May 2021 Issue

MAY 25, 2021 VOLUME 94, ISSUE 7

the future issue THE SENIOR LIST PAGES 9-15

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ALTERNATIVE PATHS PAGES 16-17

COLLEGE DECISIONS PAGES 22-23

Libertyville High School Drops of Ink

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LIBERTYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWS PUBLICATION

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CONTENTS

6

NEWS 6 LIBERTYVILLE

7

Meet Libertyville’s new mayor, Donna Johnson 7 SCHOOL

LHS plans to open full in-person learning next fall

18-19 22-23

FEATURES 9-15 CLASS OF 2021

22-23 COLLEGE

The Senior List 2021

No Two Decisions Are The Same

16-17 SENIORS

Taking The Paths Less Traveled

30 WHAT’S TRENDING

18-19 SENIORS

31 CROSSWORD

Parting Words: Advice Seniors Have for Underclassmen

College Crossword

Summer 2021 Fashion

SPORTS

20-21 FUTURE

Longtime Dream Jobs

28-29 LHS

OPINION 24 STAFF EDITORIAL

26 COLUMN

It Doesn’t Matter Where You Go To College

Focusing on the Future Leaves Us Forever Unsatisfied

25 COLUMN

27 COLUMN

College Is Too Expensive

My Word Against Yours

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU Contact us at doi@lhswildcats.org Contents by Kate Barry Cover photo by Lily Hieronymus 2

28-29

Athletes Face Obstacles with Summer Sports Schedule

WHO WE ARE Drops of Ink is a student-written, edited and produced high school publication. Our publication functions as a service to the school and greater community of Libertyville, first and foremost delivering open-minded, informative content that is relevant to our readership. While not our primary motive, Drops of Ink also looks to provide entertainment to our audience. We aim to challenge readers to see different perspectives and gain knowledge of the world around us.

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CONTENTS

CHECK US OUT ONLINE Ellie George

lhsdoi.com

Amanda Black

TEEN ROMANTIC RELATINSHIPS DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO MANAGE DURING PANDEMIC

Liam Tucker

Kate Barry

STUDENT PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

IT’S TIME TO FOCUS ON THE LITTLE PICTURE

FROZEN FOR THE FUTURE: AN LHS TIME CAPSULE Hannah Sachs

EDITORIAL BOARD

SARA BOGAN Managing Editor

PAVAN ACHARYA AMANDA BLACK AND ELLA MARSDEN Editors in Chief amanda.black@lhswildcats.org ella.marsden@lhswildcats.org

Online Editor

ANIKA RAINA News Editor

LILLY WILLIAMS Features Editor

DREW BENOIT MICHAEL GLUSKIN Faculty Adviser michael.gluskin@d128.org

Molly Muscato

Sarah Wuh

Opinion Editor

CHRISTIAN ROBERTS Sports Editor

PEYTON RODRIGUEZ Photo Editor

JADE FOO Layout & Design Editor

Dimitrios Mitsopoulos

STAFF Simon Amyot Katherine Barry Jack Birmingham Dino Bougiotopoulos Andrew Brooks Ariella Bucio Alex Clark Ellie George Maddie Handrich Amal Hasan Rowan Hornsey Natalie Isberg Jasmine Lafita

Dimitrios Mitsopoulos Kajsa Murphy Molly Muscato Olivia Poell Hannah Sachs Jacob Short Lyann Tam Johnny Thames Katherine Thomey Liam Tucker Avery Vang Paige Vang Sarah Wuh

LILY HIERONYMUS Social Media Editor

MAY 2021

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MAY 2021 5

NEWS

MEET LIBERTYVILLE’S NEW MAYOR, DONNA JOHNSON Pavan Acharya

Ariella Bucio

On Tuesday, May 4, Donna Johnson was officially sworn in as the new mayor of Libertyville. Johnson took over the role after former Mayor Terry Weppler held the position for 12 years. She ran unopposed in April on the campaign slogan “Leadership you know,” a reflection of her 14 years as a Libertyville trustee.

Johnson said she has been an active member of the Libertyville community since she first moved from Evanston 40 years ago. She is a member of the North Shore chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc. and chair of the governing board at Advocate Condell Medical Center -- one of the largest employers in Libertyville.

Furthermore, Johnson is involved in the Proclaimer Ministry at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Libertyville. She describes her faith as being an “integral part of her life.”

“When I struggle with an issue, personally or professionally, I always look to scripture to find my answers,” said Mayor Johnson.

Mayor Johnson believes that her near decade-anda-half tenure as a Libertyville trustee will serve her well in the role of mayor. She said that preparation and review are two critical skills that have helped her conduct her role as a trustee through her due diligence. She also attributes her success in preparation and review to her legal career as a prosecutor in Lake County and experience as a corporate attorney for the Allstate Insurance company in Northbrook.

Johnson said she is a strong believer in listening to both sides of a position and prides herself in her listening skills “If you’re listening, and people are standing up trying to give you different perspectives, you can learn a lot and it can factor into your analysis,” said Mayor Johnson.

She believes her relationships with the business, school and political communities will also likely benefit her throughout her tenure.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mayor Johnson wants to find ways to support businesses and the local community. She plans to do so by promoting local businesses and dining options through the village website. Johnson commended the Economic Development Team for utilizing digital marketing to promote Libertyville businesses.

The pandemic also resulted in numerous businesses being forced to close down, including the shoe repair store and tuxedo shop near the downtown area. In response to these closings, Mayor Johnson plans to fill these vacancies with small retail businesses.

“We don’t object to having any restaurants [fill those vacancies], but we still want to have a balance between the restaurants and the retail businesses,” added Mayor Johnson.

Mayor Johnson also supports reaching herd immunity through the Covid-19 vaccine, which she says the 6

Former Mayor Terry Weppler swears in Libertyville’s new mayor, Donna Johnson, at the Civic Center on Tuesday, May 4.

science has proven to be safe and effective. She wants to partner with the Lake County Department of Public Health to continue to provide useful information about public health on the village website.

Throughout her tenure as mayor, Johnson plans to maintain having enough money available in the village’s financial reserve. Currently, Libertyville is “operating in the black,” according to Mayor Johnson, meaning the town has recently profited from sales tax receipts and from the federal government aid of $1.25 million provided from the American Rescue Plan earlier this year. Johnson expressed her interest in using money from the reserve to promote three different areas of community interest.

First, Mayor Johnson wishes to resume road repairs that began following a 2012 referendum.

“We were able to repair 40% of our roads, which still left 60% to repair because, for most areas in the state and throughout the United States, all the roads were poured with concrete so they’re all eroding at the same time,” she said.

Mayor Johnson will also maintain the most recent sales tax increase on dining and car sales, which has helped to supply the town’s financial reserve. She also plans to dedicate funds towards Wastewater Management Systems to address flooding in the Libertyville area.

“I want to be able to support development that’s going to limit the financial impact on District 70 and District 128 such that property taxes are not increased,” said Mayor Johnson after presenting her plans.

Mayor Johnson said she has been “committed to public service all [her] life.” She feels that people in Libertyville will have confidence in her as a leader and as an individual because of her abilities. She understands the significance of being the first Black mayor of Libertyville, a majority-white town according to the 2019 U.S. Census.

“I think I add a view that to me is going to elevate the perspective of my race, my gender, my culture, everything, but more importantly, it’s going to course correct what we’re all trying to achieve, which is that I’m a human being first, and I have talents that are useful and beneficial to this community,” said Mayor Johnson.

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NEWS

LHS PLANS TO OPEN FULL IN-PERSON LEARNING NEXT FALL Anika Raina

Jacob Short

the eight-period schedule. Dr. Koulentes explained that during the beginning of the pandemic, the district decided it needed to create a new schedule to accommodate remote learning.

However, since the district is planning for students to go back to school full-time next year, they wanted to implement the pre-pandemic schedule to create a sense of normalcy.

“We do recognize that there were a lot of people who liked our block schedule and elements of what we were doing with our pandemic schedules, but we didn’t have the ability to bring everybody together to talk about all the things we could do or all of the options we would have in a very quick amount of time,” said Dr. Koulentes. “We basically build our whole schedule for next year during the months of March and April and because we didn’t have the time to do a full-scale examination [of if the block or hybrid schedule is better], the district said we’re going back to what we did before.”

