The North Shore Weekend, April 8, 2023

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Welcome to this impeccably updated, classic red brick, center-entry colonial home located in the heart of East Winnetka.

Just one block from Lake Michigan, two blocks to the Village Green, and only four blocks to the Metra station. Over the past twenty years, this classic home, originally constructed in 1942, has been completely renovated with all of today’s amenities while maintaining the character of the original design. The stylish interior perfectly complements its timeless exterior. You must see this classic beauty to understand and experience the quality, sophistication and love that has been infused in this home. This is a true Winnetka gem. Learn more at karenarenson.evrealestate.com.

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NEWS

9 get practical

Save the date for these Practical Theatre Company events in Evanston from now through July 2

10 problem children

Tower Players of Winnetka presents The Curious Savage play next month

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

14 #hashtag

Erin Donaldson of Winnetka shares what's trending in her life

16 weekender

This ginger cocktail with rum is like summer in a glass

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

18 sunday breakfast

Highland Park High School swimmer K.O.—Kevin Obochi— caps off a knockout prep career with a state championship in the 50-yard freestyle

GRAND OPENING EVENT

AT LEWIS FLOOR & HOME

APRIL 14TH • 12PM - 3PM

HGTV DESIGN STAR AND NORTH SHORE NATIVE, MEG CASWELL WILL BE AT LEWIS FLOOR & HOME TO CELEBRATE THE STARK GRAND OPENING EVENT. ONE LUCKY GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A 1-HOUR DESIGN CONSULTATION WITH MEG. 2ND AND 3RD PLACE PRIZES ARE $350 LEWIS GIFT CARDS. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT!

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Wendy Franzen, Mitch Hurst, Bill McLean

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1840 Skokie Blvd Northbrook IL 60062 847 835 2400

@ TheNSWeekend @ TheNSWeekend

BY SHERRY THOMAS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

It was April 1979. Jimmy Carter was president, the Walkman had just been released, and Trivial Pursuit had just emerged on the scene. The Bee Gees and Gloria Gaynor were topping the charts and on television, people were watching Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, and the great Gilda Radner on a little show called Saturday Night Live (SNL).

Meanwhile in Evanston, two theater students from Northwestern University were putting on a show called Clowns at NU’s Shanley Hall—the first of many for an edgy improvisational sketch comedy troupe that semi-sarcastically began calling itself the Practical Theatre Company (PTC). (This is what happens when you tell a group of comedians that they need a “practical” name.)

There was Paul Barrosse and Gary Kroeger, along with Paul’s freshman roommate Brad and Brad’s girlfriend Julia—as in Brad Hall and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, two now legendary comedians whose involvement with PTC would soon lead them (along with Barrosse and Kroger and others) to successful careers in Hollywood, including work at SNL.

“I knew Julia before Brad did. She was in The Mee-Ow Show with me. And once we started performing on Howard Street in Evanston, Julia was in that cast,” says Barrosse, explaining that they took what he and Brad called “agitprop” or attack theater and turned into the brand of comedy that PTC became known for: zany characters full of energy, having fun with current events, politics, and the human condition. “It changed all our lives.”

With productions that included new plays, rock and roll events, and a series of successful improvisational comedy revues, the PTC—whose motto was “Art is Good”—gained national recognition when its 1982 improvisational comedy revue at Piper’s Alley, The Golden 50th Anniversary, caught the attention of SNL producers Dick Ebersol and Bob Tischler. Just six weeks into the show’s run, Ebersol and Tischler hired its four stars (Hall, Louis-Dreyfus, Kroeger, and Barrosse) as writers and performers.

In honor of the company’s 44th anniversary this month, Barrosse, Zielinski, and Park Ridge native Dana Olsen are pulling out all the stops not just for a PTC anniversary party, but a full-blown residency at Steve & Bea Rashid’s Studio5 performance space in Evanston. From sketch comedy and stand-up shows to film nights and parties hosted and performed by PTC members and guest artists from Chicago and beyond, events will take place almost every weekend from now through July 2.

“That the PTC is returning to Evanston for the 44th Anniversary Season is a thrilling, and righteous thing,” says Hall in a statement released to The North Shore Weekend. “I am, however, superstitious by nature and will thus be unable to celebrate for another 56 years at the 100th anniversary—which will also be held at Studio5 in Evanston, and feature Paul, Vic, Dana, and Steve.”

