Devils' Advocate January 2019

“BUDGET CUTS.” HINSDALE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL | HINSDALE, ILLINOIS | VOLUME 91 | JANUARY 2019 front 4.indd 1 198437_January_r1.indd 1

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CO N T EN T S OUR STAFF LAYO ADELAKUN HANNAH AHDAB SARAH BADAWI OLIVIA BEARGIE AUDREY CARTER GABBY COSTELLO CATHERINE DOLAN CAMERON GARBER RAYHAN HUSSAIN ANCHAL KUMAR RIMA RAFIQ KATIE SHARP GAYATRI THIRUNARAYANAN ANAND YALLAPRAGADA

CONTRIBUTERS

01 04 09 12 14 28 30

COVER 03 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PERSPECTIVES 04 EDITORIAL 05 BATTLEGROUND 07 DEVILISH ADVENTURE

AROUND CAMPUS 09 DEVIL IN DISGUISE 10 THE DAILY DEVIL

FEATURES 12 DEVIL’S IN THE DNA 14 THE NEW CLASSIC 16 NEW YEAR, NEW SCHOOL

PROFILES 21 DEVIL’S DUPLICATE 24 CARTOON PHYSICS 26 IN THE FRAME: WINTER BREAK

BY THE NUMBERS

28 NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

IN OUR COMMUNITY

30 REVIEW: BLUEBERRY HILL 31 CHEERS & JEERS

MISSION STATEMENT Devils’ Advocate seeks to provide an open and diverse forum created by and for students from Hinsdale Central. The staff of Devils’ Advocate aims to bring news to the community of the school and surrounding area, by working with students, parents, and faculty, as well as reporting on events in a fair and balanced manner. The publication strives to inform, educate, and improve the atmosphere and student body by sharing information and recognizing individuals and ideas.

letter from the

[EDITO R ]

With the new year, second chances are given, resolutions are made, and everyone has a fresh start. In this issue, we discuss the effects that the D86 referendum has and will continue to have on students, staff, and taxpayers in a four-part series beginning this month and running through April. We begin with an exploration of the proposed cuts and changes made to curriculum at both Central and South. In the aftermath of college applications, we explore the ethics of legacy admissions and their impact on students.

Elsewhere in the school, we analyze the process of finding and instructing substitute teachers to cover classes, whether it is for a day or a semester. We also profile physics teacher Mr. Breig and his cartoon companion, Dr. Snake. In addition, we examine the shift Hinsdale has taken from a traditional town full of small businesses to a modern one with chain stores. We critique extreme political correctness, which favors fussing over small issues rather than correcting large ones.

Meanwhile, our Devil in Disguise goes undercover in Poms and observes their planning for basketball season, as our adventure columnist takes a risk for the new year by going indoor skydiving. We hope you enjoy this issue.

HEAD EDITORS

ANNIKA AGRAWAL

CONTACT ADVISER, CHERISE LOPEZ CLOPEZ@HINSDALE86.ORG 630.570.8361

SAFI Z. A. QADIR

AMY DONG | AHMAD SHIRAZ

Cover design by Safi Qadir

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LAUREN LEE

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illustration by Audrey Carter

this doesn ’ t matter .

Hundreds of kids on Central’s side of the bleachers chant “A-C-T scores!” during a football game, as the visiting school yells back, “Daddy’s money!” The chants have both sides in a friendly uproar as they cheer on their teams. That was 2015.

Today, there is no cheering—chanting has been banned by Central because it may offend someone. Although most students knew the comments were not to be taken seriously, the school deemed the iconic chants impermissible anyway. This mindset of preserving the best possible societal image is known as “political correctness” and because of it, we are slowly losing our culture.

The term “political correctness” first rose to popular culture when the feminist movement began in the 1980s, according to The Washington Post. Liberal politicians used the term to emphasize that progress needed to include inclusiveness; conservative politicians used it as an insult, saying that liberals were hiding behind semantics, not facing real issues.

Eventually “politically correct” came to mean “non-offensive,” but it is near impossible not to offend anyone at all even with precautionary measures.

The perception of Central, as said by an interviewee in a previous Devils’ Advocate article, is that “everyone thinks we live in mansions and drive BMWs, which we do.”

Another popular image of Central is that we are high achieving both athletically and academically, leading to the previously popular chant of “A-C-T scores” at football 4 | Perspectives It do not matter [editorial].indd 198437_January_r1.indd 4 2

games. But in a society that simultaneously advocates for “being yourself,” it is ironically unacceptable to actually do so.

Instead, we must all be versions of ourselves that are as non-offensive, and therefore as non-personable, as possible.

At Central, there is a longstanding tradition of a game called senior assassins, where seniors pay $10 to be assigned a “target,” another senior in the game. The goal is to eliminate their target by shooting them with a Nerf gun before their own assassin eliminates them. Last spring, however, the Chicago Tribune reported that school parents took offense to the game, claiming that it promoted gun violence and should be intolerable in the wake of school shootings, such as the one in Parkland, Florida last year. While we all want to show respect for the tragic incidents that took place, senior assassins is not meant to be disrespectful or encourage school violence.

To that end, it has very strict rules. It may not be played on school grounds, and no imitation weapon, Nerf gun or otherwise, may be brought to school.

Furthermore, participation is completely voluntary. Should the game make anyone uncomfortable, the solution is simple: don’t play. Senior assassins is no different than any target-based video game, and it is, and has always been, a prom fundraising tradition. The drawn-out push to get rid of the game led to it being renamed Senior Tag, which wasn’t actually a meaningful change.

Another form of extreme political correctness was the infamous HC vs LT

hype video produced by Central’s social chairs last year. In this video, Central students were depicted driving a sports car, wearing multiple Rolex watches on each hand, and throwing hundred dollar bills into the air. When the video was released, certain individuals made an uproar, despite the fact that the video was obviously satirical, and not designed to harass anyone.

It wasn’t hateful or prejudiced, it simply poked fun at the true fact that the Central is an affluent community.

Political correctness is important. It is a step towards making the world better for historically marginalized citizens. However, it has become a media monster that crucifies people for everyday comments and victimless fun, making many afraid to even share their opinions.

In fact, when we could actually use political correctness, we don’t. When the America to Me documentary made by Oak Park River Forest High School came out, one episode alleged that Hinsdale Central athletes had made several racist and derogatory remarks to OPRF players.

To this, however, Central had no response.

The truth is, it is easier to make a fuss about small things than to work to change larger issues, but we should be focusing more on discouraging acts of hateful prejudice than wasting our time on minor items like school chants and games. Racist slurs are a problem, light-hearted cheering is not, and the attitude that those two things are equal needs to change.

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

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BATTLEGROUND Shutdown Breakdown.

Context —As of January 7, 2019, President Trump informed us of his intention to declare a National Emergency in the case that Congress does not support his plan to construct a wall dividing the United States and Mexico. Declaring illegal immigration a national emergency to build the border wall is seemingly the only respite in sight from what is already the longest government shutdown in history, and as such, Trump remarked that it was the “easy way out.” However, many find the statute to have “ambiguous” or “vague” guidelines, giving “absolute legal authority” to the President. Ultimately, this controversy boils down to one question: should this much executive power be allowed?

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W

illustration by Audrey Carter

W

ith a whirlwind of groundbreaking activity happening on Capitol Hill these days, many blame everything on President Donald Trump. He’s the evil overlord, the great benefactor, the man behind the curtain.

Others would argue the opposite, that as APUSH and many other history classes have taught us, overreaching executive powers is a time-driven inevitability that we have no choice to accept.

However, the question of who is to blame for what is as pointless as it is impossible. Instead, we should examine the consequences of expanding executive powers. By allowing him to declare a national emergency, President Donald J. Trump is testing Constitutional boundaries like never before. The future shows the ramifications of his actions only worsening. He needs to stop before it’s too late.

In the past, President Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his casual attitude towards flaunting the law. On Twitter regarding the Russian investigation, Trump openly declared he could, and would, pardon himself if found guilty. The idea of excusing yourself of your own crime is ridiculous and as Trump’s legal team would have you believe, also completely legal. However, considering the precedent it would set, does that mean it should still be done?

History has had its share of presidents who’ve tried to expand executive powers. To pass New Deal legislation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to pack judicial courts. However, never in presidential history have we had a president who wants more executive powers solely to protect himself.

What will allowing Trump to declare a national emergency do for the nation? When President George W. Bush announced one after 9/11, it was to stop terrorist attacks by increasing security.

