Devils' Advocate September 2016

Devils ’

Advocate

Health trends rise in popularity P. 14

A look at the role of the District 86 School Board P. 12

Students reflect on using social media to make first impressions P. 10

Hinsdale Central High School - Hinsdale, Ill. - Volume 89 - September

Contents Features Digital First Impressions

The nuances of expressing oneself online

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School Board Stats

A look into the role of the School Board 12

Are New Diet and Fitness Trends on the Rise?

14 A Slice of Fall Sports 23 Toga & Football 26

10 12

How New Diets Are Affecting Teens’ Health

Profiles

Call of the Wild Students share their unique summers

20

Spotlight on Clubs

24

Outdoor clubs help students relax

C H

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Opinions

4 Are safe spaces necessary? 5

Ask the Athletes/Cheers & Jeers Battleground

Column: Happiness

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Cheating in the Face of Technology

7

The importance of adventuring outdoors

Editorial

14 20

News

8 Water Infographic 9 Newsfeed

Trends What’s Trending Now

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Mission Statement

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

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Staff Editor in Chief

Seetha Aribindi

Staff Writers & Haley Anderson Designers

Managing Editor

Sayali Amin

Julia Baroni

Copy Editors and Heads of Writers

Maria Harrast

Julia Chatterjee

Ray Shryock

Celine Turkyilmaz

Design Editor

Lancelot Lin

Photo Editors

Abby Berberich

Alex Choi Nora Wood

Adam DeDobbelaere

Jayne Gelman

Minna Hassaballa

Bilal Khokhar Cassie Kruse Juliana Mayer Sofia Rafiq

Cover photo by Alex Choi

Club Writers

Isha Kukadia Maddie Studnicka Keshav Sanghani

Charlotte Sudduth

Anya Uppal

Contact Information @HCDevilsAdvo on Twitter & Instagram @devils_advo on Snap Adviser: Cherise Lopez: clopez@hinsdale86.org 3

Opinions

Ask the Athlete Madeleine Heil Sophomore Volleyball

Jake Semba Senior Soccer

Alison Albeda Senior Cross Country

What’s your favorite fall drink?

Pumpkin spice lattés

Glacier Freeze Gatorade

Vampire Blood

What’s your favorite fall holiday?

Halloween

Halloween

Black Friday

What’s your most interesting experience so far at Central?

Getting my phone waterlogged at the Back-to-School Bash

Experiencing the eight state championship titles

Razor scootering in the hallways

Cheers

Jeers

- Cheers to sending York home sad - Cheers to no more Kolkman selfies - Cheers to Stranger Things, #netflixlover - Cheers to Frank Ocean

- Jeers to water fountains missing - Jeers to new late start days - Jeers to homecoming groupchats - Jeers to chromebooks

finally dropping another album

- Jeers to no headphone jack in the iPhone 7

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Opinions

Battleground

by Shubankar Deo and Carolyn Chun

Safe Spaces and Trigger Warnings

On Aug. 24, the University of Chicago sent incoming freshmen a letter which emphasized the school’s commitment to freedom of speech and open-mindedness. Obviously, such values are essential to the college experience. They foster discussion and debate about pressing issues and broaden perspectives among students as they prepare to enter the real world and face opinions that may not always align with their own.

Ironically, the same letter stated that the university would not promote safe spaces or trigger warnings, concepts which, in the school’s eyes, would compromise students’ freedom of expression. Neither of these concepts, however, encourage the suppression of opposing viewpoints.

Safe spaces are misperceived as havens for individuals to impede conflicting views, when in reality they are environments that do not tolerate violence or harassment towards others solely based on factors that should play no role in judging an individual’s opinion. Trigger warnings are painted as amusing inconveniences to address trifling matters, but a few words preceding text to warn of potentially disturbing content are no different from the notices accompanying film ratings at the movie theater. Rather than obstructing any college student’s constitutional rights, both safe spaces and trigger warnings ensure that debate occurs within the standards set forth by laws and morals alike.

And, as sensitive topics like race, gender, and sexuality approach the forefront of discussion in college classrooms and even in society, it’s important to understand that individuals should be credited for the experiences that form the foundation of their opinion, not berated. The removal of safe spaces and trigger warnings from college campuses undermines this notion, and peers resort to criticizing each other’s backgrounds rather than each other’s opinions.

Ultimately, there is no call to silence controversy; there is no demand to ignore conflict. Safe spaces and trigger warnings aim to provide a premise for conversation that focuses on individuals’ opinions and not the characteristics construing their identities. Once this precedent has been established, only then can a dialogue of true substance arise.

