September 26 issue pdf

xxmakeupiscoolxx 16-17

Math books go digital 4

SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 VOLUME 88, ISSUE 1

Riley Knows.

26-27

Freshmen-to-senior transformations 14-15

LETTER TO THE READERS 2014/15 STAFF LIST Alex Zoellick, Editor in Chief Kyle Laska, News Editor Ryan Jackson, Feature Editor Mike Gasick, Sports Editor Tom Ackerman, Opinion Editor Hannah Jenkins, Opinion Editor Korina Valenzuela, Photo Editor Maddie Salata, Layout Editor Abby St. Claire, Layout Editor Katie Vrba, Social Media Editor Manal Ahmed Lola Akinlade David Black Hannah Boufford Josh Bragg Becky DeAcetis Anna Demartini Kayla Fiore Lauren Forrest Alo Garcia-Escobar Olivia Griffith Emily Hamilton Eryka Jones Conor Kennedy Jake Luce Jarrett Malec Jack Murphy Tia Petrzilka Connor Polk Jillian Ruff Puja Saha Tyler Skinner Marijke Sommer Gabrielle Struik Maria Thames Sara Thunga Jasmine Turner Kate Vittore Jake Vogt Madeline Warner Kaitlyn Zabadal

DEAR READER...

Here it is. The best part of the beginning of the school year. No, not homecoming. No, not a big football upset victory. It is the first DOI of the year. It’s not just the first DOI, it’s a NEW DOI. With a staff of more than forty and a new editorial board, we will be looking to improve upon our already solid content. Not to mention all of the new cool things about the actual magazine. The new logo, new layouts and, thanks to Maddie Salata and Abby St. Claire, you no longer have to look at my face while you are reading this (or any of the opinion pieces, for that matter.)

The new Drops of Ink seems to fit right in with all the new stuff going on at LHS this year. There are new clubs, new improvements and new security. Have you seen the new courtyard in the cafeteria? Sitting out there takes me back to when I was in Italy a few summers back eating my lunch in the Plaza Roma; the only difference is that the food in Italy is way better. And how about that new security desk?! You better show up two hours before class; getting through there is going to take longer than trying to board your spring break flights. The Drop-in Lab got an overhaul, too; it actually looks like an inviting place to get some work done.

Let’s sit and take a minute before we jump back into the full-speed school year. To my fellow seniors, this is our last year to do everything we wanted to do in high school.

So before we get caught up in the groove of driving way too quickly into the parking lot and trying not nearly hard enough in our classes, we should step back and look at how far we have come and how close we are to the end.

Knowing this school, we will quickly get caught up in the football games, the dances, the breaks and then the finals.

Then, it will be the end of first semester and nothing will be new anymore. So before it is all gone, step back, look up from you cell phones and soak up some of this new, cause just like summer, it’ll be over before it started.

Michael Gluskin, Faculty Adviser DROPS OF INK 2

-ALEX

4 CLASSES GOING BOOKLESS 5 LHS SEES RISE IN NUMBER OF AP TEST TAKERS 6 WHAT’S HAPPENING 7 WHAT’S TRENDING 9-11 LIES AND LIKES 12-13 HOW FAR WE’VE COME 14-15 TRAVELING INTO THE UNKNOWN 16-17 KATHARINE WARD 18 STAFF EDITORIAL 19-21 COLUMNS 23 CROSS COUNTRY COMMUNITY CONTINUES CLIMB 24-25 TIME CRUNCH 26-27 YOU DON’T KNOW RILEY Find out the rationale for math and science classes switching to online textbooks.

650 students took AP tests last school year.

Find out what’s going on around the world.

Take a look at the hottest new trends for Homecoming.

Read about the differences between self-presentation on social media and in real life.

Check out some freshmen-to-senior transformations.

Relive the summer by looking at some students’ interesting experiences abroad.

Meet YouTube star xxmakeupiscoolxx.

How could the conflict between the students and administration over first-day-of-school activities be reolved?

Read about unfollows, USA’s school days and the Libertyville police.

More than 120 males are running cross country this year.

How do students handle school, sports and work?

Read about football and baseball standout Riley Lees.

Cover photo by Korina Valenzuela DROPS OF INK 3

Classes going bookless

by Becky DeAcetis

Many math classes this year are undergoing a big change; Algebra I, Algebra II, Calculus and some Geometry classes are going bookless and moving their homework online.

Common Core, the national standards for English and Math, changed and the math classes at LHS got new textbooks. Because of this, most teachers decided this year was the year to move online.

“Everything is so technological these days. It was good to just get rid of the books. It’s easy. You don’t need a book. Anytime you have internet you can do it,” Mrs. Hillary Gooris, an Algebra II teacher, said.

Although going online is a huge change, it also provides extra help that wasn’t available when homework was in the textbook. Examples, instructions on how to solve a certain type of problem and online book accessibility are just three of many tools students can use when they are having trouble with homework.

“I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback. It seems that more students like it than not. I think with anything you’re always going to get some unhappy people. As people get used to it, they’ll realize all the sources it has.” Mrs. Gooris said.

Although going online is a huge change, it also provides extra help that wasn’t available when homework was in the textbook.

Examples, instructions on how to solve a certain type of problem and online book accessibility are just three of many tools students can use when they are having trouble with homework.

According to Mrs. Gooris, one of the most useful tools on Math XL, the website being used for online homework for her class, is the ability to check work. Students are able to solve the problem, type in the answer and see if they have the correct answer.

“It’s worked pretty well so far. There were a few bugs getting people logged in but that was pretty much it. They were all worked out by the second assignment and I thought that was pretty good,” Mrs. Gooris said.

However, there cn also be a limit to the number of tries that are allowed per problem, which can hurt a student’s grade if they don’t understand the problem or section. If a student gets a problem wrong, they can try until they run out of attempts; after that, they can choose to try a similar problem for full credit.

Using technology for school can sometimes cause problems if a student has trouble connecting to internet, finding a computer to work on if they don’t have one at home or dealing with problems with the software used.

Senior Jenny Pahng requested a regular textbook because of her difficulty dealing with the online textbook. “I tried using the online textbook but it was frustrating and hard. It was really small and I like having the questions right in front of me,” she said.

Pahng said she had many friends who also were frustrated with the online textbook; teachers began offering regular textbooks in response to the complaints.

Mr. Tim Roegner Although this year some math classes are going almost completely online with homework, there are many other classes that have online homework. Many Spanish classes have required vocabulary testing online and some classes use online videos to replace learning a subject in class.

Becca Smrz, a sophomore in Algebra II, said it can sometimes be inconvenient to have online homework, especially for athletes, who may have to stay at a game or tournament late.

“When I’m at a sports game and I have free time to work on homework, I don’t have a computer with me… it’s hard to get a computer to work on,” Smrz said.

Although Smrz said it can be difficult to access the online homework, she also said that it was easy to navigate.

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4

LHS Sees Rise in Number of AP Test Takers Libertyville High School prides itself in the number of students participating in AP classes and tests.

Since 2011, Libertyville has seen a steady rise of students taking AP exams. In 2011, 504 students participated in AP exams.

The number rose to 578 students taking an exam in 2012 and rose again, to 628, in 2013. This past school year saw 650 students register to take an AP test. This comes out to about 33% of the approximately 2,000 students at the school who took AP tests last year. The numbers have been rising, but not as drastically as they did a few years ago.

Mr. Ray Albin, assistant principal, oversees mostly everything when it comes to AP testing. As the AP coordinator for the building, Mr. Albin must certify to the College Board that LHS AP teachers are teaching in an approved AP way. As far as why more students may want to take the test, Mr. Albin offered his guess.

“I think that as students are progressing through the curriculum, they are wanting to challenge themselves. Our students know, sometimes a little earlier, what they want to do in the future and therefore they want to get ahead. They use AP courses to do what they’re interested in and to maximize their potential interests,” stated Mr. Albin. “Not to mention financials; financially it’s a relief. Students have the option of a $91 test at the end of the year. The tests count as college credit which can, in the end, can save you 2, 3, 4,000 dollars. For paying $91, this is a tremendous value.”

Although the number of students taking AP tests is increasing, the numbers are actually pretty consistent. It may seem that more classes are filling up, and that students are having a tougher time getting into AP or Honors-level classes, but the fact is that the levels are set the previous year, based on how many students are interested in taking such classes, according to Mr. Albin.