The administration is still assessing what lunch Principal Tom Koulentes is hopeful that for the 2021-22 school year, things can return as close would look like, especially considering social disas possible to a pre-Covid-19 LHS. One goal the school has for next year is to accommodate tancing and a shorter lunch period. One option the students in the lunchroom for eating and study hall, but they are going to continue working district has been considering would be to have closely with the district and local health authorities to determine if this is a possibility. lunch release for all grade levels, but one major issue would be that lunch is only 45 minutes, making it difficult for students without a car on campus to As this school year draws to a close, the D128 administration has started estabget home and eat. lishing plans for the upcoming school year. Although the future of next school year Another option would be to split each lunch period is still uncertain, the administration plans to restore much of what pre-pandemic into “A and B groups that allows us to have less kids LHS looked like. come at a time, but then [that] would only leave 22 LHS Principal Tom Koulentes explained how he and the administration are hoping to 25 minutes of lunch time [for each group],” Dr. for a normal school year in 2021-22.

Koulentes said.

“The plan is, to every extent possible, restore what we would call ‘normal, While the future of next school year is still uncerpre-pandemic LHS,’ everything we were doing on March 12 of 2020. We would get tain, the administration plans to renovate multiple as much of that back in place as we could,” he said. parts of LHS over the summer.

This would include students coming back to LHS full-time and staying on camThe old fieldhouse will be torn down and a new pus for an entire eight-period day, including during lunch hours. Additionally, sports, one will be built in its place. New air conditioning clubs and other activities would operate normally. and heating systems will be installed in smaller areas In a message from Superintendent Prentiss Lea posted on April 16 on the D128 of the school to improve air circulation to lessen website, he stated, “As a qualifier, if pandemic-related conditions deteriorate the threat of Covid-19 spreading. All of the water dramatically, the D128 Board retains all decision-making authority to comply with fountains and the LED lights in the hallways will be related state mandates, requirements and guidance.” replaced, and the parking lot curbs will be fixed.

Dr. Koulenetes added that he believes students will most likely have to wear Junior Paige Bleck expressed her excitement for masks and that LHS will still need to keep social distance in classrooms next year. the spirit aspect of next school year: “I feel like [for] the He explained, however, that this is a guess on his part and all official guidance will seniors, spirit is their number-one priority and setting eventually be released by the Illinois Department of Public Health. that up for the rest of the school, creating that culture While full-time, in-person learning is not definite yet, Dr. Koulentes explained for LHS and showing we’re proud to be here.” that the goal would be to have as many students back in the building as possible.

Dr. Koulentes added, “For 50% of our students, the “What we don’t know is if there will still be students who, due to health requireschool is brand new, so it’s really just the senior class ments, need to learn remotely and if that is the case, then we absolutely want to next year that will remember what pre-pandemic help those students and support those students,” said Dr. Koulentes.

Libertyville was all about, and I’m going to need the The administration is still discussing what the learning model for these students will look like: either a continuation of the hybrid model of this year or an option where seniors to help restore our school community and bring back Libertyville High School’s school spirit.” online students are grouped into the same classes and learn together remotely.

Another significant change to next year’s learning model will be the return back to MAY 2021

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8 DROPS OF INK

SENIOR LIST 2021 Amal Hasan and Anika Raina

Amanda Black and Lily Hieronymus

Lily Hieronymus

Photos courtesy of Mallory Carney, Brenna Farrell, Georgia Filler, Colin Furlong, Akina Gunawan, Cate McCarty, Larisa Slesers and Amber Tse 9-15.indd 1

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FEATURE

alabama Auburn University Olivia Guarino Ethan Richter Cate Sanders Kelsey Van Matre Jefferson State Community College Aiden Swanson University of Alabama Jack Felinczak Spencer Ford John Snow Liam Tucker

ARIZONA Arizona State University Jack Glabowicz* Hannah Sanchez Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott Tyler Trigg Grand Canyon University Lily Bruns Julia Munoz University of Arizona Madison Speer

ARKANSAS University of Arkansas Katie Nemuras Lauren Parker

CALIFORNIA California Institute of the Arts John Power California Polytechnic State University Ashley Born Libby Hodge Bryce Nowicki Chapman University Abby Gourley San Diego State University Andrew Bertch University of California, Berkeley Marilyn Yu University of California, Irvine Brenna Farrell

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University of California, San Diego Amber Tse University of California, Santa Barbara Claire Arnold Sara Bogan University of Redlands Louise Hubbard University of Southern California Jack Regan

COLORADO Colorado College Kellie Hopper Kaylie Stuteville Colorado School of Mines Sam Abderholden Ethan Hansen Colorado State University, Fort Collins Dain Dannenfeldt Parker Davis Emma Lindemann Will McDonnell University of Colorado, Boulder Jane Arnold University of Denver Lily Hieronymus Brendan Lawless Ella Marsden

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

American University Ethan Earley Georgetown University Andrew Clark Matthew Shinnick

FLORIDA Florida State University Ella Bach Charles Frantz Ethan Jennings Dillon McDonald Logan Ward State College of Florida, Venice Katie Kates University of Tampa Brittany Reed Sarah Rosten

GEORGIA Georgia Institute of Technology Katie Stone Georgia Southern University Savannah Quigley University of Georgia Angie Becker Mitchell Madland

HAWAII Brigham Young University, Hawaii Mary Piedrahita

ILLINOIS Augustana College Caleigh Roiland Jenny Svec Bradley University Jake Neumann Megan Nostrand College of Lake County Dino Bougiotopoulos Bryan Burke Dermott Carroll Nick DeMartini Lance Espiritu Grace Harold Sofya Karpicheva Megan Kerrigan Timothy Lee Julia Mateer Olivia Mendralla Bronson Mitran Johan Montag Josephine Olsen Sophia Olesen Ailyn Revelo Nicholas Robinson Jensyn Taff Columbia College, Chicago Angel Campos Luke Niemann John O’Hara Johnny Thames Rhys Junas DePaul University Katie Borowiec Jack Brennan Marielle Hides Andrew Richardson Jimi Wexler Illinois College Betsey Bates

Illinois State University Tyler Bever Karsen Cardona Bethany Ebert Rebecca Groebe Grace Neuberger Kayla Ritchie Jackson Sanderson Erin Wochinski Illinois Weslyan University Annalese Chudy Colin McKibben Matthew Robertson Lake Forest College Andrew Douthat Leenah Ehsan Peter Liphardt Jacob Ludlow Madeline Michelotti Lewis University Domenic Tarello Loyola University, Chicago Sadaan Ahmed Caitlin Gromacki Nicholas Psimaras Sarah Villani Vir Trivedi North Park University Landon Johnson Aly Lichter Northern Illinois University Robert Cartwright Conner Lutes Northwestern University Pavan Acharya John Wilcox Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Michael Allen University of Chicago Ally Gifford Marc Michelotti University of Illinois, Chicago Ryan Allen Lucia Loffredo Maaz Sheikh University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Sarah Belabbes Gavin Bennett Emma Bleck Kara Cannon Ashley Cervantes Aubrey Cervantes Alyson Chu Alex Clemens Grace Dillon Declan Fisher Grant Friel Griffin Goebeler Kaitlin Gowens Amal Hasan Morgan Helstad Matthew Hurh Sheryl Jacob Kathleen Jin

*Indicates students taking a gap year before attending listed school

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Zaina Kagzi Danny Keating Anna Kriegbaum Isabella Lau Max Lindsey Cate McCarty Lauren Milz Jessica Montero Sarnabh Mukhopadhyay Dilan Patel Maya Patel Reagan Porter Hayden Rogin Adam Pressley Olivia Sauers Ellie Scheck Joseph Schmider Mia Scopacasa Desi Shanmuganathan Nainar Grant Williams Richard Xiao Jonathan Zhang Western Illinois University Brady Wells

INDIANA Butler University Robbie Delatorre Larisa Slesers Mia Zaccaro Indiana University, Bloomington Jack Bjorklund Nick Bowlby Tyler Brne Emma Fields Michael Gadek Maddie Handrich Rowan Hornsey Katie Jahncke Cole Landmeier Chase Pulaski Ryan Seth Kaylee Sherman Jake Short Sammy Skarbek Isabella Turco Nathan Van Lyssel Colin Watson Purdue University Hayden Genac Kaitlyn Kinkade Preston Knapp Ora Knueppel Jonathan Marquardt Chad Matulenko Michael Weaver Addison Whisenand Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Joseph Johnson Emma Letscher University of Indianapolis Marissa Greenwell Jenna Newby University of Notre Dame Quinn Kurland Chris Mulligan

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IOWA Drake University Blake Ellingson Matt Stokovich Iowa State University Colin Klainos Becca Parker Emma Ward University of Iowa Rania Bahrani Sophia Caronis Michael Hebbeln University of Northern Iowa Payton Nolan

