Devils' Advocate March 2023

BattlegroundContributors

Ajay Gupta

Michael Sahs

ClubContributors

Finley Bisch

Violet Eck

Abigail Gambla

Zara Lateef

Leah Packer

Sasha Wolff

18

CopyEditors

Caroline Petersen

Maryum Shaik

SectionEditors

Sehan Alam

Maya Barakat

Samrah Syed

Kaan Turkyilmaz

Spring is upon us. In this month’s issue, we attempt to get students excited about the end of winter and the beginning of spring. In the infographic survey, students and faculty provide insight on their spring break plans. Many are traveling abroad, including tropical places.

Keeping students updated on school matters is necessary, and in the “Heroes of the Building” feature, readers will learn about what goes on to keep our facilities clean and polished.

Read more about runner Dan Watcke, in the Sports Q&A.

In the “Everyday’s a Sundae” profile, readers will learn more about the new ice cream shop in Hinsdale, Ill. Excitement is brought to the town, as this is the first ice cream shop to open in several years.

The “Variety Show” feature highlights the performers and what they do to prepare for their debut.

And with a spring break and warmer temperatures, spring cleaning can be a refreshing way to welcome a new season. In the “Spring Cleaning” feature, see why spring cleaning may be necessary for your mental health.

The editorial revolves around the question of whether Hinsdale Central needs more days off.

Editor-in-Chief

Taylor Levin

ManagingEditors

Annie Koziel

Alex Olguin

DesignEditor

Anjika Kumar

Finally, our battleground writers debate if we need more or fewer formative assessments.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue!

Taylor Levin

Devils’ Advocate seeks to provide an open and diverse forum created by and for the students from Hinsdale Central. The staff of Devils’ Advocate aims to bring news to the community of the school and the surrounding area, by wokring 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 and ideas.

Cover Photo by Anjika Kumar

LetterfromtheEditor

Photo by Bella Alt

Around Campus News

D86 is Taking it Abroad

Students are traveling to Germany, Austria and Italy over Spring Break.

story by Abigail Gambla |

Grady

Everyother year, the German department plans a Europe spring break trip for students to travel abroad and explore countries around the world. In past years, students have been to places such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France.

This upcoming spring break, students have the opportunity to travel to Germany, Austria and Italy as organized by Sue Grady, a German and English teacher, in collaboration with the Latin teacher Peter DeRousse.

Their collaboration began when DeRousse wanted to plan a trip to Italy for students, so they decided to combine the separate excursions into one trip in Europe.

The trip is open to all sophomores, juniors and seniors in D86. Of those attending, 29 are Central students and five are from Hinsdale South; four teachers will chaperone the ten day excursion, which leaves March 22.

The itinerary includes visiting cities

such as Munich, Innsbruck, Austria, Venice and Florence.

One of the more notable places the students are visiting is the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial in Dachau, Germany. While it is not a death camp, it is a reminder of the horrid acts committed during World War II.

“Every trip that I take includes a trip to a concentration camp,” Grady said. She does so to honor a man that she had met when she was younger at the Mauthausen Death Camp. “I just kind of internalized that as a young person, and when I became a teacher, and especially a teacher of German, I took students to Europe to honor that man.”

Grady said that while she was the camp as a student, another student had asked why he continued to lead youth through the camps every day even though his wife had died there. He had said he wanted to ensure history never repeats itself when it came to the extermination

of Jews during World War II.

To further highlight the itinerary of the trip, students will have the chance to explore the German ski town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen where the ski stadium from the 1936 Olympic Games is located, the Dolomite Mountains in Italy, the Colosseum, and the Accademia in Italy which houses Michaelangelo’s David.

“I’m excited to travel by myself with the school,” said Chloe Basson, sophomore.

For many this is their first time traveling to Europe. “This will be my first independent trip without my family,” Basson said.

Kennedy Boyd, a junior, shared similar thoughts.

“I’m really excited to explore the cities,” Boyd said. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to go to Europe with my friends.”

The next trip will be in 2025. Signups will most likely be released in January 2024.

photos courtesy of Sue

Students from the last German department spring break trip.

New Town Hall in Munich, Germany.

‘Because people always need blood’

On Thursday, March 8, Hinsdale Central sponsored a blood drive, brought to the school by the National Honors Society (NHS).

Blood drives are critical service projects. Blood is just not needed after disasters. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “blood is needed every two seconds, for surgeries, cancer treatment, childbirth, anemia, serious injuries, blood disorders and more.” It is reported that one donation of blood can save up to three lives.

When English teacher Stephanie Hiffman, one of the sponsors of NHS, was asked why she wanted to put this together she simply answered, “because people always need blood.”

More than 50 student volunteers donated their time to run the blood drive during school. Nearly 100 students, teachers, and staff donated blood.

The field house was transformed from a sports arena into a medical arena, with medical stations, IV tubes and medical personnel. The whole process was organized efficiently with check in tables, waiting area, treatment chairs and ,of course, the snack station.

Donors had to be healthy without

underlying health conditions and at least 16 years old and weigh more than 100 pounds. Anyone under the age of 18 had to have parental permission.

The blood drive took place from first to tenth period and students could sign up for whichever time slot worked best with their schedule, and they were excused from class during that time. Students would check in, have a brief exam and then a small intravenous line was placed to obtain their blood. They would end with a healthy snack and fluid to help replenish their body.

NHS has hosted the blood drive in previous years and does it as one of its service projects. Many members have said the experience is gratifying knowing how it makes a positive impact on peoples’ lives.

“I felt like it was an important thing to do. Donating blood is a simple way to help people who are in need and it could save lives,” said Adam DiPasquale, senior and member of NHS who volunteered at the blood drive.

