theories of human nature and their morality. Hobbes believed that the natural state of man was self centered and brutish. This concept is based on the genetic hard-wiring which is geared towards survival and aggression — in other words, inner animal instincts. Without them, there would be no individual success. Rousseau believed that people are all born “good,” and it is civilization that turns people evil. As an individual, the natural aggression to become successful is important to grow, but may come across as self centered to others in society. The double edged sword held between the two dances along a fine line of what is “good” and “evil” in other people’s eyes.

As a child experiences the environment around them, they develop physical, emotional and social skills. This can influence their developing sense of right versus wrong, or their own moral compass. Junior Sean O’Hara is involved in martial arts, where using moral reasoning is important practice.

“I see [a moral compass] as something that will guide you from or guide you away when given any choice in life,” O’Hara said. “There are good and bad things being thrown at us every single day and our moral compass is used in those gut decisions and [to] complete actions.”

Valerie Rosek

16 | FEATURES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

A strong moral compass allows for an individual to become secure in their thoughts and comfortable in their decision making skills.

According to a brand new study from “Human Brain Mapping” by Leonardo Christov-Moore,

the tendencies for altruism, a behavior that stems from empathy, are the same parts of the brain responsible for impulse control, or the gut reaction people experience. Researchers claim that selflessness may be hardwired in the brain and it may be able to encourage more altruistic behavior.

themselves and others. Sometimes it is easier to hate than it is to love; love means to accept one for themselves and their flaws which can be hard to adapt to. The desensitized human nature can bring out the unfair and ugly side of society. People are products of their surroundings.

According to author Bryan Wood, Evil acts occur when one aspect of a system breaks down. Shortly after, the motivations of the group as a whole changes. Ideas and opinions are not set in stone, and when exposed to the wrong people, the morally sound values morph and adapt into the opposite extreme.

“The more we tend to vicariously experience the states of others, the more we appear to be inclined to treat them as we would ourselves,” Christov-Moore wrote.

“We choose our own paths in life, and by doing so, we have to rely on ourselves and the experiences that have happened to us because they make us who we are,” junior Tyler Kuxhouse said. “I think people may help or influence our path, but if we go down the wrong path, we can only blame ourselves.”

The ideas and morals throughout a group can fluctuate and change if need be, but if the leading people in society do not know right from wrong, their moral compass points the wrong way for their whole group. Instead of fixing their morals, people choose to blame others, the environment they are in or their situation. Violence and evil are no strangers to this world and they are never going away; however, if people learn to recognize the sources of neglected behavior, they may be able to intervene and prevent good people

Making long-term decisions can be hard. Not only do they consist of the heart versus head conflict, but also the individual perspective versus society. Research found that blocking parts of the brain responsible for impulse control (whether those impulses are positive or negative) lead to altruistic behavior, suggesting that our natural impulses are good, not bad.

The natural gut response demonstrates that moral instincts are present when asked to react to a situation before there is time to engage in rational thought. However, if a person is not strong in their morals, a stronger force can change their thinking without realizing it. Friends can come and go, but correcting wrong morals is harder to do than maintaining an already existing moral compass.

In recent years, this society has begun to become a victim culture: one that places the blame on anything else but themselves.

This gives an explanation that people are self centered because the society is. In other words, good societies produce good people, evil societies produce evil people.

from making tragic decisions.

As a child grows older, the environment he or she is in and new friendships change the already defined moral compass that was initially created. This social influence refers to the way in which individuals change their ideas to meet the demands of a social group; in this case, the happenings of each person’s society is what makes one change. The thought process changes from an individual moral mindset to an outward influenced social act.

Together, the morals of the established group is held and it is up to the people within the society to uphold the rules and values of the group.

However, according to “PsychologistWorld,” this can eventually lead to a conformity of views, resulting in a phenomenon known as groupthink. When this happens, members adopt each other’s agreed views and actions to achieve a given goal, but reject criticism from individuals who oppose the group’s behavior.

This power struggle can turn a good natured society into an “evil” one if a leader has weak morals. As reported by Hara Estroff Marano of “psychologytoday,” research concludes that humans tend to think negatively, resulting in pessimistic perspectives and opinions on

Valerie Rosek

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S R E WHAT DAREN’T A E L Qualities of good leadership are easy to see, but qualities of bad leadership can be felt by every follower.

SHANNON C. PRICE tom tom staff @shan_eileen01

I

t’s early on a Saturday morning and no one on the team wants to be at practice. They are all dog tired. It’s a week to competition. Everyone feels the pressure weighing on them like a load of bricks. They have drilled their routine a million times, but they are seeing no improvement. They are getting frustrated with one another. They are getting angry.

Some girls keep shouting at others for forgetting the steps they had gone over just five minutes ago. One is condescending toward the rest of the group about what she thinks the steps should be, but her words fall on deaf ears. No one wants to follow her. Their coaches keep telling them that they need to figure it out as a team, but there are so many voices saying what they want to do, what they think is best. So many voices but no leaders.

Tensions rise and anger flares and one girl thinks to herself, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” The thought only lasts for a moment, but it is enough to make her wonder how she could have lost passion for the thing that had once been the love of her life. The feeling almost breaks her.

