The Tom Tom | January 2020

JANUARY 2020

WHAT DO OUR WORLD, WEED, WITCHES AND WALLABIES ALL HAVE IN COMMON?

THEY’RE GOING

UP IN SMOKE

sequoitmedia.com

1133 Main Street. Antioch. Illinois. 60002

Volume 58. Issue 3.

THE UP IN SMOKE ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 58, ISSUE 3, JANUARY 2020

SEQUOITMEDIA.COM

Perspectives

04

04 05 06 08 34

Editor’s Note Staff Editorial What I’ve Learned: Brad Hubbard Sequoit to Sequoit What it Feels Like

PUSHING THE MAX—DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROTEIN AND SUPPLEMENTS CAN HAVE DIFFERENT EFFECTS IN PEOPLE WHO WORK OUT.

News

09

HEAD ONLINE TO READ THESE EXCLUSIVES

DISCOVERING DISNEY+—DISNEY 09 News in Brief 10 Burning Bridges

RECENTLY DEBUTED ITS NEW STREAMING SERVICE, FILLED WITH THEIR DECADE-SPANNING CATALOGUE OF MOVIES AND TV SHOWS.

Lifestyles

THE IMPACT OF FILM ON DIFFERENT GENERATIONS—MOVIES HAVE AFFECTED AND FORMED ENTIRE

13

13 14 16 18 19

Financially Planning a Trip Abroad Poisoned by Petals Getting First-Hand Advice about Second-Hand Fashion Toxic Tanning Locally Grown, Locally Known

Features

21

21 4 29

Smoke Signals Up in Smoke Burned at the Stake

Sports

29

29 31 32

GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE.

ADDITION TO SECURITY—NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, ACHS IS GETTING A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER TO COMPLEMENT THEIR SECURITY FORCE.

ADULT JOKES IN DISNEY FILMS—THE HOUSE OF MOUSE HAS INCORPORATED MANY JOKES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THAT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE.

HEALTHY HABITS TO BETTER YOUR BEING—EASY TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH AND MOOD THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

Snapshots Pinning Down the Diet Dancing the Three-Sport Tango

MIND, BODY AND MUSIC—MUSIC CAN MAKE OR BREAK PEOPLES’ DAYS BY AFFECTING THEIR MOODS.

THE TOM TOM STAFF | 2019-2020

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: Staff members may be contacted by using their first name(dot)last name(at)chsd117.org MEMBERSHIP The Tom Tom belongs to the Kettle Moraine Press Association, Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honor Society.

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ON THE COVER THIS MONTH, WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT IS SETTING THE WORLD ABLAZE: WAR, CLIMATE CHANGE, SOCIAL MEDIA, SELF-ESTEEM AND THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA.

SPONSORSHIPS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH Businesses and community members may sponsor the Tom Tom if their sponsorships adhere to guidelines.

Emily Higgins (emily.higgins@chsd117.org), Community Outreach Director, will handle all sponsorship requests.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Merrick W. Foote ADVISER Patrick R. Johnson, MJE THE TOM TOM MANAGING EDITORS Kara C. Galarneau Sarah M. Smith SEQUOITMEDIA.COM MANAGING EDITORS Emily A. Higgins Alessia N. Rivera THE FEATHER MANAGING EDITORS Kaitlyn A. Howe SPORTS MEDIA MANAGING EDITOR Avery J. Frasch CONTENT EDITORS Julia C. Hackeloer Mollie T. Wagner Beatriz C. Warnes Lena M. De Vore Robbie S. Hulting SPORTS CONTENT EDITORS Evan M. Day McKenna R. Kalisz

Bridget J. Nauman Brandon R. Pinto Rilee A. Schreiner Cassidy A. Thomas SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Madisen M. Krapf VISUAL CONTENT EDITORS Grace R. Acello Kyle A. Christian Kayla E. Grenke Emily Lara Brandon R. Reynolds Valerie M. Rosek STAFF Haley M. Aitken Khalil J. Anderson Kylar A. Arias Alexis M. Barbosa Lucas M. Baronello Sarah J. Benes Charlotte M. Bongratz Reagan C. Brewer Daylia A. Brock Gavin R. Calabrese Tyler J. Cook Gabrielle J. Debevec Olivia E. Gerhardt Elkanah Gahima Collin K. Glassman Lila R. Heilig Ethan R. Holmes Jake T. IIkka Athan A. Kaliakmanis Sofia C. Klem Ryan A. Kolmers Avery A. Krizanovic

Adam J. Lynn Kyle A. Miller Samantha J. Milliken Taylor N. Mueller Izana S. Nordhaus Jadda C.L. Pope Alex K. Pritchard Elijah N. Reyes Adrian Ruiz Jazzmyn J. Roman Grace A. Rowe Kristi D. Schon Patrick T. Sheehan Matt P. Soberano Austin M. Stewart William R. Torres Kourtni N. Weldon Walker A. Winkler SEQUOIT MEDIA TEAM Iwona Awlasewicz, SBN Sam Worden, Sequoia & 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

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 themore 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.

Volume 58 Issue 3 January 2020

COVER ART IZANA NORDHAUS

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

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, THERE’S FIRE

F

ire: humanity’s first tool. Back in the Stone Age, fire meant life. Fire meant cooked food and warmth; it meant a place to rest and, in some cases, a way to send your soul to the heavens. Fire was the only thing between survival and starvation. It meant freedom from loneliness as newfound communities gathered to feast, celebrate and bask in the flames of their shared safety.

Fast forward a few centuries, to medieval Europe. Here you see fire used in a whole new way; smoke now signals the destruction of entire towns and fiefdoms. Fire rains down as arrows plummet to the Earth in search of bodies. Kings are smoked out of castles and fields burn to ash as armies invade. The sky is filled with choking clouds of soot as the world, quite literally, goes up in smoke.

In this magazine, we learned what it took to build a fire both in life and the world.

Fire has the power to create, but it also has the power to destroy. In today’s world, we’ve found a way to marry the two; we enjoy it’s many different uses equally. We cook food, but we fire missiles and guns just as often. Fire is on our birthday cakes and candles; smoke fills our lungs and gets us high. Fire is everywhere: in our homes, in our forests, in our bombs and in our media. And no matter what, if fire comes along, smoke soon follows.

In this issue, we wanted to take that idea and run with it. We looked around our world and found the ways that smoke, either literally or figuratively, is currently affecting us. Whether it’s actual wildfires and climate change or the United States’ relationship with foreign countries, we’ve gone in depth on a number of issues.

You can read about the history of witch hunts in Feather Managing Editor Kaitlyn Howe’s feature “Burned At the Stake”; for our take on the recent legalization of marijuana in Illinois, take a look at staffer Lila Heilig and Content Editor Robert Hulting’s feature “Up in Smoke.”

Our other feature, Content Editor Lena De Vore’s “Smoke Signals,” shows the recent effects of climate change that led to the infamous wildfires in Australia.

For more traditional content, our news and lifestyles sections are filled with stories about tanning, traveling and fashion. Staffer Gabby Debevec wrote about when young love ends in “Poisoned by Petals.” For recent updates on how our sports have been doing, head to the back of the magazine for sports briefs, Content Editor Bridget Nauman’s “Pinning Down the Diet,” and Content Editor Brandon Pinto and staffer Tyler Cook’s “Dancing the Three-Sport Tango.”

As always, thanks for reading. From everyone at the Tom Tom, we hope you enjoy.

MERRICK W. FOOTE Editor-in-Chief

5

PERSPECTIVES January 2020

STAFF EDITORIAL

BLOWING SMOKE

V

olunteering to look good and volunteering to initiate change: where’s the line? Are people initiating change to do good, or simply to look good? The answer: people do both. People will continue to feed the homeless to prove that humanity still exists, but they’re also trying to get a few extra likes.

To gain an extra cord at graduation, you need to be considered a good student: a student with three capstone class credits, nearly perfect attendance, no office referrals and 40 hours of service documented on a piece of paper. We’ve been told our whole lives that these things define us, so we jump at any opportunity to be seen as better, even if that means becoming worse.

College applications have a section dedicated to volunteerism and what was learned through those experiences. We have clubs and organizations that are full of students dedicated to creating a change in the local community. Local churches and religious groups go on mission trips to serve those that are less fortunate.

The idea of change is to improve something that needs to be fixed. But who defines the broken? Who is the one that sits on our misfortunes and picks apart our human decency?

Be it through verbal or physical commitment, following through is necessary in order to see the impact. Students can acknowledge the fact that change needs to occur; we can point our fingers, come up with examples and say it can be done, but if there is a lack of physical action behind the acknowledgement no change is truly enacted.

There are motivations behind every action. Without a thought, we continuously repeat actions in our everyday lives. As high school students, it’s become the norm to spend hours on our phones, creating an image for ourselves on a screen. By doing this, we simply look good. This can be followed using the Australian wildfire posts. Following the devastation, Australian wildlife foundations created posts for its followers to donate money to the cause through sharing. Stories linked to profiles dedicated to the fires filled social media platforms. “Share to donate $1” posts spread through Instagram, igniting users to engage in such an easy task. Users felt as if they contributed to an important cause. But if the flooding of shares occured and contributions were made, why are the fires still blazing?

If students incorporate volunteering in their lives in hopes of recognition and approval from others, then their dedicated time is counterproductive. Every individual has a desire to be well-liked; the things we post on social media reflect our best selves, also allowing the opportunities for followers to react. Likes, shares and retweets permit users to start and follow trends seen on the screen.

