December 17 issue

After Hours

pgs.

Believe it or not, your teachers have lives outside of school, too.

8-9

Kickin’ it with Kuz

The first and only female football player at LHS.

pgs.

22-23

December 17, 2015 Volume 89, Issue 4

ADHD: Affecting Dozens of High Schoolers D aily pgs. 14-16

Hannah Boufford, Editor-in-Chief Maddie Werner, Online Editor Gabby Struik, News Editor Tia Petrzilka, Features Editor Jake Luce, Opinion Editor Josh Bragg, Sports Editor Manal Ahmed, Entertainment Editor Kayla Fiore, Photo Editor Becky DeAcetis, Layout Editor Katie Vrba, Social Media Editor Sara Thunga, Copy Editor Jillian Ruff, Community Service Coordinator Kate Vittore, Staff Fun Director Blair Abington Lola Akinlade Brianna Baez Grace Bloom Nathan Campbell Tanner Dorow Alo Garcia-Escobar Max Friedlander Demi Glusic Jenna Grayson Olivia Griffith Abbey Humbert Hannah Hutchins Jack Kosowski Jarrett Malec Mary Kate Mieszala TJ Murbach Sam Nelson Dolores Palmieri Alyssa Stokovich Maria Thames Stephanie Thomas Hadley Van Der Bosch Carly Wegren Emma Williams Emily Yates Kaitlyn Zabadal

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Contact us at doi@lhswildcats.org Michael Gluskin, faculty adviser October 22, 2015

Rea der s

Letter to

2015-2016 Staff Listing

the

HEY, YOU! LOOK OVER HERE! Welcome to the forgotten section of Drops of Ink magazines! Are you still reading this?

Fantastic! You are a chosen one. Go, share your new discovery with the world.

As a DOI staff, we are incredibly excited each time a new issue comes out. Our members love sharing insight into what’s currently trending (canvas coats and “Elf the Musical;” pg.

7), the best gifts to give this holiday season (we will help you sleigh those wish lists; pgs.

10-11), or just new testing updates sure to cause more stress (did somebody say college?; pg. 4).

We want you, as a reader, to join in our excitement, but we also want to give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the inner workings of the Drops of Ink staff. Our hope is that from now on, in this section you will be able to find some clarifications on how we operate and how we produce the magazine that you are currently holding in your hands.

So, let’s chat about how these actual stories come to fruition (no, these are not all Gluskin’s ideas). Each month, our staff has a story idea meeting where we all sit in a circle and each propose 3-4 ideas that we think could be intriguing to read and have quality news potential. When a person says a story idea, they have the right to request to write that story if it gets picked.

After the story idea discussion, the following morning, the editors meet to discuss (battle over, same thing) which stories should go into the magazine. Once these stories are chosen, our Editor-in-Chief, Miss Hannah Boufford, and Mr. Gluskin create a budget where they assign photographers, layout designers, and writers to each story chosen. And then, BAM, the little baby story ideas that we proposed at the meeting are ready to blossom into magnetic features and news pages.

In addition to learning about the magazine process each issue, make sure you are participating in our contests throughout the year. Each issue we have a key word or phrase hidden in the magazine. This month’s key phrase is “skill level”. Once you have located the phrase, direct message us @LHSDOI on Twitter with the key phrase, article title, and page number as well as our hashtag--#ThinkInk. Each person who does so by the end of the school day Friday will be entered into a contest to win a $10 giftcard to Starbucks.

As a staff, we strive to present stories with substance that can keep your attention longer than, well, school, and we hope this issue can take your mind off of everything stressful (did someone mention college again?) for at least a little bit.

If you read this whole thing, you are the real MVP, and I love you. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Gabby Struik News Editor

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4College Changes are Coming 5Lockdown Readers Recently Installed 7 What’s Trending: Winter Edition 8-9 After Hours 10-11 Holiday Gift Guide/ Give the Gift of Giving 12-13Death by Cookies 14-16 ADHD 17 Staff Ed.: Should High School Athletes be Drug Tested?

18 Vegan for a Week 19 Holly Jolly Stress 20-21Sex: Tackling the Gap in Gender Disparity at LHS 22-23 Kickin’ it with Kuz 24-25 Work Hard, Pay Hard 26-27 Elementary --> Seniors Ms. Belstra details the new changes regarding the college application process, which will most affect current sophomores and juniors.

New lockdown pads and security systems are integral to the school’s lockdown policy and teachers’ role in the procedure.

Winter is coming...and so are new fashion trends. Get in touch with the new hip trends lurking in the school hallways.

Teachers teach...but there’s more to them than meets the eye. Find out what some teachers did before becoming educators.

In a bleeding world, anyone and anything can make a difference. Learn how you can give back to the community and world this holiday season.

Ho Ho Ho, here come the holidays, along with excess sugars. Here’s some tips on why it may be best to avoid these.

Look through the lens of students with ADHD, including the experience of one of our staff members.

Math test, English test, science test, but how about a drug test? Should LHS introduce a drug test for athletes?

Carnivore, vegetarian, vegan — different diets meant for different people. Follow a staff member’s journey as she experiences veganism for a week.

Winter break is a time for relaxing and giving thanks, but it can also be a time full of stress.

Learn how apparel and new policies are playing into the gender equality debate.

We all know Ms. Kuz as a teacher, but did you know she was the first and only female football player at LHS?

Students invest a lot time into sports, but what does it cost the average athlete to participate in a sport?

Take a gander at Wildcat athletes who started from different feeder schools, and get their perspective on their sport and the senior class athletes as a whole.

Cover photo by Kayla Fiore Contents

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College Changes Are Coming

By Emily Yates

Photo by Nathan Campbell Ms. Belstra discusses what differences will be made for juniors in the college process for the upcoming year.

The college application process is constantly evolving in an attempt to ease the stress and confusion that accompanies most juniors and seniors; because of this, a few important changes have recently been released.

Ms. Amy Belstra, the college counselor at Libertyville High School, explained that the first major change involves the entire state of Illinois making the switch from the ACT to the SAT beginning in the school year 2016-2017. The SAT has been redesigned to look a lot more like the current ACT test, and it will make its debut in March 2016. However, colleges will still accept either the ACT or SAT score when sent in with an application.

“Most juniors are still going to take the ACT. They have been prepped well to take the ACT, and most of them took the practice ACT. But, if students are looking for a different test, one that doesn’t have a science section, or if they just want to try something new, they can try this new SAT,” said Ms. Belstra.

She believes that this change will affect the sophomore class more so than the juniors because starting in 2017, the state will mandate a free SAT for all students to take instead of the free ACT like they’ve offered in past years. Because of the state’s decision to switch tests, there will be no state test offered for the juniors to take this spring. However, District 128, like many other high schools throughout Illinois, has scheduled a free ACT for juniors to take on April 19.

Students seem to be apprehensive about the introduction of the new test. Sophomore Maddie Laue said, “I think it will be more difficult because we’ve been preparing to take the ACT, and now we’ll be encouraged to take two standardized tests as opposed to one.”

Ms. Belstra discussed another big change regarding the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The deadline has switched

News

from January 1 to October 1, and instead of requiring the previous year’s taxes to fill out the form, applicants can use their taxes from two years ago.

“Colleges that have early deadlines will be encouraging students to fill out the form, so students could potentially get an admission decision and a financial aid package at the same time,” stated Ms. Belstra.

The last and most controversial change involves the possible introduction of a new application platform, the Coalition, as an alternative to the Common Application. About 80 elite schools, including all of the Ivy League Universities, are currently listed as members. They are planning to offer a feature referred to as a student’s “locker,” which will allow students to upload resumes, paper, projects, and videos, and then actually receive feedback on them from college representatives.

“Their main focus was on underserved students who don’t have people like me in their high schools to help. In truth, that doesn’t seem logical because you need people like me to explain how to use it, and we already have Naviance, which does a lot of the same things,” explained Ms. Belstra.

The Coalition has received a lot of pushback from counselors like Ms. Belstra who don’t understand the necessity of introducing yet another confusing option for students. Many of the current members of the Coalition are backpedalling on their decision to participate. This application option was supposed to be officially introduced this spring, but it is still very up in the air as to whether it will actually happen.

Although all three of these changes are significant, Ms. Belstra stated, ¨I want the junior class to know that they are going to be fine. They won’t even realize anything is different because they’ve never gone through this process before.”

