The Tom Tom | September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019

THE DIGNITY ISSUE POPULARITY LABELS OBESSESSION TECHNOLOGY VALUES sequoitmedia.com

1133 Main Street. Antioch. Illinois. 60002

Volume 58. Issue 1.

THE DIGNITY ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 58, ISSUE 1, SEPTEMBER 2019

Perspectives

04

04 Editor’s Note 05 Staff Editorial 42 What it Feels Like

News

06

06 Vaping Culture’s Impact on the New Year 08 Social Media Influences the Environment 09 Coming Soon: Field House Arrives 2021

Lifestyles

10

10 11 12 13 14

Defining a Sequoit One Step Ahead of the Calculator The Man Made of Talent and Insults The Pumpkin Spice Craze Q&A: Daily Routines

Features

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04 Popularity 05 Labeled and Confused 08 Giving into the Darkness of the Blue Light

Sports

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22 Snapshots 40 Dress to Impress

SEQUOITMEDIA.COM

HEAD ONLINE TO READ THESE EXCLUSIVES SOPHOMORE STAFFER DIYA SCHON SERVED UP A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS AROUND TOWN TO GET A GOOD BITE TO EAT.

SOPHOMORE STAFFER KATIE QUIRKE LOOKED CLOSER INTO THE HOMEWORK POLICY AND HOW DIFFERENT TEACHERS IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS FEEL ABOUT ITS NEED AND IMPLEMENTATION.

SENIOR SPORTS CONTENT EDITOR MCKENNA KALISZ LOOKS AT VALUE AND UNDERSTANDING PERSONAL WORTH IN THIS MONTH’S ONLINE EXLUSIVE FEATURE, AN EXPLORATION OF DIGINITY.

THE TOM TOM STAFF | 2019-2020

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

CONTACT INFORMATION Mailing Address: 1133 Main St., Antioch, Ill. 60002 // Phone: 847-395-9433 Website: sequoitmedia.com Email: Staff members may be contacted by using their first name(dot)last name(at)chsd117.org MEMBERSHIP The Tom Tom belongs to the Kettle Moraine Press Association, Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honor Society.

FOLLOW US @sequoitmedia @sequoitsports @achstomtom @sequoitmedia @sequoitsports @achstomtom

ON THE COVER WE TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF LIFE. SO DOES HE.

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

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

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

VISUAL CONTENT EDITORS

ADVISER

Grace R. Acello Kyle A. Christian Kayla E. Grenke Emily Lara Brandon R. Reynolds Valerie M. Rosek

Merrick W. Foote

Patrick R. Johnson, MJE

THE TOM TOM MANAGING EDITORS Kara C. Galarneau Sarah M. Smith SEQUOITMEDIA.COM MANAGING EDITORS Emily A. Higgins Alessia N. Rivera THE FEATHER MANAGING EDITORS Kaitlyn A. Howe Madison R. McBride SPORTS MEDIA MANAGING EDITOR Avery J. Frasch

Taylor N. Mueller Izana S. Nordhaus Jadda C.L. Pope Alex K. Pritchard Elijah N. Reyes Adrian Ruiz

STAFF

Jazzmyn J. Roman

Haley M. Aitken

Grace A. Rowe

Khalil J. Anderson

Kristi D. Schon

Kylar A. Arias

Patrick T. Sheehan

Alexis M. Barbosa

Matt P. Soberano

Lucas M. Baronello

Austin M. Stewart

Sarah J. Benes

Miles J. Taylor

Charlotte M. Bongratz

William R. Torres

Reagan C. Brewer

Ngoc Tran

Daylia A. Brock

Kourtni N. Weldon

Tyler J. Cook

Walker A. Winkler

Gabrielle J. Debevec

CONTENT EDITORS

SOPHOMORE REMIGIJUS IVANOVAS GRACES THE COVER OF THIS MONTH’S ISSUE, A REFLECTION ON THE FACTORS OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND THE STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN DIGNITY.

Samantha J. Milliken

Julia C. Hackeloer Bridget J. Nauman Mollie T. Wagner Beatriz C. Warnes

SPORTS CONTENT EDITORS Evan M. Day McKenna R. Kalisz Brandon R. Pinto Rilee A. Schreiner Cassidy A. Thomas

Lena M. Devore Olivia E. Gerhardt Collin K. Glassman Lila R. Heilig Ethan R. Holmes Robbie S. Hulting Isabelle J. Hunter Jake T. IIkka Athan A. Kaliakmanis Sofia C. Klem

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Ryan A. Kolmers

Gavin R. Calabrese Madisen M. Krapf

Avery A. Krizanovic Adam J. Lynn Kyle A. Miller

SEQUOIT MEDIA TEAM

Iwona Awlasewicz, SBN Sam Worden, Sequoia & Finesse

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CHAIR Dee Andershock

ACHS ADMINISTRATION Eric Hamilton, Principal

Aryan Haren, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Scott Leverentz, Assistant Principal for Student Services Steve Schoenfelder, Athletic Director Teri Klobnak, Activities Director Patricia McGuigan, Dean Grant Murray, Dean

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

Volume 58 Issue 1 September 2019

COVER PHOTO MERRICK FOOTE

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

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

EDITOR’S NOTE

DIGNITY IS AT THE CENTER OF OUR MISSION, IDENTITY

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ife forces us to think, to adapt and to always move forward. Life brings us sadness, happiness and anger. Life takes us to triumphs and glories; life brings us through defeats and sorrows. Life is a spectrum, an array of feelings, experiences and changes. It’s about how you stay modest at your highest highs and how you stay hopeful in your lowest lows. It’s about never having regretsm but still taking the time to say you’re sorry. So when it came time for us to create a magazine about life and human dignity, we realized this was our chance to not only show the good times of life, but also to reveal the darker sides of what shapes people’s lives. It was our chance to say sorry for not always covering everyone, despite it being our mission to do so. It is our chance to start fresh and new with change and strength at the center of our renewed identity.

This year, the Tom Tom staff looks to make stronger partnerships within all of Sequoit Media, strengthen our sports programming and add a new publication to give the arts a platform to be celebrated and talked about. This year, our goal is to be better and stronger.

As a staff, we’ve gone through recent struggles, but we’re pushing hard to be better than we were before. Although we do see the value in sticking to our roots, we’ve decided this year to start from scratch. Everything we do this year is in an effort to redefine ourselves and rethink what Sequoit Media can be. For example, staffers Jake Ilkka and Walker Winkler created a multimedia display of Gordon Ramsay’s affect in the community, complete with a Tom Tom Tries video of them attempting to create a few of his signature recipes. On top of that, we’re making an effort to partner more with Sequoit Broadcast Network, as well as continue our success with our sports program, The Arrow. Another exciting addition to our ever-expanding roster of publications is the upcoming Feather, an arts and culture magazine that will be released later this semester. We’re doing all of this in an effort to reach more people and continue to celebrate Sequoits past, present and future.

In this magazine you’ll see many themes represented. On the lighter side we have things like an exploration of Pumpkin Spice Lattes and tips to maximize themed Friday Night Light outfits; try to help discover what it means to be a part of ACHS in staff member Taylor Mueller’s “Defining A Sequoit”; and highlight some students for excelling in math in Content Editor Julia Hackeloer’s “One Step Ahead of the Calculator.”

