THE STUDENT VOICE OF ANTIOCH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
THE SWEET SOUND OF SILENCE
THE IMPERFECTION OF MR. AND MS. PERFECT
TAKING PASSION TO THE NEXT LEVEL: WRESTLING WITH INEQUALITY
THE AZALEA PINK ISSUE volume 56 . issue 6. december 1, 2017 sequoitmedia.com. @achstomtom. @sequoitsports 1133 main street. antioch, illinois. 60002
sequoitmedia.com sports schedules Girls Basketball: - December 18th @ Zion-Benton - December 27th @ Lisle - December 28th @ Lisle - December 29th @ Lisle Boys Basketball:
- December 28th @ Teutopolis - December 29th @ Teutopolis - January 9th @ Vernon Hills - January 11th @ Williams Bay
Dance: - December 17th @ Warren - February 10th @ Home - January 14th @ Grayslake Central
Wrestling: - December 22nd @ Home - December 27th @ Home - December 28th @ Lincoln - December 29th @ Lincoln Gymnastics: - January 5th @ Schaumburg - January 9th @ Libertyville - January 13th @ Lake Forest Bowling:
Cheer: - December 16th @ Rolling Meadows - January 6th @ Lake Zurich
- December 16th @ Hawthorn - December 28th @ Lakes Bowl - January 4th @ Home - January 6th @ Mount Prospect
EDITOR’S NOTE 04 off the field 05 HEAD TO HEAD 08 ON THE FIELD 09 sugar, spice & everything nice 13 perfectly imperfect 16 PASSION 19 beyond the field 22 What it Feels Like 24
table of contents
the tom tom // the azalea pink issue // december 1, 2017
OFF THE FIELD | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
executive team
THE AZALEA PINK ISSUE
Jessica Nettgen
JASON R. WOOD editor-in-chief // @jason_wood7
I
have lost count of how many times I’ve heard “pink is a girl’s color” throughout my life. While that saying has stood the test of time, it’s not really true. While pink is seen as infantile, childish, girly and cute, it represents far beyond the stereotype that has slowly imprisoned it over time. In a time where we consistently see a battle for gender equality, something as simple as classifying a color brings us back to a state of inequality. Pink is a color meant to illuminate those who are passionate, resilient, charming, and perfectly imperfect. None of those qualities are reaffirmed by or reinforce gender inequities. Instead, each becomes an exemplar of character: the Sequoit with an undying love for something believed to not be designed for him or her; the Sequoit with a need to shelter one’s emotions in an effort to provide guidance and logic; the Sequoit who capitalizes on the process of making others appreciate his or her viewpoint or game play; or the Sequoit who is seen as cold hard plastic on his or her exterior, but, instead, is someone who pushes him- or herself beyond greatness in fear of imperfection. For me, pink is a color that I’m not afraid to wear, despite people telling me that since I’m a guy I’m not
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supposed to “like” the color. I’m not saying I defy all gender stereotypes, but I find my liking of the color pink as an opportunity for me to say it doesn’t matter who you are, what you wear, or what gender you subscribe to—we each matter. Each issue I’m asked to write one of these notes, and each issue I find myself writing so many similar things and being more and more disappointed in what I write and why I write it. I feel like people look at these words, or maybe they don’t at all, and the time that I spend trying to articulate what these magazines mean in 600 words or fewer seems to become unrecognizable. Why? Because each magazine I follow a certain formula and what I say seems like a monotonous routine at this point. Much like how we all forget that pink means more than the girly qualities we traditionally subscribe to, sometimes I forget that these notes truly mean more than the surface-level text you traditionally read. The words that are expected to be in this note are critically important; they mean more than the character count I’m expected to fill or the structure I’m supposed to follow. These words, the one’s that give context to the magazine, are what make us (and me) passionate, resilient, charming and, well, perfectly imperfect. So, yeah, real guys wear pink. And so do girls. Why? Because pink helps us stick it to cancer or volley for a cure. Because pink is our chance to say that who we are cannot be defined simply by a color. Because pink is our adventure into our winter athletics and there wasn’t a better choice than this one. So, pink. The pages of this magazine tell the stories of those Sequoits who emulate the characteristics found in the color pink. In this magazine, social media coordinator Mikayla Holway writes about some of the athletes who are so passionate about their respective sports that they joined that are typically reserved for the opposite gender. Assistant digital director Emily Torres focuses on those who don’t show their emotions in life: the stoics of our community. The last feature, written by digital director Kaylee Schreiner and team leader Peter Boeh, focuses on chasing perfection on and off the court. Senior social media coordinator Jared DeBoer brought a team to the Gymnastics Zone, including a special to the Tom Tom reporter senior Max Barton, to give it the good ‘ole Tom Tom try with our new gymnastics team. As always—enjoy.
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. Hackeloer Jacob R. Johnson Alex L. Rapp Emily M. Torres
SENIOR EDITORS Lauren N. Bluthardt Jessica L. Lamberty John P. Petty Monica E. Wilhelm
Coordinators SOCIAL MEDIA Jared D. DeBoer Emily C. Hanes Mikayla M. Holway PHOTOGRAPHY Jessica J. Nettgen Steffanie A. Richardson Kat B. Zamudio
TEAM Peter A. Boeh Dan D. Filippone Alexandra C. Johnson McKenna R. Kalisz Madisen M. Krapf Valerie N. Rasmussen Eleni A. Sakas Karley K. Rogalski
staff journalists
Gianna M. Chiappetta Joyclyn L. Crawford Caden M. Davis Taylor A. Feltner Merrick W. Foote Avery J. Frasch Kayla E. Grenke Emily A. Higgins Robert S. Hulting Joseph M. Kestian Alexandria Q. Knight Emily Lara
Ella M. Maggio Julia M. Murillo Benjamin J. Nauman Jadda C. Pope Ashly M. Ring Tyler S. Skutnik Matthew P. Soberano Kevin E. Tamayo Sadie M. Vanderwall Skyler R. Wackenhuth Mollie T. Wagner Sierra M. Ward
staff interns
Haley Aitken Charlotte Bongratz Gavin Calabrese Evan Day Andrew DeBoer Matthew Edmark Brianna Fisher Julia Hackeloer Kaitlyn Howe Jackson Hugener Isabelle Hunter Jake Ilkka Sofia Klem Madison McBride
Alexis Olson Maggie Quirke Alexander Riedel Alessia Rivera Grace Rowe Maya Schon Rilee Schreiner Sarah Smith Cassidy Thomas Katelyn Vaskovsky Beatriz Warnes Alison Weiser Walker Winkler
mission statement
The Tom Tom seeks to not only be the premier source of student news, sports and lifestyles at Antioch Community High School, but it also aspires to do so with integrity, respect, responsibility and pride. The Tom Tom believes wholeheartedly in giving voices to the voiceless through unique engaging methods of storytelling, while engaging with the Antioch community to see diverse and challenging perspectives. In doing so, we choose to tell some of the more challenging or untold stories even when they can be controversial in order to make our community stronger, more caring, and more tolerant. This program envisions a holistic experience of quality journalism through print publications and digital content, as well as promotes student spirit and school culture through innovative and inspiring public relations and advertising campaigns. We are the Tom Tom. We are originals. It would be an awfully big adventure if you choose to come along with us and work as one community, One Sequoit.