Louis-Dreyfus also sent her congratulations, saying that PTC changed her life for the better. “Art is definitely good in the hands of the PTC,” she adds. “Happy anniversary!”

“We’re excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” says Olsen, a latecomer to the group who left Chicago to write for Laverne & Shirley and Joannie Loves Chachi before writing a variety of hit films, including The ‘Burbs, George of the Jungle, and Inspector Gadget “We’ve been back together doing PTC holiday shows for about 10 years and we’re always kind of sad at the end when it has to end. It’s nice to have something set up where we can have a longer run.”

While the first two performances of the residency have passed, there are more to go—starting with this weekend’s Practical Radio Theatre on the Air, a comedy revue in an old-time radio show format. “Vic & Paul & Dana” (as they’ve become known in recent shows) will perform with special comedy and musical guests, accompanied by pianist Larry Schanker, PTC’s original musical director.

portunities to write for television remotely) that inspired he and Zielinski (whose daughter Emilia Barrosse also does standup comedy and wrote for Louis-Dreyfus’ Veep) to move from Los Angeles back to Evanston last fall. They now join Olsen for what the group sees at its next chapter.

“What we embrace about Evanston and Chicago is an environment where people are open to experiment, who really know how to understand and relate to comedy. Even though the weather in California is stupendous and we love the mountains, we chose Evanston because we love the community and its richness,” adds Zielinski, who will be taking the lead on PTC’s William Shakespeare birthday celebration on April 23. “I’m a big Shakespeare buff. Paul came up with the idea that we should do a Shakespeare birthday party, so I put together a bunch of fun stuff to whet our Shakespeare comedy appetite—including an R-rated section of the show where we’ll use all the swear words from Shakespeare’s works in the most hilarious and vulgar way!”

Olsen says that Rashid’s Studio5 is like a “club house” for the PTC crew, adding that he looks forward to letting their “imagination run wild” for this residency and future productions.

“We’re bringing a unique brand of entertainment to an underserved part of the audience by doing what we do,” Olsen explains. “We’re not lying about our age here. By now, we know who we are and we’re doing comedy that makes us laugh. We’re pretty self-aware and hoping to provide an entertainment outlet for our generation, and you don’t have to drive downtown to see it. Plus, there’s aces of free parking.”

Olsen’s not talking Baby Boomers, or any other generation that begins with a capital letter. And it’s not about being over a certain age.

The demographic that “Vic & Paul & Dana” are trying to serve is the SNL generation they were born into back in the early `80s and have carried forward in all the work they’ve done since—the fearless ones who treated comedy like punk rock and changed the genre forever.

“I’m talking about ‘70s SNL legends like Gilda Radner. She was absolutely the best ... the sweetest, most amazing person,” recalls Olsen. “I also got to work with Dan Ackroyd and Chevy Chase on a couple of things. They were my heroes, man ... so you can’t underestimate the impact that show had on the broad comedy landscape, and that’s the kind of comedy we’re going to bring to Evanston.”

All we need now is a disco ball.

Not ready to let go of what they’d built, Hall and Barrosse immediately began to split their time between SNL and their roles as artistic directors of PTC. The company continued to perform at its original 42-seat storefront John Lennon Auditorium in Evanston, but the focus was the 150-seat cabaret in Piper’s Alley where PTC hosted a series of sketch comedy revues that briefly rivaled The Second City, including Megafun, starring Tom Virtue, Richard Kind, Isabella Hoffman, and Barrosse’s eventual spouse, Victoria “Vic” Zielinski.

“We’re also throwing the theater a birthday party on April 15. It will be a concert with some comedy, cake, and hats and harkens back to the kinds of parties we used to throw on Howard Street,” adds Barrosse, whose work beyond PTC and SNL includes writing for The Single Guy TV sitcom and producing many television specials and documentaries. “It’s nice to be back doing these things regularly on stage. We love the audience—especially in Evanston.”

Barrosse says that it was, in part, the pandemic (and more op-

The Golden Jubilee (1982)

The Brothers Bubba (1982)

Scubba Hey! (1981)

GET PRACTICAL

Save these dates for a wide range of performances, parties, and other special events to celebrate Practical Theatre Company’s 44th anniversary and residency at Evanston’s Studio5 performing arts center.