However, on the darker side of things we discuss recent natural disasters’ impact, explore what it’s like to lose your dignity, show how stereotypes affect people in Content Editor Bridget Nauman’s “How People Let Labels Define Them,” and explore how many people sacrifice things just to be accepted in Sports Content Editor Rilee Schreiner’s “Popularity.” This is just a glimpse into what this magazine and this year have to offer.

As always, thanks for reading. We hope you enjoy.

MERRICK W. FOOTE Editor-in-Chief

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STAFF EDITORIAL

A STEP IN TIME

As the district continues to look at the schedule of classes and school day for the upcoming school year, we believe there is a solution that will benefit ALL students. One that needs to be considered to honor the voices of the student body, provide more elective opportunites and secure a lunch.

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e like the number nine. Not for any particular reason outside of the fact it is the number of periods we believe we need to be in a school day for our schedule to be the most beneficial it can be to ALL the students in Community High School District 117. With the 2020-2021 school year in mind, changes to the current schedule are being considered in order to benefit the student body as a whole.

Eight periods. Sometimes nine if you are willing to count zero hour, and, for ten of us, we do. Eight periods is what we currently have in a school day.

Fifty minutes for each of those classes, with the exception of the five minute announcement bump in second hour. That makes 405 total minutes in our school day.

Based on the current minimum requirements, there is room for a study hall in nearly every student’s schedule. Yet, with only 318 students currently enrolled in study hall (not including students with a PE exemption or a lunch study hall), only 76.7 percent of the student body of

Antioch Community High School is not currently taking advantage of that perk.

For us, electives have priority over study halls.

We’re currently required to take a semester of fine arts, a semester of consumer education and one credit (or a year) of an Illinois elective, which includes career and technical education, fine arts and world languages. We choose to go beyond those basic requirements to take our media classes, but we also take: additional fine arts classes, three to four years of a world language, the AP Capstone sequence of classes or even more AP courses. Yet, we still don’t have time for one thing: lunch.

We understand the importance of maintaining healthy eating habits. We are fortunate that our teachers give us opportunities to eat when we don’t have lunch. We are thankful that our counselors give us the benefit-of-the-doubt to take a class in lieu of lunch. We, however, don't want to be forced to take a lunch if that means giving up the opportunity to take elective classes—classes that make school worth coming to sometimes.

PERSPECTIVES September 2019

Our proposal adds a ninth period to the day and reduces our classes to 45 minutes a piece. This means students can be required to take a lunch, but still be allowed to take eight classes. This, in some ways, can eliminate students taking a zerohour class because it can then be taken during the day. If we don’t go to a nine-period day and lunch becomes required, then we are risking the jobs of many faculty members—especially in the elective areas. While we respect that the District is attempting to do what’s right by us by making us take a lunch, we are asking the respect the dignity and livelihood of their teachers by not compromising their jobs to accommodate us for a semester or a year. We should all be valued; one shouldn’t be given priority over the other.

Our proposal asks the District to increase the minimum required credits for graduation from 22.5 to 25; however, we are not asking they add more to each core department requirement. We are asking the increase to be in elective classes, but not by specifying where those elective credits come from. Under the current model, students who achieve the minimum graduation credit requirement can take a study hall each year and graduate early (or take half days as seniors).

Increasing the graduation requirements will not only accommodate the updated schedule, but it will also encourage students to be more wellrounded in the classes they take outside of the core subject areas.

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NEWS September 2019

VAPING CULTURE’S IMPACT ON THE NEW YEAR Vaping is becoming more of a common epidemic within teens.

to Lakes, a newer building, all their bathrooms are open too.”

vapes and their effects on the adolescent body.

A

Teens hear about vaping in school, on television, in ads and from their parents almost everyday, which may lead to their suspicion of what it may feel like. Vaping culture has become a norm in many places. Still there is not much knowledge of the side effects on vaping.

“Teachers have had the opportunity to receive professional development which included examples of different types of vapes,” Murray said. “We expect to continue this education.”

Antioch Community High School Dean, Grant Murray, explained that the statistics of the number of students vaping at ACHS during the 2019-2020 school year have dropped compared to past years.

“A lot of people would describe vaping culture as a safe alternative to smoking,” freshman Emma Kolloff said. “[Vaping] has increased so much because commercials are consistently promoting vaping by saying don’t do it, but that makes people want to try it even more, unfortunately.”

culture that has become more prevalent across the country in teens is the use of vaping.

In the past few years, vaping has spread amongst all ages and has become an epidemic.

This summer renovations were done to the ACHS building: they upgraded the bathrooms and took the doors off of six of them. Students have speculated that the reasons the doors were taken off was to prevent vaping, but Murray explained that the change was the designers plan and had nothing to do with vaping.

“That was the design,” Murray said.

“Schools with newer bathrooms are open bathrooms as well. If you go over

New studies are showing that the chemicals in vapes are leading to possible cases of pulmonary disease, with several deaths potentially linked to vaping. FDA released a statement saying to stop vaping and now federal and state officials are investigating the nationwide outbreak, according to Yale Medicine.

At Antioch, teachers are required to go through training on the different types of

There is a divide in the students that vape and those who prefer not to participate.

Students may wonder where they can go if they see someone vaping the bathroom at school and who they can talk to.

“I would hope that there are enough bathrooms that students can find a peaceful place to do their business,” Murray said. “With that being said, we have bathrooms in the main office that students can use if they don’t feel comfortable.”

Every year data changes. As vaping culture progresses it reaches a wider range of teens. Vaping has taken on patterns very similar to smoking cigarettes leading to a more common epidemic in teens.

WRITER | Lena De Vore DESIGNER | Olivia Gerhardt

This infographic highlights the path that the dangerous natural disater took in the past few months on the east coast. The hurricane has devastasetd families by ripping into homes and communities and damaging personal belongings and the hopes of some Americans. It was the fourth named storm and first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season.

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCES THE ENVIRONMENT News reporting brings a variety of attention to natural disasters around the world.

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atural disasters are interpreted in many ways due to media coverage and news reports. The burning of the Amazon Forest is one of many examples of poor media coverage of natural disasters. Some say it took weeks for the world to become aware of the burning of the Amazon, while others say the burning was misinterpreted and was meant to benefit the forest. The media coverage of the fire spread awareness and was the source of rumors about the forest fire.

According to MSNBC, Jair Bolsonaro, the president of Brazil, has been accused of starting the fire intentionally due to feuds with those who live in the forest. It has also been said that he has not made an effort to stop the fire for the same reason. Some believe Bolsonaro has played a key

role in the deforestation that is literally fueling the flames of the Amazon.

Along with the rumors caused by social media and news reporting, there are also benefits of all the attention. Reporting of disasters around the world helps raise awareness and sometimes even money for the people affected.

Fundraisers and events such as the GoFundMe that was started by NBA player Buddy Hield, no matter how big or small, go toward helping the environment. This one in specific goes toward helping people in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, another current natural disaster, took away many homes, possessions and important belongings to the residents.

Similarly to people around the world, students at Antioch Community High School do their part around the community to help the environment.

Stephen Rose, the leader of the ACHS Environmental Club, helps the students in the club organize events that they take part in around the town.

“[We] spread awareness and do good things for the environment,” Rose said. “We recycle both downtown and at ACHS. We recycle shoes, ink cartridges and are looking into composting.”