JASON R. WOOD editor-in-chief
THE TOM TOM STAFF
2017-2018
BEAT THE
FAT
Athletes must train their stomachs just as much as their muscles.
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MATTHEW P. SOBERANO tom tom staff // @matt_sobes
hat makes an athlete lose weight? Is it their workout? “Yes, if you diet correctly and eat well, you have a lot more The amount of time they exercise? While all of those energy than if you eat bad that day,” freshman wrestling coach take affect in losing weight, it’s their diet that’s the Luke Karner said. “If you skip a meal or don’t drink a lot of water, biggest factor. you’ll notice that your performance is a lot worse. The idea is that Professional athletes have been using their diets to gain when you eat better, you feel better as well so you can perform weight, lose weight and have better performance in their sport. better on the mat and when you’re in practice.” Studies from Better Health Channel have shown that diets even Performance is also affected by diet. A slice of pizza is going help an athlete’s performance in whatever sport that he/she is in. to give an athlete less energy compared to a grilled chicken However, most athletes in high school don’t have a healthy breast. If an athlete eats better, then they will feel better in the meal plan. The food that surrounds them denies an athlete’s sport and at home; their confidence levels may also rise just from chances of getting a salad or a sub-sandwich. On top of that, the choosing a healthy meal plan. healthier foods are even more expensive than the unhealthy opIf an athlete wants to lose weight, cardio and plyometrics are tions. A turkey sub is around $3.00. On the other best. If an athlete wants to gain weight, lifting, along hand, a slice of pizza and fries is around $2.00. with large amounts of protein, is best. DID YOU KNOW? “Having a balanced plate is the best,” freshman “When I’m dieting for wrestling, I usually have 90 percent football coach Matthew Larsen said. “You want a banana or apple for breakfast, something small,” of Americans your carbs, such as sweet potatoes; you want vegvarsity wrestler and sophomore Luke Menzies said. consume more etables like broccoli and spinach. The lean meats “Then, throughout the school day, I drink lots of water calories than are also really important. You want things that are to stay hydrated but the next time I eat is at dinner they’re supposed to. high in healthy carbs and protein.” after practice which is usually a well balanced meal Not all healthy foods have to be fruits and vegwith chicken and some vegetables.” US DEPARTMENT etables. There are multiple variations of meal plans Diets are extremely beneficial in terms of everyday OF HEALTH AND HUMAN that involve different meats, starches and grains life whether you’re an athlete or not. If someone SERVICES that taste good at the same time; the variations are tries to go on a strict diet of minimal food it can be endless. unhealthy. Athletes must find the perfect balance be“Some sports restrict your diet, such as wrestling, where you tween healthy food and healthy portions as well as having enough want to lose weight, or you could have a lineman who eats super energy to compete in whatever sport they’re doing, to be able to unhealthy but works out at the same time,” Larsen said. stay focused in the classroom, and on homework. If executed Diets also come with struggles. The amount of effort it takes correctly an athlete’s mood, grades and performance will have an to pick up a salad instead of pizza is harder than most think. immediate improvement. And the athlete as well as the coach will be happier.
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OFF THE FIELD | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
JR Johnson
FIRE, MEET ICE
Fall sports are the opening to the school year; however, winter sports are a refuge from the icy, cold air. ELENI A. SAKAS team leader // @eleni_sakas
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ith the transition from one season to the next nearly complete, some athletes have retired their jerseys to relax while others jumped right into another season. And with that change, some Sequoits question which season is really more worthwhile to celebrate. FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL: HIGH POPULARITY Two of the most popular sports at Antioch Community High School, football and basketball, are also the most comparable to each other. Football has the benefit of comfortable fall weather and basketball can be seen as a hideaway from winter’s fury. Both sports also have multiple coverage outlets, such as Twitter accounts, and are debatably the most popular sports at Antioch. Also, both sports have the biggest fan sections and the Cardinal Crazies to cheer them on. Popularity of a sport can be determined either by the number of athletes participating or the amount of fans attending the event. During the fall season, the stands are packed with families and friends and the student section is filled with Cardinal Crazies in order to cheer on the Sequoit football team. “I believe football is more popular than basketball because football is a contact sport,” junior Tommy Maloney said. “People enjoy watching people hit each other and try to out-compete each other.” On the other hand, basketball is a sport of constant action with consis6
tent results. “The competition [in basketball] in general is fun, but the bond you make with teammates on and off the court is also one of the most enjoyable parts for me,” junior Jack Gillespie said. In the end, both sports are fun to attend or to participate in, no matter the circumstances. Basketball is a fast paced sport that always keeps players and fans on their toes and football is a strategic game that has the most school spirit. CHEER AND DANCE: TRYOUT PROCESS The winter season also brings up the unique “re-tryout” process, which the cheer and dance teams both require. The repeat tryout process consists of a new reevaluation. Dancers are required to learn three combinations to be performed in front of the coaches in groups of two. The coaches then call out each dancer individually. Cheerleading competition tryouts require stunting, tumbling and different jumps. Many say that it’s a fair evaluation because it allows for the best to remain on the team. “I definitely think it’s necessary for dancers to re-tryout because it gives them a chance to achieve more skills and allow the coach to set higher standards for the competition season,” freshman Kara Galarneau said. Senior dancer Danielle Bay finds the extra tryout process to be beneficial for the team. “It gives [one] the opportunity to grow as a dancer and makes sure that everyone is placed where they should be as the season begins,” Bay said. Freshman cheerleader Grace Acello loves the challenge of trying out a second time.
