Volume 91, Issue 3 November 14, 2017
2017-2018 Staff Listing
To stay updated on the latest LHS news, follow our social media accounts.
Hannah Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief Maria Thames, Editor-in-Chief Savanna Winiecki, Online Editor Lola Akinlade, Features Editor Rachel Benner, Features Editor Maggie Burnetti, Sports Editor Matt Smith, Sports Editor Sam Nelson, Photo Editor Olivia Griffith, Layout Editor Colleen Mullins, Social Media Editor Paula Baworska Anya Belomoina Amanda Black Molly Boufford Ariella Bucio Jenna Carnazzola Ian Cox Olivia Devin Rachel Dudley Moira Duffy Maggie Evers Megan Fahey Katie Felsl Lizzie Foley Zachary Ford OIivia Gauvin Demi Glusic Jenna Grayson Kath Haidvogel Emily Hamilton Dylan Heimert Abbey Humbert Maggie Hutchins Ben Kanches Jacob Kemp Corey Kuchler Allie Kuhlman Anna Legutki Stephanie Luce Elizabeth Manley Ella Marsden Kylie Rodriguez Claire Salemi Bulat Schamiloglu Kelly Shinnick Brandon Simberg Lanie Storiz Nate Sweitzer Dylan Trott Maddie Wasser Megan Wolter Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact us at doi@lhswildcats.org
@lhsdoi
Libertyville High School Drops of Ink
@lhsdoi
Also, check out our website at www.lhsdoi.com, which contains stories, event coverage and blogs, such as Humans of Libertyville.
Michael Gluskin, Faculty Adviser
November 14, 2017
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Best Buddies wins best chapter in Illinois
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Living life in a foreign language
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Coming from many different countries, LHS’s English Language Learning students are learning the English language while taking their classes at school.
LHS Best Buddies sets an example for how to be inclusive of everyone, recently winning the best chapter of the year in Illinois.
Juniors James Clavey and Brandon Fisher have an incredibly strong friendship, full of laughter and fun!
The new addition of a club at LHS, Students Ending Slavery, aims to help those in human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
See schoolwide statistics on racial and ethnic differences, as well as a cultural calendar.
15-17
Discussing diversity: It’s indispensable
Is Eid Equal? LHS student Mariam Tolba is leading the Muslim Holiday Coalition in Lake Country, whose goal is to get Eid recognized as a school holiday.
Collective ideas of the DOI staff members on why diversity matters in the school and community.
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Dividing up the Diversity and Cultural Calendar
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Opinion 25
James and Brandon: Best Buddies
10-11
Students ending slavery at LHS
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Feature Living life in a foreign language
7-9
Best Buddies wins best chapter in Illinois
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19-21
DREAMers of Lake County
How to burst the Libertyville Bubble
The DACA and Dream programs have affected many Americans, including some right here at LHS and in our county.
There are manys ways to break the Libertyville bubble and educate ourselves about life outside of it,
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22-24
Banning books bans opportunities
Navigating the N-word The “n” word and its uses are very controversial; students and staff members discuss when, and if, it is appropriate to use.
“To Kill A Mockingbird” and other books have been taken out of school systems; staff writer Anya Belomonia takes a look at how these books expand our minds.
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Trumping Assumptions
Sports Wildcat Stats
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The stereotypical Trump supporter is often portrayed as racist, but staff member Lizzie Foley argues against this connotation.
The final stats for the fall sports seasons, including some teams’ recent playoff runs.
30-31 Table of Contents by Katie Felsl Cover photo by Sam Nelson
Banning books bans opportunities
The Rise to Kneel
Students and teachers express beliefs on the national and local protesters that have been raising their voice by taking a knee at sporting events.
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Best Buddies wins best chapter in Illinois By Megan Fahey
Photo by Stephanie Luce Peter Dankelson, Alexa Donato and Chase Miller attended the Best Buddies Halloween party and painted festive pumpkins on Oct. 28. On Oct. 23, Best Buddies was recognized for its recent awards by the District 128 school board. Last May, at the Best Buddies Friendship Walk, which was held at Brookfield Zoo, LHS was named best chapter of the year in Illinois. Additionally, the group received an outstanding chapter award by the international Best Buddies organization. The best chapter award, given by Best Buddies Illinois, is “determined by the four program supervisors,” explained Emma Reutter, one of the program supervisors. “Four program supervisors get together and collectively choose the schools they want to nominate and discuss based on the program managers’ descriptions of that school,” she said. “We decide based on whether the school is filling out friendship updates, and basically abiding by the Best Buddies guidelines, as well as throwing outstanding or unique events.” One event LHS puts together that stands out to the Best Buddies organization is the annual carnival, according to Reutter, because “it is an absolutely amazing event. It is a massive feat and a huge fundraiser. It really promotes inclusion, which we are all about.” Not only does LHS Best Buddies try to promote inclusion of all abilities with the carnival, but also inclusion of everyone in the community and in the area, shared Mrs. Lindsay Recsetar, a sponsor of LHS Best Buddies. “We invite not only our students here at LHS and their families, but we invite all surrounding Best Buddies chapters in Lake and Cook county. People from all over come,” Mrs. Recsetar said. “We also reach out to community members and the feeder school districts and invite everyone. We invite staff members and their families. I think a big piece of it was the community outreach piece we do and how many people we bring in for the carnival.” When LHS won this award, Mrs. Recsetar reflected that “it was nice
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to just see everyone rewarded for all the hard work they did, not only the peer buddies, board members and presidents, but also our buddies and their families and everyone who pours their heart and soul into this club.” Board member Max Moulton believes that this award affects more than just the club itself but rather the school as a whole. “I think [having a strong Best Buddies chapter] definitely does affect the atmosphere at LHS. It really promotes the atmosphere of inclusion, regardless of ability, physical appearance, or mental state,” he said. “[The buddies are] all Wildcats and a part of our community, and they’re our friends.” Even though the LHS Best Buddies chapter is now award-winning, leaders of the club are still trying to make improvements, according to Moulton. “We are just doing a lot more events and fun things. For Homecoming last year, there was nothing to do for the buddies. If they wanted to go to Homecoming, they kind of just had to go by themselves,” Moulton said. “This year, we started a group. All of the board members and all of the buddies who wanted to come to Homecoming all went together as a group. We had appetizers at someone’s house and we did the whole thing. We are planning even more things like that just to get people social and included in the school events.” Events like these are important for the club to arrange because they can have lifelong impacts for some by creating friendships, explained one of the club’s vice presidents, Kyra Ritchie. “I’ve forged friendships that are just some of the best friendships with people who are just so fun to hang out with,” she said. “We do fun things inside and outside of school. It’s just a really cool friendship with everyone in the club, which is lifelong.”
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New club promotes activism against slavery By Jacob Kemp
Photo by Rachel Dudley At the school musical earlier this month, which included themes like enslavement and oppression, the members of Students Ending Slavery took the opportunity to educate the audience on present-day slavery and raise money for the club. Recently, a new club has been created, representing a larger movement to end the slavery that exists in the modern world. Junior Alice Lillydahl has established a chapter of Students Ending Slavery at Libertyville High School. “[Free the Slaves] is an incredible organization that works all around the world to prevent slavery, free slaves and help those affected by slavery adjust once they’ve been freed,” Lillydahl said. Her new club is sponsored by the organization, and they work side by side to combat the problem together. Every other Tuesday, members of the club gather to discuss the history of slavery as well as how to advocate for the victims’ freedom. Junior Reese Dannenfeldt, vice president of the growing club, feels that the world in Libertyville can be a bit small, but it’s important to maintain perspective about how big the world truly is and the impact that individuals can each have on it. “After traveling to Cambodia this summer, I realized that I wanted to be involved in more clubs that help people internationally. In all honesty, I believe that all individuals, no matter their characteristics and hobbies, want to make the world a better place in whatever way they can,” she said. Modern slavery isn’t legal anywhere, yet it’s found everywhere. Researchers estimate that 40 million people are enslaved worldwide, earning traffickers an illicit $150 billion each year, as noted by a U.N. International Labor Organization study. Club founder and president Lillydahl really connected with Free the Slaves’ purpose. “I believe LHS is the perfect place to start a club like this because so many students at LHS are always looking for a way to engage with the world in a positive way and make an impact in all different parts of the globe,” she said. Free the Slaves was founded in 2000 and works with grassroots groups, international aid and development institutions, non-governmental organizations, advocacy coalitions, governments and journalists. In the past 17 years, they have liberated 13,000 people from slavery, according to the organization’s website. Lillydahl wants that number to keep growing.