The intellectual battlefield in the past year has seen a war waged for equality, sensitivity, and tolerance on the nation’s campuses. Higher education has seen rapid increases in minority enrollment-between 1996 and 2012, there was a 72 percent increase for blacks and an astounding 240 percent increase for Latinos. At the same time, the voice of racial protest has garnered immense traction in the wake of what are often horrific examples of police brutality. The right of students to protest isn’t just healthy, it’s sacred.

The issue, however, is that they are fighting a misguided battle. Under the mantel of social justice, the heart of these protests has turned to demands for safe spaces and trigger warnings, systemic means of limiting contact with material deemed offensive or sensitive.

Yet, such a demand comes from a desire for security and safety in a world that does not provide such conveniences. At the risk of subscribing to the rhetoric of old men and worn-out heroes, bubble-wrapping education removes the experiences that form leaders and diplomats, engaged citizens and articulate individuals. It pushes for a future where diversity of opinion is sacrificed on the altar of comfort, at the cost of both progress and open-mindedness.

And, in the end, discussing unpleasant topics is how you become a stronger, more effective defendant of your own perspectives. As anyone who has ever debated will tell you, there is no equivalent to having your own position torn apart by someone both well-informed and diametrically opposed to you; nothing quite so painful, nor so informative.

Now, it’s not always going to be polite intellectual discussion, because people can be crass and rude. But even in the face of the most offensive topic imaginable, there is benefit in being able to approach it, articulate your opinion, and encourage change. You can open a dialogue that may lead to real change.

There are exceptions, of course. Trauma and psychological issues are serious matters that should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Similarly, there is a line between speech and hate crime.

But, in all other cases, perhaps the best solution is simply to listen. And then respond.

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Opinions

the

happiness guide

photo by Alex Choi

9/15/16 Maria Harrast (left) and Celine Turkyilmaz (right) explore around school.

photo by Alex Choi

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t isn’t hard to be happy during the sun-soaked hours of summer. One of us went camping in Yellowstone—hiking through ancient mountains and towering trees, laughing by the campfire, dreaming under the stars. The other one took a flight to Japan—riding seaside trains, discovering hidden ramen shops, and trying crazy facemasks. And neither of us wanted to stop our adventures just because school started.

Let’s face it: it can be hard to be happy when you swap rocky trails and meandering city streets for the tiled hallways of Central. It can be hard to be happy when you give up sunshine and sandals for lectures and routine.

So many of us spend nine months of our lives in a constant state of waiting. Waiting for Friday and counting down the days till the next long weekend. Complaining about homework and spending every afternoon cooped up indoors.

Yes, there’s a lot to stress about this fall. We’re studying for our SAT Subject Tests on Oct. 1 — the same day as Homecoming — while trying to write our 10+ college essays.

We’re balancing APs and tests and clubs, while functioning under what can be four hours of sleep a night. It’s a lot to manage. But there are so many things we can do that will take some of this stress away.

There are the Friday football games, the pumpkin patches, the dirt trails in Graue Mill. There are the flowers in the Botanic Gardens, the glimmering waters of Waterfall Glen.

There is so much to do once you leave your laptop on your bed and step out the front door, so much life to be lived beyond the monotony of school.

Every month, we’re going to include ways to find moments of happiness in our otherwise busy lives. School may have started, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up our sense of adventure. So go outside, walk through a forest, and explore.

There’s so much to see.

9/2/16 The Japanese Garden in the Chicago Botanical Gardens is one of the best places to find adventure.

- Maria & Celine

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CHEATING IN THE FACE OF TECHNOLOGY

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illustration by Julia Baroni

he days of pen and paper notes, cramped hands from scribbling timed papers, and ink smudges are coming to a close. With the technology fee at the beginning of the year, Central has implemented Chromebooks in some of its classrooms. If plans go accordingly, the school intends to go ‘one to one’ with laptops in ratio to students for next year. But with this fresh array of opportunity for cheating, the value of education in the face of new technology comes into question.

English and science classes alike are using sites such as Google Classroom or Learning Central to aid lessons, a beneficial change in many respects.

Teachers enjoy printer-free handouts and students know that they always have Internet copies of documents. Lectures and activities can be easily revisited with greater organization. Projects can become more elaborate and well researched as students utilize the computer’s endless databases and apps, like Google Drive, to collaborate with peers. This change is obviously ecological, too, since it saves paper. Though like most progressions with technology, there’s a significant catch. We feel that digital assessments facilitate cheating and devalue learning by emphasizing scores, and think that both teachers and students should take measures to curb digital cheating.