However, this time it’s different. It isn’t a nationwide prerogative meant to protect the weak-willed, definitely-not-a-world-power United States from Mexican drug dealers and rapists. Instead, it’s a statement made by, as Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called him, a “petulant president” trying to fill a campaign promise or lose half his core voter base. It’s to protect himself to the tune of 5.7 billion dollars. Although Democrats have historically supported expanding federal power, in this case by allowing President Trump to recklessly increase his own, the consequences of this self-saving behavior will do precisely that. Save himself and nobody else.

In this House of Cards-like era, Trump cannot be allowed to continue his unorthodox, far from presidential, reign.

Angela Han After all, we all know what happened to Kevin Spacey, don’t we?

hite House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney states that “Presidents have [the] authority to defend the nation,” and this is exactly where the ability to declare a national emergency comes in. Although the common perception is that this executive order will render the construction of the wall in effect, it will mean something even greater.

BBC News states that “the [government] shutdown, which began on 22 December, has cut off funding for about a quarter of the federal government, leaving 800,000 employees without pay,” coinciding with the costly holiday season. Well-to-do federal employees are now relying on food stamps and the young son of two government-employed parents is trying to sell his drawings in fear that his parents’ financial situation will change his family forever. From no federal housing subsidies for those in the Coast Guard, possibly uninspected food by the FDA on furlough, and even hurricane/cancer drug testing on halt, the shutdown has taken its toll on too many households, expending as of January 16, 2018—according to Barron’s Newspaper—officially more than the $5 billion wall that has thrown innumerable politicians into unresolvable conflict.

With the National Emergencies Act to oversee it in case of true exploitation, this power by the president to address national crises, such as the national emergency declarations following the “2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the 9/11 terrorist attacks,” will prove to be necessary for the sanctity of the hundreds of thousands of government workers who woke up a month ago without work through no fault of their own.

President Trump states himself that he’s “not looking to call a national emergency so fast because this is something Congress should do.” He wants “to give lawmakers more time to act,” a clear indication that Trump’s addition of a national emergency, to the 31 already present since President Carter, will not be a rash overuse of executive power, but rather a necessary order by Trump whose decisive role in conversational ceasefire requires expansion.

At the end of the day, we all want to be leaders for a reason. A leader is someone who steps up when disaccord prevents cohesion, and that leader can only have an effect if he/she is given the means to do so. Whether we support Trump or not, he is the embodiment of our Aliza Panjwani country, and his last word—especially after desperate attempts to reconcile with Congress—cannot be ignored.

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STEP FORWARD.

W W W.K E E B E C K .C O M KEEBECK WEALTH MANAGEMENT

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photo by Yusuf Rafiq

Set the

Adventure Devil’s Adventure: Flying into the New Year

By Rima Rafiq

Junior Rima Rafiq indoor skydives at iFly in Naperville.

W

hen the days get long and cold, it’s difficult to find fun things to do without freezing to death.

As my mind ran over things I’ve always wanted to do, skydiving was at the top of my list. Unfortunately, you have to be 18 to go skydiving, and Chicago doesn’t have the best resources for skydiving anyways.

Instead, I found a great alternative to get past the age limit: indoor skydiving.

In choosing to go indoor skydiving, I wanted to emphasize the importance of trying something new, even if it can be scary. Also, it’s getting to that time of year where you are tired of doing the same routine over and over again, so trying something new can be a lot of fun.

With that in mind, myself and a couple of friends made our way to iFly, located at 1752 Freedom Drive in Naperville.

When we arrived at iFly, I was a little intimidated to see people flying up and down the glass tubes at immense heights.

But when I took another look around, I saw there were kids younger than me in line. I figured that if they could do it, so could I. One of the coolest things we did was get hooked up to a VR set, which then lets you choose a location to “skydive” from.

I chose the Dubai scene out of a few other locations, including Southern California, Hawaii, and the Swiss Alps. While it was amazing to experience free falling from 13,000 feet without even having to jump out of a plane, indoor skydiving isn’t as easy as it sounds. With the wind knocking against you, it can be hard to keep your balance. Sure, I fell a couple times before finally getting the hang of it, but I didn’t

have any regrets from my experience.

While it can be nerve wracking to conquer a fear, it also opens up the possibility that you could enjoy and benefit from it. In addition, trying something outside of your comfort zone ensures that you bring something fun and adventurous in your life. Being stuck in a rut is never a good idea, and trying something you’ve never done forces you to grow and learn.

Even at Central, there are plenty of ways to broaden your horizons. If you don’t want to take a risk like skydiving, maybe join a new club or try out for a sport. Even something like Variety Show could be a great opportunity to display your talents.

In an article by Psychology Today, Dr. Alex Lickerman explains that trying something novel allows you to enjoy something new and grow as a person. Ultimately, exploring new heights is great for your mental and physical health; next time you feel bored, go sign up for something new and exciting.

Indoor skydiving has grown in popularity over the past couple of years, and more and more of these types of places have popped up all over the country. In Chicago, iFly has many different locations, the nearest being in Naperville relative to the school’s location. Not only is it a great winter activity, but indoor skydiving is also a convenient way to get a taste of actual skydiving until you turn 18.

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DEVIL IN DISGUISE An outsider’s perspective on the inner workings of a different club every month.

“L

adies, your music is on,” these five words never fail to bring the crowd to its feet. Always in perfect sync, from sequined headband to bootcut pants, a silver pom in one hand, a red in the other, they get into their first formation. From crowded Friday night basketball games to pep rallies, the Pommers are a constant source of entertainment and school spirit.

This year, the winter varsity Poms team consists of 21 juniors and seniors.

The dances we get to see at every Friday night don’t just happen, they take weeks of preparation and practice.

“We sit down and go through our playlist and figure out what song we want to do. Then we stand there for a few minutes trying to figure out what to do and then it hits us,” said Charlotte Jaeger, senior and captain.

All dances are choreographed by the captains, and this year’s captains are seniors Jaeger, Sarah Zidell and Karly Alleman.

The dances typically last two minutes and get performed at multiple games.

However, the Pep Rally dance is always the biggest dance of the season. It’s two minutes longer than the other dances and contains more sections.

“Pep rally is the most nerve wracking, for sure. We put so much more time [into that performance] and you have one chance to perform,” said Rachel Thompson, junior.

This year has been particularly busy

for the Pommers due to the addition of performing at the Girls Basketball games along with their regular performances at the boys’ games.

“We lose a lot of practice time because of it, but I think it’s a really cool experience and it gives us a lot more opportunities to perform,” Thompson said.

When the Pommers have practice it is always run by the captains. A typical practice starts with a warm up and then they either begin learning a new dance, or they add on to a dance from a previous practice. Once they are done with a new dance they work on cleaning it up.

“We go through and make sure our heads are all facing the same way, all of our arms are in the same positions whether it be right arm on top or left arm on top. It doesn’t seem like a big deal but it makes a difference when you’re holding a pom,” Thompson said.

It’s this small attention to details that makes the pommers performances so spectacular. Don’t just take my word for it, take it from the screams that come from the student section every time the Pommers line up for their famous kick lines.

Despite having a busier season, the Pommers still maintain a close knit team.

For any four season Pommer, they end up having the same team twice within their high school career. Since JV consists of freshmen and sophomores and Varsity is juniors and seniors, the Pommers end up getting a JV and Varsity season with the same team from two years ago. Both

photo by Hannah Ahdab

Poms

The Pommers rehearse in the cafeteria after school.

Thompson and Jaeger agree that this makes the team feel closer since this same team danced together in the 2017 basketball season.

“When you have a team that’s closer you learn the way everyone moves and you perform better,” Jaeger said.

The Pommers attribute this closeness to why Poms has become such a great experience for them. “[Poms] was the best part about my high school experience and I would not have changed it for anything else,” Jaeger said.

See the Pommers in action on Feb. 8 at the pep rally and during halftime at all home basketball games.

- Dancing Devil

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The Daily Devil

By Amy Dong

M

ore than two years after the idea of rebuilding Hinsdale Middle School (HMS) was proposed, the new building is now open.

The design of the new school was voted on as part of a larger referendum in November 2016. Its goal was to make classrooms consistent and more conducive for the current student use, as well as update previous resources and programs. When the referendum passed, construction on the new school began and concluded in January 2019.

The new HMS welcomed students and families in a ribbon cutting celebration on Jan. 17 to formally commemorate the end to the project. The school hosted more than 100 people, who took self-guided tours around the new facility.

“The design is so modern and new,” said Annie Krillenberger, senior and HMS alum. I kept saying ‘Oh, I remember that

room,’ but then reminded myself that I went to the old [HMS].”

Krillenberger was one of many HMS alumni who went to the ribbon cutting to see old teachers and look at the new improvements.

Evan Bhatt, seventh grader, mentioned how he was nostalgic about the old middle school, but that he was excited for the new one.

“I’ll definitely miss a few things, like the commons and the dolphin doors, but I’m really glad the referendum passed,” Bhatt said.