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Lockdown readers recently installed

By Hannah Boufford

Starting this year, a new security system has been put into effect at LHS. This system was updated over the summer because the administration felt that it was time for an upgrade. It includes the new door lock systems, fob keys, intercom system, and brand-new lockdown pads that you may have seen in the hallways.

“We’re always trying to make our system, make our process the best we can make it,” School Resource Officer (SRO) Mr. Robert Uliks explained. The key pads on classroom doors allows for there to be a similar key fob for each door, rather than the old system, which contained multiple types of keys due to different additions built onto LHS. Network manager Temple Murphy helped lead the technical aspect of the lockdown system, said Assistant Principal Eric Maroscher “Temple makes the connection of all of the moving parts to this system seem easy to manage and program, when in reality there are many, many technical challenges to this new system,” Mr. Maroscher said. “Without Temple’s expertise, we would not be nearly this far along in implementation of this project as we are today.”

The new lockdown pads allow teachers, subs, and administrators (those with key fob authorization) to lock down the entire building with just a swipe of a key (the same key that unlocks their door, in fact). Though all outside and most inside doors are often already locked, the new system allows for steps -- such as teachers manually locking their doors -to be taken out of lockdown process, making it overall more smooth and efficient.

Students are not able to trigger lockdowns so that pranks cannot be pulled, so if they see something suspicious, it should be reported to the nearest teacher. Mr. Uliks said he believes that students can be the best resource for knowing something is not right.

To initiate a lockdown, the protective casing around the pad must be lifted. When this happens, a shrill, chirping alarm goes off in the case, notifying people around the pad that a lockdown could be imminent.

“That just lets everybody that can hear that know that someone has opened that pad,” Officer Uliks said. “So if kids are playing around and they open that key pad box there, we know it’s been opened but then you hear that tone, and right away you think, ‘Are we going into a lockdown? Are we in a lockdown?’”

After the key is swiped on the pad, the school is immediately thrown into a full lockdown. The whole security system is alerted, and the intercom siren begins to go off.

“Time is everything in a situation like this,” Mr. Maroscher said. “We can look into [what triggered the lockdown] after we know all the students and staff are safe.”

Once the lockdown is initiated, there is a small window of time before the door lock system locks itself. This means that, excluding select administrators and first responders, no teacher can open any door in the building. It gives people in the hallways time to find a room for security, and it protects against the threat of someone obtaining a set of keys and gaining access to classrooms.

“Your doors will stay locked in a lockdown until a first responder, so myself or another police officer, actually goes to that room to make sure everyone is okay and checks it out.

That’s the only way you come out of the room in a real lockdown,” Officer Uliks explained.

At the same time that the announcement begins to play, various other aspects go into effect as well, according to Mr. Maroscher. For one, automated emails are sent to VHHS, the district office, and other places, alerting them that LHS has entered a lockdown. Along with the intercom playing, blue strobe lights have been installed around the school, particularly in places where it may be hard to hear. The cafeteria, choir room, woods workshops, gyms, and pools are among these places inside the building. Outside lights keep others from entering the building (such as gym classes and seniors on lunch release).

“Having a number of areas in the building to lock down from as well as having eventually all staff with the capability to lock down the entire building works toward our goal of having a proactively safe and secure building for students and staff,” Mr. Maroscher said.

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Infographic by Hannah Boufford

Drops of Ink

CHECK OUT THE WEB #ThinkInk LHSDOI.COM “We are all French”

By Alo Garcia-Escobar, Staff Writer

“Cuneo’s holiday light show no longer running”

By Demi Glusic, Staff Writer Photo from Loyal University Chicago / CC

“Response to Mizzou racism”

By Jake Luce, Opinion Editor

Humans of Libertyville http://humansoflibertyville.blogspot.com/

Photo by Lola Akinlade

“I’d describe our relationship as pretty much best friends.

We hang out all the time, but still get into stupid fights which we make up by getting Frosty’s at Wendy’s. We’re a tag team duo, one that I’ll miss dearly next year when I’m off in Oregon.”

Senior Andy Benish Feature

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What's Trending Winter Edition

By Kaitlyn Zabadal

Girls Fashion Sorel Boots

Knit Poncho Sweater

Down Puffer Vests

Sorel: Tofino Boot $160

PINKQUEEN.COM $70

Patagonia: Bivy Hooded $179

Guys Fashion Canvas Coats

Beanies

Flannels

Carhartt: Hooded Jacket

Billabong: $15

Pacsun: $39.95

Seasonal Trends Peppermint Mochas

Elf the Musical

Ugly Sweaters*

Starbucks: $4-5.95

Marriott: $50-55

thesweaterstore.com :$30

*This year, DOI will be hosting out very first ugly sweater contest: Everyone is encouraged to wear a fun

ugly christmas sweater! Take pictures of you and your friends in your ugly sweaters on Friday, Dec. 18, and post them with the hashtag #ShowUrUgly. The winner will be announced on Monday, Jan. 4 and will recieve a $15 gift card to a restaurant of their choice!

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All photos from the websites/stores listed used under a Creative Commons license .

Drops of Ink

After Hours

By Samantha Nelson and Olivia Griffith Layout by Olivia Griffith

Many students tend to assume that their teachers have always been standing in the classroom teaching. It’s hard to imagine them doing anything else. But for some teachers, this isn’t the case.

Mr. Dennis Duffy Background Government and Current Issues teacher Dennis Duffy graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a degree in political science and history but with no job or place to live. During college, he saved up enough money to go backpacking around Europe, where he recognized his need to find a job he enjoys to avoid corrupting himself. He had a fascination with politics but had no desire to go into education because he believed he had nothing to offer kids. Previously, in college, he had done an internship with Congress.

He got a job in Springfield, Illinois’s capital, with the help of a friend, who happened to be a lobbyist, and worked there for three years, until he got everything out of it he thought he could. He then went back to college to attend law school at Champaign because his friends and colleagues suggested he should.

Following law school, he got a job as a litigator from a colleague he had met seven years prior.

“The ethical and moral aspects began to weigh on me and eventually soured me on being an attorney,” said Mr. Duffy. There was more pressure to make money for the firm than there was to represent his clients to the best of his ability. His family knew that it wasn’t something he really wanted to be involved in, so they only supported him to an extent.

Work Experience

Photo by Hadley Van Der Bosch

He began to look for something that made him happy when he was about 33-34 years old and kept coming back to teaching because he believed he now had something that he could offer to students.

He asked Mr. Kevin O’Neill if he could watch him teach, and he was actually allowed to teach himself, and immediately felt a click. He then spent the next two years getting his “ducks in a row” and then had to decide between Libertyville and Stevenson. Libertyville was the better option to him because of their more open policies on teaching. He has remained at LHS since.

Ms. Christee Joesten Photo by Hadley Van Der Bosch

Background Ms. Christee Joesten, a math teacher at LHS, was previously involved in OB/GYN and fertility work.

During the time that Ms. Joesten was a doctor, she was able to travel to Africa and visit remote villages to set up medical clinics.

“My favorite part of being in medical school was traveling abroad to do medical work. Seeing how people in a third-world country live really humbled me and made me Education After attending the University of Iowa, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, and Benedictine University, she received her graduate degree at Northern Illinois

Photos provided

by Ms. Joesten

Work Experience While in Africa, however, she realized that she wanted to spend more time with her family and enjoyed tutoring her fellow peers, so she decided to give teaching a try so that she could make the most out of her life.

“I absolutely love being a teacher and I don’t regret my decision for a second,” said Ms. Joesten. “All of my students that I have had or currently have make it all worth it.”

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Mr. Michael Cook Background AP Physics I and II teacher Mr. Michael Cook was previously a member of the Marine Corps. He joined the delayed entry program, which is for 17-year-olds who are waiting to turn 18 and enlist.

Education After finishing high school, he enrolled in the Marine Corps and began college at the University of Madison. Following graduating, he began boot camp and drill training every week, starting at 5:30 or 6 a.m. “Boot camp is designed to take a civilian and turn him into a marine,” explained Mr. Cook.

After his continuous training, Mr. Cook joined the Officer Candidate Program. “Officer Candidate

Work Experience

Photo by Hadley Van Der Bosch

Unfortunately, Mr. Cook’s officer position was “hot filled” which is when a job is filled quickly, leaving him jobless. While he could have gone to a different job in the Marine Corps, none were very appealing, so instead he decided to start a new job.

“I love teaching, I love the kids. I’m doing a lot of things I did in the Marine Corps, minus the dirt and the big weapons. Teaching, coaching, mentoring, it’s all the same stuff you did in the Marine Corps,” he shared.