Chromebook usage changes test taking.

Scantrons have been traded in for Google surveys or Moodle quizzes. Typically, teachers will provide students with a login password,

access code, or they might just sign in with their Google account. But on quiz day, while students will have their assessment on one tab, potentially all of the answers could be on the next tab after a quick Google search, even if this is not the truth for the more critical exams. This is a new manifestation of the temptation to cheat, because, at this point, it feels natural to look questions up. Chromebooks have been presented to us as tools for furthering our education. This said, students cheat on online quizzes and tests because it doesn’t necessarily feel like traditional cheating, as it requires minimal effort.

Teachers are trying to combat this through honor codes with their students. But it’s a bit idealistic to hold teens to this. Students should already know not to cheat, but nonetheless, it happens every day and will continue.This abuse of resources can create an unfair playing field for tests, inciting others to cheat as well, in fear of falling behind. Most people don’t set out to cheat, but when a test or quiz is being curved and you know that other students will be doing so, it creates a domino effect.

This poses a major problem for long term learning and the practicality of a class. Afterall, when someone decides to look up the answer or use a peer’s work, they are concerned with the grade they receive, not their overall understanding of the concept. It’s part of what creates stress for every student, a school culture driven by scores.

So, when academic honesty can be bypassed with the smaller quizzes and tests throughout a course to achieve a higher grade, not only will the cumulative and final exam scores decrease, but in the big picture, the once-lifelong value of our education may also be sacrificed.

Our generation is obsessed with instant gratification, specifically at the hands of technology. Unsurprisingly, the abuse of technologically savvy quizzes and tests is the result. Although cheating has always been an issue in schools, it’s important to understand the new problems that this testing creates. Even if benefits do come along with it, academic honesty is going to be pushed to the side by a growing number of students with the ease of online searches and the subsequent pressure to compete. Ultimately, this new outlook on testing will always be up to teachers to combat, but a heightened awareness about this problem is the first step.

This editorial is the consensus of the Hinsdale Central Devils’ Advocate staff.

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Dress Up Daze

NEWSFEED

by Isha Kukadia

The Romans may have abandoned the toga, but the seniors have not. Every year during the first football game of the season, seniors attend school donning togas that range in style from gold satin to Star Wars bedsheets. Although Toga Day is the dress up day with the highest rate of participation, it is but a fraction of the wide variety of dress up days seniors partake in throughout the school year.

Whether it be Nerd Day or Grease Day, the dress up days increase the student body’s excitement for football games. Seniors such as Tina Guo look forward to Fridays in order to be part of an event that unites the class.

“I love the dress up days,” Guo said. “They help me recognize seniors in the hallway.”

However, not all seniors choose to participate in the dress up days. Some are pressed for time, while others are uninformed of the theme.

“Since the dress up days are posted on Facebook, some people are unaware of the themes until the last minute,” Guo said.

For their part, teachers are supportive of the dress up days so long as the students’ costumes are appropriate.

“I wouldn’t say that it is an epidemic overall, but there are more [dress code violations] on dress up days than usual,” said Matt Doll, math teacher.

The dress up day themes are determined by the senior spirit leaders and class board and will be announced each week.

photo by Alex Choi

The Truth Behind the Fountain Fiasco

by Maddie Studnicka

photo by Nora Wood

To start off the school year, what began as an earnest attempt at renovating the school quickly escalated into a week long ordeal of teachers and students feeling overwhelmingly parched and the library being swarmed unlike ever before.

Water fountains were being shut down one by one and replaced by wood boards. After stories of lead poisoning at Hinsdale South and the sting of Flint Michigan’s water crisis persisting, it was only natural that there would be suspicion in the air at Central.

According to Assistant Principal Jessica Hurt, plans to install the filtered water fountains dated back over a year.

“Last year, Ms. Fernandez and a student, Erin Bruns, were talking about how popular the filter water filler was in the library because students are responsible with filling their water bottles instead of using plastic bottles, and then the science department started raising money to add more of those bottle fillers to our school,” Hurt said.

Although Central did undergo lead testing over the summer, this was only a precautionary measure.

“There were trace amounts of lead in the water when it was tested over the summer,” Hurt said.

“What happens is that pipes get old, especially in a school that is as old as ours. What we found is that there weren’t high levels of lead, and there weren’t even moderate levels of lead. For us, we wanted to make sure we had lead testing done so that there were not any surprises, and if there was any lead, [we wanted to] take care of it.”

