Devils' Advocate March 2016 by Devils' Advocate

advocate E V I L S’

Hinsdale Central High School • March 2016 • Volume 88

Advo Bachelorette

Our take on the classic ABC show

Cover TOC Staff-- Elise.indd 1

Growing Gardens

APES classes take part in new community garden

Scouting for Success

Meet the newest Eagle Scouts and learn about their projects

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table of contents

opinions 5 5 6 7 8

Snapthought: Students share their thoughts Cheers & Jeers: What’s good and bad this month Editorial: Biased Buzzfeed The To-Do List: Saadia checks off another to-do Battleground: Political correctness

news

9 9 10 10

Game of the Month: Girls’ Badminton vs HSHS Ask the Athlete: Learn about this season’s stars March Book Madness: Library hosts book competition The New SAT: Learn how the test has changed

infographics

17 Community Gardening: How gardens are beneficial 22 This Month: A preview of what’s coming up

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features

12 Advo Bachelorette: Who will receive Emma Joyce’s rose? 14 Growing Gardens: APES students plan CH garden project

profiles

19 Scouting for Success: What it takes to be an Eagle Scout 20 Meet Dylan: What it means to be transgender

corrections: In the February issue, the article “Choosing Between Public and Private Schools” reported the average ACT at Central as 31; however, it is 27 according to the Illinois Report Card.

cover design by Lauren Excell

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A D V O S T A F F

editor in chief managing editor head design editor copy editors and heads of writers feature editors

elise martin lauren excell faith michal shannon sinwell saadia elahi arman haveric lancelot lin dana ahdab sayali amin maria harrast nina molina selin turkyilmaz emma joyce ray shryock seetha aribindi photo editors colleen martucci shiv bajaj haley anderson special report editors rina ravisundar

contributors ali ardehali • aneesh balusu • crosby becker

• katrina blum • elizabeth bogs • steven botsoe • barbara heidkamp • zeljko kospic • isha kukadia • juliana mayer • mitchell parse • sofia rafiq • keshav sanghani • madelyn studnicka • megan timmermann • serena tolani • anya uppal • nora wood • selina zeng •

mission statement

Devils’ Advocate strives to provide its readers with a diverse forum for reporting and sharing information. It is a student-run, school-funded newsmagazine published monthly. Devils’ Advocate wishes to provide fair and balanced reporting on events by working with students, teachers, and the community. It strives to inform, educate, and improve the atmosphere and student body of Hinsdale Central High School.

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letter from the editor

As many likely remember, the February Advocate cover was a photo with Instagram attributes. The cover story in last month’s issue highlighted how millennials use social media almost all of the time. We’d like to take a moment to recognize how social media, while great for communication possibilities, also has negative implications when used recklessly. Last month, a member of our staff used social media in a way that breached privacy of the other party involved, and therefore, our actions breached our code of ethics. Excited to see the cover of the yearbook, an Advo staff member breached trust and ethics by taking a photo of the cover and sharing it with a friend. Taking a picture of other publications before they are sent to print will lead to many implications that affect both parties in a negative way regarding ethics, and we sincerely apologize. We know that the yearbook worked so hard on the cover and the book itself and therefore felt disrespected when this photo was taken. Obviously, for us it prompted us to remember that we must be responsible when sharing space with another publication and be held accountable for our actions. We hope that this apology will not only hold us accountable, but also minimize harm between the publications. As journalists, when we make these mistakes in regards to ethics, it is only right to apologize and do our best to uphold the values and ethics that all journalists aspire to. So, in the spirit of March and the beginning of spring, we too hope for a new beginning of mutual respect with our fellow publications.

A D V O

Editor in Chief & senior editors For every issue during the 20152016 school year, one of the Devils’ Advocate senior editors will write a letter from the editor.

contact & interact

Adviser Cherise Lopez clopez@hinsdale86.org 630-570-8361 Devils’ Advocate 55th and Grant Street Hinsdale, IL 60521 For more articles and content, visit us at hcdevilsadvocate.com, or scan the QR code.

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Support the District 86

24 Hour Relay Challenge

May 14-15

Hinsdale Central High School

Track and Football Field

Robert Aurich Julie Baker Bob Barber Hasham Bhatti John Bowman Marvin Breig Christina Brodell John Bruesch Gina Chandler Arpan Chokshi Mike Cousineau Barb Dean Kimm Dever Jim DiDomenico Matthew Doll Mary Kay Doorhy Thomas Dorrance John Dunlavy Bill Duffy

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Congratulations to 112 Teachers and Staff Members Recognized by Students and Families during 2015 PTO Staff Appreciation Holiday Campaign

