NEWS
OPINION
5
What’s Trending
28
The right perspective
6
Burnsies Uptown restaurant set to open in 2019
29
Ignorance isn’t bliss
Vernon Hills hosts a new development: Mellody Farm
30
Let’s agree on one thing: Respect
31
Heating up in Hollywood
Popular winter styles and ways to give back this season.
A new restaurant is opening where 545 North used to be.
7
Mellody Farm is a new $200 million ground up development in Vernon Hills.
FEATURE 12-13
Freedom of the Press: How High Schools are Limited
Restrictions of high school journalists in some parts of the country show the different rights between the national press and high school publications.
14-17
2018 Midterm Election
Having an opinion isn’t always easy; Ben Kanches talks about his experience as a conservative at LHS. Ella Marsden stresses the importance of recognizing our privilege and instead of using it to ignore issues that don’t affect us, using it to stay informed. In a time where there are many opposing political views, Sports Editor Maggie Evers touches on her opinion of being respectful. DOI staffers discussed whether or not celebrities, who can be influential, should share their political opinions and how they should go about stating their opinions.
SPORTS
A rundown of what occurred, what’s to come and the experience of some new student voters during the midterm election.
32-33
Geographic Athletics
18-19
What’s in a Name
33
Support: all LHS sports deserve it
20-21
More Than a Mascot
34-35
All-Time LHS Athletes
22-25
From Pain to Power
24-25
Men for the #MeToo movement
26-27
Family Forces
Students with often mispronounced names reveal what it’s like to have a unique name as well as the meanings behind them. A look into the implications of Native American mascots for local and national teams and the problems that come with it.
The prevalence of various high school sports in different locations of the U.S. Maggie Burnetti states why she believes it’s important to attend all sporting events and addresses the gender disparity.
A look at the star athletes from LHS’ history and what they accomplished after they graduated.
The history of the #MeToo movement — from where it began to where it is now. Jacob Kemp explains how he feels about the #MeToo movement and how he thinks men should be invloved in it. A glimps into the lives of three military families from Libertyville.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact us at doi@lhswildcats.org Contents by Sayre DeBruler Cover photo and design by Annika Bjorklund Focus cover and design by Liv Bertaud
2 Drops of Ink
STAFF LISTING Editors-In-Chief Maggie Burnetti Savanna Winiecki Matt Smith, Online Editor Molly Boufford, News Editor Olivia Gauvin, Features Editor Jacob Kemp, Features Editor Rachel Benner, Opinion Editor Maggie Evers, Sports Editor Ian Cox, Layout Editor Claire Salemi, Social Media Editor Faculty Adviser Michael Gluskin
7
Anya Belomoina Andrew Benoit Olivia Bertaud Annika Bjorklund Amanda Black Ariella Bucio Sayre DeBruler Moira Duffy Thomas Evans Kate Felsl Jade Foo John Freberg Stephanie Gay Aliya Haddon George Hayek Grant Herbek Rowan Hornsey Benjamin Kanches Ella Marsden Benjamin Mayo Allison McLean Charlotte Pulte Kirsten Townander Carly Wagner
@lhsdoi
@lhsdoi
Libertyville High School Drops of Ink
Visit us at lhsdoi.com
28
20-21
LETTER TO THE READER Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, Welcome to Drops of Ink’s December Issue: Within Our World. This issue was created to focus on, well, our world — from the people of Libertyville High School and their individual worlds to issues with rippling effects around the globe. Our staff dug deep into the diversity of our community, our country and our world to bring you new perspectives, research and even predictions. Through the discussion of important global issues, our staff wanted to present those passions through different stories that people all across our community could understand and relate to. Oftentimes, you’ll hear teachers or students note how we seem to live in a “Libertyville Bubble,” and while that concept is a valid concern, it is quite disheartening to think we have no way to pop the bubble. That’s why “Within Our World” is an issue dedicated to focusing on stories that expand our horizons. We wanted our issue to be relevant to our community by bringing these big movements and ideas to our local level — quite literally “within” our “world” — while still ensuring that our staff was in no way prevented from covering the issues impacting individuals on a national or global level. So, let’s take a peek, shall we? Exploring a more national perspective, staff members Ben Mayo and Sayre DeBruler researched the potential impacts of the 2018 midterm elections (pages 14-17), touching on subjects such as the new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives as well as student voters at LHS. Two other writers, Ella Marsden and Aliya Haddon, explored the #MeToo movement (pages 22-25), a national cause with ramifications within our country. Social Media Editor Claire Salemi took a more global perspective, covering the impacts that international military deployment has on some LHS families (pages 26-27). Claire’s story connected to not only the family members that live within our world of Libertyville, but she also discusses U.S. military bases worldwide, fitting directly into the theme of exploring what is within our world. This month’s issue also highlights some political topics, such as staff writer Moira Duffy’s article, which discusses what rights various journalists have in the U.S. versus abroad (pages 12-13) and Ben Kanches’ column on owning his conservatism at LHS (page 28). Furthermore, the “Within Our World” theme is not just limited to the magazine itself; in fact, multiple staff members wrote various articles and columns discussing global issues that you can find on our website, which you can access by scanning the QR code below! This code leads to stories that the editorial board felt were important to discuss, but the space unfortunately didn’t permit them to be included in the magazine. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as our staff enjoyed writing it! We hope these stories open your thoughts to new perspectives and bring you a better understanding of what is occurring in our world, both locally and abroad. Enjoy, Features Editors, Jacob Kemp and Olivia Gauvin
4 Drops of Ink
ONLINE STORIES Boys basketball gains first win over Carmel, 57-46
Libertyville’s Gay-Straight Alliance hosts Transgender Celebration Day
Libertyville Theater Department stages studentdirected One-Act Play Festival
Scan the QR code below to check out more stories and pictures like these on our website!
What’s Trending By Charlotte Pulte
Photos by Rowan Hornsey
Layout by Stephanie Gay
Winter Styles
Sherpa jackets
Fuzzy hats
Layered clothing
Ways to Give Back LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES
Northern Illinois Food Bank, a local community volunteer organization, distributes Holiday Meal Boxes every year. For $30, the Food Bank provides a traditional holiday meal. They use volunteers to help sort and pack food but also accept financial donations.
DONATE TO TROOPS
Donating to the troops during the holidays can boost the morale of deployed troops worldwide. Support Our Troops is a nationwide public charity that delivers care packages to U.S. soldiers overseas. You can help by sending packaged goods to Support Our Troops, where they inspect and distribute Local Libertyville churches, like St. Joseph them, or by donating at SupportOurTroops. Catholic Church, also operate food pantries org. Items in demand include personal that rely on volunteers to run them. The St. hygiene products, feminine care products, Joseph Food Pantry serves Libertyville Townsnacks and gift cards (Visa, Mastercard or ship residents on Monday and Thursday from American Express) used to pay for satellite 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. A breakfast, lunch and and Wi-Fi to personally communicate with dinner bag is put together by the volunteers those at home. and distributed to the families at the pantry.
To make a donation or sign up to volunteer, visit SolveHungerToday.org To help out at St. Joseph’s, contact Mary Causey at 847-990-1213 or mcausey@stjoseph-libertyville.org.
Ship goods to: Support Our Troops® 13791 N. Nebraska Ave. Tampa, FL 33613
Donate to a local food pantry
COAT DRIVE
Donating to the Chicago Bears/Jewel-Osco Coat Drive is one way to give back this winter season. The coat drive, now in its 30th year, accepts new and gently used coats at Jewel-Osco locations throughout the Chicagoland area through Feb. 1. The coats will benefit in-need Salvation Army clients throughout Chicago. Coats for children and women are in the greatest demand, but the coat drive also accept hats, gloves, scarves and snowsuits.
If you are in need of a coat, please contact the local Salvation Army Corps Community Center or call 773-353-8607.
Contribute to a clothing drive
Drops of Ink | What’s Trending 5
Burnsies Uptown set to open in 2019 By Molly Boufford In 2019, a new restaurant, Burnsies Uptown, run by John Durning, will be opening where local restaurant 545 North was previously located. The new place will be open for all meals. Breakfast and lunch will be served when they first open for business and dinner will come after the restaurant settles in with the flow of breakfast and lunch. According to a video posted to the Burnsies Uptown Facebook page by Durning, for breakfast, the restaurant will serve acai bowls, bagels brought in from a local bagel shop in Lincolnwood and other traditional breakfast menu items. There will be coffee as well, served by a local coffee shop that has yet to be named. During the lunch hour, the restaurant will switch gears and focus on deli sandwiches, amongst other items. Durning expressed much excitement for the deli and sandwiches that they will be selling because it has been one of his dreams, right along with opening a pizza place.
Photo by Thomas Evans 545 North has already started to clear out its restaurant. Burnsies Uptown is expected to open in early 2019. They will serve breakfast and lunch at first, then move to dinner later in the year.
“I lived in New York and there were all
definition of “Burnsies,” relating to alcohol, and an idea from a close
to bring that back here,” said Durning over the phone.
friend to call the place Uptown Bagels. However, it took at least 30 to 40
Durning and Steve Burns will be operating the busi-
other possible names to end up with the current title.
ness, with Durning operating the restaurant and Burns
“We both agreed that we weren’t going to name the place after one of
contributing as an investor. The pair have been friends
us but Burnsies fit perfectly and it doesn’t refer to [Mr. Burns],” Durning
for years, so when Durning came to Burns with the idea
explained on the phone.
of doing a joint restaurant, Burns knew it was the right fit. “We have been a great duo and haven’t had any big
The restaurant itself will also be remodeled to fit the needs of the new business. The previous restaurant had a bar area for customers at night but it will now be switched into an eating pace where customers can
fights yet and are on the same page for everything re-
watch the food being prepared. In the back seating room, Durning and
garding the restaurant,” expressed Durning.
Burns are looking into making it a takeout and catering area, as they
Burns has had experience as business investor as well
want to expand the business as much as possible in those aspects.
as in the restaurant industry but his career took him in a
“Our biggest audiences will hopefully be LHS students and catering
different direction; he always told his wife that he would
events as well as some possibilities with food trucks,” Durning said.
at some point get back into the industry. Durning has experience in the restaurant industry with the opening of his first restaurant, Pizzeria DeVille, in 2014, which is also on MainStreet Libertyville.
