bf a time for bear facts student media lake zurich high school september @LZBearFacts | september2014 2014
letter from the editor
print editor-in-chief:
Dear Readers,
lexi fye
We know this is not the traditional Bear Facts you are used to seeing, so we would like to introduce you to the new-andimproved Bear Facts Student Media’s magazine. You are the first set of LZHS students to see the new production of our class, but there are multiple characteristics that separate a magazine from a newspaper. Not only is the size a lot smaller, the final piece is now in color, and it no longer has an overall newspaper look, but our magazine now has a “theme.” These themes will change monthly with each issue, and the main stories throughout our magazine will be connected to the theme. In spirit of Bear Facts taking on a new look and idea, the theme of this specific issue is the idea of change. Change is something that happens every day, every hour, and every second. No two moments are ever the same. Life is all about change, and so is the 2014-15 school year, around and within the school. For more information about this transition and what is happening, turn to page 6 for an article talking about our plans for this upcoming year. Enjoy as Bear Facts takes on this year with a new look, and we hope you will support us as we make history within our school publication.
Sincerely,
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genna danial meagan bens
web editor-in-chief: lexi miranda
web managing editor: emmy schwerdt
staff writers: hannah bostrom allie brandl michael gallagher madison hart julia ketcham jemma kim stephanie pavin amanda pflaumer brianne saab jenny steinberg katie szarkowicz danna tabachnik natalie ullman carolyn wagner Bear Facts Student Media Lake Zurich High School 300 Church Street Lake Zurich, IL 60047 TopWeb Printing 5450 N Northwest Highway Chicago, IL 60630
cover art by nikos stroubos, junior, and casey mcginnis, senior
All decisions are made by the Bear Facts staff. The advisor is responsible for making recommendations based on school rules, applicable laws, ethical journalism, and other concerns. However, final authority rests with the staff. Bear Facts staff and writers strive to inform, entertain, and showcase high quality work to our readers on a monthly basis. We always seek to uphold standards of journalistic integrity, acceptable ethics, and truth.
print managing editors:
adviser:
Lexi Fye Editor-in-Chief
About Us
bear facts
Website
Bear Facts is also published online at http:// www.LZBearFacts.com. Online materials report daily news occasionally related to our print publication. Advertising
To advertise in Bear Facts, please contact our editorial board at bear_facts@lz95.org. Prices vary on size and placement of the advertisement.
Letters to the Editor
Students are invited to submit articles or letters to the editor. Students submitting can contact any Bear Facts staff member at bear_facts@lz95.org. Staff reserves the right to edit any material submitted while retaining intent. Special thanks to our sponsor
Offbeat Music Store
For a complete editorial policy, please see our website.
What’s inside? 6 behind the new look Read about the change of our print and web publication.
9
bringing back gymnastics Find out about an independent gymnast competing for LZHS.
12
celebrating 50 years Discover the changes around the building in the past 50 years.
15
new faces in the crowd Learn about the new staff around the school.
18
contrasting class perspectives Explore the differences between freshman and senior siblings’ personalities.
by lexi miranda
photo use with permission of jenny steinberg
Jenny Steinberg, senior, spent 25 days in the Bahamas this summer, but not on an average vacation. She spent these weeks at marine biology camp. “We stayed at Gerace Research Center in San Salvador in The Bahamas,” Steinberg said. “The trip was 21 days for people who already had their open water certification. Since I didn’t, I went down four days earlier [than others]. During those four days, we learned the skills we needed to get our open water certification. We played games every day and basically went scuba diving daily since we were getting our advanced open water certification. Almost daily we would have a lesson in marine biology then be assigned a journal due the next day.” Since this was an academic summer camp, it is taken for college credit. During the course, students took a midterm, final, and conducted a research study project. “My group and I chose to focus on the amount of healthy versus diseased coral in the reefs we dove at [for our research study project],” Steinberg said. “We chose this because in one of our lessons, we learned about what is happening to the reefs and once we found out about this and looked up common Caribbean diseases, we started noticing a lot of it on our regular dives.” Although Steinberg learned many skills that will aid her future in marine biology, she believes the most valuable lesson was learning to appreciate the ocean more. “It’s like another world down there that no one really has the chance to truly be able to experience it,” Steinberg said. “Being able to scuba dive and see all these beautiful animals and how they interact with one another was an experience I can’t describe. It’s something you have to experience yourself.” @LZBearFacts | september 2014
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“I’m excited to cheer on our amazing teams as a cheerleader on the new football field and basketball court.” -Jessi Stevens, fr.