“We section our numbers from where student levels were at last spring. If the numbers indicate that we need to section our levels off at 10 students, then we section it off at 10. We section appropriately, we section what we can, but that doesn’t leave a lot of room for people switching classes,” said Mr. Albin.

By Kyle Laska

According to Mr. Albin, that is why it is so important that students know what they want to take the next year before they see their counselors for their appointments. The school does not set extra seats aside for students who may want to switch in the class, which is why many students have had trouble switching into classes they may have wanted to take.

However, students are always able to take AP tests, regardless of whether they are in the class. Students are able to attend study sessions and become prepared for the tests ahead of time. For senior Ankur Rastogi, AP tests are a way of life. Rastogi currently has a schedule full of AP classes, 5 this semester, and will surely be taking the exams when they approach. As far as why he challenges himself, Rastogi praised the school.

“I’m someone who likes a challenge. There’s a lot of high schools out there that don’t have anything near the range or quality of AP classes LHS has to offer, and I think that if we have the chance to take them, we should. That’s my philosophy on AP classes: I’m lucky enough to go to a quality high school with quality teachers, and it’d be a missed chance if I didn’t participate in some of the best LHS has to offer. Opportunity is a product of circumstance and chance; what we choose to do with that opportunity, however, is what makes all the difference,” stated Rastogi.

As far as how teachers handle studying and preparation, Rastogi was nothing but supportive.

“We get regular updates in the spring, our teachers continuously remind us, and actual registration has an entire hour dedicated to it in a one-hour before-school session during the spring.

As far as everyone getting a chance to take them, I know quite a few people who were able to take AP exams for subjects that were either not taught (either at the AP level or not at all) only because the school offered them (e.g. AP World History). They do a solid job,” said Rastogi.

LHS has seen more and more students taking AP exams over the years, and thanks to preparation from both administration and teachers, students numbers could keep rising.

Students Taking AP Tests

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5

What’s

by Kate Vittore

Happening

1

4

2

3

5 photos from MCT Campus

1.

Apple released its newest product on September 19. The long-awaited iPhone 6, with new retina display and HD cameras, is the longest and thinnest iPhone yet. Available in two sizes, people now have the option of having a bigger phone that resembles an Android.

Showing it off at a media event earlier in the summer, Apple brags that this iPhone will be a game changer. Along with the announcement of this product, the newest product to look forward to from the company is the Apple Watch, being released some time in 2015.

2.

ISIS has beheaded another Westerner, a British aid worker. Both Britain’s leaders and the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, have courted with Middle Eastern leaders to join a coalition against the terrorist group. Not releasing the names for “operational

reasons,” according to CNN’s national security analyst, David Cameron, Britain’s Prime Minister, vowed to find the identities of the individuals responsible for the death of multiple innocent victims. Alhough they are not the only anti-government rebel group in Iraq, they are the most prominent to be dealt with at the moment.

3. Nearly 14 months after the birth of their first child, Prince George, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their

second child, as announced on September 8. The royal tweeter announced to the official account’s followers, “The Queen and the members of both families are delighted with the news that Their Royal Highnesses are expecting their second child.” While they decline to release her due date, commentators speculate that the baby will be born in late spring of 2015. As the fourth heir to the throne, the Royal Family has received congratulatory tweets from thousands of people, including British Prime Minister David Cameron and Scotland’s first minister, Alex Salmond.

4.

Joan Rivers passed away on September 4 in New York City. According to CNN, what began as a routine procedure to check her vocal chords turned disastrous when she stopped breathing. After the incident, she was then treated at the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic for reasons her family refuses to release. The clinic now denies that procedure ever happened. Rivers went into cardiac arrest at the clinic around 10 a.m. on the day of her death. After numerous attempts to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at 1:17 p.m.

5.

Health officials say that the latest outbreak of Ebola in West Africa is the deadliest ever. Almost 5,000 cases have been reported since December 2013, and nearly half of them have led to the fatalities of those infected, according to the World Health Organization.

Ebola hemorrhagic, one of the five known strings of Ebola, isn’t so much contagious as it is infectious, as scientists have learned that a single virus can lead to a great amount of deaths.

DROPS OF INK 6

What’s Trending Homecoming Edition

By Katie Vrba

Edgy Chic Sleek and Stylish

Neutral Elegance

A Pop of Color All photos courtesy of their store website.

For more details, visit lhsdoi.com.

DROPS OF INK 7

Pretty in Pink

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8

Lies and Likes

by Sara Thunga

With the use of social media becoming more popular year by year, it is becoming increasingly easier to disappear behind the screen and become an entirely different person. The most used -- or, more accurately, misused -- among these sites include Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine, and Instagram.

“It’s easy to hide behind a computer. You can say what you want to say; it’s easier to post things when no one can actually see your face,” school psychologist Margaret Norton described.

Nowadays, 81% of teens use some kind of social media, according to Pew Internet Project research September 2012. That number alone can dictate how people handle themselves online.

The more people that join, the more reason to hide someone’s true self because of the possibility that others will judge him or her based on something simple like a post on Facebook or Twitter. Since the number of those handling social media has gone through the roof, the pressure of how someone presents him or herself has gone up accordingly.

“People can lie about themselves on social media just so they seem appealing to others. Masses of society are too concerned about their image and how others perceive them,” sophomore Kristine Chi said, who is active on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

The types of messages and pictures someone posts are looked at critically by the amount of followers one possesses. If someone’s life seems interesting based on a status one posted on Facebook or a tweet about something funny that happened to him or her, then that person will surely get attention, and for most people present on social media, that’s a good thing. Additionally, the amount of followers someone has reveals the kind of person one is. For most people, the more followers, the better. Basically everything people include in their profile can be scrutinized by someone out there, and that is enough for someone to feel tempted to act differently online.

“Many people are dictated by the rules of society and they lie just to fit in. However I still believe that social media can show someone for who they really are. It just depends on the person,” Chi shares.

Most commonly, people will lie about their age in order to conceal it, or more accurately, to attract more people by appearing older. If someone is older, he or she will draw a larger crowd to his or her personal page, since this allows for a larger age-range to be attracted to one’s profile. Nearly half of teenagers have lied about their age online, according to Mashable, most likely because some social media sites have an age requirement.

“I’ve lied about my age for Facebook,” Chi admitted. “Many people lie about their age on Facebook just because they want one. It’s easy to use a random birthday year because no one checks if the information you’re inputting is accurate.”

Social media may have its flaws, but perhaps the people who lie on it are exactly who they show themselves as: liars. It’s clear that someone has exaggerated when, as said before, the age is not true or when white lies have been drizzled in a story told on social media. For example, someone may exaggerate something that has happened to them that day to make his or her life seem more interesting and exciting.

“If they’re lying then you know that they’re a lying type of person whereas someone simple will be clear and simple like who they are,” junior Barbara Garcia-Stam explained.

Or those who over-think how others perceive them are seen through the same negative light on social media. Society causes people to behave as others want them to behave, and that can definitely spark lies and exaggerations.

“I think there is pressure to look a certain way or to act a certain way and portray yourself a certain way but it also depends on who you are as a person. Some people don’t care so much about that but if people do care a lot, that can affect them,” Ms. Norton stated.

What motivates teenagers to exaggerate about themselves online exactly? Coming at a time where fitting in is all that matters, the answer shouldn’t be a surprise.

“A person may exaggerate via social media to help boost their confidence, receive attention from peers, or to keep up with their friends or acquaintances,” school psychologist Marissa Frederick explained.

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Photo by Abby St. Claire

How to Use Social Media Wisely On the other hand, it is possible to use social media wisely, and some people have been seen to do this.

“The initial goal of social media was to allow everyone to express themselves freely,” Chi expressed. “I think my profile clearly shows what kind of person I am.”

Social media can be handled tastefully, it just depends on what type of person one really is. Again, if someone is the type to care somewhat about what others think about him or her, then that can be enough incentive to virtually change him or herself entirely.

“Social media accurately portrays a person if he or she wants it to, but in other cases, social media may portray the ‘best version’ of people,” Ms. Frederick said.

The various pressures of society can cause one to be concerned with self-image and that is the driving force to the offsets of

someone on social media, but perhaps even by lying, someone might not appear how one wants to.

“I think people can express themselves and their opinions on social media but you can also portray yourself in a way you weren’t intending to by posting certain pictures or writing certain things that maybe people would interpret in a way you didn’t mean,” Ms. Norton highlighted.

Expressing oneself is necessary to teenagers to live a healthy and balanced life, but the problem is misuse of these outlets.

