March 2023 | Vol. 106, Issue 8

The Evanstonian

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

A historical tug of war

Politicians, College Board push to alter AP African American Studies course being piloted at ETHS

JESSICA SEHGAL, BRIDGET BAKER, MARIN UBERSOX, MILO SLEVIN Executive Editor, In-Depth Editor, Assistant In-Depth Editor, Staff Writer

In 1969, then-senior Hecky Powell marched 250 students through ETHS’ Heritage Hall that runs right through the center of the building. Students from all walks of life parked outside of the Superintendent’s office, covering every inch of ground in the main lobby. They had one mission in mind: implement an African American studies course at ETHS. The following year marked the first formal teachings of Black studies within ETHS school walls.

In spite of Evanston’s historic pursuit towards progressive action, many other cities countrywide do not share a similar past. Amid a period of national civil unrest, Powell’s protest was a great triumph for ETHS and the Black community. Now, over 50 years later, new strides towards racial equity still coincide with national tension and controversy.

“We’ve had Black students here for a long time, and during my time at ETHS, we’ve had a rich history of teaching from that particular perspective—both in core courses and in electives. Of course, we still have room to grow.

As educators and historians, we should always be seeking to incorporate more stories that reflect who our students are,” says History Department Chair Nicole Parker.

Evanston is currently piloting the College Board’s newly introduced AP African American Studies course (APAAS). As one of 60 schools nationwide trying this curriculum, ETHS is opening new pathways and learning opportunities for all students—Black students in particular. However, APAAS has faced significant opposition from individuals and government institutions; its implementation is sparking national discourse, harkening back to the tension surrounding race and education from decades ago.

From history onwards

It isn’t unique for ETHS to be a trailblazer for new curriculums and opportunities. In 1952, ETHS became one of seven high schools that served as a beta site for Advanced Placement (AP), meaning AP courses were piloted at ETHS prior to becoming available to all high schools.

With Evanston’s history of piloting AP courses and reputation for progression, it was a natural fit for ETHS to be included in the preliminary stages of APAAS’ curriculum. According to the College Board, the process for crafting the APAAS course began over a decade ago, but it wasn’t until this year that the first pilot of the course made its way into high schools. Behind the development process was ETHS history teacher Dr. Kamasi Hill, who served as one of four high school teachers on the 13-person committee that worked on the formation of the APAAS curriculum. Hill has been working with the committee for over a year now, and his focus has maintained consistent: prioritizing the student perspective.

“When adults get together and create curriculum,” Hill explains, “a lot of times, the focus on students gets lost, and because the vast majority of College Board employees are college professors, many of them have never had the experience of teaching high school students.” to teaching

FIND OUR GUIDE TO THE 2023 MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS ON PAGE 11

Continued on page 20

Evanston Township High School, Evanston, Ill.

FEATURE E

Ten years of summits at ETHS

Just under ten years ago, ETHS had it’s first summit dedicated to creating an affinity space for young black men. With years of work from both students and administrators the summits have become a staple of student culture at ETHS.

IZABELLA PARACUELLES

Staff Writer

Saheli Goel is a sophomore at ETHS and yet she had never been to a summit at ETHS before—that is, until she attended the MENAA summit that took place on Mar. 1. The summit, she recounts, was full of life, with students from every background armed with all sorts of different experiences coming together to celebrate what made them different; and what brought them together.

Goel recalls walking through the mere beginning of the summit and how it was already bustling with eager students and staff. They busied themselves by collecting merchandise and becoming familiar with the space before the clock even chimed 8:30. Most were donned with the new t-shirt, a painted image of two koi fish circling each other to represent the theme of the year—healing and solidarity—while others awaited eagerly to get one themselves.

From there, the students were herded towards the Upstairs Theater, where the seats soon became crowded with old friends chatting and new ones in the making. Others ran up and down the isles, settling in last minute preparations. Though the summit had yet to even officially commence, Goel says that the feeling of community was vivid, and she knew it would only continue to grow when the lights dimmed and the summit truly began.

“I can’t wait for next year,” she adds. “And I regret not going before.”

Though the summits often focus on one to a few minority groups, students from all different backgrounds are present–it is a time to embrace any and all identities. Some students are present at every summit for their four years at ETHS, donned with memories but keen to make more. For others, it may be their very first time–to immerse themselves in the community, sink into the space, and experience the summit for themselves.

The summit itself is an in-school field trip that transpires the entire school day. It usually begins with an opening ceremony, one to welcome all the students who attend and to touch base on the theme of that summit taking place. There are a number of performances that occur from then on, with participants that include everyone from students and staff to community members brought in. There are also several workshops that follow, which are created from student ideas and are led and facilitated by students, staff, or outside members of the community.

The first-ever summit at ETHS was held in 2014: the Black Male Summit. It was started by a group of Black male educators who recognized that ETHS did not have a space provided for Black male students to lean into affinity and have a day to be celebrated, to be educated–and saw that it was a feat that needed to change.

Among the Black male educators who first introduced the summits was Dr. Marcus Campbell, the current superintendent at ETHS. At the time, he says, they were looking into ways to provide more for Black students and staff who haven’t been exposed to new opportunities and the kind of affinity that summits aim to provide.

“It was a day just of love and support and affirmation, a day that we would [use to] get them exposed to different career opportunities, both in Evanston and opportunities for work

and career in Evanston and larger [communities],” describes Campbell. “That year, we had about 130 Black men serve as mentors, chaperones, session leaders, from the city of Evanston—doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, teachers, you name it—from every walk of life.”

From there, the ideas of summits really branched out. Not long after that first summit, the Black Female Summit took place; and then the Latinx Summit, the SAAME (South Asian African Middle Eastern)–which is now the MENAA–(Middle Eastern North African Asian) Summit, and the LGBTQIA+ Summit. Despite the countless summits hosted at ETHS today, the first summit is not one to be forgotten; it began a long chain of days to honor different cultures, different people, staff and students alike. It was the first

SPACES of joy

that student vision to life,” Hamilton shares. It’s a very intensive process. The committee usually begins meeting in October to prepare for an event that doesn’t take place until late winter or early spring of the following year. For the Black Student Summit this year, they held weekly meetings beginning in the fall, until the unveiling of the summit a few weeks ago.

Each summit also has its own ways of involving the student body in the process, from the student run committees contributing, to clubs playing large roles in the procedure. The LGBTQ+ summit leans on the GSA club to be active in bringing the summit to life. For the MENNA summit, the SAAME club and the AHA Student Association contribute ideas for the event. And for the Latinx Summits, there are several Latinx student affinity groups that devote their time to participate in the planning process.

“My hope in starting the student committee years ago was to really give students a space to just come together and get to know each other. Not having to rush into the details of planning [allows students] to really build community.”

Hamilton continues, “I’ve experienced [that] the closer we are as a group, the better the event tends to be.”

The number of students who attend the summits plays a big part as well. Though there have always been large numbers of students who attend, the amount has only increased.

“[The] LGBTQ summit has been amazing to see grow. We used to be able to fit in the Upstairs Theater, and we’ve grown bigger than that,” Hamilton says. “But each summit has grown every year.”

to pro- vide a space for students and staff of color to be recognized and revered.

“Black educators, and especially Latinx educators in this building, just [felt] there was a lack of space,” says ETHS equity analyst Lauren Hamilton. “[There was a] need to have a summit and create spaces—racial affinity spaces for students.”

The summits have been taking place annually at ETHS for a number of years and have become a concept to which ETHS students have grown accustomed. They have become spaces where students are able to celebrate their identities and backgrounds, ones that are often overlooked by communities at-large. But this is not the norm for any other schools, nor was it for most of the staff members who are in charge of the program now.

“This was really started by educators who didn’t really have [that] experience themselves as adults in this building.” Hamilton adds.

“I don’t know of any other school in the country that’s running a day conference for students [during] the school days–it’s unheard of.” Campbell says. “[But] I think it’s necessary.”

Though the ideas for the summits stemmed from educators and staff at ETHS, there are many students involved in the process. There is an Organizing Committee dedicated to each summit, almost completely run by students. Hamilton says she is merely aiding their motions.

“The expectation and the desire is that we are truly centering student voice and student needs, and then we as adults in that process, help bring

Despite stemming from similar concepts and goals, the summits are never the same. Each year brings in new students, with new contributions and messages they want to convey. One student, sophomore Meah Arnold, says that the layout of the Black Student summit differed from the one that was held the year before.

“It was very different,” Arnold says. “Last year was about half a day, and it was based on specific grades. There was less time to do things that we needed to do. And [this year], it was like a full day to [experience more]. That was definitely better than last year.”

What inspired the first summit for Black male students so many years ago still reigns true today: to hold a space, every year, for all kinds of students and provide an opportunity for them to feel loved and supported by the school and their peers, as they may not receive that kind of appreciation anywhere else. This was the motion behind the first summit for Black male students and all the ones that have since followed.

“[It] was always a part of my vision to expand this day of love and affirmation to other groups that are marginalized, unseen, where our dominant system doesn’t acknowledge their identities, their contributions. That [there] are people, students, who carry identities that are fulfilling and visible,” Campbell says.

“Here, we would say, hey, you know, [this is] not just the day of love and affirmation, but a day to ask the question, what can we do better? What can we do more for you?”

Women’s History Month: female entrepreneurs break barriers

Female business owners across Evanston share stories of determination, commitment and community

With men systemically dominating many aspects of the workforce in the U.S., it is important to acknowledge the growth and representation of female business owners within our community. Since the month of March— Women’s History Month—is among us, the Evanstonian wanted to highlight some of the successful businesses in Evanston that are run by creative and determined women.

Stella Boutique: Rachel Hershinow

Located at 2116 Central Street lies the unique clothing and jewelry boutique, Stella. The store owner, Rachel Hershinow, shares the journey of the small business that has become a Central Street staple.

Stella—named after the popular song, Stella By Starlight—was originally opened by Gail Gilbert in 1998. Four years later, when Gilbert was looking to sell the store, Hershinow walked in and saw an opportunity in the was not planning on openstore, but the opportu- nity presented itself. I happened to walk in at the right place and time and struck up a conversation with the owner who was looking to close the store,” Hershinow says. “It was one of those moments where you have this opportunity and you just go for it.”

In 2002, Hershinow stepped into her role as the sole owner of Stella.

Although she wasn’t able to choose the location of her business due to the spontaneous manner of ownership, Hershinow can not imagine being based anywhere else.

“I love Evanston. It’s a diverse and downto-earth community, [with] an urban and suburban appeal. There is really no suburb like Evanston.”

The nature of small business truly relies on the connections made with those in the community.

“I always feel like a women’s salon or a meeting place for people. It’s not just about merchandise. I just feel like I’m really part of the community on Central Street. I’m friends with the owners of the small businesses on the street and I’m friends with people in the community. I think that it’s important to have small businesses in your neighborhood. You really become connected [to the community] in a greater sense than just a store,” Hershinow shares.

The tight-knit community has guided this business through difficult times. The financial hardship that came with the COVID pandemic specifically hurt small businesses, causing many to shut down. Stella was able to adapt and maintain these connections to not only keep the store running, but also create an escape for many customers during this unprecedented time.

“I was in shock for a while and then realized that I [simply] have to keep the storefront alive. I just started to be creative and think outside of the box.”

Hershinow began to sell masks and sanitary products that benefitted both her business and the customers alike. Productively—while the shop was closed to in person shopping— Hershinow established Stella TV, video segments posted on Stella’s social media platforms showing its merchandise. These video clips provided a new form of togetherness for the Stella community and allowed customers to offer their own input regarding which items

were adored and what new things they hoped to see. Hershinow went above and beyond, hand delivering these products to ensure that customers still felt linked to the boutique they know and love.

Hershinow was not alone in this unique struggle.

“I’ve seen a lot of businesses close [which] has not [been] easy, but I’m really grateful for my longevity,” Hershinow shares.

Boutiques themselves each have a distinct aura that are established by the people working there and the merchandise being sold, which is what Hershinow admires so much about her career.

“I love going to New York shows and buying for the store, but also the people that I have met through this. It all just kind of connects into one perfect thing,” she says.

Each day spent in the boutique is constantly filled with different things depending on the customers’ wants and needs.

“You never know who’s gonna walk in the door,” Hershinow explains. “Looking for clothing, looking for a gift, just wanting to browse. Some people just kind of want to do their own thing. Some people need some help with things. [Regardless] of the day, it’s always a friendly atmosphere.”

There is also the unseen work with pricing, shipments and unpacking boxes, steaming, hanging on racks and presenting the clothing and accessories in the front mirror to attract customers. Even through all of this, the passion for running this business continues within Hershinow.

“I am still totally passionate about what I do. I’m lucky and I don’t take it for granted,” she says. “I just want to keep doing it until I can’t move anymore.”

NaKorn Urban Thai: Mina Sudsaard and Sam Rattanopas

Walking into NaKorn Urban Thai, locals are met with fantastical lights paired with familiar wooden floors and furniture that contribute to the upscale fine dining look, with the food just to match.

Mina Susaard and Sam Rattanopas had their grand opening of NaKorn on Nov. 4, 2016 and introduced Evanston to a unique form of the Thai dining experience.

“I think we bring something new. Not because Thai food is not something different, but we bring something from our heart, something that we grew up eating,” Rattanopas explains.

NaKorn means “metropolitan” or “big city” in Thai, which is a way they tied their heritage and upbringing to the restaurant.

“It was really hard to find a name that had a story and meaning behind it. We both originally came from Bangkok, which is a big capital city. Bangkok in Thai has the word NaKorn actually in it, so it was [important] to find something that we have in common,” Susaard explains.

Korn.

“I wanted to open a pretty restaurant with good food. You can come in and have a complete meal that represents us. I wanted to own a restaurant [where] locals can say, ‘Oh, I don’t know what to eat. Let’s go in here,’” Rattanopas explains.

The perfect gourmet dining experience that encompasses all the stages of a Thai meal; the entrees, service, drinks, and even the conversations are meant to add to the experience and environment that Sudsaard and Rattanopas strive to maintain.

“Eight years ago,” Sudsaard says, “the food scene kind of changed a little bit in Evanston. There was Boltwood, and we have Farmhouse, so we [said], ‘Hey, maybe let’s take a look at Evanston.’ Also, I live here, so we decided to take a look.”

Although it may seem like simple planning and decorating, the restaurant business is much more, and there are constant hardships that change the landscape every single day.

“The first two years were the hardest for me, because once we opened, we had nothing left,” Rattanopas says. “Our backs [were] against the wall. Every two weeks, I checked, prayed, cried, and hoped that we [would] have enough money to pay the staff and pay for everything. So that was hard.”

Even as the restaurant found its footing, there were broader cultural trends in the restaurant industry that affected Sudsaard and Rattanopas.

“There are studies on the consumer cancel culture in these different industries with the loss of potential revenue,” Sudsaard explains. “Almost $2 billion a year because of [last-minute cancellations] because of things like no shows. If you make a reservation at 6:30, we cannot seat anyone that walks in for an hour and then we lose that table.”

Entrepreneurial struggles are rough to get through, especially at places like NaKorn that are family run and don’t rely on big money investors, but Sudsaard and Rattanopas have found the love within the community to keep their restaurant up and running.

“I think Evanston is a very good town support-wise. A lot of people donate, and we use that money to cook for the community. We cook for homeless shelters [and] we cook, deliver and grocery shop for those who are unable. We cook and deliver from 100 to 700 portions every other day,” Rattanopas explains.“You can feel the love from a lot of people.”

Found on Orrington Ave. in the heart of Downtown Evanston, the NaKorn staff brings the flavor and feeling of authentic Thai cuisine that Sudsaard and Rattanopas want everyone to experience.

Ware Ceramic Studio: Joanna Kramer and Julia Finlayson

Four years ago, the inventive environment of Ware Ceramic Studio came to life, welding and giving space for two businesses—Joanna Kramer Ceramics and Julia Finlayson’s Grandmont Street—to thrive and grow. The two women came together to share this space and do what they love.

Highlighting Joanna Kramer—who owns and operates Joanna Kramer Ceramics—we gain insight into the journey of her entrepreneurial experience.

Kramer has a background in social work but also a degree in art therapy, so throughout her life, she has always worked in the arts, whether that was creating stained glass, quilting, or making ceramics, which currently defines her company.

people that took my classes and bought my work. We’re all friends, so it just made sense,” Kramer explains.

Kramer, being in an artistic career, is constantly doing what she is passionate about.

“I’m always in some rotation of either making, trimming, firing, or glazing.”

There are many ways that Kramer has found herself connecting to the larger Evanston community, whether that is through hosting concerts at the studio, collaborating with other artists, or teaching classes.

“I teach one night workshops where people can come in [and participate]. There’s always a project and I demonstrate the project and teach them how to make it. We’ve done everything from charcuterie platters and cheese boards, vases and berry bowls, mostly functional [products]. I also teach an after school kids class for middle schoolers,” Kramer shares.

These workshops are not only a fun outing for adults, they also inspire younger generations, allowing them to tap into their artistics spirits.

During COVID, the transition impacted Kramer’s business differently than most; she was able to continue offering creative experiences, but remotely.

“I’m one of these weird stories where my business was impacted in a really positive way,” Kramer tells. “I started teaching online, and I think people were just so des perate to do some thing. It just kind of worked on Zoom, because you didn’t have to talk. I described it as like a Bob Ross thing, where I’m just talking to them about the project. So it worked through the pandemic.”

Staying connected to the community during this time was an obvious success for Kramer; her audience even reached students at the University of Chicago, where freshmen were offered courses where they could engage with her curriculum and instruction.

Kramer also provides a space for people to come together that share a love for artistic creation.

“I think it provides a space where someone is kind of like them. I’m a mom of kids that go to school here [in Evanston], and I really am a maker,” Kramer tells. She also uses her store as an outlet to join other artists together. “I think that one of the things I love to do is collaborate and find ways to have ceramics and even my studio, connect with other artists.”

Inside the inviting storefront on the corner of Greenleaf Street and Wesley Avenue is a world of passion found in every clay masterpiece created by the diligent and spirited women that own and run these businesses.

serve as well.

“Even though it’s like very authentic Thai–something that we grew up eating–it’s not streetfood,” Rattanopas says. “We dress it up; it’s more like city food. So that’s why the word NaKorn is perfect for what type of Thai food we serve, as well as representing both of us.”

Being in the restaurant business for over a decade, Rattanopas was inspired to create a unique establishment, which became Na-

“The first studio that I rented, I just did a one-year lease, because I wasn’t sure if it was going to work out. But I thought, ‘Okay, a year, it’s not gonna be a huge financial strain,’ and then it just kept rolling.”

For Kramer, being based in Evanston just made sense. Her family and friends live here, which is what initially helped the success of her business.

“I live here and know a lot of people here, so those were my first customers and [the] first

From Central Street, to Downtown Evanston, to the west side, these strong entrepreneurial women are working to have their businesses thrive. One thing they have said in common when giving advice to those who will follow in these fields: “Follow what you love to do, and just take the next step.” Kramer tells. Hershinow shares, “You have to have a sense of who you are. If you have that understanding, then trust your gut. Have the confidence and realize that you’re sometimes going to make poor decisions, but then you [will] learn from it.” And finally, agreeing, Rattanopas concludes, “Sometimes things don’t come easy, but you have to stick with it. If you love what you do and you are proud, you will be successful.”

HAZEL HAYES Staff Writer

Photos by Ahania Soni

Photo courtesy of Ware Ceramics Studio website

EXECS THROUGH

The Evanstonian office is situated at the intersection of the South Wing and H-Hall on the first floor of the building. At any given time, S103–the Evanstonian’s layout room–is lively and spirited.

During layout, nearly every seat is occupied by members of the Editorial Board. The staff’s eclectic music taste makes for a diverse collection of songs that closely mimic the multifaceted makeup of the publication. Accompanied by the sound of squeaking office chairs and typing on computer keys, the music is nearly muffled by people’s voices as they eagerly converse. At the rear of the office, one member–with a piece of paper and pen in hand–collects everyone’s Tomate order: a Friday night staple. Some make final edits, while others transcend the text onto the digital software. Everyone, regardless of their distinguished role, is driven to see its journey from conception to a finished product.

At the heart of the Evanstonian are the Executive Editors. Responsible for developing and leading the vision of the publication, these individuals facilitate a community of journalists, artists, photographers and design-

ers. Throughout the years, even as the world has undergone dramatic transformations, the mission of the paper has stayed consistent: to reflect the timely issues, experiences and conflicts that affect the student body and school community at-large.

A decade ago, Yoni Hirsh, Ellen Schneider and Jessica Baum emerged as the Executive Editors for the 2012-13 school year. On the final day of their junior year of high school, the three hovered beneath the paper on the door, where the subsequent Executive Editors were listed. Hirsh, Schneider, and Baum pride themselves in knowing that together, they nurtured a “family” within the greater Evanstonian community.

For Hirsh, reminiscing on his evolution–from an intimidated staff writer to one of the most influential figures on the paper–is an extremely meaningful venture.

“When I first started [writing for the Evanstonian], I enjoyed writing but had never [written] any journalistic pieces before. The first two or three issues we had, I worked really hard on my stories, and even though I submitted them, I wasn’t published. And when I

look back, it was because the stories themselves weren’t great. I needed to really hone my craft and get better at my writing and the way that I structured my pieces,” Hirsh shares. “Eventually, my stories were being published weekly, and I became an Executive Editor. That was definitely a formative moment, realizing that I wasn’t great at something and deciding to put in the time and effort to get better at it. In the end, the results paid off.”

Hattie Stahl dove into the newspaper her freshman year and never looked back. In 2003, she stepped into her role as Executive Editor, alongside her co-Executive Editor, Ravi Randhava. Having seen the power of journalism from a young age, Stahl makes informed decisions about the voices she absorbs today.

“As an Executive Editor, I had to recognize what voices weren’t being given a platform. So much weight is given to published word, and the responsibility that comes along with it is really special but with that privilege, there’s a lot of power,” Stahl shares. “Being aware of what wasn’t being told was huge.”

At a school the size of ETHS, it is not uncommon for students to feel alienated. Carrie DeYoung, one of the Evanstonian’s Executive

Editors in 2000, felt a responsibility to provide a voice to the voiceless through her coverage.

“As a student, you only see a fraction of what’s going on, but the Evanstonian gave me a way of storytelling and highlighting all of the unique things that were going on at ETHS and [within] the [local] community,” DeYoung says.

Many would argue that editorials are the heart and soul of the newspaper; they intend to promote public consciousness to timely issues and inspire readers to internalize critical subjects. For Baum, having the ability to guide these narratives was a powerful and stimulating experience; it not only heightened her personal confidence but also enabled the staff to get in touch with their inner voices. Baum and her fellow Executive Editors consistently tried to write editorials that were capable of evoking change within the local community.

“I was someone who always tried to push the button in terms of what editorials we wrote. There are easy editorials, but some editorials can actually change the policy, and that happened a couple of times when I was on staff.”

Baum continues, “What you write does matter, and you can make a change through your

JILIAN DENLOW Feature Editor

Yoni Hirsh, Executive Editor, poses with graphic designer after a long day of layout

Photo courtesy of Yoni Hirsh

Yoni Hirsh posies as Willie the Wildkit for an Evanstonian article

Photo courtesy of Yoni Hirsh

coverage.”

In many ways, by being student-led, the Evanstonian offers the most accurate depictions of the trials and tribulations of the local community. Suddenly, stories don’t just involve strangers–they feature the experiences of classmates or friends.

“The most meaningful work I did with the Evanstonian was during my senior year,” Hirsh shares. “We were getting ready to publish an issue, but we were kind of blindsided by the passing of Dajae Coleman.” On Sept. 22, 2012, Coleman, “an inspiring leader, basketball star and trailblazer,” as cited in a Medill Report, fell

THROUGH

victim to gun violence at just 14-years-old. “It was a devastating moment for the school, and we needed to cover it in our paper. We didn’t have a lot of time left, so I took it upon myself to write that story. It was really hard in the logistical sense, trying to get everything together in a week. But more importantly, talking to family and friends of Dajae right at that sensitive time was really tough. It was a meaningful story that I was thankful to be a part of and share a little bit of Dajae’s story with the community.”

Taking the time to share these stories–the heavy and sensitive ones–isn’t effortless, however it can be a fulfilling endeavor for the writer and community alike.

“I will forever remember the feeling I had the day the paper came out. I would walk through the halls and see everyone behind their copies of the Evanstonian. It was just such a rewarding experience to see what the Evanstonian staff had worked on and then, suddenly, there it was, and everyone was reading the newspaper and talking about it,” says Dan Newberger, one of the Evanstonian’s Executive Editors during the 1991-92 school year.

Since the 1988 Hazelwood School District

erenced the 2012 presidential election, the ETHS administration expressed hesitation.

“Someone in the administration was upset about [the story]. I had to defuse the situation, and even though it is a high school newspaper, we wanted to treat it as seriously as possible,” Hirsh shares. “We believed in freedom of speech and letting students have the ability to write controversial stories. I remember feeling this responsibility to defend my writers.”

The Evanstonian is a space where students can escape academic monotony in the presence of others who share a common interest. To that effect, specific moments from the Evanstonian have stuck with the past Executive Editors beyond their years at ETHS.

“One time, we were publishing a story about Willie the Wildkit. We didn’t know who the student was, but, somehow, we needed a picture of them,” Hirsh says. “So I had to throw on the mascot outfit and do a photoshoot with myself as Willie the Wildkit, which was a lot of fun.”

Keren Joshi, one of the Evanstonian’s Executive Editors during the 1991-92 school year, reflects similar sentiments.

“We had an issue that was due the Sunday after Prom. Everybody showed up [to layout] exhausted the following morning. Dan Newberger, who was my co-Executive Editor, decided that it would be fun if we made everyone pancakes, so we brought in an electric griddle and batter and it will forever remain a [core] memory of mine,” Joshi shares.

The cohesive culture of the community is most prominent during layout. This process is

an email saying I got accepted into college. My Evanstonian colleagues were the first people to [find out] that I had gotten accepted into my dream school.”

The early 2010’s signified the poster years of Taylor Swift’s ascent to fame; these early soundtracks enhanced the staff’s productivity during strenuous times. This still remains true today–with over a dozen albums in 2023, Swift has grown alongside the publication.

