December issue by Devils Advocate

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advocate

Social media changes the face of student bullying P.10

Students reflect on the cultural significance of Christmas P. 18

Athletes weigh in the advantages of a sibling legacy P. 26

Hinsdale Central High School - Hinsdale,Illinois - Issue 87 - 12.19.14

contents

14 18 opinions

to serve and protect

23 beyond

contemporary christmas

sports

family traditions

rising awareness of police brutality sparks debate

non-Christian students partake in Christmas festivities

around

arts & photo story Mr. Hinsdale entertainment

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;devilish deedsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

cyberbullying proves harder to prevent

the money maker

butts becoming increasingly prevalent in media

siblings compete in same sports together

talents at Mr. Hinsdale

staff editor in chief grace dunn managing editor molly leahy head design editor will renehan head of writers riyah basha advertising manager molly leahy opinions

30 mission statement Devilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Advocate strives to provide its readers with a diverse forum for reporting and sharing information. It is a student-run, school-funded newsmagazine published monthly. Devilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Advocate wishes to provide fair and balanced reporting on events by working with students, teachers, and the community. It strives to inform, educate, and improve the atmosphere and student body of Hinsdale Central High School.

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libby morris around justin yi faith michal beyond caitlin reedy saadia elahi arts & entertainment shannon sinwell elise martin sports lauren excell jack buczkowski photo editors alessia di nunno johnny campbell mark schmidt

club writers josh feldman sayali amin jack kavanagh austin kleber selina zeng subhakeertana sivakumar maria harrast dana ahdab hana rimawi ellis kritzer emma djordjevic meg bibby nina molina steven chun zach wong photographers barbara heidkamp anya patel hanna suek zach wong elizabeth bogs rina ravisundar katrina blum megan timmerman shiv bajaj

cover photos by mark schmidt

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TO SERVE AND PROTECT O

n the nights of Nov. 24 and Dec. 3, thousands of Americans gathered all across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, to protest. They came bearing their emotions, carrying posters, candles, and noisemakers-whatever they could find to make their point. They were angry. They were determined. They expressed their feelings through both peaceful protests and violent riots. On these two nights, some Americans decried pressing issues that face our nation. And on these two nights, we were reminded, yet again, that our society is still flawed. In the wake of the two grand jury decisions in Ferguson and New York City to not indict officers Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo, many have started to lash out against police brutality. All of this commotion has forced the rest of us to realize that the increased police brutality is completely unacceptable. Officer Darren Wilson killed Michael Brown with six gunshots. Officer Daniel Pantaleo killed father Eric Garner with an illegal chokehold. But, ironically, police officers are supposed to serve the people and protect them, not employ fatal force while trying to make an arrest. “I think it’s terrible how police brutality has been on the rise,” said Ike Ihemeson, senior. “It opens up to the talk on the prevalence of racial profiling and prejudice that is still very much present today.” And of course, we know that the officers’ acts of brutality aren’t the only aspects of the case that were evaluated in the grand jury briefings. Many advocates of police rights maintain that because the officers felt as if their lives were threatened, they were justified in their actions. We know that we don’t have all of the information on what happened when it happened. But, we also know that

OPINIONS DECEMBER

the increase in police brutality seems to have a direct correlation with racial profiling. More often than not, the victims of this brutality seem to be African-American or Latino-American. Both Garner and Brown were black men killed by white men. This just doesn’t make sense. After all of the strife and hard work our country went through to gain civil rights for all races, it saddens us to see that our police force, a force that is supposed to guard the law to protect Americans, is still blinded by race. Ihemeson said, “Some black people with news like this feel like they’re the ones targeted because of assumptions made about them. And no one should ever make assumptions based on race.” It’s a scary thought to think that our police systems don’t always have our best interests in mind. The New York Police Department banned using the chokehold in 1993, yet when Officer Pantaleo used it on Garner in July, the jury still didn’t choose to indict him. Not indicting these two officers who, let’s not forget, killed someone, sends a message to the public: police officers can do whatever they want, as long as they believe they had good intentions. “Authority is supposed to be under the will of the law which appeals to the people, for the people, by the people. That’s democracy,” Ihemeson said. “This becomes corrupted when those in authority impose their own will, assuming power they don’t actually have, and hurting citizens with excessive force. It cannot be that way.” We believe that everyone needs to start caring about this issue more. We can’t just let these events go away without any acknowledgement. Various solutions have been suggested to “fix” this problem, like the addition of body cameras to the normal police uniforms. But, in our opinion, these solutions won’t make the issue go completely away. These two events have shown us that police brutality is ever present in our society. They’ve shown us that we’re very far away from achieving equality for all.

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

S N A P T H O U G H T Q: Why are we here? To reproduce Johnny Campbell

-Young Oh ‘15

-Evan Talbott-Swain ‘18

Johnny Campbell

They ran out of pasta

Johnny Campbell

It’s the law

-Trevor Rempert ‘16

Cheers + Cheers to the Bears. Bringing home a participation award for 29 years straight. + Cheers to the Holiday Assembly. Nondenominational to the last note. + Cheers to Winter Break. Just kidding, have fun studying. + Cheers to Trivia Crack. I may not know when Michaelangelo died but I tear it up when it comes to Jay-Z’s favorite color.

OPINIONS DECEMBER

Jeers - Jeers to Early Decision stress. I didn’t think the kids in my classes could get more annoying. - Jeers to the finals schedule: the only thing LT does better than us. - Jeers to Naz shutting down. I mean, we know you think you’re sick but... - Jeers to Sony getting hacked. That’s what you get for mocking our glorious leader.