Tensions rise and anger flares and one girl thinks to herself, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” The thought only lasts for a moment, but it is enough to make her wonder how she could have lost passion for the thing that had once been the love of her life. The feeling almost breaks her.

Poor leadership has the power to negatively impact the people who follow.

Just as there are many shades of good leadership, there are also many shades

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of bad leadership, but all of them can have some seriously damaging effects on the group as a whole.

No matter the environment, whether it is a sports team, a classroom or an office, poor leadership manifests itself into a lack of productivity, respect, willingness to work and overall enjoyment of doing the work.

According to Forbes, there are five major qualities of bad leadership: poor integrity, lack of adaptability, little vision for the future, lack of accountability and poor communication skills. It doesn’t take much for these qualities to turn what once was a good working environment into a toxic situation. It all comes down to the behavior of the person at the forefront of it all.

The most significant mistake that people in leadership positions make is maintaining the idea that they always have to be in the center of everything 100 percent of the time, that they always have to be the primary decision maker. That kind of thinking, if allowed to fester, can lead to perceptions of toxic superiority. Any person in a leadership position who thinks he or she is above reproach can not be an effective leader. Principal Eric Hamilton discussed the qualities of bad leadership that he observes in his job as an educator.

“Ignoring people, not engaging anyone, holding grudges, anger, a lack of trust and ineffectiveness,” Hamilton said. “They all manifest into an unwillingness to change or receive feedback.”

Hamilton went on to talk about situations in which he had experienced poor leadership as a follower and how that experience impacted him.

“I had a leader not talk to me,” Hamilton said.

“A leader chose not to talk to me because of a disagreement that we’d had. That person ignored me for about a year. We would pass in the hallway, I would say hello and he would not respond. He would just keep walking. I knew he heard me. I made a point of looking at the person and trying to make eye contact.”

Effective communication is a vital part of maintaining good leadership. It also comes into play when responsibilities need to be delegated to others.

A major pitfall that leads to poor leadership is the inability to admit one’s faults. No one is good at everything and part of being a leader is knowing

one’s weaknesses and allowing other people to take over in those areas. A poor leader has either not identified these weaknesses or doesn’t want to admit that they exist. Coach and social studies teacher Brian Glashagel discussed the different types of leaders on his teams.

“There are multiple ways to lead and sometimes you need to know when to follow,” Glashagel said. “If you’re a leader by example and there’s a time in a season when it’s time to be vocal, you’re trying to be a leader where you’re not. That doesn’t work.”

Failing to admit one’s weaknesses also manifests itself into people placed in leadership roles being incompetent regarding the area in which they lead. This kind of leader cannot effectively facilitate respect among their followers and ultimately causes a lack of productivity. Senior and president of the A Cappella choir Cale Wolf talked about his definition of poor leadership and how it applies to any situation.

“It’s basically always a steadfast rule,” Wolf said. “If you are incompetent, if you don’t know what you’re leading in or if you don’t have everyone’s trust, there’s no way that you can be a good leader in any circumstance.”

When asked about the pitfalls of his own leadership style, Wolf admitted that he has had a tendency to be a bit arrogant and harsh when he gives instruction. He also mentioned that when he began his leadership role in the choir program, he was intimidated by the pressure of commanding people’s respect and attention. It caused him to be reserved and quiet, but he shared how he has learned from those experiences and become a better leader.

“Now, I have learned to raise my voice and I’m not really scared to do that, “ Wolf said. “Some of it was developed on my own, but a lot of it came from role models and other leaders from the past. Former choir students, particularly former choir presidents like Kar Toman, really showed me how to do the job.”

Bad leadership is not unfixable. It’s just a matter of recognizing the qualities of bad leadership, not just in others, but in oneself so that the problem can be remedied and the group can be a safer and more effective environment for everyone involved.

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PARENTS

else tried to comfort me first.

T

I left family parties early, bailed on my friends and lied to my significant other just because I “owed her,” and when she wanted to see me. I had to see her. If I didn’t It’s colder now than before he left, only because comply, she would throw a pity party for herself... she I sleep with my little sister when my dreams get dark. thrived off of my guilt; it made her stronger.

The left side is always tucked in, the corners and My age was always a joke that floated around the pillows still flat, just how he likes it. Even though constantly, but I never found it funny like she did... sometimes mom shivers, I hope he’s warm at night...

POWER

here’s still a divot on the left side of mom’s bed.

VIGNETTES

Part of me still wishes it was mom that was with him.

I’ll never understand her crippling sense of humor because everything I find serious has always just been a joke.

I don’t really talk about it anymore, I never have, only when my best friend and I are driving into the depths of Kenosha, way past curfew. For some reason it always comes to mind then. I feel safe talking about it, but that’s on a rare occasion.

I left family parties early, bailed on my friends and lied to my significant other just because I “owed her,” and when she wanted to see me. I had to see her. If I didn’t comply, she would throw a pity party for herself... she thrived off of my guilt; When I tell her how he let another woman into his life it made her stronger. when he already had three, my voice cracks.

to leave behind a trail of tears.

I don’t even realize, but I begin yelling, yelling so loud I can’t hear my voice cracking or words shaking.

While asserting one’s dominance, they tend

POSSESSION OF

regardless of the woman on his right.

COACHES

All I can hear is the excuses I keep making for him, the excuses I’ve made for him since the day he left.