“During layout, [Mr. Lowe] only allowed us

Mr. Lowe, the man who brought the Evanstonian to life for over 30 years, had a contagious energy which was felt by everyone he came into contact with.

Currently an English as a second language (ESL) teacher at a high school in Iowa City, Schneider tries to replicate the high-spirited environment that Mr. Lowe created when she was a student of his.

“I start the school year by talking about Mr. Lowe and all of the things he did in his classroom that I loved and respected. I straight up tell my [students] that I am going to try to capture some of Mr. Lowe’s teaching style–the difficult learning with lots of fun and a really close knit [community].” Schneider continues, “I don’t do it perfectly, but I try to be as good as Mr. Lowe every day. I really do.”

During her involvement with the Evanstonian, Schneider had the opportunity to give high school students feedback on their writing and engage with school policies from a young age. This has served Schneider well in her current role, as she advocates for a vulnerable population within her school.

a puzzle and the Executive Editors make the pieces fit.

“Layout nights [for] the Evanstonian were always so much fun,” Baum says. “You get punchy and tired but everyone is working to [achieve] the same goal. One night, in partic-

to listen to Taylor Swift. It was 2012, so Fearless, Speak Now and Red had just come out. Mr. Lowe bought a copy of Red on CD from the Walgreens on Dodge because we were sick of listening to Fearless. We [would] listen to those three CD’s all night,” Schneider shares. “It was wild.”

Rodney K. Lowe spent over three decades fostering a community of young journalists in his role as adviser to the Evanstonian. Mr. Lowe never failed to put his students first; the Executive Editors–and mentees of Lowe–continue to commemorate his legacy through remembrance and storytelling.

Being an instrumental part of the Evanstonian has had a considerable impact on the past Executive Editors, both in their personal and professional lives. Productively learning from the experiences of the past Executive Editors can help the current staff identify areas for growth and inherit wisdom.

v. Kuhlmeier decision, administrators have had the ability to regulate student speech if it is inconsistent with the schools’ educational mission. The Evanstonian is no exception to this legal reality. As a high school publication, the Evanstonian continues to monitor and conform its boundaries. However, compared to the censorship that transpires across the nation, the relationship between the Evanstonian and the ETHS administration is increasingly rare.

Hirsh hoped to foster a community in which writers felt empowered to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of censorship. Ultimately, he came to recognize the power of words because the administration often shied away from their potential.

Due to the nature of a story that ref-

ular, I remember I was at layout and it was the night we had to turn in the paper, and I got

“Some of my fondest memories associated with Evanstonian were times spent in the office during a free period, brainstorming ideas and hanging out with Mr. Lowe,” Randhava says. “He was our advisor at the time, and he was a hugely influential figure for me, both in high school and beyond. Mr. Lowe was endlessly encouraging of anything folks wanted to pursue. He was just as excited when folks went into communications fields as he was when they pursued other opportunities. He helped students think about how they could apply what they were learning at the Evanstonian in their future endeavors.”

“Find stories that you’re interested in and that you think [the student body] would be interested in and just go for it,” Hirsh says. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because you’ll learn from those mistakes. Take it as a responsibility that students at the school may not have another outlet to express their opinions or share their stories and ideas. If you’re a member of the [Evanstonian] staff, you’re a voice to all [of the] students in the school. You have a responsibility to make sure all voices are heard.”

THE DECADES

We believed in freedom of speech and letting students have the ability to write controversial stories. I remember feeling this responsibility to defend my writers.

- Yoni Hirsh

“

Rodney Lowe, adviser to the Evanstonian until 2017, interacts with students

Photo courtesy of Ravi Randhava

Dan Newberger and Keren Joshi make pancakes for the Evanstonian staff after Prom Photo courtesy of Keren Joshi

WHEN DO WE

As seasons change, the need for climate action persists.

On Sep. 23, 2022, Evanston’s Sunrise Hub participated in a Climate Strike in Downtown Chicago. Six months later, on March 3, the Hub returned to the Chase Bank building to protest the corporation’s funding of fossil fuels. Chase Bank is the world’s largest funder of the fossil fuel industry.

PHOTOS BY ISAAC SUAREZ FLINT, TANYA WEISMANN

WANT IT?

Youth advocacy isn’t important because youth are underrepresented in activism per se; youth advocacy is important because we are underrepresented in the processes that take place closer to power, the conversations that result in policy, the closed rooms in which action plans are made.

NOW!

We’re unable to access the levers of power at this level and instead must be in the streets to get the ear of those with influence. By taking our fight directly to the closed doors of the Chase building on a chilly, blustery day, we demonstrated that we’re committed to be as close as we can to those inaccessible levers of power.”

-Emmet Ebels-Duggan, E-Town Sunrise Hub Coordinator

OPINION E

The Evanstonian

Executive Editors

Meg Houseworth

Jessica Sehgal

Ahania Soni

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Mae Luning

Digital Content Editor

Sadie Dowhan

Feature Editor

Jilian Denlow

In-Depth Editor

Bridget Baker

News Editor Clara Gustafson

Opinion Editor

Sophia Sherman

Photo & Art Editors

Aiyana Jehan

Kupu Sumi

Sports Editor Christopher Vye

Assistant A&E Editor

Sam Froum

Assistant Feature Editor

Izzy Rudolph

Assistant In-Depth Editor

Marin Ubersox

Assistant News Editors

Annabelle Harris

Ethan Ravi

Assistant Opinion Editor

Maddie Molotla

Podcast Editor

Saliha Ansari

Social Media Editor

Amy Grill

Assistant Sports Editors

Owen Chiss

Alexis Rogers

Adviser

John Phillips

Staff Writers

Tarek Anthony

Emir Bombaci

Stella Davis

Hannah Donnelly

Kayla Drajpuch

Meera Field

Maria Gomez

Elise Goulding

Eleanor Granstrom

Lydian Green

Hazel Hayes

Simone Jacot-Bell

Leah Johnson

Mack Jones

in Evanston

Exploring residents’ attemps to dismantle the work of the Margarita Inn

SOPHIA SHERMAN Opinion Editor

port services.

“Participants at the Margarita get their own room, can come and go as they please and receive rich support services to help, including on-site physical and mental health care services, case management support, and most importantly help finding a permanent housing solution outside of the Margarita,” Tavoularis says. “The average stay for a Margarita resident is around eight months, and over a nearly three-year period, March 2020 to Jan. 2023, our success rate in finding permanent housing solutions for Margarita residents is 76 percent, nearly twice the 40 percent national rate average.”

76 percent. The Margarita Inn has found 76 percent of people that would otherwise be out on the streets with permanent housing. With all the complaints spurring from these same residents surrounding panhandling in Evanston, one would think that this success rate alone would be enough to convince them of its importance. However, as crowds continue to flood Land Use Commission and City Council meetings to complain, this, unfortunately, is not the case.

“There was a moment in the spring of 2020 when homelessness in Evanston was ended,” Connections for the Homeless CEO Betsy Bogg noted in her remarks to the Land Use Commission. “People were off the streets, they weren’t sleeping on the train or in vestibules, they were safe, they were sheltered. This new model worked.”

Nathan Kane

Will Klearman

Ben Levy

Mira Needlman

Izabella Paracuelles

Lily Roback

Isaac Suarez

Flint

Katie Schober

Jeremy Schoen

Sophia Siddiqui

Eva Sondgeroth

Milo Slevin

Jared Tucker

Photographers & Illustrators

Jillian Arnyai

Sam Darer

Emma Thomas

Olivia Tankevicius

Tanya Weisman

Since 1916, The Evanstonian has been the official student newspaper for Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Ill. The opinions of an opinion writer or columnist belong to the writer and are not representative of The Evanstonian editorial board or staff.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Evanstonian Editorial Board invites inputs from students. If students have thoughts on an article, a letter to the editor can be emailed to evanstonian@eths202. org or delivered to the Evanstonian office, S103. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit letters for content, grammar or space constraints. Letters must be signed and aren’t guaranteed to be printed. Please keep letters to 250 words.

PUBLICATION

The Evanstonian publishes 10 print issues a year in addition to articles online at evanstonian.net. Print editions can be found outside of The Evanstonian office, S103, in The Hub, in East or Central Libraries and at Entrance 1. If you need a set of a particular issue, reach out to phillipsj@eths202.org.

Nestled in the heart of downtown Evanston, near popular landmarks such as Five & Dime and Bennison’s Bakery, lies the Margarita Inn: a long-term homeless shelter emblematic of everything this city prides itself on. Unlike Evanston’s overnight emergency shelters, the Inn allows residents to stay there during the day, keeping them off the streets and providing opportunities to find permanent housing. Inside, the Inn retains much of its charm as a former European-inspired boutique hotel; the walls are still lined with wood paneling, with each room highlighting its signature midnight blue color. Since 2020, more than 300 people, 80 percent of whom are Evanston residents, have found a temporary home in the Margarita Inn.

In a city as supposedly welcoming and forward-thinking as Evanston, one would expect that such a revolutionary solution to homelessness would be welcomed and even celebrated by its residents. Unfortunately, a movement that can only be described as ‘NIMBY,’ or ‘Not in My Backyard’ has made its way into the pillars of Evanston, harming the Inn’s prospects of permanently taking over the space.

As Homeless Hub explains, “NIMBY, an acronym for ‘Not In My Backyard,’ describes the phenomenon in which residents of a neighborhood designate a new development (e.g. shelter, affordable housing, group home) or change in occupancy of an existing development as inappropriate or unwanted for their local area. The opposition to affordable, supportive or transitional housing is usually based on the assumed characteristics of the population that will be living in the development. Common arguments are that there will be increases in crime, litter, thefts, violence and that property taxes will decrease. The benefits for the residents of the development are often ignored.”

With regards to the Margarita Inn, residents have embodied this ‘NIMBY’ mindset in their attempts to dismantle Connections for the

Homeless’ goal to renew its special use permit—a necessity to continue its operations in the space. Since February of 2022, the process has been widely publicized, as residents bombard City Council meetings to voice unfounded complaints over things such as crime rates— all of which has been disproven over and over again by Connections for the Homeless. Even after businesses, city residents, Margarita Inn residents and Connections for the Homeless collaborated together to create their Good Neighbor Agreement, allowing for oversight of the Inn’s work with a revocable permit, people continue to undermine its objectives.

“I wish I could explain the pushback surrounding the Margarita. The arguments against the Margarita, including those regarding crime [and] police activity have been disproved. The crime rate in the neighborhood has been relatively stable over the years,” Connections for the Homeless Chief Development Officer Nia Tavoularis explains. “Connections has a growing relationship with the Evanston police that has improved communications and data sharing.”

When considering the few events at the Margarita Inn that did require police presence, of which were likely linked to underlying physical and mental illnesses, these rare occurrences still do not justify ceasing the Inn’s operations. They do not justify leaving vulnerable people out on the streets, still struggling from the mental health problems that, oftentimes, were what led to their state of homelessness in the first place. Instead, this serves as justification that the city needs to do more in addition to allowing a non-profit to support its homeless population at no cost. Rehabilitation programs need to go hand-in-hand with the work from the Margarita Inn, and that responsibility shouldn’t fall solely to Connections for the Homeless: it should go to the city.

In fact, the Margarita Inn has already begun to provide its residents with some of these sup-

Ultimately, Evanstonians’ desire to terminate Margarita’s special use permit does nothing but expose the sad truth: Evanston just isn’t that progressive. Residents can display Black Lives Matter placards in their front yards and throw money at various charities to feel good about themselves, but when real, sustainable change requires a level of interference into their lives, far too many people turn their backs on the cause. Fundamentally, Evanstonians are only liberal when it’s convenient for them—when they can brag to their friends about living in the first city to offer reparations or when they can reminisce about that time they volunteered at a soup kitchen three years ago, but not when a homeless shelter, that could combat homelessness in Evanston, needs their support.

Now, coming out of COVID-19, as affordable housing units are being traded in every day for gigantic, luxury apartments, the work of the Margarita Inn is especially important to ensure sustainable living solutions. Currently, according to 2021 Census data, 83 percent of Evanston households making below $50,000 per year are paying more than 30 percent of their salary on rent—a status that puts them in a financially precarious position. In just one year, the average rent of a studio apartment has increased 73 percent, the average rent of a two-bedroom has increased 30 percent, while the median household income only increased seven percent. Evanston is undergoing gentrification at a rapid rate.

It’s the work of organizations like Connections of the Homeless and its Margarita Inn that have been able to combat this by supporting people with rent subsidies and housing solutions.

“During quarantine, I lived in Skokie with my aunt, but eventually went homeless. I stayed in hotels and Airbnbs during that time that my mother had to pay for on her own,” junior Malory Frouin notes. “We didn’t really receive any support, besides food stamps. After a year, Connections for the Homeless gave me the apartment I live in now at a reduced price.”

Thus, it’s this work, supporting real people like Frouin, that self-proclaimed liberals are trying to shut down.

‘NIMBY’

The “Sad Girl” trope is getting old

ness”, she writes, “Then in the ultimate act of self-betrayal, I learned how to sell the darkness. I saw I could treat it as a fodder for the character the Barbie cell wanted to convince the world I was. Posing with a journal at Starbucks but not actually writing in it. Pulling at my sleeves in performed angst…Like some huckster salesmen selling blow-up doll witches on the outskirts of Salem.”

The fantasy that The Sad Girl meets the man of her dreams (some strange cross between Prince Charming and a licensed therapist) and is never bothered by mental illness again, is just that: a fantasy. Dr. bell hooks writes in her book, Communion: The Female Search For Love, “More men were attracted to me and to other women I knew when we were untogether. This is because it’s easier to subordinate someone who does not feel good about herself or her life, or someone who may feel constantly insecure and afraid.” This is why The Sad Girl exists, and why it’s a trap. Sadness is desirable because it is seen as a form of weakness, a mark of female subordination. Therefore, sadness does attract male attention, but it’s attention from a very sorry lot indeed.

Beyond the context for the existence of The Sad Girl, the consequences of this trope extend past the personal lives of the women who embrace it. The Sad Girl is a figurehead in the widespread glamorization of mental illness. As the notion that “insecurity is in” gained traction, having a mental illness only made you a through-and-through Sad Girl. Congratulations!

LEAH JOHNSON Staff Writer

The year was 2020, the month was May, and I sat awake in my room, rewiring my brain upon the discovery of Lana Del Rey. Reflecting back on this infatuation, it wasn’t really Del Rey’s music that I fell in love with. It was more so the identity that I felt came with being a fan of hers. I was allured by what I now know to be called “The Sad Girl”. The Sad Girl and I have had quite the relationship since. Through embracing her mindset, I grew alienated from myself. I thought I was doing the opposite. The sad girls of the Internet are not the “heart-on-her-sleeve” heroines we often think them to be. They are, in fact, a method of broadening the reach of online commodification into one of the most private inner-turmoils; mental health. With her sad poetry quotes and black nail polish, The Sad Girl asks us not how we can grow to feel good about ourselves, but how we can make our pain look good.

I took the bait that night in May of 2020. I became something of a quintessential Sad Girl myself. Ultimately, I questioned her role in my life; much of this revelation came when I simply asked myself, “Why do I need everyone to

La labor de Ms. S

know how ‘sad’ I am?”

The glamorization of sadness in women is nothing new. One quote which always strikes me about women in literature is one by Edgar Alan Poe; “The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.” Excusing the trademark Poe morbidity, this points to the role that women’s suffering and even death has played in the collective imagination. The insecurity that is so characteristic of The Sad Girl has become a sought-after trait; insecurity, especially in young women, all too often fosters a dependency on male validation. Chronic self-doubt

in young women creates a space of lack, and we are told by patriarchy that this can be filled by male savior-complex-suitors. Think of the Del Rey lyric, “Love me until I love myself”, or the One Direction boys– God bless their hearts–singing, “You don’t know you’re beautiful, that’s what makes you beautiful.” After all, what can fill a space of lack better than the male gaze?

With cultural reinforcers teaching young women that it is desirable to be reliant on men, it’s no wonder that The Sad Girl came to be. Of course, Del Rey is the poster child of this trope. Lyrics such as “You like your girls insane” did little to dissuade the notion that sadness is attractive, actually. Soon, the infamous tumblr.com was flooded with aesthetic pictures of girls with mascara running down their cheeks. These women were typically white, thin women; since The Sad Girl was at its core a campaign to increase desirability in the eyes of patriarchy, it went hand-in-hand with other Eurocentric beauty standards. It operated very clearly in conjunction with these systems of oppression. There were many iterations of “I told my therapist about you”, and who could forget the “sHE beLIEveD him” fiasco. I even found a picture featuring bright pink pills with a film filter over it and the word “medicated” written below. At this point it wasn’t just sadness that

In viewing mental illness as something alluring rather than incredibly difficult, lots of anti-recovery sentiments became mainstream. For starters, misinformation belittling the severity of mental health issues was widely accepted; condensing depression into sleepiness, OCD into color-coding, or ADHD into losing your phone. Much of this lack of nuance is the work of The Sad Girl; ultimately, she is still a brand; she is not exempt from the rule of being palatable. The painful reality of living with a mental illness is just not aesthetic enough.

Wearing these abridged versions of mental illness like badges was the name of the game. To address one’s mental illness and seriously endeavor on a road to recovery was to give up one’s most captivating trait. Sad Girls place their mental health problems at the forefront of their identity, which is inherently anti-recovery.

As someone who deals with mental illness, I understand that it’s an important part of identity, and therefore the common understanding of it is crucial. Additionally, as a former Sad Girl, I understand that this is not promoted by Sad Girl rhetoric, which favors performing a palatable version of mental illness, and reinforcing that these problems are central to who you are by sharing little else about yourself. Sad Girls do not discuss things like healthy coping. They bask in their broken beauty.

Embracing this way of thinking meant I never had to confront my mental illness. I could convince myself it was a good thing. I could flaunt a distilled version of it and be rewarded by external validation. Inwardly, I was enabling my own problems and dishonestly representing how they were affecting me. When we have a widespread fetishization of insecurity and mental illness, we devalue things that can help us live happier lives. We chronically deny ourselves an honest discussion of mental illness, something which painfully erodes our relationship to self, in favor of these glamorized symbols of suffering.

¿Quién se encarga de aquellos estudiantes que no saben inglés? Bueno, en realidad hay todo un programa para ellos. Que va más allá de las clases categorizadas como “English as a Second Language”. En este programa, no solo hay profesores que se encargan de dar clases según el nivel de fluidez en el idioma, sino también un grupo de personal que apoya a estos estudiantes en su trayectoria escolar y se asegura de que tengan las mismas oportunidades que el resto.

En esta columna, quisiera exaltar la humilde y extraordinaria labor de una persona en particular del programa. Cuando yo ingresé a ETHS, mi cultura, lenguaje y metodología de estudio eran diferentes, pero en mi clase de ESL conocí a Ms. S (Ingrid Strasburger) . Ella trabajaba junto a mi profesor de inglés y fue un gran apoyo desde el primer día. Me hizo sentir acompañada, me conectó con personas de mi misma cultura, me preguntó sobre mis gustos y lo que podía hacer para que mi rutina en la escuela se asemejara a lo que me gusta. Ella tiene una trayectoria impecable; su idioma natal es el portugués porque nació en Brasil, pero hablaba conmigo en español e inglés y se que está constantemente buscando nuevos lenguajes que aprender. Es una persona empática, cada vez que la veo, me pregunta cómo puede ayudarme a mi o a mi familia.

Dedicó esta columna a ella debido a que a finales del 2022 recibió un premio por la escuela llamado Guillebeaux-Arceneaux Spirit Award así que decidí entrevistarla para entender un poco más sobre su labor. Ella me comenta la conexión y entendimiento que tienen con los estudiantes extranjeros, debido a que ella pasó por las mismas experiencias de adaptación y el miedo al haber llegado a Los Estados Unidos. ‘’No es fácil estudiar y convivir en un idioma que no es el tuyo (…) Con mi trabajo quiero cerciorarme de que todos los estudiantes tengan acceso a los recursos de la escuela y que puedan sacarle provecho a la educación. Como por ejemplo impulsarlos a entrar a la organización de National Honor Society.’’

was in; it was full-blown mental illness. Nowadays, sad girls may be rebranded into “Phoebe Bridgers girls,” “Colleen Hoover readers”, the exhausting list of interests and hobbies that dictate one’s identity as a young woman truly does go on and on.

I admit, it was wonderful news that insecurity was a patriarchy-sanctioned hot commodity, because I certainly had more of it than I knew what to do with. In her book “All The Women In My Brain: And Other Concerns,” author Betty Gilpin writes fascinatingly about commodifying her sadness. Referring to the curated part of her brain as the “Barbie cell” and the more complicated part as the “dark-

I strongly disagree with the manner in which The Sad Girl sparked conversations about mental health, but spark them she did, and I cannot help but be thankful for that much. Talking about mental health is obviously important, both for awareness and cultivating community in something that can feel so isolating. Even the mental illness-related humor that came with The Sad Girl package is beneficial in many cases; speaking of mental illness more light-heartedly can help to devalue the influence of mental illness in our lives. going for me.

[Continued on evanstonian.net]

Su trabajo nos da confianza para sentirnos apoyados y protegidos . En el momento en que la entrevisté, ella contaba con 43 estudiantes, de diversas culturas y lenguajes. Un aspecto importante de su rutina es ayudar a los Seniors en el proceso de búsqueda de universidades. Este proceso es tedioso y confuso, y más aún para los niños que no están familiarizados con el sistema de Estados Unidos. Seguido a este proceso ella también está en constante revisión de la inscripción al plan de almuerzo gratuito, debido a que familias inmigrantes muchas veces no cuentan con los recursos suficientes, para pagar el almuerzo de la escuela, pero no saben como llenar los formularios de inscripción. Cuenta también con un puesto en el Latino Advisory Committee y allí ayuda a los estudiantes a conseguir horas de servicio comunitario.

Ms S. definitivamente merece miles de aplausos y orgullo debido a que con dulzura, dedicación y comprensión hace de la transición de espacios y culturas para los nuevos integrantes en ETHS sea llevadera y especial.

MARIA GOMEZ Staff Writer

The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.”

- Edgar Allen Poe

Art by Meg Houseworth

Students, community must support measures to protect teaching truth & critical thoughts in schools

For over a decade, District 202’s mission statement has read, “Embracing its diversity, ETHS dedicates itself to educating all students to their fullest potential.” Although brief, the sentiment reveals the heart of education: learning through variance and wholeness. While ETHS has remained devout to shaping and employing expansive and nuanced curricula, a movement to whitewash education has plagued much of the surrounding nation, depriving students of their right to thorough schooling.

Critical race theory (CRT) is an interdisciplinary framework that explores how societal, political and economic institutions are influenced by the social construction of race, and conservative commentators and politicians have co-opted the term to use as a catchall for any race-related issue in schools. As of this year, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Tennessee have all implemented state legislation that bans the instruction of CRT in public schools, and CRT is under attack in 16 other states through pending bills and school policies. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has openly opposed CRT education, and in a recent wave of restriction, he announced his banning of the College Board’s newest course: Advanced Placement African American Studies (APAAS), which sparked national discourse surrounding censorship and education. But anti-CRT legislation isn’t the only form of censorship; last year,

Florida enacted the “Parental Rights in Education Act,” which quickly became recognized as the “Don’t Say Gay” Act, which restricts schools from teaching topics related to gender identity and sexual orientation, and since the original introduction of the bill, 20 different states have initiated a total of 38 copycat bills, many of which attempt to censor classrooms even further. Primary and secondary education are not the only targets, 20 bills attempting to restrict higher level education have been proposed in 13 different states this year alone.

In Illinois right now, House Bill 2789 has been introduced. HB2789 would implement protective measures against censorship within state public libraries and public school libraries. Public libraries that wish to collect grants from the Illinois State Library would have to enable policies against banning books and restricting material. Similarly, House Bill 1485 would establish an Inclusive American History Committee to “(i) address the deficiencies and inadequacies in both perspective and content in traditional history course material and instruction and (ii) develop multiperspective, inclusive, and comprehensive standards that a school may use as a guide in replacing or developing its curricula for history education.” Also in the Illinois House, HB2490 would require every public school to enact an extensive curriculum on the 1954-1968 civil rights movement and other historical examples of injustice.

In our state, we have the opportunity to preserve education and stand in the face of educational suppression. A push for censorship is an attack on education broadly. It is vital that Illinois defends against this national war on learning through enacted legislation and active enforcement. At a student level, it is essential to engage with expansive

curricula, seek out further information and contribute to political dialogue surrounding education. It is student education at stake, and it is students that must make their voices heard. Within the Evanston community, everyone must commit to understanding local political and educational dialogue and initiating action. Whether voting in municipal or school board elections, or encouraging those around you to vote, democracy is contingent on engagement.

As a publication, for years, The Evanstonian has dissected the historic and current overlap between educational institutions and inequity.

Although The Evanstonian has reported on ETHS’ deficiencies in terms of enabling equity, we recognize and appreciate that ETHS’ local flaws are nothing compared to the national discourse that attempts to erase and suppress diverse voices. As one of 60 schools piloting APAAS this year, ETHS is taking a stand against the countrywide forces that work to diminish an educational experience that is driven by engaging with true history, culturally responsive curricula and indiscriminate perspectives. As a student publication, The Evanstonian would like to express gratitude to attend a school that embraces diverse conversations and tackles nuanced topics. It is vital that, as students, we continue to push against discriminatory censorship and advocate for diverse curricula both within ETHS walls and across the entire country.

A movement to white-wash education has plagued much of the surrounding nation, depriving students of their right to thorough schooling.”

It is vital that, as students, we continue to push against discriminatory censorship.”

GUIDE TO THE 2023 MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

FEATURING PROFILES OF CANDIDATES RUNNING IN THE SPECIAL SECOND AND NINTH WARD ELECTIONS AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT 65 AND DISTRICT 202 SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS.

EARLY VOING BEGINS MARCH 20. ELECTION DAY IS APRIL 4.

LAYOUT BY CLARA GUSTAFSON, ETHAN RAVI, MACK JONES ART BY JILLIAN ARNYAI

NEWS E

District 65 School Board

Coming out of the worst of COVID-19, Evanston / Skokie Community Consolidated School District 65 has since been faced with multiple challenges. From lagging literacy rates, to decreasing enrollment, as well as issues of safety and equity, District 65 and its school board are responsible for navigating

Omar Salem

these issues in a way that ensures all students learn to their potential, feel safe and seen at school and help the district flourish.