Mark Schmidt

BATTLEGROUND

SHOULD HARVARD CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THEIR SEXUAL ASSAULT POLICY?

n May of 2014, the U.S. Government released a list of prominent colleges under investigation for the poor handling of sexual assault cases. Colleges have thankfully reacted to the issue, issuing press releases, and implementing new policies. However, Harvard University’s new policy goes too far, depriving the accused of the basic rights of due process, the only right mentioned twice in the U.S. Constitution, included in the original Bill of Rights and then copied word for word in the Fourteenth Amendment. First, Harvard’s policy doesn’t provide the accused any way to respond to evidence presented against him/her during the investigation. All evidence is gathered by a single “Investigative Team,” headed by a Title IX Office representative. Only after the investigation has been completed is the team required to show the accused the evidence gathered, at which point the accused can respond in a written statement. This may sound complex, but it’s really not. You’ve been accused of a crime, let’s say robbing a bank. The police investigate and find you guilty, and the first time you’re told why is after they’ve decided you’re guilty. And that might happen more often than it should. All sexual harassment charges under the new policy are overseen by the Title IX office. As mentioned earlier, schools can lose federal funding if it appears that sexual assault is not prosecuted correctly. Officials with that threat hanging over their head may over convict, ironically, in order to avoid the appearance of misprosecution. Sexual harassment and sexual assault are terrible issues in our society. Inaction in universities is equally appalling. No one is debating that. However, America has always valued justice and freedom. At America’s urging, the Nazis were given trials at Nuremburg. Even now, Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is preparing for his trial in Boston. Harvard’s policy, while noble in intent, is not the correct response to the issue at hand and violates essential Constitutional guarantees.

Zach Wong

ear Harvard: I am writing to let you know that I give up. I will be moving out of my House next semester, if only—quite literally—to save my life. You will no longer receive emails from me, asking for something to be done, pleading for someone to hear me...My assailant will remain unpunished, and life on this campus will continue its course as if nothing had happened. Today, Harvard, I am writing to let you know that you have won.” - Anonymous, in a Harvard Crimson opinion piece, March 2014. Harvard’s new rape policy comes at a time when sexual assault in universities is—all too late—receiving the national spotlight. It relies on a “preponderance of evidence” to convict in the hopes that it will correct a system where the rapist goes unpunished and the victim is left shamed and destroyed. Twenty eight Harvard Law professors have decried it as unfair to the accused, and I defer to their expertise when I say it is heavy-handed at best. But I also defer to the current situation when I say, right now, that might be exactly what we need. Rape still scars the lives of an estimated 20-25 percent of women in college, according to the National Institute of Justice. There is no arguing against the fact that rape has become prevalent in institutions of higher education and that it is the responsibilities of schools to fight the rising tide of sexual assault. Many worry Harvard’s new policy gives the accused little chance to defend themselves. I can only say that it’s estimated that about 5 percent of rape accusations are found to be false. It also happens to be the case that only 5 percent of rapists will ever spend a day in jail. It is possible, if not probable, that this policy is flawed. But it saves more lives than what we had before. It is a step in the right direction. It is an ugly solution to an ugly problem. If you take anything away from this it’s that sexual assault (especially when alcohol is involved) is a reality you, as a student, have to address. Not just in college, but in high school too. Only yes means yes. Not yes because she’s drunk or high or scared.

Steven Chun

OPINIONS DECEMBER

SURVIVAL GUIDE TO: REACTING TO FAILURE BY LIBBY MORRIS

Alessia DiNunno

et’s face it. Tests are inevitable in high school. Whether you’re in AP Chem, English 2 Honors, or Algebra, I hate to break it to you, but you’re going to have a test at some point. There’s no question that these tests can be really, really hard. And sometimes, they’re so hard, so mentally draining, so impossible that we fail. I remember one time last year, I had a huge test on astronomy coming up in Earth Science, so I studied and studied and studied until I physically couldn’t study any more. I think I probably stayed up till 3 a.m. the night before the test, trying to cram everything I possibly could about astronomy into my brain. By the time I got to the test, I was completely exhausted. I had been freaking out the whole entire day about this test, and when it was finally time to take it, I forgot almost everything I had studied the night before. It pretty much goes without saying that I didn’t do too well. I was completely crushed, so upset with myself that I got a bad grade, so frustrated that all of my studying didn’t pay off. I was pretty sure that my life was over, that my overall grade in the class was ruined, that I wasn’t a

OPINIONS DECEMBER

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good student. I thought all of this just because of one test grade. Unfortunately, this feeling is all too common-- the feeling that all of our hopes and dreams for the future are ruined just because of one test. But, apparently crying over test grades happened back in middle school too, as Ned tells us that we shouldn’t overreact to one failure. Wow. Ned has some pretty good advice for a 13-year-old. In all honesty, I think Ned’s tip is one of the most important things we can learn in high school-- that failure is just another part of life. Making mistakes only helps us learn more, even though it’s hard to see that in the moment. Getting a lower grade than what you wanted on one test doesn’t mean you’re not smart. Turning in one assignment a day late doesn’t mean you’re irresponsible. All it means is that you’re human! If we didn’t make any mistakes, we wouldn’t have anything to learn from. If we keep overreacting to every “bad” grade we get, we’re all going to have mental breakdowns sooner or later. And I really don’t want to have a mental breakdown. I’m sure you don’t either. If you take your failures as learning experiences, a failure can actually turn into a somewhat positive thing. So the next time you “fail” a test, don’t sweat it. Just shake it off, go watch some Netflix, and just relax. One failure is not, and cannot be the end of your life.

Morris gets a test back that she didn’t do too well on. But, oh well, she’s not going to let this one get to her.