Rose believes that people don’t truly understand what they have and when these things are taken away, it will be too late to get them back. Raising awareness in a positive way will hopefully allow people to make a difference in the world and prevent the destruction or loss of the important resources people need.

Whether or not social media and news coverage of natural disasters are helping or hindering the cause, there are many ways to take precautions for these disasters before they continue to spread and grow. Starting in a small town like Antioch, the rest of the world can take these simple steps to help the earth.

WRITER | Sarah Smith DESIGNER | Madisen Krapf & Kourtni Weldon ILLUSTRATOR | Madisen Krapf

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NEWS September 2019

COMING SOON: FIELD HOUSE ARRIVES 2021

The field house will be used for a number of sports and will benefit the district and greater Lake Villa and Antioch communities.

CHSD117 Rendering

This design, provided by the District 117 Board, depicts the vision that the district has for the field house. The impressive field house will cost around $22 million, according to the Daily Herald. “It will probably be one of the top 2nd or 3rd field houses in the state of Illinois,” Athletic Director Steven Schoenfelder said.

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or the past two years, Community High School District 117 has been talking about building a fieldhouse for sports practices and PE classes.

The field house would also be used for indoor track practice and other sports. The field house may also be used for the little things like standarized testing.

“The field house would be used for many events that go on at the high schools,” principal Eric Hamilton said. “Our school has very limited space so the main use would be for track because right now they are running through the halls, which is not safe, and they need a place to train.”

The District 117 School Board decided on the field house’s design and should have all the construction plans set in stone by December of this year. The schools have put a lot of time into the planning process and are determined to have the fieldhouse ready by the spring of 2021.

“Tech and upper administration put a lot of time into this and our artists have been a great help,” Athletic Director Steven Schoenfelder said. “The groundbreaking day for the field house should be early next spring.”

Although currently relatively unknown to students, the field house is expected to impact the community greatly.

“I believe we would practice there using the indoor track,” senior Maya Schon said. “I also think it will have a positive impact on the track team because we now have somewhere to run and practice.”

Not only will the field house be used for track and PE classes, it will also have a great impact on the community.

WRITER | Haley Aitken DESIGNER | Lila Heilig

THE GROUNDBREAKING DATE FOR THE NEW FIELD HOUSE SHOULD BE NEXT SPRING. STEVEN SCHOENFELDER

DEFINING SEQUOIT

The meaning of the word Sequoit is different between the diverse population of ACHS.

Emiily Higgins

Tiana Fox pushes herself everyday to achieve the goals her teammates and teachers bestow upon her. By striving to be the best she can be, Fox constantly grows in her skills. “To me, being a Sequoit means trying new things and giving everything your all,” Fox said.

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here can be several different ways to define a sequoit. Whether that be working hard or being helpful, the sequoits at Antioch Community High School display these qualities to the best of their ability. The staff models these traits for the students to embody what it means to be a sequoit.

“You’re really formed by this history, yet you are also trying to blaze your own trail and trying to make your own memories and traditions,” Hamilton said.

DETERMINATION

ACHS has many forms of showing their history, including the wall of outstanding students that date back before the sixties. Students can make their own traditions by attending school events such as dancing with your friends at homecoming or sports games.

Tiana Fox, a senior cross country runner at ACHS, believes that being a Sequoit means being determined.

“You’re responsible for the success of this school, yet you also have a responsibility to those before [you] and those that will come in the future.”

“Being a Sequoit means trying new things and giving everything your all,” Fox said.

BEING INCLUSIVE

Fox is always looking for new goals and stops at nothing to achieve them.

One goal she is currently working towards is completing a three mile race in twenty minutes for cross country.

“I constantly search for new goals,” Fox said. “If you’re always looking for something to obtain, like a new goal every day or every month, you always have something to work for and you know you need to take steps to get there.”

It’s important for Sequoits to set goals for themselves to help create a path for their future.

Remilia Ericksen is a senior at ACHS. She believes that being a Sequoit means representing the school, such as being respectful and welcoming.

“Being a Sequoit would probably mean doing your best to represent the qualities that your mascot stands for, like being respectful and accepting and hospitable,” Ericksen said.

Ericksen feels that ACHS’ diverse population is becoming more confident in themselves and people are more open-minded towards them.

“Keep an open mind and don’t be too quick to judge, because that was my freshman year and I missed quite a few opportunities at great friendships,” Ericksen said.

UPHOLDING TRADITIONS Eric Hamilton is the principal at ACHS. To him, being a Sequoit means keeping up with traditions, while also creating new ones.

WRITER | Taylor Mueller DESIGNER | Emily Higgins

ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE CALCULATOR

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LIFESTYLES September 2019

Specified math opportunities are held for excelling middle schoolers.

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tudents attending Antioch Upper Grade School have the opportunity to take part in higher level math classes at Antioch Community High School during the school year. Students are bussed over between first and second hour classes everyday of the week. This original starting year is unknown but former Head of Lakes Community High School Math Department and Assistant principal of Student Services at ACHS Scott Leverentz is familiar with the year of 2007.

“It is a matter of what the kids need,” head of the math department at ACHS Jill Farrell said.

The math class a student advances onto in high school while still in middle school depends on the needs for that specific student. Junior Alexander John Kutcher was apart of the group of middle schoolers that were allowed to go to the high school during his eighth grade year. These students took Math Two Honors at ACHS that AUGS did not have at the time.

“It helped me get ahead and I will be able to stay ahead for next year,” junior AJ Kutcher said.

AUGS is not the only middle school in District 34 that allows their students to take higher math classes at the high school; many other feeder schools hold this opportunity for it’s students.

“I think it’s good because they get to continue on their math class portion,” Farrell said.

The AUGS graduates of 2016 were at a disadvantage because the highest math class that was available for the students to take was too easy.

“I felt like I was forcefully held back,” senior Jack Bay said.

Since the opportunity to take a higher math class was not available to the AUGS class of 2016, Bay felt like being able to take Integrated Math One as an eighth grader would set him ahead in math, he could take harder classes as an upperclassmen to help him later in college. At the time, students in middle school normally took math classes at ACHS ranging from math one up to Integrated Math Three Honors.

“With the opportunity I could have had, I would have been able to take calculus last year and focus on something else like computer science, which is relevant in today’s world,” Bay said.

Although not being able to take a high school math class while in middle school knocked down some of the 2016 graduates, for the coming class of 2017 this was very effective. The higher math class was challenging for a new round of students taking part in the high school class.

“The teacher focused a lot more, there were a lot less projects, it was more straight math problems and more notes,” Kutcher said.

Taking part in Math Two Honors as an eighth grader was specifically important for Kutcher because being eligible for a college level math class as a senior is a huge advantage for his future college career.

“When I get to college I won’t have to take a math class,” Kutcher said.

Kutcher is not the only high schooler that benefits from having taken a high school math level class as an eighth grader. Many other students who had the chance to get ahead of the game have the advantage of taking more advanced classes in younger grades. This privilege for students allows for better future college opportunities to come.

WRITER | Julia Hackeloer DESIGNER | Julia Hackeloer

THE MAN MADE OF TALENT AND INSULTS A world-renowned chef made famous by his television shows and his antics in the kitchen provides inspiration for high school students.

