Devils' Advocate February 2023

BattlegroundContributors

Ajay Gupta

Michael Sahs

ClubContributors

Finley Bisch

Jenna Feng

Zara Lateef

SectionEditors

Sehan Alam

Maya Barakat

Samrah Syed

Kaan Turkyilmaz

CopyEditors

Caroline Petersen

Maryum Shaik

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Editor-in-Chief

Taylor Levin

ManagingEditors

Annie Koziel

Alex Olguin

DesignEditor

Anjika Kumar

With winter still in high gear, many were excited to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In this month’s issue, we attempt to get students pumped about the holiday. In the infographic survey, students and faculty provide insight on their favorite coffee, desserts and tea.

In the profile Q&A with the Winter Show directors, get to know what it takes to put on a play.

Keeping students in the loop on school matters is crucial, and in the feature “Behind the Line,” readers will learn what goes on during a typical school day in the cafeteria, and the preparation that takes place to make it operate smoothly. The “Navigating the Month of Love” highlights Valentine’s Day. In the profile piece, “Twin Telepathy,” featuring Hinsdale Central twins, learn more about these students and their extracurriculars. The “Meet your helper: ChatGPT” story provides information about this popular website. And finally, get to know gymnast Hazel Hamelka in the sports Q&A.

Check out this month’s editorial to learn more about physical education and its policies that the staff board questions.

Finally, our battleground writers debate if there is too much focus on STEM-based classes in the American education system.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue!

Taylor Levin

Devils’ Advocate seeks to provide an open and diverse forum created by and for the students from Hinsdale Central. The staff of Devils’ 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.

Cover Photo by Anjika Kumar

LetterfromtheEditor

Around Campus News

Finessing their way through Forensics

Speech Team members make their way through the IHSA series and the Forensics Showcase.

Whether it’s because they find it entertaining or it’s just an excuse to get out of class, students around Hinsdale Central look forward to the Speech Showcase every year. It’s a chance for students to learn, laugh, and relax as they watch a range of events from dramatic speaking to comedic pieces.

The Forensics Team is a competitive team where students audition in September to participate in a season that runs through January. Throughout the season, members practice each week to create and conduct original speeches.

After January, the IHSA series begins with regionals, then sectionals, and finally the state competition in Peoria, Ill. One member from each of the fourteen events is chosen to perform at regionals, a competition between schools in the local area. This year, both individuals and the team performed especially well.

“Not only did we get first place, but this was the highest we have ever scored at a regional,” said Paul Woods, Forensics coach.

Along with an outstanding performance at regionals, those who placed in the top four for their specific event proceeded to sectionals.

This year, all fourteen regional entries qualified for sectionals.

“I’m a little nervous because, historically, our sectionals have gone really well, but I’m also very excited,” said Quinn Stromberg, junior qualifier for Original Comedy.

In the 2021-2022 season, the Hinsdale Central Speech Team placed third at regionals and sectionals, but this year, the team ended up placing first overall in both tournaments. From sectionals, the top three speakers in each event moved on to state.

The members that went to state this year were Ajay Gupta (Extemporaneous Speaking & Impromptu Speaking), Jackie Vogel and Tess McArdle (Humorous Duet Acting), Tess McArdle (Humorous Interpretation), Leah Bradley (Special Occasion Speaking and Informative Speaking), Quinn Stromberg (Original Comedy), Aira Chaudhary (Radio), and the Performance in the Round (PIR) team.

PIR is a unique event that only takes place during the IHSA series. In this event, the chosen cast executes a 15 minute play where

they act, sing, and play music. This year, 13 students came together to perform a script

made by the coaches. The script is based on a children’s book written by Trudy Ludwig called “The Invisible Boy.” In this story, a boy named Brian never feels seen or noticed by his peers until one day, a new kid named Justine moves into his first grade class.

“It’s quite a moving piece, and I am so excited to play my role of ‘reaching out my hand’ to demonstrate the importance of friendship,” said Shayla Patel, sophomore in PIR, who plays the role of Justine.

The theme of friendship in the PIR story is paralleled by the strong bond and sense of community within the Speech Team.

“One of my favorite moments was at regionals when all my friends and teammates decided to come and watch me speak. It really made me feel valued and I feel so lucky to have these people in my life to support me,” said Leah Bradley, senior.

At state, the team finished fourth overall, with Jackie Vogel and Tess McArdle receiving first place in Humorous Duet Acting.

photosandstoryby jenna feng and samrah syed

(From left to right) Leah Bradley ‘23, Quinn Stromberg ‘24 and Anjali Jejurikar ‘24 perform in front of students at the Forensics Showcase on Feb. 10.

One-Act Plays hit the stage

Thoughts about the Winter Show - a series of student-directed one-act plays.

“I have been backstage since 8th grade and directing is always something I’ve wanted to experience; thank you Charlie [Cooper] and Jaffe for giving me that,” Dunn said.

The play addressed what most would consider disrespectful behavior for theater goers. This play used Shakespeare’s Hamlet as its background to address a rude audience’s behavior. Some of the specific behaviors identified included the person coughing and sneezing, the one texting, the one whose chewing is loud in your ear, or definitely the one sleeping sitting up. It made the current audience sit up a little bit straighter and stop side conversations.

chaos to the silence they have taken such an essential element of the human condition and presented it in a way that is so terribly intricate, and beautifully sentimental.”

The final act, “Check Please,” directed by Haley Cashman, senior, addressed modernday dating.