The plan for installation of these new filtered water fountains and the lead testing coincidentally happened to occur right around the same time.

“The two events came together and it seemed like we were getting new water fountains because there was lead, but that is not the case,” Hurt said.

Welcome to the Jungle

by Keshav Sanghani

Just as students settle into the new school year, Homecoming season jumps into full gear. This year’s theme is Welcome to the Jungle.

“I love the idea of an environmental theme. I might even wear a green dress,” said Kate Seikel, junior.

Homecoming will be on Saturday, Oct. 1. The day will start with the parade at 9:30 a.m., followed by a football game against Glenbard West at noon. Finally, the Welcome to the Jungle dance takes place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets to enter the dance will cost $15 per person.

As with every Homecoming, the week before is a big part of the hype. Every day is a different dress day. Some teachers even have competitions between their classes throughout the day to see which one has the most dressed up students.

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For more news, visit www.hcdevilsadvocate.com

Water Usage

News

Types of bottles used by students

Other (25.9%)

Filters match residential drinking water treatment standards NSF 42 & NSF 53; filters out lead, chlorine, and odors

CamelBak or similar plastic bottle (51.9%) Coffee/Tea mug (7.4%)

Filter status LED

Display of bottles saved 20 second shutoff timer

Chilled

Disposable Plastic None Bottles (3.7%) (11.1%) Never (7.7%)

Every once in a while (11.5%)

BOTTLES SAVED 26,008 - Library 2,992 - English Hallway 1,026 - Fitness Center

Regularly (80.8%)

$1600 per machine

How Often Students use water fountains to refill their bottles

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Features

Digital First Impressions

by Jayne Gelman and Minna Hassaballa

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GLUTEN FREE. DANCER. POET. SINGER. HCHS ‘17.

CAN 160 CHARACTERS PROVIDE AN ACCURATE IMPRESSION OF A PERSON?

S

ocial media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have not only allowed students to express a different part of themselves to the world, but they have also allowed others to make judgements based on those profiles. Unlike face-to-face interaction, online posts and behavior can be interpreted differently by everyone who sees them. Online posts also can play a considerable role in college applications.

Some students find it easier to articulate themselves and find their voice online through social media.

Others use social media as a means of dealing with the stress of school and daily life. Two years ago, Maddie Studnicka, junior, created the Instagram account @365daystohappy for this purpose. “[In] a lot of my pictures I try to show more of my true self and what’s happening in my true life, through my captions especially,” Studnicka said.

“I don’t want to put up a disguise of what I am really feeling. I’d rather express myself because it makes me feel better.”

Although social media serves as a benefit to some students and allows

them to better themselves, for other students social media is not necessary at all.

Today, it seems as though everyone, especially in this community, participates with social media.

“I prefer person to person interactions. There is so much to our lives and personalities that I feel is lost through a screen,” said Lilja Carden, a junior who has never owned any social media accounts.

For many people, the Internet serves as a protection from “I don’t want to put up a disguise of what I am really feeling. I’d rather express myself because it makes me feel better.”

-Maddie Studnicka consequence and the real world. For this reason, students have the ability to systematically post as they please to create virtually any impression of themselves for others to view.

“On social media you learn a lot about the image [someone] wants to portray because in real life you can’t have a filter about who you are,” Studnicka said.

In other cases students feel that they could post without consequence any content that they desire to.

Little do many of these students know that these posts can actually have a detrimental affect on college admissions as many top-tier colleges take to social media to get an impression of someone before they meet them.

“Colleges have no other way of getting a first impression unless they have an interview. The Internet is a great way to get a preview of what you are willing to do online, even if not in person,” Carden said.

According to a recent 2015 Kaplan Test Prep survey, 40 percent of college admissions officers browse social media profiles to learn more about candidates. Thirty-five percent of officers surveyed said that they have found something that negatively affected candidates chances of getting in.

“The message from admissions counselors is to be careful of what’s on social media, as colleges reserve the right to see it,” said Mrs. Hilding, school counselor.

Despite the fact that many students are aware of these consequences, some students such as Nicko Ledesma, senior, refuse to manipulate their posts in order to impress colleges.

“I decided that whatever I put out there, if it isn’t good enough and if it tarnishes my reputation, so be it. That’s me,” Ledesma said. “My mindset is that I post whatever I want to post and if people don’t like that, then they don’t.”

“There is so much to our lives and personalities that I feel is lost through a screen.”

-Lilja Carden

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Features

SCHOOL BOARD STATS

by Julia Chatterjee and Adam DeDobbelaere

Stern demeanors, neighborly greetings.