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“Our goal as a club is to fundraise, educate and advocate. We want to bring a higher level of awareness to LHS and donate as much money as we can to Free the Slaves so that they can continue their important work,” she said. “It’s difficult because many think of slavery as a thing of the past.” Mr. Matthew Wahl is the club’s sponsor and also one of the school’s AP Human Geography teachers; he has a real passion for the cause. “One of my goals as a teacher is to have students be aware of issues on a global scale and take action. The fact that Alice did this all on her own speaks volumes about her as a student,” he said. “For her, making a difference is much more important than a grade or a score on an AP exam.” One day, he showed his AP Human Geography class a video about modern-day slavery, and it really struck a chord with the students, Lillydahl especially, who remembered, “The pictures shown in the TED Talk by Lisa Kristine are real and raw, but she ends the video with pictures of slaves in various countries holding candles, symbolizing hope and the need to shed light on their situation. The video really struck me. So I looked up Free the Slaves and saw it was possible to create student chapters.” Dannenfeldt agreed: “When Alice brought up the idea of this club last year, I was immediately on board. Everyone else in my class was too.” In the future, the club has a lot of goals and even more ideas to reach them. Currently, they are trying to coordinate an event with Rahab’s Daughter, an organization that specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of human trafficking survivors, which involves the painting of bricks for the Super Bowl. “The Super Bowl is the biggest yearly event in the United States in which human trafficking occurs,” Dannenfeldt explained. “By painting informative messages and putting antislavery phone numbers on the bricks and placing them around the stadium of the football field, our hope is that any individual being taken or placed into human trafficking will see the information and use it to get help.” Anyone interested in the club is welcome to join Students Ending Slavery, which meets after school every other Tuesday in Room 221.
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“I think of a mix between races or ethnicities and like it being not “I think of a variety of different exactly equal but there being a lot of them all in one place” cultures and races” Well like if you have a diverse group, not only like race, “When I hear the word diversity, I think of different ethnicities and races and cultures” I think culture, ethnicity, religion, just all sorts of things that aren’t the same and are just a homogenous “Just like a bunch of people with different ideas and different backgrounds coming group, and I associate it with more positivity I guess” together and [working] cooperatively, hopefully” “The main think of is one different cultures, people that don’t look alike, and people that don’t think alike. I think that’s a needed thing in our society”
“What I think of is racism. That not everybody likes… ya know is having issues. Everybody should get along. I do have one quote whether you use it or not--i use this all the time: ‘We all look different on the outside, but on the inside, we’re all exactly the same’” “I think of understanding everyone’s differences and that each person is unique in their own ways”
“races… different rac-
“I define diversity as accepting people es, different religions and just like differfor what they really are rather than ent… I don’t know” what they look like or how they act”
“ok.. Um.. I think diversity celebrates people for their differences, whether that be race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, your career path, your beliefs, your religion --- all those things .. just celebrates the differences of people”
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n our Diversity Issue, our purpose is to highlight the diversity that is among all of us. Around this paragraph, you can see various quotes from different students and faculty at LHS and how they define and describe diversity. Based on their words, it is evident that diversity can be defined as so many different things and that there is not necessarily a right or wrong definition. As an editorial board, we decided to explore the topic of diversity in this issue in an effort to showcase all the diversity that is present in our community and how it can open up people to new perspectives. While you flip through and read the following pages, whether you see it in our staff editorial (Discussing diversity: It’s indispensable, page 25), the story about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DREAMers of Lake County, pages 19-21) and how it affects a student here at LHS, or the story about the English Language Learner program (Living life in a foreign language, pages 7-9), diversity is an integral part of our community. Without further ado, here it is, the Diversity Issue.
By Maria Thames
“Is there a right or wrong answer? …. The different colors of people’s skin”
Layout by Livi Griffith
“I think diversity is when a culture or a country has a good mix of people from all walks of life and they can all get along and they all respect each other
“Different cultures interacting
“A lot of different people” “Diversity is lots of different together in a community” people that like look different “I think of like different towns and cities and how like diverse and act different in one place I like people you see . . . when you go to chicago you see all these different people and it’s diverse I guess” guess” “Something that composes of things “Being different . . . like all around different” or has things that are different”
“ . . . A variety of different people, like it can be culture, ethnicity or like even their different ideas like a bag of Chex Mix . . . just different”
Different groups of people or different people in one space” “I don’t know.” “A bunch of different types of people all “I just think of differences between people … just embractogether”
“I think it’s having differences not only in your race, but other aspects of your life too”
“The equality of people everywhere, so like between all cultures, races, religions, everything”
“ How people are different … I think of how people come from different places so they’ve had different experiences”
“All different races and types of people--- not race in general, but even like ethnicity or what you like to do and just stuff like that”
Well I think of my mom and how she’s in a diversity committee for her district, it’s representative of all different races, ethnicities, genders and religious back grounds” (goes into unimportant details about meeting times and locations). “What it means to me is making things less homogenous. Instead of it being one sheet of blank paper, having all sorts of different colored polka dots on there.”
“The first thing that comes to mind is pretty much anything; anything could be diverse--- it could be from people to like carpets … anything can really be diverse. Basically I define diversity as a bunch of different things, like i said pretty much anything can be diverse”
“Different ethnicities all in one area”
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“I think diversity is a bunch of different people based off of religion, culture, interests and hobbies all interacting with each other”
“I don’t know.. What I think it is is people with different experiences coming together to discuss things”
ing each other’s differences and appreciating others”
“I think of different backgrounds, people from different countries ya know and then also......” *starts again cause he’s nervous* “when I think of diversity I think of how people from different countries and different ethnicities and different nationalities and different backgrounds and all that” “I define it as . . . being diverse is like our school is very diverse--we have different kinds of people, different ethnicities, different races, different religions, different interests”
“I hear it as like together like . . .” “Like it doesn’t . . .” “it doesn’t matter about like a person’s race, gender, sexuality, it goes as like one whole group of people”
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Living Life in a Foreign Language any students at LHS and high schoolers around the world face similar barriers in their classes -- for example, it could be a difficult math or science concept. However, some students at LHS face a different barrier: the language barrier.
The English Language Learner (ELL) program at LHS helps students adjust to life in high school by not only helping them learn English and with their academics, but also introduces clubs and other social opportunities to these students.
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By Megan Fahey Photos by Dylan Trott Layout by Colleen Mullins Focus Feature
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Manit Kaushal
Manit Kaushal moved from India in Sept. of 2016. He speaks a plethora of languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, English and French. While Kaushal was learning English in India and Singapore, he was learning British English instead of American English, which presented itself as a challenge for him. “This year, I am in AP Government. AP Government uses a lot of American English, which is hard. AP Government is okay because Ms. Holtsford helps me to know the meaning of some American words during the test.” Resources like these have helped make Kaushal’s transition much easier. These resources are helpful to him because “our minds work in different ways. When I read something in English, my mind works to translate it to our home language and then when we know the answer, we must translate it back to the English language. It is a hard process, which takes us a lot of time, so ELL provides us with extra time.” Another resource provided by the ELL program that has had a big impact on Kaushal is when the program previews clubs for students to be involved in. “When I was new and they used to come and tell us about the new clubs and things, that’s how I became very socialized in the school. Before I came here, people who had already graduated told me it would be hard for me because children already have their friends from childhood and they don’t like to be friends easily,” he said. “That is what I experienced starting, but when the clubs came, it brought opportunities for us and made it easy to socialize. One of my favorite clubs is Interact Club, and I am the president of Young Investors. Coding Cats is another one of my favorites.” Kaushal sees his place in the ELL program as an advantage and as a
unique opportunity that other students can’t be involved in because it “helps [him] to know what other cultures mean and how people of those cultures actually follow them.” While he learns about these different cultures and becomes a part of the American culture, he makes a conscious effort “to make sure to be a part of American culture while still connecting to my roots. It’s more about staying connected to [his] family and friends because they are the ones who have a positive influence in my life,” Kaushal said. There is one group at LHS that has similarly had a positive impact on Kaushal: the teachers. “When I was new here and knew nothing about this school or this community, teachers showed up and were very nice and very friendly. I felt lucky to have teachers like those who would help me at any time or any moment. That is why Mrs. Alison Reifenberg also has a great impact on me,” he said. “She is one of the best teachers I have ever had, and I can’t ever forget her. She has helped me a lot, not only me, but the other ELL children as well.”