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Bullies find new medium by Justin Yi and Faith Michal

tanding anxiously outside the gym while her video is being revealed to more than 100 kids is senior Toni Adeyemi, co-president of Breaking Down The Walls Red and White, a club dedicated to bullying prevention. With the conclusion of the video, which aired Nov. 20, her worries aren’t quite over, because in a couple minutes she and the rest of the club members will take the court to perform a live skit performance. As the skit gets underway smoothly, she is able to calm down and catch a break. For more than a week, she has been stressing for the club’s first appearance of the year to the student body. Bullying has always been a part of growing up. It’s present in all schools, in all age levels, and all around the globe. According to bullyingstatistics.org, 77 percent of students have admitted to being the victim of one type of bullying or another. But gone are the days of the traditional jock nerd complex. Instead of physical intimidation, bullying has manifested itself online, a place where students are able to antagonize their peers from afar. Just three weeks ago, 12-year-old California boy Ronin Shimizu took his own life following years of bullying for pursuing nonmasculine interests such as cheerleading and fashion. Even after his parents removed him from school, Shimizu was relentlessly bullied online for continuing to cheerlead. “It’s interesting how when people have the opportunity to be anonymous they choose to say hurtful things

rather than positive ones,” said Adeyemi, senior. Social media provides a much more effective environment that’s conducive to bullying because posts can reach a wider audience, and can happen anytime. Furthermore, certain social media sites provide anonymity to users, and messages/images can be left without trails to original posters. At Central, perhaps the epitome of this phenomenon was last year’s one day Yik Yak craze, an app that allows users to post and read anonymous messages on a forum based on the user’s location. Although the app doesn’t allow access to forums in school zones, the system isn’t perfect and in certain areas of the school Yik Yak is accessible by constantly refreshing the feed. As a result, students were verbally attacked by other kids during school hours, and students revealed many of their classmates’ secrets. Because of this transition to the online, students are unaware of how to handle cyberbullying. For example, Folsom Cordova School District, where Shimizu attended, commented that it has a comprehensive anti-bullying campaign; however, it becomes difficult to manage Internet bullying. “I don’t think we know exactly what [the new bullying] looks like yet,” said Brian Drelicharz, social worker. “I feel like I’m learning about a new website every two weeks. How can people learning to work with bullying keep up? Stuff changes so fast.” Many of the Yik Yak victims were unsure about

what to do when a student would post because posts were anonymous. “At first I was lost because Yik Yak was brand new to Central,” said Kiki Nesic, senior. “I didn’t even have one and I had just heard of it. My friends said whoever was writing them was pathetic and reassured me none of it was true.” Simply put, strategies presented by schools, which emphasize how to deal with conventional face-toface bullying, are often not applicable to interactions over the Internet. “I don’t remember a time when Breaking Down The Walls put anything about cyberbullying in their presentations,” said Jake Regnery, senior. “There isn’t much in-school bullying anymore. Cyberbullying is the most prevalent.” “Because of technology and all the things that exist now there’s a lot less face-to-face interaction and direct communication,” Drelicharz said. “It’s a whole other realm of ways to talk ‘smack’ about people and make people feel bad.” On cyberbullying, however, Adeyemi said, “I think in this day and age when you bully publicly online you don’t look cool. Ninety-five percent of the time you get in trouble with the school anyways because someone will bring it to their attention. For anonymous outlets like Yik Yak, they peak for three days and die. It’s not fun to be mean and to look at mean things constantly.”

BULLY FREE ZONE information from www.bullyingstatistics.org

About 1 out of every 10 students drop out or transfer because of repeated bullying

More than 50% of teensf are victims og cyberbullyin ! # &

Suicide rates have grown more than 50% in the past 30 years

392 students are attacked in high school every hour

Johnny Campbell

Dynamic duo Seniors Emma Day and Audrey Pound think about variety show ideas. The emcees differ from last year’s all boy group.

mma Day and Audrey Pound, both seniors, bring much to the table as co-emcees of this year’s variety show. The two seniors have teamed up with social chairs Weston Berger and Jack Duggan to add structure and entertainment to the annual school-wide talent show. “Emma and I love to just goof around and make people laugh,” Pound said. “So we knew if we got to be the emcees we would have a good time and deliver.” Due to the traditional role of the social chairs as emcees, the foursome has decided to give Berger and Duggan full creative control over the show. Pound and Day, however, have carved a new role for themselves in assisting and collaborating with the social chairmen. “Wes and [Jack] Duggan are the main emcees, and Audrey and I are assisting them in every way we can,” Day said. Berger and Duggan will lead the way in the group’s management of the show, while Pound and Day will assist them as well as collaborate and share ideas. The pairs will have an enormous role in the structure of the show, as they are in charge of judging auditions and have a wide amount of creative freedom in running the program as they please. They are in charge of creating scripts for onstage intermissions as well as six different videos to play

between acts with the assistance of Steven Chun, senior and student filmmaker. “They’re a fantastic group of people, so I’m looking forward to showing people what we’ve made and making them laugh,” Pound said. Key to Day and Pound’s role as masters of ceremonies is how the female duo will complement the male pairing. This differs from last year’s variety show, in which all four emcees were men. This year’s foursome believes having both girl and guy pairs will be a unique twist, as they will focus on creating humor that all can relate to. “Last year [featured] all guys,” Activities Director Mrs. Sally Phillip said. “So, it might just be able to get a different perspective on some of their jokes and get to the whole crowd.” Pound said, “Mr. Russo loved the idea of the girl and guy dynamic, so we’re trying to play off of that.” Phillip sees great potential in the Day-Pound duo and believes their personalities will suit the variety show well. “I think both pairs are pretty funny, I think the four of them together could add something unique to it... they have some really creative ideas,” Phillip said. The 2015 Variety Show will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 28 and Thursday, Jan. 29.

