The Tom Tom | October 17, 2017

THE STUDENT VOICE OF ANTIOCH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

THE PERIWINKLE ISSUE

volume 56 . issue 3. october 17, 2017 sequoitmedia.com. @achstomtom. @sequoitsports 1133 main street. antioch, illinois. 60002

sequoitmedia.com online exclusives A LOSS NEVER ACCEPTED BY TOM TOM STAFF MEMBER ASHLY RING Everyone experiences loss differently and this is especially true when multiple people experience the loss of the same person. These traumatizing experiences stick with a person throughout the entirety of their life, reminding them constantly of the person that they lost. However, through loss the bond of family is strengthened and one is able to find light through the darkness.

SBN ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

Underclassmen on Varsity

by Jackie Sistrunk Parent-Teacher Conferences

by Sean O’Hara Field Hockey

by Faraz Khan Fruit Pizza byTyson Baker Hidden Places in Antioch

by Connor Flatley

THE SUN, THE MOON AND YOU

BY TOM TOM STAFF MEMBER SADIE VANDERWALL People have always been intrigued by fate and destiny, feeling comfort in the fact that the stars could tell them how their life is supposed to pan out.

However, what exactly can zodiac signs tell someone and how accurate are they? Take a trip to the stars and dive into the world of love, compatibility and chance with a look at zodiac signs.

STUDENTS USE APPS THAT IMPACT THEIR GRADES BY TOM TOM TEAM LEADER ALEX JOHNSON As society continues to progress technologically, opinions on devices such as cell phones are increasingly diverse. These opinions show themselves in schools and classrooms everyday, intensifying the debate on whether technology aids students or paves a clearer path to academic dishonesty.

Day in the Life of a Student

by Eric Hart Girls Golf

by Nayla Loos Girls Tennis

by Addie Hammock Fall Play

by Delaney Scott Quilting Club

by Madi Mahoney Antioch-Lakes Football Game Recap

by Cole Kazakeich and Lars Pritchard Varsity Profile: Gabby Palmer

by Marissa Milone

EDITOR’S NOTE 04 staff editorial 05 News 06 LIFESTYLES 12 wisdom 17 Spirituality 18 individuality 22 AMBITION 24 sports 26 What it Feels Like 28

table of contents

the tom tom // the perwinkle issue // october 17, 2017

PERSPECTIVES | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

THE PERIWINKLE ISSUE

Jessica Nettgen JASON R. WOOD editor-in-chief // @jason_wood7

P

eriwinkle is by no means the most obvious shade of blue one would think of; however, it is the color around which this third magazine is shaped. Its uniqueness comes with some very important connotations. periwinkle blue is associated with ambition, wisdom, creativity and spirituality. In the same way that this magazine is shaped by these values, they also drastically shape the way the Tom Tom staff and myself work.

Ambition, wisdom and creativity are three aspects which I attempt to engrain into everything I do. These three characteristics are invaluable in making a successful human being, and consequently I aspire to mold myself around characteristics like these. The three actually go hand-in-hand; they all use one another in order to make a well-rounded person. In order to be ambitious, one must also be wise enough to know when to take opportunities that are presented and have the creativity to create these opportunities. And while I don’t consider myself the most spiritual person on the planet, I am extremely considerate of others’ spirituality and opinions.

The Tom Tom staff emulates these characteristics and attempts to mold themselves in exactly the same way I do in regards to ambition, wisdom, creativity and spirituality. We seek to be ambitious and creative in the way that we look at and write our stories, as well as trying out-of-the-box ways to make our publication stand out visually. We seek to be wise in deciding what stories need to be told, and which we should stay away from in an effort to keep our audience calm, cool and collected. We also seek to be spiritually tolerant of all members of our community.

Curiously, these values are frequently absent in our community. While living in a sleepy, everyone-knowseveryone town has its perks, it also has its downsides.

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Antioch isn’t very conducive to ambitious and creative people. Being so set in its ways, this town doesn’t gain new businesses or attractions often. While this maintains the familial feel that makes Antioch such a great town, it prevents people who seek to be ambitious and creative from thriving—people like myself or even many of my staffers. For me, it is frustrating to say that because I aspire to be an entrepreneur. I want to do exactly what the place I feel most at home typically doesn’t aid: start my own business. As such, this magazine in some capacity is a wake up call. Our community desperately needs more opportunities for people who try to shape themselves by the values pushed by periwinkle blue.

As usual, the stories chosen for this magazine were shaped by its color. This time around our theme, not seeing things in black and white, placed a periwinkle filter over the way we looked at which stories to include. We sought to tell people’s stories who not only are ambitious, but know why that’s so important. We went to the faculty members and asked for them to share some of their wisdom in regards to life advice. We wanted to tell the stories of students who are most creative in the ways they express themselves. We chose to share the stories of people who feel at home in our community, regardless of spiritual background.

The stories found in this magazine tell the stories of those who have the characteristics pushed by periwinkle blue. Digital director Kaylee Schreiner talks about how being ambitious can push people to their limits, both in and out of school. Print director Branden Gallimore sought out to understand how much Antioch frames our opinions of ourselves and our futures in our periwinkle-themed feature section. Print director Diana Anghel provides a medium for faculty members to impart their wisdom upon our readers.

Team leader Alex Rapp tells the story of how creativity allows some students to stay true to themselves. Tom Tom staffer Gianna Chiappetta writes about how some people who practice different religions yet feel no different from their peers. In a massive analyzation of Advanced Placement score data, senior editors Lauren Bluthardt and Jessica Lamberty point out some factors which affect students in the realm of their AP classes. Read Tom Tom staffer Emily Higgins’ story to learn how photo editing has created an unrealistic expectation for many people in today’s society.

If you’ve ever been curious about zodiac signs, go to Tom Tom staffer Sierra Ward’s online exclusive to read if they’re fact or fiction. Finally, to read how one deals with grief, read social media coordinator Emily Hanes’ what it feels like piece.

As always, thank you for reading and helping us show that there is more to life than what we may see as black and white.

JASON R. WOOD editor-in-chief

executive team

JASON R. WOOD Editor-in-Chief PATRICK R. JOHNSON, MJE Adviser JILLIAN M. EVERETT Managing Editor BRANDEN W. GALLIMORE Print Director KAYLEE S. SCHREINER Digital Director NICO L. CHIAPPETTA Public Relations Director CHLOE E.GRASS Creative Director DIANA ANGHEL Print Director ALIYA N. RHODES Creative Director Editorial Board DIGITAL ASSISTANTS Griffin P. Hackloer Jacob R. Johnson Alex L. Rapp Emily M. Torres

SENIOR EDITORS Lauren N. Bluthardt Jessica L. Lamberty John P. Petty Monica E. Wilhelm

Coordinators SOCIAL MEDIA Jared D. DeBoer Emily C. Hanes Mikayla M. Holway PHOTOGRAPHY Jessica J. Nettgen Steffanie A. Richardson Kat B. Zamudio

TEAM Peter A. Boeh Dan D. Filippone Alexandra C. Johnson McKenna R. Kalisz Madisen M. Krapf Valerie N. Rasmussen Eleni A. Sakas Karley K. Rogalski

staff journalists

Gianna M. Chiappetta Joyclyn L. Crawford Caden M. Davis Taylor A. Feltner Merrick W. Foote Avery J. Frasch Kayla E. Grenke Emily A. Higgins Robert S. Hulting Joseph M. Kestian Alexandria Q. Knight Emily Lara

Ella M. Maggio Julia M. Murillo Benjamin J. Nauman Jadda C. Pope Ashly M. Ring Tyler S. Skutnik Matthew P. Soberano Kevin E. Tamayo Sadie M. Vanderwall Skyler R. Wackenhuth Mollie T. Wagner Sierra M. Ward

staff interns

Haley Aitken Charlotte Bongratz Gavin Calabrese Evan Day Andrew DeBoer Matthew Edmark Brianna Fisher Julia Hackeloer Kaitlyn Howe Jackson Hugener Isabelle Hunter Jake Ilkka Sofia Klem Madison McBride

Alexis Olson Maggie Quirke Alexander Riedel Alessia Rivera Grace Rowe Maya Schon Rilee Schreiner Sarah Smith Cassidy Thomas Katelyn Vaskovsky Beatriz Warnes Alison Weiser Walker Winkler

mission statement

The Tom Tom seeks to not only be the premier source of student news, sports and lifestyles at Antioch Community High School, but it also aspires to do so with integrity, respect, responsibility and pride. The Tom Tom believes wholeheartedly in giving voices to the voiceless through unique engaging methods of storytelling, while engaging with the Antioch community to see diverse and challenging perspectives. In doing so, we choose to tell some of the more challenging or untold stories even when they can be controversial in order to make our community stronger, more caring, and more tolerant. This program envisions a holistic experience of quality journalism through print publications and digital content, as well as promotes student spirit and school culture through innovative and inspiring public relations and advertising campaigns.