The play featured a series of first dates gone horrifically wrong, from the too old to the too young, the allergic to everything, the mime, to the crazy shoplifter.

In the beginning of February, Hinsdale

Central Drama performed their studentdirected one-act plays, with performances on Feb. 9-11. The plays presented modern themes that Gen Z found relatable, such as distraction, confrontation, and the use of technology.

Drama Club sponsor Susan Jaffe agreed.

“These three brilliant student directors found scripts that were interesting and challenging.” she said.

In less than thirty minutes, each act had the audience laughing and perhaps experiencing a bit of self reflection.

The first act, “Appropriate Audience Behavior,” was directed by Teagan Dunn, junior, who appreciated the chance to be in the director’s chair.

The second act, “A Tale of Two Spectators,” directed by Emily Loera, junior, is the account of a man and a woman both watching their spouses carry on an affair.

The two spectators bond over their experience, and they each learn a bit more about themselves through the process. Although more of a serious matter than the first act, the play reminded the audience that sometimes during times of difficulty and shock, people find themselves on the outside looking in. Although the theme of this play, a lover’s affair, isn’t a new concept, the perspective of the two spectators was a modern twist.

“I’m so proud of my actors for delivering this material so well,” Loera said. “From the

“Mrs. Jaffe showed me the script and I thought it was perfect. This is adorably funny,” Cashman said. “The modern twists were the references to Tinder and erroneous online profiles that Gen Z would recognize. Finding the perfect match is not easy, but the stories definitely made for laughter afterwards.”

Ava Towery, sophomore, attended the Friday night production. “It was really interesting to envision our peers finding a script, picking a cast, and making it all come to life.”

I definitely will not be chomping on popcorn at my next Broadway musical, but nor will I be sitting at a park bench watching my significant other with someone else. Don’t forget to buy tickets for the spring musical, “Urinetown,” coming in April.

The cast and directors of the Winter Show.

Arianna Messana ‘25 and Jacob Zhang ‘24 in a humorous scene.

Devils in Play

Springing into competition

Students and coaches prepare for the spring season sports.

by Kendall Florence designedby Alex Olguin

Asstudents get into the routine of second semester and winter sports wrap up exciting seasons, spring athletes are preparing for their upcoming season. Spring sports like water polo, track and field, girls soccer, boys tennis, baseball, badminton, boys volleyball and lacrosse have started tryouts and preliminary practices.

Sophomore Claire Chung was on the JV1 girls soccer team last year, and is planning to play again this year. She talked about what their head coach, Coach Anthony Madonia, has been doing to prepare.

“Preseason training started in November.

Coach Madonia has been holding strength training and conditioning practices every wednesday,” Chung said.

Preseason helps get players in shape and be prepared for when they start training with the team. Chung also mentioned she is most excited about meeting new players and reconnecting with teammates from last year.

“I’m most looking forward to bonding and getting to know the team better,” Chung added.

Another team that is ready for their spring season is outdoor track and field. After doing indoor track all winter, sophomore Shruti Reddy said she already feels prepared for the spring season to start.

But, Reddy also mentioned that in addition to indoor track, there has been preseason training for students who couldn’t commit to indoor track or wanted extra practice since November. Reddy said that being in shape before the season starts is important because

running outdoors is much different than indoors.

“Because of the wind, weather, and different tracks, I think outdoor track is harder,” Reddy said.

Lastly, the girls lacrosse team has been working hard since October, strength training three times a week to get into shape.

Last year, the girls lacrosse team went all the way to state, but lost to New Trier High

games of soccer, track, lacrosse, and all the other spring sports, you can visit Hinsdale Central’s athletic website. They have game times, locations, and outcomes posted online if you want to stay posted throughout the promising spring season. You can also find results and scores by visiting hcdevilsadvocate.com.

School and came first runner-up. This year though, the lacrosse team is ready to fight and win state.

Ella Parker-Briones, sophomore on JV and varsity lacrosse last year, revealed how the teams have been diligently conditioning before school from 5:30-7:00 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Parker-Briones also mentions that she is most looking forward to and hoping that Hinsdale Central will get to state again and win.

To stay posted with the first upcoming

Photo courtesy of Mikayla Mahler

Students in Nicholas Gebhart’s Team Games class compete in gym basketball; when the physical education classes aren’t using the field house, spring sports utilize the facilities.

Q&AwithHazelHamelka

Right before her sectionals meet, I got the opportunity to sit down with varsity gymnast Hazel Hamelka. I asked Hazel about her season and her experience on the gymnastics team. Hamelka was helpful and happy to give responses.

Hazel is a junior on the varsity team and specializes in the all around, which means that she competes in most every event in every meet.

Q - When did you start participating in your sport?

A - “I started my sophomore year.“

Q -What made you want to join the team?

A - “I was on a club team outside of school and my club closed down. I wanted to try something different so I tried out and joined the team.”

Q - What is your favorite sport to play?

A - “Gymnastics, of course.”

Q - What would you say is your best quality as an athlete?

A - “ I feel like I’m easy to work with, and I think I have a lot of leadership qualities.”

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

A - “Definitely my teammate Audrey Austin. I’ve known her for a while, and I always strive to be like her. She’s such an amazing person, and a great gymnast as well.”

Q - What is your favorite memory from this season?

A - “Any memory from a gymnastics meet like hanging out and messing around with my teammates in between events is something I look forward to.”