AROUND DECEMBER

News Feed Dodge to donate Fundraiser provides incentive and fun

This month, the LEAP club into Africa made raising money fun for everyone with a dodgeball tournament. The club’s dodgeball game was held on Dec. 14 and consisted of eight teams. “This is an event that is fun for all,” said club member Nicole Maley, junior. For $20, participants not only played in the tournament but also received team T-shirts. “This fundraiser is different from others because it gives people a reward and incentive for their donation to the LEAP cause,” Maley said. “It’s more than just shoving a collecting tin under people’s noses.” LEAP Into Africa is a club that collects funds for the LEAP organization at large, which was created to provide South African students with the academic and life skills needed to ensure them with brighter futures. The organization is appreciative of Hinsdale Central’s efforts, and this year, a board member even came to speak to the club about its major impact on many South African students’ lives. Another of the club’s fundraisers is its annual Ultimate Frisbee

Rina Ravisundar

by Maria Harrast

Adam Pircon, senior, winds up to throw. LEAP helps support South African students for the future.

tournament later in the year, which will continue to help the club reach its goals. “We want to help fund and support LEAP schools to the best of our ability,” Maley said.

Bowl so hard

Students prepare for scholastic competition by Nina Molina The pounding of buzzers and shouting of answers creates an environment of excitement during the Scholastic Bowl team’s biweekly practices after school. “[Our focus] is similar to Jeopardy; it has trivia on art, literature, music, science and history,” said Mr. Alan McCloud, varsity coach. Five people from each team sit across from each other and try to answer by buzzing in first. If the team gets the question wrong, the other team can attempt to get the point. The tournaments are usually hosted at other schools, but sometimes Central has the privilege of hosting meets.

14 AROUND DECEMBER

This season has been a particularly exciting one as the team has ranked among the 20 top teams nationally. The varsity group won a tournament 9-0 a few weeks ago, and will qualify for nationals in the spring. “We’re 8-0 in conference and led by a group of juniors that are really strong players,” McCloud said. The annual Masonic tournament held in February has never been won by Central before, and is a major goal for this year’s team. If they win, the team will travel to nationals. Ian Sokolowski, junior, said, “In Scholastic Bowl, we get to use all the random facts and knowledge we have. It’s just fun to be in the activity and do it with friends.”

Music department prepares for annual holiday concert by Meg Bibby sound good for the concert.” Despite everything that goes into making the concert a success, both Ramani and Basti love hearing the results of their hard work. “The school gets to here the large variety that the music program has to offer,” Ramani said. “It’s really great because everyone gets to see and hear their friends show off their musical talent, regardless of whether they are in band, orchestra, or choir.” The tradition of the holiday concert helps usher in winter break. “You can’t help but get into the holiday spirit during it,” Basti said. “The majority of the songs performed are classics, so everyone can sing along.”

Bring it to room 249!

Katrina Blum

Mark Schmidt

It’s hard to imagine Central in December without the festivity of the holiday concert, the annual event put on by the band, orchestra, and choir the week before winter break. However, much more preparation goes into the spectacle than the rest of the student body would think. “There’s a lot of work that goes in behind the scenes… to put the whole show together,” said Neha Basti, junior, and member of the choir. Mita Ramani, junior, added, “Orchestra has been preparing for this concert for quite a while. Especially in the past couple of weeks we have been really working on the more difficult sections of the songs we are playing so that they

Find the Adv cat

Mark Schmidt

Holiday concert

Jack Mason, junior, awaits to answer a question. The Scholastic Bowl team has ranked in the mid-twenties nationally this season.

AROUND DECEMBER

The voice of the people

Students react to racial tensions in Ferguson, Mo. by Dana Ahdab

n August 9, 2014, an 18-year old African American man named Michael Brown was fatally shot by a white police officer named Darren Wilson in the town of Ferguson, Mo. Central students stand divided on whether Wilson was justified in shooting Brown. Emily Otto, junior, said, “Based on the facts that Mike Brown committed a crime just before encountering Officer Wilson, physically assaulted Officer Wilson and wrestled with him for possession of his gun, and tried to flee the scene of the assault before turning toward Officer Wilson and approaching him in a threatening manner, I believe Officer Wilson had good reason to believe he was in physical jeopardy.” Other students, however, believe that Wilson was not justified in shooting Brown, even if it was judged as an act of self-defense. “Darren Wilson could very well have been intimidated by Mike Brown, but police officers are trained to arrest without violence,” said Shannon Johnson, junior. “In the case of Ferguson and Tamir Rice and what happened in New York, it seems that police officers tend to resort to more brutality than they should.” On Nov. 24, a county grand jury, a legal body that has the power to determine whether a criminal case should be brought to court, subsequently decided not to indict Wilson for the shooting

of Brown. John Yaeger, junior, said, “Even though I may not agree with their decision, I think the grand jury had to make the decision it did. There was not sufficient evidence in indicting Officer Wilson, and so the jury had to do what it did. It would be an insult to the legal system to indict him over rumors or a suspicion.” The non-indictment was extremely controversial, sparking protests in Ferguson and throughout the United States. Many have condemned the nationwide protests as too violent, but students still acknowledge the historical significance of the issue. “I do not support the violent protests that have struck Ferguson and other parts of the country,” Otto said. “People who cry out for justice while breaking the law themselves and damaging property are hypocrites.” Mary Kress, junior, witnessed protests near Ferguson after the indictment. “They were very loud… [to] the point of shoppers stopping and paying attention. They chanted, ‘Black lives matter’ and ‘The whole damn system is guilty as hell’,” Kress said. “They also laid down on the ground for four or five minutes to symbolize the time Brown’s body was kept at the crime scene for examination. It was very interesting actually, like history in the making.”

