M i Ja ch Ke cob ael Q v R u Re in R asm igle ite ei u y R r A lly ss Na so ey u H en tal Ch n O es V drey unte Kirs ie Q r t r Ro isto livia asqu Ren Re en R uist ez fro ime ei so bb ph R d Ro n A ins er R icha Nel e H rs N lec ug Ab ill rds lie um in M b a u i Sa Rya k E st R gail ar on R Rich ert b n li ar o o R ga a dS bi Ma Ro es ob ret ch St alzw Stev del ller er M illa Ri el R rd sl ic ev e e T T an ede n S ine ea ade Jo ey ht Sc atum Sa l L aka Ry h R line nat Kat er u a u Am hmi Sc vati cas s A n T ela Ro han heri c n s n d el dga hei M Sa a S imo Ji gin Ro e Sc er L ia S ll G ble ich nde ale thy llian Ma binae rs F c t h i r r A ule nds hm ant Dan l S on ran Rya Ruf thew i e l r c G S yss N y S tt E Sc iel ha a k S n E f E da eth a S icho cho mi hmi Sch ffer bria alib mm mm ly d J e l e S n l a a a S lah ack efe as lz A Sc gal un am a S N nu Si huk Sh Se ldt Sch ma hm l H em ue and icho el a a O e l l t u m i n o n i a o n l t Sk oni Ni kha n C livi rr K da S t Ta ry n B Sch val as ie an cho M am a S els ch ra Sch ar eck a Ad Kyl Tay Mo las iche ero ara ey S rag Sch mid k ri e S lo ni Jo lle n Se c E ne t S an m r S que sep S Sha rb hw mil il E pin So ith oa Si h hep ffe De eig y He llio ozz to M Ma n H mp Silv ley r A vin er a ri an so is D b n t S ry Sta Sc ari jke na n A ru T te S hn ou a Sp So h S Tay lex ti ir gm te k t m l S sta an enk e J Sp eck mm it or Al teven S Pa olk ake ring Ow er h t u ir ck yssa ns Leph l S Ka Stan gate en e t Ca Sto Sto inn nso einh ther ley i k e n Br ther ll D ovi a St Ja aus ne y in a c i m G an e vid h P ne ie S a br Str tou Sto atiel am ff n e e l p e St el r ru ik Disa Sullivan Joseph Sullivan Emily Sun Ethan Sweeney Peter Sweeney Jackson Szabo Nicole Szymczak Lauren Taylor Gregory Tazzioli Stephanie Thomas Annie Thompson Kierstin Thompson Tori Thorns Sara Thunga Julia Thurau Dillon Titus Dylan Torres Rebecca Townsend Jaime Travis Parijat Tripathi Anthony Tubek Lucas Uransel Ethan Urbanski Rosemary Utterback Hadley Van Der Bosch Liam Van Der Bosch Chloe Vance Whitney VanDixhorn Jose Vargas Regina Vela Mesta Brian Vickers Katherine Vittore Natalie Vogel Alexander von Rueden Danielle Vrba Hillary Vrba Kaitlin Vrba Daniel Waehner Grant Wagner
aj Guadalupe Montoya Lily Moore Ryan Moran Paul tih r Ib ple Morgan Robert Mueller Shawna Mular Kenji lly im ek Mulhall Matthew Mulligan Gabriella Munoz Brian Ke K ur in n n m i en m K ja Murphy Elizabeth Murphy Jessica Muskat Emma ur ja lie en ho La Ben ata hl B Nic an Nagle Saleh Nasr Christian Nastoff John Neal i t N o ya r f m Robert Neil Zachary Neir Julia Neiweem Caitlyn Ka Ki erg n K Kra iko zyn r ey uel lenb Sea via a Kr rys aste y Nekich Jessica Nennig Macey Neubauer a c i ffr l e Je Sam no och t Ol Rin uch Lan rtn Mark Neumann Nickolas Neumann Megan an n K k K raf ian a K er Cou sse Newton Laura Niederbrach Taylor Noll Kh daly Jac y K ikor lian and ret e Je ger x u e r b e r u a ti Madalyn Novak Liam OConnell Benjamin M nu els a K ocJ Ale La y L mbe ako ODonnell Monica Oh Lucas Olive Carter K K n r rs ca re e J h na ers ean K e ssi eff L is na Olson Kyle OMalley Sean OMalley Asia Ni mm s D elly ahm i Je ee J dam Lew Han isten a r u K L o ONeal-Smith Daniel Oquendo Jesse Ou Ko Kra roc hia aR ry L an A sten scio r K eres ett o T rr p L en g ri a Alec Ovassapian Jacklyn Ovassapian las y K So er H Le K C L er Ja l o h d d e Danielle Pacholski Justin Page Rudy hl rty Ty ea iet vin h L on ue her tsc As affe i=w in L arr e Le sep aym ll L Ma ane itch Pagud Alessandro Pagura Dolores J H a o L t M k M R n Palmieri Kyra Scout Pan Mallory le ang oo ees oo iu J ng end ya ah os an a Cy ly L an S y L e Br e L Lo K y R ann ark ickm nic Paquin Dante Parra Sahaj Patel w e o i le n in n o M m y H k H i a l r r o Jonathan Patterson Haaji Peace Em Lay e R Le the risti ud Mac cha las rtel- tin M allo line Le ark Ka Ch ph L na ale icho Ma ar M nge n Jeffrey Pearson Brandon Peter Cl Lex zzo ose An y M i N eli el M nez Eva rga ia o N Nihar Phadke Jared Philpott J al il in a ur rti s i Lo ce ye m ed d K La a ew e M ey kMargaret Piazzi Anna Lu cA ec E anfr uar rth to M ath liff aul rac a Pierson Rees Pillizzi Sarah M Mal l M arq Ma ber ll M cAu cC cC on lin o e M M is h u M y Pinon Sarah Pirih JonaPa ell ne n R tch n M on thy dd ug se i a i r l rti nn o A La o h thon Pletz Noah Poliarny De Ma in M oli E Sha Tim uan Mc lin J nna f Julianna Policht Connor v i ar tt ne on cG en gh Ha al M Ma Ca lend ll M aur Lau rro etc yeir Polk Katarina Pong c M t c M cC nNe na L M alva ian Meelot liNicole Poulos Adam i M e en nie ob dr ckch Pozdro Andrew M a cK ha S A Ja i ia stin Price Siobhan r i M ep ez lla er M St end dra etziglian ni M Chr ille y Prince M th M en m ila n M ic aMxi M tso ica mo iKaitlyn Prinz ErM eph Wa ess r Ti y M o - J e Kaylee Qualls s n k Jo ante ller ill tho Mis ll e M n i t M ke r A eter itch rLu ille s P M ode M na dan M ah lu or se No ell s J Je ell erw w od M
Peter Capaccio Connor Caplis Marie Caplis Cynthia Capota Jordan Cardinale Johanna Carmichael Alexander Carter Jessica Cartwright John Cervino Hezekiah Chan Corbin Chartier Jackson Chartier Spencer Chartier Cameron Chen Eunice Choi Michael Cholowicz Natalie Chow Reena Christy Brittany Chung Donna Chung Andrew Clark
Hannah Hartung Owen Hasler Gabrielle Hauser Annika Hawkinson Gabriella Haws Matthew Hay Cameron Hays James He Carl Heard Aaron Hedlund Madison Hedlund Staci Herchenbach Carly Herrmann Jordan Hertzler Adam Hirata Madison Hogan Michael Hogan Tyler Holcomb Colin Horvath Aiden Houcek Alexandra Hryniewicki Andy Huang Jared Huch Keegan Hurley Megan Isberg Ryan Jaeger Julian Janczak Nicholas Janezic Kevin Jarocki Abigail Jeffrey Zachary Jenkins Emily Jenner Jason Ji Anthony Johnson Marleigh Johnson William Johnson Joshua Jones Lauren Rose Jordan McKenzie Jordan Austin Josenhans Noel Joseph Kathryn Kamees Kameron Kaplan
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el et og sh rb on m x ne ke dv al lsh Gu ats illia Ale eli l Lu ark ld l a W a d W n W ard on W n W ren Ma pha idm ego s t i g ly na l el ren anie ne W llis atso We lzen es ne W W liam n K B D ri A W ly e e W li an il so d k e g a t r l il a W W t u e e h a W lst r at rd ae Ca r le q K Wa ich er Pete ico Jac rk M lai lia ro nin b M e lls r N by ma x C s Ju n W ach in W e ne tna id co m to Y a Y W er ar W il lia res tha cc a n W h rey l W il P an be lan ye W ff he W nn m e A go s Je ac ily Wi Sa tes R nan Yri hola R m h E ra Wu Ya Yo ael Nic eng Sa en ily ma ich nt Z as K m m M Za cy rw g E E g e Lu e an y un ok e h Z h isk k Yo Bro anz nna w Z mn llic Z a dre Zie oe u H n y Z A lse las l Zo e ho nie gan K ic a or us N D M pk Zu
MAY 28, 2016 VOLUME 89, ISSUE 9
L Cl ogan Cl aus Cl aw en ar M Ma son Za k S c a ac ss Co K im Ro har ra C en o be y r t Da ina zie Co rt Cla lark C Lu hm Ga Co mel lin usen Con Da ga m Ja rret ok L la E e Si Sa nor De ug Sco so Cr isa liz err mu De ber erd tt D n D usey ndr abe a C el o a o t r a ne Ros y P s E alug lug Pe Co h C llin r e et m r on a a te Na Dor Tim er D ma Co Pete r Cu dov ley a En tha ow oth elis Dav urtn r D zma Sa oc n E Ma y D mo ell ey alu nk bri i F h d r e n s D g o n Fi eld s Jo mu a D rrig Ga Ha aug a Sa Jac a s m n r Fo her an nath ds agin Gr brie rriet erd rah ob lt A A a K D as D E ac ll Fo z An my ndr n Ev yle mi e D e De avi Ele aE l o e e a Be wke dre Flan w F ers llis y D an Noi s B nor Ni nj s G a F ag in Ga W ud Ni a C rad ch am e or an k E rre ill ley col hr le Ga Fuh ola in org dha Ka m tt F iam Er e D ist y m t il i o o e l r s F e Ba lup man Fri reed Fra D hry y Fi iere Eng n D rcy phe rb M P el M m ng oug n F sch ise fer unl Ta r a a a a o e o n l Tr Jos ra G rissa trick atth n M s M las F ley er R Ra Bria avy a c i M sha eph arci Ga Ga ew ax F tthe oste Cam ober hel n a ll F r J G a r w r E er t E de an a -S ap ag ri ie Al llie lyn e G tton tam olo her ello dlan Fra tha on e G e e E B d nz n K T M xan Gol oeb lig A Mi im hom liz enn er ar de db el l ch be a ab et Gr y G r G erg T ex ael r G s G eth t Sa iffi rah ood Isa uck and Ge arl arc n e Jo rah Gr am win bel er G r G ary and ia n G a S G o i Gu atha ree tz A am Ann on ebe esen za le u r G er n n K lis el a l Gu ue rero Gro ell on Gr Gor es a G r e y r i t Er ar er Gi be G re on ski ic d A o M an G rif en a H fi H a le a M br n Ha ag derl x G dele arco iel St ley en ein ush ine ef C A u W an K ol r la Ha al i H yle ette iane k nn ker anc Ha ah H oc ll Ha are k rg er
Jacob Adams Mary Ahern Oluwatoyosi Akinlade Gabriel Alesna Andrew Allen Eric Anderson Haley Anderson Sydney Andeson Sarah Arora Daniel August Nicole Ax Jordan Bach Gary Bang Emma Barina Eric Barth Daniel Barton Collin Bartsch Nicholas Bauer Michael Beck Will Behnke Andrew Benish Charles Berman Amelia Bertaud Ryan Bever Karaline Black Jennifer Blake Queen Blanton John Bloom Vitor Boa Madeline Bollinger Kristina Borowiec Hannah Boufford Brandon Boulger Joshua Bragg Lauren Brennan Sarah Broughton Griffin Bruns Riley Buncic Connor Burke Bridget Burnetti Madeline Burns Darby Burroughs Charles Burrows Jessica Bystol Timothy Calamari Joseph Canning
Hannah Boufford, Editor-in-Chief Maddie Werner, Online Editor Gabby Struik, News Editor Tia Petrzilka, Features Editor Jake Luce, Opinion Editor Josh Bragg, Sports Editor Manal Ahmed, Entertainment Editor Kayla Fiore, Photo Editor Becky DeAcetis, Layout Editor Sara Thunga, Copy Editor Jillian Ruff, Community Service Coordinator Kate Vittore, Staff Fun Director
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact us at doi@lhswildcats.org
Lola Akinlade Brianna Baez Grace Bloom Nathan Campbell Tanner Dorow Alo Garcia-Escobar Max Friedlander Demi Glusic Jenna Grayson Olivia Griffith Abbey Humbert Hannah Hutchins Jack Kosowski Jarrett Malec Mary Kate Mieszala TJ Murbach Sam Nelson Dolores Palmieri Alyssa Stokovich Maria Thames Stephanie Thomas Hadley Van Der Bosch Katie Vrba Carly Wegren Emma Williams Emily Yates
