Comet - May 2021 by Lake Central Comet

COMET

MAY 2021 VOLUME 55, ISSUE 5 LAKE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL ST. JOHN, INDIANA

MAGAZINE

DO I EVEN

BELONG? How students of color struggle with identity-related issues being in a predominantly white environment PAGE 16

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WHAT’S INSIDE FEATURES

16.

NEWS

04.

06. 08.

CAPTAINS OF CLASS STUDYING OVERSEAS

10. 12.

REWRITING THE WAY WE WORK A FRESH START

DO I EVEN BELONG? The battle between students of color and imposter syndrome in a predominantly white environment

THE AMERICAN DREAM

Six members from the LC community share what the American Dream means to them

SLANGUAGE

Television, social media, and other forms of media have prompted teen talk to evolve quicker than ever before

COMET STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nitya Shah DESIGN EDITORS Emily Prince Jackson Novak Elizabeth Sulek Alayna Wilkening PHOTO EDITORS Mateusz Gacek Kelly Hayes Jordan Znosko COPY EDITORS Brenna Polovina Tiffanie Richerme Brian Scott

EDITORS Mia Born Mackenzie Guthrie Luke Hamilton Riley Knestrict Hailey Prasopoulos Justyce Reed Lexi Rigg Adriana Rodriguez Brenna Sealy TEAM LEADERS Taylor Anderson Alyssa Klimowski Cori Lollis Icyss Meredith Jona Rivera Molly Tkach

STAFF MEMBERS Kevin Aharrah Sharon Austin Meghan Beilfuss Kylie Biehler Kai Blankenship Isabella Brazzale Emily Brown Ines Caballes Caleb Chen Serenity Diaz Olivia Figg Brooke Follrad Natalie Genovese Sasha Gerike Parneet Gill Corinne Gillette Maya Gorney Annika Gorney

Charlotte Harmon Cameron Houston Alison Irace Yadira Jimenez Andie Kalemba Joanna Kouros Krista Kulacz Lauren Kutcka Olivia Mapes Rachel Narjes Lilah Nelson Emily Neyens Shelby Noonan Abbey O’Neill Rachel Phillips Madelyn Porter Allison Potpora Emma Rodriguez Elizabeth Schallmo

Eden Schilling Reagan Sideris Isabella Simkus Della Steif Meghan Swacus Trista Thompson Victoria Torres Daisy Monahu Aly Wenglarz

ADVISERS Mrs. Kristina Collard Mrs. Sarah Verpooten Mrs. Carrie WadyckiCruz

BEHIND THE COVER An illustration depicting a Black student feeling out of place, Design by: Nitya Shah and Alayna Wilkening Comet is a student publication of Lake Central High School in St. John, Indiana. All content is student directed and produced. Opinions are those of the writers and do not imply the position of the school. Questions and comments can be directed to Nitya Shah at nityahahs@gmail.com. Businesses interested in advertising should contact 219-365-3886.

02. CONTENTS

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THE MAY ISSUE

CULTURE

36.

SPORTS

30.

16. 22.

BECOMING A PART OF THE SCRIPT

32. 34. 35.

INVOLVEMENT ON THE ICE NO PLACE LIKE HOME BASE SPRING INTO ACTION

26.

FOR THE RECORD ADMIRATION OR OBSESSION? CREATIVITY AND COMFORT WHICH LC FAMILY WOULD YOU BE A PART OF? #VINYL DESTINATION

38. 40. 42. 44. 46. 47.

EDITOR’S WORDS

Today more than ever, journalists are needed to help disseminate the truth to the general public. But, many individuals give credence to the narrative that the media is the enemy of the people – which dismisses the journalists that report and write with integrity and righteousness. At times, this notion can be AT THE END OF FRESHMAN YEAR, I was officially my motivator, but it also forces me to question by capability to fill the shoes given the role of the student journalist, enlisted of a journalist. to write wondrous chronicles about our school’s Including this issue, we will have produced 224 pages of coverage this year, captivating community. From researching to which is far more than I ever thought we’d be able to pull off. This tumultuous interviewing to writing, I was off to a running start year was a challenge in and of itself, but it only made us stronger storytellers. towards the world of news and storytelling. And as Now, it’s time for Alayna Wilkening to take the wheel, and I’m certain she will do I finish up my last few weeks of my senior year, I am a phenomenal job. prompted to reflect on my time as a part of our publications’ In our very last issue for the school year, we staff, from being a little staffer scrambling around the cover a multitude of all-important topics, cafeteria polling students I’ve never met to being the editor- from imposter syndrome in students of color in-chief of our newsmagazine, Comet. to the subjectivity of the American Dream. This class has been flooded with opportunity for myself Additionally, we focus in on parasocial and so many students alike. We have taken trips to countless relationships between celebrities and fans, conventions, have received countless awards, and have met creative expression through room decor, and countless wonderfully talented individuals in the process. And much more. I hope you enjoy our longest issue NITYA SHAH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF if I didn’t have the chance to join this class my freshman year, yet, the May issue. I would not have had any sort of career path.

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INSIDE NEWS

CAPTAINS OF CLASS

Leaders of school activities pave the way for success

STUDYING OVERSEAS

Guilherme Andrade (12) adapts to his new home and learning environment

REWRITING THE WAY WE WORK

Teachers and students have had to adjust to paper and digital methods of learning

A FRESH START After 10 months of familiarizing itself with many changes and much uncertainty, the Lake Central community prepares for the upcoming school year

06. 08. 10. 12.

04. NEWS

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SMALL STRIDES Walking through main street is Dylan Barkauskas (11) as he reminisce about this past year. Returning students hope to have a normal upcoming school year. Photo by: Jordan Znosko

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CAPTAINS OF CLASS WORDS Shelby Noonan, Brenna Polovina and Molly Tkach

CLAIRE LAVOIE (12)

supervising the superbowl

DESIGN Elizabeth Sulek

Leaders of school activities pave the way for success

“CURRENTLY, I’M THE SOCIAL STUDIES TEAM CAPTAIN and the quasicaptain of the Math and Interdisciplinary [Academic Super Bowl] teams. So far, we’ve had various virtual competitions and consistently ranked in the top tier, if not placing either 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Our Social Studies and Science teams have also qualified for the State tournament. As a team captain and one of only two seniors, it’s important to set an example by demonstrating proficiency in the material and balancing collaboration with personal judgement. It’s remarkably intimidating, but I haven’t been afraid to get my feet wet by reading hundreds of pages of study materials or spending hours researching and working through problems. When it comes down to it, I’m also the person that has to choose the final answer at competitions, so my ability to think on the fly is imperative.” Picture by: Kelly Hayes

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record breaker

“IN TRACK, I run 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and the 4x4. The 4x4 is a relay race where four people run 400 meters; each person runs a lap around the track. However, at the Lasalle Legends Classic Meet on March 27, I was a part of the group that broke the 4x2 relay race school record. It’s almost the same thing as the 4x4, but instead of each person running 400 meters, they run 200. Each of us ran half a lap. We worked hard in practice by repeating the same drills. My goal is to make it to State with the relay team this year, continue to work hard and be successful in the next couple years.” Photo by: Krista Kulcuz

ANASTASIA THOMPSON (9)

pushing potentials “I SHOW LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE SWIM TEAM giving the younger guys or anyone I can tips on what they can improve on. I have been team captain the last two years. I first started seeing myself as a leader on the swim team during my sophomore year when all the seniors left. I stepped up on the relay and became the leader for that. When I think of a good leader, I think of my older brother. I wanted to lead the team the same way they led the team during my freshmen year. I think I’ve had a positive impact on some of the younger guys. I’ve helped the freshman this year to go out and try to reach their potential. It is a lot easier to go to another student on a team then to go to a coach especially about small problems or questions they may have.” Photo by: Bella Brazzale

making money

ERIC TINSLEY (11)

“I AM CLASS PRESIDENT. Being class president means you help your class, mine of 2023, raise money for our senior year. It helps us have a great senior year. It is important for kids in our grade to be student leaders because it allows for them to develop leadership skills that in the future can help them have a good work environment and to be a good person. Leadership helps a person become who they are. It helps them in high school as well as being in a work environment when they are an adult. Student leaders have a voice and an opinion, and when they show they can lead things, it shows that they can do something.” Photo by: Jordan Znosko

MOLLY NORDYKE (10)

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STUDYING OVERSEAS WORDS Serenity Diaz, Alyssa Klimowski, Brenna Polovina, and Allison Potpora DESIGN Emily Prince

Guilherme Andrade (12) adapts to his new home and learning environment

TEACHER TIP Mrs. Elizabeth DeVries, English, helps Guilherme Andrade (12) understand his assignment directions. The new student moved from Brazil due to family job transfers. Photo by: Hailey Prasopoulos

GUILHERME ANDRADE (12) took e-learning to a new level as he participated in class from a different continent. After getting his citizenship and moving from Ipatinga, Brazil to the United States, Andrade switched to in person learning and took on LC’s hallways. “My hometown was very small, and my school was very small, and for me, because I’ve never been when I was here for my first time, I so distant to my dad, and when he was lost because this high school came here it was so hard,” Andrade is very big, and it was so different said. “I’VE NEVER BEEN to me,” Andrade said. Receiving a Visa can be a very SO DISTANT FROM Prior to Andrade’s move to extensive process. In order for the U.S., his dad had gotten MY DAD.” someone to gain citizenship, they citizenship for his new job. Since must go through many procedures: GUILHERME ANDRADE (12) his occupation requires traveling, background checks, medical checks, his father started in Florida and becoming knowledgeable about the then moved to Indiana. A two hour time difference U.S. and interviews. “My dad came to the USA in had Andrade starting school at 9:15 a.m. every “My dad got his citizenship from his job, and he 2016 before my mom and I, trying day and ending at 4:09 p.m. According to Mrs. wasn’t able to go back to Brazil to visit because of to look for a job. But he went to Devries, the time zones were not a disruption his citizenship process. It took five years to get his Florida and he found a job there to school. citizenship,” Andrade said. as a welding inspector, [but] he “The time difference for the USA and Brazil Staying connected with teachers and administration works traveling, so he’s here in is only two hours, so he was always on the can influence students and their grades. In Indiana now,” Andrade said. Google Meets and participating. Language Andrade’s case, he stayed in touch frequently with While Andrade was able to visit at times was the issue, but I would have him his teachers and stayed on top of his assignments, his dad a few times in the states; repeat or slow down and vice versa for me,” both e-learning and in person. his father was not able to go back Mrs. Devries said. “E-learning abroad worked for Gui because he to Brazil because of the rules of Adapting to the e-learning environment may wanted to be successful in school and worked very his citizenship process. With only have been difficult at first, but help from staff hard to make sure he was on top of his homework three visits in three years, it was and administration made the process easier. and studying,” Mrs. Elizabeth Devries, English, said. the longest time Andrade and his Keeping in touch with his English teacher as With Brazil’s primary language being Portugese, dad had been apart. well as his counselor helped Andrade stay on Andrade had to learn English in order to understand “I visited him in 2016, 2017 and track throughout e-learning. his teachers. According to Mrs. Jennifer Schmidt, 2018. I moved to the “Well, [e-learning] was boring and a little Family and Consumer Science, Andrade USA in 2019 after hard. My teachers helped me a lot when I was adapted very well to the change. I finished middle e-learning. I had help from my English teacher “Gui has adjusted well. I haven’t “THE TIME school. It was so hard with the tests, they explained everything to me, experienced any language barriers; DIFFERENCE FOR and my counselor helped me,” Andrade said. he is very proficient in English and asks Once Andrade moved to the United States questions if he doesn’t understand. I THE USA AND and began learning in person, he was able think accessibility to resources such as BRAZIL IS ONLY to get help and connect with his teachers PowerPoints and instructional cooking TWO HOURS.” and classmates easier. Even with a global videos in my class helped him transition,” pandemic and a long citizenship process Mrs. Schmidt said. MRS. ELIZABETH DEVRIES, occurring at once, Andrade continued to learn. ENGLISH “I think that it is easier for me to be in person, I see my friends, and I get help more easily. In the beginning of my first year at LC was hard, but I’m doing well [now],” Andrade said.

