Devils' Advocate January 2017

Devils ’

Advocate

Looking at the Next Four Years P. 14

Women’s March on Washington

Unconventional Post-Grad Plans

P. 22

P. 20

Hinsdale Central High School - Hinsdale, Ill. - Volume 89 - January 2017

Contents Features Welcoming President Trump The changes following the election

Think Ink Students explore their new rite of passage

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Women’s March on Washington 20 Protesters demand to be heard

Unconventional Post-Grad Paths Students explore other options 22

Profiles Joon Soo Kim Making a national champion 10 The Variety Show Taking a look at student acts

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Club Spotlight: Girls Rugby

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Opinions Ask the Athlete: Paige Bareck Battleground: Gun Control

Column: The Happiness Guide Keeping resolutions in the New Year

Editorial: Just check the facts Cheers & Jeers

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News

9 Infographic: Exploring Climate Change 24 Newsfeed

Trends What’s Trending Now

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Mission Statement

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Devils’ Advocate strives to provide fair and balanced reporting to its readers by working with students, teachers, and community members. It is a student-run monthly newsmagazine that wishes to inform the student body of Hinsdale Central High School.

13 Cover photo by Nora Wood Table of Contents photos by Abby Berberich, Alex Choi, Nora Wood, and Minna Hassaballa

Section Editors

Photo Editors

Editorial Board

Head Editors

Staff Letter from the Editor

In the past, we have had limited coverage of the election, but this month we proudly bring you a feature outlining the feelings, from both sides of the aisle, surrounding the transition from the Obama Editor in Chief Managing Editor presidency to the Trump presidency.

Seetha Aribindi Sayali Amin We hope you enjoy the photos of historic events such as President Trump’s Inauguration and the Women’s March on Washington that our staff has worked hard to bring you. To keep the focus on students, we also have a features on everything from students tattoos to their post-grad plans.

I sincerely hope you enjoy our issue of the Advocate this month.

We pride ourselves in providing accurate news and encourage you Copy Editor Copy Editor to ensure the other news sources you consult hold themselves to the Ray Shryock Maria Harrast same standards.

If there is anything that you wish to share with us, we encourage you to write us a letter to the editor by e-mailing devilsadvocate@ hinsdale86.org.

Sincerely, Copy Editor Design Editor Seetha Aribindi Celine Turkyilmaz Lancelot Lin

Contact Information @hcDevilsAdvo on Twitter & Instagram @devils_advo on Snapchat Adviser: Cherise Lopez: clopez@hinsdale86.org

Abby Berberich

Alex Choi

Nora Wood

Haley Anderson

Julia Baroni

Julia Chatterjee

Adam DeDobbelaere

Jayne Gelman

Minna Hassaballa

Bilal Khokhar

Cassie Kruse

Juliana Mayer

Sofia Rafiq

Charlotte Sudduth

Anya Uppal

Club Writers Carolyn Chun Shubhankar Deo Everett Eck Lauren Lee Sanchu Raghuvir Yusuf Husain

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Q: What part of your game would you say is most effective?

A: Setting up the offense and trying to move the ball around to make the defense move and to find an open shot for myself or a teammate.

Q: What have you worked on in the offseason to improve your basketball career?

A: I worked with a shooting coach many times, and my friends and I worked during the offseason at a Breakaway Basketball skills program which definitely helped us get prepared for the season.

courtesy of Varsity Views

Ask the Athlete On Jan. 6, Paige Bareck, senior, broke the record for 1,000 points scored over her high school career, which only six students have accomplished in the history of Central girls basketball.r

Q: What’s your favorite memory in your basketball career?

A: There are definitely so many good memories, but my favorite is probably beating York at our place. York has been our biggest rival because there are girls from York who played on our travel team and it was awesome to beat them at our place for the last time.

Q: What has been the biggest factor in your success over the years?

A: My family and friends. I’ve had so much support over my years of basketball.

102 South Prospect Ave Clarendon Hills, IL 60514 630.325.0638 630.853.0638 www.littlecreperieclarendonhills.com

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Battleground

Opinions

by Shubhankar Deo and Carolyn Chun

Gun Control Gun control is, to say the least, a hotly debated issue. Conservatives tote the Second Amendment around and wave it in the face of gun control, while liberals point fingers at the growing number of gun-related casualties. Both sides of the issue have been endlessly scrutinized, but one perspective, for whatever reason, has remained in the shadows for far too long: the shooter’s.

Take, for example, the 2012 movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. There were seven theaters showing the premiere of the Batman movie within a 20-minute drive of the killer’s home. But, he didn’t go to the closest theater or the largest theater. He went to the only theater that was a gun-free zone. And in the process, he killed 12 people and injured 70 more, and not a single person in that movie theater could have stopped him.

The trend of shooters targeting gun-free zones isn’t anything new: since 1950, 99 percent of mass shootings have occurred in gun-free zones. This isn’t random; if it were, almost all of these attacks would have taken place in concealed-carry zones, which constitute 98 percent of institution property in the United States.

That’s not to say that military-caliber guns should be afforded to the public, or that Americans on the no-fly list should have access to guns.