6
The namesake of Burnsies Uptown is a combination of urban dictionary
these great deli shops I went to all the time, so I wanted
Drops of Ink | News
Vernon Hills hosts a new development: Mellody Farm By Savanna Winiecki
Mellody Farm is a new shopping center in Vernon Hills that began construction in April 2017 and opened some anchor tenants in October. Aside from the stores that are already open, including REI, Whole Foods and Nordstrom Rack, there will be 15 additional restaurants in Mellody Farm, said Matt Hendy, a vice president at the Regency Centers real estate company, which owns the development. There are several first-market restaurants that are nowhere else in Illinois, including Next Door and Lazy Dog. There are also several restaurants that are new to Vernon Hills and Lake County, including Kuma’s Corner. Along with the resturants are 260 apartments on the site called The Atworth, built by Focus Development, Regency Center’s partner. Dr. Andrew Young, the Director of Programming and Data Analysis at Vernon Hills High School, doesn’t know exactly, but estimated in a phone interview that three or fewer students at VHHS live in the new Mellody Farm apartments, meaning the development hasn’t really impacted the VHHS population. The construction of Mellody Farm was a public-private partnership. When everything is complete, private companies will have contributed $200 million to the development. The village of Vernon Hills contributed $20 million. The buildings will be 95 percent leased by this time next year, estimated Hendy. Some effects Mellody Farm will have on Vernon Hills include the addition of more than 500 full-time jobs and around 500 construction jobs, a better roadway system, private investment used in the local economy and a high amount of sales tax revenue, according to Hendy. The local environment was considered in the construction. “It didn’t have much of an environmental impact because it was always just a soybean field, which just grew with some non-indigenous trees around it,” expressed Hendy. He added that they planted two times the amount of trees that were originally on the land and that the new trees were native species. The development had to meet a land ordinance from Vernon Hills, along with some other requirements; David Brown, the Vernon Hills Public Works Director and Village Engineer, held Regency Centers strictly to the requirements. “[The Mellody Farm] property has been zoned for its intended use for longer than I’ve been [working in Vernon Hills] (since 1993),” Brown said, adding that he didn’t think there was much controversy over the site environmentally. “It’s at the intersection of two major highways, so it’s always been anticipated [that some development] would go here.” Brown said that part of the land is a conservation area, where the majority of plants and habitats are, which is preserved and no development can be on the site. He thinks the village has done a good job of balancing the development and environment. When the development’s first tenants opened in October, there was a high interest in them, so there was some concern over the amount of parking spaces allotted. Hendy believes it is no longer a problem because it has worked itself out with the normal shopping patterns. In 1937, John Cuneo, Sr. bought the approximately 3,000-acre property that was known as Hawthorn-Mellody Farms. This piece of land was once one of the largest dairy farms in the Midwest and also a popular attraction in Lake County. Hendy met with the representatives of the Cuneo family about five years ago. In the first year following that initial meeting, Hen-
Photo by Ariella Bucio
Mellody Farm, located across from Hawthorn Mall, is a shopping center that opened its first store, REI, on Sept. 14. There will eventually be 15 restaurants in Mellody Farm among the 50 total businesses.
dy worked on planning the development and trying to secure tenants. About a yearlong approval process with the village followed to study the project, its environmental impacts and effect on the roadway systems, to make sure everything was done correctly. The land was bought from John Cuneo Jr. in April 2017 after the plans were approved from the village. “The right timing came along and we [struck] a deal with the Cuneos and [struck] a deal with the village and struck a deal with these retailers all at the same time,” commented Hendy over the phone. “So it was a good conflux of a lot of different market factors and a lot of willing partners to pull it off.” The Hawthorn Mall was a part of the farmland that now sits across the street from Mellody Farm, whose namesake was to bring together the history of Hawthorn-Mellody Farms, Hendy said. The new development aims to improve suburban retail. “Things need to change in suburbia if retail and retailers are going to take the next step … Developers have to change their ways and develop more interesting places people want to be,” Hendy explained. “Mellody [Farm] was supposed to be that inspiration behind it for the next evolution of what suburban shopping could and should be. It should be interesting.” Hendy noted that while the layout of the shopping mall is different — for example, all of the retailers’ front doors face the interior to create energy — it’s going to still function as the typical suburban shopping center. So far, Mellody Farm has been widely successful, according to Hendy, and all of the tenants have reported sales above their projections. “To us as developers, we have to create spaces where people want to be because people will always want to be around other people and are always going to want to experience new things,” said Hendy. “That’s what Mellody Farm is designed to do. If we’re successful at Mellody Farm, people will go there five years from now and find something new and something different that they find interesting”
Drops of Ink | News 7
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S S E R P E H T F O FREEDOM
DECEMBER 2018
d e it im L e r A ls o o h c S h ig How H mas Evans - Layout by Ian Cox
By Moira Duffy - Infographic by Tho
is best for their students. make decisions about what e tru gs rin t tha ent tim cipals the right to edit or cen Freedom of the press is a sen “The courts have given prin the in se ce cau pla to its n ng goi give , it’s ory hist ies based on if throughout the United States’ sor student newspaper stor r the press in 2018 differs of dom free school, [but] that’s not a clea h the oug in alth ion , hts upt Bill of Rig a significant disr ed ress exp ,” on. ng] visi et[i s’ Father I enjoy interpr perhaps from the Founding line, and it’s not a line that United States Constituthe to nt me end tes. Am len st Fir Kou While the principal Dr. Tom to the people and the press, m occurred or is predicted tion grants freedom of speech If a situation arose where har are ion nat said the oss acr s list t journa publication, Dr. Koulentes the rights of certain studen to occur due to the student e som mit ect per t resp to tha t s ing wan rul “I court stepping in. limited due mainly to prior he has the responsibility of d, as han er oth the ts, [but] on forms of censorship. student First Amendment righ ool the Sch h all t Hig tha t e Eas sur g ood kin elw ountable to ma In 1988, the principal of Haz - a principal, I’m held acc lica pub ’s ool . sch h said hig he t tha ed,” sored s are enforc near St. Louis, Missouri, cen rules and laws around school and how divorce affects ncy gna pre t expression, he also wants teen den ut stu s abo age ies tion for stor While he encour the but n, isio dec ize their the ned questio as all publications, to recogn teens. The students on staff ed Drops of Ink, as well stat ri sou Mis of t tric Dis Eastern ir audience. U.S. District Court for the immense responsibility to the ts had not been violated. righ nts me lication or a professional end pub t Am den st stu Fir a ts’ g] the studen “[Regardin rict dist the hing d erse rev eals App its due diligence in researc The Eighth Circuit Court of publication, if it doesn’t do eihlm Ku v. ntify t ide tric t Dis leas at ool or Sch ood inate bias, court’s decision. The Hazelw a story and attempting to elim ed rul was ating it cre re, by the age rt; dam Cou reme potentially do er case then went to the Sup bias in the story, [it] could re the if s per of spa on new t tati sen den stu pre sor on a limited that administrators could cen or shaping opinions based ation. ific just l ona cati tes. edu len e abl Kou was reason facts,” stated Dr. to many cases, issues relating prevalence of journalism and This phrasing includes, in Dr. Koulentes stressed the rall ove and l, mfu har d me dee ics vant information. privacy, vulgar language, top its nature of spreading rele the s ieve bel ion trat inis ’s adm to shed light on important any situation where a school “Journalism has the power . ool sch ,” he in ion upt disr ificant want to be public knowledge publication will cause a sign issues that people may not zaani org an ter, Cen Law ss According to the Student Pre asserted. regarding law, education, tion important topics in high rma info l lega rs offe tion that When it comes to discussing con re mo ecially give s doe ing rul ood munication seems to be esp and journalism, the Hazelw m school publications, com the ng givi lies. y app iall ent ion pot slat , ors legi trat New Voice trol to principals and adminis crucial, even in states where also It’s . s. ion tion slat lica e the legi the final say over student pub “It’s not enough just to hav case, a student-powered legood zelw and have good communicaHa talk the to e to e tinu ons In resp important to con ip rsh nso i-ce aud, ant for s call ces Voi olved,” stated Dr. Sally Ren islative movement called New tion between the groups inv g rrin refe on e cati som h Edu wit s, lism list rna journa Illinois Jou laws and rights for student the executive director of the .” law od lwo aze ti-H rview. to this legislation as the “an Association in a phone inte on t journalism that the den stu of s ortance of steady conversati tion imp sec the ee thr ssed are stre There Dr. Renaud and s ion ool trat sch h inis hig adm tect and to pro tion staff New Voices legislation aims not only between the publica , blished in only 14 of esta is ces Voi ’s audience. For Drops of Ink New tion er, lica wev pub Ho colleges. but also with the Iowa, ois, Illin do, ora nity Col mu , nia com ifor the local the 50 states: Arkansas, Cal this is the student body and , Nevada, North Dakota, etts hus tion for doing things well, ssac uta Ma rep t nd, tha ryla e Ma Kansas, “Once you hav ois, Illin of In n. gto shin Wa and nt, and talking to people ahead Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermo for talking to your audience h part hig es] for 6 com 201 [be in it s… sed ces pas in the pro the New Voices legislation was time, getting them involved ed. ress exp she ,” d journalism schools and public colleges. of the culture of doing goo ing l-existent Hazelwood ruling stil the n rnalism also includes balanc wee jou bet e lity anc qua bal The Part of doing to ors trat inis adm on re ssu s pre and the New Voices Act put
12
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Drops of Ink | Feature 13
The The Midterm Midterm Election Election By Sayre DeBruler and Ben Mayo Infographic by Annika Bjorklund Layout by Ian Cox
TT
he 2018 midterm elections caused some unexpected results and voting difficulties along the way. The New York Times stated that this election had “the highest [percentage of voters] since at least the 1970s.” Although the projected “blue wave” of a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress did not occur, the Democrats, with 231 total seats, gained a majority in the U.S. House of Representative for the first time in over a decade. However, the Republicans still have the majority in the Senate, with 51 seats.