the
Rea der s
Letter to
2015-2016 Staff Listing
Greetings, DOI readers, I’m not sure if many of you are aware, but today is actually the last day of classes for the 2015-2016 school year. Obviously the majority of us are excited for summer, but this has undoubtedly been a great year for Libertyville High School. I want to congratulate the members, coaches, and advisors of each club and sports team here at LHS for their great seasons. In addition, I’d like to congratulate each and every student for making it through the year. Although the end of this school year has been something I have looked forward to since, well, the start of this school year, it is bittersweet. With graduation just over a week away, I have to say goodbye to all of the seniors on the DOI staff who worked alongside me this year. I will miss all of you dearly next year, especially the senior editors. The senior editors, with whom I have worked for the past two or three years, are some of the most exceptional and intelligent people I have ever met. Next year, our online editor, Maddie Werner, will be studying marketing and psychology at Indiana University. Our sports editor, Josh Bragg, will be studying statistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Our news editor, Gabby Struik, will be attending Northwestern University and has yet to decide on a major. And last but certainly not least, our editor-in-chief, Hannah Boufford, will be studying journalism at Indiana University. Northwestern, Indiana, Wisconsin, a great group of schools for an even better group of people. I am the opinion editor for Drops of Ink, and in my (not so) humble opinion, the seniors of DOI are some of the most hard-working, helpful, and kind people with whom I have ever worked. Expect great things from all of them. So to all the freshmen reading this, it wasn’t as bad as you thought it’d be, right? To all the sophomores, good luck next year, you’ll need it. To all the juniors, the toughest part is over (unless you still have to deal with a plethora of AP classes). And finally, to all the seniors out there, congratulations on making it all the way through high school, and good luck to all of you with wherever your life ends up taking you.
Sincerely,
Jake Luce Opinion Editor
Michael Gluskin, Faculty Adviser May 26, 2016
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4 GAIN Academy Chosen as Finalist for XQ Super School Project 7 What’s Trending Staff Superlatives 8-9 Let’s go on a Roadtrip 10-11 12-13 Why Censorship Isn’t Black and White The College List 14-19 20 The Epidemic Facing Your College Campus 21-23 Breaking Libertyville Stereotypes Editorial: School Sugestion Box 24 School-iosis 25 Four Years in a Flash 26-27 28 Not an offensive article Disc-cover Frolfing 30 Top LHS Sport Moments of 2015-16 31-33 A Tale of Two Treaders 34-35 A conceptual idea for a new school designed by D128 and surrounding districts’ students and staff is one of the 70 finalists for the XQ Super School Project.
Spring has sprung! See the trending items that are being purchased in preperation for college.
From Best Dressed to Who is Most Likley to Take Over the World, the staff superlatives cover it all.
Tired of hanging around Libertyville? Why not spice it up this summer and plan a road trip to see the Tower of Baa-goat or hike at Starved Rock?
After Writers Week preformer Ian Belknap caused a stir, students and staff explore the effects that censorship have on our school.
It’s that time of the year again! Check out where this year’s graduating seniors will be attending school next year.
While some colleges lay out safety precautions on their campuses, students should also be responsible for their own well being.
Some seniors are following their own path by going to school internationally, attending a military school, or taking a gap year.
DOI members give suggestions on aspects of our school that should change or could be improved on.
A look at how students’ backpacks are unreasonably heavy due to the weight of unnecessary items inside.
From being a freshman learning how to fit in to being a senior looking back at the last time they will ever have high school experiences, four DOI members give their perspectives of each grade.
When there are two sides to every action, the action needs to be evaluated carefully so it is not too offensive to one group.
Learn about frisbee golf from avid players at LHS and where the best local courses can be found.
After a memorable year of LHS sports, the top moments are evaluated by coaches and players.
Michael Watson and Abby Jeffrey share their paths to becoming water polo players and the experiences that playing for a different time period have brought them.
Cover photo by Kayla Fiore; Design by Hannah Boufford and Becky DeAcetis Contents by Demi Glusic Contents
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GAIN Academy chosen as finalist for XQ Super School Project By Jake Luce
Logo courtesy of Dr. Rita Fischer GAIN Academy hopes to redesign the current high school system, focusing on preparing students for the future through solving real world problems. GAIN Academy, a progressive conceptual school designed by students and staff of District 128 and the other surrounding districts of Grayslake District 127, Leyden District 212, and Maine District 207, has been named one of 70 finalists for the XQ Super School Project, sponsored by Emerson Collective. The XQ Super School Project’s goal is to design a new wave of high schools; these schools will better prepare students for the rapidly changing future of careers and lifestyles. XQ believes the current high school system poorly prepare students for the future because they are stuck in the past. According to the XQ website, most of today’s high schools were designed to train students for the industrial workforce, and despite the evolving job fields available for workers today, the high schools have not changed. XQ is choosing five winning high school concepts to receive $10 million in funding for their creation. As of now, there are 70 concepts left in the running, and GAIN Academy is among them. According to Dr. Rita Fischer, District 128 assistant superintendent and a leader of the GAIN Academy project, the district’s entry to the XQ contest is a school in which students will learn about math, science, English, and social studies, but through real-world application instead of regular classes. Students will have opportunities to work on real-world problems, learning valuable skills in the process. Whereas most high schools today focus on regular classwork, lectures, and homework in order to prepare students for the future, GAIN Academy will prepare students through projects, both short and long term, and focus on local, nationwide, and worldwide problems. Dr. Fischer noted that the concept was partially inspired by a
News
new goal of Stanford University: “to reimagine the college experience as… ‘a mission, rather than a major.’” The goal of GAIN Academy will be for students to discover their own personal mission, a goal which, in the philosophy of XQ, is unattainable with the current high school system. If GAIN is chosen as the winner of the XQ Super School Challenge, the 2016-2017 school year will be used to fully develop implementation. The school would span across nine separate high schools in the four districts involved with the idea’s conception. The first students eligible to participate would be the freshmen class during the 2017-2018 school year (current seventh graders). Dr. Fischer gave three aspects unique to GAIN Academy that could improve their chances of winning over the other 69 schools left in the running. The first is that GAIN is a collaborative effort between four separate districts, spanning across nine high schools. If GAIN is successful in their efforts, the model can be replicated by public school districts spanning across the country. The second is that the students of GAIN will be familiarized with the Global Goals, a project launched by the United Nations to help solve problems currently facing our world such as poverty, hunger and climate change. In order to best prepare students for the future, learning about the different perspectives and possible solutions for the toughest problems facing civilization will be vital. The third and final unique aspect of GAIN, according to Dr. Fischer, is its partnership with the College Board, along with companies and corporations. These connections can help students earn credentials for future education and employment, in addition to aiding the students in the discovery of their personal mission.
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Huntington Learning Center 1832 E. Belvidere Rd. Grayslake, IL 60030
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CHECK OUT THE WEB #ThinkInk DOI Radio: Episode One Explore the story of race in Libertyville, including housing restrictions still present on many properties that most homeowners don’t even know are there. Photo by Hadley Van Der Bosch
Photo courtesy of flickr
“New Music Wing door hours leads to doors staying locked later in the morning” By Hadley Van Der Bosch
“The Appeal of a Decorated Graduation Cap” By Conor Kennedy
By Sara Thunga
Humans of Libertyville http://humansoflibertyville.blogspot.com/
“I started Libertyville High School’s Chapter of Mu Alpha Theta to involve more students in what mathematics truly is: a lens to see the world through. I think so many people see math as an unattainable knowledge that is only for super-geniuses, but in reality, it is a wonderful matrix of connections!”