With that said, the stakes for this year’s District 65 School Board elections are high. There are five candidates running for three spots on the elected school board.

Two candidates, Sergio Hernandez Jr. and Mya Wilkins, are incumbents, looking to serve another term on the board.

Meanwhile, John Martin, Ndona Muboyayi and Omar Salem all are looking to join the board for the first time.

All five candidates have their own stories

for why they believe they are the right people to lead District 65 into this next chapter in the district’s history. Voting for school board elections will take place on April 4, but early voting begins on March 20.

A teacher and union representative, Salem aims to integrate trauma-informed education into District 65

CLARA GUSTAFSON News Editor

By fourth grade, Omar Salem already knew that he wanted to be a teacher when he grew up. After experiencing trauma from teachers and other school staff as a student, he knew the changes he wanted to make as a teacher in the future: creating a comfortable environment for all students where their mental health is the educator’s

Through marrying a native Evanstonian and because of his knowledge of Evanston through his work in education, Salem knew that, if in Illinois, Evanston was where he would be living. Now with two children, Salem and his family are happily living here.

Currently as a Union Professional Issues Director with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Salem is on leave from his job as an English Language Learner and Business Education teacher at Niles North

Evanston.”

Along with this new perspective and title, Salem’s oldest child is currently attending school in District 65, and his younger child will as well. Creating a space where his children, and all children in Evanston, feel safe, and where their mental health is being prioritized, is what matters most to Salem.

“For me, one of the largest, most important but also impactful training that we do, that I’m a part of, is trauma-informed education,” Salem said. Trauma-informed education ensures that teachers are thinking about what students have gone through and that students feel safe at school.

riculum without trauma-informed educators isn’t going to do anything.”

Even though a well-educated student body is important, and is something Evanston strives to have, students won’t be able to achieve this if there is any discomfort in any classes. Salem wants to ensure that

High School.

greatest concern.

Growing up only a 20-minute drive away from Evanston, in Morton Grove, Salem attended Niles West High School. Because of his involvement in Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) Salem’s original fourth-grade idea of becoming a physical education teacher shifted. The work that he did with DECA led him to attend Illinois State University and study business education.

Despite his long-term goal of working in education, Salem didn’t see himself running for a position on the school board in the past. His new experiences in this different role changed his idea of an ideal career though. “[In] my experience with my new position, I feel like I’ve learned so much,” Salem explained, “and I want to use some of that expertise that I’ve picked up from this position to benefit all children in

Ndona Muboyayi

To achieve this comfortable environment, Salem wants to see all teachers have the opportunity to go through this training. “I think the only way to [confront the mental health issues that students have] is through an equitable approach where all educators, not just teachers, but every single adult is trained on [trauma-informed education],” Salem said. “And every single adult is also given the time and capacity to be the best educator they can.”

Salem also acknowledges that the curriculum and learning going on is very important.

“Academics are important. It’s school, and I think a rigorous curriculum is so important,” Salem said, “but a rigorous cur-

Parent-advocate Muboyayi hopes to elevate District 65’s literacy efforts, close opportunity gap

CLARA GUSTAFSON

News Editor

Growing up in the wake of her parent’s separation, Ndona Muboyayi—a candidate in this year’s District 65 School Board election—spent less time at home and more time participating in after-school activities. Whether she was at French class, softball practice, working on an art project for Young Evanston Artists (YEA) or rehearsing for an upcoming Haven Help Us

performance, Muboyayi was always involved in some sort of program.

Having traveled to countless places over the world and attending—or watching her children attend—schools in different countries, Muboyayi has observed plenty of teaching techniques and seen how curriculum and resources differ from place to place. Especially after seeing the differences between Canadian schools and District 65 and 202 schools that her children were attending, Muboyayi knew she wanted to make a difference.

She noticed that, in District 65 and 202, there is a language barrier, making it difficult for some parents or guardians to communicate with teachers and District 65 about what their student’s needs were. Growing up in a situation where she wasn’t able to advocate for herself, Muboyayi hopes to be a voice for the families and children who can’t stand up for themselves, whether it be because of a language barrier or other social inequities.

“I was the president of the [Black and Indigenous Parent Advisory Committee] with District 65, which is the bilingual Parent Advisory Committee,” Muboyayi said. “At that time, I discovered that there was also a major issue with the Spanish [speaking] parents having problems with being able to advocate for their students because they were not having a lot of their concerns addressed.”

Muboyayi advocated for her daughter and was successful in doing so. Giving assistance

to those who are in less fortunate situations or unable to advocate for themselves would be very rewarding in Muboyayi’s eyes.

The students struggling most with communication with the district and teachers are students of color, which Muboyayi also hopes to address by focusing on the opportunity gap.

“I would work on one of the main issues that exist right now: there's an opportunity gap. There historically have been some inequities

ists, because, at present, there is an issue with Black and brown students and low-income students arriving at ETHS reading far below grade level.”

Even though some students are struggling and need extra support from teachers and school staff, many are exceeding the current curriculum. Working towards a curriculum plan that is able to benefit all students— those who are struggling, at grade level or ad-

when it comes to Black and Brown students, and low-income students in District 65,” said Muboyayi.

To do this, Muboyayi would make an effort to find the students that are struggling and assist them in getting the support that they might need.

“We need to also possibly think about increasing the number of speech-language pathologists as well as increasing reading special-

vanced—and include everyone is another goal Muboyayi has.

“I would look to work on addressing the lagging literacy rate,” Muboyayi continued, “I do believe that there are some students that are advanced, and I don't believe that the current curriculum that is available District 65 addresses all of their needs as well.”

“There's a dire need,” Muboyayi said, “for someone to be on the board that's going to ac-

Photo courtesy of Omar Salem

Photo courtesy of Ndona Muboyayi

I know that students aren’t going to learn if they don’t feel safe.”

-D65 school board candidate Omar Salem

There’s a dire need,” Muboyayi said, “for someone to be on the board that’s going to actually fight for children and families that need the support for them.

-D65 school board candidate Ndona Muboyayi

Sergio Hernandez

Five-year board vet, incumbent president wants ‘to stand up’ for students who require specialized services

ANNABELLE HARRIS Assistant News Editor

Sergio Hernandez Jr. has been a part of the District 65 school board since 2017. Since he was welcomed to the school board, he has been

an avid participant in the fight for equality for multilingual students in the district.

Hernandez has been in education for over 25 years. He currently serves as the Director of Family and Community Engagement at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in addition to serving as District 65 board president. Previously, Hernandez taught in Chicago Public Schools and some of the schools in the western suburbs as well. He has also been a community organizer and an activist whose goal has been to ensure that everyone gets the services that they need. He first got involved in the district after having three children go through the school system and seeing some huge problems in how schools supported multilingual students.

“One of the things I found out in talking to other Latino parents as well as educators was that there were some issues in regards to services for students who are multilingual. Students who were multilingual got evaluated by the schools to see if they require bilingual or ESL services,” Hernandez said. “We ended up finding out that some schools would screen students, particularly magnet schools, and they would give them a choice. The choice was you

John Martin

ELISE GOULDING Staff Writer

Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio with a teacher for a mother, John Martin, candidate for District 65 School Board, has always believed in the importance of education. Throughout his life, he was supported to further his education, taking him to Chicago for a master’s degree at DePaul University.

“I’ve always had, and it’s something I see in my kids… an unquenchable thirst for knowledge,” said Martin.

Martin moved to Evanston in 2015 with his wife and two children. Despite not living in the city for long, he has been quick to set down roots. He became a coach for the Evanston chapter of the American Youth Soccer Organization, AYSO and later, during the pandemic, became the commissioner.

“[Working with AYSO] gave me the opportunity to get to know a lot of different families from all different backgrounds… I rarely go anywhere in Evanston without running into a friend,” said Martin.

In his current job with a software company, Martin helps businesses to be more effective by guiding them with his expertise. As he works with many accounting businesses, he has been successful in fiscally advising AYSO and hopes

to do the same with District 65.

“[I lowered] participation fees by 40 percent, for all families the first year and then another 20 percent in the second year [at AYSO],” said Martin.

Martin balances those analytical skills with emotional ones as well.

“The ancient art of mindfulness grants me the compassion to understand people’s different perspectives [and] respect differences of opinion,” said Martin.

A major factor behind Martin’s move to Evanston was the strong public school system. Currently, he has two kids at District 65 but has been disappointed by it lately.

“One of the things that I think is the most concerning is the emptiness of students. [There is] a 20 percent decline in enrollment in four years,” Martin said.

Though Martin does not have any direct solutions on increasing enrollment, he would like to explore the issue once elected. He noted that one thing he would look into was the increase in staff, specifically in the central office, hired while students declined. Being a public school student, Martin has the desire to support the system. After working with AYSO and deepening his understanding of Evanston and the diversity that sets it apart, Martin aspires to put his plans for the school district into action.

“I have a deep-rooted belief in public educa-

could either come to the magnet school and not receive ESL services or go to another school that does offer those services. That’s illegal, by federal law and state law.”

Upon learning this, Hernandez organized with a couple other Latinx parents and educators to bring this up to the board, as well as joining a local organization called Latino Resources.

“I really want to stand up for my students, and all students really, who require specialized services and educational studies,” he explained. Hernandez also explained how privileged and honored he feels to be a part of a school board with such a focus on equity and to be able to serve the community in that way. He went from engaging the board as a citizen to being a part of the board and continues to fight to ensure that all students have access to the resources that they need to succeed in the school system.

“There’s been an educational opportunity gap for many students, particularly our most marginalized students, and what I enjoy about being on this board is that we are able to try and change the systems that have perpetuated or continued to create these barriers,” Hernan-

dez said.

In the future, Hernandez hopes that the school board will work on doing a better job of coordinating and collaborating with the City of Evanston, as well as District 202. His goal is to make sure that they provide the assets and services that students–specifically marginalized groups–and families deserve.

He would also like to see young people, such as high schoolers, to start thinking about being civically engaged. This includes registering to vote when you can, and really taking the time to do research on and learn about the candidates.

“It’s important for our young folks to really get involved. We work for [District 65 students], so we need our young folks to hold us older folks accountable so we can make sure that we lay a pathway for a better future for all [students],” Hernandez said, “As a teacher, that’s something that I’ve always believed, that I serve the students and I serve their families and the community and it’s my job to work in collaboration and co-conspire with the people that I serve to ensure that we have a sustainable future for you and your fellow students when you become adults.”

tion… District 65 has a very proud history that I’d like to build on,” said Martin.

In recent years, Martin has noticed a decline in emphasis on academic excellence in the district. One of Martin’s goals, should he be elected, would be to restore the focus on academics.

“The most important thing is educating and caring for the whole child, socially, emotionally and academically. And I think recently that academic piece has been missing,” said Martin.

One of the biggest challenges is having District 65 remain equitable. In past years, the district has struggled to enact academic rigor that would serve the entirety of the student body.

One example of this is the decline in student performance on math in standardized tests. Martin hopes that by providing better support to teachers they will be able to restore District 65 to its past level of academic excellence.

“Equity and academic excellence is essential. Culturally inclusive and reflective education is what we want for our kids. Equity and excellence are not mutually exclusive. They can not only coexist but complement each other,” Martin said.

Overall, Martin would like to see more transparency in District 65. He wants the organization to share why they make policy and curriculum changes with parents.

“I want the board to be an independent institution of transparency,” said Martin.

He aims to help the community and school

system heal after the pandemic and the isolation it brought. On the District 65 school board, he would have this chance.

“[Ideally, District 65] would look like a community built on trust,” he said. “ A welcoming place where trust and respect are shared among parents, teachers, administrators, board members and community members.”

Photo courtesy of Sergio Hernandez

With business-minded prespective, Martin runs on platform of fiscal efficency, cultural inclusivity

Photo courtesy of John Martin

Art by Sadie Dowhan, Lydah Coates, Hope Vezner, Tanya Weisman

District 202 School Board

A year after conducting the search for a new superintendent, ultimately landing on Dr. Marcus Campbell, the Evanston Township High School District 202 School Board now looks to push a new set of initiatives, centered around goals of literacy, post-college plans, racial equity and social-emotional learning.

In addition to these goals, ETHS has navigated numerous conversations of late. Discussions around in-school truancy, metal detectors and other weapons systems and more have shaped the trajectory of board meetings thus far this year.

The Evanstonian spoke with the four candidates who are running for the three open fouryear terms on the school board. Mirah Anti, a

current board member and Director of Equity & Inclusion at Highland Park High School and Deerfield High School District 113, is running unopposed for a two-year position on the board as well.

Two of the candidates, Monique Parsons and Elizabeth Rolewicz, are running for re-election, while Leah Piekarz, former counselor at ETHS, and Kristen Scotti, a disabilities advocate, look to become board members for the first time.

Over the next two pages, find profiles of all four candidates. Early voting for this election and all elections begins on March 20, while Election Day is April 4.

Monique Parsons

Sitting D202 board vice president, Parsons pushes for every student to receive a top-tier education at ETHS

LYDIAN GREEN Staff Writer

The community of Evanston has been a perpetual part of Monique Parsons life. She is the current Vice President of the District 202 Board of Education, and is running for a third term. Although she now strives in her work as a public official, she has many other roles in the community that brought her to this position. She is the President and CEO of the McGaw YMCA, and she specializes in youth development. She has sought to illuminate and diversify voices in the community, and become a part of the solution, with the goal “ to promote a school of culture that centers our students’ well-being.”.

“I am really concerned about creating a safe, welcoming and belonging environment that affirms, that’s inclusive for all students, family and staff,” said Parsons.

Parsons is deeply rooted in Evanston and believes in a strong sense of community. She was born and raised in town, attending Walker Elementary School and Chute Middle School.

Leah Piekarz

She attended high school in Cincinnati, Ohio for creative and performing Arts. Subsequently, she moved back to Evanston after college. She remembers feeling herself represented by local authority figures, as well as being held to high expectations in regard to achievement and behavior in school.

“I remember just being loved by my family and my community,” said Parsons.

Her previous campaign began when she noticed her voice as a single mother was not being accurately reflected in decision making. She believes that the board is very responsible for student achievement and its actions should be reflective of this.

Her biggest draw into ETHS was her son’s excellent experience at the school. After what she found to be a great experience for him, Parsons wants to help create that experience for all students that enter ETHS. She believes that, regardless of identity or extenuating circumstances, every child that walks through the doors deserves the best ETHS has to offer.

“We’re teaching them all the same way because we value you,” said Parsons. “It takes becoming competent, culturally competent, to

understand what equity really means and then to also create an environment that is welcoming and belonging for those that are most marginalized or feel left out.”

Running for a third term, Parsons has been a part of an effort to improve locker room conditions for students, as well as an initiative to address literacy in the district. Recently, she advocated for all community members’ voices to be factored in when revising the board’s agenda. This helped ensure equitable administrative goals that were aligned with the community’s values.

One major goal Parsons has is to promote community engagement, whether that’s talking with families of students or working closely with District 65. The hope is that this will better the ETHS student experience and create an environment conducive to learning.

“The goal is to make sure that we provide an equitable and excellent education at ETHS, that we promote school culture that centers our students’ wellbeing, “ said Parsons.. “[We need] to provide fiscal accountability and transparency, but also to strengthen community engagement and partnership.” This goal

has been sustained throughout her time on the board. Looking forward, she hopes to accomplish her overarching goal of creating a sense of affinity and belonging for every student.

“My vision is to make sure that every child feels like we’re taking care of them. And if we’re taking care of them, we’re providing what they need. And it’s not just about my child, or someone you know, it’s about all of our children in this very small community,” said Parsons. “Because we can do it in this community, and students can say that they belong, not only at ETHS, but every place they go.”

Former ETHS counselor running for board position to advocate for students to ‘feel seen and heard’

NATHAN KANE Staff Writer

In the past few years, ETHS has been toeing a line many high schools are forced to walk: the often-treacherous balance of academic performance and the prioritization of student wellbeing. It seems that every administrative action the school takes tips this scale too far in one direction or another– every issue sometimes feels like a loselose scenario.

District 202 school board candidate Leah Piekarz believes the root of this issue is a disconnect between administrative higher-ups and the student body.

“I think students need to feel seen and heard and not feel that they shouldn’t be seen and heard,” Piekarz said. “We need that input. We need to know what teachers’ experience is. But I think we also probably

have to balance that with maybe some evidence-based research on what is working and what’s not working.”

Having retired from ETHS just last year after working for 21 years as a counselor, Piekarz feels she is uniquely qualified for this position. In her mind, occupying such a role for such a long time has helped her forge relationships not only inside the building but in the greater Evanston community.

“I’ve become a part of the community,” she said. “I’ve worked here. I live here. My husband also has lived in the community and worked at the high school for over 30 years.

My two stepchildren graduated from [the] high school. So what I think that means is that I really do understand what happens on the inside of ETHS.”

Piekarz grew up in Western Springs, a suburb of Chicago around 20 miles from the city. Her first job in education was as a Spanish teacher in Chicago’s south suburbs, where she worked for seven years prior to earning a Master’s Degree in school counseling. Her first exposure to Evanston was through an internship at ETHS. She was immediately drawn to the town, which she attributes to the similarities Evanston shared with where she formerly worked.

“I did my teaching on the south side. It had a diverse student body, a very working-class neighborhood,” said Piekarz. “I felt like [Evanston] was a pretty progressive district and had a unique mix of diversity. And I was really drawn to that.”

Piekarz sees her experience as a counselor

setting her up to deal with student wellbeing–both physical and emotional-if elected to the school board.

For Piekarz, one of the most paramount facets of student well-being is mental health.

“I have a first-hand view of the mental health crisis and just how important social-emotional learning and support is,” she said. “I lived through the pandemic at the high school myself, and can really see how that affected students and staff and our community.”

However, since ETHS returned from its Covid-induced hiatus, mental health hasn’t been the only aspect of well-being at the forefront. On December 16th, 2021, two firearms were recovered by an ETHS resource officer. Earlier this year, another gun was found on the premises, an attempted kidnapping occurred just blocks from the school, and a man was shot outside of the McDonald’s on Dodge and Dempster with ETHS students present. Piekarz emphasized how firmly she believes that physical and emotional safety go hand in hand. That said, she knows such disastrous incidents must be addressed: “We are sadly at a point where we do have to look at– what is our weapons detection system?,” said Piekarz. “ I sadly think that we’re just at a point where we can’t not consider that.” Nevertheless, Piekarz was repeatedly keen on clearing the air of any misconceptions about her stance. In her words, “I also don’t want people to feel like they are under constant surveillance. I don’t want people to feel policed at

school.”

When interviewed last year on the subject of her retirement from counseling, Piekarz remarked that she wanted to enjoy some relaxation in her new-found time. Now, less than a year has passed and she’s running for school board. For Piekarz, her love for the Evanston community made her unable to walk away from serving it. Though she enjoyed her– albeit short– time away, certain events on the national scale drove her to get involved in local politics.

“I think this is where what’s happening outside of ETHS and in our larger community in our country has affected me. I think that as we see what’s been happening with the political divisions in our country– what’s happening in Congress. What’s happening across the country, in some cases in schools and school boards. What’s happening with DeSantis in Florida,” said Piekarz, referencing the Florida governor’s recent ban on the AP African American studies class. “It can be overwhelming and can make you feel very disillusioned. And so it seems like I just felt like the thing you have the most control over is your immediate environment. Your local community. And so rather than stand back and be disillusioned and be upset, you’ve got to be part of the solution. You’ve got to get involved.”

According to Piekarz, the principle buoy of her candidacy is a genuine love for ETHS and the Evanston community, one that can only be fulfilled by public service.

“We can create change, and we can do better,” she said. “We can always do better.”

Photo courtesy of Leah Piekarz

Photo courtesy of Monique Parsons

Elizabeth Rolewicz

SOPHIA SIDDIQUI Staff Writer

When Elizabeth Rolewicz first moved to Evanston in 2013, she was not expecting to begin a life in politics. Rolewicz was simply a mother who wanted to give her children the best education and opportunities possible. Then, she noticed disparities and injustices in the community.

“I was hearing from the community that Black and brown students, in particular, were not reaching their highest possible achievement,” Rolewicz said, “I became interested in that topic, and I wanted to be a part of it and support the schools and network.”

Despite only being involved with ETHS and the surrounding community for four years, Rolewicz has played a substantial role in various Evanston volunteer organizations and school districts. Before the 2019 school board elections, when she was elected to her first term on the District 202 School Board, Rolewicz balanced working at her independently owned multi-media artistry studio, helping young girls develop confidence and life skills as a Girl Scout troop leader and being a certified foster parent for children in need.

Currently, Rolewicz is working with the community to try and fix injustices she has seen in the Evanston area.

“I’ve completely committed myself to

the Evanston community and to ETHS as a school,” she said.

Rolewicz graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film/video and photography arts while also minoring in women’s studies. While completing her degree, Rolewicz continued to find ways to pursue her passion for community service.

“I’ve always found [community service] as very fulfilling work,” she said. “It is certainly a priority in my life.”

When initially elected for the ETHS school board more than four years ago, Rolewicz ran on a racial justice platform.

“Every single student deserves to benefit from the outstanding growth opportunities that abound at ETHS - but far too often, where we come from predicts who we become,” Rolewicz said on her campaign website.

Rolewicz is aware of her privilege and hopes to utilize it to help further fair education policies for students of color and students with learning disabilities. Throughout her four-year term, she prioritized students “with the greatest need” so that the district can see improvements across the board.

“[The school board] needs to stay on the course of improving outcomes for our Black and brown students and our students with IEPs,” Rolewicz said. “Only when all students are able to succeed can we see overall improvement in the school.”

Rolewicz plans to use surveys to assess

the functionality of the board’s current plans use the data provided directly by students to formulate new ideas to improve the weakest areas.

One such change that Rolewicz has been able to help implement was hiring Dr. Marcus Campell as the new superintendent in 2022.

“I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve got a lot of community input, and through that, we were able to reach out to the community, conduct surveys and talkback, and even host the community interview of Dr. Campbell as a candidate,” Rolewicz said, “I’m proud of what a thorough process we went through in order to get community feedback in the hiring process.”

Rolewicz’s goal as a member of the school board is for students of color to feel a sense of belonging in ETHS. The student summits are one way she hopes to promote this feeling.

“Some work I’ve been particularly proud of is the expansion of the student summits and how well they’ve been attended. Students get so much benefit from [the summits], and I feel like it fosters a sense of belonging. I hope that by showing students that they belong [at ETHS], they’re able to reach their highest potential,” Rolewicz said.

Community and student input is at the forefront of Rolewicz’s mind as she makes plans for the future of district 202.

“I want everyone to feel like they have a

place here and a voice,” she said.

On board since 2019, Rolewicz points to expansion of summits, superintendent search as accomplishments Kristen Scotti

Ultimately, Rolewicz hopes that through her position on the school board, she will be able to bring change that will benefit students in need and bring District 202 together as a community.

“An ideal ETHS would be where everybody feels like it’s their school and realizes that they are a crucial part of the community.”

Disability rights advocate running on platform of leveling the playing field for students with special needs

MACK JONES Staff Writer

In the mid-1990s, Kristen Scotti was a student at a West Chicago Community High School. Yet, unlike many of her classmates, Scotti experiences several chronic conditions, including ADHD, autism, a connective tissue disorder, as well as dysautonomia. These conditions have permanently altered the way Scotti navigates life, especially within school environments.

“I was the quiet neurodivergent person. It was internalized. So I was kind of just forgotten about in school,” said Scotti. “I have a connective tissue disorder, and I also have dysautonomia. They started manifesting as you get a little bit older, more teenage age instead of when you were born, which made high school very difficult.”

Like many people who experience similar disorders and symptoms, Scotti has been faced with ableism since her childhood, making it difficult to cope and ad-

just to traditional school environments. As a disabled person, she has been forced into a life of self advocacy, something that disabled students today are incredibly familiar with. Due to the extra challenges disabled students face, many often take non traditional schooling paths, which is something Scotti has experienced.

She did graduate high school but didn’t immediately go on to college. She and her family simply couldn’t afford it, and it just wasn’t feasible at the time. Scotti moved out as soon as she graduated, but it was difficult to get and maintain jobs without a college degree. She often had to work two positions to afford necessities like rent and food.

“For several years, it was more odd jobs,” Scotti said. “I would usually have a primary job and then jobs for supplemental income. I was a paralegal for a law firm, I worked in a courthouse for a while, I was a credit manager for a trucking company for a good while. Those were my more constant jobs, and then I had a whole lot of random stuff like telemarketing and stuff like that.”

It took until she was 29 for Scotti to move on to college, first doing night classes at a community college. Initially, she just wanted to get a degree and a decent job. Then she took an astronomy course with another professor whose class she loved. That class would change her life.

“He talked about these NASA opportunities, these research opportunities you could do, and I was like, ‘Oh, I want to apply for that,’ not thinking I would get in. I got a short internship thing. It was an aerospace scholars program. I got into that, then I applied for another one, and I got that too.”

Scotti started doing microgravity research, taking multiple rides on parabolic flights that simulate anti-gravity to conduct research. She continued doing this, eventually moving into material science. Scotti got involved in the Jack Kent Cooke

Foundation, the largest scholarship provider in the United States, and she ended up winning a full-ride scholarship to Northwestern University.

“The process was I was supposed to submit two essays to start with to determine if they were going to recommend me,” said Scotti. “I was really insistent I wasn’t going to get in, and I was really busy with finals. So I only actually submitted one. I didn’t even realize I had submitted it, and then I got a call back that I was recommended. I needed to hurry up and finish the other essay, I was shocked. So I submitted the rest of my essays, and then I got a call that I won. That was probably a core memory for me.”

According to Scotti, Northwestern, as good of a school as it is, isn’t the most accessible university. The campus is very spread-out, complicating things for disabled folks. In lab science specifically, it is challenging when dealing with a disability.

Beyond her challenges, Scotti has done very well academically while at Northwestern. In 2016, she was selected as an Undergraduate Awards regional winner in Math and Physics for her paper Ice-Templating in Microgravity: Toward the advancement of environmentally responsible materials processing – on Earth and in space. The research was about making porous materials, specifically using microgravity, to understand how gravity influences the process of making these structures to make them more environmentally friendly and better on Earth.

