Devils' Advocate October 2022

Devils’ Advocate

table of

In the words of Jack the Pumpkin King, this is Halloween. In this month’s issue, we attempt to get students excited about the spooky season. In the infographic survey, students provide insight regarding Halloween related questions.

Also, with the start of a new school year, it’s important to keep students in the know of rising athletes, which can be seen in the Sports Q&A, and the profile piece introducing the school’s new band director, Grace Adduci.

“Are drag shows a drag?” provides an informative feature that talks about recent events in Downers Grove, Ill. that touch upon the current state of LGBTQ+ rights.

With the global pandemic slowing, many businesses, schools, and stores are returning to their normal operations. Does anyone remember what life was like before the pandemic skyrocketed in March 2020? In “The New Normal” feature, writers talk about how the school has made a transition back to normalcy. Masks are not required, and school games, pep rallies, and extracurricular activities have made a full comeback.

With it trending during this past summer, the BeReal app has skyrocketed in popularity due its compelling message about being more “real” on social media. Our writers look at its positive effects and whether or not it may lead to healthier social media usage.

Finally, our battleground writers debate the ever-changing laws regarding gun control.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue!

Devils’ Advocate seeks to provide an open and diverse forum created by and for the students from Hinsdale Central. The staff of Devil’s Advocate aims to bring news to the community of the school and the surrounding area, by wokring with students, parents and faculty, as well as reporting on events in a fair and balanced manner. The publication strives to inform, educate and improve, the atmosphere and student body by sharing information and recognizing and ideas.

Taylor Levin

ClubContributors

Editor-in-Chief Taylor LevinZahra Ghadeer Zara Lateef Samrah Syed Abigail Gambla Leah Packer Kendall Florence Angel Flores

BattlegroundContributors

Ajay Gupta

Michael Sahs

04

SectionEditors

Sehan Alam Maya Barakat

Jeffrey Birnbaum Annie Koziel Anjika Kumar Alex Olguin Caroline Petersen Maryum Shaik

Cover Photo by Annie Koziel

Letterfromthe Editor

Around Campus

The Devils’ Roast

by Samrah Syed & Leah Packer

Anew coffee shop is coming to the school this November and its official name, The Devil’s Roast, was decided on by students and faculty through a survey sent out during October. The Devil’s Roast is currently under construction, but it will be located in the commons near the entrance of the cafeteria when it is finished. The shop hours will be from early morning to after school, and will serve fresh coffee to students and staff.

Quest Food Management Services and Arcon, an educational architecture firm, teamed up with the school to create this new coffeehouse. Ryan Maita, the assistant principal for operations, is the head behind the development.

“Coffee was a very popular item, generated a lot of revenue, and students really seemed to enjoy it,” Maita said. “That’s really where the idea was born from.”

Quest has been with Central for six years, and in July 2022 they started construction. Due to recent inflation and budgeting

concerns, this idea had been put on hold for a while. With construction slowing down, the coffee shop is bringing a fresh new place to the school.

“I drink coffee every day, multiple times,” said Michael Palmquist, English teacher.

Coffee is an essential part of many people’s lives, and the students and staff are excited to see this new endeavor.

Students will have the opportunity to give their feedback about the coffee shop, as well as other Quest food services. There will be a food committee that will survey students on what they want to see in the cafeteria and their overall reviews of the food.

After surveying staff and students, the name for the coffee shop will be The Devils’ Roast and it will serve from before school until 3 p.m.

spend some time with their friends.

“I can’t wait for the addition of the new cafe because I am looking forward to getting energized by the coffee,“ said Shayla Patel, sophomore.

The Devil’s Roast will be a welcoming place for students to enjoy a nice cup of coffee and

It’s the season

by Abigail Gambla

It’s that time of year. Autumn.

And with autumn comes the resurfacing of old hobbies and entertainment, but also new ones. After all, it is noted as the season of change. Like birthdays and the New Year, research suggests that fall is a temporal landmark in our lives.

In order to help you get ahead on some aspects of the fresh start, I’ve created a list below of many things ranging from books to scary movies.

The New York Library compiled a list of some of the best books to read this fall including up and coming authors and New York best sellers. I’ve also taken a few recommendations from the ever-growing community of Book-Tok.

The Inheritance Games- Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Black Kids- Christina Hammond Reed Over My Dead Body- Sweeny Boo It Ends With Us- Colleen Hoover

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn HugoTaylor Jenkins Reid

The Silent Patient- Alex Michealides

Before the Coffee Gets Cold- Toshikazu

Kawaguchi

Looking for a horror movie? Or a Halloween themed flick for the night? Or maybe you’d like a Disney movie that is fall-themed. I suggest grabbing the popcorn and some candy because I’ve compiled some of the best movies for this time of year below.

Hocus Pocus (2)

Halloween (obviously)

The Nightmare Before Christmas Beetlejuice

A Quiet Place

The Shining Poltergeist

A bag full of apples from the orchards. The presence of ghosts and haunted houses. If you would like to enjoy the chilly sweater weather and the colorful leaves, I have a few recommendations for different fall activities in the area as well as multiple other events.

“It’s really hopefully just another place for students to collaborate and relax, and just enjoy themselves for a minute,” Maita said.

Places include Bengston’s Pumpkin Farm in Homer Glen, Ill., County Line Orchard in Hobart, Ind., Disturbia Haunted House in Downers Grove, Ill., and the 13th Floor Haunted House in Schiller Park, Ill. If you’d like to go for a run, there is a Grove Express Turkey Trot 5k in November just before Thanksgiving in Downers Grove.

Autumn is the perfect time to explore activities where you can savor the sweater weather, sip lattes, hide under a mountain of blankets, and embrace (or not) the cold.