The power he has over my family and me is sickening.

I have never been afraid to play the sport that I am passionate about.

He flipped our lives upside down. No one can fix it, not even him.

It’s something that makes the worst

days tolerable; it gives a tired Every Wednesday night I drove down the darkest street heart something in town. to look forward to.

Yes, I know: it’s just She lived pretty much in the middle of nowhere, hidden a sport; however, it’s from the rest of the world. To pass time, we screamed more than that for me. It’s Adele lyrics the entire way to the Rec, where we had how I’ve spent every one practice twice a week. I didn’t think much of it; of my summers since I was I confided in her when she questioned why I eight years old; I’ve had to miss was quieter than usual and I was grateful sleepovers, family reunions, parties; that she always wanted to listen. I’d it’s a sacrifice. describe her as very similar to her

FRIENDS

MOLLIE T. WAGNER junior editior @molliewagner_

house: closed off and dark.

“You’re not as good as her.”

As young, emotional teenagers, “You’re just not what we’re looking for.” we talk to whomever will “I loved your bat last year, but it isn’t listen. We usually don’t impressing me anymore.” have to question why one of our closest friends always wants to take the long “You need to battle it out for a spot.” way home, asks to come inside when they drop you The only way I can describe it is defeat. off after a late practice, gets upset when you don’t call before falling asleep or reads your diary without I felt defeated; I still do. asking. At least I didn’t question it, like she always The man who almost cost me my softball career said, I owed her for how good of a friend she was to coaches some of my idols. I dreamt of playing for him me. since I was small.

She was always there when no one else was, she He didn’t stunt my playing skills, but he did make me only allowed herself to be. She’d get upset if anyone

20 | FEATURES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

question them.

I waited and waited, until I couldn’t wait anymore.

I begged for answers, pondered new questions and Like my mom everything in my mind raced about, but never got a always said: response. he clearly knows He told me to stop taking his absence so personal;he more than I do. This told me to get out of my head;he told me that I knew is why I had to take the how he felt and overreacting was silly. punches that were thrown.

That’s all we were, that’s all I was: silly.

Every single time.

Even though waiting is long and painful, I was happy.

On the bus on our way back from games, I would drag my finger I was happy because I would rather him be distantly in down the window and watch the my life than not at all. dewy trail it left behind. I would think That’s exactly what he wanted: an ego boost every about all the things I was told were wrong once and awhile, someone to make him feel wanted. and harshly contemplate if I ever wanted to play again. Despite the traumatic few I have always pictured love as something different than months, I was with my travel team again. The this, more magical. environment was drastically different and even Maybe that’s why I am taking his loud spoken actions though I felt at peace with people I considered so personal. my second family, I was still hesitant to put myself out there for others judgement.

Maybe that’s why the palace I’ve created in my head is slowly crumbling, but I continued to wait and watch the faucet drip until it ran dry.

LOVE

“Wait.”

So I did.

Now the only thing that’s “silly,” is how I feel.

Like an open wound that was only stitched halfway then left to heal on its own.

| 21

FIGHTING SEQUOITS the causes of fights and background of why students react the way they do

HALEY M. AITKEN tom tom staff @haley_aitken

P

hysical altercations with peers can be caused by a variety of reasons; self defense or perhaps a disagreement between two people. According to Psychology Today, The most common cause of fights today are a lack of mutual or empathic understanding and usually result in a bad feeling from both parties. Some may regret the way they acted after they have been told what their consequences are; while others may not because they needed to release built up anger. At Antioch Community High School, the deans are responsible for dealing with student violence and giving out punishments that fit the crime.

Often times when student disputes turn into violence, it’s mainly caused by a lack of maturity to handle a disagreement. With many teenagers being dependant on technology, cyberbullying has evolved over the years, causing arguments with a simple tap on a screen. When students leave school, there isn’t certainty that their issues with others won’t go away due to their easy access to others through social media.

“Often times these fights have to do with a disagreement between the two parties and sometimes it might not even involve the people in the fight,” Dean Grant Murray said. “Most times social media is involved when someone says something about someone else and it gets blown out of proportion and now you have people throwing fists and a bigger situation that we now have to handle.”

According to Psychology Today, students lash out differently depending on the situation, as well as the experiences they have outside of school.

Someone may have problems outside of school that can make them lose control and lash out in a bad way towards others.

“I got in a fight last year and was suspended for it,” sophomore Shane Ibrahim said. “I regret what I did because the fight was for an irrelevant reason. I was a freshman so I wasn’t that mature but I thought it was cool but afterwards I regretted it because the consequences weren’t worth it.”

When most fights occur, there is typically built up anger involved.

The deans still aren’t always able to figure out the reasons as to why these seemingly fights keeps occuring, but they are constantly looking

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for ways to put an end to them so we can resolve all problems.

“Sometimes it worries me when my friends get into fights because I don’t like them being in bad situations,” sophomore Javanni Redd said. “I’m also the type of person to try and break up a fight because I’m not into violence and I don’t like when it happens, especially with people I know and I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to one of my close friends.”

The majority of the fights at ACHS aren’t ones with serious injuries. The fights are most likely a disagreement between people and it is handled before the situation gets worse. Not only do the deans handle fights, there are also security guards and other teachers that may be in that area and want to restrain the fights from occurring.