14 Drops of Ink | Feature
Recap Recap II
n Illinois, JB Pritzker, a democratwon the race for governor. Regarding education, Pritzker campaigned for further developing early education opportunities and helping to add breakfast programs into schools as well. For the U.S. House Representatives of Illinois, 13 Democrats and five Republicans were elected. Each representative will be mentioned by the numerical order of their district they will represent: Bobby Rush (D), Robin Kelly (D), Dan Lipinski (D), Chuy Garcia (D), Mike Quigley (D), Sean Casten (D), Danny Davis (D), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D), Jan Schakowsky (D), Brad Schneider (D), Bill Foster (D), Lauren Underwood (D), Cheri Bustos (D), Mike Bost (R), Rodney Davis (R), John Shimkus (R), Adam Kinzinger (R) and Darin LaHood (R). Schneider, who represents parts of Cook and Lake Counties, including Libertyville, told the Chicago Sun-Times that the district needs “to be working on smart electrical grids, stormwater management, updating our aging schools and much more.” Nationally, this midterm election brought more diverse representation into the House of Representatives. This includes the first Muslim women to be elected, Rashida Tlaib (D -- Michigan) and Ilhan Omar (D -Minnesota); the youngest woman elected, at 29-years-old, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D -- New York); and the first African American woman elected into Congress from the state of Massachusetts, Ayanna Pressley (D). Many counties across the U.S. saw a host of issues regarding their voters’ ballots. In Monmouth County, New Jersey, mailin ballots were sent back to the voters, something that has happened before in this county. NJTV, a PBS television station, stated that “554,411 votes by mail were issued, and 52 percent [were] returned.” Because of this, many people were worried that their vote wouldn’t be counted. However, New Jersey had a special “provisional paper ballot,” where, if someone was supposed to vote by mail but
something prevented that from happening, voters could use this paper ballot to cast their vote. New Jersey was not the only place to have mail-in ballots sent back to voters; Florida provides another example of this. Zina Rodriguez, a citizen of Riviera Beach, Florida, received a rejection notice in her mailbox the night before voting. Later she found out that her ballot was sent back because of a sloppily done signature on her driver’s license two years prior. She stated in The New York Times that she wanted to have a mail-in ballot so that she could have “time to research all of the questions.” Florida not only found trouble for mail-in ballots, but they also found themselves with another problem: a seemingly equal divide among voters. The Senate race in Florida, between Gov. Rick Scott (R) and incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D), continued on for more than a week after election day due to the count being too close to call. Because of this, a recount was done; the final results, turned in two minutes late, were denied by the state and were left to be recounted again. Twelve days after the midterm election, following both recounts, Gov. Rick Scott was declared the victor of the Senate race. In Georgia’s gubernatorial race, numerous allegations of voter suppression were filed against the newly elected governor, Brian Kemp (R). These allegations came about on account of over 50,000 voter registrations being put on hold, 70 percent of whom were reported by the Associated Press to be people of color. Many speculate that this was deliberately done in order to give Kemp an edge over his African American rival, Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams. Ironically, Kemp had accused Abrams’ supporters of voter fraud in the past although he is the one now receiving backlash. During a heated debate between the two candidates, Kemp responded to the claims of voter suppression, stating, “This farce about voter suppression and people being held up on the rolls...is absolutely not true.”
“When you vote, your voice is heard by the government, so it just shows how every voice in this country matters. I don’t see any regret to voting at all. [Voting lets] you tell the government what you want to see.” - Brandon Brown
Drops of Ink | Feature 15
What What to to Expect Expect A A
lthough the election took place more than a month ago, not much has happened yet. This is because Congress is in a “lame duck” period, which is the time between the midterm election and when the new Congress takes office. However, there is much to be expected when the newly elected members of Congress are sworn in and assume their roles in January. When the new Congress assumes office, oversight upon the executive branch is likely to occur. With the Democratic majority within the House, the Trump administration will likely be monitored to some extent. Democratic Representative of California’s 28th District and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has been vocal about the proposed 85 oversight topics the Democrats seek to divide between committees and then investigate in the next two years. In an interview with Axios, a news website, Schiff mentioned the topics include the firing of former FBI director James Comey, the travel ban enforced upon Middle Eastern countries and White House security clearances, among others. Countering the GOP’s goals and regaining some of the power that has belonged to the GOP will be a major priority on the agenda
for the Democrats. In addition to oversight, it is possible that the Democrats will use their newfound subpoena power to challenge the GOP and the executive branch. A subpoena is a written request that legally requires the recipient to appear in court. According to Bloomberg, the Republicans have ignored over 100 subpoena requests since Trump was inaugurated.In the coming months, expect to see hearings over the president’s policies conducted by standing committees in the House. Subpoenas issued by the Republicans can also be expected. On Nov. 22, the House Republicans subpoenaed former FBI director James Comey over the issue of Russian interference in the election. On the subject of legislation, there may not be much to anticipate. With the government divided, it is uncertain as to what legislation could be enacted. Nonetheless, in an interview with CNN, the current House Minority Leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi from California, promised that enacting gun control laws will be a “priority” for the new Congress. The Democrats are also expected to reintroduce their “Better Deal” plan. According to the Senate Democrats’ website, the plan will work to lower costs of prescription drugs.
Voters Voters at at LHS LHS BB ecause some seniors at LHS were 18 at the time of the midterms and had already registered to vote, some students were able to participate in their first election. Among those were seniors Grace Boileau and Brandon Brown. “When you vote, your voice is heard by the government, so it just shows how every voice in this country matters. I don’t see any regret to voting at all,” Brown said. Voting lets “ you tell the government what you want to see.” Boileau said that before she went to vote, she wanted “[a public servant] who was going to stand up for [her] beliefs on that side [of women’s rights].” According to Boileau, knowing what each candidate’s policies are in regards to the subjects that are the most important to individuals can help voters make important
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decisions. As Carolyn Dewitt, a writer for Cosmopolitan stated, voters should “look up [their] sample ballot and do some research.” She then went on to explain how beneficial looking up the candidates can be, as it helps you make a more informed decision. Uneducated voters are a huge concern, stated Boileau. She mentioned that she “wasn’t a very educated voter on some of the bills that they were trying to pass regarding taxes, and [she] misread a lot of them.” She wished she would have looked more into political issues before she went to vote. Ms. Amy Holtsford, a government teacher, stated that she “strongly [encourages] all of [her] students to vote.” She also believes that “good governance depends upon an informed electorate and
Additionally, during a recent rally, President Trump hinted at another tax cut for the middle class. But in this partisan era, it is inevitable that both sides will spend most of their time countering the other party’s motives. In a study done by the American Journal of Political Science, it was found that, statistically, more legislation fails to pass under divided government. Because of this, it’s plausible that the next two years will see a constant cycle of legislation drawn up by the House and shut down by the Senate, and vice versa. Another topic that has been widely discussed is the case of impeaching President Trump. Since Congress is divided, the possibility of President Trump’s removal via impeachment is unlikely. Although the House could impeach the president, as the Democrats have the majority, the Republican majority within the Senate must still hold a trial. Afterwards, under the Constitution, two thirds of the Senate is needed to convict. And as partisanship is consistently everything in politics, there is very little chance of Trump’s dismissal from office. According to a study by Newsweek, as the Republicans retain control of the Senate, there is only a 7 percent chance of the president’s removal from office.
democratic participation, which, of course, includes voting.” Prior to the election, she helped her students by telling them about a website called vote411, which is “a non-partisan website that connects people to nearly any race or candidate across the country.” This website is, as Ms. Holtsford said, a great place to get information on different candidates to figure out the best person to vote for. Ms. Holtsford also expressed how lucky we are to live in Lake County. She said that “we rely on the result, knowing it’s based on truth, fairness and integrity. There are other places across the country that have struggled with those basics and have made it more difficult for eligible voters to cast ballots.” Ms. Holtsford also said that the amount of voters at this election was “encouraging.”
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THAT’S
NOT
MY NAME
By ally mclean
Photos by anya belomoina
Layout By Liv BeRtaud
William Shakespeare claimed that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” however, that’s not always the case. Evident in the thoughts of students interviewed at LHS, calling someone by the wrong first name or an incorrect version of their name can often make them feel small, like they are so unimportant that others can’t be bothered to remember how to put a few letters together. Whether intended or not, what’s often communicated by pronouncing someone’s name wrong is this: Your name is different. Foreign. Weird. It’s not worth my time to get it right. Name mispronunciation actually falls into a larger category of behaviors called “microaggressions,” defined by researchers at Columbia University’s Teachers College as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color.” As those interviewed explain, names, both literally and metaphorically, define us as people (Note: These interviews were all conducted via email). They tell the stories of our birthplace, our ancestors and our culture. In taking the time to learn a difficult or uncommon name, people can display a high level of respect with just a simple gesture. So, what’s in a name? Well, more than you’d think.
Desigamoorthy ShanmugAnathan Nainar:
Sophomore
“My name comes from one of my ancestors, who was a Hindu saint that helped build one of the most prominent temples in southern India. My name is mispronounced quite often on the first try, but many people get the hang of it after saying it a few times. Many people don’t try to say my full name, but those who do usually mispronounce the ‘th’ sound at the end of my name for a hard ‘t’ sound. I find it funny when someone mispronounces my name but appreciate that they tried their best. My first reaction is to politely correct their pronunciation and tell them nicknames they can call me instead. My name has impacted my life because it has taught me more about my culture. It’s a memorable name that makes an impression on most people I meet. I think that having people mispronounce my name and figuring out the right way to correct their pronunciation has improved my character and communication skills.”
Anniina Walquist: Senior “My name is Finnish and, while unique here, is a little bit more common in Finland... I’ve heard just about every variation of it that one could think of, including just trying more common names and trying to call me by a nickname. Due to it happening as long as I can remember and that I now understand it happening [because] a double vowel like in the middle of my name isn’t common in English, my reaction is generally to just correct them and move on. My name is definitely something that is important to me and I wouldn’t change it for anything. It’s helped to be a part of teaching me that being a little different is okay and that everyone should be proud of who they are and where they come from.”
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:
Angad Virk Senior “The name ‘Angad’ means ‘of my own body.’ This refers to being a part of God. Also, in Sikhism, my religion, Guru Angad Dev Ji is the second Guru of the 10, which is who I was named after. My name is mispronounced often, usually because there are different ways to pronounce it and people don’t know how to tackle it. At home, the pronunciation is ‘un-nguh-d,’ which is different, as we speak Punjabi, so the accent is different. At school, as far as I remember, my name has been pronounced ‘on-god,’ which is easier for people to speak. The most common mispronunciation I hear is ‘Angard,’ which baffles me [because] there is no ‘r’ in my name. As my name has been mispronounced so many times in the past, I’m usually expecting it to get messed up ... It comes from a different culture and the combination of vowels and consonants can be tricky. There is the odd person, however, that gets it spot on and it feels good when that happens. My name has impacted my life massively as I am yet to meet someone with my name. It makes me carry my name with pride, even if it is sometimes mispronounced. I feel like being unique with my name gives me a certain sense of identity.”