HMS teachers had similar thoughts.

“I’m a little sentimental, but it will pass,” said Linda Seikel, HMS math teacher. “It’s an incredible building, and it significantly enhances the educational environment for both the students and staff. It’s just amazing.”

photo by Lauren Lee

Cutting New Ties

Hinsdale Middle School held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 17.

By Ahmad Shiraz

T

he sound of drumming echoes throughout the room, as Jonathan Tatooles, senior, immerses himself in his drum solo. Tatooles is not performing at a concert; rather, he is soloing at the Variety Show. He is one of many students showcasing his talent in the school’s annual Variety Show, which takes place at the end of January.

Auditions for this year’s show were held in December 2018, in which more than 100 students performed their acts in front of the judges. The show’s organizers, teachers Mr. Rob Russo and Mrs. Karen Russo, said they always have a difficult time deciding who gets to perform but they try be open to a variety of acts, no matter their nature.

“We constantly encourage students who may have gotten rejected one year to try out the next,” Mr. Russo said. “We simply need to accommodate a balance in the types of acts that we decide to accept.”

There are no restrictions on what types of acts can try out. In the 2016 show, acts ranged from a traditional Indian dance

performance to a yo-yo presentation.

“We look for groups or soloists that have developed their skills within the parameters of the act they are putting on,” said Ferzam Berki, senior, who is one of the emcees for this year’s Variety Show. “It’s called the Variety Show, so we try to fit in the most diverse group of acts possible.”

This year’s show featured piano, spoken word, singing, dancing, and a few bands as well. In addition, there will be intermittent skits between performances acted out by the emcees to serve as transitions.

For some, performing in the Variety Show is an annual tradition, but for others, standing on this stage is a new experience.

Omar Shaikh, senior, decided to put his experience in Mock Trial to the test by choosing to do a spoken word performance for the first time in public.

“I’ve always been interested in spoken word,” Shaikh said. “The Variety Show was the ideal opportunity to try it for the first time.”

Emcees, Ferzam Berki and Nabhan Rafiq, seniors, dressed as characters from Back to the Future to market the Variety Show.

photo by Safi Qadir

Back to the Variety Show

The Variety Show, which had been scheduled for Jan. 30-31, has been moved to March 6-7 due to inclement weather.

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DEVIL’S IN THE DNA

Whether they have one or not, students discuss the effect of college legacies

I

photo courtesy of Annie Huetteman

It’s 2001 and three-month old Annie Huetteman is being carried into her first University of Michigan football game by her dad, a die-hard Wolverine fan and Michigan graduate.

After attending endless tailgates and latenight football games, Huetteman realized she wished to follow in her dad’s footsteps and become part of the wolfpack, studying biomedical engineering.

Seventeen years later, having just finished her senior finals, Huetteman broke down in California Pizza Kitchen after unexpectedly receiving her acceptance letter. Having discovered her love of Michigan because of her dad, Huetteman surprised him with an “Official Michigan Dad” shirt, revealing her acceptance. Crying, Mr. Huetteman congratulated her, unable to cover his pride and excitement for his daughter, who will join him as a Wolverine.

Huetteman’s narrative is one that commonly unravels for students at school.

According to CityData, 79 percent of Hinsdale residents over the age of 25 have

By Olivia Beargie & Katie Shatp

a bachelor’s degree or higher. Surrounded by a town boasting a highly educated population, a majority of Central students have a legacy to at least one college. In a survey of 105 students conducted by Devils’ Advocate, it was found that 58.8 percent had a legacy.

In the same survey, 84.3 percent of students said they believe that having a legacy gives applicants a large advantage in college admissions.

“If it didn’t at least potentially play a role, then colleges wouldn’t ask the question on their application, and some definitely do. However, I think colleges mostly ask this question out of curiosity and record keeping rather than any plan to give preference to these students,” said Mr. Rob Aurich, a guidance counselor of four years. “There are many other factors in a student’s application and background that also make this a much more complex issue.”

For the Ivy Leagues in particular, legacies can play a large role in the admissions process. According to CNBC,

29 percent of the incoming 2021 Harvard class were legacies. In fact, according to the report, legacy applicants were supposedly three times more likely to be accepted compared to regular applicants.

As far as colleges in general, The Washington Post also reported that children of alumni had a 45 percent greater chance of admission in 2011.

However, Aurich said that the fact that an applicant’s parent or grandparent attended a school does not lead to acceptance. He explained that many schools are simply too competitive and the applicant pools are too large.

Genny Haarlow, junior, is a fourth generation legacy at Princeton, and her family continues their involvement in the school, donating money and cheering them on at rowing competitions. Despite her family history, Haarlow has decided against applying to the school for many reasons.

“I think [I would be] given an unfair advantage in my opinion,” Haarlow said.

“And I wouldn’t want to be someone who took advantage of that and took the spot from someone who genuinely worked hard and wanted to go there.”

The majority of applicants do not have legacies when applying to college, which many say puts them at a disadvantage in comparison to those who have one or more legacies.

Adrianna Minnella, junior, argues that legacies are unfair because it puts one student over another simply due to their parent’s decisions.

“Not having a legacy shouldn’t work against a student applying, but often times it does. Legacies make it harder for first generation college students to be accepted while rewarding students with long generations of college attendees,” Minella said.

Sydney Collignon, senior and soon to be freshman at the University of Denver, is committed to play lacrosse at the same school both her parents played basketball.

During the recruitment process, Collignon said that although it shocks people, she had never felt any pressure to choose Denver, even with two Division I athletes as parents.

“My parents were actually against the idea of me attending the same college Senior Annie Huetteman (lower right) pictured at a Michigan University football game alongside her family.

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because they wanted me to do my own thing,” Collignon said. “When I visited and my parents saw how much I loved the school and how much I fit in at the school and on the team, they were more encouraging.”

For Collignon, the pressure rests on her sport performance.

“The fact that my parents went to the same school doesn’t make anything harder but it increases the pressure to perform well. My mom was #45, my dad was #44, and I will be #43 so it feels like I am carrying on their legacy,” Collignon said.

Zayd Alamuddin, junior, has an extensive family history at University of Madison-Wisconsin and like Collignon, both his parents are alumni. Alamuddin hopes to join the family tradition by becoming a badger in the Fall of 2020, and with ten family members who have graduated or are currently studying at Wisconsin, the school has always been a large part of Alamuddin’s life.

“Wisconsin has been my dream school since I have been able to understand what college was and my parents have definitely found ways over the years to shown their interest in me attending college there,” Alamuddin said.

Alamuddin has a house in Wisconsin which his family makes sure to visit six times a year. They also make sure to see at least one football game a year as a family, which has resulted in around half of his wardrobe consisting of Wisconsin apparel. Although Alamuddin attests to a sense of security provided by his legacy, unlike Collignon, he claims the pressure is more apparent.

“I have definitely been pressured to go to Wisconsin, but most of the time it is a good pressure. My parents know how much I like the school and they are trying to help guide me to achieve this goal,” Alamuddin said. “My whole GPA is based around ‘what does Wisconsin want’ and my parents make sure I get the grades in classes I need to take to make me competitive for application.”

Aurich has encountered many students throughout his career, some of which have felt various pressures to attend the school their parents attended. He said that there is a big difference between “pressure” and “positive support” which he sees both of at school.

“I think I speak for all counselors that we sometimes sense that there is pressure on students to apply to certain kinds of

schools,” Aurich said. “I imagine that sometimes those schools that are deemed more acceptable by these parents are also ones the parents themselves may have attended. However, I also see the opposite quite often—parents who just want their students to find the best fit for them, regardless of where they attended.”

Some parents may unintentionally pressure their children by showing exaggerated interest. Jack Galassi, junior, said he hopes to attend The University of Notre Dame, his father’s alma mater, and that his family’s involvement in the school has pushed him towards attending.

“My dad and my whole dad’s side of my family loves Notre Dame which has really influenced my college decisions,” Galassi said. “We watch all the football games. It is a big part of our family.”

3 out of 5 students are legacies according to a survey with 105 responses

Galassi recounts the time his dad took him to his first Notre Dame football game when he was young and how much of an impact that moment had on the path he wants to take for his future.

“Notre Dame was playing Stanford and as we walked around the campus before the game, I saw the golden dome and felt like I belonged there,” Galassi said.

Being a junior, Galassi has yet to find out if this dream will become a reality. Even so, he knows his family will support him in wherever he ends up spending the next four years after his graduation in 2020.

“I think my dad would be a little disappointed if I didn’t end up going to Notre Dame, but he would never pressure me to go somewhere if I didn’t want to,” Galassi said.

Huetteman said her parents acted similar to the way Galassi predicts his parents will act when he applies for college.