Cristina Tuduripoza
Cristina Tuduripoza moved to Libertyville in August from Spain. Prior to her move, Tuduripoza had much more exposure to English than many of her ELL classmates, which allowed her to transition smoothly. “I learned English, and I traveled to Canada and Ireland to learn more English. I was pretty comfortable [speaking English] when I came,” explained Tuduripoza. While Tuduripoza is becoming increasingly comfortable with English in the classroom, she speaks Spanish at home, where her Spanish culture is kept alive. “We still eat food from Spain and we still eat at the same time [that we would] in Spain and have our culture. It’s kind of like America’s on the outside but Spain is in my home.” The ELL program has helped her to work on her English as well as acculturate to Libertyville and the United States as a whole. To acculturate is to integrate into a new culture while keeping one’s own cultural traits as well. One way the program has made her transition easier is by coordinating extra time for her when necessary. “Some teachers let me do the exams at ELL. Mr. Wiggins lets me start them in class before I have ELL and finish it there. For Geometry
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Honors, I take too long in the tests and [my teacher] lets me finish them [later],” shared Tuduripoza. Another part of the program that has had a postive impact on her schooling is the other students. The other students share similar experiences, and they are people she can talk to. While many challenges Tuduripoza faces are different from someone who has simply moved from another town, one challenge is universal. She describes this challenge as “making friends, because you have to start all over, and it’s really hard.”
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Alison Reifenberg
Mrs. Alison Reifenberg is the teacher of all of the students in the ELL program. She attended Loyola University to earn her degree in secondary education as well as English, until her mom suggested she look into receiving a certificate to teach English as a second language. “I went for it, and I really enjoyed the classes. I enjoyed the clinical work we had to do,” Mrs. Reifenberg stated. Her first job after college cemented her love for teaching the subject: “My first job was in Taiwan at a boarding school for a year. Every student there had English as a second, third or fourth language. So every student there was from Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea or Cambodia. I just absolutely loved working with that group of students. It was a different challenge than what I had expected as a teacher. The classroom environment is so different than the classroom environment that we grew up with, and I just really find it interesting.” Mrs. Reifenberg aids the process of acculturation rather than assimilation. She explains that “assimilation means that a student has completely lost all of their previous culture and now they are in our culture completely. Acculturation means that they have both cultures inside of them and are experiencing both of them. Acculturation is my goal. We
want [the students] to experience and appreciate both cultures.” To help her students acculturate, Mrs. Reifenberg utilizes many techniques and methods, such as sheltered language instruction. “I’ve been trying to work with this thing called sheltered language instruction that would be previewing your lesson plans and your quizzes and tests to see any vocabulary [ELL students] might not be familiar with,” explained Mrs. Reifenberg. When looking to the future of the ELL program at LHS, Mrs. Reifenberg dreams “that the class size would be smaller so we could do more direct English instruction in the support class, which would be amazing.”
Angie and Mark Baquiran Angie and Mark Baquiran moved to Libertyville two years ago from Batanes, a city in the northern part of the Philippines. There, they spoke Ivatan, the language of their island, and Tagalog, the language of the Philippines. Their uncle, who has lived in the U.S. for 26 years, convinced their father to come to Libertyville for “opportunities and better education,” shared Mark. Since their arrival, they’ve struggled to acclimate to the language and the American culture, but the ELL program has made this adjustment easier for them. Before the Baquirans moved, they researched Libertyville online and what they found scared them. “We somehow read that there’s violence. I didn’t expect having this really nice neighborhood. I was like, ‘What if we go home and there’s a bunch of old dudes on the block?’” described Mark. Safety was not the only fear the Baquirans had upon moving here. Another fear that Angie had occurred during class. “When I was in class, I was really scared to talk because I didn’t want to be mistaken or answer wrong,” explained Angie. “Everybody looked at me that one time I was in class and answered a question that the teacher asked, and they laughed at me.” The ELL program has helped these siblings to learn English, which has made them more comfortable here. “Learning in English is more difficult because there is a lot going on
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in English and it’s not my mothertongue. So, for grammar, there’s one word that has different meaning and it has a verb and a noun and an adjective, so it’s hard knowing how to use it. I just have to take a little more time to understand and respond,” stated Angie. The difficulties that accompany English are made easier through activities that strengthen students’ vocabularies with “a document or Google sheet with some words and [they] just try to define it,” shared Mark. What has made this transition easier for these siblings is each other. They are able to understand the challenges of the other and be there for the other. “My sister kind of helped me to make me feel like I have company in this school,” explained Mark.
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James and Brandon : Best Buddies By Matt Smith and Savanna Winiecki
Photos by Bulat Schamiloglu
Layout by Paula Baworska
James Clavey looks at his best friend, Brandon Fisher. Clavey and Fisher both have Muscular Dystrophy, a group of diseases that progressively weakens a person’s muscle mass. Their disease has brought them together and was the initial reason for their close friendship.
“Muscular Dystrophy is a group of diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. In muscular dystrophy, abnormal genes (mutations) interfere with the production of proteins needed to form healthy muscle,” according to the Mayo Clinic. There are many different kinds of
Muscular Dystrophy. Symptoms typically arise during childhood, and it is most common in males. Juniors James Clavey and Brandon Fisher are best friends who both have Muscular Dystrophy, but it in no way impedes upon their strong friendship.
Freetime Fun
Clavey and Fisher met the summer before their freshman year at Fisher’s eighth-grade graduation party. Clavey’s first impression of Fisher was that “he was in a wheelchair like [him], and he had the same disease as [him]. [He was] happy [that he] had a new friend to hang out with.” Fisher added, “I thought he seemed like a nice person. We were sort of friends right away.” They love telling jokes to each other. Both Fisher and Clavey complimented each other’s sense
of humor, calling it one of the other’s best qualities. Others have noticed this, too. “I think they share a similar sense of humor… very silly, very sarcastic and just fun,” stated Mr. Christopher Crawford, Clavey and Fisher’s integrated PE aide, Mr. Crawford typically spends 50 minutes a day with them during their gym class. Fran Clavey, James’s mom, also sees how happy they are when together, and how “they are such goof balls when they are together. They are always cracking jokes and laughing.”
“He looks out for me, and I look out for him.” Focus Feature
-James Clavey 10
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Clavey and Fisher have friends who recognize their incredible bond, including Clavey’s former peer buddy Grace Hurley, who is a recent LHS graduate; she currently attends the University of Belmont. “The understanding they have for each other, like how they are always on the same wavelengths with their jokes, and how they’re always so joyful together and [how] they can have a whole conversation and no one else will know what is going on with them, it’s just really awesome to watch,” said Hurley over the phone. “When they’re together, they are definitely very goofy. They just are laughing constantly and making fun of each other and being sarcastic.” Fisher and Clavey love going to the movies together; they go to see whatever good movies come out, according to Fisher. Additionally, they spend a lot of time together at Best Buddies, a club that forms friendships between students with and without disabilities, and Capernaum, a weekly Christian youth group for high schoolers with special needs. They also enjoy hanging out at each other’s houses.
Making Memories
Clavey’s favorite memory of their
friendship was when he went to Fisher’s pool birthday party this past July at Fisher’s aunt’s house. This was one of his favorite memories because they both love to swim. Mr. Crawford has been with them their whole high school careers and has been able to make a multitude of memories with them. “The one thing that stood out the most was seeing … them both come out of their shell. It’s not a specific moment in time, but just over the course of these three years, to see them really flourish,” said Mr. Crawford. Over the summer, Clavey and Fisher attended a Muscular Dystrophy Association camp together. They were able to go horseback riding, swimming, fishing and meet many new friends. Also, they were very excited when they found out that they were rooming together, according to Mrs. Clavey. Last year, Clavey and Fisher were telling each other jokes during the Best Buddies Talent Show when all of sudden, the jokes stopped and they were handed cardboard shields and swords and “fought to the death,” as they put it, during the talent show. “My favorite memory of them is definitely watching them joust at the Best Buddies Talent Show and go through this whole elaborate
thing. It just kind of showed their personalit[ies] to everyone watching and not being shy, letting themselves out there,” mentioned Hurley.
Impactful Friendship
Having Fisher as a friend, Clavey feels more confident because he has someone to relate to: “We have the same disease, so we can talk to each other about our problems.” One of the most important things about their friendship is that they care about each other and support each other. “He’s always there for me,” said Fisher. “We are both in a wheelchair, so we understand what it’s like.” Clavey added: “He looks out for me, and I look out for him.” Mrs. Clavey sees them as more than just friends: “They seem like brothers. They know what the other one needs.” Clavey and Fisher’s closeness is evident. “I think they have a lot in common, and I think they share a lot of experiences together and because of that, I think they can form that bond that they can’t with a lot of
other people,” said Mr. Crawford. These commonalities have enhanced their friendship, Hurley explained: “They both have the same struggles, and they both don’t see each other as their wheelchairs, but they see each other as an amazing person, which they are, and a lot of people can’t get past looking at their wheelchair, and so it’s special that they are able to have someone to be themselves with and enjoy life with and be the best that they can.”
