September 24 issue pdf

Sweet Home(coming) Chicago: Prices, preparation, and a preview of this year’s first dance. pgs. 14-15

The Parking Pinch: Tennis star

Problems facing studentBen drivers at LHS and Brainerd thisVanDixhorn school year. pg. 18 p. 28-29

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 VOLUME 89, ISSUE 1

Friday Night Lights pgs. 26-27

Super siblings p. 30-31

Hannah Boufford, Editor-in-Chief Maddie Werner, Online Editor Gabby Struik, News Editor Tia Petrzilka, Features Editor Jake Luce, Opinion Editor Josh Bragg, Sports Editor Manal Ahmed, Entertainment Editor Kayla Fiore, Photo Editor Becky DeAcetis, Layout Editor Katie Vrba, Social Media Editor Sara Thunga, Copy Editor Jillian Ruff, Community Service Coordinator Kate Vittore, Staff Fun Director

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Contact us at doi@lhswildcats.org

Blair Abington Lola Akinlade Brianna Baez Grace Bloom Nathan Campbell Tanner Dorow Alo Garcia-Escobar Max Friedlander Demi Glusic Jenna Grayson Olivia Griffith Abbey Humbert Hannah Hutchins Jack Kosowski Jarrett Malec Mary Kate Mieszala TJ Murbach Sam Nelson Dolores Palmieri Alyssa Stokovich Maria Thames Stephanie Thomas Hadley Van Der Bosch Carly Wegren Emma Williams Emily Yates Kaitlyn Zabadal

Rea der s

Letter to

2015-2016 Staff Listing

the

Hi there!

Welcome to the first issue of Drops of Ink for the 2015-2016 school year!

If you have made it past that first line of text, good for you; keep reading, and you shall be rewarded. (No, actually though, I’m not joking.)

This year we really want you to talk to us... tweet us, e-mail us, chat us on Facebook. You can even send an email to doi@lhswildcats.org if you’re that type of person. Talk to us about the magazine, things you loved, issues you have (pun intended), or just say hello! Feel free to send us your thoughts on our latest issue, constructive criticism, or even story ideas for the web and our next magazine.

We want you to talk to us so badly that this year, we have added a “Top Tweeter” section to our magazine (check out page eight to see where it will be featured). The best tweet from one of our followers during each issue cycle will get a shoutout in that cycle’s magazine; more details will be released on our social media accounts soon.

Along with Top Tweeter, we will also be introducing DOI twitter contests! Throughout the year, our magazines will have hidden opportunities to win gift cards or other prizes. There will be a key word or phrase for you to find in each issue of Drops of Ink. Check the Letter to the Reader each week to find out what you’re looking for, and then read each article closely to find the phrase. Throughout the day, the DOI Twitter will send out three hints to help your hunt.

Then, direct message @LHSDOI the key phrase, article title and page number, as well as our new hashtag--#ThinkInk--to be entered in a drawing for a prize.

Here’s your first one! Everyone who tweets us with the correct information by the end of the school day Friday will be entered in a randomized contest to win a $10 Chipotle gift card; the winner will be announced over the weekend. This month’s key phrase is “chicago power.”

DOI has a new staff, new story ideas, and new ways to get you excited for the school year. (OK, we can only help so much…) But hopefully this first edition of Drops of Ink can take your mind off of work for just a couple minutes.

Sincerely,

Hannah Boufford Editor-in-Chief

4-5The New Face of LHS 6Link Crew is now one semester

With Chromebook charging stations, new security features, and more, LHS made multiple changes to the school over the summer.

It has been decided that all the material from Link Crew can now be fit into half of the school year.

7 Exemption Exceptions

Some students who compete at a high level but do not play an official school sport cannot exempt from Physical Education.

9 What’s Trending 10-11D128 Goes Around the World 12-13Chromebook 101 14-15Sweet Home(coming) Chicago 16-17Staff Editorial: Seniors: They’ve Done Their Time 18-19 Opinion 22-23 The Road to State 24-25Super Manny 26-27 Welcome to The Jungle Are you Pintrested in the lastest trends?

Distict 128 and LHS sponsored various tips around the globe this summer.

Personalization, productivity, and privacy are all components that go into owning a Chromebook.

From prices of appointments to a preview of the dance, DOI has you covered on everything Homecoming.

Even though the senior class tried to make a clean class shirt this year, in addition to the dirty shirt, both were deemed inappropriate.

Many students are frustrated with both the parking situation at LHS and the way they are often treated by adults at school.

Three of last fall’s most successful sports -- football, girls volleyball and boys soccer -- look to again find postseason glory.

Cafeteria worker Manny Rojas used to play professional soccer; he even appeared in the World Cup.

Beyond the football field, the student section, band, poms and cheer make up important components of Friday nights.

Cover photos by Kayla Fiore Contents

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The New Face of LHS

By Sara Thunga and Lola Akinlade

Photo by Lola Akinlade New bollards protect the main entrance, as well as the band doors and other entrances, from cars entering the school.

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¨I love it a lot,¨ senior Katherine Liu shared when asked about the station. ¨It makes me feel really happy because after school at 4:30 the MASH closes and that’s the latest resource center open and then I’m like ‘I don’t want to go home yet, where do I go?’

Well, now I can go to the charging station!”

LHS also replaced the old bleachers with new bleachers located in the main gym this summer. The new bleachers are orange, black, and white -- ¨LHS¨ is seen painted across when the bleachers are closed -- and the seating is improved and sturdier than the old bleachers. ¨The new bleachers are made from a different material, have handrails on the stairs and are also [wheelchair]-accessible. The spots for wheelchairs are in the front of the bleachers,” Athletic Director Mr. Briant Kelly explained.

The new bleachers were necessary due to the wear-and-tear on the previous bleachers. They also make the school look more appealing aesthetically. ¨The new bleachers definitely makes the gym look newer and also adds some color to the gym. The best improvement is that there is improved seating and accessibility for spectators,¨ Mr. Kelly shared.

Students have taken notice of the new bleachers and have nothing but good things to attribute to them.

“Our old bleachers were getting to be in bad shape, so I’m glad we got the new ones,” sophomore Madeline Bartusch stated.

Students may have also noticed the sound of the bells for class periods has changed this school year.

“The bell sound is due to a new intercom system, which replaced a very outdated intercom system....There were times last year where it just didn’t work and when we have to relay informa-tion that might just be daily information, daily announcements, or it might

hen students walk into the school on the first day, some changes made to the building quickly became apparent.

The parking lot was redone with cleaner lines to help students and faculty and make traffic run more smoothly at the start and end of the day.

New bollards protect the main entrance,band doors and other entrances.

Renovated bleachers fill the main gym.

Inside the main entrance, there are tables with outlets and chairs to serve as a charging station for the newly distributed Chromebooks.

As students took their seats in their first period class, they noticed an unfamiliar long-tone sound from the speakers. This is the new bell that would dismiss and commence each period of the day.

These changes have definitely been noticed; however, some may not know why they came into place.

The charging station would be helpful for students who did not charge their Chromebooks overnight and have a free period before a class that it will be used in. ¨I have not used it yet but I know that it is useful because there are a lot of people that forget to charge their computers at their house so then they can come to school and charge it during their lunch period so it’s easier for them,” senior Andie Kraft answered.

Not only can the charging station be used for charging students’ technological devices, but it can also be used as another resource area to get homework done besides the MASH, library, CRC, Write Place, and LST. It is often utilized by seniors who get back from lunch release early and have time to spare.