“My gran could do better! And she’s dead!“ “Where’s the lamb sauce?“ “I’m Gordon Ramsay for goodness sake: people know I’m volatile.“

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ordon Ramsay: a man of infamy and Michelin star chef whose career in the public eye is focused on his entertainment purposes over his ability to cook. Ramsay’s career has morphed over time—from his introduction to hotel management in college, to his continued growth into a head chef.

With the cooperation of his local rotary club, Ramsay’s career started at North Oxfordshire Technical College with a focus on hotel management and catering. In his book “Roasting in Hell’s Kitchen,” Ramsay described his choice as “an accident, a complete accident.”

Ramsay’s major break came later in life when he opened his first restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea.

Ramsay was welcomed to british television in the documentary “Boiling Point.” According to the British television network ITV, the documentary followed Ramsay opening and managing his restaurant, along with showing his harsh and critical persona on a national scale.

Junior Nicholas Summerfelt believes that Gordon Ramsay showing emotion on his grand scale is warranted in the correct circumstances.

“Sometimes yelling can actually improve your skill as it starts to add on stress,” Summerfelt said. “It doesn’t mean you should be a jerk to everyone, but it forces you to work harder and better in the workplace.”

After the success of “Boiling Point,” Ramsay was given more chances to work in the public eye. In 2004, the British network Channel 4, “Kitchen Nightmares” premiered. “Hell’s Kitchen” debuted in the same year on ITV, with each show getting praise from audiences and subsequent American adaptations. Career and Technical Education

Walker Winkler Tom Tommers Jake Ilkka and Walker Winkler created three recipes from Gordon Ramsay’s website. They chose to make homemade gnocci, peanut butter and raspberry jam pancakes, and apple crisps.

teacher Laura Tielke thinks that showing the behavior of Gordon Ramsay to students does not have negative consequences.

“Students like to laugh at him,” Tielke said.

“They love it. They think it’s great that he yells at people.”

Ramsay has continued his flagship shows “Masterchef ” and “Hell’s Kitchen,” as both United States variations of the shows have lasted nearly ten and fifteen years respectively. Ramsay started various other projects in the timespan, such as “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted” on National Geographic, where Ramsay travels to foreign countries to find indigenous people and their culture. Also, “24 Hrs to Hell and Back” on Fox, a slight spin on “Kitchen Nightmares” where Ramsay is only given one day to fix a restaurant.

Summerfelt believes that Ramsay’s more recent

works hold merit in their own right.

“It’s a very interesting take to learn more native and natural forms of food,” Summerfelt said. “Not everyone wants to go around and travel the world, and it helps you get more experience and learn more about the different types of cultures and culinary dishes.”

Gordon Ramsay is continuing to pursue new projects and find new ways to reach audiences with the introduction of Youtube along with other social media platforms. His growth into other platforms hopes to reach new and broader audiences who can all enjoy the different styles that Ramsay displays in his shows.

TOM TOM TRIES MAKING GORDON RAMSAY’S RECIPES Watch Tom Tom staffers Jake Ilkka and Walker Winkler attempt to cook Gordon Ramsay’s recipes.

WRITER | Jake Ilkka DESIGNER | Walker Winkler

THE PUMPKIN SPICE CRAZE

Fall is a time for fun trends and one in particular seems to overtake all others.

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LIFESTYLES LIFESTYLES September September 20192019

Valerie Rosek

Students have different options when deciding where to get their seasonal drinks. The Starbucks and Dunkin’ in Antioch are popular places to get coffee and pastries. Many ACHS students are drawn to the convenience of each place in satisfying their pumpkin spice needs.

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he fall season is an important time for

version of their drink.

the pumpkin spice trend due to people being obsessed with anything pumpkin spice flavored. The trend started blowing up all over social media platforms after pumpkin spiced lattes became popular.

Starbucks is many people’s favorite coffee shop to buy a pumpkin spice latte. This may be because it was the first company to gain the most attention for this drink.

“I feel like pumpkin is the best flavor for fall so it’s just kind of what everybody goes towards,” junior Jessa Van Gorp said. “It’s definitely what everybody talks about during the fall.”

“Starbucks is the one who created the pumpkin spice latte and they really advertised it,” Van Gorp said. “They really push it when fall rolls around, so it is the fall drink, I feel like they top everybody else.”

Ever since the pumpkin spice latte was first released in fall of 2003, it has been a favorable item. Many people stop by their favorite coffee shop and purchase the fall flavored drink to warm them up on a cold day.

“Once the pumpkin spice latte is in season, I get it whenever I go to get coffee.” sophomore Olivia Lahti said.

After this item gained a lot of popularity many stores and brands decided to release new products that had a pumpkin flavor for the autumn season.

“I feel like Starbucks started a huge pumpkin spice trend,” Lahti said. “I’ve seen a whole bunch of pumpkin products that come out during the fall season after the latte got really popular.”

Most places release the drink as soon as the fall season begins. Once the weather gets colder and people lean towards hotter coffee is when the drink hits the coffee shops.

Latte drinkers have their preferences and may go to a coffee place that has, in their opinion, the best

Although Starbucks gains a lot of attention for this seasonal drink, many other coffee shops release a version of the pumpkin spice latte as well.

Dunkin Donuts is another big name brand coffee shop, and therefore puts out a pumpkin spice latte.

“I like Dunkin’s coffee better,” junior Kiara Morris said. “I feel like everywhere else I’ve been is too bitter, or doesn’t really have a distinct pumpkin taste.I feel like Dunkin’s pumpkin spice latte is perfect.”

Dunkin’ Donuts is not as big as Starbucks when it comes to the pumpkin spice trend, but some people still go just as crazy for this seasonal drink from Dunkin’.

Common snacks, such as cereal , peanut butter and almonds, are now pumpkin flavored. Even items that don’t seem like should be, pumpkin spice pringles, hummus and even spray on pumpkin spice. The pumpkin spice latte is a symbol of the season.

WRITER | Maggie Quirke DESIGNER | Daylia Brock

Q&A:

DAILY ROUTINES

From sunrise to sunset, ACHS students and teachers have specific ways they like to spend their time.

How much time do you allow yourself to get ready?

T.S.: 45 minutes

T

o a swamped sequoit, 24 hours in a day may not be enough to complete everything on one’s to-do list. Four sequoits, freshman TJ Schuyler, sophomore Ariana Nikolov, junior Zoe Kue and science teacher Michael Kilkuszewski were asked how they go about their day. Be it playing a sport, doing homework or checking social media, each individual has their own unique way they choose to spend their 24 hours.

What time do you get up in the morning?

A.N.: 20-30 minutes Z.K.: 20 minutes M.K.: 30 minutes

What is the first thing you do when you wake up?

T.S.: 5:45 a.m.

T.S.: Shower

A.N.: 6:15-6:35 a.m.

A.N.: Check phone

Z.K.: 5:45-6:30 a.m.

Z.K.: Check phone

M.K.: 5:10 a.m.

M.K.: Let dog out

What time do you leave for school?

T.S.: 6:45 a.m.

A.N.: 6:55 a.m.

Z.K.: 7:10 a.m.

M.K.: 5:50 a.m.

What do you typically eat for lunch?