We are the Tom Tom. We are originals. It would be an awfully big adventure if you choose to come along with us and work as one community, One Sequoit.

THE TOM TOM STAFF

2017-2018

Jillian Everett

STAFF EDITORIAL

FINDING A BALANCE Many students choose to overwork themselves in an attempt to get a leg up in their futures, but sometimes this has the opposite effect.

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magine waking up at the crack of dawn every day, slogging through classes that seem like they last for hours, eating in the halls because you have no lunch, then trying to muster up the energy to go to after school sports, getting home and struggling to finish all your homework from a schedule filled with advanced classes, and finally getting to bed at an unreasonable hour for a less than efficient amount of sleep.

This is a reality for many students that attend Antioch Community High School; students choose to pack their schedules and fill all the spaces in their day with electives and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Even though having a full schedule with no lunch hour proves that these students care about their education, is it worth the stress and time? Students sign up for

a full schedule because they believe that it will help them, but oftentimes, this leads to the opposite. People are stretching themselves too thin, which, in turn, doesn’t let the body receive enough oxygen and nutrients that it needs to work efficiently. Sleep is a major factor that influences the focus and success of studying and understanding topics. Some students are over exerting themselves with a rigorous schedule that is actually having a negative impact on the quality of their work.

On the other hand, some students have multiple study halls or multiple lunches. Underworking ourselves is an issue because many students put off various classes to graduate, like art and consumer education credits, until their later years in high school and find themselves struggling to fit them into their schedules.

Somehow we need to find the right balance between overworking ourselves and being too lazy. It is when we find this balance, that we can truly utilize our schedule and get everything out of it that we need while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

We acknowledge and encourage the experiences and values that elective courses provide and the AP rigor that students feel is necessary, but at some point every person should take classes that give them the most support to succeed. For the students who choose to not take advantage of the wide variety of classes that are offered at ACHS, we encourage them to get involved and sign up for more classes because that may open up a span of opportunities that aid them in the future.

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NEWS | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

Skyler Wackenhuth

Jessica Nettgen

STALKED: A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE What to do when you get into this situation.

DID YOU KNOW? One in six women and one in 19 men are stalked.

One in five people are stalked by a stranger.

SOURCE // THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME

SKYLER R. WACKENHUTH tom tom staff // @skylerrose_

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magine getting up for the day, getting ready for school and not knowing if today will be the day it goes too far, or it stops altogether. According to The Network of Victim Assault, approximately 6.6 million people are stalked in the United States alone, so if a situation may be rising; there is many people in the same boat. Every situation is different, but here are some tips on how to recognize and end the situation.

If someone is approaching or contacting one frequently after being told not to, it could be a stalker. Messages on social media can trick one into a trapped situation, and with the use of social media rising, it’s hard to leave little to no footprint of what went on during the day.

Blocking the person on social media is the best way to go, with the stalker not being able to contact their victim, an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ situation comes into play. Turning social media profiles onto a private setting is another helpful way to avoid unwanted guests.

When a profile is set to private, the user has to physically permit each person to see their posts, eliminating any possible internet offenders.

“The only way someone can feel safe and secure is if the stalker

is blocked,” junior Annie Freeman said.

It might seem too much, but if the circumstances become dangerous, involving the authorities is always an option. Getting official documents of what happened can help in the long run if things get physical. Involving the school can only help the chances of getting away from an in-school stalker. Switching classes around can get the stalker to realize the seriousness of the situation, and the extent that the victim is willing to go to get away from the person. In some cases, authorities can arrange a restraining order on the stalker, and if broken, fines and jail time can be served.

“I think involving the school in a bad situation such as stalking is good because it can give you the peace of mind you may need,” junior Grace Roberts said. “It can also let you feel like you’re not entirely alone in the situation.”

Reaching out can better the situation; talking to a friend can let off some bottled up emotions.

“From the police perspective, again it varies a lot but if you’re at school and its occurring you need to go to the school,” Antioch Police Department Officer Nick Garcia said. “If you’re not at school, then it’s the police.”

Sometimes immediate help is needed. Stalkers in the 21st century can be prevented with diligent action. If unsure about a stalker situation, tell others, get an opinion, then decide if telling the authorities is needed. can only help the chances of getting away from an in-school stalker.

Kat Zamudio 6

Jessica Nettgen

PSAT TESTING On October 11, the freshmen through juniors took the College Board’s PSAT suite of tests. The seniors were given the day to do I-Search research and college visits. The end of the day was complete with a number of sessions and a inspiration speaker, Bill Coon.

Jessica Nettgen 7

IS IT WORTH IT?

ACHS HITS POSSIBLE LOW POINT FOR AP STUDENTS

Advanced Placement courses are a massive push district-wide; however, the data doesn’t fully support the need for all students to enroll in an AP course. Additionally, many students from minority ethnic and racial groups were significantly misrepresented in the data. Ultimately, is the AP push worth it?

LAUREN N. BLUTHARDT senior editor // @laurennoelle_ JESSICA L. LAMBERTY senior editor // @jessicalamberty13

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n a school filled with numerous amounts of available classes, it is easy to find the right pick for any student.

Each year, students meet with their counselors to select their future courses for the following year. While some might choose to stray away from the rigorous course work of Advanced Placement (AP) classes, roughly 42.7 percent of students on average per year enroll in these courses.

In fact, Antioch Community High School offers 23 AP programs for students who want to challenge themselves academically. AP students are also offered the option to take an AP test each school year in May. By performing well on these tests, students can potentially earn college credit at their future universities. In Illinois, students are guaranteed credit at public in-state universities if they earn a 3 or more on the exam.

AP classes oftentimes center their curriculum around the test and prepare students to answer multiple choice questions, free response questions and occasionally essay style questions or verbal tests (for AP foreign language exams). Such meticulous work provides multiple benefits for a student’s success and preparation for post-high school plans. For the 2016-17 school year the AP course enrollment showed 55.4 percent were female overall. This gap in gender continues to lean towards an increase in female enrollment over the years.

Female Male

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

AP ENROLLMENT Percent of students enrolled in AP courses based on gender.

2016-17

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25

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35

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45

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55

60%

0 Exams

TWITTER POLL

1-2 Exams

How many previous AP exams have you scored a 3 or higher on?

3-4 Exams 5+ Exams 5

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15

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25

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50%

PERCENT OF STUDENTS AT ACHS ENROLLED IN AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSE SENIORS : 62.2% JUNIORS: 54.7% SOPHOMORES: 37.6% FRESHMEN: 10.5%

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NEWS | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

DID YOU KNOW?

There were 340 AP student testers at Antioch. Of those, 55.4 percent were female and 44.6 percent were male.

ACHS // COLLEGE BOARD AP DATA

Since 2012, there has been a shift in the amount of students enrolled versus the corresponding scores. Scores range from 1, the lowest score, to 5, the highest score.