Emilia Ruzicka, junior, President of LHS Mu Alpha Theta Chapter
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What’s Trending: College Edition By Manal Ahmed
Dorm Decor:
Storage cube unit photo from Wayfair $102.99
Bulletin board photo from Etsy $50.00
over-the-door organizer photo from Froy $69.00
Computer stickers Photo From RedBubble $3.18
Lanyards Photo from Gordmans $5.99
StatioNEry Photo from Anthropologie $15.00
State charm necklace Photo from Etsy $19.00
SPirit WEar:
Spirit Jerseys photo courtesy of kate vittore $39.99
Graduation Gifts:
Bose portable speaker Photo from Best Buy $149.99
All photos used under creative commons license
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STAFF By Alyssa Stokovich and Carly Wegren
Photos edited by Demi Glusic
Photos taken by Kayla Fiore and Carly Wegren
Polaroid and String photos courtesy of Dreamstime via Advaced Google Image
The results of the Staff Superlatives are based upon a poll taken by email by a total of 132 staff members and senior students over the course of ďŹ ve days during this month. *Indicates staff photos combined using Adobe Photoshop. All others were taken together.
e Most Likely to Becom a Billionaire
Most Accident Prone
Michelle Runners U
Mantony
a & Tim
p: Matt T
hompson
David Kreutz
Akers*
& Tiffany
Runners Up:
Owens
Most Likely to Take Over the World
Sherri Brian Voss &
Rukes
Best Dressed
Amy Holtsf
ra*
ndrea La
ord, Andrea Lara & D Runners Up: ennis Duffy* Sherri Ruk
in & A ael Glusk
Mich
es & Kevin O
’Neill
Feature
sford*
& Amy Holt
Runners
8
rina Scott
ins & Ma
Wigg Up: Matt
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SUPERLATIVES Most Likely to be Mistaken as a Student
Best Smile
Best Hair
Suzanne
n*
ffrey Heide
Torrenc e, Dyan Naslund & Greg Runners Loi Up: Scott Schinto ka*
& Je Lisa Davis
: Runners Up yeski Kristen Kuce & rd fo w ra C er h p o st
& Meliss
Chri
a Gorski
Best Hair
Most Likely to be on a Reality TV Show
Class Clown Brian Voss & Amy Wiggins ggins ns Runners Up: Mark Buesing & Christina Dwyer
Andrea
l & Dyan evin O’Neil
Lara &
Jeffrey Runners U Brown p: Scott S chinto & Michelle Mantony a Feature
K
avid Kreutz
:D Runners Up
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Naslund*
& Kathryn
Hyla
Door County, Wisconsin
Weird and Wacky Landmarks To Visit in Illinois: World’s Largest Catsup Bottle
Where: Colinsville How far away: 4 hours and 31 minutes (307 miles) What: A 170-foot tall bottle that represents a Brook’s catsup bottle and used to serve as a water tower. There is also a World’s Largest Catsup Bottle Festival every summer on July 10 in Woodland Park.
Leaning Tower of Niles
Where: Niles How far away: 36 minutes(24.6 miles) What: This tower is a half-size replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was built in 1934 as part of a recreation park for employees of the Ilg Hot Air Electric Ventilating Company of Chicago. Tower of Baa-Goat Where: Windsor How far away: 3 hours 32 minutes (233.7 miles) What: It is a house for goats modeled after the goat houses used in South Africa. The original goat tower was built in Portugal, and this is the only one found in the U.S. Information from www.thrillist.com
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From beaches and islands to parks and geographic formations, there are countless scenic attractions to discover in Door County. It is also a center for art, culture, and history with its numerous art studios, jewelry stores, and museums. Its many restaurants offer fresh and local comfort food. One of the their famous restaurants --Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant and Butik -- features live goats on its grassy roof! How far away: 3 hours and 10 minutes (207.5 miles) Available activities: Water activities (canoeing, kayaking, kiteboarding, paddle boarding, parasailing, scuba diving, and tubing) and scenic state parks that offer hiking, swimming, fishing, camping, golf courses and biking in the Wisconsin wilderness. Information from www.doorcounty.com
Helpful apps:
-“Hotels Tonight”- Last-minute hotel rooms for great discounts “Open Table”- Make reservations for restaurants in the area while stuck in traffic -“Along the Way”- The app searches around your route for cool spots on the way to your destination -“Spotify”- To make your road trip playlist for when you hit the road -“Gas Buddy”- Road trips mean you will have to fill up multiple times, and Gas Buddy helps you track down the cheapest nearby gas stations -“Roadtrippers”- The ultimate road trip planner: find the best diners, scenic spots, attractions, and hotels for your route -“TV Food Maps”- Find and track famous restaurants mentioned on Food Network and travel shows (shows like “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” and “Man vs. Food”)
Drops of Ink
Make this summer the best one yet by exploring the wild and crazy Midwest. Grab a couple of friends, jump in a car, and discover some of these recommended locations that the Midwest has to offer! By Sara Thunga and Gabby Struik Layout by Katie Vrba Graphics by Jillian Ruff
Starved Rock, Illinois
This state park in Oglesby, Illinois, is well-known for its hiking trails as well as its canyons and waterfalls. Dozens of animal species can be spotted at the park, including deer, beavers, badgers, raccoon, eagles, toads, turkeys and many more. How far away: 1 hour and 52 minutes (116 miles) Available activities: The park has more than 13 miles of trails and you can plan your hiking based on skill level. They also have water-related activities, such as kayaking, rafting, and boating. Information from www.starvedrockstatepark.org
Items you may need:
Indianapolis, Indiana
Downtown Indianapolis offers concert venues for popular bands, museum exhibits, and unique restaurants and shops. Along with the city, there are outdoor areas, such as parks and beaches along Eagle Creek Reservoir. How far away: 3 hours and 27 minutes (225.8 miles) Available activities: Indianapolis Zoo, Go Ape Treetop Adventure (zip lining), White River State Park, Freedom Springs Aquatic Park, Eagle Creek Park and Marina (swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and boating are available) Information from www.visitindy.com
-First aid kit -Sunscreen -Camera Water -Snacks/food (non-perishables such as -Hygiene bag with deodorant, towelettes, pretzels, chips, granola bars, dried fruit and and dry shampoo (you may not have a showtrail mix) er available every single night) -Mosquito spray -Cooler (for leftovers and water) -Sunglasses -Garbage bags -Hand sanitizer -Roadside emergency kit (can be found on -Auto essentials (spare tire, motor oil, etc.) Amazon.com) -Sleeping gear (If you wish to camp outside) Information from www.ebay.com -Portable charger -GPS -Blankets and pillows for the car
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Why Censorship is not Black and WhitE By Alo Garcia Escobar Layout by Jillian Ruff Photos by Kayla Fiore
made the claim that skin was better than bone, and in the course of the essay, Belknap asked the audience to imagine pornography, talked about sex without flesh, and mentioned a boner. The reception in the auditorium was described as generally positive by Naslund — although who could be surprised? When an adult delivers an energetic performance laced with explitives and references to sex, it’s hard to bore a crowd of students.
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If I had started this article with, let’s say, the f-word, followed by more explicit language and detailed imagery describing what can only be described as graphic and subversive, then two things would have occurred. First, you would all immediately read the rest of the story because what the hell is DOI doing parading around swear words in an article? Second, and more importantly, the magazine would be taken out of circulation and I would face the consequences. This is a classic scenario of censorship. Censorship, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, is the suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive or politically incorrect. This brings us to Writers Week. Disclaimer: It’s imperative to note that Writers Week is not about one person, nor is it about one piece of writing. There is an obligation to recognize all and every single individual who had the courage to share their own words, and, in that process of sharing, made us laugh, feel vulnerable, and, yes, forced us to self-reflect.
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“Students were laughing, people were applauding, there was a lot of energy in the auditorium, but the unfortunate thing is that there were students clearly in the auditorium, and adults, who were offended and very upset,” stated Naslund. It was after the second essay that Mr. Craig Schmidt, another main organizer of Writers Week, talked to Belknap. The conversation was quick and to the point. Mr. Schmidt told Belknap that he could not read those stories and would not be allowed to read any more profanity or sexually graphic material. Naslund reported that Belknap agreed right away. After that encounter, Dr. Marina Scott (principal of LHS) and Mr. Paul Reiff (supervisor of the English department), also spoke to Belknap, unaware that Belknap had already been spoken to by Mr. Schmidt. That conversation was more of the same, where Belknap was asked not to include the points of controversy sprinkled throughout his essays. Again, he agreed. Mr. Belknap read two other essays for the duration of his day at Writers Week. One was about a middle school fight he had, and the other was about the last time he saw his dad. Both essays received praise, according to Naslund. That’s the synopsis of what happened, but the conversation since then has expanded into a contentious debate, questioning the decision to effectively censor Belknap and challenging the role of censorship in schools. Students have protested the response to Belknap, asserting that censorship has no place in a learning environment, especially when students are taught the dangers of censorship (for example, through reading Fahrenheit 451 and history lessons on authoritarian leaders).