YINGHAO Jin: Sophomore
PAvan Acharya: Sophomore “My name means ‘wind’ in Gujarati, a language spoken by my family ties from India. Similarly, all of my siblings have names that have Gujarati meanings as well. My name is mispronounced very often by people I have met for the first time. Most people mistake the ‘uh’ sound in my name for an ‘ah’ sound, similar to the word ‘hot.’ The phonetic spelling of my name should look similar to ‘Puh-vin’ but most pronounce my name ‘Pah-vin.’ When someone mispronounces my name, I typically react very calmly. I have become very used to others mispronouncing my name and have become understanding of their struggles. It would be easy to be angry with others for saying my name wrong, but we are all human and we all make mistakes. Typically, when someone says my name wrong, I just tell them how to say it correctly. I feel that my name is unique not only for what it means but its effect on my life. I believe that it’s okay to be different from everyone else and my name is just one example of this belief. It is important for everyone to embrace their differences and think positively about themselves.”
Annika Larson: Senior “Annika means ‘grace’ in Swedish. It’s mispronounced pretty often. Usually when someone only knows me from social media or when a teacher first reads my name off, it’s ‘Annie’ instead of ‘ON-knee’ (Anni) and ‘ANN-ika’ rather than ‘ON-nika.’ Usually, I don’t say anything. By senior year, most people know how to pronounce it correctly. The people who pronounce it wrong are people I don’t see often. In class, if we have a sub they usually pronounce it wrong and my friends and I just laugh because it happens all the time. My name is a big part of me. It represents not only my family and heritage but my individualism and uniqueness. I really like my name because it’s not common. (Although, two other girls are named Annika in my class. Crazy!) My middle name is also Grace, so when I was younger, I thought it was fun and quirky to tell people my name was Grace Grace Larson.”
It’s likely that you know one of the 26 Emmas at LHS, since it is the most common female name among the student body.
Alphabetically, freshman Lily Abbott is the first name to appear on an all-school roster.
And junior Shanice Zwingmann is the last.
“There is a specific meaning behind my name, Yinghao, like most Chinese names, but it’s hard to describe in English as it’s not like the normal names we have here. My name is mispronounced regularly, but I go by Kathleen. It’s mostly with substitutes in class or on the first day of school. People don’t really know what to do with it. My initial reaction is annoyance and a bit of embarrassment because people don’t know who it is. I don’t blame them and I don’t really care that much, but it’s just annoying when people say ‘Who’s that?’ My name hasn’t really impacted my life because I go by Kathleen. The most it’s ever impacted me is when I don’t know whether to put Yinghao or Kathleen when I’m doing a survey or I’m signing my name on official documents.”
Kajsa Murphy: Freshman “Kajsa means ‘pure,’ and I have recently found out it also means ‘queen.’ My name is mispronounced just about every time I meet someone new. Others will pronounce it as ‘Keysa,’ ‘Kajisa,’ and many other ones. My name is pronounced ‘KAI-sa.’ In middle and elementary school when our class got a sub or new teacher and they pronounced my name, most of the class will correct them. Even without me saying anything. Now, in high school, new people will try to pronounce my name and I immediately correct them. Then other times when I meet the same people, they may get my name wrong again, and I will try to keep on correcting. There is a long family story behind my name and why I am named Kajsa, but I do love my name. I do, however, get a little tired of people mispronouncing it.”
And there’s a great chance that a Matthew or Mathew is in one of your classes, as it is the most common male name at LHS, with 40 students sharing the given name.
Junior Ian Cox, at six letters, has one of the shortest names in the school (he’s also a DOI staff member). And at 33 letters, sophomore Desigamoorthy Shanmuganathan Nainar has the longest name.
Drops of Ink | Feature 19
Layout by Jacob Kemp
At Libertyville High School, students often identify as “the Wildcats.” When students and community members attend football games, assemblies, and everything in between, fans rally behind the famous “Willie the Wildcat.” LHS’ mascot is, as some may say, beloved. However, in some areas, the love for one’s mascot may be more controversial. In fact, according to MascotDB, an online database that collects information on American sports teams from the high school to professional levels, approximately 2,129 sports teams are represented by some form of a Native American mascot. These teams vary all the way from the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs to Lake County, Illinois’ Lake Forest Scouts. Whether it’s support from an avid fan or opposition from a concerned protester, it is evident that today in the United States, such sports symbols are far more than just mascots.
By Olivia Gauvin
the debate surrounding Native American mascots in the U.S.
More Than a Mascot:
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A mural of Lake Forest High School’s mascot, the Scouts, is still emblazoned on the wall of the main gym, where it was painted in 1979. Photo by Liv Bertaud
The Lake Forest Scouts
B
rynne Martin, a senior at Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Illinois, explained that most games at LFHS host hundreds of students sporting their blue and gold spirit wear as they cheer “Go Scouts!” from the bleachers. As she explained, many students don’t reveal any concern in regards to LFHS’ mascot. However, Martin is quite angered by the display. “Our mascot is culturally insensitive,” Martin critiqued. “A lot of [students] try to ignore the fact that it is very racist and I think that it hinders the school spirit as a whole.” Despite her concern that students ignore the racism behind the Lake Forest Scouts mascot, Martin is not the only student angered by their school’s mascot. Emma Johnson, another senior at LFHS, is equally outraged and specified that the “Scout” is far more than just a high school mascot. “Having Native American mascots, especially a caricature like the Scouts, perpetuates a lot of stigma surrounding the Native American communities [who are] already oppressed,” explained Johnson. Johnson and Martin both went on to emphasize that the usage of such mascots exploits Native Americans across the U.S. because, from their personal experiences, the schools with such mascots are rarely ever comprised of many Native American students. “Because our school is so Caucasian, 86 percent to be exact, [students] don’t care that much about the minorities. It seems like minorities are not very represented here,” Martin said. A senior from Lake Forest High School, who identifies as Cherokee, disagreed with the sentiment that the mascot is culturally insensitive to him personally; he requested anonymity while commenting on the subject because the LFHS administration discouraged students from speaking about the subject.
“I don’t really care at all. I view [the Scouts] as any other mascot, to be perfectly honest with you. It’s like how Libertyville [is] ‘the Wildcats,’ here [at LFHS] it’s the same thing. I don’t really view it any differently than that,” he explained. Drops of Ink contacted the LFHS principal, athletic director and the District 115 superintendent, who all refused to comment on the subject. High schools with Native American mascots like LFHS are not uncommon, according to MascotDB; in fact, of all the high schools in its database, 8.2 percent have Native American team names. However, some high schools have changed their Native American mascots due to concerns similar to the aforementioned displeasure expressed by Martin and Johnson. The teams at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, were once known as the Niles West Indians, but the school decided to change their mascot to the Niles West Wolves about 18 years ago. Dr. Jason Ness, the current principal at NWHS, was not the principal during the change in mascots, however he explained the history in regards to their mascot change in a phone interview. “[Niles West High School] was probably one of the first schools to make the [mascot] change… It was really a student-led process. The students brought their concerns to the administration about the name and whether or not it was hurtful to certain groups of people,” described Dr. Ness. “Niles West is a very diverse school and the feeling was that the [mascot] was disrespectful; therefore, a change happened in joint effort with students and the administration.” While both Martin and Johnson noted that not many students discuss the effects of their mascot, they emphasized how a change in the mascot would be beneficial for the community. “A mascot change could shift our mascot from appropriation to respect,” concluded Johnson.
Mascots in Professional Sports
Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves — all of these mascots are representations and depictions of Native Americans for major sports teams across the U.S. These mascots are not just limited to specific sports, nor regions of the country, as a hockey team in Chicago and a baseball team in Atlanta have Native American mascots representing them. Ethan Neir, a senior at Libertyville High School, is an avid fan of hockey, specifically following the Chicago Blackhawks. When asked about the potential offensiveness behind the Native American mascot, Neir explained, “I think that there’s a difference with teams like the Blackhawks, who I don’t think are in any way villainizing Native Americans. A lot of times they’ll bring members from these Native American [tribes] out onto the ice with veterans; and the mascot that they have, Tommy Hawk, isn’t really in any way tied to Native Americans.”
“American Indian Mascots are harmful not only because they are often negative, but because they remind American Indians of the limited ways in which others see them.” -Dr. Stephanie Fryberg
However, Native American mascots can be harmful to many indigenous tribes, according to the American Psychology Association. In fact, in a psychological report presented by the APA in 2005, Dr. Stephanie Fryberg from the University of Arizona highlighted that Native American mascots, on both regional and national platforms, have a negative impact on the self-esteem of
American Indian children. “American Indian mascots are harmful not only because they are often negative, but because they remind American Indians of the limited ways in which others see them. This in turn restricts the number of ways American Indians can see themselves,” Dr. Fryberg expressed in the report. In regards to the sentiments previously mentioned by both Neir and the anonymous LFHS senior, some individuals do find specific mascots more racist than others. According to Dr. Martin Cutler, Dr. Mary Pritchard and Shae Hart of Boise State University, one of the most controversial mascots in professional sports is the Washington Redskins.
Photo by Keith Allison via flickr/CC “Redskin,” defined as a racial slur for indigenous peoples according to the Oxford Dictionary, was described to be a racist mascot by 54.3 percent of the respondents in the BSU study. Neir, Martin and Johnson all expressed their agreement with that notion and further emphasized the racist slur that the specific “Redskin” mascot represents. “A ‘Redskin’ is specifically a racial slur … Both the ‘Redskins’ and the ‘Indians,’ those are pretty blatantly offensive, and I think those should be changed because of that blatant offensiveness,” Neir expanded. In fact, the Cleveland Indians, a Major League Baseball team, is changing the version of their logo that is a cartoon depiction specifically because of its racist connotations; the team is keeping its nickname, however. In a statement published in The New York Times, the commissioner of MLB, Rob Manfred, explained that the Cleveland Indians “ultimately agreed with my position that the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use in [MLB].” Furthermore, it’s important to note that a day after Cleveland’s announcement in regards to their change, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell explained that he did not see the Washington Redskins’ nickname changing, according to ESPN. When explaining his overall sentiments discussing Native American mascots, the senior of Cherokee descent from LFHS concluded, “I’m not really offended by [Native American mascots]. As long as it’s used respectfully, I think it’s fine. It’s kind of like a tribute to [Native Americans].” In his final thoughts, Neir noted how his view on racist mascots could be subject to change. “I don’t feel [some mascots] are offensive, but also, it’s not me,” he emphasized. “If there is something culturally that I’m missing but they included in there, and I don’t notice because I wouldn’t know any better, I completely understand.”