From 2012 to 2017, the ACHS average AP score changed from 3.09 to 3.0. Aryan Haren, assistant principal of ACHS, is in charge of overall AP enrollment. When it comes to maintaining a strong AP program, Haren consistently strives to better the AP enrollment every year.

“Encouraging students to take rigorous classes is very beneficial [for the students],” Haren said. “But there also needs to be a happy balance in a student’s life.”

In the 2016-17 school year, the number of enrollees in more than one AP class tacked up to 1076. Essentially, students who excel can save money while enrolling in a course that readies them for future endeavors; so, if students can receive college credit, why don’t more students enroll in AP classes?

In the past four years, a decrease in AP enrollment has affected multiple classes. AP biology teacher and Sequoit alumna Jackie DeCaro believes multiple factors led to the decreasing enrollment in AP classes.

“We had a bunch of kids drop because they’re afraid of it,” DeCaro said.

For AP Statistics teacher Ryan Hlinak, maintaining a well rounded class is valuable in order to help students succeed.

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“[The] AP test is very important,” Hlinak said. “We focus pretty much everything around that test.”

Hlinak believes that more student enrollment in AP courses will lead to a better school AP score average.

“The more kids we can get to take the test, the better data we’ll have and have a more accurate look at the data we gather,” Hlinak said.

From math and English to the fine arts, the range of interests for students provides a lengthy list of choices.

As for current standings, students at Antioch have performed slightly below the national average in some classes and higher than the average in multiple classes as well.

“We had a lot of ones and twos and threes, but not quite as many fours and fives and I think that’s how AP classes are supposed to go,” Hlinak said.

There are a couple of reasons for the diminishing test scores. The first is the small portion of the student body that is enrolled in AP courses. Both DeCaro and Hlinak claim that their classes have remained relatively similar in size from year to year, but only a very small portion of the school is enrolled.

According to DeCaro, a main reason behind limited involvement is that some of the AP classes are a period and a half, which decreases a student’s lunch hour and makes it difficult to take other classes. In DeCaro’s AP Biology class for the 2016-2017 school year only 57 percent of her students took the College Board exam.

Another reason for the decline in test scores is the amount of students in the program who actually take the exam. Some students cannot use the credit because their potential university will not accept AP test credits in exchange for course credits, so they refrain from taking the exam.

“There were certain kids that were really strong in my class that didn’t even take the test because their school wasn’t going to give them credit anyway,” Hlinak said. “I think those kids would have scored really well.”

Consistently through the years, the math AP exam classes have performed the highest.

Only a small amount of students take these classes, besides students involved in the fine arts, which leads to a smaller population to analyze data from the scores. This means that it is not a perfect representation of Antioch’s students to global comparison.

Some students took the test regardless if their college accepted the credits.

“There are a couple of kids who I think could have done a little better on that test if their schools would have accepted scores, but when a school only accepts fours and fives, that can kill motivation,” Hlinak said.

In Hlinak’s class, there was not a way to predict how students would score based on their classroom work ethic.

“Some of the stronger kids did really well on the AP test, but there were definitely some surprises,” Hlinak said.

‘‘ THERE ARE A COUPLE OF KIDS WHO I THINK COULD HAVE DONE A LITTLE BETTER ON THAT TEST IF THEIR SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED SCORES. MATH TEACHER RYAN HLINAK

“Some kids who I thought would do really well on the AP test who were really good in class didn’t do as well on the test as I thought they were going to.”

According to Hlinak, AP test scores are essentially a better way to determine the academic level of students over grades simply because they are more reliable. All AP tests are conducted in the same manner with the same grading scale. Unlike GPAs, which can fluctuate based on teachers curving grades or the difficulty of receiving higher grades in some classes, AP test scores are standard across the country. AP tests make it easier for colleges to compare students based on a standard and solidified scale of learning.

“If you’re scoring higher than somebody else on that test, then you are probably stronger in that subject,” Hlinak said. “Grades are a little bit less

PERCENT BREAKDOWN OF AP ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY

consistent.”

As seen through the years, on average the students who were enrolled in more than two AP classes performed worse than those who selected a single AP class to focus on. Each student has different strengths and weaknesses, so determining whether or not they receive college credit based on their scores is not always the best way to determine academic placement or growth.

Another factor valuable in connecting the dots between AP scores deals with ethnicity and race. Statistically, white students enrolled in AP classes more than other races. In the previous 4 years the amount of black students enrolling in AP classes has significantly decreased.

More affecting to students is the factor of financial needs. Students who are under Free / Reduced Enrollment (FRAM) collectively represented 11.7% of students enrolled for the exam during the 2016-2017 academic year.

Financial need students recieve a reduced fee for AP exams in comparison to the $94 registration fee for those without economic difficulties.

Overall, Antioch is a blossoming community of learners who excel academically and continue to improve each year as new learning opportunities come and go, but AP enrollment remains a small factor of importance to most of the student body. As the amount of students enrolled in AP exams and classes increases, a steady increase can be seen in the success of AP exams on student life. Whether the motive for choosing AP is because of college, general interest, or a sense for challange, there is a great ability for students to endeavor into higher learning during their 4 years at ACHS.

PERCENT OF ACHS STUDENTS WHO SCORED A 3+

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LIFESTYLES | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

LIVING IN A DISTORTED REALITY With edited photos on a rise, younger generations dream to achieve the unattainable.

EMILY A. HIGGINS tom tom staff // @emily_higgins81

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e·al·i·ty rēalədē/ noun The world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.

The state or quality of having existence or substance. *** Photography takes effort and perspective, but being able to portray a photo that makes the viewer perceive the desired message the photographer sets requires skill. But what if the overall message provides a false sense of reality?

“I feel like [reality] is the perspective of the individual and the perception of what is exactly going on,” sophomore Jordan Balleza said. “So then, the distorted reality is different from the normal perspective.”

Perspective is everything, but so is perceiving. One’s perspective is a point of view or an evaluation of something. Perspective is mainly focused on inner thoughts and opinions. Perception on the other hand, is the process of understanding other information using the thoughts from our perspectives.

Both run hand in hand, but have slight differences.

According to a study done by the University of North Carolina, the average student has around nine hours of media consumption a day.

This includes social media, newspapers and magazines, computers, radio, television and advertisements from games. These outlets provide one with current information, but also a sense of perspective. Bias from different articles and opinions on media cultivate different standards of perfection. All throughout the media industry, models are shaped into what is appealing to the eye. Regardless of the physical traits of the model or the angles and camera settings, young readers

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constantly see the fashion and beauty industry’s version of beautiful. Growing up in the digital age, these standards regarding photos has risen to an unattainable limit. Due to a rise in different standards within media, Photoshop is opposing the very definition of reality.

“Photoshop creates a [false sense of reality],” said Balleza. “It creates a separate divide of what you are doing, and then the standards you are being held to. This is just how it is and that’s why people commonly do editing: to make themselves above that normalized standard for photos.”

Within the same studies from University of North Carolina, researchers found that “everyday people” edit their own taken photos (regardless of the type of photo or camera) just as much as modeling and magazine corporations. Out of 52 percent of women who take selfies, 13 percent of wom-

en say they retouch every selfie.

If reality is the state in which things are the way they are, why do people change and edit photos? The answer: the unattainable standards media has set for them. Over camera rolls and different social media apps, many editing options are available. The most common app that has editing available is Instagram. When one takes or selects a photo from the gallery, retouching options and filter selections are quick to be accessed. Users can change the brightness and contrast, highlights and shadows, along with the different structures of the photo.

“I’m the type of person that has to listen to whatever anyone else says even though I know I shouldn’t,” Balleza said. “It’s just something that is engraved into me… for me personally I retouch just so that I can be more confident and I know that I

‘‘

Kayla Grenke

It is easy to see the difference in editing within this photo. Regardless of how little the photo

is editied, it still distorts the percepton of reality. “If the photos contained small changes like retouching or adjusting backlighting it’s okay, but anything extra after that, it doesn’t look realistic,” Balleza said.

look better.”