Q- What was an issue you faced this year and how did you overcome it?

A - “My back was injured for some time. So I took a couple days off, and just rolled it out and I heated it and iced it like every day so I could get better as fast as possible.”

Q - What is one piece of advice you would give to upcoming players?

A - “Cherish the moment. Definitely don’t take things for granted because it goes by so quickly. You should really get to know your

teammates because those relationships are long lasting.”

Q - What piece of coaching advice were you given that stuck with you?

A - “To not stress myself out or overcomplicate my skills.”

Q - What are you looking forward to for next season?

A - “Just getting new skills and getting closer with my teammates.”

Edited for clarity and length.

by Finley Bisch designed by Alex Olguin

Meet one of Hinsdale Central’s gymnasts

Q&Awith Winter Show, Student Directors

by Sehan Alam

Haley Cashman Senior

“Check Please”

What’s the name of the play you are leading?

“Check Please.” (Comedy) A series of blind dates with two recurring characters. A girl and a guy and they’re both going through a cycle of blind dates. We had a cast of five people, and three of them were the dates.

How do you feel about leading a play in comparison to being led?

Because I’ve been in so many plays it wasn’t that bad. I just copied and was influenced by other directors, [and] followed their leadership and style. I got to learn from them [and so] leading almost felt natural. It was really helpful that I had a lot of prior experience.

Have you felt nervous or anything?

[It has been stressful with] rehearsal times, [and having to figure out] when are we going to do this, how to manage the three back to back plays. [It’s been] more of anxiety, but not much of anything else.

How has the process been so far for you?

[It] was organized and well. I just trusted the process and my castmates. I knew they were going to do great and they did.

Have there been any struggles?

[We weren’t sure] how we were going to make the three sets work since they were back to back to back. Our first week of rehearsal was during finals, and sometimes there were scheduling conflicts. Some days we would have to stay after school for a few hours, while other days it was a couple hours.

Have you enjoyed it?

I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I would do it again if I had the chance. It was just the perfect way to close as my last show, and it was the best since I got to direct it. I was able to help out the less experienced, and it was a lot of fun.

Emily Loera

Junior

“

What’s the name of the play you are leading?

“A Tale of Two Spectators.” It’s about a man and a woman and how their respective spouses are having an affair. [And so the man and woman have] a weekly event where they watch them together, so they bond through this. How do you feel about leading a play in comparison to being led?

I’ve done choir, acting, singing, dancing and more for my whole life. [This was my] first time directing, and was a new experience. The main difference between performing and directing is [listening versus thinking about the details]. Being a director is more of a leadership role, rather than being the listener. Have you felt nervous or anything?

I was afraid I was going to come out as harsh. I wouldn’t know how to lead or guide them. The two cast members were experienced differently so I had to tackle that; one had more experience than the other. [I had to figure out] how to handle it effectively. The actors were great listeners; I was very fortunate to have them as a listening and appreciative cast. They allowed me to be better.

How has the process been so far for you?

In the beginning I had to choose the show, which was more of a tough process for me. I went through two shows until I got to the final choice. Have there been any struggles? The beginning was a bit hectic, but it got easier. I got the hang of it and so did my actors. Have you enjoyed it?

Directing is a completely new realm that I’ve been able to explore now. [It’s offered] a completely new perspective of the stage. Watching [the actors], and critiquing them constructively, and really just working with them, showed me how we can all produce the best show and tell our story the best way that we can.

What’s the name of the play you are leading?

“Appropriate Audience Behavior,” a play about making fun of inappropriate audience behavior, so it’s the exact opposite of the title. We had a total of six cast members. It had the largest number of cast members between the three different plays. How do you feel about leading a play in comparison to being led?

I’ve never directed before. It has been a lot of communication over and over again, we just had to communicate. Where we were going to rehearse, what we were going to do, stuff like that.

Have you felt nervous or anything?

It was different in a way that I was in charge of everything. It wasn’t like a teacher watching over what I did; if I didn’t have a rehearsal they wouldn’t question me over it. I was just given authority over everything. How has the process been so far for you? We only had one rehearsal during finals week, because I didn’t want to push them, but that was kind of stressful.

Have there been any struggles?

Mostly during the shows just because I was in it, so I wasn’t in the audience watching them, I just had to kind of listen to it backstage. So I was kind of anxious. Have you enjoyed it?

I would do it again; the most fun thing about directing is getting to know the people you’re directing and forming bonds because they are the ones you see every day.

A Tale of 2 Spectators”

Teagan Dunn Junior “Appropiate Audience Behavior”

Twin Telepathy

As college decision season rolls back arond, three sets of senior twins discuss their plans for the future

by Annie Koziel and Kaan Turkyilmaz Photos

& Tavoso’s

Wait, you have a twin?!”

It’s a familiar refrain. Even when people have grown up together, there’s always someone who doesn’t yet know that they share DNA. But whether or not twin telepathy is real or success is genetic, it’s clear that at Hinsdale Central, there are many twins making stories. And with college decisions on every senior’s mind, we see that once again. From college to sports to academics and everything in between, let’s take a look at three sets of senior twins who are taking Central by storm.

Lauren and Noah Priest, seniors at Central, both share their passion for swimming. Whether in the pool or at school, the twins always make an effort to have each other’s backs. They plan to continue swimming at their respective colleges.