“I definitely wouldn’t say I’ve thrived,” said Scotti. “It’s more been survive than thrive. I can’t say that I would recommend this for somebody because Northwestern isn’t great for disabilities. Some majors are worse than others, and lab science in particular is very tough. So it’s just been surviving.”

After moving to Evanston, Scotti had a child, who, now a junior, has helped her

understand that the problems she faced growing up neurodivergent are still present. This motivated her to run for a District 202 school board position.

“I’ve seen some of the great equity work that’s being done at the district. But I’m seeing that it could be better with more of an intersectional lens. I can add to that,” said Scotti. “My top priority is looking at suspension data, because disabled students are getting suspended way too much. A very close second priority is revamping the assistive tech program because, in a lot of classes, students aren’t getting what they need.”

Scotti wishes to leave no child behind at ETHS and District 202.

“I watched a lot of board meetings over the years, and it’s discouraging to watch people celebrate metrics when there’s a 99 percent graduation rate because, you know, that one percent that are not graduating, these are students, these are humans, these are people. I cannot be okay with that unless it’s 100 percent,” said Scotti.

Scotti wants to make small changes to get ETHS as close to perfect as possible regarding disabilities. While ETHS does offer some resources for disabled students, these resources are often only accessed through means of self advocacy by the students themselves, which is a cycle that Scotti would like to break. By being the representation that disabled students need, she hopes to bring these issues to the frontlines of discussions surrounding student success and well being. According to Scotti, nothing is ever perfect, but there is massive room for improvement that needs fixing here at ETHS and beyond.

“The alternative,” she said. “The alternative is terrible. It’s a life of struggling in a lot of cases. I look at the data in my community, and I want it to get better. I mean, in the worst-case scenario it’s life or death. In a slightly better scenario, it’s prison. This is not a joke.”

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Rolewicz

Photo courtesy of Kristen Scotti

Second Ward

The Second Ward contains the border between Evanston and Skokie at McCormick Blvd. Also included in the Second Ward is Evanston Township High School. Part of the job as the Second Ward Alderperson is to help foster the connection between the school and the city.

“The high school is part of the neighborhood. We have a long-time, generational relationship with the Second Ward and the community around us,” former District 202 Superintendent Eric Witherspoon told The Daily Northwestern.

Now, as part of the 2023 Evanston municipal elections, the Second Ward Alderperson seat is up for grabs. There are three candidates competing for the place on the City Council, Darlene Cannon, Krissie Harris and Patricia Gregory.

Harris runs as an incumbent, looking to continue her work on the City Council

following her short stint on the council after being named by Mayor Daniel Biss as a replacement for an outgoing councilmember in 2022. Meanwhile, Cannon and Gregory provide a challenge to Harris, with each focused on issues facing Second Ward residents, with Cannon speaking about increasing the amount of oversight the Evanston Police Department endures while Gregory aims to increase the level of communication between constituents and the Second Ward alderperson.

Here are political profiles on each of the three candidates for Second Ward Alderperson.

Darlene Cannon

A life-long Evanstonian, Cannon wants to increase police oversight, protections against housing scams

ETHAN RAVI Assistant News Editor

Evanston has been a part of Darlene Cannon her whole life. Born and raised in Evanston’s Second Ward, she grew up in the public schools of the city, and learned to appreciate all that it had to offer. Now, she is running for Second Ward alderperson and hopes to better the place she has loved for so long.

During her childhood, Cannon attended Dawes Elementary school, followed by Timber Ridge Elementary School—now Bessie Rhodes. She attended ETHS for high school and graduated in 1986. Cannon and her husband raised their son in the Second Ward and have lived there since.

“We stay in Evanston—and I continue to stay in Evanston—because we love Evanston,” said Cannon.

In her professional life, Cannon has worked at ETHS in the Special Education Department. She was on staff from 2006 to 2013 and is currently a substitute teacher in District 65.

Other than her teaching work, Cannon has been heavily involved in the political scene her whole life. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she started a nonprofit called Feeding The Village Evanston, which focused on helping community members who suffered from food insecurity as a result of the pandemic.

“Despite that it was a pandemic and that Black and brown people were more at risk of contracting Covid and having negative impacts from Covid, I delivered food and collaborated with District 65 principals to set up for families to come and pick up food donations that my nonprofit received,” said Cannon.

Ensuring the safety of Evanston residents is essential to Cannon, and she is currently a board member of the Citizens Network of Protection (CNP). The CNP focuses on addressing and eliminating police misconduct in Evanston and has been around since the 1980s. At present, Cannon and her colleagues are working on a proposal to have a citizen-led police review board.

“It would be citizens interviewing incoming police officers and also reviewing any police complaints,” said Cannon. “We would be collaborating with the police to ensure that that extra ‘layer of citizen’ is amplified.”

In the same vein of improving protections for Evanston residents, another endeavor Cannon has been involved in is an anti-predatory developer ordinance. She is a member of the Evanston Equity and Empowerment Commission, and, through that, she met Byron Sigcho Lopez, the alderperson for Chicago’s 25th Ward. He had developed multiple ordinances to address a problem that many of his community members had experienced, that of develop-

ers that were harassing residents in an effort to get them to sell their homes, and had gained positive results from the new legislation. Cannon, noticing similar disturbances from developers in Evanston, took a special interest in Lopez’s work.

“As I’ve gone and knocked on neighbors’ doors throughout the Second Ward, I have had people voice concerns about getting text messages, getting emails, getting letters in the mail, getting phone calls,” said Cannon. “I myself have received messages from people asking to buy my home.”

In an attempt to solve the issue, Cannon created an ordinance that will be voted upon by the City Council in the coming weeks.

“When it comes before Council, I hope that it will be voted on unanimously. This is another way that we can ensure that our residents are protected and that they can still stay in Evanston,” said Cannon.

Even without being a member of the City Council, Cannon has taken it upon herself to see that Evanston is constantly improving what it gives its residents.

“I’m working on these things for the betterment of the entire community,” said Cannon.

The next logical step in Cannon’s community involvement was to run for Second Ward alderperson. A seat on the City Council ensures that one has a legislative voice in the rules that govern Evanston. After running in 2021 and falling 71 votes short of a win, Cannon seized the next opportunity to create the change that she wanted to see in Evanston.

“Growing up here, I’ve seen the dramatic changes that have taken place in the Second Ward as well as throughout the city,” said Cannon. “And one of the reasons I’m running is because I think we need to address some of those changes that have happened.”

One of those changes that Cannon is particularly concerned about is the change in demographics in the past couple decades. In 1990, there was a Black population of 22.7 percent in Evanston. As of 2023, that population dropped to 16.5 percent.

“We need to look at the cause behind such a dramatic change in demographics, and I think that one of those causes is our budget, and how we’re spending city money.”

Cannon is especially concerned about the recent increase in the cost of living in Evanston, especially as a result of inflated property taxes. As a result, residents are moving away to towns with more affordable housing options.

“For the last 18 years, we have consistently raised property taxes. And when we have Black and brown and middle income people who are spending more than 50 percent of their income trying to keep a roof over their heads, a lot of them choose to move to surrounding suburbs where they can get more

from their money and pay less taxes in order to live comfortably,” said Cannon. “We’re losing a lot of our middle income residents and that is directly tied to affordability.”

Cannon worries that this trend of middle income families leaving Evanston will diminish the diversity of the community, something that Evanston residents are proud of.

“People talk about how much they love the diversity in Evanston, but we have to make sure that we have a diverse people from different socioeconomic backgrounds that are able to afford to stay here,” said Cannon. “With the path that we’re on right now, I’m not sure that [socioeconomic diversity] will continue to be an actual fact.”

There is no easy solution to this problem, as dramatically lowering taxes would make it difficult for the city to maintain its schools, roads and much more. However, Cannon believes it can be done.

“When we look across the nation, other cities are putting in measures to protect the residents so that people are not paying more than 50 percent of their income to live in town,” said Cannon.

If elected to City Council, Cannon hopes to involve Northwestern University in future budget planning.

“What can we do as a city, as a Council, as a community, to bring Northwestern to the table to try to get some additional contributions? Northwestern has about 330 acres of land, and because of their charter, they don’t pay taxes. But there are other measures that they can take to contribute to the city, and I’m looking to address that,” said Cannon. “So that we relieve some of the burden that we’re currently putting on taxpayers.”

Managing the city budget is an essential part of Cannon’s campaign, and she believes that fixing the City’s spending will help solve a lot of the problems that we currently face, making it her top priority, along with resident engagement.

“I am running because I think that we really need someone who is going to be not only resident-driven, but a stickler about the budget, how we spend our money and who we spend our money with. Those are the priorities,” said Cannon.

As Cannon prepares for the potential future of becoming the Second Ward alderperson, she has started to plan out how she would maintain engagement with the community while in the position. A lot of the lessons she learned during her time working in the Special Education department at ETHS can be applied to what she wants to accomplish as an alderperson.

“You have to lead with care and empathy,” said Cannon. “We have people who come from all different backgrounds, and we have to understand them, we have to meet them where they are, gain an understanding of what their needs are and really work on

trying to find a method of support that will best suit the individual.”

If elected, Cannon plans on opening up for community discussion during monthly board meetings, but also maintaining consistent office hours to talk one-on-one with residents. She believes that those conversations are essential to understanding what she needs to do to help her community.

“Those types of things build community,” said Cannon.

After learning what the change the residents want to see in Evanston, Cannon plans to bring that information directly to her work on City Council.

“[I will be] making sure that the community feels like they are a part of the decision. From the dias, I will be making decisions based not simply on how I feel about something, but how my residents feel about something,” said Cannon. “It is my obligation to represent [the residents] and vote according to what they want.”

Cannon highlighted the importance of reaching out to all residents, even those with limited access to modern technology or no means of easily educating themselves about city matters or voting information.

“Those are the types of people I need to reach out to and engage with and make sure they’re okay,” said Cannon.

If elected Second Ward alderperson, Cannon will prioritize the budget and make sure that resident’s voices are being represented at City Council. All this is in an effort to rebuild the community that she experienced as a child.

“Growing up in Evanston, we had a village, we all looked out for each other. And if one person was in need of anything, we made sure that their family didn’t go without. We all came together and helped each other,” said Cannon. “I want to see more community; beyond the Second Ward, the entire city of Evanston. I think we need to do a better job of looking out for one another.”

Photo courtesy of Darlene Cannon

Krissie Harris

TAREK ANTHONY Staff Writer

Life-long Evanston resident, community activist and incumbent Second Ward alderperson Kristan “Krissie’’ Harris is one of three candidates running in one of the two April special elections for the Second and Ninth Wards of Evanston.

Harris took office in September 2022 after being chosen by Mayor Daniel Biss following the summer resignation of Alderperson Peter Braithewaite, who had served the ward for ten years. Harris was selected over seven other candidates including her two current challengers, Patricia Gregory and repeat challenger Darlene Cannon, who lost to Braithewaite in the 2021 municipal elections by a mere 71 votes.

Harris has deep roots in the Evanston community and attended Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School before attending Evanston Township High School (ETHS). Harris then moved on to attend Illinois State University where she studied “Construction Management” while leading her “action-oriented” sorority, “Zeta Phi Beta,” in numerous community service and action-based projects before moving on to earn a Master’s degree in Education Administration. Harris also holds certificates in Substance Abuse Counseling, Elder Care Support, Human Services and Sexual Assault Training.

“I always say I started [my education] with [helping] building things and ended my degree in helping build people. I think that’s what a council position is about, helping build the community, helping build the people in it [and ultimately] helping build a better life,” said Harris

Harris serves as the Manager of Student Life and Campus Inclusion for Oakton College, formerly known as Oakton Community College. She has been employed at Oak-

ton for 25 years while raising a family in the Second Ward. An active member of the Evanston Community, Harris has served in many community-based capacities including but not limited to serving on the board of directors for the YMCA and Family Focus, in addition to serving as a trustee of the 2nd Baptist Church of Evanston.

When originally selected over five months ago, Harris’s main goals were crime prevention and community policing initiatives within the Evanston Police Department, in addition to improving community connectivity and making sure she could understand the needs and desires of her constituents to make educated decisions in the best interests of the residents of the second ward. Throughout her interim council service, Harris carried through on campaign promises, holding multiple hybrid ward meetings to hear directly from the community in addition to a monthly ward newsletter and open email communications with community members.

“Six to seven months is not enough time to do the work,” wrote Harris in an email exchange with The Evanstonian. “Any good leader takes time to understand the process prior to suggesting change. The city has some exciting things before them and I hope to have the opportunity to be part of these initiatives. I also have some exciting things I hope to present to the second ward residents. I think I am the right person for the ward at this time.”

If re-elected, Harris hopes to continue her community outreach efforts to further understand the needs of the community and improve communication between the city’s elected officials and citizens.

“I want to work on a better relationship with city officials and residents. There seem to be huge mistrust issues and dissatisfaction between residents, staff and city officials. [We] are all doing something wrong if no one is happy. I think there are commu-

Patricia Gregory

MACK JONES Staff Writer

For the third day in a row, the same elementary school student is sitting out of gym class, complaining about his hurt ankle. Some gym teachers might have been angry and accused the child of faking an injury to get out of doing work. But that’s not what Patricia Gregory did. Instead of denunciating the boy, Gregory began asking around for information. What she discovered shocked her. Two boys, whom she described as the nicest in the school, had beaten the boy up every day of the week.

“The boy named these two students,” said Gregory. “I went in there and got them. I said, ‘So you beat him up?’ And they said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Well, did your parents know you beat him up?’ ‘No.’ I said, ‘I know how we’re going to handle this, because I never want it to happen again. This is a new student. We take care of each other, and we help each other. We don’t beat each other

up.’ They were so nice to this kid then, and they said they were sorry. And I believe this will never happen again. I got to be a part of the process of helping to turn these kids around.”

Gregory is now running for Second Ward Alderperson and plans to use a similar strategy of talking things out if she gets elected. She was born at Community Hospital in the Eighth Ward, grew up in Evanston in the Fifth Ward and attended ETHS in the Second Ward. Gregory has been involved in community projects since attending the high school by creating what is now known as the ETHS Pomkits.

“You had a group of Black parents who really wanted to make sure there were things in the high school for us,” Gregory said. “It was my mom and a couple of other moms that got together. My mom made our uniform. She went to Vogue Fabrics and got every member navy blue. I remember our first performance; everybody was a little nervous and shaky. We kind of flubbed it a bit. When you were in the back and somebody did something wrong, you kept saying, ‘Move it!’ That was so funny. So that’s how the pom squad was created here.”

Gregory played volleyball and basketball and ran track in addition to her duties in the pom squad. After graduating from ETHS, she attended the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, now called the University of Illinois Chicago. After a brief stay in Long Beach, Calif., Gregory moved back and worked at Northwestern.

Gregory’s first-ever teaching job was at Faith Christian Academy. From there, she moved on to Best Practice High School, and she began to discover her love of teaching.

“We kind of flip-flopped. I taught Health.

nication issues, unrealistic expectations,and transparency concerns all around…. Evanston is a great place to live, and the Second Ward is second to none, so we want to set the tone [for improved constituent relations],” wrote Harris.

Harris’s reelection campaign has faced fierce social media pushback from her opponent Darlene Cannon in collaboration with Kevin Brown; Evanston’s former Community Services Manager, who was dismissed from his position in the fall of 2019 under the administration of former mayor Steve Haggerty. At the time, city officials reasoned that Brown had been let go for misusing his city-issued credit card; Brown, however, claimed that his termination was racially motivated and that he was fired in retaliation for publicly criticizing a city official months prior. Brown filed multiple lawsuits against Hagerty and the City of Evanston, all of which were dismissed in federal court.

Brown, openly endorsing Cannon for alderperson, took issue with a $1,000 campaign donation Harris received in December 2022 from former mayor Haggerty. In near-daily Facebook posts, Brown and Cannon have encouraged voters to “vote no against the status quo,” with Brown saying in a post that “the worst mayor in Evanston’s history is organizing to continue his carnage upon our community, and he is backing political candidates to continue his neo-liberal agenda…” further accusing Harris of being supported by a racist mayor and urging voters to vote for Cannon.

“I [am] not really paying attention to what people say about how I’m running my campaign; my books are clean and transparent. My interactions with Steve [Haggerty] have been forthright. The experience I have heard about [regarding Kevin Brown] I have not encountered in our interactions.” responded Harris in the email. “Racism is a national issue, a systemic problem that we

all have to continually work to dismantle. Systems prior to and still prevailing run this nation, and I will do my part, speak my truth and march towards a more just and equitable world.”

Overall, if reelected, Harris hopes to continue to fight crime within the Second Ward, further improve community engagement, ensure fiscal responsibility for the city and continue her fight for equity and inclusion for all.

“We have to create an environment that makes it very uncomfortable to be a criminal in Evanston. While we want to be welcoming, we want to be unwelcoming to criminals,” said Harris. “I am adapting and will make adjustments [to my goals] as necessary to serve the community. My goals and plans are driven by the needs of my residents and the goals of the city. I am excited about the many possibilities ahead of us.”

I taught P.E.. I taught a little English and toggled a bit of Algebra. It was really nice, I got to meet all of the kids,” she said.

District 65 was Gregory’s next challenge. She worked at the middle and elementary school levels, often moving between the two before settling at Lincoln Elementary School as a PE teacher.

“My first experience with fourth grade was a nightmare,” said Gregory, “I just remember staying up all night, two nights in a row, so I could get that curriculum down, so I could really teach the kids. And then I went from ninth grade to third grade. And then from third grade, I went to second grade. And from second grade, I taught fifth grade in the classroom. But I really enjoy teaching P.E. because when you teach it, you meet everybody.”

Living in Evanston, Gregory has always been involved with the political side of the city. She worked with former Fifth Ward Alderperson Delores Holmes by canvassing the ward to find out the needs of Holmes’ constituents.

“We talked about neighborhood safety over in the Second Ward,” said Gregory, “There was a neighbor that had been there for so long. He used to call us the n-word and ride around with a gun on his lap. But because of his family, nobody really said or did anything. So here I come, moving in, and he starts that stuff with not having it. So I went and got the police involved, the city manager came out, and they had that person removed.”

The racial inequities are something that Gregory wishes to target if she becomes an alderperson. When she was serving on the Parks and Recreation Board for the City of Evanston, there was a subtle change in the

time parks closed. The parks now shut at 10 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. It was only an hour’s difference, but it was enough to throw off many of the residents in the area.

“I came out to canvas the area,” said Gregory, “And I came to find out nobody knew about it. And if you’re trying to police the park, it’s going to make it even worse, because if somebody is just sitting there, and let’s just say they’re Black, they’ll probably end up going to jail and all they wanted to do was to sit in the park.”

Getting to know the people in the Second Ward is another priority for Gregory.

“Over in the Second Ward, it was [Dennis] Drummer,” said Gregory, “And he was really good about going around and meeting his constituents. It’s really important to find out what the concerns are of people and then deal with it in your ward. That’s my business number one, to meet all of my constituents in the ward, and I don’t care how long it takes.”

Gregory has consistently preached helping every individual, something she may have taken from District 65’s slogan, “Every child, every day, whatever it takes.” She helped a student through a difficult period at ETHS, gave one of her former students $35 to take the GED test and helped another student who had been kicked out of their house due to a gender change.

“I touched those kids,” said Gregory. “That’s what I want to do as alderman, I want to touch lives. I want people to know that they can. I don’t want people to sit down and say, ‘Nobody cares,’ or ‘I called my alderman and he told me to do it myself.’ No, I’m Ms. Gregory, and I’m going to help you do it. I don’t care what anybody said, we’re going to get it done.”

Photo courtesy of Krissie Harris

Photo courtesy of Patricia Gregory

Racial inequities, increased communication motivate Gregory, a life-long teacher, to run for alderwoman

Harris seeks a full term after being named as mayor’s choice to fill Second Ward council role in Sep. 2022

Ninth Ward

“We’re neither the poorest nor the richest ward in Evanston,” Julie Kaufman says, who has lived in the Ninth Ward for 24 years. “Some think that Evanston is the ritzy sub-

Kathy Hayes

urb just north of Chicago, but the ninth ward would not fit this characterization.”

The Ninth Ward Alderperson spot is up for election in Evanston’s 2023 Municipal

two candidates, and they

Affordable housing, practical business landscape focuses for Hayes when envisioning Ninth Ward’s future

HAZEL HAYES Staff Writer

Long before deciding to run for Ninth Ward alderperson, Kathelyn Hayes was born and raised in Evanston’s Fifth Ward, with Fleetwood sitting right outside her window from her childhood home on Foster Street. The neighborhood was filled with the family community aspect that many long for, influence coming from all around that shaped her time growing up.

“There was a strong theme of accountability and responsibility in the community,” Hayes said. “The elders would always tell us that your relationship with the greater world meant that you had a responsibility to give back to your community.”

Hayes attended ETHS for high school and remembers her time here as positive, being involved with cheerleading and gymnastics and different academic projects, while also working various different jobs. These different types of extracurriculars and working positions helped Hayes gain leadership qualities that helped her figure out what she wanted to do post high school and paved the way for her to find out that work-

ing with other people is where her passion truly lies.

“What I learned from all the jobs that I had is that I had a need to be in public service; I had a need to interact with people on a personal level. So direct services were a way for me to understand other people’s identity and their issues, and to work towards solutions that would best fit them for the goals that they wanted to achieve,” said Hayes.

This need to help others succeed stems from her experiences growing up. As a senior in high school, Hayes became a teenage mother. She believed college was out of the picture, but her support system from within her community began to form.

“My senior year of high school, I became a teenage mother. But with the support of communities such as Family Focus, I was convinced to participate in higher education… One day, I was at Family Focus, and some of my mentors were there and they said, ‘We really want you to further your education so that you can work on getting better security for your family and representing your community and neighborhood. I was kind of reluctant,” Hayes said. “I mean, my family is saying I need to get a job and Family Focus is saying, ‘Yes, but you also need to be able to position yourself to have a career, and education is a way to do that.’”

Hayes’s college situation ended up being the perfect fit with location and transportation, while also being able to take care of her daughter and work to support her family.

“Kendall College was right here in the community and in the neighborhood, meaning I could get there and still maintain taking care of my daughter and getting back and forth to whatever part time jobs or seasonal jobs that I could get to”

And from this, Hayes was the first person in her family to actually go to college and graduate. The support and push from those who believed in her does not go unforgotten, and Hayes acknowledges the impact

Juan Geracaris

that support had on her life.

“Sometimes, people can see and provide love and support to you that you can’t see or know for yourself. They can have the vision and the wisdom to help you go along to the next level, to be more confident and to be more courageous. And that is what that mentorship really did for me.”

Since then, Hayes has worked on many committees committed to helping those in need such as the Sankofa Safe Child Initiative, working with sexual assault victims on legal cases and more, always committed to the trust and understanding to have positive outcomes for recipients of the support.

“So, whether I worked at the domestic violence court, dealing with sexual assault cases, or as a liaison for Cultural Affairs, dealing with broader scale issues, the one thing that those jobs taught me was that people were hurting and had valid issues that needed to be addressed. And it was my job to help find solutions. To those issues, you have to be very solution-based, because people were in need. You couldn’t just say, ‘Oh, well, theoretically this, theoretically that.’ You have to really work with the individual to see how we can help fix these issues.”

A throughline across Hayes’ life has been a focus on the idea that certain individuals and groups need help, and she is dedicated to finding those solutions.

“The need to address these big ticket item issues and questions for individuals is personal. All these questions, no matter how big they are, become very personal to a constituent to a client, patient, family, and consequently are very big issues and very important issues to a community as a whole.”

Hayes wants to see the communication between government representatives, residents, businesses and organizations to help Evanston succeed in all ways.

“So we have to be able to sit down and communicate, to make Evanston as a community more encompassing of a positive

economic and community change.”

Hayes is putting her focus towards the needs of residence and business within Evanston, since that is what keeps the lifeline of our city flowing over time. If this balance between citizens and work is unstable, there becomes an imbalance that affects Evanston as a whole.

“Our tax base is helped by businesses as well as residents. How we value those two entities shows the value of our community overall.”

There is the obvious connection between the two, and Hayes tells us how that really fosters the community that we strive to build.

“Businesses and small businesses are the economic engine of a community no matter where your businesses, especially small businesses, help lay down the foundation for people to have an identity and identity. … It helps you foster a community that can help you meet your individual identity goals, whatever they may be. And, many times, they have a direct effect on your ability to have housing, security, safety and nutrition, as well as access to other systems such as school and education. So, small businesses have always been the backbone, what I call the quieter heroes of a community.”

Then connecting the economical aspect with the residents living here in Evanston, Hayes shares how citizens are affected daily. While businesses are essential to Evanston, residential housing affordability is also on Hayes’ mind.

“It is one thing to have housing; it is another thing to have housing that people can afford, mixed housing availability needs to be put more into the community so people can be able to live here in Evanston, especially because it is a desirable community,” Hayes said.

Hayes has established her life here in Evanston, which fuels the passion to keep the city she lives in in the best shape possible.

Current Ninth Ward alderperson celebrates accomplishments, continues to push for housing, finance changes

KATIE SCHOBER Staff Writer

As election season approaches, Ninth Ward alderperson Juan Geracaris is running in a general City Council election for the first time.

Unlike fellow council members running for re-election, Geracaris did not run in the previous election. Rather, he had been elected through a special process that started when his predecessor, Cicely Fleming, resigned last February. He was urged by his community to submit an application to fill the position, and that culminated in a public forum alongside the other candidates. Eventually, Mayor Daniel Biss selected him to represent the Ninth Ward. Geracaris believes that his speaking in both English and Spanish at the forum was a key factor in being appointed by the mayor.

A first-generation Argentinian immigrant, Geracaris is a major advocate for the Latino community. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, he often felt isolated as one of very few Latinos in town. When he came to Evanston in 1983 to study at

Northwestern, he instantly felt welcomed by the diversity. Since then, he has been an influential member of his community. He was one of the founders of Evanston Latinos, a community group that advocates for equity and inclusion. He has also sat on several nonprofit boards and has been a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) member at Oakton Elementary, where his two children attend school and participate in the Two Way Immersion program. In this program, students in grades K-5 receive classroom instruction in both English and Spanish, aiming to help every student become confident in both languages.