Mr. Cook has never looked back on his decision, and does not have any regrets: “You can’t have regrets in life. There’s always a ‘what could have been’ but, so what? Think of all the things you could have been missing had you gone back.”

Ms. Sharra Powell Background

Photos provided by Ms. Powell

American Literature and Bible Literature teacher Ms. Sharra Powell has been teaching since she got out of college. But on the side, she has one unique hobby. Through mutual friends, she discovered powerlifting. Powerlifting is a sport that involves three different types of lifts. The three include: deadlift, squats, and benches. For competing, the goal is to lift the largest amount of weight possible.

Work Experience Because of a busy schedule that powerlifting required, Ms. Powell had to quit. “After about five years, the competing and training took over a large part of my life and I had to step back from competing to get more balance with work and family,” Ms. Powell stated.

Ms. Powell revealed that women tend to avoid powerlifting in fear that they will become too manly.

“Sometimes women shy away from using weights because they fear that they will look more masculine as a result. That is not the case. While you may become more toned and get a little definition around some of your muscles, weights do not make you become instantly masculine.” Powell said.

Despite some of those misconceptions, weight training can be very healthy for women, and Ms. Powell still tries to complete some type of weight training in her workouts.

Photo by Hadley Van Der Bosch

Mr. Stuart Mendelsohn Background Before teaching, Mr. Stuart Mendelsohn, the current boys cross country head coach, distance track coach, and substitute teacher, was a Libertyville police officer.

Education He graduated from Bradley University with a major in criminal justice and minor in psychology.

“I wanted to be a police officer to have a positive influence on society and to help people,” Mr. Mendelsohn explained. “Carrying through with initiation requires a lot of determination. It’s a long process. It involves a written test, physical fitness test, interviews, a polygraph test, and a psychological evaluation.”

Work Experience

Photo by Hadley Van Der Bosch Feature

Due to injury, he had to retire from being an officer and chose to move on to becoming a teacher. Mr. Mendelsohn became a teacher because of the same reasons he became a police officer.

“As a teacher, I can make a difference with students in the hope that I can educate them about the law and attempt in preventing students from making poor choices,” Mr. Mendelsohn shared.

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Holiday Gift Guide World Traveler

The friend who has everything

The Athlete

Fujifilm INSTAX Mini 8 Instant Film Camera ($70) Scratch-off world map ($30) Ticket stub diary ($15) Lilly Pulitzer luggage tag and passport case ($32)

By Stephanie Thomas

Swell water bottle ($35) Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless ($100) Fitbit ($100) Blackhawks jersey ($150)

Concert tickets ($200) Ipsy Subscription, $10 per month($100) Keychain phone charger ($20) Hoverboard ($400) Alibaba

Amazon

avel Shop Seattle’sTr

Nordstrom NHLUSA

Beauty Guru

The Stylish One

Urban Decay Smokey Eye Palette ($55) Clarisonic ($100-170) Beachwaver S1 ($130) Professional Makeup Brush Set ($13) Rene wal S kinca re Stu dio

The friend who loves to sleep

Pandora Princess ring ($45) Kendra Scott necklace ($60) Fur Vest ($100) Brightly Twisted Crop Leggings ($125)

Bath bombs from lush (Relax gift set) ($29) Onesie ($40) Tie-blanket (DIY) ($15) Urban Outfitters Plantfolk Apothecary The Dream Catcher Mist ($18)

Pandora

Sephora

Zulily Shophearts Urban Outfitters

Adventure Seeker

Wireless Speaker ($150) Portable charger ($25) Ray-Bans ($200) Snowboard ($250) ban.do

The friend that personalizes

Caitlyn Minimalist personalized handwriting bracelet ($31) Tervis 24oz tumbler ($20) Redbubble Chromebook stickers ($5) Monogrammed Phone Case ($40) ($100)

Gifts that Give

Giving Key necklace ($39) GiveScent Fragrance ($35) Toms Booties ($119) Animal Gift (Animalgift.org) ($25)

Buzzfeed

Nordstrom

Tervis Official The Huffington Post

Layout by Blair Abington

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For Sister

For Dad or Brother

Kate Spade crossbody bag ($99) Dogeared ‘Family — Sister Love’ Cluster Pendant Necklace ($72-$78) Scarves and mittens set ($30) Patagonia pullover ($100)

Outdoor Vest Charging Station ($35) Sporty Slippers Fallout 4

For Mom

Volcano Candle from Anthropologie ($30) Winter tote ($170) Singalila bracelets (DIY) ($20) Philosophy shower gels ($30)

Anthropologie

Amazon

Sephora Poshmark

Nordstrom

Give the gift of giving this holiday season

By Sara Thunga

By spending less money on gifts - or taking the road less traveled and skipping gift-giving this year - you could save plenty of money and time to make a difference for those who really need some holiday spirit right now. Whether you choose to donate your own time or money, every action would make a difference to the numerous causes operating online and out in the community.

The first group you could potentially help out is right in your backyard: the Lake County community. It can be easy to be stuck in the “Libertyville bubble,” as some may believe our community to be closed off from others, causing people to be unaware of outside issues, including the surrounding areas struggling for the shelter and food that we take for granted at times.

The PADs shelter in North Chicago accepts volunteers Oct. 1 through April 30 annually and donations year-round by mail or online at padslakecounty.org. PADs is the only emergency shelter for the homeless in Lake County, and by volunteering, you would be able to make and serve meals to families and individuals who have nowhere else to go.

Holiday cheer could also be spread to the Lake County Haven, a house that provides shelter for 10 people at a time and serves to transition women and children from homelessness and toward independent living. Located in Libertyville, the shelter allows for many forms of volunteer work. On Sundays from 1-3 p.m., volunteers are needed to go grocery shopping and return the items to the shelter (the Lake County Haven would provide the grocery list and gift cards).

On Saturdays and Sundays, you could help take inventory of food items in the shelter and formulate a grocery list. Meals and bags of produce are also always being accepted - any night at 5 p.m. for hot meals and Wednesdays at 5 p.m. are the produce drop-off days.

Countries less fortunate than the United States, as well as victims of recent terrorist attacks, are more potential causes you could give to.

Feed My Starving Children is a Christian non-profit organization that serves to feed malnourished children in 70 countries from Afghanistan

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to Zimbabwe. At the Libertyville site, you hand-pack food formulated for malnourished children for FMSC to send to their partners around the world to operate orphanages, schools, and clinics. You could grab a group of friends and make a reservation over winter break to help out this cause.

Recent ISIS bombings in France and Lebanon left the countries devastated. Many have taken to social media to post their sentiments or change their profile picture to the French flag on Facebook, however they may not know of the countless charities running to benefit not only France, but Lebanon as well. The Lebanon page on savethechildren.org would allow you to provide for the needs of children and adolescents from recent events by donating directly to the program’s services. Friends Fondation de France is an American organization at nycharities.org that would give donations to their program GIVE FOR FRANCE, which supports programs dedicated to the needs of victims and families of victims of the Nov. 13 attack.

The ongoing Syrian conflict has caused four million Syrians to leave their home to seek asylum in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.

The UN Refugee Agency accepts donations online at donate.unhcr.org to provide basic and necessary humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees so they can afford medicine, food, stoves and fuel for heating, insulation for tents, thermal blankets, and warm clothing.

UNICEF is also accepting donations at unicefusa.org for the 7.5 million children affected by the Syrian conflict. UNICEF provides food, water, education, warm clothing, and blankets for Syrians in the country and refugees in the surrounding countries.

Although all of these organizations are supporting necessary causes, there are many more out there that may interest you as well. Also, if you are unwilling or unable to give away money, volunteering at the homeless shelters with your time would leave a sentiment of the same value on those you are serving.

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death by Cookies

By Grace Bloom and Gabby Struik Layout by Becky DeAcetis

It’s that time of year again. Candy canes and sugar plums begin to dance through your dreams along with all of the other sweet, delicious treats that accompany the holiday season. It seems that you cannot escape the seasonal cookies and cakes that whisper your name, daring you to take a little nibble that will eventually bring you back for more...and more...and more.

Yet these sweet little treats have a sour side that could cause more havoc to your system than previously thought.

Ho, ho, ho, this season try to keep your sugar consumption low, low, low.

ways to Avoid Sugar during the holidays Use coconut sugar instead of refined white sugar. It’s natural, cost efficient, and much better for you. This swap will spare your sugar intake by 1 gram per teaspoon.