Once it goes beyond the likes, beyond the screen, beyond our self created image, it lasts. It creates a chance to see a different perspective, to experience the abnormal. We can feed the starving children, make homes for the homeless, give love to animals that have lost that connection all day long with lasting impact. But only if we get off our a$$es and do something.

WHAT I’VE

LEARNED He’s called District 117 home for the past seven years. Now, Brad Hubbard will officially take up residence in District 34.

T

he number seven

hearts. There are times where emotions get the best of me and I

might as well

make a decision that’s not always the best decision. There are other

be Assistant

times that I strictly rely on policy or data to make a decision and

Superintendent of Curriculum

that’s not always the best answer either. I think it’s really important

and Instruction Bradford

for leaders to utilize their heads and their hearts in decision making.

Hubbard’s lucky number.

Those times are lessons and learning opportunities for me to reflect

Hubbard has spent the past

upon and to become more comfortable in taking time and making

seven years working in District

decisions, making sure that [I’m] listening and understanding things

117 first as the principal of

from multiple perspectives.

ACHS and, most recently, as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. During the District 34 board meeting on January 21, Hubbard earned seven yeses and was officially

“

announced as the new D34 superintendent. The question: what has Hubbard learned while working in District 117 for the past seven years.

The night of the board meeting was something that I’ll

never forget. I walked in and they had a cake that said, “welcome to District 34, Dr. Hubbard.” At that moment it started to become real.

It was really a great opportunity for me because my wife and my two daughters came with me. One of the board members made the motion to approve my contract and then there was a second. As they went through and called by name each of the seven board members and they voted yes or no, my 8-year-old daughter put her arm around me and I could feel her patting my back with every “yay” that the board said. It was this surreal moment where people were voting on me as their future leader, and I could feel the pride.

I’ve learned a lot about myself. I think first and foremost I’ve

I think the most important lesson is this idea that parents [and] guardians are sending us their most precious resource. Every day we put our girls on a bus and they go to school, and we are instilling an enormous amount of trust into where they’re going and who they’re interacting with. I think it’s really important that we look at the decisions that we make, the impact that we have, and the systems that we’re creating through the lens of what are the expectations of our communities and our families.

What motivates me to constantly push myself ? This idea that I think the work is never done, you never have good enough relationships. I think there’s this idea that you have to constantly be reflecting and improving upon practice. The biggest thing for me is that we’re treating every student as though they’re our own. The other is no matter what metric we’re using to identify or monitor our progress toward what we define as success, there are students that are ultimately always struggling. We need to constantly be fighting to identify who those students are and forge relationships with them that will have a positive impact on their futures. The work is never done because there’s always somebody that needs a better

really come to grips and deep understanding of what my “why” is in

relationship, a greater opportunity, a better connection with an adult

terms of why I’m in education to begin with. Being the father of two

or appears to be able to do what it is that they’re here to do.

daughters I know and I’ve come to realize that the only way that I can ensure that they’re going to be part of a truly equitable system is to relentlessly fight for one that meets the needs of all students in order for my own kids to be included. I’ve come to realize I have to fight for a system that identifies [and] meets the needs of all kids.

That’s something that I’ve really started to focus on over the course of the last seven years. I feel like I’ve become more confident in my leadership abilities, and I’ve become more understanding of myself in terms of my leadership style. I would describe my leadership style as relational. I really try to forge strong authentic and genuine relationships with the people that I serve: the students, the staff and the community. There’s this other piece that’s newer for me, but it’s this idea of leading with confident vulnerability, sharing what it is that I don’t know and what I need help with. I’ve become more comfortable in that over the course of the last seven years.

One of the valuable lessons that I’ve learned is I think it’s really important for leaders to lead with both their heads and their

I’m beyond excited. You know the reason that I was so interested in the position was it allows me to continue to serve in these communities that I’ve grown to absolutely love and adore.

When I came in as principal of Antioch High School seven years ago, with me I brought two little girls and an entire community embraced them as their own kids. I immediately knew that I had found a new home professionally. As I’ve continued to serve for the last seven years as this opportunity presented itself, [it was always] a dream of mine. To be able to do it in these communities in which I feel like we have this perfect confluence of dedicated staff, incredible students and this super supportive trusting community, I was beyond excited. I’m excited to see what kind of impact I can have, but more importantly what type of culture and climate we can create collectively. The impact that we have at District 34 ultimately will in turn impact what we’re sending, providing and supporting in terms of District 117.

WRITER | Lena De Vore

7

PERSPECTIVES January 2020

Katie Quirke

I

SEQUOIT TO SEQUOIT: WE EACH HAVE OUR QUIRK(E)S

n my 16 years of living, I have never not had a sister. I see all my sisters as my annoying best friends. I always say I love you, but actually liking them is questionable most days. My older sister, Maggie, is like my partner-in-crime except for when she is oblivious, which is all the time, without her knowing or not.

I am the middle child in my family, and being the middle child I find that I am the funniest, most responsible, most confident and all around the best Quirke sister. Though being the middle child sounds great, I believe I take on major responsibilities, such as cleaning, making lunches, starting the car, giving somewhat decent advice and, of course, being my sister’s number one supporters in everything they do, whether they are being stupid or doing something good.

When I was younger, I was not a good kid. Maggie was, as my mother would say, an “angel child.” Oh, how the tables have turned. No, I am not saying Maggie is the rotten egg in my parent’s basket, but she is not the best either. When it comes to my sisters, I bicker with them constantly.

Of course, being the best Quirke sister I am, at the end of the day I still want to be there for them and be someone they can count on. As their sister, I believe it is my job to tell my sisters the brutal truth while always being supportive and proud of them. Whether it is the little sarcastic jokes I slip into the conversation or the embarrassing things I do for them in public like making signs for soccer games and dance comps, I will always be there for them. No matter how much we fight or who truly is the better sister, at the end of the night we all say “goodnight” and “I love you.” I know that every single one of my sisters has got my back and they know that I’ve got theirs.

WRITER | Katie Quirke

I

have been an older sister for as long as I can remember. Katie was the first younger sibling to come into my life, and she has been my favorite person since then. We get into little arguments all the time because she is so stubborn, but we always figure them out within five minutes and act as though nothing happened.

Being the oldest in the family, you would think that I am the most responsible and do everything for my sisters, but that is not the case.

Katie is definitely the most responsible kid in our family; however, that does not mean that I am not the best older sister. Although Katie may seem as though she has most things together; I definitely am the better sister.

I make myself available for my sisters all the time. If they need something, then I will be the first person to help them with whatever it may be. I urge them to talk to me about what’s going on in life so I can help or just listen to them vent. I make a point of asking how their day was because I truly want to know. Not only do I do that, but I also know how to calm my mom down when she freaks out on all of us. Having four daughters is definitely a difficult job and my mom can get very stressed, rightfully so. When she gets stressed, she often gets fed up with us and I do my best to communicate with my sisters and make sure they won’t do anything that I know will make her mad. They should all be grateful for that because, without it, they would be in constant trouble.

To be completely honest, I do not think one of us is better than the other. We both definitely have our strengths and weaknesses, but we both love one another and our family equally.

WRITER | Maggie Quirke

9

IN BRIEF

NEWS January 2020

Trey Hickey Both District 117 jazz choirs ventured to Peoria to perform at the IMEC state event. This event, which offers a number of workshops and opportunities for students and directors, provided an opportunity for the groups to grow.

T

JAZZ CHOIR TAKES ON STATE PERFORMANCE

he members will left yesterday to compete at state in Peoria, Illinois.

The ACHS A Cappella Choir has been to state, but did not qualify this year. Antioch’s District 117 sister school, Lakes, will be competing at state as well.

“I am so excited for our jazz choir to perform at the state music conference,” choir director Trey Hickey said. “This is a rare opportunity to showcase the talent we have at ACHS at the state level. This is a unique experience that will provide our kids memories for a lifetime.”

“I am super excited to show off our talent,” jazz choir member and junior Andre’a Santoyo said. “I feel like this year with the group that we have, we will hopefully be able to beat Lakes and represent our fine arts program.”

Antioch’s Jazz Choir recently performed at the Winterfest pep rally on January 24. Most of the members were there, but some have been out sick.

The flu season has taken a toll on the group. Going into this week stress levels were high as a number members of the group have been sick with flu symptoms.

The group has been meeting weekly since the beginning of the year to perfect their voices. Auditions happen a year prior to compete at state, so it was the last school year when Antioch auditioned and made it to the event.

CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK LEADS TO LOCAL CONCERNS The coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, but has spread around the

WRITER | Beatriz Warnes

WINTERFEST RETURNS TONIGHT TO DAZZLE D117 Antioch and Lakes

consider this a fun event for

world. New cases have been reported in a variety of countries such as the

Community High Schools

students to enjoy during winter

United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and other Southeast Asian

will come together tonight to

when there is nothing to do.”

countries. With five cases identified in the U.S., citizens have been cautious

celebrate the winter season with

about where they go, what they do and who they come in contact with.

a dance festival. Winterfest is an

Sophomore Sean Wagner keeps himself updated with the latest news on the

event that will be held at ACHS

coronavirus and the efforts to contain the outbreak.

for students to come together to enjoy music, games, food and

“I find [the coronavirus] scary,” Wagner said. “ I do, however, appreciate

many more activities. My Boom

that the U.S is trying to intervene with other countries like China and send

Tour coordinates this event all

them support like supplies.”

over northern Illinois and ACHS

There has been some helpful efforts to contain the spread of the virus, including AbbVie Inc. that treats pneumonia present in patients infected by

is one of 13 schools they attend.