Interested students, concerned parents.

Seven board members find their seats at an elongated table in front of the dense rows of plastic chairs in the cafeteria.

One board member crosses her arms and looks blankly at the crowd as people shuffle towards open seats, glancing around for others who share the same opinion as them. A cloud of warmth spreads throughout the wide room as another member rests his head on his hand and looks up at the ceiling. Soon everyone will rise in the cafeteria and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

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C

urrently, the District 86 School Board is composed of seven members: President Kay Gallo, Vice President Jennifer Planson, Secretary Kathleen Hirsman, Ralph Beardsley, Bill Carpenter, Edward Corcoran, and Claudia Manley.

All board members must be 18 or older, a resident of the district, and not a defined child sex offender. Members are elected locally and serve a term of four years.

The board’s power is limited to an extent. According to the District 86 Policy Manual, “Board of Education members, as individuals, have no authority over school affairs, except as provided by law or as authorized by the Board.” Duties of the Board of Education include but are not limited to: modifying BOE policies, maintaining adequate facilities, instituting the school year, and approving aspects of the District’s finances.

Each Board Meeting’s agenda can be found on the Hinsdale Township High School website along with footage from the meeting.

Referendum Agendum On Monday, Aug. 15, the School Board rejected a referendum that would invest in facility renovations of both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South.

According to the Board’s Resolution, the referendum would entail “adding and renovating classrooms, science labs and other facilities for special education, fine arts, student services, and preengineering and technology, renovating libraries, repairing and not replacing the Hinsdale Central High School swimming pool and increasing accessibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “Project”) at an estimated cost of $79,900,000.”

While the Board’s resolution acknowledged the lack of funds the District currently has, the Board asserted the needs for these improvements. The final vote to reject the referendum was 4-3 among the board. The divide of opinions was just as evident among the crowd filled with a majority of Hinsdale South parents. Seventy percent of the proposed renovations would go towards Central, whereas thirty percent would go towards South.

Not only did Hinsdale South find the referendum seemingly unfair, but they also believed it alluded to other problems within the district. According to the Chicago Tribune, Larry Spino of Burr Ridge, whose children attended

Hinsdale South said his house is worth $300,000 less than if he was living within the boundaries of Hinsdale Central.

Board Member Manley agreed with these sentiments as a mother of former Hinsdale South students. The Chicago Tribune also states that Manley finds the lack of rigor within Hinsdale South classes in comparison to Hinsdale Central’s to ultimately be discriminatory due to the higher percentage of black and Latino students attending South.

One to What?

However, anger towards the Board does not only rest among the Hinsdale South community. Many Hinsdale Central students have expressed disappointment towards the surprising technology fee implemented this year.

At the March 16, 2016 meeting, the Board discussed pursuing the 1:1 technology initiative at $250 per student.

The board’s Budget Solve justified the need for 270 Chromebooks stating that “the solution to solve Hinsdale Central’s space needs and avoid sinking money into trailers is to repurpose Hinsdale Central’s computer labs into classrooms.”

many Red Devils on Aug. 22, the first of 23 8:50 a.m. starts this school year.

“I found out [the new late starts] were official after I got my schedule, but I don’t remember receiving any emails or notices about them,” said Anne Early, junior.

On June 6, the Board went over the Memorandum of Agreement negotiated by the Board’s and the Hinsdale High School Teacher Association’s negotiating teams on the subject of the structure of late start days. The agenda for the meeting attached a comparison of the 2015-16 school year schedule to the proposed 2016-17 one. Despite teachers getting 150 minutes of collaboration and preparation time each late start last year and only 80 minutes this year, the total amount of time teachers get throughout the year is 5.8 hours more than last year.

The memorandum was approved at the June 20 meeting. Attached to the agenda for the meeting was the approved calendar for the school year. Each Monday, “except for those Mondays falling in an already shortened student attendance week, the first two weeks in which students are taking AP exams, and the first week of

“I found out [the new late starts] were official after I got my schedule, but I don’t remember receiving any emails or notices about them,” - Anne Early

“[The] 1:1 will likely be good in the future, but it doesn’t seem to be good this year as none of my classes use chromebooks. I don’t see the $250 fee useful to me,” said Brandon Counts, senior.

Recently, District 86 lowered the technology fee to structure it as tier system determined by graduating class.

According to Chicago Tribune, the fee will be changed so juniors pay $125 next year and seniors $50. These fees go towards the purchase of Chromebooks, Lenova Yoga ThinkPads specifically, which cost a total of $400. Incoming freshmen will pay $100 yearly which will contribute to a “lump fund” to pay off the cost of the technology.