KANSAS University of Kansas Aidan Bechtold Thomas Evans

KENTUCKY University of Kentucky Hannah Wilson University of Louisville Vivian Borre

MASSACHUSETTS Boston College Lyann Tam Jenna Zaengle Boston University Gavin Campbell Jodie Chen College of the Holy Cross Lauren Huber Northeasten University Georgia Filler

MICHIGAN Ferris State University Alex Humbert Grand Valley State University Olivia Doctor Hope College Ty Holzwarth Jake Humbert Leah Kline Lake Superior State University Jayson Rebmann

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Michigan State University Nathan Berlowski Olivia Bertaud Nick Fiore Rachel Jozwiak Wren Rojas Michigan Technology University Brian Brzezinski University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Lindsey Archibald* Mallory Carney Celia McDermott-Hinman* Kyle Otte Kate Recker Zeel Shukla Morgan Spaulding Fernanda Vega Tim Wacnik Western Michigan University Nicholas Barigazzi

MINNESOTA Carleton College Amanda Black University of Minnesota, Rochester Lily Ervine University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Erin Benton Calvin Blohm Ben DeAcetis Ryan Gadek Julia Hazen Will Herbek Kylie Miller Grace Muller Allie Parker Hannah Vieth Anna Zhang

MISSISSIPPI University of Mississippi Beckett Abington

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MISSOURI

NORTH CAROLINA

Lindenwood University Ashley O’Shea University of Missouri, Columbia Lucy Beckman Kate Christensen Gabby Friedlander Connor Hay Alannah Howell Elaina Kazian Josh Kraft Washington University in St. Louis Hayley Bates Jamie Nicholson Peyton Rodriguez

East Carolina University Megan Bowling Elon University Skyler Allen Mia Vernasco North Carolina State University Claire Rice Wake Forest University Christian Engfer

MONTANA Montana State University Ivey Fowler Caid Nawrocki

NEBRASKA University of Nebraska, Lincoln Lanie Szatmary

NEW JERSEY Rutgers University, Camden Kevin Joseph

NEW YORK Cornell University Sam Otto Ithaca College Kate Barry New York University Julia Hasler Melissa Ji Pratt Institute Avery Vang Paige Vang Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Gavin Buier St. Bonaventure University Matt Marshall St. John’s University Delaney Kloser Syracuse University Peyton O’Brien

FEATURE

PENNSYLVANIA Pennsylvania State University Ariella Bucio Maddie Soderstrom Point Park University Rachel Erdmann Villanova University Laurie Taranowski

SOUTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA University of North Dakota Tyler Nowak

OHIO Bowling Green State University Quinn Murphy Kenyon College Cade Apton Miami University, Oxford Deena Dobrin Alyssa King Ohio State University Akina Gunawan Christine Massa Lily Tropple Lilly Williams University of Dayton Joseph Ferreira Rebeca Luedtke Ella Urbanski

OKLAHOMA University of Oklahoma Charlotte Lynch Greta Schultz

OREGON

Clemson University Kelsey Corrigan Taylor Widman University of South Carolina Mason Nave

TENNESSEE Belmont University Lena Perry Vanderbilt University Ryan Patterson

TEXAS Texas Christian University Hannah Sachs Lily VanDixhorn

UTAH Brigham Young University, Provo Juliana Lex

vermont University of Vermont Kara Hogan Elise Stouffer*

University of Oregon Trace Batesky

*Indicates students taking a gap year before attending listed school

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FEATURE

virginia College of William and Mary Mark Ekdahl Liberty University James Steinhaus University of Richmond Courtney Simpson Katherine Thomey Virginia Polytechnic Institute Quinn Ramstedt

washington University of Puget Sound Andrew Benoit University of Washington, Seattle Colin Furlong Maggie Vickers

wisconsin Carthage College University of Wisconsin, Teah Doctor Milwaukee Kiley McCarthy Molly Stilling Marianna Morrissey University of Wisconsin, Faith Roberts Eau Claire Loren Semler Patrick Boyle Marquette University Haig Hagopian Sophia Thompson Milwaukee School of Engineering Trent Koenig Saint Norbert College Derrik Lieding University of Wisconsin, La Crosse Megan Feeney University of Wisconsin, Madison Cece Babat Sam Kallas Tristan Keegan Tyra Kuchler Mia Quigley Ella Schaffnit Diviya Senthilkumar Shannon Skinner Lawrence Wang

canada King’s University at Western Ontario Simon Amyot University of British Columbia Clara Beauchamp University of Toronto Daniel Maliekal

england Plymouth University Kiah Smith

netherlands

gap year Aiden Burkhart Abe McEwan

military US Coast Guard Rylan Grana

work force Griffin Payton Harvard Football Director of Graphic Design Benjamin Westlake

Willem de Kooning Academie Dimitrios Mitsopoulos

scotland University of St. Andrews Ally Hardy

spain IE University, Segovia Cristina Tuduri Poza

switzerland Franklin University Emily Scheibler

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FEATURE

Paige Sarah Wuh

ck

Amanda Bla

Gap Year: Senior Celia McDermott-Hinman is taking a gap year in between graduating and going to the University of Michigan in 2022 to study history or sociology. For McDermott-Hinman, taking a gap year before going to college will be a much-needed break after 12 years of school.

“Going from [high school] right into college, then right into grad school is just so much school, so experiencing something different will help me be more engaged and not burned out going into college,” she explained.

McDermott-Hinman has mapped out two major experiences for her gap year. During the fall and winter, she is taking a 90day trip on a sailboat, starting in the Mediterranean and ending in the Caribbean. During the “Seamester,” McDermott-Hinman will be alongside seven staff members and 23 other students, helping with maintenance of the ship, while taking marine biology Celia McDermott-Hinman is taking a gap year before attending the and oceanography classes University of Michigan in 2022. During the fall and winter, she will through the University of be on a boat with 23 other students, helping with maintenance and South Florida. The senior taking marine biology and oceanography classes. For the rest of is eager to see new places next school year, she will be staying in Germany with a host family while attending a German high school. and experience something so different.

16 DROPS OF INK For graduating seniors at LHS, the most traditional path is to go to a four-year college somewhere in the U.S. In 2020, 87% of the 98% of college-bound students at LHS were headed for four-year universities in America. This year, there are again unique exceptions to this, such as training to be in the military during college, taking a gap year or studying outside of the country.

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Vang

For the second half of her gap year, she will be staying abroad in Germany with a host family, while going to a German high school. She isn’t planning on learning any new material -- she just intends to improve her German.

Although deferring her admission to next year with the University of Michigan took some work, her biggest obstacle was figuring out her gap-year plans.

“It was nice to see everything fall together,” she articulated. “I’ve had big-picture ideas for so long, so figuring out the specifics was the hardest part.”

College Abroad: Emily Scheibler, Kiah Smith and Daniel Maliekal have all opted to go to four-year colleges, only in different countries outside the U.S. Scheibler will be getting a dual American-Swiss degree studying international studies at Franklin University of Switzerland. Smith will be studying environmental science at University of Plymouth in England. Maliekal is attending the University of Toronto at Scarborough campus in Canada, planning to study co-op business administration.

Applying to schools outside America usually comes with added complications.

Smith experienced difficulties in applying to schools in England because the English education system varies so much from the American system. Also, most colleges in England do not accept the Common Application. Therefore, Smith’s ACT and AP scores were taken into heavy consideration as part of her application instead of the Common App.

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FEATURE

(From left to right) Daniel Maliekal, Kiah Smith and Emily Scheibler are all attending college outside of the U.S. Maliekal is going to the University of Toronto at Scarborough in Canada; Smith will be attending the University of Plymouth in England; and Scheibler is going to Franklin University of Switzerland.

Other schools abroad, such as Scheibler’s and Maliekal’s schools, use the Common App. Scheibler stressed the notion that applying to international schools is not really as difficult as people might think.

“It’s a lot easier than you think it’s going to be,” she expressed. “More schools are on the Common App than you may realize, and the cost is similar to many American schools.

People shouldn’t be as tentative to [apply]. It sounds scary but it’s worth it.”

All three expressed profound excitement for their futures abroad, despite the obstacles they faced. Covid-19 proved to be another challenge for Smith when applying, and Maliekal is still in the process of getting dual citizenship in order to get in-state tuition. Scheibler is wary of the cultural differences that come with being at an international school.