Try tea instead of coffee in the mornings, it will still taste fine without sugar and milk added and will still give you energy. Most teas can be bought with caffeine. If you absolutely need coffee in the morning, try milk instead of heavy cream or drink it black if you can handle it.

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By Grace Bloom

Ask for soy milk in your favorite Starbucks drinks to lessen the amount of fat in the drink. It tastes the same if not better and usually the swap is charge-free!

Sugar Effects

By Gabby Struik

A ccording to SugarScience.org, a website created by a group of health scientists from the University of California, the average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons of sugar daily even though the recommended daily intake for women is 6 teaspoons a day and the recommended daily intake for men is 9 teaspoons a day. Those extra teaspoons of sugar add up to about 66 pounds of sugar consumed each year, per person.

“Sugar has a purpose, but like anything, it should be consumed in moderation. You don’t want to say no to sugar all together, but consumption of it can be dangerous for some people,” shared school nurse Mrs. Cameron Traut.

Sugar these days is easily obtainable, as it is in almost everything.

In just one 12 oz. soda, you can find as many as 11 teaspoons of sugar, which would make a single serving almost double a person’s daily sugar allowance. These 11 teaspoons in one 12 oz. soda equal the amount of sugar in one orange, 16 strawberries, and two plums all together.

Through brain-scanning technology at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, a group of scientists demonstrated that sugar causes changes in people’s brains similar to those that are caused by addictive substances such as alcohol and drugs. These changes in the brain leave a person craving more and more sugar.

“There is an addictive quality to sugar and it’s your body that craves it after a while so if you start sugar at a young age, it gets harder and Feature

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harder to stop,” explained Mrs. Traut.

SugarScience.org also stated that overconsumption of sugar can lead to unhealthy weight gain. This is due to the fact that eating sugar leads to an increase of glucose in the bloodstream; this then causes the pancreas to release insulin. The release of insulin in the body results in the body storing more calories as fat. Insulin also suppresses a hormone called leptin. This hormone is in control of telling the body to stop eating and is in charge of giving you the “full” feeling after a meal.

High consumption of sugars can lead to “leptin resistance,” which makes leptin fail to send the body signals to stop eating, making you hungry even when you no longer need more food in your system. Thus leading to eventual weight gain and in some extreme cases, obesity.

The fructose in sugar can also have detrimental effects on your liver.

Natural fructose found in fruit is fine, but scientists at sugarscience.org state that nowadays companies remove the fiber and nutrients from fructose when extracting it from foods like corn, beets, and sugarcane. This makes it harder for our bodies, especially our liver, to handle.

According to SugarScience.org, since fructose is processed in the liver, it can cause multiple diseases in the liver including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease results in excess fat buildup in the liver and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis can lead to scarring in the liver, which may eventually cut off vital blood flow to that area.

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Infographic by Kaitlyn Zabadal Feature

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D H AD ah Hutchins

ann kinlade and H Story by Lola A de Akinla Photo by Lola e Vrba Layout by Kati

In the world today, there are many different types of disabilities that are commonly overlooked by people unaffected by them. However, the people dealing with these disabilities face obstacles everyday, especially in a fast-paced and competitive high school setting such as Libertyville High School.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one of the most common disabilities diagnosed among children is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD. This disorder often continues to affect that child into their teenage years. People with ADHD often have difficulty staying focused and paying attention; difficulty controlling behavior; and hyperactivity.

People often use the disabilities ADHD and ADD interchangeably. However, according to Healthline.com, the term ADD is now an outdated term. There are three types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. Inattentive is what is commonly referred to when someone uses the term ADD. Inattentive is described as having poor concentration and getting distracted easily, hyperactive-impulsive show signs of impatience, and, lastly, combination is a type of ADHD where a person displays a combination of these symptoms.

In order to help battle the obstacles students with disabilities face in a school atmosphere, there are laws put in place to help aid these students.

“There’s something called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA and that whole law guides us as a school as how we have to treat and support students with disabilities,” explained Mrs. Karin Morgan, the head of the Special Services Department at LHS. “They qualify a student having a disability in one of 13 ways. Only some of them are learning, some of them are physical disabilities, some are emotional disabilities, and then you have like vision impairment or hearing impairment..ADHD is not considered a learning disability, it’s what we call an executive functioning disability.”

ADHD manifests itself in a variety of different ways. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists some of the most common symptoms as inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. “[ADHD] makes me not be able to focus on things and I get distracted really easily. And it’s hard for me to focus on things like school work and really anything. I have trouble sitting still and concentrating on one task,” said sophomore Ben Sutter. Sutter has been diagnosed with ADHD since eighth grade, but said that he was always a “social” and “crazy” kid.

Eileen Rice, another sophomore, said that she also has trouble paying attention in school.

“For example, in math I just kind of daze off and I’m just gone, and I miss everything that’s in the lesson. That’s even when I do take my medicine. It is very hard to focus all the time,” said Rice, who was diagnosed with ADHD in seventh grade.

Rice also happens to be one of the many people with ADHD that takes some sort of medication to calm a variety of symptoms. While the medication is intended to make one or two symptoms go away, it is unlikely that all symptoms will disappear, according to Healthline.com.

The Cleveland Clinic recorded that the most common medication taken is some form of a stimulant, the most well-known being Adderall or Ritalin.

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These medications are categorized as stimulants, meaning they increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels, which improve concentration and decrease fatigue. Healthline. com stated that while about two-thirds of people with ADHD take medication, others choose not to, and use alternative methods such as therapy, tutoring, or a variety of activities to keep them on task.

As said by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), no one knows the direct causes of ADHD, but researchers have found that the large amount of risk lies in genes. There are several genes linked to the disability, which each play a small role in the disorder. This held true in senior Griffin Bruns’s case. “[ADD] was something that ran in the family, so we kind of knew that it might need to be tested. We went and found out in fourth grade, and I was diagnosed with ADD,” said Bruns.

Bruns has been diagnosed for 10 years now.

However, it is entirely possible for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD without their parents having it, like in sophomore Rachael Thomas’s case.

“I’ve always been really side-tracked, and I always get pretty distracted. In sixth grade, my math teacher told me that her son had ADD and that she thought I had it too. She talked to my parents about getting tested and it turned out I had it, so I’ve been taking things differently ever since,” said Thomas.

To assist kids with ADHD, LHS offers different programs designed to help these students function better in the school setting. These programs are used to help determine what sort of accommodations they might need in a classroom. There are hundreds of accommodation possibilities, including extra time to take a test, a quiet setting, and the ability to move around during class.

“Students a lot of times have a hard time getting used to the accommodations, not because they’re not as smart, but because their brain literally just works in a different way.

Our department teaches that accommodations are meant to level the playing field, not to give you an advantage, which is hard for a lot of students, especially if it starts in high school,” Mrs. Morgan said.

In addition to this hesitation to use accommodations, many students have not taken part in programs like these since elementary and middle school because of their adjustment to the fast-paced environment of high school.

“I think [needing extra time] was more of a grade school thing.

I think I kind of grew out of it, but yeah, when I was in grade school...I had to take an extra 20 or 30 minutes, but getting into high school, I learned to adapt,” Bruns said.

In society today, ADHD is very prevalent and is often times overlooked. However, it’s important to note that it is a significant disability, one that impacts the affected people greatly.

“I would say ADHD is a very common four letters, not many people can’t tell you what it means, but at the same time, hopefully what you’re finding is that it is so much bigger,” Mrs. Morgan said.

“People will use the term very loosely when in reality, it is an actual diagnosis and it does have an actual impact.”

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Photo by Tanner Dorow Photo Edited by Lola Akinlade

My Life with ADHD

By Tanner Dorow

Hold on, let me focus for a second while I write this. Over the years, I’ve found that focusing can be extremely hard sometimes, even when I am on my medication. And towards the end of the day, when the medication starts wearing off, forget about it.

When I take my medication, which is Concerta, a form of Methylphenidate, in the morning, I’m usually good for getting through school. That isn’t to say that I can get through with perfect focus. I think that is one of the biggest misconceptions of taking ADHD medication.

Many people believe that when you are on the medication, everything is all perfectly zoned in and the user can achieve virtually anything. Personally, I can’t tell the difference of when I’m on and off my medication. However, I’ve been told that people around me can tell the difference.

When I don’t take my medication, I occasionally find myself saying completely random things all the time and grabbing everything in sight. When I do take my medication, I am much more collected and able to control myself.