The main issue that Geracaris wants to address is Latino representation and equity. He knew he wanted to take action when the issue was brought up at meetings for Evanston Latinos.

“One thing that came up over and over was that [Latinx Evanstonians]don’t have representation in government,” said Geracaris.

In the year that he has been in office, Geracaris has focused his energy on working on equity projects for underrepresented individuals.

“Affordable housing and being an advocate for that is important to me, whether that’s supporting the Margarita Inn homeless shelter or finding ways to change the zoning so that there are more affordable housing types,” said Geracaris.

As well as advocating for affordable housing, he helped make strides towards ranked choice voting for Evanston.

“The ranked choice voting ballot referendum was my referral,” said Geracaris. “That passed, and we will be the first city in the state to have ranked choice voting, which is exciting.”

Currently, he is working on campaign finance reform for mayoral races. This will allow the city to help match donations from small donors. Historically, candidates from marginalized groups have fewer financial resources, including big donors, due to years of discrimination in politics. The goal of this reform is to increase the possibility of having candidates from marginalized groups run for office. With the city matching their smaller donations, they will have more resources to help with the campaign process.

Looking forward, Geracaris is focused

on making informed, equitable decisions in local government that will help create diversity in opportunity.

“Equity is something that I’m very involved with,” said Geracaris, “so bringing that lens to [City Council]is important.”

The Ninth Ward of Evanston is one of the southern most wards in the city. It neighbors the Second, Third, Fourth and Eight Wards, and it contains Chute Middle School.

Elections. There are

are incumbent Alderperson Juan Geracaris and Kathy Hayes. Here are political profiles of those two nominees.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Hayes

Photo courtesy of Juan Geracaris

Mya Wilkins

HANNAH DONNELLY Staff Writer

“It is my mission to make sure that every child is provided with the support, tools and resources they need to get the education they deserve,” said Wilkins in an interview with the Democratic Party of Evanston.

Originally from Ohio, Wilkins moved to Evanston to attend Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University graduating in 2006. She comes from an academically-oriented family, and currently has two children, one attending Chute Middle School and one at Walker Elementary School. Not only has Wilkins served on the D65 board, but she has also connected with the community by being involved in groups focused on equity in the district, including Walker Black Students Achieve, PEP and the African Black and Caribbean parent group.

and strategic planning of the school district as she believes that her “perspective will help ensure that the district is making the most of its resources to provide high-quality education to every student.” Wilkins’ appointment to the board has also been welcomed by the community, as they believe her experience and passion for education will make a positive impact on the students of District 65.

district is in we continue to prioritize those initiatives” she said.

With one year of experience on the District 65 School Board, Wilkins has dedicated herself to improving the equity for the D65 school system and hiring quality teachers.

Wilkins strongly believes that a strong education is the foundation for success, and her passion for education is the driving force behind her appointment to the board.

As a member of the board and a parent to two children attending D65 schools, Wilkins says she is committed to making positive changes for students. Her goal is to ensure that every student has access to an equitable education that meets their individual needs. With her extensive background in business, Wilkins is able to contribute to the financial

If Wilkins is appointed to the board in the upcoming election, she is hoping to improve busing expenses and create structure in classrooms. Another important thing that Wilkins will stand by is the racial equity commitments. Wilkins has experienced situations where “when things get tough those equity commitments get put on the back burner,” she said in that same Democratic Party of Evanston interview.

She believes that it is incredibly important for the district to make sure [ignoring a focus on racial equity] doesn’t happen under any circumstance because “at the end of the day, it’s important [for the] students, and with the experience that we have we have, to make sure that no matter what situation the

Following the election, a new school in the Fifth Ward is soon to be established. Wilkins is thrilled about these plans; however, she believes that it will be important for “the district to continue to work with the community and hear from the community and partner with them.” Wilkins wants to employ forums where community members are able to share their perspectives and experiences. With putting this in action, the community of the Fifth Ward will be able to feel heard on their concerns or points of view.

“I just want everyone to know this is really really personal to me, and this is not like being on the board and running for the board,” Wilkins said. “This is nothing that I came to lightly. I know that it’s a big commitment, but throughout my life, starting from when I was in middle school and started to see some of the issues that are in our education system, it has been something that’s been deeply important and it’s deeply personal to me. Because of that, my commitment and my dedication will always be there.”

Local rep. Gabel becomes Illinois House Majority Leader

ETHAN RAVI Assistant News Editor

Robyn Gabel has been in the politics business for a long time. For the past 12 years, she has served the 18th District, which includes Evanston, in the Illinois House of Representatives. On Jan. 13, 2023, Gabel was named House Majority Leader. This step up in responsibility had come as a result of a career full of activism and advocacy.

Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, a time rife with political movements, she became involved in that lifestyle from a young age. That would serve as the kindling for her long and prosperous political career, eventually leading her to the seat she holds today.

Growing up in Skokie, Gabel quickly became interested in the political world, especially the women’s health movement.

“At the time, there were a lot of movements. And I got involved in the women’s health movement and my early career was working at feminist women’s health centers,” said Gabel.

She enjoyed her early experience working in health centers but felt that policy changes would be the best way to improve the lives of many, all around the state. This led her to pursue a graduate degree in public health, which she obtained from the University of Illinois Chicago. After graduating, Gabel brought her newfound knowledge back to the movement, this time joining the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, a policy advocacy group for women’s and children’s health care.

“I felt that, with women’s health centers, we could make change and help individual women and their individual lives, but that policy really mattered,” said Gabel.

An early role model in her political career was Harold Washington, a lawyer and politician who was mayor of Chicago from 1983 until 1987. He exemplified the importance of legislation in everyone’s daily lives, and was what drew Gabel into electoral politics.

“It seemed like a great opportunity to actually help working people in the city,” said Gabel. “A way to diminish the control that the Chicago machine had on everybody’s lives there. It was a very exciting time, and it got me into politics.”

Before her time as a state legislator, Gabel had already been working very closely with government officials as a part of her job at the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition. Her work with Illinois legislators showed the real impact that the laws she was pushing for had on people’s daily lives.

“We did policy at the state level, a little bit at the federal level and a little bit at the city level, but the state government was really where a lot of the decisions were made that affected people’s lives. So, I worked at the state level trying to get legislators to support the policy issues

that I thought were important and that my coalition thought were important,” said Gabel.

“I would spend a lot of my time convincing legislators and state health departments that [my proposed legislation] was the way to go.”

One major result from Gabel’s work as a part of the coalition was the expansion of Medicaid for children in Illinois. When she started her work on the issue, there were about 800,000 children and parents on Medicaid in the state, and when she left the coalition, there were almost 2.5 million. Children’s health, along with women’s health, would remain an issue that Gabel would prioritize throughout her political career.

“Kids can’t learn in school if they have ear infections, or if they don’t have glasses that they need,” said Gabel.

As a result of her work, “Kids were getting treated who had not been having access to healthcare before that.”

By then, Gabel had moved to Evanston, and it was there that a seat for the Illinois House of Representatives opened up.

“It was an open seat, and I said, ‘Well, if I run, then I don’t have to convince other legislators to carry my bill. I can do my own work.’ And I can have a little more clout with the departments to do what I want them to do. And I can also branch out into other areas that are important to me, including, in addition to women’s health and children’s health, environmental issues, which were very important to me,” said Gabel.

“So I ran, and I won.”

Gabel was elected as a Democrat to represent the 18th District of Illinois in 2010, and has represented the same district and party since. Besides healthcare, improving the environment is another cornerstone of her political work, and she was one of the key negotiators for the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). This bill was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2021.

“The goal that was set in CEJA was to have 100 percent clean energy in the state by 2050,” said Gabel. “It set a process for closing gas and coal plants, and a process for funding renewable energy projects in the state.”

Another aspect of the bill was the jobs that it would create within the state, especially within environmental justice communities.

“It was one of the most equitable bills in terms of energy and the development of new jobs in the country. We had a lot of partners in environmental justice communities, and we ensured that a lot of the jobs would go to folks from those communities,” said Gabel.

On the healthcare front, Gabel has passed multiple laws concerning women’s health, one of which expanded Medicaid postpartum from two months to a year.

“There had been an increase in the number of maternal deaths while giving birth or for

the first year afterwards. One of the reasons we thought this was the case was because their insurance dropped after only two months,” said Gabel. “So I was able to get [the expansion of Medicaid] passed.”

Another bill that Gabel was able to pass restricted the use of tanning beds in Illinois for children under the age of 18.

“The CDC found that there was a great increase of young women coming up with melanoma, and they linked it with the early use of tanning beds,” said Gabel.

In early 2023, Gabel was named House Majority Leader. Besides supporting the Speaker of the House, Chris Welch, and the rest of the leadership team, Gabel also works closely with her fellow Democratic representatives, many of whom are new to the House.

“[My colleagues] have questions; they need help. My new position allows me to be a mentor to all 78 of our members, which is great, and it allows me to help solve their problems, which I love to do,” said Gabel.

Another part of the job is working with constituents and interest groups throughout the state.

“[They] come to me about their issues, and

I help them strategize and figure out how we can help their causes as well,” said Gabel.

Gabel divides her time between Springfield, the state’s capital, and Evanston. She spends three days a week in Springfield from January through May, and also spends a few weeks there every November.

“Other than when we’re in Springfield, we’re pretty much located in our districts. I always attend a lot of events in our district, as well as constituent meetings,” said Gabel. “I continue to work with folks in that way.”

In the future, Gabel hopes to pass a bill that would make it much easier for owners of electric vehicles to use charging stations across the state.

“I’m still working on that bill as a follow up to CEJA,” said Gabel.

As the new Democratic Majority Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives, Gabel hopes to continue to lead the party towards a better future for all citizens of Illinois.

“I work with our leadership team to really make sure that we meet our goals as a Democratic caucus,” said Gabel. “We help lead the entire House in a direction that we feel will really improve people’s lives.”

Photo courtesy of Mya Wilkins

Following an appointment to the board in 2022, Wilkins committed to keeping racial equity a priority

Photo courtesy of Robyn Gabel

AP African American Studies: How a pilot class offered at ETHS

Continued from pg. 1

“This is a high school course that introduces students to college-level material. AP courses are not college courses; they’re high school courses that have college material and teach college skills, but they’re not college courses. [In] most college courses, the professors don’t have the background of pedagogically teaching students and reinforcing certain skills. They know how to lecture, they have a command of their content, but they don’t know [how to teach high schoolers],” he continues.

As the sole instructor teaching the pilot AP course at ETHS, Hill prioritizes conversation and collaboration, rather than recitation, which is the philosophy of teaching that he urged the curriculum to emulate as he worked to create it. “Let’s say we’re studying the Great Migration period of the early 1920s. A college professor will say, ‘These are the scholars that wrote about the Great Migration, these are the things that happened and this is what the long term impact was,’” Hill elaborates. “[As a high school teacher,] I will come into class, and I will say, ‘What does migration mean? What is greatness?’ . . . I would actually have a conversation inviting students to think about, on a fundamental level, what does it mean when human beings leave the place where their jobs are, where their families are, where their community is and then go somewhere else permanently?”

This year, the class consists of eight students partaking in the AP curriculum. They are learning alongside a classroom full of students in ETHS’ long-standing non-AP African American Studies Honors course. The class size of the AP pilot is not abnormal, since the class wasn’t offered to the broader student body or suggested by counselors.

“A pilot class is not part of the books. It’s not on the books, so counselors can’t sell the class. As you know, as a student when you take classes, your counselor assists in that process. There was none of that,” says Hill.

Although managing a classroom with two different levels in it comes with challenges, Hill has found a curriculum that everyone can partake in, prioritizing engagement on multiple levels within the topic.

“[The APAAS class] is interdisciplinary,” Hill explains. “One day, we may be learning about food, the next day, we may be learning about

geography, the next day, we may be learning about performance and another day, we may be learning about typography of climate.”

The APAAS course is for students who want to examine a broad range of ideas and their effects on African American history and culture. According to the recently released official APAAS framework constructed by the College Board for 2023-2024, there are four distinct units in the curriculum. The first unit, titled “Origins of the African Diaspora,” focuses on the history of different African nations and people, covering topics such as early West African Empires and early Africa and Global Politics. The second unit, “Freedom, Enslavement, and Resistance,” covers Atlantic Africans, the Transatlantic Slave Trade and resistance and the Civil War. The third unit, “The Practice of Freedom,” covers the history of reconstruction, “The Color Line: Black Life in the Nadir” and “The New Negro Renaissance.” The fourth unit, “Movements and Debates,” covers the Civil Rights Movement along with discussions of Black pride and diversity within the Black community.

Brooke Banks, a senior who is one of the eight students in the pilot class, has already learned a lot from this course.

“I think it’s great to learn about my history as being an African American and having ancestors who have gone through slavery, learning about their past, and not just hardships, but how we’ve overcome those and grown over the past 100 years,” says Banks.

Historically, most AP spaces have been predominantly white, which leads to an unwelcoming environment for students of color who wish to engage with AP curriculum. However, by incorporating representations of Black history and culture into AP curriculum, Black students who hope to pursue an AP course may feel less isolated.

“Unfortunately, sometimes [students] group themselves in terms of race and just feel comfortable in those spaces,” Hill states. “Most [students] would at least want some adequate representation in the class [so that] they don’t feel like they’re alone.”

Asia Daniel, a member of the African American Studies Honors course, learns alongside the APAAS students. She describes the impact that having Black voices in class can have.

“The dynamic of the class is pretty good. It’s a nice, comfortable environment, and we can all relate to each other and in a good way. From my experience in my past AP classes last year, I was in AP English, and there were Black students and me, and you can’t really relate to the material [when you’re] surrounded by other people who don’t really know [your experience with the subject]… but being in a classroom environment surrounded by people who look like you is also more comforting and nice to be

in,” says Daniel.

The importance of representation in APAAS goes beyond just the class’ demographics. It carries into the content of the course, which is drastically different from any other AP class.

“I think making an AP [African American Studies] class will go against the long history of Eurocentric or white courses taught by College Board or AP and make people of color feel more invited to AP spaces,” says Banks.

Although these are only the early stages of what the class will look like in future years, student feedback is already positive.

Junior Milan-Giovanni Fultz is also enrolled in the pilot this year.

“I think this new course is a pathway to a better understanding of American history and building a stronger community,” Fultz says.

The Controversy

Despite the praise that the class has received from students, the curriculum has faced major backlash and pressures for change. On February 1, the College Board released its official APAAS curriculum. The new curriculum was a significant revision of the original material introduced to pilot classes in 2022. The release came less than one month after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that he would ban the class from Florida high schools. This began one day after DeSantis released a plan to overhaul higher education in his state and less than two weeks after Manny Diaz Jr, Florida’s Commissioner of Education, tweeted his “concerns” about six of the topics covered in the original APAAS curriculum. His concerns included the curriculum’s discussions around intersectionality, the Movement for Black Lives, reparations and several readings implemented into the course. The Feb. 1st changes, which adhered to many of the suggestions, tions made by Florida officials,resulted in uproar from leftist scholars who felt that the College Board had caved to the Republican political agenda.

The outcry surrounding APAAS stems, in part, from the recent movement to ban critical race theory (CRT) from classrooms. CRT became a mainstream concept a few years ago, when conservative journalist Christopher Rufo discovered that the term was being used by legal scholars to dissect systemic racism and white supremacy in America. Rufo was able to warp the true meaning of this term and reframe it as a negative, radical race ideology employed by anti-racist activists. Since then, CRT has been a large political target for conservatives who claim that CRT is discriminatory against white people. Since CRT was introduced as a conservative talking point, it has come to represent the right’s determination not to teach any racial topics in classrooms, and DeSantis has been at the forefront.

“The woke class wants to teach kids to hate

each other, rather than teaching them how to read,” DeSantis told his state’s board of education in June of 2021.

Not only has the issue of race in schools fueled many angry discussions, it has also become a tremendously effective campaign strategy. It was seen, perhaps most effectively, with the election of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who won a blue state by running on the mission of protecting children from a supposed “woke agenda.”

Youngkin’s first executive order as governor was to “end the use of inherently divisive concepts, including critical race theory” in K-12 schools. However, there is no mention of CRT in any Virginia K-12 curricula.

Mirroring Youngkin’s rhetoric, DeSantis’campaign in favor of restricting education is fueled by his political motivations. It’s widely believed that the Florida governor will run for president in 2024, which explains his attempts to gain national support from conservatives. Hill notes that he views DeSantis’ censorship efforts as mere political strategy.

“He’s doing what he’s supposed to do as a conservative Republican candidate who’s trying to drum up a base of support for his candidacy,” Hill says, “because he has to run against the most popular person in the Republican Party, and that’s Donald Trump.”

In addition to DeSantis’ opposition to APAAS, he has also initiated book bans within Florida schools by establishing a law that requires all books within school libraries to be approved, and he has introduced a bill that attempts to restrict curriculums at state universities, in part by banning the teaching of gender studies. One of his most infamous policies is the Parental Rights in Education bill – labeled by liberals as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill – which he signed in March, 2022. The bill prohibits curricular instruction surrounding gender identity and sexual orientation “that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

“The ‘Don’t Say Gay’’ bill has made me, as a queer student, fear disclosing my identity to my teachers,” emphasizes Zoe Weissman, a student at a private high school in Florida. “I am scared that my school’s administration, as well as other administrations at private and charter schools, will be forced to abide with DeSantis’ education standards out of fear of repercussions.”

The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is a product of the broader movement to censor LGBTQ+ voices and otherwise controversial topics, restrict teachers’ ability to teach what they want and set up hotlines for parents and students to report teachers who don’t follow the rules.

Additionally, while lawmakers continue to craft educational policies, they often neglect the voices of those who, arguably, matter the most: students.

JESSICA SEHGAL, BRIDGET BAKER, MARIN UBERSOX, MILO SLEVIN

Executive Editor, In-Depth Editor, Assistant In-Depth Editor, Staff Writer

Studies: stories and struggles

turned into a nationwide dispute

“I think that [censoring APAAS] can be extremely harmful, because [it’s] denying me and other people the right to know my history,” Daniels states. “It makes no sense to me. [Politicians are] empowered to think that they’re doing all [of] these good things, but they’re depriving [students] of learning important [topics]. They think that they’re helping people but they’re not; they’re setting us back even more.”

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, a professor of African American Studies and History at Northwestern University, is a nationally recognized author, activist and scholar.

In 2020, she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and in 2021, she was inducted into the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. She addresses the nature of Republican ideas when it comes to race in the classroom.

“[Anti-CRT people] don’t want to actually talk about the substance of the issues, because it gets into things that they don’t want to address, which is the United States as a systemic, institutionally racist country,” Taylor says.

While many of the conversations about critical race theory that politicians like Youngkin and DeSantis have engaged in were unspecific and fabricated, demands for changes to the APAAS curriculum have been more particular. The controversial original outline of the class included heavily debated subjects like Black Queer Studies, intersectionality, reparations and the Movement for Black Lives. It also featured the work of controversial Black authors and activists like Angela Davis and Kimberle Crenshaw. All of these elements faced opposition from DeSantis and his political allies, and, seeing an opportunity to gain support and publicity, DeSantis made the class a central political talking point.

Parker believes that DeSantis’ agenda is ignorant and misses the purpose of APAAS.

“What I understand about this new course and Governor [DeSantis’] reaction or other people’s reaction to it, is they didn’t go deep enough to really understand what the course is all about,” Parker states.

Specifically, the New York Times reports what changes were made to the curriculum after increased pressure from Florida officials.

“The study of contemporary topics — including Black Lives Matter, incarceration, queer life and the debate over reparations — is downgraded. The subjects are no longer part of the exam, and are simply offered on a list of options for a required research project.”

For DeSantis, these changes just mean getting rid of a movement – Black Lives Matter –that he portrays as violent and anti-American. For Taylor, however, the push to censor BLM is a sign of Republican fear.

“I do think that the defining characteristic of [the protests of 2020 was that] they were

multiracial. They weren’t just Black people demanding Black Lives Matter. There were tons of young white people at these protests, and I think that that scares the hell out of the right, the way that young white people have been radicalizing.”

Even within the walls of ETHS, students have sensed the same “fear” that Taylor describes.

“I don’t believe it’s harmful in any way to learn about [Black] history, and I feel like that’s the reason why [the right wing is] scared, because it’s a class focusing on Black liberation [and] our struggles,” says Banks.

A similar trend can be found in the elimination of intersectionality from the curriculum. Intersectionality is an analytical framework that teaches that discrimination across social categories like race, class and gender is all connected. The concept, which is considered a progressive framework, also failed to make the class’ final cut.

Furthermore, the term “police brutality,” which was a part of the initial curriculum, was erased by the College Board for the Feb. 1 release. In the wake of the January traffic stop and murder of Tyre Nichols, an unarmed Black man in Memphis, the curricular decision has been seen as controversial. Black households continue to grieve the Black lives lost to police brutality, with parents, brothers and cousins living in fear of who will be next. Meanwhile, conservatives point to the bravery of police and condemn those who want to expound on the harsh realities of policing in America.

Rich Lowry, the editor-in-chief of National Review, a conservative news and opinion magazine, believes that the new version of the course still teaches the most important history.

“This is the typical game of pretending that the only way to teach the history of African Americans is through the tendentious political lens favored by the Left,” Lowry writes in the New York Post. “When red states push back against critical race theory, its proponents make it sound as if students will, as a consequence, never learn about the Transatlantic slave trade, the 13th Amendment, or Frederick Douglass.”

Taylor, on the other hand, points to the trend of conservatives making themselves victims of the “woke” left.

“[Conservatives] claim that it’s the woke mob that wants to cancel everyone and wants to shut down any debate in a conversation, and, meanwhile, these people are banning books, they’re banning discussions, they’re telling you what you can say, they’re telling you what you can’t think, they’re telling you what you can talk about in the classroom, what you can’t talk about in a classroom. They’re literally micromanaging every aspect of engagement in schools, because they’re afraid of these ideas, and they’re afraid of the way that these ideas

might make sense to people in ways that undermine their trust, patriotism [and] blind adherence to what it means to be an American.”

Meanwhile, the College Board has carried the weight of making determinations about what should and shouldn’t be included in the curriculum. In response to a scathing report from the New York Times that claims that the College Board was influenced by Florida politicians, the educational organization pointed to the dates that it made its revisions to the course.

“The Times argues the revisions were made in response to Florida, despite the fact that the College Board has time-stamped records of revisions from December 22, 2022,” the College Board published in a Feb. 1 statement. “The article simply ignored that the core revisions were substantially complete—including the removal of all secondary sources—by December 22, weeks before Florida’s objections were shared. The fact of the matter is that this landmark course has been shaped over years by the most eminent scholars in the field, not political influence.”

Frederick Hess, an education policy expert and political scientist, writes in Education Next that the College Board’s statement should be a reality check for leftist academics.

“There’s a good chance that the College Board is being straight when it says that most (or even all) of these changes were in the hopper before DeSantis put this on the radar a few weeks ago. If that’s the case, the fact that the College Board and DeSantis wound up in pretty much the same place—rich African American history, yes; radical academic fashion, no— should prompt plenty of reflection.”

Despite the evidence that the actions taken in Florida may not have directly influenced the final curriculum, Taylor still blames DeSantis and other conservatives for the changes. She remains disappointed and outraged by the decision to exclude these elements from the curriculum.

“To me, it seems fairly obvious that [the College Board] acceded to pressure from the right wing,” Taylor states. “Even if they weren’t making direct change in response to the specific comments made by Ron DeSantis [in January], the overall atmosphere that has been whipped up by conservatives that degrades, denounces [and] dismisses African American Studies is certainly a part of the atmosphere that the College Board is responding to.”

While ETHS teaches the course with pride, the debate around talking about race in schools is much closer to home than many realize. At New Trier High School, which is located just a few miles north of Evanston, there have been heated discussions over race in curriculum for years. In 2017, the New Trier school board announced that they’d be holding a “Seminar Day” on topics relating to race, such as racial

microaggressions and implicit biases. The guest speakers were going to include authors Colson Whitehead and Andrew Aydin, who have both received prestigious awards for their works relating to race. This seminar faced immediate backlash, with a group called “The Parents of New Trier” forming to protest the seminar. They stated that the idea for the seminar was “unbalanced and divisive” and didn’t include enough conservative perspectives. They also argued that language like “systemic racism” was biased and even bigoted. This was long before critical race theory became mainstream, but it highlights the significance of ETHS’ decision to pilot APAAS.

“I think it’s important for [ETHS] to have [APAAS] because it aligns with our values and who we are,” ETHS Superintendent Marcus Campbell explains. “But broadly speaking, in a time where people are not wanting to talk about history for what it is and for what it was, wanting to erase it—there are states that are banning the discussion of it—[APAAS] is critically important right now for students across the country. I’m glad the College Board is [committing] to understand history as it occurred, not to erase and minimize all of the trauma from the past. This [course] has a bearing on the inequities that we see, socially, today. It’s the right time to talk about history, because history is being politicized . . . certain kinds of facts are being erased for political reasons; it’s just the right time to talk about it.”

Amidst controversy, ETHS remains unwavering in its mission towards equity, which includes not only teaching content in the name of racial justice but also understanding the deeper importance beneath the curricula and dialect surrounding African American studies.

“[Black history] is significant because it helps us to understand who we are today. We don’t really know who we are unless we know where we’ve been, and that means collectively . . . everybody. Black history is U.S. history. It’s important for us to understand our local context, our present context and how we continue to move forward so that we don’t repeat some of those atrocities in the past,” Campbell concludes.

Zoe Kaufman and Paula Hlava contributed to this article.

Art by Kupunoli Sumi

Gym culture isolates female-identifying students

Solutions to make strength and conditioning and sports specific training more welcoming, diverse

MADDIE MOLOTLA Assistant Opinion Editor

At ETHS, there are two P.E. courses open primarily to juniors and seniors that take place in the weight room: Sport Specific Training (SST) and Strength and Conditioning.

If you were to walk into the weight room amidst either one of these classes and really looked, you would immediately notice the very uneven ratio of female to male students. It’s no secret that, for years, gym culture has been dominated by men, causing weight rooms to quickly become male-dominated areas that female-identifying individuals often feel unwelcome in. ETHS is known for its dedication to equity and inclusion, and so, it’s a problem that this imbalance persists.