“The Board has learned a valuable lesson in communicating any such change in the future,” President Kay Gallo said. “We have come up with other ways to let the community know when changes are made, especially those of a financial impact.”

Fifty Minutes Later The concept of the new late start schedule at Central was first introduced to

each semester,” had a single slash over it on the calendar symbolizing an 8:50 arrival for the day.

Early was not pleased when she heard the news about the new calendar at first.

“I was really upset because it was really nice in the middle of the week to have a break where you could sleep in or stay up late doing homework without feeling like you are missing out on sleep,” Early said. “But the first Sunday of the school year I realized I was able to stay out later.

Mondays also go by faster.”

If you are interested in gaining a further understanding of the District 86 School Board, you can attend the next board meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Hinsdale South. Also, you can send boe@hinsdale86.org constructive feedback or recommendations that you would like the School Board to know.

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Features

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Are New Diet and Fitness Trends on the Rise?

How the media influences students' diets and health

by Sofia Rafiq and Charlotte Sudduth

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ew trends influence students from Vineyard Vines shirts to S’well water bottles to different diets. Among these, veganism proves to be gaining a small following amongst students. In addition to veganism and other diets making their way into the mainstream, a variety of wellness changes have also taken root for many students. Most of these students find inspiration through social media. For some people, the driving force behind dieting can stem from media exposure and body ideals.

“Most fad diets center on eliminating certain food groups or limiting to only specific ‘healthy’ food choices,” said Anna King, a registered dietitian at the Riley Hospital for Children in an article published for the Indiana University Health website. “[Instead] I focus on emphasizing the importance of nourishing the body with vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients to ensure good health.”

According to King, some of the greatest influences that lead to high numbers of children and adults on fad

diets transcend from social media, television, magazines, peer pressure and parental body image issues.

Among popular diets, veganism is one mostly guided by the youth. In a study conducted by The Guardian, 42 percent of all vegans are aged 15 to 34 and one-sixth are teenagers.

Through social media, especially YouTube and Instagram, teenagers are able to witness trends and emulate their role models.

For Sarah Running, freshman, it took a YouTube video entitled “99 Reasons to Become Vegan” to capture her interest in the lifestyle.

“Without [social media], I would not have anything else to look to,” Running said.

Bella Ivanov, senior, also experienced the influence of social media on her decision to become vegan. While Ivanov’s decision to become vegan was ultimately her own, the abilities of Instagram and Youtube to expose her to trends she was interested in allowed her to research veganism more thoroughly.

Both Ivanov’s and Running’s decisions to become vegan stemmed from sympathy with the ethical roots of veganism. Both starting out as vegetarians, they initially worried that the transition to veganism would prove too difficult.

“When I became a

vegetarian, I started doing more research on animal cruelty, animal agriculture, and the production of meat and eggs,” Ivanov said. “As I got more into it, I realized that it wasn’t extreme at all.”

Ivanov believes that even if people are becoming vegan simply due to its popularity, it is a positive trend, as she views it as beneficial for the health of the planet and people worldwide.

“It’s not just about personal health,” Ivanov said. “It’s the best thing for me, for the animals, and for the environment.”

Running also said that she is healthier from her diet change, as she now closely regulates the foods she eats in order to satisfy her nutritional needs.

While Ivanov and Running cite their love for animals and the environment as some of their primary reasons for adopting a vegan lifestyle, other students focus solely on improving their health and wellness with their diets.

Mike Cunningham, senior, believes his diet plays a huge role in his current fitness goals. During the fall to midwinter season of bulking—or gaining muscle—Cunningham follows a 3,000 calorie diet consisting of 40 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrates, and 20 percent unsaturated fats.

During the spring and summer season of cutting—or losing weight—Cunningham follows a strict 1,500 calorie consisting of 70 percent protein, 25 percent fats, and five percent carbohydrates.

He meal-preps and brings Tupperware for most of his healthy food diet.

Cunningham also experiences the impact technology has on improving his health. He uses apps like “MyFitnessPal” to track macronutrients and calories, as well as Google Maps to track the three to 10 miles he runs during cutting season.

Cunningham says his strict diet, as well as his intense exercise regimen, makes him feel healthy and proud of his progress.

“I always feel much more inspired and motivated, as well as driven,” Cunningham said. “I love to see the progress I’m making and feel a sense of euphoria every time I lift.”

To motivate himself, Cunningham looks in the mirror when he wakes up and asks himself what he could improve on in the day.