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However, it would be a disservice to Libertyville students and staff to ignore the obvious debacle regarding the reaction that Ian Belknap, founder of Write Club, elicited. Here’s the backdrop, as paraphrased by Ms. Dyan Naslund, one of the main organizers of Writers Week. Belknap was invited as a speaker to perform in Writers Week. Ahead of his arrival at the school, the Writers Week committee preread and approved the sample essays he had submitted, as the committee does for all invited who present their work. Among these samples submitted were not any that resembled the content read during second period on Wednesday, March 30. “As I told the teachers I spoke with, and your principal, my goal was to reconcile my own artistic goals with the aims of the school and Writers Week,” remarked Belknap. In his first essay, Belknap pitted Santa vs. Jesus. While the essay was meant to be interpreted as clearly satirical, that insinuation didn’t completely carry over to the crowd. In the process of bashing Jesus and making the case for Santa Claus, Naslund stated that Belnap said Jesus was a dick; that Jesus probably had ass play with little boys like most Catholic priests; that when Jesus was dying, he called out to God and asked Him to forgive the people because they were basically retarded. Not to mention, Belknap used explicit language, such as “ass,” “shit” and “fuck.” And then came the second essay. Titled “Skin,” the essay
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In fact, Belknap noted the wave of student support, stating that he had corresponded with many LHS students who voiced their support for the author’s right to speak freely. “While I have found aspects of this episode troubling, I have found the response of students to be incredibly impres-
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court held that lewd or profane language were not guaranteed in a school setting under the protection of the First Amendment. The court contended that “the undoubted freedom to advocate unpopular and controversial views in schools and classrooms must be balanced against the society’s countervailing interest in teaching students the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior.” In short, students’ rights in schools were placed under the custody of adults, and it was up to their discretion what constituted the gray area in between taboo and permissible. The question here is whether the right decision was made in asking Belknap to not read the essays that provoked such uproar. Whatever divergent conclusions arise, it’s not justifiable to dumb down the issue and minimize the legitimate arguments that both sides have to offer. Yes, the word “censorship” carries an authoritarian, oppressive, and anti-democratic ring to it; however, to have that connotation stymie any further discussion of the role and appropriateness of censorship is just as oppressive to freedom of speech as unregulated censorship. “Yes, I think it was censorship, but I think it was appropriate censorship for the school environment, within the parameters of the law and within the parameters of what we think is acceptable for 14/15-year-old kids to not be confronted with,” commented Naslund. Dr. Scott also voiced her opinion on the issue. While she was not present during the initial reading, she had been briefed on the content of the essays read and spoke with Belknap, asking him to not read those essays. From her view, she contended that the role of school was to expose students to different things, but to do so in a way that is compatible with keeping students safe. “I have students in [the auditorium] who didn’t choose to come; their teachers brought them, and they’re expecting to hear things that are appropriate for school. It would be different if it was an after school thing and you made your choice to come,” said Dr. Scott. “In the end, if I have to be critiqued for censorship, I would err on making kids feel emotionally safe here.”
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sive. I have had a number of email exchanges in the aftermath of my reading, I have found the students - even where they disagree strongly with the content on my essays and my means of expressing myself - to have exhibited a degree of open-mindedness and tolerance that has been largely lacking in my communications with adults in your community.” As far as the content of the essays, it wouldn’t be farfetched to label it as vulgar. Now, humor in vulgarity and the distinction between the two is a separate topic, but the perceived, unabashed use of black comedy struck a nerve in some individuals. Others, however, didn’t mind the language. “Personally, I wasn’t offended by either — I think the second speech was slightly graphic for school purposes, but I thought it was funny; it was the most entertained I was all week,” commented Sarah McLennan, a junior who was present at the event. However, she later acknowledged that she agreed with the decision made by the school, as it potentially offended other individuals in the audience.
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“I think it’s totally fine that people feel offended... I don’t think people should feel that attacked when they come into school because it’s supposed to be a place where you feel safe,” McLennan said. So, do students have a right not to be offended? That issue has been raging for the last few years, being particularly prolific around college campuses. Regardless, higher education is a place where young adults are encouraged to explore and embrace diversity, expose themselves to the new and the thrilling, and confront the hard truths that shadow American society. Some argue that young minds in the process of growing, developing, and learning should be exposed to grown-up topics — sophisticated entities like religion and sex. However, the point was brought up by Ms. Naslund that high school is not just a learning environment for seniors; young freshmen also belong to the student body, and, at 14 years old, it may be hard to face some of the topics or hear some of the words present in Belknap’s essays. To that, Ms. Naslund commented that students could feel personally attacked. Take, for instance, a moment — one moment in which the word “retarded” has been thrown out — which in conjunction with the rest of the essay, causes an uproar of laughter. Now imagine you are a student with a disability. Take, for instance, a moment — one moment in which a joke about Catholic priests molesting children catalyzes a ripple in laughter and gasps from the crowd. Now imagine you’ve been a victim of sexual abuse. However, that line of thinking was sharply rebutted by Belknap. “With regard to my use of language, I feel that there was an impulse toward overprotection on the part of LHS staff that was frankly a little ridiculous,” stated Mr. Belknap. “Any student who attends R-rated movies, has a gaming console, reads stuff on the web, or engages in conversation will have encountered every one of the words I used in a couple of my essays hundreds of times.” Through a legal lens, while speech is free, no right is absolute. Limitations exists that forbid the excessive use of lewd or profane language in the school environment. In a 1986 Supreme Court decision, Bethel School District v. Fraser, the
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The college list Alabama
University of San Diego Mara Dragin Brian Murphy
Auburn University Emma Yonan The University of Alabama Cameron Hays Jeffrey Pearson Emma Nagle Hunter Reimers Kelsey Ziemnisky
Arizona
Arizona State University Jessica Bystol The University of Arizona Kathryn Kamees
California California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Jessica Miller Jeffrey Widmark Otis College of Art and Design Katharine Ward Pepperdine University Luke Whartnaby San Diego State University Vitor Boa University of California, Berkeley Jason Ji Jesse Ou Elliot Stahnke Andrew Zhang University of California Davis Brittany Chung University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Cameron Chen University of California Santa Barbara Jacqueline Widmark University of Redlands Olivia Serb
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University of Southern California Oluwatoyosi Akinlade
Colorado
Colorado Mesa University Dylan Torres Colorado School of Mines Timothy McCracken Colorado State University Benjamin O’Donnell Kaitlyn Prinz Ethan Sweeney Natalie Vogel University of Colorado Boulder Madeline Burns Patrick Gallagher Emily Malecha Christina Miller Jessica Nennig Nicholas Silvis Lauren Taylor Carly Wegren Rachel Wilcox University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Justin Page William Weber University of Denver Maximilian Michelotti Nina Reiter
Florida
Florida State University Tara Schneider
Illinois American Academy of Art Megan Wiegold
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Augustana College John Cervino Sara Clark Scott Daluga Matthew Friello Aurora University Emma Davellis Bradley University Nicholas Bauer Jason Daluga Peter Daluga Matthew Franz Megan Isberg Nicholas Janezic College of Lake County Andrew Allen Haley Anderson Eric Barth Queen Blanton Griffin Bruns Charles Burrows Nadia Carabello Jessica Cartwright Spencer Chartier Massimo Comella Lisandro Cordova Jacob Dahmm Peter Delismon Kyle Ellis Joseph Gattone Mary Graham Griffin Gratz Alison Green Ariane Hagen Carl Heard Adam Hirata Andy Huang Zachary Jenkins Clark Leone Joseph Locascio Kendall Lueder Delaney Marth Roberto Martinez Paul Morgan Shawna Mular John Neal Zachary Neir Asia O’Neal-Smith Rudy Pagud Dante Parra Jonathan Pletz Haaji Peace Jonathon Patterson
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BY Hannah Boufford and Becky DeAcetis
Northern Illinois University Kevin Jarocki Shannon McCauley Northwestern University Samuel Kim Riley Lees Katherine Liu Gabrielle Struik Olivet Nazarene University Ethan Fowkes Barak Schmidgall
Teah Ruelas Linnea Stine Gregory Tazzioli Tori Thorns Rosemary Utterback Whitney VanDixhorn Jose Vargas Columbia College Chicago Bennett Fuhrman DePaul University Daniel August Kameron Kaplan Nicholas Kraus Jessica Muskat Daniel Oquendo Kyra Pan Brooke Zant
Robert Morris University Illinois Bryan Strampel
Illinois Institute of Technology Donna Chung Illinois State University Kristina Borowiec Sarah DaLuga Michael Geary Anna Gorski Jonathan Groebe Emily Jenner Mitchell Marquard Megan Newton Julianna Policht Olivia Richardson Nicole Szymczak Anthony Tubek Regina Vela Illinois Wesleyan University Madeline Bollinger Madeleine Guiard Hannah Hartung Morgan McCane Knox College Soo-Jin Lea Abigail Robillard Lake Forest College Aiden Houcek Anthony Johnson McKenzie Jordan Ibtihaj Khan Michael Schaffer Lincoln College Keegan Hurley Loyola University Chicago Mary Ahern Connor Caplis Reena Christy George Frangos Elizabeth Gallup Alexandra Hryniewicki Monique Simpson Kierstin Thompson Allison Watson Michael Watson
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Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Alexander Giesen Courtney Layman Sahaj Patel Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville Nicholas Zanze University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Charles Berman Amelia Bertaud Bridget Burnetti Timothy Calamari Natalie Chow Andrew Fink Nicholas Friel Marissa Garapolo Tucker Goebeler Kelly Griffin Madison Hedlund Michael Hogan Ryan Jaeger Sean Kohl Emily Langtiw Jeffrey Lee Adam Lemberger Hannah Manetsch Adrian Metcalf Timothy Miller Jesse Moderwell Ryan Moran Elizabeth Murphy Kyle O’Malley Sean O’Malley Jacklyn Ovassapian Margaret Piazzi Sarah Pirih Katarina Pong Madeline Rogin Cameron Shaffer Hannah Smith Maria Speck Henry Steenkolk David Stone Peter Sweeney Brian Vickers Nicolette Westphal Claire Williams Emily Yates Lucy Zeng Daniel Zou
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University of Illinois at Chicago Joseph Sullivan Gurbet Wardak Western Illinois University Matthew Hay Frank Saliba
Indiana Ball State University Sydney Anderson Rina Krikorian Sophia Lahmers Harriet Legan Siobhan Prince Butler University Eric Anderson Gary Bang Will Behnke Harriet Davies Nathan Edmunds Margaret Risley Ethan Urbanski Indiana University, Bloomington Jordan Bach Hannah Boufford Connor Burke Sierra Collin Kimber Garland James He Noel Joseph Juliana Kucharyszyn Kristen Luce Evangeline Mattioli Christian Nastoff Danielle Pacholski Anna Pierson Michael Quigley Nellie Richardson Rachel Richter Henry Schmidt Devin Seth Katherine Stegman Chloe Vance Kaitlin Vrba Madeline Werner Indiana Universty-Purdue University Indianapolis Jessica Lauret Indiana Wesleyan University Grace Doan Purdue University Eunice Choi Nicole Dorcy Robert Fisher Max Friedlander Samuel Graton Nicholas Markos Julia Neiweem