“I support all peaceful protests where citizens gather to exercise their First Amendment Rights. I do not support the violent protests that have struck Ferguson and other parts of the country; people who cry out for justice while breaking the law themselves and damaging property are hypocrites.” -Emily Otto

16 BEYOND DECEMBER

Johnny Campbell

Contemporary Christmas Non-Christian students partake in Christmas festivities by Saadia Elahi and Caitlin Reedy

BEYOND DECEMBER Johnny Campbell

“In today’s society, I don’t believe th I personally know many non-Christia use Christmas as a time to spend time

Johnny Campbell

he arrival of winter, as portrayed by the media, means Americans carefully adorning their homes with Christmas decorations, watching ABC Family’s Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas, and baking cookies. However, as families take part in the festivities, a string of criticisms emerges: Christmas is too commercialized; Christmas is not about the family spirit; Christmas is losing its religious significance. “Christmas is important to me because it signifies the greatest gift that we could ever receive: God sending His son Jesus to live here on earth so ultimately we may have a relationship with Him,” said Julianna Burlet, senior. “Christmas is a time for thankfulness and spending time with loved ones. Everyone can get in the holiday spirit.” Despite the debate, many people find joy during the holiday season. Even though Christmas is an integral celebration of the Christian faith, many non-Christians celebrate during the season. Pew Research Center, a group that provides information on social and demographic issues, reports that 81 percent of nonChristians in the U.S. celebrate Christmas. The American Religious Identification Survey conducted in 2008 reported that 76 percent of American adults identify themselves as Christians, 15 percent claim no religious affiliation,

BEYOND DECEMBER

5.2 percent refused to reply, while 4 percent are other religions, such as Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. That leaves 12.64 million American adults not partaking in the religious aspect of the season. Several Central students stick to their own religious customs, choosing not to participate in Christmas traditions. “I wish more businesses and stores were open. There is nothing to do on [Dec. 24 and 25],” said Ryan Albelda, a Jewish senior who doesn’t take part in any Christmas celebrations. Other non-Christian Central students and their families, though, celebrate Christmas in some way or another. Seetha Aribindi, sophomore, practices Hinduism, but has celebrated Christmas her whole life. Living in a predominantly Christian neighborhood, her family has always been surrounded by the outward presence Christmas has on the whole community. “Christmas is an important and extremely popular holiday in American culture. We celebrate Christmas because it is a holiday that embodies the ideas of appreciating those around you,” Aribindi said. With the commercialism of Christmas over the decades, Christmas now embodies more than celebrating the coming of Jesus Christ. It exemplifies traditions as well as a giving spirit and a concentration on the blessing of family and friends. Aribinidi said, “My family and I celebrate Christmas because

hat Christmas is a Christian holiday. an families who do celebrate it and e with family and friends.” David Kwok

it is a holiday that embodies the ideas of appreciating those around you and draws us closer to God and one another.” The spirit of Christmas is inescapable and infectious, a time of outwardly Christian devotion and spirit. But the morals upheld by Christianity, such as charity and family, cross over into multiple other religions practiced in the United States. Most citizens easily find a way to relate to Christmas, despite their religion and ethnicity. “We hang Christmas lights outside our house to fit in with neighbors and make our street look more festive, even though we don’t celebrate,” Albelda said. The main controversy surrounding the Christian holiday is whether or not it is losing religious significance and becoming a more secular, cultural tradition. The amount of non-Christians who partake in Christmas traditions is increasing--not because they want to embrace the religion, but because they appreciate the values associated with the holiday. “We celebrate Christmas in a cultural sense rather than the religious one,” Aribindi said. “On Christmas day we don’t go to church like most Christians do, but we still use the holiday to grow closer as a family and appreciate one another.” David Kwok, junior, agreed, “In today’s society, I don’t believe that Christmas is a Christian holiday. I personally know many

non-Christian families who do celebrate it and use Christmas as a time to spend time with family and friends.” Several devout Christians, like Burlet, believe that spreading the idea of Christmas is beneficial to the Christian religion. “I think it’s great when people, Christian or not, celebrate Christmas,” Burlet said. “It’s definitely a time to celebrate loved ones and look back on everything you’ve been thankful for in the past year.” However, spreading the Christmas cheer doesn’t mean taking away from the religious aspect for the Christians who celebrate the holiday. “The non-secular traditions are much more important to me. Every Christmas Eve my family attends a service at my church and then when we go home right before we go to bed my dad always reads the story of Jesus’ birth from the book of Luke in The Bible,” Burlet said. “Even when I look back as a kid those are some of my fondest Christmas memories.” Regardless of whether or not it’s still considered a religious holiday for some, Christmas is an important tradition for families who follow all kinds of religions. Aribinidi said, “Christmas is more than a religious holiday. It unites families and provides them with a way to express gratitude and uplifts spirits.”

BEYOND DECEMBER

THE MONEY A look at the rise in the objectification of the derriere by the media in 2014 by Elise Martin and Shannon Sinwell

rom “Fat Bottomed Girls” in the late 70s, to “Baby Got Back” in the 90s, “Bootylicious” in the early 2000s, “My Humps” and “Ms. New Booty” taking over in 2005, and “Dance (A$$)” to “Bubble Butt” in the more recent years, the topic of butts has been steadily gaining prominence in the pop culture world for at least 30 years. However, within the past year, the obsession with women’s, especially celebrities’, butts has grown more rapidly than ever before. The music video for Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” broke records this August when it reached more than 19.6 million views in just one day. It was just one of many songs released this year whose lyrics revolved around the glorification of the female derriere. Similar tunes like Jennifer Lopez’s “Booty” and Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” also topped pop charts, each receiving tens of millions of views. For modern day musicians, singing about booty may just be the ticket to success. The power of the booty isn’t just limited to the music industry, though. Jen Selter, a fitness celebrity also commonly known as the “Butt Selfie Queen”, broke more than 5 million followers on Instagram this year. Products like