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be other information that might be more pertinent, like severe weather, but we want to get that information out there. It’s to make life better around here,” Director of Safety and Security, Mike Dolan, stated.

The bollards are a safety precaution to prevent any car accidents from damaging the school. ¨[The bollards are] a safety feature among the many we’ve put in-place this past year. They’re all over the place from grocery stores to Walmart (some nicer than others). Bollards stop cars from entering buildings accidentally through glass entrances. It’s a safety feature we installed for everyone’s protection, if it’s ever needed (hopefully not),¨ Building and Grounds Director Chris Stancil explained.

In addition to the previously stated changes, the renovated parking lot will help prevent further accidents from occurring when students, faculty, parents, and buses all enter and exit the school. Mr. Stancil shared that the parking lot was filled with new asphalt and the lights were upgraded.

Along with the physical changes made to the school, an increased security system is also present. ¨We have a whole bunch [of new security changes], the most obvious ones were the front and Studio Theatre entry, [which are] now technically [in] what we call a ‘soft lockdown’ all day long, where you have to be buzzed into the building and state your business, and when once that’s done, then we bring you into the building itself,” Mr. Dolan stated. ¨So, that was probably the biggest change this year. We have to buzz you in and that includes the seniors, who are going to lunch and coming back in. We’ve had a lot more cameras in the building.¨ People in the building have noticed increased security, and instead of looking at it as a hassle, it can be seen as another precaution taken to make the school safer for all its inhabitants. ¨It’s more security for us students.They’re protecting

Photo by Lola Akinlade The new, colorful bleachers make the main gym a visibly brighter environment. us more so they control who gets into the school and who gets out, which is a good thing,¨ senior Reena Christy explained.

The clearing of asbestos over the summer months is another improvement recently made to LHS. Asbestos is naturally occurring minerals found in the cement of walls that can cause health issues or even be fatal when inhaled over long periods of time. ¨The asbestos [removal] was completed by a union abatement company using different methods of removal. This happens when you have either tile on top or tile under carpeting, so everything was done to [Environmental Protection Agency] and the Department of Health standards (we’re all safe),¨ Mr. Stancil stated.

Since the school has changed quite a bit since it was first built, renovations need to be made every few years to keep it up-to-date. ¨Age, safety, usefulness and requests are a part of these changes. Most everything is inspired by bringing this school and all of its systems into the 21st century,¨ Mr. Stancil noted.

Photo by Lola Akinlade Students can get homework done while their Chromebooks are charging at the new charging station near the main entrance.

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Link Crew is now one semester

By Blair Abington

Photos by Blair Abington Senior Cam Shaffer interacts with his Link Crew group by doing activities during the first few weeks of school.

This year there have been noticeable changes around the school, but there also have been changes with some of the programs, one being Link Crew.

The rumors are true: the decision to make Link Crew one semester has happened. After four years of doing two-semester Link Crew, it has been decided to change to only one semester, but why?

Link Crew adviser, Mr. Bill Reichert, was able to share the thought process behind the change: “It takes four years for the Link Crew program to fit into a system and now that everyone in the school has been through it, the full transition has taken place. From the feedback we had gotten, it seems to be that all the important topics discussed in Link Crew could fit into one semester.”

With this big change taking place, Link Crew had to cut off five months of the information taught to the freshman. With so many days off, the Link Crew advisers have to find a way to get all the important information condensed into the few months they have.

“Although it is stressful to fit everything into one semester, I think if everyone stays on track we can fit everything into one and focus on the important material,” shared junior Link Crew leader Alexis Darnell.

Link Crew is not just something only LHS does, it’s something that schools across the United States participate in. Before the Link Crew program, there were other freshman transition programs. Mr. Reichert shared that these programs have been proven to help freshmen get involved in school, which is why getting rid of Link Crew isn’t an option.

According to senior Joey Locascio, Link Crew is a waste of time: “Students should enjoy their lunch and have their free time.”

The semester change wasn’t the only noticeable difference about the program this year. Two weeks before school started, a bus full of Link Crew leaders drove 30 minutes to a mosquito-infested camp called Henry Horner. The purpose of this was to help the Link Crew leaders bond before school started.

Normally Link Crew leaders just meet at the school and get together mixed with everyone, so they didn’t really get to spend a lot of time with their co-leaders and the other people in their lunch. Then, come Freshman Orientation, they are trying to learn about the kids in their

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groups while they are trying to learn about the other leaders. By traveling to the camp, the leaders were able to participate in bonding activities with their co-leaders and other people in their lunch to prepare them for the upcoming year.

“I think going to Link Crew camp helped set up entering the school year because it got us all together to bond and focus on our activities, and we should do it again because it really helped with the Link Crew process,” explained senior Cam Shaffer.

Also this year, on October 6, LHS will be hosting the Midwest Link Crew Conference. This is where schools all over the Midwest with a Link Crew program of their own come together to do activities. LHS has participated in this before, but each school was only allowed to bring 20 kids; now that it is being hosted here, all the LHS leaders will be able to participate.

Junior Beth Vogg aids freshman Annalisa Waddick with her PowerSchool login.

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Exemption Exceptions

By Hannah Hutchins and Olivia Griffith Junior and senior years: an exciting time full of tons of new privileges, cedures. While Garapolo does receive a varsity letter for her commitment one of which, for some, is having the opportunity to exempt from gym to the sport, she is unable to exempt from gym and also does not receive class. However, the qualifications are often unclear to students. recognition at the seasonal sports assemblies.

The student handbook says that while their sport is in session, any Alex Tam, a sophomore on varsity cross country and varsity track, is junior or senior athlete on a varsity or junior varsity team is allowed to also unable to participate in this privilege. This is because he is an underbe excused from gym. However, students must fulfill certain requireclassman; but as a two-year varsity runner, Tam feels that he should be ments in order to qualify for exemptions: able to exempt from gym. those who have never failed physical “I believe that any student should be education in previous semesters, who are able to exempt from gym because if they currently holding a “C” or better in the participate in a varsity sport, such as cross class, who are enrolled in six academic country, they must be getting enough exand credit-bearing courses, and those ercise,” Tam said. “In fact, in most varsity participating in an Illinois High School sports, athletes are getting much more Association-sanctioned sport are eligible physical activity than they would get from for exemptions. gym alone.”

The state says that any junior or senior However, another LHS athlete, Brian involved in an interscholastic activity is Lemay, is able to exempt from P.E. classes allowed to exempt from their gym class, despite his sport’s lack of status as an according to Mr. Briant Kelly, the athletic IHSA sport. Lemay is on the school’s director of LHS. fencing team, the Thundercats, which is In place of gym, students are given a considered a club at LHS. study hall and have to remain there all pe“Fencing is not technically a high school riod, every day. They also have to appear sport, so our athletes are not exempt from at every practice and competition, meet, the gym requirement. The only exception or game. is in special cases like Brian Lemay,” said Once the sport is over, the exemption Lemay’s coach and team manager, Mr. is also over and the athlete must return Rich Jackim. to P.E. Lemay is able to exempt because of his If a student is taking P.E. for a grade, involvement with fencing on a national he or she has to report for final exams. level rather than his involvement with the Also, if they are a winter athlete, they Thundercats. While the fencing team at must report to gym the first day of second LHS is unable to exempt from gym, they, semester, but can return to exemptions like hockey, do receive varsity letters. the following day.