Needing an outlet to let out someone’s anger or frustration is a problem for teenagers especially, and many take to social media to let it out. Some information may end up becoming too personal, and often times people are seen to be too comfortable with sharing things online that they would never share in person.

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“Sometimes teenagers -- or people in general -- can get too comfortable with social media and overshare private information,” Ms. Frederick said.

But social media does not have to get so personal and it does not have to be so misused. It can be a good tool in spreading the word of a certain cause. Take the ALS ice bucket challenge, for example. If one went on any social media site, then that person would find videos and posts everywhere to help the cause. This is a way in which social media can be used wisely.

“I think it [social media] can be a good tool but it can also be easily misused and it can be detrimental to some people if it is misused. It’s also a good way for people to raise awareness to certain causes and share your opinions if you do it in a healthy and appropriate way,” Ms. Norton explained.

The Incentives to Lie Teenagers especially are found to misuse social media because of the pressures that society places on their shoulders nowadays. In addition to that, when one is an adolescent, one doesn’t truly know him or herself yet. This is the time in someone’s life when one is trying to discover him or herself because one’s likes and dislikes are not fully known or developed yet.

“When you’re a teenager, that’s a time in your life when you’re trying to find out who you are: you’re changing, there’s lots of different peer groups, and you just want to try to fit in. You’re trying to figure out who you are as a person and it’s easier to succumb to pressure so you might be in a more vulnerable state in your life,” Ms. Norton said.

But is society necessarily to blame? Or do teens harbor some of the blame of the lies and distortions seen online? In most cases, both play some part in the issue.

“I think society has played a big part in the distortions teenagers make of themselves on social media, but many

teens have also grown up using or being exposed to social media so they have developed their own tendencies as well.

Everybody has played a part in these distortions,” Ms. Frederick said.

There’s also the pressure of their peers and having celebrities on the same social media as they use. When kids see their favorite athlete or actor posting about something, then they would feel the need to do the same in the same way that one would take to dressing or acting like a person someone idolizes.

“Teenagers might feel pressured because of their peers’ presence on social media because they want to fit in, or maybe by their favorite athlete or celebrity’s presence on social media because they want to emulate them,” Ms. Frederick explained.

What comes out of these pressures isn’t pretty. Social media can cause common mental disorders like anxiety or depression from all the pressure from the different sources. “Smiling depression”

-- people who do not appear depressed in real life but actually are -- is a term that is increasing in use, according to Psychcentral, the world’s largest and oldest mental health social network. Look at the students around. They may appear content but for some of them that might not be the case. The pressure on, say, Instagram to look a certain way, dress a certain way, go to certain places, and hang around certain people is enough for someone to struggle with self-image, which would then trigger depression and the like.

“When social media begins to take over someone’s life -- posting statuses, pictures, etc. at all hours of the day and in all situations, that sort of behavior might be detrimental to a person’s social-emotional health. That person might not be truly present when spending times with their friends and family, so they may struggle to have meaningful conversations/relationships with people because they’re so busy checking and posting things via social media,” Ms. Frederick illustrated.

“Everyone has played a part in these distortions” Life Without Social Media Most importantly, how would life be different without social media? Would teenagers act the same, and is social media the cause of the situations where people act differently?

“It’s hard to say how people would be different without social media, since it has such a presence in most of our daily lives.

It’s possible that relationships with peers or family members might be different -- we might have more face to face conversations, or have to catch up with one

another in other ways besides Facebook and Twitter,” Ms. Frederick said.

The face-to-face contact in everyday life is important. Human touch can be seen to not only make people feel good, but also improve mental-social health.

A simple pat on the shoulder or hug can alleviate pain and stress hormones, or even help fight against mental disorders, according to Seattle Times. These interactions are not possible online, and that’s what makes it so detrimental to one’s

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health, especially if someone spends more time on social media contacting others than in real life.

“People would be forced to talk in person more and do more face-to-face [if there was no social media], which I think is a good thing. I think people don’t talk on the phone anymore they just text instead or send messages on Facebook and I think we lack that personal connection from social media,” Ms. Norton decided.

How Far We’ve Come

By Ryan Jackson

The walk is the first thing you notice.

It’s just a walk, one foot after the other, slowly moving in a forward direction. But with such a mundane action comes such a crystal clear label of experience, confidence, and seniority (or lack thereof.)

Aren’t we all accustomed to the tradition freshman trot at this point? It’s a movement that blurs the line between competitive speed-walking and uninspired Butler Lake gym class jogging. Naturally there’s the contrary. As we’re now weeks into the new school year, many seniors have mastered the insolent senior gait, a walk so slow and relaxed that Rosie O’Donnell might find it cardiovascularly comfortable.

When I was walking through my classes a couple days before school started this year, I heard an upperclassman tell his younger brother, “It’s better to be late to class than run there,” an assertion I don’t necessarily disagree with.

But the walk is just a physical representation of the changes countless LHS students have made from our first days as freshmeat to our final year at Libertyville. Our interests have changed, our bodies have followed suit, and our relationships with friends and significant others have often been less consistent than test scores in Mr. Brenner’s AP Calculus class.

So as we are settled into our newfound roles as heads of the high school, let’s take a minute to look back and reflect. It’s easy to forget that the struggling, panic-ridden freshmen we look down at now aren’t that different from us at our cores. Maybe not all of us remember that, at one point, not having braces made you a catch in the adolescent dating world. (To those seniors still fighting the good and noble fight, those braces will come off someday. Probably by the time everyone else has found a spouse.) Not all of us remember that, at one point, any trace of muscle definition was worthy of infinite female attention, male envy, and at least a half dozen shirtless Facebook photos. (Instagram wasn’t a thing yet, remember?)

Football games weren’t always under the famed Friday night lights, Thursday afternoon glory would have to suffice. ACT scores and college admissions weren’t always a priority; the Explore test and our first finals experience were enough to induce ample anxiety. We were all so worried about our Homecoming dates, there may have been an ask or two that took place on Fourth of July weekend. And we were all merging from different schools: Highland, Oak Grove, St. Joe’s, Hawthorne, and Rondout, which could pass for an 18th century schoolhouse.

If that recap isn’t enough to inspire some nostalgia for 2011, then yank the old yearbook off the shelf. You will not be disappointed in the rows on rows of baby-faced grins, and you might be surprised to know that even Joey Rossa didn’t look 28 years old at one point.

To help us look back at how far we’ve all come, here are a few students who have made some of the most remarkable changes from their early high school years to the present. Whether it’s athletically, physically, or socially, these LHS seniors are now a only a vaguely familiar image of themselves from just a few years ago.

Reaching New Heights

Seniors Derek Feireisel and Jordan McInerny are seeing high school from a different point of view than they did just a couple years before.

While there can be a distinguishable size difference in girls, the physical difference between freshman and senior boys is overwhelming. Senior boys isn’t even appropriate diction, many are clearly men at this point. One student that looks more suited for an office building than a high school is senior Derek Feiereisel.

“My growth spurt started midway through my sophomore year and lasted until the middle of junior year. At the beginning of sophomore year I was around 5’7” and by the end of junior year I was 6’3”,” he explained.

Feiereisel maintained that his overall confidence grew as he did, particularly in sports like basketball, where size can be a definitive advantage.

“It definitely helped me be more successful and confident on the field,” he said.

Senior Jordan McInerny, a starting defensive end for the Libertyville football team, agreed that changing size has made a considerable difference in his athletic career. McInerny credits lifting weights, eating the right foods, Feireisel and McInerny’s growth spurts have lead to and a little genetic boost to his rapid physical growth. big gains in athletics.

“It’s all because I wanted to get to that next level, I wanted to play college football,” he said.

He now stands at 6’5”, weighs close to 220 pounds, and is a stout force at one of the most physically demanding positions on the field. That’s a sizable jump from his freshman year, when his less imposing physical frame kept him from playing defensive end.

“Freshman year they didn’t let me play defensive end...they didn’t even let me play on that side of the ball,” McInerny laughed.

For Feireisel, and a hefty majority of the male population at LHS, three-plus years makes a difference in categories in addition to height. Between the buzzcut and braces from freshman year, Feireisel’s current pushed-back flow and spotless smile bring to question if he is the same person.

Going through the infamous “awkward stage” is a required part of growing up, and unfortunately for our younger Wildcats, many of us experience it in high school. Feireisel understands the struggle for those freshmen currently sitting at rock bottom of the awkward phase cycle.

