Devils' Advocate December 2019

DEVILS'ADVOCATE - November & December 2019 -

setting the Dialogue p.16 Apply Yourself p. 12 HINSDALE CENTR AL HIGH SCHOOL | VOLUME 94

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SECTION EDITORS

HEAD EDITORS

LOUKAS BEZANIS

HANNAH AHDAB — COPY EDITOR

SOFIJA BUZELIS

OLIVIA BEARGIE — HEAD OF DESIGN

NATHANIEL BITTNER

CATHERINE DOLAN — MANAGING EDITOR

CAROLINE CUBBIN

ANCHAL KUMAR — MANAGING EDITOR

RAMZEY DOUEDARI

RIMA RAFIQ —TRENDS EDITOR

GRACE ERWIN

KATIE SHARP — COPY EDITOR

LAINEY HARVEY

CONTRIBUTERS

AMMAR HUSSAIN CEDRA JAZAYERLI DALYA LABAN AILISH LYMAN JOHN OLSEN HARI RAO KRITIN SHANMUGAM

DAVID GUST — BATTLEGROUND RAYHAN HUSSAIN — PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER ZAINA KARIM — NEWSFEED CHRISTINE LEUNG — NEWSFEED AVA SEVERTS — BATTLEGROUND

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AUDREY CARTER

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LETTER FROM THE

[EDITOR]

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n many ways, November is a month that represents new beginnings. It may start the countdown to the holiday season, or maybe the wait until next year’s Halloween, or, with this year’s early snow, the unofficial start of winter weather. For Central’s seniors, however, November brought a new kind of beginning with the start of a second round of college applications. In this month’s issue of Devils’ Advocate, we examine how the process of applying to college has changed over the years. Students, parents, and faculty describe how their application experiences compare and discuss the dynamics of the current system. Meanwhile, “AP Physical Education” takes a closer look at FITS 2, Central’s most competitive P.E. class, and “Transitioning into the World” highlights a hidden resource of D86’s special education department.

In the wake of Thanksgiving and the dinner table politics it brings, this month’s feature “Setting the Dialogue”, investigates the political environment at Central, exploring the evolution of partisanship and its newfound role in the classroom. And this month’s profile takes a look at Latin teacher Alisha McCloud and what it means to be the sole teacher of a growing subject.

Also in this issue, our Battlegrounds writers debate solutions to the national debt while the editorial board critiques lack of sleep in Central students. And finally, getting readers in the mood for the winter months, our “Unsolicited Advice” column offers some pointers on the dos and don’ts the holidays, while Dished sets out to find the best of this season’s hot cocoa.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue of Devils’ Advocate.

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AROUND CAMPUS 05 DAILY DEVIL

PROFILES 06 MAGISTRA LATINAE 08 TRANSITIONING INTO THE WORLD 10 FITS 2: AP GYM

FEATURES 12 APPLY YOURSELF 16 SETTING THE DIALOGUE

PERSPECTIVES 22 23 25 26

BATTLEGROUND UNSOLICITED ADVICE DISHED EDITORIAL

BY THE NUMBERS 28 SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP

TRENDS 30 MEET THE...

31 PUZZLE

MISSION STATMENT

CONTACT

ADVISER, CHERISE LOPEZ CLOPEZ@HINSDALE86.ORG 630.570.8361

Cover Photo by Audrey Carter featuring Mara Severts TOC photos by Sofija Buzelis and Lainey Harvey

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THE DAILY DEVIL Honors Art Showcase Honors art students showcase their work in the annual art show.

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by Zaina Karim and Christine Leung

uring the week of Dec. 2, Honors and AP art students displayed the pieces they have been working on in the Honor’s Art show.

The art show, located in the C-gallery in room 216, displayed various types of art including paintings, collages, ceramics, jewelry, and more.

The Art Show displays art from individuals who want to carry themselves further in the art world,” said Parker Jones, one of the Honors Art students.

Jones said she enjoys art because “you can express yourself and it’s an enjoyable pastime.” She explained that she was creating an AP series focused around character design.

Many students and staff attended the art show and got a chance to see what their peers or students were creating in their advanced art classes.

“I really enjoyed getting to see the art because all the pieces were very well done

and you could tell that people put great effort into making the beautiful pieces,” said Rana Dabauskus, sophomore.

Another sophomore, Anna Amine, also viewed the Art Show and said that she loved getting to see what people in high-level art classes were able to achieve.”

“It’s awesome that so many people are pursuing art and putting in so much effort,” Amine said.

Photos by Zaina Karim and Christine Leung

Above: Photo illustrated and painted by Senior Parker Jones.

Left: Photo painted by AP Art Student Junior Samara Jacquez.

Holiday Help

Students take time during the holiday season to help those in need.

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by Hannah Ahdab and Katie Sharp

n the month of December, many Central clubs and classes participate in charity to give back to those in need in the own local community. Students find themselves participating in food pantries and other local charities. Some events are done school wide, involving students from all clubs and grades.

Varsity club sponsors an event every year called Clubs that Care. Through Hinsdale Community Family services, varsity club sponsors 31 families throughout the holiday season. Varsity Club then sends out an email to all club sponsors asking them if they would like to participate by sponsoring a family. Some clubs that have decided to sponsor this year include the National Honors Society and Devils’ Advocate.

Families are able to sign up through HC Family Services and make a list of things that they wish to receive this holiday season. Families provide the names and ages of all members of their families. Many families ask for things like

new winter coats and shoes for the upcoming winter. Varsity club takes on the task of purchasing a large selection of children’s books to be given out to young children in addition to their gifts.

Some clubs or classes chose to donate fixed amounts of money to their club sponsors who will then take on the responsibility of purchasing all the gifts for the family. Other participants have members sign up to purchase gifts for specific family members and wrapping paper.

“It’s really important,especially during the holiday season, to give back to our own community,” said Sydney Thayer, varsity club president.

Families were able to come to Central on Friday, Dec. 6 to pick up their presents.

Photo by Sofija Buzelis

Gifts purchased by Devils’ Advocate for their adopted families.

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Magistra Latinae

by Ailish Lyman and Cedra Jazayerli design by Loukas Bezanis

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alking into her second period class, senior Lily Hart was excited. For the next 50 minutes, Hart will learn new ancient vocabulary, and have fun in the process. Hart’s enthusiasm rose as her teacher, Alisha McCloud, greeted the class with the Latin version of “hello”, or salvate. Unlike some of her other classes, Hart said her experience in AP Latin is never predictable or boring. McCloud provides a mixture of brain break activities, informational life talks, and even unique handshakes during every class. Due to this,

photo by Sofija Buzelis

How Alisha McCloud balances being the only Latin teacher amidst a growing enthusiasm for the language.

Hart said she feels like this class is something to look forward to, not an obligation or requirement. These feelings of excitement are all credited to the sole Latin teacher at Hinsdale Central, Alisha McCloud.

McCloud is the Latin teacher at Central for all regular, honors, and Advanced Placement classes this year.

She has worked at Central for 19 years, beginning in 2000 and initially worked as a Spanish teacher. Since then, McCloud has dedicated herself to Latin, while still occasionally teaching Spanish 1 in between her other Latin courses.

McCloud’s first two periods of the day consist of mixed honors and regular students.

In previous years, there were separate classes; one class specialized in honors curriculum, the other in regular. McCloud said that this has been an interesting adjustment from former years of teaching.

“It has been an adventure trying to meet the needs of both levels while still staying true to the curriculum,” McCloud said. “Chromebooks and Canvas have been very helpful in keeping the assignments organized.”

McCloud is trilingual in English, Latin,

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and Spanish. She took Spanish classes in high school and started learning Latin during her freshman year of college at the University of Iowa. She began teaching Spanish during her first year at Central and switched to Latin when one of the teachers retired and there was a job opening.