Another sponsor and English teacher, Kathrynne Saunders, said she felt that the turnout was truly a success and exceeded her expectations. Although she will not be

continuing in her role next year, she said she hopes that this is something that NHS continues to sponsor in the future.

Hinsdale Central’s National Honor Society runs a blood drive.

Seniors Aadit Bhavsar and Francie Schmelka wait to get their blood drawn.

One of the nurses working the drive on March 8 pauses for a photo and to share information about why it’s important to donate.

Devils in Play

23 for ‘23

Boys basketball season ends in sectional run.

by Violet Eck and Sasha Wolff | designed by Caroline Petersen

This month, the boys basketball season came to a close with one of the best seasons in Hinsdale Central history. The team ended with the highest wins of any team in Illinois at 31 wins and four losses.

The season ended in a loss to #4 Downers Grove North (DGN) in the Sectional finals. DGN won 53-43, but lost when they moved on to the final four. The sectional game was also a historic one with the tickets selling out within hours after they went on sale with 4,000 people in attendance.

Students have always come and supported the basketball team by going to games, but this season, especially the Lyons Township (LT) and the DGN games, the attendance was bigger than ever.

“It’s just really fun to watch the team keep winning and I think it really promotes school spirit with a drive to a common goal,” said Izzie Preusser, sophomore. “It was also cool to see how we kind of were the underdogs at the beginning of the season and now we are top 10 in the state.”

HC Basketball broke records by rising from being an unranked team at the start of the season to being ranked #9 in the state by the end of their season.

Throughout the season they were able to rack up several titles including, West Suburban Silver Conference Champions, HC Holiday Classic Champions, IHSA regional champions and IHSA sweet sixteen. But for Coach Nick Latorre, it never was and never is about the wins and losses.

“I really appreciated the way this year’s team went into each game wanting to play as hard as they could, and it really showed on the court, as they accomplished what they needed to do,” Latorre said.

Latorre has coached basketball at Hinsdale Central for 13 years.

“The kids at Central are phenomenal in terms of their attitude and their work ethic so it was definitely satisfying to coach this year’s team,” Latorre said.

Latorre gives a lot of credit to the players and said they clearly had an incredible dynamic that helped them throughout the season.

Not only this, but the team applied what

they did at practice easily as soon as they stepped onto the court for a game and stayed calm and collected as playing a game in front of 4,000 people, according to Latorre.

“It’s really cool to watch how the team plays and the work that they put into every game, it really motivates me to try and live up to the legacy they have left behind,” said Porter Hutchens, a player on the sophomore basketball team.

This year, the varsity team has and will continue to carry on a legacy on and off the court. The 10 seniors - Matas Andrikonis, Alex Burt, Billy Cernugel, Cole Clawson, Chase Collignon, Emerson Eck, Patrick Graham, Ben Oosterbaan, Evan Phillips and Jack Trainer said they enjoyed having a fulfilling end to their basketball careers.

“I have been playing with some of the seniors since I was 10 and I think we have a strong bond on and off the court that some teams don’t have and that is what helps us push through those hard practices or hard games,” Eck said.

They finished out their season with the highest winning streak in Illinois of 23 games to finish out their ‘last dance’ as the Class of ‘23.

Photos courtesy of @hinsdalecentralbasketball on Instagram

Ben Oosterbaan shoots a basket.

Q&Awith Dan Watcke

A sit down chat with up-and-coming Oregon-bound runner, Dan Watcke -- his plans and goals for after Hinsdale Central and beyond, and advice for interested runners.

by Finley Bisch | designed by Caroline Petersen

Q:What did the recruitment process look like?

Oregon was the last school that contacted me at the end of my sophomore year. After a lot of phone calls I narrowed it down to five schools and then I went on my official visits. Oregon was my last one, but in hindsight, I probably would have only taken one [offer] if Oregon was first, I loved it there.

Q:

Why are you so passionate about running?

Alum. They’re kind of the face of running right now for kids and I think they’re a great example for how running is fun not just torture.

This month I got the opportunity to sit down and talk to runner Dan Watcke, senior. Watcke runs both cross country and track and field. He has proven to be a prolific athlete and a valuable member of the team.

Since joining the team his freshman year, Watcke has set numerous state records and carried his relay team to victory at both indoor and outdoor meets at the national level.

Watcke has committed to run at the University of Oregon next year where he is sure to fit right in.

Q: What’s your favorite memory from your sport?

It would probably be when we won the national championship in the 4x8 at Nike Outdoor Nationals last year. We set a state record, so that was pretty cool.

Q: When did you start running?

I’ve been doing fun runs and things my whole life, but I started seriously running in seventh grade.

Pretty much my whole family are runners, but it is also because I’m really competitive. I also think it is super cool that the sport is both for teams and individuals; everyone matters not just five or 11 guys like in other sports. I think it’s super unique.

Q:

What was one challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?

I would say that the external pressure is the hardest part, especially because I have had a good amount of success this past year. Especially for the team’s success, we feel the pressure from the media and from other teams. It’s hard to overcome but we just stay humble and stay hungry.

Q:

What piece of coaching advice has stuck with you?

Coach [Noah] Lawrence always makes sure that we know how lucky we are to have the life that we have and always reminds us that one meet or one race isn’t the biggest deal in the world and it was about perspective.

Q: Is there a coach or athlete that you look up to?

Right now I look up to Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare who are both recent Oregon

Q:

Obviously, you are going to be running at Oregon next year, do you have any goals after that?

I want to be an all-American and maybe want to win a national championship. After that I want to run professionally and maybe be on an Olympic team.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to up and coming runners?

I would definitely say to have fun with it. High school is the time that you are able to have fun with the sport and it’s not make or break. I would also say that if you have success you should always be humble. I try my best to be kind to every up and coming freshman who says hello at meets and stuff; I think everyone should be nice to the new kids.