Inaction on gun violence won’t help anyone, but there’s a thin line between sensible regulations and control that compromises both constitutional rights and safety. And until we put ourselves in the shoes of the Sandy Hook shooter, the Pulse nightclub shooter, or the Aurora movie theater shooter, our chance of finding that line remains improbable.

The only way to beat an enemy is to think like one.

According to a CBS News/New York Times poll, 92 percent of Americans--and 87 percent of Republicans--support universal background checks. And according to the Pew Research Center, 81 percent of Americans support preventing people with mental illnesses from purchasing firearms, while 74 percent support barring people on the federal no-fly or watch lists from buying guns. These are the kind of common sense gun control regulations that don’t yet exist in federal law. And they won’t exist, so long as the gun lobby maintains a firm grip on the will of Congress.

Gun control sounds controversial. Either they take our guns or they don’t; either you hate the concept of firearms or gun violence isn’t important to you. But that’s the sort of entrenched, blind view that fails to recognize the ultimate complexity of the problem.

Yes, according to the Congressional Research Service, there are some 300 million guns already in circulation-that’s hard to manage, and almost impossible to eradicate. But those are also 300 million guns whose ownership, movement, and transactions can all be better monitored and better handled, such that the most blatant risks are minimized.

It’s been proven consistently: states with higher levels of household gun ownership also have higher rates of firearm violence, and not lower rates of other crime. When that statistic is compounded with the remarkably low gun violence statistics where legislation has made gun presence almost minimal, the conclusion is simple. Fewer guns mean less gun violence.

As of now, the 2007 Supreme Court interpretation of the Second Amendment prevents such radical measures. As Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in clarifying the small scope of the 2007 opinion, the ruling of the court in that case still took no issue with “presumptively lawful regulatory measures.” That is what we ought to remember.

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Opinions

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very year, we count down with friends and family as the clock strikes 12, and we wave goodbye to the last year. We think of resolutions, whether it be reading more or living in the present or spending time outside, and we scroll through pictures with the same caption: New year, new me. Although the phrase may become repetitive, it has a point: a new year is about new beginnings and restored hope. It’s the chance at a fresh start.

And yet, after a couple of weeks or the first few months, many of us give up on our New Year’s goals. We make a mistake or choose to take a break, and we think that all of our efforts were a waste. We tell ourselves that we can wait until next year to try again and carry through.

This needs to change.

None of us are perfect. A new year is about reflection, commitment, and the decision to become a better version of last year’s self. Change happens over a long period of time, and if we truly want to become better people, then we must overcome any missteps along the way by committing to meaningul resolutions.

If our goal is to read more, and we leave our book closed for the night, we should open it up and read twenty pages the next day. If we want to spend more time in the present, then we should put our phones in our pockets, and give our family and friends the attention they deserve. If we want to reconnect with nature, we should grab a jacket and step outside. If we want our goals to become reality, then we must commit to goals that mean something to us.

So this year, follow your resolutions, and no matter what happens, keep pursuing your goals.

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Opinions

JUST CHECK THE FACTS. Students struggle to identify reliable news sources

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illustration by Julia Baroni

eople tend to believe every headline they read online to be true. As we scroll through social media, many pop-ups appear, including international news. And sometimes, we see a news ad and instantly believe the headline.

However, before we believe everything we read—and before we share and spread news stories around—we need to fact-check our news sources.

Recently, there’s been a plethora of unconfirmed, unverified online news coming from various popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. And while it’s easy to simply trust our news sources, now more than ever, it’s important that students make sure their news is actually news.

Fake news has especially been on the rise. Websites publish hoaxes and untrue information to draw interest. Fake news

stories are generally bizarre and unusual, which generates attention from readers.

And this “information” misleads people, making them believe fiction is fact.

The New York Times claimed that President Donald Trump was getting blackmailed by the Russian government.

The documents were unverified, but were said to contain opposition research declaring ties between Russia and Trump, alleging that Russia has sexual blackmail over Trump. BuzzFeed and CNN both published this information, even though it is still under investigation.

Social media outlets also spread a story claiming that a boy died in Santa’s arms last month. This story was started by the man playing Santa Claus himself, 60-year-old Eric Schmitt-Matzen.

Matzen declined to share details about the boy to the press, and even refused to

name the boy’s family and the nurse who called him into the hospital. The whole story was based only on Matzen’s word; it could have been completely untrue, and yet it was still given coverage by national news outlets. According to USA Today, Metzen’s story still remains unverified.

So, why do people fall for fake news?

We believe it’s because we’ve become less likely to inspect online information in front of us. “We don’t...question the credibility of the source of news when we are online,” says the National Public Radio. “Why would we, when we think of ourselves or our friends as the source?”

We need to hold our news agencies to a higher standard and verify that what we are reading is the truth. We cannot just click an ad that pops up and take everything it says as news; we need to actually read it and check the facts.

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

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Newsfeed

Experience Central’s Talent: Variety Show

Dancing in a Winter Wonderland

by Yusuf Husain

The flurries that Hinsdale experienced throughout December are long gone, and the 10-day forecasts don’t seem to be giving any signs of snow either. But regardless of the weather, a snowthemed winter dance, Snowcoming, is Saturday, Feb. 4.

There has been, however, a bit of confusion on the specifics of the dance itself. If it is no longer Turnabout, then what is it?