While the school has some requireIf a student doesn’t comply with all of ments, individual coaches also have these regulations, they risk losing future strong opinions on athletic exemptions. exemption privileges.

Varsity swim team coach Mr. Michael Photo by Hadley Van Der Bosch Cunningham believes that unless you are However, there are some exceptions Marissa Garapolo stands by hockey gear in her Lake Forest Scouts uniform. in a varsity sport, physical education is an with this system. Some sports, for example, hockey, are not able to exempt important part of your day.

Despite playing the varsity sport, Garapolo cannot exempt from P.E. because they do not qualify as a “sport” “Students on a varsity sport are expectby the high school’s definition. ed to perform at a higher level. Of course Senior Marissa Garapolo, who has played hockey for Lake Forest High if they aren’t working hard, I make them complete gym. But they need a School’s varsity team since her sophomore year, is unable to exempt from study hall so they can complete their work so they don’t miss practice,” her P.E. classes. said Mr. Cunningham.

“I strongly believe that all hockey players should be exempt from gym,” Mr. Cunningham believes that gym is a necessary class for students to Garapolo said. “I feel that it is unfair to be considered a club, when a lot participate in so they aren’t staring at a teacher or screen all day. It helps of the surrounding high schools schools recognize hockey as a sport.” them to focus more in class.

Since Libertyville does not have a hockey team of its own, LHS, Vernon Like Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Kelly also believes that gym is necessary in Hills High School, and Lake Forest High School girls are all on one team teenagers’ lives: “I think PE’s important. I just think [the exemption is] a through Lake Forest High School. Even though the boy’s hockey team is nice privilege for juniors and seniors who are taking a heavier class load composed of solely LHS and VHHS students, they follow the same prowith more Honors and AP classes.”

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Photos courtesy of Laura Zeng and MCT Campus

CHECK OUT THE WEB #ThinkInk LHSDOI.COM “Laura Zeng Makes Rhythmic Gymnastics History”

By Maddie Werner, Online Editor

“Does School Start Too Early?”

By Sara Thunga, Copy Editor

“Donald Trump: Why America’s Savior is so Hated”

By Alo Garcia-Escobar, Staff Writer

Slant of Light Hopes for a Revival

By Lola Akinlade, Staff Writer

Back to School #ThinkInk

By Kayla Fiore, Photography Editor

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

“There is no referee or someone calling the shots in track, because all it is is you against the clock. You’re against the other people who want it as bad as you do. There’s no time for mistakes, and in the amount of time that you run, that is the amount of time for you to pull out all your hard work and just run.”

Avryl Johnson, sophomore, who holds 4th place in the 800 at the Junior Olympic National Championship, 3rd in the 1500 at the Junior Olympic National 2014, and is a record holder in the 400 meters at LHS. Features

Photo by Lola Akinlade 8

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WHAT S T R E N D I N G

By Olivia Griffith

Find Friends

LHS

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Invite Friends 494

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Photo courtesy of cicihot

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Bucket Hats

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Photo courtesy of jeyahead

Panera Frozen Caramels Photo courtesy of mimages

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Apple Watches

Photo courtesy of cameradebate

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Flow Bands

Photo courtsy of aliexpress

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124 49

146 18

Scrunchies Young and Hungry

Bubble Tea

176 5

Photo courtesy of tvrage

Fantasy Football

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Photo courtesy of fantasyfootballers.org 13

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Photo courtesy of dancewear

233 56

Photo courtesy of eater

MegaLoad

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Photo courtesy of exclusivecandy

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D128 Goes Around the World

By Gabby Struik This past summer, multiple students from D128 had the opportunity to travel to various countries to broaden their cultural perspective.

Climbing the Great Wall A total of 10 students from Libertyville High School and Vernon Hills High School, along with multiple administration members, embarked on a trip to China from June 7-21. The trip started in Beijing and then progressed to three other big cities including Changchun, Xian, and Shanghai.

There were three main chaperones on the trip: AP macroeconomics teacher Mr. Brian Voss and language department supervisor Mrs. Jennifer Goettsche, and english teacher Mrs. Wendy Meister from Vernon Hills. Along with the teachers were some administration members, including Principal Dr. Marina Scott from LHS and Principal Jon Guillaume from VHHS. After five days in Beijing, the group took an overnight high-speed train to Changchun.

Once in Changchun, students on the trip were able to immerse themselves in the Chinese culture through home stays and different excursions. Students stayed with host families and visited a high school attached to Northeast Normal University.

“Being on that overnight train where we were hanging out together, but then we were also with native Chinese kids, was memorable because this is their day-to-day life,” shared AP macroeconomics teacher Mr. Voss. “We weren’t on some sort of separate coach bus to travel.”

Some of the highlights of the trip included seeing the Great Wall in Beijing and the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian. Students also ate traditional Chinese food like roast duck and explored local markets.

“I loved staying with my host family because they had all of their family and friends over and we made dumplings together and it was a really cool experience,” shared senior Mady Novak, one of the students on the trip.

Photos courtesy of Will Johnson The China group visited different sites including Shanghai and Suzhou.

Familiarizing with the Sagrada Familia

Photos courtesy of Kelsey Ziemnisky Kelsey Ziemnisky, Hannah Styler, and Maddie Burns pose in front of El Parque Güell in Barcelona.

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The art department also took a trip around the same time this summer, from June 8-17 to Spain. The chaperones of this trip included Mrs. Julie Johnson, Mr. Ray Gossel, Mrs. Stefanie Dahlstrom, Ms. Allison Molloy, and Mrs. Michelle Jozwiak.

The trip was open to any students who participate in the art department and their friends; a total of 30 students went on the trip.

The group arrived in Madrid on June 8, where they took part in a tapas tour around the city. They also visited a local market, the Mercado de San Miguel, and had the chance to view the Royal Palace.

After Madrid, they traveled to Spain’s main cities: Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Granada, and Barcelona. In these cities, they took in the breathtaking views of local cathedrals including the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and had a chance to visit Alcazar, the palace where they filmed part of Game of Thrones. They also had another brush of fame at the Plaza De Espana in Seville, which is where part of Star Wars was filmed.

“At the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, literally so many people were overwhelmed by its beauty that they were brought to tears,” shared Mrs. Johnson.

Halfway through the trip, they stopped in the small town of Alfarnatejo, where they were hosted for a traditional Spanish meal by local families.

The art department takes a trip every other year and is still deciding where they will visit in 2017.

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10 years of Amitié French students also had the opportunity this summer to travel abroad.

The group traveled to France from June 9-29 with their three chaperones, Mr. Christophe Guiard, Ms. Kathryn Hyla, and Ms. Carrie Niemet. There were 24 students on the trip in total: 18 from LHS and 6 from VHHS. The first part of the visit consisted of a family stay for two weeks with the French program’s host school, Lyceé Renoir in Angers. This school has served as a host school for D128 since 2005 and this year will be the two schools’ 10th anniversary of hosting each other.

During this part of the trip, the students were able to experience varied activities including the Mont St. Michel, Guérande, a medieval city, and the Puy du Fou theme park.

After the two-week stay, the group moved on to Paris where they tried to see all that the city has to offer. The sites they saw included the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysées, the Louvre museum, the palace of Versailles, Notre Dame cathedral, the Sacré Coeur basilica, the Musee d’Orsay museum, and the Palais Royal among other sites.

“My favorite experience was probably being up on top of the Eiffel Tower when all the lights were blinking, it was really cool,” shared junior Kien Tran.