Q: What do you believe makes you a great athlete?

My drive to be the best athlete that I can be. I’m named after my grandpa, who was a college running coach. I run to carry on his name.

Q: What are you looking forward to in your next four years at Oregon?

I’m excited about experiencing a whole different place out there. I’m excited to experience a different culture and meet my teammates from different countries. I’m looking forward to making lifelong memories and running at one of the coolest schools to run at in the world. Edited for clarity and length.

Dan Watcke about to cross the finish line.

(Photo courtesy of Dan Watcke)

EVERY DAYS A SUNDAE

With a new ice cream shop opening up in Hinsdale, students find time in their busy schedules to enjoy a cool treat.

ByKaan Turkyilmaz and Sehan Alam

After a busy day at school, you grab a couple close friends and head to Downtown Hinsdale for a cool treat. Walking through the shop door, the aroma of freshly churned ice cream wafts through the doorway, and immediately the bright decorations inside the shop hit your eye. The pink wall, the array of flavors from Vanilla to Reece’s Pieces, the smiling workers ready to scoop your ice cream choice–all of it makes you eager to place your order. You grab a scoop of your favorite flavor and enjoy as the sweetness tingles your sensations.

Every Day’s A Sundae is a new ice cream shop in Hinsdale located at the corner of Hinsdale Street and Lincoln Street. With Hinsdale Central students filling up their busy spring schedules, this is the perfect spot to take a break, wind down, and enjoy a cool treat with peers.

This ice cream shop is the second Every Day’s A Sundae location in Illinois, with the sister shop located in Downers Grove. This is the first ice cream shop in Hinsdale in six years, making community members eager to grab a cool treat. Prior to 2017, Dips & Dogs was the popular ice cream and hot dog combination shop, but the growth of nextdoor restaurant Fuller House forced the store to close down early, according to Yelp. Fuller House utilizes the old Dips & Dogs store front as their outdoor patio.

Every Day’s A Sundae has a large selection of homemade ice cream and plenty of seating

spaces for students and community members alike. In fact, students at Hinsdale Central are already finding employment at the shop.

“It’s been really busy, but it’s been great seeing everyone support the shop,” said Will Schmeltz, senior. “It comes to being able to, when I get home, getting straight to my work. It’s super flexible with when you work and how often you work.”

Schmeltz has been able to balance school with work, and is finding time to try out different flavors to find his favorite.

“I really like S’mores, which is one I recently tried because I didn’t think it would be a good flavor, but it was,” Schmeltz said.

According to Schmeltz, you can never go wrong with whichever one you pick. Students who work at the shop have said it’s been a fun experience so far.

“You get the hang of it really easily and you get to be a part of a community,” said Zoeya Khan, senior, who works alongside Schmeltz.

The workers agree that Every Day’s A Sundae brings communities together, and Hinsdale Central students have been able to collaborate and work with people from different communities.

“It’s really fun, I’ve gotten to meet a lot of people, especially coming to Hinsdale and meeting people from Central,” said Lily Cleary, junior from Downers Grove High School. Cleary has been working for Every Day’s A Sundae for three years, working at the Downers Grove location prior to the launch of the Hinsdale location.

Hinsdale had been in want of an ice cream shop after Dips & Dogs closed.

“I work with the economic development commission, and they always ask why there hasn’t been any ice cream shop,” said Bethany

Salmon, Village Planner. “It’s just taken a really long while, but we’re all really excited. There are many businesses that want to move in here at Hinsdale, but most of the time it’s really hard to find the space.”

The prospective businesses must fit the zoning criteria followed by a builder and occupancy permit.

“We’re actually putting together a new software system that’s gonna track businesses and licensing better. It’s going to be great because we’re going to have better ability for communication and track how many businesses and what type of business there is, but it’s still a work in progress,” Salmon said.

While it has taken a while to get a new ice cream shop in Hinsdale, students and community members alike are excited to welcome this local business. “It’s the perfect spot in Hinsdale,” said Ayla Mushtaq, sophomore. As the weather warms up and the winter season comes to a close, more and more people will be stopping by Every Day’s A Sundae to grab a cool treat.

LilyCleary,DownersGroveNorth junior,AdamDiPasquale,Hinsdale Centralsenior,andZoeyaKhan, HinsdaleCentralsenior,readyto servetheircurstomers.

photo by Kaan Turkyilmaz

photo by Kaan Turkyilmaz

Heroes of the Building

Buildings and Grounds work hard to keep the school operational.

Photos&StorybyAlexOlguin

On a dark and stormy night, water pours down from the clouds. It pours down all around Hinsdale Central and it flows into the basement. However, when staff and students enter the building in the morning, they have no idea that anything has happened. This is because of the dedication of those who worked during the early morning hours to clean all the water up. These are the members of the Buildings and Grounds department, or B&G as it’s known for short.

While hidden from public view, the staff of Buildings and Grounds work tirelessly every day to ensure that the school building and grounds are a safe and comfortable environment.

The Buildings and Grounds department is made up of maintenance, custodial and grounds staff. Maintenance staff ensure the smooth running of all operations in the building, custodians ensure that the school remains clean throughout the day while the grounds staff and the grounds staff ensures that all outside facilities are kept in working order.

Frank Wright is the site manager of the building and is in charge of all maintenance and grounds staff.

“I’ve just got promoted to this position last February, but I’ve been here 23 years,” Wright said.

The building is heated and cooled by water. In the winter, steam is pumped throughout the school to heat the building, while in the summer cold water is pumped throughout the school.

“We have two separate loops,” Wright said. “So you got a lot of steel piping going through this whole building…it’s miles of piping.”

In the winter, water is heated in three boilers in the sub basement of the building. The boilers burn natural gas and turn water into steam which is then

pumped into the circulating pipes.