In ETHS’ Student and Family Handbook, The Pilot, it’s declared that ETHS is “an inviting, welcoming place to learn that supports academic, social and emotional growth.”

While ETHS does push its students and staff to promote diversity within the school, it’s apparent that in some spaces, diversity is lacking immensely.

ETHS’ students as well as the faculty that coordinate these classes in the weight room do not actively deny female-identifying students from weightlifting, but the main issue here is the uncertainty these female students may feel when joining these classes.

Junior Sophia Robles speaks on her experience as a female-identifying student in SST.

“At the beginning of my SST class, I was really uncomfortable. I had even mentioned switching classes at one point,” Robles says.

As someone who lifts outside of these classes, I can attest that this feeling of discomfort follows you everywhere—during classes in the weight room and even at the gym on your

own time. By being at the gym almost daily, you’re practically forced to get used to the overwhelming amount of men surrounding you. There’s never a “correct” way of learning how to do so.

Oftentimes, men will find any way possible to intimidate a woman in the gym. This can range from hovering over you so you can give up your bench, to simply acknowledging your presence, but actively ignoring you. Even outside of the SST and Strength and Conditioning classes, there’s always that feeling of uneasiness because this world still struggles to recognize that women are strong as well.

“I think a larger female population in class would make me more comfortable lifting,” Robles elaborates.

In an article published by USA Today ti-

tled, “Some women are sick of being harassed at gyms. Are women’s-only gyms fixing the problem?” social psychologist at the University of Connecticut, Diane Quinn, explains that gyms for women only provide peace of mind. “Feeling comfortable and safe while exercising is crucial, not only for your fitness journey but for your mental health,” Quinn elaborates.

Safety is not a concern at ETHS during classes in the weight room; what is a concern is the comfort of female students. As previously mentioned by Robles, a larger female population could be a possible solution to easing the nerves of some female-identifying students when new to weightlifting. To start, a simple resolution could include staffing female teachers to facilitate these classes.

There’s nothing more inspiring and welcoming than a leadership figure who is just like you, shares the same interest as you, and pushes you to push yourself. out the same issue.

Another possible solution is simply creating all-female SST/strength and conditioning classes. ETHS already has all-female student classes, so this isn’t a difficult task. It’s simply a way to guarantee comfort amongst female-identifying students in possibly uncomfortable areas, like the weight room. Issues like these are issues I wish were already solved and addressed.

[Continued on Evanstonian.net]

Cancel culture: just another form of appropriation

If you are a part of the Generation Z or keep up with the common social media apps—more specifically TikTok and Twitter—there is a high possibility that you have heard of the term “cancel culture.” According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the phrase “cancel culture” is described as “the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.” While at first glance it may seem as though cancel culture would have more positive effects than negative—as it is based on the ideal of holding people accountable—it has become more harmful than helpful.

Whether it’s basketball player Kyrie Irving, TikTok star Sienna Mae or even the famous talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, everyone who has a social media presence is at risk of being “canceled,” and this new reality brings up many questions about how we pick and choose who must be “canceled.” Growing up within the climate of social advocacy such as the #MeToo movement, where assaulters such as Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein and Larry Nassar were held accountable for their heinous sexual crimes, the act of canceling is justifiable and important. . Yet, now that the phenomenon has made its way to apps that are geared towards young people (Tiktok, Instagram, etc.), it is evident that quite literally anyone can be “canceled”, no matter how grave (or not) their actions were. For instance, while scrolling through TikTok on Jan 24, my for you page was filled with videos proclaiming that the well-known makeup influencer, Mikayla Nogueira, had been “canceled.” Immediately I went searching to find out what horrible thing she must

have said or done to be ostracized by the entirety of the Tiktok beauty community. After a quick search I found out that she was “canceled” because she had lied about having fake eyelashes on in a paid promotional video. I couldn’t help but wonder: how did we as a society transition from canceling rapists, white supremistsand criminals, to canceling beauty influencers over eyelashes?

The answer to that question is clear: appropriation. When thinking about appropriation, we think of box braids, racist mascots and authentic cultural practices becoming trends, but the cancel culture phenomenon is simply another manifestation of this. Grammy-winning musician and social activist Lizzo recently took to Twitter to share her thoughts on today’s cancel culture.

“This may be a random time to say this but it’s on my heart … cancel culture is appropriation,” Lizzo wrote.

This led to major support in her tweets with fans also sharing their agreement.

“You’ve reminded me of how white nationalists have appropriated ‘woke,’ to weaponize against the community that the expression hails from, as well,” shared NPR correspondent Ian Saint.

“They did the same thing with woke,” says user Jon Kung, agreeing with Saint. This tweet has overall spread awareness over what cancel culture really means in popular culture. But how is cancel culture appropriation? And what is appropriation?

From our land and wealth to our dance and music, America is no stranger to stealing from Black Americans. Appropriation emerges from viewing marginalized groups’ culture as “trendy”, neglecting the rich, ancestral history of these traditions. But it doesn’t end with Miley Cyrus wearing grillz and Kim Kardashian getting box braids, it has manifested into stealing

more than fashion trends - it’s stealing our struggle.

As we as a society continue on this track of living in our phones and the online world - we must remember that cancel culture is meant to hold folks accountable for contributing to systems of oppression, and nothing short of that. We’ve seen through inspiring journalists that cancel culture can contribute to change and work to stop the bigotry of our world from thriving. Yet, we cannot strip the value from the act of “canceling” by throwing it around lightly. We also must remember the people that put themselves and their safety in jeopardy to elucidate the truth, and learn from them and their social advocacy instead of making a mockery out

of it. So the next time you begin to make that tweet or tik tok post that’s “canceling” someone, think of all of the brave women that told the world their horrifying stories about R. Kelly, or the journalist Meghan Twohey who put her safety in jeopardy to give the victims of Harvey Weinstein the justice that they deserve, and remember all of the courageous people who have contributed to change by canceling someone and question whether what you are doing is helping a movement - or stripping cancel culture of the value that it deserves.

Art by Erin Doherty

SIMONE JACOT-BELL Staff Writer

Art by Olivia Tankevicius

OPINION

Combating climate change starts with education

Reflecting on the lack of action to incorporate climate education at ETHS

MILO SLEVIN Staff Writer

I took an interest in climate change for the first time in third grade. My parents and older brother were talking about it at dinner one day and being a young and impressionable youth, that conversation stuck with me. Not long after, my brother showed me a drone video of a massive pig farm. Countless pigs were lined up in cages, unable to move an inch in either direction. In that moment of disgust and disappointment, I decided to become a pescatarian. Those conversations and that video were my true introduction to some of the biggest problems that the world faces. Afterward, I decided I wanted to become an environmentalist. I didn’t know what that meant, and of course, as an eight-yearold, I didn’t understand the true scope of climate change— but I knew I wanted to fix it. Eight years later, I still don’t eat meat. In fact, this past summer, I upgraded from pescatarian to vegetarian. And now, I am more aware of the environmental impacts of the meat industry. I am more aware of the environmental injustice and of the actions that I can take as a high school student to be a sustainable citizen. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn these things in school. Rather, I had to seek them out myself. I had to join a student-led organization, E-Town Sunrise, and find my own role in this crisis. My story, like so many others’, is a reflection of the failure of United States educational institutes to teach about the next generation’s most pressing issue.

As disastrous storms become more frequent, global sea levels rise and the world heats continue to heat up, the solutions will come down to what we as individual citizens are willing to do to secure a safe future for generations to come. We, as students, as Evanstonians or simply as Americans, can’t sit idly by and expect the government and powerful corporations to do the right thing. We have to fight for the change we seek. And where does that start? Education. In order for the next generation to combat the climate crisis, it must be given the resources to do so. Climate change curriculum is a fundamental part of climate action. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, “(Education) helps people

sign, students can talk about fast fashion and how to reduce the waste of clothing. In American Legal Systems, students can discuss the process of getting climate legislation passed. In English classes, students can participate in a unit of readings on climate change and write about them.

A wide scale commitment to climate education means that teachers must be properly trained. Dr. Bavis and others on the committee have floated the idea of providing training on how to teach about climate on Wildkit Mondays, when teachers have professional development. This would be a convenient solution to the time constraints that busy teachers already have to deal with.

Despite all of the feasible solutions on the

- United Nations

In the survey, when students were asked if ETHS gives them “the tools to understand the climate crisis,” students on average give the school a 3 on a scale of 1-5. When the same survey asked if ETHS provides “the tools to act upon the climate crisis,” the average dropped to 2.4, with a majority of students answering “1” or “2.”

The committee met to discuss the survey results on Feb. 8, and rather than using that meeting to build a comprehensive action plan for the rest of the school year, no steps were taken. In addition to that, the next meeting was scheduled for March 15, over a month later.

The Climate Curriculum Committee’s time is up. We, the ETHS student body, demand an end to the procrastination and the start of meaningful, important work to educate Evanston youth on how to fight the climate crisis. Teachers and students are ready to create a solution to this pressing issue. Now it’s up to administration to step up.

understand and address the impacts of the climate crisis, empowering them with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to act as agents of change.”

At ETHS, a Climate Curriculum Committee meets once or twice a month. The committee, run by ETHS Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Pete Bavis and open to all teachers and students, has the goal of implementing a climate curriculum in all Freshman Biology classes starting in the Fall of 2023. Beyond that, those on the committee hope to have climate change education incorporated into all ETHS classes. In Fashion De-

table, the committee has stalled on the task of creating meaningful steps to implement the curriculum. This year’s meetings have been filled with empty promises and wasted time. No more than three teachers have been present at any meeting, despite promises to recruit dozens of new educators to the committee. Surveys gaging the current state of climate change curriculum at ETHS were supposed to be sent out to teachers and students in December at the latest. They wound up being put out in late January. When we finally received the survey results, the dire need for this education was evident.

As I continue my journey through high school as a climate activist, I constantly think back to my eight-year- old self: the kid who was scared for his fu- ture, who would do anything he thought might help. The kid who wanted to be an environmentalist to try to fix a problem that has been disregarded by people in power for decades. That little kid, and others like him, deserve to know what lies ahead. In a few years, it will be the little kids who grew up shielded from the climate crisis that will take control of our institutions. The weight of the world will be on our shoulders, and we had better be prepared to carry it.

New Chicago Bears stadium will be beneficial to Chicagoland

JEREMY SCHOEN Staff Writer

On Feb. 15, the Chicago Bears released a statement declaring that the team officially signed an agreement to purchase 326 acres of property in Arlington Heights. This is a clear sign that the team will be building a new stadium in Arlington and leaving their 98-year-old stadium, Soldier Field. However, the purchase came with plenty of anger from fans who wanted to keep the team in Chicago, which was a massive shock to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I have love for Soldier Field. Some of my fondest memories come from that beer-stenched arena. I still remember when my dad took my brother and I to a noon game against the Vikings on a cold November day. I remember the rush of the crowd cheering as Brandon Marshall caught a game-winning touchdown. I remember high fiving the Bears’ faithful on my way out. So, I can never truly say I hate Soldier Field.

Here’s the issue though: all of those memories come from my love of the Bears, not my love of the stadium or its location. Soldier Field is old, uninspiring, cold, crowded and a nightmare for parking and traffic. A new stadium in Arlington Heights will improve all of these things and wouldn’t sacrifice any of the fan spirit that makes the Bears a great team to root for. Along with this, an Arlington Stadium will both financially and socially benefit the Chicagoland area.

When the Arlington Heights deal was announced, Bears fans split into two camps. Some fans were excited about the new acquisition of land, while others were upset. One reason for this anger is that some believe a team called the “Chicago Bears” will lose support if they play in an area besides Chicago. While that opinion could make sense to an outsider, most football fans understand that this is a baseless claim.

“So many teams have stadiums in places that aren’t in their name,” Matt Streicker, a junior and one of the biggest Bears fans I know, pointed out.

Currently, there are ten teams in the NFL

that don’t play in the city of their namesake. Ironically enough, that list includes some of the most impassioned fan bases: the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. If anything, a new stadium will raise excitement for the team and actually draw in more support for the team, just like what happened for the Cowboys when they built the massive AT&T Stadium in 2009. AT&T Stadium is 20 miles away from Dallas, yet since the stadium was built, the Cowboys have the most total attendance for home games in the NFL. So no, they won’t have to go by the “Arlington Bears,” and they won’t lose any of their Chicagoland support.

Another argument people have used is that a renovated Soldier Field would’ve been just as good as a new stadium. While trying to convince the team to stay, the City of Chicago released an image of a model for a renovated Chicago stadium, and it got many fans very excited. I will confess, the stadium itself looked cool, but that doesn’t change the countless other factors that make Soldier Field a poor place

to play. The weather around the stadium would still be freezing, as the stadium is located a short walk away from the lake. The parking would still be a nightmare, with barely any space to add more parking room even after renovations. Therefore, with a cool stadium design, Soldier Field would still be seen as average at best. As we saw in 2001, Soldier Field renovations aren’t the solution.

I have already gone in depth about why moving out of Chicago is a cision, but you might

dering why Arlington Heights is a good location for Bears football.

For starters, the stadium would be massive. To put it into perspective, the fantastic SoFi Stadium, located in Inglewood, Cali., was opened in 2020 with a total area of 298 acres. This stadium has already hosted Super Bowl 56, the 2023 College Football National Championship and is in line to host WrestleMania, the Olympics and the World Cup. Now, imagine what kind of events will take place in a 326 acre stadium located near another big

city. It is important to note that SoFi stadium is located in Inglewood, not Los Angeles, yet this location hasn’t harmed its drawing power one bit. Arlington Heights will almost certainly become the sports capital of not only Illinois, but the entire midwest. Chicagoans can pretty much pencil in a Super Bowl, College Football Bowl Games, concerts and other massive events to take place in the Chicagoland area. These events in a state-of-the-art stadium will bring excitement and increased fame to an area that has recently lacked relevance.

A stadium in Arlington Heights will also help Chicago’s economy. Sure, from a pure dollar standpoint, a new stadium costs more money than a renovation, but the source of this funding is very different. When asked about the cost of stadium renovations, Lori Lightfoot—the mayor of Chicago—said “of course” to the idea that the renovations for Soldier Field would’ve been partially funded by Chicago taxes. On the other hand, The Bears have announced that there will be no tax funding for the new Arlington Heights stadium. Instead of tax dollars, a stadium in Arlington would be largely funded by the owner of the bears, Virginia McCasky, who has an estimated net worth of $2 billion. It makes a lot more sense for a multi-billionaire to be funding a new stadium than the working class of Chicago. In addition to this, according to the Bears official Instagram account, the building of a new stadium would create 48,000 jobs and generate 9.4 billion in economic impact for the Chicagoland economy. So even to those who couldn’t care less about a football stadium, you should be excited for the new opportunity and job creation that will enter the Chicagoland area.

Overall, the Bears moving to Arlington Heights will be extremely beneficial to the Chicagoland community. More specifically, as someone from Evanston, I know a stadium in Arlington Heights would be much more convenient to get to than one in Chicago. Although it will be odd to some that the “Chicago Bears” don’t play in Chicago, the stadium will bring excitement, money and relevance to an area that desperately needs it.

Education helps people understand and address impacts of the climate crisis, empowering them with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to act as agents of change.”

A E E

I cocan't bear it

'Cocaine Bear' fails to deliver, lacks protagonist, character dimensionality, humor

SAM FROUM

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

For too long, bears and cocaine have been kept separate in cinema, but with the release of new R-rated, action/thriller Cocaine Bear, this barrier has finally been broken. The plot of Cocaine Bear is simple: a drug dealer leaves cocaine in a forest, where it is consumed by a bear. As you would expect, the bear then becomes a bloodthirsty murdering machine who violently rips apart unsuspecting hikers. Fans were excited for the movie, showing up to theaters and propelling it to a successful 23 million dollar debut weekend.

However, I did not like Cocaine Bear. I wanted to like Cocaine Bear, I tried to like Cocaine Bear, but I couldn’t. I walked into the theater excited for 90 minutes of laughter and excessive gore, but as the movie went on I wondered, “Where are the laughs? Why don’t I sympathize with the characters? Why does that annoying little blond kid have so many lines?”

By the time the credits rolled I was slouched over in my seat, filled with disappointment. I

pondered why Cocaine Bear had left me in this saddened state, and came to the conclusion that it had failed on two fronts: characters and comedy.

One of the most important components of all good movies, TV shows and books are characters that you can root for. Every one of their victories feels like a victory of your own, and every one of their defeats feels like a punch to the gut.

This is not the case with Cocaine Bear. In Cocaine Bear, most of the characters were so boring and one-dimensional that I didn’t even care what happened to them. The one exception was Isaiah Whitlock Jr. 's Detective Bob. He was funny, sympathetic, an all-around great guy, and the only one I didn’t want to see get eaten by the bear. Unfortunately, he was the only character that elicited such a reaction from me.

More of the cast included Daveed, Syd, Dee Dee and Henry. Daveed was a drug dealer who remained perpetually stern and unlikable until his sudden, unexplained character development in the last 10 minutes of the movie. Syd was the evil drug lord, but lacked all the appeal

of a great villain, the poor man’s Walter White. Dee Dee and Henry were two kids that skipped school and got attacked by the bear after they found cocaine in the forest. I disliked Dee Dee and Henry with an intense passion, and every time they were on screen I was instantly irritated. One of my biggest pet peeves is when movies or TV shows use little kids to garner lazy laughs or undeserved “awwws” from the audience, and Cocaine Bear was no exception.

The use of this tactic is part of the reason why I found the humor of Cocaine Bear so lacking. Every time the movie attempted to get a laugh from the elementary school-age Henry saying something “naughty,” I let loose an intense, irritated eye roll. And that’s when the movie even tried to be funny at all. Many times, it seemed like it was so amused with its own premise that it felt including jokes wasn’t necessary. But I need to be fair, the movie had its moments. One standout moment was a chase scene where the bear, hopped up on cocaine and rage, chased down a speeding ambulance and devoured two of its passengers. It doesn’t sound funny, but it was by far the movie’s funniest scene and the jewel in the crown of Co-

caine Bear’s exciting action scenes.

Although it underperformed in many areas, Cocaine Bear excelled in its action scenes. A quiet moment in the forest would suddenly explode as the coked-up bear burst out of the trees, its mouth coated with blood, its eyes wild with a murderous lust. Hikers would be gruesomely torn limb from limb, blood would spurt by the bucket load, internal organs would be strewn all over the forest floor. The movie fully utilized its absurdity in these sequences, creating action scenes that were over-the-top in the perfect way.

Overall, Cocaine Bear left me unsatisfied. It gave little thought to its human characters, instead focusing much of its attention on the 500 pound murder-bear, and often left out the laughs. I’m not saying you shouldn’t watch the movie. If you’re ever on a really long flight and you have the option to watch Cocaine Bear then I would say, sure, watch Cocaine Bear, but if you never see this movie, don’t worry, you’re not missing much.

Art by Sam Froum

Harrison Ford carries new comedy-drama 'Shrinking'

MAC JONES Staff Writer

If you expect the new Apple TV+ show Shrinking to reach the same peaks as some of its Apple predecessors, your opinion of the show will be negative. However, if you separate it from those and let it be a sitcom that can be profound in its own right, an entertaining show but not a magnificent one by any means, you will enjoy it.

The first episode of Shrinking was released on Jan. 27 to Apple TV+ subscribers. The comedy-drama, which leans more toward comedy than drama, was created by Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel. When the show was announced in Oct. 2021, the star power in it was evident, even looking solely at its writers. Goldstein and Lawrence worked on Ted Lasso, the former playing Roy Kent in addition to his writing duties.

Shrinking follows therapist Jimmy Laird (Segel), a year removed from the death of his wife, Tia (Lilan Bowden). Jimmy has been treading water since the car crash that caused her passing. Jimmy grapples with his mental health issues, even as a therapist. His work struggles because he is struggling. This leads him to become burned out and disillusioned with the profession. After one challenging day, Jimmy snaps and drops all professional courtesy to tell his clients what

he really thinks of their situations.

Throughout all of this, colleagues Dr. Paul Rhodes (Harrison Ford) and Gaby (Jessica Williams) deal with their own problems while trying to avoid the side effects of Jimmy’s. For Paul, it is a Parkinson’s diagnosis, and for Gaby, it is her dysfunctional marriage. Ford’s performance as Paul is superb, and it feels like he had more fun being curmudgeonly as Paul than he has had fun in any of his other roles. Ford is hilarious in Shrinking, yet he maintains a level of seriousness that makes his problems relatable.

Thanks in no small part to Ford, the problems each character faces in the show are one of the preeminent things about it. Each issue is realistic, and they all feel like genuine challenges people face in real life. They give basic ways to connect to the characters and give them incredible depth by showing how everyone deals with their issues.

While many of the connections on screen ring true, Jimmy’s relationship with his daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell), is a weak spot for the show. The viewer enters into a world in which both Jimmy and Alice have been grieving the loss of Tia, with Jimmy having failed to be there for his daughter during this difficult time, leaving her to fend for herself. At an emotional high point in the episode’s pilot, she reminds Jimmy that she “lost her too, you know.”

Alice and Jimmy’s connection is not well-

fleshed out. It shows a fractured relationship, with the cracks supposedly existing for a year. The timeline is the most perplexing thing to grasp in this case. The viewer is supposed to believe that these two could live in the same household, cold and uncaring, without having blown up at each other for an entire year. For a show that is so frequently rooted in realism, the relationship between Jimmy and Alice is something it gets wrong.

Still, the star-studded cast and the overlap in crew between other hit Apple TV+ shows lends Shrinking to be compared to them. However, comparing Shrinking to other hits such as Ted Lasso and Severance would do a disservice to the show. If you watch the series expecting it to contain the edge-ofyour-seat suspense of Severance or the almost child-like humor from Ted Lasso, you will be disappointed. The show truly comes into its own when separated from its most clear counterparts and instead is compared to another Apple TV+ show, The Shrink Next Door

Both shows tackle a central theme of therapy, albeit with vastly differing plots. The Shrink Next Door is much darker than Shrinking ever gets, but both shows convey the world of mental health while toeing the line between acceptable and objectionable. The shows end up very similar, and Shrinking shines in the comparison because of its humor.

To put it simply, Shrinking is hilariously cynical. Like its main character, the comedy is rather candid. This gives the show a charm, an unmistakably human quality that makes it easy to become attached. Every time there is a joke, you are left wondering whether this will be the point the show goes over the edge into offensive territory, but it never goes beyond that, allowing it to maintain a broad appeal.

The show does contain several faults, however. Often, comedy gets in the way of emotional moments reaching their full potential. When there are jokes all the time, they get in the way of the story, and in Shrinking, they, unfortunately, get in the way a fair bit. It is the best part of the show but also the bit that holds it back from being truly great.

While Shrinking doesn’t hit the same emotional highs as the best shows out there, it manages to do the best thing a TV show can by being enjoyable to watch. When watching the show, you will stumble across a message that feels simple in concept, after all, it is a show about therapy. That message paraphrases the adage that goes ‘be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a hard battle.’ The idea is that even your therapist will go through tough times, and portraying that is what the show does best.

Art by Sam Froum

CHICKEN & BISCUITS

ETHS' winter play explores race, sexuality, religion in a comedic performance

EMIR BOMBACI Staff Writer

SADIE'S column

The ETHS winter play Chicken & Biscuits created quite the uproar with its three performances. A comedic portrayal of a stereotypical Black Baptist funeral rests on the fine line between entertaining and offensive.

Directed by Tim Rhoze, the play utilized aspects of race, religion and clever playwriting to procure a positive reaction from the audience. The story follows the chaotic funeral of a reverend organized by his comically hectic family. The performance left the audience fluctuating between laughter and suspense as the story repeatedly shifts between absurd comedy sequences and tense interactions between a gay family member and his mother.

The cast knew from the beginning that this

would be one of the more controversial plays to be performed in ETHS’ upstairs theater. But the actors put their trust in Tim Rhoze to deliver a thoughtful show.

“When I work with Mr. Rhoze, I feel like the plays I do with him are very well-rounded,” says sophomore Zach Cutter, a cast member of the play. “A lot of the comedy in this revolves around religion. We’re not mocking, but [rather] using the [premise] of going to church and how Black churches work in a comedic way.”

But behind the commotion of hilarious sermons and family drama, I found myself appreciating the play not because of its humor and great energy, but because of the deeper lying so-

cial issues that the play represents. In between the moments of awkwardness and discourse within the family, Rhoze brilliantly highlights the difficulties and issues between sexual orientation, religion, and race in relationships.

Equipped with a talented cast and a high reputation from previous ETHS plays such as Blood at the Root, Rhoze managed to produce another masterful piece of theatrics, entertaining the audience during the performance and sending them home pondering the social issues that lie within our relationships and values.

Image from Stuart Rodgers

I have many likes and obsessions that fluctuate between the months, seasons and days. Whatever the particular passion, I could talk about it for hours, but I’ll spare you the time and write a couple hundred words instead. Over the past couple of months, I’ve had the very unfortunate obsession of shopping. I say unfortunate because while it fills me with joy it simultaneously empties my wallet. Treating yourself to something you love at a store is a feeling like no other. I learned some very valuable lessons while falling down the retail therapy rabbit hole.

Like any obsession, I shop to make myself happy—a distraction to my stress. It’s no doubt that this is an anxious time for seniors. We’re worrying about college, leaving our hometown and making significant life decisions. Whenever I’m confronted with this stress, I tend to shut down. I've learned that finding things that make me happy helps to get me out of this worry spiral, which includes driving, listening to my music and going shopping. When the big change is scary, I find fun, small change like a new Rare Beauty blush or prom shoes.

Regrettably, those TJ Maxx and Old Orchard Mall runs have turned into a habit, and my love for shopping turned into a fear of spending money. So, I had to find a way to fuel my retail therapy while not stressing myself out. This stumped me for a while, but I found two solutions.

Firstly, online shopping is amazing. I’m able to look at everything a store has to offer, there are special sales, and I can fill up a cart without tiring out my arms. After I’ve scrolled through almost everything I’m interested in and have a favorites list and cart full of things I don’t really need, I simply don’t buy any of it. I know it sounds weird, but, for me, it really does work. This way, I can add whatever I might want to a list and get the joy of picking things out, without the guilt of spending money or wasting it on something I won’t use.