Even though many students were upset to have to leave the French families that they bonded so tightly with, they will be seeing them soon, on October 10, since the French students will be coming to America for their stay with D128.

Photos courtesy of Michelle Nee The group visited famous sites in France including the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Playing a melody in Germany

This summer the orchestra program also made their way around the world to give performances in foreign locations. The orchestra trip ran from June 8-16 and contained 46 total people.

The group flew into Paris and then proceeded to drive to Brussels, Belgium, where they also took a day trip to Bruges. From there, they ended their trip in Bonn, Germany.

While in Paris, the group visited sites including the Eiffel Tower, Versaille, the Louvre, and also had the chance to take a boat tour on the breathtaking Seine River.

“I had so much fun eating iconic foods in the different countries: I had a waffle in Belgium, I had snails in Paris, and sausage in Germany,” stated senior Katherine Liu. In all three countries, the group of students gave performances at gorgeous venues, including a school in Germany where they performed the school’s final spring concert.

“We had great crowds at all of our venues, like at a beautiful church in Bruges, I wasn’t sure who was going to show up for the performance and the place was packed,” shared orchestra director Mr. Jeremy Marino. “And then our final performances at the school were also packed.”

Adventures in Belgium included seeing Waterloo and a museum of instruments.

Photos courtesy of Katherine Liu Students on the trip took various tours in order to better immerse themselves in the culture.

LHS students Carpe Diem

Any interested LHS student could also join the Latin trip to Italy this summer that ran from June 8-17. The trip included visits to cities like Venice, Florence, San Gimignano, Naples, Vesuvius, and Rome.

In Venice, the group was led through the city by a local guide and during their tour, they were able to see St. Mark’s and the Grand Canal, along with experiencing a Gondola ride and visiting the Guggenheim museum. They were also able to enjoy the scenic beauty of the country when they visited San Gimignano and Naples.

“At one point we ended up going to Sorrento and then we took a boat ride that was like 30 minutes long over to the island of Capri, and it was just really nice and pretty to be on a little island,” shared senior Kristina Borowiec. “Being by the water and the beach was just really different than being in Chicago.”

Other landmarks that the students visited included Pompeii, the Vatican in Rome, and the Sistine Chapel.

Features

Photos courtesy of Kristina The Latin teacher at LHS, Ms. Jamie Reuben, was one of the chaperones on the trip.

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-LHS can access all websites you browse while logged in to your lhswildcats.org account.

-LHS’s Information Technology department can access your webcam while you’re at home.

-LHS blocks certain websites with advertisements or inappropriate content to prevent viruses.

-LHS is very strict with their filtering policy(the sites they block you from.)

-Haapara allows teachers to view the pages you have open on your Chromebook during class.

-Chromebooks have been breaking constantly and are prone to viruses.

Head of the Information Technology (IT) Department at Libertyville High School, Temple Murphy, explained that the IT Department can view the history of all of the pages you search through your LHS Google account.

This may seem scary or intrusive to some students, but it is basically impossible for the IT Department to monitor all students’ searches throughout the entire day.

Some may have already figured out that District 128 blocks certain searches pertaining to inappropriate content such as pornography or violence. According to Mr. Murphy, Chromebooks are not as prone to viruses as Macs or PCs, but blocking these searches helps eliminate the possibility of viruses.

Murphy described LHS’s security policy as liberal, meaning they do not block as many searches as you would think.

When the piloting program was administered at LHS last year, the Lenovo Thinkpad was the definite favorite among LHS students and staff because of its long battery life and fast internet.

Four or five students have experienced keyboard problems, two or three students have had problems with powering on, and a few have had trackpad issues, according to Murphy.

When problems occur, the IT staff (being Lenovo-certified), will issue students a replacement computer while they fix the problem right here at LHS.

“We have 1,000 searches every few minutes, so it’s not like we’re proactively monitoring. That would be impossible.” - Temple Murphy

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Sweet Home(coming) Chicago

By Maria Thames

Disclaimer:

In the following infographics, there are multiple appointments referred to, as well as attending the dance with a date being mentioned. However, these are not requirements to have a great time at Homecoming. Be yourself, do what you want, and have a blast.

Infographic by Hannah Boufford The above prices are taken from the following businesses and stores: Libertyville Florist (boutonniere), TouchĂŠ (eyebrow wax, hair appointment, and makeup), Westfield Hawthorn Mall (dress, jewelry, and shoes), and Libertyville High School (pictures).

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By Alejandro Garcia Escobar

‘Twas the night before homecoming, and all through the house, not a teenage boy was stirring, as quiet as a mouse.

Sizzling with low-key nerves, they watched some Netflix and ate pizza, thinking of their potential dance moves for when the DJ plays Wiz Khalifa.

Waking up to the sound of crazy mothers yelling something about mismatched ties, they rose up slightly annoyed but still with their eyes on the prize.

The boys rushed out and jumped into their cars, only speeding slightly as they ventured off like superstars.

Trying their very best, hoping not to be late, avoiding awkward glances from their more than annoyed dates.

Finally prepared, without screaming mother or frantic dates, they came out dancing, reppin’ that Homecoming state.

Infographic by Hannah Boufford

The above prices are taken from the following businesses and stores: Westfield Hawthorn Mall (shirt and tie), any restaurant in Libertyville (dinner), Libertyville High School (tickets), and Libertyville Florist (corsage).

Homecoming/Spirit Week Preview

By Manal Ahmed

Why go to the city when the city is coming to Libertyville High School?

This year’s Homecoming is on Saturday, Oct. 3. The theme is “Sweet Home Chicago” and Student Council is aiming to make this homecoming one of the best ones yet.

Spirit week will begin on Monday, Oct. 28, and spirit days will mirror different activities and events that take place in Chicago. According to the Student Council Executive Board, Monday will be Chicago fan day, where students are encouraged to dress up to support their favorite Chicago sports teams.

Tuesday will be Chicago Marathon Day, in which all students are supposed to dress up as if they were running a marathon. Wednesday will be North Avenue Beach Day, when all students will dress up as if they were heading to the beach. Thursday will be Wildcat spirit day and Friday will be class color wars.

Class themes are based off of colors. Freshmen will have green t-shirts; sophomores, red; juniors, purple; seniors, green. All classes will have the same t-shirt design. The t-shirt will have an outline of Illinois with a pawprint placed where Chicago is. The phrase “Sweet Homecoming Chicago” will surround the outline of the state.

Student Council is planning to center the hallway, dance, and lounge decorations around the Chicago skyline. They want to have Chicago flags around the hallways along with cutouts of the skyline on the walls. Decorations will be in the main hallway, foyer, and cafeteria, similar to last year’s Turnabout, because that’s where majority of student traffic is located and where the dance takes place. Student Council members are planning to host a decorating day after-school on Friday, Oct. 25. All classes will be working together to decorate the main hallways as opposed to the usual class competitions.

Features

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Staff Editorial:

Seniors: They’ve Done Their Time.

The front of the clean shirt (left) and dirty shirt (right) are pictured above. The handcuff graphic portrayed on both shirts was decidedly too dirty for Libertyville Administration.

Senior year: the time when LHS students have achieved the final level in their high school career. They have conquered the monstrous standardized tests, battled numerous AP exams, and fought long and hard during the sleepless nights. Yet, at the beginning of this school year, seniors seemed to have to face down one last challenge: the LHS administration.

According to an over-ten-year-standing LHS tradition, the senior class annually designs a class shirt to symbolize their grade’s rite of passage.