“Right now I’m on the varsity swim team here - we have about three weeks left in our season, and we’re going to state, so I’m very excited for that,” Noah said. During the summer, Noah spends his time outdoors, whether that be riding his bike, going on adventures with friends, or even partaking in triathlons. “I did the Chicago Triathlon the last two years. I love being competitive and racing.”

As Lauren’s swim season has already ended, she enjoys cheering on her brother from the sidelines.

“I’m really excited to go and watch and cheer them on as well, because for the girls team we got 2nd so I think it would be awesome to see them take home a title,” Lauren said. Meanwhile, Lauren is already making plans for the summer. She wants to continue swimming while simultaneously filling her busy schedule up with other activities.

“This summer, I’ll be doing an internship with the Dawn McKenna Group,” Lauren said. “Last summer I also did an internship which I really enjoyed. I felt like it aligned with my creative passions, because I think Noah’s a little bit more analytically minded, whereas I’m more likely to approach something from a creative standpoint. Also, I will be continuing to swim this summer on Club and I anticipate I’ll be babysitting a lot, and then I’ll be going to Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the fall, attending Cox School of Business.” The future might be pulling the twins in different directions, but they will find a way to see each other from opposite sides of the country.

“I’m going to Boston College to swim next year, so this will be the first time that we’re far apart, but we both love the schools, so I think we’re going to have fun,” Noah said. “They actually have a swim meet against each other, so I’ll be able to go to Texas and get some warm weather and see her.” However, for the remainder of the school year, the twins will continue to enjoy each other’s company… despite Noah’s “two-shot” camera policy.

When Lauren and her friends go out together, they sometimes make Noah the designated camera-man.

According to Lauren, Noah will only take two photos at a time. “We’re like, ‘OK, this has to be really good because we have a two-picture limit,” Lauren said. “We have to get it down to a science.” Despite their amusing altercations when it’s time to “say cheese,” the twins are appreciative about how supportive they are of each other.

provided by priest’s, chung’s

Lauren & Noah Priest

Sam & Luke Chung

Sam and Luke Chung, seniors at Central, shared some of their experiences at school. While the twins are involved in various activities together, it is clear that they have differing plans for the future. With college decisions right around the corner, the twins plan to stay connected after high school.

“There’s competition between us but it’s not the type of competition that’s toxic,” Luke said. “We kind of push ourselves to do better.” The twins are involved with the same sports at Central, tennis and golf.

“Luke is an instigator on the golf course,” Sam said. Their friendly competition has played out on the tennis court and the golf course. In addition, they both enjoy performing in the Wind Ensemble together. Sam plays the saxophone and Luke plays the oboe. Megan Chung, Sam and Luke’s mom, offered some steps that she took to keep some of their interests separate.

“They have been in separate classes since they were 5, and we tried to separate them out a little bit,” Megan Chung said. “Sam took French, because he wanted to, and Luke took Spanish.” While Spanish might not be a passion, Luke has already discovered his passion for the STEM field.

“I had an internship at NASA last summer where I researched meteorites to discover how they carry the building blocks of life to earth and other habitable planets,” Luke said. The twins are not always together, and have interests that are leading them down separate paths in the future. They have explored some of these interests in high school, but they both want to branch out in college.

“College, I don’t know - it feels really far away, not sure what I want to major in yet. I want to go to a school where I can figure out what I want to do during my freshman year,” Sam said. One thing is for certain: as the twins continue on their own separate paths in life, they will always be there for each other.

“When they did their college admissions, they opened their admissions together in the same room - in the office, and nobody else was allowed in,” Megan Chung said. No matter where the future takes them, Luke and Sam are planning on supporting each other’s endeavors.

Ari & Cody Tavoso

Ariana and Cody Tavoso, seniors at Central, share their experiences in sports, school, upcoming college plans, and growing up together.

“We’re very competitive,” Ari said. “My dad loves to make everything a competition. It’s always been this way; I would say it’s definitely become a bigger competition as we’ve grown older… one of my favorite memories was when my dad would…make us protein shakes before PACER tests and stuff like that, so I’d say we’ve always been pretty competitive.”

Ari plays for Hinsdale Central’s girls’ lacrosse team, is involved in Peer Buddies, and serves as secretary of student council, while Cody participates in the wrestling and bass fishing teams at Central. While they are competitive, they also share advice and support each other.

“She’s not afraid to tell me the truth,” Cody said. “But she’s also very supportive, especially when it comes to athletics and wrestling.”

Growing up, the two spent a lot of time together.

“Our parents requested us to have the same teachers [in elementary school],” Ari said. “And we always had lockers next to each other, so high school was the first time… that we haven’t. It’s so weird.”

Now the two plan to split up for college, playing their respective sports on opposite sides of the country. Ari will play lacrosse at the University of California-Berkeley, while Cody will wrestle at Princeton University.

“[Because Princeton is] in New Jersey, it’s going to be a big change, but I’m looking forward to it,” Cody said.

When asked how they felt about living away from each other, the two had mixed feelings.

“I don’t know, it hasn’t hit me yet,” Ari said. “I think wherever we would have gone… it would have been hard to see each other anyway just because we would have been so busy…but, I’m trying not to think about the distance.”

Cody added, “It’s definitely going to be a big change, but I think we’ll be alright.”

Navigating The Month of Love

Valentine’s Day can be the best day of the year for some people...or it can be the worst. But how should one go about navigating it?