“Just know that you won’t be stuck in your five foot, 100 pound frame forever,” he offered. “There are a ton of people that feel the same way. It will pass.”

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Photos courtesy of Feireisel/Kim Reimers

Brace Yourself Seniors Sara Hoult and Shannon Miller have moved beyond the braces

Working to B the Best A special guest column by Charlie Murphy

The undisputed hallmark of a freshman is braces. Those who can boast that they’ve never needed braces don’t understand the seemingly eternal challenge that the rest of us have had to endure. For guys, braces are just a hassle that get tightened every month and trap bits of burgers. For girls, however, braces represent a constant obstacle for taking pictures, eating, and achieving desirable self esteem.

Senior Shannon Miller cites the day she got her braces off as a turning point in her high school career.

“I just remember walking up to my lunch table after I got my braces off...everyone looked at me like I was a different person,” she recalled.

It’s easy for metal-mouthed freshman to feel overwhelmed in their first couple months, Photos courtesy of Connie Skoug Murphy will be a key contributor to the baseball team this spring. or even year at a large-pond high school like Libertyville. Especially when many of them are battling through their inevitable awkward phases. (Inevitable for most people, that is; As I was just starting my freshman year in high every grade has those few kids that manage to evade it.) It’s easy to feel intimidated and school, I was an average kid who was completely lack confidence as a young high school student. overwhelmed with the whole high school experience. I “I have more confidence (now) than my freshman year,” offered senior Sara Hoult. was a friendly kid, but my only true close friends were “Looks definitely aren’t everything, but realizing you are no longer in that awkward phase kids who went to St. Joseph with me, which was about a is a confidence booster.” whopping total of four kids. I was placed in a situation But the discomfort many freshmen feel extends beyond the physical aspect. Socially, where I felt as if everyone knew each other well and I was younger LHS students often feel overwhelmed and intimidated by their older counteran outsider looking in. parts. Miller uses LHS spirit days as an example to describe the discrepancy.

As sports began, I started to make new friends from “Freshman year you don’t want to participate in the school spirit days because you other schools and began to fit in better. However, my don’t want the older kids to think you’re weird. But now we’re the older kids and I don’t whole freshman year consisted of me being on the B team. really care,” she said.

I played Freshman B football along with Freshman The earlier high school years can be a definitive time for kids in their social lives.

B baseball, and this was a big disappointment to me Friends take up different interests, and it’s easy to drift apart from those who were once because I truly felt at heart I could play with all the other considered friends for life. However, Miller and Hoult, friends since the first grade, have kids. I did not want to be known as just an average kid. managed to stick it out through the thick and thin and remain best friends.

I kept my head up the whole year and moved onto my “We do a lot together...we work together, we take similar classes, and have similar sophomore year, when I was close friends with many interests inside and outside of school,” Miller said. people who I had never talked to freshman year. I was Hoult noted that even though the two play different sports and have to manage hectic one of the only Freshman B baseball players to make the high school schedules, maintaining an important friendship is a priority.

Sophomore team, and as the year moved on, I became “We will always find time to hang out, even if it’s only for twenty minutes to take the one of our best pitchers. I ended up having statiscally dogs for a walk around the block,” Hoult said. one of the best seasons of anyone on the team, and I Friendships, confidence levels, appearance, and orthodontics can change, but it’s all was starting to feel like I was making a name for myself part of the experience. Hoult has one piece of advice to freshmen just embarking on their amongst the kids who had always been considered better journey: “Don’t worry, the braces are coming off soon.” than me. I also made many close friends on the team during the process.

At the start of my junior year, I was an exuberant young man who finally felt comfortable with the social atmosphere of high school. I had many close friends and made many memories, but I was yet again faced with the fear of not making the varsity baseball team. After I was informed that I made the team, I felt as if everyone looked down on me as not as talented. I decided to not be content with not playing, so as the season went on, I kept working on my game and when my chances came, I took advantage. I ended the season with a 4-0 record on the mound and had one of the best experiences playing with all my teammates.

Now, heading into my senior year, I am beyond excited for the memories that will be made and new people I will meet. I am also excited for the baseball season to start because I will be playing a vital role in the pitching rotation this year. If someone told my my freshman year that as a senior I’d be a starting pitcher on varsity, the student section crowd leader, the soccer manager, and the outgoing person I am today, I would’ve called them Photos courtesy of Shannon Miller insane. It just goes to show that you really never know “You would be surprised at how much people grow from their freshman year to the end of high school, ” Miller said. how things are going to turn out, so you better take advantage of your chances when you get them.

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Traveling Int

N

owadays, most teenagers only d after high school or during their lifetime Islands are all places that students do no However, those who have the chance to or in the form of an exchange trip.

LHS seniors Samantha Stavropoulos, a part of certain programs that led them summer.

Samantha Stavropoulos

Senior Samantha Stavropoulos has had an interesting few summers within her high school career. Recently, she had traveled to the Galapagos Islands through a student-sponsored National Geographic Program; the program itself is known as National Geographic Student Expeditions.

The program has allowed students to travel across the world for more than 60 years and offers four different types of expeditions that students can choose from.

Each student has the choice of an expedition, field workshop, photo workshop, or a community service program. Stavropoulos participated in the photography workshop, which allowed her to gain more experience in the field of photography. Most of the time there, she had had the chance to take wildlife photography as well as nature photography. “The option I did was photography and the other was Wildlife Conservation. That was where they chose their own project. But for photography is was just ‘choose a theme and take pictures,’” said Stavropoulos.

The student then applies to the program and his/her application is viewed extensively by the National Geographic Admissions Committee. “I had to write a short two paragraph essay about why I wanted to go where I had applied to go and I had to get teacher recommendations from teachers who knew me well,” said Stavropoulos.

Most of the students whom had applied ranged from ages 14 to 18 and were all in high school. However, most of them had not been from the U.S., let alone Illinois.

“There were 24 students total and they came from everywhere. We had some people that came from China, England, and Israel. [A] majority were from the U.S. but they came from everywhere,” said Stavropoulos.

Stavropoulos’ trip to the Galapagos Islands lasted a total of 18 days and was described as “absolutely incredible.” Within the first week of the trip, the student expedition group traveled to the capital city, Quito. There and in the Galapagos Islands, Stavropoulos was able to horseback ride, hike, and participate in some community service. “We hiked up to a Volcano for 10 miles, horseback riding, and we had a lot of downtime,” said Stavropoulos.

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By Korina V

Kyra P

Senior Kyra Pan had a much different summer and Unlike most students, Pan joined an exchange progra linna, Finland, where she lived for seven months with The program, through Rotary International, allows s a few weeks to a year as an international student. Eac from a list of countries that Rotary International has a ence that any international student would have.

To apply, Pan had to go through an extensive applic mendations and interviews from current exchange stu that have returned from their trips. Once accepted, the country before his or her visit.

While there, Pan attended the mandatory classes req classes that count towards her GPA at LHS. While she classes of a junior due to the lack of credits from the c classes work in Finland, it’s too hard to match up cred During her time in Finland, Pan had to get accustom Finland. “Culture shock was not how you would expe subtle. But culture shock was a big thing. Looking ba wrong there,” said Pan. Most of the Finnish people in displeased, they will make it known. Getting accustom as having to get accustomed to the lifestyle in Finland into another country for ten or seven months of your l expected or surprising to have major culture shock,” s

The Unkn wn

Valenzuela

dream of being able to see the world e. France, Finland, and the Galapagos ot always have the chance to go to. o go normally do so with their families

Kyra Pan, and Joey Pucino were all m to travel to exotic places over the

Joey Pucino

Senior Joey Pucino had quite an adventurous summer this year. About two summers ago, Pucino went on an exchange trip to France for three weeks and this past summer, Pucino returned to France for two weeks. While there, Pucino traveled to some of the most exotic places in France such as; Angers, Marseille, and Paris. Unlike the exchange trip, Pucino traveled most of France by himself with expenses paid for by his parents. “I was with my friend for most of the trip but I also stayed with my exchange student’s family as well as met up with my neighbor.”