A new coffee shop will open in November near the student commons

photo by Samrah Syed

photo by Taylor Levin

Walk for Pakistan

Various clubs participated in a walk to raise funds for areas affected by flooding in Pakistan

by Zahra Ghadeer

In August of 2022, relentless rain during Pakistan’s monsoon season caused invasive floods to cover a third of Pakistan. The floods have affected all provinces of Pakistan. However, the floods have mainly affected the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh, destroying homes, crops, schools, and healthcare facilities.

More than 30 million people have been displaced and 1,700 people have died. Not only have the floods brought tremendous damage to homes and infrastructure, but they also leave behind many infectious diseases in their trace. Many children and adults residing in the flooded regions of Pakistan are suffering from diseases such as cholera, malaria, dengue, typhoid, and much more. Because of the lack of access to healthcare facilities and necessary medicines, infectious diseases are killing many of the citizens in Pakistan.

“All the sewage over [in Pakistan] is ruined,’’ said Dr. Nozaina Aftab, a doctor of infectious diseases. “What that means is that the infections that get transmitted through stool and water are really rampant. [Diseases] like cholera, typhoid, and dengue, these infections and cause of the mosquitos that are breeding in the stagnant water.”

To help assist those suffering from the floods in Pakistan, the Infection Prevention

and Control Foundation (IPAC), along with Hinsdale Central, hosted a Walk for Pakistan on Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. The IPAC Foundation is a non-profit focused on fighting and lessening the burden of infectious diseases in Pakistan.

The IPAC Foundation has created a project titled “Flood Funds- Hands to Help” with the hopes of helping those affected by the floods. Already, the foundation has executed many actions to support the victims of the floods, such as providing mosquito nets, medical kits, ration bags, and medicines to fight off diseases. In addition, the organization has set up medical camps in Quetta and Sajawal which provide free medical consultation and treatment to those in the area.

The walk was located on the Hinsdale Central track. Attendees of the walk brought donations which they collected from friends and family members for the flood victims, and paid a $5 entrance fee.

“It is such an incredible cause,” said Julie Whaley, sponsor of Hinsdale Central’s Future Health Professionals club. “When you look at 30 million people displaced, right now there are little children who are dying from infectious diseases and they can’t even bury them because the graveyards are still flooded with water from August. Whatever little difference we can do, it’s worth its weight in gold.”

The track was adorned with Pakistani flags, and water and snacks were provided for attendees. Club members of the Future Health Professionals, Business Professional Association, and Muslim Student Association (MSA) were part of the group of attendees, along with other students who wished to participate in the walk.

Furthermore, many friends and family members joined the participants of the walk.

“We’re here to help and to give support to Pakistan and the flooding that happened there,” said Salman Shadi Khan, a father who joined his daughters on the walk.

All of the proceeds raised during this walk will be used to distribute medical supplies such as basic toiletries, tents, first aid kits, medicines, antiseptics, water bottles, dry food, and clothes in areas hit by the floods. If you would like to donate to help the victims of the floods, you can visit the IPAC Foundation’s Flood Relief website.

Members from Future Health Professionals, Muslim Student Association and Business Professional Association and their friends and family participated in the Oct. 15 walk to raise funds for areas of Pakistan affected by flooding from August.

photo by Zara Lateef

photo by Taylor Levin

Devils in Play

Saying Goodbye

Senior athletes reflect on their time playing various sports

by Kendall Florence designedby Taylor Levine

The fall sports season this year is coming to an end and each sport is holding a senior night to celebrate their hard working senior athletes. This is a bittersweet night where seniors say goodbye to the teams they have been with throughout high school and leave the future classes with advice and support for the years to come.

Senior Charlotte Goggin has been on the cheer team for all four years of high school.

“I am very sad that this is my last year cheering. I have been cheering since fourth grade with the Hinsdale Falcons and it is something that I love,” Goggin said. “Next year it will be weird to not wear my uniform on Friday nights.”

The cheer senior night took place on Dickinson field on Oct. 7. Goggin said that each cheerleader was assigned a cheer family at the beginning of the school year.

“Our cheer family’s made every senior’s week so special and memorable,” Goggin said. “They made us posters and gave us gifts of our favorite things throughout the week.”

The cheerleaders were walked across Dickinson field by their parents before the varsity football game as a farewell to Hinsdale Central Cheer.

A similar ceremony took place for the senior divers.

“Each senior had a poster, a banner, and a presentation with pictures and favorite memories made by a junior,” said CC Huber, senior.

They also had dinner at the Drake Hotel to finish off their last season. Huber said she is glad to have the experience of being on the dive team and will miss it next year.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have plans to continue

diving next year, but I’m looking forward to visiting the team next year and seeing them all improve,” Huber said.

Elisa Mann is a senior on the girls golf team. She was not very into golf before high school, but decided to try out for the team anyway.

“I’m so glad that I did. I could not have imagined high school without being on the team,” Mann said.

She is now on varsity and has had a great season with the team.

“The team won the state championship this year,” Mann said. “My teammates and I were so happy when we found out.”

Mann’s favorite memory from this year was growing relationships with her teammates.

“Talking and laughing with my teammates in between holes was the highlight of my season,” Mann said.

To celebrate senior night, Mann said the golf team got dressed up and had dinner at Ruth Lake.

Although it’s the last season for these athletes, they leave the underclassmen with advice.

“Spend as much time with your teammates as possible. I have built friendships that will last forever and it is sad to be leaving everyone at the end of this year,” Goggin said.

In addition, Huber tells her teammates to not focus too much on your scores or the competition.

“Just have fun with your team while you can,” Huber said.

Echoing this sentiment, Mann encourages everyone to do sports they’ve not tried before so that they can meet new people.

“Don’t be scared to try out for a new sport,” Mann said. “I have learned so much because everyone is so supportive and I have made the best memories.”

Cheerleaders celebrated Senior Night on Oct. 7 to honor and recognize seniors’ final season.