By Anjika Kumar and Carolime Petersen

photos provided by simrah qasim & sulaiman qazi (left) and gio pamfili & jace haines (right)

Today is your first Valentine’s Day with your new boyfriend. In preparation for this day you have viewed countless videos of boyfriends bringing their significant others flowers and chocolates. You’re walking to school, expecting a large teddy bear and a bouquet of fresh flowers. You finally see your boyfriend in the cafeteria, who excitedly hands you…a crumpled-up sticky note with the words “Happy Valentine’s Day” scrawled out in chicken scratch. Oh…

Whether you are going to spend it with your family, friends or a significant other, Valentine’s Day is typically known as the focal point of February. Leading up to the day you can see store shelves stocked with countless types of candy, singing teddy bears, and flowers. People across the world spend time with their loved ones watching cheesy rom-coms. But where do these traditions come from and how did Valentine’s Day get its start?

February has always been considered a month of love for the Christians and Romans. According to History.com, Feb. 14 became associated with someone named Saint Valentine; the background of who he was isn’t so clear, but there are several different legends associated with him. One explains that in ancient Rome, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage with the belief that unmarried men would perform better as soldiers.

Valentine opposed this idea and would marry those who wished secretly. Another legend states that Valentine was the first person to send a valentine to a woman he had fallen in love with, with the concept of a note of appreciation still existing today, having morphed into the card one can purchase at the supermarket. Now, families, friends, and couples everywhere celebrate this ancient holiday, including students at Hinsdale Central.

“I love Valentine’s day and I love love,” said Alex Marco, freshman. “I celebrate Valentine’s with my significant other and we usually hang out the whole time.”

However, other students do not share the same sentiment.

“I appreciate the idea of having a day to celebrate romantic love,” said Rania Peracha, freshman. “But also the amount of hubba bubba people do for it is excessive.”

The feelings about Valentine’s Day are mixed, in fact, some people don’t really celebrate it at all.

“I don’t really consider it a holiday, honestly, and it seems like a hassle if you are in a relationship,” said Izabela Jankicevic, junior. There is no reason to feel like you can’t

celebrate Valentine’s day just because you may not be in a relationship. There are so many ways to have fun, including taking time to celebrate friendships.

“I definitely think love of all kinds, platonic or romantic, should be celebrated every day, Valentine’s Day included,” said Kelly Rocks, social worker. “Sometimes we just need to hear from people [that you’re valued and appreciated].”

A popular concept that originated with the television show Parks and Recreation, a political satire sitcom (2009-2015), is “Galentine’s Day,” where women can take the time to do something as a group.

“Me and my friends are having a little dinner and we are all going to bring something Valentine’s day themed,” Jankicevic said. “And then we are going to watch a romance movie.”

Rocks emphasizes the importance of friendships during teen years, whether navigating romantic holidays or not. She believes that everyone needs their own ‘village,’ or group of friends and supports, through all stages of life. These friendships can also influence your self-love and learning how to love yourself like how you love a friend or romantic partner.

But you don’t need to have a big celebration for Valentine’s Day either. Students are also excited to participate in some of the school events that will be happening on Valentine’s Day - one being the annual Singing Valentines. Choir students get the opportunity to serenade their classmates with fun songs during the school day when requested by teachers.

“I’m looking forward to Central’s Valentine’s traditions [such as Singing Valentines],” Peracha said. “However, I’m expecting a typical day - getting someone a Crush [for your Crush] and participating in a piano competition.”

As referenced by Peracha, Central’s Gender & Sexuality Alliance and PERIOD @ Hinsdale organized a Crush for your Crush sale, where students could purchase a Crush soda and write a personalized message to the person of their choosing for $1. Students seemed to enjoy this new addition to Hinsdale Central Valentine’s Day festivities. Student Council also decorates the hallways with a flood of pink and purple hearts, each one with a student or staff member’s name.

While traditions new and old are fun, expectations as designed by Disney Channel and Hallmark movies have distorted what a realistic Valentine’s Day looks like.

“I thought everyone would make handmade cards [for Valentine’s Day],” Jankicevic said. “But, everyone just hands out storebought cards instead.”

Though Valentine’s Day is often seen as a holiday to share love with others, it can also be for self-love. Before being in a relationship, self-love is arguably much more important than romantic love.

“Sometimes it’s really hard [to love yourself] because we all have things we don’t like about ourselves,” Rocks said. “We all have things we wish we could do better, or things we think we should have done better, but self-love doesn’t have to be this grandiose thing, right? It could be you just showing up for you and taking care of your basic needs.”

So, before getting down about Valentine’s Day, try to do some things for yourself whether it be watching a movie you’ve been wanting to, or ordering in from your favorite restaurant.

“Self-love is complicated,” Rocks said. “It’s messy and it’s real. And it can be a real struggle. But it’s such a necessary thing. If I could give the world one thing, it would be that every person would show themselves the love that they show other people.”

Features

Singing (and kazoo-ing) Silly Love Songs by Wings, choir students (left to right) senior Analise Budziak, senior Mickey Norton, junior Jacob Zhang, junior Anya Raman, and senior Evan Carlson harmonize for the English department on Feb. 10.

photo by Ms. Lopez

Behind the line

What goes on behind the scenes in preparing food for for more than 3,000 staff and students every day.

by Alex Olguin and Samrah Syed

Photos by Samrah Syed

From fourth period to eighth period, students rush to the cafeteria and make their way into the bustling lines, scan their IDs, and find their seats in order to eat in just 25 minutes. While hundreds of students use the cafeteria every day, the average rating of the quality of the school food is 6.6 and the average value of it is 5.2 on scale from 1-10, according to an Advocate survey of 50 respondents. Despite this, it is estimated that 80 percent of the student body will order something from the cafeteria each day, whether that is breakfast, lunch, or even a simple snack. But what goes into the preparation of providing healthy and nutritious food for the student body?