The physical distance away from home is another common obstacle in going to a school abroad. However, for both Smith and Maliekal, going outside of the U.S. for college is actually bringing them closer to their families. Smith moved to Libertyville from England seven years ago, and most of her family lives in England. Maliekal will be able to see his mom’s side of the family more often.

Contrasting this, Scheibler will be moving far away from her family and her home here.

“It was hard for [my family] to grapple with the fact that I’m literally moving across the world, and it was scary for them at first,”

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Scheibler explained. “But now, they’re really supportive Ryan Allen (left) and James Steinhaus are attending college about it!” with ROTC scholarships. Allen will be going to the In the end, regardless of any University of Illinois at Chicago through the Naval ROTC roadblocks on their paths to program. Steinhaus will be attending the University of Illinois through the ROTC program. their schools, Maliekal, Scheibler and Smith are enthusiastic about will be studying criminal justice at Liberty their commitments to their schools. ScheiUniversity while training to become an army bler loved that she would be able to travel officer through classes and field training. the world through a program at her school.

Allen will be participating in training to Maliekal’s school is his mother’s alma mater, become a naval officer as he pursues elecand he is excited about participating in the trical engineering at University of Illinois at University of Toronto’s business program.

Chicago.

Smith is thrilled to be returning home to Both Steinhaus and Allen were inspired by England, as well as surfing and scuba diving in their own family members to join the miliPlymouth. tary. They both learned a lot from and were “I’m looking forward to moving back influenced by their grandfathers who served. home, being able to see my family more and Steinhaus said he always knew he wanted to being able to re-immerse myself into the serve, and going to a military school for first English culture,” Smith said. semester this school year in New Mexico solidified his decision. Allen had an interest in the Navy from when he was young, and Training for the Military: his father, who was in the Air Force, also Another path for students graduating inspired him to go into the military. from high school to follow is to join the “I’ve always liked the water,” Allen remilitary. There are many avenues to get marked. “I like being on boats, submarines involved in the military, such as enlisting and aircraft carriers. I’ll enjoy experiencing right out of high school, applying to service new things out at sea while also working academies or applying to Reserve Officers’ with a team representing my country.”

Training Corps (ROTC) programs. Seniors Both Steinhuas and Allen are looking forJames Steinhaus and Ryan Allen will be part ward to training to become military officers of the ROTC program, and both having as they also continue their education. received ROTC scholarships. Steinhaus is “I’m excited to just see where I’ll be, what doing Army ROTC and Allen will be in the I learn and who I become in the future,” Naval ROTC. Steinhaus said.

Through the ROTC program, Steinhaus MAY 2021 17

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FEATURE

Seniors Have Parting Words: Advice for Underclassmen

Jazzy Lafita Lyann Tam Jade Foo

Throughout their four years at Libertyville High School, seniors have been able to gain knowledge and experience about a variety of topics. As they prepare to graduate, eight seniors shared advice they have for underclassmen, based on their time in high school.

Academic Desi Nainar: “Don’t procrastinate too much and always try to work ahead . . . [Make sure to] take breaks in the middle of doing homework because some nights, it can be a lot.”

Rachel Erdmann: “[When doing homework], have something that takes [you] out of the mentality of wanting to go talk to people or some other activity, like listening to something, [like music].”

Matthew Shinnick: “Always try to work as hard as [you] can in classes, clubs and sports . . . Work with resources you have, like . . . talking to teachers outside of class or going to the MASH.”

Rachel Erdmann

Photo courtesy of Rachel Erdmann

Beckett Abington: “Work with others to help get a new mindset or take on how to attack a problem . . . You can have a good collaboration of different ideas that help you strengthen the final results in the final product.”

Vir Trivedi: “[Take] time to review [your notes] every night. Be sure to stay on top of your homework, and . . . don’t ever be afraid to ask your teachers questions.”

Desi Nainar

Annalese Chudy: “Time management skills always help . . . Laying out [your] schedule and [what] you need to do every day.”

Emma Bleck: “Have someone to explain [topics you don’t understand] to you. Going into office hours or . . . talking to a teacher [can be very helpful]. They’re [both] really good resources.

Emotional

Nainar: “Use the resources available to [you]. All the teachers here are really supportive and helpful if you ever need, [along with] LSTs and the CRC.” Erdmann: “Having certain people, activities or [organizations] be your outlet [is extremely helpful].”

Matthew Shinnick

Kellie Hopper: “Don’t get worried. Don’t worry about all of the academics or the social events, or all the different things in your life.

It’ll work out how it’s supposed to work out. And don’t feel like you need to [do] every single thing; do what you want to do. Make your own path for yourself . . . and do what’s best for you and everything will work out.”

Shinnick: “A common piece of advice [about high school] is . . . ‘don’t let yourself change’ . . . It’s honestly terrible advice. You’re going to change in high school, and that’s one of the best things about it and the whole point of it . . . Focus on how you want to change, the people you want to surround yourself with, and the ways you want to be different in the years to come.”

Trivedi: “You’ve got to prioritize your mental health over work sometimes and get in touch with yourself and see how you’re doing and how you can address your own issues and your own shortcomings.”

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FEATURE

Social Nainar: “Make it a priority to connect with people and not just ignore [friends] for the sake of doing [something else].”

Hopper: “Find a . . . group of friends . . . that you trust and can talk to about your struggles. Talking to people really helps to make decisions and get through hard times.”

Abington: “Simply just be yourself, and put yourself out there.

Don’t be afraid to try new things because people will embrace you for who you are. People will accept the real you, and they’ll just be more and more amazed to see you grow through them and have them grow through you.”

Bleck: “Go outside of your comfort zone. Some of the things I enjoyed the most in my time at LHS were things that I was very on the fence about doing, like the French exchange [trip] or . . . Model [United Nations]. And you [become] a better person for it. Make an effort to talk to people you may not talk to normally.”

Kellie Hopper

Trivedi: “Find [other people] during those icebreaker activities.

People think they’re corny, and they definitely are, but that’s a time [where] you can see people with similar interests . . . Connect with the people in front of you, seeing how you can relate to them.”

Chudy: “Communication with your friends [is key] . . . Keep strong relationships by checking up on them and hanging out with them.

Find people that you enjoy hanging out with.”

College Nainar: “Take electives that interest you in high school since college is a very costly investment, whereas in high school, if you want to take a class you want, . . . it’s probably the best chance to do that.”

Erdmann: “College will be there before you know it . . . and there are certain things that you can do that really add up. Something that I found very helpful was documenting moments that seem important in my life, which has really helped with college essays. I’ve also found that making a resume [early] and just starting to write down everything that you do is so helpful.”

Annalese Chudy Photo courtesy of Annalese Chudy

Vir Trivedi

Abington: “Do a little bit of research each and every day [about] . . . some colleges that you may or may not know about or that pique your interest.”

Chudy: “Try new things, like taking different . . . classes, or extracurriculars, like fine arts or sports. You never know if you’ll enjoy something. You should spend your time finding what you like, so you’ll be able to put so much more into that.”

Emma Bleck

Bleck: “There is a big focus on [going to] prestigious colleges . . . I wish I had spent less time as an underclassmen thinking about how good of a school I was going to, and more where I would be [happier].”

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FEATURE

Longtime Dream Jobs

Liam Tucker Avery Vang Jade Foo

It’s often stressed to seniors that they don’t need the rest of their lives planned out after high school. Different sources suggest up to 80% of college students change their major at least once, Ms. Belstra stated via email. However, some students have known what field they have wanted to pursue for years. Here are five such students, who have known their dream career since their childhoods.

Greta Schultz, meteorology Senior Greta Schultz has wanted to become a meteorologist since fifth grade, when a tornado warning interrupted her softball game.

“I got really, really scared, and my mom was telling me that I should probably learn about the weather, and maybe I wouldn’t be as scared,” Schultz said.

She began reading books about the weather and researching meteorology, and she realized she wanted to become a meteorologist someday.

“How something can form out of nothing and be so powerful and impactful to everyone and the Earth is crazy to me,” Schultz explained.

Contrary to popular belief, meteorologists aren’t all weather broadcasters. “Many of them don’t even have a degree in meteorology, just social communication or something like that,” Schultz said. In reality, meteorology requires a knowledge of calculus, physics, computer science, earth science and biology, among other fields.

Though she liked the idea of being on TV when she was younger, Schultz now would rather be out working in the field, collecting data and conducting research. Her dream job is working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a government agency responsible for collecting data, warning people of dangerous weather and researching the oceans and atmosphere. Schultz also hopes to travel the world while conducting research and studying weather patterns.