“All languages are awesome and have tremendous value,” McCloud said.

Hart noted that some of her students have gained more interest for Latin because they have had McCloud as a teacher.

“She’s been my Latin teacher since freshman year and with her encouragement, I’ve moved from regular to taking AP this year,” Hart said.

McCloud also said that Latin isn’t just the study of a language, but also of history and culture.

“My upper level students are reading words that people wrote two thousand years ago,” McCloud said.

She added that the value of Latin goes beyond the modern day interpretation of the language.

“You have this chance to interact with people who were walking around on this ball of Earth that we now call home over two thousand years ago.

And that is awesome,” McCloud said.

In regards to keeping the class engaging, McCloud said she uses innovative techniques to keep her students entertained.

She said that this strategy helps students be more motivated with the curriculum, and more receptive to learning new material.

“My students are constantly moving around the room and energized with brain breaks in the middle of class,” McCloud said.

It is not just the students who value McCloud’s instruction in the World Language Department, some of her fellow colleagues also recognize her inspiring presence.

“McCloud is definitely looked up to in our department and has a huge impact,” said Jay Lawrence, World Language Department Chair.

McCloud also sponsors Latin club and the Certamen club. Certamen is a Scholastic bowl for Latin students where they compete against other schools. Last school year, the junior and senior group at Central won first place in the 2019 Illinois Certamen League.

“I didn’t have any expectations but to go in there and have fun, [but] then we won by like a hundred points,” said Cole Koffrin, senior captain of Certamen.

With balancing all of her classes and clubs, McCloud said she can get overwhelmed at times. On average, she said she spends

at least two to three hours on weekdays and three to five hours on weekends planning lessons for her several courses.

“I have high expectations for myself. I really want to be able to stand in front of my students and know that I have done the best I can to make that day’s lesson the best that it can be,” McCloud said. “Sometimes I have to step back and realize I’m only one person and there’s only so much I can do.”

Both Koffrin and Hart noted that the effort McCloud puts into her teaching does not go unnoticed by her students.

“Her compassion for her students is abundantly clear and greatly appreciated. No one could doubt that she was born to do this,” Hart said.

McCloud plans a typical day of Latin class to start with a joke of the day from their joke book. These jokes have become well-known to her several Latin classes and a staple piece of her curriculum.

“Her compassion for her students is abundantly clear and greatly appreciated. No one could doubt that she was born to do this.”

Lily Hart

“We try to laugh each period so I tell jokes before each class. They’re bad jokes from our bad joke book. I don’t think the author intended [the book] to be a bad joke book, but it is,” McCloud said.

Each class then plays a game for their brain break that keeps the students active and entertained. According to McCloud, she tries to connect the unrelated games and topics to what they’re learning about in Latin and grammar. The students refer to them as “grammar traps”. “[McCloud] values getting to know her students on a personal level,” Lawrence said.

“She makes sure her classes are thoughtful and engaging for the students as well.”

Another activity that McCloud works on outside of school is the newly formed Pilot Classroom Committee. The committee consists of Central and South teachers that discuss “blended learning” and instructional strategies that are new to the school curriculum this year. This committee has been instrumental to the integration of identical classes for the two schools.

McCloud’s husband, Alan, also works at Central as an Earth Science teacher. She said that it’s been really helpful for him to understand her job and the extra workload she must balance with being involved in clubs and committees, since he is a teacher as well.

“It’s fun to celebrate each other’s successes and to understand how meaningful they are. We have that, and I’m really, really proud of the work he does.

He’s an amazing teacher,” McCloud said.

However, McCloud noted that because of how busy both of them are, they go weeks without seeing each other at school.

“I forget sometimes that he works [at Central] until another teacher will mention him and I think, oh yeah, that’s my husband,” McCloud said.

This is due to the limited amount of free time that she has a day and her willingness to meet with students and collaborate during them as well. She doesn’t just help students with Latin, but also guides them through their personal lives.

“Many of my plan and lunch periods are spent helping students with unfamiliar concepts or offering additional practice,” McCloud said.

In fact, McCloud’s willingness to collaborate with students outside of class has created an open environment for talking about topics unrelated to Latin, or even school.

“Her pep talks can provide so much relief and comfort, I’ve seen people cry,” Hart said.

Hart plans to pursue Classical and Language studies in college. She said that she would have never come to this decision without McCloud’s advice and guidance.

“I mentioned that I’d like to study languages and she sent me an article on what [I] could do with a Linguistics degree the very next day,” Hart said.

As for the future of Latin, McCloud and some of her students said they are excited to create the new annual Latin mosaic in the Central hallways.

“It’s an exciting piece of art to look forward to,” Koffrin said.

While juggling the Latin mosaic, McCloud and Latin students’ time are now dedicated to preparing for the next Certamen meet in February, and a possible state competition after that.

“We have more than twice the amount of members we started with,” Koffrin said.

“The fact that everyone that’s done it in past years has come back and is having fun matters much more to us than winning.”

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TRANSITIONING INTO THE WORLD StudentS learn life SkillS, explore jobS through the tranSition Center

by Dalya Laban & John Olsen Design by Kritin Shanmugam

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The sensory room at the Transition Center helps calm students.

Photo by Sofija Buzelis

igh school students often have a number of options available to them after they graduate.

Whether it’s college, the military, or a gap year, there are many paths that high school students can follow. However, for students with special needs from Hinsdale Central and South, the Transition Center is the next stop after high school.

The Transition Center serves as an educational institution for students with special needs, between graduating high school and the day before they turn 22, which is when the government stops providing special education services to students with special needs.

The Transition Center offers various classes such as money management, budgeting, employment classes, independent living skills, cooking, and others.

Certified teachers instruct these classes to help students prepare for adulthood.

Money management classes teach students banking and budgeting, price comparison, and shopping. The Transition Center offers iPads and computers so that students are able to access their emails and work on various assignments.

Ashley Principe, a vocational supervisor and teacher at the center, assists students with their work sites and helps each student become independent through their career.

“We try to design our classes so that they’re very applicable to our students’ everyday lives,” Principe said. “When we

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teach them money management, they all have a debit card. They have a bank account that they set up through the transition program and then they get paid for the work that they do at work sites. [The students] then are able to practice depositing checks and reading bank statements and going to the bank.”

The building was recently renovated to include two new kitchens where students can learn and practice cooking skills. In addition to the classes offering independent living skills, laundry, meal planning, and hygiene are practiced by the students daily.

The Transition Center has a variety of programs that allow students to reach their goals. Families of students with special needs look for the right program for their students such as the Bridge Program or the Adult Opportunities Program.

The Bridge Program strives to offer young adults with continuous special education intervention, services, and increases student success in postsecondary academic environments.

The program focuses on vocational independent living construction.

Justin Ladas, a case manager and teacher of the Bridge Program says the program offers many helpful ways for students to transition to college. “[The Bridge Program] is unique because it is focused on supporting kids as they transition to college. [Bridge] has often been overlooked... and those colleges recognize that those students are good to go because of [the program],” Ladas said.

Ladas said the program helps students with special needs achieve higher levels of success in college.

“I’m glad that our district has looked at school data to realize that students with disabilities aren’t as successful as their non-disabled peers when they go to college, and I think [Bridge] is a very important program,” Ladas said.

The program offers a dual enrollment program with the College of DuPage (COD) exposing students to college.

The goals of this program are executive functioning, navigating and accessing COD Campus, socialization, understanding transportation, and to provide academic intervention for young adults.

Students take a minimum of two classes at COD while taking a class at the center, they take a class called “College of Management,” that prepares students for college.