“We have three Burnham steam boilers, which heat the building,” said Lee Kudia, maintenance specialist in charge of the boilers.

In addition, the school has a backup boiler, called the Fitzgibbons Boiler which dates back to the 1950’s. This is used in case one of the Burnham boilers fails, or if it is a particularly cold day.

“It’s a 50’s vintage, it used to be [powered by] coal, then it was oil, then we converted it to natural gas,” Kudia said. “It’s my emergency backup boiler. It’s not as efficient as these newer boilers, but in the event of one of our famous 20-below zero winters, I’ll put it together and put it online and it’s ready to go in the event of an emergency.”

During the summer, the school is cooled by cold water. The water is cooled by the school’s chillers. There are two chillers, one powered by electricity and

one powered by natural gas. The York electric chiller is the larger of the two and is a 450,000 ton unit, capable of cooling the entire school.

“It’s fed with 480 volts and it’s got a big motor on it that’s oil cooled and the oil is cooled by the chilled water that it produces,” Kudia said.

During the peak months of the summer the natural gas chiller, called a Tecogen Chiller, in the basement is activated which helps reduce electricity costs. The Tecogen is a smaller, 200,000 ton unit and is not able to cool the whole building.

“It’s powered by natural gas instead of electric to hold our peak demand charge down on electric since natural gas is cheaper, especially in the summertime,” Kudia said.

Once the hot and cold water is produced, it is circulated throughout the building and pumped into Univents.

“You have an outside air damper and

The Shop is where B&G conducts their repairs.

then you have an indoor damper,” Wright said. “So the dampers are constantly moving to heat or cool outside air because, by law, I’ve got to pull 20% of fresh air to keep the CO2 down.”

The water circulates through every classroom warming or cooling the space to demand before returning to the chillers or boilers to be used again. The chilled water warms up significantly after being used.

“In our chilled water line, the water comes out of the chillers at 44 degrees, but by the time it gets back it could be 55 degrees,” Wright said.

The hot steam produced used to heat the building cools and condenses back into water as it is used. Pumps are then used to return the water to the boilers.

“You have 220 to 250 degree steam up in these coils in a room and that’s the reason we always tell teachers to not put their desk right next to the unit,” Wright said.

As part of the 2019 referendum, Buildings and Grounds got a new office and loading dock space attached to the existing electric chiller. Staff have mixed feelings about this new space.

“It’s good because it’s new,” Wright said. “The bad part [about the new loading dock] is that it makes it harder…because they put the supplies all downstairs. Now [Sue, the head custodian] has got to use an elevator every time. The old one was all on the same floor.

In addition, the position of the new Buildings and Grounds space is farther away from the main core of the building than the old loading dock, making it harder to reach many places.

“We’re so far away from the kids now,” Wright said. “It feels like we’re walking miles before we get to the building to help or do anything.”

The new pool is also a responsibility for B&G. John Kudia is the B&G specialist responsible for maintaining the pool. He checks all the chemicals and ph to make sure they are right in the pool.

moving, it’s hard to get it going straight.

Buildings and Grounds are also responsible for setting up for sporting events. In addition to setting up the bleachers, the scoring tables, chairs for the athletes and helping set up the concession stand, they must stay late after the game to help clean up.

“After the game, we go in with leaf blowers, battery operated, and blow [the garbage] off the bleachers and we close them and sweep the balcony and main floor and get ready for the next day for class to go on,” Wright said

In addition to events in the gym and field house, Buildings and Grounds sets up for all the outside events.

“Outside they mow our grass, they paint our fields, they maintain all the facilities,” said Dan Jones, athletic director.

They also move the central bulkhead to accommodate different swimming configurations. The movable bulkhead is powered by leaf blowers.

“You need two leaf blowers, a leaf blower on one side, a leaf blower on the other, and it forces air into the baffle and raises it up,” Wright said. “There are pins that you have to pull out. Then you can move it and then you have to realign it and put the two pins back in. You have to have about four people, since once you get it

The work that Buildings and Grounds does is meant to facilitate the smooth operation of the school. While much of B&G’s work is unseen, students still appreciate the work that they do.

“Without them, nothing would get done,” said Will Kusak, junior, and class of 2024 president, who is on the varsity basketball team. “I think that they are a really important part of the school and they should be celebrated and cheered just as our sports teams are.”

“Without them, nothing would get done.”

- Will Kusak

The Fitzgibbons Boiler is the backup boiler in case one of the newer Burnham boilers fail.

Herstory Month

How Central celebrates women throughout Women’s History Month and beyond.

When you think of March, what do you think of? Maybe St. Patrick’s Day and Irish heritage, Girl Scout cookie sales or even Pi Day. But March is also Women’s History Month, featuring International Women’s Day on March 8.

Women’s History Month was originally Women’s History Week, sparked by 1981’s Public Law 97-28, requesting and authorizing the President to honor a national Women’s History Week, according to the Women’s History Month government website. It wasn’t until 1987 and the passing of Public Law 100-9 that a week of honoring women would turn into a whole month.

And so throughout March, many likely noticed some of the events honoring women’s history, including a pop-up shop at Yorktown Mall (Queen’s Palace, open from March 16-April 1), and a feature in the Hinsdale Magazine, highlighting Dorothy Dean, who, along with her husband, helped establish the village of Oak Brook. But how does the school reflect the importance of the month?

To start, there is a bulletin board in the English hallway dedicated to Women’s History month in order to respect and give credit to the women who have influenced female staff at Hinsdale Central.

“It’s good for us to sit back and reflect on those people that have had an influence on our lives and who are important to us,” said Teresa Bruns, administrative assistant to the English department.

Bruns has been creating the bulletin board displays for two years, changing out the theme depending on the time of year. For instance, last month featured a display in honor of Black History month.