Since seventh grade, Schultz has competed in the meteorology contest of Science Olympiad. She plans to attend the University of Oklahoma to study meteorology.

Cate McCarty, education Ever since she was little, Cate McCarty has wanted to become a teacher.

“When I was in kindergarten or first grade,” McCarty said, “my mom would bring home teaching supplies, and I would teach my stuffed animals in my basement.”

She credits her parents for the inspiration to become a teacher. Her father is a special education teacher at Vernon Hills High School, and her mother is a third grade teacher at Oak Grove School. When she was younger, McCarty loved going to her mom’s classroom and watching her teach her students, and she loved being invited to read a book for her mom’s class as a guest star.

“Seeing that [my parents] love their job and come back every night with stories to share about what happened in their classrooms definitely made an impact,” McCarty noted.

This past year, McCarty enrolled in the preschool class at LHS. She taught preschool students via Zoom every week, and seeing the students proudly show off their projects cemented her interest in teaching.

“It just made my week each week being able to talk to them,” McCarty said.

Last summer, McCarty organized a “summer camp” for kids in her neighborhood for two hours, three mornings every week. She wanted to organize the activities because “[little kids] are so interesting and they can just talk forever.”

As of now, McCarty is thinking of becoming an elementary school teacher. She will be studying education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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Libby Hodge, microbiology Libby Hodge has always been interested in science. Both of her parents work in scientific fields; her father is a mechanical engineer who researches new drugs and treatments for various diseases at a gene therapy company, and her mother is a biochemist who worked on cancer research.

“Growing up, I just always had questions about how the world worked...[my parents] would explain it to me, and that sparked my interest in the world, and science is the study of how the world works,” Hodge said.

During the second semester of her freshman year biology class, Hodge found a more specific scientific interest: microbiology.

“I was just fascinated by how something that’s so small could execute all these complex processes,” Hodge said.

Near the end of her sophomore year, Hodge attended the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy annual conference, where she saw ways to translate her interest in microbiology to a career. She hopes to work in pharmaceutical research and development. The pandemic has only deepened her passion for microbiology, as Covid-19 and the development of mRNA vaccines have underscored the influence microbiology has on our world.

“Going into a STEM field as a woman, I feel like a lot of people are kind of like, ‘Oh wow, good for you,’ but this is just what I love,” Hodge said. “I’m doing whatever anyone else would.”

Hodge is attending California Polytechnic State University to study microbiology.

Taylor Widman, health care For Taylor Widman, an interest in health care is personal. When she was 2 years old, her 5-yearold brother Jake passed away from cancer.

“My brother and my family were able to develop very strong relationships with his nurses,” Widman said. “They were the people that were very helpful during his diagnosis and treatment.

They left a huge impact on my life and my family’s lives, and I want to be able to do that for other people.”

Widman has spent time volunteering with kids with special needs and volunteering in hospitals.

She has also been involved with her family’s foundation, The Super Jake Foundation, which funds research to find a cure for neuroblastoma and assist the families of children with cancer.

Though Widman has always been interested in entering a health care field, she’s recently become more interested in becoming a nurse rather than focusing more heavily on medicine.

“I wanted to be a nurse so I can work closely with [patients] and develop those relationships,” Widman said.

Widman’s current dream job is being a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner. That would allow her to have more responsibilities, while still working closely with pediatric cancer patients and their families. Widman plans to apply to the nursing program at Clemson University.

Kiley McCarthy, business

For Kiley McCarthy, her eventual career has always been clear.

“With the family company that we have...it was automatic that [my sister and I were] going to go into business,” McCarthy said. Her family company manufactures hydraulic fittings, which connect pipes and other parts of hydraulic systems together.

As college drew closer, McCarthy began looking more closely at the different branches of business. She was drawn to finance after learning the amount of math required for accounting and the travel needed for international business.

“I like being able to manage the money and spending because that’s what determines... how well [the business is] run and how well the outcome is,” McCarthy said.

On days off of school, McCarthy has shadowed her father at the family business, sometimes helping him develop quotes for various companies. Though she hopes to eventually run her family’s business, she also wants to complete a business internship at another company to experience a different corporate atmosphere.

McCarthy noted that the business world, especially in manufacturing fittings, is dominated by men. She has two cousins who work for their father’s manufacturing company, and though the brother is treated as a normal worker, the sister has received dirty looks and is treated as “the boss’s daughter.”

“It is harder for the women in the field [of business], but it’s a good challenge,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy is attending Carthage College to study finance.

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FEATURE

No Two Decisions Are the Same

Seniors Weigh the Importance of a Multitude of Factors When Choosing a College Ella Marsden

A

sk any high school senior, and they will probably tell you they’ve received advice to just “go with their gut” when choosing a college to attend. And for senior Robbie Delatorre, that’s exactly what his decision came down to.

“The campus feel had a huge impact [on the decision]. But another thing that had a huge impact was [thinking], ‘What did I feel when I thought about the college?’’’ he said.

Delatorre decided to attend Butler University. This school, he explained, is the perfect size for him, since he wanted a mid-sized school. Most importantly for him, the school felt like home. He described walking around campus for the first time and seeing lots of students outside, and they were very welcoming.

Delatorre noted that touring campuses was one of the most beneficial steps he took in his selection process. Seeing the size of the campus and getting a feel for the culture helped him make his final decision. Delatorre was lucky, he explained, to know a current Butler student, so he was also able to get a more personalized tour of the campus.

The college selection process can be an overwhelming time for seniors -- having to balance what can feel like the biggest decision of their life with school work and their personal lives -- but the satisfaction of having made a decision can make it all worth it. Everyone is different, so students find certain factors more important than others when making their college decisions.

One of the most common factors that LHS college and career counselor Amy Belstra has noticed playing a large role in students’ decisions this year is cost. Business Insider found that for the 2018-19 school year, the average cost of attendance -- which includes tuition, room

Sara Bogan

Olivia Poell

and board, textbooks, transportation and other miscellaneous expenses -- at an out-of-state school was $27,383. With the pandemic’s overall negative impact on financial security, the cost of college has been a more important deciding factor this year.

Ms. Belstra also noted that distance has had a significant influence on seniors’ decisions. For example, senior Katie Borowiec wanted a school close to home, and she ultimately chose DePaul University.

“Being the youngest and having all my other siblings already gone to college, I kind of wanted

programs, since that’s what she plans to major in, and were a reasonable price, especially since Borowiec has older siblings in college.

Another thing she took into account was the area surrounding the schools she was looking at. What she loved about DePaul was its location in downtown Chicago. Borowiec explained that she wants to live in an urban environment after college, and college is a good time for her to experience living in the city while still having the comfort of a college campus.

What it all came down to was how Borowiec felt being accepted to different schools.

“When I got accepted into other colleges...I was happy about it, but I wasn’t ecstatic like I was for DePaul,” she said.

“So that’s just when I knew that was a decision I wanted to make. It all just depended on how I really felt.”

For senior Maggie Vickers, the first thing she looked for in a school was a good cheer program since she planned to cheer in college. Once she had identified schools that fit that criteria, she started narrowing that list down to colleges with a good astronomy program.

After Vickers finished the list of schools, she began to evaluate each school, mainly based on its location and campus. Once she had applied and been accepted to some schools, she started looking more in depth at each college. “[After being accepted], I looked more at class sizes and what their dorms were like and their food,” Vickers said. “I looked at how much it costs, and any scholarships I could get there.”

Ultimately, she decided to attend the University of Washington after seeing a video of the campus, which she fell in love with. UW checked all her boxes, she shared.

“It has like a really, really good astron-

“[Tours] are definitely important because when you’re actually on the campus, you can actually see...how people are spending their time.”

-- Senior Calvin Blohm to stay by for my parents,” she said.

When first searching for schools to apply to, Borowiec shared that she didn’t really take distance into account. She applied to schools on the East Coast out of impulse, she explained, without taking into account how she would get back and forth to those schools.

As Borowiec started narrowing down on schools closer to home, she began looking for colleges that had good speech pathology

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FEATURE

omy program. It’s right in Seattle, and it has a good game day [for cheerleading], so I was like, ‘Oh, this is really nice,’” Vickers explained.

Before she narrowed her choices down, Vickers shared that she would use the location feature on Instagram to see photos of dorm rooms and the campus. Though virtual tours of dorm rooms are available, real photos of the spaces can help give a better representation of what the room is like.

Senior Calvin Blohm found that it was helpful to see the campus in person to get a feel for the school -- something he couldn’t get through photos or virtual tours.