The Varsity Club’s co-president Kathryn Hodakowski, junior, has been a driving force behind the scenes of Snowcoming.

“Turnabout implied that girls had to ask guys,” Hodakowski said. “We wanted [a dance] that everyone would feel comfortable going to, whether or not they had a date.”

Music has often been a shared concern of students attending Central’s dances, but Hodakowski seems confident that this dance will feature a well-rounded mix of music. “[Members of Varsity Club] asked friends, and their friends, to collaborate with us to make a playlist for the dance,” Hodakowski said.

In conjunction with the snow theme, the dance will feature ice skating, which has already sparked conversation among students.

“When I got word of the synthetic ice rink, I was super psyched,” said Kate Seikel, junior. “I’ve never ice skated before and this is going to be exciting.”

There will also be light-up bracelets which sync to the music, similar to the ones used in Coldplay tours, for the first 750 students who arrive at the dance. “[They will give the dance] a concert-like vibe,” Hodakowski said.

This year’s Variety Show is Wednesday, Feb. 1 and Thursday, Feb. 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium. The show will showcase Central talent; tickets are available at lunch for $5.

“The highlights of the Variety Show are comprised of all the hidden talents that students have. Each act brings something different and unique,” said Mr. Russo, the coordinator of the Variety Show.

This year’s Variety Show consists of dance acts that range from ensembles to solo dance, music from full bands and acoustic artists, as well as comedy.

“It is just filled with talented acts and talented performers,” said Ms. Phillips, Central’s activities director.

The MCs are Chaz Zayed, Jake Youngman, and Will DeAngelis.

“People should come and see it so that they can see the multitude of talent that their peers have and because it is a very entertaining show,” Mr. Russo said.

As the show nears, and posters go up around the school, student excitement is growing.

“I am looking forward to going to the Variety Show this year,” said Alina Junejo, junior. “I’ve heard that the acts are supposed to be really cool.”

photo by Yusuf Husain

Senior Frankie Barreda sang her original song “Queen” with seniors Mantas Sirmulis and Lily Chrones at last year’s Variety Show.

courtesy of Jon Lanham, Pioneer Press

by Sanchu Raghuvir

Inspired by the snowy season, the Snowcoming Winter Dance will be held in the fieldhouse on Feb. 4.

For more news, visit www.hcdevilsadvocate.com 9

The Road to

Nationals

The virtues a student athlete learns from figure skating

by Sofia Rafiq and Charlotte Sudduth

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t is junior Joon Soo Kim’s sixth consecutive day at the rink.

His four hour daily practice starts with warming up, followed by two hours on the rink. As he glides across the ice, he has a few key points about his performance in mind, like keeping his right shoulder up as he starts a triple flip. But in general, he clears his mind and puts his body on autopilot during his time on the ice. After his practice, he recovers for a few hours. His work, however is far from over.

Kim’s affinity for ice skating began at age nine at a summer camp.

“There was nothing else to do [at camp], so I thought I might as well pursue something, and that’s how I started,” Kim said.

Over the years following his introduction, he began realizing his desire to become a competitive figure skater. Jeong Mi Park, Kim’s mother, explained that figure skating’s unique elements appealed to Kim. “Compared to other sports, figure skating is a combination of athletic skills and artistic component. It’s a difficult task to achieve both,” Park said.

As a competitive athlete, he practices with his coach, Debbie Stoery, every day for at least two hours.

“Joon Soo’s practice begins with an off-ice workout before school at home for 20-30 minutes to allow his own body to be more quickly warmed up when he finishes classes in the afternoon,” Stoery said.

His weekday practice takes place at Darien Sportsplex from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and an off ice strength training class at Naperville’s All Seasons Ice Arena on Thursdays. On the weekends, he takes a Pilates class, a strength training class and spends three hours on ice. His actual figure skating practice includes a warm up, ten to fifteen minutes of spinning, thirty minutes of jumping and completing the short and/or long programs.

His hard work has resulted in immense success, as he has competed across the country from regional competitions in Naperville to sectional competitions in Colorado. In 2014, he competed in the US Figure Skating Championships, landing himself sixth place in the Juvenile Boys section. This year, Kim returned for the national championship in Kansas City and competed on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17. He won fourth place

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in the Novice Men’s competition of the US Figure Skating Championships. The Novice Men category is a level six, out of the eight levels at Nationals.

While other competitors at his age and level are home schooled or do not attend school, Kim balances his time between working hard at a competitive high school and sport. He only has about 50 percent of the practice time than those of his competitors, due to attending a high school. Kim’s academic schedule is composed entirely of AP classes which also takes away time from practice.

“The way I deal with things is that I make it the expectation, rather than the aspiration. By turning my goals into regular duties, it is a little easier to digest it all at one time,” Kim said.

His friends cannot help but notice his strong work ethic.

“He’s really efficient when he does work and really meticulous which, in my opinion, makes him so good at doing what he does,” said Alice Ding, junior.

Despite the difficulty of juggling two competitive worlds, Kim is grateful for this experience.

“I am blessed to have this opportunity to learn so many things-management of expectations, management of frustrations when you have a terrible day at the rink, just in all aspects of my life,” Kim said.

Beyond the virtues figure skating teaches him, Kim also appreciates the individual aspect of skating. Kim believes that figure skating highlights the hard work each skater puts in and his or her unique style.