Throughout March, the display has featured inspirational women which were chosen from four different staff members from the Social Studies, English and World Languages departments. Each week, a new line of women were spotlighted.

Many teachers, such as Jay Lawrence, World Languages department chair, chose women in their family who directly impacted their lives. Lawrence’s photo includes her grandmother, Marion Bell, mother, Donna Bell, and daughter, Delaney Lawrence.

“The strength, character and kindness of my grandmother, mother and daughter serve as a constant reminder to me of the importance of defending what is right even when it is hard, giving voice to those who do not have one and always believing the good of humankind will prevail,” Lawrence said in her written statement on the bulletin board.

Some of the teachers, such as Erin Fratella, social studies teacher, chose historical figures, like Simone de Beauvoir, who was a French philosopher and feminist activist. As a writer in the 1900s, de Beauvoir fought for women’s rights through her writings which proved to be influential for decades to come.

“Her writings are eloquent, straightforward, emotional and resonated with me when I was a young woman and building my identity as a human and an educator,” Fratella said in her written statement on the bulletin board.

Along with de Beauvoir, there are many women who have made an impact on women’s history through literature, and next year, students will be given the

story and design by Caroline Petersen and Samrah Syed illustration by Leah Packer

Administrative assistant Teresa Bruns’s display for Women’s History Month, located in the English hallway. (Caroline Petersen)

opportunity to learn more about women’s literature in the new class that is coming to Central.

The English department will offer Women’s Literature as a semester-long core class. The course “[will] expose students to the variety of women’s lives and concerns as represented in literature,” according to the Program of Studies. This course is only offered to juniors and seniors.

“I am really proud of the teacher team writing this course [Kathrynne Saunders, Stephanie Hiffman and Mallory Bauer],” said David Lange, English department chair. “They have created a really compelling course. The course design feels very collegiate in the very best sense of that word. Students will be challenged by new ways of thinking about the world and themselves. I would definitely sign up for the class myself if I were a student.”

Like Lange, students are equally excited and interested to take the class next year. Samuel Malapati, sophomore, said there needs to be more inclusion of women’s history in Central’s curriculum.

“We need a lot more

diversity in the literature we read because a lot of what we read in classes is Shakespeare,” Malapati said. “The class would be good for [showing] the impact [women] have on history.”

Noct Carrillo, junior, agrees and has signed up for the course.

“I’m happy that Central is offering a Women’s Lit course, and [I’ve signed up for] it because I think it’s important to be educated, especially when it comes to the experiences of women in our society,” Carrillo said.

Women’s history is also taught in other history and literature courses. For example, US History teacher Valerie Ruth emphasizes the importance of women’s history in her class, from colonial America to twenty-first century America.

“I would say that growing up, my study of history was predominantly economic,

such as Chicana Feminism, Domestic Violence Law, Black Feminism, Queer Theory, Transgender Studies and Women and the Law. Dahlheimer said the program and entire department offered a thorough understanding of the groups the courses represented.

“Getting my degree in Gender and Women’s Studies was the most empowering, enlightening and transformative educational experience of my life,” Dahlheimer said. “It led me to a variety of career choices, and of which are lucrative, fulfilling and meaningful.”

According to Data USA, 16,212 Gender Studies degrees were awarded in 2020, across public, private, and two year colleges. The University of Missouri-Columbia awarded 7.98% of these degrees that year, followed by the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles (3.1%) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2.73%). The average wage in the workforce for those with Gender Studies degrees is slightly more than $80,000, and in one year, projected growth for common jobs that use skills from this degree have gone up to +1.24%.

military and political history,” said Ruth, social studies teacher. This has motivated Ruth to incorporate more social history into the course.

Ruth received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Iowa, as well as an education degree. However, she said she regrets not taking courses that share the experiences of marginalized groups.

Social Work intern Bella Dahlheimer, who studied and received a degree in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2018. said the degree offered courses that included various perspectives.

“[In my studies,] I took history courses, law classes, theory classes and so much more,” Dahlheimer said. “[The program] was so intersectional, and every single course had a historical aspect of it, because without learning from history, you cannot begin to understand the context of our present and why we need it to change.”

Dahlheimer specifically took courses

“I highly recommend everyone take some sort of Gender and Women’s Studies course during their college career,” Dahlheimer said. “I have never known anyone to finish [a course in this department] and not emerge more mature, insightful and empathetic, as well as knowledgeable.”

And next year, juniors and seniors don’t have to wait until college to study women’s history, as they will have the opportunity to take Women’s Literature through the English department. For those not taking Women’s Literature next year, women’s history will still be taught throughout other classes, such as Ruth’s United States History classes.

“To me, the importance of teaching women’s history is so that [female students] have role models, so that they understand that there is no ceiling and that they can achieve anything that they set their mind to,” Ruth said. “Seeing people [especially women] be accomplished in an area that you are interested in gives you hope that you too can accomplish your goal.”

“Remember the ladies.”

- Abigail Adams

Decluttering for Spring

As spring approaches many students take this time of year as an opportunity to organize and reset. But what are some of the best strategies and tactics to manage stress?

Having finished the long three month stretch of school before spring break, you take a sigh of relief as you lay on the beach, trying not to remember that your flight back home is tomorrow. It’s difficult to stop thinking about the AP exams that follow soon, as well as getting back in the swing of things once break is over. But what are some strategies to help manage this stress and where should you start? Try spring cleaning.

Knowing that SAT school testing and AP exams approach after spring break, some students and faculty may find this time stressful. Although it may seem like a cliché solution, spring cleaning can be quite helpful for students and staff when this difficult time of the year approaches. According to an optional survey given by Advocate via email, of Hinsdale Central staff and students, more than 70% participate in spring cleaning in some way.