Balleza is not the only one to retouch her photos. According to Psychology Today, “Two out of five girls retouch their photos to make themselves look better before posting on a form of media.”

Photography was a skill that was admired in years past. Photographers attained the desired image through hard work and an end goal. Basic photos were taken in the extremes from the extraordinary angles and expensive cameras. In the technology advancing world, the hard work consists of a single click and the perception of the viewers. Instead of posting original and real photos on social media, users are looking at a false reality of what the world actually is. Will the old fashioned photography styles continue to remain in the shadows of a mouse cursor?

PHOTOSHOP CREATES A FALSE SENSE OF REALITY. JORDAN BALLEZA

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THE JOURNEY TO BECOMING A SEQUOIT

Some chances are once-in-a-lifetime.

MADISEN M. KRAPF team leader // @madisenkrapf

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ew beginnings occur many times in life. They are fresh starts with new opportunities waiting to be approached. Some opportunities are once in a lifetime, such as becoming a Sequoit. Nine years ago, math teacher Arnold Glapajone was lucky enough to have that chance become a reality.

At the start of a new road, the authority figures that have been with the student body since the beginning,

journey came a turning point, once he decided to change his dream.

Switching from engineering to education abruptly while choosing a career, Glapajone realized that not every decision is set in stone.

“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do,” Glapajone said. “I excelled at math and science, so I decided to be an engineer in high school. I thought I would major

such as a loved one, are the one’s who set the example. Glapajone’s parents’ were born in Thailand and moved to America in their 30s.

“My parents took really good care of me,” Glapajone said. “They gave me the opportunity to basically live my dreams and do what I wanted.”

In high school, just like any other student, he struggled finding a balance between sports, academics and his social life. He attended Niles North High School and his four years were dominated by soccer, basketball and volleyball. A reason why he enjoyed those years was because of the different groups of people represented.

“It was a very diverse school,” Glapajone said.

“Every nation you could think of was represented there.”

In order to achieve a goal, an authority figure or role model is encouraged to be present. Glapajone bonded with coaches and that inspired him to shoot for the stars.

“I had two coaches that were influential,” Glapajone said. “They taught me how to be competitive and to go for what I wanted.”

Along Glapajone’s

in engineering to start college, but then I made the switch to education.”

In an article by The Balance, it states, “Today, the average person changes jobs ten to fifteen times (with an average of 12 job changes) during his or her career.”

It is possible to fall in love with a different career within the blink of an eye, so it’s important to pay attention to any important surroundings.

“In college I was obsessed with basketball, so I volunteered as a basketball coach for the junior high,” Glapajone said. “I fell in love with the coaching aspect of it; it kind of inspired me to become a teacher so I could become a basketball coach as well.”

As committed as he is, Glapajone drives all the way up from Chicago every day to teach his students.

“Living in Chicago, there is a lot to do,” Glapajone said. “I am a food fanatic and living in Chicago, I can find a lot of good restaurants and explore different cuisines.”

According to Google Maps, the drive is one hour and six minutes away, driving approximately 57.1 miles.

The fact that Glapajone can live in Chicago and do his favorite things while also being able to come up and do the job he loves shows the dedication he brings to the table.

“I really like the people I work with here, the math teachers and the other coaches on the coaching staff, and I like the demographic here,” Glapajone said. “It’s different from where I grew up and it’s kinda cool seeing how people live in our community versus where I grew up.”

‘‘ NINE YEARS AGO, MATH TEACHER ARNOLD GLAPAJONE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE THAT CHANCE BECOME A REALITY. MADISEN M. KRAPF

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LIFESTYLES | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

IMPRESSING THEMSELVES INSTEAD OF OTHERS It’s important to try and learn to love the person you see in the mirror.

MOLLIE WAGNER tom tom staff // molliewagner_

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ear.

Fear of the future, of what happened in the past, and, most importantly fear of now, the present. People being comfortable with themselves means breaking up with their comfort zone. Nowadays, everyone at some point has struggled to find their safety blanket of confidence, whether it’s the way they look or the way they act. Humans seem to strive to impress others rather than impressing themselves. Junior Graci Leineberg has been a varsity cheerleader since freshmen year, which has required a lot of positive self perception for the past three years.

“Being comfortable in your own skin, being okay with who you are and not being afraid to show who you are, are the best ways to be confident.”

Leineberg said.

One of two things that contribute to self confidence is self-efficiency. This is one’s ability to succeed or complete a certain task. Self-efficiency plays a major role in tasks, challenges and goals. People gain this when they see themselves achieving goals or developing skills that seemed out of reach.

For Leineberg, putting herself out there in not only cheerleading, but everyday life has really played a role in her confidence. As a cheerleader, she has always been involved in the school and that alone has been beneficial to how she views herself.

“Being involved has definitely helped me in a positive way to feel good about myself,” Leineberg said. “I’m just so used to being put in front of crowds, so it’s nice to get cheered on all the time at performances and competitions. It makes you feel really good about yourself, which can be boosting.”

Self esteem is confidence in one’s worth or abilities. Possessing little self esteem can lead people to depression, fall short of their potential or result in them tolerating abusive situations or relationships.

According to Mindtools, “It also comes from the sense that we are behaving virtuously, that we’re competent at what we do and that we can compete successfully when we put our minds to it.”

Everything people do in their daily lives revolves around confidence and their mindset. Developing confidence does take time but it is eventually achievable with perseverance past others’ judgements. Senior Kayla Burkhart is also a varsity athlete in basketball and softball. Being in sports, someone’s confidence is usually at it’s highest point while playing the sport they love.

It’s evident when watching someone play the sport they’re passionate about how high their confidence is.

“My confidence is definitely highest at the softball field with my teammates around me,” Burkhart said. “When I make a good catch or get a really good hit, I feel very confident in myself and I feel like I can do anything.”

Even though sports can help uplift a person’s confidence, that’s not the only thing that can make or break someone’s perspective on themself. Body positivity is a touchy subject that most people would rather not talk about, but everyone has done their fair share of shaming their bodies instead of loving them.

14

Ella Maggio Junior Graci Leineberg smiles as she has learned to be comfortable in her own skin.

“Being comfortbale in your own skin, being okay with who you are and not being afraid to show who are you are, are the best ways to be confident,” Leineberg said.

“I think everyone should take pride in their body, because these are the only bodies that we’re born with,” Leineberg said. “So no matter what you look like or if you like your body or not, this is your only one so you just have to learn to love it.”

Growing up in this day and age, it takes a lot for someone to be fully comfortable in their own skin. People loving their bodies and taking pride in it are totally different things.

“Some days I like my body, some days I don’t.” Burkhart said. “I work hard in and out of school to keep my body in shape mentally and physically.

I try to do things so it’s not about what my body looks like on the outside it’s more about how it is on the inside.”

Body positivity has a lot to do with fear: being afraid of what people think, worrying about who likes what they’re wearing or if their hair looks right. Having nerves or being self conscious over these things can be changed, but not overnight. The media has put a standard on what bodies should look like.

“I think social media plays a big part in why people struggle with confidence, because everyone has put a lot of pressure on social media,” Leineberg said. “Especially things like Instagram because everyone wants to seem like they’re doing really well and that they’re all put together so it can bring people down or up, depending on how they put themselves on the internet.”

Depending on which way people are perceived, can make them more or

Ella Maggio

Leineberg jumps on a trampoline because it is somewhere she feels comfortable and confident. “It makes you feel really good about yourself, which can be boosting,” Leineberg said.

less confident in themselves.

“To be honest, I think it’s social media,” Burkhart said. “I think social media brings a lot of people down, and the things people see around them on the internet makes them feel like they’re not good enough.”