08. NEWS

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ENTERING AMERICA The steps taken to receive a Visa, according to the U.S. Embassy U.S. citizens make a petition on behalf of a foreign family member. Once the petition is approved, it is sent to the National Visa Center for an interview.

Step 1

All immigrant Visa applicants must undergo a general medical exam at least two weeks before the scheduled interview date.

Step 2

If your Visa is approved, you can pick up your passport 10 days after.

Step 3

After you receive your Visa: Before you travel into the U.S., you have to pay the immigrant fee for your resident card.

Step 4

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REWRITING THE WAY WE WORK Teachers and students have had to adjust to paper and digital methods of learning

WORDS Kai Blankenship, Alyssa Klimowski, Emily Neyens, and Tiffanie Richerme DESIGN Alayna Wilkening

CHANGING THE CLASSROOOM Online assignments have become increasingly relevant this year. Students’ opinions on the practicality of this have varied.

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TESS GREEN (12) opens up her Chromebook and logs onto Canvas. She joins a Google Meet and receives her assignments for the day. After school she completes the assignments on her own time and is able to “I DON’T THINK I LEARN instantly submit them to Canvas. For some students, online assignments make school AS MUCH ONLINE much simpler. BECAUSE IT’S HARD at a screen for over seven hours a “[Online assignments are] more day, and when I write things down convenient in my opinion, and I like LOOKING AT A SCREEN it’s easier to remember it later the fact that we have access to FOR OVER SEVEN on. There has been a noticeable Chromebooks. I also like working change in how well I’ve been doing HOURS A DAY” at my own pace, and everything is on assignments when I write things easier to turn in,” Green said. down rather than typing it,” Sydney SYDNEY THOMAS (11) Online assignments are also many unexpected Thomas (11) said. described by students, such as changes, students Some teachers agree with Samantha Kaminsky (9), as easier may wonder about students’ preferences of written to keep track of. The ability to the way they’ll be learning curriculum in assignments. Having to assign online work can do school work from a variety of the future. Students like Ana Neculache delay teachers’ grading processes and can make places allows for flexibility that (10) believe that the convenience of it difficult for them to see the work students have was not previously available online assignments will become the new completed. according to Kaminsky. “traditional” learning. “I prefer assigning written assignments because “I can do online assignments “I feel like more assignments will be most of the work in chemistry involves calculations. anywhere. If I’m not home and I online in the future because of how I like to see the work and give partial credit, so I need to complete something, it’s it’s easier for teachers to grade and end up looking at their attached work with online super simple to pull it up on my because it’s automated. Websites like assignments anyway, which slows down the phone and complete it. And I know Canvas can just automatically grade process when I have to try to download their work,” me and a lot of other students tests and assignments, so it’s more Mrs. Carrie Brown, Science, said. lose papers easily, so when stuff efficient grading-wise,” Neculache said. Mrs. Brown also sees the positive effects that is online, there’s really no way we Whether or not e-learning continues online assignments can have. Although they slow could lose it,” Kaminsky said. in the future, some teachers have found down the grading process, she feels that they are Others, however, feel that ways to instruct classes by adapting their efficient for communication between her and her writing things down can improve normal teaching style to fit with online students. memory and the way they learn. learning. These new ways have proved “Sometimes the online assignments are just A study by Pam Mueller and beneficial according to Mrs. Cowan, and as effective as classic pen and paper for me – Daniel Oppenheimer of Princeton they may become a permanent part of especially for quick feedback before moving on in University and UCLA found some teachers’ classes. a lesson,” Mrs. Brown said. that students who hand-wrote “Some of the changes that I have Assigning things virtually can be especially difficult their assignments had a better made will become a permanent part of when it comes to interactive classes. Courses such understanding of overall content. my curriculum. I will continue to make as Nutrition and Wellness and Ceramics that “I don’t think I learn as much and use demo videos for students to involve hands-on activities have had to take an online because it’s hard looking be able to work at their own pace,” Mrs. alternative approach to learning Cowan said. this year. Christine Greenhow, the associate “Because there are so many professor of educational technology at “IF I’M NOT HOME AND students taking Ceramics as the College of Education, has found from e-learners, I have had to change I NEED TO COMPLETE research that students who complete projects and limit the techniques SOMETHING, IT’S online assignments have performed that I usually teach. Because better than those who have completed of this, students have not had SUPER SIMPLE TO PULL written assignments. Like Greenhow, Mrs. the opportunity to try out some IT UP ON MY PHONE” Stephanie Parks, Science, noted that different clay bodies, new glazing in order for online assignments to be techniques and wheel throwing,” SAMANTHA KAMINSKY (9) beneficial, they must be done correctly. Mrs. Elizabeth Cowan, Art, said. “I don’t see [online assignments] as one As the school year has faced being more effective or less effective; it’s knowing which method will provide learning in the most enriching way. We have to embrace technology, and using technology in the classroom is always good, but it should not be used as a means to deliver instruction and as the only means to evaluate learning,” Mrs. Parks said.

TYPE OR WRITE The method of learning that is preferred varies from student to student *Poll out of 394 students

41%

“For tests and assignments I prefer doing it on paper because I am able to take the test/quiz and not have to worry about my computer crashing or my chromebook dying.” Adam Trinkle (10)

59%

“I prefer online assignments because it saves paper and it’s a lot easier. You can turn it in from anywhere [and] don’t have to worry about losing the assignment.” Juliann Rymarczyk (12)

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A FRESH START After 10 months of familiarizing itself with many changes and much uncertainty, the Lake Central community prepares for the upcoming school year WORDS Caleb Chen, Yadi Jimenez, Andie Kalemba, Alyssa Klimowski, Brenna Polivina, Allison Potpora, Tiffanie Richerme, Jona Rivera and Vicky Torres DESIGN Nitya Shah and Alayna Wilkening

ISABELLE KANDALEC (10) walks down Main Street on her first day of school after the pandemic, unsure if things are actually back to normal. The building looks the same, but will there be different restrictions and rules this year? Kandalec keeps walking, wondering if this year will be a repeat of last year. “I really liked the change of allowing students to take a Chromebook home with them each day, and I liked how they made blue and white days alternate with the elimination of traditional days. However, I didn’t like how unfairly the arts get treated from the sports during this period of cautiousness,” Kandalec said. One big change this year was removing traditional days and switching them out for early

“I think Canvas will be used much more in the future.”

release Wednesdays. Many students enjoy the early releases and want them to stay for the upcoming years. “I feel [like] we are going Mrs. Jennifer Fandl, to stick with early releases Mathematics because traditional days were always rushed and stressful. With early release days, the students have four short classes, rather than the usual seven, and get out early. It’s a bit of a morale booster for a lot of us,” Cole Marquez (12) said. At the beginning of the year, students had a new item they had to bring to school every day. Other than notebooks, folders and pencils, the students all received their own Chromebook.

Students who stayed at home also received a Chromebook in order to do online school. “I like having Google Meets because you can stay home and e-learn even if you aren’t in school and you can still get caught up even when you aren’t here. I didn’t like online work as much because there was a certain time limit,” Ava Gutyan (9) said. Students have access to class material and assignments at any time through Canvas. The accessibility allows for work to be done when students are quarantined or absent. “I think Canvas will be used much more in the future. Canvas can be very helpful for students who are absent from a class,” Mrs. Jennifer Fandl, Mathematics, said.

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Some teachers also moved assignments and tests online, leading to a surge in cheating. While certain teachers allow students to use notes, others had to determine a way to prevent online students from using them. “I liked [using my notes] because it made my grades a lot better but I know that most kids rely on their notes and don’t bother to study, meaning they’re not actually learning and applying the information,” Kandalec said. Mr. Joseph Bafia, Social Studies, anticipates returning to paper and pencil tests to prevent students from using notes as a source to cheat. Though he believes it will be difficult to break this habit. “Tests and quizzes will be handled through

paper and pencil again. This will control some of the blatant cheating and using notes on tests or quizzes. Some students don’t even attempt to hide it anymore. I think it has become a bad part of the school culture that is going to take a while to correct,” Mr. Bafia said. “I’m afraid that I will be so used to open book “I think [cheating] has [and] open note quizzes become a bad and tests that when I get part of the school to college, it is going to hit culture that is me hard when I can’t use going to take a while to correct.” them. They are like a crutch to me, so I didn’t have to try Mr. Joseph Bafia, as hard,” Rebecca Villarreal Social Studies (12) said.

Since the switch to hybrid Isabella Kandalec learning, many classes allowed (10) stands in the middle of for the use of notes and/or the Main Street. The internet as a way to “equal pandemic left students uncertain the playing field.” However, about what the next by doing so, most classes school year will look Photo illustration prepared students for study like.by Brian Scott. methods and assessment tactics that won’t be available the upcoming high school and college year. “I am not as prepared for next year as I should be because of how easy we were let off this year with using our notes for quizzes and tests. Since we’ll most likely be in person next year, I’m guessing the grading curve and the difficulty level of the assignments will be very different and 13.