“As soon as I hear a fight is going on I want to get to the location as soon as possible,” Murray said. “In a lot of cases, with the fights we have here, there aren’t many serious injuries.”

“A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE IS THE MOST COMMON REASON OF FIGHTS TODAY” DEAN // GRANT MURRAY

All teachers, security guards and deans want the place to be a safe environment. According to Murray, Violence has never been encouraged at ACHS, and never will be; it is a place of pride, respect and responsibility.

“When fights break out it is typically because people can’t control it anymore,” Murray said. “There is usually lots of built of anger and aggravation inside and we can not pinpoint the reason why fights happen frequently or else it would be a lot easier to put an end to these fights so that they can stop frequently occuring.”

A fight is fueled by others reactions surrounding the event; if no one has invested in the dispute, then it will most likely stop. One might

want to help, while others prefer to stand back and take videos to post. The ones who want to break up the fight may have a friend in the fight or they may not like violent situations. Either way, students at ACHS are encouraged to not interfere with a fight, but instead get a security guard or teacher to help.

| 23

SHATTERED

IMAGES While the concept of body

positivity is dominated by women, it is forgotten that men also suffer body image issues just as much.

MADISON R. MCBRIDE junior editor @maddieemcbride

MAGGIE M. QUIRKE tom tom staff @maggiequirke

T

here are 7.53 billion people in the world; no two people are exactly the same in appearance, intelligence, or any other way. By far, the most controversial difference between people is their appearance. Although some distinct features stay consistent across racial, familial and cultural barriers, nothing transfers directly from person to person. People’s weight, skin tone, hair color, height and body type all come together to make a unique combination.

The dissimilarities between people can result in amazing things: culture, debates, new schools of thought. They can also have detrimental effects: hatred, prejudice, war.

These differences have resulted in large scale discrimination and insecurity.

People are bullied, attacked, and idealized depending on their appearances.

The “ideal male body” is pushed on men in almost every aspect of their daily lives. Regardless of age, genetics or personal preference, everyone is expected to fit into what society labels acceptable. Men are supposed to be athletic, tall and muscular; these qualities make them “manly.” Traits such as acne or crooked teeth or an elongated nose are not to be tolerated. When people naturally deviate from the perpetuated image, they are met with hostility.

Majority of people prefer to see a man who clearly works out on the front of a magazine cover, rather than an average looking man. Though this may not be fair, it is the way it is. Magazines know that if they use a male model who is very fit, more people will be interested in their product.

Violence, harassment and general hostility are the common and expected responses towards people of unique body types. Body discrimination doesn’t always include violence, it can happen in small anticlimatic ways as well. It can be anything from being picked last for a sport team, to small “jokes” muttered

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Avery Krizanoviic

throughout the day. Body image plays a large role on people’s inclusion in social or general opportunities.

“People can miss out on a lot of social opportunities,” junior Luke Menzies said. “If someone doesn’t look the same as everyone else or if they’re not average, sometimes they may not be included.”

Appearance affects the way that people are treated on a daily basis. Boys are taken more seriously, face better opportunities, and given more leniency if they are able to fit into the ideal male image. In society there is an overlaying subconscious acceptance of attractive people. When people walk through crowds, interview for jobs, or socialize with new people their appearance is seen first; when the way they look fits the societal expectations they are immediately advantaged. These expectations and consequential exclusions result in widespread insecurity. you’re constantly getting ragged on, you’re not going to be able to operate efficiently,” senior Matthew Becker said.

Boys who face constant hostility because of their appearance also face their own mental barriers. Negativity and harassment lead to insecurity which then leads to reluctance. People who don’t feel comfortable with themselves lose the motivation to keep trying.

The recent push of positivity and confidence onto social media has made an attempt to battle against the societal negativity. Types of body positivity in media range of extensive media campaigns to Twitter’s obsession with “dad bods.” Representation of every body has been the main focus of many companies and individuals within the body positivity movement for years, and the representation is starting to reach boys.

“I think everyone’s body type should be treated the same and [we should] not only focus on someone who’s all buff and fit,” sophomore Sergio Loginos said.

Boys’ credibility is put into question based on the way they look. Appearance changes the way countless other factors are judged: intelligence, ability, personality. The crossing of physical and mental expectations results in inconsistency. Abilities aren’t dependent on their appearances. The appearance of a person carries stereotypes. It’s easy to imagine that everybody fits into a category and every aspect of them

fits into that category.

People are capable of more than the connotations that come with the stereotype of their appearance. The way someone looks doesn’t dictate the entirety of who they are. People are more than their bodies.

Allowing people to be only what society expects them to be closes doors that could have resulted in unprecedented innovation.

Athletic boys can be smart, lanky boys can be strong and short boys can be good at sports.

When it comes to the idea of body positivity, many men shy away from the importance of male representation because it is thought it makes them sensitive. Since it has gained popularity, the body positivity movement has been largely dominated by women. This fact, paired with the societal ideals about men, makes most boys disregard the idea of positive reinforcement of their appearance.

“Most of the time for men it’s just ‘don’t be unhealthy,’” Becker said.

The main purpose of the body positivity movement differs depending on who you ask. For some, it is a movement dedicated to rooting out the negativity and malice against bodies in society.