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Brandon Peter Eli Roller Kelsey Schweiger Catherine Stouffer Hillary Vrba
Kentucky
University of Notre Dame Connor Polk
University of Kentucky Jacob Chatfield Andrew Clark Staci Herchenbach Christopher Rill Western Kentucky University Mallory Paquin Nicholas Schurr
Iowa Drake University Deanna Krikorian Kelly Kroc
Maryland
Iowa State University Daniel Barton Ashley Kroc Tyler LaRoi Jarrett Malec Lauren McLaughlin Luke Miller Emily Schuler Dillon Titus
Johns Hopkins University William Engfer
Kirkwood Community College Jake Stanley Loras College Liam O’Connell
Massachusetts Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Hannah Loizzo
The University of Iowa Collin Bartsch Emily Fischer Colette Haley Kyle Hall Colin Horvath Brooke Levin Erin McAuliffe Jordan Mitchell Saleh Nasr Nickolas Neumann Alec Ovassapian Katherine Robbins Nicholas Salzwedel Lindsey Scholz Taylor Sloan Stephanie Thomas Jaime Travis Parijat Tripathi Katherine Vittore Daniel Walsh
Northeastern University Alex Gushulak Addison McKenna Tufts University Jamie Stevens University of Massachusetts, Amherst Madalyn Novak
Michigan
University of Northern Iowa Nia McClendon
Kansas
Grand Valley State University Marijke Sommer Hillsdale College Laura Niederbrach Hope College Jesse Lee Emily Schmitt Grant Wagner Kettering University Connor Clausen Lawrence Technological University Alessandro Pagura Michigan State University Emily Dudley Kathryn Foley Nell McGuan
University of Kansas Riley Buncic Taylor Noll Carter Olson Timothy Ryan
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Northern Michigan University Jacob Adams Tatum Scheibler Patrick Stoll University of Michigan Jacob Rasmussen Rebecca Yin Western Michigan University Jennifer Blake
Minnesota
Carleton College Ken Wu St. Olaf College Disa Sullivan Univesity of Minnesota, Twin Cities Gabriel Alesna Darby Burroughs Hezekiah Chan Gabrielle DeNoia Gabriella Haws Caitlyn Nekich Sarah Pinon Samuel Scheck Amanda Schrag Abdallah Shaikha Taylor Skie Jackson Szabo Alexander Von Rueden University of St. Thomas Olivia Kraft
Mississippi University of Mississippi Jack Koch Christian Long
Missouri
Missouri University of Science and Technology Jordan Hertzler Saint Louis University Anna Mackey Druti Shukla University of Missouri, Columbia Johanna Carmichael Tanner Dorow Gabrielle Hauser Dolores Palmieri Nicole Poulos Michael Yrigoyen Washington University in St. Louis Owen Hasler
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Montana
North Carolina
The University of Montana, Missoula Jack Meyer Alyssa Stokovich
Nebraska Creighton University Garrett Feiereisel University of Nebraska-Lincoln Garret Crusey Hannah Mendralla Steven Sakas Daniel Scheunemann
New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Lauren Kelly
New Jersey
Asheville–Buncombe Technical Community College Nina Knuti Duke University Cameron Foltz High Point University Logan Clark Hannah Harger Samantha Yachnin
North Dakota North Dakota State College of Science Lucas Uransel
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University Stephanie McLaughlin University of Pittsburgh Sarah Broughton Lauren Jordan Jack Seton Washington and Jefferson College Benjamin Freedman
Rowan University Jeffrey Kaya
New Mexico Eastern New Mexico University Marleigh Johnson
New york Cornell University Eleanor Daugerdas Kelly Waldvogel Fashion Institute of Technology Madison Hogan Rochester Institute of Technology Walker Hare University of Rochester Kenji Mulhall University of New york Sara Thunga
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Ohio Bowling Green State University Rachel Feldman Case Western Reserve University Monica Oh Cleveland State University Andrew Price Denison University Jordan Cardinale Julian Janczak Hobart Institute of Welding Technology Michael Beck Kent State University Morgan Zupkus Miami University, Oxford Lauren Brennan Elizabeth Conley MacKenzie Cook Amy Flanagan Abigail Jeffrey Benjamin Kimpler Macey Neubauer
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The Ohio State University Rebecca Townsend Ohio University Courtney Daugerdas Madalyn Knollenberg The University of Akron Emmanuel Sabbi University of Cincinnati Carly Herrmann Adam Pozdro University of Cincinnati Blue Ash / Clermont College Stefani Hancock University of Dayton Alexander Carter Bradley Deberry Jonathan Evers Ryan Maher Kevin Reilly Madeleine Ryan Wittenberg University Noah Moderwell Xavier University Kelsey Kraft Peter Misko Owen Spinozza
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City University Anthony Milunas University of Oklahoma Paul Steinhaus
Oregon Central Oregon Community College Andrew Benish University of Oregon Laurel Martin
Rhode Island
Providence College Matthew Mulligan
South Carolina Clemson University Hannah Zerwas University of South Carolina Emma Barina
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Washington DC
Tennessee
Belmont University Madelyn Goebel Alyssa Seefeldt
American University Sarah Green Hadley Van Der Bosch
Lipscomb University Mark Neumann University of Memphis Lily Moore University of Tennessee, Knoxville Erin Dunleavy Jillian Ruff
West Virginia West Virginia University Peter Capaccio
Wisconsin
Texas Baylor University John Bloom Southern Methodist University Ana Sale Texas Christian University Robert Neil Annie Thompson University of Dallas Daniel Waehner
Utah Brigham Young University Samuel Clawson Jared Huch Jakob Lex Brayden Monson Tristan Stephenson Dixie State University Joseph Ludlow
Virginia James Madison University Brian Enochs Southern Virginia University Kyle Smith University of Virginia Emily Williams
Washington Seattle Pacific University Annika Hawkinson University of Washington Emily Sun
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Carthage College Joseph Milani Mia Militante-Watson Kirsten Reid
Franklin University Switzerland; Lugano, Switzerland Gabriella Munoz University of British Columbia; VanCouver, British columbia, Canada Rees Pillizzi King’s College London; London, England Emma Ryan Waseda University School of International Liberal Studies; Japan Alex Wells
Employed Daisy Cervantes Michael Cholowicz Jose Mendez Sobalvarro
Gap year
2016-2017
Marquette University Karaline Black Zachary Clausen Kristen Lewis Natalie Quist Audrey Renfroe Alex Simonian Julia Wilson Milwaukee School of Engineering Brandon Boulger Raymond Lor St. Norbert College Nicole Axe University of Wisconsin-Madison Sarah Arora Joshua Bragg Amelia Schmitt Julia Thurau Danielle Vrba Preston Wrolstad Nicholas Zoellick University of Wisconsin-Parkside Joseph Canning Gabriana Sandoval
Cynthia Capota Barbara Garcia-Stam Henry Lee Liam Van Der Bosch Ryan Bever Monica Martin Alana Young Sarah Winn Jared Philpott
Career Education Universal Technical Institute Jackson Chartier
Military
Coast Guard maritime Law Enforcement Aaron Hedlund United States Military Academy Army William Johnson Paul Manfredini University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Marines Robert Cline Josh Jones University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Navy Nuclear Kaeli Martel-Hickman Matthew Roleck Stevan Savatic Scout Springgate
International
Transition Program Alexander Lancaster
San Pedro College; Davao City, Philippines Trisha Gelig McGill University; Quebec, Canada Eric Metzgar
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senior statistics
seniors after graduation
Students by State
**
The information in “The College List� is all self-reported by students to the College Resource Center through Naviance. Drops of Ink worked closely with the CRC in order to provide the most accurate information possible to our readers. Feature
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The Epidemic Facing Your College Campus By Maddie Werner Soon-to-be college freshmen worry about balancing their social life with school, getting along with their roommate, not gaining the freshman 15, and...whether or not they will be a victim of sexual assault. According to the Department of Justice, sexual assault is “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are activities such as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.” When visiting your future campus, the tour guide most likely talked about the campus’s safety measures, 911 emergency stations, 24/7 light posts and more. However, they probably didn’t warn you about your fellow classmates. The attackers on college campuses are becoming less and less predictable. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), 90 percent of victims knew the person who attacked them, meaning the stranger in a dark alley could be much less dangerous than the cute boy who lives down the hall. Many students tell themselves that they are smart, would never walk home alone, would never accept a drink from a stranger, and would never get in the car with someone they don’t know. However, many become powerless when under the influence of alcohol or drugs: Over half of sexual assaults committed against college students involve alcohol, ac-
cording to researchers at Wayne State University. Intoxication can make individuals more vulnerable to assaults by impairing their judgment or limiting their ability to defend themselves. On the other hand, men and women who are not over-intoxicated can be victims of sexual assault as well. On the other hand, men and women who are not over-intoxicated can be victims of sexual assault as well. The unfortunate problem with this is people begin to ask: “What were you wearing?” or “Were you flirting with him?” The problem with questions like these is that they lead the victims to thinking it was their fault and this ultimately leads to a lower reporting rate of rape in the future: the American Civil Liberties Union estimates that 95 percent of U.S. campus rapes go unreported. The statistics are frightening...so, how can you avoid being a victim? A report by the National Institute of Justice reveals that self-protection actions such as weaponless attacking, running, hiding, getting help, or struggling seem to decrease the risk of rape completion by 80 percent. Many colleges offer courses in basic self-defense. Also, District 128 is holding self-defense courses for adult teens, families, women, and girls at the district office in Vernon Hills on June 13 and July 20.
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Iowa State University
Purdue University
University of Minnesota
University of Missouri
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Michigan
Percentage of undergraduate women who were victims of sexual violence
TIPS FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN:
The graph results were drawn from a survey conducted by The Association of American Universities of more than 150,000 students. The selected colleges displayed represent six of the 27 universities polled.
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1. Don’t leave a drink unattended and always be aware of sudden changes in the way your body feels: trust your gut. 2. Share your plans for the night with someone you trust. 3.Create a code word to tell your friends if you feel you might be in trouble. 4. Remember it is OK to lie---You are never obligated to remain in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, scared, or threatened.
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BREAKING LIBERTYVILLE STEREOTYPES By Emily Yates, Maddie Werner and Hadley Van Der Bosch Layout by Emily Yates Photos by Hadley Van Der Bosch
Monica Martin By Emily Yates Like most high school seniors, Monica Martin didn’t know exactly where she wanted to go to college and what she wanted to do with her life, so instead, she decided to take her parents’ suggestion and pursue a gap year experience in Cologne, Germany. “For some people [a gap year is] going to be finding out exactly what they want to do, taking opportunities, and for other people, they just need some time off,” said Martin. Martin will be staying with her oma, a German word for grandma, while completing a sixth month internship as a preschool teacher. From there, her options are endless. She could stay in Europe to complete her schooling or return home to America. She plans on receiving a higher education, and perhaps even joining the Peace Corps. Martin hopes to mature over the next year while taking on many new responsibilities and finding her passions.