“I do like the individual aspect of skating, like this is me, this is all my hard work. Nobody skates like me, and I don’t skate like anyone else,” Kim said.

Stoery believes Kim stands out as a figure skater due to his sincere and honest nature.

“He has a deep appreciation of music which enables his tremendous athleticism to produce compelling performances. I have great respect for his drive to excel,” Stoery said.

Eventually, he aspires to compete in the Olympics for his homeland of South Korea. For now, he hopes to continue pursuing his talents as a student athlete in high school and college.

photo courtesy of Joon Soo Kim

Cheers & Jeers

- Cheers to second semester #OverTheHump - Cheers to groutfits because no one cares at this point - Cheers to the free samples at lunch - Cheers to indoor ice skating at Snowcoming #ExtremeLegalLiabilities - Cheers to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge #BringItBack

- Jeers to global warming - my shoes are all muddy - Jeers to writing 2016 even though it’s 2017 #WarFlashbacks - Jeers to everything about fitness testing - Jeers to all of my folders falling apart - Jeers to whatever diseases are flying around right now #What DoesntKillYouMakesYouStronger

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usic is playing in the background and the pounding of the drums pulses under the floor. The Blackjack Band plays with their heart and soul. The song “Free Bird” lingers in the air after the last chord plays, leaving the room absolutely silent. Robert Cremin, the lead singer, looks at the band members for approval, and smiles. ere Cremin first started singing ”“ He back in middle school, and he ’s g always knew music would be ot eve his thing. When it came time r yt h in for his middle school’s variety g to show, he got the opportunity to join a group of guys give but no who wanted to form a band. body who wants it ” “When we started back in eighth grade I knew Robert would be perfect,” said George Bull, senior and bass guitarist.

They enjoyed performing in the variety show so much that they decided to continue playing together. Cremin knew that if he was going to be a strong lead singer, he would have to start playing the guitar. He started taking lessons and soon he was able to pick up chords from popular songs.

As the band found their voice they realized that just jamming in the basement could be something more. The band soon figured out that their genre was Alternative Rock. For the past four years, the band has practiced every Friday for about two hours. They play at block parties and school events.

But Cremin knows that the band is just going to be a hobby for him. Since the band is more of a hobby, it enables Cremin to purely enjoy making music. “I love that I can play for others, and people enjoy it,” Cremin said. “If I ever had the opportunity to do something with music I would become a music teacher, I like the idea of inspiring children to play music.”

With all the members being seniors except Cremin, they are all concerned about how the band will continue on. The Blackjack Band has the original five members: Robert Cremin, singer and guitarist, Eric Johnson, lead guitarist, Colton Giammanco, Drummer, Dean Deligiannis, Keyboard, and George Bull, Bass Guitar. “This is just guys having fun, if we ever get more opportunities to play we will accept without a doubt,” Johnson said.

The band will continue on even with the difficulties of distance keeping them apart.

“But even if [Robert] doesn’t want it to happen, he is going places,” Bull said.

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Club Spotlight

Rough and Tumble Players and coachs weigh in on the upcoming season

by Haley Anderson and Cassie Kruse

T

he rugby players will begin practice by lining up in a scrum, or huddle. Each player lunges forward in an attempt to gain possession of the ball. They push and shove their way to the ball, until one player is victorious. Side by side, boys and girls are practicing together, learning how to play the sport.

Rugby has become the fastest growing team sport in the country. According to a report from the Sports Fitness Industry Association in the United States, there are more than 1.2 million registered rugby players in the United States, 25 percent being girls.

“There is a big misconception about rugby that it is ‘rough’, and that it isn’t safe, and that’s not true at all,” said Sophia Karris, junior and co-captain. “Just with the coaching we will receive and the training we will do, it is probably as safe as every other sport.”

According to the Rugby Union, players are taught to get low, keep their head behind the ball carrier, hit with their shoulders, and then grasp the ball carrier’s legs and bring them to the ground, and this makes rugby tackling safer.

The boys rugby team started last year, and went

undefeated and won a state championship. In response to that juniors Sophia Karris and Ellie Margason decided to start a girls rugby team. They both believed it was important to start a girls team so that female students could feel empowered.

“Rugby is all about girl empowerment and showing that girls can be just as strong as guys,” Margason said.

Coach Nicholas Gebhart, who played rugby at the University of Chicago, will be the girls rugby coach.

“Rugby is a great opportunity for athletes who want to try something new,” Coach Gebhart said. “It allows them to use their athleticism in a new way.”

Boys and girls will be practicing skills and techniques together, allowing the girls to learn first hand how to play.

“Practicing together will help the girls learn to play with the guys unlike other teams, providing them an advantage,” said Rami Alzein, member of the boys rugby team.

Preseason workouts began Jan. 25, and winter athletes may join when their season is over. In regards to gym exemption, because rugby is a club sport, it will not be decided until the start of rugby season.

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digital illustration by Jayne Gelman

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by Jayne Gelman and Minna Hassaballa

Students discuss their predictions for the Trump administration

photo by Sophia Karris

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photo by Sophia Karris

O

n Tuesday January 10, 2017, former President Barack Obama delivered his last speech to the American people.