Drops of Ink | Feature 21
Sexual assault, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent (as because of age or physical or mental incapacity) or who places the assailant (such as a doctor) in a position of trust or authority.” Me Too is a movement focused on giving survivors of sexual assault a platform to speak out and providing them with resources to heal. Becoming #MeToo The official Me Too website defines their movement as a group that “supports survivors of sexual violence and their allies by connecting survivors to resources, offering community organizing resources, pursuing a Me Too policy platform and gathering sexual violence researchers and research.” Activist Tarana Burke pioneered the movement in 2006, encouraging individuals of color from low-income communities to share their stories. Burke’s motivation for Me Too came from a conversation she had in 1997 with a 13-year-old girl who had been sexually abused. About 10 years later, she created “Just Be Inc.,” an organization to support survivors and aid them in their recovery. From this, Me Too was born, explained The New York Times. In October 2017, Me Too gained national recognition after numerous women accused former film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, said Time magazine. The Oscar-winning producer denied allegations from more than 80 women, ranging from harassment to rape. Led by actress Ashley Judd, these allegations encouraged individuals all over the world, who have been victims of sexual violence to speak up. Alyssa Milano, an actress, tweeted on Oct. 15, 2017, asking everyone who had been sexually harassed or assaulted to respond to her post by saying “me too.” She explained in her tweet that her hope was to give people an idea of the issue’s extensiveness. Milano wanted to reassure those who had experienced this type of trauma that they were not alone. Milano’s tweet, with more than 90,000 replies, accentuated the hashtag that became widespread due to its prominence in everyday life, explained USA Today. In an October 2018 poll done by the Pew Research Center, 65 percent of U.S. adults on social media reportedly see posts relating to the topic regularly. According to the Chicago Tribune, 13 days after Judd’s allegations, Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney was the first of her teammates to make allegations against former team doctor Larry Nassar. As reported by Vox, a news and opinion website, about 300 women and one male athlete have come forward, accusing Nassar of sexually assaulting them under the guise of medical treatment. Nassar was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison for child pornography charges, and up to 175 years for his crimes.
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Before the end of 2017, Time said that 142 public figures had been accused of sexual assault. These accusations were the start of what became a worldwide campaign to end sexual violence altogether and hold those who have committed such acts accountable. The Me Too movement “expanded to reach a global community of survivors from all walks of life and helped to de-stigmatize the act of surviving by highlighting the breadth and impact of sexual violence worldwide,” explained the movement’s website.
“Before the end of 2017, 142 public figures had been accused of sexual assault. These accusations were the start of what became a worldwide campaign” Before #MeToo Protests against sexual violence began long before the phrase “Me Too” was officially coined. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, or NSVRC, women in England started “Take Back the Night” marches in the late 1970s. The marches, made up of women wanting to fight back against the violence they had experienced while walking the streets at night, quickly grew to include other countries, such as the United States. In 1978, San Francisco and New York City hosted the U.S.’s first “Take Back the Night” events. Though it began with a focus on female survivors, “sexual assault awareness activities grew to include the issues of sexual violence against men and men’s roles in ending sexual violence,” said the NSVRC. Beginning in the early 1980s, the NSVRC wrote that October has been dedicated by activists to bring awareness to violence against women, broadening their focus from sexual violence to also include domestic violence. A week in April was also designated “Sexual Assault Awareness Week.” By the late 1990s, this week turned into Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which was first nationally observed in the U.S. in April 2001, according to the
NSVRC. With each new year came a new campaign. Starting in 2005, the NSVRC shifted their focus back to sexual assault, beginning their “Build healthy, respectful relationships” campaign. 2006 focused on encouraging survivors to come forward with their stories. In 2007, the focus was on preventing sexual violence in communities, while 2008 and 2009 focused on workplace violence. Stuck in the Middle Many people connected to both the victims and the suspects impacted by the acts of sexual assault. Sarah Silverman, a stand-up comedian, captured this dilemma when it was announced in 2017 that a close friend of hers, Louis C.K., also a stand-up comedian, had sexually assaulted multiple women. Silverman, too, was a victim of sexual misconduct when she was younger. Dave Itzkoff, a culture reporter for The New York Times, wrote about Silverman’s monologue during her talk show, “I Love You, America,” where she said, “‘It’s a real mind fuck, you know, because I love Louis. But Louis did these things. Both of those statements are true, so I just keep asking myself, can you love someone who did bad things? Can you still love them?’” Silverman expressed that she wished that she could “sit this one out.” In her monologue, she also said, “if it’s mentionable, it’s manageable,” emphasizing that this topic could not be
ignored. As reported in The New York Times, Silverman expanded on her reaction: “So, I hope it’s okay if I am at once very angry for the women he wronged and the culture that enabled it, and also sad, because he’s my friend.” She went on to comment on what needed to be done: “I believe with all my heart that this moment in time is essential. It’s vital that people are held accountable for their actions, no matter who they are. We need to be better. We will be better.” A Local View English and theater teacher Mr. Christopher Thomas said that “increasing awareness and expanding our understanding” are the most important parts of Me Too and that, from there, everyone needs to evaluate their perspectives to figure out “how we are part of the problem as well as how we can be part of the solution.” When asked to describe the conversation around sexual violence while he was growing up, Mr. Thomas commented, “Part of Me Too’s point is that it wasn’t talked about.” He explained that Me Too is meant to help victims of sexual assault understand that they are not alone and to help them use their voices to stand up against injustice. These things didn’t often occur before the Me Too movement began, said Mr. Thomas. He emphasized how important he feels it is that people change the way they talk about sexual assault and continue recognizing the movement: “The Me Too movement could just be looked at as a blip or a thing that happened in 2017, but we, however, have the opportunity to move forward from here and learn as a society how to change.” He further highlighted that “with any type of advocacy, it’s important that it doesn’t lose steam, and I would say that would be big on both the national scene as well as personally.” It is not only up to the victims of sexual violence to take action, explained Mr. Thomas. He voiced, “If you’re not actively saying ‘that’s wrong’ or ‘no, don’t talk about it that way’ or trying to change the conversation and the narrative, then you’re just letting the system continue the way it is. So, I would just say that we all have a role in trying to change our society for good, men and women included.”
The phrase “Me Too” was coined in 2017. This movement raises awareness about sexual assault and lets survivors know that they are not alone.
Drops of Ink | Feature 23
How to Help or Get Help Most people don’t think they’re going to be next, that they, or one of their friends, will become a victim of sexual violence. When a bystander is scared for someone’s safety, they shouldn’t be afraid to intervene. Intervention should fit into the bystander’s comfort zone, and it should never put their own safety at risk, said The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, or RAINN. “Bystander intervention,” as defined by RAINN, consists of the “many different ways that [people could] step in or make a difference if… someone [is] at risk [of sexual assault].” RAINN’s first tip for when someone is at risk is to create a distraction. This could be as simple as diverting the conversation to something that engages everyone in the room. Or try saying something along the lines of “Let’s get pizza, I’m starving,” or “This party is lame. Let’s try somewhere else.” Anything that relieves the potential victim from the situation would be beneficial. The second thing RAINN advises is to talk to the person who might be in trouble. Asking them questions about who they came with and if they’d like company could make them more comfortable and more likely to
I really wasn’t sure how to begin this. How can I, a 17-yearold white male, write about the #MeToo movement without discounting the pain and sexual harassment that thousands of women reportedly face daily? How can I be an authority on a movement that I will never completely understand or explain gender inequality in 750 words? I’ve learned that gender conditioning begins young, much younger than we could possibly remember. Baby boys wear blue and baby girls wear pink, right? I’ve seen talkative little 1-year-old dudes with wandering eyes, completely minding their own business, deemed “players” by many parents at an age where they are still fascinated by their fingers; their judgement really can’t be trusted at this point. Little girls are put in dresses that give them little room to play with big bows in their hair.
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trust the intervener. RAINN also suggested that a bystander shouldn’t be afraid to refer to a figure of authority. Someone like a security guard, teacher, or respected adult will typically be willing to get involved, said RAINN. If the situation is deemed emergent, a bystander shouldn’t hesitate to call 911. If a bystander doesn’t feel comfortable approaching the situation alone, RAINN encourage them to ask someone nearby to assist when reaching out to the person at risk. If the bystander doesn’t personally know either individual involved in the situation, RAINN suggest finding someone who does to intervene in their place. This could provide the best outcome; a friend of the person at risk could simply escort them to the bathroom, for example. For those who have experienced sexual assault, abuse or rape, Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization that focuses on family planning and reproductive issues, describes what to do. Their first tip is to get to a safe place as soon as possible. This could mean a highly populated place, but it’s really anywhere that someone would no longer be alone with the abuser.
As we grow older, we are continuously taught that boys act one way and girls act another. Boys have to play sports because sports are tough, something boys are expected to be. Girls play with dolls because dolls are gentle and soft, something girls are expected to be. This is something I’ve always seen and known, and I have often been frustrated with these limitations. What if boys want to be able to cry when we feel overwhelmed? What if girls love a good game of hockey? Though society is generally becoming better at breaking these boundaries and allowing people to enjoy what they love, we still have a long way to go. This gender conditioning, where men are encouraged to get what they want while women are encouraged to focus on their appearance/sexuality, is a big part of the issue.
Their second tip is to not change anything on the victim’s body. If a survivor decides to talk to authorities, the evidence on their body could help them find the perpetrator, said Planned Parenthood. Seeking medical care is also important after sexual assault, according to Planned Parenthood. “The doctors and nurses who take care of people after sexual assault are usually specially trained. They know how to be gentle, caring and sensitive,” says their website.