Photo by Kendall Florence

Q&Awith Ethan Hannah

by Jeffrey Birnbaum

Last week, I got the chance to sit down with Hinsdale Central Track and Cross Country standout athlete Ethan Hannah.

Posting a 3M PR run time of 17:57.00 amd a 2M PR run time of 11:14.00, Hannah is starting to stand out among his competitors.

I asked the senior Red Devil some questions about what he thinks about playing a sport on such a high level and his goals for the season.

Q: When did you start playing sports?

A: “Middle school, 7th grade. It was the first year when I moved to Illinois.”

Q: What is your favorite sport to play?

A: “My favorite sport? Track.”

Q:What makes you a great athlete?

A: “I’m always trying to improve. Practice makes perfect. You have to be consistent with it.”

Q: Is there any coach or athlete that you look up to?

A: “Eliud Kipchoge. He’s a marathon runner. He’s really good. He’s cool.”

Q: What do you think one of your strengths is?

A: “I am constant. I always show up to practice and I’m always trying to improve.”

Q: Do you have goals for this season?

A: “I want to break the 5 minute mile. That’d be pretty cool.”

Q: What has been your most memorable moment as an athlete?

A: “There was an invitational meet last year; I barely made the cut by a second. It felt really good.”

Ethan Hannah competes in a cross country meet at Kathy Legge Memorial in September.

Photo by Angel Flores

A Fresh Perspective

ByAnjika Kumar & Alex Olguin

As students trickle into band class, they make their way to their seats and begin listening to the new band director as she gives them an overview of the day’s plan. Within 20 minutes, students are tuning an array of instruments, including flutes, clarinets, bassoons, trombones and trumpets just to name a few. The music begins. The melodies tease what will be coming at the next football game or upcoming concert.

Grace Adduci, the new band director, started teaching this year and has quickly become a favorite among her students.

Adduci grew up in Glen Ellyn, Ill. She was homeschooled during her elementary school years and started playing the piano at five years old. She eventually went to Glenbard West High School. It was at Glenbard where her passion for music emerged.

“Music class gave me the most happiness during the day, especially in school where…the academics are super intense. I was an honors kid, all AP, so having that outlet with my friends in the middle

of the day was super nice,” Adduci said.

Her inspiration to become a teacher came from one of her previous directors of a collegiate band she was asked to join sophomore year. She was inspired by his ability to command a room and his talent.

“He had such a great ear for music that

“My primary instrument is organ… followed by trumpet, which is a secondary instrument, followed by piano,” Adduci said.

In her previous position she was a part time orchestra teacher at Glenbard North High School where she taught one orchestra class, and also led a percussion and electronic music section.

Adduci was hired in spring of 2022 to fill a vacancy left by departing band teacher, Matthew Goeke. Goeke, after 12 years, left to become the head band director at Hinsdale South.

I wanted to replicate that,” Adduci said.

She proceeded to attend the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University to receive her Bachelor of Music in Performance degree. While her main instrument is the organ, she also plays a number of other instruments.

“It was offered to him, and he was happy to go some place where he could still be the head band director and run things, and that’s working out for him,” said Matthew Kurinsky, the head band director at Hinsdale Central. “And that made a vacancy for someone to help out with band and jazz at Hinsdale Central.”

For Adduci, her position is her dream job, as she wanted to get away from working part time.

“It was at the point in my career where I just had to apply for everything,” Adduci said. Adduci was doubtful that she would be

photo by Annie Koziel

Grace Adduci began her new position as band director after leaving Glenbard North

Adduci stands with the marching band on Dickinson Field during a football game.

“She’s got a fresh perspective. Some ideas from a new person might be in order.” - Matthew Kurinsky

considered for the position, considering her relative lack of experience. To her surprise, she received call backs for first, second and third round interviews.

“I made it to the final round and I was blown away because I didn’t even think I’d make a first round,” Adduci said.

She was brought in to practice conducting the band with one other candidate, where she was then told they would get back to her by the end of that week. After anxiously waiting, she was disappointed to see that she received no call. Expecting a call on Monday, she prepared herself to hear that they did not accept her. To her delight, she was offered the job.

“I think I started crying,” Adduci said.

Kurnisky said he believed she was the right person for the job because of her youth and her ability to relate to her students.

“She’s got a fresh perspective. Some ideas from a new person might be in order,” Kurinsky said.

Adduci has been pleasantly surprised by her reception at Hinsdale Central.

“They’ve also allowed me to be that teacher and not just handhold me through everything and let me figure things out on my own,” Adduci said.

Her students have taken a liking to her and her style of teaching as it complements Kurinsky’s style.

“They both give yin and yang energy… Mr. Kurinsky is really experienced and known to his craft and [Adduci] is fresh out of college and…just fits in right with all the students,” said Deona Julary, the junior Drum Major and clarinet player.

Adduci was initially apprehensive about how she would be treated by the school, as she was a new teacher of color. However, compared to her previous job, Adduci liked the diversity of the band program and the equality between her and her colleagues.

“There is a history of inequality in terms of representation and also how we’re treated in a setting where it’s dominated by white men, but I have felt nothing but an equal in this department,” Adduci said.

Adduci also stated that this inclusivity encouraged through the music department

staff was also reflected in the music department student population.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see a mix of cultures and races within the music community because that also reflects music as it is in society,” Adduci said.

Students in Adduci’s classes, Wind Ensemble Honors, Wind Symphony Honors, Jazz Band and Modern Music Exploration enjoy the change in pace.

“I think everyone’s been very happy that she’s here. Personally, I feel like it’s a very positive change especially because she’s so young. I feel like a lot of the students can relate with her,” said Jaden Schmit, a senior, Drum Major and trombone player.

Adduci’s youthful spirit has led to some confusion as she admits that her favorite memory of her time at Central was being confused for a student.

“It’s always kind of fun because as a recent student, myself, [you] always talk differently when you’re amongst peers,” Adduci said.