“My dad was never like ‘Oh, you need to go to Michigan’ because he knows if I didn’t get in, that would just make it even worse,”

Huetteman said.

Although people consider legacy status to be weighed highly in a college application, it doesn’t guarantee admission. Most colleges claim that being a legacy is only considered as a tiebreaker between equally weighted applicants.

However, College Transitions found that three-fourths of the top 100 “research institutions and liberal arts colleges” in the United States factor legacy status when admitting students.

Compared to private schools, public schools take legacy status under less consideration for students’ overall applications. According to NPR, only six percent of public colleges consider legacy when admitting students, which is significantly lower compared to private institutions.

“I’m sure if there was someone who was the exact same as me, same essays and same scores, it would probably push me over the edge, but I don’t think it gave me that much of an advantage. I also know people who were similar to me who had double legacies and got deferred so it can go both ways,” Huetteman said.

As a recruit, Collignon said she believes her legacy wasn’t factored in at all during her coach’s decision to add her on the team.

In fact, to her knowledge, the coach wasn’t aware that her parents were both Denver alumni. Even so, Collignon testifies that her legacy will benefit her in other ways.

“My dad is still involved with the university’s business program and that is what I am planning on studying. Knowing that the people in the department know my dad helps me feel more comfortable accessing all the resources available to me,” Collignon said.

Huetteman also touched on how attending her father’s alma mater was something really special that strengthened their bond and will help her feel close to her family when she leaves for school.

“I think that going there will allow me to relate with my dad and finally understand why he is so crazy about University of Michigan,” Huetteman said.

For Mr. Huetteman, while he has always enjoyed walking around his old campus, he said this fall will be extra special when he moves his daughter there because he’ll be an “Official Michigan Dad.”

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The New ClassiC

By Sarah Badawi and Gayatri Thirunarayanan

photo by Layo Adelakun

As new establishments enter the town of Hinsdale, students discuss the evolution of its downtown

I

t’s a crisp winter morning in downtown Hinsdale as senior Josh Terry begins his run. Terry’s family has resided in Hinsdale for around 20 years, starting from when his family’s house was first bought by his grandfather. As he runs between the intersections of the cobblestone roads, it is impossible for him not to take notice of the vintage shops and classic town of Hinsdale.

As he continues his run, his eyes wander and notice the Starbucks centered in the middle of downtown Hinsdale: yet another chain added to his small hometown.

The town of Hinsdale was established in 1865 when the Burlington & Quincy Railroad decided to build train tracks through a plot of land nearby the town of Fullersburg. This connection served as a

conduit for establishing new businesses with the vision that Hinsdale would remain as a small, historic town. The town currently has two national registered historic districts, meaning Hinsdale’s historic origins are federally recognized.

This history associated with Hinsdale is what made preserving the town’s original look a priority of the village board.

“The ‘classic-town’ aesthetic of Hinsdale is what makes it both friendly for residents and a variety of businesses,” said Luke Stifflear, the chair of the Zoning and Public Safety Committee of Hinsdale.

However, some say that Hinsdale is slowly losing its original look. Shops in Hinsdale that have been around for years have been shut down. Students have

seen the closing of Tiger and Tulips, a boutique clothing store for women, Cosi’s, a sandwich shop, and the most recent shut down in December of Hartley’s Cycle Shop, a bicycle store. Starbucks, a world wide chain, opened up a franchise in Hinsdale in 2005. Verizon has also made its way onto the streets of Hinsdale, along with Casa Margherita, and BMO bank, adding to the chains in town.

“Hinsdale has always been known for its cozy, classic town feel, and for the past few years, it seems like the newer establishments in town are providing an interesting rivalry to that feel,’’ Terry said.

Terry’s family has lived in Hinsdale for decades and has seen changes come and go.

Newer residents of the area, on the other

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hand, may disagree with the characterization of Hinsdale as a classic town.

“I lived in Oak Brook for 12 years; when I came to Hinsdale, I felt like there were more chains than small town shops in the area,’’ said Sachin Advani, junior. “The question isn’t how Hinsdale can reclaim it’s classic town vibe, because I never felt that it had one to begin with.’’

However, there are those who would disagree with Advani. Senior Anisha Sunkara, who lived in Hinsdale for 13 years and later moved to Oak Brook as a senior, said she enjoys spending time in Hinsdale because it reminds her of her childhood.

“When I spend time in Hinsdale with my friends, I get back a lot of memories of when I used to live here; I feel like the stores are the poster reflections of the town,’’ Sunkara said. “I was however recently shocked to see that some of the older stores were shutting down.’’

Members of the town board say that change is inevitable, but that they have been authorizing new rules for buildings and takWing measures that have not been seen in the past, in order to integrate tradition with change.

“I think that the emergence of store chains is a part of today’s society and the board members that dictate the commerce in Hinsdale are aware of this change and seek to also incorporate just enough of it while preserving the integrity of the town,” said Scott Banke, member of the village board.

One particular recent establishment, Harry and Eddie’s, opened its doors on May 22, replacing a Mexican restaurant named Cine, which had previously occupied the space. Before Cine, the building served as a Lily Pulitzer outlet, and before that, it was Hinsdale’s original cinema.

“Even though we are a new restaurant, we still sought to reflect the original cinema scene that used to be in Hinsdale,” said Chris Krause, an employee at Harry and Eddie’s since its opening. “I think we’re one of the examples of stores [which] are relatively new but still retain the classic town feel of Hinsdale.”

Some of the new policies implemented by the village board of Hinsdale to retain the “classic town” character of Hinsdale include limiting the height of buildings to two stories and placing restrictions on the types of signs that shops can display. This was one of the reasons why, when McDonalds and Starbucks opened in Hinsdale, they received special

instructions about their marketing. “[Starbucks and McDonalds] were given instructions to follow signage rules, and the Starbucks in town was designed to be spacious and commodious to follow the theme of a town setting,” Banke said.

Jackson Price, the supervisor of the Hinsdale Starbucks, also makes a point of maintaining that setting, and he is not alone.

“Starbucks as a company has always had the goal of giving a small community feel to the locations at which it is established,” Price said.

While the introduction of more corporate establishments in Hinsdale has been in contrast to its historically small-town characteristics, village board members and the Chamber of Commerce also look at the positive aspects of that change in conjunction with cozy charm, seeking to maintain the classic feel of the town while increasing business endeavors in the town. Currently 94.5 percent of the entire village’s retail properties are occupied leaving only 5.5 percent vacantthis is a vacancy rate that has been at its lowest since 2003. “[The new establishments] are a subtle change that have brought tremendous economic growth to the town, which is exactly why the village board and many others seek to strike a balance between these two aspects," Stifflear said.

Some of the stores in Hinsdale that have been around for decades have been embracing change as well, all while staying true to their roots. The Phillips Flower Shop in Hinsdale has been doing business in Hinsdale since the early 1900s. One of the changes that Mrs. Gwen Phillips and the Phillips family, who own part of Phillips Flower Shop, have personally made to their business is the automation of orders.

“Part of the feeling of a small-town is the ability for everyone in the community to be able to interact with each other,” Phillips said. “I feel that the technology our company has incorporated has tremendously helped business, but we do still miss the human aspect of having a flower shop, which is why I make it a point to always converse with our customers.”

These independent, decades-old shops add to the classic architectural aesthetic of Hinsdale—an aesthetic that many of the residents don’t want to change. Many families were attracted to Hinsdale for its small town feel, such as Terry’s parents,

who settled in Hinsdale in hopes of finding a consolidated community and having an established suburban home.

“Since I was young, the houses and buildings in Hinsdale have been renovated, yet have managed to stay in this type of freeze of small-town architecture,” said Jeff Terry, Josh’s father.

However, the village board has also taken steps to ensure that the town would not only naturally persist as a charming establishment, but also as a place for residents to come together as a community.

“This was one of the main reasons why the town established a Community House several years ago—to make Hinsdale not just an area of residence but a unique enclave of small-town people,” Stifflear said.

The Community House has served residents in a variety of ways, by providing a theater and a place to gather, among other services, to instill that small-town

“The‘classic-town’aesthetic of Hinsdale is what makes it both friendly for residents and a variety of businesses.”

Luke Stifflear

feel. The village of Hinsdale also organizes community events regularly to achieve the same effect.

“I think events like the Christmas Walk and the activities that are available at the Community House bring people in Hinsdale together,” Terry said.

It is these events, along with longstanding establishments, that help Hinsdale retain it’s classic town feel. One such establishment is Page’s restaurant.

“Our restaurant opened in 1981 as a way for the people in the town to share a common place for eating and possibly even create a tradition,” said Cecelia Roldan, co-owner of Page’s.