Since about third grade, I have been taking the medication I am currently on, constantly changing doses as I grow. The hardest part of having ADHD is the struggle of completing homework at the end of the day when my medication is beginning to wear off. It can be incredibly difficult to power through homework while keeping myself from checking on every little thing that comes to mind.

My biggest struggle is constantly checking my phone, checking online grades, checking the weather, checking Instagram, checking Twitter, checking Facebook, and every other thing that randomly pops into my head.

Occasionally, I will make the decision to not take my medication. This most often occurs on the weekends. On days like these, I must be conscious of when I am getting too out of control because I have to make sure I maintain a reasonable composure.

Another less-than-thrilling feature that comes with the magical, mystical pills, which seem to hone all of my attentive skills, is an unfortunate string attached: the annoying doctor visits. If it were up to me, these visits, which occur every three months, would simply be a call on the phone, but for seemingly unknown reasons, I am forced to show up in the office every three months.

Each visit, (did I mention every three months?) consists of me confirming the doctor’s suspicions that I am indeed feeling well, that school is going fine, and my reply to how the current dosage of pills is treating me. Upon my replies to these three simple questions, I am sent on my way with my prescription refilled. A quiteeasy process, which is why I can’t see why it couldn’t be done on the phone.

Despite these “hardships,” I have made it my lifelong goal to never let my ADHD hold me back. I try to co-exist with everyone despite the fact that academics and schoolwork come a bit harder to me. This is why I take pride in the grades I receive and my accomplishments throughout life. ADHD may be a disability, but it’s one that will never get me down.

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Infographic by Hannah Boufford and Hannah Hutchins Drops of Ink

Should High School Athletes Be Drug Tested?

Staff Editorial

Photo By Abbey Humbert In this age, it seems athletes are even stronger and under more pressure than ever to perform.

For quite some time, professional sports have enforced a variety of drug testing policies to make sure the game is fair and that the athletes are in prime shape and continue to uphold those standards. Years ago, many were stunned to hear about the notable Lance Armstrong’s steroid use. His accomplishments and career dissolved in the blink of an eye; he was no longer the prized Tour de France superstar that many idolized.

Despite the prevalence of drug testing in professional sports, only 20 percent of high schools in the United States have student drug testing policies, according to a study released in 2014 from the University of Pennsylvania. The question is: Would it be beneficial for high schools to conduct routine drug tests for athletes?

It’s well known that high school is a critical time for the developing adolescents; the brain continues to develop, important life skills are learned, and our bodies are approaching their prime.

In addition, high school is also known to be a stressful time for students. With intense work loads, athletics, activities, and personal stressors, high school can feel like a roller coaster at times and balancing this work load and emotions can be difficult for some. This stress can lead to poor decision-making, and these are decisions that could change a student’s life at this important time in their lives.

For athletes in particular, pressure to perform at their best can lead to performance-enhancing drugs, but also recreational drug use, due to stressors in their lives.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported adolescent steroid use in the range of 2.2-6.1 percent from 1991-2011.

Illicit drug use, on the other hand, is much higher among high school students, with experimentation of alcohol at 71 percent in 2012 and marijuana at 40 percent, according to the CDC. In comparison to alcohol and illicit drug use, steroid use is relatively low. This, however, does not mean that recreational drug use should be overlooked. Unlike most clubs and activities, sports tend to have a greater physical element; people need to perform at their best and are expected to push themselves to be the best they can be. Our staff believes that participating in a sport under the influence puts the individual and those around them at a great risk. Our staff concluded that if an athlete were highly suspected

of being under the influence of drugs, they should be confronted about it, whether it be by a coach, captain, or fellow teammate and should face consequences.

As for regulated drug testing for all athletes, DOI determined that if enforced, it would have to be for every sports team, whether it be the bowling team or the basketball team, which would be quite costly and a waste of money, possibly even unaffordable for smaller schools as a drug tests costs $42 per person, according to the American Civil Rights Union. Additionally, our staff concluded that targeting a specific team or person solely based on rumor would not be just.

One of the most controversial aspects of drug testing athletes is where the line would be drawn. If athletes are tested, should the theater department be drug tested? Aren’t clubs as much of a privilege? Many DOI staff members noted that athletes should not be tested simply because they are athletes and stated that if drug use is that prevalent of a problem at a particular school, drug testing is not the answer.

Many sports highlight a policy of no tolerance whether it is the offseason or in season in terms of drug use. Some staff members believe that what a person chooses to do in their private life during the offseason is their decision and should not affect their in-school season and that it is the police’s responsibility to handle any cases they come across. For example, if a high school student participated in drug use at the very end of summer but did not during their season, some staff members believe it would unfair to punish them for having a positive test result as there would be no sure way of knowing exactly when the student was involved in drug use.

Our staff determined that any drug use found during the season should result in consequences but offered multiple solutions.

These included complete suspension from the team, speaking with a social worker to help with the problem, or a small suspension for a first offense.

As for LHS, many staff members noted that our own drug policy for athletes which is based by offense, is already an adequate enough system. The LHS handbook notes that students in athletics, activities, and Fine Arts should not be involved with drugs or alcohol and will face consequences.

Overall, DOI concluded that standardized drug testing would not be realistic in a high school environment.

Note: As this piece is a staff editorial, it is representative of the opinions of the 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 40 students total. The author(s) of this piece did not place their personal opinions in the story; they merely reflected the staff’s thoughts.

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Vegan for a Week

By Carly Wegren

What does it mean to be vegan? Growing up with a vegetarian aunt, I thought I knew what being vegan meant. Vegans don’t eat meat, plain and simple. They’re just like super vegetarians. Boy, was I wrong.

Vegans are quite like super vegetarians, but being vegan is not as simple as making the decision to refrain from eating meat. Veganism surpases the meatless lifestyle: it encompasses the idea of refraining from any and all animal products.

Now, if you’re like me, you’d be wondering what this evasion of animal product really means. Animals are not used just for meat, but for clothing, dairy products, eggs, and in the case of bees, honey. Provided, not all vegans are strict enough to avoid leather shoes or their sweet fix of honey in their tea, but you get the point.

For about a year now, I’ve followed Twitter accounts like PETA and Vegan Outreach. PETA, with the help of my aunt, sparked my interest in animals’ rights and our societally acceptable food quality. After researching the nutritional benefit of eating meat and animal product, I made a very rash decision to try being vegan for one week. My uncensored accounts are as follows:

Day 1: Having had meat last night, I feel tacos filled with rice, beans, and Sofritas at Chipofueled and confident that this week will breeze tle. Sofritas are a relatively new option at Chipotle, by. To prepare for my week, I decided to call a flavorful tofu option for those that choose to not on my vegan friend, senior Gabi Munoz. She eat meat. Yes - Chipotle can be vegan friendly! helps me shop for vegan-friendly foods at Day 5: Caving into my cheese craving today, I Whi ve le be uni gan is i Mariano’s off of Milwaukee Ave. I eat my go out and buy vegan cheese, which ends up in my than maginab possible, ng cereal with soy milk for breakfast instead of trash. Maybe after a year without normal cheese, up m I thoug ly harde it was my normal 1 percent cow milk. The taste is vegan cheese would taste good. But not to me, chee ilk wasn ht it wou r for me s ’ l beca e forever t too har d be. Gi not bad, just different and maybe sweeter than not today. I venture to Heinen’s grocery store in ving me m d, bu ? No t t u normal milk.

Lake Bluff, where I’m pleasantly surprised by their show s up ch harde hank you leaving ever Day 2: Still feeling pretty satisfied, I’m opplethora of vegan snacks. I grab some chia-squeeze Now, yw r too b . Shop I hard ’m not sa here in p ecause w ping timistic as to what this new day holds. Again, drinks, which I read give you the nutrients you y to st ick w ing that ackaged hey my day is started with a bowl of cereal with need and help keep you feeling full. g b ith, i t’s ju eing veg oods. soy milk. I still feel slightly hungry after eating Day 6: I make a pilgrimage to the heart of Chica- D st to a iet it o ha n is too se my certified vegan Larabar third hour, so I go, where -- gasp -- there are vegan restaurants. No ua rd fo listic lf is a ve r me r decide to indulge in a date dipped in peanut longer do I miss meat, when establishments like . aller decision y subjec g tiv .W ic butter. I’m craving string cheese.