“For me, I know my weak spots,” Acello said. “I strived to be on varsity and made sure I did everything I could to be placed where I wanted to.” The similar repeat tryout process for both sports allows for a fair evaluation of each athlete and allows for a fresh start to the next stage in the season. BOYS SOCCER AND WRESTLING: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Soccer is a fast-paced sport that requires high intensity intervals as well as mental strength capabilities. Wrestling is a demanding sport that involves endurance and pure strength. Both sports mean different strengths and weaknesses. Boys soccer requires more endurance and wrestling requires more physical strength. There are pros and cons to both are cardiovascular and muscle building exercise. Cardiovascular exercise allows for decreased blood pressure and greater endurance while strength training allows for increased muscle mass and healthy blood circulation; however, each sport requires different levels of each. “I think [wrestling strength conditioning] helps you gain strength because you are constantly using your whole body whether it be in a match or at practice,” junior varsity wrestler Blake Juszczyk said. “Most of your muscles are being used throughout and I just think that helps make you stronger and improve your physical ability.” On the other hand, soccer is beneficial for endurance-based training because of the running it requires. “Soccer is more than running,” senior varsity soccer player Gabriel Tijerina said. “It’s lateral movement, jogging, sprinting, walking and different levels of intensity throughout a game. This simulates interval training which is the best and fastest way to build endurance.” Even though both sports ask for different types of strengths, they each use them to their benefit for what their sport requires. GIRLS TENNIS AND BOWLING: UNDERRATED Finally, there are also teams that are not the most well-known such as girls tennis and bowling; however, both are underrated sports. Girls tennis had senior Kelsey Neville being the fifth person in Antioch’s history to qualify for state all four years of her high school career. Bowling also raised their participation numbers and alumna Jayme Bailey and senior Sam Knab moved onto sectionals last year. Tennis and bowling are sports just like any other—they both require determination, commitment and teamwork. Both sports also have unique and different results for each athlete.
Jillian Everett
Jessica Nettgen
Matthew Soberano
“You don’t worry about what is happening in your life you get to relax and enjoy having fun with your friends,” freshman Alyssa Olsen said. Junior Emily Gardner has been playing tennis for her entire high school career and finds the fun in the sport. “Tennis is more of a mental game and I love having to fight for every match,” Gardner said. “The winner is determined by who wants it more and who is willing to play harder.” The two sports deserve to be well-known because they both include hardworking athletes
and require commitment, just as much as any other sport. Fall and winter sports differ in countless ways. Not only do they differ in their requirements for exercise, tryouts and popularity but they all also offer a season of passion and commitment. Sequoits go into sports for different reasons, but at the end of the day, whether it’s a fall or winter sport, the blood, sweat and tears are all the same.
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OFF THE FIELD | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
SEQUOIT TO SEQUOIT: PLAY VERSUS STAY
P
F
Jacob Johnson
rom a young age, we are asked a question that defines us for the rest of our life: what do you want to be when you grow up? Some of the most popular responses involve ideas that spark from the endless imagination that resides within a child’s mind. A princess. A superhero. An astronaut. The President. From the first time I was asked that question, and still to this day, my response has remained the same: a MONICA E. professional soccer player. WILHELM senior editor // When I first touched a soccer ball, I was always @twitterlessmon thinking a step ahead. After realizing how high I set my bar, I decided to make goals that will come together to fulfill an end result. In elementary school, it was making the boys travel soccer team. In upper grade, it was making the girls “A-Team” at my new club. At the start of my freshman year, it was making the varsity soccer team and becoming a starter all four years of high school. As a senior in high school, I have finally learned to stop skipping steps in my life. I decided to focus on the here and now as I finish my last season as a Sequoit, as well as the near future as a Big Ten goalkeeper for the University of Iowa. Soccer has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and has become more than just a game, but a way of life. I can truthfully say that it is and will remain a part of me for the rest of my life. It has not only taught me how to develop into an athlete, but as a person as well. Soccer showed me the ropes of life with a ball at my feet and gloves on my hands. I was fortunate to find something early in life that taught me what true happiness was. I knew I wanted to play Division I soccer when I knew that I couldn’t live without the sport. Playing soccer at the collegiate level is not just another goal to check off my list. It has been a journey that I have been waiting to be a part of since the day that I had started the recruitment process. I chose to continue my career because I have always wanted to play at the highest level possible. For me, playing Big Ten soccer was the answer. I have always been obsessed with the game. Whether its watching, practicing or playing, I just flat-out love being around the sport every chance I get. There is no other feeling like the adrenaline that rushes through your body before and during every step taken onto that field. I play for the pressure that puts the excitement in the game. I play for the passion that sparks the flame in an athlete’s heart, mind and soul. I play for the love that found a young girl years ago; that love is named soccer. 8
laying sports is a huge commitment no matter what level you play. As people get older and physically capable of doing more, the competition rises as well. Continuing to play at higher levels becomes a huge challenge. There are too many factors that come into play while balancing NICOLAS L. sports and college; because of this, CHIAPPETTA not playing sports in college is the right public relations director // decision for me. @nico_chiappetta A commonly misinterpreted idea of college is an excessive amount of time. In reality, college students have very little time, especially for sports. Studying and doing homework for classes eats up most of a student’s time, leaving little for other activities. I believe those other activities should partake in finding job opportunities for your future career, like finding an internship or a job that relates to your future plans. If someone is in a sport, then time to do homework is significantly reduced. Student-athletes are then forced to miss practices, copy a friend’s work or just not do homework at all. These disadvantages lead to poor grades and falling behind in classes. If a coach notices a player is failing classes, they can hold them back from playing games until their grade is back up. If not, then the player can be kicked off the team. Another reason I’m choosing not to play sports in college is because of the amount of work I will get from classes. College has a heavier workload than high school does. Students taking AP courses constantly complain about the workload or how fast paced the class is, but that is exactly how college classes are. When taking notes, professors will fly through their presentations and will not really answer questions; students will have to come in after class or join study groups with other classmates to better understand the class material, which takes up more of students’ personal time. Season after season can get very exhausting, especially after eight or nine years. I played baseball for eight years before coming into high school. When freshman year rolled around, I was too gassed from past years that I didn’t want to play anymore. The game wasn’t fun at that point, it was so boring and slow-paced. If I were to play football in college it would end up the same way as baseball; I would lose the love for the sport. I gave everything to it, but now I’m sick of it. Plus, I don’t think I can play at a professional level, so I don’t really find a reason to play anymore. I’ve accepted that fact, and I want to focus on more important things that are beneficial for me and my future. I will never grow away from sports. Choosing not to play doesn’t mean I won’t follow it at all. I’m still going to support my favorite teams and boo the ones I hate. There are still club and intramural sports for people to join that aren’t as time consuming. What I’m looking forward to most in college is finally taking a step back and becoming a super fan.