Gabi MuNOZ By Hadley Van Der Bosch Since she was a child, senior Gabi Muñoz knew she wanted to spend her college years abroad. Although she applied to many domestic schools mainly located on the west coast, Muñoz has been thinking about Europe since she was in 6th grade. “The first school I had my mind set on was Oxford,” stated Muñoz. “But then once I finally started looking into schools, I found Franklin and thought it would be a better fit.” Although not entirely sure, Muñoz intends on majoring in Environmental Studies with a double minor in Social Justice and Sustainability and Psychology while at Franklin University Switzerland. While she applied to many schools both domestically and abroad, Muñoz stated that the process was relatively simple, noting that although Franklin is a school abroad, it is both American- and Swiss-accredited, meaning it awards the same credits as schools in the United States. While weighing her options for schools, Muñoz feels that one of the most compelling factors of Franklin is its emphasis on a global society, which places focus on relationships between countries, and travel. “Each semester a group of 20 to 30 kids goes to another country and they spend about two weeks there just learning about something that correlates to their studies,” mentioned Muñoz. “I’ve always wanted to travel, so I thought, why not start now?”
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Barbara Garcia-Stam By Maddie Werner Spanish-speaking senior Barbara Garcia-Stam decided to take her aunt’s advice to spend a year in Madrid, Spain beginning this fall. Garcia-Stam will embark on an adventure to live with family, become more proficient in Spanish, help tutor her younger cousins in English, and travel around Europe. Garcia-Stam plans to live with her grandma and take a course at a university in Madrid to receive her Spanish proficiency diploma so that she can attend school there if she wishes to. Despite her proficiency in terms of speaking and reading, she needs polishing in terms of writing and the grammar to be able to write essays for school. She plans to live in Madrid for a year, and, if it goes well, she wants to stay there and study special education, as well as get a job. If not, she would attend either Montana State University or Illinois State University. While Garcia-Stam is nervous about meeting people her age because the school offers the Spanish proficiency diploma to all ages, she reflected: “I thought about it a lot and there’s no other time I can do this.”
Ryan Bever By Emily Yates Senior Ryan Bever chose to forgo his U.S. college alternatives, including Indiana University and the University of Illinois, two of the typical colleges his peers choose to attend, in pursuit of an international dream. Bever will begin his journey abroad in Bonn, Germany, where he will be participating in an extremely competitive one-year language training program. He will be taking classes, living with a German family, and completing internships in preparation for a career in international business. “I believe that the only way to perfect a language is to go to the country itself and learn it,” said Bever. The application process was intensive, and he was selected as one of 25 Americans after 10 essays, three teacher recommendations, and an interview. After this one-year program, Bever hopes to attend Calvin University in Holland. “Everyone that I’ve heard from that has taken a gap year said it was the best year of their life, so I thought I might as well. You’re only 18 or 19 once,” explained Bever.
Rees PilizzI By Maddie Werner Taking advantage of his Canadian dual citizenship, senior Rees Pillizzi is heading to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (UBC) this fall. He got the idea to attend a Canadian university after reconnecting with an old family friend who was also planning to do the same. He instantly fell in love with UBC’s beautiful campus after visiting his junior year. Pillizzi applied to three or four schools in Canada and none in America: “The application process wasn’t much different from here in the States. The only difference was in response time because I applied in October and didn’t hear back until March.” Pillizzi plans to study science and business, and while he did not choose the university solely because of its lower cost, he feels it’s an amazing bonus to this top university. UBC costs approximately $15,000 a year including tuition and room and board.
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Cynthia Capota By Hadley Van Der Bosch Although senior Cynthia Capota was originally admitted to the University of Minnesota for the fall of 2016, after weighing all of her options, she decided to take a gap year and move to Minneapolis, the city where the university is located. Capota plans to volunteer around the city and sees this as a way to gain career experience and build a resume. In addition, by moving there, she will be able to gain residency and receive in-state tuition. “It made the most financial sense,” explained Capota. “And I have a lot of AP credit, so I’ll still graduate within four years.” With future aspirations to be a part of the Peace Corps, Capota believes it works perfectly with her ultimate career plan. “I want to get a lot of volunteering done so that I can get an introduction to a public service career in which I’ll be giving up a lot of myself in order to help others.”
AARON HEDlund By Maddie Werner This fall, senior Aaron Hedlund will head to an eight-week boot camp held in New Jersey in preparation for enlistment in the United States Coast Guard. Hedlund didn’t always know he wanted to go into the military: “It’s kind of a recent thing because they have a connection with homeland security now, so it’ll get me experience in the law enforcement area.” Hedlund hopes to begin college and get his associate’s degree and then finish his bachelor’s degree so he can land a career in either maritime enforcement (consisting of boarding ships and catching smugglers) or federal law enforcement. Hedlund is currently undergoing an extensive and costly background check because of the Coast Guard’s ties with homeland security and law enforcement. While he doesn’t know if he will be able to easily pick his destination after boot camp, Hedlund would like to go to the Florida area because “there’d [be] a lot be smuggling problems there,” he said.
Paul ManfredinI And Will Johnson By Emily Yates, Reporting by Manal Ahmed and Alo Garcia Escobar
Paul Manfredini and Will Johnson will be attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, one of the most selective service academies in the nation. “I really want to be a leader and an officer in the military and I know that there are many different routes and other candidate schools, but West Point is known for developing leaders,” Johnson said. Both Manfredini and Johnson had to complete an intensive application process that included a traditional college application, including standardized test scores as well as a candidate questionnaire during their junior year and a nomination from a congressman. They were also required to complete a Candidate Fitness Assessment and a medical exam. This will not be Johnson’s first experience at military school, as he actually completed his freshman year of high school at St. John’s Northwestern Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin, where he first learned about West Point and what it has to offer. Manfredini has chosen to focus on a program specialized for the Air Force, while Johnson hopes to pursue more land-based military service. Although graduates of West Point are obligated to complete five years of active service duty, Manfredini plans to serve for much longer than that. “It’s my turn to do something. We’re very lucky with our privileged lives here. I just want to help out,” Manfredini said.
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Schooliosis By Kate Vittore
Schooliosis: both the physical and mental weight of schoolwork and stress Oh, Libertyville High School. As four years come to a close, I reminisce about all the things that I’ll be missing as I make my exit. The sound of my alarm blaring in my ear at 5:45 a.m., my classmates and their incessant gossip, class Facebook page debates, and more than anything, my backpack. My backpack and I have been together since I was dropped off at the front entrance of the school in August of 2012. At this point in its life, the fabric on the shoulder straps is withering away after being hoisted onto my back countless times for the past four years. Two zippers now fail to close completely, and God only knows what’s been trapped in the front compartment since freshman year. I’ll miss everything about it, especially its weight. Somehow, my backpack has only gotten heavier over the years. Or at least, it seems like it. Probably full of all the knowledge I’ve gained. I’d like to say I never suffered from Freshman Backpack Syndrome, or Schooliosis as I’d call it, but I’m sure past grads who saw me in the halls would say otherwise. You can picture it, right? Carrying a hundred pounds of anxiety and academic frustration, weaving through the hallways to reach the next class... and that’s just the backpack. The student attached is scampering while trying to balance the equivalent of a human body on their back. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for academics. We come to class, we listen to the teachers, and we take home assignments that further enforce what we learn. But do we need to be exhausting the printers of LHS with all this extra paper? Do we need to be exhausting our bodies by shoveling in more and more worksheets and packets and syllabi? If only there were some way we could take all of this information and digitalize it. Instead
Opinion
Photo by Maria Thames
of adding all this weight with paper that only stacks upon itself after time, we could be putting all of our work into something portable. A computer? Wait. We have those now! At the beginning of the year, we were all gifted with our beloved Chromebooks. You heard every teacher reassure you, “your backpack will definitely be lighter now! Less paper.” Unfortunately, the Chromebooks have only added weight along with paper. Paper that explains how to be implementing your Chromebook into assignments. “Here’s a sheet explaining how you should be using your computer for an electronic assignment.” Ironic? After a few months of Crossfit, I have successfully worked my way up to benching half of what my backpack weighs. Something most of the strongest people in my class probably can’t even do without their arms going to jelly. Benching the full weight is unthinkable… something the pros probably can’t even imagine. Although I’ve noticed some intense shoulder pain since I arrived at LHS, it can only be from getting older, I suppose. I actually found a workout online called the “heavy backpack challenge.” The task is to add a little bit of weight every so often. Stress, responsibility, and of course schoolwork, textbooks, and binders add up, and thus, you have enough weight to make it difficult to carry it around. Eventually, you’ll probably get so tired of carrying it around that you start ditching some of it just to give yourself a break. Kind of sounds like high school, doesn’t it? Schooliosis affects us all. Freshman to senior, athlete to actor, and every student in between. The next time you hoist your backpack up to walk to class, think about it this way: we can save trees. We can save space. And we can save our spines. If we just lighten up on our backs.
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Drops of Ink
Four In A Sophomore
Freshman
By Hannah Hutchins
By Brianna Baez
As someone who went to a very small middle school, it’s safe to say that attending LHS meant that there were going to be some big changes in my daily life. Middle school did a sufficient job of preparing me academically for high school. But what failed to cross the minds of the middle school’s staff was the social pressure that came with the many privileges of entering 9th grade. At the beginning of the year, it took some time to get used to not knowing the faces I passed in the hallway. It was a little intimidating to see so many kids in the same building. To me at least, it seemed like everyone had already formed their own friend groups and cliques. A little word of advice to anyone who feels this way: you’re not alone. I know it may seem cliche, but this year I’ve met some wonderful people who really helped me settle in. The teachers were significantly different from the ones in middle school. Repeatedly, I would hear “high school will be 10 times harder” and “once you enter high school, you won’t get away with this.” I had to teach myself to relax. The teachers here want to work with you and help you understand the curriculum. I learned that middle school teachers make high school seem like it’s going to be the toughest four years of your life. Putting the social and academic pressures aside and learning how to tackle the hallways of LHS was something every freshman eventually needed to learn how to do. I specifically remember walking into the wrong classrooms, asking teachers for help, and constantly being late for class. Thank you teachers for pardoning my lateness at the beginning of the year. When walking throughout the halls of LHS, I’ve noticed many popular errors made by my freshman peers, one of which is a very important issue: the freshman backpack. For those who don’t know what a freshman backpack is, it’s typically a common mistake made by freshmen who feel the need to stuff everything they own into their backpack and lug it around for the whole school day. As someone who had a major case of freshman backpack, I realized how useful lockers can be. Seriously, use your lockers, future freshmen. Ninth grade really gave me a sense of what the next three years of my life will look like. It gave me a chance to set my priorities straight and get myself adjusted to the flow of high school.I look forward to what 10th grade has in store for me.