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“I was always a top student, and when this year came, so did many downfalls for me personally.” JOANNA LOMELI (11)

will be hard to adjust to,” Maggie Fudacz (11) said. On the other hand, even though grading systems and assignments were changed to accommodate both in person and e-learners, the grades for high schoolers did not always change positively. According to the article “Think Impact,” an increase in e-learning has caused a 30% increase in failing grades. “I feel like I’m more worried about how I fell behind this year compared to others. I was always a top student, and when this year came, so did many downfalls for me personally,” Joanna Lomeli (11) said. While students come to school to learn, one aspect of school is socializing with classmates. But the way students socialized with one another this year has changed according to Quentin Enyeart (11). He said he felt very disconnected from his friends and teachers which led him to feeling unprepared for his senior year. “Even though we were back in person for learning, it still felt like you were very disconnected with your teachers and your classmates. Almost like you were still learning from the computer screen. I just feel as if it will affect me next year by “Even though not learning everything we were back as well. I do not feel in person for prepared for senior year,” learning, it still felt Enyeart said. like you were very While some classes’ disconnected with agendas and structures your teachers and your classmates.” did not change drastically, certain Quentin Enyeart (11) science classes and project-based learning classes had to adapt to fit COVID-19 guidelines. According to the “Think Impact” article on the effects of virtual learning, only 34 to 48% of science teachers approved of the e-learning based technology while the rest disapproved. This could affect students like Adam Trinkle (10), who have been doing in-person labs and do not have experience with online labs. “I felt like I didn’t get a full learning experience because we had to watch all of the tutorials on

predicting the year what do you think school will look like this fall?

YouTube, and in ceramics, “Students we couldn’t watch Mrs. need time to [Elizabeth] Cowan, [English, socialize. If you do] the examples in person. have a class For my chemistry class we without your still have live experiments friends, who are so I don’t have to worry. you socializing [However,] teachers might with?” start using online labs Ms. Michelle more because of the Deming, convenience, so I won’t Mathematics be prepared since I really haven’t had to do any online things this year,” Trinkle said. COVID-19 safety precautions have decreased, so LC will start to transition back to the old habits, but their plans have not been released yet. As the accessibility to vaccinations rises and the number of COVID-19 cases falls, there have been questions on if the mandate will continue to be enforced next year, but there have been no answers yet. “I think wearing masks is very important because if worn properly, face masks may reduce the chance of getting sick from COVID-19,” Kylie Blevins (10) said. Since the virus is still apparent, many students and staff have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. With the uncertainty surrounding next school

year’s restrictions and rules, some students feel that the vaccine should be required to ensure safety. “I feel like the mask mandate should stay in place until the vaccine is mandatory. I think schools might make the vaccine mandatory to protect students this year,” Madison Naranjo (10) said. In an attempt to keep the students socially distanced throughout the school year, students had to eat lunches in their classrooms. Students are not able to eat lunch with their friends, which can cause negative implications for them. “I would rather eat lunch in the cafeteria because when we are in the classrooms, I don’t get to see my friends,” Miller said. Students claim they don’t have much time to socialize with their classmates anymore because of the new restrictions. Some restrictions include

“A change that [I think] will stay is not having any traditional days and just having blue and white days. But I do think next year we will go back to traditional days with no early release.”

“I think the online school for snow days will stay next year. I personally would like to stick with early release days too. I liked online because we had much more down time to recharge, so hopefully they keep that as an option for next school year.”

“I think a lot of technology will still be in use and we will see mostly Chromebooks instead of paper and pencil. I [also] think we would go back to having traditional days [so that the weeks are] more evenly scheduled.”

Dean Wooley (10)

Fotios Collaros (11)

Madison Thompson (10)

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sanitizing all desks after every use, enforcing a socially-distant seating chart and eating lunches in classrooms. “Students are not fully supervised, which causes issues. Students need time to socialize. If you have a class without your friends, who are you socializing with? By having lunch back in the cafeteria, you have a higher chance of having at least someone you know with the same lunch,” Ms. Michelle Deming, Mathematics, said. Not only have students missed out on daily interactions with their friends. Social events have also seen major cuts and modifications. The traditional school dances also changed. Instead of Homecoming, Winter Formal and Prom, only Prom will take place. Prom will be held

outside and will only be open to seniors. Because of this, juniors with senior dates will not be able to partake in Prom. “I am super upset about prom being cancelled [for juniors] because this was my only year I was going to go since my sister and [our] boyfriends are seniors. It hurts because I wish I could experience it with both of them. [For future “When I get to Proms,] I don’t want it college, it is going be just seniors and to hit me hard when to on the football field I can’t use [notes]. because that takes They are like a away from the Prom crutch to me.” experience,” Lomeli said. Rebecca Villarreal (12) Students like John

Scanlon (12) have tried to Ava Gutyan (9) maintain a positive attitude clutches onto her chromebook. For during this unique year. many students, technology Scanlon believes that even having implemented into though he missed out on the academic year was convenient. certain parts of high school, Photo illustration by Brian Scott. he will be better prepared in the future because of it. “All of the social aspects like the sporting events were a lot of fun to go to, and it sucks missing out especially compared to how they used to be. I felt this year had better prepared me for college because it made me adapt to major changes on how school would work, from switching in person to e-learning and changing everything to online,” Scanlon said.

“Hopefully there’s no mask[s] because most people will get their vaccines over the summer. I think social gatherings will be back and will be bigger. A lot more kids will come out for football games and games in general.”

“I think Google Meets will stay for a while. But I don’t like having online class because it’s too easy to get distracted and miss out on class. Free lunch made it easy for me when I forgot my lunch at home, so I think they will keep the free lunches next year.”

“I think that school will be more full and I think that there will be less regulation, like in the lunch room where more people will be able to sit in the cafeteria, will be able to sit on both sides of the table for the classes that are in the cafeteria.“

“I don’t think we will have an option for e-learning anymore although I still think it is needed for next school year. one major change I hope to see is that they require all students and staff to be vaccinated. I just hope things start to go back to normal as next school year goes on.”

Walker Hill (11)

Simon Grimler (11)

Sophia Fara (12)

Layali Abdelqader (11)

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DO I EVEN BELONG? How students of color struggle with identity-related issues being in a predominantly white environment WORDS Kevin Aharrah, Emily Brown, Parneet Gill, Corinne Gillette, Cameron Houston, Joanna Kouros, Icyss Meredith, Tiffanie Richerme, Alysha Wenglarz DESIGN Alayna Wilkening

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2/3 of Black professionals feel as if they need to work harder

3.2% only

of senior leadership roles in U.S.-based companies are staffed by Black professionals

58% of Black professionals report having experienced racial prejudice in the workplace

70% of individuals come face to face with imposter syndrome

urc es: Ma ry

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AS A STUDENT OF COLOR in a predominantly white environment, Pierce Hawthorne (9) has often had to deal with exclusion from other students. Although he himself has overcome these issues, the fear of never measuring up or being ostracized in this environment never goes away. “I remember when I first came to Grimmer a lot of white people asked me stereotypical questions and made assumptions about where I was from. Some people would purposely try to talk ‘Black’ around me as if I couldn’t understand it any other way. It’s like they saw how Black people speak as funny instead of its own vernacular, which it is. I’ve talked to my family about not being accepted, [but] they gave me reasons to be proud of who I was,” Hawthorne said. Imposter syndrome is the feeling that one doesn’t truly belong in an environment, and that his or her successes are fraudulent or undeserved. It can be brought about by the expectations of society or culture as seen through forms of media or real-life interactions, and for these reasons, it appears to have a greater impact on minorities who see less media representation and make up a smaller portion of the population. “I’ve talked to my friends about this [issue] a lot. A lot of them have the same feelings about not feeling [like they’re good] enough in classes, or as if they shouldn’t be there. I think that happens to anyone who has to try a lot to keep up grades in harder classes. It even happens to people in sports or band; they don’t feel like they’re enough in those environments,” Adriana Flores (10) said.

I try to stay quiet and keep to myself,” Kennedy Tinker (10) said. Students who feel as if they have connected or adapted to white culture sometimes experience a different problem, however: a disconnection with their own culture and identity. The semipermanent transition between one’s native environment and a homogenous white one can create internal conflict among students who no longer feel as if they’re truly a part of their own culture. “I’ve only felt like [a minority] when I acknowledge that there’s 90% white people and 10% [people of color (POC)]. I’m white washed, and that made me even feel worse because I’m not Mexican enough for the Mexican kids and not white enough for the white kids. It involves a lot of feeling ashamed of not fitting into one culture,” Flores said. Ortiz shares this point of view and notes similar personal issues after adapting to a white environment. Her input highlights the negative effects of this kind of assimilation and demonstrates how important racial issues are to students’ mentalities. “Seeing how most Hispanic girls look and talk on Instagram and in LC led to [negative association with my culture]. It’s like I’m a white wash Hispanic, but [it’s] not like I’m very in tune with my culture. I’ve experienced racism because of my skin tone, but I still feel like just because of me not having an accent or speaking or dressing like them I’m not Hispanic enough,” Ortiz said.

PROBLEM:

SOCIAL MEDIA:

It’s clear that Lake Central, a school with a majority of white students, isn’t immune to racial issues. On March 8, an Instagram page claiming to represent a “White Student Union” of Lake Central appeared and made racist and extremist posts, such as ones claiming that “straight, white, Christian males have been under attack” and that “white lives matter most.” “I wasn’t surprised. A lot of racist white people just have a certain level of audacity over the Internet. Racist white people will say things, but when it comes to actually doing something they get scared. They see black men as that scary stereotype,” Hawthorne said. Although the page was promptly taken down and its creator was not a Lake Central student, it’s a symptom of a larger problem; this radicalized and extreme outburst highlights the undertones of prejudice that still exist within and around the community. “I mostly feel out of place when I get stared at when I’ll walk past a group of white people, and I feel uncomfortable talking about this because I’m Hispanic. I feel like Black people go through way more injustice,” Annissa Ortiz (10) said. A number of minority students have expressed their thoughts on these issues and generally described feelings at least suggesting exclusion or awkwardness around white students. “I feel like once people see my skin they assume my personality or what I might act like. I don’t want to be the stereotypical ‘ghetto Black person.’ I feel like society makes Blacks out to be bad, and I don’t want to be like that, so

Alongside this, the students also mention how media portrayal and representation affects how they see themselves. Where media such as TV, movies and social media display a sizable majority of white main characters, POC characters are treated as a specialty instead of a normalized, utilized feature of plots and content. Other times, these characters are simply left in the background with undesirable or negative traits. “The media makes it seem that Black males are aggressive and criminals. I get yelled at for wearing a durag for my hair, and they call it a hat,” Jeffrey Clark (10) said. Anyone can experience imposter syndrome, however, and the issues responsible for its growth in students are anything but strictly race-related. For example, unrealistic and excessive beauty standards can also take a toll on students without perceived desirable qualities. “I find myself feeling out of place a lot of the time due to the fact I feel as if I’m not ‘cool’ enough or ‘fashionable’ enough, but at the same time I know I do what I can to be who I am and I don’t need to change. Social media plays a big role in making me feel that I’m not good enough because you see so many pretty and skinny girls that get praised and talked so highly about,” Mason Polomino (11) said.