This hope has become a reality for some of the teams at the school.

“The guys in the running teams at Central go to Page’s at least a few times a month,” Terry said. “It’s our tradition and we like the way downtown Hinsdale has kept these family-owned stores.”

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NEW YEAR, NEW SCHOOL? T AP

taeF| 61

ddni.mudnerefeR

THE AFTERMATH OF THE DISTRICT 86 REFER PART ONE OF A SERIES TITLED “A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL”

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HOOL?

86 REFERENDUM

E DEVIL”

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BY ANCHAL KUMAR AND AUDREY CARTER

RETRA

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MP 81:3 91/1/2

T

he clock strikes 3 p.m. and the halls of Hinsdale Central flood with students. As many rush to head home in buses and their own vehicles, a substantial portion of the school’s population will linger well past the final bell.

While others are elbowing paths towards their lockers and out the door, these students walk in the direction of that part of the building they consider a second home.

Athletes, packed into locker rooms, don their jerseys and prepare for warm-ups.

Just across the way, the smell of freshly baked brownies wafts from the Class Board’s bake sale fundraiser. In the music department, voices echo through the halls, harmonizing together but decidedly clashing with the jazz band, whose players are improvising melodies that have never been heard before. The actors of the drama club sink into red cushioned seats as, on the other side of the building, the debate team slides into harder blue ones. Spanish and German and Latin and French clubs explore cultures from across the globe: both those that are lively and those that have long since been dead. Ambassadors greet their transfer students. Let’s Help Out plans a new service project. Photo club switches off the darkroom lights.

Some strive to participate in every activity possible while others just choose one, but regardless of quantity, a majority of Central students are familiar with the extracurricular scene. From Fencing to

“H

igH scHool is

football, HigH scHool is tHe friday nigHt ligHts, and it’s tHe dance team and tHe cHeerleaders and everytHing else tHey are going to get rid of.

”

angIe BrInkerhoff

Food Review Club there is something for everyone. As of August 2018, Central offered more than 113 after-school programs for its students. Each activity provides a unique opportunity for its members, yet by next year, many of those activities will be gone.

On August 6, 2018, the District 86 Board of Education held a committee of the whole meeting for the approval of a community referendum. The referendum, voted on in November of that year, was created in response to district concerns regarding the facilities of both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South. With a proposed value of $166.4 million, the money would be used primarily towards meeting these new infrastructural updates. For students attending the two schools, that meant a regulation pool, renovated cafeterias, and new collaborative classroom spaces. For their parents and additional community members, it meant an average annual $301 increase in property taxes.

cutS

Exactly three months after its original proposition, the November referendum failed. In response to this failure, the Board of Education has approved a new referendum of reduced value to be voted on April 2, 2019. The April Referendum will be the third proposed by the Board, beginning with the April 2017 Referendum which called for $76 million. Should this also fail, however, the Board has also imposed a number of cuts and funding reductions to activities and athletics for the upcoming school year as a precaution.

In athletics, there were cuts made to both Central and South’s Bass Fishing, Swimming, Water Polo, Cheerleading, Poms, Football, and Wrestling teams.

The administrators at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South explained that, in contrast to activities, the elimination of sports was in part dependant upon Title IX compliance. Title IX states that any school with a co-ed population must provide equal athletic opportunities for both male and female students.

Both activities and athletics cuts are final as of right now. Should the April Referendum pass, the reinstatement of certain programs may be renegotiated by the board.

“Within the current budget there is no way to [make renovations], the only spot to take the money from to improve

facilities is from education,” said Arwen Pokorny Lyp, Principal at Hinsdale South.

In regards to activities, more than 25 cuts were made to a variety of areas from student government to the arts. According to a Devils’ Advocate Survey of 88 respondents, 73.9 percent of students participate in an activity in jeopardy of being cut.

While the school board made final decisions, they requested that both principals make recommendations for cuts based on a specified dollar amount.

“One of the things we were looking at is what activities could potentially be merged or were redundant in some way shape or form,” Principal William Walsh said. “It’s about opportunities, so we tried to preserve as many opportunities as we could moving forward.”

An example of this provided by the administration was the possible opportunity for services such as those offered by Ambassadors to continue under the framework of Peer Leadership.

Additionally, other clubs for which academic classes already existed were eliminated in favor of the class.

In addition to extracurricular cuts, the Board has also advised pay freezes and cuts among the administration and support staff, cuts to transportation, cuts in the department head structure, cuts to music department tutors, and increased class sizes.

Impact on Student Body

The proposal for increased class sizes has prompted some negative responses from the student body. Should the number of students in a class increase, they argue, the potential for distraction will also increase. Others question the impact this will have on the relationships within the classroom, predicting more impersonal interactions with teachers.

In contrast, however, others argue that the academic atmosphere as a whole won’t be influenced, regardless of individual cuts.

“The competitive nature of the school will still stay the same. I think students will still feel the same drive to do well as they do now,” said Sara Draddy, senior representative to the Board of Education.

“All in all I think the board did what they could, but it’s really unfortunate.”

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While opinions regarding the extent to which the cuts will influence life at Hinsdale Central vary, there appear to be few who argue this will be a positive change.

According to a survey by Devils’ Advocate of 84 respondents, 8.3 percent of students described their feelings towards cuts as being positive.

“What really affects me are the [students] in the future. These incoming freshmen and underclassmen, they’re never going to experience what I have experienced with clubs,” said Anna Gruvberger, junior swimmer. “Being in a sport or being in an activity really changes how you look at high school... it makes a little family for yourself. I think losing that would be a tragedy.”

For many, the cuts to athletics and activities have been seen as an attack on Central’s overall culture. Among such cultural changes, Principal Walsh stated that given the elimination of the football team, 2019 Homecoming would likely be centered around soccer instead.

“High school is football, high school is the Friday night lights, and it’s the dance team and the cheerleaders and everything else they are going to get rid of,” said Angie Brinkerhoff, junior pommer.

a new referendum

April’s referendum is set to be $139.9 million. This is a a $26.6 million reduction to the November referendum’s $166.4 million request. Central and South’s principals explained that the two biggest changes to April’s Referendum are a budget reduction for pool expansion and the purchase of classroom furniture.

They also elaborated on the process by which the referendum was created.

Multiple teams assigned to different areas for improvement within the district were provided with reports and gave recommendations for their respective departments. Some of these teams include but are not limited to IT, Student Service, Administrative, Athletics, Classroom Environment, Cafeteria, and Fine Arts. There was also a pool staff force made up of community members who were knowledgeable on the details of Central’s pool. They came up with a variety of different pool variations, each referendum including a different one.

Both principals emphasized how there are no new ideas throughout in planning the

referendum, only changes made to what the administration wants prioritized.

In regards to the reasoning behind the referendums, the administration has expressed it is almost completely due to a need for infrastructural change as determined by the community task forces as well as the American Disabilities Act. These changes will occur in areas including, but not limited to, emergency response systems, equipment, fulfilling facilities to meet the disability acts, repairing infrastructure, and improving electrical capacity and lighting.

“The April referendum is out there because we know we have work that needs to be done on the campuses,” Principal Walsh said.

According to the Board of Education’s November Referendum information page, the District allocates about $1.5 million for construction every summer. However, in the Summer 2018, all that money went to pay for the items deemed most serious on a 10year Life Safety Study. As a result of the DuPage County tax rate, the District does not have sufficient funds to provide for the necessary facilities’ updates.

Within the community, the referendum has garnered strong feelings of both support and opposition.

As a result of this public campaigns for both positions have since emerged: “Vote Yes to Save Our Schools” and “Vote No. Both sides have intensely rallied for their own views planting signs, calling residents, and making visits around the local community.

According to the Devils’ Advocate survey, 61.4 percent of students were in favor of the November Referendum prior to its vote and 15.9 percent of students were opposed. The remainder indicated they had no strong opinions.

“They are holding things over our heads for our money and it’s scary because you know there is a high chance it will pass now, on the off chance that it doesn’t, so many kids lose their sports and I don’t want to go to a high school with no football team,” Brinkerhoff said.

Additionally, there have been questions regarding the quality of Central and how it will be affected by the previously mentioned cuts.

Some students expressed concerns

ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES CUTS AT CENTRAL Cuts to HC Activities

Red Devil Nation Athletes Committed to Excellence Ambassadors Choral Director Class Sponsor -Fr, So, Jr, Sr Debate Drama Club French Club Freshman Play German Club Jazz Combo J. Kyle Braid Program Latin Club Let’s Help Out Microfinance Newspaper Club National Honors Society Pep band Photo Club Production Assistant Puzzle Club SADD September Show Spanish Club Spring Play Variety Show Varsity Club Yearbook Club

Cuts to HC Athletics Bass Fishing Boys/Girls Swimming Boys/Girls Water Polo Cheerleading Football Poms Wrestling

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about the college application process.