T.S.: Peanut butter and grape jelly on a toasted bagel A.N.: Peanut butter sandwich, grapes, granola bars and Cheese-its Z.K.: Pasta M.K.: Snack on almonds or jerky during the day

Sophomore Ariana Nikolov enjoys beginning her mornings with a cup of coffee. Nikolov’s mornings also include checking her phone, doing her make up and packing her bags.

Valerie Rosek

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LIFESTYLES September 2019

What do you do after school?

T.S.: Homework, then a workout or baseball A.N.: Tennis practice Z.K.: Manage football Valerie Rosek

M.K.: Biology teacher meetings

How often do you go to this activity?

T.S.: 4 out of 5 weekdays A.N.: Every weekday Z.K.: Majority of the week M.K.: Once a week

Freshman TJ Schuyler usually spends his afternoons at baseball practice. Baseball keeps Schuyler busy; although, when he does not have practice, Schuyler enjoys playing video games with his friends.

What time do you usually go to bed?

What do you do when you do not have this activity?

T.S.: 10 to 11:30 p.m.

T.S.: Go out with friends or play video games

Z.K.: 10 to 10:30 p.m.

A.N.: Do homework, then go out with friends

M.K.: 9 to 9:30 p.m.

A.N.: 11 to 1 p.m.

Z.K.: Jog or watch a movie/show M.K.: Cycle or go to a driving range

How long, on average, do you spend on homework/work?

T.S.: 30 minutes to an hour A.N.: I usually get it done in school Z.K.: As short as 30 minutes or as long as all night M.K.: Time before school and free periods

What is your favorite thing to do once you finish your homework?

Who can you relate to most?

T.S.: Go on social media, Youtube or Netflix A.N.: Get food or ice cream with friends Z.K.: Jog or watch a movie/show M.K.: Play with my dog

WRITER | Kaitlyn Howe DESIGNER | Kaitlyn Howe

POPUL “Popular” is a label most high schoolers strive to gain, but some people sacrifice the most important things in their life to get it

P

opularity is a word loaded with power. It evokes people to sacrifice the most valuable possessions and relationships that are most prominent in their life. What most people don’t take into consideration are the long term effects that the simple world, popularity, can have on the human soul.

It’s hard to deal with the pressure to conform to society’s norms, especially in high school where stereotypes are present and everybody needs to be, by definition, perfect and popular.

“Going into high school I wanted to make more friends and talk to new people without the fear of getting judged,” freshman Desirae Witting-Gildea said. “I felt that in order to do that, I needed to adjust my interests so that they were similar to the people I was going to try to be friends with. I felt like I needed to change and try to have the same interests as certain people.”

Popularity gives people an ego. Whether one wants it or not, it may become so enormous that it blocks one’s view on the true values of how to treat others. As long as their ego is big, one will never be able to let their eyes see the real truth in the world again. They will never see the truth of what they have become and the people they have been hurting along the way.

This person may believe that as soon as they walk into a room they are immediately praised.

“I believe that popularity can take a huge toll on someone’s personality in a

negative way,” Witting-Gildea said. “Once a person starts to feel like they are popular they begin to think that they are superior to everyone else and don’t care how they treat others.”

Sometimes when trying to be in a state of popularity, people don’t evolve to be someone new, but rather present a different version of themselves. Not only do they begin to lie to the people around them, but they also possibly begin to lie to themselves.

“People try to sell an image or a persona of themself that is not them,” psychology teacher Anton Borchert said. “The more they go out of their way to do that, the more it has a negative impact on how someone feels about themself.”

When people eventually reach the top of the popularity spectrum, they start to see themselves superior to others. They begin to disregard and set aside the feelings of those they interact within their daily life. Being “at the top” is something people endeavor to be, but it tends to make them unstable. They take everything personally and become insecure about themself.

“A lot of my friends have changed in order to be something they are not,” junior Ashlyn Sundell said. “In order to be something they weren’t, they would break down people just to build themselves and the sad part was they really began to think it was okay because it was a ‘joke’ in their eyes.”

While doing this, people didn’t begin to realize they were losing the things

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FEATURES September 2019

ARITY

Valerie Rosek

and people closest to them all to be something they are not. What is seen mainly in high schoolers is the inability to hold onto the beliefs and values that used to matter most to them.

“A lot of the time, these beliefs are what we hear from our teachers about being kind to everyone,” junior Elijah Ruano said. “People join in about talking bad about others and making fun of people for something like their ethnicity to be so-called, popular, and that shouldn’t be what popular is.”

In other situations, these beliefs will be abolished outside of a normal school day. When people step foot into high school, they are often pressured to try new things. Whether they are good or bad, it is bound to happen. When this does occur, students sometimes put their values aside in order to fit in.

“People who aren’t strong enough to withstand the pressure of doing drugs, drinking or engaging in sexual activity will give up their beliefs to be cool,” Ruano said.

While a lot of people give up their beliefs, many others do not feel the need to try to be what everyone else wants them to be. They are satisfied with life and hold onto personal values.

“I like who I am, I don’t need more friends and more people in my life to make me feel better about who I am,” Ruano said. “As long as I have a good group of friends, I’m happy. I’m content with not being by definition, popular.”

An abundant problem in today’s society is the image of what people believe popularity to be. People may see it like how high school stereotypes are viewed as in greater situations such as in Hollywood.

“When people watch movies, they think that the captain of the soccer team is supposed to be right next to the captain of the football team,” Ruano said. “In reality, I am in the musical, on the speech team, in choir and theater and that is why people think I am not defined as popular.”

In addition to people having an image in mind of what popular should be, they often overlook themselves as becoming this stereotypical person. Most teenagers do not define themselves as one thing, but yet look for others to tell them what they are and what they are not. Often, people become so caught up in being something they are not that they begin to forget what the real image of themselves looks like “I always say this to people, if you don’t think you’re being genuine, look in the mirror at yourself, if you can’t look at yourself, then you know that you’re not being genuine,” Borchert said.

Many people do not see the everlasting effects this one word can have on someone. As long as people strive to be popular, they possibly will never see themselves in their truest form. They will never know what it is like to be an original instead of a copy.

WRITER | Rilee Schreiner DESIGNER | Merrick Foote

LABELED AND CONFUSED Each individual has the choice of who they want to be and how they want to be viewed.

B

y definition, the word label is a classifying phrase or name applied to a person or thing, especially one that is inaccurate or restrictive.

It has always been very easy for people to place labels on others, especially in high school. No matter if the label is accurate or not, everyone seems to have one. Teens make judgments about their peers based on the activities they do or the way they act. This causes a stereotypical environment for this generation to live in. Luckily, most people are proud to be who they are, they love what they do and they would not change a thing about how others perceive them. Labels define the bulk of a person’s life, such as their friend group, how they act or even the way they dress. In this generation, many people are open to blending with others, which may cause people to be defined with many different labels.

It may appear that an athlete, thespian, gamer and an overachiever are drastically different from each other based on the people they hangout with and the activities they participate in.

In reality, they all have one thing in common. All of these people have the commonality of a personal label others know them by. Whether or not one believes the label they have been given, is often times what can impact the person either negatively or positively, imposing self confidence or lack thereof.

“Being an athlete, I feel like I have high standards to live up to,” junior Kobe Kriese said. “I have to live up to what people say about me and how people view me at all times.”