Social media has had an ongoing debate on whether it’s good or bad, but in this case the negatives outweigh the positives. The media has targeted mainly girls and made them feel like they need to act and look a certain way to be classified as “good looking” or “popular.”

“I think everyone’s really scared about how other people think.” Leineberg said. “Especially on media, because a lot of times people can comment things anonymously so people aren’t afraid to say mean things without you knowing, I think it scares people that there’s other people out there who aren’t afraid to hurt them. Especially without putting their names on things, so social media definitely plays a big part in confidence.”

As society has been built and standards have been put on a pedestal, it’s also in people’s best interest to take a step back and remember that everyone has their own story and a different past. One of the main reasons

3 Top A TOM TOM

people don’t have full confidence in themselves is what they have personally been through.

“Maybe things in the past have brought them down, so if they can overlook those obstacles and get past the past, then I think that’s where self confidence plays a huge role,” Burkhart said. “Move forward, look at life as a beautiful thing.”

Fear of the future is because of one’s past. When nothing has hurt someone prior to their reality, they have nothing to be afraid of. Having self confidence previously torn down is emotionally draining, which is why most people don’t feel the need to have confidence again. They’re afraid or just tired of being afraid. Self confidence has been an ongoing difficulty since the beginning of time and will continue to be a challenge as the media progresses. Don’t fear the future, look back at everything achieved, think about strengths, where to prosper forward, manage mindset and commit to success.

#2

SUPPORT When family, friends or whoever support you in a decision you will be more confident.

We rank our steps to confidence.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JILLIAN M. EVERETT

#1

PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES YOU EXCEL IN

Playing a sport that you are good at will continue to promote confidence in you.

#3 LOVE YOURSELF Do things that make you happy and make you feel good.

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THE PERWINKLE ISSUE features 101717

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The most valuable lessons learned throughout life.

DIANA ANGHEL print director // @didi_anghel

O

ftentimes, students are forgetful of the knowledgeable resources surrounding them while they are in the premises of Antioch Community High School. Teachers are generally seen as being educated in the subject in which they work in, but one thing is overlooked: their life experience.

Teenagers are constantly told to have role models, to have something or someone stand as an exemplary. Generally, any adult can say that they’ve learned valuable lessons through their experiences, but not all are willing to share their wisdom with others. In this article, you will find five pieces of life advice gathered from the experienced teachers of the high school.

FRIENDS COME AND GO. PRETENDING TO BE SOMEONE YOU’RE NOT IS A MISTAKE. No matter how difficult it may be to show your true colors in high school, this is still a time to find out your true persona; by hiding who you truly want to be from the public, you’re sheltering yourself from the road leading to discovering who you truly are.

“I’ve always been interested in music but in high school I was afraid to sing,” English teacher Jim Hellen said. “So, I didn’t join choir; it wasn’t cool. What I should’ve done was sing.”

POSITIVITY ISN’T OVERRATED. One of the most general and cliche pieces of advice you will ever hear is to stay positive. While many people see their teenage years as the best time of their lives, others see it as the worst. High school years can be filled with stress, pressure, rumours and reputations. In this aspect, a huge weight gets placed on the shoulders of high schoolers, causing frequent changes in personalities. Keeping a positive and futuristic mindset will be a savior during problematic times. “[If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing, it would be that] it does get better,” math teacher William Zambole said.

GROW AS A PERSON EVERY DAY. Growth comes out of experience and experience comes out of everyday life. Therefore, growth should come to you progressively throughout high school. Accepting this growth and adding it to your character will be a process your future self will thank you for. Building on to your character never stops, even after teenage years.

“A valuable lesson I’m still learning is to worry less, and just do what I think needs to be done,” band and orchestra teacher Michael Riggs said.

By continuing to take something away from every day, you will see positive changes in yourself and those who you choose to surround yourself with.

HARD WORK WILL GET YOU TO WHERE YOU DREAM OF BEING. Doing the bare minimum will never result in goals being accomplished. Dedicating effort and time to your priorities builds character and brings surprising accomplishments.

“Don’t settle for mediocrity,” Riggs said.

Mediocrity can be seen as a place reached by taking the easy way out; it limits your full potential and builds a barrier between you and your goals. Avoid mediocrity and push yourself to give your best efforts in all aspects.

Throughout high school, you will drift in and out of different friend groups, allowing you to meet and become friends with a variety of people with different personalities.

If you lose friends, you might feel like the world is against you, isolated as you’re forced to deal with the situation. The truth is, the majority of high schoolers have lost at least one friend in their four years.

The important lesson to be learned is how valuable it is to keep a good friend by your side when you come across one.

“A good friend will always have your back when you are not around to defend yourself and the same friend will never tell you what you want to hear, they should always tell you what you need to hear,” psychology teacher Anton Borchert said.

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FEATURES | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

DIFFERENCES

DON’T DEFINE ME Spirituality creates bonds rather than breaks them.

GIANNA M. CHIAPPETTA tom tom staff // @gigic29

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ooks can be deceiving. From the outside, one might not read as a Catholic, but on the inside it is what they speak, practice and reflect about. Attending a public school may be difficult for those who believe in a spiritual path different from those that they are surrounded by. They might feel out of the loop or have trouble fitting in, but that is not always the case. Many have come to find that their spirituality does not separate them from their peers, but instead makes their differences an opportunity to educate others about their beliefs.

Atre For junior Ashutosh Atre, Hinduism does not define him as a person and he does not feel that his spirituality makes him different, but instead, empowers him.

“I’m separate from my religion and spirituality, but I feel like it’s a big part of me,” Atre said.

Hinduism is made up of two sides: spiritual and religious.

“My family is more of a spiritual Hindu,” Atre said. “We don’t really believe in praying to a god as much. I mean we still do, but we’re more about centering ourselves and really focusing on not praying to god, but seeing archetypes of good people and how we should behave like them.”

Growing up, Atre’s childhood was no different than any other. Like most other families, Atre still has annual holidays. Although not all holidays may be the same.

Atre does not feel different from his peers. Instead, he finds it an opportunity to enlighten them about his culture.

“My parents like educating people about my religion because [they believe] if you can understand [a person] better, you can get to know them better,” Atre said. “When I was really young my parents would come into my elementary school classes and explain Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, to [the students] and then I would get out of school for a day or two to celebrate with my family.”

For many, spirituality is the key to their success. With a form of greater power, one may seek help or advice to bring positivity into their life. For Atre, it is no different.

“We have a little altar at my house that I pray [to] before tests or big events at school,” Atre said.

Although Atre prays to stay connected to his spirituality, he still feels less cultured than his family.

“My grandma is super, super spiritual; she knows all the stories and all the aspects of it,” Atre said. “My parents know a lot, too. I’ve learned a lot, but I don’t think it’s always with me as it is with them. I feel like being in America and being especially in a predominantly white town, it’s kind of hard to stay connected with my culture all the time.”

For those who believe in Hinduism, Antioch is not the easiest place to stay vigorously connected to their beliefs. Antioch is filled with over 15 churches, yet the closest Hindu temple is found in Grayslake. With that struggle, Atre is limited and only visit a temple a couple times a year.

Even with those differences, Atre does not feel like he is viewed negatively.

He embraces his spirituality and is always willing to teach others his virtues to those who ask. He is not afraid of who he is, where he comes from or what he believes in; he is a Hindu and he is proud.

Phillips This also holds true for junior Amber Phillips who is Christian, more specifically she, Lutheran.

“I’m a Lutheran and I believe in God,” Phillips said. “I believe that God is the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son.” Before attending Antioch Community High School, Phillips went to Faith Evangelical Lutheran School and was one of nine in her grade level. Phillips found this

FEATURES | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

aspect difficult to make friends when transitioning to ACHS. “I didn’t know anyone that went to Antioch other than Jessica [Nettgen] and Rachel [Phillips],” Phillips said.