Clavey (left) reads Fisher’s Veteran’s Day letter, which he wrote as part of an activity at a recent meeting for Best Buddies, a club at LHS that unites and creates friendships between people with and without disabilities. To learn more about Best Buddies, see page 4.
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Cultural Calendar By Maggie Hutchins
Holidays and awareness days of the world's countless cultures August
September
9: International Day of the World's Indigenous People 12: International Youth Day 15: Janmashtami
November 11: Veterans Day 16: International Day for Tolerance 19: International Men's Day 20: Universal Children's Day 23: Thanksgiving Day
October 5: Sukkoth 9: Columbus Day 10: World Mental Health Day 12: Sh'mini Atzeret 13: Simchat Torah 19: Diwali
1: Eid al-Adha 4: Labor Day 21: Muharram 21-22: Rosh Hashanah 21-29: Navaratri / Dassehra 30: Yom Kippur
December
January
1: Maulid al-Nabi 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities 10: Human Rights Day 13-20: Hanukkah 25: Christmas
1: New Year's Day 7: Christmas 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Please note that all the dates featured are from the 2017-2018 school calendar All Islamic and Jewish holidays listed begin at sundown on the previous day Islamic holiday dates vary due to different interpretations of the lunar calendar Key Dates that are bolded and underlined students have off school U.S. Holiday
Jewish
Hindu
Orthodox Christian
Christian
Other
Islamic
Febuary
March
14: Maha Shivaratri 14: Beginning of Lent 16: Chinese New Year 19: Presidents Day 19: Beginning of Lent
May
April
1: Purim 2-3: Holi 8: International Women's Day 21: World Down Syndrome Day 26: Ramanavami
2: World Autism Awareness Day 27: GLSEN Day of Silence April 31-May 7: Passover 30: Good Friday
June
1: Easter 16: Ramadan (beginning) 20: Shavouth 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 28: Memorial Day
July
10: Laylat al-Qadr 13: International Albinism Awareness Day 15: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) 20: World Refugee Day
D i v e r s i t y
4: Independence Day 30: International Day of Friendship
Sources: University of Minnesota, District 128 Calendar and the United Nations
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Is Eid Equal? By Hannah Hutchins
Photos by Bulat Schamiloglu
Layout by Jenna Carnazzola
Throughout the school year, students and staff receive time off of school for different religious holidays: in the fall for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; in the winter for Christmas; and in the spring for Good Friday and Easter. However, one religion’s holidays are not recognized: the religion of Islam.
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Overview of Eid
In Islam, there are two main holidays: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr occurs after the month of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, and directly translates to “the festival of the breaking of the fasts.” The day is devoted to celebrating Muslims’ hard work throughout Ramadan. The second holiday, Eid al-Adha, is considered the holier of the two and honors the sacrifices of Ibrahim (Abraham), a messenger and prophet of God. Eid al-Adha falls after a period of hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims and one of the five pillars of Islam. During both holy days, Muslims typically attend a special morning prayer and sermon and then spend the day with their family and
friends, as well as give back to the less fortunate. Islam follows a lunar calendar, and because of this, the holy days change from year to year, shifting approximately 11 days earlier from the year before. In 2018, Eid al-Fitr will occur in the summer, from the evening of Thursday, June 14, to the evening of Friday, June 15. Eid al-Adha will commence during the evening of Monday, Aug. 20, and end in the evening on Tuesday, Aug. 21. For many Muslims still in school, this poses a problem; they must make the decision to miss school to celebrate this important part of their faith or to attend school and miss the celebrations.
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I don't need to be Muslim to understand that this is a matter of fairness and extending basic rights to all members of Lake County. - Natalie Perritano
The Muslim Holiday Coalition What started as a petition organized by one student has now grown into 17 students and 23 adults representing more than 11 schools. The Muslim Holiday Coalition, also known as Eid in Lake County, is a movement to get Eid recognized as an official school holiday, meaning that these days would be considered non-attendance days for students and faculty. Mariam Tolba, LHS senior and founder and president of the coalition, described the coalition as “a way to work together and make a change that will save many Muslims [from] the decision to miss school and fall behind or to miss a very important part of their faith.” The Muslim Holiday Coalition’s efforts to have Eid recognized as an official school holiday include attending board meetings, social media campaigning and meeting with school, district and county officials. This is all in an effort to extend their voices and reach beyond Libertyville High School, where the movement originated. Loubna Kiliouine, who is an adult representative for Oak Grove School, became involved with the coalition through the mosque Tolba attends, called Islamic Foundation North. Kiliouine has two daughters, one at Oak Grove and the other at LHS. She is a part of the coalition because even though there is a possibility that “by the time [the coalition makes] this goal happen, [her] kids will be out of school, [she is] doing this on behalf of every Muslim out there.” Kiliouine’s family is one of many faced with the difficult decision on how to handle school on Eid: “Some families choose to keep their kids home and don’t send them to school, [while] others choose to send them to school and have their kids miss valuable time with families during [the] holiday. Muslims shouldn’t be faced with that choice. Just like Christmas is celebrated and schools are closed, I would like to not have to worry about my kids missing school because they’re celebrating their holiday.” Natalie Perritano, a 2017 graduate of LHS currently attending
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New York University, helped Tolba in the creation and expansion of the coalition. Together, the two of them conducted research on area demographics, established social media platforms and reached out to different administrators. Unlike Tolba, Perritano is not Muslim. Her involvement, however, was still an easy choice. “I don’t need to be Muslim to understand that this is a matter of fairness and extending basic rights to all members of Lake County,” Perritano said over the phone.
Mariam Tolba stands besides her father, Omar, and her brother, Yaseen, in a prayer hall in the mosque. Drops of Ink
Mariam Tobla regularly attends her mosque, Islamic Foundation North, with her family to pray and practice Islam.
Why the holiday is not already recognized Neither Eid al-Fitr nor Eid al-Adha are considered official holidays in LHS’s eyes, meaning that students and staff attend school on these days. The Lake County Regional office works to create a calendar for all of its districts each year. While this calendar is merely a suggestion, it includes start and end dates, as well as breaks and holidays to be observed. One of the many jobs of Mrs. Roycealee J. Wood, Lake County Superintendent of Schools, is to supervise the creation of this calendar, which is given to all of the schools she oversees. “School boards in Illinois are very powerful. This is a county where everyone works together and the role of the regional office is just suggestion. It is up to the districts to make choices [such as which holidays to observe],” Mrs. Wood said. In fact, most decisions regarding the LHS calendar are made at a district level. Dr. Rita Fischer, the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, is the facilitator of the district’s calendar committee. According to Dr. Fischer, this committee annually reviews the district calendar for approval by the school board and includes educators and community members alike. As was mentioned before, the regional office sends a calendar to every district, but it is merely suggestion. Jewish holidays, for example, do not appear on the suggested calendar; the
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decision to make these non-attendance days was made about 10 years ago by the District 128 school board. “[The decision to make Jewish holidays non-attendance days] was related to the number of student and staff absences that occurred on those holidays. It was deemed to be a disruption to the school day,” Dr. Fischer stated. Regarding Muslim holidays, the amount of students and staff missing has not been considered enough to warrant non-attendance days. “[Disruptive absences have] not been something noted of late. We have had students that request that we consider having non-attendance days on those holidays and it has been discussed by the calendar committee, but the absences [have] not been observed as a disruption to the regular school day,” Dr. Fischer said. “There are opportunities, however, to those who have religious holidays that may not be recognized by the school calendar to take those days off as excused holidays, but it is still a regular school day.” Although Muslim holidays are not school-sanctioned holidays, both Christian and Jewish holidays are. Some see this as unfair, because although Muslims represent a smaller portion of the population, they still make up some of the student body. In Tolba’s opinion: “Public schools just have so much diversity and we should be respectful of every religion and culture and ethnicity. [Public schools] shouldn’t be partial to certain groups of people.”
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Danielle Navarro, a senior at LHS, is part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA protects children whose parents traveled to the United States undocumented. They can’t be deported, and they can work and apply for college through DACA. Danielle has been protected by DACA since 2015 and recently sent a renewal request. But because of the stricter process under President Donald Trump, the request wasn’t fulfilled. This is a result of her attorney forgetting to add an “e” to Belize, the country Danielle is from, on the form.
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mmigration is a controversial topic nationwide. Programs like Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) and Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) determine the futures of millions both already residing in and immigrating to to the United States. Maybe you’re a second- or third-generation immigrant, or your parents are immigrants, or maybe you don’t know any immigrants, but they’re here in Lake County -- even in Libertyville. Though they face many challenges along the way, immigrants are finding their place in the United States with the help of counselors, families and friends. “Being called American is something a lot of immigrants really value,” stated Jael Mejia, Engaged Citizens Program Coordinator at the Mano a Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake. Mano a Mano is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help immigrants mesh into life in the U.S., through finding jobs, going to school, etc. Aspirations for a better life are becoming harder for immigrant families to reach. Although former President Barack Obama issued the executive order for DACA in 2012, President Donald Trump has repealed it, putting the program on probation. As of now, DACA is still in effect for its recipients, however, no requests or renewals of DACA are being accepted. DACA allows undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children to obtain a valid driver’s license, enroll in college, legally secure a job, be protected from deportation and reside legally in the U.S.