Q&A

WITH VICTORIA OLABINTAN (10) HAVE YOU EVER FELT INVALIDATED OR AS IF YOU DON’T DESERVE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS? “Sometimes when you’re the only POC at an event, it kind of makes you feel like you are only there for diversity or that they just chose you because they needed to meet some requirement. Like, “Oh, let’s have a person of color,” It just kind of makes you feel like you didn’t really earn it, even if you did. I think it affects people differently, but for me I just kind of feel it devalues my work and what I’ve worked so hard for because getting it doesn’t really feel as rewarding as it should.“

HAS ANYONE EVER SAID THAT YOU DON’T DESERVE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS? “Maybe behind my back but never to my face. Once in middle school, I tried to join the honors program, but when I went to guidance they [essentially said] you need to take a test to join and that everyone else took [it] in fifth grade. Later, I found out that never happened, and that she only said that so that I wouldn’t join because it was too late for me to take the test. I just kind of felt like she was only trying to make it difficult for me because of the way I look. It may not have been like that, but that’s how it felt, and I kind of felt discouraged to even try again.”

WHEN TRYING OUT FOR SOMETHING, DO YOU EVER DOUBT YOURSELF? WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND? “I never doubt myself more than any other person. I feel like [that doesn’t] affect me personally, and whether or not the decision is made based on my skin color, it really has nothing to do with me. I try my best, and if [the coaches] feel that I’m right for whatever I’m trying out for, I would’ve got it regardless.”

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COMMUNITY: Fostering the growth of an inclusive, multicultural environment largely requires the patience and attentiveness of skilled mentors. Sometimes, microagressions that may not be intended tend to alienate and discourage the students they intend to support. “I was singled out. My teacher went up to me and made a joke about crossing the border and pointed at me to the whole class,” Mea Coronel (11) said. Although they may be unconscious or seemingly insignificant, some actions can contribute to an unwelcoming, hostile classroom. Students of color, such as Kaleigh Benson (11), may feel a sense of estrangment just by being the minority in a learning environment.

“I had this one class where my teacher couldn’t stop mixing me and three other black girls in the class up. She couldn’t properly learn our names, but when it came to the other white students, she could [get] their names down perfectly and never mixed them up. She’s done more, and so when me and my friends reported it to the higher ups they said they couldn’t do anything about it. As much as this school says they fight for their students with racism and stuff, they don’t,” Benson said. As members of a majoritywhite school, students of color have a right to feel included

in social and learning environments. For example, where school curriculums predominantly feature the history and accomplishments of American and European societies, an in-depth explanation of other cultures’ histories would help to include students and build our appreciation for other peoples within our society. “The first thing I was even taught about Black history was that we were slaves, and slavery is only a small part of Black history. There’s this notion [that] Black societies didn’t really do anything before being enslaved because that’s all history class cares to teach about,” Hawthorne said.

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MOVING FORWARD: But what exactly needs to be done to benefit and represent people of color? Administrators can work to help neutralize the population. “With anything we try to support all of our students, and that is the message that we put out because I have, 3,200 students in the building. All of them have different feelings, different hopes, different dreams. So you have to support them all. Regardless of who they are, what color they are, what background they are, you have to support the entire student body. So that is the prime message we want

to give out; that we are here to support anybody,” Mr. Edward Beck, Assistant Princpal, said. As for Yoali Herrera (11), the best option was to simply move forward and improve upon herself when coming face-to-face with imposter syndrome. She has come to terms with her own identity, and in doing so, has shown solidarity against normalized and unfair conditions. “I just try to breathe and know that I’m fine the way I am, and if I would want to change to fit in better, I can, but I wouldn’t be me anymore. I think all

people go through a time kind of like where they feel less than everyone else, but as time moves you start to find yourself,” Herrera said. This large problem, prominent in POC, does not define them as people. Taking deep breaths, talking to someone or having hobbies to resort back to are all mechanisms that can help. Know you are not alone, and there are many ways to ask for help. “[I feel imposter syndrome] all the time. It’s honestly so normal to me as a lot of people have the same experience. [I’ve talked to a friend] about how no matter how we feel, we need to remember that we are good enough. He made me realize that everyone goes through that and it’s normal,” Flores said.

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Does the 19th century idea of America being a place for immigrants to find wealth and success still hold true? WORDS Isabella Brazzale, Natalie Genovese, Shelby Noonan, Abbey O’Neill, Reagan Sideris, Brenna Polovina, Elizabeth Schallmo and Molly Tkach DESIGN Elizabeth Sulek < REPRESENTATION OF THE NATION The Statue of Liberty is commonly seen as a symbol of freedom in the United States. In the 19th century, when immigrants moved to America, the statue indicated the entrance to New York. Photo used with permission from Creative Commons.

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chasing a dream

America offers job security, a strong education and access to better opportunities SAJJAD JAFFER (12) was born in Baghdad, Iraq. His parents made a life-altering decision to move to the United States in hopes that they would have better security as a family. Coming to America gave Jaffer’s family a chance at a better life. “For my family, it meant a better life for my siblings and for my dad to find more security in life as a doctor. Now I think of myself as an American who is chasing the dream of success. I’m going to a great college with plenty of opportunity as compared to anything in Iraq,” Jaffer said. Jaffer is grateful for the opportunites he has been given here. However, he realizes that not everyone has had access to a perfect life just because they live in America. “It definitely has its pitfalls where it is obvious that even American who are born here can have a worse situation than that I left 12 years ago, but America does live up to its dream” Jaffer said.

not about the money

“It’s a known fact that the wealthier and more successful you are, the more likely you will do well in America.” Pia Lopez (11)

Education opportunities in America are just as compelling to immigrants as prosperous wealth

competing for college

MRS.

America gives the opportunity to connect with various cultures, but is it as welcoming as it may seem?

BLANDINE

BALDWIN

originally from France, came to the United States in search to fulfil her American Dream. She was inspired by the dream of a successful lifestyle. “The American Dream to me is an old idea from the 19th and early 20th century when people/immigrants thought that coming to the USA meant that you could become rich and prosperous with courage and determination. A few people made it and became rich and prosperous, but many just lived regular lives just like any other American,” Mrs. Baldwin said. Those immigrating to the United States do it for more than wealth. Baldwin fell in love with the people, culture and education possibilities. “I came because I wanted to learn about another culture and language. It was mostly for my studies. I fell in love with everything here and I am still happy about my decisions to stay here,” Mrs. Baldwin said. Mrs. Baldwin later became a teacher for French, her first language. She has succeeded in her career and gives her students the great education she wished for, too. “I still needed hard work, courage and determination to go back to school here and get a degree to become a French teacher,” Mrs. Baldwin said.

“People have taken their freedom of speech to be hateful.” Maximo Fiera (11)

MAXIMO FIERA (11) and his family moved from the United Kingdom to Northwest Indiana as a chance to connect with different parts of the world. His family wanted to explore the American culture and have the opportunity to interact with people with international backgrounds. “There’s a big difference in the people. I think learning about cultures was a very big thing for my parents. We’ve met a lot of people we wouldn’t have met if we stayed in the U.K. They wanted my brother and I to understand that there’s more than the people in the U.K. We came here as a huge learning experience really to soak up everything,” Fiera said. The United States has been described as a melting pot of different nations due to the immigration of many people from different countries around the world. Despite America being put on a pedestal for the freedoms they offer to everyone, Fiera doesn’t feel the country is always as welcoming and tolerant of all nationalities as it may project to the rest of the world. “In some way the American Dream does live up to the expectation, but in other ways it is sort of disappointing to see what people do with their place in America. I feel like a lot of people have taken their freedom of speech to just be hateful or to undermine other people for things that they have individual freedoms for,” Fiera said.

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pressured to succeed

competing for college

Competitive education is often not available in other countries, pushing immigrants to move to America

Immigrant children feel a stress to live up to their parents’ expectations to live a prosperous lifestyle PIA LOPEZ (11) was born in the Philippines, and her family moved to America for better opportunities education wise. Her family’s immigration continues to pressure her to be sucessful. “The American Dream influenced the rest of my life by setting my own standards for myself incredibly high. All immigrant children want to fulfill their parents’ dream because they are a living example on how hard it was to move here,” Lopez said. The American Dream sets standards of being successful for many people. Parents may not have most opportunities in their lifetime, but they want their children to accomplish and achieve their own goals by moving for better opportunities. “Don’t get me wrong, I am so utterly grateful for every opportunity I was given since moving here. But I know there are other immigrants who had it more difficult and less successful, and for that reason I cannot say that America, as a country, has fulfilled its dream,” Lopez said. The idea of the American Dream pushes the concept of the U.S. being a place for immigrants to build wealth and knowledge. Despite the idea of the U.S. supplying a prosperous life, Lopez believes that advantages of living in America leads to more opportunities and success. “There are many items I would use as a symbol for the American Dream, but I think I’ll say a box of crayons. It’s a known fact that the wealthier and more successful you are, the more likely you will do well in America, similar to how the sharper and brighter a crayon is, the more likely it’ll be used,” Lopez said.

“I can work a schedule that allows me to be present in my children’s life without sacrificing lifestyle.”

all alone in america

MRS. MONICA GAJDOS’ family is from Mexico. Competitve education in other countries is only available through expensive private schools and therefore, makes access to well paying jobs slim. Mrs. Gajdos is part of a small percentage of immigrants who have the ability to complete their masters degree, however she wanted her family to have the same kind of education experience. “Basic public education (K-12) is not the greatest due to the lack of resources and budget. For this reason, every parent works hard to pay private schools for their kids in hopes it will give them a better chance to be competitive in the future. Learning English, for example, is not integrated in public schools. The cost of private schools is between $300 to $500 dollars a month, per child, and let’s not forget people with a college degree earn a low salary compared to the USA,” Mrs. Gajdos said. According to the Migration Policy Institute, 14 percent of immigrants complete professional degrees, a statistic Mrs. Gajdos is apart of. Despite being able to have this success, moving to the United States has guaranteed access to education for her children. “The American Dream for my family means that I can work a schedule that allows me to be present in my children’s life without sacrificing lifestyle, that my children can attend public school and will have a great education, that we will be able to afford some traveling, a car and many other things many people take for granted,” Mrs. Gajdos said.

Opportunities in America outweighed the risks of traveling across the Pacific

SARAH GROSS (12) immigrated to America from China by herself through the adoption process. Coming to America can be a scary experience for people who may be in big groups, but being in a new country all by yourself can be even more daunting. “I was born in Zhanjiang, China. I think [the American Dream] means to have better opportunities and more freedom and rights. I’m the one that moved here, but I know my life would be better here with a family,” Gross said. Despite moving here without her family, Gross likes to look on the bright side. Her parents wanted her to have the opportunities that they were not able to provide for her back in China. “I have been given a lot more opportunities than I wouldn’t have had in China. People are still coming here because they know that they will have more opportunities to be here than any other country,” Gross said.