Live from Evanston, it’s Saturday night(s)— and a bunch of other days and evenings, now through July—live.

Founding members of the upstart improvisational sketch comedy troupe that hosted its first shows at Northwestern University more than four decades ago are back on the North Shore and inspired to turn Studio5 into Evanston’s own 30 Rockefeller Center,

The PTC@Studio5 residency will feature a variety of shows—including sketch comedy, stand-up, film nights, and parties—hosted and performed by Practical Theatre Company members and guest artists from Chicago’s theatre and music communities. The shows will take place almost every weekend from now through July 2, starting this weekend. The lineup includes:

April 8 to 9

8-10 p.m.

Practical Radio Theatre on the Air

A comedy revue in an old-time radio show format—with hand-made sound effects and other classic radio craziness! Vic & Paul & Dana perform with special comedy and musical guests, accompanied by pianist Larry Schanker, the Practical Theater Company’s

original musical director.

Tickets: $30 for general admission, $40 for cabaret seating

April 15

8-10 p.m.

A Practical Birthday Party

The Practical Theatre Company got its start on April 11, 1979, at Shanley Hall on the campus of Northwestern University with a performance of Clowns, a play about two improvisational comedians written and performed by artistic directors Brad Hall and Paul Barrosse. To celebrate the PTC’s 44th birthday, the company rekindles the joyous spirit of their original parties on Howard Street, with songs and performances by PTC members backed by Steve Rashid & the Studio5 All-Stars. A night of singing, dancing, laughter, and cocktails!

Tickets: $10 for general admission, $15 for cabaret seating

April 23

8-10 p.m.

The Bard’s Birthday

Victoria Zielinski hosts a unique celebration of Shakespeare’s birth with readings from his plays and sonnets—and original comedy

sketches inspired by The Bard of Avon. Tom Mula, Richard Henzel, Paul Barrosse, and Dana Olsen will join Victoria onstage to perform selections from the greatest body of literary work in the English language. Come celebrate the 459th birthday of the incomparable Bard of Avon with an evening of classic poetry, drama— and of course, comedy!

Tickets: $20 for general admission, $25 for cabaret seating

April 30

8-10 p.m.

Silent Comedy with Larry Schanker

The brilliant pianist Larry Schanker plays a live score for three short silent comedies by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. Hosted and with commentary by Victoria Zielinski, Paul Barrosse, and Dana Olsen.

Tickets: $15 for general admission, $20 for cabaret seating

May 13 to 14

8-10 p.m.

Stand-Up Comedy Night

Hosted by Dana Olsen and Paul Barrosse, the Practical Theater Company presents a night of stand-up comedy featuring Emilia Bar-

rosse (who has written for HBO’s Veep and the truTV sitcom Tacoma FD) with veteran comedy festival performer Josh di Donato and, from Los Angeles, Carla Collins—honored as the 2015 Comedian of The Year by the Southern California Motion Picture Council.

Tickets: $15 for general admission, $20 for cabaret seating

June 8 to July 2

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 8-10 p.m.

The Summer Vic & Paul & Dana Revue Featuring Victoria Zielinski, Paul Barrosse, Dana Olsen, and Steve Rashid & the Studio5 All-Stars, plus a troupe of talented dancers—this sophisticated adult comedy revue will combine classic PTC sketches with new material and songs for an evening of comedy. Summer has never been funnier.

Tickets: $35 general admission, $50 cabaret seating

Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at all shows. Studio5 is located at 1938 Dempster Street in Evanston. For more information or to buy tickets, call 847-328-6683 or visit studio5. dance/calendar.

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PROBLEM CHILDREN

Tower Players of Winnetka to stage performances of John Patrick’s The Curious Savage, about an heiress at odds with her greedy stepchildren.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Ethel P. Savage is not having it. Her recently deceased husband left her a fortune—10 million bucks, to be exact. Being an altruistic sort, she plans on giving the fortune to charity, but her stepchildren have other ideas, so they commit her to a sanatorium. Hilarity ensues, along with a dash of humanity and good will.

Such is the plot of The Curious Savage, a play by John Patrick which premiered at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York in 1950. The play mostly takes place in the living room of “The Cloisters,” a sanitorium filled with unusual, but remarkably self-aware, characters. The Tower Players, a community theater group in Winnetka, will stage two performances of The Curious Savage on May 5 and 6 at the Divine Mercy Parish Center in Winnetka.