Booty Pop, padded underwear meant to enhance the wearer’s derriere, are selling out more quickly than ever before. Meanwhile, butt implants are the fastest growing type of plastic surgery in the country (CNN.com). It’s safe to say that the era of the booty is in full swing. To students who are exposed to pop culture and media on a daily basis, this phenomenon poses some interesting issues. For instance, Graham Hooten, junior, wonders if the media’s glorification of the booty may cause selfesteem issues for young girls and women. “Glorifying butts will lead to two things for teenage girls: body image issues and plastic surgery. You choose which of the two is the more frightening,” Hooten said. Emma Dannhausen-Brun, junior, is less worried for teens and young adults than she is for young children. “I think most people are smart enough these days to figure out that there’s more to a person than their [butt],” she said. “However, songs are having greater and greater impact on our society today, so we must be careful with what the younger generations hear,” Dannhausen-Brun said. The impact of these standards on

young children can be seen in and outside of school. Students agree that standards the media sets for young girls is unrealistic and unhealthy. “You can walk around Hinsdale and see middle schoolers attempting to twerk in every corner of the town,” said Athan Arhos, junior. “The goal seems to be to have the largest bust and butt while also having the smallest arms and torso which is almost physically impossible.” On top of skewing the perceptions young women have on body image, the rising glorification of the butt is affecting the content musicians, specifically, put out there. The trend is making some celebrities get caught up in the idea that in order to be successful, they must succumb to societal pressures to bare their booty. In 2013, Kim Kardashian, in the face of much skepticism and backlash, was forced to prove the authenticity of her butt on her television show. And Kardashian only attracted more attention this year when a November cover of Paper Magazine centered on her naked rear end; part of an Internet campaign nicknamed “Break the Internet.” In addition, Nicki Minaj, a popular rap artist, is just one of many other artists

Butts by the numbers...

58%

A&E DECEMBER

Increase From 2013 to 2014 in butt augmentation surgeries

$9,000-$14,000 Current average price range of a Brazilian Butt Lift (butt augmentation surgery)

Booteus Maximus

Tush Rear

MAKER in the industry that has received butt implants. Most of her album covers are centered around displaying her backside. Yovanna Ventura, an Instagram model, makes her living off of posting images and videos of her backside on her social media accounts. “The butt is not called the ‘money maker’ for no reason. It is an asset to [musicians’] careers and they use it to their leisure,” Hooten said. “Sadly, this takes away from the genuine talent that many of these artists have. Female singers do not need to showcase their butts in order to be successful,” Hooten added. “Taylor Swift, minus her ‘Shake it Off ’ video, which was essentially a parody of pop culture, has retained her feminine dignity without compromising her body.” Many students believe that the women in pop culture who are showing off their butts are doing it to generate buzz and be talked about more. “I think [celebrities] are twerking to gain attention over each other in general, not just because their songs are clearly lacking in material,” Arhos said. “And it doesn’t really matter who has a bigger or better butt- because it is just superficial.”

Heinie

Tailfeather

Donk

Buttocks

Gluteus Maximus

Rump Buns

Butt Junk in the trunk Bum

Fanny

Applebottom Posterior

Bubble Butt Cakes

Trunk Cheeks Booty Derriere Keister

Tushy

Badonkadonk Caboose

80,635

#1 Beyonce ($115)

Number of pictures tagged #belfie on Instagram

#33 J.Lo ($37) #80 Kim Kardashian ($28)

Celebrities Ranked in Forbes Top 100 Celebrities in 2014 (and their earnings in millions)

A&E DECEMBER

NOW ##TRENDING TRENDINGNOW PENTATONIX

SAADIA’S FACE

by Maria Harrast

INSERTAcapella TRENDgroup #1 Pentatonix’s new album That’s Christmas to Me does a great job putting a

new spin on holiday music- starting with creating all the vocal ranges, percussion sounds, and bass sounds with their mouths. The album covers many traditional songs such as “Silent Night” and a few seasonal songs like “Let it Go”. Not all acapella groups are entertaining, or just do standard material, but Pentatonix does go above and beyond to create a memorable, engaging album that isn’t just thrown in the background now and then.

SERIAL

by Emma Djordjevic

Recently, a podcast recorded in Chicago has been blowing up. The podcast series is called Serial by NPR. This series of podcasts are about a murder trial of a girl named Hae in Maryland. Our narrator is given this case and she wants to figure out who killed Hae and why. I recommend this podcast to anyone who likes mystery or things to do with crime solving. The podcast makes those cold Sunday afternoons less dreary as we listen by our computer to try and crack the case.

SAADIA’S FACE

JURASSICSAADIA’S WORLD

FACE

by Lauren Excell and Libby Morris

While Jurassic Park 1, 2, and 3 were awesome, this one promises to take the series to new heights. We think we can all agree that living in Jurassic World would be pretty dank. Genetic hybrid dinosaurs, attractive actors, and intense music are the perfect combination for a thrilling two and a half minute experience. We applaud Steven Spielberg for terrifying us in record time, and can’t wait to see this movie in 2015.