“The thing that makes Hinsdale Central unique is the insane amount of opportunities it gives its students,” Brinkerhoff said. “We’re going to be applying [to college] next year and if [the referendum] fails then our activities will be gone and we’ll have an empty resume.”

In contrast to Brinkerhoff ’s statement, the administration denied any influence on college applications.

“Colleges know the programs that are available to their high school students...they don’t hold what a high school offers to a student against them,” Principal Pokorny Kyp said.

the future Many have speculated on the reasoning behind the November referendum’s failure, with many citing miscommunication as the primary cause.

“I think it failed because not as many people were informed about what was going on. They didn’t realize —honestly I didn’t even realize at the time— how bad a situation the school was in,” Draddy said.

Of the 88 respondents of the Devils’ Advocate survey, 42.9 percent indicated they were not aware of potential cuts prior to the November vote, and 27.4 percent indicated they would have changed their position if they had known.

“The voters are entitled to make their own decision as always and we hold no judgment on how people decide to vote, but I do know that there was some misinformation out,” Principal Pokorny Kyp said. “People might have been making a decision, whether it was yes or no, that was not based on facts.”

In response to this, the administrations of both South and Central, as well as Draddy herself, have advocated for greater student interaction with the Board.

“We encourage everyone to get their facts from the district website or to come to one of our [building] tours,” Principal Pokorny Kyp said.

“Whatever decision people make is their own to make, but we would just like people to be empowered with the facts before they make a decision.”

Perhaps additionally contributing to voter motivations were the school affiliations of community members.

According to an article by The Hinsdalean published on November 15, 2018, there was a clear divide in the voting tendencies of the Central and South communities.

While the referendum passed in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, and Oak Brook, it failed in Burr Ridge, Darien, District 60 and the former Buffer Zone. Excluding the former buffer zone in which students have the choice to attend either high school, all of the areas in which the November Referendum passed were Central

attendance zones, all of those in which it failed were South attendance zones.

For many, the November Referendum was an issue of equity, with some South community members arguing the proposed budgets favored Central. In total, $101.5 million, 61 percent of the $166.4 millon referendum, was expected to be spent on the update of Central’s campus. In contrast, $64.7 million, 31 percent, was to be spent on South.

Central facilities have also not seen a renovation since it was built in 1947.

South’s facilities were built in 1962.

With the upcoming April referendum, 57 percent of the funds, $79.9 million, will be spent on Central and 43 percent, $59.8 million, will be spent on South.

Additional cuts to sports and activities also pertain to the topic of equity, as the elimination of any extracurricular at one school must be carried over to the other, in order to balance the opportunities given to each of the respective student bodies.

One can only speculate on the future of the referendum. According to the Devils’ Advocate survey, 77.3 percent of students think the April Referendum will pass.

“We’re at a point where we need this money. This is the same school… it hasn’t changed for generations and it needs to,” Draddy said.

Projects removed from the APril referendum

Projects Added to the APril referendum

Pool Expansion Build a new, larger pool, 6-lane, 40 yards.

(South) Build a new, larger pool, 10-lane, 40 yards. (Central) Pool Expansion Convert existing pool for wrestling/ gymnastics.

(Central) Convert Gymnastics to 3 CR’s, 2 labs (Central) Renovate Central Auditorium Install lighting and sound upgrades (Central) Install new finishes (Central) Install new seating with flip-top surfaces (Central) Renovation to include orchestra pit (Central) Renovate classrooms Upgrade furniture to provide flexible learning environments (Central and South)

Pool Replacement Renovate existing pool keeping the same size pool (6 lane 25 yard). (South) Replace existing pool with the same size pool (6 land 25 yard). (Central) Renovate Fine Arts Provide a dedicated piano / electronic music lab and storage (South) Provide a dedicated Dance space and storage (South) Provide storage for all instruments outside of the band room (South) Limited upgrades to the Little Theater, including upgrades to lighting and sound South)

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Devil’s Duplicatee

When teachers go on leave, substitutes take over. These people take over temporary roles, and are flexible to the obstacles a new classroom brings

By Catherine Dolan and Anand Yallapraganda

T

he students arrived to their English class surprised; they were greeted by a new face, instead of their regular teacher: Jim DiDomenico.

This new teacher, who they had seen only briefly, introduced herself. Luna Hilal, the substitute teacher, would be taking over until winter break. Hilal would facilitate all class lessons, projects, quizzes, tests, essays, and even the final.

At school, students in all grade levels have faced adjustments that come from the extended or temporary absences of their instructor. There are many reasons for this occurrence. Teachers have lives to tend to outside of their occupation. They welcome new additions to their families, face illnesses, and deal with other personal matters that require leaves of absence.

A teacher has multiple responsibilities in their classroom. This person instructs, leads, prepares the materials, and has an intimate knowledge of their subject material. Both students and substitutes must adjust and overcome certain obstacles in the wake of the regular teacher’s absence.

DiDomenico teaches in the English Department across grade levels. Earlier this year DiDomenico went on paternity leave for the addition of his third child, Tommy.

“I got to spend a lot of really high quality time with my family. When you have a newborn in the house there’s a lot of work. Being able to help my wife navigate all the different things about life in the

world of a newborn was really important,” DiDomenico said. “But [aside from] being there to help my newborn son, I also have a son who’s going to be three in February and another son who just turned five.”

DiDomenico had to stop teaching his A.P. Language, English One, and Film Studies courses. For the entirety of quarter two, his students were taught by Ms. Luna Hilal, a substitute teacher. DiDomenico recalled a flurry of preparation for his transition in the month before his departure.

“For Mr. DiDomenico’s class for AP Lang, he had a set curriculum, and I followed everything that he had,” Hilal said.

Junior Dinesh Jaliparthi stated that there were very few difficulties when Hilal took over. In fact, Jaliparthi claims his personal work wasn’t affected at all. He cites the planning and preparation that went into the transition between the teachers.

Long term absences, like DiDomenico’s, occur throughout grade levels. However, most substitute teachers deal with shorter leaves. These teachers are only present in any given class for a day. As interim educators, they need to be flexible in order to adapt.

Tanya Walery is a Spanish teacher and throughout her many years as an educator, Walery has adapted to the challenges substitutes can bring. For her, planning is a key component in ensuring a productive day for students. These plans need to be simple enough for there to not

be any miscommunication.

“I think substitutes don’t get the credit they deserve. When students see a substitute, they celebrate. They’re happy that there’s a substitute.

And I get it. They want a break and they think it’s a break. But I get kind of get disillusioned when students take advantage of these adults that are coming in and just trying their best.”

Tanya Walery

“We have substitutes that have never [taught], so they don’t understand 100 percent of what a teacher might. The less moving parts for a substitute to deal with the better,” Walery said.

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Ms. Luna Hilal, substitute teacher.

his actual interactions with Hilal were mostly constrained to email with the exception of two hourlong face-to-face meetings.

DiDomenico says that he feels the most worthwhile exchange with his substitute was when she shadowed him.

It eased the transition by demonstrating his unique teaching style, teaching methods, and the classroom expectations, allowing for a smooth transition between instructors for all parties. Yet, DiDomenico said he still felt that he just did not have enough time to aid his temporary replacement.

“I felt kind of bad for her because I was like ‘Hey you’re taking over my class in a couple weeks, here’s a 25 page Google Doc that has all this information. Good luck,’” DiDomenico said.

This is a contrast with shorter term substitutes. Oftentimes, regular teachers have to leave unexpectedly or don’t have much time in advance to prepare. Due to this, most teachers will not have prior communication with the substitute before the date of their absence. It can be difficult to even know which substitute will be chosen.

“Certain substitutes become our favorites because they get to know the way we do things. I tend to try to get the same sub all the time if I can. It’s not always easy, but if you can get the same sub all the time the kids

get t o k n o w t h e m , ” Walery said.

“I think sometimes when substitutes come in, it throws a student off what they’re used to.”

After one day of shadowing, Hilal was now in charge of DiDomenico’s classes. Her most immediate obstacles were the students themselves. Hilal initially struggled with students who simply did not regard her in the same manner as their original teacher.

Eventually, however, Hilal adapted and the classroom dynamic improved.

Besides dealing with irreverent students, Hilal was also disappointed that she wasn’t being able to construct her own creative lesson plans. In her previous, as well as current, maternity/paternity leave positions, Hilal was granted free reign to design coursework and engage the students in her personal style. While substituting for DiDomenico, on the other hand, she followed the aforementioned guidelines.