Opinion
It’s official, we’re halfway done. Two years down, two to go. The joys of no longer being at the bottom of the food chain were enough to make it through the first few weeks of sophomore year, but after that, the second year of high school became old news real fast. Maybe you got your license and blew all of your money on fast food. Or maybe you failed your driving test the first time (@ me) and STILL blew all of your money on fast food! Either way, sophomore year has left me broke, bored, and still with no idea of how to study. Even though we’re no longer fresh meat freshmen, this year has still been full of firsts. First AP class (round of applause for you guys; I thought Geography was tough); first time taking 36-point tests that will determine our futures (but no pressure); first all-nighter (and second and third and so on…); first time crying over a misplaced study guide; and many, many more wonderful things that come with the perks of high school. But hey, sophomore year wasn’t all bad. I think this year I was able to learn more about myself. I joined some new clubs and enrolled in some new classes. I’d like to think I made some new friends. I’d also like to think that I’ll actually use something I was taught this year in real life...but let’s not get crazy. To any soon-to-be-sophomores reading this: I hope your second year of high school will be even better than your first (just think: an entire lunch period all to yourself!) As for the current sophomores reading this, I wish you all good luck. I hope all the scary things we’ve heard about junior year are only partly true. I hope all your new AP classes don’t make you cry and that your ACT scores are higher than you expected and that you start to find colleges you could really see yourself at (did anyone else’s heart just start beating faster from reading that sentence or is it just me?) But more importantly, I hope you meet people that make you smile and join clubs that make coming to school even just a little bit better. Two years down, two to go. Spend them wisely because before you know it, our names will be on the college list (see pages 1419!!)
Photos By Sam Nelson Layout By Katie Vrba
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Drops of Ink
Years Flash Junior
Senior
By Alejandro Garcia Escobar
By Dolores Palmieri
Going into junior year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew I would be academically challenged and that I’d have to start thinking ahead to the vast unknown awaiting me in a world after high school. What I couldn’t possibly fathom was how wonderful and terrible that could be at the same time. Maybe this doesn’t hold true for all my fellow junior survivors (it probably won’t, seeing as only one junior wrote this), but I have a theory that junior year is like a pendulum that swings back and forth, never fully resting in the middle. If I could characterize junior year in one sentence, it’s that everything good is intensely good, and everything bad is intensely bad; there’s just no middle. To the bad: It’s just hard. There’s AP classes and standardized testing, and it’s the year that kind of just metaphorically slaps you across the face from time to time. For example, it became more of a norm to occasionally bomb an assignment, lab, or test — and not for lack of trying. The worst is when you speak Spanish fluently at home and still manage to get an F+ on your Quia assignment. To the good: I have never grown more as an individual in all my life. Of course, that’s not because my grade description says 11th grade, but I’d like to think there’s a magical trigger to this year that pushes you to ask the hard questions, self-reflect, and discover what makes you you. I have had the privilege of meeting exceptional people, and I still can’t completely grasp how lucky I am to be surrounded with the most amazing friends — some new, some old, and all the more reason to count myself blessed. Perhaps the best prize of junior year is knowing you finished it, even if you’re barely limping past the proverbial finish line. Despite the brevity of quality sleep, you somehow managed to make to it through the year. In spite of the heavy workload, you surmounted the impossible and made it to today, May 26, one week away from the start of summer and one step closer to senior year. When it comes down to it, junior year is just a slightly taller hurdle to overcome. It all comes down to not falling short of the goal that awaits on the other side. Peace out junior year It’s been a hell of a ride On to senior year
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A majority of senior year is spent filling out applications and traveling from school to school, trying to figure out where you want to spend the next four years of your life. When I finally found out where I was going, it felt like a weight was being lifted off my shoulders; however, it was also bittersweet knowing that four years of high school is quickly coming to a close. It always just seemed like high school would last forever. This year has by far been the fastest year of high school, and it feels like it all happened in the blink of an eye. While senior year has been the best year of high school, it has also been the saddest. Each season comes and goes and at the end of every event you go to, you realize it is your last: your last homecoming dance, the last Friday night football game, the last WISH project, and your last Turnabout. It starts to sink in that it is your last year walking these halls with all of your best childhood friends. But, because this is the last year, it’s normally spent a little differently. Senioritis is no myth, it is actually a very serious disease. The closer to the end of the year it gets, the less motivation there is to do any of your homework and you start to just leave your backpack in the back seat of your car. It becomes a rare occasion that it makes it inside your house because school nights are no longer dedicated solely to doing homework. They are for spending every moment that you can with your best friends and your family and doing all the things you love to do together because as the year winds down, you start to realize that nights like those are limited. Senior year is about living life to the fullest and not letting a moment slip away because there are only so many moments left. As the cast of “High School Musical” sang, “High school wasn’t meant to last forever.” Senior year is all about enjoying those few final months and making the most of every second!
Drops of Ink
Not an offensive article By Josh Bragg
Photo design by Josh Bragg This caption is not intended to harm, sorry! In a world where technology is thriving and students are striving, the world is still painted black and white. There seems to be a divide among us that isn’t just in our taste of music or favorite brand of soda. We like to argue just to argue. We take sides on issues because it’s what we’re supposed to do. And in taking sides, there are only two sides: for and against. The gray area in between is not area at all but rather a no man’s land reminiscent of the Berlin Wall. Enter this territory and you will be forever stranded, for you are shunned by both sides. Within this unstable battleground, we often times get heated over the building blocks of our verbal rages: our words. To understand this animosity, we must first understand the idea of political correctness (PC) and what it even is. My dearest friend Merriam-Webster describes it as the “avoidance” of various “forms of expression” that are perceived to insult groups of the socially disadvantaged. It is often seen as being taken to extremes … oddly reflective of our country’s political environment. Words can be powerful. We all know the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me,” and we all know the arguments against such a silly statement. Words are the fabric used to articulate our ideas, our thoughts, and our perceptions. We all express our feelings in such words, but we differ in our opinions of how and what words should be used. Those who promote a PC agenda wish to eliminate terms that they feel weaken the already-powerless. The public sphere provides plenty of examples. A school named Robert E. Lee Elementary, named after the late United States and Confederate Army general, has been pushed to choose another title. Not because of the school’s discriminatory administration or their racist actions -- just for being the name of the school. Making a reference to God in public is treated the same as swearing. Just a reference! What’s next, can I no longer wear ugly Christmas sweaters but rather unsightly holiday clothing? We can’t forego our history just to simply save face. It seems like the most trivial of problems, but the mentality bleeds out into the culture as a whole. This divergent culture and difference in opinions has led our very own school to fight over the most petty of things. Some of these arguments are nothing but ridiculous. I have to thank my fellow seniors for providing me some quality material for this article. Our class truly is the best ... and to show that we’re the best, we get energized
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on social media. There’s nothing I enjoy more than getting back-toback-to-back notifications on my phone about the most recent rant in the “LHS Class of 2016” Facebook group. Are we really debating the issue of wheelchairs? For those who don’t know, our senior class got into a heated debate over “Elderly Day” and if people could bring wheelchairs to school to dress up as aging old men and women. Of course, until you actually experience life inside a wheelchair all day long, it’s hard to understand the feelings of those against bringing in the wheelchairs. But at the same time, it gets taken the wrong way. I don’t think it was ever the intention of (most) people to disparage those who are disabled. In all fairness, the school’s administration has been leading the PC Army into battle. Gone are the days where students can engage in allout water warfare in the school parking lot. Gone are the days where students can express their creativity and joy in the form of Turnabout walkouts. Don’t dare to wear select shirts to school, either; somebody might look at it and learn about explicit content that they read on social media on the daily. People in general are tired of being bossed around and being told what they can and can’t do. Every day, I see a bunch of finger-pointing and name-calling … not in person. This is particularly evident on Facebook. You’re either a conservative nutjob or just a part of the liberal media. There are endless posts of accusing one side of being either politically correct or racist. Everyone wants to identify with a side. Everyone wants to label themselves. This dilemma is perhaps a result of our lack of daily confrontation. If you really think about it, social media has to be at fault, at least a bit. No longer do we have to physically confront our friends and foes, for they are now only a few clicks away. It’s much easier to subtweet that bozo you disagree with rather than sitting down with them in person and discussing what has made them so upset. But why do that when you can take five minutes to post a funny new meme for some extra laughs and attention? Ultimately, these practices hinder discussion and prevent us from coexisting with those we disagree with. Silencing our problems aren’t going to just fix them. Changing the name of an elementary school or redefining a term isn’t going to resolve our differences on issues. You can hide from said issues, but they won’t go away magically. It could be as simple as just getting to understand and empathizing with those you disagree with. As the great Jackie Moon said to his disgruntled teammates, “ELE: Everybody Love Everybody.”
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DISC-Cover Frolfing By Grace Bloom Layout by Olivia Griffith Photos by Nathan Campbell
“
I love going out and being able to enjoy nature while playing a fun sport. You always get better at it every time you play.