For others, it creates a discussion about health and standards.

“More guys should be aware of themselves and be aware of what they can do to better themselves,” said Becker.

For Becker and like minded individuals body positivity is the ideal platform for self assessment and improvement.

Everyone takes away something different from the movement.

“I feel free,” Menzies said. “I let people judge me because that’s their opinion. It’s not what I see myself.”

Body positivity is something the world focuses on and puts it on a grand scale. Very few people have truly talked about the way males view their body types. Society has been trained to think that the ideal body type has to be muscular while maintaining a flat stomach. On the cover of many health magazines, there are models who are toned and clearly look like they work out often.

The attempts in recent years to show positive representation for every body type has made great strides to combat the dangerous societal expectations held to boys. However, the negative sentiment still lingers. In order to fully get rid of the negativity everyone could make more conscious choices towards individual and peer body image.

| 25

SURVIVING WITHOUT NECESSITIES When in extreme circumstances one must know how long their body can last without the basic essentials. without energy no creature is able to stay alive.

KAITLYN A. HOWE tom tom staff @_kaitlynhowe_

B

eing in a situation where basic amenities are not readily available is easily imaginable. Clothes that were once plentiful are now scarce. Shoes have been abandoned. The closest thing to a shower is when the sky opens and the heavens rain down. Fruit, nuts and pig are a gourmet meal. Grabbing fast food is a thing of the past.

Isolation from society begins to fatigue the brain. It is only a matter of time before the human brain exhausts itself to the point of no return.

These scenarios can possibly occur anywhere from a third-world country to a Midwestern small town. Regardless of where this may occur, no one knows which will be the true cause of the end of a life: the absence of hygiene, food or sanity.

The effects of not bathing may seem straightforward: blemished skin, dirty hair, body odor and much more. But, how does one get to this point and what are the repercussions?

Most of today’s world is actually quite clean. According to The Atlantic, over 70 percent of Americans shower once a day. This may be too much for the body to handle. Showering too often strips the body of its natural oils, causing dry skin and straw-like hair; however, not showering enough can prove to have worse impacts on the body than showering too often. A lack of personal hygiene results in a buildup of bacteria on the skin causing acne, rashes and other skin conditions. In the extreme, the absence of bathing can cause a skin condition called dermatitis neglecta. Dermatitis neglecta develops as scaly buildup that appear as black spots. Even though the condition can spread to all parts of the body, the cure is simple: take a shower. The solution to this skin condition may seem easy, but with very limited resources, one could have to deal with this irritating disease for the rest of their life.

Separation from society does not only affect organs on the outside of the body, but also organs on the inside. The stomach requires food and liquid, which may be scarce in this situation. One cannot simply grab a granola bar, warm up some leftovers or take a quick trip to the McDonald’s drive-thru. Those deprived of food would have to be creative and bring out their inner survivalist. No matter how skilled one is in minimal survival, food is a source of energy;

26 | FEATURES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

Everyone has different limits depending on one’s age and body weight, but there are general numbers that explain the human body’s necessities in regards to food. The human body can last about two months without food, but only about a few days without fluids, explained by Liz Weinandy, a registered dietitian at Ohio State University. The physical pain of hunger may be unbearable to some, which coincides with what is happening on the inside.

“The stomach is not getting enough nutrients to provide to the body,” exercise physiology major Haileigh Tetzlaff said. “The stomach will physically shrink and will not be able to stretch as much as it used to.”

When the human body does not receive enough nutrients to provide for itself, other functions in the body also begin to slow and shut down, including the brain.

One’s mental state alone in certain situations can determine the outcome of any situation, which is why one’s mental state can play a large role in their survival.

Between the absence of authority, food

Isolation from society can cause hallucinations. shortages and lack of technology, the mind could spiral.

The average human can go about three weeks without eating.

According to Edge.org, humans are naturally social creatures. Humans crave daily social interaction; so, when that social interaction is taken away, all sorts of repercussions can occur. The loss of social interaction causes the brain to The loss of social interaction causes the brain to enter a “fight-or-flight” state, making it difficult for one to sleep. As cognitive function declines, control of behavior is lost, the possibility of suicide and self harm increases and the brain begins to hallucinate.

“Without a social situation to stimulate it, your brain may subconsciously start coming up with things to stimulate itself,” sophomore Simon Hasik said. “That would result in what we, on the outside, see as going crazy.”

Abandonment may not necessarily mean one is alone.

One could be stranded with others, who may be just as clueless as they are.

“I believe that it would not come down to a matter of my personality, but the [personalities] of the people I would be interacting with,” Hisik said.

Teens are recommended to shower every two to three days.

Loneliness is often given a negative connotation, but it may seem like the better option when one’s acquaintances are no help.

It may seem like these scenarios would only occur in extreme circumstances, but they may be closer to home than one may think. A lack of hygiene and a declining food supply may make survival, or even just a comfortable living situation, seem far fetched. The mental impacts of isolation and seclusion do not increase the chance of survival, but, whether it’s skill or pure luck, survival can become a possibility.

Illustrations Julia Hackeloer

| 27

Sierra Ward

28 | FEATURES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

SHADOWS

AND TALL TREES Emotional neglect from adults could have dangerous consequences.

unaware of the depth of counseling or medication they may be in for. One simple appointment can lead to an endless string of doctors and pills.