“I get pasta and a bosco stick almost every day, but I don’t actually know how my food gets to me,” said Yash Gupta, sophomore.

The food service staff consists of 23 people and the process involves first ordering the food, then preparing the different meals, and finally serving it to the student body. Ordering and deliveries take place each day. There are two main vendors that bring fresh produce, meats and more.

There are also specific vendors for dairy, coffee, and packaged snacks. In order to find out how much to order, the food service staff is able to keep records as to how many sales are made each day using Infinite Campus.

The timeline of each day begins as early as 5 a.m. and ends roughly at 1:30 p.m. Of the 23 cafeteria workers, it takes about eight cashiers every single day to manage the lines. Half of the staff will come in and start preparing breakfast at 5 a.m.

“All the food is prepared fresh daily,” said Kristin Kasprzak, cafeteria director.

Kasprzak has been a food service director at Hinsdale Central for seven years, but she has worked in food service under Quest for more than 20 years.

Deliveries start arriving as early as 6 a.m. and as deliveries come in, the preparation process continues on until 10 a.m. Everything from the brownies to the burgers and fries will be prepared in the kitchen.

“For the deli, all our meats, everything we slice them behind the scenes every day for you,” Kasprzak said.

Some items have specific times where they need to be made. For example, the pasta and the marinara sauces for the pizzas are prepared from about 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

“Our new pizza oven will bake a pizza in six minutes, which is awesome,” Kasprzak said.

Last year, the kitchen was renovated completely and the addition of new equipment has drastically improved the preparation process. Not only are there new pizza ovens, but there are ovens that can also function as a fryer without the use of grease. The kitchen may be smaller than before, but there is a lot more storage for dry items and beverages along with faster running equipment.

Once the food is prepared, the cafeteria staff begins supervising the lines during lunch. While some staff members are serving, others are cleaning up in the back. Most of the staff is gone by 1:30 p.m. The

busy school day can pose a challenge for cafeteria staff, as they must keep up with the demands of hundreds of students passing through the cafeteria. However, this is where most of the interaction occurs between the staff and students.

“I like the communication with the students because I myself am the mom of two teenagers,” said Juana Adriana Zermeno Aguilar, cafeteria staff member. “I like to see the students happy… because if they are happy I am happy.”

“All the food is prepared fresh daily.”

- Kristin Kasprzak

Cafeteria staff prepare meals for lunch.

The cafeteria managers and staff must be able to manage the flow of food, utensils, and students, while also ensuring the lunch period runs smoothly and on schedule. While the new equipment has made the preparation process more efficient, one of the biggest problems the staff faces is managing the lines due to the new setup.

“It looks beautiful but it’s not very efficient,” Kasprzak said. “The new marketlike setup may be appealing from the consumer perspective, but it is extremely difficult to manage all the kids going in and out. Some of the later lunch periods, like sixth and eighth period, have close to 600 kids, and this can be overwhelming for the cafeteria staff.”

Students have also expressed their thoughts on the new look of the cafeteria.

“I don’t really like the new setup because the lines are very complicated, but I do think that it looks really cool. It is also brand new, so hopefully the lines get faster

What is your favorite food to serve?

and more efficient in the future,” said Kevin Zhang, senior.

The school cafeteria staff all agreed that the process is a complex operation that requires hard work and dedication. From ordering the food to preparing and serving it to the student body, there is a lot that goes into ensuring the food provided is safe, nutritious, and delicious.

“I enjoy serving everything because the thing I like most about this job is getting to serve you guys, the students,” Kasprzak said.

Chiquita Jones mixes fresh cupcake batter.

Meet your helper: ChatGPT

ChatGPT’s effects on education and its role in the future.

By Maya Barakat & Maryum Shaik

Introduce yourself.”

“Hello, I am ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. I am here to assist you with any questions or information you need.”

“Tell me more about yourself.”

“Sure! I am a state-of-the-art AI language model developed by OpenAI. I was trained on a massive amount of text data from the internet, allowing me to generate humanlike text and answer questions on a wide range of topics. I can provide information, respond to questions, and even write creative content such as poems and stories.

I am constantly learning and improving, so feel free to ask me anything!”

ChatGPT was first made available on Nov. 30, 2022 through OpenAI’s website. OpenAI

is a research laboratory based in San Francisco and has released other AI technologies in the past. It was founded in 2015 by notable engineers, such as Elon Musk. When their latest invention was released, the new chatbot, users were allowed to use a free test trial, though the chatbot was still being developed. Currently, ChatGPT has 30 million users and 5 million daily users, according to The New York Times. Though ChatGPT creators are not allowed to speak on their invention due to company policies, stated in an article by The New York Times, OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence “benefits all of humanity.”

The chatbot functions as a website but also uses a machine-learning algorithm. Once the user enters a question or command, the

chatbot scans texts that have been uploaded from the internet pertaining to the subject and formulates it into a response.

However, what stands out about this chatbot is that it functions in a way that allows humans to interact with it “in a conversational way,” according to OpenAI’s website.