THE RISE AND FALL AROUND GAME DAY The atmosphere of practice before and after a game impacts the way the team performs in all aspects of a sport.
KARLEY K. ROGALSKI team leader // @karley_rogalski
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he performance level of a team during a match relies on how much effort they give at practice. If athletes come into practice hoping to learn something new and wanting to give their all, then they are more likely to retain what they learned and execute skills correctly during a game or match; however, if athletes come to practice with a bad attitude or if they do not want to be there, then it is possible that they will become confused during a game and let the team down by not doing their job. “We each have our own warm ups with our partners and then we’ll come together, do ten sprints and get ready to wrestle,” varsity wrestler and junior Mikey Volkmar said. “We give 100 percent of our effort. Our practices don’t change until the end of the season when we get to the state series.” Practice before a game is a time where teams can go over what they want to accomplish during a match, learn about tactics that the other team will use and put together a plan in order to come out with a win. Teams can also use this time to learn how to work together so that they can trust one another to do their jobs during games and matches. “Before a game, we usually focus on our offensive and defensive plays just so we know what to do and what to expect from the other team,” senior girls varsity basketball player Amy Vazquez said. “Drills help us improve on things we should be doing in games.” After winning a match, the entire team tends to have an uplifted mood. Once practice comes the next day, most are ready to reflect on the win and discuss what they did well in order to learn more and keep up their winning streak. Winning also gives the team a reason to practice with a high work rate so that they do not let the rest of their team down. “We won about 75 to 80 percent of our matches on varsity,” former varsity bowler and senior Taylor Comer said. “Everyone is expected to bowl their best, but if you bowl too hard and overthink it, then it’s only going to hurt you in the long run.” All teams want to win games; however, there are times when teams are not up to par and they end up losing. When the team comes to practice the next day, tension tends to be higher because of a loss and everyone wants to try harder in order to prove they can win the next game. Also, coaches pay more attention to drills during practice because
he/she wants to fix the mistakes that were made in the previous game so that they do not reoccur in future matches. “We usually work on the things that we made mistakes on and watch game tapes to know what we did wrong and what we can do to fix it for the next time,” Vazquez said. “There is a lot of effort put in because our coaches expect us to push ourselves so that we learn that we needed to work harder in order to get another win. Our coaches are definitely harder on us if we lose because they expect us to win and they want us to be successful.” By going over what was done in practice, teams are able to cement skills into their brains so that they do not forget what to do during game time. When a team wins a game, practice tends to be better in all aspects for the entire team; however, if a team loses, practice can be harder and more intense for everyone on the team. By doing this, teams are able to practice without losing focus while working on drills that help fix mistakes that were made in past games or matches.
Kat Zamudio 9
ON THE FIELD | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
WA N T A R E P L AY ? HEAD OVER TO SEQUOITMEDIA.COM AND R E A D O U R S TA F F E R S ’ E X P E R I E N C E GIVING IT THE GOOD ‘OLE TOM TOM T RY AT G Y M N A S T I C S . 10
TomTomTries: GYMNASTICS See what happens when these athletes leave their comfort zones to jump on a beam, swing on the bars, tumble on the floor and take on the vault. JARED D. DEBOER social media coordinator // @jddeboer098
EMILY M. TORRES asst. digital director // @emily_marilynnt
JOSEPH M. KESTIAN tom tom staff // @j_kestian9
MAX BARTON special to the tom tom // @max_barton13 11
THE AZALEA PINK ISSUE features 120117
Jacob Johnson 13
FEATURES | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
IGNORING REALITY WITH OUR OWN SILENCE
Students, athletes and teachers who tend to hide their emotions behind a masked face don’t do it for the attention. EMILY M. TORRES asst. digital director // @emily_marilynnt
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o emotion, standing still and ignoring reality in silence. Some people in this world don’t show their emotions easily. They brush everything off as if it was nothing to them. Almost as if they are walking through the halls with headphones in, not hearing a single word from anyone. Sometimes, they just don’t want to show their emotions in order to save someone else. There are students, athletes and teachers in the school that don’t show their emotions because they don’t feel the need to or they choose not to because it is not something they’ve known. They might have had struggles in their life that have made them quiet so they try to keep to themselves; they may not know what it’s like to express their feelings without something negative occurring due to it. “It’s really hard for me to show my emotions to my students and I don’t understand why,” orchestra and band teacher Michael Riggs said. “You would think that as a musician, emotion is one of the things that happens in art. I don’t feel like I show a lot of emotion. I feel like my students would probably say that the only emotion I ever express to them is when I’m irritated about something that they’ve done or not done.” While he may show irritation at times, Riggs recognizes that he needs to support his students if they do something good and that he must praise them as well. Students sometimes don’t understand that most teachers want to be there for them and they only want the best for their students. Usually, students don’t think of this because their teacher doesn’t express it enough even when they mean to express it. “I try to let them know when I think something has gone well; I try to let them know when I’m proud of them when they’re playing well or if they do something good,” Riggs said.