ALEXANDRA C. JOHNSON junior editor @woahalex2

C

hildhood emotional neglect: a parent’s failure to respond to a child’s emotional needs. The term itself is simple in its definition, but can have quite powerful effects.

This type of neglect is an invisible, unnoticeable childhood experience that may haunt a person for the rest of their lives. It can cast an insidious shadow on what could have been a perfectly normal adult life. Sometimes it is unintentional and therefore it is so subtle that not many people see it coming until they are feeling its effects later in life.

Most people know that what affects them as a child will continue to affect them as they grow. This means that not only do the good times, memories and experiences shape their future personalities, but also the bad ones. It is hard to know when this is happening to someone because it can be subtle.

Here and there a parent may brush off their child when they are having a bad day and they are not aware that they have done anything wrong. Junior Zoe Johnson feels that sometimes it is hard for her to be able to talk to her parents about her emotions when everyone works on a different schedule.

“They do get busy so sometimes they will push me off,” Johnson said. ”But if I keep on bothering them they will do something about it.”

In a household that is constantly moving from one activity to the next, it can be hard to find time to sit down and have a real conversation about what is going on in a teen’s life.

Along with that, there are the parents that ignore their child’s emotions out of fear that they may say or do the wrong thing. Sometimes all a child needs is a parent that will sit down and listen to what they have to say. However, for some adults, it is quite hard to comprehend that their child could be having negative feelings about themselves and that they get scared to talk about it.

This is a normal response to a serious situation and sometimes the wrong first steps are taken. Sending a child to a therapist could be a good thing for them, but maybe the first step is to talk with them and ask them how they feel. It is possible that the person who receives the treatment will be

An anonymous source knew she needed to go to her parents when she was feeling more down on herself than usual. Following her intervention, the source was prescribed medication for her now-diagnosed depression.

“It’s just the norm now for me to not be happy,” the anonymous source said.

The consequences of this type of behavior could actually be more traumatic than one might think it to be. According to psychologist Jonice Webb, when someone is suffering from childhood emotional neglect there is a subliminal message sent to their brain that their feelings don’t matter. Therefore, they try not to think about what they’re feeling and put it out of sight. They want to keep how they feel from becoming a problem in their home and then suddenly they no longer have full control of their emotions. If a person never gets the chance to learn to handle their emotions they may have a hard time trusting them as they grow up.

Emotions are supposed to guide people to make the decisions that they feel are the right ones. When someone is suppressing that necessary guidance they begin to question a lot of the decisions that they make. Then they don’t understand why they feel this way and they begin to put the blame on themselves, which leads them to create more stress for themselves.

Creating unnecessary stress for someone is never the objective, especially from the parent to their child. Parents do not intentionally ignore their children, but sometimes it is hard to balance all of the different situations that life throws at them. It is imperative that people not only try to constantly communicate with the people around them about how they are feeling, but also to learn more about their own emotions so that there does not need to be much reliance on other people.

Every day, Antioch Community High School guidance counselor Brett Heintz aids teenagers in the understanding of their emotions, so that they can create a sustainable and happy life for themselves. When students come to Heintz with problems that they may not have the courage to tell their parents, his goal is to steer them in a direction that will help them make the right choices for themselves.

“I think it’s important to learn about yourself, so you can better manage yourself and your emotions,” Heintz said.

| 29

RENOUNCING

IN NO CENCE There

eventually comes a time where it is the next generation’s turn.

30 | FEATURES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

MADISEN KRAPF junior editor @madisenkrapf

Charlie Bongratz

O

ne instance can change a person’s perspective on life forever. It can be any instance: big or small. It may be getting forced onto a deserted island, getting into an accident or maybe even encountering a shooter. These occurrences force kids, teens and even adults into a realistic state of mind and cause them to think around the matter, to ponder the situation. Why did this happen?

How was this caused? Why now?

For many, these questions may remain unanswered until the individual takes a leap into new territory.

In this generation, many kids find that it is their time to step up and start to let their ideas and plans shine. These actions allow t the older generations to see them before their time starts to run out.

To some, the age of taking a stand comes in waves. First, a young person is living their normal life, not necessarily with any set in stone life plans. However, a bump in the road can cause them to come to a realization that they and their counterparts should start allowing the older generations to step back a bit.

In February of 2018, Parkland, Fla. was devastated after an experience with a shooting on a school campus. No one saw it coming and many, if not all, of the students experienced a rude awakening that day. They realized that the fatalities that the United States encounters on a daily basis are real and something has to be done about it.

A group of students, including 19-year-old Emma Gonzalez, decided to take this gun

control advocation to another level by writing speeches and organizing rallies. They came to the realization that it requires brave individuals to speak upon the issue and make thoughtful decisions that could lead to change. This “slap in the face” was perfect for the young generation to make their plans known, as they will be running the country before everyone knows it.

It became evident that once Gonzalez noticed the issue over guns, she came to the realization that they are not the only issue surrounding the present society.

In a New York Times opinion piece written

by Gonzalez herself, the advocate goes beyond her main focus of gun control and exclaimed her passionate ideas for her young counterparts and that they have no choice but to help the state of their country. In the article, Gonzalez talks about how many people can claim that politics are something they’re not interested in, but there are life threatening issues that are affecting a wide range of United States citizens and it can be almost selfish for them to not get involved.