Hilal praised the administration for its welcoming nature and general aid during the transition period. Yet, the willingness of English Department members to answer questions and assist with technology helped her transition. Hilal said the highlight of her time as a teacher was the satisfaction of seeing her students master the material.

According to Junior Ismail Husain, she succeeded. Husain described a dichotomy between first and second quarters, postulating that the former was structured to introduce new material and concepts, while the latter focused on reinforcement and mastery. He noted his affinity for the more relaxed pace of the second half of the semester.

“There was a huge difference between first and second quarter. My grade rose over 10 percent because of the shift in the style of classes,” Husain said.

DiDomenico returned on Jan. 8, the first day of second semester. He says

there were no noticeable changes in the classroom environment, and credits the natural shift to the “system reset” that is winter break. Overall, DiDomenico said he was pleased with the work done in his absence.

“When we came back, it was pretty natural. It was like, ‘Miss Hilal finished up second quarter. Good job. You guys got what you needed. Let’s move forward,’” DiDomenico said.

DiDomenico did not take parental leave for his first and second born children, but decided to take advantage of his right as a father for his most recent child. Justin Esau, another teacher of the English department, took leave this year for the birth of his child.

Esau struggled with managing his responsibilities as a teacher at school and a father of a newborn at home. Specifically, he had trouble reconciling the routine of the former with the utter chaos associated with the latter. Since the substitutes are hired on a contract, the administration needed a concrete date for the start of his paternity leave. Unfortunately, reality had no regard for his plan as the baby was born two weeks prior to the beginning of his leave. In order to fulfill all his obligations, Esau dealt with both his school work and paternal duties at the same time.

“I was in this weird bubble place where, on the one hand, we get the baby at home and the 4 a.m.-waking-up, but then also having to come in to make sure things were arranged here, to go meet the kids, set up expectations for the classroom, and then to hand things off to [my substitute],” Esau said.

Both DiDomenico and Esau concur that they had no say in the choice of their temporary replacement. The responsibility to contract long-term substitutes lies on the department chair. For short-term substitutes, the Administrative Assistant finds and contacts the substitutes. In the English department, Teresa Bruns is the current Administrative Assistant.

Bruns provided insight on the difference between the qualifications necessary for long and short term substitutes. Whereas the first needs a teaching certificate in their respective area, the second must be willing and able to follow the lesson plan designated for that day.

Esau mentioned that he had the ability to cash in sick-days as a legal loophole to extend his time of absence, but opted to

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Mr. Jim Didomenico, English teacher.

forgo this option.

To him, it seemed an error to leave a shortterm substitute to handle students fresh off their break.

Still, Esau aired his grievances that the process as a whole was unclear.

“It was very difficult to get a clear explanation of what [my options were] until finally got a hold of someone at HR who gave me all the paperwork and spelled everything out,” Esau said.

The formal paternity leave process falls under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA is a United States labor law which mandates employees to grant 12 weeks of unpaid leave without risk of losing their job during medical emergencies of oneself or one’s family. Since paternity leave falls into that category, teachers have the option of taking unpaid leave. As previously mentioned, they may take unpaid leave and supplement their fixed time off with sick days as need be. If a teacher chooses to do this, they will be paid for however many sick days they redeem. However, the potential drawback of using sick days is that the students would be left with a constantlyshifting short-term substitute.

“If I have a teacher who is going to be out two days in a row, it’s important that I have the same substitute in there so that there’s a little consistency [for the students],” Bruns said.

Just as with paternity leave, female teachers are not paid for time at home after pregnancy. Sanskruti Patel, an AP United States History and American Politics teacher, is currently on maternity leave.

Blair Slivensky is the substitute teacher for Patel, taking over all her classes. Yet, Slivensky is not a complete stranger to District 86. Slivensky graduated high school from Hinsdale South, so returning to District 86 means seeing familiar faces. Billson Rasavongxay, social studies department chair is one of Slivensky’s former teachers. “[Rasavongxay] has been great at helping me with everything. All the teachers have been very helpful. They have shared their materials, like their stuff on Google Drive and their syllabi. They also make sure to ask me every day if I’m OK,” Slivensky said.

While the help from teachers at school made an impact, Slivensky also cites Patel’s preparation as being a large contribution to her success. Before going on leave, Patel had Slivensky shadow her classes.

This is a common training trend for most new long term substitutes. In addition, Patel provided Slivensky with all her materials and lesson plans.

“Even now with a newborn she’s still checked in twice already to make sure everything’s fine. She wants to make sure my transition is easy, and then it’s easier for her when she comes back too,” Slivensky said.

Before coming to Central, Slivensky held other teaching positions. She said Patel’s lesson ideas can be a contrast to her own personal plans for lessons. For example, Patel provided Slivensky with PowerPoints and other lesson materials.

However, Slivensky typically uses visuals to teach, like videos.

“Keeping all of [Patel’s] plans and using all her stuff, but trying to use some of my own teaching skills has been a little bit of an adjustment both time wise and content wise. I have to make sure I’m covering everything I need to cover and have enough time to cover it,” Slivensky said.

Another aspect that influenced Slivensky’s transition was the students themselves. Slivensky said the students helped to ease her into the new role. She pointed out the attentive nature of her pupils as being a major factor. The quality of students at Central also differed from other jobs Slivensky has held, and helped to make the shift easier.

“I taught for two years in North Carolina at a pretty low income school. So, I taught a lot different demographics and socioeconomic levels where getting students to work has been an issue,” Slivensky said. “Here I tell students to do stuff and they just do it. I’m still kind of shocked like, ‘Oh, they’re actually discussing what they’re supposed to’ … getting kind of that engagement is so nice.”

This kind of student engagement isn’t isolated to just Slivensky’s classes either.

photos by Rima Rafiq

Even during Hilal’s time in DiDomenico’s classes, students provided aid towards helping their curriculum continue on its set path. In particular, Jaliparthi remembers what it was like to help Hilal when she was starting out.

“Whenever Ms. Hilal had questions about the technology, I helped her out. And then if she had a few overall questions like with assignments and tests, I also helped her with that,” Jaliparthi said.

Walery highlighted that what unifies all substitutes, both long-term replacements to short-term alternates, is their willingness to take on the responsibilities of the classroom. Additionally, she mentioned the goal of all teachers—including substitutes—is to educate the students.

“I think substitutes don’t get the credit they deserve. When students see a substitute, they celebrate. And I get it.

They want a break and they think it’s a break. But I kind of get disillusioned when students take advantage of these adults that are coming in and just trying their best,” Walery said.

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Cartoon Physics

By Gabby Costello and Cam Garber

Mr. Marvin Breig adds his creative flare to AP Physics

“W

hen I took my high school physics class, I didn’t find it very interesting or motivational at all,” said Mr. Marvin Breig, a physics teacher. “One day my dad came in to fill the lecture in my college physics. Whereas we had been talking about ‘a projectile is launched blah blah blah’ he started bombing churches and schools, and I thought to myself ‘Physics can be cool!’”

Having been teaching physics at Central for 31 years, Breig is one of the longest serving teachers in the school. Breig has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and a Master’s Degree in Physics Education, as well as being the cartoonist for his college’s newspaper for three and a half years. Throughout his time as a physicist and a cartoonist, Breig has had a constant, if fictional, companion in the form of his cartoon character Dr. Snake. Dr. Snake is known by students and teachers alike as an aide for learning Physics.

“Snake was one of my big characters from my cartoon strip, and he was my favorite one so he kind of took over,” Breig said. “I’m a boring person and Snake is the guy who would always be doing something wacky and off the wall, and I liked his personality a lot better than mine, and later I learned that he had all the answers so he became Dr. Snake.”

Dr. Snake appears as a sort of secondary lecturer in worksheets, packets, and Learning Central documents, always appearing to explain difficult concepts within AP Physics, or demonstrating easier ways to deal with problems or scenarios.

Breig usually places Dr. Snake segments in their own segregated boxes or pages-long mock-interview transcripts in order to emphasize the points he is making in the context of an entire lesson.

“Dr. Snake is kind of cute and very funny,” said Melissa Li, senior. “Students will make caricatures of him, and because Mr. Breig was a cartoonist before he went into teaching, it’s a nice way for him to hold

on to that part of his life.”

Students such as Li say that Dr. Snake adds an atmosphere of cartoonish levity to the class, which helps to balance the great difficulty of taking AP Physics 1 and creating a comic relief for such a strenuous class. According to the College Board, 5.7 percent of all students who took the AP Exam for Physics 1 earned a 5, which is the highest score possible, with only AP Literature and Composition having a lower percentage of 5s. Additionally, the AP Exam for Physics 1 also had the highest percentage of 1s, the lowest score possible, at 30.8 percent. AP Physics 1 is, in accordance with those exam results, rigorous and difficult.