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In order to be accepted into the program, DACA applicants must meet a strict criteria of requirements. In addition, applicants must renew their request for DACA every two years. Mejia explained that DACA applicants “have to pay $495 [to renew]. Some people will be able to apply, but they aren’t able to renew because they don’t have the money.” DACA recipient and LHS senior Danielle Navarro is experiencing this issue of application renewal costs. She stated that without DACA, “I [could] still apply to colleges, but I wouldn’t be able to get a job or drive or anything like that… it’s just a matter of waiting, and that’s [hard to do].” She has been a part of DACA for over two years now and recently began her process of renewal. “It was very difficult for me because they kept sending my information back because it wasn’t enough, and with that it passed the deadline.” The renewal process requires money, adherence to strict deadlines, and extreme specificity in applications. Navarro was able to talk to her attorney to renew DACA, but nevertheless, one simple mistake can make or break whether or not an application is accepted. According to Navarro, the application process was much easier before President Trump’s decision to revoke the program. In her recent renewal request, she experienced some difficulties because now “the Department of Homeland Security sends everyone’s back because of one certain thing. For me, it was because the country I am from [Belize], my attorney spelled it wrong. They forgot an ‘e’ and they gotta send it all back.” The process caused a lot of unease for Navarro and her family. She admitted, “The whole situation with my attorneys not getting my information in on time [is] making everyone so stressed and worried. Recently we’ve been getting into arguments over it.” Over the past 16 years, a bill called the DREAM Act has repeatedly been proposed to help undocumented immigrants, but has remained a policy rather than a law. This Act would not only include the benefits of the DACA program, but also carve a pathway to legalization for undocumented students.
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Undocumented students tend to struggle regularly with their status. Dr. Gilbert said that DREAMers “live every day with fear. They live in fear of being deported themselves or fear of a loved one being deported. So imagine you going to school everyday, and you are afraid that when you come home, your parents will not be there.” It’s no surprise undocumented students rarely disclose their status for fear of being kicked out of the country. With this constant apprehension instilled in undocumented families, there comes secrecy. “Many undocumented students have grown up and have been told by their parents, this is something you cannot ever tell anybody, you cannot share with anybody,” Dr. Gilbert said. However, they can be more upfront about their position if they feel they reside in a welcoming community. If undocumented students reveal their status, counselors are able to help and give them specific information on college and their future. Having a wide range of races, ethnicities, sexualities, and backgrounds can all contribute to how accepted an undocumented student feels at any given school, according to Dr. Koulentes. Here at LHS, there are stickers and posters in some classrooms, offices, and LSTs that read, “DREAMers Welcome.” This logo, depicting a butterfly with patterns made up of different people’s faces to represent different backgrounds, came from the National Education Association. It was created in hopes of raising support and awareness for DREAMers in the United States. Lake County is home to a large immigrant population “because [immigrants] know there’s a support network. They know there’s family there, they know there’s people there who have made it and been established, and there’s a network of people who will help them get established,” said Dr. Koulentes. Dr. Gilbert shared that there are other schools “like Evanston, [that] have really been the leaders in [undocumented student awareness]. Dr. Eric Witherspoon, chief superintendent of ETHS, has come out and made some vocal statements in support of undocumented students: ‘Evanston is a sanctuary city and we are going to support our students.’ Not every principal, superintendent or school board is comfortable with that.” DREAMers are present at LHS as well as many other schools; they want and learn all the same things as any American, so educating others on their battle is “important for everyone to know,” Navarro explained. “I’m not saying you have to support it or not, just [that] it’s good to be aware of it because [DREAMers] don’t really speak up for themselves because they are worried that someone will come after them or judge them… [we] need that extra support.”
Mejia said that “immigrants do value and hope that they eventually have a pathway to become an American citizen. That’s something that is like a dream, it’s kind of like, ‘I want to buy my first home’ kind of thing.’ That’s [something] that immigrants would really love to have.” LHS principal Dr. Tom Koulentes believes that if the DREAM Act were to be passed, it would mean that this undocumented population “would be able to reconcile their identity with the way the country sees them. It would be an official declaration that our country acknowledges these kids as true Americans, and that you can’t put a price on it. That is why it’s so important to so many of our DREAMers.” DREAMers are young people who have grown up in this country and generally identify as American but lack documentation to be called United States citizens. “The term DREAMer to me is a child who is dreaming of having the same opportunities that every other American and child has, which is to get an education, to obtain a college education, and to work hard in their passion and dream job,” stated Dr. Koulentes. Navarro agreed that “a DREAMer is someone who really wants to get far in life, maybe not be the most successful person in the world, but everyone has dreams and especially for us, the DREAMers, it’s really important because we not only want to help ourselves, but we also want to help our families.” She checks the news on DACA every day after school and says she doesn’t want DACA to be permanently revoked because “[with DACA] I’m not scared to tell people that I’m a part of this program because I feel like I’m safe under it.” According to Mejia, who works with immigrants on a daily basis, families of undocumented students tend to have a low economic status, as the parents are not protected under labor rights and end up working all day, under the table, for minimum wage. Undocumented students are also exempt from financial aid for higher education, making their financial situation all the more difficult. The goal for many of these immigrant students is to assist their families by graduating high school, going to college, and getting a high-paying job that will provide for their families. DACA has helped Navarro with “getting a job and being able to help my mom with money [among other things].” As DREAMers pursue higher education, it becomes more and more difficult. Dr. Aliza Gilbert is a Highland Park High School counselor and one of the top spokespersons for the National Association of College Counselors on DREAMers and undocumented student rights. She stated fewer than half of all undocumented adults ages 18-24 with a high school degree have attended any college. Counselors like Dr. Gilbert who work with undocumented and DACA students have determined the issue of these students not pursuing an education after high school has nothing to do with laziness and everything to do with a paucity of motivation because of limited college options. “If high school is only the path to college and you think you can’t go to college, then what’s the value of high school? High school needs to do a better job of helping students understand from day one [that] if they are undocumented, college is still a possibility.”
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Detail o DACA 37,000 DACA recipients in Illinois use their permits to work
42,000 DACA recipients in Illinois
If DACA was rescinded, there would be $2.3 billion in economic loss from workers in Illinois
Illinois is one of 15 states that has sued Trump for the removal of DACA
1,000+ immigrants in Lake County
There are 1 million DREAMers under the age of 18 in America
All information compiled from WGNTV, ICIRR (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights), IACAC (Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling) and the Chicago Tribune
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Navigating the
**Note: We are choosing to leave the n-word uncensored in some areas throughout the article as an effort to thoroughly explore the word’s connotation, and we find it beneficial to explicitly say the word instead of masking it.
Etymology of the n-word The n-word is one of the most divisive words in American history. The simple utterance of this six-letter word can bring about a whirlwind of painful emotions to many blacks in America. It all began in the early nineteenth century in the United States, when people started to first use the word “nigger.” According to the Public Broadcasting Service, in the era of enslavement, the words “nigger” or “black” were inserted in front of common American first names to distinguish a black slave from a local white person. The usage of the word today still remains ambiguous to some, as it can be used politically, derogatively or among the black culture affectionately. However, the epithet is considered an abusive slur when used by white people. In recent years, the word has since gained more
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acceptance in youth culture through song lyrics and stand-up comedy, PBS reported. According to National Public Radio, nowadays “nigger” and “nigga” are used among blacks to reclaim the pain that is associated with the word. Blacks recruited the word partly as a reclamation and partly out of an inferiority complex rooted in oppression. For some, NPR said, the word has evolved into a term of teasing affection, while other blacks do not view the word in such a positive light. The complexity of the n-word is an issue that plagues the whole U.S., and our intention is not to clear up the usage -- as that would be an almost impossible feat -- but rather to explore the usage of the word in a town like Libertyville.