My second solution does involve money, but it’s through spending cash. For me, I count the money I have as the money in my bank account, so when I spend cash, that number stays the same. Because the cash is only the amount stated on the paper, I’ll only bring a $20 bill with me to the mall, and I can’t spend more than that. Even if I want to, I don’t have any to spend, so I don’t go overboard.

The moral of the story is that when your brain feels busy, or everything seems stressful, take care of yourself the best way you know how. Think about what brings you joy, find what calms you, and treat yourself. I can guarantee you deserve it.

SADIE DOWHAN Digital Content Editor

Crossword by Sam Darer

EDC’s ‘Vibrance’ brings energy from multiple cultures

MAE LUNING Arts & Entertainment Editor

Always a fan favorite, the ETHS Dance Company (EDC) performed their annual production in three shows on the last weekend in February in the main auditorium for a lively audience of students and family. Appropriately named, Vibrance is a combination of student-choreographed pieces and dances by guest artists in the Chicago area. The company has been preparing since October. Their yearly performance never fails to leave the audience in awe and the dancers with a meaningful experience that will impact them well beyond their high school years.

“[EDC] is a company of [student] dancers,” explains assistant director and ETHS English teacher, Ms. Williams. “We do a variety of different styles including contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip-hop and global dance pieces. It runs all year long, but we have one big annual show that we do each February.”

This year, the show featured dancers from every grade level with ten student choreographers and six guest artists with styles ranging

all the way from hip-hop to Bollywood.

“It's just awesome getting the opportunity to work with people from all different experiences than us,” says EDC senior, dancer and choreographer Moxie Dully on working with some of this year’s guest artists. “We had [guest artists] Alka Nayyar and Anjali Julka come in and set a Bollywood dance on us. They taught us so much about the history of Bollywood and the story behind what we were dancing. They were just really cool.”

“Having the experience of working with someone brand new that dances differently than us is very beneficial for the dancers,” agrees Williams.

The Bollywood dance—choreographed by guest artists Nayyar and Julka—was a favorite among both the dancers and the audience this year. Getting to dance and see something that is different from the traditional lineup of dances is one way this year’s show stood out as special to Dully and the other dancers.

“I don't know when else I would ever be able to learn a Bollywood dance like that from someone who knows so much about it in a high school setting,” says Dully. “So, I think it's

really awesome.”

The other special thing about the EDC show is the student-choreographed dances. This year, 12 of the 17 pieces were choreographed by ETHS student dancers.

“My dance this year was called The End is Here,” says Dully about the dance she choreographed this year. “It was to the song ‘I Know the End’ by Phoebe Bridgers.”

This was not the first dance that Dully choreographed in her time at EDC and seeing and performing in her own dance has always been very meaningful to her.

“It's very different from dancing,” she explains. “You have to very much take charge because it's your peers that you're setting a dance on.”

Her peers are a big part of what makes EDC so special to Dully and the other dancers. “We really get to know each other a lot because we just spend so much time together,” she says. “And I'm so grateful for that.”

“By the end of the year, it feels like a family,” says Williams. “It feels like a safe space where we all share this one thing we love—dance, and we all really do care about each other.”

The EDC community is a special one. Dancers are able to do what they love, be with their friends, and put on a great show all while learning valuable skills that will carry them through high school and beyond.

“As a senior, I can say with my whole heart that I would not be the same person I am today if it wasn't for EDC,” says Dully. “I genuinely think it's the best thing I could have done for myself. I’ve learned how to be a team player. I've learned how to be a leader. I’ve learned how to connect with others through dance. It has genuinely really gotten me through my high school career in the best way possible.”

“I hope they grow their appreciation for dance,” says Williams about what she hopes the dancers gain from EDC. “I hope they gain more confidence with themselves both in dance and outside of that, and I hope they make lifelong friends.”

Shrink your expecations for Ant Man 3

MEERA FIELD

Staff Writer

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the third installment in the Ant-Man and The Wasp franchise was finally out on Feb. 17, and fans are excited. Taking place after Avengers: Endgame, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), his daughter Cassie Lang (Kathyrn Newton), his significant other who takes on the role of The Wasp, Hope Pym, (Evangeline Lily) and the original Ant-Man and The Wasp, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) get trapped in the Quantum Realm and have to learn to survive while battling fearsome villain Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). The Quantum Realm is a place that doesn't conform to the boundaries of space and time. As shown in Endgame, five hours for Scott in the Quantum Realm was five years for everyone outside of it. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is one of the first places where Kang is seen outside Marvel Comics, and his arrival will jumpstart the MCU’s fourth phase, the Kang Dynasty.

After watching the movie, I enjoyed it overall. I have seen better though. I definitely preferred the first two Ant-Mans, and Quantumania is my least favorite out of the three, but the charming personalities of Scott and Hope, and the iconic acting of Douglas and Pfeiffer still make it a movie worth watching. Although it wasn't the best Marvel movie

ever made, it was a great way to kick off the Kang Dynasty.

Throughout Quantumania, bits and pieces of Kang's backstory are revealed. Kang is the main villain in Quantumania, and Jonathan Majors was perfect for the role. He made the menacing character of Kang come alive on screen, and it was the way that he looked like a normal person that made his character so much better. Unlike other MCU villains such as Thanos, Kang looked perfectly human. Jonathan Majors did a great job in the way that you could tell Kang had no remorse for anything he's done, and everyone else had wronged him. In the first scene, viewers see him entering the Quantum Realm and meeting (and manipulating) Janet, but you don't learn much more until later in the movie. Even then, not all is revealed about Kang, making this movie an excellent teaser for what's to come.

Quantumania was a visually stunning movie. Since it was set in the Quantum Realm, most of the film was CGI, but the characters seemed just as natural as the non-CGI characters. It didn't feature horrible effects where everything was fake. The backgrounds did a great job of showing how different the Quantum Realm is from the regular world, such as the buildings being able to move or how the food and drinks looked.

It was a beautiful movie, but I felt like a lot of it was lazily written. So much of the

movie’s conflict could have been avoided if Cassie and Hope had just listened to Janet (the woman who spent 30 years in the Quantum Realm) and didn't mess with stuff they weren't supposed to mess with. I understand that Marvel needed a way to bring Kang in, but I think they could've done that without Cassie trying to act more mature than she was. She didn't listen to Janet when told not to mess with the Quantum realm, which made it clear that she thought she knew more than Janet did.

Cassie tried to make it seem like her dad knew nothing and that he was a bad person for wanting to settle down and start a life where he could spend more time with his family. Scott is a very family-oriented person, and that's shown throughout all three movies. It shouldn't have been a surprise to his family that Scott didn't want to run around saving the world constantly and would rather lead a calmer and safer life. It was clear that Cassie didn't understand that, and her immaturity was shown in one of the first scenes of the movie when she used Pym particles on a cop car when she was arrested.

Despite my opinion of Cassie, I did like how the movie showed Scott being so family oriented as his greatest weakness and strength. No matter what, his first priority was always Cassie and her safety. As sweet as that was, it was also Scott's reason for helping Kang. Kang used Cassie as blackmail, and there were times early in the movie

when Kang would threaten to hurt Cassie to make Scott do what he wanted. Scott wanted to make up for the time that was lost due to Thanos, and he was willing to go to any extent to get that time back.

The character of MODOK also felt incredibly lazy. I understand that he was supposed to be comedic relief, but I think they could’ve made his character anyone else, rather than bring back Darren Cross from the previous two movies. Instead of bringing back a character that many have forgotten, they should've brought back Luis. He was such a beloved character from the first two movies, but he made no appearances in Quantumania despite being one of Scott's best friends. Like many viewers, I was disappointed when he didn't show up. I know it would not make sense for Luis to go into the Quantum Realm, but the writers came up with a way for Jimmy Woo to be in the movie, so they could have done the same for Luis.

Overall, Quantumania was beautiful, but the plot was lacking. It felt like it was only used to kick off the Kang Dynasty and not to add any depth to any character in Ant-Man. We're supposed to be seeing more of Kang in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, coming out in 2025. It's not a movie I regret seeing, and I do recommend seeing it if you're a fan of Ant-Man, or of visual effects, but don't expect too much from the story.

Collage by Sophia Sherman

The 2017 Netflix show encapsulates the issues of using poverty to gain fame

'Girl Boss' blatantly glorifies poverty THIS

AALIYA WEHELIYE Photo Editor

When I started watching the 2017 Netflix comedy Girlboss, I didn’t have high hopes. Based on the best-selling novel by Sofia Amoruso, it details the rise of Nasty Gal, a clothing brand built by the book’s author. While I couldn’t deny how interesting the story was of how the shop came to be and the irresistible charm of the quirky early 2000’s San Francisco setting, I saw an underlying issue.

The show starts with Armoruso losing what I assume was her sixth job in six months and finding an eviction notice on her apartment. She decides to steal a rug and sleep in the park. While homelessness is usually never a choice, the show glamorizes her spontaneity of choosing to sleep in the park. She then wakes up and goes out to eat with her (surprise) very wealthy father. She refuses to accept money from her evidently rich dad, because she wants to “make it on her own.” Sofia chooses to live in poverty, when many others have no other choice. She makes comments about how she can’t afford food, but can afford a vintage skater jacket, and never uses food stamps. She chooses to dance around poverty because it makes her feel “self made,” when her dad has supported her most of her life. Later in the show, she develops a uterine cyst, which could be lethal and is taking a toll on her health. Despite her constant pain and fear caused by this, she rolls her eyes when her friend suggests she goes to the free clinic and says “I would never.” Her attempt to distance herself from poverty, yet displaying herself as poor, is not an uncommon occurrence.

In the media, poverty is often glamourized. “The American Dream,” or the idea that you can pull yourself up by the bootstraps in any situation, is a common ideal. However, the reality is that in the U.S., upward mobility is incredibly difficult because poverty is cyclical—many times the poor stay poor as the rich get richer. Girlboss is a perfect example of the problem. It presents a false narrative of what poverty actually looks like. Shows like Sex and The City glorifies poorness by portraying its characters as broke when, in many cases, they are far from poor. We can thank the iconic Carrie Bradshaw for a quote to sum it all up:

“When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I bought Vogue instead of dinner. I found it fed me more.” While this is obviously not literal, it shows how being poor is used as an accessory, or a lifestyle in media, rather than an inescapable reality. It’s especially common for it to be used by white women in the media. It’s almost an aesthetic for them to be poor, but only in a certain way. Having only thrifted or vintage clothes, only eating junk food and still staying a size two. It furthers the unrealistic standards for women to be physically perfect regardless of their situation. It’s hard to watch women displayed as poor with washboard abs, clear skin, and a perfect wardrobe with no outfit repeated regardless of supposed lack of funds. We can turn on our favorite sitcoms and see the main characters living off of junk food because it’s the only food they can afford, when they have a new pair of Steve Madden heels every episode. This completely ignores the reality of many impoverished people living in food deserts, or neighborhoods with no fresh food options. This causes a myriad of health issues such as heart failure, obesity, diabetes and gives them a shorter life span. This is what I would like to call ‘choice poverty.’ While real poverty is never a choice, these characters are shown as poor when it makes them more dynamic characters, and not when it comes to the not so pretty part of poverty. These shows use being poor as a character trait, rather than an actual condition they have to face.

Let’s look at more examples of this idea beyond Girlboss. In Gossip Girl we can see a misconstrued idea of what poverty is with one of the main characters, Dan Humphrey. He lives in a huge penthouse in Brooklyn, yet is seen as poor. While his wealth pales in comparison to his millionaire friends, he is in no way poor. We are taught to pity him and his family in the show, but they are far from struggling. They are living in a loft worth about a million dollars, which is definitely not my idea of poverty. Often shows portray what they think is poverty, but are actually just less wealthy. Poverty is used not only as a quirky personality trait but also to make us feel bad for certain characters. The “poor” characters have to work harder than anyone else on the show just to fit in with the luxurious culture. But the problem is they often

are not poor, leaving the viewers to feel pity for normal upper middle class people. It makes us feel like we need to be uber wealthy to be successful, happy and content, because anything less than that is seen as pitiful.

Girlboss is an excellent example of this phenomenon. Sofia is shown as impoverished while she sits in her gorgeous loft in downtown San Francisco. Her room is surrounded by clothes she got from thrift stores for a fraction of the price that she is selling them for. These are stores made to clothe poor people, yet she takes the clothes, cuts them up and sells them for 200 dollars. While some may argue that re-selling vintage is sustainable compared to fast fashion, Nasty Gal is now one of the biggest fast fashion brands in the world. What started as a creative way to make a living has morphed into a company that actively exploits workers and contributes to climate change. According to a survey conducted by Good On You, a fashion sustainability company, Nasty Gal is not doing so hot. Their labor conditions received their lowest ranking, because they don't pay many of their employees a livable wage. They even fired a woman for being pregnant rather than giving her maternity leave. The company also received a low ranking for sustainability, as they use low quality materials that are not made to last. The company was purchased by Bohoo for 20 million in 2021, which is one of the biggest fast fashion brands in the world. While Sofia started a scrappy, do it yourself, hardworking business, now she is a multimillionaire who runs an exploitative brand. The key is that this never would have happened if she was actually as poor as the show makes her out to. She couldn't have bought thousands of dollars worth of high quality vintage clothes and shipped them all over the country if she could barely afford food. The media must do a better job in considering what poverty really looks like; it’s not a quirky personality trait, but rather a dangerous and scary reality many people face every day.

Murder and mystery return for 'You' Season 4

LILY ROBACK Staff Writer

You is back onto our screens for a fourth season, with Joe Goldberg returning with all his sardonic wit and murderous rampages for another supposed ‘clean slate’ in a new foreign city: London. Joe takes up an alias as Jonathan Moore and a job as an English professor, intent on proving once more he can be ‘good’ for his current infatuation. As Joe quotes an unnamed poet in the first episode, “heartbreak is our greatest teacher, and, if so, thank you for making me wiser,” echoing a consistent theme and Joe’s arc throughout the whole show. In hearing this line, viewers are meant to believe he will finally change, but not one watcher actually believes that. Loe and behold, within the first 10 minutes of the show, we meet Kate.

Kate, at first, appears like all his other conquests: surrounds herself with an astounding number of bad friends and lovers but is ‘different’ from them and forced into these circumstances– the circumstances of her unfortunate social circle and family life and into Joe’s sick and twisted games. We are led to assume this season will repeat the plots of seasons 1 and 2 but our expectations are surely misled when the first episode ends with another professor, Malcolm, dead on Joe’s dining room table. The only surprise– Joe didn’t commit this murder and has to find out who tried to frame him.

Season 4 brings a classic story narrative, a whodunnit, adding a different structure to the now stale concept of Joe’s obsession with picturesque women. Our protagonist is now thrust into the world of the elite and is forced to

in

How Long

Ace

Love on the Weekend

John Mayer

Silver Springs

Fleetwood Mac

It Was A Good Day

Ice Cube

C.R.E.A.M.

Wu-Tang Clan

Electric Relaxation

A Tribe Called Quest

I'm Lying to You Cayse I'm Lost

The Paper Kites

Talking Backwards

Real Estate

Half of My Heart

John Mayer

Doo Wop (That Thing)

Lauryn Hill

Pink + White

Frank Ocean

Cranes in the Sky

Solange

Half Time

navigate Malcolm and Kate’s social circles and the outrageous characters belonging to them. Bled in wealth and privilege, the portrayal of the top one percent is plainly satirical and quite topical. When a second member of this friend group is murdered, the media names the “Eat the Rich killer,” and we are once again in a dilemma of who to root for this season. Is it Joe, as the show wishes and writes, the wealthy ‘victims’ who are either irredeemable or caricatures, or the true murderer who anonymously communicates with Joe via text and initiates a cat-and-mouse game between the two? This relationship is now the focus of the season, Joe going as far as referring to this mystery character as ‘you’ in his mono- logues, the name once be- longing to whatever woman happened to catch his eye at the moment.

At the end of part 1, the killer is revealed to by Rhys Montrose, the only downto-earth member in the friend group that’s been strangely MIA, in a fairly obvious plot twist. Circulating fan theo-

ries speculate a ‘Fight Club’ ending where Joe displaces his own actions onto another character unknowingly, especially since he is the only character that truly interacts with Rhys. Personally, I think it would be a unique plot twist if the story decides to pull it off, but may introduce some problems with how straightforward the storytelling has been thus far. However, I don’t think it is that far off in terms of how the season has progressed so far with the Agatha Christie mentions, the Secret History-like getaway to the country home, and even the reminiscent Ready or Not chase in the fifth episode. It is clear the writers for this season indulged in more cliches and tropes than in previous ones.

Long gone is the New York bookstore owner that watched Beck through her window, Penn Badgely’s performance as Joe Goldberg is just as charming and manipulative but feels more alive in reality than ever, referencing current events and naming terms such as “gen z” and “Twitter trolls”. Joe works as a character in this season by countering brash comments made by the wealthy characters and we are reminded of what makes Joe such a complex anti-hero. His purposeful relatability and delusion are, in fact, empathetic and occasionally endearing and this new season is not without the writer’s best attempts to make Joe a redeemable character. This story, albeit not as clever or calculated, is more comical and outlandish, and actually quite fun. It will be a disappointment for any fans that loved the old format but intriguing for the ones that wanted a change of pace.

For a review of You Season 4: Part 2, visit evanstonian.net.

Art by Meg Houseworth

Amy Winehouse

Warm

Dre'es

Girl (feat. KAYTRANADA)

A.D. 2000

Erykah Badu

Simulation Swarm

Big Thief

Tequila Sunrise Eagles

Sink into the Floor

Feng Suave

The Internet Electric Indigo

The Paper Kites

Die For You (Remix)

The Weeknd & Ariana Grande

From Eden

Shampoo Bottles

Peach Pit

Cooler Than Me (Single Mix)

Mike Posner

Sunday Morning

Maroon 5

It was ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’

BEN LEVY Staff Writer

On Sunday, Mar. 12, the Oscars Awards were given out. In anticipation of the biggest night of the year for movies, I decided to predict a couple winners based on reviews and past wins. I calculated two categories: Best Animated feature and the monumental (or maybe not, depending who you ask) Best Picture Award. My predictions are based on an analysis of the average score from Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and iMDB. All three are on one-hundred point scales. I examined this year’s nominees’ data and then compared it against the data of the past five years of Oscar nominees. In a world where too many people make predictions and aren’t held accountable, it’s important to look back at what we get right and wrong. Without further ado, my predictions and what the outcomes were for Best Animated Feature and Best Picture.

Best Animated Feature

An award given to a film with a runtime above forty minutes, frame-by-frame animation, and no less than three-quarters of the run time containing animated figures. In all honesty, the award in the past has had both strange and undeserving nominees and winners. Due to the mainstream focus of many select voters, movies from big studios such as Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks are often selected. Many fan favorites have won, such as the heartfelt family adventure Finding Nemo (2002) from Pixar, or the infectiously sing-able Encanto (2022) from Disney. In the past five years, the best indicator of success has been two things: Pixar production and/or a favorable MetaCritic score. Both Coco (2017) and Toy Story 4 (2019) met both of these criteria, being rated three points ahead of their runner ups. In between, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), a Sony film, was also the highest rated, and took home the trophy. Conversely, Soul (2020), from Pixar, fell short in terms of ratings but still managed to

win.

This year, it will be a strange matchup. On the one hand, Pixar’s Turning Red has the highest MetaCritic score, which based on the past, indicates clear success. On the other hand, the tear-jerking A24 darling Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, along with DreamWorks’ Puss In Boots sequel, both received rave reviews upon their later-year releases. Not to mention two-time Oscar winner (for Best Director and Best Picture, no less) Guillermo Del Toro’s beautiful rendition of Pinnochio is in the running. At the end of the day, I’m going to trust the data. Although it would be amazing to see Puss In Boots or Marcel win the award, it seems that Turning Red has the upperhand.

Predicted to Win: Pixar’s Turning Red What Won: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Best Picture Award

This year, the Oscar nominees have been buzzing amidst the whirlwind of other awards. While A24’s masterful absurdist action-comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once was widely favored to win, and nominated across the board at every festival, there was a heavy upset at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs). Despite ten nominations, Everything… only took home one win, for Best Editing. The rest mostly went to the harrowing German “war” film All Quiet on the Western Front, a remake of the 1930 masterpiece. This significantly shifted any and all semblance of who might take this home, so I dove into the data to try and make a prediction

The first thing to know is the leaders. The aforementioned Everything.., and All Quiet are both very highly regarded amongst critics, along with the breathtaking Irish drama Banshees of Inisherin, and the disparaging Tár. Other nominees include Joseph Kosinski’s

riveting Top Gun sequel, the visually stunning Avatar sequel and the whirlwind Elvis biopic. In the past five years, the best predictor of a win was the iMDB user rating, which predicted three of the five correctly. Green Book (2018), Parasite (2019) and Coda (2022), were all rated the highest on iMDB despite less favorable average scores—except Parasite, which essentially swept every nominee pool and film festival it went to. 2017’s Shape of Water and 2021’s Nomaland, though, were the second lowest rated by iMDB score. At that point, it becomes unclear. This year, Top Gun leads in iMDB, but does not seem that favorable to win. Yet the highly-favored Everything… doesn’t lead a single review category, and the remaining three (MetaCritic, Rotten Tomatoes and Average Score) are led by Banshees and Tár Moreover, all four top movies, plus All Quiet…, are incredible and could easily take the trophy. For this, I have to look past the data and simply guess. Despite the BAFTAs, and the review scores, I believe Everything… will take it home. Admittedly, I am a huge fan, and I hope it does, but I put all that aside to say that it does have a very high chance considering how many wins it has garnered thus far.

Predicted to win: Everything…

What won: Everything…

In Conclusion

This year has a strong nominee pool for both awards. Despite the usual nominations that may receive wayward looks at their placement, the best of each category are truly incredible movies. From the cultural impact of Everything Everywhere All At Once to the simple beauty of Marcel The Shell With Shoes, the films in the running are wildly varied. In this post-pandemic era of art we are living through, this year’s selection has shown some of the best films to hit theaters (and streaming) in the past year.

Art by Sophia Sherman

Comic by Sam Froum

Our resident award-show critic looks back at his predictions following the 95th Oscars last weekend

Athletic trainers: the backbone of ETHS

Through ETHS’ expansive athletic training program, students work alongside professionals, benefitting both student trainers and athletes

JESSICA SEHGAL Executive Editor

Anyone familiar with the ETHS gym wing knows it’s synonymous with a maze, with twelve gyms riddled throughout its cement halls and various classrooms scattered throughout. Signs hang overhead, like an airport, directing traffic to the right location. Underneath the towering signs, students crane their necks at right angles, squinting to find the appropriate route to their destination. But amidst all of the commotion, tucked away in a quiet corner at the end of a bare hallway, lies an understated gem of ETHS: the athletic training room.

Peering into the narrow window that occupies the center of the wooden door, students fill the wide room, often in clusters around tables or seats. Sitting on countertops lined against the left end, athletes mingle with ice packs wrapped to their hamstrings, biceps, and calves, and on the opposite side of the room, a soccer player sits on the blue cushioned bench with her leg extended outwards and three other students surrounding and examining her. Although distant from other athletic centers, the room is certainly never desolate.

“The training room, it’s a community. People come in, everyone says hi [and] people are very friendly. There’s no issues, everyone’s just there to get better, and we’re there to help them,” shares junior Charlotte Elwell, a varsity student trainer.

At ETHS, athletic training is considered a JV or varsity sport, and Elwell is one of many students who take advantage of this unique opportunity.

“Our athletic training program dates way back, prior to the 70s . . . It has always been a big part of our athletic training program to have students involved, and I feel like in the last couple of years, we’ve really exploded with the number of students that are involved,” Athletic Director Chris Livatino notes.

This year, a total of 100 student trainers across three varsity seasons accompanied and aided Head Athletic Trainer Khaliah Elliston and Assistant Athletic Trainer Acadia Harding in managing, preventing and rehabilitating student athlete injuries.

“[Student trainers are] able to tape athletes up with some of the tapings that they have learned, they know how to run basic rehab protocols for our athletes, they know how

to set up our fields for games and practices . . . they’re the extension of us that we so desperately need at [a] high school of this size,” Elliston shares.

At every ETHS sporting event, representation from the athletic training program occupies the sidelines, standing ready to tend to any injuries that may arise, which is only made possible by the students who are eager to engage in this sports medicine practice.

“I started freshman year in the fall. I had heard about it, and I knew I wanted to go into the medical field; I thought this would give me insight [on whether or not] that’s something I actually wanted to do, and I loved it. I loved getting to deal with injuries, so I just kept doing it,” senior varsity trainer Aoife Lucas notes.

For students who yearn to learn more about the medical landscape, the athletic training program is about as hands-on as it gets, which provides students with professional skills that would otherwise be inaccessible.

“You don’t know it until you’re in it. You can practice [athletic training skills], but it’s totally different when somebody’s running at you with blood gushing out of their nose. It takes in-game experience [to learn effectively],” senior varsity trainer Lizzie Mertz explains. “It can be nerve-wracking when you’re at that game and you have to make those quick decisions for the first time, but with more practice and experience, Khaliah and Acadia equip us with the skills and the knowledge that we need; we just need to trust ourselves, know that we know [what to do] and know to apply [that] to what we’re doing.”

Recently, a wave of awareness surrounding the importance of athletic training has presented itself, but that wasn’t always the case. On Jan. 2, 2023, NFL player Damar Hamlin fell into cardiac arrest mid-game, and thankfully, athletic trainers came to the rescue, shining light on the significance of their profession.

“People don’t really think we do a lot, but they won’t know how much we do until they get hurt,” Lucas shares.

While larger audiences are beginning to see the work of athletic trainers during in-game incidents, many still fail to understand the true dedication of their occupation. Dealing with game-time injuries is only a fraction of the workload; athletic trainers also specialize in injury prevention and rehabilitation.

“[Athletic training] is really important for the immediate, on-field, emergency situa-

tions, like we saw in the NFL, but I also think it’s really important, at this age, to help prevent chronic injuries and overuse injuries that can happen a lot from overtraining at the high school level,” Harding explains. “It’s really important to implement us into helping mitigate those types of injuries that can lead to more significant injuries on the field.”

Both the professional trainers and student trainers work with student athletes every day, guiding them through prevention and rehab procedures in order to decrease the risk of critical injuries emerging.