Another program, Adult Opportunities Program, connects students with basic

adult training classes such as money management, cooking, and other useful skills. This differs from the Bridge Program because the students are practicing skills that are needed for the future, while the Bridge Program helps students transition to college.

In applying these skills, students in the money management class obtain their own bank account which they set up through the transition program, depositing money from their work sites. Students practice how to spend their money in real life situations.

With applying financial skills to real life situations, students have a list of job choices to choose from. Based on a student’s skill and an interest inventory each student fills out, students are matched with the work site that meets their skills. Students can work at many work sites including Walgreens, Hinsdale Community House, fitness facilities, and many other places.

Principe says that helping each individual student to meet their goals is challenging, but it is an exciting challenge.

“I definitely think that this program benefits students. Now we’ve had students who live independently,” Principe said.

Students said they appreciate the opportunities they receive because it gives them a chance to meet and interact with people, both familiar and unfamiliar.

“My favorite memory in the program is the way we all came together, helping each other whenever we need it. Through service learning, that was a good way to get to know each other, and to know the world,” said Carmina, a student at the Transition Center.

In addition to the challenges the center faces, Principe says that since there are different kinds of students with a wide variety of needs, the center has to accommodate those needs in different capacities.

“We have students with a huge range of abilities and so in order to meet all of those needs, we have a lot of staff and students, and we have transportation that we have to organize them in the community,” Principe said.

In order to get students around the community, the center has six shuttles and two SUVs that are taking students all over the District 86 community all the time.

Principe says that coordinating students in their transportation is an ongoing challenge.

The shuttles take students to their desired destination whether it’s from taking students to their work sites to social facilities such as the YMCA. Principe says that with having

these kinds of transportation systems, the center has more flexibility than other transition centers who are minimized to having one or two shuttles.

“We’re very fortunate to have the six shuttles and plus SUVs that we have here… We have a little bit more flexibility, meeting all of our students’ wide range of needs by taking them to their desired place,” Principe said.

Partnered with the bus company First Student, the center offers bus pick-up and drop-off unlike other day programs which rarely provide free transportation funded by the district.

One resounding theme from both students and staff was that

“

we try to deSign our ClaSSeS So that they’re very appliCable to our StudentS’ everyday liveS.

”

ASHLEY PRINCIPE

the defining characteristic of the Transition Center was the support.

“The Transition Center has the best support that it could have right now,” Principe said. “We have a very supportive team that just wants the best for our students.”

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FITS 2: AP GYM An inside look into Hinsdale Central’s most competitve physical education class.

by Lainey Harvey and Grace Erwin design by Loukas Bezanis

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lex Meyers, junior, sprints down the tennis court with the cold November wind blowing on his face during his FITS 2 P.E. class.

He maneuvers the ball with his hockey stick past the defenders. Mac Quast, senior, plays goalie and gets ready to stop Meyers’ shot.

Meyers shoots a hard slapshot as Quast quickly puts his arm in the air and makes the save. Owen Goss, senior, slams his stick on the court in frustration as Meyers compliments Quast on his great stop.

Fitness integrated through sports (FITS) 2 is one of nine semester-long physical education classes that sophomores, juniors, and seniors can take. This semester, the class is coached by Nicholas Gebhart, Brett Moore, Jason Hayes, Bob Barber, and Harry Wiggins. In FITS 2, students participate in a variety of competitive team sports while learning different social-emotional skills.

Every semester, the class engages in an array of sports including football, softball, handball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and hockey.

Similar to professional sports, for every unit the class picks teams through a draft system. The coaches pick student captains who watch their classmates scrimmage. Every student in the class has the chance to be a team captain. The captains then anonymously pick teams.

“Nobody knows if they got picked first and nobody knows if they got picked last, I think that’s an element that’s good about [FITS 2],” Hayes said.

Compared to other physical education classes, FITS 2 is generally more competitive which makes it a popular class for students. According to Gebhart, FITS 2 has built a reputation at the school where athletes can compete at a higher level.

“It’s a pretty competitive class... sports like football are extremely competitive,” said AJ Hood, junior.

According to Thomas Mercurio, senior, FITS 2 gets so competitive sometimes that people bend the rules in order to win. The coaches, who are the referees, try to prevent this from happening.

“There are some guys that’ll try to score incorrectly or give the stats incorrectly...we’re trying to teach not to do that,” Hayes said.

FITS 2 is known as being competitive not only to the participants, but also to students in other P.E. classes. Colleen Yupp. junior, is in personal fitness, a class focused on the individual student. Each person completes the fitness tests at the beginning of the year and then makes goals for themselves based on those scores. The student can then choose what they want to do for the period and how they want to work out. There are no team activities or units in personal fitness.

“FITS 2 is definitely more competitive,’’ Yopp said. “Personal fitness is a class where [students] are doing [their] own thing.”

Another component of FITS 2 that sets it apart from other P.E. classes is the amount of time spent playing outdoors. During the fall season and even slightly into the winter, the class goes outside almost every single day. The classes are not allowed to

go outside if the temperature is below 30 degrees. However, if a student is not dressed properly and prepared for the cold weather and conditions, they have to join a different class for the day or go to P.E. resource.

“We do get some interesting looks when we’re going outside and it’s 40 degrees, you don’t normally see that,” Moore said.

The athletic experience is not all that students get out of FITS 2. The coaches strive to teach skills that the students can use later in life, such as teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship, and cooperation. These skills are learned through the many unique experiences the students have. The players learn leadership when they are the team captain, through having responsibilities such as incorporating everyone’s different strengths and weaknesses to help lead their team to victory. When they are not captain, students learn how to work together as a team. “[FITS 2] encourages higher standards of achievement, it encourages physical activity, builds discipline, teaches how to lose well and deal with disappointment, builds camaraderie and teamwork, stress relief and opportunities to play different roles,” Gebhart said.

According to Hayes, the coaches try to incorporate socialemotional learning to the class.

One part of the class that pushes that goal is the variety of gender, age, academic and athletic ability in the class.

In the past, there have been a few girls in FITS 2. This semester Chiara Gregor is the only girl in the class. Her love for sports and competition inspired her to take FITS 2. According to Gregor, it is one of the best P.E. classes students can take and is very fun to be a part of.

Since she is also the only girl on the Central football team, she is used to playing sports and competing both with and against the boys. “[The boys] totally include me in the

Senior Jack Frank congratulates junior Drew McMillin while playing street hockey on the tennis courts 9th period.

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playing JV, to not playing sports at all.

Mercurio, for example, does not play a sport for the school, but said he likes FITS 2 because it is a good class to let out his competitive edge.

Quast plays football and basketball at Central and said he enjoys the class because, unlike other P.E. classes, everyone is equally involved and is eager to participate. Quast likes that the environment allows him to be competitive while still having fun.

“It’s nice to have an outlet but have it not be as serious as a varsity sport,” Quast said.

The difference in athletic abilities and athletic backgrounds helps students learn leadership skills.

“There is a very diverse audience, because some kids are very athletic and some are not, so you have to teach them how to be good teammates and work together,” Hayes said.

According to Hayes, the more outgoing students often learn to influence the other kids to be more assertive.

They encourage full participation and ensure everyone is included.

Many students see FITS 2 as a nice break in the day. The class helps students relax and get their mind off the stress they experience throughout the school day.

“I constantly hear from students that this is the class that helps them get through the day or helps them manage the AP class that they have afterward,” Moore said.

According to Gebhart, in the past, many students have asked for apparel to represent the class. This year, FITS 2 and weight training designed sweatshirts to show the hard work that they put into the class. The sweatshirts say on them the well known FITS 2 slogan, “A.P P.E.” “I’m all about really wearing your heart on your sleeve and being proud of it,” Gebhart said.