Within the speech, the former President discussed his accomplishments and concerns for the forthcoming years. One of the points he emphasized was divisions that have been occurring throughout the nation with controversy over the past election. The former President accentuated the fact that the American people have stuck well within their own “bubbles,” which did not allow for any communication between parties and only polarized the country even more.

“For too many of us, it’s become safer to retreat into our own bubbles, whether in our neighborhoods or college campuses or places of worship or our social media feeds, surrounded by people who look like us and share the same political outlook and never challenge our assumptions,” former President Obama said in his speech.

The former President also discussed the detriments these “bubbles” cause the country and how the divisions in America will only lead to the weakening of democracy. He indicated that regardless of party, all Americans are united in the fact that they are citizens, and should work

tirelessly to preserve that title.

Cari Nodus, senior who attended the address, recounts something that particularly struck her was the former President’s reminder to not only think of people who are usually thought to be underprivileged, but those whose perspectives are not usually thought about.

“He said that we need to think also of someone like a middle-aged white man who’s having a hard time keeping up with the changes in our country,” Nodus said.

“He tried to make us think of absolutely everyone’s perspectives and problems.”

Many students have noticed the election brought on divisions within the country, like the former President stated, even in their own lives. Karsen Kolnicki, senior who attended the inauguration, remembers a few of her friends posting videos online of them crying and describing their doubts for the country in the forthcoming years.

“Things have been blown out of proportion with celebrities posting on social media that they are moving to

Canada or leaving for another country, [and] safe spots being started on college campuses,” Kolnicki said.

Conor Donlevy, junior, believes that part of the reason this election caused great divisions and contrasted greatly from others in the past is because of a “hyperpartisanship” that has developed.

“This kind of hyper-partisanship and rejection of political norms is quite dangerous as it limits people’s world views and forces them to lash out in ways that could be detrimental to the United States,” Donlevy said.

The former President also mentioned that he was working on the transition to the Trump Administration, in order to create a smoother and more peaceful start to the next four years.The farewell address was a call to action for all citizens of the United States to be protectors of American democracy and to not rest until the state of democracy is stable.

Women’s March

The silence of a sunny Saturday morning is interrupted by the chants of nearly 250,000 men, women and children of all walks of life as they crowd the streets of Chicago. Pink hats with cat ears adorn almost every woman’s head, as they they trek through the crowd. Signs reading everything from,”Hear Our Voice”, to “My Body, My Choice” flew high into the air.

This event is the Women’s March, which took place on Jan. 21 in Washington D.C. The initiative of the event was to emphasize the importance of protecting the rights and civil liberties of women, minorities, and all citizens going into the next four years. This is the first time a demonstration of this magnitude has occurred in response to an election.

In addition to the March in Washington D.C., there were 4.6 million

Looking Toward the Future

With much of the national dialogue focused on the Trump Administration, questions about the future are emerging by many. Some students are contemplating what a Trump presidency will do for their education as high school graduates and emerging college students. Some believe that President Trump’s policies may be a

photo by Nora Wood

“Sister Marches” held in almost every city across the nation, including Chicago, as well as many other countries around the world, including France, Ecuador, Greece, India and several others.

Many students attended these marches for reasons of their own. Senior Alison Albelda, who attended the march in Chicago, says part of the reason why she went is because she is a big proponent of Planned Parenthood. Albelda also believes in the idea of strength in numbers.

“I think it was a demonstration of the power [women] and our allies can have when we work together,” Albelda said. “There were a lot of different reasons why people went to the march, but I was motivated to demonstrate my commitment to fighting towards an end to discrimination.”

Although all of these demonstrations took place, many are skeptical of the effect they will have on the country.

“I don’t think that the protests actually represented any real political unrest or dissent, simply the actions of an entitled and immature generation that doesn’t know how to handle losing something,” Donlevy said.

Other students such as Chris Stella, senior, believe that the demonstrations will only drive a wedge further between the people and that the efforts of the demonstrators may have been futile.

“It’s important for people to understand that Trump’s presidency is not the end of the world and that instead of protesting and further dividing the country we need to come together and peacefully listen to both sides,” Stella said.

However, Albelda disagrees, and believes that the Women’s March will begin to shift the new administration’s policies to start pleasing the people.

“What we’ve seen over the past few months and today is that we are at a turning point in politics,” Albelda said. “A lot of the organizations that participated in the march used the march to spread awareness.”

benefit to them in the future when trying to pursue their careers.

“I can see getting jobs being easier without having to compete with foreign workers who are here without registration,” Kolnicki said.

On the other hand, some fear that President Trump may take advantage of the presidential powers given to him.

For some, Trump’s minimal political experience and involvement in the business world is a cause for concern. For others, like Claire Bizub, senior, it can be seen as beneficial to the nation.

“I don’t exactly know what I should be bracing myself for.”

Cari Nodus

“I believe that coming from a nonpolitical background will be a positive change and hopefully [President Trump] will prove his haters wrong,” Bizub said. “[He] just really needs to focus on the well-being of our country instead of giving his haters a bigger platform.”

Bizub, along with Kolnicki and Stella, also believes that the media misrepresented President Trump and his intentions for running in the election.

“The mainstream media loves to portray Trump as a warmonger and terrible, racist tyrant, but I think he’ll do great things for this country,” Stella said.