As portrayed in movies, the athletes or jocks often have the stereotype of being popular and maybe even cocky, but that may not always be the case in the real world. An athlete is the same as everyone else, they just happen to participate in a different activity. Kriese believes that athletes act the same as any other person, but they have a job to do on the field or court.

Valerie Rosek

Valerie Rosek

“Some people look at athletes and think we are just cocky and mean people,” Kriese said. “But when others know your personality or not, they just know I’m doing what I love.”

groups can create opportunities to make plans with one another, and build special bonds that carry on outside of the activity. Scharrer believes that being an actor has helped him find his second family.

Labels often have a negative connotation associated with them, but some believe that having a specific label helps shape them into who they are. If a person truly loves what they do, the label that defines them may build self confidence or even make them more outgoing. Senior Oscar Scharrer believes that being an actor has made him more outgoing and confident in who he is.

“I can be myself with my fellow thespians because I can trust them,” Scharrer said. “We’re like family, especially when we come together as a cast during production.”

“Acting gets me out of my comfort zone and gives me confidence with other people,” Scharrer said. “The only pressure I have is the pressure I put on myself.”

In some instances, people find their friend groups not in person, but through headsets. There is a vast community of online gamers that can be just as close as any team or family is. Being seen as a stereotypical “gamer” has changed. With all of the new and popular games being released, a more widespread and diverse group of people have been joining the gaming world.

Being in an activity or group causes people to interact with others and helps them find their purpose.

Spending extensive amounts of time with certain

“A lot of people think gaming is the new cool thing,” senior David Donahue said. “I haven’t met anyone that has judged me for liking video games.”

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FEATURES September 2019

Valerie Rosek

Valerie Rosek Valerie Rosek

Sometimes, the label a person has been given may inspire one to find more things they like to do. Talking to different people and trying new things can open doors to a whole new world of happiness. An individual can decide who they want to be, not having to follow in anyone’s footsteps except for their own. Staying open minded can help society as a whole create new activities and ultimately new labels.

“I wasn’t really interested in doing anything until I started playing video games,” Donahue said. “Playing games made me interested in how everything works, and now I want to be an electrician.”

Many people like to do it all. There are an abundance of advanced classes and extracurricular activities to give students an opportunity to try new things. The label of an overachiever may sound negative, but some excel by balancing it all.

“I assume people perceive me as a hardworking student-athlete,” freshman Joseph Neumann said. “I always strive to work harder than I think I can.”

While being known as an overachiever may give people stress and cause them to feel overwhelmed, some people find true happiness with schedules

like this. Having a large amount on their plate, overachievers always have to get their difficult homework done, as well as participating in their extracurricular activities and or sports. Senior Jerianne Bonaguidi thinks that being an overachiever pushes her to be the absolute best version of herself, though it also puts a lot of stress and pressure on her.

“I feel like being known as the overachiever places a huge reputation that I have to withhold on my back,” Bonaguidi said. “But I also love it because it pushes me to do my best and makes me feel like my efforts are visible to others.”

Having a specific label that defines someone may not always be a bad thing.

A lot of people are proud to be who they are and they like the way others perceive them. Labels are fluid and can change as people remain open minded to trying new things and being true to themselves. Each individual has an impactful decision on the labels that define them; people have the ability to choose how they want to be known.

WRITER | Bridget Naumans DESIGNER | Bridget Nauman

GIVING INTO THE DARKNESS OF THE

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LIGHT

It is easy to say that media is not healthy mentally and should therefore be cut from people’s lives; however, this world may be too dependant on it. Adults see teens constantly on their phones- the devices acting as an IV attached to society’s bloodstream, causing little people to want to pull it out, discarding it forever.

BLUE Students may use social media nearly every day, yet that life portrayed online is sometimes compared to the one lived in real time.

ife on screen can act as a putty, casting a mold of a person the second they log into the realm of the Internet. The mold is then used as a statue, creating a life full of cracks covered up with more and more cement. Yet, that art piece once praised will inevitably crack. The lies concealed will come to light in the blue of a dark room late at night. Tears are shed by students who wish their life could even begin to compare to those online, but those profiles are just ones with more layers of that same cement.

Social media has climbed into the lives of every person, making a home and leaving a mark in their phone with other apps they have downloaded. It lives and breathes everywhere. Whether that be a student snapchatting in class or a hashtag the staff spread to promote an event in the school, this form of media is still relatively new to society as a whole. Adults not having grown up with these new issues causes some to shy away from teaching the new generation how to deal with them, having never learned it themselves.

Yet, the question of

NO ONE HAS A PERFECT LIFE OR A PERFECT BODY. THEY JUST SHOW PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT THEM TO SEE. MICHAELA JUSTICE

21

FEATURES September 2019

Jazzmyn Roman

when it is necessary to make such a decision may sometimes needs to be asked. Someone may be so immersed into this realm that leaving it behind seems impossible.

“We can be so connected, but yet so far away,” Dean of Students Grant Murray said. “We haven’t learned how to appropriately interact with this now small world. Even though it’s big geographically, it’s very small once you jump on your phone or your computer.”

These devices can take a person out of the real world, putting them into one that is individualized.

Their online presence is personable, giving them the ability to filter out whatever they do not want to see of others, but also what they do not want others to see of them. These filters are like one way mirrors. The user is able to look out into the void that is social media without anyone able to see the real them.

This idea of being real becomes foreign to students. Toxicity online can translate into a person’s everyday reality causing words such as ‘fake’ to be thrown around constantly. When a classmate pretends to like someone for the sake of those around them, they are no longer a liar, but fake and ruthless. This kind of white lie is exactly what would get someone ‘cancelled’ on social media. Twitter users can stockpile each and every bad thing a person has done to use it against them in the hopes of ruining their reputation.

“Most everything I see online is toxic or hate,

while the rest is the perfect world that no one will get,” junior Michaela Justice said. “Personally, I have been envious of the great lives that people show but as I got older I learned that it really isn’t true what you see, no one has a perfect life or a perfect body. They just show people what they want them to see.”

Seeing and believing can be two different things.

Seeing these posts may mean simply liking them and then moving onto the next one without even batting an eye, or believing these posts can be sitting, mulling over how that amazing life is unattainable. These negative emotions erupted from social media can show its downsides.

It is usually not the intention of the inventor to make something that will harm many people in the long run. Yet, helpful practices usually are not what keeps Instagram in the back of a student’s mind. A bad comment on a post can stick with someone far longer than a nice comment will.

This is something the upcoming digital citizenship group at Antioch Community High School is hoping to minimize. Murray, World Language department chair Chad Rusk and Social Studies department chair Jaclyn Orlov are trying to promote this group to the school. Their goal is to teach both students and staff how to understand the meaning of their online presence.

They hope it will be introduced to the students during the 2019-2020 school year.

No matter the people at the school trying to

diminish them, teenagers nationally may deal with these kinds of comments day in and day out. The jarring words spewed at them over text have many numbed to this concept. It is up to the student to decide how to deal with it in either a positive or negative way.

“I think people could like social media and feel a lot better if they decided to take the power and make it that way,” Rusk said. “So many people choose to be passive and let [mean things online] happen to them, but we can choose to be a part of these things or not.”

Rusk noted that emotions are something anyone of any age is forced to deal with. Something hurtful will harm any person that reads it.