“I was lucky enough this year, all of the colleges that were on my final list had modified guided tours,” Blohm said. “Those are definitely important because when you’re

The College and Career Resource Center (CRC) celebrated LHS seniors’ commitment to a college, the military, a gap year or the workforce by holding a Senior Decision Day event during the school days of Thursday, May 1, and Friday, May 2.

actually on the campus, you can actually see...how people are spending their time.”

When Blohm first started applying to schools, he had three main criteria that he looked for: a location in a city, a good business program (since that’s what he plans to study) and a Big 10 school. The University of Minnesota checked all those boxes for him.

Blohm’s only regret in his college process is that he didn’t start it sooner.

He shared that though he made a list of schools he wanted to apply to early on in the process, he wished that he had started filling out applications and writing essays earlier.

Similarly, even though senior Leenah Ehsan has been looking at colleges all throughout high school, she still wishes she had started the application process earlier. She ultimately decided to attend Lake Forest College, but that school wasn’t on her radar until about two months ago.

Ehsan plans to commute from home, so distance was one of the most important factors in her decision. Ehsan also liked the size of Lake Forest College, since it’s similar to the size of Libertyville High School.

Another factor she considered was the quality of the program she’s interested in. She’s impressed by the school’s health professional program, and she plans to pursue a career in the medical field.

While a school’s academic reputation is often a factor for students in the decision process, Ms. Belstra advised against considering it at all.

“I always try to take the prestige factor out as best I can so that students are really looking at what’s best for [them]. Not what’s best for the bumper of [their] car...that doesn’t matter. Nobody cares,” she said.

She also encouraged students to take a step back from looking at the basic, controllable factors such as distance and programs and instead look at themselves.

It’s important to ask questions like, “Who am I as a person?,” “What’s important to me?,” “What kind of learner am I?,” “How would I benefit from a smaller school as opposed to a larger school?” These questions, Ms. Belstra explained, will help a student find a school that best fits their needs.

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STAFF EDITORIAL

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE YOU GO TO COLLEGE DOI Staff

Maddie Handrich

Note: This piece is a staff editorial, which is an opinion article meant to reflect the opinions of the Drops of Ink staff.

Because of this, the author’s name does not appear alongside the story, as the opinions shared in here are based on class discussions about the topic among the 37 DOI staff members. The staff is composed of students of all grades from a variety of backgrounds and experiences; therefore, the editorial speaks to the publication’s view on a subject and is not representative of each staff member’s exact view on the issue at hand.

It is a well-known fact that the college admissions process is one full of stress and anxiety for seniors. But should it be?

Since even before middle school, students have had the notion ingrained in our heads that the college we choose to attend at the end of our senior year will influence the rest of our lives, and that it is one of the biggest decisions we will ever make. But in all honesty, it really isn’t.

The LHS community, and American society as a whole, has turned attending college into something more than it is. You can be successful whether you go to college or not, and the college you choose to go to does not determine the eventual success you will have in life.

And what is it with Ivy League colleges? People who get into Ivy League schools have impressive scores and grades, but this can unintentionally create an unrealistic and unattainable standard for everyone else. Attending any college is an amazing accomplishment and is something to be proud of. Someone who attends an Ivy League school is not inherently “better” than someone who attends a state school, and we need to stop making students think that they are.

Students should not sacrifice things that they want out of a college experience just to attend a school with a good reputation. The narrative of committing to a school with the best reputation is one that is damaging and overemphasized to students as they make the journey from high school to college.

Furthermore, the perceived shame of attending a community college, in the LHS community specifically, is unacceptable, to say the least. Attending a four-year college that is hundreds of miles from home isn’t the best fit for all 18-year-olds, especially considering the various costs that go into that move. And that is OK! Community college is a great option, and there should be no shame at all in attending the College of Lake County or other small, local colleges.

We put too much value on the grades and scores of someone’s education, and not the quality of education someone is receiving.

Some students would do significantly better at a school with a smaller student-to-faculty ratio than in a lecture hall of 400 students. Yet there remains a common conception that schools with smaller student-to-faculty ratios are not as prestigious or desirable compared to a Big Ten school. But why would a school with large lecture halls ever be a good school for someone who learns better in a smaller, more personal environment?

Conversely, some students might do very well in the large lecture hall classroom that Big 10 schools offer, and going to a school like that would be the best choice for them to get a successful college experience.

Your college experience is what you make of it. No school, regardless of how highly it is ranked, can teach you the work ethic

you need to be successful in the workforce once you finish college.

Although higher-ranked schools may offer more connections to possible jobs after graduation, the success in your career is largely dependent on how hard you want to work for it.

Pressure from peers, parents, siblings and friends also influences a student’s decision on where they attend college. Additional pressure is internal -- stress students put on themselves -- and some seniors have found some ways to minimize the stress that comes with the college process.

Setting boundaries with those involved in the college process (parents and guardians, siblings and friends) can prove very useful.

Scheduling specific times to discuss college visits, standardized testing and other college conversations helps alleviate stressful and impromptu conversations.

College is an opportunity for students to grow, but it doesn’t solely determine the trajectory of the rest of our lives, and it shouldn’t be treated as such. We are beyond lucky to live in a community where the surrounding adults support us throughout the college process. And wherever we may end up, our happiness should always be our priority as well as yours, not the ranking of a school or its reputation.

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OPINION

COLLEGE I$ TOO EXPEN$IVE Christian Roberts

Natalie Isberg

In January 2020, University of Michigan-Flint economics professor Marc J. Perry created a graph showcasing the price changes for selected U.S. consumer goods, services and wages over the last 22 years, starting in 1998. Of the seven services that had greater price increases than the overall inflation rate of 60%, two of the three highest were college tuition and college textbooks. Both exceeded an 180% increase, more than three times the overall inflation rate. Why is that?

One of the many underlying factors of the increase in college tuition is the over-exaggeration of the value of a degree, according to the New York Federal Reserve.

Many students view a college degree as a cost-benefit situation, which means that even if they have to pay a lot of money for a degree, it will eventually pay off in the longrun, so they are willing to spend more on said degree. But the likelihood of a degree being beneficial will vary depending on what one majors in; someone going into the medical field is more likely to benefit from a degree than someone who plans on working in a restaurant.

Because the price of college tuition is fairly inelastic, an increase in price won’t lead to a significant decrease in the number of students attending college. Thus, colleges are able to increase their tuition prices with virtually no consequences; families with the means to send their kid to college are still going to pay the outlandish prices, even if they have to take on a large sum of student loan debt. Many students underestimate how long it will take to pay off their student loans as well. According to a survey done

by Cengage, an education and technology company, students on average believe their student loans will take less than six years to pay off. In reality,

Avery Vang pling debt for the rest of their lives.

Cengage reports that it will likely take Instead of asking if college is worth it, we closer to 20 years for most students to pay should be asking ourselves: what can we as off their loans. a country do to make college more The growing number of government affordable? In 2021, total student loan debt financial-aid programs has also directly insurpassed $1.5 trillion, and the U.S. currently creased tuition prices. Because nearly every has the highest college cost per student of student applies for financial aid, colleges will raise their tuition and fees to capture the aid any developed country in the world.

To start, more widespread student loan for themselves. This is reflected in two statistics from the Federal Reserve, which state forgiveness needs to be available. Federal aid programs should be drastically reduced. that for every one dollar of federal student This would in turn decrease enrollments aid, colleges will raise their tuition fees by 65 nationwide, hurting the profits of univercents, and colleges eligible for federal stusities. For-profit colleges need stronger dent aid charge 78% higher tuition than that regulations by the government to prevent of similar colleges that aren’t eligible for aid. unfair tuition increases in the future. Price The people benefitting from the “student ceilings or free college would go a long way financial programs’’ are colleges, not the in making life better for high school and students. Many universities seem to be puting some of their increased profits into large college graduates. salaries for administrators, with the median price for university presidents exceeding $500,000, according to Forbes.

So, with all of this in mind, it begs the question: is going to college worth it? The answer isn’t a cut and dry “yes” or “no.” While one-third of college graduates are underemployed and 13% are in a low-paying job, nationally, workers with a college degree earn $450 more per week than those without, according to the New York Federal Reserve. Workers with a college degree also faced a 2.7% unemployment rate, half that of workers with only a high school diploma.