Pan

school year than most of the students at LHS. am through the school that took her to Hameenh three different families. students ages 15 to 19 to spend anywhere from ch student that applies has the chance to choose a partnership with as well as have the experi-

Two summers ago, while on the exchange trip, Pucino was able to speak some of the language as well as get accustomed to the French culture. “Besides being able to speak the language I was able to learn what it’s like to be a teen in a different culture,” said Pucino. The group of students that had gone on the exchange trip had had the chance to travel to Mont St. Michel, which is an abbey in town situated on top of a small cliff and is on accessible during low tide.

cation process, which included teacher recomudents, Rotary sponsors, and exchange students e student who applied learns more about the

quired for her schooling, which were regular e is the age of a senior, she takes the current classes in her exchange program. “The way the dits to credits,” said Pan. med to the culture as well as the language in ect it to be because Finnish people are very ack, I realize that there’s so many things I did n Finland are very subtle and if they are very med to the culture was hard for Pan as well d. “It’s a big thing to uproot yourself and go life but it was interesting and it wasn’t really said Pan.

During his time in France, this summer, Pucino was able to travel to Angers and Marseille, as well as the major national park located in France, Calanques. “It was all of these cliffs that led down to the most clear water you’ve ever seen. You could see the shadows of the boats on the bottom and I got to go cliff jumping,” said Pucino.

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Katharine Ward

By Maddie Salata

Walking down the halls of LHS, it’s hard to miss junior Katharine Ward with her red ombré hair, trendy outfits, and perfectly placed eyeliner. It’s no wonder thousands of young girls watch her YouTube videos, where her bubbly personality and charming charisma transfers onto the computer screen with ease. It’s all of those things combined that has led Ward to great success with her YouTube beauty channel, xxmakeupiscoolxx. In the past five years, she has gained 285,348 YouTube subscribers, 48,400 Twitter followers, and 77,021 Instagram followers. She is a social media queen, to say the least.

Ward began her YouTube channel at the age of 10. The first video she ever posted, she recalls, was a “What’s In My Purse” video. And while some may have been nervous to put themselves on the internet for the world to see, Ward didn’t see any reason to be.

“I was really excited to post my first video. I was so ready to put it up there,” said Ward.

She originally became interested in starting her own channel by watching other videos. “I found a bunch of beauty videos and I just thought it was really interesting. I was really inspired to make my own,” she said.

Her channel soon became a place for all things beauty, makeup, and fashion. Her subscribers love her numerous makeup tutorials, “outfit of the week” videos, and do-it-yourself crafts. But keeping her channel consistent takes up a lot of her time.

“The filming and editing is all done by me.

Depending on what it is, a video can take up to 12 hours to completely film, edit, and upload,” explained Ward. “During the school week I’ll just work on my editing because I have homework.

But on the weekends, YouTube is my top priority.

I usually spend a full day filming videos, editing them, and making thumbnails. So it takes up basically all my free time but I love it!”

Ward’s friend Kierstin Thompson sees firsthand how hard she works: “Most people don’t realize that it truly takes a lot of hard work and is a real job. She puts a lot of time into planning videos and it’s really awesome to see how her videos have grown over the years.”

With the success also comes hardships. Ward sometimes receives negative comments and criticism from viewers. “I’ve been on YouTube for such a long time that obviously you’re going to get hate. It’s a part of YouTube and it’s just what you have to go through,” she said. “I remember when I was 10 and I just started, I was so offended when people were mean to me. But now it’s to Photo taken from Instagram the point where I can just scroll through the comKatharine’s Instagram account, xxmakeupiscool, displays photos of her makeup looks and features her newest videos.

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“Just be yourself and do what you want to do”

Photo taken by Korina Valenzuela Ward’s friends describe her personality as ambitous, loving, and inventive.

ments and read them and then forget about them the next day. I’ve gotten used to it and I’ve built a thick skin. If people are going to insult me behind the screen I’m not going to take it personally!”

Luckily, Ward has received great support from her friends and family. “I definitely think my friends and family have always supported me and as my channel has grown, they’ve supported me even more,” she said. “And it makes me happy because it’s something that I’ve found that I really like and stuck to. Because, you know, you can try out different sports and things and if you don’t like it you just dump it, but I’ve stuck with this for five years.”

In those five years, her channel has grown tremendously.

Working her way up from zero subscribers to almost 300,000 took hard work and dedication. But to Ward, it wasn’t about the numbers.

“I think when I started I didn’t really think, ‘Oh, I want a million subscribers.’ I wasn’t really thinking about who was watching, I just wanted to make videos,” she explained. “It really takes time and effort. If you’re putting in 100% effort to your videos people are going to see that and they’re going to subscribe.

Just be yourself and do what you want to do. I think that’s how you gain a bigger audience.”

One of Ward’s best friends and fellow YouTuber, Adrienne Hill, attributes Katharine’s success to her relatability: “She’s just always herself. She never tries to be somebody she’s not.”

Thompson agrees: “Katharine isn’t afraid to be who she is.

She takes pride in everything she does but she never brags about her channel. I think that’s why Katharine has had the success that she has because she’s a relatable teenage girl living her own extraordinary dream.”

That relatability has not only grabbed attention of viewers but large brands as well. She has worked with companies such as Neutrogena, Bath and Body Works, Maybelline, and Clean and Clear, who send her products that she features in her videos.

“I talk to the companies personally, which is really cool,” said Ward.

Ward has also received many travel opportunities and has participated in makeup contests. In the NYX Face Awards, she advanced to the final competition round. After being flown out to Los Angeles, she competed against five other YouTube stars in a goddess themed makeup round.

“The goddess I got was goddess of the sea, so I made my [model] look like a mermaid. I did scales on her face and blue lips and blue smoky eyes. It was really cool. It was something I would have never done before,” she explained.

Ward received the award for the best technique, as well as a NYX gift card. During events like these, she gets to visit with her friends that she’s met through YouTube and meet some of her subscribers. “I think the craziest thing is when I go out in public and girls recognize me, which is so cool. I love meeting them.

It’s just really fun and they’re so cute,” said Ward. “When people come up to me I think it’s the coolest thing because I would just be a stranger to them if I had never started making videos.”

As Ward gets older, she realizes that her passion lies in makeup artistry and hopes that in the future she can pursue that as a career. “I want to be a makeup artist for movies and do special effects and sci-fi sort of stuff. But I do plan on going to an actual university, not just to beauty school. I really want to go out to L.A. because that’s the best place to be if you want to do makeup artistry,” she said.

Hill says that Ward will definitely find continued success in the future: “I can’t imagine Katharine without YouTube, so I definitely see YouTube sticking with her for a while. I also envision Katharine living in a city like L.A., pursuing her dreams of being a makeup artist, and continuing to film her amazing videos.”

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First-day communication could be better Staff Editorial

Photo taken from Facebook Tensions remained high leading up to the first day of school between seniors and the administration, leaving freshmen in the middle of the conflict and escalating anxiety for their first day of high school.

While opinions toward the first-day-of-school activities are controversial and diverse, the DOI staff argues that a compromise must be reached in order to relieve future conflict and dismay.

So what’s the solution? DOI believes that this can be done through improved communication between administration and students.

DOI felt this could be accomplished by the administration providing a more clear cut statement on rules and the intent of the school that would provide a more relaxed first-day atmosphere for all parties. Some communication was made involving these rules though, including Dr. Scott speaking to last year’s junior class about safety at the pre-prom assembly, and the situation also was explained through a letter sent home to parents. According to Mrs. Jennifer Uliks, student activities director, a couple of senior students were also contacted over the summer in anticipation

for the first day “preemptively.”

However, DOI believes that more students should be involved in the process of discussing such issues at school.

The DOI staff expressed a strong interest in having a group of seniors (to-be) involved in discussing first-day activities each year with the administration. Not only would this help to prevent false rumors for both seniors and freshmen alike, but more direct communication between staff and students would prove to be only beneficial to the school. Whether this group be Student Council, the Student Leadership Team, or even a group of perceived leaders, direct contact could be a very positive collaboration for LHS. According to Mrs. Uliks, students at a student leadership meeting were asked about ideas for the first day aside from the water balloons, but the students had no ideas.

In this atmosphere of tension, freshmen faced only more fear and anxiety for their first day of high school. Just to name a few, high tensions have created numerous rumors including freshmen being thrown into lockers, their books being knocked down, getting tied to trees, and of course, being hit

by the infamous water balloon, according to freshmen DOI staff members. Regardless of who has a better case in the matter, one can see that something must be done in order to ease the conflict, as it in no way helps the incoming freshmen. “Something that is playful has morphed into something that became out of control. It turned into something that crossed boundaries that can’t really be crossed in an organization like this,” said Mr. Bill Reichert, who works closely with incoming freshmen through Link Crew.