Phillips is not ashamed of where she comes from, but she does not always explicitly say what school she used to attend.

“Most people thought I went to Emmons, so people didn’t look at me like the girl that went to Faith,” Phillips said.

With attending a Lutheran school, most of Phillips’ teachers expected her to follow through with attending Shoreland Lutheran High School. This gave Phillips the difficult choice of choosing which high school to attend.

“Being from Faith, my teachers looked down upon me because I [chose to go] to Antioch,” Phillips said. “[I chose to attend Antioch because] it’s closer [to home]; my siblings went there and it was cheaper.”

Since attending ACHS the last three years, Phillips has come to the realization that her spirituality does not make her that much different from everybody else. There are still some differences from some of her friends, but not anything she perceives as a major difference. “[The only differences are] praying before I eat [and] going to church on Sunday,” Phillips said. “[Being Lutheran doesn’t] make me feel that different because even though I don’t really share [my religion] with people, I know a lot of people who believe in God, too, so it’s not that different.”

Szaflik People have the right to believe in anything they want to, even if that means not believing in anything. For senior Kamil Szaflik, this is how he views spirituality.

“I’m an atheist,” Szaflik said. “[It is a] person that doesn’t believe in a specific god or any god. When growing up, I just had too many questions that nobody could answer directly, so I kind of grew out of religion.”

Although Szaflik is an atheist, this does not hold true for the rest of his family.

“I come from a Polish community, so everyone is super religious,” Szaflik said. “Whenever I mention I’m an atheist, I get into a lot of arguments; people try to convert me back, but it doesn’t end well.”

Even though Szaflik does not hold the same beliefs as the rest of his family, he still attends their religious events.

“I still go to church, I just don’t participate in any of the stuff,” Szaflik said.

For most adolescents, they practice the same spirituality as the rest of their family. It is not the path he wishes to travel.

“My parents don’t know [I’m an atheist],” Szaflik said. “They still think I believe in God. They’re super religious, so I’m afraid to tell them.”

Although Szaflik has to face these difficulties, he does not let his problems stop him from

20

having his own opinions on spirituality. He will one day have to face his family on his views, but as of now he is less worried about what they will think of him and more worried about the person he wishes to one day become.

“I’m kind of proud that I go my own way,” Szaflik said. “Just because my parent are religious, I believe in what I want to believe in.”

When bringing spirituality into a school setting, Szaflik feels no different than anybody else.

“Schools don’t really let religion in, so I’m fine in school,” Szaflik said.

Overall, most students at ACHS do not focus of what a person may believe in, but more so on what a person has to offer in friendship. Although spirituality may be a big part of someone’s life, not all believe their spirituality defines them. For Atre, Phillips and Szaflik, they practice different spiritual pathways, but they hold the ideology that they are no different from their peers. ACHS has a diverse student body; coming together as a community, is what the school is about. ACHS does not judge people for what they wear or how they look. This school, this community and this town are all for learning about one another and discovering the differences that make people unique.

Ball Chain the antioch

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In a survey of 310 students, the following answers were given in response to the following prompt:

GIVEN THAT YOU ARE FROM ANTIOCH...

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How likely are you to be conservative?

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

How likely are you to get stuck by a train when you need to go somewhere?

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YOU KNOW YOU’RE FROM ANTIOCH WHEN...

You drive a truck, you wear camo, and you love to vape.

How likely are you to leave this town after high school?

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BRANDEN W. GALLIMORE print director // @brandengal

Hi

Periwinkle, from the Latin meaning “to shackle.” For many Sequoits, the town they call home is nothing more than a roadblock preventing a future; for others, it’s a driving force to be different and better than what’s expected.

21

FEATURES | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

TO BE than an

insignificant speck

22

Students from Antioch Community High School choose from any number of ways to express themselves and come out of their shells.

ALEXANDRA L. RAPP assistant digital director // @arose_106

E

very single person is unique. All 7.442 billion people who walk the face of the Earth have something no one else among that number has.

Every random passerby has a life as vivid and complex as one could possibly imagine. All of them posses their own ambitions, routines, opinions and worries. All of them, existing at once as a collective swirling galaxy of humanity, to which a single individual is only a speck of insignificant light.

However, people may not be content to remain an insignificant speck. They desire to stand out, to be more than a passing pinprick in the fabric of the cosmos.

They strive to shape themselves into something more unique than

they already are, someone unparalleled among the billions of others.

Whether a student chooses to express themselves through their hair, their makeup, music or themselves— every single one is unique.

“I would say my taste in music would be the most interesting thing about me,” sophomore Tiyana Vickers said. “When I say I listen to bands and rap, [people say] ‘Wow, really?’”

Self expression through music is just one of the ways that students can really put themselves out there. Other students choose many aspects of themselves to manipulate and change.

“It depends on the day,” junior Allison Hoffelder said.

“Some days [the most unique thing is] my lipstick and other days it’s my hair. My hair is always two different colors. The lipstick, depending on my mood, varies from plain red to four different colors at any given moment...I’m not a boring person and I want to show what’s going on inside on the outside.”

Other students choose one aspect to make completely their own.

“There’s not that much stuff that’s unique about me besides my hair,” freshman Isabelle Hunter said.

Whether the odd parts of a person are one or many, it is important for them to stand up and feel like an individual, no matter what challenges they may face. The challenges people go through to decide to stand up and say, “I’m one of a kind!” are oftentimes vast and numerous.

“There’s always going to be something people want to talk bad about, so who cares anymore; it doesn’t matter,” junior Ash Flackus said. “I stopped caring a while ago.”

Flackus is just one of many students who faced trials in their journey to stand apart from the crowd. She has faced and has overcome adversity in her trial to become the person that she wants to be, the person she is today.

Hoffelder is just like her, having also braved terrifying odds to become the unique and wonderful person she is today.

“It’s really nerve-wracking to try a new lipstick design,” Hoffelder said. “Sometimes it’ll concern me what other people see because what if they think it’s ugly? But then I remember, it doesn’t super-matter because it’s not like they’re going to say it to my face, right?”

Other students, however, were taught from a young age that putting yourself out there is right. They believe in standing out and not caring for the opinions of others.

“My parents would always tell me [to not] be afraid to put yourself out there and [to not] be afraid to express yourself the way you feel like you should,” Vickers said.

Unlike Vickers, who was taught to become unique,

‘‘ IT DOESN’T [REALLY] MATTER WHAT HAPPENS NOW. ALLISON HOFFELDER

other students adapted to uniqueness, taking to it like a fish to water. Some students like Hunter took what made her stand out in a negative way and used it to change herself for the better.

“In fourth grade, I went through a really hard time and everyone kind of singled me out as going through a hard time and I thought, ‘well, if I’m already singled out, I might as well stay that way,’” Hunter said. “[I enjoy being unique]; it’s fun.”

Taking the big step away from the mob mentality and into one’s own individual image may be nerve-wracking for some and even more terrifying for others. Accepting oneself is never a bad thing. It can give someone a sense of freedom, an escape from the pressures of being someone they didn’t want to become.

“I kind of have a new attitude in high school,” Hoffelder said. “It doesn’t [really] matter what happens now. It’s what you do in the future and if you’re happy right now, you just gotta keep rolling with the punches.”

Although these punches come, and come they will, all one has to do is stay true to themselves, no matter what others say.

“Sometimes I do [regret my choice to stand out] and then I look back and I think, ‘hey, I did it anyway; why not,’” Vickers said. “We only live once.”

In order to truly respect oneself and one’s choices, one must be an individual they can be proud of instead of an individual they’re being forced to play.

“I wanted to cut my hair because I wanted people to see me for how I wanted to see me,” Flackus said.

Flackus’ decision to cut her hair at a young age may have been intimidating at the time, but it was, ultimately, the right thing to do for her.