“I think the F.A.M.E. program is going to greatly improve the way we guide freshmen.” -Patrick MacDonald, sr.
change
What is your favorite around the school? “I enjoy being able to play on the new turf. As a football player, it’s a benefit we are looking forward to.” -Ryan McGeever, soph.
“I like how some classes have new desks without the connecting chair.” -Nicole Furio, jr.
Concert Corner chicago 9/8 Florida Georgia Line: Aragon Ballroom 9pm 9/13 Martina McBride: Genesee Theatre, Waukegan 8pm 9/8 Ed Sheeran: Allstate Arena, Rosemont IL 7:30pm Spoon: The Chicago Theatre 7:30pm 4
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photos by lexi fye
looking for tickets? Tickets that are currently on sale can be found on credible websites such as Ticketmaster, StubHub, and Livenation.
Around the
Town
Looking for something to do? The Lake Zurich community, as well surrounding areas, feature activities and events
Rock the Block: September 13 The block party, in its second year, will be held in downtown Lake Zurich and will include features such as three live bands, balloon art, face painting, and food trucks. Rock the Block will begin at 5pm and admission is free. barrington Practice ACT test: September 20 The Barrington Area Library will host a practice ACT test, including a follow-up session two weeks later. Prior registration is required.
Our
TOP picks
5
2
1
3
long grove 9/27 - Midtown 5K Run and Walk to Benefit Bears Care wauconda 9/20 - Farm Heritage Festival Dunkin Donut’s black coffee (1) had the most flavor of the five coffees tested. For those who drink their coffee with cream and sugar, this is the best choice.Overall, this coffee was the most appetizing. Panera’s black coffee (4) had a very strong and sharp taste. It was one of the more bitter coffees tasted.
BF Media taste tested coffees. Here are the results.
McDonald’s black coffee (2) was tea-like and had a light roast. For those who enjoy a lighter taste, this is the best choice. Koffee Kup’s black coffee (3) was light but bland. This coffee is most likely a medium roast.
lake barrington 9/20 - Run the Shores at Lake Barrington
4
5
Starbuck’s black coffee (5) was extremely bitter and had a very strong taste. In order for this coffee to be enjoyable, a lot of cream and sugar would need to be added.
@LZBearFacts | september 2014
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What’s on the web? Follow the continuation of our theme on our website, where another related story will be uploaded each day. Go to http://lzbearfacts.com
Monday: The roof has been renovated this summer. Read about details of the project.
Tuesday: Math classes will now be using iPads during the year. Learn about the benefits.
Wednesday: The Fieldhouse has a new court for this year. Find out the reasons behind the alteration.
Thursday Some classes have new desks for this year. Learn about the change in seating.
Friday: The district has distributed over 2,000 iPads for this year. Read about this update.
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bf
behind the
new look
bear facts &
REDESIGNED REDEFINED
by lexi fye
For the past several decades, Bear Facts has been an increasingly cumbersome monthly 12-16 page newspaper readers had to fold to fit into a backpack. It was quickly becoming a tired-looking blackand-white publication, with the occasional use of blue on the front or back cover. News coverage focused on events happening around Lake Zurich - but many times readers knew the news before Bear Facts had a chance to report it. So late last year, the publication’s staff decided to reinvent Bear Facts. Welcome to your new Bear Facts, a multi-media approach to covering news and events in the school community. The staff ’s push to incorporate multiple forms of reporting is the driving force behind a change to “student media.” The staff will cover the same material as you have always seen but is offering new reader experiences, as well. LZBearFacts.com will now cover all news related to the school and community, leaving the magazine to focus on features about the people and stories of LZHS. On the inside,
@LZBearFacts | september 2014
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in PRINT Each issue will have a theme with 5-7 articles tied to that theme. The reoccuring pieces have changed, but those ideas are still present, in a different look and style than before. We have sports highlights on page 20 as well as our twitter poll, which was held a few weeks ago.