Activities Director Teri

the coronavirus. While the coronavirus has infected thousands of victims and

Klobnak hopes to see a similar

killed dozens, the World Health Organization remains hopeful that the virus

feeling as last year.

can be contained before more serious measures need to be taken.

This year will be the second time ACHS is holding Winterfest.

Last year’s event hosted around 300 students. As of press time, around 550 students district-wide have purchased tickets for the neon festival.

Ticket sales started at 20 dollars and have slowly increased to 30 dollars at the door. Students are encouraged to wear black and neon for the festival tonight.

“I wouldn’t even call this a WRITER | Sarah Benes

dance,” Klobnak said. “I would

WRITER | Robbie Hulting

BURNING BRIDGES Just three weeks after President Donald T r u m p ’ s i m p e a c h m e n t, he ordered the killing of Iran’s general, Qasem Soleimani, causing outrage and changing the o n c e s ta b l e r e l at i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e t w o n at i o n s i n t o o n e t h at c o n s i s t s o f violence.

F

IRAN’S OIL The Iranian oil conflict happened in 1951 when Britain gained control over Iran’s oil reserves. Once former Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh was appointed, Iranians asked for Iran to take back their control over the nation’s natural resources.

SOLEIMANI AS HEAD OF THE QUDS FORCE Qassem Soleimani was appointed chief commander of the Quds force in 1997, a unit specialized in handling overseas operations for Iran. Soleimani grew his following throughout the Middle East while he rose to be one of the most powerful leaders of Iran.

IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS Iranian students raided the U.S Embassy in Tehran, Iran and dozens of Americans were taken hostage. The students demanded the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, be extradited to Iran from his temporary home in the U.S for cancer treatment. It took 444 days for Iran to liberate the hostages in trade for assets to be unfroze by the Americans, just a few minutes after former President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office.

ear has struck many in the United States due to recent

Throughout the crisis the U.S decided to cut diplomatic relations with Iran,

conflict with Iran. With social media rumors of “World

formal diplomatic ties were never regenerated between the countries. The

War III” going around as well as a draft, many people do

crisis lasted for two years, from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981.

not know the true facts of what has been happening with this issue. There are possible misunderstandings one can have over the assassination of Qasem Soleimani and the events that have led up to the event.

THEN Tensions have grown since the early 1950s when there was a dispute over Iran’s oil reserves. To understand the

IRAN NAMED “AXIS OF EVIL” BY GEORGE BUSH In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Iran covertly aided the U.S. in fighting the Taliban— an Afghan religious and political group. In the State of the Union Address of 2002, former President Bush referred to Iran and North Korea as part of an “Axis of Evil.”

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL SIGNED The Iran Nuclear Deal among six nations was signed in 2013. This

current events, looking at a timeline of past issues could aid in

slowed down the development of nuclear power in Iran, although this was

comprehension.

only part of a trade created to lift sanctions that stunted Iran’s economy.

technically part of Iran’s government, this marked the first time

U.S AND EUROPE LIFT SANCTIONS As promised in the nuclear deal, the United States and Europe have reprimanded rules regarding uranium enrichment and more on July 16, 2016. The following day, former President

that the U.S. characterized a part of a government as a terrorist group. Iran’s response was calling the U.S. a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

IRAN BENDS TERMS OF THE NUCLEAR DEAL

Barack Obama enforced new sanctions against 11 people and companies linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program.

After the U.S withdrew from the nuclear deal, sanctions— political decisions as part of diplomatic efforts by countries

TRUMP BANS NATIONALS Shortly after taking office in 2017, President Donald Trump banned nationals from seven countries that are primarily Muslim for 90 days. In response to this, Iran conducted a ballistic missile test, which furthered tensions between the U.S.

that were once lifted under the nuclear deal, settled down in June of 2019. Iran increased the cost of low-grade uranium, which moved Iran one step closer to obtaining the ability to construct a nuclear bomb.

U.S. STRIKES IRAQ AND SYRIA

and Iran.

Succeeding the attack of U.S personnel by pro-Iranian

U.S. QUITS IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL As promised in his campaign, President Trump withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2018. This caused widespread panic over the potential idea of Iran restarting its atomic program, but also created a platform for conflicts in the Middle

militias in Iraq, the U.S. conducted airstrikes on compounds in Iraq and Syria in December of 2019. Days after the airstrikes, pro-Iranian protesters raided the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

All of these conflicts have led to the decisions made in

East to break out.

IRGC LABELED AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

recent situations with Iran: the assassination of Iran’s second most powerful person, Qassem Soleimani, as well as the launching of missiles as Iran’s response to American military

Tehran’s most powerful military group, the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, was classified as a terrorist

action. The start of 2020 brought increased tension between

group by President Trump in April of 2019. Since the IRGC is

the U.S and Iran and division amongst the U.S Congress.

NOW More incidents with Iran, occurred merely

The funeral for Soleimani took place in Tehran, Iran. Thousands of people flooded the streets to view their former general.

a few days after the new year started. The

Before the burial began, a stampede broke

killing of Qasem Soleimani changed the way

out in Kerman, the general’s hometown.

not only the United States viewed Iran, but

According to the Times, there is no

the way Iran viewed the United States.

information as to why this

On January 3, 2020, an airstrike was conducted by the United States to kill Iran’s top general, Soleimani. He was the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary

stampede began. There were over 200 people injured and 56 killed.

After the airstrike

Guards Corps Quds Force. Business Insider

President Trump

reported that President Trump’s hope was

conducted, Iran retaliated.

to deter future violence from the Iranian

In honor of Soleimani, the

military. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Iranian military attacked

told reporters that an “imminent attack” was

American bases in Iraq.

being developed in the United States from Iran. He also believes that Trump’s decision to eliminate Soleimani “saved American lives.”

Soleimani controlled many of Iran’s spies

11

NEWS January 2020

“[Iran] didn’t necessarily do a lot of damage, but at the same time if they had done damage and had killed American forces,

bigger, so I think for the outcome that they wanted is the correct response.”

The Washington Post found that as a result of this response, 11 United States troops had to leave for medical treatment. Military spokeswoman and Army Major Beth Riordian said the service members

IF [IRAN] HAD DONE DAMAGE AND HAD KILLED AMERICAN FORCES, IT WOULD’VE CAUSED AN ESCALATION OF THE SITUATION.

injured were transported to Germany to receive further medical treatment. The Washington Post found that while there were no deaths on the American side, there may be more serious injuries found after medical examinations in Landstuhl.

Another attack made by Iran was a Boeing 737-800 shot down soon after take off from Tehran, Iran. CNN found that this was due to fear and aggression towards

and other military possessions; this turned

it would’ve caused an

him into a large symbol for the Iranian

escalation of the situation,”

military. With his death came many protests

social studies teacher

from civilians mourning the loss of their

Emma Craig said. “Then the U.S. would have

Revolutionary Guards Corps’ airspace unit

leader.

to respond. It would snowball into something

stated that it was “human error.” Their

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER // EMMA CRAIG

the United States, but the commander of the Islamic

military had seen the jet take a turn near a sensitive military base in Iran, thus causing them to shoot down the plane. This attack killed all 176 passengers on the plane130 of them were citizens of Iran.

have protested against their country.

announced they will be putting additional economic sanctions on Iran. Treasury

“If [Iranians] did not support the

Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that billions

government, now with the plane that

of dollars will be cut off from Iran’s regime.

was shot down, there’s some public demonstrations against it,” Craig said. “I

Iran’s foreign Minister Mohammad Javad

After everything that the United States

think some people have become more vocal

has done to Iran, their government has

Zarif wrote on Twitter, “Human error at

against their government since [Soleimani’s]

put a bounty on President Trump. Forbes

time of crisis caused by US adventurism led

assassination. I think [Iran] responded

found that an Iranian lawmaker will give

to disaster.”

appropriately for wanting to deescalate the

the person who kills President Trump three

situation.”

million dollars.

This means that while Iran’s military takes blame for the accident of Flight 752,

These protests have formed a rough

the United States still had something to do

relationship between the United States and

countries has caused some of the media to

with it, according to Zarif. Everything that

the citizens of Iran. Many of these angered

deem this “World War III''; however, there

happened between the two countries has

citizens line the streets to protest America’s

has been no talk of war, only sanctions on

caused strain on Iran’s vision when viewing

presence in Iraq. Because of the way the

Iran. There is no way to tell what the United

anything that has to do with their territory.

Iranian police have dealt with the protests,

States’ future with Iran looks like, but what

The missile attacks have changed Iranians

there have been many casualties.

should be noted is that “World War III” is

citizen’s perspective on their own country, which can be proven by the way the Iranians

country knows, there will be no draft.

In a span of hours after Iran struck American troops, social media was buzzing. The hashtag, WorldWarIII was trending on Twitter, with people tweeting about how the United States’ relationship with Iran will spawn a new world war. Not only were news accounts talking about the incident, but random strangers were both writing and joking about it.

“I just think [World War III] is classic internet culture,” junior Jackson Hellen said. “Generation [Z] is just one to turn everything

JUNIOR // JACKSON HELLEN

nothing more than a meme.

The White House has since then

World War III

GENERATION [Z] IS JUST ONE TO TURN EVERYTHING INTO MEMES.

This aggression between the two

into memes.”

These ‘memes’ include people talking about people possibly being drafted to war. These jokes

Unless people are on social media, it would be hard to be exposed to this type of content. Sophomore Morgan Flood uses social media to talk to her friends instead of looking at random things that are trending.

“I don’t think there will be World War III, but mainly because I don’t know what’s going on,” Flood said.

Becoming educated on Iran can be done by looking at news or reading about it on social media or in magazines or newspapers.

Nevertheless, one also needs to have the time to be able to do so.