“AP Physics 1 is hard if you don’t put in the work,” Li said. “Most people, when they take science classes, are used to just memorizing things, but in Physics, you can’t really memorize the concepts you actually have to understand and apply them. So, physics is really hard if you don’t do the homework and don’t pay attention in class, and a lot of people realize that halfway through the year.”

Dr. Snake isn’t exclusively a character for teaching students, however. Breig, who is responsible for sending out memos within the Science Department, incorporates Dr. Snake into the material he sends to his fellow science teachers in a similar format to the one he uses in class. “[Mr. Breig] is the Assistant Department Chair in charge of propaganda,” Science Department Chair Lisa Fernandez said.

“There will be notices outside of my door that he has hung, and he will just go on a rant about a topic and take something from anywhere and just run with it. It’s not something we usually let students read.”

Fernandez said that Breig would like to teach forever if he could, as he has a passion for interacting with students and teaching about his favorite subject.

“He’s never satisfied with the curriculum,” Fernandez said. “He’s constantly tweaking it, and he thrives when

students find errors or ask him questions that he didn’t hit upon in class, because he then uses that as a learning experience to make his class that much better.”

In addition to teaching physics at Central, Breig is also active as a private citizen. As an outspoken supporter for the upcoming District 86 April Referendum, Breig recently spoke in favor of the referendum to the Board of Education at a meeting in early December. In his speech, Breig compared Hinsdale Central to the New England Patriots, and described any potential teacher cuts as if the Patriots, a historically well-performing football team, were to copy from the New York Jets, a historically poor-performing football team.

“I didn’t have anything directly to do with the Referendum,” Breig said. “I did talk to the School Board. The issue I was interested in is that there has been talk about removing the Department Chair for a more broad Division Leader. I have worked with my Department Chair for about 16 years and I think she does a really good job, and the fact that they might throw her out on the street troubles me a lot, and I felt like I should say something about it.”

Breig’s 31 years as a physics teacher for Central have been characterized by his constant drive to challenge his students as well as himself as a teacher. Whether he is altering the curriculum to better prepare students for the AP exam or he is incorporating cartoon characters in his lessons, Breig is not content to let his class stagnate or become forgettable.

“I’ve been here for a long time,” Breig said. “I’m really proud of my accomplishments here. I don’t know how many more years I’m going to teach, but I’m glad that this is my only job. I love this place, I love the types of student we get, [and] I like the enthusiasm. What I’ve seen here is that predominantly, the people here have a great attitude, and I’d like to keep this run going for a lot longer.”

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Mr. Breig demonstrates his drawing of Dr. Snake in his physics class. photo by Safi Qadir

Profile Profiles | 25 breig.indd 3 198437_January_r1.indd 25

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[In The F Managing editor Annika Agrawal in Havana, Cuba.

Section editor Katie Sharp in Hinsdale.

Photo contest winner Chloe Johanson, senior, went to Saint Thomas over winter break.

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Columnist Hannah Ahdab in Hong Kong.

Section editor Sarah Badawi in Orlando, Florida.

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he Frame] Columnist Rima Rafiq in Vancouver, Canada.

Section editor Gabby Costello in Telluride, Colorado.

Editor-in-Chief Lauren Lee in Scottsdale, Arizona. photo spread jan.indd 3 27 198437_January_r1.indd

Features | 27 2/4/19 4:04 3:07 PM

HINSDALE CENTRAL 2019

New Years R SELF-IMPROVEMENT

HEALTH

“I want to read more.”

“Eat a healthy breakfast each morning.”

“Be less judgmental; be more supportive.”

“Stick to a workout schedule.”

“Be more honest with myself.”

“Control stress and anxiety.”

“Be more patient with other people.”

“Go vegan.”

52.1%

33.8%

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“On

“Fi

PIE CHART SHOWS A PERCENTAGE OF RESOLUTIONS IN EACH CATEGORY.

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DESIGNED BY SAFI QADIR.

ars Resolutions

ning.”

”

PRODUCTIVITY

SCHOOLWORK

“Only procrastinate once per day.”

“Get better grades.”

“Improve time management.”

“Stop skipping my class reading.”

“Work more—work harder.”

“Keep track of test dates.”

“Finish my homework by midnight.”

“Get an A in Physics.”

26.8%

23.9%

DATA BASED ON A SURVEY OF 71 RESPONDANTS.

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Blueberry Hill Cafe

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seated fairly quickly. I ordered blueberry waffles, the cafe’s signature dish, as well as eggs and potato pancakes. I assumed the waffles would be a refreshing take on a traditional recipe; however, they were not what I was expecting.

The consistency of the “waffles” was more like a cake, and the sugar in this dish was overwhelming. The artificial blueberry syrup ironically did not taste like blueberries and after taking two or three bites, I had to give up.

The eggs and potato pancakes, on the other head, were a surprising

success. The eggs had a creamy texture that seamlessly blended with the cheese, and the potato pancakes where satisfying in their crispy texture and salty flavor. In conclusion, Blueberry Hill Cafe is an acceptable breakfast place if you live around the area, but I would not suggest going out of your way to dine here. If you decide to visit Blueberry Hill, I would order the simpler items on the menu and stray away from the sweeter, more complex items.

3/5 stars.

photo by Safi Qadir

T

he average American breakfast generally consists of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and some sort of juice or coffee. One morning, in search of this traditional breakfast, I decided to try out Blueberry Hill Cafe in Oak Brook. Blueberry Hill is a big breakfast chain in Illinois.

According to their website, they “strive to provide [customers] with generous, home cooked meals in a warm friendly atmosphere, just like Mom’s.”

On arrival, I was worried about how crammed it was, but I was

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Joy in January

Based on your dream vacation, what new club should you join?

What type of weather do you prefer the most?

A. 90 degrees and above! I hate Chicago weather B. Super cold; I want to go skiing at my house in Vermont C. I am Goldilocks. I like the weather a solid 60 degrees—just right

What activity makes you the most relaxed?

A. Swimming and hangin’ on the beach B. Going to a coffee shop and people watching C. Reading a thrilling book; I like things that keep me on my toes

Who would you bring along on your dream vacation?

What travel essentials would you pack?

A. My friends; I feel super comfortable with them B. Who needs people? I go alone for some soul searching C. Family—I need to catch up with everyone

A. A cute swimsuit because I need that Instagram clout B. A big, puffy coat to keep me warm C. My camera to document everything

Which do you find the most fun?

When you reach your destination, what do you smell?

A. Shopping, so I can buy something unique B. Cooking classes; I want to learn some new recipes C.Going to a museum, because I want to enrich my mind

A. Sunblock—fighting against those UV raysst B. Evergreen trees! Feeling that holiday vibe C. Pastries, hopefully someone’s cooking up a storm

How do you prefer to travel??

What is your favorite food?

A. Private jet—I hate the TSA B. Road trip; it is the cheapest and easiest way C. Train rides, so I can experience nature, but with comfort

A. Virgin Piña Coladas, the true emblem of a vacation B. My mom’s famous lasagna recipe; nothing can beat her cooking C. Everything! I like to try new things all the time

Sailing Team (Mostly A’s)

You like excitement and warm weather, and the cold is your kryptonite. The Sailing Team is the perfect outlet for you. What better way to hang with your friends than in a boat on Lake Michigan? The Sailing Team welcomes everyone, where kids from all grades come together to make a splash in the community. You can buy some cool sailing gear and work on your tan on the lake. You like the finer things, and that’s OK! Don’t run away from it; embrace your true Hinsdale nature.

Film Club (Mostly B’s)

Liking cold weather is not a sin; you get to relax and spend time by yourself. Even though you are not the most extroverted person, it would benefit you to have some human interaction. Joining the Film Club would be perfect for you. You can watch some classic films, cozy up in your blanket and ponder the deeper meanings of great film masters. You can gain some different perspectives when you discuss movies at Film Club. Don’t be shy about meeting new people, the Film Club values everyone’s opinion—even if you think A Star is Born is a masterpiece.

International Club (Mostly C’s)

A sense of adventure inspires you and keeps your mind moving. You like experiencing new things intellectually— you may not go skydiving, but spending a day at a museum is enjoyable. International Club encompasses all those things, bringing cultural awareness by hosting an ethnic fair. This way you not only learn about different cultures from around the world, but you can also participate in various diverse communities. This club can allow you to travel the world without spending thousands of dollars—perfect for any student.

Cheers & Jeers Cheers to starting school on a Tuesday

Jeers to the bathroom doors being removed

Cheers to the art classes for the joy murals

Jeers to grades not coming out over break

Cheers to Chris Herren and for shortened schedules

Jeers to family members asking college questions over break In Our Community | 31

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THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT.

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