Anyone who wants a higher education deserves Over the last few decades, the price of college has increased the opportunity to get one exponentially, which has been due to factors like government financial aid programs and the inelastic price of college tuition. without having to live in crip-

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OPINION

Focusing on the Future Leaves Us Forever Unsatisfied Hannah Sachs

Kajsa Murphy

Olivia Poell

T

he unknown nature of the future is as easily a blessing as it is So what’s the response to any internal disappointment when perfection fails to be accurately replicated? It’s really quite simple. a curse. For one, the future is seemingly made up of limitless You remember the future is unlimited and create a new image to possibilities, which allow for hopeful imagination and inspired chase. Then do it all over again, leaving dissatisfaction sprinkled pursuits of “better.” On the other hand, limitless possibilities also behind, casting a sour flavor over every reality you experience. allow for endless fixation on just what exactly “better” is. Since When the future is the only thing in sight, it’s easy for the the idea of “better” itself is indefinite, it comes as easily as second nature to begin mentally spiraling in the name of an ever-evolving present to lose value in our mind. Instead of being a moment in time itself, the present instead becomes merely a means of chasgoal.

Our imaginaing the future and a tions are unstepping stone to restricted and unreachable perfection. Not only infinite, and when that, but obsession paired with the with the future open-endedness leaves the present of the future, to deal with the we’re able to dissatisfaction imagine future brought upon by scenarios in our reality while the heads that are future remains imincredibly personages of perfection alized and inspired and possibility. by our most By doing this, we honest desires. are doing ourselves We are efforta disservice. The lessly able to place present is the only images of the moment in which picture-perfect we exist, and if the life into our minds future is not whenever we approached with want, and since the right mindset, the future is truly Living your life in anticipation of the future will most definitely leave the present feeling unsatisthe present will unknown, there’s factory and inadequate. take on sacrifices always a slight and burdens for a possibility these imaginations could actually develop into reality. That slight moment we’ll never truly experience. If we live in our minds, potential is easy to cling onto, but it ignores our imagination’s where perfection runs rampant, the present can truly never greatest flaw: the images in our head are never fool-proof compare, leaving the moment we actually get to experience against reality. forever dull and unsatisfactory.

Clinging onto the minimal potentiality of dreams becoming realDismissing the present as merely a step to the future robs us ity is what keeps the future exciting and motivating. Picture-perof our chances to experience and enjoy the future holistically for fect ideas of the future can act as one of the most effective what it is: dynamic and vivacious, adventurous and safe, chaotic motivations, but I’m hesitant because of how that leads to the and serene, undefined and desirable. The present always exists ignorance of reality. I do not struggle with the idea that the future while the future never does. There will always be bigger, better should be approached with optimism and dream-filled eyes that futures implanting themselves into our imaginations like seeds. fuel hard work. I struggle with the future being approached as an They’ll grow and they’ll strengthen and they’ll secure a place assurance that the images in our head will come to fruition. within us, but they’ll never enter reality as beautiful as they were No matter what dazzling heights we achieve, very rarely does in our heads. Dissatisfied, we’ll try again and again, always ignoring the exact image in our head become reality. There are always flourishing shades and comforting scents from gardens right in missing details or additional struggles or unimagined emotions front of us just to give attention to mere colors and smells that after reality plays its hand. With such a perfect image made in our are truly unknown and will forever rest buried within the walls of head, comparison comes naturally, leaving tinges of dissatisfaction our imaginations. everywhere.

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my word against yours Lilly Williams

P

Maddie Handrich

icture your favorite article of clothing. Now imagine that article of clothing in a plastic bag, in a courtroom. It’s being used against you as evidence.

Unfortunately, this is a common situation for many rape survivors around the country, and has been for a while, as a painfully slim amount of rapists face just prosecution. In today’s society, things as simple as the shirt on your back can dictate whether or not a rape was actually rape. This issue is just one aspect of a plaguing culture, and a dangerous number of rapists are walking the streets alongside us every day because of it.

OPINION

Lily Hieronymus

slut-shaming and misognysitc victim-blaming help to keep society oblivious to the real issue: rape culture and rapists.

According to The New York Times, there’s an entire market of products solely for the purpose of detecting drinks that have been roofied: coasters, straws, Sipchips, you name it. In 2016, a company named Undercover Colors invented a nail polish laquer that changes color when exposed to date-rape drugs.

While innovative, fancy nail polish only serves as a window into the obstructive mentality surrounding the issue. Products like this perpetrate victim blaming, further distracting from the root causes of rape and sexual assault.

Anything that puts the onus on women to “discreetly” keep from being raped completely misses the point. It’s saddening that we’ve gotten to the point where products like these need to be created.

We need a serious shift in accountability.

In Brock Turner’s court statement in 2016, he blamed his crimes on a culture of drinking, peer pressure and “sexual promiscuity.” The fact of the matter is that Turner shouldn’t have a “culture” to ascribe for his crimes. Even considering that he does, why is that acceptable? Why does society foster a culture where this severe infliction of trauma is acceptable?

Because of this culture, rapists walk free every day, and rape victims live in fear and anguish every day, possibly for the rest of their lives. Turner can move on and live his life, but the girl he raped may think of that day for the rest of her life.

The Hard Facts As much as society comforts itself by believing that rapists face punishments fitting the severe nature of their crime, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), an estimated 39% of rapes and sexual assaults are actually reported. For reported cases, there is a 50% chance of the rapist being arrested.

When RAINN crunched the numbers, only 16% of rapists ever spend a day in jail.

Factoring in unreported rapes, a frightening 6% of rapists face any jail time.

Fifteen out of 16 rapists walk free.

Sickening.

In the infamous People of the State of California v. Brock Turner case in 2016, 19-year-old Brock Turner was convicted by jury on three counts of sexual assault.

The trial mainly focused on one of the Source: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network victims with a particularly sickening case.

The Detrimental Aftermath Turner was sentenced to a mere six months in jail, of which he Not everyone has experienced rape or sexual assault, and thereserved three. fore cannot possibly grasp the anguish suffered by 1 in 6 women, and His father complained in a statement that his son’s life had been 1 in 10 men, according to RAINN. ruined by “20 minutes of action.”

However, the facts speak for themselves.

What was 20 minutes of “action” for Turner was 20 minutes of Statistically speaking, victims of sexual assault are significantly agony, of misery, of undoable trauma for his victim. more likely to suffer from depression, PTSD, abuse alcohol or drugs So whose life is really being ruined? Is it the man who served three months in jail? Or the woman he left unconscious behind a dumpster? and contemplate suicide, according to RAINN. There’s a reason why 61% of rape victims decide against reporting their rape — many victims fear that their story will be ignored, in“What were you wearing?” validated or deemed their own fault. And unfortunately, they’re not It’s far too often that the blame of a sexual assault case is placed incorrect in this fear, as most rapists, even those accused, walk free. on alcohol use, flirtation or even the outfit of a victim, rather than Going through something as violating as rape is extremely difficult. the rapist.

To then gain the courage to speak up against your rapist is an entirely I shouldn’t have to explain this: separate challenge. After all of that, to be told that your story is unA girl’s choice in underwear is not her consent. true or exaggerated, all in order to protect the well-being of the very Her choice to drink alcohol is not her consent. person who stole yours? No one deserves that sort of pain.

Her flirtation is not her consent.

So let’s end it. As a society, we should put much more emphasis Nothing other than a clear “yes” is her consent. on the heinous crime that sexual assault is and have no tolerance for This is not to devalue the millions of men in the U.S. that have it. Let’s stop blaming sexual assault on intoxication or a short dress, been victims of sexual assault or rape, according to RAINN. Howand start blaming rapists. ever, rape culture has a particularly harmful effect on women, as

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SPORTS

Athletes Face Obstacles With Summer Sports Schedule

Andrew Brooks Ella Marsden Jade Foo

LHS seniors have their graduation ceremony on May 27. That night, they will say goodbye to high school and start on the journey of the next phase of their lives. Most will be finished with everything relating to high school -- except for the seniors who are participating in summer sports.

For example, the seniors on the varsity baseball team will travel to New Trier for a game the day after their graduation. Similarly, the boys varsity tennis team has their conference tournament the Saturday after the ceremony. Due to the frequent delays and rescheduling from the pandemic, 11 high school sports will not end their seasons until almost a month after graduation, on June 19.

These summer sports -- boys tennis, wrestling, boys and girls track and field, baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls volleyball and girls soccer -- have not had a normal season After his lacrosse season was canceled before their first game during his since 2019. In 2020, their seasons were cancelled just three weeks sophomore year, junior Michael Rocco appreciates his coaches’ efforts to give the team a packed schedule, fitting 22 games into the short season. in due to the pandemic.