Similar to the support Ivanov and Running receive from their social media role models, Cunningham feels empowered by the general weightlifting community and their inspirational messages to one another.

“I watch a motivational video every night right before bed,” Cunningham said.

He believes his strict diet motivates himself physically and mentally to keep improving his current state.

Another athlete who uses technology to improve their progress is cross country runner, Grace McCabe, junior, who uses a mile tracking program called Logarun.

“It’s a place to evaluate races and workouts and see what I could be doing better,” McCabe said.

Any diet or lifestyle change requires regulation and research to ensure nutrition, and for these students, the decision has come with positive changes.

"A lot of people think it's really difficult to go vegan, and I get it, but even changing out meat for one meal helps so much and it makes such a big impact," Running said.

Top Fitness Devices

Fitbit Surge ($249) -Heart rate monitor -Built in GPS -Supports incoming texts and calling notifications

Misfit Flash Link ($19.99) -Set fitness goals -Controls music -Takes selfies

Fitbit Charge HR ($125.99) -Tracks steps, miles, stairs, calories burned, sleep, heart rate, and exercise activities -Water resistant -Caller ID 17

WHAT’S

Trends

TRENDING NOW

by Ray Shryock

Sully starring Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart Drama/Biography Released Sept. 9

Snowden starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Nick Cage Thriller/Biography Released Sept. 16

The Magnificent Seven starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt Action/Western Released Sept. 23

Music Mania

of the Month Blonde by Frank Ocean, the enigmatic artist’s first album since 2012.

Hard II Love by Usher, the pop star’s hit album.

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photos courtesy of creative commons

By the Numbers:

King Henry V Edition Fall Play

Standard Tacos, 333 E. Ogden Ave. in Westmont Score: 9.5/10 Standard Tacos stands out as the supreme suburban taco joint. With delicious food and a trendy setting Standard Tacos sets the standard.

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How many actors were in the show.

38

How many people were in crew.

Taco Grill, 111 W. Ogden Ave. in Westmont Score: 9/10 Taco Grill comes in at a close second. Its homey atmosphere is as charming as its top tier tacos.

360

Approximately how many tickets sold.

Casa Margarita, 25 E. Hinsdale Ave. in Hinsdale Score: 7/10 The food was average but suffered from poor service.

photos by Alex Choi

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Profiles

Th e Call of the Wild Students experience unique summer adventures

by Anya Uppal and Bilal Khokhar

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urrounded by the granite peaks of the backcountry of Wyoming, Sophia Karris, junior, wakes up in her tent to the sunrise. Unzipping her sleeping bag and donning her hiking boots, she and the ten other students of the National Outdoor Leadership School put together their backpacks for the day ahead, excited to trek through the wildflowers, rock formations, and snow surrounding them.

For 30 days, she hikes, fishes, and rock climbs, all while fostering a new love for the outdoors. Similar to Karris, many students, like Hollis Clark, junior, who explored Alaska, and Claire Weil, senior, who surveyed Colorado mountains, spent their summers on the road and hiking, experiencing new sights and meeting new people.

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hile some students enjoyed a relaxing summer at the pool or at home, Hollis Clark, junior, was off into the wild, enjoying her summer backpacking through Alaska.

“I love the outdoors and the idea of living off the land. Alaska is my favorite place in the world because it is full of diversity and some of the coolest nature you’ll ever see,” Clark said. “We were there at a time where the sun never set, so we never had to stop exploring and having fun.”

Not only did this experience make Clark realize the beauty of nature, it also taught her the importance of conservation.

“Respecting and conserving nature is important because the wild is a beautiful thing that should not be destroyed."

photo by Alex Choi

photo by Hollis Clark

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laire Weil, senior, spent her summer in the mountains of Colorado.

“My brother and I drove out to for three weeks and lived out of a car,” Weil said.

Weil believed that the independence her journey presented her with allowed her to learn a lot about teamwork and cooperation. The highlight of her trip was Wanderlust Festival.

There, Weil learned slackline yoga, aerial yoga, and various meditations.

Weil also spent a large portion of her trip camping and rock climbing.

“My brother and I love the outdoors and are big rock climbers,” Weil said.

Throughout her trip, Weil felt that she was able to form a renewed appreciation for the environment.

“It was absolutely amazing,” Weil said. “I can’t wait to do it again someday.”

photo by Alex Choi

photo by Claire Weil

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unior Sophia Karris spent 30 days in Wyoming, hiking, climbing mountains, and fishing. Getting into the backcountry of Wyoming, Karris felt amazed at the sights she saw.