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For Riggs, revealing his emotions to his friends and colleagues is easier than to his students. “In the music department, especially, we get along really well,” Riggs said. “We joke around a lot. We hangout a lot; we do many things together both in school and professionally. We’re friends outside of school. I think we’re a lot more open.” For Riggs, expressing himself in a professional way to his students is imperative; however, he still wants to be both personable and professional towards his students. “I try to be even-keeled, but I also try to sort of do what happens,” Riggs said. “If something good happens, then I try to be happy about it. I try to go with the flow, but you also don’t want to be pitched back and forth by that flow.” Some students, compared to their teachers, show an immense amount of emotions; however, there are many students that don’t express their feelings as easily as others. The same goes for student athletes; some show a lot of emotion, while others will bite their tongue trying not to say anything or act out and hurt their teammates. “I don’t try to [show my emotions] because if our team looks up at the ceiling or if we show our hands at the ref our coach takes us out,” senior varsity basketball player Olivia Ori said. Not only during regular games is it hard for athletes to keep their emotions in tact, but it is also extremely hard during intense games that an athlete and coach care about winning. “One of the hardest experiences trying to keep in my anger was one of our big rivalry games; it was a championship for a tournament and I fouled out,” Ori said. “It was a really bad call and I wasn’t even by the foul line, but I couldn’t yell or anything because my coach was already freaking out. I tried to just stay positive for the rest of my team.” For student athletes, keeping in anger may or may not come easily to them. Some may show it as soon as something happens, while others will try to hold it in as much as they can in order to not disappoint or make their coaches or teammates upset. This also might happen in school where there may be an occurrence that happens to anger a person;
Steffanie Richardson
Jacob Johnson
however, they might not react right away or won’t react at all. On the other hand, some may react as soon as possible and they may become negative about the situation rather than staying positive for the people around them. “During the school day, I like to try to stay positive and focus on other things if I’m that upset,” Ori said. Junior basketball player Robby Christiansen believes that while playing a sport it is hard to keep in emotions, but that sometimes athletes have to try. “I would say I get mad a decent amount,” Christiansen said. “Obviously when things don’t go your way and you’re very competitive you’re going to get angry but you have to keep it in so that you don’t do something stupid, you should never fix a mistake with another mistake and I think that’s important towards being a good competitor and a good teammate.” Along with being a good teammate, there are times when people get under one another’s skin and they don’t agree on much or they will argue over who’s right and who’s wrong; however, some teammates may feel that they don’t seem to care about what others are saying while some do care a tremendous amount. “If anger towards a teammate ever happens, nearly one hundred percent of the time it’s better to not say anything or call them out,” Christiansen said. “All that does is create negative energy on the team and that’s never good. If I ever am going to say something to a teammate, [then] I️ always make sure it’s in a positive way.” Being on a team can make some people get angered quickly and blow things out of proportion, while others may just sit back and let it all fold out on the court. This is where competitiveness kicks in because teammates are fighting, which may lead to them trying to one up the other. When the more outgoing person wins, the silent one should not be surprised since their teammate took more of an initiative.
“Freshman year, basketball summer camp was a big deal because it gave first impressions for the future coaches you’d have later on in high school,” Christiansen said. “It took me longer to form relationships with those coaches and show them my potential because I was a little hesitant being a freshman and not wanting to mess up in front of them, but I think if I would’ve shown them my passion, then it wouldn’t have taken so long to form those relationships with the coaches.” Whether it is a rivalry with a teammate or a rivalry with another school, there will always be feelings that are taken over by one staying focused. Some don’t feel anything as they get ready to take the field or the court. They sit and they wait and they play; they wait for their opportunity to show their dedication to their sport without letting other distractions get to them. “Games against Lakes and Grant are always filled with emotions due to a rivalry between us, but playing against Grant freshman year was tough because we’ve had a rivalry with them since 6th grade,” Christiansen said. “The game really wasn’t going our way and it looked really ugly, so it was tough losing to them as bad as we did but it’s just motivation to do better next time.” Rivalry games and rivalries between teammates can distract one from focusing on their sport. Even when people get distracted by different things, some will still focus on what they need to do. They enjoy their sport and don’t want anything to get in the way of that so they try to keep quiet. Athletes, students and teachers are all alike and different in the ways that some keep quiet and others act out publicly. Some keep in their feelings and express anger or irritation with an eye roll, while others use their emotions with words. It’s the ones who don’t say anything while they’re frustrated that show the greatest amount of competitiveness while not being overconfident—the silent ones are ignoring everything, focused on one goal: their sport. 15
FEATURES | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
KAYLEE S. SCHREINER digital director // @kayschr06 PETER A. BOEH team leader // @peter24boeh
P
erfection is defined as the condition, state or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects. This is the goal that most people have in mind; it is the one thing, above all, that people strive to be. Most would agree that achieving complete perfection is impossible; however, every day people are labeled as “perfect” due to the extraordinary qualities and characteristics they possess that help them overcome their weaknesses. This is especially true for the “perfect player.” In athletics, the perfect players do anything, on and off the field, to help their team succeed. These players are well-rounded individuals that know what they need to do and do it. The “perfect players” are ready to give their all for their team at any given moment and often possess a certain knowledge about the game that their other teammates may not have. But even the most well-rounded players face challenges during a game. “Overthinking causes me to be more cautious which slows down my reaction time,” senior varsity soccer player Ella Roberts said. “I can get caught up in the moment and [allow] things to get to my head.” There are weaknesses that these so-called “perfect players” have that others do not see. Oftentimes, people just look at the surface instead of seeing what is really happening underneath. Every person faces problems and distractions in their life and the best players are no different; even perfect athletes are human. Just as perfection does not exist in the real world, it does not exist in athletics either. There is not one person that can make every shot they take, but a lot of times, others expect these miracles out of the best players
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PERFECTLY imperfect 17
FEATURES | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
Peter Boeh simply because they are expected to do well. Every athlete, no matter their skill level, must constantly work to better their game because it is not possible to be perfect in every aspect. “As an athlete, there are always things people [can] work on to make themselves the best they can be,” senior varsity basketball player Nicholas Galante said. “I think it’s hard to narrow it down to just one thing that sticks out, there is a lot of I still have to work on.” Athletes chase perfection in hopes of getting closer to it; whether that means practicing every single day or conditioning for hours, the idea of being better than other players, being the absolute best, drives a player’s game. Despite perfection being an unrealistic goal that can never be achieved, the idea of obtaining it still drives the way athletes train and perform. For varsity volleyball player and junior Emmy Faber, the idea of perfection motivates her to try and make every pass, serve and hit to improve her game. “Being perfect is a goal that I set for myself because I know I will never get there but I can come close to it,” Faber said. Though perfection is one of the best motivators for athletes, it can also be the one element that imposes the most stress and pressure on them. For some athletes, missing a shot or not getting a hit each time up to bat is failure; if their team loses, then they blame themselves. All of the opportunities that they missed replay in their thoughts instead of the successes they may have had during that game. The pressure to be perfect in their sport makes an athlete feel personally responsible for every win and loss they or their team may face. “I get angry at myself if I mess up because I want to do well for my team and I hate the feeling of my team suffering for my mistake[s],” varsity softball player and junior Megan Lawrence said. Some “perfect players” may feel the need to step-up and make the big play because of the pressure they put on themselves. If they are not playing “perfectly” then they are not playing to their best ability. A lot of 18