One possible compromise suggested by DOI has been to designate a “safety zone” for freshmen or those uninterested in participating with water balloons, silly string, or other first day activities. However, this becomes complicated for the administration for legal and practical reasons. According to Mrs. Uliks, a kind of last chance was given to seniors last year, as they were contained to the practice football field for a water balloon fight, and also warned of the seriousness of respecting this generosity.

“If any parents said ‘screw it,’ I want [those hazing] arrested for battery, we would have arrested them. If the seniors want to stand

DROPS OF INK 18

together and pelt each other, then go right ahead, because they’re all involved. But the minute you add someone to that it becomes a criminal offense, and that’s where you draw the line,” stated school resource officer Robert Uliks.

The administration simply has no interest in hosting an activity that could potentially turn into an unwanted situation.

Not only was the practice field containment idea not entirely successful in preventing hazing, but cleaning up after the water balloon fights costs the school time and money as maintenance workers are taken away from other jobs around the school for several hours.

As an attempt to appropriately replace the water balloon fight, LHS administration hosted a panoramic picture and before-school breakfast this year. Although the idea was not as popular as it could have been, Mrs. Uliks commented that those who came were well-behaved and enjoyed the gesture.

“Traditions that an educational institution has encompasses all the values and our mission statement...not hazing. Come up with a tradition like that,” stated Mrs. Uliks.

America’s Failing Education

By Hannah Jenkins

Although America is one of the richest and most developed in the world, the education system is not improving at the levels it should be. America spends more money per student than most countries, our test scores are well below average. We are stagnant, not improving, while plenty of countries are making big strides in developing their education systems. Plus, American schools have a huge tenweek gap between the school year. Therefore, by combining all of this together, it simply spells trouble for America’s education system.

In 2011, according to University of Southern California’s website, America spent $7,743 per a pre-college student while Finland, one of the best countries in the education department, spent $5,653 per student. It may seem like, since America spends the most in their education system, that should mean that we’re supreme. However, shoving tons of money at a program doesn’t magically make it obtain the learning techniques that students need to improve.

Also in USC’s report, it disclosed how America is struggling to improve, through the results of the PISA test. It’s an international test given every four years to fifteen year olds around countries. The scores are in math, science, and reading and each is out of 600. America got a 474 in math and 489 in science in 2011. And Finland? 548 in math and 563 in science.

The success of Finland’s (and most of Europe’s education systems) lay in how they treat students. There are no AP classes, there aren’t even honors classes. Everyone is on the same rigorous track, consisting of learning at least three languages by the end of high school, according to Take Part, an online news and lifestyle magazine.

Also, Finland has a light amount of homework and barely any tests because usually a teacher follows a class of students for five years rather than, in America, having to switch teachers every year. This makes it easier for teachers to know their students.

Plus, teachers in Finland, have to be the best of the best. The need to graduate at the top of their class in college. Then, they must apply into the eight colleges that grant teacher’s masters degrees. Just as an example of how competitive of a career it is, in 2010, 6,600 applied for the 600 spots for spots to get their masters degrees.

Finnish education is based on socialization, not on grades. Teachers focus on helping kids figure out how to communicate to others, learn how to connect with society, and zero in on supporting responsibility along with growing as a person instead of just on

grades and flat subjects (grades aren’t even given until high school!)

In addition, like many other European countries, Finland gives students at the age of 16 the opportunity to stay on a college preparatory path or they can go to vocational school, which 43% of students choose to do, according to Take Part. Students are able to do what they love, and they get a chance to prepare themselves for life in adulthood easier than in America since we don’t provide this accommodation (plus, it makes their graduation rate 96% while America’s is a mere 75%, according to GreatSchool).

European schools also tend to have an all-year calendar, where their vacations are spread out in two-four week breaks. This alleviates the pressure students feel to relearn different subjects.

Plus, when taking a 10-week chunk of time away from mandatory learning, this almost guarantees that teachers must spend a couple weeks reviewing what we learned last year. Therefore, with an all-year school calendar, it creates more time to progress into new subjects rather than wasting time reviewing older material.

Finland’s so-called “unorthodox education system” seems to be doing the trick, even though it has around the same number of school days (190, while the U.S. has around 180), they spend theirs more wisely. Their system tends to stray from tradition ones since they offer less homework, more rest time, and less school hours than the normal requirements, yet Finland is performing better than most countries academically.

And this whole thing isn’t directed at LHS, not in the least, because this school is one of the best in our average national education system.

And that is also the most unfair part about education in America--your quality of education is dictated by where you live. Since states are in control of education for the most part, it generally means that if your state has money, then you get a great education. But if you can’t afford to live in a place like that, then it essentially means you can’t afford a good education. According to the National Education Association, in the 2012-13 school year, Vermont spent the most per student, $19,752, while Texas spent the least at $8,275 per elementary/high school kid.

This unfortunately explains how America’s PISA test results vary by 15 percent while other European and Asian countries vary by less than ten percent because schools get similar amount of funding. This has to be one of the worst things in America: money controlling whether education festers or soars in a region, when it shouldn’t matter.

If there’s one thing Europe has right, it’s that education is high quality all around, and that education is usually free. America still has a lot to learn.

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Top photo courtesy of eagnews.org

Unfollowing The Trend

By Connor Polk

Have you have ever had one of those days when, just casually browsing through your Instagram follower tracking app, you notice that someone unfollowed you? As infuriated as you are, you still manage to take the time go back to their profile and unfollow them, almost considering a confrontation?

Well, no, me neither.

Why? Because I honestly find it ridiculous how shallow social media has become. It has turned us into a generation of attention-seekers. So much so that we worry that one person, often out of hundreds or even thousands, made the conscious decision to stop caring about our life outside of face-to-face socializing.

I mean, let’s be honest with ourselves here: we need to figure out that most people really don’t care what we do in our free time or what our face looks like through 17 different filters. We see and hear enough of each other in the real world; what is the real incentive behind following even more aspects of each others’ lives?

I’m willing to bet that the answer is usually not because we are genuinely interested in what another person does when they aren’t with us. This is even furthered by the fact that our news feed(s) do not just consist of one person. Browsing through multitudes of faces that we often wouldn’t see otherwise has just become another form of entertainment for us. Is it really that different from watching TV? Or browsing non-social

areas of the web? The only difference is that we know the people on the screen.

Again, let’s bring it back to the fact that you are involved with hundreds and hundreds of people online.

You really won’t notice if a couple faces aren’t there every once in a while, right? So why should you care if a couple less faces are looking at yours?

This brings us full circle to really show how narcissistic our generation has become because so many people really do care if even one less person is taking part in their life online. We crave every like, every view, and every follow we can get, largely due to, and expressed through, social media.

But maybe I’m just being too harsh; we’re all human after all.

When asked how she would feel if someone unfollowed on social media, junior Monica Martin said, “It would depend on who they were because if it’s just someone random, then it doesn’t really matter. But if it’s my friend, then it would be sort of insulting.”

We all get jealous, have easily bruised egos, and all could use a little self-esteem boost every once in a while, and what easier

Photo Courtesy of MCT campus way is there to gain that than through “likes,” or seeing or talking to our friends via the digital world? I definitely am not condoning those who do anything for likes, or followers for that matter, but, I mean, social media isn’t going anywhere, and the vast majority of us are a part of it, so it really doesn’t hurt to indulge every once in awhile.

In short, everything social media-wise is best in modera-

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tion. Treat little things as little things. Unfollows are only a big deal if you make them a big deal.

“I could care less [if someone unfollowed me],” said junior Andy Benish. “It doesn’t apply to real life circumstances and doesn’t benefit me.” But if you are already at the point where you strictly track who follows you, you’re in too deep. Just take a deep breath, step back, and turn off whatever device is giving you a case of social media distress.

Photo by Jake Luce

Do Local Police Officers Target High School Students?

By Jake Luce There is a common belief among Libertyville High School students that the police are “out to get them,” and that the students are not treated equally by the police. This preconceived notion may be true in some ways, but it is false in others.

If a group of high schoolers is out late at night, and they look somewhat suspicious, it makes perfect sense for a police officer to make sure they are not partaking in illegal activities. It is the police’s job to make sure that our town is safe and that crime is kept to a minimum. However, it is not fair, nor is it legal for a police officer to search or detain any high schooler without a specific reason or a warrant. Unless the officer has a valid reason to stop these students, they should not be targeted.

Despite the belief that police officers stereotype high schoolers as being “up to no good,” Libertyville substitute teacher and former police officer Stuart Mendelsohn believes that the stereotype is all in the students’ heads.