“I was never educated on [Iran],” senior Lily Highley said. “I don’t have the time to educate myself on it with sports and school.”

Social media is not something just in the United States.

also went as far as saying that

Citizens in other countries that are not part of this conflict can see

anyone from the two youngest

everything that is going on with a simple scroll. Therefore, “World

generations would be making

War III” is a worldwide event without it even existing.

videos on the battlefield instead of fighting; however, as far as the

WRITERS & DESIGNERS | Sarah Benes and Beatriz Warnes

13

LIFESTYLES January 2020

Jake Ilkka Knowing how to manage one’s money before a trip can help one enjoy the trip and know what they can and cannot do in a foreign country. “It’s really important to know the exchange rate and how the exchange rate works,” International Travel Club sponsor Stephen Rose said. “I always talk to the students about the importance of knowing what the exchange rate is.”

FINANCIALLY PLANNING A TRIP ABROAD Leaving the country requires various preparations and currency conversion is an integral part of planning any trip.

T

raveling abroad is an opportunity that not many students get a chance to experience, but the Antioch Community High School International Travel Club

gives students a chance to explore while gaining a new perspective before leaving high school. Although traveling outside of the country as a teen is appealing to some, it comes at a high price.

$

How much does one US Dollar convert to in foreign currencies*?

1.32 Canadian Dollars 0.91 Euro 18.89 Mexican Pesos

109.00 Japanese Yen 2.02 Belize Dollars 0.77 Pound Sterling

*As of January 27, 2020

“We used to do group fundraisers and we stopped doing that; part of the reason we stopped is because you don’t get a lot of money or value out of it,” ACHS International Travel Club

This independence can be a difficult adjustment, but may also aid

sponsor Stephen Rose said. “The individual fundraisers work in a

in taking the next step in life by giving a new perspective to students.

way that the more time you put in, the more money you make.”

Using their own money may make students more careful with

The money that the students save in the months before the trip go into a fund of accessible cash while overseas. Car washes and summer jobs are two of the ways travelers save

their money. Saving up for a trip is a long process, but it pays off in experience at the end.

“I attended one of the car wash fundraisers to make some money, but

money. Although students save money, they must still pay

I’ve made most of my money from working this past summer,” senior

attention to conversion rates abroad. One American dollar is

traveler Elliana Nordhaus said.

worth approximately 110 Japanese yen, but value fluctuates often. During the travel club’s spring break trip to Japan, this conversion will be essential for students to know.

“You should look at something and think through it: ‘I’m going to buy that if it’s $5. Maybe if it’s 10,” Rose said. “A student on a past trip thought that he got a deal and he was buying a suitcase for about 20 dollars. Turns out it was 200 dollars after the exchange rate.”

Students must consider this conversion when looking to purchase something, otherwise they may make a detrimental financial decision. For a lot of students, this trip will be their first time out of the country without financial dependence on parents.

Like many other students participating in the Japan trip, Nordhaus spent her summer working and saving. She dedicated her time to making sure she would be financially supported overseas and now that dedication is showing through at the end of her saving journey.

“Plan ahead of time, and save as much as you can for the trip,” Nordhaus said. “This will also help me financially plan to save more for future trips.”

Students or anyone planning to leave the country should consider the value of their money and be careful with prices overseas by creating a spending strategy. Whether going to Japan this year, or planning on taking the trip to Belize next year, it is important to start saving as early as possible and enjoy the experience to follow.

“I feel like it’s going to open up my eyes to how much it actually does cost since I’m going to be there by myself without my parents,” sophomore traveler Samuel Sheedy said.

WRITER | Daylia Brock DESIGNER | Jake Ilkka

15

LIFESTYLES January 2020

POISONED BY PETALS Heartbreak is when one realizes a person they truly loved has left their life; for some, heartbreak can be easier to overcome than others.

H

e loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not.

Plucking petals off of a flower one by one is a game played by someone in love to determine whether the person of their affection feels the same way. The last petal plucked is known to be the petal of truth. Realizing the love-me petal is no longer the reality can lead to the most significant of heartbreaks.

According to an article written by Gigi Engle, when your heart is broken, it can feel like the end of the world. No amount of pain has ever felt so agonizing. It’s like a giant hole was pummeled into your chest, with no hope of recovering.

Not everyone overcomes heartbreak the same.

For junior Ashlyn Sundell, understanding that a person she loves would never be there for her like they were before was the hardest part about overcoming her heartbreak.

“All of the sudden you stop talking or something goes wrong,” Sundell said. “Then you aren’t as close and you know the relationship is never going to be the same again. I think when you know how things used to be, and knowing it will never be the same again, is especially hard to go through.”

Sundell had conversations with important people in her life concerning her feelings about the breakup; this is a coping mechanism during heartbreak that Sundell used.

“I tried talking to my friends about it to see their opinions, but it depends on the friends you talk to because some will just say, ‘Oh I’m sorry, I know you’ll get through it,’ trying to be comforting,” Sundell said. “Although, at the same time you want to feel like you can get through it.”

I THINK WHEN YOU KNOW HOW THINGS USED TO BE, AND KNOWING IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN, IS ESPECIALLY HARD TO GO THROUGH. JUNIOR // ASHLYN SUNDELL

It is good to have comforting friends when going through a heartbreak, but it is also good to have a close friend that will give solid advice when going through tough times. A close friend could help the person focus more on positive things and less on the relationship, or take their mind off of the relationship by spending time with them.

“I was trying to give her as much support as I possibly could, by giving her advice to not go back to the person,” junior Brianna Clarke said.

“I also told her that keeping the negative out of her life and the positive in it was a good thing.”

When someone is experiencing a breakup, sometimes all they will want to do is to be left alone. As much as someone may be hurting, it is good to go out and spend time with friends.

When you go through a breakup, the only thing you want to do is be alone, Engle wrote. Instead, you need to get out of the house and spend time recovering from a heartbreak. According to Engle, the best way to do this is by going out and doing some of the activities you love to do and bring joy.

Talking to friends made Sundell realize things about her relationship that she may not have if she had not talked to her friends about her feelings. Her friends helped her realize that she was so in love with this person that she did not care about all of the negatives he was bringing into her life; she only focused on the times he made her feel good about herself.

“I think the hardest part for me was understanding that he wasn’t a good person for me, and I can do better for myself,” Sundell said. “I can’t try and fix him and I can only do what’s best for myself inside.”

Overcoming a heartbreak takes time and even sometimes a person may not fully recover from it. A person could move on and see other people, but always have a space in their heart that will never be fully over the heartbreak.

“Well, seeing other people fills that hole you feel when you get heartbroken,” Sundell said. “The hole that tells you to know they’re gone. You just feel empty, but it kind of fills that space. There will always be a part, or that hole that can’t be fixed. Seeing other people does help, but it’s honestly only temporary.”

It is normal to experience heartbreak, whether you are an adult or a teenager. A lot of people go through it. Heartbreak can leave a hole in someone’s heart if they let it, or it can help someone make decisions in the future that can save them another heartbreak.

“We’re young and we’re vulnerable and we want to experience love,” Sundell said. “Being in love is a great thing, but it can also be a terrible thing at the same time because we are so young and so we’re not necessarily mature enough to handle being in love and having a relationship.”

Falling in love with someone can make two people happy. Unfortunately, sometimes in the end, someone’s reality may be he loves me not, leading them to be poisoned by the petals.

WRITER | Gabby Debevec DESIGNER | Olivia Gerhardt

GETTING FIRST-HAND ADVICE ABOUT SECONDHAND FASHION Thrift shopping is a way to find original clothing for a cheaper price compared to department stores.

T

hrift shopping is a sustainable way for consumers to go shopping. This offers lower prices and good quality clothing that everyone may not have. Thrifting allows you to search

through used clothing that may adhere to various styles. These shops allow people to show off their unique style.

GOODWILL The Goodwill in Kenosha is one of the many popular thrift stores in the Lake Country Area.

Goodwill is known to have affordable prices and quality clothing with a variety of brands.

“I think thrift shopping is a great way to get affordable clothing,” sophomore Joaquin Barba said. “The quality of clothing from Goodwill is very good and they aren’t like other thrift stores.”

According to Barba, Goodwill has a wide variety of clothing that other thrift stores don’t have. The clothing they have always caters his unique style.

Goodwill is organized by sizes and colors. They promote clothing to a variety of ages of both men and women.

VILLAGE THRIFT SHOP The Village Thrift Shop is a local thrift store in Antioch that carries a range of items, including clothing, accessories and home decor.

Additionally, similar to Goodwill, the Village Thrift Shop offers clothing to various ages.

“I go thrift shopping a lot and I usually find really nice clothing from [the Village Thrift Shop] ,” sophomore Jordan Mitchell said. “All of their clothes are really cheap and can be unique to your style.”

17

LIFESTYLES January 2020

The quality of clothing from the Village Thrift Shop is typically decent, but shoppers may have to search extra hard.

PLATO’S CLOSET Plato’s Closet is another popular thrift store for those who are looking for top brands at a cheaper price. Although this thrift store is slightly more expensive compared to others, the prices are still cheaper compared to traditional stores. Plato’s Closet also accepts donated clothing that is in good condition and in style.

“I love the prices and quality of clothing that Plato’s closet has,” junior Riley Conway said.

“Depending on the day, you can usually find top brands here for really good prices.”

Conway prefers Plato’s closet over Goodwill because Goodwill takes all donations, so the clothing may not be in the best shape. Unlike Goodwill, Plato’s closet is more strict with the clothing that they accept, so customers can be reassured that they are receiving quality clothing.