As president, Trump has the responsibility to sign and veto legislation,

fill supreme court vacancies, and command the US military.

Albelda is particularly concerned with the vacancy that recently opened up with the unexpected death of former Supreme Court Associate Justice, Antonin Scalia.

Similarly, Nodus, is concerned with the multiple stances that President Trump has shown throughout the election cycle.

“Mr. Trump has held so many different stances on so many different issues that I’m never entirely sure of what his goals are,” Nodus said. “So, I don’t exactly know what I should be bracing myself for.”

Although many students have anxieties about the President’s term, many others have confidence that he will not be able to do anything extreme considering the checks and balances already ingrained into the democratic system.

“When people say that Donald Trump is going to be a dictator I know that won’t happen because we have constitutional systems like the separation of power (checks and balances) to avoid situations such as tyranny,” Kolnicki said.

Above all, one thing that all students agree with is the need for healing all of the divisions in America that occurred during the election cycle.

“Instead of protesting and further dividing the country we need to come together and peacefully listen to both sides,” Stella said. “So, while Trump may not be perfect, he has the opportunity to fix everything that has gone wrong in the past eight years.”

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Seniors share their experiences with getting inked

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mural of a teethy red monster and a jigsaw of framed art greet those who enter the doors of Dead Serious Tattoos in Willow Springs. Katie Hayes, senior, meticulously puts together her design on a computer and prints out a stencil of it. She places the stencil on the landing spot of her new tattoo, her rib cage, and looks at it in the mirror until she knows it is exactly what she wants. Then come the open arms of the dark leather chair where the art begins. The next thing she knows, a bandage is pasted on her ribs, and the tattoo artist explains the care procedure for her new tattoo while she recovers from the shock.

Hayes recently got a tattoo after turning 18. According to Illinois State Law, it is a misdemeanor to tattoo or offer to tattoo anyone under the age of 18. Before turning 18, students are not even allowed to be on the premises where tattoos are being offered without parental consent.

Psychiatrist Daniel Bober of Yale University believes maturity rather than age is a better measurement of readiness for tattoos. Research from Dartmouth has shown brain structure continues to go through significant changes anatomically after the age of 18.

“The brain of a young person is still

developing and they are less risk averse, more impulsive, and more likely to engage in risky behaviors,” Bober told CNN. For Hayes, it was her favorite bible quote, “Do everything in love” from 1 Corinthians 16:14 in typewriter font with three bird silhouettes right above it representing herself, her brother, and her mother.

“There’s a lot of meaning behind [my tattoo],” Hayes said. “It represents an 18

idea that I want to always remember with everything I do, and it also represents my family.”

Senior Abby Collins was also recently inked with something meaningful to her: the Irish claddagh, which includes two hands holding a crowned heart representing friendship, love, and loyalty.

“Everyone in my family has some sort of Irish tattoo to commemorate our Irish

“I’m a firm believer in making your own choice about your body.”

-Abby Collins

heritage,” Collins said. “The meaning of [the claddagh] is so important to me, so I got it permanently put on my body.”

According to Pew Research Center, 38 percent of millennials have at least one tattoo, whereas only 15 percent of baby boomers have one. Similarly, half of millennials with tattoos have two to five pieces of body art.

Miro Hernandez, spokesman for the Association of Professional Piercers, said this increase in tattoos can be credited to an era of individualism and the appropriation of what once was considered taboo by the media.

“We’re seeing a lot of people who probably would have never set foot into a piercing studio,” Hernandez said in an interview with New York Times. “We’re seeing business professionals, doctors, nurses and teachers.”

With an increase in tattoos among this generation comes an increase in the nerves beforehand. While both seniors were excited for their new tattoos, they were concerned about the pain and the permanency.

“I was really scared they were going to mess it up, or it would look weird,” Hayes said. “I also knew that since I got it on the side of my rib cage that it would hurt a lot.”

Collins was relieved that the tattooing process did not really hurt, and she quickly got over her worries about the claddagh printed on her ribs.

“After it was done, I was still worried about it being permanently on me,” Collins said. “But it means so much to me, I knew I would never get sick of it.”

Hayes said her pain lasted for about 40 minutes, but she zoned out until it was over. For her, the only part that was extremely painful was the filling in of the birds. The lettering did not hurt as much.

According to the tattoo artist at Dead Serious Tattoos, Ed Bernotas, the healing process lasts for around a week and consists of in depth cleaning.

He recommends antibiotics, such as Bacitracin, that prevent skin infection.

“Let [the tattoo] sit for a few days,” Bernotas said. “Don’t do anything that might expose it to bacteria, like swimming.”

After the healing process, Hayes was satisfied with her new tattoo and decided the pain was worth it.

It is quite possible the halls of Central will follow this trend and begin to fill up with body art as more and more seniors grasp the new privileges they are granted with their birthdays. Hayes agrees that

Features

by Julia Chatterjee and Adam DeDobbelaere more tattoos are coming.

“I know two other friends of mine got them around the same time I did,” she said. “And I know a few more of my friends will be getting them in the next couple months.”

Senior Agatha Krasuski has also developed an interest in tattoo art.

Krasuski began designing tattoos this year after her peers recognized her artistic talent and asked her to design theirs. She begins by making a few pencil sketches, and then she inks the drawings.