Junior Paige Bolton takes deep pride and faith in her generation to restore her country into something manageable for all citizens.

“I think it’s important for younger generations to be heard,” Bolton said. “What they are debating to change is going to impact everyone else’s futures and we all need to hear their opinions in order to make changes and find common ground.”

the country. Some of them already know that their generation’s voice matters just as much as any current figure in the political world and they are ready to make their own mark.

“Older leaders are seen as more wiser than the newer leaders in our upcoming generation,” Bolton said. “As the years go on things are changing so the older leaders know more about real leadership in the past rather than leaders now.”

However, just because the older generations have asserted their dominance and knowledge of the real world, it should not stop teens from making their mark.

Dean Grant Murray makes it a mission for himself to encourage his students to use their voices and contribute ideas to not only their school but to their community as well.

“Young people are impacted by decisions made at all levels of government,” Murray said.

“Students at ACHS are impacted daily by the decisions made by our Board of Education.

That’s why I always encouraged students to go to school board meetings or other meetings of elected bodies. It is vital that we, as stakeholders, are knowledgeable of what is going on in our communities.”

Some of today’s teens are starting to realize their voice’s impact and the potential they have to change the world. Change doesn’t have to be big to have an influence on others. Anyone can make a difference, it’s just a step into new territory so that one can experience all the world has to offer.

In less than 20 years from now, the young generation existing today will be in charge of

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SPORTS SNAPSHOT BOYS BASKETBALL As the back half of the season approaches, the varsity boys basketball team holds a record of 11-5. The team recently won against the Grayslake North Knights with a score of 66-54. The team continues to push themselves to become a better team overall and make a deep run in the playoffs.

“Our team looks to continue what we have tolling for us and continue to win,” senior forward Kevin Tebbe said. “We look to keep winning conference games and potentially win the conference and push harder into sectionals.”

So far this season, the Sequoits have a better record than they have at this point in the past few seasons. At the end of the day, the Sequoits have the same goal as usual: getting another regional championship and making it far in the playoffs.

Jazzmyn Roman

BRANDON R. REYNOLDS

GYMNASTICS

BOWLING

The D117 gymnastics team hasn’t started as well as they had hoped they would this season. The team has competed in a quad at New Trier, a holiday quad at Mundelein, the Lake County Invite and a tri against Vernon Hills and Mundelein. The team’s current record is 0-8.

The varsity bowling team has had a strong season so far.

“This season, we have had lots of improvement in scores and have bonded as a team,” sophomore Ally Olsen said. “I’m really looking forward to what the gymnastics team will do in the future.”

They haven’t gotten any first place titles yet, but they have improved compared to where they were at this point last season. As they continue to push themselves to become the best athletes they can be, they also look to see their placement on the podium improve at their upcoming competitions.

EVAN M. DAY

The Sequoits hope to keep up their momentum as the state competition approaches. The team’s newest member, freshman Allyssa Tanner, had an impressive first performance at their senior night meet.

Tanner helped lead the team to an overall victory with a score of 238 in her final game of the night.

As the end of the season comes closer, the girls are looking forward to working hard in their final few weeks and eventually sending members of their team to compete at state.

AVERY J. FRASCH

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34 | SPORTS | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

SNAPSHOT WRESTLING Over winter break, the Antioch boys The Antioch Sequoit wrestling team has overcome many challenges this season and hopes to end the season as the conference champions.

The captains have played a major role in helping the team get over difficult situations. “I feel like they taught me that I have the ability to push through anything mentally or physically,� sophomore wrestler Lucas Bentley said.

The Sequoits practice hard and wrestle harder, which makes them feel like they can get through everything that gets in their way.

The wrestlers have placed well in most of the tournaments they have done. Antioch has won one tournament so far at Lincoln Community High School on Dec. 28. So far, the team is on track to accomplish their goals with a record of 13-5. The varsity team ranked 6th in the state last season, but hope to do even better this year.

Valerie Rosek

GAVIN R. CALABRESE

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36 | SPORTS | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

SNAPSHOT GIRLS BASKETBALL With a tough start to the season, for the varsity girls basketball team holds a 4-15 record.

“This season has been frustrating at times,” senior captain Piper Foote said. “But my team’s ability to bounce back and come together is a major reason why this is one of the best teams I have ever been on.”

The Sequoits have overcome obstacles and managed to create the best situation they can. Even when the chips are down, the team focuses on the passion that they all share for the sport.

“I have never been on a high school sports team that genuinely loves being around each other,” Foote said.

As the back half of the season approaches, the Sequoits are looking to end the season strong.

Eleeni Sakas

ALEXANDER J. RIEDEL

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38 | SPORTS | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

SNAPSHOT CHEERLEADING Both the varsity and junior varsity cheerleading teams have had great seasons so far. The junior varsity team has successfully placed second place at multiple competitions. The varsity team is almost done with their season and they are seeking first place at state.

Even though the Sequoits have had some successful competitions, they have also had some difficult ones where they didn’t make the podium.

Now, the varsity Sequoits are moving on to sectionals at Grayslake North High School tomorrow where they find out if they qualify for state.