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N-Word
By Lola Akinlade & Demi Glusic Photos by Ben Kanches Layout by Emily Hamilton
The usage of the n-word in music In today’s society, the words “nigger” or “nigga” are often used in hiphop music by black artists to reclaim the word, and some white people find it acceptable for them to sing along to it in music as well. However, it is a hazy line. The popular Netflix show “Dear White People” depicts the blurred line of the usage of the n-word in black music in an episode at a party scene. The beginning of the scene includes black and white college students who attend a frat party. The vibe is chill and everyone is dancing and having a good time, until a white friend named Addison drops the n-bomb while singing along to a hip-hop song. A black character named Reggie asks Addison not to say it anymore. Addison explains that he doesn’t “really” use that word, but that he’s just “singing” along. This is where the debate begins. If someone chooses to use the n-word to sing along in music, is it then acceptable for anyone to say it, or should any usage of it be banned? Senior Eddie Moy, who is a member of the club Scone Thugs and
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Harmony, which listens to and discusses hip-hop music, believes that “it is okay [for anyone to use in music] because it is just expressing art. I think it is okay to say it in general because language is what you make of it. It’s just a word. I think it is really what you have as your meaning for the word.” While Moy believes that the word should not be given power, AP Psychology teacher and avid hip-hop listener Mr. Jonathan Kim upholds the belief that the word inherently has power ingrained in it and one cannot choose to not give it power. “The ability to say that the word only has meaning if you give it strength or power is a representation of white privilege. For the black community, that word is naturally charged, and there is no way for it to not have meaning or power,” Mr. Kim explained. “Whether it is in song lyrics or in everyday conversation, or joking around, whatever — it is not okay for anyone that is not black to just choose to say it.”
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What about without the hard “r” -- does that change the meaning? Having come a long way from using the term “nigger” as a derogatory term to distinguish black slaves from a local white person, the word has since been adapted as a response to cultural changes as time has passed. Passed down from the word of mouth, the term has multiple connotations depending on the way it is pronounced and in the context in which it is said. In the late ‘90s to early 2000s, Ms. Sharra Powell, an English teacher who is African-American, explained that there was a movement for “some individuals in the African-American community, [primarily] the hip-hop community, to use the term ‘n-i-g-g-a’ instead of ‘n-i-g-g-e-r’, [with] ‘n-i-g-g-a’ being a term that wasn’t hate-filled. There was this idea of taking the hate out of the word.” Pronouncing it without a hard “r” at the end is now referenced by some
as a similar term relating to “buddy” or “friend.” Given that the word is historically ingrained with negativity, there are an array of opinions as to whether this is still offensive in use. Junior Liam Ness, another member of Scone Thugs and Harmony, expressed that he thinks “it’s what you make of it. If you are using it to say brother or friend, then it is fine, but if you are giving it that hate that’s in the history, then it’s not okay.” There is still an ongoing debate about whether it is alright to call somebody “nigga.” Contrary to Ness, some, including Ms. Powell, feel no matter the intent behind the usage, there is still a history tied to the word that spelling cannot change. “There’s too much negativity behind it,” explained Ms. Powell. “It’s a derogatory term, so I wouldn’t call my friend a derogatory term.”
Black people saying it to black people -- is it a double standard? As Chance the Rapper rapped on the popular track “Famous” by Kanye West, “And don’t say nigga unless of course you black nigga.” Mr. Kim upholds some of the same sentiments that Chance the Rapper sang about: “If the black community chooses to use it, then that is okay.” However, Mr. Kim believes that people who aren’t black are held to a different standard. “If I’m going to make any black individual uncomfortable, then I don’t need to use it. The word is not necessary. I’m going to cut it out of my vocabulary,” Mr. Kim said. Senior Kharisma Strawder, who is African-American, has a different view of the usage of the n-word and believes that no one should be able to say the word, regardless of their race. “My grandma is from down south and wasn’t living during slavery, but she was living through the repercussions. So she doesn’t tolerate
[the usage of the n-word], so I’ve never been one to say it, and I just don’t feel comfortable saying it,” she said. “I don’t think anyone should say it, whether they are black or white or whatever, especially people who aren’t black because it is degrading. For people who are black, it is degrading to yourself, so you shouldn’t say it.” However, for some blacks, “nigger” or ”nigga” are not degrading, but rather a way to empower themselves with a word that was historically used to make blacks feel inferior. For junior Davion Thompson, who is partially African-American, it gives him “a chance to express myself since I’m mixed black and white. It is one of those things that helps me show a little bit of heritage from my black side of the family, since I grew up in Libertyville and this town is more of a whiter town than others around.”
The n-word at LHS There is still a continuing debate on whether it is all right to use the n-word, and if so, who can say it and in what context. Libertyville has a low presence of racial diversity, which may play a role in how people react to using and hearing the word. The usage of the word has increased over the past few years at LHS, whether it is meant in a derogatory or friendly manner. It has been observed and heard by students and staff members in a variety of locations, including the hallways, classes and locker rooms. Ms. Powell reflected on a situation that happened a few years ago where a song came on in the boys locker room that included the word “nigger” a multitude of times. A white boy was rapping along with the song saying every word, and a “black student who was in there got very angry, and an actual physical altercation ensued because of it,” she said. Added Thompson: “It’s been progressing a whole lot; lots more people are saying it, I’ve heard.” Overall, there is a community of blacks much bigger than what is seen in Libertyville. No individual black person can be singled out to be the spokesperson for their ethnicity. What may be right to one can be wrong
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to another. Ms. Powell explains this concept to her students by saying that “there’s not really a black people meeting. It’s not like me, Oprah and LeBron all sitting next to each other, all saying ‘Hey, how do we feel about this?’” Leaving Libertyville can open a new world full of different experiences, cultures and beliefs. How community members embrace the word here may not necessarily accurately reflect how it is viewed in other parts of the country or around the world. History teacher Ms. Sarah Greenswag asserted that “it would be beneficial for our kids to get a better sense of how other people experience this world because we do have a very, very narrow, small-world view here, where we can make a lot of assumptions.” While the n-word is rooted deep in American history, the meaning is continuously changing for some and it can be hard to comprehend the true complexities of a two-syllable, six-letter word. However, regardless of the interpretation of the word, one concept that Thompson expressed remains constant: “This particular word is powerful for every black man and woman everywhere.”
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Discussing diversity: It’s indispensable Staff Editorial
Photo by Ariella Bucio Just like how Legos are different shapes, sizes and colors, we at LHS come in all different shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds. We are all unique and diverse, which is what helps LHS build a stronger and more accepting community. It can be hard to understand diversity. Based on who we are and how we view the world from our own microscopic lenses, we simply cannot understand every perspective out there. As individuals, we come from all different backgrounds, and knowing every detail about every difference that is present among the human race is nearly impossible. However, the Drops of Ink staff feels that it is imperative to be open and willing to try to understand the variations that are present among all people. We define these differences, this diversity, not only as differences present in race (as diversity is so commonly defined), but also as a variety of thoughts, perspectives, opinions, abilities, genders, sexualities and socioeconomic circumstances. Diversity is simply any distinction that is present within a group or situation. These differences are the one commonality that every person shares, and if people are willing to have conversations about the differences among each other, so much can be gained. Simply hearing about other people’s experiences can help build a new perspective or understanding of an unfamiliar idea, religion or culture, for example. The more that we are exposed to diversity, the better. As we are exposed to it more, we are less likely to think that solely our perspectives are the “right ones.” For example, in a 2016 case study done by The Harvard Business Review, more ethnically diverse work teams were found to be more successful when faced with having to make a decision, as those teams were able to recognize their own personal biases and be more objective. Additionally, by being exposed to diversity, we are able to recognize that maybe what we thought was a “weird” tradition from one group is simply something that we didn’t understand before, and that other groups may view things that we do as “weird” as well. We are able to recognize that our customs and traditions are not the only ones that exist, nor are they the only ones that matter. As a staff, we also feel that exposure to diversity, whether it is through a simple conversation or by visiting a new place, helps to break stereo-
types. If people were to live in the same area, surrounded by the same people with the same ideas for their entire lives, they would be limited to that one viewpoint. Without being exposed to different cultures and ideas and ethnicities and opinions, they would only understand diversity from one scope, which is what allows stereotypes to exist. On the DOI staff, various members shared stereotypes that they had prior to being exposed to diversity at different points in their lives and how they came to realize that these stereotypes were a result of their ignorance or perceptions. Some of these stereotypes included prejudice against cities that staffers had never visited and the fear that some staffers felt when walking past a group of African-American men. By admitting some of our own prior stereotypes, we were able to have a genuine discussion and came to the conclusion that the only thing we should ever be uncomfortable with in relation to diversity is the fact that people are uncomfortable with diversity. The second that diversity becomes uncomfortable, we belittle the perspectives that it could provide us with and allow stereotypes, such as those listed above, to prevail. While Libertyville may not seem to be the most diverse place in a traditional sense, the DOI staff sees Libertyville High School as a place where diversity is handled well, valued and talked about. At LHS, there are various clubs and organizations, some of which are featured in this issue, that exist because of diversity. We see these clubs and organizations, and the conversations they spark, as an integral part of the educational experience here and only want to see these conversations grow both in and out of the classroom. With this being said, we also want these conversations to benefit everyone involved, not just to target certain individuals in class because they are somehow “diverse.” Understanding diversity is like playing with a box of Legos; one Lego, by itself, is useless. However, when different Legos, composed of different shapes, different colors, different widths and different heights are put together, they are able to make something of substance.