“I got injured playing my sport, so it’s nice to see the other side of sports, to see how people help athletes recover through rehab,” freshman varsity trainer Mike Szlaga shares.

The trainers want to help the athletes, and the athletes want to receive help from the trainers; it’s a symbiotic relationship that nourishes ETHS athletics.

“I wanted to get into athletic training at the high school level because I like working with athletes that want to get better. Initially, I wanted to do physical therapy because I like the [aspect of] healing through an injury; I like helping someone with that,” Harding explains. “But I learned quickly that a lot of people that are in physical therapy don’t necessarily want to get better—it’s like a chore for them. I wanted to be like in a population where kids were [wanting] to get better … [and demonstrating] that drive.”

Through this passion for healing, the Evanston athletic training program has formed a community and provided students with meaningful experiences.

“[Athletic training is] mostly working with athletes and getting to know them really well. We pretty much see the same faces everyday, so we know their rehab [needs, and] we know how to help them in the best way we can,” Lucas describes.

Despite the unwavering work ethic of the program, and the field broadly, misconceptions surrounding the industry still persist, and it’s a continual effort to dismantle these inaccurate perceptions.

“[For] a lot of people, when they hear ‘athletic trainers,’ they think of a personal trainer. [This] profession has a lot of work to do to promote what we are because we are an allied workcare profession, and a lot of people don’t see it that way,” Harding notes.

Not only is there a lack of recognition surrounding the profession, but there’s also a shortage of trainers. Only six out of the 152

Chicago public high schools have certified athletic trainers due to a lack of resources and priority surrounding the profession.

“I didn’t have an athletic trainer [at my high school]. I’m [was] born and raised in the city of Chicago, [and] I went to [a] high school in Chicago which is about 40 minutes from here. There’s not many schools in the inner city of Chicago that have athletic trainers—I didn’t even know what that was [in high school], so that played a big role in why I chose to get into it,” Elliston explains. “My biggest goal, when it’s all said and done, is to be able to give back to the community that I come from. Once you reach the suburbs, i.e. out in this area, it’s unheard of for [high schools] to not have an athletic trainer, where it’s the complete opposite in the inner city; for them to have an athletic trainer is unheard of, so I feel like our city kids get the short end of the stick.”

One reason for the shortage is explained by the 2015 decision to change the educational requirement for athletic trainers from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree, making it harder for trainers to enter the field entirely and leaving many schools vacant in terms of athletic training programs. However, the program Pruitt mentions went into effect this year, and it includes allocating more money to increase the number of athletic trainers across high schools and partnering with Athletic Therapeutic Institute (ATI) Physical Therapy to make this possible.

In the spirit of continual strides towards expanding the reach and recognition of athletic training, there’s one final component that still requires growth: appreciation.

“It’s really easy to take athletic trainers for granted because you only realize that they’re there when you need them. If you don’t need them, you can forget about them, but when you do need them, they are the heroes,” Livatino notes.

At the root of every hero, there is selflessness. Despite the frequent lack of gratitude surrounding the athletic training field, there’s still passion that infiltrates the industry, keeping all athletes afloat.

“You don’t see us getting a lot of kudos for [the work] that [we do], but I don’t do it for the kudos either,” Elliston remarks. “I do what I feel is necessary for our kids to be safe. As long as they get back to their sports safely and they’re happy and they’re good, my job’s complete.”

Student athletic trainers participate in a demo of proper hand taping. Photo by Isaac Flint.

Soccer seniors share secrets for success

ALEXIS ROGERS AND EVA SONDGEROTH Assistant Sports Editor, Staff Writer

The lights of Lazier shine on the 2023 roster as the girls soccer team once again takes the field. Prepared to fight for another top place in the state rankings, eight seniors taking on their fourth year stand out among the next group.

They finished at the top of the Central Suburban League and earned the chance to compete in the state semifinals against Barrington

Ariel Kite

As a goalie for ETHS since freshman year, Ariel Kite is a rock-solid final line of defense. She stumbled upon the position early in her soccer career.

“I was at that weird age where there’s not an assigned goalie so everyone plays goalie every once in a while, and I was just really good,” she says. “I was like, ‘oh, it’s fun.’”

“Really good” is an understatement. Three saves by Kite—including one stopped penalty kick in the last 16 minutes of last year’s sectional victory against New Trier—won the game for the team.

In the words of teammate Jordan Kadiri, Kite “really has to be a leader. She can see everything that we can’t.”

Kite had large shoes to fill in the wake of Caitlin Fitzpatrick, the 2021 season’s primary goalie, whose six saves in the sectional semifinal secured the team’s 1-0 shutout win against Loyola before their inevitable fall to New Trier in the next round of state playoffs.

“When I first started playing at the high school, freshman year, we didn’t really have a season because of COVID,” says Kite. “And

last year, with 13 since-graduated seniors leading the team through the 21-4-1 season.

In 2021 and 2019, they finished as regional champions. In 2020, they hardly had a season. These seniors have seen it all.

What’s the secret to making it to state? Hard work, years of friendships and weekly team dinners. Though they play for different clubs,

then sophomore year, there was a senior [goalie], so I split time with her and didn’t get to play. Last year, the team was really good and it was my first year playing. People really underestimate how stressful it is to play with people watching.”

A leader in skill and personality, Kite has the confidence needed for such a pivotal position. The goalie committed to Kenyon University in the fall of last year to continue her soccer career in Division lll.

“I had some other offers,” Kite says. “I went back to Kenyon. I liked the team environment, and the school itself had a very collaborative environment. The other schools I was looking at had a more competitive culture.”

Kite enjoys the ETHS team for a similar reason, emphasizing the bond that the players share.

“It’s really fun getting to represent your school. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s really fun representing your school and having people come to watch. We have so many traditions, and we spend a lot of time together.”

When she’s not playing soccer—either for ETHS or FC United—Kite can be found cooking, baking or volunteering at the Evanston History Center.

coming together to represent the orange and blue creates a special bond that can’t be replicated. The chemistry shared between players is visible in their gameplay and infuses every practice with energy and teamwork.

sophomores and freshmen prepare to carry on the tradition. After the loss of the class of 2022, the new seniors are ready to step up and lead the program to another exceptional year.

Anna Bergmann

A positive influence on the field and a club leader off it, Anna Bergmann returns to motivate with a consistent attitude and strong work ethic. Though Bergmann played center midfield for the majority of last year, she will most likely be returning to her primary position on the defensive line.

Playing soccer “as long as I can remember,” Bergmann has played club soccer on FC Lakeshore and two years on the ETHS varsity team.

“At the beginning, I had so many friends who [played soccer,]” she says. “I just like the community and the game.”

Within the team, Bergmann fulfills a strong social role as a friendly figure and morale booster.

“My teammates would say I’m kind of goofy, but at the end of the day, I’ll get it done,” says Bergmann. “I’m not super serious on the outside, but I definitely have a work ethic.”

With practice six times a week and games that stretch through the afternoon, varsity

sports can be overwhelming, even for an athlete with strong personal drive.

“Having to balance my schoolwork with the practices is pretty demanding,” she says. “It’s kind of nice to have a regimen that I can stick to. But sometimes it does get hard because you get home from practice and all you want to do is take a shower and go to bed. But you’ve got four hours of homework. So sometimes it’s hard to keep yourself motivated school wise.”

Despite a busy schedule of soccer, Bergmann finds time for other passions, including snowboarding and running the ETHS sports business club. The club connects to individuals in the sports marketing and business world, inviting guests such as the Director of College Sports Marketing at Nike or the USC Associate Athletic Director to speak.

“I really like to snowboard, which is my favorite thing to do other than soccer, but it’s hard because we don’t have that much around here,” says Bergmann. “Other than that, I’m a president for the Sports Business Club, which is super cool. We get to interview people in the sports in marketing careers.”

Ariel Kite plays goalkeeper during her junior season.

Brigid Mulvihill

Not only is Brigid Mulvihill taking on the responsibility of a senior athlete this year, she has become a leader throughout ETHS as a champion of community service.

A soccer player since she was four years old, Mulvihill joined the varsity Kits last year, bolstering the defensive line. She plans to create a welcoming environment for the new players joining the team.

“All the girls that I knew [last season] were super intimidating, and I was so scared of all of them, but once I was into the season, I felt so welcome and comfortable,” she says. “I’m hoping that’s how it is for all the new varsity players this year.”

Despite having reservations over whether to continue with the ETHS team for the 2023 season, the players’ bond swayed Mulvihill to make the commitment for her fourth year playing for ETHS.

“[The team] is so big,” says Mulvihill. “It feels so good to have all those people behind you and to have something to play for, something to work for.”

Community is important to Mulvihill in more ways than one; she is a leader in the Community Service Club, one of ETHS’ most popular clubs for students of all years. The club organizes drives, fundraisers and events that cover a wide range of outreach activities, from collecting canned food donations at football games to sorting books for Young, Black & Lit.

“I’m on the outreach committee,” says Mulvihill. “We mainly focus on connecting with other community organizations within Evanson. One time we did a wheelchair race, and so we raised money and got people there to volunteer.”

Mulvihill is also on the board of the Wildkit Buddies program, which pairs students with peers in special education programs to foster friendships, and is a member of the Clean Water Club. This season, she will bring her leadership skills and determination to the field.

“In soccer, everyone has to step up at one point,” she says. “Either it’s on the field or just asking someone to hang out or come to a team dinner. Everyone that’s on the team right now is super sweet and welcoming and they’ll take their leadership when it feels right.”

Photo courtesy of Ariel Kite.

Brigid Mulvihill fiercely defends against Highland Park Giants. Photo courtesy of Brigid Mulvihill.

Then-juniors Anna Bergmann, Brigid Mulvihill and Molly Riley celebrate 2022 Sectional victory.

PG 30 THE EVANSTONIAN EVANSTONIAN.NET

Lily Shure

An ex-gymnast turned soccer player, Lily Shure has come to love the team bonding and growth aspect of soccer, and she continues to work hard every day.

“My favorite part about soccer is seeing the growth throughout the years and being able to see how much I’ve grown,” Shure remarks.

Shure started playing soccer with Team Evanston, then moved on to play with Chicago Fire Juniors, and, eventually, FC United, playing center and outside midfielder.

Jordin Kadiri

Tearing her ACL stopped Jordin Kadiri from participating in the 2022 season, but she’s back and ready to conquer 2023. The versatile Kadiri plays center and outside back, but really can play “everything but goalie.”

A member of both FC United and the Kits, Kadiri went to middle school in Rogers Park before transferring to Evanston for high school. For Kadiri, soccer provided a community in a new town.

“I didn’t really have any friends from Evanston,” she says. “Then I went to play soccer.”

Before joining FC United, Kadiri was a part of the inaugural girl’s team at Jahbat FC, now a staple travel program in Evanston and beyond. The girl’s program launched in 2013, and among the first players was Kadiri, who was encouraged to try out by a family friend.

“[I] didn’t make it but they put me on the team anyway,” says Kadiri. “We were so bad the first few years, and then all of our friends joined, and then we exploded. It was amazing.”

In her sophomore year, she was pulled from junior varsity to play with the team for the play-

While playing with FC United and the Kits, Shure has developed a huge amount of gratitude towards her parents, who have supported her throughout her entire soccer career.

“After I got my license, I realized how far places actually are, and I can’t believe they drove me that far for so many years,” Shure jokes. “If that was me, I would be upset every time I had a soccer game.”

“I would say that the seniors are all very close, and we love just getting food together or doing stuff [together] after practice. I love playing with them, and I’m going to be sad when we all gradu-

offs. Prospects were looking up until a fateful ACL injury at a recruitment camp in the winter of her junior year. Despite being present for every game and practice last season, this is the first full year Kadiri will see on the varsity soccer team.

“The [ETHS] community is a lot different than club,” she says. “Club is a bunch of girls from different schools playing together. It’s still fun, but it’s like when you play a club versus your country. One of our coaches said you never really get an experience like high school soccer.”

Despite the loss of many teammates—and friends—from last year, Kadiri has high hopes for the 2023 season.

“I think people have their doubts just because we lost so many people,” Kadiri says. “But I think we’ll be fine. Every team lost a good amount of seniors last year. We’re all level on the playing field. I think we can be very successful.”

When not on the field, Kadiri can be found baking, running, making pottery or creating “Kadiri’s Kitchen” segments for the Evanstonian, where she films food reviews from around Evanston.

ate,” Shure says.

Lily plans to commit to a four-year liberal arts college with the hopes of playing Division III soccer while also furthering her academic career.

When she is not in soccer practice, you can find Lily doing activities in and outside of ETHS. She is a part of the math team, the Asian Heritage club, Justin Wynn and she often does writing on the side.

Adriana Merriam

Adriana Merriam continues to dominate on and off the field, volunteering to coach and co-captain this year’s varsity team. She will continue her soccer experience at Division 1 Baylor University next fall.

She began her career under the encouragement of her uncle, who plays for the Honduras National Team.

“I started playing soccer when I could walk,” she jokes. “My uncle really influenced me to start playing soccer and I spent a lot of time with him when I was younger. He always kept me outside kicking the ball.”

Merriam leant her skills to Jahbat and Chicago Fire Juniors before landing on FC United and the Wildkits, where she currently plays.

Within the team, Merriam demonstrates a strong leadership commitment, with exceptional skill that has distinguished her as a player. She’s also had the ability to create cherished bonds throughout senior year.

“I think [my teammates] would say that I’m very determined, disciplined and hardworking, and I want to bring out the best in

myself along with everyone else on the team.” Merriam remarks.

That determination and hard work in Merriam’s four years at ETHS have gotten her far as an athlete and as a student. She committed to Baylor University for soccer and plans on majoring in kinesiology.

“I’m so excited to train almost every day and do everything at the next level,” she says. “I’ve worked so hard and to see it finally pay off is rewarding unlike anything else.”

Along with the extensive practices that come with being a varsity athlete, Merriam still has time for soccer volunteering opportunities to do around Evanston.

Girls Play Sports, a non-profit program that offers activities for Evanston girls to learn to play and compete in clinics and camps, employs passionate students like Merriam to help run their programs and mentor young athletes.

“I love to help out with Girls Play Sports, volunteering coaching teams, just activities that relate to soccer,” says Merriam. “I want to inspire others to play the sport that I love.”

Northwestern’s unthinkable run to The Big Dance

In face of long-standing unsuccessful history, Northwestern Men’s Basketball leaves fans impassioned by recent victories

WILL KLEARMAN Staff Writer

March Madness is one of the most anticipated tournaments in all of sports. Every March, the top 68 college basketball teams in the country are invited to the single-elimination tournament played all over America. From Cinderella stories to buzzer beaters to upsets, the tournament is… MADNESS. It truly is like no other event in sports.

“In a lot of sports like the NBA, NFL or even College Football, there’s not really a lot of room for upsets because it’s mostly the top teams that win, especially in the playoffs. But in March Madness, you see 14 or 15 seeds make runs to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight rounds; when you feel like everyone has a chance, that just elevates it to a new level,” says senior Henry Barbaro.

Every March, the comradery and buzz of March Madness circulates throughout the ETHS community. Students spend hours on end filling out and discussing their brackets. From Selection Sunday up until the first-round games, the anticipation is evident.

“It’s just a fun atmosphere at school. Everyone knows the results and talks about it; it’s really interesting. The format is so great that basically anybody can win. There’s a lot of upsets. That makes it very fun at school,” says Barbaro.

Students around the school enter bracket pools with friends. Through the middle of March to early April, students cheer on their brackets in hopes that they can win their pool.

“It’s a ton of fun. I make a bracket with my friends and family and just having rooting interest in every game, it’s always fun to root for the underdog too,” says freshman Aaron Shalin.

What’s different about March Madness this year? Northwestern is going dancing.

Northwestern was picked to lose the Big Ten outright by most analysts. The Wildcats have had little history in Big Ten Championships, NCAA Tournaments and, quite frankly, successful seasons. The Wildcats haven’t won the conference since 1933 and have only made the NCAA Tournament once: in 2017. Since the historic 2016-2017 season, Northwestern Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Chris Collins

and the Wildcats had produced six straight losing seasons.

The situation did not improve for the team in the offseason. The team’s leading scorer, Pete Nance, transferred to North Carolina and the team’s starting center, Ryan Young, transferred to Duke. The upcoming 2022-2023 season was looking more like the previous six.

“[Before the season], I thought Northwestern was going to have to pay people to come to the games. They were going to be so awful,” jokes Barbaro.

“Going into the season, I didn’t think Northwestern had a chance,” Shalin exclaims.

The roster did contain some bright spots, though, with guards Boo Buie and Chase Audige returning to the team for their senior season. Buie had started each of his first three seasons with the team and was due for a big senior season as the team’s main scoring outlet. Audige showed flashes of potential in his two-year stint with the ‘Cats, but failed to find a consistent rhythm throughout the seasons. The team was also returning solid role players in Ty Berry, Robbie Beran, Matthew Nicholson and Brooks Barnhizer.

Against all odds, the Wildcats are producing a historic season. The team finished the regular season with a record of 21-10 (12-8 Big Ten), landing them at second place in the Big Ten.

“It’s been special to watch. The way [Northwestern] has come together and battled their way to 21 regular season wins has been incredible,” says freshman Tim Lister. “The biggest improvement I’ve seen has definitely been the team chemistry. It’s been on point all season. That’s really been the difference between the losing seasons and this historic year.”

In addition to improved team chemistry, Buie and Audige have stepped up on the statsheet, averaging 17.1 and 13.8 points per game respectively. They do more than just score the basketball though; Audige led the conference in steals and won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Buie averaged over four assists per game and was named First Team All Big Ten by the media.

It wasn’t the offense that carried the team to 21 wins though, it was the defense. The dou-

ble-the-post style defense gave trouble to teams all season long. The team held their opponents to a meager 63 points per game, ranked twenty-first nationally.

“In my opinion, the biggest reason our defense has been so good this season is the doubling-of-the-post. Collins implemented it into the defense just this year and it has forced teams out of rhythm all season,” says Lister.

Collins and his staff have done an incredible job this season. Northwestern is by no means one of the most talented teams in the Big Ten this year, but they have played like they are. Chris Collins won Big Ten Coach of the Year and first year assistant coach, Chris Lowery, won Big Ten Assistant Coach of the Year.

The team earned a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament for the first time in school history.

Northwestern faced No. 10 seeded Penn State just nine days after the Nittany Lions hit a game winner in overtime to spoil the ‘Cats’ senior night. The tournament game had a strikingly similar outcome, with Penn State defeating the ‘Cats in overtime by a score of 67-65.

Despite the ‘Cats’ disappointing early exit from the Big Ten Tournament, they have earned some of the best victories in program history this season.

The biggest win came when Purdue entered into a hostile, sold-out Welsh-Ryan Arena. At the time, Purdue was ranked first in the country and Northwestern was 0-18 against AP #1 opponents all-time. That changed on Feb. 12, when the ‘Cats stormed back late and pulled off an improbable upset. Following the incredible win, Northwestern students stormed onto the court, mobbing the players and coaches.

“[The Purdue game] was my favorite game I have seen as a fan. To see us go on that massive run in the final minutes to beat the best team in America was awesome,” says Lister.

“At the beginning of the season, the energy wasn’t the greatest due to the fact that there were few students and fans cheering the team on. But once Northwestern started to win more games, the energy went off the charts. There were more fans and students in the stands, and it started to feel electric,” says senior Sofia Varela. “After the win over the No.1 seed, Purdue,

there was so much excitement and energy.”

The very next game, the ‘Cats took down the 14th ranked Indiana Hoosiers thanks to a game-winner in the final seconds by Buie. This game essentially punched Northwestern’s ticket to The Big Dance.

“We are going to the [NCAA Tournament],” said Collins following the Indiana win. And they did just that.

The Northwestern Wildcats are in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. The ‘Cats received a No. 7 seed and will take on the No. 10 seeded Boise State Broncos (24-9, 13-5 Mountain West Conference) in Sacramento, California, this Thursday.

The Broncos lost in the Mountain West semifinal against Utah State. Boise State’s notable wins include San Diego State, Texas A&M and Colorado. The Broncos are led by sophomore forward, Tyson Degenhart who averages 14.3 PPG.

The last and only time Northwestern made the tournament was back in 2017. The ‘Cats received a No. 8 seed and played No. 9 seeded Vanderbilt in the round of 64. They pulled out a gritty, 68-66 win and advanced to the round of 32 where they would meet the number one seed, Gonzaga. The ‘Cats fought hard but eventually ran out of gas and lost 79-73.

“I just remember people in my neighborhood being all hyped about it. I remember recording the games and going to someone’s house and watching it. It was just inspirational,” reminisced Barbaro.

“It was just so cool. So many people in Evanston watched Selection Sunday at [Welsh-Ryan], rooting on [Northwestern],” said Shalin. There is no doubt enthusiasm will spread around Evanston as it did six years ago.

“ETHS and Northwestern have such a good connection…I am sure [students] will cheer them on. People all around Evanston will be cheering on the team at restaurants, taverns, and other places,” Shalin stated.

“I definitely expect [Evanston] to be hype,” said Barbaro. “Northwestern making the tournament is a big thing.”

Lily Shure brings intensity during her junior season.

Photo courtesy of Sydney Ross.

SPORTS E

Don’t ‘weight’ to start strength

Remodeled in 2019, ETHS’ Michael B. Arrington Wellness and Performance Center provides elite facility, programs for student athletes.

OWEN CHISS Assistant Sports Editor

SPORTS NOW

February 4

Fencing closed out their record-breaking season with three squads taking home medals at Highland Park.

February 16

Girls basketball was knocked out of the playoffs with a 43-30 loss to Loyola in the IHSA regional finals.

Read the full story online at evanstonian.net.

February 25

If you step into G201 any day after school, you’ll see a giant crowd of students strength training for their sport, in a weight room often compared to those of Power 5 colleges across the country. The Michael B. Arrington Wellness and Performance Center, newly renovated in 2019, is often flooded with athletes who have one goal: having their hard work lifting pay off in competition.

od where students are assigned workouts specifically catered to their sports and are graded based on the length of the workout and the percentage completed.

“One major hump I thought we needed to get over was lifting in-season. After going through a full school day and then having team practice until 6:00, it’s too much to ask of anyone to come in and lift after all that,” said Feldner. “It’s tough because if you’re doing all this work in the off-season, you don’t want your strength to deteriorate when you get to championship season. You want to be as strong as you can possibly be.”

In addition to being a Powerkits volunteer, junior Bella Marinaro participates in a weekly Sunday all-female lifting program run by Coach Lani Peters. The sessions encompass olympic-style lifting that focuses

The boys basketball team ended their season with a tightly contested 47-43 loss to Glenbrook South in the IHSA regional finals.

Read the full story online at evanstonian.net.

When students are holding each other accountable, that’s where a widespread uptick happens.

Mark Feldner

“The stronger I’ve gotten, the harder I’ve been able to throw,” says senior baseball player Mason Denlow. “In my freshman or sophomore year, I was only throwing 7879 miles per hour. After we came back to school from COVID, I really started lifting and hit a growth spurt and as a result, my [velocity] increased by eight miles per hour, and I’ve gotten a lot stronger.”

Strength Coach Mark Feldner came to ETHS from Niles North in 2019 with the goal to build an entirely new program from scratch. With a new weight facility at his hands, Feldner aimed to create a P.E. class that redesigned how athletes could fit lifting into already jam-packed weeks. The Sport Specific Training (SST) gym class, offered to JV and varsity athletes, has been a game changer for the way athletes are able to train, especially when they’re lifting in-season.

“I wanted to make P.E. a place where athletes feel like they’re really using their time efficiently. One of the opportunities was to help build a widespread in-school program that gives athletes who want to train the chance to do so,” Feldner states.

SST functions as an 85-minute peri-

So what exactly does in-season lifting look like? Taxing an athlete’s body while they have practices and games isn’t ideal, but a decrease in strength can lead to a decrease in performance.

“We build the [workout] based on days away from competition. So two days, one day or game day depending on your sport, the lift leads up to competition so you’re in prime condition,” Feldner explains. “It’s all built for recovery and injury prevention that are specific to the nature of the sport.”

Another major aspect of Feldner and the strength team’s work is Powerkits, the elementary and middle school strength training program that runs four days a week after school. Run by Feldner and coaches Sean O’Connor and Maaz Ahmed, as well as other high school athlete volunteers, Powerkits aims to get future Wildkits familiar with the weight room and gain an understanding of lifting techniques. Feldner sees it as a great opportunity for younger athletes to get coached by high schoolers who they can look up to.

“The biggest thing with [Powerkits] is peer to peer coaching and responsibility between high schoolers and our younger athletes. As coaches, we can tell you this and that but when students are holding each other accountable, that’s where a widespread uptick happens,” says Feldner.

“We get them strong in technique and how the weight room runs. Having them be coached by older kids that they eventually want to become. It’s a really cool thing to see.”

It’s all built for recovery and injury prevention that are specific to the nature of the sport.

on power cleans and barbell snatches. The two exercises, which require significant technique instruction, have considerably helped Marinaro progress as a runner.

“Coach Lani is a great Olympic lifter who comes in and teaches us form. It’s open to all female athletes and just overall, my development across [the sessions] has been huge,” says Marinaro, who long jumps and races in the 400 meter.

“I’ve made so much progress this year; lifting has improved my sprinting power substantially. When I watch slo-mo videos from meets now compared to earlier [this season], I can just see my strength making a difference.”

Those types of results are the exact reason that Feldner coaches.

“Strength and conditioning is really cool compared to sports in the sense that if we try, we’ll win. You can play a basketball or football game and the ball may not bounce your way. The cool thing about [strength] is if you show up, do what you’re told and stay consistent, I guarantee you’ll see really good progress. It builds confidence,” says a smiling Feldner.

“You see it click within every athlete and that’s the fun thing to watch happen.”

UPCOMING AT HOME

March 17

Girls lacrosse vs. Lane Tech

Boys track CSL meet

March 18

Baseball vs. Lincoln Park

March 20

Girls soccer vs. Stevenson

March 21

Girls lacrosse at New Trier

Girls softball at Palatine

Girls water polo at Lake Forest

Boys water polo vs. Lake Forest

-ETHS Strength Coach

Students train in Michael B. Arrington Wellness and Performance Center after school on Friday, March 10. Photo by Isaac Flint.