Native Foods Cafe provide vibrantly flavored dishvital to eggs, hile som e, individ oth mu Day 3: Switches with meat substitutes. ep per e scle-pac ers may eople ar ing it up, I eat a Their Baja Blackened need e king g g, t pro th felt t o be ex grainy bread with Tacos are made with ired act). tein (six em for gr bega and hun While a natural peanut Tempeh, a soy product at fir ams n to gry, st I f t a butter spread for with the consistency of a he de anim al-fr as I forg feelings breakfast. I had to meat patty. No, it is not e ed ed Bein g ve iet and on in a be careful choosing as gross as it sounds. My effor gan take lifestyle n my bread, as many deeply devout meat-lover . t, so s tim peop mething e and loaves harbor of a dad orders a meatle in m a hidden animal free Reuben to entertain age l this da ny y and ack.

Y products like whey me. He claims it’s the best es, succ eedin I loved protein - which is Reuben he’s ever had! vega g in bei n fo ng a milk derivative.

Day 7: Ah, the final but I r a week Dinner consists day has finally come. , do thin not of some good ole’ My body seems used to k I’l Photo by Carly Wegren pasta with veggies, not having meat anymore, vega l be Native Food Cafe’s Baja Blackened Tacos made with Tempeh (a meat substitute). n fo seasoned with oil and I’m not as tired. To life. r and garlic (no, I did celebrate, I make pancakes not put cheese on it as much as I wanted to). using an instant mix consisting solely of powder I treat myself to a vegan muffin from Liband water. Adding in peanut butter and banana, my ertyville’s local Hansa Coffee Roasters as a pancakes satisfy me for brunch. For dinner, I eat reward for my willpower. Despite my late start, a large, baked sweet potato and a salad with light I feel groggy today. vinaigrette dressing. Later, in my last hours as a Day 4: Hunger begins to set in as I scarf vegan, I choose to gorge myself on vegan desserts. down my Tofurky sandwich for lunch. Easily, I Muffins, cupcakes, and cookies alike ring victocould down twice the size of the lunch I packed riously on my palate. Who needs animal products today. For dinner, I gorge myself on soft corn like butter in cake anyway?

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Holly Jolly Stress

By Manal Ahmed

Photo by Manal Ahmed Students are especially busy around the winter season with finals, sports, preparing presents for the holidays, and more.

As the holiday season approaches, you envision the twinkling lights, the festive music, the spirit of giving. But in reality, you are recklessly studying for finals, last-minute present shopping for your parents, and scurrying to get all of your 89 percents up to 90 percents right before the dreaded final exams begin.

Ah, winter break, a holly jolly time full of Christmas spirit, but also the point in time in which you start to panic about finals and realize all of the other responsibilities piled upon you. You envision your day to be filled with various holiday activities and spending endless amount of time with friends and family. However, this is mainly what happens on a daily basis: You wake up at 3 p.m. following your 10-hour Netflix marathon that you had the previous night. You tirelessly roll out of bed and attempt to get some of your mountains of school assignments done. Your teachers claim that they want you to have a fun and relaxing break as they assign you homework that is destined to take you all 16 days of your vacation to complete (and maybe even more!). The take-home tests, essays, projects, and worksheets cover the entire floor of your room, staring at you 24/7 and taunting you to complete them.

Feeling defeated after attempting to get through your years of homework, you decide to slowly migrate downstairs in attempt to get some holiday gift wrapping done. You realize that you have only purchased presents for about 3/10 of your list and that you will soon have to venture out of your house (that you have not left for four days) and into

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the overcrowded stores filled with last-minute gift purchasers just like yourself.

It’s now 5 p.m. and you realize that although you do not have swim practice over break, it is probably not the wisest decision for you to have eaten the whole box of Pillsbury Christmas cookies in one sitting. You attempt to go for a run, desperately trying to remain in shape so that you do not die at practice the first day back to school.

Panting, sweating (and dying a little), you head back home, hoping to get an inch of relaxation in for the day but then coming to the realization that finals are real and you have to study. The review packets, study guides, and textbooks create a cave in your room and you attempt to study without looking at your phone every three minutes. You spend minutes, hours, and days trying to memorize the quadratic formula and how plants undergo photosynthesis yet you still seem to remember nothing from the entirety of first semester. It becomes clear to you that getting that 98 percent on your final in order to bring you from an 88 to a 90 is far from possible and that it’s basically time to give up all of your hopes and dreams.

After another exhausting day of avoiding homework and studying, attempting to purchase gifts for your loved ones, and an excruciating day of trying to exercise, you decide to call it quits and commence another Netflix marathon. You still have a good portion of winter break left, right?

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Tackling the Gender Gap at LHS

By Jillian Ruff and Olivia Griffith In recent news, gender equality has been a prominent topic of debate throughout the United States.

Within the past month, all branches of our military have opened up to female participation, and the debate over transgender students in locker rooms has been settled within Palatine High School. On a smaller scale, Libertyville has been resolving issues regarding gender equality as well.

Gender Equality in Physical Education In December 2014, Libertyville High School announced that physical education classes would change to a co-education program starting with the 2015-16 school year. The decision was made for gender equality to occur within the physical education classes. As a result, this year students are enrolled in numerous co-ed programs ranging from grade-level physical education classes to weight-training, lifeguarding, CrossFit, dance, and total body fitness. All of these classes allow for the involvement of both males and females within the programs.

Prior to this announcement, the grade-level gym classes at LHS had been separated by gender. According to Mr. Scott Schinto, LHS physical education teacher, LHS was previously able to get around a law requiring schools to be co-educationally taught by having certain PE classes, such as weight training and sports education, be co-ed, while the general education PE classes were gender-separated.

In an interview conducted in January 2015, Physical Welfare Department Supervisor Patti Mascia explained that Libertyville High School was one of only nine schools not enforcing the co-ed curriculum. She stated, “We need a compelling reason for any segregation. In gym you can segregate students based on ability but not by gender. This may consequently segregate by gender as well.”

As of right now, general education programs at LHS are being taught co-educationally. According to Mr. Schinto, “The curriculum is fairly similar [to what was done in the past]...We as the educators and/or facilitators need to be more creative with the stuff that we do because a lot of things that we did were gender-specific.” Schinto believes there is still some work to done; it is a cumulative process in making the classes co-ed, he explained.

While the classes this year are integrated, the curriculum offered is considered sex-oriented, according to sophomore Hayden Marth.

Marth’s sophomore P.E. class offered students two options of curriculum to choose from at the beginning of the year, which she believed were gender identified.

“I know that they have two curriculums, and one was kind of geared more towards guys because it was more athletic stuff, and

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the girls version included things like zumba, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline aerobics,” explained Marth.

The problem, according to Marth, is that at the beginning of the semester, each student was given a random number and had to wait their turn to pick the curriculum they would be participating in.

The students who drew a small number chose first on the curriculum of their choice, while the latter were placed in the curriculum with the least amount of participants. This resulted in some students’ placement in a more gender-specific curriculum that the student may have not wanted.

Marth takes issue with this: “In my class, there are more girls than guys, so some of the girls that wanted the one [more feminine] curriculum weren’t allowed to be in it due to a limit on the number of students allowed to participate. Those girls ended up stuck in the curriculum they didn’t want and were upset.”

Mr. Schinto feels that going co-ed was definitely a difficult process because it was not so much a gender issue as it was a skill-level issue. Mr. Schinto believes it is important to keep students safe and to develop curriculum that does not cause injuries to occur due to varying skill levels.

It is Marth’s opinion that since the classes are integrated, then the curriculum should be as well. She does not see the point in integrating classes if the sexes will just end up separated with the choices of gym units offered. She also feels that if curriculum is to remain sex-oriented, there shouldn’t be a quota on the number of individuals in each curriculum.

Marth suggests that for full integration to occur, classes should have required, gender-neutral units so that all students may work and exercise together without the stress of optional curriculum.

“People who don’t get in the gym class they want, obviously, will not make the most out of their time in class. In the future, if gym classes eliminated the choice of different units and made it so that everyone had to do the same curriculum, then problems could be avoided,” Marth stated.

According to Mr. Schinto, “My goal as a teacher is to see kids enjoy what they do. This is an opportunity for kids to have 50 minutes of their day to relax, exercise, and have fun.”

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Gender Equality in Sports Nearly three months ago, Emily Regan, a sophomore member of the girls cross country team, approached Athletic Director Briant Kelly, questioning the policy regarding the dress code for girls and guys in sports.

Before this issue came up, girls were required to wear shirts, not just sports bras, during practice. However, boys did not have the same requirement; they could practice without a shirt on.

“I didn’t find it fair that we were all hot and couldn’t take off our shirts because we would get into a lot of trouble, and yet guys could do whatever they wanted,” described Regan.