“In a nutshell, it's the story of a woman in Boston whose stepchildren have committed her to a sanatorium to bring her to her senses because she's spending their trust fund,” says director Mary Michelle Riley Scalise, who resides in Glencoe. “She's eccentric and she's doing all of these eccentric things like producing a Broadway show and starring in it herself and giving money away to children to go around the world on a ship.”

Scalise says she researched sanatoriums, and it wasn't unusual for more well-to-do families to commit a family member to a sanatorium who they felt was a little disgraceful or embarrassing. Sometimes the sanatoriums would be nice places like a mansion. So, the main character Ethel Savage becomes attached to the residents and she finds out more about herself by her relationship and her friendship with the residents.

“They're charming and they're funny. John Patrick writes a note in the script, which doesn't happen that often where the playwright gives directions, but it was very important to him to contrast Mrs. Savage's mean stepchildren with the residents of the sanatorium,” Scalise says. “He wants to ask the questions, ‘What is insanity? Are the stepchildren the ones that are insane or is it the residents?’ He just wants to make sure that the residents aren’t performed as some kind of lunatics or crazy people because it would rob them of their charm and humor.”

By the end of the play, Scalise says, the residents of the sanatorium are the ones who are very kind and understanding; not the stepchildren. In a way, she says, it’s a play for our times if you think about all of the discussions that are going on now about mental health. It's such a hot topic everywhere. It’s also not a well-known play, so audiences will get something new.

“What's nice for the audience is that this

play has not been overdone, but it is still a wonderful play. When people ask what we're doing this year, a lot of people aren't familiar with the production and it's such a feel-good play— heartwarming and funny,” she says. “I'm looking forward to the response. Everybody needs some sweetness in their life.”

Scalise first encountered The Curious Savage when she was a freshman at Woodlands Academy in Lake Forest. The director, Patty Rusk, fresh out of Northwestern University, felt it was a good play for all-girls Woodlands because male and female parts were interchangeable.

“It was long enough ago, 1976, and the only thing I remembered was that there was a lot of

laughter and that everyone really liked doing the play. I thought, ‘Let me explore the idea of doing a play that is funnier than Agatha Christie, which was so serious’ (a year ago, Tower Players staged Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None),” she says. “When I read it, I just fell in love with it all over again, and I am definitely appreciating it more as an adult than I did when I was a student.”

Ethel Savage is played by Glencoe resident Marion Hanold, and though she says she’s more of a singer than an actress, her friendship with Scalise convinced her to take the part. Hanold also performed in last year’s Tower Players production.

“We have children about the same age, and I've seen some of her productions that she did with the kids back with Junior Tower Players at Sacred Heart,” Hanold says. “Mary called this summer and she said, ‘You know, I want to do a different play and I need somebody who can be both empathetic but also very comedic’. The beautiful thing about the play last year was that you were killed off. It was kind of fun, but you had your little bit then you were off the stage.”

Greg Buckhardt of Lake Forest attended Tower Players’ production last year and, at the prompting of Scalise, plays one of the greedy stepchildren in this year’s production. Scalise thought he would be perfect for the part.

“This is my first play, and I was worried about being able to memorize the lines, but it gets to the point where you’re having a conversation and it’s really fun,” Buckhardt says. “Mary Michelle is a good friend of mine and it’s good to do something creative instead of business stuff day in and day out.”

Adds Hanold, “I’m interacting with wicked stepchildren so it’s definitely putting my 62-year-old brain on steroids with a lot of memorization but it’s so much fun. It’s an absolute blast.”

Tower Players presents The Curious Savage on May 5 and 6 at Divine Mercy Parish Center, 1077 Tower Road, in Winnetka. Tickets are $15 cash only at the door.

Winnetka’s Tower Players will present The Curious Savage on May 5 and 6. The play depicts a battle between conniving stepchildren and a stepmother who wants to give her fortune away.