Opening an app that has to do with social media can open the flood gates to hundreds of those cruel comments. Digital citizenship will attempt to teach anyone that is willing to listen about how to handle that kind of situation.

The school wants to make life at ACHS as kind as possible; however, it is hard to control something that happens outside of that universe. Media can be its own dimension that transports people out of their own head and into that plane. While it is difficult to navigate through, once done, it helps people see the positives in the real world around them.

WRITER | Beatriz Warnes DESIGNER | Jazzmyn Roman

23

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT GIRLS GOLF The varsity girls golf team has had a phenomenal season so far. Improving from last year, their hard work is reflected in their record. With six wins and one loss, the team is proud of their accomplishments and are constantly working for improvement. ¨Our team has been practicing extra hard lately,¨ junior Madison Maish said. ¨[Our team has been] going out to different courses to practice our course management.¨ The girls are looking forward to the rest of their season and improving their teamwork.

The team’s goal for the season this year is to take home the title of the Northern Lake County Conference champs.

Matthew Soberano WRITER | Alessia Rivera

25

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT VOLLEYBALL The Sequoits are confident this year and have been playing really well and their communication is on point. ”So far our team has continued to improve with every game” sophomore Veronica Henkel said. ”We’ve played some tough teams and we really stepped up. We also have a great team chemistry this year.

Everybody’s getting along very well and I think that helps with communication on the court. I’m excited to see what else we can accomplish this season as it continues.”

Henkel believes they will continue to win if they have the same energy and play with good communication and everyone plays their best.

“I think the season has gone really good, it’s definitely a comeback season from last season,” junior Maiah Moll said. “We are a young team and have come together to play like a team; us playing like this has led us to a lot of success”.

The team currently has a winning record of 14-4.

Valerie Rosek WRITER | Collin Glassman

27

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT BOYS GOLF Golf went into last weekend looking to tee up a victory against their crosstown rival, the Eagles, but instead fell short and left with heads full of disappointment.

“We did not play well at all,” senior Max Palmeri said. “We lost to Lakes 178-192. This was a big loss. The biggest thing that we can do to change this is to focus on our next shot.”

The boys knowing this wasn’t their best game are ready to now ready to head into the final weeks of the season by working harder for their upcoming matches. The team knows they have potential to be successful.

“I have some weaknesses, but our team strengths is that we are all pretty consistent,” senior Gavin Eldridge said.

Although they didn’t play their best this weekend having a consistent team the boys are ready for more challenges within the next matches and season. They will compete next Wednesday in the NLCC tournament, which will be followed by thee IHSA State Tournament.

Matthew Soberano

WRITER | Grace Rowe

29

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT TENNIS The girls varsity tennis team has improved over the weeks. The girl’s tennis team started out strong with a couple of wins, they will continue to do the best they can as they progress through the year. Senior Ting Zhao describes what it takes at practice in order to be successful.

“The most important preparation is obviously practicing drills the day before a match,” Zhao said. “It’s always good to freshen up on some skills before a game so you’re ready for whatever shot your opponent hits.”

The girl’s tennis team is working on consistency. The team needs to stay consistent so they can win their matches.

“Some days we hit really good shots and have really powerful serves,” Zhao said.

“It definitely takes a lot of practice to be consistent.”

On the night this magazine printed, the girls competed against rival Lakes Community High School. To read about how they did, head to SequoitMedia.com.

Valerie Rosek WRITER | Jadda Popee

31

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY With regionals, sectionals and state soon approaching, the girls cross country team reflect on their performances to become better for the rest of the season. This year compared to last year, the team is working together and improving as a whole.

“Everyone’s times are getting faster and they are all putting in the work at practice,” junior Amber Carson said.

Everyone has been improving their running times and encouraging others to continue getting better for sectionals. The cross country program enjoys coming to practices and working together because everyone is uplifting and it allows improvements to be made.

“Cross country, in my opinion, has some of the nicest people,” junior Chloe Hampson said. “Everybody gets along great.”

The team dynamic is part of what makes them more successful. Coming into the conclusion of the season, sophomore Sarah Benes is leading the pack with the fastest run time since Erin Poss in 2010. The team is looking to achieve a repeat of a sectional appearance and, ultimately, qualify for state.

Kyle Miller

WRITER | Sofia Klem

33

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT SOCCER As of press time, after their thirteenth game of the season, the varsity boys soccer team has a winning record of 8-5-0. With five games remaining before the regional tournament, the boys continue to work hard and improve their skills.

Senior Adrian Aguayo, a left winger, has high hopes for the remainder of the season and believes this year’s team is strong enough to be more successful than in previous years.

“We are hoping to go farther this season than we did last year,” Aguayo said. “This team’s relationship is very good. This makes a big impact in the way we play because we trust each other on and off the field.”

The team is scheduled to take on successful opponents for the last games of their season; performing well for the remainder of the year will benefit the boys in earning a good spot in the regional tournament and potentially the state tournament.

Rilee Schreiner WRITER | Sarah Smith

35

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT FIELD HOCKEY At the beginning of the field hockey season, the team had to overcome some obstacles after going 1-3 in the first four games. After discussing plays and pushing those team bonds, the team got their heads in the game and went on to go 4-1 in their next five games.

One could assume the team recognized the pit in their gameplay and made changes in order to play successfully after their string of losses. The source of the transition comes closer to the state of the relationship of the teammates, especially among the individual class levels and the team as a whole.

“We figured out some team tension we had,” senior Paige Bolton said. “Ever since we talked about it we’ve been working way better together and winning.”

Once the team dealt with the issues that needed to be dealt with, they were off to the races and in the process of building back their momentum.

Going into the last half of their season, the field hockey team has high hopes and are going into the rest of their season with their heads held high.

Valerie Rosek WRITER | Madisen Krapf

37

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT FOOTBALL Last Friday, the Varsity football team took on the Wauconda Bulldogs at Wauconda’s homecoming game. The Sequoits showed off a very aggressive offensive with junior and captain Athan Kaliakmanis scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter of the game and scoring five touchdowns overall.

“I feel like I wouldn’t be able to accomplish what I do without my teammates and our stellar defense,” Kaliakmanis said.

The Sequoits offense is looking very aggressive this year and they look forward to a very competitive season.

“I think that our offense is looking better than ever and I could not be more proud of the things that this team has been able to accomplish,” varsity head coach Brian Glashagel said.

The boys kept the pressure on and showed no vulnerabilities throughout the whole game scoring touchdown after touchdown; however, the Bulldogs didn’t let up and continued to play their best. In the end the Sequoits were able to pull of the win 41-7.

“I would say that our defense played really well last week,” senior and captain Jackson DeVaughn said. “The things that we are able to accomplish as a team is really incredible.”

Come cheer on your Sequoits Football team tonight as they take on the undefeated Grant Bulldogs at Grant.

Valerie Rosek WRITER | Matt Soberano

39

SPORTS September 2019

SNAPSHOT BOYS CROSS COUNTRY The Sequoits are reaching the homestretch with only 4 weeks until the NLCC Conference Championships. The boys cross country team is currently 2-2 in conference and preparing for the Harvest Christian Invite on Saturday, September 28. Leader and returning state placer senior Charlie Smith has recovered from his injury to the varsity lineup, completing the missing piece of the puzzle the Sequoits were looking for the past few weeks.