“I clean every spring,” said Karen Russo, business teacher. “I have more motivation and energy. I think it is because the days are longer. And so that is my time to really get down and do the dirty work, so to speak… I feel a sense of accomplishment and it just makes me a little bit happier in my headspace.”

Photos & Story By: Anjika Kumar and Annie Koziel

Many agree spring cleaning can be a way to destress and to reset, especially as testing dates approach.

“Yeah, everyone is burnt out especially since SATs and the PSATs are all coming up,” said Alexa Orozco, sophomore. “It is very stressful.”

When it comes to taking care of our mental health in these times, there are many strategies and tips. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, taking care of yourself, your body, and finding time to unwind can all be beneficial. There is not only one way to de-stress; taking a step back and taking time for yourself can be different for everybody.

For Veronique Kunca, an art teacher at Central, taking bubble baths is her way of taking time for herself.

“[I clean] the shower before I take one every time because the shower needs to get cleaned anyway,” Kunca said. “And then I get a nice relaxing treat afterwards.”

For sophomore Nick Monroe, he finds a different approach.

“Go around and go outside and just explore,” Monroe said. “I have been moving constantly because my dad is in the military, so we are not in one place all the time and it is just nice going around and exploring.”

The CDC suggests selfcare by keeping a normal routine that includes getting sufficient sleep, exercise, and food. Whatever method you decide to use, many people agree that it is important to take time and prioritize yourself.

“[It is] allowing yourself grace and allowing yourself time for self care,” said Lisa Tazelaar, physical education teacher. “And everybody’s self care looks different. For me, self care is working out, and watching Bravo TV.”

Tazelaar went on to explain that her students had shared ideas, such as listening to music or cooking something to take a 30 minute brain break.

“Anytime you can just step away, remove yourself from the environment… to refocus,” Tazelaar said. “It is proven that when sitting too long, the brain kind of deactivates and just shuts down. So we want to make sure that we are keeping our brains working.”

Hinsdale Central social worker Jennifer Cave echoed a similar tune, adding that regardless of the method, it’s important to take care of yourself.

“No matter what it is, you have to remember that there is temporary stress,” Cave said. “This is all temporary, whether you are stressed about a test or whatever. You have to figure out what it is that you can do for yourself, but you have to do something for yourself in order to relieve the stress.”

Spring cleaning, for many, can serve as a good distraction from the stressors in your life, as well as a fresh start for the new season. According to a recent article by Vogue, spring cleaning has a strong connection with one’s emotional well-being. The new season gives many the urge to clean out old things to make room for the new and give yourself a sense of control and cleanliness.

“Spring cleaning… is very big in my family,” Orozco said. “We all love being clean and neat. So when spring cleaning comes around, we take it to a whole other level. It’s an all day thing, but it’s not as boring as it sounds. It’s very calming because we’ll play music, and we’ll play around while we’re cleaning. So it’s really just fun, honestly.”

According to Vogue, the “visual

feedback” of cleaning and organization can bring happiness, clear-mindedness, and a feeling of control.

“It does give you this fresh new start,” Cave said. “When you are organized, you feel good about yourself. So it’s a good help right before AP testing or any exams to get things organized. Because if you think about it, even before finals, people are doing it all the time: organizing your notes together, organizing all of the clutter that you have of that class to feel prepared.”

Kunca said she also feels that de-cluttering is the way to go.

“I have a lot of things so I try to get rid of whatever I can,” Kunca said. “I feel like a tidy space is a tidy mind.”

Tazelaar also utilizes spring cleaning as an opportunity to donate to charities.

“It is one of my favorite things to do,” Tazelaar said. “I also like it because I donate to the National Children’s Cancer Society. So

all the stuff…from my kids’ closets goes to a good organization.”

In addition to the mental benefits to spring cleaning, many laud the practical advantages of taking time to reset.

“There’s probably a mental or physical side of it too,” said Hinsdale Central Principal William Walsh. “It just feels better. I tend to be a very organized person; my desk is vacant. So I just sort of think there’s something about recentering yourself and cleaning stuff after the winter season, so to say that comes to an end.”

Many share the same sentiment that spring cleaning is a fresh start and can be used as a tool to move you forward whether it be just to spring break or all the way to the summer.

However it’s important to keep in mind that spring cleaning is not a chore and that it is meant to be relaxing. If you get too overwhelmed, it can do more harm than good.

“Sometimes it can make people feel pressured if they’re being told constantly by others,” Monroe said.

Rather than forcing yourself to clean, it is important to recognize how to get motivated. If you are struggling to do so, it is important to start small, according to the Vogue article.

“At least start with one corner or one surface,” Kunca said. “[Start with] your desk, or a drawer or your nightstand, something simple, something easy, and then you work your way up.”

Tazelaar is using the cleaning and organizing of her children’s closets as an opportunity to prepare her family for the upcoming spring vacations.

“We haven’t gone on vacation in a while for spring break,” Tazelaar said. “We’re going to Florida and I don’t know if my children will have clothes that will fit them in Florida where it’s 85 degrees…I figured it’d be good to see what [they] have.”

So, next time you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, the research suggests to try spring cleaning; it may be the activity you never knew you needed to give you a clean fresh start going into April and May. Even if it’s just taking the first step, you can find inspiration anywhere you look, including the popular Pintrest boards online.

“I motivate myself: I wash my face, I get ready, and I’m like, ‘You know what, I can do this.’ I’m gonna clean and I give myself that motivation,” Orozco said. “It’s the day.”

“I have a lot of things so I try to get rid of whatever I can. I feel like a tidy space is a tidy mind.”

- Veronique Kunca

Curtains Up

The Variety Show showcased many performers doing covers and singing original pieces.