According to Hayes, the coaches continue to teach FITS 2 athletes skills that they will use throughout

photo by Lainey Harvey

games and let me try even though I’m new to a lot of the sports we play,” Gregor said.

According to Gregor, her teacher, Coach Bob Barber, also treats her the same as the guys.

Along with gender, age also plays a significant role in the class. Rami Alkadri is one of three sophomores in his FITS 2 class.

According to Alkadri, being one of the youngest in the class, the upperclassmen welcomed him very easily, and he does not get treated any differently because of his age.

“It’s cool when you make a good play and (the upperclassmen) hype you up,” Alkadri said.

According to Hayes, the combination of students from various ability levels and athletic backgrounds teaches them how to work together despite their differences.

Although the class is very competitive, FITS 2 is open to all levels of sports.

Students in FITS 2 range from being multiple-sport varsity athletes, to

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Apply Yourself A look at how applying to college has changed throughout history.

by Nate Bittner & Hari Rao design by Kritin Shanmugam Photo by Sofija Buzelis

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his semester, senior Ryan Halpin applied to six colleges. For other students, that number may reach all the way up to 10 or above.

However, for past high school graduates, these numbers may seem shocking.

Renata Koziol, guidance counselor, said that colleges have certainly changed over the past 20 years or so. Koziol applied to two colleges. Yet, Koziol does not see this number as a good example for her own students.

“I was a first generation student, so I had to find bigger things out on my own, and I didn’t engage in this process as much as I probably should have, but things still worked out,” Koziol said.

The story “How Applying to College in the U.S. Has Changed Over the Years” by the Insider highlights all the changes colleges have made to their admissions process. Most of the major changes were during the 20th century, when many of those who are parents now went to college.

By the late 1970s, the number of applicants applying to just one school decreased from one-half to less than a third over the course of the decade.

College counselors started recommending students to apply to more than one college.

Yet, the amount of students applying to multiple colleges was still very little and would only keep increasing to today.

Matthew Doll, math teacher, teaches AP Calculus BC and Multivariable Calculus, two classes that many juniors and seniors take. Many of his students are currently applying to college, so he is able to see the whole process from a different perspective.

“I applied to one, I chose [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign] because it didn’t require any essays or anything, so I filled out a form with a grid, like a scantron, and I turned it in and that was it,” Doll said.

Doll stated that his college application experience is different compared to his students. Not only did Doll apply to fewer institutions than his pupils, but the application format of his chosen college contrasts with the current applications his students fill out.

“It sounds more like 10 [applications] with the kids that I get, and [the applications are] not scantrons, they have multiple essays that are unique to those schools, and it’s almost like having two or three more extra classes for part of the year,” Doll said.

Halpin has plans to fill out six applications with four of those being early submit. Even with all the obstacles of the process, he feels that he is maintaining a steady pace.

“My mom only applied to one college because her family had all gone there and it was the only thing they could afford at the time and my dad applied to four colleges,” Halpin said. “But from what I’ve heard from them there were not nearly as many hoops to jump through compared to now.”

The application process for Halpin wasn’t too long for him to handle. Having applied to what he considered to be a solid amount of colleges, he felt he was in a good place.

“I personally know someone who is trying to apply to 23 colleges,” Halpin said.

According to “What are Holistic Admissions” from ThoughtCo., modern day colleges admissions are holistic, meaning that they consider everything and are looking for something in students’ applications that makes them special. This means that having perfect standardized test scores and an exemplary GPA do not guarantee admission to the college of their choice. Colleges also aren’t only looking at grades and test scores, but also extracurriculars, talents, personality, and background.

However, this was not always the case.

According to the Insider, between the 1870s and 1900s, admissions requirements were very diversified, with each school having their own set of requirements. Because it was difficult for teachers to guide students on a single set of requirements, colleges pushed for uniformity in admission requirements.

Beginning in the 1900s, studies found that standards became more uniform, such as completing four years in high schools, having merit-based requirements, and using college entrance exams, including the SAT, to identify the aptitude of the students.

Eventually, this would lead to a standardization in applications that many colleges would come to accept, such as the Common Application. There are mixed feelings on whether this has made the application process on students easier or not.

“The Common App definitely helps you with the application process,” Koziol said.

Sasha Boheme, speech and language pathologist, applied to college without the assistance of Common App, said she thinks that in theory it is helpful to students.

“In the way the Common App has been described to me, it sounds like it is easier,” Boheme said. “You don’t have to generate so many individual applications.”

Halpin, on the other hand,

thinks Common App is what makes applying to college extremely difficult.

“The hardest part of applying to college is trying to fill out all the extraneous forms, including FAFSA, CSS, Profile, Common App, the Coalition Application, or additional recommendation letters,” Halpin said.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the entire higher education sector was elite until recently, when in the 1960s, non-scholastic factors had started being taken into account after the court case of Brown v. Board of Education. This meant information about the applicant’s identity were required. Questions about race, religion, ethnic background, marital

I know how much work and stress our students are already under with their course load, and it just makes me sad that it’s one more major stressor...”

Matthew Doll status, etc. were asked in order for colleges to broaden their student population.

Being a major turning point in the application processes (now colleges were more interested in the details of the applicant’s life), colleges began requesting recommendation letters, references, personal essays, and even photographs. Many noted that this involves more work on the applicant’s behalf.

“I have about 14 [essays], most of them are 250 [words long], with a couple of 400s and then the 650 for Common App,” Halpin said. “A few of them have some overlap in what the questions ask, but I haven’t been able to directly copy and paste them.”

With 26 years of teaching under his belt, Doll has a lot to offer in the classroom. But the classroom isn’t all his experience is limited to.

“I have three kids that are out of high school,” Doll said. “They spent all the time on a lot of essays, and even after they got admitted then they [wrote] for the scholarships after that, and I think the kids [at Central] spend more time on them than mine did.”

With all the work that Doll has to do in the classroom, he is often busy around the start of the school year.

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students’ process of applying to college.

“Over the summer and fall I write about 25 [recommendation letters] a year. That’s on the high end,” Doll said.

Doll said he wants to show who his math students are.

“I’m trying to get a sense of the person, and trying to set them apart as an individual as best as I can,” Doll said.

Being a counselor, Koziol has a lot on her plate during times of college application. Even though it is her first year at Central, her years of experience allow her to have an understanding of what is going on.

“I spend almost an hour sometimes writing a good letter of recommendation and I know teachers do too,” Koziol said.

Another important aspect of it all is the student’s responsibility in getting a letter of recommendation.

This involves students asking with plenty of time before their application is due and making sure to send required materials to their recommending teachers.

“Don’t wait until the last minute, don’t wait until October to ask your teachers. You need to have that conversation in like August or at the latest, mid September,” Koziol said.

Koziol stresses the importance of responsibility with her students.

One of her important points is making sure that everyone is on track and comfortable with their pace.

“Another big part of this is the student doing their part,” Koziol said. “That letter kind of gives the admissions representative a perspective of you as a student in the classroom, and so they will see you then as a student at their university.”

With the progressive changes colleges are making, Halpin said he thinks that this is adding more work onto the applicants.

“As colleges get larger applicant pools without increasing the class size, they need more ways to ensure that they are producing the best possible graduating class,” Halpin said.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, undergraduate enrollment in college by 2017 was 16.8 million, which is an increase of 27% from 2000. With the increase in the number of applicants from the 20th century, colleges added more and more requirements in attempt to weed people out from

applying and, as a byproduct, making applications more laborious for students.

“It’s a lot of work, and it’s a lot of stress,” Doll said. “Especially with the students I’m getting in our honors classes, I know how much work and stress our students are already under with their course load, and it just makes me sad that it’s one more major stressor and time-consumer.”