the pressure that an athlete endures comes from themselves. Oftentimes, a person is their own greatest critic. The pressure these “perfect players” place on themselves to be the one player their teammates turn to make that game winning shot can, at times, be more harmful than beneficial. “I do feel pressure to be 100 percent successful in my sports and most of that pressure I put on myself,” varsity athlete and junior Piper Foote said. “I believe that if I perform well, the rest of my team will perform well, so I really pressure myself into competing to the best of my ability 100 percent of the time.” Playing “perfectly” is established by putting in extra time regardless of whether or not the athlete is at practice. The desire of some athletes that strive for perfection and put in extra effort can build the respect and trust of their other teammates, but can also place a lot of negative pressure upon an athlete. “I put pressure on myself to play perfectly in my sport,” Lawrence said. “I practice really hard outside of softball so I can play the best I can.” For any athlete, the only way to get better at a sport is to put even more time in; “perfect players” embrace this challenge and push themselves to surpass excellence and become the best. However, the reality is that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses that makes them successful at what they do. An athlete gets playing time, not because they can do everything perfectly, but because they have specialities. Having a team full of players that have different specialties is what makes a great team, not having a team full of perfect players. There is no such thing as perfection; it is an illusion sculpted by each individual to symbolize all of the characteristics in themselves that are missing or that they find unsatisfactory. A person cannot be the best at everything; but that does not stop people from trying. The “perfect player” may step-up and lead the team, but even they have faults that are difficult to overcome. For athletes, competing with the idea of perfection can be both beneficial and detrimental, but either way, everyone has weaknesses and that is what makes them perfectly imperfect.
PASSION. Jacob Johnson
Some athletes are couragus enough to go against the stream and join a sport expected for the “opposite gender.” MIKAYLA M. HOLWAY social media coordinator // @mikaylaholway
B
eing passionate is different for everyone—some people view female athletes involved in traditionally male sports, according to the Illinois High School Association, or males involved female sports, according to the IHSA, as extremely courageous for their undying passion to participate in a sport they love, despite being out of the ordinary; these athletes are putting themselves in the open for ridicule and judgment, but they’re also putting themselves in the best position for success. According to sophomore Paul Valdivia-Valencia and freshmen Sharon McAllister and Alex Chadzynski, they are not courageous, they are just doing what they love. “I do not believe that I am courageous because I am a girl that plays football,” McAllister said. “If people really want to play football because they enjoy it, no matter their gender, I feel that they should play it.” McAllister was introduced to football at an early age and was eager to play. She started playing as an 8th grader for the Antioch Vikings football program and loved it. Being the only girl
on the teams she played for made her very nervous and she felt as if she needed to be accepted by her teammates. “My teammates don’t treat me any differently than they would to the others on my team,” McAllister said. “My classmates don’t treat me differently either; they might be like, ‘that’s so cool you play football!’ But other than that, they don’t treat me differently than anyone else.” Valdivia-Valencia is a sophomore on the junior varsity cheerleading team. After watching his sisters’ practices and doing tumbling at a young age, Valdivia-Valencia started to find interest in cheerleading in 4th grade. He decided this year to try out for the competition cheer team; he was supported by all of his friends and his family encouraged him to join the team. “It’s different because not many guys do cheerleading and there are only two of us so it’s really different and fun,” Valdivia-Valencia said. “I’m setting an example that it’s not just a girl’s sport and that any gender can do it if they chose to.” Unlike Valdivia-Valencia, Chadzynski was on the varsity cheer team during football season and is now on the junior varsity competition team. “Honestly, I enjoy the sport a lot and other people’s opinions don’t matter much to me,” Chadzynski said. “I have friends that joke around with it, but I feel proud that I’m in a sport that requires [me] to be in really good physical shape.” Although being involved in these sports as the “opposite” gender is courageous, it more so shows character and the passion each athlete has for his/her respective sport. For all athletes, doing extra work on the side is an important key to success; some athletes have to work even harder to have the same skills as their teammates. Due to the fact that cheerleading is stereotypically seen as a female sport, males participating may have to do extra workouts and flexibility activities to keep up with the team; the same goes for a female playing in a male-dominated sport and her needing to participate in other activities that may increase her success in areas male athletes may have more natural abilities in, such as physical strength and conditioning. “We all stunt and tumble, but because I’m a boy I have different expectations like being really strong,” Valdivia-Valencia said. For the cheerleaders, Chadzynski and Valdivia-Valencia are expected to be strong and be able to lift a girl easily. Valdivia-Valencia does weightlifting and private tumbling lessons. On the other hand, for football, McAllister isn’t expected to do anything different from the rest of her teammates. Although McAllister doesn’t have different expectations, she still chooses to do extra work during her free time to be ready for whatever comes her way. “I don’t feel like I have to do many things on the side to keep up with them,” McAllister said. “The only 19
FEATURES | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
I’M DOING THIS FOR ME
AND NOT ANYONE ELSE.
CHEERLEADING BECAUSE IT I’M INVOLVED IN
MAKES ME
HAPPY.
BECAUSE I’M
PASSIONATE. 20
Chloe Grass things that I might have to do is weightlift more often so I can be as strong as them or work on speed and agility.” Behind each of these athletes there are countless hours spent on training and working to be successful. From support of their friends, family and coaches they were courageous enough to join their sports. On the other hand, many of these athletes experienced moments where others around them were judgmental or disapproved of their involvement in the sporting program. “A couple years back I was telling a friend of mine about wanting to do cheerleading, and right away he snapped back by saying it’s only a girls sport and it made me feel less confident, so I lost interest,” Valdivia-Valencia said. “Then, when I started high school, I decided to join anyway because these years are the years you truly find out who you are as a person and I wanted to show that I am a very outgoing, energetic person and what better way to show it [than] the cheer team.” No matter what others say, these athletes continue to strive and not worry about others opinions. Being the only female or male (or two in the case of the cheerleading squad) in a sports program can be quite challenging, but Valdivia-Valencia, McAllister and Chadzynski all continue to thrive. “I love football because of the games; I like the rush and excitement especially right before a game,” McAllister said. “But I just really enjoy playing and being on the field with my team.” Although some people may think being involved in a male or female sport is inappropriate it’s because they don’t truly understand the passion behind each athlete. For most athletes being involved in a sport defines them, but to these athletes it is so much more. Joining a sport that many people would never try as the “opposite” gender and going against the stream takes a tremendous amount of courage and passion from each athlete.