Chicago North Shore Portfolio of Fine Homes

EDITED BY DUSTIN O'REGAN ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL

#ON MY NIGHTSTAND

I keep How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims next to my bed to remind me to worry less and give my teenagers the message ‘you’re capable and you’ve got this.’ For my book club I just finished Amor Towles’ saga The Lincoln Highway It took a few chapters to connect with the story, but I’m glad I stuck with it. There are some beautiful moments in that book. Lastly I’m listening to The Guncle by Steven Rowley on my dog walks. Funny and sweet, this story of a gay uncle helping his niece and nephew process grief is the perfect long walk companion.

#ON MY MOBILE

I lived in New York City for years. Though I’m glad I no longer hang my hat there, I have a soft spot for its energy, brownstones, and the hidden treasures tucked into every neighborhood. I get my NYC fix by following Anna Page (@annawpage). She’s transformed her tiny Upper East Side apartment into a classically beautiful jewel box. I like to follow her and her newborn son on their coffee runs and walks through the city.

Winnetka’s ERIN DONALDSON spent her early post-graduate years singing and tap dancing across The Goodman Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s stages. A vocal cord injury sidelined her theater career, but not one to miss a beat, Donaldson pivoted into advertising, where she helped real estate mogul and Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran build a multi-billion-dollar brand. Her current roles include volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate working with children in the Lake County juvenile court system and in the philanthropic arena she is working with New Trier seniors on the Rush Junior Board’s upcoming spring fashion show. This protean producer takes a break from volunteering to share how she stays current in a busy world.

#IN MY EARBUDS

I’m belatedly binging Ear Hustle, a nonfiction podcast about life in prison recorded by inmates of San Quentin. While not my normal bent, I’ve found this series moving, funny, and educational all at once. If not for Ear Hustle I wouldn’t know anything about ‘cellies,’ ‘kites,’ or ‘the SHU.’

Test scores in the top student-to-teacher ra o curriculum

Schedule a private tour & ask about our tui on incen ves!

Image by artist Irene Mamiye

GINGER ON

BY WENDY FRANZEN

This tropical getaway in a glass suggests sun-kissed skin, endless blue skies, and gentle island breezes. Take one sip and find yourself instantly transported to warmer environs—plane ticket not required. Enjoy this as a spirit-free cocktail or with rum for extra island vibes.

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ounces pineapple juice, well chilled

• 1/2 ounce ginger simple syrup (recipe follows)

• 1/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 ounce dark rum, optional

• Coconut sparkling water (La Croix’s version works well)

• Pineapple wedge and fresh mint leaves, for garnish

METHOD

Pour pineapple juice, ginger simple syrup, and lime juice into a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off with coconut sparkling water and stir gently to combine.

Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a few mint leaves threaded onto a cocktail pick.

GINGER SIMPLE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger

METHOD

In a small saucepan, bring water, sugar, and chopped ginger to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce to a simmer and stir until sugar has melted completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, about one hour. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and chill. Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Photography by Wendy Franzen

POOL TALENT

Senior Kevin Obochi, one the best Giants ever to suit up for Highland Park High School’s boys swimming program, relishes the thought of navigating the challenges of Ivy League academics and swimming at Columbia University.

BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

Vancouver native and Highland Park High School senior swimmer Kevin Obochi sits in the back row of his Statistics class this semester.

The teacher is Obochi’s swimming coach, Tim Sirois, who, if he wanted to shake things up one day, could teach History—HPHS Swimming History, specifically—to the math students instead.

All he’d have to do is ask the respectful, humble Obochi to stand at the front of the class. Coach Sirois could then inform all that the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder standing before them had recently become the first HPHS boy to win an event at the state swimming and diving meet since Bill Merkle captured the 100-yard backstroke title in 1986.

The coach, who’s retiring after the school year, could then add that Obochi had earned three other state medals, including a silver and a bronze, and paced the Giants to a fourthplace finish as a team at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont.

The last HPHS boys swimming and diving to have finished in the top five at the state meet was the fourth-place 1959 squad.

Class dismissed?

Not quite. Obochi could turn toward Sirois and then deliver a lesson in … class.

“Tim is a wonderful coach and leader,” the soft-spoken Obochi, sitting in a Highland Park coffee shop on a Friday afternoon, says. “He’s strict, takes the sport seriously. In my four years he never stopped reminding his athletes to be appreciative of the journey we were taking. He cared about us as people, not just as athletes, during the season. He’d often come up to us and ask, ‘How are you feeling? How’s school going?’”