“I think we’re off to a slow start but each week we’re getting a little faster and more confident,” head coach Chris Bailey said. “I saw improvements with the overall morale of the team, as well as with the speed and confidence this past weekend at Blue Devils Invite hosted by Warren. I think we’re trending upward and slowly progressing in order to prepare for the NLCC Conference Championships.”

It seems the Sequoits have a bright future ahead of them as they continue working hard and improving. The runners have veered their focus and goals towards improving their strength, as well as becoming closer with each other while doing it.

Valerie Rosek WRITER | Kyle Miller

DRESS TO IMPRESS Figuring out what to wear to a Friday football game can be stressful. Here’s how to find the appropriate clothing and accessories to wear for affordable prices.

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very Friday Night Lights game of the season has a theme created by the Cardinal Crazies that encourages students to dress up and take part in school spirit.

“It helps to get all of the students involved,” senior Tate Baker said.

Getting involved in the school spirit can be anything from wearing a Sequoit t-shirt to dressing from head to toe in the game theme.

“Going all out for the themes just makes everyone have more school spirit,” senior and Teryn Jones said.

Have fun with the October themes and get involved with the Cardinal Crazies each week with these tips that will help save money.

SUPER FANS

BLACK TO PINK

Calling all superfans to the game on October 4, dress in your favorite sportswear for the home game against Grayslake Central. It does not matter what level or sport the preferred team participates in, this theme is meant for the student section to be filled with a variety of different jerseys. Not owning a jersey does not make one incapable of participating in the theme; a t-shirt that has a team’s name on it fits the theme just as well. For fans without sports gear and accessories, favorite sports team hats are sold at local retail stores. A unique way to jazz up the superfan look is to add eyeblack under the eyes to match the look of the Sequoit football players. Eyeblack is available at Walmart for $3.

Watch the Sequoit student section transform from black to pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month. At kickoff students should wear all black, and during halftime students should change into pink clothes. An easy way to transition from black to pink is to layer something black that can be removed over something pink. Bandanas and face paint will emphasize the switch from black to pink out.

These accessories can be found at Walmart: bandanas sold for $2 and a set of face paint for $10.

NEON

COSTUMES

Brighten up Friday Night Lights by wearing all neon to support the Sequoit football team. There are many different clothing and accessory options for this game’s theme. At Walmart, neon tie dye t-shirts are sold in four different colors for $11. Pair a neon shirt with some neon shorts and socks to go all out.

Add a neon hat from Walmart for $9 to take the look to the next level. To top it all off, try using neon face paint.

Spooky season is right around the corner. Show off Halloween costumes during the homecoming game. A few ways to find the right costume to wear are borrowing a costume from a friend, creating one or ordering one off of Amazon. Some examples are superheroes, athletes and animals. Joining in on the Halloween theme celebrates the last football game of the regular season.

WRITER | Gabby Debevec DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR | Grace Acello

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

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WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO...

LOSE YOUR DIGNITY T

he idea of human dignity has never been important to me. Dignity is too abstract of a concept to have a tangible effect on my everyday actions. My own dignity, as well as the dignity of others, never needed much active sustainment.

I’m a nice person. Respect and honor come naturally to me. I always try to make the people in my life better off. I am always trying to help others in any way I can: holding doors, giving advice, complimenting everyone. I try to make everyone’s lives a little easier. I was raised under the belief that being helpful is the best thing you can be.

Being “good” is important to me; although, it took me a long time to realize that not everyone finds goodness important.

When I was young, two girls dedicated themselves to harassing me. They were cruel, in a way only middle schoolers could be. I listened to them flippantly hurl insults at me at every opportunity: fat, stupid, ugly. There was no reason to be cruel, and yet they made it their goal to be as unkind as possible. Admittedly, their words did not have much effect on me in the beginning.

Who were these girls? Why did they insist that they knew me well enough to understand anything about me?

I ignored most of the things they said. It did not make sense to pay attention to them when I had so many other things in my life that needed my attention. I let all their words slide over me, ignored their hushed snickering and continued with my daily routine as if they did not exist.

For years I let them bash me. I listened to people constantly degrading me: I wasn’t interesting, I wasn’t pretty, I wasn’t smart, I wasn’t worth their time. When hurting me directly no longer satisfied their hatred they started to chip away at my relationships. Everyone started to hear the horrible things they said about me. I don’t know if the insults were believable but they were always

taken as fact. Nobody had the audacity to question a cheerleader’s judgement; if the elite saw me as unpalatable, so must everyone who wished the please them. I had friends and strong connections with my family, but outside my immediate circle, I was isolated. Making new friends among the people I’d known my entire life was hard and being branded as a “weirdo” made it harder.

Eventually, their words did affect me. I felt like less than nothing. I was the mold that grows on garbage, not only discarded, but repulsive in my act of existence. Nobody wanted to be around me because I made everything worse. Years of being constantly told that I was nothing by girls who hated me for no distinguishable reason coupled with unpleasant indifference from girls who I sought comfort from diminished me down to nothing. I saw myself as all the horrible things my harassers said I was; I became those things. I wasn’t human anymore. I was a pathetic heap of badness.

It sucked; being around them sucked, thinking about them sucked, going to school every day knowing that I would have to face them sucked. It all sucked.

I didn’t feel sad, I felt like a burden. I was a person, for all intents and purposes, but I was not granted the inalienable rights bestowed upon other people. I accepted that I did not deserve respect or kindness and continued living under that assumption.

My life did not end because my dignity was gone.

I continued to exist everyday. I woke up the same person I always was; I went to school, did my chores, and spent time with my friends. Life kept going regardless of my misery. I was not excelling by any means. I spent a lot of days avoiding everyone and a lot of nights crying. I tried to diminish myself to be the creature that my peers saw me as. Deep down, I knew that I was not the horrible things I saw myself as, but the part of me

that demanded respect was no longer in charge.

I let the words of those around me dictate the words in my mind.

Eventually, I grew up. The indifference that separated me from the gravity of their words was restored once I came to high school. My social opportunities increased and I was no longer forced to socialize with the handful of kids from my middle school. My freshman and sophomore year were great for my self-respect. I did not have to be the outcast or the disenfranchised weirdo. I got to exist on my own terms. This was the first time in years I felt comfortable being myself. It was awkward at first; I didn’t quite know what “being myself ” really meant. I pushed through the weird beginning stages of self discovery and I allowed myself to exist freely.

I know now that nothing has the power to take away my humanity. I am a person above anything else. Before I am a girl, a classmate, a friend, ugly, smart or kind, before anything—I am a human being. I lost sight of myself because nobody else was willing to see me, but even at my lowest points, I never stopped being myself.

I’m still growing as a person. I’m deciding what I do for the rest of my life and who I want to be for it. Although I will never pretend to be grateful for the degradation I suffered, I know that it helped shape me into the more secure person I am today.

I realized a lot about myself once I accepted that I will always be me. For years, I was determined to be unhappy and it’s taken years for me to unlearn that mentality. Everyday, I actively choose to exist as I do, and everyday I solidify my own humanity. I am Nina Deckert, and regardless of the specifications of that statement, it will always be true.

WRITER | Madison McBride AS TOLD BY | Nina Deckert

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PERSPECTIVES September 2019

Matt Soberano

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