Note: As this piece is a staff editorial, it is representative of the opinions of Drops of Ink staff as a whole. The staff is comprised of LHS students from each grade level and spans a wide range of opinions from two class periods, with 51 students total. The author(s) of this piece did not place their personal opinion in the story: they merely reflect the staff’s thoughts.
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How to burst the Libertyville Bubble By Lola Akinlade
Photo by Ben Kanches It is hard to leave “the bubble” or the place you have called home for the majority of your life. Eventually you need to “pop” the bubble and expand your views. “Libertyville Bubble” is a phrase that gets tossed around this suburb without much explanation or any proposed solutions. So, first, let me describe, as best I can, what I believe the “Libertyville Bubble” to be: Libertyville Bubble /ˈlibərdē/ /vɪl/ /ˈbəb(ə)l/ (noun) 92.43 percent of the people who live in Libertyville are Caucasian. Libertyville has an average income of $115,709; both of these pieces of information are according to DataUSA, an organization that collects public, government data. This information is just one cause of the bubble. As a result of these demographics, many people may find themselves only seeing the world from a limited perspective, as many of the struggles that people have to face in the world are not faced in such a privileged town. A naivety to the outside world because of the immense privileges afforded in a town like Libertyville is best described as the “Libertyville Bubble.” For example, many people in this town may be described as living in the “Libertyville Bubble” if they don’t have to worry about their race in any setting, don’t have to worry about their next meal or don’t have to thrift out of necessity. So, hopefully you now know what it is. That is the first step to bursting the bubble — knowing and admitting that you are living in a bubble. I would like to clarify that I am not the most enlightened or “woke” person out there. I certainly have heaps to learn about the world around me, but my perspective of the world is not confined to my little “Libertyville Bubble.” The next step to bursting the “Libertyville Bubble” is wanting to break the bubble. Knowing that you are living in a bubble is half of the solution to the problem of suburbia-induced ignorance. It can be hard to find the motive to burst the bubble because it can be nice to live in the bubble. If you live in the bubble, you don’t have to worry about stuff that doesn’t affect you. Ignorance is bliss! Wrong… scratch that! Ignorance is selfish. Living your life without care for the lives of millions around you is a selfish act, and it is not blissful in any way — knowing that there are
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millions of people suffering everyday and choosing not to do anything about it because it is more difficult is selfish. It is taking the path of least resistance, a path that is easy and blissful but hurtful to those around you who are forced off the path. We’ve reached the final and most important step: actually bursting the bubble. It can be hard to know what to do after realizing the privilege afforded to many in a town like Libertyville and knowing how to actually make a difference. One way to broaden your perspective is to read the news. People often use the excuse that the news is too sad to read, and again, I argue that being able to say that is a privilege in itself. For some, they cannot simply live without knowing how their lives will be affected by the treatment of people in the news. For example, many blacks, including me, cannot simply ignore the police brutality in our country as it affects us. It is imperative to know what is going on in other parts of the world in order to better understand what we can do to help or comprehend the reality of others. Another way to burst the bubble is to travel to a new place. It doesn’t have to be a different country. It can be as simple as driving 30 miles to North Chicago and physically seeing how people live in a different town — this will give you a new outlook to the world surrounding the bubble of Libertyville. Service trips are awesome too, but it takes more than one week to truly break the bubble. My last tip for breaking the bubble is to join an activism club here at LHS. Clubs like Gay Straight Alliance and Students Ending Slavery are great options, along with Advocats for gender equality and LHS United, which I am heavily involved in. Clubs like these force students to consider the different problems minorities may face. Bursting the “Libertyville Bubble” is crucial to fully experience all the different perspectives of life. A bubble is safe. A bubble is protected. But a bubble will be broken. I would argue that it is better for that bubble to be popped by you rather than an unwanted external force.
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Banning books bans opportunities By Anya Belomoina
Photo by Abbey Humbert Many books are considered controversial in schools because they are deemed to make students uncomfortable; however, reading these uncomfortable books allows people to expand their minds. A nationwide controversy sparked when a Mississippi middle school took the modern American classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee off the school’s reading list last month because it “made students uncomfortable.” The book is a story of racism, sexism and ageism in 1950s America and is read today by middle school or high school students in a majority of American schools. The book is considered controversial due to some of the language it includes, mainly referring to the use of the n-word, which may make some teachers and students uncomfortable when reading aloud in class. This has been the basis for banning many books in schools, such as “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain and “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston, among many others. Middle school and high school years are a time for students to learn about the world around them and formulate their own opinions based on what they know and learn. Literature, television, media and film are some of the key influencers in today’s generation. Books in particular have a way of teaching younger generations about how to deal with the issues that actively persist within their society. Prejudice has been written about for centuries and still persists today. Hate and ignorance can be countered through knowledge and an open mind. Reading a book, new or old, can give a person a more diverse perspective on the world, even if the area in which they live lacks in diversity. “We can hear a character’s motivation or analyze why a character would do something even if it’s not anything that we would do, or a situation we [would] be in. We can work to understand exactly where that character is coming from,” shared English teacher Mr. Ryan Ebling. Regarding books that amplify important issues such as racism, putting
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yourself in a character’s shoes to better understand their mindset and motivations is never a comfortable thing to do. It often creates a feeling of helplessness and disgust among readers, which is why some parents and schools try and shield students from these types of works. However, reading about racism from a textbook takes away the emotion that should be felt when discussing these issues. A person should not feel comfortable with racism and works such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” help expose people to prejudice within the real-world situations and how damaging they can be. A book can not only teach a person about the world and others; it can also reflect who they are as a person. “When students pick up a book, a lot of times students think, ‘Well, we all read the same book,’ but we all read it very differently, [including] how we respond to it, how we react to it,” stated LHS librarian Mrs. Amy Wiggins. “So not only does literature shape our identities as readers and as people, but the way we react or respond to a book is also shaped by our background, our values, our cultures, our ideals, our experiences, and that can make for some great conversations as well.” In regards to how Libertyville’s reading list works, English teachers at LHS are actively implementing more books into their reading lists that can have a greater impact on student’s perspectives. “More and more, I’m choosing, and I know that other teachers are choosing, [books] based on broadening students’ horizons,” Mr. Ebling shared. With a school that can lack in physical diversity, it is important that the school keeps implementing various literary works and other forms of mental expansion through diversity to assure that everyone has an equal chance to gain proper knowledge on issues facing our world today, and formulate proper opinions, as well as to become better people themselves.
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Trumping assumptions By Lizzie Foley
Photo by Gage Skidmore, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/CC Many people let white extremists speak for the entirety of the Trump supporter population, but it is an unfair accusation to say that all Trump supporters are racist. In fact, many diverse people are Trump supporters, including some pictured above. To be honest I don’t really know what my political beliefs are. I know what I believe in morally, but I don’t have specific political ideologies to associate those beliefs with. While I do know I am not a Trump supporter, there are many Trump supporters among my family, close friends, classmates and colleagues, and they are not racist. To say that all Trump supporters are racist is assuming the worst in every single one of these people and is simply an unreasonable blanket statement. Sure, some of them are, but those people cannot represent the entire population of Trump supporters. I am not defending Trump in saying that he is not racist, but I will defend the egalitarian people that I know would never discriminate against anyone based on their skin color. Most people nowadays have this stigma that Trump is synonymous with white supremacy and that his supporters must equate in the same way. A stigma singles out a certain negative aspect of a person and uses it to define them. This is the danger of stigmas. No one should place all Trump supporters into the same box, believing that the voice of the extremists speaks for the majority of Trump supporters, who most likely support Trump for his policies rather than his social beliefs. Even so, many Trump supporters may be single-issue voters or just victims of the two-party system our country has. Voters may have supported him simply because they shared the same opinion about their most important issue, they wanted to vote Republican or they did not want to vote Democratic. According to The Hill, an online political news website, Bernie Sanders defended Trump supporters while speaking at “Our Rally” in Boston back in March of 2017: “Some people think that the people who voted for Trump are racists and sexists and homophobes and deplorable folks.