“Joining a new sport is hard for everyone, but I’m doing this for me and not anyone else, Valdivia-Valencia said. “I’m involved in cheerleading because it makes me happy.” Sports have changed these athletes lives in so many ways, including mentally; having a team who always has their backs has helped them all get close to one another. By doing stunts and having to trust others in cheerleading, Valdivia-Valencia and Chadzynski had to learn to trust their team quickly. For McAllister, teamwork and overall support from her teammates helped her. “Football has made me a more social person, but also a better person in general,” McAllister said. “Football causes you to make bonds with your team and coaches and also requires some sort of leadership from each person, which is why I think football has made me a better person.” To these athletes, the feeling of stepping on to the field or floor before a game or competition is the best feeling in the world. The thrill of performing or playing with the crowd cheering makes their hearts beat even faster. Contributing to something so great and meaningful makes each athlete love what they’re doing more than ever. For the school, community and, most importantly, themselves, they work hard. “If I didn’t love football, I swear I wouldn’t have worked hard at all during or post season,” McAllister said. “Almost every day during summer that I had practice I would go to the gym before or after. Trying to become stronger and faster so I can be better in the sport. If I didn’t have passion for football I wouldn’t have even signed up.” Passion is a noun with three definitions: uncontrollable emotion, adoration and strong enthusiasm. Others may view passion as devotion, desire and obsession. Everyone can be passionate about something and other people may be more passionate than others. But the Sequoit definition for passion would certainly include Valdivia-Valencia, Chadzynski and McAllister. 21
BEYOND THE FIELD | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
/PERSONALITY
SPLIT
The difference in how athletes act when playing a sport versus not playing a sport. MERRICK W FOOTE tom tom staff // @mfoo42
22 #
P
ersonality is fluid, changing constantly over time and between different situations and environments. As people are exposed to new situations, they, in turn, become new people. While one may act and behave a certain way in their everyday life, they may change to being the exact opposite when they are thrust into an uncomfortable situation or an environment with a different tone than they are used to being around. One such environment is that of sports. The crucible of competition is often seen as a great experience, in which athletes are capable of near-inhuman feats of skill, speed and strength; however, few realize the affect that sports truly have on the participants and players while on the field. Many times, stress and pressure change the athletes entirely and morph their personalities. People may become nearly unrecognizable while in the middle of a game or match and oftentimes are this way while preparing for their sports during practices and scrimmages as well. Competition changes them, and the allure of being a champion turns them into they something usually are not.
this kind of mindset and personality is crucial to succeeding in a match, meet or tournament; however, in situations such as practices Fier is required to keep this in check. If he does not control himself, there is the possibility of injuring one of his teammates. Athletes such as Fier often change into completely different people when confronted with the challenges accompanied by sports. Another example of an athlete who changes when on the court is Arnold Glapajone. While best known as a math teacher and sophomore basketball coach at Antioch Community High School, Glapajone is also a skilled basketball player. Glapajone has played basketball since college recreationally and loves the sport, but he also recognizes the change in mentality needed to be successful during a game. What Fier and Glapajone have in common is that while fun, laid back and funny in their everyday lives, they both also find themselves tuned in, focused and serious when they start to compete. While laid back in his classroom, when it comes to playing basketball, Glapajone also finds himself
One specific example of someone who morphs during sports is junior Nicolas Fier. His switch in personality comes as soon as he shifts into sports. In particular, he notices a change within himself while he wrestles. Fier’s entire mindset changes and he realizes instantly that his difference in thinking and personality is needed to come out on top of his opponent. “When not playing a sport I’m generally a nice guy,” Fier said. “When I go into sports I need to turn into this mean, butt kicking machine.” Fier said that even though he is normally nice and fun to be around, when he starts getting into a sport he flips a switch and gets more aggressive, which helps him win matches and be a better athlete. On top of this, Fier said that while normally he is a sympathetic guy, as soon as his adrenaline is released before a match, his mindset changes entirely and his determination begins to kick in. “When I step onto the mat, I have to look at my opponents and not feel any sympathy,” Fier said. “I have to be able to do whatever I need to do to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.” In other words, Fier begins to see everything in a new way once he gets into a match. Fier changes into a heartless competitor who does not care about anything other than getting a win. In a sport such as wrestling, where inflicting pain is necessary to do well,
becoming a lot louder and talking much more while he is in the heat of the game. “I become a lot more vocal and I concentrate a lot more on everything I am doing,” Glapajone said. While Fier plays a sport in which everything he does is to benefit himself and win as an individual, Glapajone instead participates in a sport where he must be a team player. Both change who they are to get the win, but Fier does it for himself while everything Glapajone does is for his team. “I change to win and make my team better,” Glapajone said. “Hopefully it inspires them to do the same.” Glapajone and Fier change similarly, but their motives for changing are completely different. Their shift in personality is a key part of how they play and leads to an increased determination to win. For other athletes, the shift is not between their personal and athletic lives, but instead between two different sports. Junior Brad Parfitt plays football for ACHS and dances The star athlete might competitively for Shine Bright Dance Studio and realizes know what to do on the that his personality changes depending on what sport he field, but may not be plays. When playing football, Parfitt is more aggressive and at the top of the class humorous, but when switching into dance he becomes more when it comes to their studies. Yet, it seems focused. like a lot of the top ath“I feel I’m more serious in dance,” Parfitt said. letes in the school are Due to football being more of a team sport than dance is, also some of the most Parfitt feels that he is much closer with his football teaminvolved and dedicated in the classroom as mates than with his fellow dancers. Part of the reason that well. It is not easy to be Parfitt is closer with his football teammates is because he well-rounded, yet I begoes to school with them and sees them everyday. The othlieve it is more common er part is, he believes, simply that a football team is forced to that talent is a result of work together much more than a dance team is. On top of hard work, whether it is in school or on the feeling closer to his teammates in football, Parfitt also prefers playing surface... the sport of football to that of dance. “I [prefer] football because I have been doing it longer and I put more time into it during the season.” Parfitt said. To continue reading, Personality shifts happen for many people in new or visit www.sequoitmedia.com different situations. Different situations require different mentalities, and knowing when to act what way is important to winning games.