A&E 22 DECEMBER

plethora Junior boys delve into instrumentally based music by Rafia Ali and Subhakeertana Sivakumar

hen Spiro Dussias and Eric Foley, both juniors, first posted a video for their band called Plethora, they expected to get 100 views or so, not the thousands they ended up getting, along with coverage by popular websites, pages, and blogs. Plethora has since reached even greater heights, with the promise of becoming even bigger. With their increasingly popular single “Attenuate,” and more than 20,000 views on YouTube the group is eager to release its long-awaited album entitled “nhojriats,” in hopes of increasing their popularity and pursuing their career in music. “We are hoping this album will help us with getting more popular, signing with a record label, and playing with bands we look up to,” Foley said. The two met each other in fifth grade and have been playing together ever since. They play a genre of music labeled “djent,” an instrumentally based music style focusing on the diversity of the artist instead of vocals, featuring Dussias on bass and guitar and Foley on the drums.“We decided to play this because the rock we used to play was limiting our ability…this music definitely challenges us as musicians,” Foley said. Plethora has become increasingly popular after the release of its single; their band of two has received much praise from their fan base on YouTube, and is commended for their ability to be

versatile, as the duo records their songs instead of playing live due to the lack of players. “Our songs require at least four people to play live so the two of us won’t cut it,” Foley said. The band makes its music by separately recording the parts with Dussias recording the lead, rhythm, and guitar and Foley recording the drums. Foley said, “We have been credited by pages and websites we have both been following for years; we came in 6th place in a competition for ‘best unsigned band’ that had over 300 bands in it, held by a popular record label, and have been offered to play [some] shows.” Foley and Dussias chose Plethora as a name because it popped out without seeming too overdone and summed up their style in a simple way. “The word plethora, while most know to mean “large in amount”, also is a type of blood disease we found interesting and aggressive to fit our style,” Dussias said. For the future, Foley and Dussias are looking to sign a record label and continue releasing music. “We are hoping this album will help us with getting more popular, signing with a record label, and playing with bands we look up to,” Foley said. “We are also looking for a good amount of sales as the band will be our main source of money in the following couple of years.” Photo by Alessia Di Nunno

A&E DECEMBER

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Want more news about Central? Check out hcdevilsadvocate.com

Family Tradition Siblings create family dynasties by playing the same sport by Lauren Excell and Jack Buczkowski

Mark Schmidt

SPORTS DECEMBER

t’s hard to imagine siblings without also imagining them fighting. From playing with a toy to choosing which TV show to watch, siblings are used to competing with each other, even over the most trivial things. As they get older and begin to take up sports, brothers and sisters are each other’s first teammates, but also their first rivals. Siblings are the first people we practice our victory dances on, and the first ones that we brag to over our wins. For siblings who have been playing the same sport for most of their lives, competition against each other is nothing new. As they mature into high school athletics, they still remain focused on success, but now with a new motivation to help each other succeed. “There is always a competition between us because we all can’t stand the thought of losing, no matter what we are doing,” said Matt Allen, junior. His older brothers, Jack and Brian Allen wrestled and played football during their time at Hinsdale Central. Brian Allen won state for wrestling in 2013, and both he and Jack placed several times as well. Matt is currently on varsity wrestling, following in his siblings’ footsteps. Even with all of their success in wrestling, they are even better at their other sport. The older brothers currently play football at Michigan State University, and Jack was awarded with All-Big Ten and All-American honors this season. Other sibling pairs are experiencing success at Hinsdale Central, too. This fall season, the Gaur sisters were a part of the state-winning girls golf team. “There is definitely some healthy competition between us, but we are never at each other’s throats or jealous of the other person,” said Jahanavi Gaur, junior on girls varsity golf. Her sister, freshman Roshannah Gaur, was also on the varsity golf team in her first season. Apart from the healthy competition, playing on a team with siblings gives athletes an additional support system that others don’t naturally have. As they get older and compete with each other more often, siblings are supportive and help each other improve rather than competing all of the time. “Being sisters, we know each other’s weaknesses really well, both on and off the golf course… we can take advantage of our relationship and help the other person improve as much

as possible,” Jahanavi said. Because Roshannah is the younger of the two, she is often the one to rely on the advice of her big sister, however she tries to help her sister whenever she can. Between holes on the golf course, the sisters give each other advice, like how to play the hole, or which club to use. Playing sports forms a bond between teammates, and when the teammate is a sibling, they are able to strengthen their relationship even more, and help each other beyond what the average teammate might do. Justin Yi, senior, and Jeremy Yi, sophomore, were both on varsity soccer this season. It was the first opportunity that they had to play on the same soccer team, and their coach was glad to provide that opportunity for the two siblings. “It’s unique in the sense that they were able to play together and they were both starters and both major contributors to a state title,” Coach Michael Wiggins said. “All of their interaction was always very productive, very respectful.” Senior tennis players Lorena and Valeria Dulce also enjoy playing together because it is easier to relate to each other. Lorena and Valeria are twins who have both been committed to tennis since they were seven years old. Lorena said, “A sibling is able to comprehend the emotions you go through when certain things happen such as winning or losing, so it’s nice to have someone there who knows what you’re talking about.” Besides the benefits during practices and games, the siblings are able to understand and help each other better outside of sports. They drive to practices together, go through the same struggles, and have the same passion for their sport. After having played and lived together for so long, being together in their sport has become a natural part of their lives. “I feel like if we played different sports it would be weird just because as a twin it’s more fun to do things together. Tennis is an important aspect in my life and it’s nice to share that with a sibling,” Lorena said. Alex and Tim Laskowski have played hockey together since elementary school. Now Alex, junior, is on JV hockey and Tim, sophomore, is on varsity hockey. Although the younger brother plays at a higher level, there is no bitterness between

“A sibling is able to comprehend the emotions you go through when certain things happen such as winning or losing, so it’s nice to have someone there who knows what you’re talking about.” - Lorena Dulce

26 SPORTS DECEMBER

GOLF

SWIMMING HOCKEY

TENNIS

SOCCER

WRESTLING BASEBALL BASKETBALL

the siblings. “Both of us have our own expectations with where we should be as a hockey player, and we try to exceed our expectations regardless where they are at,” Tim said. For athletes with older siblings to look up to, following in their tracks is more than rising to expectations. The elder siblings can offer more useful advice than any other teammate because they understand each other better. “They understand what’s happening right now, and to help

me with all my sports they will look at my film and give me great tips to becoming a better wrestler and football player,” Matt said, “If my brothers didn’t play the same sports as me I don’t know if I would be in the same position I am in today.” Unspoken advice is also shared with younger siblings, who often look up to the other as a role model. “Jack and Brian are big role models in my life. They always help with things I need, not just in sports, but in life too,” Matt said.