on the WEB We now publish stories on a daily basis. Web stories will mainly cover news happening around the school or community; however, it may include previews to events happening soon or reviews of albums or games.
of the magazine there are articles that are connected to the overall theme of the magazine, but there also those “reoccurring pieces,” like Bears Box and 60 Second Story, which will appear every issue, but are not necessarily connected to the month’s theme. “Last year, I attended Media Now STL Journalism camp to learn about the impact of design on readership of a production. I believe Bear Facts decided to transition into a newsmagazine because we realized the way a newspaper looks is too traditional for this modern world,” Emily Hack, 2014 graduate and former Bear Facts editor, said. “Eventually, we would lose all readership if we continued the newspaper, so we figured to make the transition now and set a standard for the schools around us.” One of the biggest reasons for the change is the fact that readers, along with the speed of news, have changed. “No one has time to sit down and read a 900 word story anymore,” Genna Danial, senior on Bear Facts, said. “With the amount of social media apps we have, by the time the newspaper comes out, the readers have already known the news for hours, or even days.” Armed with the knowledge that news moves faster than traditional print mediums, Bear Facts is also utilizing social media as a way to reach more readers and borrowing the highly visual medium of social media in offering a more eye-catching design. “Apps like Instagram, which is based on pictures and not words, are becoming increasingly popular because, again, we don’t have time to read, but we do have time to look at pictures. That’s another reason we’re going to magazine. There are more pictures and less text,” Danial said. “We also had to prioritize having color, no more black and white, because grey pictures are [unattractive] to look at. The only thing worse than not having pictures is having grey, blurry, washed-out pictures.” Bear Facts recognizes the black-and-white design of our old look was not reader friendly, and that includes the amount of text on a page. The more words, the more black-and-white a page looks, so the staff made a decision to limit the number of articles each issue so we could put a higher focus on graphics throughout all the stories. We are designing and redefining the meaning of student media at LZHS. We welcome reader feedback on any of our social media outlets to improve our magazine and your reader experience to the best it can be. bf
on SOCIAL MEDIA We have been on Facebook and Twitter for a couple years now, including our Score Center Twitter for Varsity games. Our Facebook and Twitter are for publishing links to our stories and keeping updated with news around LZ. In addition to all of that, we now have an Instgram to post pictures of events happening around the school.
LZBearFacts.com Lake Zurich Student Media @LZBearFacts 95
@LZ_ScoreCenter @lzbearfacts bear_facts@lz95.org
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bringing back
gymnastics
One gymnast challenges tradition by meagan bens
photo used with permission of fitzgerald photography @LZBearFacts | september 2014
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Emily McGuckin, freshman, does not like tradition, so she is changing LZHS’ history. She will be the first gymnast who is interested in representing the school as an independent. McGuckin, will register with IHSA to compete in high school gymnastics meets as an LZHS representative, but will train at her club gym. “Any individual in a sport such as gymnastics, bowling, or even track can represent the school as an independent if the school does not have a team. You are able to go online and enter in the State series,” Rolando Vazquez, athletic director, said. Because the high school does not have a gymnastics team, many gymnasts turn to cheerleading to participate in a school sport, or they continue to compete with their club and not join a school sport, McGuckin said. “I started gymnastics when I was two and there were ‘mommy and me’ classes. I joined a team in third grade and have been on a team for six years. Most people at our school quit gymnastics and join cheer, but I want to be a high school gymnast,” McGuckin said. “My mom and I looked into representing Lake Zurich as an independent because I want to do a high school sport and continue gymnastics, not just continue with my club team. I’m hoping my decision will encourage people to stick to gymnastics instead of defaulting into cheerleading. If others know they have this opportunity, then [high school gymnastics] may grow into something bigger.” As of right now, McGuckin is the only independent who will be training at U.S. Gymnastics Center in Lake Zurich, Julian Basler, USGTC owner and coach, said. “When I bought the gym I wanted to make sure that kids could compete, whether that be during the club season or as an independent during the high school season,” Basler said. “I have heard that a lot of people are interested in the idea as competing as an independent, but I have no final list of participants. I just know that Emily will be training here so far.” As an independent, McGuckin will compete in IHSA