Justin Esau Alexander Hipskind Beth Kujawa John Naisbitt Rebecca Esposito Stephanie Hodermarsky Matt Kurinsky Daniel Otahal Heather Fehrman James Horan Erin Landry Erin Palmer Chris Ferrone Pat Huebner Maura Langevin Sanskruti Patel Sally Field Pat Hurley Nick Latorre Chris Payne Patrick Fitzgerald Violet Jackson Michael Litton Peter Pintz Edward Formanski Jennifer Jaczak JoAnn Lopykinski Kristine Pohlman Kathleen Gabric Michael Jazak Thomas Ludovice Patricia Potokar Gary Gamen Eric Jensen Erin Lundin Molly Romanz Randy Gawlik Johanna Jurgens Edward Lynch Karen Russo Nicholas Gebhart Cynthia Kasten John Mariner Valerie Ruth Matthew Goeke Margo Kinkaid Janet Mark Renee Sandoval Susan Grady Keri Klotz Terri Marshall Kathrynne Saunders Abby Green Janelle Koeksema Alan McCloud Sarah Scholz Kelly Griffin Kevin Koehler Alisha McCloud Laura Sievers Steven Gross Mark Kolkman Elizabeth Meersman Caitlin Tierney Jan Hall Lisa Korbitz John Melone Janeen Tomas Dan Hartman Christian Korfist Courtney Mikulcik Deborah Trujillo Margaret Hilding Christopher Kostro Laura Milas Jill Tylk Please visit www.hcpto.org for more information about this PTO fundraiser.

Julie Van Ness James Vandenburgh Kelly Vinson Jerome Vetrone Katie Walker Bill Walsh Lori Wendte Donna Wheeler Mike Wiggins Christopher Wilbur Becky Wilcox Kimberly Williams Steven Wilson Jeffrey Wirtz Paul Woods Fawn Woody Jason Ziemer

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out of

2,828

1. Favorite movie? 2. Favorite thing about Central? 3. Most awkward thing that happened to you during freshmen year? Charles Zayed, Junior

1. Finding Nemo, that movie is wavy 2. I like the kids 3. I walked into the girls’ bathroom and one of my teachers was there

Michael Graef, Freshman 1. Talledega Nights 2.The sports programs 3. Being totally lost at the beginning of the year

Gabija Tonkunas, Sophomore

1. Wolf of Wall Street 2. The people 3. Substitutes pronouncing my name in preposterous ways

Elizabeth Hamilton, Senior 1. It’s a Wonderful Life 2. All of the clubs 3. Puberty photos by Nora Wood

Cheers and Jeers -Cheers to Leonardo DiCaprio for finally winning an Oscar. It’s been 84 years.

-Cheers to having a week off for Spring

Break soon. I almost forgot what the sun looks like.

-Cheers to the newly-elected executive

and class boards. It was a pleasure eating your campaign food.

-Jeers to no longer having as many Oscars as Leonardo DiCaprio. It was good while it lasted. -Jeers to not having any more days off for the rest of the semester. Seriously. Not a single one. -Jeers to the new Snapchat font. It’s almost as bad as Comic Sans.

Opinions

Biased Buzzfeed Why students should seek credible news sources

uzzfeed is not a real source of news. Don’t get us wrong: we love messing around on Buzzfeed as much as anybody else. From the “Which 2006 Girl Power Anthem Are You Based On Your Zodiac Sign” quiz to an article consisting entirely of cute cat gifs to a video about “When You Forget Deodorant”, Buzzfeed is a good way to relax and unwind. But we believe that staying updated on current events through news is important, especially as high school students. And Buzzfeed has some great (and sometimes strange) content, but that doesn’t make it an accurate source of news. Buzzfeed began as the brainchild of Jonah Peretti, co-founder of the Huffington Post. He initially created the website as a project to experiment with interesting content on the Internet. In its early days, those who visited Buzzfeed could expect viral content like memes and cat videos. “I think of BuzzFeed as this platform that enables us to understand how people are sharing and distributing things like entertainment content, journalism, [and] branded content... all these various types of content that we distribute on this platform that we built,” Peretti said, in an interview conducted by Fortune. As recently as 2013, however, Buzzfeed began to make the shift towards news reporting, throwing in an occasional article about politics or sports. But the bread and butter of the website remains the same: silly viral content. Buzzfeed’s origins were not in the news industry. And try as they might, they will not be able to overcome their beginnings to become a legitimate source of news. Even what little “news” they have is often biased and silly. One example is an article entitled “Mitt Hits the Tan” which is the top breaking news story the day after Super Tuesday. The

title is ridiculous and shows immediate bias against Donald Trump. The rest of the article consists of quotes taken from a speech given by Mitt Romney. There is not much context or outside information. All news is a little biased. This is why students should look for news from more than one source, especially if the source-like Buzzfeed-is obviously biased. Buzzfeed is universally distrusted. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to find the most and least trusted news sources out there. They surveyed people of all political ideologies to find which news outlets are the most trusted by liberals and conservatives alike. Unsurprisingly, people of all political ideologies ranked Buzzfeed as the least trusted. There are people who will argue that getting news from Buzzfeed is better than not hearing news at all. We acknowledge that Buzzfeed has done well in keeping its target audience, teenagers, informed of current events. However, we believe that those who want to truly be well-informed of the news, need to use a more reliable news source instead of, or in addition to, Buzzfeed. There are better alternatives to reading Buzzfeed as a source of news. According to the same interview conducted by Pew Research Center, BBC and the Wall Street Journal are both pretty much universally trusted by all audiences. The Associated Press is also a less biased news source than Buzzfeed. The benefit of this source is that it has an user-friendly app that makes it easy to stay updated on the news. For a little bit of entertainment, Buzzfeed is perfect. To get actual hard news, Buzzfeed is anything but perfect. So, it may not hurt to look through other sources to stay updated on the affairs of the world.