Up until earlier this year, Mr. Kelly said he never heard any complaints. Senior Sarah Pirih of the girls cross country team said it was a frequent topic of conversation among them.

Mr. Kelly decided this was a good time to delve into the policies of other schools and discovered many of them required both genders to wear shirts.

As other schools in the surrounding area saw LHS looking into this previously overlooked policy, they began to question, and eventually change, their own.

Principal Dr. Marina Scott, team coaches, members of the team, and other schools in the nearby area were all involved in the deciding factor of this issue, according to Mr. Kelly.

Before this, the school hadn’t been approached about this sort of issue. Many of the students had team rules they abided by.

It took a few weeks for the school to think of the solution.

They decided it was in the best interest for both teams, the school, and the majority of sports teams, with the exception of swimming and water polo, to wear shirts during practice, according to Mr. Kelly. This will be in effect for track in the spring as well as more immediate sports such as basketball.

“Sports teams represent LHS, so it’s important that they wear appropriate clothing,” said Mr. Kelly.

This decision was relayed to the coaches, who would enforce the rule over all student athletes.

Senior Gabriel Alesna was on the boys cross country team when this occurred. He believes no one, including Coach Stuart Mendelsohn, agreed with the rule, but it was something the school felt needed to be enforced.

“I feel like the school has the power to control this issue, but I don’t believe they should use this power,” stated Alesna.

According to Mr. Kelly, this issue is something people will become used to over time. Although they might need to remind students in the spring, and there will always be a little resistance to a new rule, the decision will stick.

“Overall, I would like for there to be equality when talking about what people can wear for sports,” said Pirih. She believes this is an issue that was never fair and she’s glad it has been resolved.

This collage of faces of LHS students amplifies the silence surrounding gender equality issues.

Photos and illustration by Olivia Griffith Sports

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KICKIN’ IT WITH KUZ C

irca 1998, when most of the senior class was born, history was made here at Libertyville High School. Kristen Kuceyeski, or “Kuz” was the first female to play football under the friday night lights.This admired English teacher also remains as the only female to play, and even holds a school record. Kuz began playing football as a freshman in 1998 and played through her senior year until she graduated in 2002. Kuz shared that she had always wanted to play football, as she grew up in a very football-oriented family: “I grew up thinking girls could play football.”

Kuz wanted to play football in middle school, but her main sport was soccer, so she stuck with that for the time being. She also played soccer all throughout high school, as it was the opposite season as football, and won the state championship for soccer in 2001 with current LHS teacher Mrs. Joyce Amann.

“I remember helping her practice her field goal kicks. She put in a lot of work, time and dedication into both of the sports she played (football and soccer),” said Mrs. Amann.

Kuz played on the freshman team, sophomore team, and, during her junior and senior years, the varsity team. She was the kicker during her four years and excelled greatly in this position.

“The only position I could really play was kicker mainly because I was really small, so I could get hurt or injured; plus, I don’t really have very good hand-eye coordination to catch the ball,” said Kuz. To this day, Kuz holds the school record for the most points made by a kicker due to her accuracy. She attributed her accuracy to her strong skills in soccer.

Even though Kuz had great success in her football career, it did not come without struggle. She took much criticism and was called many nasty names by her peers, mainly because her dad was the head coach.

Kuz’s dad, Randy Kuceyeski, grew up in Ohio, played football at Northwestern University, and coached at Libertyville High School for 34 years while also teaching P.E.. Coach Kuz never directly coached his daughter’s position in order to avoid accusations of special treatment; however, she did still receive that criticism.

Coach Kuz explained that people initially thought it was a novelty

Sports

By Maddie Werner Kristen Kuceyeski never let her gender get in the way of following her dream: playing football. She holds the school record for most points made by a kicker and currently teaches English at Libertyville High School.

that would wear off, but that “no one gave it a second thought once they saw how she could play.”

Kuz stated, “yes, my dad was the overall coach, but he wasn’t the one making the decision of whether or not I should be starting, so that kind of took the pressure off of him.”

Kuz shared that her peers said things like “you only get to play because of your dad.” In reality, this was not true. According to IHSA, if a sport is not offered for both genders, either gender can join the existing team.

Kuz did admit that if her dad wasn’t the coach, she probably wouldn’t have played.

“People are mean and they’re harsh and having my dad as the head coach prevented a lot of kids or other players from doing things that could’ve been a lot meaner or physically harmful to me, so having my dad as the coach kind of gave me a pathway to be able to do it, but then I proved myself on my own,” she said.

Coach Kuz did his absolute best not to give his daughter special treatment. The team rule was that your hair cannot hang out of your helmet, so Kuz was forced to cut her hair above her ears, just like the rest of the boys had to do. Coach Kuz explained that he told his daughter, “I’m not gonna change the rules for you. If you wanna be on this team, you’re gonna have to prove that you wanna be on it.”

Kuz admired that her dad was fair regardless of her gender: “I wanted to prove myself on my own merit,” said Kuz. Kuz did all of the lifting and conditioning with the boys and during her freshman year, she did all of the tackle drills as well. She also went away to all-boys kicking camps in the summer. She was serious about playing football, and that showed through her performance and determination.

Kuz’s mom, Martha Kuceyeski, shared her worry for her daughter and, as a high school counselor, she was nervous what girls would think about another girl playing football. She shared that one day she was in the car with her daughter, voicing her opinion, and Kuz said, “Mom, I’ve wanted to play football my whole life.” At that moment, Kuz’s mom knew that’s exactly what she would do.

At the start of her football career, the team was a bit hesitant or cautious, but eventually she felt like she had 50 big brothers watching out for her. Some girls at school did make fun of Kuz and called her names like “dyke” or “lesbian,” she said. Girls also accused her of only playing football to receive attention.

“That’s to be expected. When you’re doing something that’s out of the ordinary -- and especially as a female, when

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you’re breaking a stereotype -- you have to be ready for that,” shared Kuz. At the time, Kuz was one of the only females playing football in the state, so she did receive a lot of news coverage. Almost every newspaper wrote a story about her at some point, and NBC did a special on her and another female kicker from Downers Grove. This fueled the fire even more and her peers accused her of only playing football for the attention she received from the news.

“If you had known what I had to go through every day, you’d know I wouldn’t do this just for that,” said Kuz. “It’s too much.”

Not only did Kuz get made fun of at school for her unusual choice in sport, but some teams targeted her and purposely hit her because she was a girl, even though you can’t hit the kicker on an extra point or a field goal without receiving a penalty. She also did not do kickoffs, because kickers can be tackled during this.

During her freshman year, she was hit in her kicking leg during a game, sprained her ankle, and was on crutches for homecoming. Kuz laughed at this story, as her injury was only minor. She does, however, remember a game against Mundelein her senior year where she was

intentionally hit around four times, and her fifty big brothers were very protective of her when this happened.

Being the first girl to play football at LHS, Kuz had to prove herself to the boys. She shared that she’ll never forget her first game as a freshman against New Trier. She not only made all of her extra points, but she also made a field goal, which not many kickers do at the freshman level. Kuz explained that after that game, her teammates felt much more confident and reassured in her abilities.

“The New Trier game was the first night game in LHS history. The lights were just put up and it was really a thrill for me to watch her accomplish her dream and help her team win,” said Coach Kuz. Despite the struggles she faced, she shared that this was the best experience of her life, and that she would love to see a girl play now. Kuz shared that she has had girls contact her and say, “I’m really interested in playing, and you were a really big role model to me when I was little.” She has encouraged every girl that’s ever mentioned it to her.

“It’s a cool thing to be able to show girls that you can be strong, and you can do these things that perhaps you don’t think you can do. It doesn’t have to be football, it can be anything,” said Kuz.

“there were moments that were hard, but you have to go through that. it makes you stronger and it makes the success that much better.” - kristen kuceyeski

Photos Courtesy of Kristen Kuceyeski While she was on the team, Ms. Kuz had to cut her hair so that it would not hang out of her helmet, just as all of her other male teammates had to do.

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Ms. Kuz, pictured with her father who was also her coach, received criticism for the fact that other players thought she was favored by her father, but Mr. Kuz aimed to be objective and not be favorable towards Ms. Kuz.

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Work Hard, Pay Hard

By Alyssa Stokovich and Max Friedlander

This is what playing your favorite sport is really costing you.