meets during the girls’ gymnastics season, which is November to February. Other than those few months, she will be competing with her club team. “During the high school season, I will practice at USGTC with my coach,” McGuckin said. “When I go to meets, I will be by myself with my representative. I get to choose my representative, and it will be a coach. As for my uniform, I will wear my old leotard, which is black, blue, and silver. My practice hours during the high school season will be similar to my club hours right now, which is four hours for four days a week. I get to continue training with my coaches, keep a similar schedule, and compete for my high school, which is the best of both worlds for me.” Although McGuckin will practice on her own, she will abide to the same rules every Lake Zurich athlete has to accept, Vazquez said. “In order to compete, she will have to keep her grades up like every other athlete. Once she commits to the State level, she will not be able to compete with her club team,” Vazquez said. “Even though she does not practice and compete within the high school walls, she will have to follow the same rules.” Looking ahead at the new experience and competition at the high school level, McGuckin said she is prepared and excited to represent her school. “I went to the State meet two years ago to support my friend from club,” McGuckin said. “The high school level is definitely not as hard as club because there are not as many skill requirements. I think the high school competition will be manageable due to all my training. With that said, I hope to go to Sectionals and State.” After watching McGuckin train at USGTC, Basler said she will have a successful high school season. “She is a great gymnast and I know she will do well because I have seen her train at a high level,” Basler said. “I believe she has it in her to place at regionals, sectionals, and compete with the top gymnasts at the State meet.” bf
Another possible LZHS independent
Alex Leitl freshman 10
Q: Why are you interested in being a gymnast representing LZHS? A: “I want to do gymnastics because I can also join the golf team too. I was on the high school junior varsity cheerleading team this entire summer, and I just recently quit because I want to be able to do other sports.” Q: Have you ever been a gymnast? A: “I did gymnastics when I was little. I am thinking of just competing in floor because I have tumbled for a while and I did competitive tumbling at Kids in Action in Barrington this summer. I will try to learn the other events, but I probably will not compete in them.” Q: If you commit, where do you plan on training? A: “As of now, I plan on training at USGTC with Emily. I have talked to Julian a couple times about doing gymnastics in the past, since I was previously on a cheer team, but not recently.”
september 2014 | LZBearFacts.com
Emily McGuckin, freshman, has been on USGTC’s gymnastics team for six years and she is currently a level eight gymnast. She wants to continue her gymnastics career as a member on her club team and as an LZHS independent to be part of a high school sport. As an indepedent, she will train at her gym and bring a coach as her representative to her meets. McGuckin’s goal is to make it to State during her first high school season from November to February.
photos by meagan bens
@LZBearFacts | september 2014
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celebrating
50 years
LZHS
turns
50
by lexi miranda
Ninety-five year-old Lake Zurich resident Juanita Wagner has a unique connection to District 95. Wagner worked as the principal’s secretary at the high school before the school was even established as LZHS. “I was there when we were so crowded, and then they built Stevenson High School. All the students who lived near there moved to Stevenson High School and it was a re-
Changes throughout the
years
Current and former teachers look back at what has been changed throughout their careers at LZHS.
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“The band room’s placement, where the business wing is now, was perfect for those that got bored in class to jam along with the beat during our rehearsals. The sound just came right through the floor.” josh thompson, band director
“I was just excited, as a science teacher, for the new addition to have bathrooms nearby. Before kids had to walk to the main office to find the nearest bathroom.” marcus sipiera, science teacher
photo taken from Elyte volume ‘68
lief because it was too overcrowded,” Wagner said. “[So] there’s always been a rivalry between the two schools.” Although students continue to unofficially celebrate the ‘break up’ of LZHS and Stevenson, this year the school is officially celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishing our own, independent high school, according to Chris Bennett, social studies teacher.