Although Plato’s closet mainly sells clothes to teenagers, the clothes are still worth a shot.

Many people enjoy thrift shopping because it allows them to stand out by wearing clothing they typically won’t see anyone else wearing. Thrifting is known for giving people better prices that are affordable.

WRITER | Haley Aitken DESIGNER | Izana Nordhaus

TOXIC TANNING Locking in a tan all year round is possible with sunless tanning, but it may contain many severe hidden health risks.

S

pray tans and tanning beds are offered by many beauty salons and are shown as an effortless way to achieve a golden

bronzed look, but hold many underlying severe health risks. Sunless tanning alternatives that are projected as a safe way to tan contain toxic chemicals such as dihydroxyacetone, which is an active color additive ingredient.

SPRAY TANS/TANNING BEDS Tanning beds emit mainly Ultraviolet rays (UV) that contain UVA rays. These rays have a longer wavelength of 320 Nautical Miles (nm) to 400nm, impacting skin aging. These beds include UVB (in a smaller dosage) that is associated with skin burning that has shorter nm unit measures. Tanning beds are not any safer than the sun.

Sunless tanning is not a better alternative to get a bronzed look. According to Skincancer.org, Sun Protection Factor (SPF) in sunscreen is important when under UV rays outdoors. SPF protects the first layer of skin to reduce the maximum sun exposure.

“UVA-UVB rays can affect the skin by causing damage to the DNA,” science teacher

Some tanning salons may promote UVA

Daniel Mortensen said. “When the DNA is

free treatments, but it will still contain UVB;

damaged, the skin cells’ natural cell cycle

there is no such thing as a “safe UV tan.”

pattern can be disrupted and that can lead to the skin cell becoming cancerous.”

Although extreme high exposure to UVA-

Another tanning alternative, spray

the risks beforehand.

“Salons tell you to do a UVB for a base tan then a UVA for a bronzing look on your base tan,” Mortensen said. “Bottom line,

tans, contain a very severe chemical DHA

that is dangerous. Just make sure to wear an

(dihydroxyacetone) that is used as an active

appropriate SPF sunblock.”

UVB rays may not seem as life-threatening

color additive ingredient. DHA should not

earlier in life, skin cancer takes time to come

be inhaled; according to Skincancer.org,

into full effect. According to Skincancer.org,

protection of nose, eyes and mouth is highly

Melanoma cancer penetrates the melanocytes

suggested. Although both tanning beds

which causes over-production of melanin. UV

and spray tans cause major risks to one’s

exposure leading to sunburn has a higher risk

skin, spray tans are less invasive as it only

I also put on chapstick containing sunscreen,”

of developing into types of skin cancer such

penetrates the outer layer of the skin, instead

sophomore Haleigh Zenoni said.

as Melanoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma (the most

of deeper into the layers like tanning beds do.

common), and Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

“Tanning salons most certainly need to promote the health risks associated with tanning bed use, especially the ones that boast UVA free,” Mortensen said. “When you are exposed to UVA and UVB on a consistent basis as you would be in a tanning bed, you greatly increase your risk for skin cancer.”

RECOMMENDATIONS Understanding the basics of protecting the outer layers of the body’s skin is ideal for prevention of skin cancer in the future. Some

Despite the risk factors of UVA and UVB rays, taking smart and protective measures such as using sunscreen everyday can be ideal.

“I use this sunscreen in my face lotion and

Many facial and body products also contain UV SPF sun protection; sun protection is not limited to sunscreen. Simply, one bad sunburn or tanning session can increase one’s risk of developing skin cancer.

tanning beauty salons simply do not advertise the risks of tanning for customer and company satisfaction, so it is important to understand

WRITER, ILLUSTRATOR & DESIGNER | Julia Hackeloer

LOCALLY GROWN, LOCALLY KNOWN Entrepreneurship is different for everyone; it’s all about finding what is right and what works best.

B

usiness is a part of everyone’s

Rain Massage, Sheila Loos, answered a few

life almost everyday whether it is

questions about their business and the process

realized or not. Business has many

of starting and maintaining it.

different aspects, and for local businesses entrepreneurship could be the most crucial part. In Antioch there are many businesses that have been started through entrepreneurship, for example, Command Service and Blu-Rain Massage.

People throughout the community and further don’t know most of the aspects to starting a business, although they are exposed to them a lot of the time. The first steps in starting a business are the most challenging for many people. Some of those steps could include saving money, finding workers, finding space and much more. Along with the first steps being the most challenging, that also

“Some of the starting steps are gaining the

and what they prioritized in starting a business. Starting a business is about what the face of the business is supposed to look like and the necessary steps taken to get to that goal. Marketing is by far the most important part of a business. Without marketing there is no income, which means the business could fall through the ground.

Marketing can be thought of from many different standpoints. Some examples of that would be your focus, what is popular and what

money to have a cushion for the first six

will benefit the business the most.

months [and] advertise to acquire clientele,’’ Milliken said. “Then mustering up the courage to quit your job and plunge into it.”

Different industries most likely require different materials and will have to meet different standards throughout the process.

Through this it will cause different people to prioritize different steps in their process. The starting steps can be different as needed but it is all about what it turns out to be in the end.

“Rent the space, build out the space, figure out a name and go about the process of making

for most people because of the many different

your name legal,” Loos said. “Then notifying

problems that can be faced.

the clients of a new location [and] buying the

Milliken, and founder and owner of Blu-

had different experiences

19

LIFESTYLES January 2020

proper training in the field, saving enough

comes with a complete different experience

Founder of Command Service, Robert

The owners of each business show how they have

items needed to have a business.”

“All marketing was to be done honestly with no hidden caches or gimmicks,” Milliken said. “If it doesn’t work, try something different.”

According to Econlib, marketing is defined as the study and management of exchange relationships. It is the business process of creating relationships with and satisfying customers. Marketing is used to attract customers because it can draw someone in based on how you advertise or propose a service to them.

“I always do my best,” Loos said. “My industry is a little different than a retail store. I sell a service so my interaction with my clients is the most important. If I give my clients my best and help them with their pain or stress, then they will automatically tell their friends and family about me.”

Clientele plays a major role in marketing.

Client interaction is the most important part of some people’s businesses because with a good relationship the customers continue to return and that’s how their marketing works.

On the other hand, for some people, marketing is focused on the services and making them popular among the customers. Both ways show a different approach to marketing that create success.

Entrepreneurship can show the rights, wrongs, positives and negatives of a business, but it is all about where it turns out in the end and what benefits it most for the future. The process teaches what will and won’t work for a business and how to take advantage of every opportunity that arises.

WRITER | Adam Lynn DESIGNER | Walker Winkler

CONTACT INFORMATION

ANTIOCH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL 1133 MAIN STREET // ANTOCH, ILL. 60002 COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR EMILY HIGGINS E-MAIL: EMILY.HIGGINS@CHSD117.ORG

SPONSOR THE

THANK YOU SPONSORS!

DIAMOND Lovin’ Oven Cakery CARDINAL The Vegas Cafe Body Craft Mexican Paradise Cafe

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS WHITE/$50 GREY/$125 CARDINAL/$200 BLACK/$300 DIAMOND/(NAME YOUR PRICE)

GREY Anastasias Restaurant and Sports Lounge Skipper Marine WHITE American Stars Of Dance Nauman and Associates Antioch Flower Shop

21

SMOKE SIGNALS R e c e n t w i l d f i r e s i n A u s t r a l i a h av e l e f t t h e c o n t i n e n t d e va s tat e d a n d h e l p l e s s . T h e image of red, yellow and orange flames w i l l c o n t i n u e t o r e s o n at e i n t h e m i n d s o f A u s t r a l i a n s w h o h av e e x p e r i e n c e d t h e s i g h t s of their homes and cities burning.

FEATURES January 2020

O

ver the past few years many natural beauties of the

is estimated that 17.9 million acres of the continent have been

world were destroyed by wildfires. Many

torched.

people have been affected by these fires

From the wildfires, many of Australia’s very

across the state of California, the Amazon

unique and rare species of animals were

Rainforest and, most recently, Australia.

killed. According to the New York Times,

While wildfires are not rare, climate

researchers have estimated that over one

change and the effect from humans use

billion animals have died in the fires.

of pollutants have made them more

These animals have either been killed

intense and frequent in dry areas.

from direct exposure to the fires or

According to National

from habit loss. As a result, many

Geographic, wildfires occur in hot

organizations are trying to raise

and dry climates. The fires are then

money to help the cause of animal

started in areas of vegetation when

losses in Australia.

an offshore wind hits the land. The

In Australia at least 28 people

bushfires that have spread across the

have died nationwide, including

continent of Australia were caused

several volunteer firefighters. Across

by lighting strikes, human actions and

the continent thousands of homes have

arsons. Another cause of these bushfires

been destroyed or completely burned

is from climate change which has had a large

to ashes. The fires in Australia are expected

impact on the effects of these different actions.

to continue until their summer season is over in

The wildfires in Australia have been kindaling

February.

since September. According to NBC News, the fires

According to Los Angeles Times, approximately

in Australia are 80 times larger than the total area of the wildfires seen in California during 2019.

Australia is currently in their fire season, meaning the climate is very dry. The continent has been experiencing a period of drought, which has contributed to the spread of the bushfires. The fires in Australia have caused the air to be very poor due to the amount of smoke from the fires.