In recent years band enrollment has declined significantly from more than 300 students in 2019 to just under 200, according to Kurinsky. Adduci plans to help raise enrollment by making the band more fun for students. She wants to create a stronger bond among band students by encouraging social events around band and eliminating the stigma that it is not fun.

“Her teaching style is definitely like a good mix of to the point, and gets stuff done but also has fun,” Julary said.

While the change in atmosphere from Goeke to Adduci was abrupt, the students adjusted fairly quickly.

“They were sad to see their beloved teacher go to a different school, but I think they were also relieved when she came that things are going to be fine,” said Serge Penksik, the orchestra director.

As for the future, her coworkers are very confident that her future here will be bright.

“I think she is going to be very successful…I think she will be a good match for us for a long time,” Penksik said.

Adduci agrees, as she doesn’t plan to go anywhere, “I think I am going to grow old and die in this band room,” she said.

photo by Annie Koziel

photo by Anjika Kumar

ARE DRAG SHOWS A DRAG?

by CAROLINE PETERSEN

Inside the brown brick building of Downers Grove Public Library, staff members associated with the teen department planned their Drag Queen Bingo event. What time would be optimal for participants? Will the drag performer get here on time? Will all go to plan?

As soon as the details of the event were finalized and posted to their website and Facebook page, threats began rolling in.

“Bring weapons,” a commenter said.

Newspapers across Chicago began to cover the threats. Library staff needed to balance the backlash while completing their daily tasks. Police presence around the library increased. What would happen next?

In September, a month before Downers Grove Public Library’s Drag Queen Bingo event was supposed to happen, the event was canceled due to threats of violence from various organizations based in the

Chicagoland area.

With the introduction and signing of Florida’s HB 1557 (Parental Rights in Education Act) earlier this year, progress made in the LGBTQ+ rights movement since the 1969 Stonewall riots has decreased.

“It honestly feels like we’ve taken [a step] 60 years backwards, like where the first pride events were,” said Peter Hutcheon, school social worker and sponsor of Hinsdale Central’s Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA).

“The first pride events weren’t parades. They were riots. [The protesters] were citizens. There were arrests and there was violence at the hands of the police and community members for not wanting to let people express themselves in the way that made the most sense for them. And here we are in 2022, and it feels like we’re moving backwards toward that time.”

Republican nominee for the 6th Illinois

Congressional District, Keith Pekau, has also criticized Downers Grove Public Library about this event.

“I join parents across the [6th] district in denouncing this event, just as I would denounce a library introducing kids to straight sex by holding a burlesque show,” Pekau said in a written press release posted to his campaign website.

Downers Grove Public Library planned the Drag Queen Bingo event with an intended audience of teens from seventh grade to seniors in high school. The event featured Aurora Divine, a Chicago based drag queen.

Divine is a self-proclaimed “friendly neighborhood drag queen living it up in the big city,” according to her Instagram bio. She also regularly hosts bingo events at My Buddy’s, a bar located in Chicago that features stand-up comedians, cabaret, bingo, and other entertainment.

Photo by Caroline Petersen

how Recent contRoveRsy in Illinois, and nationwide, has affected the lGBtQ+ community.

The Drag Queen Bingo event was planned for Oct. 11, which is also National Coming Out Day. October is also LGBT History Month.

“We’re deeply disappointed that we are not able to host this program at this time, however it was necessary because of the severity of the threats directed at the library,” said Cindy Khatri, Public Relations Manager for Downers Grove Public Library. “Our job is to provide a safe and welcoming space for everyone, and when someone is threatening gun violence towards our library, we have to make sure we are prioritizing the participants’ and performer’s safety.”

Hutcheon echoes the sentiment of disappointment from the backlash Downers Grove Public Library is receiving from community members.

“It’s just disappointing,” Hutcheon said. “I don’t understand where the animosity comes from. I don’t understand what the harm is in letting children - and anyone for that matter - but particularly children, express themselves in a way that feels comfortable and right for them. As long as no one is getting harmed, I just don’t understand the point.”

A similar incident also occurred in another Chicago suburb. UpRising Bakery and Cafe, based in Lake in the Hills, Ill., planned to have a family-friendly drag show in July that also was canceled, according to the Chicago Tribune.

conducting activities it was never permitted to conduct,” the statement said. “While the potential revenue from these entertainment events may be attractive to the business owner, the Village is seeking compliance with its zoning regulations.”

On a national scale, situations like these have been fairly common throughout the summer, and especially during June (also known as Pride Month).

After California state Sen. Scott Wiener made a joke on Twitter about making “Drag Queen 101 part of the K-12 curriculum,” a staff member alerted him to not return to his home until he had contacted authorities, according to NBC News. Before returning to his apartment, bomb-sniffing dogs had to

free to express themselves and identify how they feel most comfortable.

“[In GSA], we’re trying to think about all of the different categories that GSA can affect and impact, like the community, the curriculum that we teach, the infrastructure here in [Central’s] building, and then also our club itself,” Hutcheon said. “And so I think that at the core of it, that’s what we’re doing to try and keep students safe here in the building and feel like they can be their authentic selves, and still feel safe and welcomed. But, still, we’re still working on it.”

Regardless of any criticism and controversy, Downers Grove Public Library, like Central’s GSA, intends to stay a safe space for teenagers from all backgrounds.

“[the dRaG BinGo event] was siGnificant. events like these aRe lifesavinG. I want to take this moment to ReiteRate that the liBRaRy will continue to Be a place wheRe lGBtQ+ youth can find themselves, and wheRe teens of all identities can see people similaR and diffeRent fRom themselves

“So, [the event was] drag storytime,” said Eric Willoughby, junior and student activist, as well as a friend of Corinna Sac, the owner of UpRising Bakery and Cafe. “It’s like a drag show, like [when you think of drag] you think it [would be] very raunchy. [The actual event] was two drag shows with drag queens that had shown up to do the storytime, and they were instructed to read books [to children]. That’s all it was.”