How’s Kevin Obochi’s life going today, more than a month after he zipped to a statemeet-best time of 20:34 in the 50-yard freestyle, helped the Giants’ 200-yard freestyle team (with Ilya Rivkin, David Daniels, and Danny Castle) silver in a time of 1:23.09, and bowed for a third-place medal in the 100-yard butterfly (48.72)?

Swimmingly.

A son of Modi and Crystal Obochi and the younger brother of standout swimmer Tobe, he’s certainly bound for more success in the classroom and in the chlorinated pool water at Columbia University in New York. He set HPHS-record times in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard Individual Medley races and churned on a pair of program-best relay units. The online streetwear brand Eek Clothing, which the future economics major launched during the pandemic in 2020, continues to at-

tract customers—and address water scarcity.

Eek donates 15 percent of all profits from every garment sold to its Clean Water Project.

“We are working with villages in developing countries to provide access to clean water,” the clothing line’s website informs.

Kevin and Tobe participated in swimming, tennis, soccer, and karate as tykes. Mom and Dad eventually ordered each to pick one.

“We stuck with swimming,” Kevin says.

Each made Highland Park High’s varsity swimming and diving team as a freshman. Tobe would medal twice at the 2020 state meet in his senior season, touching fourth in the 50-yard freestyle and 10th in the 100yard freestyle. Kevin’s big brother enrolled at MIT and, as a sophomore last year, won the

100-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division III national men’s swimming and diving national championship meet in Indianapolis.

“Big influence on me, a mentor,” Kevin says of Tobe, who still holds the HPHS program record in the 50-yard freestyle (20.19). “He’s a great guy, and I consider him a good friend. He put me on the right path when we were in high school together, stressing the importance of academics.

“I wanted to carry on the legacy he’d established at Highland Park High School,” adds the little brother, who, as a junior at the 2022 state meet, placed sixth in the 100-yard butterfly and ninth in the 200-yard freestyle.

Kevin Obochi experienced a range of emotions at the 2023 state meet on February 25,

when he looked up at the FMC Natatorium scoreboard and realized he’d topped West Chicago High School junior Brady Johnson 20.34-20.5 for the 50-yard freestyle title.

“I was excited, but I also was sad, because it meant I was one race closer to the end of my high school swimming career,” recalls Obochi, who was seeded seventh in the event, based on the time he had clocked at a sectional meet the previous weekend.

His state-meet preliminary time of 20.47 ranked him second to Hinsdale Central senior Vidar Carlbaum’s 20.43.

“I loved knowing I’d get to be the chaser in the 50-free final,” Obochi says. “The race is adrenaline-based, and if you make one mistake during it, that’s it, forget about even thinking of winning it. When everything is working, and you’re going against the best, it comes down to who wants it the most.”

Obochi’s strength in the sprint event is the swimming segment; others rely on an electric start or an efficient wall turn to gain an edge on the field.

And he takes only one breath during the final 25 yards.

Proud Tobe shot a quick text message to Kevin after the victory.

“He wrote, ‘I still have my school record in the 50 free,’” a grinning Kevin says.

Kevin Obochi, who developed as a swimmer under Highland Park Aquatics Club coaches and joined Lincolnshire-based Patriot Aquatic Club two summers ago, served as a captain for the HPHS Giants in his final season. Other fellow 2023 state medalists, in addition to Rivkin, Daniels, and Castle, were Aron Fridman and divers Noam Kulbak (runner-up, with a point total of 365.35) and Alex Bradshaw.

Obochi, Fridman, Daniels, and Castle collaborated for a fifth-place time of 3:07.15 in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

“I owe so much to swimming for what’s going on in my life now,” Obochi says. “Swimming taught me discipline, in and out of the water. Swimmers need their sleep, so I had to finish my homework early. But I didn’t choose Columbia University because of its fine swimming program.

“I’m going there because of its diverse student body and because it’s the best fit for me academically.”

Highland Park High School’s historic athlete has a bright—no, blinding—future.

Visit eekclothing.com for more information about Kevin Obochi’s Eek streetwear brand and its mission to positively impact the world while inspiring youth through clothes.

I was excited (about winning the 50-yard freestyle race at the state meet), but I also was sad, because it meant I was one race closer to the end of my high school swimming career.

Kevin Obochi