Many teachers agree that the stress Photo by Sofija Buzelis

Senior Jenna Collignon signed to Yale and will play lacrosse there.

students experience is specific to this school, whether it be because of the rigor of classes or the amount of activities many students are a part of.

“I see it within our classes,” Doll said. “[At Central], it’s just normal to apply to 10 super selective schools and stay up until three in the morning.”

In comparing Central to her own high school, Boheme thinks the standards are definitely different.

“I feel like [students] now experience way more stress and anxiety from the pressure they put on themselves to be high achieving and very active,”

Boheme said. “From what I had in high school there wasn’t so much pressure.”

Halpin disagreed.

“I think the high stress is oftentimes due to the process itself, being confusing or daunting,” Halpin said. “There’s a lot that goes on outside the student’s hands, that I feel like is very stressful because you’re not the only one involved.”

The importance of time management has been stressed by many staff throughout the building. Students are recommended to start the application process early.

“There’s no perfect formula to this whole process, but I think as second semester junior year you should start engaging in this process seriously,” Koziol said.

She emphasized the importance of making sure students aren’t behind in their work.

“By the end of the summer, you should have your list ready,” Koziol said.

Halpin agrees with the stress he sees in the senior class, but he said he feels that he has been able to avoid it.

“I definitely can feel a lot of stress going on in most of my classes with the seniors,” Halpin said. “I personally haven’t been as affected because I’m not applying to nearly as many schools as a lot of other people.”

After what he has seen, Doll said he thinks there are ways to avoid stress.

“If you’re applying to 10 selective schools, knowing how much work there is and how much work you’re already doing, to me you’re doing it wrong,” Doll said. “Get that list down to five or six, have a safety school in there, that’s just my personal opinion.”

Koziol described that the number of colleges a student applies to depends on how much research a student does on colleges.

“I’ve had students that diligently do their research, visit campuses, and narrow down their list,” Koziol said.

“Last year I had a student that narrowed it down to three schools, and he was really set with those three options.”

As for closing advice, especially with the changes to the applications, Koziol said, “Establish a good relationship with your counselor and have open communication.

If you’re having trouble, have them look at your essay; we’d be happy to help.”

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G N I T T E S THE E U G O L A DI

by Ammar Hussain and Caroline Cubbin design by Ramzey Douedari

Students and staff explain what political polarization looks like at Central.

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Y

ou walk through the doors of the polling place, having recently turned 18 years old, and wait in line to check-in. The attendant hands you a ballot and you proceed to a ballot box. You have a choice to make.

All you have to do is bubble-in one option, but it’s a decision you have been thinking about for months. And now, technically an adult, you can finally cast your vote.

That decision might seem far away for many students, but in only a few months, a majority of current seniors and some juniors at Central will be voting for the first time. The Illinois primaries are four months away; soon after is the 2020 presidential election. Eager 18-year-olds will walk into the closest voting facility and cast their votes for the first time.

For most, it will be just another vote cast. For new voters, though, it will be the first time their voice is officially tracked by the government. While officially voting for the first time can be exciting, with a new generation of voters comes the potential influence of political polarization on more Americans.

Political polarization is an issue that has been steadily moving into the national limelight. The Pew Research Center, which has been tracking the American public’s political values over time, recently published a report detailing the increasing partisanship throughout the U.S. In 1960, only 4% of Democrats and Republicans surveyed indicated they would be

displeased if their child married someone of the opposite party, but in 2019, those numbers were 45% and 35%, respectively.

Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, in which Central is located, had been controlled by the Republican Party since 1973. However, it flipped blue in 2018, with Sean Casten narrowly defeating the incumbent candidate Peter Roskam.

The district is still considered slightly Republican by the Cook Partisan Voting Index, but it has become increasingly clear that the district as a whole (which voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016) has trended towards being more moderate.

Devils’ Advocate conducted a survey of 138 students and 27 teachers, asking them a variety of questions regarding their political beliefs. When asked which way they believe the general student body leans politically, more students chose conservative than moderate or liberal.

When students were asked about their own political affiliation, however, the results were closer: 37% of students surveyed identified as conservative, 39.9% as liberal, and 23.1% as moderate/independent/other.

The survey results parallel closely to how the district has voted in recent years. The distribution between liberals and conservatives is similar to what was demonstrated in 2016, when Donald Trump won the student mock election with 52% of the vote compared to Hillary Clinton’s 47%. The resulting political environment is one in which polarization, or a division into two distinct groups, can arise.

Genny Haarlow, senior, said she has witnessed polarization at Central

Political distribution among 138 students 23.1%

Other

37.0%

39.9%

Liberal

Conservative

firsthand. Haarlow identifies as a Libertarian, defined by the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) as an ideology with an emphasis on individual liberties and a lack of governmental interference, but she often chooses not to share her beliefs on certain matters.

“It’s hard to even talk about [my beliefs] because whenever I bring up my opinions I get verbally attacked... It’s like [people] are unwilling to even hear my viewpoints or admit that they may be just as valid.

I hesitate to even bring it up now out of fear of being ridiculed,” Haarlow said.

“Everyone here seems to be very closedminded and unwilling to even have a mature discussion regarding views that differ from their own. I think that there is a lot of beauty in mature discussions.”

Gabby Tsamis, junior, agrees with Haarlow’s perspective. Despite being liberal, Tsamis has attended multiple Student Conservative Organization events.

“The thought of being very liberal in a place where there were a concentrated amount of conservatives scared me at first, and I think that shows how polarized Central is,” Tsamis said.

Of students surveyed, 57.2% agreed with Haarlow and Tsamis in feeling that Central is politically polarized. Among the minority who disagree is Matthew Rajan, senior, who identifies as conservative.

“I don’t find Central to be polarized because of course you have people who are super one-sided but for the most part I feel like [there are] people on both [sides] of the spectrum that can agree on a lot of topics and most people are willing to hear out the other

Yes

57.2% Is Central politically polarized?

No

42.8%

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Favorite Democratic candidates among liberalidentifying students

rude to another person, but you don’t have to apologize for what you believe.”

Chris Wilbur, Civics and AP Government and Politics teacher, provided a similar viewpoint. Wilbur said that while his students discuss politics daily, he has not witnessed a lot of polarization and said that most discussions remain civil.

Janelle Hoeksema, Business Law teacher, disagrees with Freiler and Wilbur in regards to polarization at Central. Like Freiler and Wilbur, discussing controversial issues is a huge part of her curriculum. While she doesn’t think the environment is as polarized as in previous years, she said she still feels that a significant political divide remains which stems from a sense of discomfort surrounding political discussions.

The importance of political discourse is a topic all three teachers brought up. Freiler, who teaches Philosophy Honors, expressed that having civil discussions about political issues is more important than holding an unfounded opinion, something he also stresses in his philosophy classes.

“Forget about what’s decided. It’s more important to be clear on fundamental principles than it is to agree with somebody.

If two people have an understanding [on] why they disagree with each other and [find] that they [have] common ground on some fundamental principles, even if they disagree on the application of that specific issue, that’s more important than [having] two people who agree on the end result issue but have very different ways of getting there,” Freiler said.

Freiler shared this sentiment with Wilbur, who also said that he believes in having

balanced, productive political discussions.

“If you give people grace and the benefit of the doubt when you’re having political conversations it’s much less likely to devolve into something bad. And the more perspectives you can gain, the better for your own political understanding,” Wilbur said.

Roughly 7.4% of teachers surveyed said they never discuss politics with their peers and two-thirds of teachers surveyed said they personally follow politics closely or very closely.