These shirts have often included some sort of inappropriate innuendo, yet each year, the administration seems to be cracking down harder and harder on the innuendos displayed on these shirts.

This year, it was made clear to participants in a majority of extracurricular activities at LHS that if they wore a shirt that was deemed “dirty” or “inappropriate,” their membership in those extracurriculars would be stripped. To try to allow every senior to participate in the first day of school shirt tradition, the senior class of 2016 designed one “dirty” shirt and one “clean” shirt, with similar themes.

The shirts were made with a similar design to unite the seniors despite

having a “clean” and “dirty” version. Both shirts displayed an image of handcuffs to coincide with the prison theme that was selected. While the “dirty” shirt involved a sexual innuendo, the clean shirt strictly followed the prison theme to abide by the administration’s wishes.

According to the senior organizers of the two shirts, James He, Brook Zant, Nicole Axe, and Luke Miller, the clean shirt was shown to and approved by Student Council advisor Ms. Andrea Lara and Student Activities Director Mrs. Jennifer Uliks way ahead of time, yet the two shirts were only shown to principal Dr. Marina Scott about 15 minutes before the first day of school. Since Dr. Scott only had a small amount of notice, she deemed both shirts as inappropriate to take the burden off of teachers; she confirmed this in an email to a Drops of Ink staff member.

This means that on the first day of school, the people wearing the black, dirty shirts had to turn their shirts inside out, and the people wearing the clean shirt were unable to wear their shirts due to the fact that when the shirts were turned inside out, the handcuffs displayed on the front of the shirt were still visible through the orange fabric.

Administration’s Actions It is the opinion of the majority of the Drops of Ink staff that the school undermined the efforts of the senior class to create a clean shirt that would allow everyone to participate in first-day traditions. Through their actions, the administration may have discouraged future grades from attempts to appease the standards set out by the administration.

Opinion

Many felt that it was ironic that the students trying hardest to follow the rules were the ones who were punished the most. If the school wants future senior grades to be mature about their selection of shirts, then the school also needs to be considerate of the hard work that is put into the creation of the senior shirts.

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How Inappropriate are Handcuffs? are a common tool used by police affiliates to enforce the justice system throughout the United States. Located in police stations, prisons around the globe, and even on the belt of School Resource Officer Mr. Robert Uliks, they are a tool to enforce the public’s security. The staff feels that since Mr. Uliks specifically is allowed to walk around LHS on a daily basis with handcuffs on his belt, then the senior class should have been allowed to wear handcuffs on their clean shirts for one day.

The staff also felt that if the administration thinks handcuffs are too inappropriate for a school setting, any image can be twisted into an inappropriate symbol. This year, it was handcuffs, the next it will be flowers.

You name it, any image can be twisted into something that is seen by the administration as unruly. Overall, the Drops of Ink staff felt that in an effort to be proactive, the administration overstepped their right to censor senior apparel. Ironically in the Hazelwood case of 1987, the Supreme Court stated students have roughly the same amount of freedoms as prison inmates. So, maybe the LHS administration was trying to do seniors a favor by taking away their handcuffs for once.

The senior class this year was overall relatively docile in their first day of school antics compared to previous grades. They abided by the school’s wishes and held their water balloon fight at Dymond. So, when the school didn’t respect the efforts of the seniors to honor the administration’s wishes, it felt like an unreasonable punishment for all.

The LHS administration’s reason for having the senior class turn both versions of their senior shirts inside-out was made in regards to the handcuffs portrayed on the front of the shirts. The administration assumed the worst of the 2016 senior class and thought that the students were trying to make an explicit reference to the novel Fifty Shades of Grey, or similar sexual themes, by including a graphic of handcuffs on both the shirts. While this may be true for the “dirty” shirt, this was not the case for the clean shirts. The Drops of Ink staff recognizes the motives behind the administration’s actions, but disagrees with their assumptions.

It is the collective belief of the Drops of Ink staff that handcuffs, while affiliated with crime and prison, which coincides with the senior theme, are not too inappropriate for those of a high school stature. Handcuffs

The back of the clean shirt (left) and dirty shirt (right) are pictured above. Despite the dirty shirt being significantly more inappropriate, administration had seniors remove the clean shirts.

What the Administration Should Do in the Future Part of the staff agreed to the idea that, in dealing with future senior classes, a senior student leader and an administration member should sign off on a document that binds an agreement between the two parties.

That way, each group would feel that their wishes are accounted for and there would be less controversy during the first day.

However, others felt that there was no point in going to the administration first because they will always be too overbearing in their censorship. Many underclassmen on staff felt there was no point in even trying to create a clean shirt, since this year’s grade was shut down so harshly.

These individuals felt that either way, the dirty shirt is a tradition that

Note: As this piece is a staff editorial, it is representative of the opinions of the Drops of Ink staff as a whole. The staff is comprised of LHS students from each grade level and spans a wide range of opinions from two class periods, with 40 students total. The author(s) of this piece did not place their personal opinions in the story; they merely reflected the staff’s thoughts.

Opinion

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The Parking Pinch

By Jake Luce

Many Libertyville students drive themselves to school each day, but recently, the issue of where they can park their cars has turned into a serious problem. Lack of parking for both seniors and underclassmen is a serious conflict, and it needs to be resolved.

Parking For Underclassmen

Parking For Seniors

The issue of parking for underclassmen has plagued Libertyville High For many years at Libertyville High School, seniors have stressed over School for years. Due to the small size of our senior lot, sophomores, possessing a parking pass. This stress is due to the fact that the senior juniors, and even some seniors are unable to park at the school. In lot houses approximately 320 available parking spaces for around 500 addition, the Brainard lot, where many underclassmen have parked in senior students, leaving many seniors without passes. Over the summer, the past, will be closed until Thanksgiving as a result of construction, the school emailed all of the incoming seniors to let them know that the according to Ms. Mary Todoric, d128’s communication director. This parking passes would go on sale at 8 a.m. on July 15. parking debacle leaves underclassmen with limited options as to where When this date arrived, however, an array of technical difficulties and they will leave their car during the school day. glitches bombarded the website. Many students reported that the site The primary option for most underclassmen who have nowhere to park is rejected their student ID number, and others reported that they could not the Dymond lot. However, with the closing of Brainerd, Dymond has been get on the website at all. filling up much more quickly. According to LHS junior Charles Kolterman Five days after the difficulties occurred, the students received another students are forced to arrive very early if they would like to park at Dymond. email, explaining that the “first come, first served” policy that was used “I park at Dymond on most days, but it fills up before 7 most mornings,” in the past would no longer be in order. Instead, students were asked to Kolterman explained. “I have to wake up really early every morning just fill out a form and then be chosen at random to receive a pass. Students so I can get a parking spot.” who did not receive the pass The main reason why parking were to be put on a wait list. is such an issue for juniors and A Libertyville senior, who sophomores this year is because wishes to remain anonyof the demolition of the Brainmous, was very upset about erd building. The demolition being put very low on the resulted in the parking lot being waiting list. closed until Thanksgiving.

“The whole situation made “Weather permitting, we hope me angry because I logged to have the parking lot at the onto the first website on Brainerd property open after time, but it said I didn’t get Thanksgiving,” Ms. Todoric a pass,” the senior stated. explained. “There is simply a “Now they gave passes to lot of work to be done, includabout 30 kids on the waiting ing building the restroom/storlist, but I still didn’t get one.” age facility.”