After the separation in 1965, LZHS continued to use the two schools’ original Ela-Vernon High School, which is the current May Whitney building. The current high school building was not built until 1971, when the growing district needed more room for increasing student enrollment. “The middle school needed more space and needed to move into our building, so we built the new building,” Wagner said. “All of us that worked there were extremely excited.” The excitement of the move was contagious. Students during that time actually helped to move all of the library books from the old building to the new building. “All the students lined up and each was given a couple of books. They all got on school buses and went to the new school and the librarians told them which shelves the books went on,” Wagner said. “That continued until all the books were moved from the old school to the new school.” When the school was originally built in 1971, there was no B-hallway, S-hallway, Field House, Tonelli Gym, or Performing Arts Center, according to Bob Knuth, social studies teacher. “When I first got here [in 1986], the building went from the Main Gym and came down to the cafeteria,” Knuth said. “The doors to the atrium were the senior doors back then. The small auditorium was used as the performing arts center where plays and class meetings were held. There were 67 teachers and 867 students.” Today, LZHS consists of 2,040 students and 180 teachers, according to Bennett, and Knuth, who is on his 28th year teaching at LZHS, has seen the building transform through the years. “The facilities have just tripled in size since I first started here. The size and complexity are the biggest things that have changed here,” Knuth said. “We’ve also had a ton of technology upgrades.” Technology obviously became quickly outdated in the new school, with only three TVs in the entire building during 9/11, according to Knuth. “Now, every classroom has a television,” Knuth said. “They’ve also added overhead projectors. Every teacher re-
“We got brand new [band and choir] classrooms. When the 2003-2004 school year started, the choir room was not ready. We were teaching classes all over the place and wheeling pianos in and out.” nick juknelis, choir teacher
“The small Commons area, which had avocado green carpeting, frequently flooded when it rained as the outside wall was only temporary. The lockers were not located along the hallways, but were all in rows, back to back in the space now occupied by the small auditorium. There was no auditorium or theater.” sally lubeno, retired business teacher
“LZHS moved into the current building in January 1972. When the addition was being added that included the second gym, the football coaches insisted the locker room facilities did not need [as much] room.” susanne moenning, retired home economic teacher
@LZBearFacts | september 2014
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“The last day of the school year (probably 2002-2003), they started a lot of demolition before we were out of the building. I remember that there was literally electrical sparks and water coming out of the ceiling near the old choir room. I was thinking electricity and water don’t usually go together well so that might be my cue to get out.” nick juknelis, choir teacher
photos taken from Elyte volumes ‘77 and ‘94
ceived one computer in 1991, and we only had one computer lab. ” Not just the building has changed since the time Ryan Rubenstein, assistant principal for student activities and facilities, has worked at the school. “The types of students that come here [have changed]. Lake Zurich as a town has changed from a sort of summer home community to a community that people live in year-round,” Rubenstein said. “I think it says a lot about the school and the town because in the 60s, Lake Zurich used to just be a town where people from the city would come for the summer, and now it’s a very thriving community. We have great schools and overall just a great community.” Although the building itself has been changed numerous times, Knuth says one thing has remained constant: the people. “I’m grateful to the community and our administration over the years. I’m on my eighth principal and all those people over the years have worked with the same vision to try and improve the facilities over the years, so I’m grateful for them and their ability to understand what needs to happen,” Knuth said. “This school really is awesome, like they said in the Back-toSchool assembly this year. Despite the growth of the school, we’re still a family. We have the Lake Zurich family.” bf
In the top photo, the boys’ soccer team from 1994 plays at Mel Eide Field. In the left photo, the senior class of 1977 graduates. In the right photo, cheerleaders from 1994 cheer on their Lake Zurich Bears.