Mrs. Monica Gajdos

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SLANG WORDS Krista Kulacz, Cori Lollis, Brian Scott and Isabella Simkus DESIGN Jackson Novak

“USUALLY AS A JOKE, I USE, ‘YUH,’ ‘GAS,’ ‘DUMMY HEAD,’ ‘DINGUS’ AND SHEESH.” AVERY ROBINSON (11)

“I SAY, ´BRUH´ A LOT. I ALSO STILL SAY, ´BET’ OFTEN TO MY FRIENDS. ´SUS´ HAS ALSO BECOME MORE COMMON AS WELL AS ‘SIMP.’ I SAY ‘LOWKEY’ [AND] ‘HIGHKEY,’ TOO.” ABIGAIL BURTON (11)

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GUAGE As our language is influenced by television, the internet, social media and society, new slang terms are constantly created. However, dialects like African American Vernacular English are commonly misused and misinterpreted as slang

“I THINK THE PHRASE I USE THE MOST RECENTLY IS ‘BUSSIN.’ I SAY IT WHEN SOMETHING IS ESPECIALLY GOOD, MOSTLY FOOD.” KATELYN RUBOTTOM (10)

“I FIND MYSELF USING SLANG LIKE ‘SLAPS’, ‘BET,’ AND ‘BAD’ THE MOST. AND BY ‘BAD,’ I MEAN GOOD LOOKING.” GISELLE MARTINEZ (10)

“I USE THE PHRASE ‘ON FOE NEM’ AND ‘NO KIZZY’. SAYING ‘NO KIZZY’ IS LIKE SAYING ‘NO CAP;’ IT MEANS TO NOT BE LYING ABOUT SOMETHING. ‘ON FOE NEM’ IS WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING AND PEOPLE THINK YOUR LYING ABOUT IT. ITS ALMOST LIKE SAYING ‘ON GOD.’” JAMES GRAHAM (9)

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AS ABIGAIL BURTON (11) WALKS through the cafeteria, she hears her friend say ‘No cap.’ To other teenagers, the recognizable phrase is the result of the constant development of modern slang. New words and phrases are created as a result of the prominent involvement of the internet and social media within the English language. When these words and phrases spread across social platforms, teenagers become more inclined to use this adapted language. “It’s hard to not use slang nowadays because it is so widespread. Everywhere you look there is a new word that is becoming popular,” Burton said. New slang is constantly emerging from the internet to be added to the compilation of American slang words that has been developing for centuries. Slang words can originate from a variety of sources such as art, literature, historical events and American subcultures. “The way I used to talk even just last year is a lot different than how I talk now. I get most of my slang from the internet, my friends and the music I listen to. The slang we use is cool, but some of it is overused. I think it’s just how slang is, one person says it and then everyone starts saying it. I don’t think it really has to do with who started it,” James Graham (9) said. People adopt terms from multiple different sources like the people they surround themself with or the type of music they listen to. The rapid pace of today’s slang means that words quickly become overused and go out of style fairly quickly. “My friends started saying these words around me. I think the slang ‘No cap’ is overused. And I see it more often at school and on social media that people talk like how I do. It influences our generations, and the future ones’ personalities, perspectives about things and how we handle situations. I feel like it’s fun to use when talking with each other, especially when not everybody understands,” Giselle Martinez (10) said. The way someone speaks is extended to the people around them. This leads to a whole generation “WE ARE JUST TRYING TO picking up certain words or phrases that can create a generational gap REINVENT THE WORLD FOR OUR between them and their parents. CURRENT GENERATION.” “I love using words my parents MRS. KATHRYN CLARK, ENGLISH don’t know because I feel like it’s an inside joke my sisters and I have. It’s also hilarious making my parents say the words using a much different tone or meaning than I do. I love slang we use today. Since it’s dispersed through the internet, many people from all around

Playful use of slang ties into trends that come and go

the world use it. The phrases I use have become more vulgar since I have gotten older. Some words I used to use were much more censored and kid-friendly,” Avery Robinson (11) said. This new wave of internet slang highlights the difference in language between today’s teenagers and their parents. Slang has always changed from generation to generation, but the rapidly changing pace of today’s slang words makes “I FEEL it hard for some parents to keep up. LIKE IT’S “In a way, we say things that people that aren’t in our generation wouldn’t AN INSIDE understand. [Our slang] clumps us JOKE.” together because we can almost AVERY ROBINSON understand this big inside joke, and (11) other people who don’t relate are just confused. For example, my parents are more formal when they talk. Half the time they look at me and are like ‘What are you saying?’ ” Mackenzie Zielke (12) said. Older generations may not understand today’s teens’ slang, and vice versa. Slang changes from generation to generation, but it is consistently a cultural aspect that persists within each era. “As someone who is of a previous generation, I definitely am not clued into all of the slang that is going on right now. I think people use slang kind of as a way, even subconsciously, to rebel against formal English; the English of our parents, the English of the previous generation. So I think that when we do use slang we are just trying to reinvent the world for our current generation. I did that when I was [a teenager]. I wanted to take control or take my place in the world, so tweaking the English language to fit my generation. You [teens] are doing the same thing, and your kids are going to do the same thing,” Mrs. Kathryn Clark, English, said.

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The use of African American Vernacular English is labeled as “Slang” among social media users and celebrities

RECENTLY, THERE HAS been controversy on social media about whether using certain slang is taking away from the cultures they originated from and who is allowed to use those words. The debate on whether or not the use of African American Vernacular English is considered cultural appropriation continues. “African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) is systematic, rooted in history, and important as an identity marker and expressive resource for its speakers. In these respects, it resembles other vernacular or nonstandard varieties, like Cockney or Appalachian English. But like them, AAVE can trigger discrimination in the workplace, housing market, and schools,” John R. Rickford of Standford’s Lingusitics Department said. As social media apps allow cultures and languages to spread, AAVE phrases and words have become increasingly common. However, the casual use of this dialect is misunderstood and inappropriately added to regular conversation. “Though this ‘trend’ began around 2014, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the rate of appropriation, as more people spend time on TikTok and interact virtually. Yet as AAVE terms and phrases, such as ‘Finna’ and ‘I’m weak’, continue to pop up across the platform, very few understand the etymology, or the history of the words,” Maren Frye said in 2021 Wellesley College study. The use of these words and phrases has been a large part of Black culture for generations. Unlike English slang, AAVE does not change as trends come and go. “The usage of AAVE is highly overused in social media today. Most of the time it isn’t even used in the

right context. Most people take AAVE as ‘TikTok’ language when my grandma has been using ‘Chile’ since the 60s,” Aneisah Gail (10) said. Celebrities have been criticized for participating in Black culture, yet not speaking up on social issues like the Black Lives Matter movement. Some argue that AAVE has been a cultural dialect for decades and is not the “trendy” language the internet claims it is. “I think that some people don’t understand that it is considered appropriation or they don’t recognize that what they are saying is again, considered appropriation. For example, celebrities like Danielle Bregoli [are] obsessed with African/ Black culture. She does things but never stands up for Black problems. I think creators just don’t care what happens to Black people, yet they also don’t care what they say and on the effect it has on others,” Dyette Stephens (10) said. The slang used today spreads rapidly through social media platforms like TikTok. Along with social media, regional slang can influence the way people speak. “I feel like a lot of the slang going around right now is Chicago slang. I also feel like slang changes so fast it can be hard to keep up with. My mom is more preppy, so she doesn’t use the same slang as me. She tries to keep up with what’s on TikTok, but she usually uses it in the wrong context,” Katelyn Rubottom (10) said. It can be frustrating for BIPOC to see creators on the internet get praise for using the same language “AAVE IS they have been criticized for using. HIGHLY Breanne Mitchell (11) explains how OVERUSED the way she talks has been criticized and how that relates to her identity. IN SOCIAL “I have been told that I talk white, but MEDIA it doesn’t bother me too much because if TODAY.” someone doesn’t like the way I talk I don’t care. I’m not going to change the way I ANEISAH GAIL (10) talk around those people. I don’t think it’s right to label the way someone talks as white or Black because everyone talks differently, and a lot of things influence the way someone talks besides just race,” Mitchell said.

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INVOLVEMENT ON THE ICE

The hockey team made their way to high school nationals after a prosperous season

NO PLACE LIKE HOME BASE After his 250th win, Mr. Sherman looks back on his career as a softball coach thus far

SPRING INTO ACTION Take a look at spring sports as their season continues

32. 34. 35.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Catcher Jordan August (12) warms up as Peyton Pepkowski (12) pitches. They were preparing for the next inning. Photo by: Brian Scott

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INSIDE SPORTS 31.

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INVOLVEMENT ON THE ICE The hockey team made their way to high school nationals after a prosperous season

WORDS Taylor Anderson, Ines Caballes, Brooke Follrad, Rachel Phillips and Brian Scott DESIGN Emily Prince

ON APRIL 5, 2021, the boys hockey team received the news of a lifetime. They were cordially invited to play at the 2021 ChipotleUSA Hockey High School Nationals, a tournament reserved for the best and we achieved that. My game all around was good teams in the nation. With their hard this year; I did everything well. [I could have improved work and record season, the team on] just the basic stuff everyone needs to improve on,” received a spot on the waitlist, and Richard Mantoan (12) said. hit the jackpot when other teams While some goals were not able to be met due dropped out due to COVID-19 to injuries, COVID-19 restrictions and quarantining procedures. unforeseen events, the season ended we weren’t expecting to be “Our team was on reserve in case with mostly wins for the team. The teams invited, we weren’t on the ice “WE HAD A another team at Nationals was were able to travel to various cities for for about a month-and-aunable to go. [Two of the teams] WINNING tournaments, as well. half before. I wish we played ended up not going, which allowed SEASON.” “I’ve been playing for about 11 years more teams at our skill us to go instead,” Jacob Skertich now. I wanted to get a certain amount of level, but I will still keep all RICHARD (11) said. MANTOAN (12) points but that didn’t happen because of of the good memories with Skertich’s teammates on the my shoulder. Going to Omaha was pretty the boys. My favorite part Indians Blue team described the cool. We had the Roper Cup, which was a of going to Nationals was season as a memorable one. Many tournament against all the local teams: CP, BNI, and spending time with my teammates. goals for the year, individually Munster,” Josef Marx (10) said. Even though we didn’t win, nationals and for the team, were met or As for the actual Nationals tournament, the boys was still a lot of fun,” Heuberger said. exceeded. did not win. While they did get invited last minute The tournament ended after a “Some of my goals were just and did not have much time beforehand disqualifying loss, but the team made to keep a positive to practice, some players like Joseph a lot of memories and honed their skills [attitude] and win the Heuberger (11) are still grateful for the along the way. Skertich believes that majority of our games, “OUR TEAM GOT opportunity and the time spent bonding the tournament run was all for the THE OPPORTUNITY with the team. best. “Nationals did not go well. We ended TO PLAY AT “Our season was one of the best in up playing a lot of good teams and since the past years. We lost three games, NATIONALS.” which did not give us a chance at JOSEPH HEUBERGER (11) the quarter finals, but it was well worth the experience. Other than winning, I think I would keep [the experience] the same,” Skertich said.