Alternatives to Buzzfeed 1.) BBC 2.) Associated Press 3.) National Public Radio (NPR)

This article is the consensus of the Devils’ Advocate editorial staff. Opinions

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The To-Do List by Saadia Elahi

September: Go all out for dress up days October: Fall into Autumn November: Cook once a week December: Relax and rejuvenate January: Stay inside and in shape February: Schedule some fun March: Make 18 memorable

to Extreme Trampoline, or maybe we’ll get all dressed up and go out for dinner. Either way, eighteen is a big year; I’m going to be an adult (legally, that is; maturity-wise, I’m probably still at about 10-year-old level). Though I’m not one to buy cigarettes and lottery tickets, this year marks a big transition in my life. In my mind, that deserves some kind of celebration. I’m really fortunate to have made it to 18. I’ve got an endless amount of things to be thankful for, but I’ve also got a lot to be proud of. This year, I’m going to properly celebrate my birthday. Here’s to life, learning, and love.

photo by Shiv Bajaj

arch has always been my favorite month. I associate this time of year with feelings of happiness and rejuvenation because of spring break, the beginning of warmer weather, and my personal favorite—my birthday. When I was little, my mom used to go all out when planning my birthday parties. There were a few years celebrated with the classic Chuck E. Cheese extravaganzas (which I actually hated...the mouse suit freaked me out, so I spent a good amount of those parties hiding under the table). As I got older, we got into planning more elaborate events, involving activities ranging from pottery painting to rock climbing. I used to love getting together with a group of friends for a day of fun because it really made my birthday feel special. As I’ve gotten older, though, my birthday has become much more of a casual affair. My family usually goes out for dinner, and at most, I’ll get a small group of friends together for a meal out. Honestly, in recent years, my birthday hasn’t felt any different from every other day of the year. Without some special celebration, the importance of the day that marks a milestone is undermined. Even though I never actually feel any older on March 22nd, there’s something special about having made it through another year of life. Birthdays mark achievement and growth, the completion of an additional 365 days of learning and experience. That deserves some recognition, right? This year, I’m going to make my birthday memorable. I’m going to get some friends together and have a proper party. Maybe we’ll do something like ice skating or going

Elahi happily poses with her cookie cake during an early birthday celebration with the Advo staff.

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Opinions

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Battleground: Political correctness - is it helping us or hurting us?

photos by Haley Anderson

-68 Percent of americans think america’s growing political correctness is “a big problem” -62 percent of democrats and 81 percent of republicans agreed

Mitchell parse

Facts from washingtonpost.com

Americans, especially my generation, have become soft. College students need “safe spaces” to shelter them from opposing opinions. They need “trigger warnings” in ever y book or e-mail to avoid reading something that may possibly upset them. Saying “Merr y Christmas” is now considered intolerant. W hat happened to the First Amendment? Have we as a nation gone and traded it for the new fad that is political correctness? W hat we are debating is that exact question—whether our freedom of speech is to be sacrificed for the sake of “not hurting” the feelings of an adult. It is not only an outrageous concept to banish free speech because it might be upsetting, it is also detrimental to the college students that are adamant about having political correctness. They are about to enter a world that is not all sunshine and rainbows. If they cannot handle a little criticism or opposing ideas now, then how will they be successful in a world that will not care about their emotions? There are no rooms filled with soothing music and puppies in which to retreat when your sales pitch falls flat. O vercoming obstacles and adversity is what promotes individual growth. Opposing ideas are how a rationale adult makes decisions—by completely examining both sides. Not only do we trade our freedom of speech for political correctness, we also trade our right to life. This recently became abundantly clear in the tragic terrorist attack in San Bernardino where 14 innocent citizens were shot and killed by radical Islamic terrorists. W hat you probably did not know due to our politically correct media, is that those 14 innocent lives could have been saved—if it hadn’t been for political correctness. The neighbors of the terrorists obser ved the two doing “suspicious activity ” but did not report it to the police because they did not want to be labeled “islamaphobic.” Political correctness is now costing us American lives. This shouldn’t even be an argument.