However, never was the nation’s understanding of gender roles so tested as the day that Harvey Weinstein, a well-known film producer with a wide net of movies, was exposed for his decades of sexual harassment in Hollywood. It appeared without warning, like a strike of lightning, sending rippling shockwaves that knocked everybody right off their stable ground. Suddenly, women were coming forward and sharing. As the pile of evidence grew, I felt boundless shame for our nation and for being part of a society implicit in the minimization of half of our population. With the rise of the #MeToo movement and the exposure of thousands of sexual predators came confusion/fear. Many men even said, “Why didn’t these women just say something?” And with that, I think we, as humans and specifically as men, need to look at our backgrounds. No, of course not every man has committed sexual harassment or sexual assault. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that every man hasn’t played some role in the minimization of women in society, whether it be through an off-hand comment or someone’s treatment towards the females around them; it’s not necessarily men’s fault, but it’s our responsibility to recognize this societal imbalance and work to correct it in any way we can. Some men seem to think that they need to proclaim their innocence and their bountiful respect for women over social media or lash out in frustration at victims and tear down every detail of their story, hiding behind the screens of their computers. Some just stay quiet, maybe out of respect or indifference. People seem surprised when they see how passionate I am about the #MeToo movement, in less of a why-do-you-care way and more of a what-could-you-even-do way. However, I am of the belief that men have one place in the #MeToo movement. It isn’t hiding behind women, letting Ashley Judd be the only voice of reason to the public; or refusing to face our own issues; or berating Rose McGowan and calling her a “lying bitch.” It also isn’t in front of women because you
If you are a victim of sexual assault, you can reach out to RAINN, by calling 1-800-656-4673. They are open 24 hours every day and will connect you to a local sexual assault service provider.
feel that you need to protect them, because you still see them as soft little girls with their dolls. I grew up in a household of strong women, with my sister, a Coast Guard cadet; my mother, a Navy spouse; my aunt, an entrepreneur; and my grandmothers, both former teachers and world travelers, all proving to me that women need anything but protection; they don’t just need respect, they deserve it. No, our place in the movement is right by their side, with open ears and the understanding that we all have a stake in how our society is run and how our people, whether they be women, people of color, members of the LGBTQA+ community, or even other men, are treated. We all can try to learn from our past mistakes and to move two steps forward without a single step backward.
Drops of Ink | Feature 25
By Cla
ire Sa
Layou t Maggi by e Ever s
lemi
Family Forces
With both the Naval Station Great Lakes and Fort Sheridan roughly 15 minutes away from Libertyville, some LHS students have parents who serve and work for the United States Armed Forces. Whether these parents are active soldiers, recruiters or doctors, many of these families have been separated at one point due to deployment; these deployments can sometimes take a tremendous toll on military families.
Students’ Stories
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unior James Schmidt has first-hand experience with the deployment of both parents. They have been deployed or stationed three times since he was born. His father, Capt. Kyle Schmidt, a member of the Navy, was stationed at a base in South Carolina when Schmidt was in seventh grade, as well as in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, when he was in second grade. His mom, Cmdr. Karen Kato, was deployed to Kuwait before Schmidt was in kindergarten, with the Navy as well. “I came home from kindergarten one day, and it was around Mother’s Day,” Schmidt said. “My mom was gone and unknowingly, I asked my grandma, ‘Can you be my mom for Mother’s Day?’” Schmidt said it was very difficult for him to comprehend the deployments to Kuwait and Cuba since he was so young when his parents were gone. Senior Lillian McGowen’s parents are also in the military. Her mom, Cpt. Jennifer Banek, is a nurse anesthetist in the Army; her dad, Sgt. 1st class Duane McGowen, works in the Army; and her step-dad, Cmdr. Rafal Banek, is in the Navy. Like Schmidt’s mom, Sgt. 1st class McGowen was deployed when McGowen was very young. She explained how it was hard to remember because she was so young, but she knew that her dad had and still struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, since war can be very traumatic. On the other hand, McGowen recalled in a phone interview a positive experience that the deployment brought: “My mom, sister and I were able to meet up with my dad in Austria and Germany during his deployment,” because of the opportunity to take government-funded trips for deployed members of the military to meet up with their family. The deployment of her father also helped McGowen receive the Presidential Nomination for West Point, another name for the United States Military Academy. A requirement to get into West Point is to either be nominated by a Congressional member or by the vice president of the United States, and McGowen has earned the vice presidential nomination and is currently in the interview process to get the congressional nomination. McGowen’s parents being in the military has influenced her college choices: “I will probably go into the Reserves Officer Training Corps if I can’t get into West Point. That way, I get the best of both worlds: you get to train for the military and get a typical college experience,” she said. Sophomore Rania Bahrani is also possibly interested in the military because of the influence from her dad, Cmdr. Hayder Bahrani, who is in the Navy. Over the phone, she explained how having a parent in the Navy has given her the opportunity to learn and tell exciting stories. Bahrani also spoke about the difficulties of her father leaving for long periods of time: “It can be hard because my siblings and I do sports, so he misses out, and when he is gone, my mom takes on a bigger responsibility.”
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Photo courtesy of Lillian McGowen Then four years old, current LHS senior Lillian McGowen (left) was reunited with her father after being deployed to Iraq. Now, her father is retired from military service and McGowen is starting the beginning of her own military career as she hopes to attend West Point military academy.
Photo by Stephanie Gay
Photo Courtesy of James Schmidt At a young age, having two parents in the military has been difficult for Junior James Schmidt. After 21 years of service, Schmidt’s mother retired from service and his father will retire next summer with 30 years of service.
Photo courtesy of Rania Bahrani Sophomore Rania Bahrani enjoys being able to tell exciting stories about her father, who is currently in the Navy. Her father feels proud to be able to give back to the country that he immigrated to.
Parents’ Perspective
Many military members give up celebrating birthdays, weddings, holidays and more to serve their country. Missing out on these occasions can impact their lives significantly. Cmdr. Bahrani has been in the Navy for 10 years as a Great Lakes recruit training commander of the oral surgery department, but beforehand, he worked in private practice and for the state. His desire to be in the Navy stemmed from being an immigrant from Iraq. “I always wanted to do something good for the country that has brought me and my family freedom and democracy,” Cmdr. Bahrani stated during a phone interview. Cmdr. Bahraini frequently goes on trips to help underprivileged people from the United States get dental care. His last trip was to Kentucky in July. He explained how the trips feel very rewarding because he feels that he is giving back to the United States in a way he couldn’t have otherwise, but he dislikes that he’s not able to see his kids’ activities. Schmidt’s parents, Capt. Schmidt and Cmdr. Kato, have served in the Navy for a combined 50 years. Cmdr. Kato was the head of the optometry clinic boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes until her retirement in 2009, and Capt. Schmidt continues to be the head of the dental clinic boot camp until he is required to retire after 30 years next summer. While Schmidt’s dad was never actively deployed during his lifetime, his mom was deployed to Kuwait in 2007. She left on Schmidt’s birthday and returned his first day of kindergarten. Cmdr. Kato fought during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Capt. Schmidt, viaemail, stated that they were “fortunate that James’ grandparents were able to move to Libertyville for those seven months to help watch James while his dad was at work.” Email and calling were available to them as well, and they talked on the phone about once per week. Similar to Cmdr. Kato, McGowen’s mom might end up being deployed to Kuwait. Cpt. Banek is currently preparing to leave for Texas with an uncertainty of her deployment to either Afghanistan, Honduras or Kuwait. Her training has consisted of monthly weekend drills as well as two-to three-week trips that simulate conditions that could occur. “Training helped the unit understand what would be required … in the field as medical professionals and as soldiers,” Cpt. Banek explained over email. “Putting people to sleep [for medical procedures] and caring for soldiers in the field is different than in a civilian setting.” McGowen’s father, Sgt. 1st class McGowen, was deployed in 2004 to Iraq. Cpt. Banek explained how the extended period of time can be very hard for a family. “Families need to re-acclimate to each other once they are reunited,” she said. “In addition, it is possible your deployed spouse was exposed to some difficult circumstances while being away.”
Drops of Ink | Feature 27
By Ben Kanches Photo by Maggie Burnetti Layout by Ian Cox
ontractualism, equality of opportunity and individuality have become the new cornerstones of the young right-wing movement, which I identify under. Unfortunately, due to stereotypes, the legacy of the old right has led to quick judgments about those who today describe themselves as Republican. On a survey filled out earlier this year by around 10 percent of LHS students, roughly 53 percent of students who responded identified as a “liberal.” Twenty percent identified as “conservative,” while the other the 27 percent were either “centrist” or other. For young conservatives at a high school, these statistics, combined with the historical stereotypes, have become an interesting challenge. I would like to make it known that I do not hate anyone because of their political beliefs or morals. I am always willing to have a civil debate through text, over the phone or in person. I have plenty of left-leaning friends who I get along with better than some of my right-leaning friends. Rather than sit and cry like a victim, I have decided to embody my beliefs and morals. I decided to start debating those who had differing opinions than mine. The term “alt-right” has been thrown at me multiple times when controversial issues come up, and I would like to educate those who use this term to describe me and those who are conservative at Libertyville High School. As defined by Merriam-Webster, the term “alt-right” refers to a group “whose members reject mainstream conservative politics and espouse extremist beliefs and policies typically centered on ideas of white nationalism.” However, my views do not fall under the “alt-right” banner. I support the Second Amendment and am pro-life; I believe in limited government interference and President Donald Trump. Following the horrific event that happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, I had the chance to participate in a gun control debate with some fellow students at the Libertyville Village Hall, where audience members were encouraged to ask the panel of six students (three being liberal and three being conservative) any and all questions regarding the debate. Anyone was allowed to come and, to our surprise, we had a big audience of parents, students,
The Right Perspective
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According to a recent survey completed by some LHS students, 53 percent of students identify themselves as politically liberal. DOI staff member Ben Kanches is not a part of this majority; he’s with the twenty percent of self-identified conservative students. the mayor, elected officials and citizens of the community. This debate was more than just some students tossing facts back and forth trying to stump the other debaters. It was a chance for conservatives, like myself, to speak up about beliefs we strongly follow. Regarding the more recent Justice Brett Kavanaugh hearings, it was obvious that most of the school had a differing view than I did. I was told my opinions were not only sexist but that I was not listening to the so-called “facts.” I was shamed for voicing my own opinion on someone that I believe did nothing wrong. I posted an “I believe him” photo on my Instagram story and the amount of hate I received was inhumane. I believe the facts were not there for an actual hearing. Do I believe that people lie? Yes. Do I believe that it was very coincidental that Christine Blasey Ford waited 30-plus years to bring up that she was sexually abused? I believe him. There is nothing inherently wrong with
being labeled; however, it is ethically unjust to label someone as something they are not, especially if it’s in order to hurt their reputation. My political opinions do not usually come up in school because we are in school, for one thing, to learn. We are here to learn to become functioning men and women of our society. Despite what you might hear or what it might seem like at times, politics do not rule the lives of most conservative students at LHS. We know who we are. We are students, sons and daughters, and most importantly, Americans. We understand that we are not going to change anyone’s minds. We are average Americans, teenage students just trying to get through the day, worried about relationships and colleges. Being conservative in a left-leaning school isn’t the end of the world for us; it is merely a slight discomfort. I can guarantee that we have more important things to do than be our own victims.