On the other hand, less than half of students surveyed said they follow politics

"

.8%

side and actually give it thought,” Rajan said.

Many of those surveyed pointed towards the media as a primary cause of polarization.

According to the survey results, CNN and FOX News are the two networks students watch most. In addition to being the most highly-viewed networks, students also consider them to be politically biased. A strong majority of students, 78.3%, believe CNN to be liberal, while 82.6% of students believe FOX News to be conservative.

Students also mentioned family beliefs as a major political influence. In fact, “family beliefs” was chosen at least twice as often as any other political influence and 81.9% of students surveyed said that for the most part, they have the same political beliefs as their parents.

Of the teachers surveyed, 42.3% of them said the school seems polarized, however many acknowledged that is only based on what they observe in their classrooms.

“Most students seem to avoid making bold statements to avoid seeming intolerant of offending others,” said an anonymous staff member.

Christopher Freiler, social studies teacher and Mock Trial sponsor, shares similar views. He acknowledges that students may act differently outside of class, but does not see much polarization within the school.

“My experience with students is [that] they tend to be very respectful to the point of [being] afraid to even state something declaratively like ‘this is wrong’ or ‘we should do this’ because of a fear of offending somebody else,” Freiler said. “I would actually prefer people to be more direct.

[That] doesn’t mean insulting or [being]

It’s like people are unwilling to even hear my viewpoints or admit that they may be just as valid.

Genny Haarlow

"

closely or very closely. Student Conservative Organization (SCO) and Citizen Club are two of the politically-focused clubs at Central who aim to increase political participation and discussion among students.

SCO is led by Mikhail Essa, junior, who founded the club last year because he said he felt the school did not have an accessible way for students to get directly involved

Buttigieg Sanders Warren Biden Other Features | 19

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those surveyed said they often express their political views in school. In fact, 4.3% of students surveyed said that politics are never discussed in class.

While students often discuss politics in class, 92.6% of teachers surveyed said that they choose not to share their political beliefs in class. Most said this is due to the apolitical nature of school. A common theme expressed by such teachers was a desire to provide an open environment for their students where everyone feels comfortable sharing their beliefs.

In Wilbur’s AP Government and Politics class, students are currently discussing political polarization and the state of American politics. While Wilbur said he often adds to discussions, he rarely inserts his personal beliefs.

“I think that [not sharing my beliefs] creates a more open atmosphere in the

"

with politics. SCO focuses on promoting student engagement and activism in politics at meetings and occasionally hosts local politicians to speak at meetings.

While SCO welcomes students of all political identities, most of its members identify as conservative.

“I think it’s extremely important [to be politically aware]. [People] have no right to complain about anything going on around them unless they’re getting involved and making their voices heard,” Essa said.

Meanwhile, Citizen Club meets every Tuesday morning, where they discuss a topic chosen by student leaders, titled Officers, the previous week. According to Freiler, a club sponsor, Citizen Club was created with the purpose of providing an environment for students to express their views.

“It’s a forum for students to discuss social and political issues. It was formed right after 9/11. Kids wanted a place to talk about how they felt… [and then] it broadened to include any topic that the students thought was interesting,” Freiler said.

At meetings, officers present on a particular current events topic which is then followed by student discussion. Citizen Club focuses both on domestic and international issues. Unlike SCO, Citizen Club is a non-partisan club and does not affiliate itself with any singular political party.

“We get a lot of varied backgrounds, discussions, and opinions on the issues that we talk about,” said Zamaan Qureshi, a senior officer of Citizen Club.

Qureshi explained that Citizen Club has 30-40 people that attend meetings, many of whom come specifically to share their views on topics they find interesting; however, many people just come to listen and learn more about current events, rather than join the discussion and share their views.

Qureshi also owns a Youtube account called Discussion Is Good (D.I.G.) in which he creates videos covering major political events around the world. He has covered issues including U.S. relations with Iran, the war in Afghanistan, the conflict in Kashmir, and the political uprising in Hong Kong. Qureshi said he wants to help others become more politically aware.

“The fact that we don’t discuss issues with much nuance is worrying...I feel this is one way I can make a minute impact on issues that don’t get a lot of attention. It’s my way of attempting to make an impact,” Qureshi said.

Despite the majority of students at Central not in political clubs, most of

stresses that a student’s beliefs will in no way impact how she views them as people or how she grades their assignments.

Qureshi, who is vocal about his political beliefs, encourages others to become engaged in politics.

“Republican, Democrat, left or right, wherever you stand, political polarization isn’t helping anyone right now. It’s causing people to turn away from politics or not even engage with mainstream issues,” Qureshi said.

Qureshi also emphasized the importance of voting, especially for many students at Central who will be able to vote for the first time in a few months. “[Voting] is your civic duty… We have a privilege to be able to vote for our officials and the people that we want to see run for government,” Qureshi said.

Out of 42 liberal-identifying students

Republican, Democrat, left or right, wherever you stand, political polarization isn’t helping anyone right now.

"

Zamaan Qureshi classroom. You don’t have kids that are either afraid to talk because they disagree with me or are encouraged to shut other kids down [because they do] agree with me. To me, [sharing my beliefs] creates a power dynamic that I don’t want in my classroom,” Wilbur said.

Hoeksema, who coaches the school’s Forensics team with Wilbur, disagrees with this perspective. She added that they have discussed with each other this exact topic.

“I believe that having controversial discussions is imperative to my content area, but I respect that other teachers feel differently… Sharing [my views] has given me an opportunity to really engage in conversations with students,” Hoeksema said.

While Hoeksema is very open about her beliefs with her students, she also said she makes an effort not to impose her beliefs on them. She said she just wants to help them start a conversation about issues that matter. She also said that she makes it extremely clear in class that she wants her students to feel comfortable sharing their beliefs; along the same lines, she

who had made up their mind about Democratic candidates for the 2020 Presidential election, 33.3% said that they aligned most with Pete Buttigieg, 21.4% with Bernie Sanders, 11.9% with Elizabeth Warren, and 11.9% with Joe Biden.

Out of the conservatives and independents who had decided on a favorite candidate, the most chosen were Biden, Tulsi Gabbard, Buttigieg, and Andrew Yang, all of whom are generally considered to be more moderate than Sanders and Warren.

Ultimately, however, “I cannot decide” and “I don’t know enough to make a decision” were chosen significantly more than any actual candidate.

The upcoming election is certainly momentous for the whole nation, but as demonstrated by the Advocate survey, many students and staff attach great importance to mitigating polarization and coming together in times of division.

As Wilbur put it, “Polarization is a real issue and I think that students have a chance to really set the dialogue going forward.”

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HLC3231.1A

BATTLEGROUND NATIONAL DEBT

CONTEXT—$23 trillion. That is the amount of money the U.S. government owes to the public, foreign governments, and even its own agencies. Furthermore, this number will only grow, as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the deficit (the difference between spending and revenue) will reach $1 trillion for the first time in 2020. Many believe this is unsustainable, and that letting the debt get too large could have disastrous economic consequences. What, if anything, should be done to tackle this problem?

Ah, the national debt. Somehow $23 trillion has lost all value to us, and yet it will supposedly be the doom of our country. It’s a common warning from whatever political party is out of power, but is of course promptly forgotten the second they have the chance to pass bills. For all of this kicking the can down the road, what can we actually do?

Many cite cutting entitlement spending as a priority. After all, according to The Balance about 60% of the federal budget goes towards funding mandated benefits like Social Security and Medicaid. And while it does seem natural to cut where we spend the most, the most obvious solution isn’t necessarily the best.