Afterwards, the designs are sent to her clients and she redraws any changes they want until they are satisfied.

“It’s kind of a long process,” Krasuski said. “But I love art, so it’s really fun for me.”

Collins and Hayes both advise that if you are interested in getting a tattoo, to put a lot of thought into it because students will not want to regret the decision, especially since costs can get high. At Dead Serious, there is an entry level cost of $50, but tattoos could extend anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000.

Collins said that most importantly, choose something that holds personal meaning.

“I’m a firm believer in making your own choice about your body, so if it’s something you want, don’t listen to others and do what you think is right,” Collins said.

Senior Katie Hayes shows off her biblically-inspired tattoo.

photos by Alex Choi

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WOMEN’S MARCH ON WASHINGTON, D.C Saturday, Jan. 21- “You still have the power to take action. Write to your elected representative, vote for people who portray your interests, and get out of the house with a couple of protest signs and join the march.”

- Sophia Karris

photo by Sophia Karris 21

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UNCONVENTIONAL

POSTGRAD

PATHS

Students seek different, personalized plans for the future

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s the class of 2017 returned from winter break ready to relax into their roles of second semester seniors, 17-year-old Mia Napolitano was already gone. In just seven semesters, she had officially graduated high school. After a quick guidance appointment in August, her parents, her counselor, and Principal Walsh had approved her decision.

Napolitano was inspired by her mom who also graduated high school in under four years. Though she knew this would be an early step of growing up, she felt no hesitation in following through.

Napolitano is one of the few students choosing to break from the traditional four-years-of-high-school, four-years-of-college path, the current norm for nine out of ten Central graduates, according to data from the guidance office. Increasingly, however, more students are seeking unique opportunities post-graduation, a mark of the beginning of their independence.

She plans to use what would have been the second semester of her senior year to jumpstart college. She began classes at the College of Dupage on Jan. 23 while working concurrently at Giuliano's in Hinsdale. In the fall, she will enter the University of Missouri as a sophomore, using transferred credits from COD as well as APs to skip her freshman year.

“I’ll have an extra year, whether it’s to travel, to get an internship, to get a job…just an extra year to sort of decide what I really want to do with my life,” Napolitano said.

Though this decision carried no burden for Napolitano, for

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Junior Sam Lin, who will graduate upon completion of this year, it was a much heavier choice.

“My parents are moving to [Taiwan] so it was either graduate early or go with them,” Lin said. “It’s not that fun to be honest. It’s a lot of extra work and while all of my friends are graduating next year I’m just leaving earlier.”

Lin is approaching his path with some skepticism. Although he has already been accepted to four schools, he believes that with only three years of high school education, colleges might be less likely to accept him.

“Unless there are very extreme circumstances, I would not recommend this,” Lin said.

For other students, however, no extreme

pictured: Mia Napolitano, photo by Abby Berberich

by Julia Baroni and Juliana Mayer

pictured: Frankie Barreda, photo courtesy of Devils' Advocate Online

circumstances are necessary to decide to end high school early.

Sophie Dubrovay, senior, is on track to graduate at the end of January.

“I’m pretty much just graduating early so I can keep on working," Dubrovary said. "When I turn 18, which is in October, I’m planning to either move to Seattle or Portland [because] I’m weird just like both of those places.”

what continent so a year off to think would be good,” Langhorn said.

Bonnie Budelman, senior, will be venturing away from the US, like Langhorn, upon graduation in May. After living the majority of her childhood abroad, nine years in India and four in Mexico, Budelman wanted to expand her foreign experiences.

“I thought it would be cool to continue my education in Europe because of how easy it is to travel around,” Budelman said. “I’m looking at Charles University and Anglo American in Prague...then Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.”

Budelman notes that her decision has come as a surprise to many friends, although her parents were the ones to initially suggest it. She is excited to seize the opportunities that would be unavailable to her if she remained in the US. Senior Francesca Barreda relates to taking advantage of limited chances. Barreda, also known as Frankie B, will be focusing on music rather than academics next year.

“I [don’t] want to jump into a four year college right away because I [feel] that now is the time to put my all in developing my career in music,” Barreda said. “It's a now-or-never mindset.”

To Barreda, college is something that will always be there, but her budding musical success may not. Recently, she has performed throughout Chicago with her band. As her schedule has become progressively busier, Barreda has realized how school work clashes with her passion for music and knows attending college would only worsen the situation.

For Barreda, Budelman, Langhorn, Dubrovay, Lin, and

"I'll have an extra year to decide what I want to do with my life."

Dubrovay intends to relax in her new city and take art and culinary classes.

After a year she hopes to attend college and study botany, with goals of becoming an herbal chef for medical marijuana. Though her family has been supportive of this plan, Dubrovay is aware of potential judgement.

“Some kids probably think it's stupid but I really couldn’t care less about the opinions of anyone else besides, the people I know have my best intentions in mind," Dubrovay said.

While Dubrovay is a minority amid her peers, where 88.9 percent enroll in college for the fall semester following their senior years, only 69.2 percent of national graduates did so in 2015, according to the the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Senior Chlo Langhorn, though graduating with the rest of her class, will be joining students like Dubrovay in a non-academic year post-graduation.