“I think the worst part about it was that last year, we were able “My summer is already loaded with baseball,” Collins said. “However, to practice and get together with the [baseball] team for three I usually do get a month off before club baseball starts. We usually weeks, so we were getting close,” junior Cole Collins said. “And then start the first week of July, so this year it’s just a shorter break from for the season to be called off right after that was kind of tough, the end of school. It will be a bit of a stretch.” especially for baseball. We have a trip where we go down to Arizona The extended schedule has also caused some problems for sefor spring break as a team, and that was called off right before [the niors who would have to compete well into the summer after their trip], which was terrible.” graduation. Many chose to or weren’t able to participate due to the This loss of a season last year has created some positive aspects fact that their last season of high school sports would have interfor this season. fered with other activities during the summer before college.

“Considering we weren’t able to compete last year, competing Senior Erin Benton had been a part of the girls lacrosse team this year has made me a lot more motivated and a lot more excited,” during her first three years of high school, but for her senior year, said senior girls track and field captain Reagan Porter. she wasn’t able to continue competing.

Junior lacrosse player Michael Rocco added: “Last spring, we didn’t “I just don’t think that I want to return after graduation,” Benton even get a single game in for lacrosse. I know my coach has packed our said. “I talked to my coaches about playing through May and then schedule as much as he can. We have 22 games this season because he quitting in June, but obviously they said that they wouldn’t prefer said he wants to make up for everyone missing time last season.” that option, which I understand.”

But the extension of the schedule has created many potential The girls lacrosse team saw a large number of seniors decide to conflicts for athletes. One of these has been the disruption of sumnot participate this year, with Benton being one of them. She said mer seasons for club sports. this played a large factor in her decision to not be a part of the team, as she was “disappointed that other seniors weren’t doing it because they’re all [her] friends.”

Another common reason for seniors not participating in summer sports has been the need to get a job in their summer before college.

Senior TS Lee had been on the boys track and field team in each of his first three years at LHS. He cited money as a factor in his decision to not participate this season.

“I need money for college because college is expensive,” he said.

Benton agreed on this front. In the time she would normally be spending at lacrosse practices and games, she said, “I have been working, which doesn’t sound as fun, and it’s not. But for next year, I just definitely needed a job. If practice was at 3-4 every day over the sumJunior Cole Collins plays on the varsity baseball team and though his mer, it would get in the way of getting more money for next year.” summers are usually occupied by baseball, he appreciates the month Another reason expressed by the seniors for not doing their sports he gets off before club season starts. But this year, since school basethis year was the fact that they didn’t have a junior season of this ball is a summer sport, Collins’s school season ends just before his club sport. season to begin.

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SPORTS

LHS Athletic Achievements of 2020-2021

Boys Cross Country The boys cross country team won regionals and qualified for the state meet as a team for the first time since 1992. Due to the pandemic, the state meet was cancelled, but the qualification stands. The varsity team was led by seniors Liam Tucker, Andrew Clark and Ike Sweitzer, and juniors Jack Hamilton, Ali Faliz, Dylan McCarty and Andrew Brooks.

Many senior members of the girls lacrosse team decided not to play this year, including Erin Benton. Benton and the other seniors decided that they didn’t want to continue playing for their high school team after graduation.

“The fact that I didn’t do [track] last year, I got a little bit complacent,” Lee said. “I kind of got used to that feeling. I was used to not having to do it.”

Benton had a different reason entirely: “I think our team last year was the best girls lacrosse team the school has ever had,” she said. “So I think losing last season may have been a bit harder for us than this year because we had been expecting to go so far.”

A final major reason why some students aren’t a part of their normal sports teams this year is the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Being in a sport means you’re around more people,” Lee said. “So if one person tests positive, there’s a higher risk of having to go home and quarantine.”

Although Collins decided to play baseball, he also recognizes this risk.

“The ability for your whole team to go down if one person falls is really tough,” he said.

Even with the conflicts of the extended schedule on college and jobs, and the Covid worries, many seniors still decided to compete this year.

“I feel like I really [won’t be] negatively impacted by going past graduation just because I love it so much that I’m happy to continue doing it a little bit longer,” Porter said. “We’re all still very close as a team.

There’s still that family feeling and that energy.”

The decisions of some seniors to not participate this season has affected not only them but their former teammates as well.

Porter said that she is “sad that some people have decided not to do [track]. I think that some of the people that aren’t doing it really did contribute to the team and brought a different kind of energy that made it fun.”

Despite the pandemic and the crammed sports schedule, the consensus of those who are competing in summer sports is they are, as Rocco said, “happy to be back on the field and getting after it.”

Reagan Porter, a senior on the track and field team, feels motivated to perform as well as she can this season.

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Boys Basketball The boys basketball team won the first-ever NSC Conference Tournament. They accomplished this feat with a starting lineup consisting of seniors Blake Ellingson, Marc Michelotti, James Steinhaus and Sam Kallas, along with junior Chase Bonder.

Girls Basketball The varsity girls basketball team took home a conference championship. Seniors Marianna Morrissey, Lauren Huber, Annalese Chudy, Morgan Spaulding and sophomore Emily Fisher filled out the starting lineup.

Dance Led by senior captains Kelsey Corrigan, Katie Stone, Fernanda Vega, Quinn Murphy and Kara Hogan, the girls dance team finished fifth in State. They competed in a virtual state competition this year.

Cheer The cheer team also advanced and competed in a virtual state competition, and they placed 12th as a team. Their leaders were senior captains Aubrey Cervantes, Ashley O’Shea, Maggie Vickers, Kaylee Sherman and Olivia Guarino.

Badminton The girls badminton team had five state qualifiers: Alexandra Berns at singles, and doubles teams of Paige Vang and Avery Vang, and Marielle Hides and Ashley Cervantes. Berns placed in the top 32 for singles and each of the doubles teams placed within the top 24 at the state meet. As a team, badminton finished eighth in the state.

Girls Bowling The girls bowling team was yet another LHS sport to take home a conference title this season. They were led by senior Brittany Reed, sophomore Mabelle Kosowski and junior Evelyn Tarman, who placed 1st in conference as an individual.

Girls Volleyball The varsity girls volleyball team won conference in the spring season. Seniors Ella Schaffnit, Olivia Sauers, Kellie Hopper, Larisa Slesers and Kaylie Stuteville led the team and were joined in the starting lineup by juniors Kelly Hutchins and Grace Bonjour and sophomore Keira Kasten.

Boys Gymnastics In the shortened spring season, senior Robert Cartwright and juniors Cooper Tobiaski and Grady Georgia recently qualified for the state competition.

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FEATURE

t’s a g wh din en r t

SUMMER 2021 FASHION Rowan Hornsey

30 DROPS OF INK

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CROSSWORD

College Crossword College Crossword Jack Birmingham 1

2

3 4 5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12

13 14

15

16

Across

Down

Across

Down

2. The University of Pennsylvania throws this onto the field during the third 1. Number of colleges that make1.upNumber the prestigious Ivy League. of colleges that make up the prestigious 2. The University of Pennsylvania throws this onto

IvyClub” League.

6. Illinois university with a “Happiness that strives to increase community

field during the third quarter to celebrate their quarter tothe celebrate their football team’ s success. football team's success.

6. Illinois university with a "Happiness Club" that 3. The university of this state was founded in 1740, 47 years before its namehappiness through acts such as freestrives hugs and hot chocolate. to increase community happiness through 3. The university of this state was founded in 1740, sake achieved statehood. acts suchsociety. as free hugs and hot chocolate.

47 years before its namesake achieved statehood.

7. Yale University’s most prestigious senior 7. Yale University's most prestigious senior society. 4. First4.

Firststudent Greek society, studentfounded society,infounded Greek 1776. in 1776.

8. The university of this city has been holding the largest scavenger hunt in the world every year since 1987.

9. Prestigious university attended by Bill Gates, although he did not graduate.

10. University with a Vatican internship program, where students help to manage the Pope’s social media accounts.

12. The University of Michigan at this city has an official “Squirrel Club,” where

5. New York university with a student publication called “Jerk” that promises to “represent the jerk in all of us.”

11. First college to grant degrees to women, in the year 1841.

11. College that holds an annual softball game with one with one inning played for each year that the school has existed: the school was founded in 1866!

14. Famous university initially called Rhode Island College.

members do nothing except feed peanuts to squirrels.

15. University with a “puppy room” devoted to pet therapy to help students

14. Believe it or not, this mollusk is the official mascot of the University of

during finals.

California.

15. New Jersey university that won the first intercollegiate football game against Princeton.

Answers found online at lhsdoi.com

16. Indiana university that offers a business degree in “bowling management.”

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