“The building was not finished in time for school to start in the fall [of 1971]. Over Christmas vacation, on school buses, the move took place. The original buillding only started with the 10-12th grades. Later, after another building phase had been completed, the Freshman came to join the other classes at the high school.” sally lubeno, retired business teacher
“I remember when the home economic cooking lab actually had windows, so we could vent the room on days that we made smelly stuff. They were blocked off when the new science area was built.” rosemary caparelli, child development teacher
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new faces in
the crowd
New counselors join F.A.M.E. program by genna danial and michael gallagher Four new counselors came to LZHS within the past few weeks, replacing the original counselors who helped develop the Freshmen Achieving Maximum Excellence (F.A.M.E.) program. This program divides freshmen lunch periods, one for lunch and one for guided instruction. During that time freshmen will go to designated classrooms to learn lessons, play games, and socialize will fellow classmates. Even though there might be some minor changes with the new staff, F.A.M.E. will remain as planned. “The background of [F.A.M.E.] has been clear from the start, and [the leaders] who signed up for it [know] the plan we made for the program,” Madi Maskalunas, senior F.A.M.E. leader, said. All counselors, including the new ones, will stop in F.A.M.E. once a week to help assist in lessons. “We had a program similar to F.A.M.E. at my old school, so I’m hoping that [it] won’t be brand new for me,” Laura Beata, new counselor, said. “It’s a good way
photo by genna danial
to get freshmen acclimated and get information out to students.” The counselors find this program crucial to the importance for freshmen and how it will develop their understanding of high school and beyond into college. “Freshmen year sets your foundation for your high school career, and if we get them on a good track now, we can make them more successful later,” Meghan Geraty, new counselor, said. “So teach them how to be organized, what a GPA is, what a transcript it, what credits are, [just] get them really familiar and kill the myth only junior year matters. That is so not true.” Maskalunas is a leader who advocates for the program and she loves the fact that freshmen will be able to interact with the school’s student services staff. “It’s really important to have a really good relationship with your counselor,” Maskalunas said. “They know so much; they can help you with so many things.” bf @LZBearFacts | september 2014
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new
Year & new
Face
by genna danial
The first day at a new school is exciting – and a little nerve-wracking – for anyone. New members of the LZHS community extend further than our freshmen, however, so start off your year right and get to know the new teachers, principals, and counselors who took the time to meet with BF Media. For complete more coverage on new staff members, uncluding familiar faces who are in new positions at the school, visit LZBearFacts.com. sarah danielewicz director of student services and therapeutic day placements, came from District 59, 15 years experience
meghan geraty counselor, came from Wheeling High School, five years experience
What is your favorite TV show? What’s one of your most embarrasing moments? When I was at my other school, a security guard thought I was a student, when I was a staff member, and tried to give me a tardy pass.
I’m diehard about The Good Wife, Scandal, and Grey’s Anatomy. And then I’ll watch trash TV like Keeping Up with the Kardashians to rot my brain and I’ll watch Dance Moms with my daughter. michael anderson business education teacher, came from internship at Hersey High School, first official teaching job
What would you do for a Klondike Bar? I do love ice cream, but I recently found out I’m allergic to dairy, so not much. If this was six months ago, I probably would have done some crazy things.
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How do you fe
I’m new to the a pair about a y are surprisingly They’re funny l really wear min they’re like wal when I do.
&es: meeting the
new members of amy pine library media specialist, came from Fremd High School, 13 years experience
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I would probably choose Princess Consuela, from the TV show Friends.
leslie thomas counselor, came from Bloom High School, six years experience
laura beata counselor, came from Centennial High School, five years experience
What music do you listen to? I like music from every genre. Some of everything. Typically it’s something I can run to. I’m a big Mumford & Sons fan, too.
natasha rosenak counselor, came from internship at Prospect High School, first official counseling job
eel about Crocs? Croc world. I bought year ago, and they y comfortable. looking and I don’t ne that often, but lking on clouds
What do you do in your free time? When I have free time, I love to do hot yoga and love doing any water sports, like paddle boarding. I also love to read, so my friends and I are in a book club. We just read The Red Tent. @LZBearFacts | september 2014
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contrasting
class perspectives
Senior vs Freshman
Sibling similarities and class comparisons