The school could have Brainerd has always been handled the parking pass a preferred place to park for situation better. Instead of underclassmen because it is the random selection of who Photo by Maria Thames is to receive a pass, admindecently close to the school and Due to the small size of the Dymond lot, it fills up before 7:00 a.m. most mornings. it is a fairly large parking lot. istration should have added The closing of Brainerd has left in more factors to decide many LHS students clueless as to where they should park. who needs them the most. For instance, if a student lives further away or The Libertyville administration should recognize that the lack of parkif they have no other place to park, they should be able to get a pass. In ing for underclassmen is an important issue, and it should be addressed. addition, students who have no other means of getting to school and who Although it is easier said than done, there needs to be more parking areas cannot carpool should have a higher priority on the list. Finally, seniors for underclassmen closer to the school. In addition, there should be a who have any medical disabilities that could impair their ability to walk shuttle system where a bus can come and pick up groups of students longer distances should be able to park in the lot. from the available parking lots and shuttle them straight to LHS. Some Only about 70 percent of seniors have the privilege of parking in the may argue that shuttling kids from Dymond or Butler is not the best use senior lot, and because of this, the school should have a better system of of our resources, but students’ safety should always be the number one choosing those students. Although it gives all students an equal chance priority. In the sub-zero temperatures of winter, frostbite can take effect of being chosen, a randomized system is not completely fair. Some very quickly, and students should avoid long walks. students need parking passes more than others, and those factors should If you are an underclassman with no place to park, there are still some be taken into account when choosing who receives them. options. Students can park in the fishing lot across from Butler Park.

And although it is a long walk, it is a pretty decent option considering Libertyville High School must find better parking options for not only the circumstances and lack of available parking. Another option is to seniors, but all other students. The long walks from Dymond and Butler carpool with a senior with a parking pass, or an underclassman who has are not ideal, especially in the winter. Also, the randomized system reserved a place to park (i.e. a friend’s house). And finally, although it is should not be used when giving parking passes to seniors because it not ideal for many, underclassmen may take the bus to and from school. leaves many students with no options as to where they can park.

Opinion

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Drops of Ink

Act Your Age

By Kaitlyn Zabadal

Cartoon by Alex Pagura No matter what school you go to, you’re bound to have teachers telling you to act like an adult, but then treat you like a child. From taking away cell phone and bathroom privileges, to having seniors who worked extremely hard on their senior t-shirts being forced to take them off, teachers overuse their authorities and overstep boundaries of the student’s basic rights.

With summer coming to its final stretch in the end of August, students dread going back to school and being stuck sitting in insanely uncomfortable desks for eight hours a day. Not only are we stuck sitting in these desks, but now, most teachers don’t even allow us, as students, to feel the warmth of our cell phones in our pockets anymore. Instead, our phones are forced to sit on tables or in cell phone cubbies for an entire class period, and in most students’ cases, for multiple periods a day. The idea of taking away phones for the students’ time in their classroom seems to be becoming more and more appealing to teachers throughout the school.

Opinion

While a lot of teachers will ask what the difference is between students having and not having their phone when it is not in use anyways, it’s more of the idea of having it by your side, with the comfort of knowing it’s something that belongs to you, rather than using it.

Not only are we giving up more of our phone privileges this school year, but we also are being told by many teachers around the school that we are limited to using the bathroom a specific amount of times in a semester. Students of all ages can agree that when you have to go, you have to go. After all, it’s a basic human necessity to use the bathroom when you need to. Being high schoolers, it’s pretty embarrassing to have to answer in front of the whole class if it’s “an emergency” or not.

Teachers are always telling us to act like adults because soon, we will be. But, if we’re being expected to act like adults, shouldn’t we be treated like adults? Adults are allowed to use their phone and use the bathroom when they feel the need to, so why can’t we?

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The road to state

By Tia Petrzilka and Dolores Palmieri

FOOTBAL L

One goal. One dream. One game...State. Every year, thousands of high school athletes dream about making it to the state championship, but the road to state is not a clear or easy one. Each game is a battle, and in the end, only one team will win.

Returning from stellar seasons, these three teams have a chance to represent LHS the state level.

For them, the road has just begun.

The football players practiced nearly all summer, working it just makes you want to go hit somebody.” extremely hard to build their relationship as a team and get ready With each week, a new challenge arises for the team. At this point for those Friday night lights. Last season, for the first time since in the season, the team must take it week by week and game by 2004, the football team made it to the final four, with only one game game. between them and the state championship.

“As long as we get better every week, I don’t have a huge goal at the For the football team, the summer was full of weight lifting, end to get to conference and win state. That’s going to take care of itself conditioning, and endless hours of practice under the strong summer sun. What would make anyone want to do that?

“I think most of us do it for the guy next to us, our teammates,” senior captain Ryan Maher stated. “If it weren’t for the guy next to you, I feel like when you wake up at 5:45 you would just go back to bed because you have no one relying on you waiting for you to get there.”

The players are much more than just a team; together, they are a family. They made it so far together last year and know what it feels like to compete in such a high-pressure position.

“We bring back a lot of experience, and I think that is the biggest strength; we’ve been there and done that,” head coach Mike Jones said.

A few of this year’s senior captains, such as defensive end Ben Kimpler, free safety Brian Murphy, and middle linebacker Maher, expressed how particularly close they were with the seniors from the previous season.

“This year with the junior class, it is just our job as Photo courtesy of Wildcat Football Parent Association the seniors who were on the team last year to know After making it to the final four last year, Riley Lees (6) and the football team are looking ahead to compete at the state level. what it takes to have that camaraderie with the underclassmen, and we just have to make the bond quicker and more efficient,” said Kimpler. if we get better every week, and that is what we strive to do,” said Jones.

The team is seeming to do just that based off of their first home The players who traveled to the final four with the team last year game, in which they defeated Elk Grove 55-28. According to the know what the energy feels like and what it takes to shine under athletic office there were 3,000 cheering fans in the stands as the the lights. After coming so close in the previous year, the team is team took their first step on the long road to state. striving to have another successful season and to bring it to the next “We should be able to play without anyone in the stands, but with level. them it makes a huge difference,” Maher said. “It gets you fired up As Murphy stated, “We will do anything it takes to reach our final and running out and seeing all the people and everyone going crazy goal... the state championship.”

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“Most of us do it for the guy next to us...our teammates” leavy, Hannah Zerwas, and Jacqui Widmark.

It’s the responsibility of the returnees to model the expectations for those new to varsity and the team is still “working out the kinks.”

However, Loika is confident that his team has enough depth to be where it needs to be at the end of the season.

“We have [had] a really tough early schedule…sometimes losing is the best way to learn that. If it (the loss) helps us grow then perfect [and] if it doesn’t, then we’ve missed an opportunity,” stated Loika.

“I think with this group we have great leaders, but we also have some quiet girls that are [going] to need to come out of their shell a little bit and they know that. So that’s [going] to be the long-term goal for the season.”

In general, Loika believes the only realistic way to approach state is by focusing on the small pieces of a bigger picture.

“We’re really focused minute to minute, day to day, week to week, and as we sort of get our feet underneath us, we’ll say: here’s where we are, here are some of the things we need to achieve, what does it take to get that. So many things have to happen for you to get to state. It’s so far in the distance,” Loika expressed.

Libertyville soccer has had a long-standing history of success. Last year they ended their season with a 15-4 record, losing to Evanston in the semifinals of sectionals.

Head coach Andy Bitta, who began the boys soccer program in Libertyville in 1978, talked about his coaching experience for Libertyville.