Opinions

Serena Tolani

To start, let’s define what political correctness actually is. Political correctness is the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against. So we, as a society, would make an effort to not “exclude, marginalize, or insult” minorities or others who are underprivileged. So far, why would anyone have a problem with that? Political correctness is about respect in society. It’s the reason we don’t call blacks the “n word” and the reason you don’t call your friend “retarded” when he trips and falls. Our society is built upon political correctness. Without basic respect for others in our society, we are reduced to name-calling, ad hominem argument-making commentators. Political correctness emerged in academia as a response to history not including the difficulties of Native Americans, women or black people. It is a response to racism, sexism and homophobia that pushed back on the assumption that everyone was straight, white, cisgender and middle-class. And isn’t that true? Everyone isn’t the left-most column on a matrix of oppression. So, isn’t it important that we acknowledge that and tailor our words to be respectful? Look, I’m not going to argue that political correctness hasn’t been taken too far. It has. It’s the reason we have to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” and it’s the reason Hillary Clinton had to apologize for saying “illegal immigrant” instead of “undocumented migrant.” It’s definitely been over imposed, and that’s one of the reasons why Donald Trump appeals to so many voters- because he can’t be bothered with political correctness. But the point of political correctness at its base is not to restrict free speech and not to act as a governing force; political correctness is in place to educate us and to bring awareness to the minorities and those disadvantaged in our community. Even with political correctness, the rights of free speech lie above. We must remember that free speech is a fundamental liberty and political correctness is a choice- one that we should encourage in order to build a respectful and accepting society.

game of

Sports

the month

Smashing the Competition by Sofia Rafiq and Anya Uppal

photo by Barbara Heidkamp

The badminton match will be intense as the teams are in the same district and therefore have a friendly rivalry. With that said, the game is close enough for anyone to attend, and the girls hope to see many fans in the stands.

Juniors Abby Ward and Bonnie Budelman show off their racquets before practice on March 6.

Ask the Athlete ellie Usher varsity Lacrosse

Ideal super power? Favorite ice cream flavor? Go-to song on karaoke night?

Flying

Samara Lillioja Varsity Water POlo

Ethan Planson Varsity Track

Mind Reading

Flying

Chocolate chip cookie dough

Chocolate peanut butter

Oreo

Party in the USA

Fergalicious

Sweet Home Alabama News

March Sports page.indd 2

photos by Barbara Heidkamp

he varsity badminton team is training for its match against Hinsdale South High School. The game will be held at Hinsdale South on March 19. The girls are working hard, hoping to bring home a victory. “The Hinsdale South invite is our first Saturday tournament, which means a long Saturday and a lot of matches,” said Serena Tolani, new senior varsity player. “We’re excited for our season to really take off during that time.” The girls are putting in work and constantly training so they can play their best. Badminton requires hours of long practice almost every day and conditioning so that the girls can improve their skill. “Badminton is a lot of conditioning and a lot of endurance,” Tolani said. “We train hard in practice to make sure we can outlast our opponents and keep up the same level of play throughout the match.” Being close to one another makes the players improve as a team. It is important to develop team bonding, so the girls will support each other through each match. “My favorite part of badminton would definitely be the team. Badminton is a team effort and we are all so supportive of each other during meets both on and off the court,” said Angela Li, junior varsity player. Even through tough training and practice, the players have fun together while practicing.

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monthly

News

briefs

March book madness by Zeljko Kospic and Juliana Mayer For all basketball lovers, March Madness is a time of excitement and anticipation, as teams advance further and further into the tournament. The library continues with its own March Book Madness tradition that began a couple of years ago. The book tournament is an exciting and educational activity that coincides with the NCAA March Madness College Basketball Tournament. The goal is to increase student interest and participation in the library at school. Books are separated into eight divisions, like their basketball counterpart. The divisions range between non-fiction, mystery, fiction, and romance novels. Books of the same genre are pitted against each other, and rely on student votes to move onto the next level. The books are chosen by student interest. “We look at circulations in the library to determine which books are most popular at the time of the tournament,” said Mrs. Giarritano, school librarian. “Popular young adult books are thus promoted, in a competitive and interesting environment.” The tournament comes with special incentives meant to persuade students to participate. Students can come to the library to cast their vote for their favorite book, and get an opportunity to win an array of raffle prizes. “The prizes are a good incentive for people who don’t normally go to the library,” said Elaine Carter, sophomore. “Once people start and pick up just one book, it can lead to a new discovery of a

photo by Shiv Bajaj

love to read.” The key to a successful March Book Madness tournament is student participation. “[We had] 150 students vote in the first round,” Giarritano said. “The participation numbers usually continue to go up each week.” It’s no surprise that participation continues to grow, especially considering the raw quality of the competing books. Be sure to vote every week to get your favorite book into the Final Four.

Breaking down the new sat by Ali Ardehali, Keshav Sanghani, and Maddie Studnicka All across America, high school students are wondering whether the redesigned version of the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is a) easier, b) harder, or c) the same difficulty as the test was in previous years. The SAT has notoriously been known to be the harder college entrance test compared to the ACT, and everyone wants to know: what is different this year? Basically, the new test will include vocabulary within a reading passage so students can decipher the meaning based on context. Also, students will find that there is more of an emphasis on using evidence in a passage to back up answers. In addition to putting vocabulary in context and requiring students to look for more textual evidence, the new form of the SAT changed the essay section so that rather than writing an essay based on an open-ended question, students are writing an analysis of a text. The College Board is also making the math and reading section focused on real-world application questions. Sophomore Ellie McElroy recently took the new version.