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I don’t agree.” He went on to say how the Democratic party needs a “fundamental restructuring in order to win future elections.” Even Bernie Sanders, one of the most liberal political leaders in America, acknowledged that some voters in this past election voted for Trump merely because they did not want to vote Democratically, not because they supported Trump’s racist beliefs. And to that, some would argue that by supporting the Republican party at all, Trump voters are supporting all of Trump’s opinions, racist or not. I would argue that it’s much more complicated than that. People prioritize what they want in a political candidate, and for those people who support Trump, their main issue of interest, whether it be a specific policy or voting Republican, may have been far more important to them than the issue of racism or supporting a racist person. And does that make supporters bad people? Does that make them selfish for not prioritizing the common good of all Americans so that everyone can all be treated equally? Well, that’s a personal opinion, but we can’t assume that just because people are supporting a racist person for a reason not related to race whatsoever that they themselves are racist. People prioritize what issues are most important to them every day, and for some, social issues may not be the most important. Just like judging people and making assumptions about people based on their skin color is ignorant, assuming that all Trump supporters are discriminatory and racist is equally as judgemental and wrong. As this is not a face off column, we would like to note that there is an artcile with an opposing viewpoint online, written by staff writer Jacob Kemp.
Drops of Ink
Wildcat Stats By Olivia Devin
*some fall sports were not included because their seasons ended in early October
13 the number of goals the boys varsity soccer team has let in.
16:17 the average boys varsity time for 3 miles at the IHSA 3A Lake Forest Cross Country Regionals on Oct. 20.
774
The number of kills the girls varsity volleyball team had this season. Tanner Kelly
94 the number of goals the boys varsity soccer team has scored.
87.5 the percentage of serves the
Max Sauers
girls varsity volleyball team got over the net.
Madi O’Brien
6 the number of touchdowns Brendan
Bazar had in one game against Zion-Benton on Oct. 20, tying the school record previously set by Riley Lees in 2015.
126-43
the girls swimming team’s score that allowed them to beat Zion-Benton on Oct. 19.
174.71 the average amount
Brilynn Dawson
18:44
the average girls varsity time for 3 miles at the IHSA 3A Lake Forest Cross Country Regionals on Oct. 20.
of yards rushed per game.
Jimmy Dietmeyer Football photo by Jenna Carnazzola, soccer photo by Maggie Burnetti, girls cross country photo courtesy of Nora Tucker, boys cross country courtesy of Alex Tam, volleyball photo by Olivia Devin, swimming photo by Kelly Shinnick
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The First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
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We are insulated [in Libertyville], but we have the resources to make a positive change. I would love to see more students going beyond taking a knee, but taking a step. -Adam Gohr
By Olivia Gauvin
”
Layout by Livi Griffith Sports
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Photo by Matt Smith Drops of Ink
T
hroughout American history, many of the most impactful social protests have centered around the ever-changing American values. As social conflicts arise, symbols of change, represented through hands and fists, frequently rise in the air as well. Often the protests we recognize and study in our history classes occur on national levels, where millions of people take to the streets of major cities, demanding and encouraging national awareness. However, Libertyville has experienced a more local level of protests. On Thursday, Sept. 28, as the crowd of Wildcat fans decked out in U.S.A.-themed spirit gear began to rise for the national anthem, a handful of band members and football players standing on the field began to kneel. The protest, known as “Take A Knee,” originally began in order to draw attention to treatment that minorities have received for decades within the United States. The introduction of politics into sports is nothing new, and with these protests spreading throughout the country, the conversation about racial injustice was thusly raised to a national level. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first raised his voice nationally by taking a knee on the field during the national anthem 14 months ago. Initially, Kaepernick began his protest during the national anthem by sitting on the sidelines rather than kneeling; however, he changed his protest to kneeling in order to still show respect for veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces. His protests, as he has explained to the public, are centered around opposing the racist treatment he feels minorities and people of color are currently experiencing in America. Today, players, citizens and students alike are echoing his sentiments not only on a national level but on a local level, too. Senior and drumline captain Kate Roleck knelt that Thursday evening. And as band directors Adam Gohr and Matthew Karnstedt made perfectly clear to her and her fellow band members, she had every right to do so. “I chose to protest because I realize that living in Libertyville and being the person that I am, I come from a place of privilege and I want to be able to use that privilege to at least, if not help others directly, make a statement that will help teach others about what’s truly happening,” Roleck explained. Roleck isn’t the only student who protested, and she acknowledged that other students are spreading their similar messages throughout the Libertyville community. Multiple band members and two varsity football players knelt on that same field on Sept. 28, and as Roleck reasoned, “I think [the other protesters] did it for kind of the same reasons I did. I think that it was just because we felt passionate about the topic and that we all know that there’s something that needs to be done and [that] doesn’t mean that we were more correct than anyone else, it just means that we felt like there needs to be more done about what’s happening in the world around us.” Libertyville students alike are speaking up and kneeling down for the same cause. Varsity defensive end Greg Renix took a knee that night, accompanied by former teammate Alvin Hemphill. Renix explained he wanted to stand up for his voice and rights through kneeling, specifying, “I was just thinking about the past of being black, and having a right to [protest] and wanting to do it...I wanted to portray [my protest] as just being an African-American man standing up for what I believe in.” Renix also expressed his personal ties to the protests, and he explained he did it to shine light on how minorities are perceived in America: “I protested because, I just felt...being black, [African-Americans are] likely to not have a bright future, and [we’re] held to low expectations, and most African-American men are stereotyped to be thugs.” Renix also stated he protested for himself, regardless of whether or not the protests at this football game made a difference nationally. Students attending public high schools in America, including Libertyville High School specifically, have every legal right to demonstrate these exact protests, as Mr. Gohr made clear: “the Supreme Court says
Sports
they have a right. It doesn’t matter what I think, it doesn’t matter what any teacher thinks about it; [the students] have a right to [protest]. That said, I fully support my students’ right to [protest] because that’s also my job. As professionals, we have an obligation to support our students.” Staff members like Principal Dr. Tom Koulentes have also addressed the topic of the protests. His morning announcement video discussing the importance of respect and freedom of speech throughout LHS in regards to national anthem protests, which appeared the same week as the student protests at the football game, have resonated with students, especially Roleck: “[Dr. Koulentes] addresses all of the issues that are going on [and] he addresses them immediately,” she said. “I think that the way that [the LHS] administration is handling everything that is going on has been fantastic.” It is important to note that under the Supreme Court ruling of Bethel v. Fraser, students’ right to free speech has been limited within American public schools. Nevertheless, the “Take a Knee” protests are traditionally non-disruptive and non-violent, which does not hinder the school’s ability to teach, according to teachers like Mr. Gohr and Mr. Karnstedt. Head football coach Mike Jones promoted the rights of his players as well. Notably similar to the previous sentiments, Mr. Jones stated, “I feel [the students] have a right [to protest], and I’ll support whatever they choose to do. I don’t think it’s right for adults to dictate [to] their players.” But it’s more than just a question of whether or not the students can or should; the “Take a Knee” protests are controversial because they stand for more than just kneeling on a grassy football field during the national anthem. Players and band members have used them to demonstrate that the government Americans stand for may not always stand for its citizens. The controversy arises with the conflicting opinions pertaining to the government and law enforcement, and that is where some begin to voice their disagreement. As Mr. Karnstedt explained, the fact of the matter is these protests are offending some people across America. Therefore, protesting across the country still has to be conscientious, and as Mr. Karnstedt reasoned, “Whatever form of protest, there is going to be some sort of backlash [...] what if this [protest] does offend somebody, whether they take it whichever way? Especially in a [political] climate as divisive as [it is] now. We need to have conversations where we’re open to hearing, at least, a rational argument from the other side, whichever side you sit on — or kneel on.” It is important to note that racial injustice extends further than the conflicts of the oppressive disunity reported through the news. Moreover, it’s evident that — for whatever reasons they may be — the protests are a difficult topic for individuals to discuss, even in the Libertyville community. The Drops of Ink staff reached out to the current captains and assistant coaches of the LHS varsity football team, and only a few of them responded to these interview requests. However, those who did respond declined any comment on the topic. Some students deeply recognize the need to act as well as speak against these injustices, such as Roleck, who advocated, “I mean, we can see that [the government] is not doing anything about what needs to be fixed and what clearly everybody knows needs to be fixed — like racism and homophobia...So I think in general...when no one else does anything, you have to take it on yourself because that’s the way that things have always gotten done in history.” Regardless of whether or not the American public agrees with the protests, the protesters across the country have the constitutional right to demonstrate; at the end of the day, the “Take a Knee” protests have continued to raise the conversation on racial injustice in the United States. However, as some staff members, including Mr. Gohr, urged, maybe there’s more that needs to be done than just the protests occurring on football fields across the country: “If you’re serious about it, if it is significant to you...do an additional thing as well. We are insulated [in Libertyville], but we have the resources to make a positive change. I would love to see more students going beyond taking a knee, but taking a step.” Staff writer Anna Legutki contributed to the writing and reporting of this article.
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