“Everybody wants to beat Libertyville. Since I’ve started coaching here, we’ve been the best for so many years. It puts a feather in their cap for their season if they beat Libertyville,” he said.

Assistant Coach Al Beard offered a similar opinion: “[At Liber tyville], we’re very fortunate we get high motivated athletes as you get in music and drama. You get it all over the place; the motivation’s there to start. They want to win badly. They want to do whatever it takes to do it,” voiced Coach Beard.

As a returning senior captain, Kevin Reilly is excited and anxious to see what this season will bring.

“I’m looking forward to making it farther than any Libertyville team has. I think our biggest challenge will be staying healthy and unified, as we try to compete for a state championship,” stated Reilly.

Fellow senior captain, Tucker Goebler, also offered a similar opinion and expressed the responsibilities that come along with being a captain.

Goebler feels that his responsibility as captain is to lead by example by maintaining a disciplined attitude and to help those around him be the best players they can be.

According to Bitta, the team’s strong work ethic and talent could be seen in the early summer days and on a daily basis with the players.

“We knew we were gonna be good (during summer camp),” stated

Bitta. “We’re one of the most skillful teams I’ve ever had.

Both the players and the coaches look forward to the season that lies ahead of them. Whether they are on the field or on the sideline, their ultimate goal remains the same.

“Our goal is to win the state championship,” explained Goebler.

“The thought of accomplishing that goal makes all the hard work worth it.”

Even with great focus and talent, the state tournament can be especially hard for soccer, Coach Bitta expressed.

“Soccer is just the hardest sport at state tournament time to advance because you can dominate the game and still lose like we did against Evanston,” explained Bitta. “It’s very hard because people will become defensive-minded and try to play for a tie or try to play for penPhoto by Gabi Muñoz alty kicks at the end of the game and it makes it Returning senior Kevin Reilly will be entering his second year harder for your team to as a captain for the varsity soccer team. advance.”

SOCCER

VOL L EYBAL L

Last year, the varsity girls’ volleyball team was very successful, finishing second in state after their victory over Loyola Academy.

However, it’s a new year and a new team.

“The hardest part of starting this season after ending so good last year is that we automatically compare how good we were last year to the beginning of this year,” shared junior captain Morgan O’Brien.

“And things get more frustrating when we know we aren’t as good yet this year as we were ending last year. We just need to keep in mind that it’s only the beginning.”

Head coach Greg Loika provided a similar opinion.

“I think every team [says] one of their goals is to go to state. It doesn’t really mean anything because every team is saying it and only four are going to do it. We had a team discussion the other day—we’re comparing where we are right now in August and September as to where the team was in October/November last year. Those things are not comparable; they’re not apples to apples and I’m confident that this team is going to figure out how to get in a place to do what they want to do. But I don’t feel the pressure that we have to replicate anything,” he explained.

In addition to O’Brien this year’s captains include seniors Erin Dun-

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By Jarrett Malec For students all throughout the school, lunch time can’t come fast enough. It’s a time to relax, talk to friends, and sometimes finish up some last-minute homework. Adding to the daily LHS dining experience is the familiar face of the exuberant cashier who students have come to know and love, Manny.

Manuel Rojas, born in Santiago, Chile, in 1954, grew up with the game of soccer all around him. Rojas was a part of a big family in Chile that consisted of six older siblings: four brothers and two sisters.

“Life was good, I was always around the sport and grew up in a neighborhood where the only thing you could do was play soccer. We never had football or baseball, and tennis, as well as golf, was for a talented select few,” Rojas stated.

At the age of 12, Rojas tried out for the Junior Professional Team First Division Club Palestino and his soccer career took flight. From there, he took all of the steps necessary in order to train with the Chilean national team when he was 16.

“I had the skills, even at how young I was. I was mature in the game, and I started to play professionally at 17 years old,” Rojas mentioned.

At 19 years old, Rojas traveled to Mexico to play with the Mexican Club America for the 1975 season. It was at that point where Rojas got to show off his skills to the coaches of the Chilean National Team. Rojas started his professional playing career in 1976 with Chile, and after the 1982 World Cup, he stopped playing for the national team. The 1982 World Cup took place in Spain and was like that of an American Super Bowl, according to Rojas.

As a young child, manny grew up with soccer and went on to play in the 1982 world cup, and still has his jersey from it to this day.

United States.

“You see the best players in the world, and, at that time, [there were] 24 national teams, and you would see the best. Just to be there ... it was a gift,” he said.

In the first game of the tournament, Rojas saw action in the 71st minute of the 90-minute contest as a midfielder substitute against Austria. Unfortunately, Chile didn’t have much success in the tournament as they were matched up with three tough opponents. Chile ended up losing to Germany, Austria, and Algeria. Ultimately, Germany faced off against Italy in the final. Italy would end up winning the World Cup. After the tournament, Rojas returned to Chile and signed to play for the club team Universidad Catolica for about four months. In 1983, Rojas took his wife, two kids, and his soccer career to the

“I got a call from someone in the United States to play in Tampa. I was glad to come into this country. I played two years for Tampa, and, after 1984, I came to Chicago,” he said.

The first team Rojas played for in America was the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League (NASL). During the first year of his two-year stint with the team, Rojas scored nine goals in 29 appearances, which was a team-high for most goals scored that season.

After Rojas was released by the Rowdies in 1984, he was sent to the Chicago Sting, where he had tremendous success.

Chicago Sting was something very special for me because after the World Cup, we didn’t meet expectations. I was a little bit down to keep playing in Chile, and I had the chance to come into this country with the Chicago Sting. We won the championship in the first year I was here and that brought me up and made me keep playing,” Rojas said.

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ts! o ho es! s He scor He During the 1984 NASL playoffs, Rojas scored two crucial goals for the Sting. In a semifinal game, Rojas scored a goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 51st minute for a 2-1 victory and advanced his team to the championship series against the Toronto Blizzard. In the first game of the bestof-three series, the Sting and Blizzard were tied at 1 with the game coming to an end.

In the 86th minute, Rojas found the back of the net to give his squad the win. The Sting would go onto to win the championship in game two if the series.

After the 1984 season with the Sting, the NASL folded, and the team was moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Rojas played for the Sting until the 1997-1988 season when the team folded and became the Chicago Power.

“I also won [a] championship with them (Chicago Power). It was very fun. A fun career with playing in Chicago the second time in my life. When you win championships, everybody is happy. The experience was great,” he said.

Eventually, Rojas crossed paths with current LHS P.E. teacher, Mr. Scott Schinto, at a soccer facility he ran in Palatine.

“Manny was a great player who had incredible vision and touch. He was amazing to watch,” Mr. Schinto stated.

At the time, Mr. Schinto was the head coach of the boys and girls soccer teams at LHS and Rojas had just started working in th cafeteria. It was a “perfect fit,” according to Mr. Schinto.

“I used to coach where he worked, and one time I said I wanted to coach and came to LHS,” Rojas informed.

Rojas coached soccer at LHS for two years before Vernon Hills opened. He then moved there from 2000 to 2007 and coached soccer before moving to the club level.

After coaching at the high school ranks, Rojas went on to coach the Chicago Soul of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) for a part of the 2012 season. Unfortunately the economic situation was poor with the Soul.

“There were problems with players’ and coaches’ pay, and it was better to come back to my quiet life. I said to myself, ‘why don’t I come back to LHS?’ I saw the cafeteria, and that’s how I got to where I am now.”

standing behind the register in the lunch line, Manny always has a smile on his face and enjoys interacting with students.