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The hockey team has a Blue and a White team, as opposed to a Varsity and JV team. Both groups won more games than lost this year. than my previous season. I [also] wanted to help my team end “I was on the white team, but the blue up top fixe in the state, but we ended up 3rd. I wanted to get was really good in the fall season,” back to back shutouts, which I achieved in my first two games. Jack Depner (9) said. I achieved all two of the three as I recorded three shutouts Multiple players plan on continuing this year, as opposed to four last year. This year was my best their hockey careers in the future, and year by far. In 13 games played I did not lose [and] my statistics credit their time on the school team increased significantly since previous years,” Skertich said. for making them want to keep playing. Players like Mantoan are grateful for the experience of playing The goals that were met this season against talented teams in tournaments like Nationals. This were imperative to the success of boosts their skill levels and helps create a more competitive individual players and atmosphere. the team as a whole. “[If I could change anything about the “I have been playing experience,] I’d change how often we practiced “I HOPE TO PLAY IN for eight years, and I for it, because we barely had time to prep. My THE FUTURE IN plan on playing college favorite part was being able to compete against hockey after high COLLEGE.” the best teams in the country. It’s a whole new school. I wanted to game that way,” Mantoan said. JACK DEPNER (9) achieve more shutouts

FOR THE RECORD

The most imperative games of the season

Feb. 26, 2021

The Roper Cup occurred from this Friday to Sunday in February. This tournament was against local teams like Crown Point, Munster and Bishop Noll.

March 13, 2021

Players Brendan Kerrick (12), Brett Bogie (12), Richard Mantoan (12), Spiro Skiadopoulos (12), Joseph Heuberger (11), Mark Tripenfeldas (10), Samuel Ruzas (10), Zachary Szumski (12), John Bondi (12) and Cole Maynard (12) represented LC in the Illiana All-Star tournament.

SKATING SUCCESS Joseph Heuberger (11) skates down the ice to defend the puck. This game was played against Munster on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Photo by: Jordan Znosko

April 1517, 2021

The 2021 ChipotleUSA Hockey High School Nationals occured over this April weekend. The team did not win, but was invited last minute.

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME BASE After his 250th win, Mr. Sherman looks back on his career as a softball coach thus far WORDS Annika Gorney, Rachel Narjes, Jona Rivera, Emma Rodriguez and Brian Scott DESIGN Emily Prince

COACHING HIGHS Head Coach Jeffrey Sherman talks to one of his players. He recently experienced his 250th softball win, which he considers as one of his best coaching moments. Photo by: Matt Gacek

ELEVEN SEASONS, three Coach of the Year awards, two-time State runner up and now 250 total wins. Head Coach Mr. Jeffrey Sherman has set a historic record of 250-63 can improve on,” during his time coaching Coach Sherman softball, and through his “HE MAKES IT A said. success this record will PRIORITY THAT WE While Coach continue to grow. Sherman is always “I wanted to get into WORK HARD.” working to improve softball just to help this PEYTON PEPKOWSKI (12) his team, he makes program continue to sure he doesn’t leave be as successful as it Sherman said. out having some fun has been. I was [an] Before each game, Coach in the process. Many of the girls say assistant on our baseball Sherman finds himself performing his they often enjoy themselves while staff when the position pre-game rituals. These rituals help practicing. opened, and it just him prepare for the game ahead. “I think we have been so successful seemed like a good time “I like to have a Snickers, FaceTime as a team over the years because he to attempt to run my with my son, chest bump my assistant makes it a priority that we work hard own program,” Coach coach, Coach Serrano, and close every day at practice and get our Sherman said. my eyes during the National Anthem stuff done but we can have fun while Coach Sherman soon to give myself one last moment of doing it,” Peyton Pepkowski (12) said. became invested in the clarity,” Coach Sherman said. Not only do the girls enjoy program. He would As the seasons continue to pass themselves, but Mr. Sherman does analyze every game, by, Coach Sherman focuses on one as well. Throughout the seasons, he searching for new ways aspect that he can never forget: the has experienced some of what he to tweak the team. players themselves. considers his best coaching highs. “I’m happy every time “He’s very motivational and makes “The highest highs I’ve had as a we win a game, but at sure if you mess up you forget about coach are the two years that we the same time I’m also it and keep playing good,” Morgan have played in the looking Heinecke (9) said. State Championship. for things Throughout his career, Coach Although each time that we “I HAVE LOVED Sherman has learned some lessons. we ultimately came One of them relates to the bonds COACHING IN THOSE up just short of the he creates between himself and the title, I have loved GAMES.“ team. coaching in those “The biggest lesson I have learned games,” Coach JEFFREY SHERMAN, COACH is to have great relationships with our players. I want them to leave here knowing that we tried to make them better people as well as players, and that we will continue to root for them after leaving LC,” Coach Sherman said.

QUICK QUOTES

What is Mr. Sherman like as a coach?

“Our team loves how Sydney competitive Sherman Doloszycki (11) is and how we play to win. Some things he does to push our team to do our best is give us constructive criticism, and on occasion he makes us run.”

Peyton Pepkowski (12) “Sherman

has been my coach since freshman year. There has never been a dull moment when he was coaching and he always pushes up to work hard. I have really enjoyed having Sherman as my coach over the years.”

“[Coach Sherman] is Morgan really funny and knows Heinecke (9) how to coach well. He does a good job of motivating us. He also gives out softball stickers that you put on the back of your helmet when you do good in a game, which is really fun.“

Jordan Sherman is a great August (12) coach, as well as a great

guy in general. He motivates us all the time, whether he yells or makes us laugh. We have team meetings everyday, in the same spot. That’s when we know it’s time to put on our game faces, listen to the talk, then play our game.

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SPRING INTO ACTION

Take a look at spring sports as their season continues in full swing

AVERAGE NUMBER OF GAMES PER SEASON SOFTBALL BASEBALL

26 26

GIRLS TENNIS

GIRLS TRACK

BOYS TRACK

BOYS GOLF UNIFIED TRACK AND FIELD

16 6

WORDS Annika Gorney, Rachel Narjes, Jona Rivera, Emma Rodriguez and Brian Scott DESIGN Emily Prince

282

“WE WEAR OUR MASKS. BEFORE EVERY GAME AND PRACTICE. WE GO THROUGH A COVID SYMPTOM CHECKLIST TO TRY AND STAY SAFE.”

Total number of spring athletes

Hunter Snyder (10) said about the baseball COVID precautions.

52.2 NUMBER OF SPECTATORS ALLOWED

“ONE OF THE GOALS I HAVE FOR THIS SEASON IS GOING TO STATE IN THE 4X400 AND 800, AND WE’VE BEEN PRACTICING HARD EVERY DAY IMPROVING COLLECTIVELY AS A TEAM. SOME OF THE OBSTACLES I’VE HAD TO FACE ARE INJURIES, AS WELL AS SETBACKS IN THE TEAM OVERALL.”

200

spectators are allowed at track meets

140

spectators are allowed at baseball games

Jordan Duggan (12) said about his hopes for this track season.

Average length of season in days

“[I WANT] TO WIN SECTIONALS AND PLAY IN REGIONALS FOR THE FIRST TIME. I ALSO WANT TO GO TO SEMI- STATE AS A TEAM OR INDIVIDUALLY.” Leah Palkon (11) said about her goals for this tennis season.

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FLUID EXPRESSIONS Students like Alexa Nied (11) express themselves using room decor. She used posters, lights, plants and other decorations to do so. Photo Submitted by: Alexa Nied

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BECOMING A PART OF THE SCRIPT

Viewing film and TV shows can take apart in the formation of teenagers’ identity

FOR THE RECORD

Students discuss the resurgence of vinyl records and whether or not they prefer them to streaming services

ADMIRATION OR OBSESSION? With constant celebrity updates from social media and paparazzi, fans’ admiration is turning into obsession

CREATIVITY AND COMFORT

Students use their rooms as their safe haven but also as a form of self-expression and creativity

WHICH LC FAMILY WOULD YOU BE A PART OF? Take this quiz to find out!

#VINYLDESTINATION

Students and staff responded to an Instagram story with their favorite vinyl record

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BECOMING A PART OF THE SCRIPT Viewing film and TV shows can take apart in the formation of teenagers’ identity

WORDS Natalie Genovese, Alyssa Klimowski, Abbey O’Neill, Brenna Polovina, Madelyn Porter, Elizabeth Schallmo, Reagan Sideris and Molly Tkach DESIGN Elizabeth Sulek

COPYING CHARACTERS Film and tv shows can depict a perfect lifestyle that viewers may want. This desire impacts the development of their identity.