Ignorance isn’t bliss By Ella Marsden Photo by Amanda Black Layout by Rachel Benner
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t’s easy to ignore issues when they don’t directly affect us, and as long as we’re aware of our privilege and its effects. We can’t let I’ll admit that I’m guilty of doing exactly that. It’s easy to ignore it blind us from what’s happening on the other side of the world, politics when our life and our safety is not at stake. let alone the other parts of our country. If we never work to unBut unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of tuning out the derstand the different perspectives around us, we will never truly news simply because they “don’t want to hear it” or because it’s experience unity as a country or world. “too sad.” Sure, it’s a little unreasonable to expect everyone to be informed Of course, it’s not your fault if you were born into a life of privion every subject, particularly a high school student who already lege or the “Libertyville bubble,” as it’s often referred to. But that has enough on their plate. But I don’t think it’s too much to ask doesn’t mean you can’t pop this bubble; start by expanding your for people to simply stay informed on what’s going on outside of perspective. Libertyville. Let me define the bubble as I see it: It’s a barrier that shelters And I get it; it’s frustrating, it’s sad and it’s tiring to follow us from the outside world; a place where our privilege blinds us everything that’s going on—especially now, when it’s seemingly from recognizing the suffering of others. According to DataUSA, impossible to turn on the news and not hear a story that’s about a website that collects and shares government data, the average someone or something suffering. household income in Libertyville as of 2016 was $119,125, nearly If you feel sad or discouraged because of the things you hear, double the $60,690 median for Illinois, and $57,617 in the United that’s all the more reason to get involved. Change never has and States. Eighty-nine percent of our population is Caucasian, while never will come unless people who truly care step forward and 61.6 percent of Illinois residents and 61.1 percent of residents in fight for what they believe in. the United States fit I’m not suggesting this description. that everyone needs to Obviously, our pursue a career in political town of 20,435 peoscience or set their sights ple is not an accurate on the White House, but representation of our instead that each person nation as a whole, must fulfill their civic duty. let alone the entire I believe that no one is world, so why would truly free while others are we let it dictate our oppressed. So, until there views when we only is true equality for every see such a small porman, woman and gention of the world? der-neutral individual— It would be unfair and we have a long way to for me to assume go before reaching that— that everyone in Libwe must stay informed ertyville falls under and stay involved. these exact demoStaying informed is graphics. A median not as daunting of a task household income as you might first think. takes into account all It could be as simple as numbers from both taking a 10-minute study extremes, as well as The “Libertyville bubble” may prevent people in our community from wanting to be break to watch the news. right in the middle. aware of international issues, but by watching the news, people can break through And who doesn’t love study Eighty-nine percent breaks? While you eat this bubble and help others around the world. of our population breakfast in the morning, being Caucasian still scroll through a newspaleaves 11 percent, which is more than 2,000 people. Their lives per’s website or listen to the news as you drive to school. Listen are of equal value to the other 89 percent. to a podcast while you get ready in the morning or follow a news Across Libertyville, the lives of countless men, women and outlet on social media. Perhaps the best way to challenge your gender-neutral individuals differ greatly from my own. Someone’s own intellect is to talk with someone whose viewpoints differ from life may be drastically changed by a new policy or regulation that your own. I would never even give a second thought to, simply because it By no means do I want you to feel guilty about your privilege, didn’t directly affect me. but rather I hope you’ll keep it in the back of your mind as you go It’s easy to stay in this bubble; it feels safe, it feels comfortable through life so that you can use your privilege in whatever way you and it’s familiar. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying these perks, can to make the world a better place.
Drops of Ink | Opinion 29
Let’s Agree On One Thing: Respect By Maggie Evers Photo and Layout by Jade Foo Solidified on a foundation of freedoms, one of the best characteristics about America is the ability people have to speak their minds without fear of persecution. These are the freedoms that make us proud and grateful to use platforms to share our personalities and thoughts with others. We are granted the power to uphold our own opinions and maintain our own beliefs. We have been taught since a young age that it’s proper etiquette to avoid controversial topics with others that could strike disagreement. But, we all know those topics work their way into conversations all the time, whether it be at a family gathering or a social event; the curiosity that humans hold surpasses the desire to remain polite. The freedom that gives us the right to voice our opinion is the same freedom that gives us the right to disagree with others. We aren’t obligated to listen to different viewpoints, nor in any case are we forced to agree, but with that freedom does come the responsibility of respect: the respect to acknowledge the other person along with their beliefs. I have found there to be a noticeable change in the tone at school, on social media and in common conversations surrounding opinions, a feeling of one-sided acceptance. There is now an atmosphere that acknowledges there to be two different viewpoints on a topic, but one is considered to be “morally right” and the other “morally wrong.” Those who side with the “morally wrong” decision are silenced by a fear of criticism from peers and pressured into feeling like a bad person. But in reality, they have every right to remain true to their chosen stance on a particular topic. When conversations and disagreements escalate, people begin to lose respect for each other and become hostile. Harsh comments are impulsively said, feelings are attacked, and relationships are al-
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By not respecting other people and their opinions, conversations and disagreements can become hostile arguments that could change your relationship with the other person. tered, all because two people considered a topic in different ways. No matter how much you love and care for that person, love never remains relevant in the heat of the moment when trying to prove yourself as right. With violence and anger already surrounding us in this world, there is no valid reason why we should add fuel to the fire by trying to prove our opinions to be superior. Many feel the need to defend their stance because opinions are sometimes more than just quick conclusions. There are different types of opinions: ones based on facts and knowledge and ones based more purely on personal perspective, influenced by experiences, culture and upbringings. More times than not, viewpoints are relative, and it isn’t until you are immersed in the same situation as someone else that you are able to fully appreciate and articulate the reasoning behind their beliefs. Just because it appears that someone supports a particular
side, doesn’t mean you know the full story behind their reasoning. By experiencing one’s opposing point of view and better understanding where they’re coming from, it can not only make you a better person but also lead you to becoming more open-minded. Patience is gained along with acceptance as listening forces you to pause your own thoughts. Your argument can even be enlightened as you are then exposed to different details of an argument that allow you to respond in an informed way. Emotions are a powerful tool. They have the ability to unite us and the capability to tear us apart. When we make decisions — especially about others — based on emotion instead of logic, we ignore our credibility, our character and our respect. In today’s world, we as Americans encourage creativity and uniqueness more than ever before, yet we find ourselves irritated when someone else around us has embraced a different view than our own. We pride ourselves on the idea that unity is what is needed in order to overcome obstacles, yet we only allow those with the same viewpoint to become a part of an alliance. We advocate for all voices to be heard but have also made it clear that unless it is the opinion we want to hear, then it shouldn’t be spoken. In a time when differences are highlighted the most, it is even more vital that we take the extra step to listen instead of talk, to understand instead of ignore and to respect instead of agree.
Heating Up in Hollywood Staff Editorial Photo Illustration by Ben Kanches Layout by Rachel Benner
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ecently, more and more celebrities have been speaking out to advocate for certain movements and take sides on political campaigns. While everyone has an opinion, many Drops of Ink staffers feel that these A-listers shouldn’t take sides one way or another because it would upset their fans who don’t agree. DOI members discussed whether or not the opinions of people in the public eye should be valid or not; we came to the consensus that celebrities should be able to take a stance without being ridiculed by the public, but only if they want to. Celebrities shouldn’t have to speak out against a certain topic or take a side in politics if they don’t want to because that isn’t their job. Their job is to create entertainment for any and all people. That is different than just being generally informed with what’s going on in the world, which is equally as important. Not being informed can lead to celebrities saying things they don’t truly understand themselves. Our discussion briefly touched on author J.K. Rowling who lives in the United Kingdom but comments on U.S. politics without evidence to back the claim up. However, this can be a double-edged sword for the celebrities: if they decline to comment on a certain topic because they are not knowledgeable about it, the media and public twist that and usually the person receives a good amount of criticism for either commenting too much or too little. When speaking up, the general public is more likely to believe what a well-liked celebrity says if they provide facts to back it up more than just a claim on Twitter with no proof. But people can misunderstand what they think the facts are, creating a much larger problem of spreading false claims. This is also amplified by the followers that A-listers have; because of their mass following, it allows everything and anything to be shared and posted instantly. Due to the technology of today’s day and age, anything a celebrity says can be instantly shared, reposted and retweeted. Negative press has the potential to destroy anyone’s career, so, historically, celebrities have tended to stay out of heated conver-
sations. However, recently Taylor Swift spoke out on Instagram about voting for Phil Bredesen for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee, her home state. The singular post sparked a rush of people going out to vote early. While Swift lost followers, she deemed her message about voting to be more important to her than the number of followers she has on social media. We also discussed how celebrities should reach out to audiences when talking about controversial things. Celebrities should always be respectful and understand that not everyone will agree with them and that’s okay. Celebrities shouldn’t feel pressured to speak out and they should do it in a format that makes them most comfortable, whether that’s through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or even ads. Another musician who has recently been in the news for discussing politics is Kanye West, who posted on Twitter about his support for President Donald Trump. President Trump acknowledged West’s support on Twitter with a tweet saying “Thank you Kanye, very cool,” and he also went as far as to invite West to the White House and talk with him in the Oval Office. While his tweets and subsequent visit to the the White House may have stirred controversy, some of us feel like that shouldn’t and doesn’t take away from his abilities as an artist. However, it does make some more cautious of buying his music and supporting his career. West has since gone back on what he said, possibly because of the large amount of bad press he received about his tweets. Celebrities will be criticized either way, but overall, it’s important for people with power to be able to express their opinions without having to worry about how their fan bases will react.