by emmy schwerdt Some say that your high school years will be the best of your life; but are they really? For freshmen, there’s a fear of not fitting in, balancing a new work load, and being tossed into a giant new school filled with people you have never met. For seniors, there’s the stress of applying to colleges, choosing a major, maintaining good grades, and facing the oncoming reality of adulthood and being independent. The amount of stress high school causes can have a serious toll on students. Mental breakdowns, panic attacks, lack of sleep, and even depression can plague students as they strive for perfection in a competition-driven atmosphere. “I’ve learned to sleep through anything now because my high school schedule has forced me to do so. Emotionally, between extra-curriculars and passing my classes, it’s been kind of tough,” Claire Van Der Bosch, senior, said. “It’s hard to express to adults who don’t understand what pressure we’re under just how frustrating [school] can be.” With the start of her senior year, Van Der Bosch says she is starting to feel the pressure of applying to colleges. “I’m worried about the process of submitting college essays and I’m even more scared about picking a good college,” Van Der Bosch said. “On top of that, I’m worried about keeping my grades up while trying to find time to
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september 2014 | LZBearFacts.com
make a decision about college.” Van Der Bosch’s younger brother, George, is a freshman and Claire wants to make sure he has the best high school experience possible. She hopes the adjustment is as easy as possible for him. Similarly, Elisa Krause, freshman, is looking to her sister Emily, senior, for how to adjust to the change of high school. “My biggest fear is the amount of time it will take to adjust. I’m worried I won’t be able to get a lot of sleep. Also, since there are so many new people I’ll be in class with, I feel the chances I’ll know somebody won’t be great,” Elisa said. “However, by attending Emily’s band concerts, track meets, and other activities, I have gotten a good idea of how to balance extra-curricular activities with school work.” Although Emily works hard to maintain a balance between school, sports, and extra-curricular activities, the senior says it is not always easy to keep everything on track and she wants to make sure her sister knows that. “Especially in [junior] year, the school year takes an awful toll on my mental state. The stress of managing school and sports was agonizing and drained all of my energy,” Emily said. “[Freshmen] have to be able to adjust to creating
photo used with permission of claire van der bosch
Above: Claire Van Der Bosch, senior, and George Van Der Bosch, freshman, smile together on the first day of school. Claire hopes her brother enjoys his high school experience. Right: Emily Krause, senior, and Elisa Krause, freshman, are excited for the new school year. Emily believes her younger sister is well-prepared for high school.
an even balance between sports, school, and extra-curriculars.” Although her high school experience has not always been easy, Emily said she is looking forward to her senior year. “I’m excited for senior privileges and meeting even more new people. After three years of observation, I finally understand why seniors are so excited for their last year,” Emily said. Even though freshman Elisa said that she understands why the seniors are so excited for their last year, she believes they should not lose focus on the more important things in their future. “I think the seniors should enjoy their last year of high school, but they should be sure to pay attention to their studies,” Elisa said. “Just
photo illustration by emmy schwerdt
because they’re almost done, doesn’t mean they actually are. Senior year is still important because colleges will still look at your grades.” Although big sister Emily feels Elisa is prepared for high school, her advice to all freshmen for a successful high school career is simple: “Work hard now and give everything your best effort. Do not start off thinking that high school will be all fun and games,” Emily said. “Your actions now will reflect on you later.” bf
HOMECOMING’S HERE! 9/14 Girls’ football games: 7pm and 8pm
9/18 Outdoor movie night: 8pm
9/19 Assembly Football Game: 7:30pm
9/20
Homecoming dance: 7:30pm @LZBearFacts | september 2014
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A little birdie told us...
Bear Facts @LZBearFacts what’s your favorite memory from this summer?
8/20
brad silverstein @BradSilverstein 8/20
Athlet of th M tara wilkes @Tcwilkes48
8/20
Caitlin Shepard @ShepardCaitlin 8/20 The Color Run
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september 2014 | LZBearFacts.com
Each varsity coac to nominate an “a month.” These at shown hard work nation throughout so far.
te he Month
ch was asked athlete of the thletes have and determit their season
matthew schwartz, freshman, boys’ cross country Matthew Schwartz was nominated because earlier he celebrated his one year birthday. This means that he ran every day for a year, which is pretty cool for a freshman to achieve. áine mattera, senior, girls’ golf
Áine Mattera played in many tournaments over the summer, and her game has improved tremendously. She is the number one player on varsity this year. collin foote, senior, boys’ soccer Collin has demonstrated through his preseason play that he is ready to take his game to a higher level this year. His play and leadership will be instrumental to the team’s success this season. mary sinclair, senior, girls’ tennis Mary was chosen for athlete of the month because she has a positive attitude and gumption on the court.