English teacher Amanda Cardenas’ brother experienced some of the effects of the wildfires in New Zealand during the time of the fires. During his stay, there were a few days where her brother and people in New Zealand were recommended to stay inside due to the

2,700 firefighters are on the front line trying to fight the

fires that are engulfing Australia. Many firefighters from

across the world have gone to the country to help volunteer and fight. According to CNN, since the fires are so large, state and federal authorities are struggling to contain and put out the massive fires, even with the help from other firefighters around the world. The Australian federal government has also sent in military assistance to help firefighters with evacuations, search and rescues and to clean-up efforts.

CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change can be considered a major cause of the bushfires in

poor air quality. From New Zealand her brother could see a thick, hazy,

Australia. While the opinions of climate change have varied, scientists

smoke. Due to the rain that did fall; it came from clouds that were full

have proven that it is real. According to NASA, climate change is caused

of ash and smoke.

by the “greenhouse effect,” which is caused by human attributions of

“I have friends in Australia,” Cardenas said. “I have a lot of Instagram connections with teachers

IT MAKES ME FEEL THAT OUR PLANET IS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO HELP THESE OTHER HUMANS WITH THEIR STRUGGLES. SOPHOMORE // JACOB MOISA

who are working in Australia. They said it's just been awful. It's been so hard to function just because you

certain gases and pollutants such as plastic and carbon dioxide. The greenhouse effect is scientifically the warming in climates that then result in the atmosphere trapping the heat that is radiated into the surface, causing a rise in temperatures.

“I definitely see those effects [of climate change], and we saw it in

don't know what's going to happen

Iceland,” Cardenas said. “When we traveled to Iceland, we saw it there

next and how much the devastation’s

with the glaciers. They’re receding; you can see where the line has

going to actually impact them.”

changed and where it's receded from. It's just scary to think about.”

The loss of homes, people and

The effects of climate change have caused a rise in wildfires

animal habits has left the citizens

within the past decade. According to NASA, since 1880, the world has

of Australia devastated and in need

increased in temperature by 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Climate change

of help. Many organizations are

has given the world a greater potential to burn since temperatures are

currently trying to raise donations

continuing to increase. The wildfires occurring in Australia will most

for recovery, including the Australian

likely continue along with the addition of fires in other places due to

Red Cross, Salvation Army Australia,

temperatures increasing and dry seasons lengthening.

the NSW Rural Fire Service and the St. Vincent de Paul Society Australia.

According to CNN, in Australia it

Junior Chloe Krumrai is a part of the environmental club. She feels that the reason the wildfires in the Amazon, California and Australia are happening is an effect from climate change. Krumrai feels that climate

23

FEATURES January 2020

Valerie Rosek From the effects of wildfires, many national beauties have been destroyed. Climate change is a huge aspect to the extremities of these fires, which has increasingly gotten worse from human contributions. The use of pollutants by humans needs to be reduced, scientists claim, for climate change to decrease in the future.

change is one of the worst and unbelievable situations that can occur to

stop climate change it is important as a society to inform the younger

the world. She believes that in order for climate change to slow down

generations about climate change and what is happening so the same

everyone needs to work hard and help because one person alone can’t

mistakes do not happen in the future.

create a change.

“Climate change in general [is a cause to all these fires,] because

“It makes me feel that our planet is not doing enough to help these other humans with their struggles,” Moisa said. “The increase in fires

there’s just such a mass use of pollution,” Krumrai said. “It's just

across the world may be a cause of ignorance of mankind, not knowing

increasing the temperature which is causing the fires to start. [To

what small things can turn out to be. I think that if we don’t stop being

reduce climate change] it can range from simple things, to not using

ignorant and not caring about what is happening that the whole world

plastic or then it could range to big companies not producing as much

might be on fire sooner than we think.”

waste as they do daily.”

THE MEDIA Influencers and journalists across all areas of the media have tried to raise awareness and raise donations to Australia. Being aware of the effects from climate change and how it can lead to wildfires is important to take into consideration and to not make the same mistakes. Multiple celebrities have taken matters into their own hands by trying to make a change and use their platforms to spread awareness about Australia

According to Yale Climate Connections, climate scientists have discovered that the growth of wildfires and their intensities will continue to rise along with temperatures if precaution is not taken. In order for wildfires and other disasters to stop occurring, people need to play a role in limiting their use of pollution and fuels because certain causes to the wildfires occurring in Australia can be from personal contributions.

To eliminate these events from occurring so frequently, global

and climate change. Keith Urban, his wife Nicole Kidman, Chirs

attention and help is needed. Climate change is a current topic and to

Hemsworth, Pink, Ellen DeGeneres and many others have all donated

get it to stop there needs to be a united front of people. Climate change

billions to many different relief funds that are connected to the wildfires

has negatively affected the Earth in many ways, causing temperatures

in Australia. Not only have they donated money, some have devoted

to rise, affecting wildlife and natural landmarks. Time is ticking to

their time by helping the people of Australia directly, while encouraging

make any drastic changes to the climate before it is too late and more

their followers to do the same.

wildfires spread around the world.

Sophomore Jacob Moisa has taken small matters into his own hands by watching the amount of plastic he uses. He believes that in order to

WRITER | Lena De Vore DESIGNER | Mollie Wagner

BURNED AT THE STAKE THE DEFINITION OF “WITCHHUNT” HAS CHANGED WITH THE COMPLEXITIES OF SOCIETY OVER TIME. WHETHER THEY PERFORM HERESY OR POLITICS, WITCHES’ CRAFT HAS MORPHED THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

W

itches, as most popularly described by today’s society, have green wrinkled skin and a large pointy nose topped off with a mole. They concoct potions in cauldrons to turn little children into frogs. Witches ride broomsticks across the sky on Halloween night. They

are the whimsical villain attached to an Americanized holiday. Before witches held this stereotype, witches had a much more serious connotation.

Witches were not always thought of as fictional characters; they were once singled out for defying domestic lifestyles and commonly-accepted religious practices, causing them to be hunted by the public.

Witch hunts were a popular phenomenon throughout Europe and the American Colonies from 1400-1800 A.D. These societies chased down individuals who allegedly gained magical powers by obeying Satan, according to Ted Ed. “The definition of a witch has actually changed over time,” history teacher Emma Craig said. “When witch hunts were common in the 15th and 16th centuries, witches were believed to be individuals who made a pact with the devil. This was when the Catholic Church was at the height of its power and religion played a much bigger role in society than it does today. Primarily it was women because women were believed to be the weaker of the two sexes and more likely to give in to the Devil’s temptations. ‘Witches’ supposedly followed orders from the Devil in order to cause hardships for other individuals. Accusations of witchcraft often resulted from natural disasters, sickness and other similar events.”

The first well-known and well-documented accusations of witchcraft occurred in Europe; more specifically, witch trials began in the 15th century with Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc was a young, French peasant who led the French Army to victory against the English. While she would later become canonized in the Catholic Church, Joan of Arc was sentenced to death after being charged with witchcraft after completing a seemingly insurmountable task at a young age.

While witch hunts originated in Europe, most high school students actually recognize the concepts of “witch hunts” from American history; more specifically, they recognize the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials began in Salem, a colony in Massachusetts Bay, in the spring of 1692. The trials began after two young girls fell ill as a result of two local women performing “witchcraft”. Salem fell into hysteria, convicting accused-witch after accused-witch. Nineteen women were hanged in Salem’s Gallows Hill and around 150 additional men, women and children were accused in the month following the initial accusation; however, around September 1692, the public opinion turned against witch trials; guilty verdicts were annulled and indemnities were granted, but remnants of the Salem Witch Trials linger throughout society today.

Despite the disappearance of that form of witch hunt, the definition of the concept has broadened to include a variety of situations. The term has stretched to cover politics, societal issues and moral wrong-doings.

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FEATURES January 2020

While witch hunts continued in less developed countries around the world, their popularity died down in America after the 17th century. centuries later, in the 1940s and 1950s, the concept of witch hunts returned in politics. These years brought a rise of suspicion of communist spies in the American government throughout the American populace in an event called the Red Scare. Republican Senator of Wisconsin, Joseph R. McCarthy, was the self-professed leader of this phenomenon; McCarthy spent around five years trying to unmask the suspected communists in the United States Government. He eventually lost his support because of a lack of solid evidence and decency in his many accusations.

The commonalities between McCarthy’s accusations and the Salem Witch Trials caused many people to name McCarthy’s accusations as a witch hunt. This theme is not uncommon among recent politics, which have caused the term to become popular once again.

The term had a surge in popularity during the 2016 presidential campaign.

According to BBC News, Republican candidate Donald Trump was accused of conspiring with Russia in order to jeopardize the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s chance at the presidency. Trump immediately denied these allegations, repeatedly stating the claims were apart of a “witch hunt” against him.

The term maintained its popularity when in October 2017, one woman’s tweet began an international movement: #MeToo. This movement led to multiple high-ranking men, including Trump, to be accused of sexual assault. Many of the accused sex-offenders pleaded not guilty, and called their accusers’ lack of evidence into question.

In combining characteristics from witch hunts throughout history, some generalizations can be made. Those accused of a form of witchcraft are often misunderstood by their society.

“Anything that we don’t understand

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FEATURES January 2020

and we fear, we put aside and make different because we don’t understand it as a group,” English Department Chair Dee Andershock said. “[Outsiders] have to become something that you can oppose [so] you can say ‘we have to stop this.’”

Another similarity that can be found among these examples is the desire for a better answer to life’s problems. Oftentimes, witch hunts occur because something is going wrong and people may do the unthinkable in order to find a scapegoat. In the older witch hunts, many of the answers could have been found simply with modern technology and research; some of these triggers include bad weather and the spread of illnesses.