The same evening the event was planned, Joseph I. Collins of Alsip, Ill. was arrested for vandalizing the bakery, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

“In the middle of July, there was the issue at [the bakery],” Willoughby said. “There [were] windows broken and graffiti [of hateful messages].”

A statement from the Village of Lake in the Hills cited zoning regulations as a reason that the bakery’s event was canceled.

“This issue is about a business

make sure the home was safe.

In Arizona, hundreds of high school students walked out during the school day on Sept. 29 to protest various bills affecting the LGBTQ community, according to AZ Mirror.

The day before the Arizona walkouts, Virginia students walked out of school after Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed legislation that would restrict protections for transgender students, according to The Guardian.

“We want our school districts to stand up for us and support us and say that they’ll reject these guidelines,” said Lauren Truong, a 16-year-old from Virginia who led the walkout at her school, in an interview with The Guardian.

As the sponsor of GSA, Hutcheon emphasizes what, in his opinion, is the importance of giving teenagers, including Central students, a safe space where they are

“Instead of focusing on those who were calling for Drag Queen Bingo to be canceled, I would like to recenter the LGBTQ+ youth and allies who were interested in coming to the event,” Khatri said. “This event was significant. Events like these are lifesaving. I want to take this moment to reiterate that the library will continue to be a place where LGBTQ+ youth can find themselves, and where teens of all identities can see people similar and different from themselves being celebrated.”

While supporting LGBTQ+ youth, the library still intends to help all patrons feel safe and welcomed in their space, regardless of political or religious affiliation. The library is also trying to find opportunities to discuss these controversies and topics with community members from all sides of the political spectrum.

According to Khatri, she and her colleagues will remain busy and aim to provide Downers Grove, as well as neighboring suburbs, a safe space to intellectually explore.

BeinG celeBRated.” - cindy khatRi

The Moment

Oak Brook Mall takes time to deocrate for each season and holiday, giving its patrons an opportunity to pose for a pumpkin-inspired mood.

Shopping around town

The New

Hinsdale Central’s return to life after COVID is a celebration, but some changes are long-lasting.

Normal

by Annie Koziel and Sehan Alam designedbyanniekoziel&sehanalam photosby Annie Koziel

March 13, 2020: Students are sent home at the end of the school day with an unexpectedly extended spring break.

August/September 2020: Students start off semester 1 of the school year with full time online.

October 2020: Students are provided the opportunity to return to school in the form of multiple groups and block schedules.

January 2021: Students start off semester 2 with a full day schedule.

February 2021: COVID-19 vaccines become available to teachers, eventually followed by the general public and students.

August 2021: Students are required to attend school in person with fewer COVID protocols.

September 6, 2022: The first “normal” school year begins.

Over the past few years, District 86 and schools all over the world have been thrown into a global pandemic, filled with virtual learning, and the gradual and hopeful transition back to “normal.” But even as this year started in full swing, there were still things that had changed - and many of them may change for good.

After the first few cases of COVID-19 in the area, remote learning and quarantine began in early 2020 - with teachers and students alike needing to transition suddenly to Zoom classes and completely online curricula.

“We needed to very quickly digitize everything that we were doing - having links, and having it all be viewable and clickable,” said John Naisbitt, Social Studies teacher. “You had to, immediately, in lock step with your units, get stuff up there, have a calendar that was tight as a drum, and put that up, have your equipment, make sure you’re being heard, help them understand the technology, and proceed from there. It was a real challenge.”

As teachers adapted to an entirely new system of schooling, students were thrown into a block schedule with longer classes and breaks in between, dealing with a new set of WiFi issues, burnout, and Zoom anxiety.

“Once we transitioned into online schooling my productivity definitely dropped,” said Lena Li, junior. “Just being online and at home for school, I had the tendency to do my classes in my bed, or just not focus [...], so once we started returning back to normal schooling I was a lot happier that I got to see not only my friends in person, but also be able to actually learn the content and be a productive student.”

In October 2020, students began trickling back in person, with a small fraction of students in the building each day, masking, socially distanced lunches, and one-way hallways to minimize contact.

As the year went on, in-person attendance slowly increased, with intense contact tracing and many in quarantine or isolation at any given time.

The switch back to full-time, “normal” schooling was met with anxiety, excitement, and new challenges.

“When the mask mandate was lifted [...] it was a pretty confusing time,” said Daniel Altamirano, sophomore. “You had some people not wearing masks, others wearing masks, and others who didn’t care and it definitely felt like a transitional period.”

Many grappled with the issue of masking, and the topic became controversial online and in school. Parents weighed in with their opinions, the administration tried to balance state mandates with community opinions and demands, and on February 7, 2022, a small percentage of Hinsdale Central students refused to follow the state mask mandate after other schools in the area were allowed to lift it, opting instead to learn remotely from the school auditorium.

Now, a majority of students are maskless as more and more people are being vaccinated and/or have some sort of immunity, and as treatments for COVID are improving and becoming more accessible. According to Yale Medicine, treatments such as Paxlovid and Remdesivir are effective in reducing hospitalizations and severe COVID, and getting vaccinated against the virus also plays an important role. Many are playing it by ear to keep themselves and their families safe.

According to the Weekly Updates from 86, by February 18, 2022 a total of 95% of Hinsdale Central’s staff alongside the 82% of students were vaccinated, with these numbers rising.

“My policy is that if I’m sick [even] if it’s just a slight cold, I’m going to wear a mask because…I live with my grandmother,” Altamirano said. “A few years ago she got COVID and it hit her really hard - she had to go to the hospital, and… no one in my family wants that to happen again so…we’re especially extra cautious.”