ChatGPT is being used for a variety of tasks. For example, people have been using it to fix broken computer codes, generate ideas for essays, or create poetry, according to ABCNews. Others simply use it as a search engine, as it gives detailed information quickly.

Justin Esau, English teacher, has had experience with the chatbot, experimenting with it himself and having his students experience it as well. He said he believes that the new AI can provide many beneficial tools

A conversation with ChatGPT.

for students.

“It almost can give good feedback on essays too,” Esau said. “If you put a rough draft in, give it a rubric and say ‘give feedback to this student on this essay,’ it will use the rubric and it will give you some moderately OK, generic, feedback on the essay that is fairly accurate.”

However, ChatGPT has caused some controversy since it began to attract many users early on. According to The New York Times, because of its wide range of knowledge and abilities, schools, such as a district in New York, have banned the use of ChatGPT to prevent cheating on homework.

And according to an article by Insider, Mira Murati, the chief technology officer of OpenAI, agreed that the chatbot and other AI tools can be dangerous.

“It can be used by bad actors,” Murati said, in an interview with Insider.

Murati also expressed the importance of companies who release their products to ensure that it is used correctly and ethically.

“It’s important for OpenAI and companies like ours to bring this into the public consciousness in a way that’s controlled and responsible,” Murati said, in the Insider article.

Angelique Burrell, English teacher, has had

experiences where the technology was used in an unethical way. She shared a moment in which she had caught multiple students using ChatGPT when they shouldn’t have.

“I read it right away and I knew, in all of the instances… you can tell that it’s not a person. It’s good, but it’s not human,” Burrell said.

Although it has its benefits and drawbacks, there is still the lingering question of if this new technology is something to be wary of in the future. In The New York Times article, The New Chatbots Could Change the World. Can You Trust Them?, the OpenAI commented on its own ability to do harm.

and no one truly knows how far it’s going to go. In an article written by Stanford University, the writers bring awareness to the use of prosperity algorithms that are used to assess whether a defendant will commit crimes in the future, which causes concern that justice will be in the hands of a humanprogrammed machine. In more depth, it can lead to making the mistake of taking an algorithmic probability as a fact.

According to The New York Times, ChatGPT seems to be continuously increasing in numbers. Although it has both benefits and drawbacks, it continues to send educators into a state of worry because of the irresponsible usage of it. With this in mind, people start to wonder where this will take us in the future, not only education, but jobs as well.

“I think if we as a profession, like teachers, administrators, and students, can get together and figure out some agreements on how it should and shouldn’t be used, and then find some way to realistically enforce those things, the potential benefits far outweigh the risks,” Esau said. “But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little nervous, in general.”

Polina Seidel, junior, said that the potential of ChatGPT in an academic setting depends on the intentions of the students using it.

“It may occasionally generate incorrect information, and produce harmful instructions or biased content,” OpenAI said.

Technology is only going to keep advancing

“I think ChatGPT will both academically help and destroy the future,” Seidel said. “It depends on the student and what their goals for using it are. If a student uses it as a hint or a guide it can be helpful. But if a student uses it to just get answers to homework or to help them cheat, then it’ll hurt them because in the long run they won’t learn anything.”

“I read it right away and I knew, in all of the instances…you can tell that it’s not a person. It’s good, but it’s not human.”

- Angelique Burrell

WriterMayaBarakattriesoutChatGPT;however,withtoomanyusersutilizingtheplatform,ithadreachedcapacity.

The Moment

On Feb. 14, singing valentines, performances put on by choir students, returned with teachers opting to sign up their classes to be serenaded. Here we have junior Arjun Shah, senior Gianna Ciezadlo, senior Shannon Stover, senior Aubrie Benjamin, senior Leandra Gruft, senior Tess McArdle & senior Julia Lorenz singing Love Song by Sara Bareilles.

battleground

In recent years, schools, including Hinsdale Central, have placed an increasing importance in STEM; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Our battleground writers debate the merit of this approach.

Michael Sahs

And the arts are more than just painting, drawing, sculpting, and the like. The arts involve poetry and prose, and thought and discussion. Oratory, persuasion. Law. The arts are the activities that make you think about why your answer is right.

Let’s take two questions- one is in physics, the other is philosophical. The answer to the physics question is 2 m/s. Why? Well, that’s easy, you just have to do the math. The answer to the philosophical question could be any number of things. Each answer is able to be justified and defended, and considering these arguments and these answers are not only an exploration of the topic at issue, but also an internal analysis of your own biases and considerations regarding that topic is even more fundamental.

What have you done at the end of this life? Had some interesting conversations, maybe, maybe your name wound up on some plaque somewhere.

If you truly want an indelible mark, partake in the most human of endeavors- the arts.

In the 6th century BC, Greek philosopher Pythagoras postulated a medieval quadrivium of four arts: astronomy, mathematics, geometry, and music--combining the rigor of analytical subjects with the fine arts and established the importance of a liberal arts, wellrounded education.

As America’s most talented youth flock to STEM fields and technology captures our everyday attention, we must wonder: does our society focus too much on STEM?

Simply put: no. Not only is our societal emphasis on STEM subjects justified, it should be encouraged by impactful actors like governments and businesses because it provides workers with meaningful jobs, decreases political naivety, and helps America internationally.

First, a STEM education boosts our domestic economy by providing workers with meaningful jobs. In fact, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics found in a 2017 report, STEM job opportunities grew 79% over the past three decades. Employers increasingly are attracted to those who are comfortable with quantitative analysis, reasoning, and

If you say the answer to the physics question is 2 m/s, you can’t ever, ever argue that point. There is no way to do it, and you cannot try. If you disagree with someone’s answer to the philosophical question, any good thinker will ask you, “Why?”