SPORTS DECEMBER

Game of the month Boys swim meet at home vs. LT by Ellis Kritzer

insdale Central’s rivalry against Lyon’s Township dates back to a time before history was recorded; we all know that. But since last winter, a growing fan base and social media hype has revitalized both schools. On Dec. 19, another installment of the rivalry comes to Hinsdale Central as the varsity boys swim team from Hinsdale hosts Lyon’s Township. “I think it’s very important for us to win against LT,” said Franco Reyes, sophomore. “They are our biggest rivals and we would all be so pumped to make our school and ourselves proud by beating them.” The swim team is already hard at work in its mission to bring Central its 6th state championship of the school year, partaking in a rigorous practice schedule. Brian Portland, senior co-captain, said, “They’re really tough but at the same time a lot of fun because you know the guy next

to you is in just as much pain as you are…I love that we all have a little pain now to earn that end result.” LT could present a challenge to Central’s efforts to start the season off strong. “I’m sure they have some guys that are really good, but you need a team to win the meet,” Portland said. “I usually try not to think about specific people and try to focus on what I can do to help our team win the meet.” Although the intensity of the competition is still heightened against LT, the rivalry between the two swim teams is much different than that of the football or basketball teams. Brian Powell, senior co-captain, explained, “It’s not really a hate rivalry like basketball and football. Most of the team swims on the same club as the LT swimmers so we are all friends and it’s more a fun rivalry.”

The varsity swim team practices for its meet.

Shiv Bajaj

Upcoming Events Boys varsity basketball vs. LT

Jan. 9 Dec. 19

SPORTS DECEMBER

Girls varsity bowling Hinsdale Central Invit Jan. 17

The Mighty Devils

Boys hockey demands large commitment from athletes by Austin Kleber

courtesy of Red Devil Ice Hockey

Sean Brucci, junior, makes a save during a game against OPRF.

ost sports at Central are very accessible, these sports get sanctioned by the IHSA with daily practices before or after school. The hockey team, however, is a unique case. Since the sport is not IHSA sanctioned, a lot of the cost is shifted onto parents. Thus, a team run independently of the school is managed by parents through its club. There are many reasons why hockey is not IHSA sanctioned, though the main reason is the cost. To play the 30-game season, which lasts roughly seven months, the fee is generally upwards of $3,200 for each athlete. However, this fee could be much higher. The team can only practice three times a week for no longer than an hour and a half due to the cost of renting out a sheet of ice at an ice rink. There is not much availability either. “I’m sure our club puts the cost into consideration and tries to get us to practice as often as we can without paying a crazier price,” said Joseph DiPofi, junior defenseman. Alex Blacketor, senior forward, said, “[The cost] is totally worth it to play a game that’s not really like anything else.” The higher-than-normal fee isn’t the only thing that demands their commitment. The seven-month season takes up most of the school year. “Playing such a long season is definitely a huge commitment for all of us, but it lets the guys on the team get to know each

other much better than if it were just for a few months,” Blacketor said. “It also allows us to improve our skills a lot more, too.” The sport’s lower accessibility also makes for a smaller fan base. “Historically, we haven’t had that many fans. So, I guess in that sense we’re used to it,” Blacketor said. “We don’t really let it get to our heads because whether or not fans show up, we should be playing the same,” DiPofi said. However, due to Red Devil Nation’s effort to get students to attend as many varsity games as possible, the hockey team has seen a growing support base. “The few games we’ve had people come to this season, I’ve seen the bench gain a lot of energy from the crowd,” Blacketor said. “We definitely notice when the fans are in attendance,” DiPofi said. “Playing in front of a big student body is fun. Games become more intense when there are a lot of fans in the stands.” After losing to a very talented St. Rita team in the playoffs last year, the team hopes to make a deeper run into the postseason, while still staying focused on having a good overall experience. Their next big game is against LT in the Winter Classic game on Dec. 19 at 8:00 p.m.

Girls gymnastics meet vs. York

Boys and Girls varsity basketball vs. OPRF

Jan. 21

Jan. 30

g te

Boys wrestling vs. Hinsdale South Jan. 27

SPORTS DECEMBER

w Johnny Campbell

1 Mark Schmidt

Johnny Campbell

Mr. Hinsdale

Johnny Campbell

1. MCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Weston Berger and Jack Clark keep the crowd engaged while between acts. The two seniors hosted the third annual male pagaent. 2. Peter Ren, junior, performs the piano for his talent. The junior was crowned Mr. Hinsdale 2014 after the talent, dress, and question portions of the pagaent. 3. Eamon McMahon, junior, strikes a pose during the dress portion of the pagaent. McMahon was runner-up to Mr. Hinsdale. 4. Tom Lorenc, senior, folds clothes for his talent. The proceeds from the pagaent go the the charity of the winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice. 5. Seven contestants competed for the crown on Wednesday, Dec. 10 (from left to right): Jake Scodro, senior, McMahon, Kunal Jobanpuntra, sophomore, Anthony Scarpiniti, senior, Lorenc, Rohith Balusu, junior, and Ren.

4 Mark Schmidt

17 BEYOND SEPTEMBER

BEYOND SEPTEMBER

Mark Schmidt