“I found that it was a lot more like the ACT,” McElroy said. “However, the reading section was far more evidencebased, forcing students to flip back and forth from the passage to the question.” Naturally, changes in any standardized tests can cause frustration. Many students have spent significant time and effort preparing for an important test that has been completely changed. “I learned all of this vocabulary in preparation for the SAT only to learn they would remove it as a focus of the test,” McElroy said. There are changes to the scoring as well with the penalty for guessing being removed and the essay now being scored separately from the rest of the test. Writing and reading questions have also been combined, and the top score for the test is 1600, not 2400. This new form of the test is intended to provide a more accurate measure of a student’s college and career readiness.

10 News March Newsfeed.indd 2

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ADVO

E T T E R L E BACH t Lin

eric & Lancelo by Arman Hav

MATT

n a twist of the ABC favorite, Advocate’s own feature editor, Emma Joyce, is looking for someone. Whether that someone be a good friend or a romantic interest, Emma is willing to go on four dates with four separate competitors to find that special someone. The competitors come from diverse backgrounds, including a BPA member, a National Merit Finalist, a clarinet player, and a singer. Who will it be?

photo by Collee

n Martucci

Matt Medick, senior, met up with Emma at the local McDonald’s. Matt is a 6’3” intellectual young man with fiery red hair and cordial attitude. Enticed by his love for Emma and the cash prize, Matt – who admits his spirit animal is a hippo – was eager to break the ice. As soon as Emma began asking her slew of questions, Matt responded with an unexpected calmness, ready to woo the Bachelorette. He laid forth his prospects for a future together: a quiet life in a countryside cottage, herding cattle, living with their two sons Poseidon and Joshua. The date ended on a positive note, with Matt asserting his hopes to win the final rose and to beat out all of his competitors. Although both Matt and Emma agreed they had chemistry, Emma remained skeptical of the prospects of a blossoming relationship between the two.

photo by Shiv

Bajaj

STEVEN

Eager to win over the heart of the Bachelorette, Steven Botsoe, senior, met up with Emma at McDonald’s for his classy date. Standing 6 feet tall, Steven loves reading books and watching movies. Steven is looking for love wherever he can, and admits he is eager to get to know Emma as best as he can. Steven and Emma’s date started off shakily, with a heated disagreement between whether the dress is blue and black or white and gold, but the two quickly got past their differences. Emma didn’t hesitate to get in the nitty gritty right off the bat, asking Steven how he planned to propose to her in the future, and where they planned to honeymoon afterwards. The date ended ambiguously, with Steven saying privately that he thought he could settle his differences with Emma in the future, but Emma nonetheless questioned whether their relationship could blossom given their differences in opinion. Can Steven compete with the charismatic Matt, let alone the rest of the competitors?

photo by Ms. Lo

pez

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PETER

TALIA

Senior Peter Ren, the final contestant, stands shorter than all the other opponents at 5’4” tall. But what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in character. As president of Central’s NHS chapter and member of Central’s wind ensemble, Peter is more than ready to claim Emma Joyce’s heart. What took Emma by surprise during her final McDonald’s date was Peter’s candid, thought-provoking answers to her questions. Peter’s intellectual demeanor immediately set him apart from the various other contestants. However, the date took a catastrophic turn when Peter presented fake flowers to Emma as a gift. The two got into a heated argument regarding the gift, with the fight escalating as Peter left McDonald’s in a storm, abandoning the Bachelorette. The date marked a remarkable climax in the series, and left Emma wondering whether she would be able reconcile her turmoiled emotions and pick a final winner after all. So, who will it be? The charismatic redheaded Matt? The passionate Steven? Talia, the sole female competitor? Or Peter, the shorty with anger management issues? Emma will decide at the final ceremony.

In a progressive twist to the Bachelorette, senior Talia Sankari, the only female competitor, met up with Emma for a McDonald’s brief dinner date. A fan of film and TV, Talia is in it to win it. However, unlike her previous opponents, Talia is eager to be just friends with Emma, unsure of whether a love affair would be a good idea in her life right now. Talia and Emma hit it off immediately. Their immediate rapport for one another was evident given the fact that their first physical interaction was a tender hug – not a mere high-five, as all the previous competitors had done. After a short Q&A, Talia and Emma parted ways amicably. Talia expressed her desire to meet again for a second friend date, while Emma agreed that Talia was an impressive, charismatic contestant. Although Emma has her reservations about being solely in the friend zone, she is happy to have met Talia and acknowledges that she’s a fun pick. Does Talia, the sole female contestant, pose a threat to the other men in the competition? And will the fourth and final contestant dethrone the previous three?