mickenzie andrews, senior, girls’ volleyball As a senior captain and returning all conference and all area player Mickenzie has really embraced the role as team leader. She pushes herself and teammates to work their hardest every second and is going to lead us to a very successful season. noel brindise, senior, girls’ cross country Noel has been working extremely hard. She has been running with faster runners to improve and she is always going above and beyond. She really sets a good example for the rest of the team. sean baldwin, senior, boys’ golf In six years, Sean was the first time a junior had the lowest scoring average. He is a great teammate, great leader, and a consummate hard worker. tim hass, senior, football Tim’s leadership and passion exemplifies exactly what being a Lake Zurich Football player is about. Tim’s efforts in the offseason and his communication with his teammates have earned him the honor of representing the football program as a captain this season. @LZBearFacts | september 2014
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photos by bear facts members
sports highlights girls’ cross country Girls’ Cross Country adapts and works harder than ever after top varsity runners graduate. “Each runner is a key variable to the success of the girls cross country team,” Ruth Rosenkranz, senior and captain, said.
boys’ golf
girls’ tennis Women’s tennis has gone through some major changes throughout the off season. Marcus Sipiera, Chemistry teacher, has taken over the Varsity coaching position. “I feel like everything besides the coaching is the same,” Annalise Luken, junior, said. “We do the same drills and warm-ups. Sipiera is a completely different coach and has his own way of coaching, while others have their own way. I think it’s great that he’s back.”
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To get ready for this year’s season, the team has been practicing throughout the summer. “We have been preparing for the season by playing 18 or 9 holes every day, going to the driving range, and playing chase on the practice green,” Michael Madura, senior and a varsity golfer, said. This year, the varsity team has only seven members instead of the usual eight. Even though the team has one less member, the team is determined to overcome other schools underrating them by making it to state and winning the state championship. “I think we are underrated because schools like Lake Forest and Barrington have always been better than us in the past, but I think we can beat them,” Madura said. “We are just going through our daily practice and working to do our best to win.” “This year will be a different season for us because we have a lot of young runners stepping up into important varsity positions, including many sophomores and a freshman,” Brian McNair, sophomore runner, said. The team welcomed almost twenty freshmen onto the cross country team for the season.
boys’ cross country
What sports quote inspires you the most?
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september 2014 | LZBearFacts.com
“Hard work over time beats talent.”
jake baffa cross country freshman
“Let it go. Every point is a new shot to prove yourself.”
sam dehio volleyball
s so
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For extended coverage of these fall sports, visit our website at LZBearFacts.com.
football
boys’ soccer
This year, Bears Football plans to continue their success from recent years.Though the team has faced some setbacks this year, such as injuries, defensive lineman Tommy Clancy, senior, is staying positive on the upcoming season. “We are undersized, but how hard we play and our preparation will make up for it,” Clancy said. Preparation started in early summer with five weeks of camp followed by double sessions starting in August, and the team watches film of themselves and opponents. With all this preparation, there is no reason to doubt the success of the team this year. “Our goals are to capture a state championship and conference championship,” Clancy said. “We won’t accept anything less.”
girls’ volleyball
sophomore
The boys’ varsity soccer team has started up their soccer season with changes such as getting together on their own time to prepare for the season. “I think this year our team is a lot closer than last year,” Jack Abry, senior varsity soccer player and captain, said. “We have a lot more leadership on our team. A lot more people are stepping up a lot more and staying active.” One of the new changes made to the team is having two captains as oppose to one. “It feels good to be elected by my teammates as one of the captains and to be able to help lead the team,” Abry said. “Being a captain comes with a lot of responsibility and a lot of leadership. We have to make big decisions on and off the field. During the summer we had a lot more practices together as a team without the coaches.” For the off-season, the team got together for school soccer summer camp practices for four weeks.
With fewer players, the girls take JV members to provide extra strength. “We are trying to work harder to be more smart on the court, but still play hard,” Lexi Gora, said.
girls’ golf
“Just play the game. Always go with your best instinct.”
matt gadomski golf
The girls’ golf team roster has different faces, including a new JV coach and have a larger team. “Our new JV coach is [ Julie] Bryniczka, [Math teacher] ” Carolyn Radecki, senior, said. “We have fourteen players, which is actually a lot.
“Have fun and enjoy it rather than being too competitive.”
junior
stephanie johnson senior tennis @LZBearFacts | september 2014
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september 2014 | LZBearFacts.com