Jessica Nettgen

GRACE R. ACELLO

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40 | SPORTS | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

SNAPSHOT DANCE After dancing into fourth place at IHSA Sectionals, the dancers look to walk the podium at State starting today at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, Ill. The dancers go live at 6:41 p.m.

“It was an honor to be able to come home with two first-place trophies from one weekend,” senior Claire Reband said. “We are looking forward to our next competition and hope to do well.”

In addition to another state birth, the dancers saw an incredibly successful season. This year’s Northern Lake County Conference dance competition was on Friday, January 11, and was held at Grant Community High School. Against the six opposing teams, the varsity Sequoit dancers came out on top.

They have kept their conference champion title for two years in a row now. The following Sunday, January 13, at the Grayslake Central Invitational another first place trophy was taken home.

Valerie Rosek JOSEPH M. KESTIAN

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WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE A

BE A LITTLUN I

BY BEATRIZ WARNES

never walked to school. I never had to leave an hour early to bear the cold weather that I had grown too used to. Instead, I put on my shoes that could never be walked more than the five feet it took to get to the car in the driveway. I would sit in the passenger seat and look at the blizzard outside, internally grateful for the bulk of metal that takes me to school.

Were I not to voice my gratitude, I’d hear my mother drone on of the lengthy miles she’d venture to get the education that she got for me. The words would go in one ear and out the next because I have heard this speech so many times. I get out of the car after five minutes, leaving thoughts of walking behind and preparing for so many other thoughts instead.

I never walked to school. I never was able to come home at one in the morning without my parents batting an eye. I could never talk freely about societal issues without hearing the words “you’re too young”. So, I ran. Not to school, but away from those older that beat down their mindset and theirs alone. I pushed away their thoughts to make room for my own.

It was a battle between what I had known and what I had been taught. It was the want to be better than the issues of the past that was the deciding factor in my independence.

I never walked to school. I never felt the need to know such a feeling before for it was never something those older than me had experienced themselves. I hear stories that have been passed down from many generations and cringe at the difference of opinion; I use my actions to support others instead of using others as my support. I feel the desire to walk the path less taken hoping others will follow me. I would rather carve down my own path than walk the footsteps of my parents, as they had done to their own.

I feel a constant need to be perfect when I walk into a room of adults. The room holds tension

and judgement, nearly all being pointed towards me. They expect me to walk with grace and perfection because that’s the path they paved for me, but more importantly, that’s the path they never followed. It’s as if they assume the issues I deal with as a teenager could never compare to what they went through.

Stories are shared and comments are made of the moments I could never dream of doing.

Such as, going to church every Sunday.

Religion has never been something I connect strongly with. I can’t seem to lay all my problems onto someone else when I, myself, can’t even hold them all on my lonesome.

With that, yes, I do feel alone. I feel isolated without those my age to agree with what I feel towards older generations. Were I to voice my opinion, I’d be shut down and pushed away.

I’ll be shoved into a box titled “ignorant kids” without any way to get out. I can talk about politics with my friends and feel as if I have it all figured out and that when I am of age to vote, society would be thankful for my opinions.

Then I talk to my parents, teachers or someone random at a business party. After that my self-esteem drains into some abyss that can only be described as what I had said before; isolation.

At this point, I sympathize with the Millennials.

They were beat down by the First Generation until the workforce was depleted of any allies.

They pushed themselves away because they knew it was those older who lost them so many jobs, had college tuition raised and many other things that left them, for lack of a better word, stuck.

I too feel stuck. Stuck in place, but psychologically and not physically. Physical traumas are brought up in conversation and yes, I can’t relate to any of them, but so what?

So what if I never ran a mile to lunch or worked a labor intensive job every summer? Why should that matter if nearly everyone I talk to that’s my age calls themselves “depressed”

42 | PERSPECTIVES | January 2019 | The Tom Tom

day in and day out?

I didn’t race home from the park late in the evening, but my mind races with problems I can barely comprehend. Stress levels are nearing an all time high in my generation and I feel as if there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t stop stressing about college and how I could never possibly pay for it -- all at the age of 15. There’s a constant desire to have everything planned out and ready to go nearly years prior.

With all the technology that I was born into, I’m so used to everything being extremely fast paced, including myself. Nevertheless, I never asked for the 2000s to be the years of smart devices, yet I feel blamed for it. Whenever a mistake of mine is made or brought up, something always leads back to technology and media.

Media wasn’t created to be a villain like the elderly make it out to be. Contrary to popular belief, I use media as a way to connect with those like me. I find out new, interesting facts every single day and I share that knowledge with my friends. I follow the people I like and double tap their posts because I know if I do, it’ll boost their self-esteem that society has taken apart in tearing down.

It’s hard to imagine a world unlike the one I live in today, but that doesn’t mean I want to. Even though it’s online, I feel connected to people that are thousands of miles away from me.

I’m grateful for the road paved ahead for me, but sometimes that “fork in the road” phrase doesn’t work. It makes no sense for there to only be a left or right. With each person comes a new path and no one should be allowed to tell them turn around.

I’m not here to be a spinning wheel in society, and I know others feel the same. We as the latest generation take pride in our differences, instead of conforming to those around us when they themselves are too scared to embrace what makes them unique.

Isabelle Hunter

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