PERSPECTIVE: WITH THE FLICK OF A SWITCH JOHN P PETTY senior editor // @johnppetty From experience, I have always found that to the average person athletes are seen as robots. Afterall, robots only know how to do a couple things and do not care about anything other than their main interests. This may appear like the perfect analogy to some people because it may seem that athletes just go to school to play sports and keep their headphones in all day because they do not really care about their friends or what teachers have to say. To my understanding, it may be intimidating to see a 300+ pound offensive lineman walk down the hallway and it might not seem like a huge football player would worry about much other than football and trying to be bigger and stronger. This particular type of thinking, however, is simply not accurate.
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BEYOND THE FIELD | December 1, 2017 | The Azalea Pink Issue
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO
VALIDATE YOUR DREAM BY PILOT LINDY as told to branden gallimore
A
s a little girl, everything above me—the trees, the birds and the planes—always appeared not as something in my reach, but rather something up in the sky. Being in a plane as a passenger is one thing that I have always loved. To look down from above towards the earth and watch the beauty of nature has always mesmerized me. Being so free and open in the world like a bird is a feeling I have always wanted, so being able to achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a pilot was an indescribable feeling. I am proud enough to say that little girl always looking up into the sky amazed is now in the sky and controlling a 50,000kg airplane. Everyone has dreams, and plenty of them. At any given time someone can dream about anything they please, but, to me, a passion is something that not everyone has. People can someday hope to be a professional athlete or a doctor, but not everyone can have a burning passion for what they want to be some day. I, on the other hand, am one of those few people that have a burning passion and can say that they are really living up to it. Having my passion for flying validated is one thing that I will forever cherish, but the path to where I am today was not the easiest. At a young age, I thought becoming a pilot was nearly impossible, especially for a female. At around 15, I started spending a lot of my time researching. I spent hours looking at every aspect of what it takes to be a pilot and what it’s like. Eventually, I was lucky enough to get in contact with a few pilots and realized it was not so impossible after all. They warned me becoming a pilot took hard work, hours of studying and a lot of dedication, but it was not out of reach for me. The sky is very large, but it was not too large for me. In order to validate my passion, for months I studied from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., oftentimes forgetting about social life and sleep. I put in all of this time because I knew I needed to pass all 14 exams that came along with my flight school; I needed to get at least a 75 percent on each exam in order to pass. Due to all of the hard work and dedication I put into knowing the material necessary to become a pilot, I passed all exams with a 95 percent average, making my passion’s first flight one step closer to me. Aviation is one of those fields of work that is never
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ending, meaning all of the information I obtained in flight school I need to know throughout my whole career. So staying current with knowledge on our flying skills is what we do in the everyday job. Before getting into the everyday job, I had to face the everyday battle. This battle consisted of what was necessary to get through my flight school. During my time with my flight school, it was by no means easy, but having students around me with the same passion of being high in the sky made everything a lot less difficult. Once flight school in Spain was over, I had to wait my time; I had to wait to take hold of my opportunity. Patience is a virtue and having to
look at me any differently being a female pilot, and despite their belief in me, I have had situations with passengers thinking otherwise. Occasionally, a passenger will look a little deeper into the cockpit to make sure there is a male in there with me, but this really does not phase me at all. If I were to give advice to any female, not only in aviation, but in any male-dominated profession, it would be to not believe that you are any less than the males, because you are not. Do what you are asked to do and prove that you are just as good or better than the others. With aviation being a male-dominated profession, I guess you could say that I’m flying against the wind. Throughout my flying career so far, I have
wait was not easy. The day I graduated I was ready to get my flying career started, but a year after I graduated I finally got my wings. My experience in flight school led me on my path to my current employer. After a process, I received some of the best news in my entire life: I was hired as a pilot! This feeling was really indescribable. After all of the long hours of studying, the sleepless nights worrying if I could actually fly, and in hopes of validating my passion, I finally did what I always dreamed of as a little girl, and the feeling was even better than I ever imagined. Even though my dream was a reality now, the work that I put in did not slow down at all. Being a pilot is a very time consuming job, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I usually work around five days a week, and around four flights per day. These flights can vary from early in the morning until around 2 or 3 p.m., or starting around 2 p.m. and finishing up around midnight. Although this is a rigorous work schedule, I am rewarded with three to four days off to myself to rest. Being in the sky brings me great joy and pleasure, and the first time I was able to fly as a pilot was one I will never forget. When I first started flying, I was able to touch the controls after takeoff, and got to practice maintaining altitude, speed and heading. It was such a breathtaking experience being in the sky for the first time ever. After this, I went to working on maneuvers, turns, climbs and descents. But, when I got in the sky at the very start of validating my passion, it was like being in the sky for the first time ever again. With anything in life, there was some sort of adversity that comes along with it. Being a female, according to others, I’m not supposed to be a pilot. My colleagues do not
been documenting my trips, giving tips to future pilots and just showing my everyday life through YouTube videos and on my Instagram account. There was recently a CNN article written about me that was really amazing. Being able to see myself and my work on a world-wide known news website was truly awesome. Prior to this article, I had 87,000 followers on Instagram from my YouTube videos. But after CNN, my followers caught like wildfire. Now, I am over 100,000 followers and hope to obtain more to hopefully inform those who are interested in or don’t know much about aviation. Being so popular on social media was really not what my main goal was. I did not start my Instagram account to become “famous” or inspire others, it just kind of turned out that way. Although it’s hard to see myself as an inspiration, I find it truly fascinating that I am able to give others advice, show them what pilot-life is like and also to give them hope that becoming a pilot is really possible for males or females. I find it an honor to be this popular and to help others out like I aspire to do. I love being able to help out others, but I am still working to help myself out as well. In the future, I really want to discover more of the world. Even though I fly to places almost everyday, one of my goals is to be able to fly long haul, stay a few days at a destination and see how other countries and nations live. Yes, I am living my passion of flying as a pilot, but I still have more dreams I hope to achieve. Someday, I would like to become a captain and be able to take lead in the flights. The captain has most of the power, and being able to have all of that power in my hands would truly make validating my passion a success.
Pilot Lindy 25
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