” - Matthew Friello
Frisbee golfing, or frolfing, is a popular sport here in Libertyville. Its rules are similar to golfing but uses discs slightly smaller and heavier than regular frisbees. The aim is to land the disc into a cage/basket with the least throws possible. Like regular golf, the discs (instead of clubs) have difference characteristics. Matthew Friello, a senior frolf player, explained these differences between the discs: “Putters, midranges, and drivers; each have a certain speed, turn, fade, and glide. Higher speed disks go further and those are driver types. The further they go, the higher the number that is assigned to them. A fast disc is going to be a 13 or 14 speed and putters would be 3 or 4. Fade and turn is how the disc moves in the air. If it has a turn rating of -2, it will flip over in the air when you throw it. Midranges are a mix between putters and drivers.¨ Some areas around Lake County have opportunities to play in competitions. When participating in a tournament, competitors sign up online and enter into one of three divisions: amatuer, recreational or professional. Sometimes there are cash prizes for each division. While these aren’t held at Adler, you can find some scattered around the Lake County area. If you are a beginner and looking to start playing frolf, Leo Leathers Park in Mundelein would be a good place to start. It is the most basic course you can play at: open fields, little to no elevation, and a very simple course overall. Bring 1-3 discs when you go to play. If you are looking for an easy and fun game,
Leo Leathers Park is a quiet course in the suburbs in Mudelein. It is mostly an open course and has many holes that cross each other, causing havoc on busy days. Sports
make sure to bring a group of friends and make a day out of it. There is no need for serious competition at this park or level. If you would classify yourself as Intermediate, Adler Park is super convenient and close by. It can be slightly muddy sometimes, but nothing bad enough to prevent you from playing. Natalie Vogel, a senior frolf player said ¨It [Adler] is not too hard. It’s cool because it’s in the woods...Frolf is a good pastime if you never know what to do in Libertyville.” There are some elevation changes throughout the course but nothing too hard. The Des Plaines River runs through the course, which could be seen as a hazard, but it’s nothing to really worry about. Bring 3-4 discs and maybe a water bottle; it won’t take the whole day to play here. There is also a picnic area and pavilion available at Adler. Friello provided that “Adler has leagues every Tuesday night ... with [both] professional disc golfers there and amateurs.” He added: “Once you are 18, you can be a professional, so I’m going to be in the professional pool this year.” For more advanced players, Fairfield Park in Round Lake is open year-round. It is a good course for advanced frolfers due to its hosting of tournaments. If at a tournament or in a league, bring 7-9 discs with a pack meant to carry them. You need a water bottle and maybe a snack because tournaments usually last a whole day. Be prepared to spend the entire day at this park, and make sure you have everything you need.
Adler is the most commonly used frisbee golf course due to its easy access and because it is the only frisbee golf course in Libertyville. 30
Fairfield Park is home to one of the most known courses in Illinois. This park has two different courses, one housing one of the longest holes in Illinois. Drops of Ink
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Lhs Sports Moments of 2015-16 By Jarrett Malec Layout by Becky DeAcetis
THURSDAY September 10
SATURDAY November 7
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SATURDAY November 21
SATURDAY December 26 FRIDAY January 29
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SUNDAY January 14
FRIDAY February 5
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A Tale of Two Treaders By Hannah Boufford / Photos by Stephanie Thomas / Layout by Hannah Boufford As senior year comes to a close, every member of the senior class has had their different experiences throughout the course of high school. For Michael Watson and Abby Jeffrey, their path of experiences led them both to water polo but in very different ways. This joint profile acts as a way to distinguish and highlight their experiences in the sport.
Michael Watson
4
years playing water polo
For most high schoolers, waking up when the sun has not risen -- let alone submerging themselves in water at dark o’clock -- is a real struggle every morning. However, for senior water polo player Michael Watson, waking up to the smell of chlorine and the feeling of water on his skin is how he spends most of his mornings during the spring athletics season. Watson initially decided to join water polo because of his brother Tommy. Though he had been swimming competitively since he was little, Watson said he never took a great liking to it. However, once he saw his brother play, he decided to look a little closer into a different aquatic sport. After deciding he wanted to pursue water polo, the beginning of Watson’s freshman year was spent learning about the sport with now-sophomore teammate Carl Michelotti. Though Michelotti is two years younger than him, Watson explained that Michelotti’s early talent in water polo helped to introduce Watson to the sport. “His dedication for the sport was unbelievable,” Michelotti said. “Everyday he was ready to go and play. He loves the sport more than most people I’ve ever seen.” Watson officially started playing water polo during the spring of his freshman year when he made the junior varsity team. At the end of the season, however, Watson was selected as one of the few JV members to be brought up to the varsity team as part of the state series team. When spring season came around again in Watson’s sophomore year, he made the varsity team and continued to play on the team throughout the end of his senior year. In his four years of water polo, Watson has grown as an athlete, being able to recognize more technical aspects about the sport. At the same time, he also expressed how he has grown as a person. “About mself, I learned that even though I’m smaller, especially in water polo, that I can make my presence felt through leadership, especially with younger teammates, and just by playing smart throughout the game,” he said. Though Watson has been a part of the boys water polo program for the past four years, head coach Ethan Matthews is currently wrapping up his first year in the program and has appreciated Watson’s help and knowledge of the program throughout the year. “[Michael] without question has been my leader for the guys in and out of the pool,” Matthews said. “He is one
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of my ‘go-to’ players and has been starting for me all season. He has been an example of what it means to be thoughtful as a teammate and considerate as a friend.” With his time in high school coming to a close, Watson has his sights set on the future. Next year, he will be attending Loyola University in Chicago and will be majoring in marketing. While at Loyola, Watson plans to join the club water polo team. Over the summer, he will also be coaching a club team through Cats Aquatics for local kids. In addition to playing water polo each spring season, Watson was also a part of the JV golf team during his freshman and sophomore years, the varsity golf team throughout his junior and senior years, and the JV swim team since his junior year. He was the captain of the golf team as a senior, helping to lead them to a third place conference finish and fourth place regionals finish, along with a top five sweep at a Wisconsin match. He was also captain of the water polo team during his last season at LHS. “I would recommend [joining a sport] freshman year,” Watson said. “Especially a sport like water polo because it’s so different than the normal sport you can play; there’s so many different skills that are helpful to learn earlier. And also just because of the people that I’ve met along the way, it’s been awesome to be around it for four years.” Though he does recommend starting a sport early, Watson did decide to join the swim team later in his high school career as a junior. “I decided to swim, even if it wasn’t really what I wanted. I knew it would help me become a better water polo player,” he said. Having been a part of the golf and water polo teams since his freshman year and the boys swim team since his junior year, comparing the experiences came easy to him. “In water polo, it was a lot easier to just come in and meet people, and from a skill standpoint, I felt like when I came in as a freshman I had already had a little bit of experience, but if I needed something to be asked, like I could ask a question and know that other people had the same question,” he said. “Wherein swimming, since I joined late, I felt like people had already answered a question that I had asked, but they just answered it earlier in their career.”
Drops of Ink
Like so many good stories do, Abby Jeffrey’s career in water polo began with a joke between friends. While working at freshman orientation this year, Jeffrey was talking with her friends at the girls soccer booth, while also chatting with some of the water polo girls who were just a stand over. “They were jokingly like ‘You should do polo!’ and I was like ‘Oh, yeah maybe!’ but no, I wasn’t [going to],” Jeffrey explained, laughing. Jeffrey continued to talk to other people at different booths before returning to the soccer and water polo booths where the topic once again turned to her joining water polo. After considering her desire to join a different spring sport -- having previously played lacrosse and run track -- and clarifying that she didn’t need an experience to try out, Jeffrey tentatively agreed to go to a couple of the open practices. “I found out a couple of my other friends, like Annie Barnett, were doing polo too, and she had just started, so I was like ‘Oh my gosh, no way, I guess I’m doing this!’” Jeffrey said. Jeffrey then talked to the coach to make sure it was okay to join so late in her high school career, and when met with a yes, Jeffrey decided to go through with it, making junior varsity as the only senior on the team. “I think that Abby’s decision to join a new sport senior year was a brave feat, and I applaud her choice,” JV head coach Alex Voelker said. “It’s not easy to immerse oneself into something new and so challenging. There’s never a bad time to try something new, and I think that she’ll take that type of decision making and boldness with her for every aspect of her life.” Coach Voelker was a role model for Jeffrey throughout her sole year in water polo because of the constant encouragement. “[Coach Voelker’s] the best. She was rooting for me since day one. At the end, like our last game, because I hadn’t made a goal yet, they were like ‘everyone, we’re getting Abby to get a goal, let’s get this!’ She’s super sweet,” Jeffrey said. Voelker explained that regardless of Jeffrey’s lack of experience in water polo or swimming, what she brought to the team was essential. “I’ve found that in water polo it is hard to take up leadership roles when you are new because it is such a challenging and different sport, even more so without a swim background,” Voelker said. “However, Abby had a presence around her that her teammates respected
and looked up to. I think that being new to the sport as a senior helped the younger new girls look to that and know that they can do it too and that they have something to work towards.” While Jeffrey expressed a similar feeling of being someone to look up to more due to her age than her experience, she found motivation in her teammates, just as they did in her. “For every sport that I’ve done, the whole group of girls as a team are my collective role models. I don’t really look at the number one girl and [think] ‘God, I want to be like you’ because I don’t really do that,” Jeffrey said. “But I like to see [the] motivation and morale and connection behind the team as a whole. That’s my motivating factor, seeing how a group of girls, or a group of people, come together as a team.” Though only being on the team for one year, water polo has made a large impact on Jeffrey. She plans to look into intramural teams at Miami University next year, where she will be studying media and culture. “I think the biggest take away is, like honestly, if you think you can do it, you can try something and you might not be amazing at it, but you’ll still be able to do it,” she said. Jeffrey also explained that through her career in high school athletics, she met so many people that without sports she wouldn’t have had the chance to meet. She also found that she has started to look to be active in a variety of ways while gaining confidence in the process. “I think Abby should be most proud of her character throughout the entire season,” commented friend and teammate Barnett, a junior. Barnett joined water polo at the same time that Jeffrey did, though her skills as a swimmer put her on the varsity team. “[Abby] was the only senior on JV water polo, surrounded by underclassmen who had played for years. But she was constantly in a good mood and trying her hardest. She also never thought of herself as superior to everyone else even though she was so much older.” Jeffrey recommends that someone should only stay in a sport if they truly love it, and if they have any sort of interest in anything, they should try and go for it. “It kind of shows you if you have any slight interest whatsoever in anything, you should try and just go for it,” Jeffrey said. “You could either love it or hate it -- I ended up loving it. I feel like you’ll probably end up loving it more times than you would hating it.”
Abby Jeffrey
1
year playing water polo
“I think the biggest take away is, like honestly, if you think you can do it, you can try something and you might not be amazing at it, but you’ll still be able to do it.” -Abby Jeffrey
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