After the school implemented classroom protocols, the athletic and activities departments put their own precautions in order. Originally sports were in an indefinite lockdown and later transitioned into a no contact, mask required, limited attendance, and constant COVID-19 testing environment. These rules not only applied for practices, but games too, where students had to play in front of empty stands.

Extracurriculars were forced to either close down or move online, unable to provide students with the original and full experience.

Now, sports and extracurriculars are able to proceed with little to no restrictions. Masks aren’t required. Fans, parents and friends are allowed to attend the games as they please, and participation has risen.

“I just signed up for [club meetings], found out about the meetings, and was easily able to attend them,” said Kareem Kassar, freshman.

“I’m in a few clubs and I plan to try out for the basketball team since I have been attending the open gyms and after school workouts.”

Participation and availability was very low during the online years for extracurriculars and sports, compared to what it once was.

“Activity participation was down over the last 2 years, because there wasn’t as much that kids could do,” said Sally Philip, Activities Director. “So, this year is craziness - but great crazy, because now everybody’s like, ‘I wanna do this…’ and ‘I wanna plan this activity…’ and

restrictions.

“[This school year has been] a step up from middle school,” Melia said. “Meeting new people, harder classes, new opportunities, and so [the] first month has been really good so far.”

This year’s freshmen experienced the majority of middle school online. The start of high school is their first normal year in a while. Many have had an easier transition into a normal high school in comparison to “zoom high school.”

“Online learning wasn’t that good for me,” Melia said. “It was new territory and I didn’t really enjoy it. I feel like I’m doing a lot better now [with] a lot less distractions.”

When students are in person they are able to interact with their peers and teachers first hand.

“In person is way better,” Kassar said. “I get to see my friends, learn the material better; I focus better in person. There are fewer distractions when I’m in person learning compared to when I’m home on the computer.”

Hinsdale Central’s events and spirit - from pep rallies and dances to sports games and theater - weren’t as available during the online years as before. Now students are experiencing these events again as they once were. Central had multiple pep rallies during this football season, the student section is once again packed for football games, and plays, art shows and concerts are in full swing.

“I’ve been able to go to a couple of football games,” Li said. “It’s been pretty nice to have somewhat of a normal high school experience, but I just hope, for senior year, that I’ll be able to experience more events.”

so the energy’s higher, because there’s more stuff to do, and I’m seeing more kids actually involved and engaged during meetings and signing up for those clubs, which has been really cool.”

Many students have used these activities as opportunities to branch out and meet new people.

“I haven’t had that much time, but I’ve had positive experiences. Everything has been welcoming and friendly,” said Makenna Melia, freshman.

The freshman experience is what many people dread, look forward to, or accept. For the past three years this experience has been changed. Some students were given an almost entire normal freshman year, others had to deal with it mainly online, and the last group experienced full time in person, but with some

Re-growing school spirit through these events has been a cornerstone of the “new normal,” along with frequent testing, the aforementioned masking approaches, and a greater awareness of mental health.

“I think we’re social animals,” Naisbitt said. “We all, all of us, needed to at least appreciate and have awareness of the impact that the last 24-36 months have had on our psyche and our mental health.”

Mental health awareness clubs at the school, including Evolve (previously Operation Snowball and Strong Minds Bring Change) and Students Against Destructive Decisions, have increased outreach along with the social work department and general administration. From monthly check-ins to state-mandated mental health days (an Illinois law passed in early 2022 that granted students up to 5 excused absence “mental health” days without a doctor’s note and with the ability to make up work) to increased promotion of the mental

-Daniel Altamirano

“My policy is that if I’m sick [even] if it’s just a slight cold, I’m going to wear a mask because…I live with my grandmother.”

health services available to students, overall awareness and attempts to protect mental health have become much more prominent.

“I think the school’s trying, I think this classroom is trying, and I think the kids are trying,” Naisbitt said. “But it might have had more of an impact than we know, but we certainly need to take care of ourselves, that’s a very important thing that we learned from COVID. I mean just come in, and care for each other, and yet, still have a dynamic learning environment. I think we can do both.”

This sentiment of what it takes to move forward has been echoed by others in the building as well.

something, you bounce forward, and it helps put you in the mindset of giving back control, of how you adapt to your new story. And I love that, if you look into that, I think that’s where the magic’s at, is really trying to embrace what you went through - and know that we aren’tCOVID is still here, but I think changing with it, changing with what you have right in front of you [is key].”

“I don’t think I felt the shift until this year. I really feel like this year there is that presence of the return to normal, but the difficulty

is “normal” is defined differently by your past experiences with it,” said Leah Block, school nurse. “You don’t bounce back from

“Everything has been welcoming and friendly.”

-Makenna Melia

“We certainly need to take care of ourselves... and care for each other, and yet, still have a dynamic learning environment. I think we can do both.”

- John Naisbitt

The Homecoming pep rally happened on Sept. 23 in the school gymnasium whereas last year the school hosted it outside on the field.

Time to Be Real?

ByMaya Barakat & Maryum Shaik

Whether you’re walking home, laying in bed, or dozing off in class, you can’t help but turn your attention to your phone when you hear the familiar buzz of a notification. Looking at the notification, you see the well known reminder of “Time to BeReal” with a two minute timer.

Quickly, you pull up the app and adjust the angle to take the photo, no matter the location. As it posts you scroll down to see others’ BeReal. You might wonder how they were able to take a photo so quickly with no retakes, or how they take it so naturally that it doesn’t seem rushed. You scroll back to yours, feeling more or less “real”.

The app BeReal, founded by two French entrepreneurs Alexis Barreyat and Kevin Perreau, was launched in December 2019. It first began to take off in Europe on college campuses, according to TheInformation. However, the app began to blow up globally early this year with July being the peak, according to Time.

According to Time, the number of downloads jumped to 86% since June, making the number of downloads around 7 million. Globally, about 22.8 million people have downloaded the app.