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TODAY’S COMING OF AGE MOVIES and television can give a look into what the world and high school are like. According to a Media Psychologist Karen Dill Shackleford, PhD, oftentimes people can see fictional characters as extensions of themselves. “The show ‘All American’ could give society repercussions because it shows mental health, viewers may begin to how it is to be a person of color copy poor behavior aimed towards in America and how oppressed “IT’S ALMOST others. According to Michigan they are. ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ State University, children learn by is important to society because it ADDICTING TO LIVE repeating actions they have seen, shows how high school students THEIR LIFE LIKE which can lead to children repeating deal with mental health, and it THEY DO.” any sort of behavior. gives a perspective of how you “I try not to idolize people. I have don’t always know what someone AVERY RAMOS (11) never thought that a show can have is going through in their lives,” a repercussion on society, but I think Hailey Sosbe (10) said. some shows could have an influence “The show ‘All American’ These kinds of shows that follow on younger people in good and bad ways,” Hope influenced me. I get some of my sayings from high school students can shine Beatty (10) said. characters in the shows. I don’t mimic any certain light onto a realistic student’s Michigan State University continues to explain that characters from shows I watch; I mainly just take everyday life. However, they can “with as little as 20 seconds of television viewing, inspiration from the characters and make them have an adverse effect when toddlers as young as 14 months are able to repeat into what I am,“ Sosbe said. students are not accurately actions observed during videos.” These types of Attitudes and styles portrayed by actors may represented both physically and repeated actions can affect the way that viewers lead their audience to dress or speak a certain mentally. live their lives. why. However, topics of the show may also have “There’s a lot of negative “I was influenced by the ‘Law and Order’ original impacts on viewers beliefs and interests. repercussions like people having series and the ‘Special Victims’ series. It impacted “‘Greys Anatomy’ made me look at life differently. unrealistic views of the world my life because I never really had good role models This series showed me to not take things for based on TV and things like growing up, so I wanted to base how I live my life off granted. Meredith is extremely independent, beauty standards and selfthe good people in those shows. I kind of watched which reflects off of me. This show inspired me to esteem problems that can come it so much that I almost became them in a way. It’s go into a medical profession,” Natalie Kransky (10) from that. I feel like a lot of people almost addicting to live their life like they do,” Ramos said. in society mimic that because they said. Though of course poor character behavior may want to have a certain body type Postdoctoral research member of the University of rub off on impressionable viewers, some students and they want to look a certain Michigan Department Psychology, Julia Lippman, choose to focus on positive behavior. Brooke way instead of being themselves. suggests that our romantic ideals are learned from Sajda (9), for example, has learned resilience from It kind of depends on what you the messages we consume from the media. This films and shows she has watched. define as too far, but I think overall, explains why students like Ramos and Beatty relate “I watch a lot of shows and movies that it can wear on someone’s mental to the characters they watch on the screen. involve characters having a hard time becoming health,” Avery Ramos (11) said. “I have watched some shows that have taught me stronger, so I guess it motivates me not to give In addition to one’s personal so many important things which up,” Sajda said. causes me to look at life differently. Kransky is another student with the same One I liked would be ‘Virgin River.’ mindset. Film has taught her many lessons she They’ve shown me a lot of things considers valuable. “I DON’T MIMIC ANY about love and hardships. I don’t “I learned to trust my instincts, admit my mistakes, CHARACTERS; I MAINLY imitate characters, but I have face my fears, to never underestimate myself JUST TAKE INSPIRATION applied some lessons I’ve learned and to stay determined and strong through any in my own life,” Beatty said. challenges that come my way,” Kransky said. AND MAKE THEM INTO Most students don’t feel like they Growing up surrounded by fictional on-screen WHAT I AM.” completely mirror their favorite characters has allowed young generations to characters. Rather, students like mirror different actions and behaviors for years. HAILEY SOSBE (10) Beatty and Sosbe, let characters’ Regardless of how this may have an impact on behaviors inspire the way they act. peoples’ lives, audiences have been able to connect with many personalities and characters. “I’ve been influenced by many, but one stands out to me. I would have to say I am related to Freddy from “iCarly.” It hasn’t impacted my life so much but more of it has given me something to relate to, to lean against,” Jack Teibel (12) said.

FAVE FILMS

What coming of age film or show do you best resonate with?

“I feel like “Clueless,” because I feel like the main character is so relatable, and [kind of] wraps up what’s going on through a 16 year old girls head.”

Elise Smith (10)

“If “Mean Girls” is considered one, I would think that because school is hard and there’s so much drama with people.”

Lauren Kennedy (9)

“I would say “10 Things I Hate About You” is important to me because over quarantine, me and my mom were watching a bunch of old movies. We watched it on her birthday, and it was such a cute and light hearted movie.”

Peyton Fieldhouse (10)

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FOR THE RECORD WORDS Taylor Anderson, Ines Caballes, Brooke Follrad, Tiffanie Richerme and Trista Thompson DESIGN Elizabeth Sulek

Students discuss the resurgence of vinyl records and whether or not they prefer them to streaming services

DESPITE HAVING SO many available streaming services, vinyl records have been gaining popularity at a rapid pace. Because it is a physical form of music instead of listening to music from a phone or laptop, records create a different listening atmosphere. they are something you can truly keep forever or pass down “I think they’re making a huge to younger generations,” Bennett said. comeback because it’s fun to go out and The opinions on whether or not the trend of record collecting look for them and actually put a record will last varies on who you ask. Students like Sadie Bielski (10) on instead of using Spotify or Pandora,” think that the popularity of vinyl records will eventually come Zielke said. to an end, similar to other trends. There are many other reasons “People might like the idea that [music is on why records have become popular something] other than a streaming platform. again. Certain people collect LPs and Because streaming I think [the trend of record collecting] will “I THINK THEY’VE understand the new hype around them. platforms are more eventually die out again. No trend can really With different color variants and modern convenient, many vinyl KIND OF REACHED stay popular forever, but I do think that a artists jumping to press their work on listeners, such as Madison THEIR PEAK FOR small group of people will continue to use records, the “trend” has become more Heinecke (11), listen to both them,” Bielski said. accessible and widespread. streaming platforms and NOW.” On the other hand, people like Annissa Ortiz “I think they are making a comeback records. Because of this, (10) think that records will most likely continue CAROLINE COPE (9) because people are starting to find vinyls may not die out as being popular over time. Because more and [records] “popular” or “cute,” which is soon as one may think. more artists are using this method to push out setting many others to want to collect “I listen to Spotify more their music, it could always be there as a mainstream form. them,” Bennett said. than my records because it is easier, but “I feel like records will continue to grow just because they’re Unlike the usual streaming service, when I feel like it, I’ll play some of my favorite kind of becoming ‘trendy’ in a sense again,” Ortiz said. records allow the listener to hold a records,” Heinecke said. While the future of vinyl records’ popularity has physical copy of what they Vinyl records have gone up dramatically been up for debate, no one really knows what are listening to. Records can in price as opposed to what they cost when will happen. Records have gone out of style be collectible items or used they were the primary way to listen to music. “SOME PEOPLE before, but then again, they have also come by music lovers on a regular In the early 2000s, vinyls cost an average ENJOY THE back with a boom. basis. of $4.80, according to CNBC. That price “It all depends. If music producers continue to VINTAGE “I really do think records are had remained fairly stagnant since they use vinyls as a format, then [the trend will most worth the money because were invented, but nowadays the average FEELING.” likely continue to grow], but at the same time, record can cost anywhere from $20 to $40. if they shrink in popularity then less people will This is due to the fact that manufacturers LAUREN want to have them,” Owen Riordan (12) said. know people will pay more for the vintage PRASOPOULOS (10) look and feel when listening to their music. “[Records have] definitely gone up in price since they started gaining popularity. I wish they were less, but I keep buying them, so they’re definitely worth it. I [own]

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about 50 records,” Caroline Cope (9) said. Because records were so popular in previous decades, many students started collecting them because their parents or grandparents had them and trend of collecting records sticks around, the sale of passed them down. Chains like Target and them will most likely continue, even if only at vintage Walmart host special releases of records, shops. The actual aesthetic of the music players and local stores like S&J Stereos in Griffith appeal to some students because of the retro feel. and Antique Vault & Records in Crown Point “Personally I bought my records and record player sell records, boosting their popularity as because the 80’s were so fascinating well. to me, but some people buy them just “I have probably four for an aesthetic and that’s totally okay. I records of my own, but have “[RECORDS] ARE think that further down the line, maybe at least more than 10 that COOL TO OWN AND the reasons will change for owning my family share together. CAN BE USED FOR them,” Prasopoulos said. Most of them are from when my mom was younger, so a DECORATIONS.” lot of old Christmas records LILLIAN ANDERSON (10) or old singers,” Bielski said. Whether or not the actual

PRESSING PLAY

Various types of vinyl record pressings

7-INCH SINGLES are smaller records with one or two songs on the entire record.

12-INCH LPS are the most common type of record. This is what most full albums are pressed on.

CULTIVATING A COLLECTION Mackenzie Zielke (12) is surrounded by some records from her collection. She was excited when pressed records started to experience a rise in popularity, and plans to continue growing her collection. Photo by: Brian Scott

12-INCH EPS are short for “extended plays,” these records are longer than a single, but shorter than an LP album. 41.

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ADMIRATION OR OBSESSION? WORDS Lauren Kutcka, Cori Lollis, Daisy Monahu, Meghan Swacus and Brenna Polovina DESIGN Elizabeth Sulek

FAMOUS FRIENDS Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Kendall Jenner are celebrites that have strong fan bases. All three of them had dangerous encounters with obsessed fans. Design by: Elizabeth Sulek

With constant celebrity updates from social media and paparazzi, fans’ admiration is turning into obsession

SCROLLING THROUGH social media, Toni Cimino (11) comes across her favorite celebrity, Kendall Jenner. She follows her and sees updates on Jenner’s life in real time. “I really like Kendall Jenner’s lifestyle. I just enjoy the Kardashians, and she’s my favorite one. I think into obsession. However, if the fan fascination turns into obsession doesn’t acknowledge nor respect when you let them influence the line drawn in between them then things you do daily,“ Cimino it becomes an unhealthy obsession.” said. According to PsychCentral, Obsession can lead to harmful can turn from a super fan to obsessions take over people’s lives “ADMIRATION TURNS behaviors and altering fans’ a stalker. According to BBC, and cause their minds to create INTO OBSESSION personality to match their celebrities deal with crazed fantasies, which results in a lack of idol’s. One aspect of celebrity WHEN PEOPLE START fans turned stalkers often, productivity. PsychCentral also says obsession is hyper-fixation, and 80% of the celebrities that mental health is affected when GOING TO THESE which includes the deep and who do are women. people alter their daily lives because PEOPLE’S HOUSES.” intense concentration and “Celebrity fascination of their fascinations. obsession of someone or can be dangerous for the “[Taylor Swift] influences me by AMANDA NORCUTT (10) something. celebrity because it can standing up for what she believes “An obsession over a celebrity put them in a number of in and using her platform to help can take a huge toll on that dangerous situations. The person with said others. Admiration turns into obsession when people person’s mental health,” Sydney fascination could stalk the celebrity and start going to these people’s houses or stalking and Ignasiak (10) said. “Sometimes potentially harass them or expose their being crazy,” Amanda Norcutt (10) said. you can get hyper-fixated personal information. It can even go as far as Social media today allows followers to see behind about what other people think them attempting to kidnap the celebrity. They the scenes of a celebrity’s life at any time. According about you and you forget to have to put up with creepy fans and still have to Common Sense Media, celebrity obsession can realize that it doesn’t matter to be nice to them to maintain their public reach extremes that negatively impact one’s life. For and that they don’t actually image. The celebrity has to deal with all of example, if someone spends all of their money to care as much as you think they the backlash and has to take responsibility look like their favorite celebrity, they have gone from do. Their world distracts them for everything when the obsessed fan was just admiring to becoming obsessed. from their life and their problems the one who overstepped the boundaries,” “I imagine if someone is obsessed too much with a and makes them feel better, Ignasiak said. celebrity, they start to pick up on things they say or which makes Seeing celebrity’s images on social media do which leads to them acting as the them attached. can affect how others view themselves and celebrity. Which I guess isn’t necessarily That could their worth. According to MindWise, comparing bad, but if someone is known for being “AN OBSESSION potentially lead yourself to another individual can lead to unkind, the fans would probably be OVER A CELEBRITY unrealistic standards. Many influencers alter unkind as well. Well I would say, for me CAN TAKE A HUGE their photos and give viewers a false sense of at least, I never really was influenced body image that can have a negative impact by the celebrity itself, more of the TOLL ON THAT on viewers. movies they starred in,” Marc Radtke PERSON’S MENTAL “I think that it can help in certain aspects, (12) said. but also be very damaging in others. In some People who obsess over a celebrity HEALTH.” ways, having an idol or celebrity to look up SYDNEY IGNASIAK(11) to can really help people get through rough patches. On the flip side, [it] can be disappointing if they get too obsessed with that person,” Nora Markley (10) said.