Rojas now is coaching younger children ages 8-11 around the area. Outside of coaching, Rojas enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf.

“It’s fun. It’s good to give what you gave for your life and give a little to the kids and make them better,” he said.

Photos by Maria Thames Sports

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Welcome to the

J u N G LE

By Hannah Boufford and Josh Bragg Photos by Kayla Fiore Layout by Hannah Boufford

By day, Libertyville’s football stadium is a place where gym classes work out, cross country practice starts, and astroturf bakes in the sun. However, on Friday nights, the stadium transforms into a community filled with spirit, pride, and tradition. Although the main focus is on the football players storming the field, there are also eyes on the other players of the game: band, poms, cheerleading, and the student section. Their presences are often overlooked, but that does not make them any less important to the game’s atmosphere.

spirit in the air

Found on either the track or in the air, the LHS cheerleading team has had an integral role at football games for many years. Whether in front of parents or students, the cheerleaders’ job is to rally the crowd and perform stunts and tumbling to entertain the fans.

First-year head coach Erin Vance believes that the cheer team helps add to the gameday atmosphere: “The cheerleaders’ role at the football games is to do what they were created for: help lead the crowd in cheering on the team throughout the game.”

Hours before the football players take the field, the cheerleaders arrive to practice their routines. When the guys begin their warm-up on the field, the cheer team shifts into pre-game mode, which is intended to entertain and engage the fans. After the national anthem is played, the cheerleaders, joined by the poms team, form a tunnel for the football team to run through and accompany them towards the part of the track next to the student section, where they remain for half of the game.

“My favorite part about football games is being down on the field, so close to all the action,” senior captain Kenzie Cook explained. “The student section loves to be loud and intimidating to the opposing team’s student section, and it hypes not only the players up, but the cheerleaders, as well.”

Cook is one of three captains. She is joined by senior Hannah Boufford (also on Drops of Ink; while she co-wrote the article, she did not write this section on the cheerleaders) and junior Allison Nelson. The girls work together to improve communication between the team and coaches, as well as keep their team motivated throughout the two-season sport.

According to Nelson and Coach Vance, the energy of the stadium during the game is what makes Fridays so memorable. The crowd’s energy fuels the cheerleaders and vice versa.

“Everyone is excited to be there and the student section always goes full out to support our football players! Friday nights are truly an amazing experience and being able to be on the track in front of all the fans is incredible,” Nelson said.

Loyal and True

One of the aspects of Libertyville football games that carries the most tradition and passion is the student section. Nicknamed “The Jungle,” the student section gives students an opportunity to express their support for their team and enjoy themselves in a unique atmosphere. The student section was visually and audibly stronger than in years’ past at the opening game versus Elk Grove thanks to a new advertising campaign and more commitment from LHS students.

The student section was very active and engaged throughout the game.

Signs of various football players’ faces were visible in the crowd, along with beach balls and fans banging drums. The Jungle was in full effect: fans were decked out in all-camo clothing and paint. 2015 marks the first year that freshmen are encouraged to join the stands with the upperclassmen, which resulted in the stands being jam-packed.

Social media has also played a big part in the student section’s rising support. Senior Timmy Ryan, who is one of a few students who manage the @LHSRagePit Twitter account, explained that Twitter has been an instrumental tool in promoting Libertyville spirit: “Social media has helped the student section immensely; spreading news and recruiting students is made that much easier because the information is just a few clicks away.”

The account is intended to represent the school’s student section, actively tweeting reminders and news of upcoming themes and events.

Student Council has been very active in promoting the “spirit pack,” which includes five themed t-shirts and accessories intended for students to wear at not only football games, but other sporting events later in the school year. Ryan mentioned that the spirit packs “were a big hit” and that “even those who didn’t buy them still showed out with great school spirit.”

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The varsity cheerleaders perform the fight song after an LHS touchdown at Zion-Benton.

The Hype Team

Friday Night Leaps

In the north bleachers, near the concession stands, the Marching Wildcats sit facing the game, waiting for a play to end on the field. Their new position near the end zone allows them to play downfield so more people can see and hear them, and they now have better access to move on and off the field. As some of the loudest people at the game, their job is to keep the crowd excited, even when there is a delay on the field.

“Whether there’s something positive, and we want to reinforce that, anytime there’s a lull or a slow point, we want to provide something that keeps things moving in a positive direction,” explained band director Mr. Adam Gohr.

Pregame allows the musicians to start the night off with school spirit, by playing the national anthem, the opposing team’s fight song, as well as the LHS fight song. Then, throughout the game, the band will play short song snippets, such as “Hey Baby” and “Shake it Off,” to keep the crowd energized even when no football is in play.

“So as a marcher, I guess our job is to be the hype team, and get everybody hyped up,” senior alto saxophonist and social chair James He said.

At halftime, the band combines with poms to provide entertainment during the game’s biggest break. They often play multiple songs, including the one that poms dances to on the field.

Following halftime, the drumline breaks off to spend the third quarter in the student section. In this area of the stadium, they can be heard better by the students to pump them up, as well as be closer to the poms and cheer teams, who dance to the memorized cadences.

“We talk with the student section, and try to get [them] involved, also, with the drumline because it’s fun to see somebody in uniform -- a different kind, the marching uniform -- but also getting the students involved and the poms involved too,” drum captain Eva Mattioli said.

Mr. Gohr explained that his favorite part of game day -- and one of the most important aspects to the Marching Wildcats -- is the community dynamic that the high school displays at games.

“A lot of times, you know, football worries about football’s thing, and band worries about band’s thing, and cheer worries about cheer’s thing -and game day is one time we can all kind of bring that all together.

From their position of the track, the poms team entertains both the parents and the student section throughout the course of a football game.

To begin the night, the team starts in front of the press box to perform their pregame dances in front of the parents while the football team warms up on the field. Then, each quarter, they rotate with the cheer team on the track between the parents’ stands and the student section.

“I love doing pregame in front of the press box for the parents just to do little side entertainment while the guys are warming up, and I also love being in front of the student section,” senior varsity captain Nikki Westphal said. “Even though I can’t actually be in the student section, being able to perform for my peers is super fun, and it makes me feel like I’m included in the student section, too.”

Westphal is one of three captains for the varsity team. She is joined by seniors Kristen Luce and Emily Yates (who is also on Drops of Ink). This trio, having danced together on varsity for three years, better understands their teammates’ personalities and skills from their experiences together. This helps them clean up the team’s motions and skills, provide insight to their first-year head coach, Casey Dugan, and bring the team together as a family.

“We’re close with every single person on the team by the end of the year,” Luce explained. “It’s also kind of fun to see how we start off in the beginning as a team and how we dance -because joining and bringing new people together we don’t always dance the same way -- but then at the end, like last year at state, it was cool to see how we all danced the exact same way and how we come together.”

The team enjoys the season and their Friday nights in the stadium, feeling the energy produced by the team and enthusiasm from the crowd.

“As a coach, the atmosphere at an LHS football [game] is unparalleled,” Coach Dugan commented. “It is a great experience watching my athletes perform, interact with the crowd and support the football team.”

“The drum feature is my favorite part of performing at halftime because it’s the one time the drumline can really showcase what we’re capable of and what we’ve been working on in rehearsal,” said junior Brandon Tang (pictured above, left).

Sports

The varsity poms team finished their halftime routine by spelling out LHS. 27

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