“I cut [my hair] at a very early age when everyone else was still just like, ‘You don’t have long hair. Where’s your hair,’” Flackus said. “I like the way it looks; it’s one way to express myself.“ Expressing oneself, like many students at Antioch, can be intimidating for some. Media, especially movies have created an ideal that simply isn’t true.

“Social media has a really big influence on how people see themselves now, which really sucks because it’s everywhere and anyone can share whatever they want, so sometimes there will be things that aren’t so nice,” Flackus said.

Even with such problems as social media, it is always important for a person to be who they want to be, do what they want to do and look how they want to look. Every person deserves to be more than just a passing pinprick on the fabric of the the cosmos.

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FEATURES | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

ABOVE & BEYOND Determination, the drive to succeed and motivation are necessities that everybody can control in order to reach their goals.

KAYLEE S. SCHREINER digital director // @kayschr06

Four Habits Of Ambitious People They set goals.

Ambitious people are goal-oriented and focus on their next task.

They take risks.

People that have ambiton can step-up and face challenges and anxiety.

They try new ways of thinking.

Ambitious people can break away from the crowd and see from multiple perspectives.

The do not compete with other people.

Their biggest competitors are themselves and they are only concerned with their own success.

24

S

‘‘

etting goals, having determination, even waking up in the interested in those topics so I didn’t feel like I was picking the morning - all of these could be seen as ambition, dependwrong thing that I wanted to do later on.” ing on the person. Ambition is a commonly talked about Education is a big deciding factor for students who want trait, in fact, a lot of people think it is necessary to have it. Howevto succeed. Everyday students are pushing themselves to get er, ambition is different for everybody and shows itself in a variety straight A’s or maintain a grade point average that will allow them of ways. Since ambition is not a concrete object that someone to attend their dream college. Although this may seem stressful can hold in their hand, it is an idea or at times, achieving exceptional grades is one way characteristic that can be manipulated students stay on track for the future. For students to describe each person differently, like senior Emily Luc, getting higher grades in high oftentimes, it is hard to pinpoint exactly school is one step in the right direction towards what it is and how it is expressed. going to a college that excels in her preferred major.

Drive is a necessity when doing “[My grades] are super important because anything, even something as simple they can lead into higher education,” Luc said. “I as getting out of bed in the morning. just try to get high enough scores so that I can get Without some sort of reason to wake into a good college for med-school.” up, without a goal or end result in mind, Ambition is expressed through the efforts of there is not a point in taking a step those students who work toward better grades forward and many just end up standing in order to prepare themselves for the next step still. The whole tone of someone’s day in their lives and ultimately set themselves up for is set simply by their motivation to get success. up and work toward their goals.

Another area that requires motivation, and “It’s important to have ambition a lot of it, is athletics. The desire to push oneself because that’s what drives you to do to be the best requires both focus and drive. anything in your life,” senior Briana Pinto The drive to succeed is necessary when doing said. “If you don’t have ambition to do anything, but becomes increasingly important when something then you’re just going to sit attempting to win a game, whether it be individual around and waste away.” or with a team. With the goal of winning a game in Self-determination is often demonmind, the knowledge of knowing one might fail and strated by the desire to be successful in being able to move on from that failure is essential. the future. Many students are motivated “If [something] didn’t go my way I just had to by the idea of attending a college that accept it and keep going,” Luc said.

SENIOR BRIANA PINTO not only pushes them, but fits their This drive to succeed is a natural instinct for expectations. For Pinto, the drive to many people who are willing to do whatever it takes learn led her to take college level courses at Harvard University for to reach their goals. Oftentimes, this desire to succeed stems seven weeks during the summer of her sophomore year. from the values and beliefs of one’s family members and role “I took Law and Psychology and Intro to Biomedical Ethics,” models.

Pinto said. “I think both classes really helped me realize that I was “My parents always push my brother and I to do our best,

I’VE NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT AS AN OPTION TO NOT HAVE AMBITION.

so it’s never really been acceptable in my family to just not try,” Pinto said. “I’ve never really thought about it as an option to not have ambition because my parents would never just let me sit around and not work hard for what I wanted.”

Determination and focus impact more than just the individual who possesses it—it impacts everyone around them. Oftentimes, people will care more about the effort that someone puts in rather than how talented they actually are. Similarly, this effort and determination one puts in can rub off on others around them. Motivation and enthusiasm are contagious and if one person possesses those characteristics, a whole group could perform better.

Even though ambition may be contagious, it ultimately comes down to how far a person is willing to go to achieve their dreams. It is important to remember that every person is different and that it is not always necessary to live up to the expectations of others. A personm must Kaylee Schreiner define their own goals and expectations Ambition can help people in every aspect of their lives. One of the biggest areas where someone may need extra ambition for oneself before they can truly find the is in school. “Ambition is what gets me up in the morning,” senior Briana Pinto said. “Otherwise I would definitely not be motivation to succeed. coming here [ at school].”

Despite many students being brought up with ambition flowing through their I was like ‘oh, I’m getting C’s over here,’” Luc said. “And then when it came veins, there are still many students that have to teach themselves how to go to middle school I don’t know what happened but something snapped and I after what they want. decided to push myself really hard.”

“In elementary school when kids were like ‘oh I got A’s and everything,’ Though it may seem like a difficult task at first, motivation and the drive to succeed is something that can be taught. The whole process revolves around the idea of doing what one wants to do instead of what one believes they should do.

“You can turn things around by taking responsibility for your fate, clarifying your goals, making the necessary changes and being honest about your feelings,” Linda Ray writes in an article for Career Trend.

Developing ambition first starts by believing in oneself; if someone is unable to believe in their ability to reach their goals, then they will never ac-

Jacob Johnson Having the drive to push oneself and be the best in a sport often comes with sacrifice. “[Ambition] definitely means sacrificing things,” senior Emily Luc said. “... you have to know what’s important and make that your number one priority.”

complish anything. It is also crucial for a person to set realistic goals so that they are not constantly setting themselves up for failure, ultimately leading to them wanting to give up instead of keep trying. Instead of deciding that it is necessary to become a professional chef, one could start by taking introductory courses or jobs that can build them up for their end goal.

Everyone feels a lack of motivation at times, but that is no reason to stop trying altogether. Ambition is not only the ability to get up and keep trying after one is knocked down - it is the desire to get back up and the drive to reach one’s goals. Without this determination, it would be difficult for many people to find a reason to go to work in the morning, let alone go to school. “[Being determined] really pushes you to become the best that you can be and prove to others who you are,” Luc said.

One of the only guarantees in life is that not everything will come easy.

There will always be an obstacle to overcome or something to be done; the real challenge is finding the motivation to move past it. Defining ambition for oneself is essential in discovering the need to succeed and pushing through obstacles that are thrown one’s way.

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SPORTS | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

SPORTS IN BRIEF BOYS GOLF The boys golf season just ended with varsity finishing with a record of 8-5-1 and JV finishing 1-10. Junior Alex Riedel just missed qualifying for state which gave him an opportunity to show all the hard work he had put in during the season. The rest of the team was very motivational towards each other throughout the season, and sophomore Gavin Eldridge said that it made it a very fun season.

“Coach wasn’t very happy with us for most of this season because we didn’t win very often,” sophomore JV golfer Niall Schoenfelder said.

BY MERRICK W. FOOTE

BY AVERY J. FRASCH

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Finishing 7-0 in conference for the first time since 2001, the Sequoits varsity boys cross country team strives to improve as a whole and roll into regionals with all the momentum.

With a perfect season completed, Antioch’s boys cross country team gets a week to rest before they go into a must-win regionals meet.

The boys are not satisfied yet, and do not plan on ending their season any time soon.

“The team should have no problem moving onto the sectional round as long as we stay poised and focused and don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.” senior captain Max Barton said.

The Sequoits also made sure to put the team first. This season the boys kept a positive attitude, grew closer and improved their overall performance as a whole.