Witch hunts also tend to lack solid evidence. Many of these cases can be viewed as an overreaction to a problem society faces. A strong desire for an answer, as stated before, can lead people to be overdependent on circumstantial evidence in their desperate search for an answer. In the case of the Salem Witch Trials, this mindset led to the execution of 19 individuals and the imprisonment of dozens more.

While “witch hunts” have a generally negative connotation, there are modern communities that identify themselves as witches. A great portion of these modern witches choose not to associate with the darker side of their beliefs, and they do differ somewhat from the commonly-accepted interpretation of the Devil.

“I think the important part is how you look at a topic,” Andershock said. “Based on the words that you use, it shows you how important language is.”

All in all, witch craft can be seen in many different lights based on one’s religious beliefs, pre conceptualized ideas and context.

WRITER | Kaitlyn Howe DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR | Merrick Foote

UP IN SMOKE

T h e n e w l a w p e r m i t t i n g t h e u s e o f r e c r e at i o n a l marijuana in Illinois is introducing changes a n d c h a l l e n g e s t h at t h e s tat e h a s n o t h a d t o deal with before.

T

he marijuana plant has been utilized by humans for hundreds of years, including as rope or herbal medicine. Hemp plants were found to be grown by colonists in Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Today, the plant is used for its tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) properties. THC is

a psychoactive chemical that causes a high for those who inhale or ingest it.

Marijuana use was introduced in the early 1900s during the Mexican Revolution. The American culture started to use the drug recreationally and the government soon became aware of the situation.

By 1930, 29 states had outlawed marijuana. As time went on in the United States, drugs became more detrimental to the U.S. population. The U.S. government recognized marijuana as a “gateway drug” and listed it as a Schedule 1 drug in 1970, along with heroin, LSD, ecstasy and more. The DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) states that “Schedule 1 drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Since 2018, states such as Colorado, Washington and Illinois have legalized the use of recreational marijuana. Although the drug is still illegal at the federal level, states such as Illinois recognized the revenue they could obtain through taxation. With Illinois’ new drug laws, they are expected to see two to four billion dollars in revenue from retail sales annually.

The Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act on May 31, 2019, to legalize recreational marijuana use starting on January 1, 2020. The bill was signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker on June 25, 2019. Recreational-use revenue in Illinois is expected to reach an estimated $1.6 billion a year. Illinois became the first state in the nation to legalize cannabis for recreational sale, and is the 11th state in the U.S. to allow recreational marijuana.

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FEATURES January 2020

Although some only use marijuana for recreational purposes,

As a result of the expansion of medical marijuana and

there are also many who use it for medicinal purposes. According

recreational marijuana usage, Antioch’s community government

to ProCon.org, in May 2018, there were 2,132,777 registered

has started considering if the town should have dispensaries and

medical marijuana users; however, some who use marijuana for

other marijuana-related businesses. According to the Daily Herald,

medical purposes are not actually prescribed or registered to use

Antioch Trustees recently held a vote on whether Antioch should

it. For some people, they do not want their prescription to get

allow the sale of recreational marijuana, and Mayor Larry Hanson

in the way of employment; for others, it could be because their

broke a three-to-three tie by voting in support of ordinance

condition is not recognized as a reason to use medical marijuana.

changes that would allow various marijuana-related businesses to

Carmichael Franco* uses medical marijuana to ease her arthritis

be in Antioch. Hanson explained that he believed that if the state

and fibromyalgia.

allowed the sale of recreational marijuana, Antioch should as well.

“In California, I would have been prescribed it. But because it

“I am not going to take a personal and moral position on

was not yet legal in Illinois, I could not bring it from California to

something. We’re supposed to uphold the law of the land,” Hanson

here,” Franco said.

said.

Illinois legalized medicinal marijuana use in 2013 when the

Antioch having dispensaries is something that may happen

Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act was

in the future; in addition, some are wondering how the new law

put into action. Despite medical marijuana being legal, some

allowing recreational marijuana use will impact students. Antioch

struggled to obtain it due to their conditions not being recognized

Community High School Dean Grant Murray believes that it is too

as a cause to use medical marijuana; however, the new recreational

early to really know, but he does not predict that the new law will

marijuana law also expands on medicinal marijuana usage.

impact students too much.

According to Jamie Munks of the Chicago Tribune, 11

“I do have a little bit of a concern about maybe the accessibility

conditions are now eligible for the medical cannabis program.

of more edibles [because] things like that may become more

These conditions include chronic pain, anorexia nervosa, autism,

common,” Murray said. “I don’t know that we can predict

and other conditions/diseases. In addition, registered medical

necessarily how this law is going to affect our students, but I don’t

marijuana users can grow up to five marijuana plants.

necessarily see a dramatic increase.”

Even though medical marijuana has been approved to treat

Students are not the only ones who could be affected by the

certain diseases in Illinois, the U.S. Food and Drug Association

legalization of recreational marijuana; the Antioch and various

(FDA) has not yet approved marijuana in general as a treatment.

Wisconsin police departments are also being impacted. Antioch is

Only four specific medications derived from marijuana have been

a border town, and as a result, there could be an increase in both

certified by the FDA for public use; Epidiolex, which is a cannabis-

the number of people attempting to take marijuana from Illinois to

derived drug product, Marinol, Syndros and Cesamet, which are

Wisconsin and in those driving under the influence. However, Lake

three drug products that are related to cannabis synthetically to

County Sheriff Paul Sobrano believes that Antioch Police will be

treat appetite and nausea.

able to handle it in the future.

Despite it not being fully approved by the FDA, using medical marijuana has improved Franco’s life significantly. She hopes that the expansion of the use of medicinal marijuana in Illinois will lead to further research and conversation.

“I couldn’t drive or function with all the medication that I needed for fibromyalgia… knowing that this one plant can do so much, it would be great to do more research… and begin using it [medical marijuana] more than medications that cause more damage,” Franco said.

“It is still too early to tell what’s to come, but will it open up another can of worms? Of course, it will,” Sobrano said.

Even though the future is uncertain, the new law has the potential to bring new changes and challenges to Antioch that will have to be dealt with. *name has been changed for employment reasons.

WRITERS | Lila Heilig and Robbie Hulting DESIGNERS | Kayla Grenke and Emily Lara

SPORTS SNAPSHOTS WRESTLING TAKES COUNTY TITLE

Valerie Rosek

A

s the Antioch Sequoit wrestling team’s season comes to a close, they believe their triumph isn’t over yet. With having 10 stateranked wrestlers out of the 14, the Sequoits are focusing on state and becoming one of the first wrestling teams in Antioch history to finish top three.

“I feel like we are doing a lot of good things this year,” senior captain Niall Schoenfelder said.

finished as the best team in the Lake County Invitiational.

“Overall this season has been a big confidence booster in our potential as a team,” senior captain Alex Barbarise siad. “We have been dominating throughout the year and will continue to do so as long as we keep working hard everyday until we accomplish our goal of placing at team state.”

Having high hopes for the rest of the season, Antioch believes in taking most of their lineup down to state and dominating other teams.

Winning every meet and tournament except one, leads the Sequoits striving to take at least fourth in the state. The team just last weekend

WRITER | Gavin Calabrese

BASKETBALL LOOKS TO END SEASON ON HIGH NOTE The boy’s basketball team has had many wins this year.

Starting off with young team to beating their cross town Kyle Christian

GIRLS BASKETBALL PUSHES FOR STRENGTH IN SECOND HALF OF SEASON As the last half of the season approaches, the varsity girls basketball team currently

rivals, Lakes, the team’s record is 9-7 and they are looking forward to improving this record at regionals. Throughout this year, the team has made many memories with one another and has left another legacy.

“I feel we have grown more this year than any other year I have been ap art of basketball,” senior Gavin Eldridge said.

For the Sequoits, this year was a lot of firsts. With

holds a record of 9-10-2. The Sequoits have been pushing themselves and going through the

it being a long season, some of the boys were able to

many obstacles of basketball to become an overall better team, including to have a better

accomplish many goals as the season progressed.

record going into the playoffs.

“I’m so proud of our team this year,” senior Jackson Fries

“The season is going well,” senior captain Miranda Chamberlin said. “We have been getting better and working hard to get ready for the playoffs. I hope we can keep up the intensity for the playoffs.”

said. “We have come together and created one of the best teams I have been a part of both on and off the court.”

This season has been all about coming together to

The Sequoits are looking to end the season strong and remain on top of their

create something special they can remember forever. The

competitors mentally. Even when the Sequoits are down, they manage to make the best out

boys hope to continue to create a special season as they get

of every situation and strive to come out successful in the end.

ready for regionals.

WRITER | Mollie Wagner

WRITER | Kyle Miller

31

CHEER COMPETES FOR SECTIONAL TITLE TOMORROW AT NILES WEST

SPORTS January 2020

As the 2019-2020 cheerleading season comes to an end, the Sequoits have reached new heights in their cheerleading career, including the varsity team securing the highest competition score in Antioch Community High School history. Keeping the program’s momentum from previous seasons, the junior varsity cheer team successfully placed first in several competitions this season, while varsity took a number of seconds and a first.

“If we start focusing more on doing our best rather than focusing more on winning, I think the end outcome will be what we want it to be,” senior Avery Frasch said.

With one goal left of the season, the varsity cheer team have their eyes on the prize for their state competition coming up. The team moves on to sectionals this weekend at Niles West High School to see if they qualify for state.

Valerie Rosek

WRITER | Mollie Wagner

BOWLING HOPES TO TAKE NLCC TITLE AGAIN The girl’s bowling team finished off their 2019-2020 season leaving a mark on Antioch. This year the team focused more on personal connections between teammates, allowing their performance to reflect the team as a whole.