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 one class period, with 34 students total. The author of this piece did not place their personal opinion in the story; they merely reflect the staff’s thoughts.
Drops of Ink | Opinion 31
Geographic Athletics By Katie Felsl and Carly Wagner — Photos by Katie Felsl, Photo illustration by Matt Smith — Layout by Rachel Benner and John Freberg With approximately eight million high school athletes across America, as stated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, high school sports are prevalent in many students’ lives. Some sports are more popular than others from region to region across the country, while some sports barely exist in certain areas. For example, football, baseball and basketball are nationwide known to be common athletics, but water polo, lacrosse, ice hockey and skiing are only common in certain geographic areas of the United States. Although football is known to be popular throughout America, there are still areas that contain a higher participation rate for the sport than others. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), in the 2017-18 school year, football was ranked nationwide as having more male athletes than any other sport in the U.S., with over one million participants. California and Texas, likely due to their warm climates, have the highest number of participants for football. Meanwhile, geographically colder states, including some in the Midwest, have fewer participants. While Libertyville’s football players can’t train and play outside all year, they train inside and outside when they get the chance. For example, sophomore quarterback Blake Ellingson participates in an inside quarterback camp with former NFL player Jeff Christensen. Since players, including Ellingson and his teammates, aren’t playing together all year long, he expressed that, “I feel like you’re just closer in the fall,” whereas teammates in the south have the opportunity to be together all year long. One of the less-popular sports in the U.S. is water polo. NFHS reported that there are 43,500 high-school water polo athletes (boys and girls combined), with the vast majority of players located in sunny California. In contrast with the high levels of popularity in California, there are only 4,000 high school water polo players in Illinois. Approximately 75 of those athletes are from LHS. Similarly, lacrosse is a competitive, high-intensity and emerging sport. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) set a require-
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ment in 2009 of having at least 40 girls lacrosse teams and 65 boys lacrosse teams statewide in order to be approved as an official sport, stated the Daily Herald. In 2018, after reaching that requirement, IHSA held the first State series for boys and girls lacrosse. NFHS recorded that in Illinois, there were only 6,800 participants involved in lacrosse (boys and girls combined) out of the 210,000 participants nationwide. Sophomore defender Rebeca Leudtke is one of them. “I think that lacrosse is an up-and-coming sport. Two years ago, I did not know any girl who played lacrosse and today, I feel that there are so many of my friends that have started to play, [both] here in Libertyville and back in Ohio (where she moved from),” wrote Leudtke in an email interview. Nationwide, lacrosse is more prevalent on the East Coast and in California. Another less common sport is ice hockey, which is found predominantly in the northeastern, midwestern and northern regions of the U.S. The central northernmost states, the coldest in the country, reign as the hockey kings, stated USA Hockey’s stateby-state player registration figures. According to USA Hockey’s 2017-18 registration of high school teams, the northeastern states boast a large amount of players, with Pennsylvania tallying 304 teams; with the second-most in the U.S., Illinois coming in behind them with 301 teams. Some participants play for many different teams during their career, even in different states. In the past, a few Libertyville High School students have chosen to go live with a host family in a different state to play for a high-level hockey team. “It’s definitely an option, really not for me, but you gotta be committed to the game,” voiced senior Sam Bryant. Bryant has played for the Ice Dogs, a Triple-A team in Milwaukee, Team Illinois, Falcon Hockey and the IceCats. The IHSA has marked boys ice hockey as an emerging sport, which it defines as any sport for which IHSA does not conduct a state tournament series. Instead, the hockey teams of Illinois
currently have an Illinois State Championship tournament to be sure I really wanted to be doing it because it’s a further hosted by the Amateur Hockey Association Illinois. time commitment, so I had to be really dedicated to the Likewise, skiing is more common in the northern region of sport,” she said. the U.S., due to the snowy slopes of gigantic hills or steep mountains, but skiing is much less common than many other sports in the country. NFHS declared that there are approximately 19,000 high school participants in either alpine or cross country skiing. The state with the most high school skiers is Minnesota, with a total of 6,000 participants. NFHS did not have a record of any schools in Illinois sponsoring a competitive skiing team as of 2017-18, but there are still students that competitively participate in the sport, such as senior Kylee Kraus. Living in Libertyville makes it more challenging for her to ski as much as she would like because the nearest skiing hill is 40 minutes away at Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin. “I feel like I would have skied no matter what, but moving to Libertyville (from Spring Grove, which is much closer to Wilmot), I had Sophomore Rebecca Leudtke Senior Sam Bryant
Support: All LHS sports deserve it By Maggie Burnetti Football went 2-7 this past season, yet there were spirit packs for every game, along with a theme and widespread community support for the team. I’m not saying that just because a sport doesn’t have a successful or winning season that people should not attend the games; in contrast, I am providing an example where, despite a lack of success, the attendance of a sport was unwavering. That is a model of how sports attendance should look, regardless of record, sport or gender. I can’t help but notice that the popular sporting events at LHS are male sports, such as football, basketball and baseball. While these teams have had major successes, which of course should be celebrated, there is an obvious gap that exists between those sports and others at LHS. This is not just about girls sports pitted against boys; it’s also about different sports of the same gender. When you juxtapose the same sport and differing genders, there’s an obvious gap. This can be seen in the stands of the main gym for basketball games. When the boys basketball team has a game, both sides of the bleachers are brought down, while the girls only have one side lowered down. This imbalance of attendance stands true for a multitude of female sports; from my experience, most people only go to girls’ sporting events if they are a parent, family member or are dating someone on the team. No matter how much a certain gender promotes their sport, these preferences run deep into
our community and its history and traditions. There isn’t solely a gender inequality but also a sport inequality. This past fall, swimmer Emma Gleason placed fifth in the 100-yard butterfly at IHSA State. Leading up to the event, there was an underwhelming amount of support for her and other teammates who qualified for the state meet from LHS. Additionally, individuals from Boys XC and Girls Tennis made it to state without abundant commotion surrounding them. Granted, it would be impossible to attend every single sporting event, but there could at least be a more present effort to make more strides towards equity. This could look like a schoolwide, weekly email pertaining to all of the activities happening and more inclusive announcements about athletic achievements. We all can fall to this level of inequality: Drops of Ink last year acted in this same way. In the 2017-18 winter season, seven out of the 10 sporting events we covered were either a boys or girls basketball game. There may be multiple different factors as to why some sports get more community support. Those factors could include how successful a team is, what season their sport lies in or the proximity of games. While that may be important to some, the support of a team shouldn’t be reliant solely on their success. All teams deserve support. In 2018, you would think that something as elementary as equality would be a norm.
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The LHS Sports Hall of Fame by matt smith
Photos by grant herbek
Layout By John Freberg
Over the last 101 years, there have been some jaw-dropping and historical athlete. Throughout LHS’ history, there have been stellar athletes, but only a select few have left the legacy the following athletes have. Below is a list of the all-time greatest athletes to ever walk the halls and wear the LHS uniform, in their respective sports. This list was created through receiving different stats from coaches, looking at past yearbooks for All-State information, as well as the use of the internet for some athletes’ professional accomplishments. Accomplishments during their time at LHS as well as what they have done in college and professionally were taken into consideration. Many sports are not covered in this story, due to the fact that there was either a lack of information on them or some don’t have individual stats.
Jim McMillen - Football Class of 1920
Attended LHS during the first year of the school’s existence. He then went on to play football at the University of Illinois and for the Chicago Bears, where he blocked for Hall of Famer Red Grange and played for Hall of Famer George Halas.
Matt Heldman - Basketball Class of 1994
Led the boys basketball team to the state quarterfinals in 1994, the furthest the team has ever gone in the postseason, and won All-State honors that year. He then went on to be a standout player for the University of Illinois. Following his tragic death in a car accident, the school decided to hang his jersey in the main gym.
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Dan Holm - Wrestling Class of 1971
Won the 145-pound title after taking third in the state his junior year in 1970. He went on to wrestle for the University of Iowa. There, he was a threetime All-American, taking third in 1973 and 1974, and winning the NCAA title in 1975.
Chris Brown - Cross Country Class of 1994
Was an All-State athlete in 1993 and currently holds the fastest three-mile time (14:36) in LHS history. He also was a member of a state qualifying team in 1993.
Brett Butler - Baseball Class of 1975
Played for five different MLB teams, stole 500 bases and had more than 2,000 hits in his career. In addition, in 1991, Butler made the All-Star game, representing the National League.
Kevin Walter - Football Class of 1998
Won All-State honors as a senior. He then went to college at Eastern Michigan University before eventually entering the NFL draft in 2003 and was picked in the seventh round. He played for four NFL teams in his 10-year career.
Photo Credits Kevin Walter: By Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA - Kevin Walter, CC BY-SA 2.0, Brett Butler: By Gabriel Cervantes - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 Avryl Johnson: Courtesy of Avryl Johnson All other photos courtesy of Dale Eggert
Evan Skoug - Baseball Class of 2013
Morgan O’Brian - Volleyball Class of 2017
Earned All-State honors and won second in state during his senior year in 2013. He went on to make several College World Series appearances for Texas Christian University. There, he won the Big 12 Player of the Year award during his junior year as well as freshman All-American honors. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox of the 2017 MLB draft. He is currently playing with their Class A minor league affiliate, the Kannapolis Intimidators.
Won All-State honors in volleyball in 2016 and was a member of the 2014 second-place team. She then went on to play volleyball at the University of Illinois, where she is currently starting as its libero. She also made the U19 USA volleyball team in 2018.
Melissa Manetsch - Cross Country Class of 2018
Ryan Wittenbrink - Soccer Class of 2018
Set all of the distance records and was the fastest female athlete to go through LHS, with All-State honors during her senior year. She also owns the 3200 meter record in track and field.
Won a state title during his sophomore year and All-State honors twice, as well as helped the team to a second-place finish during his senior year. He was also an All-American and won MVP of the All-American game. He currently attends the University of Indiana, where he continues to play soccer.
Alex Tam - Cross Country Class of 2018
Was All-State during his senior year and has the second-fastest three-mile time in LHS history. Tam holds the LHS record in the 1600 - and 3200-meter races in track and field. He is currently running at the University of Miami-Ohio.
Avryl Johnson - Track and Field Class of 2018
Broke her own record multiple times in the 400- and 800-meter events in the sport. Johnson went to state all four years of her eligibility and received AllState honors in 2016. She now runs track and field at Kansas University.
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