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CELEBRITY STALKERS Obsessed fans have taken their celebrity fascinations into criminal activities

BREAKING AND

ENTERING

DAILY LIFE is not always easy for celebrities with thousands of fans. Massive fan bases can lead to dangerous encounters. Celebrities such as Kendall Jenner would know. According to Daily Mail, the supermodel was home during an intrusion, but thanks to her security, she stayed safe. 27-year-old Shaquan King, charged with misdemeanor by police, was identified as the stalker.

THE LOVE

NOTE

BEING A CELEBRITY comes with lots of fan mail. Ariana Grande’s mail contains love letters, delivered by obsessed fans at her door. According to Mirror, a fan in his mid 20s was found on her property with a love note in his possession wanting to talk to the singer. The trespasser has now been charged with misdemeanor trespassing and felony battery.

BAD

GUY HAVING A PRIVATE life in your own home is hard for some celebrities, such Billie Eilish, who has a home in Los Angeles. According to legal documents obtained by NBC News, Eilish accused John Hearle of frequently watching her enter and exit her home while saying indiscernible things in a low and disturbing voice. Eilish won the court case to get a restraining order against Hearle.

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CREATIVITY AND COMFORT Students use their rooms as their safe haven but also as a form of self-expression and creativity

WORDS Kylie Biehler, Maya Gorney, Charlotte Harmon, Tiffanie Richerme and Jona Rivera DESIGN Jackson Novak

ELLA DOBROVITS (10)

retro and modern

ELLA DOBROVITS (10) uses her room to show all of her creative interests and as a way to express herself. She incorporates modern trends, plants, movies and photos of her friends and family in her room to make it her own. “I express myself through my room by having things that I love and bring me joy as decorations,” Dobrovits said. The octagon shape of her room is only one of the many things that make it unique. Dobrovits’ room also has twelve windows and a large table full of plants to show her love for gardening. Dobrovits also shows her love for her favorite movie by putting posters up on her wall. “I have a huge movie poster of ‘Little Women.’ I have a table with just my plants because I love gardening and plants, and they make a cute decoration,” Dobrovits said. Dobrovits also has items in her bedroom that

showcase the importance of family in her life. She decorates her room with items that remind her of the people she cares most about. “I love having fun little things that mean something to me in my room. In my collage above the door I have pieces of paper from the 50s that my grandma gave me. There are picture frames on my night table and desk of my family, which mean a lot to me,” Dobrovits said. As well as having more retro pieces, her room has features that are also more modern. Even though these decorations can be considered “trendy,” Dobrovits still has all of them match her style and the theme of her room. “In my room, my Polaroid wall could be considered trendy because I got the idea for it off Pinterest. Many other parts of the room are trendy, too, but with my personal twist on things like plants and a salt lamp,” Dobrovits said.

creative chaos THE ASSORTMENT OF decorations all over Natalie Marszalek’s (12) room help show off her creative style. She feels that her room is a good representation of her personality. “I like to use my room as a way to present all the chaos and creativity that exists in my subconscious in a physical form,“ Marszalek said. Marszalek displays abstract items to express her character. Most of these items she has collected over time from different places. “I’ve completely transformed every square inch [of my room]. I think the most unique items are items gifted to me and items I’ve thrifted or picked up off the street because they’re one of a kind,” Marszalek said. Although some people stop working on their room once they get it to a certain point, Marszalek continues to add different things to her room to make it more like her.

“I kind of just started somewhere and haven’t stopped yet. If I find something I think fits me, I buy it and throw it on the wall. If there isn’t room, I buy it anyways and usually end up giving it to someone close to me,” Marszalek said. Some people display special items because they represent something important. Marszalek’s tendency to add more things to her room builds on to the sentimental value of her space. “I think everything in my room has some form of significance to me because it’s accumulated over the years and most of it has been found,” Marszalek said. Many people have that one item in their room that they adore. For Marszalek, it’s her vanity. “My vanity is my favorite because nobody I know really has one like [it], and it’s my place of comfort because I get ready there every day,” Marszalek said.

NATALIE MARSZALEK (12)

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some music and some cacti NICHOLAS KRSKA (12)

FOR MANY STUDENTS, their bedroom serves as a domain for them to express their passions and hobbies. Nicholas Krska (12), for example, uses his to show his passion for music and biology. “Against one wall I have multiple fish tanks as well as cacti. I try to cover all of my walls with different tapestries or favorite artists to create a personally calming atmosphere. On my desk I house a small-scale lab for gourmet mushroom growing and other chemistry hobbies,” Krska said. He takes his inspiration for his room from mainly a retro aesthetic. Featuring older decorations, Krska likes to involve his music interests into his room. “Well there isn’t a definite style of the 60s, but I decorate my room with posters and tapestries of the

bands active during the time. Certain other paintings are just a psychedelic swirl of colors that add to the aesthetic,” Krska said. He also describes his room as a restful atmosphere to be productive. He uses it as a place for his hobbies such as writing and playing music. “I decorated my room the way I did because I felt that it would create a personally comfortable environment for me in which I can be creative. Scattered throughout are multiple different instruments and sheet music depending on the day,” Krska said. Additionally, he places band posters throughout his room to express his love for music. He then uses this space to practice playing music on his cello. “I have played the cello for eight-

and-a-half years. Usually I prefer to practice all of my instruments in my room alone. This is for the sad reason that not too many people enjoy listening to other people practice unless they are performing a piece,” Krska said. Krska enjoys tending to his plants he keeps in his room. This reflects his passion for caring for the environment. “Primarily, the non-aquatic plants I have in my room are cacti. Growing out of my 55 gallon fish tank are around four vanilla plants. Inside of the fish tanks are a myriad of aquatic plants that I have collected from runoff ponds around the area. Personally, all these plants show my different interests in studying the way plants grow in a multitude of substrates,” Krska said.

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WHICH LC FAMILY WOULD YOU BE A PART OF? Take this quiz to find out! WORDS Yadi Jimenez, Andie Kalemba, Tiffanie Richerme, Jona Rivera and Vicky Torres DESIGN Jackson Novak

WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER DO FOR FUN? WORKOUT

READ ARE YOU MORE SPONTANEOUS OR MORE OF A PLANNER?

ARE YOU MORE ANALYTICAL OR CREATIVE?

ANALYTICAL

SPONTANEOUS

CREATIVE

PLANNER

DO YOU VALUE COMMUNNICATION OR BALANCE MORE?

COMMUNICATION

BALANCE

WHICH SPORT WOULD YOU RATHER WATCH WITH YOUR FAMILY? SOCCER

WHICH TV COUPLE WOULD YOU WANT AS YOUR PARENTS?

BASKETBALL

The Ohlenkamps In the Ohlenkamp family, they feel that being healthy should be the number one priority for everyone. Being healthy includes not only physical health like working out, playing sports and eating well, but also includes your mental, social and spiritual health. As a part of their family, you have to be humble, thankful and compassionate to others who may not be as blessed. Their family always encourages their kids to be the best that they can be.

The Holdens

You have to be good at communicating with others in the Holden family. Keeping an open line of communication helps their family feel comfortable. They have discussions with each other before making any major decisions that involve their kids. No matter if you do good things or bad things, this family will love, respect and sympathize with each other. The Holdens believe that no one is perfect. Everything you experience can provide an opportunity to learn something.

PHIL AND CLAIRE

(from “Modern Family”)

The Verpootens

Be ready to have a little bit of fun and structure in the Verpooten family. Dr. Verpooten likes to keep life spontaneous while Mrs. Verpooten sets the rules and keeps everything moving and organized. They will make sure that the family knows where they all need to be and when. Your parents will make sure you’re having fun while also focusing on making sure you have many of opportunities for activities and aren’t playing video games too much, and are getting chores done.

RAY AND DEBRA

(from “Everybody Loves Raymond”)

The Clarks In the Clark family, you will alway be hanging out with each other and have a lighthearted relationship with each other. During school breaks and when you have extra time, your parents will try to do things to enrich your lives, such as take you to places you’ve never been. Their family emphasizes hard work and being kind to others. Your parents will try to get you to work hard and will try to open you up to new perspectives. Mr. and Mrs. Clark both like to joke around with and tease their kids.

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VINYL DESTINATION

Students and staff responded to an Instagram story with their favorite vinyl record

Audrey DiFilippo (12) @audreydifilippo

Tyler Murray (11)

Miller Knestrict (9)

Death by a Thousand Cuts by Taylor Swift

Signals by Rush

Luv is Rage by Lil Uzi Vert

Jennifer Tulsiak (12)

Brianna Caban (12)

You Belong with Me by Taylor Swift

Rumors by Fleetwood Mac

Evan Caposey (12)

Ava Giovane (9)

Views by Drake

Dangerous by Morgan Wallen

Taylor Kosiek (11)

Gabriella Simkus (10)

Astroworld by Travis Scott

I have hundreds, but probably some of my extra special David Bowie records

Katherine Markley (12)

Nathan Oakley (12)

@tylermurray543

@miller_knestrict

Mr. Patrick Winters, English

@coachwinters52

American Beauty by The Grateful Dead

@jennytulsiak

@brianna.caban

Vincent Fioretti (11)

@vmfioretti17

@evan.caposey27

Breakfast in American Supertramp

Chloe Hardesty (11)

@chloe.hardesty

@a_gio13

@taylor_kosiek

Vitaology by Pearl Jam

Kiley Conner (11)

@kiconner8

What you see is what you Get by Luke Combs

@joseph_cardinale218

@nateoakley

@kate_markley_

Queen II

After Hours by the Weekend

Nathaniel Sorrentino (12)

Isabella Born (9)

Karlie Detmar (12)

Van Halen II

Purpose by Justin Beiber

Freudian by Daniel Caesar

@natesorrentinomusic

@bbellaborn

STAYCONNECTED

@karliedetmar

INSTAGRAM @LAKECENTRALNEWS

TWITTER @LCHSNEWS

FACEBOOK @LAKECENTRALNEWS

SNAPCHAT @LCNEWS 43.

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A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MR. JEREME RAINWATER AND THE LAKE CENTRAL PRINT SHOP FOR TRANSFORMING OUR WORK INTO SOMETHING EVERY STUDENT CAN HOLD

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