“We don’t have any negative energy as a team this year, which is nice; we just kept feeding off of each Adam Lynn

other,” senior captain Maya Schon said. “We have conference coming,

C

DANCE TAKES THE FLOOR AT IHSA STATE COMPETITION TODAY

oming from a line of state performance dances, the 2019-2020 season did not start off as the team predicted. Getting sixth place at their first competition, the dancers were not sure sure what to expect for the rest of the season, continuing their legacy.

After hard work and increased communication, the dance team bounced back at the Huntley Invitational, winning the 27 team invitational. Junior Kelsi Sheren had some thoughts about her team thus far into the season.

“I feel like we’ve come a really long way,” Sheren said. “Losing the seniors [that were previously a part of

the team] and getting new coaches, we had to overcome obstacles. But now that we’re back at state, we can only continue to push farther than before.”

With the strong support from the Sequoits, the dancers competed and won the Northern Lake County Conference Championship for the third year in a row.

Shortly after they qualified for state at their Sectional invite hosted by Mundelein. These Sequoit dancers will perform downstate today at 2:13 p.m. in Bloomington.

WRITER | Kyle Miller

which is a really big meet for us because we won it last year. We just need to focus on the little things in order to win.”

The Sequoit bowlers have been putting in work on the lanes these past couple weeks and were able to finish 6-1 in their regular season, with their only loss being to Wauconda. They have the Northern Lake County Conference Championships today at Lakes Bowl in Round Lake hosted by Lakes Community High School. Bowling will compete again in the IHSA state tournament in upcoming weeks.

WRITER | Kyle Miller

Valerie Rosek

PINNING DOWN THE DIET Many wrestlers work hard to make weight but the common dieting habits may be perceived as unhealthy.

E

ating healthy, maintaining proper nutrition and sustaining the pressures of a sport on one’s body are all key factors to being a wrestler. Wrestling is known to be a sport with strict diets in order to make weight at meets. Some wrestlers struggle with diets because many of them turn to fasting or unhealthy ways to lose a set amount of weight, such as laxatives or sweat runs. Given the intensity and pressure of the sport is important for wrestlers to maintain healthy habits while losing weight.

“My diet usually consists of a lot of salads, chicken and rice if I do it right,” Antioch Community High School alumni and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh wrestler Michael Volkmar said. “We try to cut out all snacking and soda.”

There is a clear distinction of healthy and unhealthy dieting. For active athletes, it is crucial for them to develop energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. When wrestlers cut weight, they may not be taking proper nutrition into consideration. Many wrestlers may resort to not eating at all.

“At the beginning of meet weeks, I start by not eating anything but a granola bar and [drinking] a bottle of water. I go through the week doing the

same exact thing,” senior Daniel McPherson said. “I usually have to lose 15 to 20 pounds every week so I have to fast a lot.”

Dehydration is a big aspect in unhealthy dieting. Not consuming enough water may lead to low performance and may even cause fatigue within the wrestlers. Cramps and low performance are potential side effects from dehydration and this could impact the wrestlers greatly. Wrestlers need to be in top condition to take down their opponent. Luckily, after weigh ins, the athletes have time before they wrestle to fuel their bodies with food.

“When I have to lose weight I work out more and eat less, but I always try super hard to stay hydrated,” senior Alex Barbarise said. “Sometimes it’s hard to prepare to wrestle with little food in your system, but your motivation and mentality helps you get through a hard time.”

Although dieting for wrestling is strict and demanding, the wrestlers hold one another accountable and motivate each other inside and outside of practice. The support of teammates is a building block to make a successful team and the Antioch wrestling team works hard everyday to make a healthy environment.

“I’ve learned how to believe in myself and how to become a better human while growing bonds with other wrestlers,” Barbarise said. “The wrestling team isn’t just a team, it’s a family.”

WRITER | Bridget Nauman

DANCING THE THREESPORT TANGO

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SPORTS January 2020

Fall, winter and spring offer sometimes drastically different athletic opportunities.

For these Sequoits, it also means training their body and mind differently for all three.

F

or many athletes, balancing activities in their personal life with their activities inside of school can be a difficult job. The process of keeping grades, clubs, sports, and other extracurriculars steady can be an exhausting feat. For some at Antioch Community High School, they choose to step up to the challenge and play two, sometimes even three, sports throughout the year. Adapting from one sport to the next may sound difficult, but for some this added pressure of preparation is exactly what the players need to be at the top of their game.

Keeping your body at peak performance is imperative for many athletes, with one of these players notably being senior Gavin Eldridge. Being involved as a part of the golf, basketball and tennis teams, many would view this way of life as one full of stress and strife; however, this is not the case for Eldridge, as he uses this extra time to continue to train, and feels that if he were to not play sports year round he would be left at a disadvantage compared to those who do.

Valerie Rosek

“I don’t take time off between sports because it’s hard to get out of the routine and come back in,” Eldridge said. “It is better for me to just keep going and maintain my activity levels so that things like my stamina do not slip.”

Sometimes just merely keeping active when transitioning between sports is not enough. As a given, some sports do require more physical effort than others, so there is a definite change in pace depending one the sport that you are in. Being in football, wrestling and lacrosse, junior Lucas Bentley is one such athlete that knows the physical differences between his sports.

“The hardest part of transitioning between sports is the taxation on my body,” Bentley said. “I’m not always using every muscle grouping or lifting as much depending on the season, so I need to make sure that I prepare for the next sport.”

Valerie Rosek

One large aspect of training is one that many players fail to explore. The mental side of the game is just as important as being physically fit, as not everything is about an athlete’s physique; being mentally prepared is something which seasoned athletes can attest to being key in having a successful season.

Junior Sarah Vilardi understands the mental side of her sports and implements her focus when transitioning between volleyball, basketball and soccer.

“For me, it’s mostly just changing my mindset so I’m focused on the sport that I am transitioning into,” Vilardi said. “I think that adjusting is what I need to do in order to be successful.”

Every multisport athlete tackles the transition of one sport to the next in different ways, but in the end they all have the same goal of being at the top of their game for the upcoming season. Many of the athletes replace their time off with ways of bettering themselves as to be an extra step ahead of the competition. This allows them to train both physically and mentally, leading to the best start to the next step of their athletic career, and for many of those who play multiple sports, sometimes this transition is exactly what they need to stay ahead of the rest.

Rilee Shreiner WRITERS | Brandon Pinto and Tyler Cook

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO...

BE LABELED THE DUMB BLONDE

I

t’s hard to put words to this feeling—the

I stumble and fall on my face when people point

be harder for me to join the chorus, right? When I

things I feel everyday and the thoughts that

out that I am weak.

am doubted or looked down upon, I stay to myself.

tangle themselves into knots inside my head.

I have spent my entire life drowning in the echoes of the people that have told me I am not good enough. Sooner or later, I started to believe them.

It’s easy for someone on the outside to laugh at my misspelled words and incomplete sentences, or to gawk at the fact that I am what everyone considers a stereotypical dumb blonde. Instead of just hearing these words, I feel them. They make my heart sink every time they’re said.

I’m someone who has a hard time falling asleep at night because of the words pounding at the edge of my ears. The voices eventually sway me to sleep, but the faces of the people that do nothing but tear me apart visit me again in my dreams. They remind me of why I sit in my car for so long before coming inside at night; they remind me of the makeup I put under my eyes and the constant desire to be better than I was yesterday.

They remind me why it’s so hard to get out of bed

These voices are like butterflies; they remind me of when I was small. I run with them, let them swing through my hair and eventually catch them. a web of lies and uncertainties. Those words are

to drown out the noise of everything that I know I

not me, but a version of me that gets picked apart

am not. There is a fine line between being overly

piece by piece.

sensitive and reacting to insensitive comments.

I only ever have a few choices: conform to the label that those who have never spoken to me gave me, or ignore it and create my own path.

Despite popular belief, I try my best. This season of life, becoming an adult and moving onto the next chapter, has been the hardest. Applying for colleges was the hardest challenge I’ve ever taken

when someone hurts my feelings, getting told “no offense” but then being blatantly offended and getting called dramatic or stupid for knowing less than someone that thrives in something I know nothing about.

I have dreams and aspirations, like any other girl my age. When I was five, I wanted to be the

teachers and my closest friends. ACT scores flash

ice cream man. When I was eight, I wanted to be a

in my head with constant invalidation from every

hairdresser and a brain surgeon at the same time.

adult in my life, besides my parents.

When I was twelve, I wanted to be a neonatal

In this time of my life, with these voices, I have same questions hundreds of times: what I wanted

Unfortunately for me though, I have two left feet;

That’s the story of my life: being called sensitive

on; ot all constantly rang in my ears from my

a chore.

into my vulnerable side and ask her to dance.

To some, it’s a soft chuckle and a “she’s such an airhead,” but to me, it’s running to the bathroom

learned to wade in choppy waters. I got asked the

her own bubble of darkness. It’s not hard to peek

flame that has engulfed my being entirely.

The butterflies though are not spun together in

in the morning and why coming to school is such

I consider myself a girl trying to find light in

I keep quiet because it is easier than fueling the

to do, where I wanted to go and, most importantly, how I wanted to get there. So, I answered the only way I know how, with the truth. As always, I

nurse and take care of brand new babies. Now here I am, 17 years old. Restless. Undecided on who I want to be and where I want to go, still drowning under the influences of the people closest to me that tell me I am not enough and won’t make it to where I aspire to go.

was looked down upon. If I got into college, then anyone could, right? If I beat to my own drum, it’ll

WRITER | Samantha Milliken

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PERSPECTIVES January 2020

Mollie Wagner

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