“I'm going travelling with my older sister for over a month...to Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia,” Langhorn said. “I'll spend some time in England as usual. I'm taking a yoga teacher training course to get my teaching qualification, and I'll get a couple of jobs.”

Langhorn’s older sister will graduate from college at the end of this year as well, so they decided the timing was perfect for a trip.

Langhorn is excited to not only pass time with her sister, but also explore and plan for her future.

“I have no idea where I want to go to college, I don't even know

- Mia Napolitano

pictured: Sam Lin, photo by Abby Berberich

Napolitano, straying from the Central norm has taken planning and caution. “[My family was] supportive of my after graduation plans because they know how serious I am…I wouldn’t be doing what I do now without them,” Barreda said.

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Climate Change

by Lancelot Lin

Easy climate-friendly actions the EPA suggests 1

When purchasing electronics, look for ones that have an Energy Star certification.

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Recycle waste such as plastic water bottles and food containers instead of throwing them in the trash.

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Use electricity efficiently by turning off lights when you leave the room and unplugging electronics such as printers and phone chargers when you’re not using them.

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Practice efficient driving by avoiding hard accelerations, cleaning out unneeded items, and using cruise control if available.

2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 -0.5 -1.0 24

1880

1900

1920

1940

1960

This graph shows the average annual temperature from 1880 to 2016 relative to the average temperature of 1951-1980. Thus, the point (2000,0.42) means the average temperature in the year 2000 was .42 degrees Celsius warmer than the average temperature of the period 1951-1980. Data from NASA.

Proportion of people who believe climate change is “a very serious problem�

Data from Pew Research Center

Russia: 33%

United Kingdom: 41%

The main factor contributing to climate change is widely attributed to a phenomenon known as the "greenhouse effect." In excess, certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat coming off of the earth's surface and lead to the warming of temperatures.

These greenhouse gases can include: Carbon Dioxide: Generated through deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline.

Water vapor: Appears mostly due to feedback; the amount of this increases along with the Earth's temperature.

Methane: Produced by waste decomposition.

Nitrous Oxide: Results from agricultural practices such as the use of fertilizer, fossil fuels, as well as the burning of organic matter.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): Previously used as refrigerants and aerosol cans, now banned because of their impact on climate change.

6%: Nitrous Oxide

2%: Fluorinated Gases

16%: Methane

11%: CO2 from forestry and land use

China: 18%

Brazil: 86%

USA: 45%

Factors contributing to climate change via NASA

The arguements against climate change There is not a large enough of CO2 in the atmosphere to produce an effect** Warming can be explained by sunspots and cosmic rays, naturally occurring events that are out of the control of human beings and will fade away over time.*

63%: CO2 from fossil fuels and industry

Global greenhouse gas emissions data via EPA; based on 2010 emissions

Potential Impacts via NASA

Changes in weather, with conditions generally becoming wetter or drier Rising sea levels due to the melting of bodies of ice and the thermal expansion of water Changes in locations where certain crops can grow

Warming has stopped recently, and is even becoming global cooling** Urban Heat Island Effect: The measured warming of the Earth is due to the excess heat being generated by the urbanized area around weather stations.* Although it is evident that the Earth is gradually warming, it is doubtful that human activity is directly causing it.** Global warming is harmless/beneficial. In fact, some plants might benefit from increased precipitation and CO2 levels.*** *Current calculations already account for these events. **Scientific consensus suggests that manmade greenhouse gasses are a leading contributor to the warming of the atmosphere. ***Not all organisms will, however.

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WHAT’S

Trends

TRENDING NOW

by Ray Shryock

Patriot’s Day starring Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Bacon Drama/Thriller Released Jan. 13

A Dog’s Purpose starring Dennis Quaid and Josh Gad Adventure/Adaptation Released Jan. 27 *under investigation for animal abuse

Split starring James Macavoy and Haley Lu Richardson Drama/Thriller Released Jan. 20

Music Mania

of the Month

Ed Sheeran, on Jan. 6, released two singles titled “Shape of You” and “Castle on a Hill” from his upcoming album Divide.

On Jan. 27, the pop band Train will release “A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat”, their first album without lead guitarist and founder Jimmy Stafford.

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photos courtesy of google images

s

By the Numbers Yia Yia’s Pancake House and Restaurant, 13 Grant Square in Hinsdale Score: 9.5/10 Meal: Alyce’s Combo Yia Yia is Greek for grandma and Yia Yia’s excellent service, varied menu, and delicious food live up to (and maybe even surpass) grandma’s cooking.

14%

Percent of students that left the country for Winter Break.

49%

Percent of students that left the state for Winter Break.

Juicy-O Pancake House, 6300 Kingery Hwy in Willowbrook Score: 9/10 Meal: Pop’s Breakfast Free mini doughnuts, an extensive selection of juices, and humorous pictures lining the walls all create the homey atmosphere that makes Juicy-O special.

37%

Percent of students that did a staycation for Winter Break.

Citrus Diner, 844 E. Ogden Ave. in Westmont Score: 7/10 Meal: Ham & Cheese Omelette Not the worst but not outstanding; Citrus is an OK breakfast/brunch spot.

The food was cold and the service was slow but it has potential to be better.

photos by Abby Berberich

Percentages collected from a survey of 327 responses

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