What does this mean? It means that one of these questions asks you to run through some system and derive an absolute answer.

numbers--skills needed for a digital world.

For our economy, this STEM focus bears fruit, too. Research from the MIT Technology Review in 2019 found that STEM educations spur entrepreneurship and innovation and create “ripple effects” throughout our economy by employing more workers who stimulate more economic growth.

Finally, thanks to the innovative capacity of STEM degrees, a focus on STEM education helps America internationally. The Economist explained in October of 2021 that 7 out of the 10 largest technology companies by market capitalization were American-based companies. That has led to tens of thousands of immigrants attempting to enter into these lucrative companies from other countries, creating a “brain drain” for our biggest global competitors like China.

If we want to see America continue to stay powerful and hegemonic on the world stage, investing in and encouraging STEM degrees will perpetuate this important cycle of expanding our technology industry. The humanities and non-STEM fields are undeniably important. And while no

The other asks you to come up with an answer, and then test it and justify it until you either realize it’s the wrong answer or that you are ready to bring it to the world. Every single time you answer a question in the arts, you build it yourself, test it yourself, and bring it forward. It says something about you and lets you hear about other people. The answer to the physics question just tells others how good you are with numbers.

Why, then, do we focus so heavily on STEM while allowing our education in the arts to wither? What will this do as the population grows, and we find that although we have a wealth of doctors, engineers, mathematicians and the like, we have lost all the poets and artists and thinkers that really make a culture a culture.

If your ideas are defensible, and you develop them well, they will eventually be made public. If they are made public, they will be written down. The arts only grow, from the most ancient to the far future. And thus, if artists question what they’ve done in their life, they know their legacy will exist onward.

curriculum should sacrifice a thorough understanding of non-STEM fields purely for STEM, we should not kid ourselves into thinking that STEM does not have an important role in education and jobs. As our society becomes more technical, so too should our focus--and that’s exactly what STEM does.

Ajay Gupta

by Anjika Kumar and taylor Levin

Coffee, Tea & Desserts

ForHinsdale Central students, there are many different options to choose from regarding physical education for juniors and seniors, including Group Exercise, Lifetime Activities, and Team Games. Group Exercise students participate in zumba, core training, and self defense training throughout the semester. As of next school year, sophomores, similar to freshmen, will take a standard P.E. course.

Different gym classes focus on different exercises, but follow the same policies and shared mission statement.

According to the D86 Program of Studies, the Department of Physical Education’s mission statement states that “we strive to develop students who thrive physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally by cultivating vitality in order to pursue their life goals both passionately and successfully. We provide a sequential curriculum by which students apply the skills and knowledge necessary to confidently lead a safe, healthy, and active lifestyle.”

Along with a shared mission statement, P.E. classes also have the same policies. One policy that has been brought up is makeup work. When students are absent from school, they are eligible to make up P.E. in order to gain full participation points. If a student does not decide to make up the class, the student will be docked points in the gradebook.

“If you are out and you want those points back you have the option to make it up before school with early bird or you can come after school when there is supervision

in the fitness center,” said Janelle Marconi, Physical Education Department Chair.

There are some exceptions, such as school field trips and student counselor meetings. Students will not be penalized for missing P.E. for these reasons. For extended periods of absence, this is considered on a case by case basis and students should check with their teacher to see what is expected of them.

A student has three “freebies” each semester that will not count against them, which include not dressing properly and being absent. There is also a two to three week window for students to come in before or after school to get points back.

“You get the option of a two mile walk/ run, and then when you do that then you just check out with whoever is supervising. Or, you can bring your own workout,” Marconi said.

There has been controversy with the makeup policy, as some students say they feel they shouldn’t have to sacrifice time to make up P.E. in order to get full points.

In order to accommodate both the P.E. department and students, students should be allowed to make up gym in class the day they return from being absent. This makes it so students do not have to dedicate time before or after school, as many students have after school activities. A new policy should be enacted for the 2023-2024 school year, in order to give the P.E. department time to adjust.

“If I am absent from school, I don’t think it is fair that I have to make up gym in order to get full points. Many students are busy

with sports and other activities and it can be hard to find time,” said Rose Baroni, senior.

According to Bear Facts, the Lake Zurich High School Student Media, “If the student is involved in extracurricular activities, such as clubs, sports, or a job, then the student is busy before and after school. Even if they are not busy every day, it is difficult to find multiple open days to dedicate to P.E. makeups if a student misses several days of school.”

“I understand why students are marked down points for being absent but I think it should be easier to make up points. We should be allowed to make up points during class the next day,” said Isabelle Witt, senior. While it is true that in other classes students are required to make up any missing assignments, tests, and quizzes, they are not docked participation points which may harm their grade. It can be hard to find time outside of a school day when students are loaded with tests, homework, athletics, and extracurriculars. Students might be more open to making up gym class if they are allowed to do it during their gym period. Other courses require students to go to the testing center outside of the class period to make up quizzes, but these are summative assignments rather than participation points.

This new make up policy should be enacted for the 2023-2024 school year. This gives students and staff enough time to adjust, rather than enacting a new policy halfway through the 2022-2023 school year.

photo by Taylor Levin

This editorial is the consensus of the Devils’ Advocate Editorial Board.