First off, cutting this type of spending is not popular. The Pew Research Center found that only 15% of Republicans and 5% of Democrats want to decrease Medicaid spending. The numbers were even lower for Social Security. Clearly, Americans are very fond of the programs they have, and they understand that cutting them is fundamentally unfair. Entitlement spending is designed to help the most vulnerable, those who are elderly, disabled, or low-income. If we cut spending, we place the burden of reducing our deficit on those who are already struggling the most. Is that really fair?

On the other hand, the deficit can also be tackled by raising revenue. President Trump hasn’t exactly helped in that regard, as the New York Times reported that his 2017 tax cuts reduced government revenue by $83 billion. Those rates will likely have to increase to tame the deficit. And it doesn’t have to be by much— the nonpartisan CBO reported that raising all rates by just 1% would bring in $900 billion over the next decade. Sure, it’s not necessarily a pleasant option, but it’s preferable to cutting government assistance.

Even just streamlining the tax code could have major benefits, in a way that wouldn’t hurt the most vulnerable. For instance, the CBO notes that eliminating itemized deductions, a tax filing method more frequently used by wealthier households, would raise $1.3 trillion over the next decade. Other rules could be changed as well, such as the infamous “carried interest” loophole that allows wealthy investors and hedge-fund managers to claim their entire income as capital gains and pay a low tax rate (20%, compared to the highest income rate of 37%).

Furthermore, the estate tax could be changed to apply to inheritances less than the current (and absurdly large) $11.58 million. There are several more ideas out there, but suffice to say basic changes can go a long way in raising revenue.

The end goal here isn’t to get rid of all the debt—after all, a small amount is perfectly healthy for a country. What we need to focus on is slowing its growth and taming the deficit, and we’re going to have to tackle tax reform to do it.

AVA SEVERTS 22 | Perspectives Battleground September 4.indd 1

It’s generally accepted that the growing national debt, approximately $23 trillion, is a relatively insignificant issue in the United States: a “back burner” as politicians call it.

According to a Gallup poll from October 2019, a mere 2% of Americans cited the “Federal Budget Deficit/Federal Debt” as the most pressing issue facing our country. This absence of concern regarding the trillions of dollars of debt is due to a common belief that the U.S is “too big to fail”; an arrogance eerily similar to that of the 2008 recession. Despite a lack of concern, the federal debt must be DAVID GUST addressed, and the solution to the budget deficit is twofold: severe budget cuts to reduce the deficit followed by widespread tax cuts to retain economic efficiency.

The federal government’s sole purpose is to protect the nation and fight wars, the rest should be left to state and local governments. In an ideal world, this is a relatively simple solution: defense spending accounts for $623 billion while federal revenue is approximately $3.3 trillion. The problem is people don’t like giving up things they perceive as their “rights”; I didn’t know national medicare fell under the category of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. Even if non-military spending accounted for 50% of the budget, this would leave approximately $2 trillion of budget surplus. This $2 trillion would allow widespread tax cuts to help stimulate the economy while the government could use the remaining surplus to help pay off the debt.

The national debt has reached unprecedented levels due to irresponsible politicians and a lack of fiscal conservatism. To put it into perspective, our national debt relative to GDP has reached levels comparable to World War II; but our current debt isn’t from staving off the Nazis, it’s the product of an age of big government, ridiculously expensive social programs, and raising taxes on Americans to pay for it. Do we not remember the tyrannical, tax-hungry British government? Our nation was founded on individualism, on checks and balances, but what now, we spend $982 billion on social security annually? It’s disgusting. Thomas Jefferson once said “Most bad government has grown out of too much government,” and now we live in an age where government-run healthcare and welfare isn’t a debate, it’s a given.

Fiscal conservatives are almost nonexistent in congress. The Forbes article On the Deficit, GOP Has Been Playing Us all For Suckers, points out the failure of the 115th GOP-controlled Congress; under “conservative” control, the Congressional Budget Office released a report that the U.S “officially projected the federal deficit rising to almost $1 trillion in 2019.” I understand that politics is negotiating and compromising, but fiscal conservatism isn’t cutting taxes and turning a blind eye to the ridiculously large deficits.

Politicians are reactionary, the issues that people care about are the issues that receive the most attention. As fiscal conservatives, we must unite and put pressure on the GOP to act with economic responsibility and decrease spending.

Illustrations by Audrey Carter

12/4/19 4:27 PM

Unsolicited Advice

by Hannah Ahdab and Katie Sharp

The holidays are hard to manage. Devils' Advocate writers provide advice on how to balance school and the holidays.

You shouldn't decorate before Thanksgiving

1

2

3

Nowadays it seems like everybody just wants to skip over Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas when November begins. For those who love Thanksgiving, it is utterly disrespectful to skip forward a whole month and begin celebrating a whole month earlier. Also, putting up your decorations so early means you are increasing the amount of energy used to keep your house lit up for such a long time. This is both bad for the environment and for your electrical bill.

Parents appreciate more sentimental rather than monetary gifts

It’s so easy to buy your parents the first thing you see in the store, slap a bow on it, and call it a day. But as we grow older, our parents are more likely to appreciate the gifts that we spend more time thinking about, even if they are relatively cheap. Especially as upperclassmen begin thinking about heading off to college parents love seeing that you took the time to think about a gift that has sentimental value.

How to balance finals with the holiday season Nothing kills the holiday spirit like studying for finals.

Unfortunately, we have to struggle through finals week before we get to enjoy the holiday season. The best way to balance the two is to treat yourself to some holiday cheer between study sessions. Try to find a place to study that is decorated with holiday lights and Christmas trees. Treat yourself to peppermint bark or gingerbread as a reward to finishing a study guide or assignment. School might try to suck out the holiday spirit but you got to bring in your own holiday cheer.

Perspectives| 23

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DISHED

by Rima Rafiq

This Week's Dish

Photos by Rima Rafiq

In light of the days getting shorter and colder, the most comforting thing in this weather is a piping cup of hot chocolate. Whether you’re enjoying the Christmas lights outside or staying in and watching a movie, hot chocolate is the perfect treat for this month.

Godiva

While Godiva, located at 114 Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, is generally known for their chocolates, they also offer softserve, milkshakes, and hot chocolate. Because I'm not a huge fan of plain chocolate, I was excited to try the hot chocolate drink on their menu.

When myself, Hannah Ahdab, and Cedra Jazayerli, also members of Advocate had our first sip, we all agreed that Godiva's take on hot chocolate did not disappoint. It was super creamy and had a great balance between having really good flavor while also not being too heavy. While it was a small serving size compared to the other drinks, the richness of the chocolate made it the perfect amount.

8 ounce hot chocolate cost: $4.95

Starbucks

Starbucks, located at 2407 W. 22nd St. in Oak Brook, is one of those coffee shops that is a go-to because their drinks are reliable and usually don't disappoint. During the winter season, one of their most popular drinks are hot chocolate. They offer a couple different types, including peppermint, toasted white, and salted caramel hot chocolate. I ordered the regular hot chocolate. While it definitely didn't taste bad, there just wasn't anything distinctive about it. It was a little too watered down for my taste, and did not have the richness that Godiva's hot chocolate had. Because there was no distinct flavor, Starbucks' take on hot chocolate just wasn't special to me.

12 ounce hot chocolate cost: $3.17

Steam Coffee

Steam Coffee, located at 2050 York Road in Oak Brook, is an up and coming coffee shop.

They sell coffee, baked goods, and more.

When we walked into the coffee shop, we noticed that it looked like a nice, chill place to study and was filled with students and people working on their laptops. So, given how packed the coffee shop was, we had high hopes for their drinks. Unfortunately, when I tried the hot chocolate, I was extremely disappointed. Honestly, it tasted like someone had just mixed lukewarm water with a cheap packet of hot chocolate powder. The grainy taste was not at all what we expected given how nice the other drinks around us looked; Steam's hot chocolate just really wasn’t worth drinking.