Seasonal Cost Among Libertyville High School Athletes $3507

^

$1050

$1262

^

$1000

$930

$950 $900 $850 $800 $750 $700

$647

$650 $600

$566

$563

$550 $500 $406

$400

$430 $398

$370

$350 $275

$300

$266

$267 $217

$250 $200

$152

$150

$170

$100 $50

While the average LHS athlete pays a required $40 athletic fee, hockey players can pay upwards of $2,200 just to play.

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Poms Soccer Swimmin g/Diving Tennis Volleyba ll Water Po lo Wrestlin g

Golf Gymnast ics Hockey Lacrosse

ll Bowling Cheerlea ding Cross Co untry/Tr ack Football

Basketba

/Softball

$0

Baseball

Cost

$450

Lighter images reflect fees that are not required among all athletes of that particular sport.

All costs are reflective of both boys and girls seasons and were provided by LHS varsity athletes and www.sportsauthority.com.

Holy Puck!

Equipment alone costs each player $1,307

Why do hockey players pay the most?

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Where does the money go?

Many components make up an athlete’s fees. Below is a brekdown of exactly where their money goes.

16% Optional Costs

26% Additional Fees

23% Additional Equipment

35% Apparel

Who pays more?

$954.50

What does the school provide?

$332.50

Girls

Transportation

Athletic Trainer

Game Equipment (on average)

Uniforms (on average)

Boys

On average, LHS male-dominated (football and wrestling) sports pay only 34.8% of what LHS female-dominated (cheerleading and poms) sports do.

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Practice Facilities (on average) 25

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elementary

Seniors

By Jarrett Malac and TJ Murbach Photos coutesy of the athletes From a young age, this 2016 athletic class has been one that is stacked with talent in all sports. With many varsity sports riddled with experienced seniors, the 2016 class has and will continue to compete for state championships. With five main feeder schools to the high school, let’s take a look at some of the athletes who are making a difference in their last year as a Wildcat.

Questions: 1) When and how did you first get into the sport(s) you play? 2) What is one of your best experiences playing your sport as a kid?

3) What do you think is special about this senior athletic class all around?

Copeland: Tim Calamari 1) “My dad used to play football and baseball when he was younger and was a huge influence on me and my sports career. I started playing baseball when I was 4 and flag football when I was 7.”

2) “The best experience I’ve had playing volleyball is getting to play with all the different teammates I’ve met. It’s always cool to see how each team I’ve been on is different and how we learn to play together throughout the season.”

2) “When I was in 3rd grade, my house league baseball team won the championship. I hit a dinger that game.”

3) ”I think this senior athletic class is special because there are so many great role models in so many different sports and they represent our school really positively. I think the seniors this year are just really humble and hardworking.”

3) “This senior class has so many talented kids and are all so close with one anotherEach team is like a family and with the athletes that are in this class, lots of events are won.”

Henry Schmidt 1) “I first started playing football in 3rd grade. I got into it because my older brother always played and it was something I always wanted to try.

I started playing baseball in 1st grade but I always sucked so I dropped it and picked up lacrosse in 8th grade, influenced again by my older brother.”

2) “My favorite experience so far is probably my 8th grade football season. We won the championship that year which was crazy because it was Rileys first year at quarterback and we didn’t think we’d go that far.

We also went to Daytona Beach Florida as a team for a week which was a blast.”

Ellie Daugerdas 1) “I started playing soccer when I was 3 years old. My parents signed my sister and I up for a park district soccer program and I’ve continued to play ever since.”

2) “When I was 13, my soccer team won the regional championship, and at the time, that was the best title you could receive (u13 there is no national championship). I remember the game- winning goal being scored in the last few minutes of the game and that being able to accomplish this with some of my best friends was one of the greatest experiences ever.”

3) “I think this class is special because every works so hard. For football in the off season we have lifting 6 months out of the year, you see basketball players working out all fall before the season and baseball players doing the same. We have great coaches and teachers around the school that give us unbelievebale oppurtunities. We’re very lucky.”

3) “This class is full of some extremely talented players...What I think makes our senior athletic class special is our determination and perseverance. Even when things seem to knock our players down, they always get back up twice as strong. Take into consideration all the knee injuries we have seen in athletes at our school. Not one of us had let an injury bring down a team (and each individual who has been injured has worked to make a full recovery). We are a class of talent, but more than that -- we are a class of athletes who know how to work hard.”

Adler: Steven Sakas 1) “I got into hockey when I was about 6 years old, because it was always the sport I watched when I was young.”

Rockland:

2) “My favorite memory of hockey was scoring my first goal ever.”

Jacqui Widmark 1) “I started playing volleyball freshman year. I had always played soccer, so I wanted to try something new when I got to high school and volleyball had always seemed like an exciting sport to me.”

gerdas

Ellie Dau

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3) “The athletes of this 2016 class are special because of all the hype they have brought to LHS sports.”

idt Henry Schm 26

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Jacqui Widmark

Olivia S

Nikki Westp ha

erb

l

3) “I think that our senior athletic class is special in the sense that we all are highly motivated athletes that constantly strive to do our best...

This senior class is not only talented on their playing field, but also in the classroom. I think we can all agree that balancing our school work and sport it very hard, but we are all able to succeed in both aspects.” ​

Olivia Serb 1) “My sister, who is a year and a half older than me, began playing soccer when she was 6 years old. When I turned 6, I followed in her footsteps and started playing for the GLSA recreational league. At age 7, I I began playing travel soccer for GLSA, which is a more competitive level. And I have now played travel soccer for 11 years.”

Oak Grove:

2) “One of my best experiences playing soccer as a kid were the training sessions. We trained rain or shine. I remember trainings in the fall of my elementary school years. My mother bundled me up in layer after layer, and I was sent out into the cold for another practice. Another great memory was when my team trained in the pouring rain and what was supposed to be a serious practice turned into a reckless game of rugby in the mud.”

Kenzie Cook 1) “I started doing gymnastics when I was 18 months old. When I was 5, the gym I was doing gymnastics at asked me to join their cheerleading team. I reluctantly gave up gymnastics and moved into cheerleading, which essentially go hand in hand, but it was a change for me. Ever since then, I have been on many different teams, but never going on a break longer than a few weeks.”

3) “I think it is remarkable how much dedication there is in this senior class...We wake up early and stay out late in order to train for our sport.

We are all able to contribute to our team in different ways, whether it be hard work, encouragement, or leadership. And I think it’s amazing that as student athletes we are able to balance school work, a social life, and a high demanding sport.”

2) “As a kid, I was always the little gym rat of my team. Whether we had practice or not, I was always at the gym. I formed bonds with not only teammates, but also coaches, that will last a lifetime. Having that second stable home was always a comforting feeling for me.”

3) “This senior athletic class is absolutely incredible... It is so exciting to be a part of this monumental time for Libertyville. Everyone is so excited for the progression of the sports and there is so much student support. Being a successful athletic senior class is something we will all carry with us forever, and we will reflect back on high school and remember how amazing our senior year was because of our athletic successes.”

ButterfIeld: Nikki Westphal 1) “As a child I tried every sport in the book, I tried soccer to gymnastics and everything in between. The only sport that seemed right for me was, dance. I was about 3 years old when I had my first dance class and didn’t realize that I loved to dance and wanted to do it the rest of my life until I was 10 years old.”

Tucker Goebeler 1) “I got into soccer when I was 4 years old. It was the first sport I ever played. I enjoyed it when I started and I never looked back.”

2) “The best experience dancing as a kid was when I first tried out for The Magic of the Nutcracker. I was about 12 years old and it was my first audition as a dancer. Though auditions were stressful, I powered through and ended up making it. Being apart of the Nutcracker as lead mouse and waltz of the flowers was so life changing. Not only did I see myself grow as a person, I saw myself grow into a highly motivated dancer and technically strong dancer.”

2) “When I was 12, our team won the state championship.”

3) “There is an unbelievable amount of talented seniors in all the sports this year. We have a very athletically gifted as well as hard working class that has given us the opportunity to be very successful in all sports.”

Kenzie Cook

ri Tim Calama Sports

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE! We are truly thankful for the support of our customers during the 28 years Fodrak’s has helped them eat well.

We opened our doors on December 7, 1987, and in 2016 will be enjoying another New Year in Libertyville.

During your holiday break and when you return to school, our familiar regular and catering menus will be available. Featured items include Award-Winning Gyros, Succulent Baby Back Ribs, Greek-Baked Chicken, Black Angus Burgers, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, and Salads made 100% with Romaine Lettuce plus many other delicious choices.

Regular and catering menus at www.fodraks.com

327 South Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville 847-816-8111