So, who will the winner ultimately be? Her heart is torn between four equally qualified contestants. Although she and Matt Medick had great chemistry, she felt like he wasn’t as passionate as the other contestants when it came to claiming her heart. She enjoyed her date with Steven, but their differing values threaten the prospects of a meaningful relationship in the future. Talia was perhaps the most charismatic contestant, but will Emma give up her three other choices for a friendship? And although Peter seemingly outdoes his other opponents in talent, how will his anger management issues affect Emma’s final decision? The winner of the 2016 Advo Bachelorette will be announced next week on the Devils’ Advocate website. Stay tuned to find out who will ultimately claim Emma’s heart by visiting hcdevilsadvocate.com

photos by Collee

n Martucci

Features Oh no.indd 3

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Growing Gardens APES students begin garden plans for Clarendon Hills by Nina Molina and Maria Harrast

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3/15/16 2:48 PM

photo courtesy of Village of Clarendon Hills

n a few years time, a 0.15 acre patch of withering brown grass near downtown Clarendon Hills will get a major facelift- a blooming and sustainable community garden and apiary. The Village of Clarendon Hills is in the process of developing the Richmond Education Gardens and Apiary south The initial site for the garden that will be located near the police station. of the BNSF tracks and beside the The waste will be a combination of the leftover food grown Clarendon Hills Public Works facility. Three years in the and other leftover material from the garden. Composting making, the garden aims to teach sustainable practices. positively impacts the soil and surrounding areas by Planting native plants, adding a compost station and reducing changes in the soil’s pH. It also improves erosion beehives, installing rain gardens and water storages are and weed control, suppresses plant diseases, and provides just a few of the plans. a generous variety of macro and micronutrients for the “This project is all about education,” said Mr. Dan renewed soil. Uderleiger, the Clarendon Hills Community Director. “I’ll be most involved in the education aspect. The However, Clarendon Hills is not alone in the project. organization I work for really works with composting, Central’s AP Environmental Science students were so I’ll be able to help with that,” said Erin Kennedy, recruited to participate. With the help of professionals in an environmental programmer involved in educating the field of environmental science and sustainability, the people about composting and sustainable practices. four periods of Mr. Mark Wollschlaeger’s APES classes Kennedy would be one of many project organizers will address different environmental problems and students will work with. solutions from loss of Illinois flora biodiversity to water “I’m in a group with eight or nine different people pollution and flood mitigation. Students will then design from different class periods of APES. We’re answering the signage to explain the various sections of the gardens to problems of waste and starting the composting station. visitors. With an estimated budget of $137,000, many The residents of Clarendon Hills and Westmont can learn local business and institutions like Quinn’s Coffee House, composting in their homes,” said Dylan Lovelace, senior. Country House, The Birches, Whole Foods, Village of Westmont, and Hinsdale Central High School are Food Mileage contributing to the effort. Anna Maria Leon was one of the professionals on environmentally, sustainable practices that presented Composting Waste at Central’s Project Kickoff Meeting on Feb. 24. A In recent years, composting to create renewed, rich graduate of the University of California- Berkeley, Leon soil, instead of dumping food and debris in landfills has has worked on major projects with edible gardens, like been increasing in popularity and practice. those in Millennium Park. She hopes to integrate these The Richmond Gardens will have a compost station. gardens that will grow food in urban and suburban areas,

Features 15 march issue.indd 2

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has been a push to increase their numbers by creating more apiaries. An apiary is a collection of beehives, where bees and their honey are tended to. Mr. Wollschlaeger said that introducing an apiary into the community has various benefits. The most important one would be increasing the local pollinator population and help pollinate the edible gardens. “I’m working with the problem with the loss of pollinators. It could actually be really interesting for little kids to get into bees and their hives,” said Ani Karagianis, senior. Tending for beehives and bees requires help of people to take care of them. Village people, elementary and middle schools, and possible Boy and Girl Scout Troops may play a part in tending the gardens. Clarendon Hills Middle School has been planting plants in the school’s greenhouse to be transplanted in the Richmond Gardens. “I’m excited to see the final product. It’s hard to imagine it with just the digital outline, but it’s going to look really great,” Karagianis said. If interested in learning more about gardens, consult with Central’s Ecology Club to inquire about the courtyard garden.

photo courtesy of Village of Clarendon Hills

especially with human population increasing at an all time high. By 2040, Chicago will have 3 million more people than today. To keep up with the demand, Leon argues that people must increase food production, but in the same amount of space. “The first edible landscaping was in Millennium Park in Chicago. Food grown in these gardens is given to the homeless or local restaurants and helps promote jobs needed to take care of these gardens,” Leon said. According to Leon, more green space positively impacts the community with proven mental and social benefits for residents like reduction in stress levels, crime reduction, improved concentration, and overall enhanced health. Hugelkultur is one of the gardening practices on the agenda for the Richmond Gardens. Wood logs are laid horizontally in a pile then layered on with dirt and plants. The decomposing biomass acts as natural fertilizer for the plants. Edible forests and utilizing sustainable gardening techniques like Hugelkultur are meant to mimic how food is naturally grown, rather than the monoculture of corn and soy so often grown around the world. “Mother Nature is modest. She doesn’t want to be naked,” said Leon, on why edible forests have plants and crops growing alongside one another, resembling the natural way these foods would be grown. Central has not come to a decision on where the grown food will go. Various options include providing the food to shelters or setting up a farmer’s market where the proceeds would go to maintaining the gardens.

Apiary

Unbeknownst to many, honeybee populations are on the rapid decline. The National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society held a conference in 2013 focusing on this pollinator’s fate. With more awareness to the importance of bees, there The final design of the garden.

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Sources

Community Gardening

gardening matters.org parksand people.org

The average community garden was estimated to add about $9,000 a year to the city tax revenue.