“I looked out the window from the bus, and saw the most beautiful mountains I’ve ever seen,” Karris said.

During her experience, Karris realized that the intensity of her activities was harder than what she had expected.

“This trip was physically so challenging,” Karris said.

Despite this, Karris felt rewarded and excited by the outdoors and being completely immersed in nature.

“Coming out of that trip, I realized I want to [somehow] work in the outdoors for the rest of my life."

photo by Alex Choi

photo by Sophia Karris

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HOMECOMING 2016 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE october 1, 2016 8-11 Pm

Dress Days (Sept. 26-Sept. 30): Monday- “Sleeping in the Vines” Pajama Day Tuesday- “It’s a Jungle out there” Jungle Prints Wednesday- “Where the Wacky Things Are” Wacky Wednesday Thursday- “Red Goes Green” Wear All Green Friday- “Devils in the Wild” Red and White

Admission: $15

a slice of

FALL SPORTS

Features

Boys Varsity Cross Country

9/3/16

Boys JV Soccer 9/12/16

Sophomore Volleyball

9/7/16

photos by Nora Wood and Abby Berberich

Girls Varsity Cross Country

9/3/16

Sophomore Volleyball 9/7/16

Boys JV Soccer 9/12/16

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Spotlight On Clubs

by Cassie Kruse and Haley Anderson

Trees towering from above and hiking boots scuffing hiking trails, hands planting flowers and knees spattered with dirt. Hours spent outdoors, skin tanned from the sun gleaming in the sky. Fueled by their love of nature, many Central students look for exciting ways to add interest to their lives, joining clubs and activities that promote outdoor activities and environmental conservation.

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Outdoor Aventure Club

ccording to the National Conservancy, fewer than two in five American youth participates in weekly outdoor activities including: hiking, fishing, visiting a local, state, or national park, exploring a creek or beach, and stopping by a natural area outdoors. Many students do not realize that spending time outside can positively affect them in countless ways. In response to this, Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) was created to promote outdoor activities to students.

The club has gained popularity with students who enjoy activities such as hiking, rock climbing, and skiing. Their goal is very simple: to have fun.

“Our mission is to get everyone outside and have a good time with great people,” said Laura Diggs, senior, and OAC member.

The club travels to many locations such as Devil’s Lake, Devil’s Head Resort, Starved Rock, and more. The sponsors and members try to plan activities geared towards the students’ interests.

“We always say we don’t want this to be our club, but the students’ club,” said Ms. Brodell, Spanish teacher and sponsor of the club.

Club members enjoy the many benefits of the club, ranging from spending time outdoors to meeting new people.

“The biggest benefit of joining this club is having lots of fun and relieving stress,” Diggs said.

OAC meets the first Thursday of every month, while the meeting location is yet to be determined. The club states it is always looking for new members and welcomes anyone who has an interest in the outdoors.

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Ecology Club

aving the environment has become a common goal among many students, but with so many options, several may wonder where to start. According to a recent survey conducted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, only 12 percent of 11 to 17-year-olds said that they believe they were capable of making a positive impact on the environment by changing their own lifestyles.

The Ecology Club is geared towards students with a desire to conserve the planet by meeting and volunteering together. Club members have reshaped the recycling program to ensure that recyclable objects are actually being recycled, added rain barrels to the courtyard, and created the herb and vegetable garden in the courtyard.

“The students have worked in so many ways to grow the garden that started off as one bed,” said Ms. Lopez, English teacher and sponsor of the club.

This year, the club has a large goal of extending their reach far outside the Hinsdale community.

“We are trying to raise enough money to put solar lights in for the O’Brien School for the Maasai in Tanzania,” said Alex Hughes, junior, and co-president of the club.

The club states that they are always looking for new members to join their cause.

“Even if you have just a little time to commit yourself to a project that Ecology Club does, we would love to have you,” Ms. Lopez said.

The club meets Wednesdays after school in room 249.

photo by Abby Berberich

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Profiles

Ecology Club students learn about invasive species at the Morton Arboretum.

photo by Abby Berberich

“Our mission is to get everyone outside and have a good time with great people.”

-Laura Diggs

photo by Ms. Lopez

Mackenzie Huber, senior, reaches a peak at Devil’s Lake in August.

Students of Outdoor Adventure Club climb at Starved Rock.

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TOGA DAY

Seniors kicked off the football season in their togas for the Boys’ Varsity Football game against American Fork High School from Utah.

Final Score: 42-12

photo by Alex Choi