The app has some distinct features. At a random time, every day, BeReal sends a notification to the user’s phone, reminding them that it’s “time to BeReal”. The user then has a time limit of two minutes to post a picture that cannot be uploaded or taken with filters. Once it is posted, the user can see other

peoples’ posts. However, if it is posted late, the photo is time stamped. The app also uses a no-follower system, where users cannot accumulate views or followers. This is due to the app’s fundamental purpose: to promote “authenticity” and “transparency”, as stated on their website . According to Time, BeReal has become a popular app because of its photo policies. In fact, their slogan states “No filters. No followers. Just friends sharing each

Instagram and Snapchat. Another difference is the type of content posted.

According to The New Yorker, other apps, specifically Instagram, consist of posts primarily of vacations, parties, engagements, and graduations. In BeReal, content like this is rare. Most posts are of normal day-to-day activities, such as eating dinner, studying for finals, and reading.

“You don’t really have to look good for it or care about how you look. It’s just for fun and just so people can see what you’re doing,” said Najya Shadi Khan, a sophomore who has been using the app since August.

The BeReal app could potentially have benefits for young teens struggling with self confidence. According to ABC News, BeReal could help teens who are struggling with self worth and anxiety.

“Any social media app that promotes authenticity and also limits the time that you’re on, in my opinion, is one thats valuable,” said Dr. Janet Taylor, a psychiatrist, in an ABC article.

other with others”.

The BeReal app stands out in many ways from other popular social media apps. According to NPR, the app has what other social media platforms are missing.

“There are no filters, no photo editing, no celebrities posting perfect photos,” Steve Inskeep says, a NPR podcaster.

Hence, the app creates this feeling of reality absent from other social media platforms like

Lillie Blackmon, a social worker at Hinsdale Central, said she also believes that BeReal can provide emotional benefits, such as connecting with friends on a more authentic level.

“A lot of my friends live out of state and they have kids and they’re married. I was actually considering using the BeReal app as a way to connect with them and not just see their perfect Instagram posts,” Blackmon said. “You can connect better with the BeReal app.” The fact that social media is toxic is well

A lot of my friends live out of state and they have kids and they’re married. I was actually considering using the BeReal app as a way to connect with them and not just see their perfect Instagram posts.You can connect better with the BeReal app.

- Lillie Blackmon

Students and social workers discuss the implications of a trending app that promotes authentic selves.

“

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known. According to Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, social media can be a platform for online bullying and unrealistic expectations of body image, all of which can be deteriorating for mental health and lead to issues such as anxiety and eating disorders.

According to HuffPost, a study done reported that 51% of social media users felt more self conscious about their appearance.

Lara Attassi, junior, agrees that social media can cause negative effects on mental health.

“I think people get more anxiety because they feel more pressured to look good in photos,” Attassi said.

However, social media is not completely useless, according to Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Social media can be a place for introverted people to meet others or to talk to friends who can’t be seen in person.

“I don’t think all of [social media] is toxic. I think it’s been beneficial for a lot of people. It taught a lot of people how to make money and a lot of people became famous,” Blackmon said.

Social media use has also been connected to FOMO, or “fear of missing out”. FOMO can be described as the feeling of being left out when believing others are having fun. According to Psychology Today, FOMO has been linked to social media use. When on social media, users can see friends and others’ posts of partying or socializing while they aren’t.

According to Pschology Today, a study published in a scientific journal revealed that the participants in the study who used social media were linked to experiencing FOMO, regardless of age or gender. The participants with FOMO also experienced anxiety and depression.

Blackmon also agrees that social media is a contributor to FOMO.

“All of Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat you see people out and about all the time and you feel that they’re doing things or they’re invited to things and you’re just chilling,” Blackmon said.

However, the BeReal app combats these

negative effects of social media by creating a place where people can share unedited and unfiltered pictures of snapshots of their normal daily life, while not having to worry about gaining popularity or looking their best. As BeReal states on its website: “Your Friends Are Real.”

BeReal continues to be a popular app, with millions of daily users. When Emma Keating, a sophomore, was asked if she sees herself using the app in the future, she said, “I do see myself using BeReal in the future at this point in time, although I do fear it is going to become one of those trends that goes away once it becomes ‘too popular’.”

Photo by Maya Barakat

battleground

In early October, a federal judge blocked certain gun restrictions in a New York law. Battleground writers Sahs and Gupta debate the merit of more gun restriction laws in the United States.

Michael Sahs

very difficult to obtain a license,” and that New York is “an oddity.” He speaks about gun licensing, stating that the police often look for reasons to deny applicants’ permits to own handguns. He mentions that the regulations for the transport of firearms are restrictive to a degree that prevents the use of a firearm while in transport. All this to say that the New York gun laws are improper. While gun ownership should be restricted to a degree, often the restrictions prevent good-intentioned, law-abiding citizens from acquiring firearms for legitimate reasons. When a prospective owner must go through the entire bureaucracy of a state, how likely is he to purchase a firearm in the end? It seems that some lawmakers have put into place a system that all but prevents certain people who should have the right to purchase a firearm from exercising that right. This is not right.

Whether or not it is right for a private citizen to own a firearm is a separate question. It is not the question at hand here. We do have a right to own a firearm under our Constitution, and the obstruction of that right is not proper.

Whatever we do to prevent the wrong people from owning a firearm makes it harder for the right people to own a firearm. The difference between the wrong people and the right people is that the wrong people will do the wrong thing to get that firearm, and the right people will not. While those who may present a danger to themselves or to others should definitely be prohibited from firearm ownership, those who wish to defend themselves should be able to.

In essence, the New York gun control laws are confusing. They are some of the most restrictive laws in the United States with regard to purchase and possession of firearms. In an NPR interview, Darren Leung, who owns a gun store, says that, “It’s

Over a week ago, federal judge Glenn Suddaby blocked key parts of New York’s new gun control legislation. The legislation would have been a transformative step in advancing safety by banning guns from sensitive places like Times Square and continuing social media background checks.