Food in the US travels an average of 1300 miles from farm to fork and consumes 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce a single calorie of modern supermarket food.

Producing food locally greatly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions related to food transportation. Community gardeners and their children eat healthier, more nutrient rich diets than do non-gardening families.

Increasing the consumption of organic local produce reduces exposure to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

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Fruits and veggies sold in supermarkets spend about 7-14 days in transit, and almost 50% of the transported food is lost to spoilage. Locally grown food reduces or eliminates this transit time, helping to greatly reduce waste.

Gardens help to filter rainwater, keeping local bodies of water like lakes and ponds clean.

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scouting for

success THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF the HINSDALE CENTRAL Eagle Scouts by Emma Joyce and Selin Turkyilmaz

photos courtesy of Chicago Tribune

he highest rank in Boy Scouts, the position of Eagle Scout, Tribune for earning not only the Eagle Scout rank, but also all is a prestigious merit many Boy Scouts strive for. According of the Boy Scouts merit badges. His Eagle project included the to the Boy Scouts of America website, more than 50,000 organization of a shoe drive which helped donate more than boys per year earn the Eagle Scout rank after completing a 1,000 pairs of shoes to refugees in Nicaragua and Rwanda. vigorous application process. This process includes serving in Paul Cumberland, senior, is another Boy Scout who greatly leadership positions, camping, and finishing a large community values his experiences from the organization. Cumberland is service project. currently undergoing the application process of earning the When Jacob Dannhausen-Brun, senior, saw the rolling rank of Eagle Scout. green lawn and red “A scout has to complete 20 brick building of merit badges, do 20 nights of Madison Elementary camping, serve in leadership School in Hinsdale, positions for several he envisioned building months for the troop, and a bench to help the complete the Eagle project,” students. DannhausenCumberland said. Brun earned his Eagle The guidelines for Eagle Scout rank through projects are vague, but executing a series essentially the Scout must of projects at the plan, draft, and put in action elementary school. a large-scale project that “I built an outdoor benefits the community in bench at the rear some way. entrance to Madison “My Eagle project had 80 Junior Reece O’Connor helps at his troop’s annual pancake breakfast at Evangelical Covenant for kids to sit on while man hours and 30 hours of Church in Hinsdale. waiting to enter the planning,” Cumberland said. school,” Dannhausen-Brun said. “I also built an arbor with Many Boy Scouts like Cumberland enjoy both the hard a fence attached to it to keep children from trampling one work and the fun aspects of the organization. They also learn of the gardens at the school.” about the outdoors during various camping trips, while Dannhausen-Brun believes he has learned countless lessons partaking in activities such as canoeing, kayaking, archery, from his involvement with the Boy Scouts. As he went through shotgun shooting, and fishing. the process of becoming an Eagle Scout, he cites leadership and Cumberland finds that being close to nature gives him a lot management as various skills he developed. of perspective. Along with Dannhausen-Brun, several more Central students “Being a Scout is important to me because it gives me the have recently achieved the merit of Eagle Scout. Some of these opportunity to really step out of Hinsdale,” Cumberland said. “I can students are seniors Brian Dvorak and Michael Johns, as well experience incredible things that I wouldn’t be able to do elsewhere.” as junior Reece O’Connor. O’Connor was featured in Chicago

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Meet Dylan One brave student challenges misconceptions about being transgender by Seetha Aribindi and Ray Shryock

oys and girls line up on the risers, ready to sing for their choir concert. The boys wear tuxedos while the girls wear black dresses. One boy stands near the center. His choir teacher decided this past year to allow him to sing with the boys choir when his vocal range fits. His name is Dylan Von Stein, and he is transgender. For Von Stein, junior, it has been a long road to acceptance. And even now, after coming out, the road still continues. “Other students have been mostly accepting, but every now and then I hear ‘tranny’ and ‘he-she.’ I can’t let that get me down,” Von Stein said. Von Stein relies mostly on a close group of friends who support him during his transition. “One of my friends knew I bound my chest with ACE bandages, and that can cause serious problems with breathing, and it made me more likely to break a rib,” Von Stein said. “They offered to get me a chest binder which is a lot safer than using ACE bandages.” Mr. McMahon, a social worker at Central, says that friends are a major support system for transgender students. “A lot of the transgender population rely on their friends. Friends help them get through some of those more challenging times,” McMahon said. In addition to leaning on friends in times of need, Von Stein gets inspiration from the several prominent transgender icons in the media. In particular, Leelah Alcorn’s story had a large impact on Von Stein’s life. Alcorn, a transgender teenager, became prominent after her suicide in 2014 that garnered widespread attention after she posthumously posted her suicide note on Tumblr. The note, published by several news outlets, detailed how Alcorn, not having the acceptance of her Christian parents, led to her suicide. Von Stein wants to make Alcorn’s wish of having transgender people seen as humans come true. “[Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox, and Leelah Alcorn] have influenced me to come out, and