With hopes of keeping their season alive, Antioch will run on Saturday, October 21, at regionals.

BY BENJAMIN J. NAUMAN

26

FIELD HOCKEY

With their regular season over, the varsity field hockey team is looking forward to continuing their season far into the playoffs. The girls’ most recent win was against Evanston on October 3, making them 9-6-2. With IHSA Sectionals starting on October 16, the girls are working hard on and off the field in hopes of being successful in these upcoming games.

“I think we’ve had one of the best seasons the school has had in a long time,” sophomore Adalia Tate said.

“We’re focused on our goals and we’re very familiar with each other, so I think we’ve been doing very well.”

BY AVERY J. FRASCH

VOLLEYBALL

On October 19 at Grayslake North, the girls are looking to win their last regular game of the season and gain some confidence to help them succeed in future playoff games. Their record is currently 10-5-1 and they’re working hard to increase their number of wins.

“We’re just trying to stay focused on our team goal which is making sure we are the best we can be,” sophomore Cenie Frieson said.

GIRLS GOLF

The girls golf team just finished their 2017 season.

The varsity team finished with a record of 7-6. Junior Samantha Brown went to IHSA Sectionals while the rest of the team finished their season off at IHSA Regionals.

The team improved from last season, worked very well together and had good chemistry, which led to an overall fun season.

“This season I had a lot of fun competing alongside my team even though we didn’t end with many wins,” Brown said.

SOCCER

The boys soccer team has been playing a tough season with a record of 7-10-1. Earlier this season, the boys had won both games at the Illinois Math and Science Academy invitational, with the scores of 5-0 and 4-0. The boys take on Lakes at Lakes for the Regional Championship on Tuesday, October 17.

BY TAYLOR A. FELTNER

BY MERRICK W. FOOTE

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

After going 5-2 in conference, the Antioch girls varsity cross country team looks to make a statement at regionals. The Sequoits head into the race with high hopes of a performance that will allow them to advance.

“I think we will do pretty well,” senior captain Allison Morris said. “The meet is at our home course, so we have an advantage. We are also all very determined to advance to sectionals.”

This season was full of of improvement for the Sequoits. As the season progressed, not only did the team begin to close gaps between runners, but they also grew a lot closer as a team.

The Sequoits will be competing for a spot at sectionals on Saturday, October 21.

The Sequoit football team has had a successful year so far and continue striving for greatness as they are 8-0. With only having one more conference game this year against Grayslake North, the team is hoping to clinch the NLCC conference two years in a row. The boys have shut out two teams in the NLCC conference, Grant 42-0 and Round Lake 28-0. The boys have been practicing hard and are looking forward to playoffs.

BY BENJAMIN J. NAUMAN

BY TAYLOR A. FELTNER

Matthew Soberano

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL Going into week 7 of the football season, the undefeated Sequoits faced the undefeated Eagles of rival Lakes Community High School. Despite the rain and one of the most intense back-and-forth games of the season, the Sequoits pulled out the victory: 34-31. Cardinal Crazy leader Jordan DeLara encouraged the Eagles to float away with his homage to the recent horror movie “It.�

Jessica Nettgen 27

PERSPECTIVES | October 17, 2017 | The Periwinkle Issue

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO

LEARN HOW TO COPE AS TOLD BY EMILY HANES

G

rief: deep sorrow, especially caused by someone’s death. Some may say it comes in waves, but that would suggest a seemingly predictable pattern. There was no pattern in the grief of my aunt’s death. It was about as predictable as a blindfolded pitcher. I had thought that grief would be similar to having my heart broken. I imagined it like this deep, intense pain that would weigh me down like I was constantly dragging a boulder behind me.

But that’s not how it is at all.

I still lived my life as a fourth grader. I laughed, I played with my friends, I had fun like any other nine year old would and then bam. Out of nowhere, it would hit me like a ton of bricks. It didn’t matter where I was, I could be in school, at home or at the grocery store. It could last for ten minutes, two hours, or a few days and then just like that it was gone. It was a spontaneous and painful reminder that no matter what, my aunt was gone and there was nothing I could do about it.

My aunt lived an impressive life in her early years. She lived in Alaska during her twenties.

She could go on for hours telling me about the different things she experienced in her time living there and I would never get sick of hearing them.

One of my favorite stories was when she saved a drowning man from the dark and icy Atlantic waters when she was just 22. She had a yearning to help others, almost like an itch that she couldn’t stop scratching at until her fingers became raw, that explains why she went on to become a nurse. She was one of the most alluring people I have ever come across. She was a good person with a heart of gold but, you know what they say, bad things always happen to good people.

I don’t really remember when it started. I never really knew at the budding age of nine that there was anything wrong with her. I had no idea that

28

the sparkling soul I knew was growing dimmer everyday. We started visiting her almost every single day instead of twice a week. I had no complaints, I loved seeing her. There were little things I noticed that had changed about her in such a short time. She became paler, thinner and fragile. But, me being only nine at the time, I never saw her as someone whose health was rapidly declining, I saw her as the strong willed woman with many stories. I wish I had known at that age what was about to occur. I wish I had known that on September 24, 2009, I would receive a phone call that would impact me for the rest of my life. I wish I had known that I was going to lose my favorite person. I wish I had known that there would be no more stories about the captivating scenery in Alaska or the gruesome atrocities of her time spent nursing. I wish I would have been able to say goodbye.

The worst grief I experienced was immediatly after I found out she was gone. When I get the random gusts of grief, I feel that pain all over again. My mom had been there with her when she passed, but my brothers and I were at home with my father oblivious to what we were about

the constant flow of tears. Everything had hit me so fast and all I could do was sit there and wonder why this had happened. I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to cope with this.

But, eventually I taught myself how to deal with the grief. I like to believe that her passing was meant to happen because it shaped me into the person I am today. Without having to endure the struggles I did while dealing with her loss, I wouldn’t be the wall I am. I will forever cherish the time I was able to spend with her. As I get older, I continue to carry her wisdom with me as I hope to become half of the person that she was. Dealing with the grief of losing a loved one will never be painless; I still experience the spontaneous bursts of grief, of wanting to tell her about my day and being reminded that she won’t be there to pick up the phone when I call. Grief isn’t meant to be something that lasts for a couple of days. Once it hits the first time, it never fully disappears.

Overtime, I accepted her passing. I had to. My aunt taught me many things, mostly hidden within her infamous stories. She taught me how to see the light in every situation, she taught me how to believe in the kindness of strangers, and most

to find out. But, as soon as my mom called the house phone, I had the suspicion that something wasn’t right. I tried to shake it off, but shortly after, my suspicion was confirmed. I vividly remember that night. Thinking about it now, I can still feel the shock wave I felt. I remember sitting stunned, unable to fathom what I had just heard with my sobbing siblings next to me. It felt like a bomb had just dropped. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak.

Then I was snapped back into reality and my breathing started to get heavier and more rapid, I felt my chin quiver and my eyes become filled with tears. I remember hysterically crying, my throat was sore and my eyes puffy and bloodshot from

importantly, to cherish every moment I spend with my two feet on this earth. Overcoming the grief that I dealt with was, and still is, the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my lifetime. I still miss my aunt, I think about her every single day. The pain doesn’t get easier, it gets more manageable. I still regret not being able to say goodbye to her, but, if I learned anything from her, it was how to push through the dark to reach the light ahead. As time goes on, I have taught myself through her wisdom to cherish every moment, every laugh and every conversation I share with someone because you never know when it’ll be the last.

Griffin Hackeloer 29

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Diamond/(Name Your Price) Contact Information The Tom Tom Antioch Community High School 1133 Main Street Antoch, Ill. 60002 Phone: 847-395-1421 Editor-in-Chief: Jason Wood e-mail: jason.wood@chsd117.org Media Adviser: Mr. Patrick R. Johnson, MJE e-mail: patrick.johnson@chsd117.org

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