“I don’t believe that the police target or stereotype high school students,” Mr. Mendelsohn explained. “Officers are well-versed in the law, and they are constantly looking for violations in the law. Whether it be adults, or children of any age, I think behaviors are what stands out to the police.”

The root of the belief that the police target students most likely comes with the newfound responsibilities of high school students. Because they are now more independent and less reliant on their parents, they believe that police officers, teachers, and other adult figures are targeting them.

“Now that teenagers are coming of age, being on their own more, earning their licenses, and having the freedom to go out, they tend to perceive things differently than they did when their parents were more controlling,” Mr. Mendelsohn stated.

In reality, police officers do not stereotype or target high school students. However, If you are being profiled or searched by a police officer and you feel that you do not deserve the treatment you are receiving, it helps to know and understand the rights you have in this situation.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that explains and protects the rights of American citizens, these are the rights you can exercise while being stopped by the police: • You have the right to remain silent, and if you wish to exercise this right, then you must say so out loud.

• You have the right to deny the police officers consent to search you or your vehicle, as long as they do not have a warrant or a valid probable cause.

• If you are not under arrestw, you have the right to leave.

It is also beneficial to know your responsibilities in a situation like this. If you do all these things, it will put the officers in a better mood, and it could minimize or eliminate your punishment. The ACLU also states the responsibilities you have while being searched or detained by the police, which are: • You should stay calm and be polite to the officers. If you are rude or if you call them names, they will have more of an incentive to write you a ticket or detain you.

• Do not interfere or disrupt the officers, especially when they do have reasonable doubt that you are hiding something from them.

• Be honest to the officers. Any lie you tell them could be used against you in a court of law. Honesty is the best policy when dealing with the police.

Despite the common belief shared by many high school students, the police are not targeting or stereotyping them. Police officers are simply doing their job, which is to be vigilant and to search for any potential crime. In reality, high school students are still adjusting to the responsibilities and freedoms that come with adulthood, and they are not being specifically targeted by the police.

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Cross Country Community Continues Climb

By Tyler Skinner For the second straight year, and third time in the past four years, the boy’s cross country team saw a participation increase. Now up to 122 kids, the cross country team is one of the most popular athletics offered at Libertyville.

At 122, the attendance is at the highest in head coach Mr. Mark Buesing’s 14-year tenure as coach. Even at a new record number, he is still optimistic the number can continue to grow.

“I hope more kids can discover what running can do for them,” Mr. Buesing said.

Part of the reason the overall attendance is so high is because of the no-cut atmosphere and the fact that anyone with any talent or ability can participate.

“We encourage runners of all abilities [to run cross country],” Mr. Buesing said.

Other sports are quick to cut athletes that do not have the build for that sport, but in cross country, each runner is able to show his ability on a daily basis.

Another reason for the added attendance to cross country is that runners can see their improvement on a daily basis.

Every Saturday in season, the team has an invite that includes cross country teams from schools all around Lake County.

Because every week includes at least one chance to improve the runner’s PR (Personal Record), runners have that drive to lower their time constantly.

“Absolutely [there is a benefit to seeing your PR]. Every single week, every single race, every person on the team can see improvement,” senior varsity member Max Roberts said.

Running is also something that builds positive habits from a young age. When the season is over, runners are able to keep training for the rest of the year. It doesn’t matter what the weather is, all that is needed for runners is some open space, and that will never change. Even after students are long gone from LHS, running can still be a part of their life, and for many adults, it is. Running has been around forever, and will still be one of the healthier habits in a hundred years, so these 122 kids are starting early.

“I will keep running, and I bet a bunch of the kids [that are on the team] will keep running, too,” Roberts said.

In the last few years, cross country attendance has been climbing on a yearly basis, and that is not expected to stop.

Since 2005, cross country participation has witnessed a 179 percent increase. With the team growing from 68 kids to 122 in a 9-year stretch, that leap probably can’t be expected to happen again, but the program still seems to have room to grow.

When asked why the cross country attendance is so high, Mr. Buesing said he believes part of it has to do with the coaches who “make running enjoyable.” An example of making it enjoyable is having games and competitions on a daily basis at practice. Instead of just a monotonous run every single day of the week, runners do things like a scavenger hunt. In the hunt, they are given a list of things that are scattered around Libertyville that they need to run to and figure out the answers to

those questions.

Some kids may like the healthy habit aspect, some the competition, and even others the fun doing it, but no matter what the reason, the cross country attendance has consistently grown with no end in sight.

Photo courtesy of the boys cross country team The start line has grown more and more crowded in the past years for the Libertyville boys cross country team.

Cross Country Participation Since 2005 117

114 109

105 100 95

78 68

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71

122

Time Crunch

by Mike Gasick

photo courtesy of MCT Campus Many students -- athletes especially -- struggle to balance their courseload, activities and sleep. The average high school student has two-to-four hours of homework per night.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a regular occurrence.

Student-athletes arriving at their houses in the later hours of the evening, after a gut-wrenching, grueling game or practice, do not have enough energy to really do anything. They are unable to muster up conversation with their family members at the dinner table because they have just experienced a 12-hour day, interacting with their classmates, teachers and coaches while never having time to relax. Instead of taking their family members through their day and discussing what went well and what did not, LHS athletes would rather head to their basement and just cool down from a long day.

That is totally justified, given the amount of workload students receive during the day.

Students are put under much stress

throughout the school day: making sure they do not screw up a presentation, memorizing math equations to help them through a test, or just getting through a tedious history lecture. So when they get home, parents have to realize that they do not have as much energy as they would in middle school. In those years, students would only have to worry about one or two worksheets a night. At the high school level, however, students are concerned with numerous worksheets, tests, and papers. It is not the most joyful thought when a student comes home and has to worry about another two to three hours of homework.

According to an article published in The Huffington Post, on average, high school students have about two to four hours of homework each night. With very little time after practice in between sitting down DROPS OF INK 24

for dinner and going to sleep, this heavy workload has caused students to work into the later hours of the night.

The article noted that the homework overload has greatly influenced sleep deprivation in teens. It stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kids are developing more school-related stomachaches, headaches, sleep problems, and depression than ever before.â&#x20AC;? After sitting in a desk for over 8 hours during a school day, and then coming home after a practice to more of the same material learned in class that day, student-athletes really have no time to relax.

Is it too much to take in for a high school student? Some may think so, but here is a look at some athletes who have overloaded, busy schedules during the their respective sport seasons and how they manage to keep up with homework, sleep and athletics.

Brent Cao Cao, currently in six AP classes and a total of eight outside activities, has taken some different strategies to conquering the swamped schedule he possesses. As a junior varsity cross-country athlete and varsity tennis player, Cao has to make sure he wastes little of the time he is given.

“If I have time to do readings in either lit or social studies, I will, but if I don’t I just read the first sentences of every paragraph,” stated Cao. Because of all his sports and activities, Cao accepts the fact that he will face a daily heavy workload of homework and studying. He does these activities for the sole purpose of them being enjoyable and the many opportunities they bring for him. According to Cao, being on math team has allowed him to meet some of the smartest people in the area and has loved competing against them in his high school career.

As Cao approaches the end of his high school career, he is appreciative of the many opportunities presented to him and knows that hard work will pay off. For any freshmen athletes, he advises them to “be aware of your limits, know how much time homework takes you, how much time you need to study for an exam, and know your goals.”

Becky Deichl

photo courtesy of Brent Cao Cao positions himself to hit a forehand at practice.

Although Deichl, a lifeguard, is not employed during the school year, she still has a very busy schedule during the fall volleyball season, winter basketball season and spring lacrosse season. As a girls basketball player for the Cats, Deichl has to deal with some late games -- some of them starting as late as 7:00 p.m. At times, she gets home around 9:30 on a school night. Homework for Deichl, who is currently in AP Spanish and AP English Literature and Composition, can start to load up on her, but she knows she has to get it done sometime.

“I usually try to do homework during the day--whether it be study hall or any down time in class,” stated Deichl. “Really any time I try to knock some of it out of the way, like doing it on the bus and other opportunities.”

Even with the loaded schedule in the winter, Deichl continues to play basketball because she thinks it is a stress reliever from all the obstacles faced during the day.

She plans to play in college and wants to continue developing time management habits in college because she knows she will need them.