12 ounce hot chocolate cost: $3.00

The Verdict

Given how cold it was outside, I was really excited to try these hot chocolates from Godiva, Starbucks, and Steam Coffee. Despite the hot chocolate being made with straightforward, simple ingredients, each shop did the drink very differently. For example, Godiva’s hot chocolate had a super rich and flavorful taste, and it was clear that they used higher quality chocolate to make it. Steam Coffee, on the other hand, tasted like warm water mixed with chocolate syrup; in other words, it didn’t taste good. Starbucks offered a happy medium with their classic hot chocolate, but it didn’t have as much flavor as Godiva’s. Given the choice between the three hot chocolates, I’d definitely order Godiva’s hot chocolate again.

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STAFF EDITORIAL WE’RE TIRED OF THIS

Illustration by Audrey Carter

N

otes, worksheets and study guides are piled on senior Addie Li’s desk.

Li checks her phone, shocked to discover that it is midnight already. Despite her exhaustion, Li knows she must maintain her energy and stay awake. Tomorrow, Li will be taking an AP Psychology test. It is a grade she knows she cannot mess up. Her score will influence her GPA, which will affect her future path. Forfeiting her recommended hours of sleep, Li studies the effects of sleep on the mind.

Sleep deprivation is a problem faced by many students at Central. Overwhelmed by homework and activities, teenagers receive insufficient hours of sleep during most weeknights. The loss of sleep hinders academic progress and contributes to a variety of health problems. Although this issue is widely discussed, there has been no real change.

The CDC states that teenagers need approximately eight to ten hours of sleep.

According to a survey of 227 Central students, 82.4% of respondents report getting fewer than eight hours of sleep. By this evidence, Central falls under the average, which is a problem.

In an article titled, “Among teens, sleep deprivation an epidemic” Stanford Medicine claims that lack of sleep essentially leads to less net learning. Central is focused on academic excellence. Our school prides itself on the ability to educate high achieving students. However,

26 | Perspectives Editorial.indd 1

the atmosphere of Central itself is damaging this progress it has worked so hard to achieve.

According to the Devils’ Advocate survey, 79.1% of respondents say that homework negatively influences the amount of sleep they get, with 38.1% of respondents reporting spending more than four hours on homework every night. But how much homework should students be getting? Central has been praised within the community for its ability to prepare students for college, and the time management and study skills after-school assignments teach have a major role in that preparation.

According to the National PTA and the National Education Association, schools are recommended to follow the “10-minute rule” which states that students should receive roughly 10 minutes of homework with an additional ten minutes per grade-level. By this rule, even seniors in high school should only have two hours of work per night.

The 10-minute rule, however, does not factor in the effects of procrastination. Many argue that if students were to spread out their work between the weeks they are given to complete it, the result would be far less overwhelming.

One look at the schedule of the average Central student, however, quickly disproves this theory. The average school day alone is seven hours of work. The responsibilities of the average student extends far beyond academics, however.

According to the Devils’ Advocate survey, 76.5% of respondents report spending between one and three hours on extracurricular activities.

Now add a few hours of homework. This schedule is not sustainable. So of course students are procrastinating, their brains need to relax.

So how does a school with such an ingrained system begin to make a change? Over the past decade, Central has seen far greater emphasis on Social Emotional Learning (SEL), classes dedicated to teaching students the skills they need to destress and manage their emotions.

However, in a Devils’ Advocate survey conducted last year, 85.1% of 229 respondents reported getting less than 8 hours of sleep per night. In comparison to this year’s survey, the number of students getting the recommended hours of sleep has only increased by 3.5%. This doesn’t negate the positive effects of SEL classes, Social Emotional Learning has benefits far beyond homework management, however it does indicate that a greater change needs to be made.

One cannot expect 14-year-olds to prioritize their own mental health simply because a class or motivational speaker tells them to, especially when they have been told for over a decade that grades should be the priority. Therefore, while students must be accountable to themselves, the school should reconsider homework policies that ultimately promote more sleep.

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

12/10/19 1:47 PM

Our students develop knowledge and skills necessary for a lifetime of safe, intelligent driving.

We Teach Driver Intelligence™�

800-374-8373

www.topdriver.com

Hinsdale: 1 Grant Square Willowbrook: 313 W. 75th St. Western Springs: 810 Hillgrove Ave.

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP A look at student participation in Black Friday based on 119 responses

14.7%

6.6% 6 a.m.

What time do you start shopping?

8 a.m.

41.3% 30.7% after 9 a.m.

before 5 a.m.

6.7% 7 a.m.

54.7%

Do you participate in Black Friday?

28 | By The Numbers Black Friday .indd 2

12/9/19 1:43 PM

23.0%

technology

P

5.7% other

59.8%

clothes

do you ng?

6.9%

holiday gifts

say yes

4.6%

beauty products

50.6% with family 35.5% with friends by 9.4% myself with Who do you 4.7% significant other shop with?

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%

What do you shop for the most?

By The Numbers | 29 Black Friday .indd 3

12/9/19 1:43 PM

MEET THE...

MR. HINSDALE CANDIDATES Q1: What is your Mr. Hinsdale talent?

Q2: If you could be a body of water, what would you be?

Q1: Baritone Q2: A river because I’m curvy.

Q1: Ribbon dancing Q2: The Arctic Ocean because I’m icy.

Brennan Walsh

Emmett Kelly

Q1: Irish dancing Q2: Fiji water because it’s the best kind of water, obviously.

Jimmy Draddy

Q1: Playing the piano Q2: The Nile river because I think my talents spread a long area.

Q1: Tap dancing Q2: The pond at Prospect Park. I was a youngin’ growing up around there and it really defines my roots.

Q1: Dapping people up Q2: The Dead Sea– just floatin’ around.

Stewart Leigh

Hari Rao

Q1: Rapping Q2: The Indian Ocean because I am Indian and that ocean is hot and so am I.

Anirudh Girish 30 | Trends MEEEET.indd 1

Scott Pitts

Q1: Arabian dancing Q2: Lake Michigan because it’s one of the closest Great Lakes.

Mikhail Essa Photos by Sofia Buzelis

12/9/19 1:46 PM

Trends CROSSWORD

OVERHEARD AT CENTRAL Comical Quotes Heard in the Halls of Central

Holiday Hunt

With Christmas on the way, the holiday season is wrapping up.

Take this puzzle to test your holiday knowledge.

“

In the past week I’ve spent around 200 dollars on chopped salad.

It’s OK if I fail this class my dad’s got to retire eventually and I’ll just take over the company.

“

”

I need at least a 130.5% on the final to get an A in the class.

No dude he’s like if the color beige was a person.

”

If you’d like to be featured in next issue’s Overheard at Central direct message @ DevilsAdvocate_HC on Instagram

Clues Down

Across

1. What is the best selling Christmas single of all time?

2. Which state consumes the most turkeys on Thanksgiving?

3. What is commercially the most successful holiday?

5. Which state did the first Thanksgiving take place in?

7. Which country also celebrates Thanksgiving, but on a different day?

4. Which Christmas movie features Will Ferrell as a character that travels to New York from the North Pole?

6. What does the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah celebrate?

8. Which Jewish holiday is also known as the Festival of Lights?

Answers 1. White Christmas 2. California 3. Christmas 4. Elf 5. Massachusetts 6. New Year 7. Canada 8. Hanukkah

Trends | 31 crossword/overheard 32.indd 1

12/9/19 2:18 PM

Back Cover December 1

12/10/19 1:53 PM

DEVILSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ADVOCATE Hinsdale Central High School 55th and Grant Streets Hinsdale, IL 60521