accept who I am and that I don’t need to hide who I am,” Von Stein said. “Leelah Alcorn and her story make me want to be who I am because it may be hard to be transgender, but it is worth fighting for who we are in the end. The end result, be it hormone therapy, or a sex change, makes it worth the fight and making it through the bullying.” Assistant Principal Walsh is committed to minimizing the bullying that students like Von Stein experience at school. With both his current and new facilities plans, he aims to promote a safe environment for transgender students. “We are currently using social work to support [transgender students] by addressing their academic and social emotional needs,” Walsh said. Walsh, in cooperation with the social workers, has worked to create an environment where transgender students can use facilities that make them feel safe and comfortable during the school day. “Students that identify with a gender other than their biological gender are currently using Locker Room A during the school day. . . we started [using Locker Room A] last year when a student self identified. Students get keys to Locker Room A, which is our smallest locker room in the basement, from the social worker, Mr. McMahon, to have access to a safe place to change for gym classes and use the restroom,” Walsh said. “Next year we will have a family restroom facility on the East side of campus by P.E. and the cafeteria that [transgender students] can use whenever they want.” Walsh has received nothing but positive reviews about the changes he has made. “That acceptance is to the credit of Hinsdale Central students and the character that we represent here,” Walsh said. Although, for students like Von Stein, acceptance is something that is not always easy to find at school, Central has made many changes to make students feel free and comfortable to be themselves. For Von Stein, family understanding is something that will always be hard to seek, especially from his mother, because of the

drastic nature of his transition. “My family was a bit more difficult with acceptance. My mom was accepting, but found it difficult to call me a ‘he’ after over sixteen years of calling me a ‘she’ and ‘Katie’. I understand how hard it is. She still has not understood that she is not losing a daughter, but gaining a son,” Von Stein said. McMahon believes that parents of transgender students rightfully experience a certain level of loss after their child transitions. “I think that parents grieve the loss of that relationship. At the same time, they are not understanding they are opening up a brand new type of relationship,” McMahon said. “I think that this is such a major shift in our cultural thinking that it is going to take some time. The younger generations have an easier time being accepting because to the older generation [being transgender] is completely foreign. These kids have the hope of the future.” The bumps in the road have not discouraged Von Stein. If anything, seeing Alcorn’s struggle and living through his own have made him fight harder. When asked if there was anything he would say to another struggling transgender teen, Von Stein encouraged resilience. “Keep fighting no matter how hard it is,” Von Stein said. “You are who you say you are no matter what your family or friends say because in the end, you are going to be living with yourself your entire life. So, be who you are on the inside too, not just just what people want you to be. You have people that accept you for who you truly are, and they will be there for you no matter what.” If you have additional questions about transgender identification or challenges related to this transition, please see Mr. McMahon in room 103.

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Where to be this month MARCH 18-MARCH 20

CHICAGOLAND FAMILY PET EXPO MARCH

19-DECEMBER 11

RANDOLPH STREET MARKET march 24-MARCH 26

FESTIVAL

GOOD FOOD FESTIVAL AND

APRIL 16-APRIL 17

CONFERENCE CHICAGO ARTISAN

What to eat this month

CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

PREVIEW: COLOR ME MINE

by Rina Ravisundar

olor Me Mine, the world’s leading paint-it-yourself ceramics franchise studio chain, Time: Monday–Saturday boasts nearly 150 locations across the world with the closest location in Burr Ridge. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Color Me Mine offers hundreds of ceramic items, a Design Center featuring 22,000 Sunday images, more than 60 colors to paint with, and trained staff members for guidance, if needed. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Their art studio is home to birthday parties, school painting programs, community fundraising No appointment required, programs and individuals of all ages and experience who visit Color Me Mine to create artwork and no time limit on any pottery piece of their choice; the studio also offers stencils, rubber stamps, and a design computer with thousands of designs to trace or transfer for artists who require more guidance. Where: Burr Ridge Village Center All creations and paints are non-toxic, lead free, and food-safe, meaning they are dishwasher 470 Village Center Drive safe as well. Color Me Mine offers more than 100 classes at different times throughout the year Burr Ridge, Ill. and special Art Adventure classes all summer long on myriad of subjects. 60527 Can’t make it to their studio location? Ask Color Me Mine to come to you! Their “To-Go” program entails everything you would experience at their studio, but in the comfort of the Admission: Kids 12 and under - $8 location of your choice. Adults - $10 Most art pieces are safe to take home within five to seven days. For more general information Individual art pieces range and types of classes available, please visit colormemine.com. from $12-$20 dollars

Infographic

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MENU OF THE MONTH: shamrock shake

DIRECTIONS: 1. Blend ice cream and food coloring together in a blender until smooth. 2. Drizzle chocolate syrup around inside walls of glasses; pour shake into glass. Top with whipped cream and green deorator sugar. 3. For a special touch, purchase a McCafé cup and pour drink into cup. INGREDIENTS: 2 cups vanilla ice cream 2 tablespoons whipped cream 1 1/4 cups milk 9 drops of food coloring Chocolate syrup photos by Rina Ravisundar

photos by Rina Ravisundar

MUSIC MANIA OF THE month “Work” by Rihanna: No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. “Love Yourself by Justin Bieber No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

MOVIE MADNESS OF THE month

THE REVENANT

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR

ZOOTOPIA

in theaters now

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