By Maya Barakat & Maryum Shaik

Kids shuffled across the stage: adjusting the light from above, placing props on the floor, yelling back and forth about which way looks better for the instruments. From high above a cluster of students sat around the tech table fixing up the light board and sound board to the teacher’s critique. Other students sat in the audience seats watching the other performances while waiting for their turn to perform.

The Variety Show at Hinsdale Central takes place usually during the spring. This year, the show is scheduled to take place on March 15 and 16 in the auditorium. The show consists of a variety of acts performed by students, from

singing to dancing. Students are encouraged to audition, which takes place during late January to early February, and then are invited to a rehearsal a few days prior to the show.

The Variety Show has been around at Central for more than 20 years. Karen Russo, a Business Educator and Career Internship Coordinator, has sponsored the activity for the past 20 years, along with her husband, Robert Russo, who teaches in the social studies department.

“It is a great deal of fun to be involved in the variety show. I love working with the students and seeing the creativity and passion in their act,” Russo said.“There is an exhilaration that accompanies the performance.”

This year, there are 16 different variety act performances. These include singers, piano players, a magician, dancers, and three group bands. However, the acts every year differ. Some of the acts from previous years included fire jugglers, dj’s, and glow dancers.

The Variety Show also serves a purpose beyond entertainment. It can be a way for students to express themselves and reveal their talents. Russo notes the impact that a talent show can have on students, another reason she has been a sponsor for several years.

“Not everyone is involved in sports and activities throughout the school. Some students taught themselves magic or a musical instrument. Others take voice, dancing, or

Semi-Permanent, including members Annie Koziel (lead singer), Ava Buckley (guitar), Izzy Levinthal (bass), and Zuzanna Sokolowski (drums) performed a piece named Tattoos, written by Koziel.

photo by Becky Koziel

piano lessons outside of school,” Russo said. “This is an opportunity for students to show their amazing and unique talents. We give them the platform to present to the school something they are really interested in. It gives the other students the opportunity to see a whole new side of their own classmates.”

Students also enjoy being part of the talent show. For them, it can be a way to express themselves and their talent, while receiving a sense of achievement and encouragement.

Thomas DeBruin, junior, performed in the show with a group. He and his group plan on singing “Fix You” by Coldplay. He reveals how participating in the show is a sense of morale boost and confidence, both now and in the future.

“It’s the type of thing I look back at and be like; ‘woah, you did that thing - that’s so cool, good job younger me’,” DeBruin said.

DeBruin recounts his observation of other performances that are planning on making a debut on the show.

“The other performances in the show are awesome. There are some pretty solid song choices, and combined with the talent of the people involved I know they’ll do well,” DeBruin said.

Additionally, he is part of one of the band’s acts. For students performing in groups, the show can be a big learning experience on how to collaborate with others while ensuring a good performance that the audience can enjoy and connect with.

“Being in a band makes the variety so much more exciting. For me, music is all about connection, whether it’d be the audience connecting to us when we play, or connecting with other people to make excellent music, so to play in a group really helps the music come to life,” DeBruin said.

Anya Raman, junior, has been in the show since her freshman year, and this year she sang “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, a single from the 1980’s that recently became top charting again due to its use in the Netflix show Stranger Things, in its season 4 in 2022.

. “The Variety Show is truly special because it pulls a diverse group of people and allows them

I strive for with each stage performance,” Raman said. “The variety show is also a great experience to perform in front of a large audience. It’s good practice for more stressful events.”

In terms of her own performance, Raman explains what she hopes to accomplish by performing music from the 1980’s.

“I especially love performing older music because it has the power to bring people back to another time. And I’m sure many in the audience have positive memories associated with my song,” Raman said.

Much preparation takes place for this show to happen considering that there are single and group acts. Students also have to find separate time outside of school to practice and make sure everyone gets their fair part.

to showcase their talent,” Raman said.

Raman said that the opportunity to perform in the show goes beyond personal achievement because it allows her to also have an impact on audience members.

“I believe that performing is a way to make other people smile. That’s ultimately what

“It’s the type of thing thing I look back at and will be like- that’s so cool, good job younger me.”

- Thomas DeBruin

Leandra Gruft practiced her solo “Talking to the Moon” during the dress rehearsal March 14.

photo by Maya Barakat

The Moment

On March 11, Chicago officials dyed the Chicago River green in its annual tradition to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the city parade. EIC Taylor Levin visited the city on March 12 to capture the neon green while out on a day to enjoy the city.

Green River

photoby TaylorLevin

battleground

Sahs and Gupta debate the necessity of the formative grade category as they discuss whether or not students should receive points for homework/practice work.

Michael Sahs

Homework is often said to serve as “practice” or some similar aid for our summative assessments. This is great–students should absolutely receive resources regarding the materials covered in class, so that if they do not understand, they can begin to understand through more practice. However, the problem arises when we mandate this practice. At school, in class, there is not enough time to complete homework. It’s called homework for a reason. However, forcing students to spend time at home working on their schoolwork just doesn’t make any sense to me.

personal time to something he already understands wastes the time and the potential. Doing work one already completely understands is boring, and the best way to kill passion is through boredom. If a student really enjoys the ideas in a unit, and then has to go home and practice those ideas, and just those ideas, and just those ideas in the most basic senses possible, he will start to hate them rather than love them. I don’t think the end result of any part of schooling should be hatred towards a potential pursuit.

A potential solution might be to make formatives an optional grade. This would be an all-or-nothing decision at the end of the semester- either your formatives grades get calculated in, or they don’t. For most students, this is added on to seven hours of school, starting at 8 a.m., or earlier, and ending sometimes as late as 8 p.m., or later. That’s not a healthy environment.

grades serve little purpose for the majority of students who attend this school. It’s nice to imagine a “free” 30% grade section, but how free is this really? What do we give up for formatives, and what do we really gain?