Chris Akers

Akers, a volleyball player in the spring, normally gets home from practices at 6:30 p.m. and from some of his games as late as 8. During the volleyball season, he works about 1-2 times a month for his uncle on the weekend, setting up equipment for his uncle’s business, Monastero Entertainment, a privately incorporated entertainment service. Akers helps his uncle by setting up equipment before an event, leaves and then returns when the event is over to help pack the equipment up.

“It can get pretty busy at times,” stated Akers. “I just have to manage my time the right way.”

As for homework, Akers usually has to get up early and complete it in the morning. If he can stay focused, he tries to get as much of it done on the bus heading toward a match. Even in his free time on the weekend, he still tries to find time to complete his assignments.

“I keep doing [volleyball] because it is my passion, and I have been doing it since I was 6 years old. The guys are great on my team, and I just the love the sport as a whole,” stated Akers.

If he could give one tip to LHS underclassmen, Akers would advise to not wait until the last second to complete assignments because it will only cause pain and stress in the end. He noted that if students can find any time in the day to complete an assignment, he advised them to take advantage and use as much of that time dedicated to homework to relieve stress.

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photo courtesy of Becky Deichl Deichl looks to pass to an open teammate on the baseline.

You Don’t Know Riley

By Alex Zoellick

Bo Jackson comes to mind when thinking of the best two-sport athletes of all time. In 1990, he scaled the outfield wall in Royal Blue to make one of the most iconic catches the MLB has ever seen; a few years earlier, in 1987, he would run for 221 yards and three touchdowns in one of the best rookie performances the NFL has ever seen. Jackson was a special athlete that left some saying that without baseball, he could have been one of the best football players ever.

Jackson had the rare ability to excel as a multisport athlete, something that was spun off in a Nike commercial series. The series featured Jackson doing activities from running to hockey to weightlifting with the catchphrase “Bo knows” to emphasize just how dynamic he was. ESPN 30-for-30 made a feature film of Jackson’s career to illustrate the difficulty of deciding what to play and to showcase the little known personal aspect of his life. It was cleverly named “You don’t know Bo.” Those rare two-sport athletes come around maybe once in a generation, if fans are lucky. The athletes seem to be more likely in high school since the level of competition isn’t as high as the NFL or MLB. And for those who think that Libertyville doesn’t have any great two-sport athletes: you don’t know Riley.

Though the starting Wildcat quarterback and outfielder finds inspiration from Jackson’s career, his love for his sports stems from a love of his family. From a young age, junior Riley Lees loved football, and so did his family.

“My brothers played and my dad coached so it was kind of in the family,” said Lees. “They have taught me how to play my my whole life.

They taught me how to act when I play. I really don’t want to disappoint them.”

Football runs in the Lees Family but so does Carmel High School. Lees’ three older brothers attended and played football for the Corsairs, but a last-minute decision pushed Lees to LHS. Seeing that both schools are fairly equal academically, the Lees family made the decision that socially and athletically, Libertyville was the better choice.

“I was going to Carmel through eighth grade football then in January it flipped,” said Lees. “Even my family wanted me to go to [Libertyville].”

Courtesy of Riley Lees The umpire emphatically signals Lees safe on a close play at the plate.

Coming to Libertyville proved to be a good decision, as his athleticism allowed for him to make an impact in sports right off the bat freshmen year. The first problem came in narrowing down what to play. With football already on the docket, the choice came down between basketball and baseball.

“Coming into high school I was playing basketball too,” said Lees. “I figured I had to narrow it down to two [sports] cause I don’t want to play three.

I wanted an offseason. I chose baseball because I enjoy it and it is a lot of fun to play. I wasn’t very good at [basketball], I was only good at defense.”

Once his two sports were narrowed down, his focused was turned to the playing field. Lees’ duality can be seen in more than just the sports he plays; he is also a part of the rare breed of running quarterbacks. The traditional QB sits in the pocket of protection created by the offensive line and makes plays from there. Running QBs are becoming more popular in all levels of football. NFL players like Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III have all found success in the ability to use their legs to create something from nothing on a seemingly dead play, a style of play the Lees’ legs lend him to. His running style allows the team to utilize the read option, where Lees takes off running and has the choice to pass down field, hand the ball off or continue running.

“If the quarterback is not a runner then the defense only has to focus on the running back, or if it’s a pass, the receivers,” explained LHS varsity football head coach Mr. Mike Jones. “By adding that third dimension [running], that is something that other teams have to take into consideration.”

Lees’ running ability can be seen in his performance in the first game of the year against Palatine. He rushed for 191 yards and two scores. Those numbers shouldn’t overshadow his passing Photo by Korina Valenzuela/Edited by Alex Zoellick stat line either. Through the air, he racked up 141 yards and three Lees, number 6, greets his adoring fans before the Sept. 5 game against Lake Forest Academy. touchdowns.

“I’ve seen him make a countless number of jaw-dropping plays.” -Jimmy Govern

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Though Lees boasts tremendous talent, individual success matters little to him. He is a team guy who puts the needs of the group over the his own individual desires, and his teammates have taken notice.

“Well first off, just pure talent is obviously helpful along with athleticism,” said junior Timmy Calamari, Lees’ teammate and friend. “His ability to learn on the go helps him succeed on the field. If you ask Riley, he would tell you it’s not about what he accomplishes on the field but how he can help his team succeed.”

Playing multiple positions helped Lees get a grasp of not only the team, but also the game. Last year, as a sophomore, Lees had the experience of not only playing punter and taking snaps as quarterback, but also lining up as a receiver. According to Lees, it has helped him learn when and where receivers like the ball.

“He was a good receiver and I think it gives him better perspective now that he is playing full-time quarterback,” said coach Jones. “He has played the other end of it. So Photo courtesy of Riley Lees he knows and has some insight in what it’s like to be a Lees batted second in the varsity lineup as a sophomore. receiver.”

Though he has had a lot of individual success early in the would be the first one to be there to give them a push.” season, Lees attributes his solid play to his teammates.

His work ethic pushes him through baseball season as well. When he is “What I’ve done these past few games [has happened] because everyin season for a very competitive varsity baseball team, Lees still makes it one did their job and that opened it up for me,” said Lees. “Our whole a priority to make it to off season football lifting. offense is doing its job.

“During baseball seaThe past two weeks I have son we had [football] been making plays, but it lifting in the morning,” will be everyone by the said Lees. “I think I end of the year.” only missed one. It Lees’ selflessness also shows my teammates shows up in his leadership that I’m putting it out abilities. When he is not in-season, he volunteers his time by doing comfor them and I’ll do anything for them.” munity service through St. Joes Church. According to Coach Jones, Lees Just like in football, Lees had a feeling-out period with the baseball is a lead-by-example player. He won’t get in a teammate’s face; rather, team. In his freshmen year, he was pulled up to varsity for the post he’ll show them what he expects through his tremendous work ethic. season. His role was a courtesy runner, a role used for players with “Riley is a great role model in school and on the field,” added Calaathleticism and blistering speed, someone who runs in place of another mari. “He leads by example and always knows when it is time to work player, usually the catcher. By the end of the post-season, when the team and when it is time to have fun. Riley leads by example and doesn’t placed second in the state, he was the go-to courtesy runner. Because speak much of his abilities, but when people are not doing their job, he of his blinding speed, Lees was counted upon to run when former All-State catcher Evan Skoug got on base.

“I’ve seen him make a countless number of jaw-dropping plays,” said senior teammate Jimmy Govern. “[The best was] probably when he stole six bases off of Grant’s catcher, Simeon Lucas, who got drafted in the 7th round [of the MLB Draft] this year.”

Sophomore year, he jumped between the sophomore team and varsity. When he was on varsity, he split time between courtesy running and different outfield positions. By the end of the year, he settled in as the starting centerfielder. Now that Lees has found his niche on the team, he can focus on what he needs to do to help the team.

“By the end of the year, they were looking to me to get hits and get on base to score,” said Lees. “They didn’t need me to hit doubles and triples, they wanted me to do what I could to get on base so I could steal second, or get into scoring position.”

Though Lees is clearly a game changer in both football and baseball, it isn’t clear to him which sport he likes to play more, saying “[I like] whatever is in season.”

“If you ask Riley, he would tell you it’s not about what he accomplishes on the field but how he can help his team succeed.” -Timmy Calamari

Courtesy of the Wildcat Football Parent Association Lees weaves his way through the defense and into the end zone for one of multiple scores against Lake Forest Academy at home on Sept. 5.

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327 South Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville Phone 847-816-8111