But now, New York must forcibly cope with tragically loose restrictions--even as that judge’s ruling has national impact. As The New York Times put it, “the breath and severity of Judge Suddaby’s decision… had redrawn longstanding battle lines in the debate over the Second Amendment.” He effectively gave other states the greenlight to unnecessarily block sensible gun control. As Americans, we must now wonder: was Suddaby’s decision correct?

In a 53-page order, Suddaby primarily targeted the background checks-where licensing officers would review a prospective gun owner’s social media. Suddaby thought that provision was too “subjective”, but that begs the question: what background checks aren’t subjective? Judging any person’s moral character will

Our Constitution was not written to be overridden by bureaucracy and paperwork. It was written to guarantee certain rights to the people, and when those rights are tedious to exercise, the Constitution is not properly being upheld.

obviously be subjective, but it’s at least one more protective line of defense. It was a vague defense for a specific mandate; one that will tragically set necessary and proper gun control laws back years.

The other problem with the decision is that it made awkward exceptions to the restrictions. Suddaby blocked the provision that would ban guns from socalled “sensitive areas”--including libraries, museums, and theaters--citing that it was too restrictive. But then Suddaby allowed provisions that banned guns from other sensitive areas like schools. Why is it that schools deserve gun protection but not theaters? And if the answer is the presence of children, then what about children who study at libraries, visit museums, and attend theaters?

By blocking these gun provisions, Suddaby is allowing guns to be present at populous areas--areas like Times Square.

And as Darrin Porcher, a former NYPD Lieutenant and current Pace University professor, puts it: “If you have gunfights in Times Square, what are your chances of hitting an innocent bystander?”

It is true that in a world where firearms were not in any dangerous hands, the hands of those who are not a danger would likewise rightly be empty. However, we do not live in that world. Despite gun restrictions, there is gun crime. The only way to reduce gun crime is to increase gun ownership among those who may be victims of crime, and the only way to do that is, in fact, to loosen restrictions.

Judge Suddaby has prevented the state of New York from passing sensible gun control legislation. According to Pew Research, 2020 marked the most gun deaths in the United States. We can reduce the amount of innocent victims from gun violence in this country so long as we fight for gun control policies. And that is something no judge can take from us.

Ajay Gupta

Infographic

Every Wednesday Benefits Staff Editorial

Every year, a calendar committee, consisting of teachers and administrators, comes together to discuss the next school year calendar and even beyond that. An early draft of the 20222023 calendar proposed 30 early release Wednesdays (ERWs) where students would be released at 1 p.m. Instead, the Board of Education approved a total of 15 early release Wednesdays for the 2022-2023 school year, where students are released at 12:30 p.m.

ERWs are administered every other week instead of every week. Many students feel that it would be more beneficial to have early release Wednesdays every week, as it would be a more consistent schedule. This consistency was what some board members argued for in support of adding early release days to the schedule. Given the consistency and additional benefits, ERWs should happen each week.

Early release Wednesdays replaced late start Mondays, which had been integrated into Hinsdale Central’s calendar for years. Late start Mondays occurred every full fiveday school week. There have been different variations of late start days. Most recently, for the 2021-2022 school year, late start Mondays started at 8:50 a.m., instead of the regular 8:00 a.m. start time for students, whereas teachers arrived at 7:30 a.m. to conduct meetings and professional development.

One reason for the removal of late start days was because of confusion. After a weekend, many students would often forget about the

change in schedule. Also, because late start Mondays did not occur every week, there was a lack of consistency in the schedule.

“We moved from Mondays to Wednesdays to capture more time on a given day,” said Bill Walsh, principal. “The idea of getting out at 12:30 [p.m.] gave staff members till 3:30 [p.m.] to get more of their professional work done and aligned with the strategic plan goal and all the curriculum.”

ERWs give time for course teams to meet, plan ahead, and look at student data. Because staff members stay in the building after students are released, they are given time to meet with each other and make curriculum plans.

“Teachers are expected by me as well as by the Superintendent Prentiss to be working on student growth matters,” Walsh said.

These extra hours help teachers prepare, and having a half day every week would give staff even more time to focus on their students’ needs.

One benefit of the ERWs is that the school remains open for students to utilize facilities if they desire. Students are eligible to go to the library and study with peers.

A calendar proposal slideshow in April 2022 included a survey with 1,440 respondents. Of the student respondents, 57% said they would prefer an early release once a week. Out of the staff responses, 69% said they would prefer an early release once a week as well.

Of the parent/ guardian respondents, only 26% said they would prefer an early release once a week. One disadvantage

of ERWs is that they give less time for in-person instruction, as students are released at 12:30 p.m. instead of 3:00 p.m.

Some argue that after a pandemic, where students were learning at home, it is important to have instructional time in the building. The Secondary Instructional Schedule Committee works on regulating school schedules to ensure that they don’t have to be changed often.

“We started school really late this year and I feel it is difficult to get necessary material in on the early release days. I would rather learn in the classroom than on my own,” said CC Huber, senior.

While it is true that there is less in-person class time on the early release days, they provide students with a lot of flexibility to study and get homework done. These extra few hours after 12:30 p.m. give students more time to catch up on homework.

The National Honor Society offers student tutoring only on early release days, and having this opportunity could be helpful for students who want tutoring opportunities.

“I think having a half day every week would be beneficial because it helps students catch up on missing work,” said Charlotte Quick, sophomore.”Half days are also nice because the school is still open for people to study.”

In the upcoming school year, considering this is the first year this schedule has been in place, a reconsideration of the original proposal for early release Wednesdays every week should be administered.

English department members review and discuss recent SAT and MAP scores to create lessons for students on an early release Wednesday, Oct. 19.

photo by Ms. Lopez