Formative

Asteachers and administrators grapple with the increasing popularity of formative assignments (intended for practice) to complement summative assignments (intended for examination of content), students wonder if the category is necessary.

Most commonly, homework and class activities substantiate the formative assignment category—often ranging from 10% to 30% of a student’s total semester grade—and allow students to practice material learned in class before more important assessments, projects, and papers that substantiate the summative category. It is thanks to the practice that formatives offer that’s makes it clear that we need more, not less, formative assignments in school.

The first and most apparent reason for why formative assessments are important is that they allow students to prepare for summative assessments better. Carnegie Mellon’s Eberly Center explains that formative assessments are meant to serve as practice to “provide ongoing feedback” for student performance. When teachers

According to Millersville University, a school in Pennsylvania, when discussing the value of formative assessments, a downside is how it takes additional time, not just for students, but for teachers, who, if giving feedback to a large class, “providing detailed feedback on multiple assignments for every student can be a lot to accomplish.” With this in mind, having too many formative assessments leads to an exhaustion for both teachers and students.

Forcing a student to devote his own

can provide feedback to students in a lowstakes assignment, it allows the student to comfortably make mistakes and fix them for more important assignments like summatives.

If we had fewer formatives, then naturally summatives become more impactful on a student’s grade even though students have less practice and room for mistakes. Simply put, without formative assessments, students would only make more mistakes and make those mistakes in more consequential ways. Formatives allow for learning and thus teachers should undeniably increase their usage of them.

Formatives may also decrease student stress. A 2015 study from New York University found that 82% of high school students claimed feeling stressed over grades in school. Formatives provided a needed refuge from the constant stress of classwork that many students feel by decreasing the weight of individual assignments. For instance, it is much easier to recover a poor grade on a formative assessment than it is to recover a summative assessment.

If people want to do formative assignments, let them. But we should provide an option for those who know what they’re doing and don’t want to hate it. We don’t need formatives.

Finally, formative assessments can help teachers as well. By increasing the frequency of formative assessments, teachers can better support struggling learners and ensure all students have a better understanding of the material.

Formative assessments are not perfect. However, they do provide valuable benefits to both students and teachers.

Ajay Gupta

Snapthought

What are you most looking forward to for spring break?

Overhead at Central

Walking these strange halls, what might one hear? Submissions based on a Google Form emailed to all students.

Naomi Schaller, Freshman

"Getting time to study for school items I haven’t covered.”

“There’s a lot of overlap between golf and chainsaw ice sculpting.”

“My goal in life is to boil an egg on a bald man’s head.”

"You can’t go to Russia to kidnap a cat!”

Graham Wierzbicki, Sophomore

"I’m excited to go to New York City.”

“I don’t know how to speak to women bro.”

Kelly Joseph, Junior "I’m going on a college road trip. We’re going to Nashville.”

“ I am most comfortable when I am impervious to most forms of physical attack.”

“When I go to Italy, I always speak Spanish so people don’t hate me for being American.”

“You like trains? So, you’re a socialist.”

Zach Devine, Senior

"To hang out with my buddies and have a good time.”

by taylor Levin

SPRING BREAK

Are you traveling for break? YES 74.7 % No 25.3 % Florida Europe Mexico

Are you going to punta cana?

Top Destinations

94.1percentarenot

5.9percentare

What is your dream vacation?

Fun Facts

What you did not know about Spring Break takenfromUSAToday

The origins of Spring Break began in Greece and Rome

Spring Break was first covered in the news during 1950’s

“Modern” Spring Break began in the 1930’s in the United States

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The schedule is pretty rough, especially now when we don’t get any days off and everyone is burnt out. Test scores are lower and everybody is fried, February is always the most challenging month of the school year.” That was James Ludois, a science teacher, in response to the state of his students during the middle of a rigorous school year.

This year, the school has seen a significant decrease in the amount of school days off given to students, and this has had a poor effect on the student body. Last summer, the school board made the decision to have school on days like President’s Day and Indigenous People’s Day among others, to make up for lost days due to construction that occurred last summer. Regardless, taking holidays away has made those school days less effective and has also had a mental toll on students and staff.

Ludois explained that he saw an increase in absences on holiday weekends. He said that those days are “meaningless”, because no one in class has a drive to work. When a significant percentage of students are

missing from both excused and unexcused absences, it can be described using the phrase chronic absenteeism. According to many students, the competitive environment and homework load at this school has increased the risk of mental fatigue, causing students to need more and more breaks from school. However, this is not unique to this high school. A study released by the Department of Education stated that chronic absenteeism in high school students across the United States is on average 20%, opposed to the average middle school, which is 14% of the student body. The reason for the increase in absenteeism from middle school to high schools is because of the stressful environment high school presents. Too much stress and mental fatigue can be detrimental, but District 86’s decision to cut days off has taken away students’ mental freedom, causing a spike in absenteeism during those days Regardless of the current state of Hinsdale Central, District 86’s board has made an effort to improve the mental health of students.

As recently in the 2022-2023 school year, they have implemented half days every other Wednesday. A conducted survey asked students from Hinsdale Central whether half day Wednesdays were helpful or not, and 95% of the students in the survey said they were “extremely helpful.” However, when asked about fewer holiday weekends, 81.8% of those students said they would prefer if they had those days off.

However, it is argued that fewer days off is the only solution to the late school year, but it shouldn’t be an excuse that exceeds the importance of mental health.

With the next school year not too far away, it is essential that District 86 keeps in mind the negative effects of having fewer days off. And regardless of upcoming construction within the school next summer, it is important that we organize a schedule where it can optimize the health of our students and staff. Although some of the board’s efforts have worked, they have to plan the next school year to alleviate these negative effects.

District 86’s Board should consider additional days off for the 2023-2024 school year.

photo by Lily Ging