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CREATIVE BEGINNINGS
The start of the new year brings changes, creative visions
Editor’s Note Dear Readers,
Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year and the Bear Facts Student Media “Back to
School” Issue. You may notice that this first issue is about half the length of our traditional quarterly magazine. Don’t worry - this short version is only for this issue due to the con-
BEAR FACTS STAFF MAGAZINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
megan monoson
densed production cycle over the summer.
The staff decided to focus on the theme of “Creating a New Year.” The idea developed
from not only all of the new changes made within the school this summer - such as the cre-
WEBSITE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
meggie furlong
ative location for a new entrance and many new faculty members who will bring changes to the school - but also from Student Council’s new movement to unite the student body. This new program is meant to bring all grade levels together to create improved school spirit across all sports, clubs, and classrooms.
In choosing the stories to share with you for the theme of this magazine, we found stu-
SECRETARY/ BUSINESS MANAGER
rachel brauer
CO-SPOTLIGHT EDITORS
inspire others with their own creativity. These stories are featured in our Spotlight section
chloe faris ria talukder
of our magazine; this section is tied to each month’s cover. On today’s cover, however, you
SPORTS EDITOR
dents who have recreated themselves, who share their creativity through fine arts, and who
may notice that it takes more than one person to truly illustrate the creative process. The
valerie multra
six people on the cover lie with their heads facing in to create the semblance of a circle: the
STAFF WRITERS
timeless, infinite shape. This timeless shape represents how our staff will be creating another year of Bear Facts Student Media for you, not only figuratively for you on the cover, but also literally on the pages, website, and social media of your student media program.
We hope you enjoy this first issue of Bear Facts.
adam cupples alice farsalas jackson farsalas parul pari emma brumage-kilcourse meghan warner
Sincerely, ADVISER
carolyn wagner Megan Monoson
BEAR FACTS STUDENT MEDIA
Magazine Editor-in-Chief
Lake Zurich High School 300 Church Street Lake Zurich, IL 60047 (847) 540-4642
AMERICAN LITHO PRINTING
Cover design by Chloe Faris and Carolyn Wagner Cover edits by Rachel Brauer About Us 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. The Bear Facts staff strives to inform, entertain, and showcase high quality work to our readers. We always seek to uphold standards of journalistic integrity, acceptable ethics, and truth.
Our 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. For a complete editorial policy, please see our website.
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New Year, New Life Philosophy How one senior’s sister’s battle with cancer shaped her outlook on life Parul Pari staff writer
“We are lucky that she is still alive. A lot of people don’t make it and so I'm really grateful. It changed my entire outlook on life,” said senior Kelsey Kee, who believes her sister’s fight with cancer created who she is today. Kee says she believes everything happens for a reason and her sister’s cancer is the reason she is grateful for those she values most. Kee says she learned to become more confident after learning to follow her own path, even if it means being different from the rest. As long as she is staying true to herself and honoring the people who are important to her, Kee says she doesn’t worry about what other people think of her. “I’ve always been told that you need to be more outgoing and you need to try harder to get noticed, and I think that was hard for me because I felt as if I was not good enough if people didn't notice me,” Kee said. “But as I started to get older, I realized that I don't really care if you don't know me, so now I am much more confident.” As a young child, she had a much more intoverted personality, and Kee said it taught her an important lesson: that “everyone has something behind their little mask that they put on.” “I've had people come up to me and say, ‘Oh, you probably have the perfect life and everything is just so easy for you,’ but in actuality they don't know what my family has been through,” Kee said. Kee says that her bond with her sister Alyson during that period of time made her a stronger person and solidified her dedication to living the best life she can. “When Alyson was photo used with permission of Kelsey Kee
SPOTLIGHT
going through all that, I was just so angry. I didn't understand why all these people didn't have this happening to them. I walked around thinking, ‘‘why is she [going through this]? Why can't it be that person or that person?’ which is a terrible thing to think, but in that moment you are so upset,” Kee said. Alyson’s cancer, she says, has forced her to adopt a different mindset. She looks at the positive sides of bad situations now, and for her that means focusing her attention on something that makes her happiest: art. “I took art foundations my freshman year and it was one of those things where it was like ‘I'll just take that easy art class,’ but then I got really excited when I did the ceramics part of art foundation,” Kee said. Kee started channeling her emotions into art to get her mind off the outside world, and relieve the pressure of highstress situations. “Honestly, art is my kind of my way of releasing the pressure and anxiety I get from sports, so if [I’m] worried about [something like] a meet that day, I go to art class and it’s a destresser,” said Kee, who is also a varsity golfer. Due to Alyson’s fight with cancer, Kee is no stranger to stress, and she says that art has helped her cultivate a much more positive and optimistic attitude towards her life. “I don't believe in going back and changing things because I believe that everything is supposed to happen,” Kee said. “It was terrible what she went through, [but] it did make our family stronger.”
Student Directing: The Work Megan Monoson magazine editor-in-chief
Photo used with permission of Emmi Connick and Elizabeth Crutchfield After having the opportunity to student direct the fall musical, Love Sick, Emmi Connick, senior (above), and Elizabeth Crutchfield, junior (bottom right) say their mindsets changed as they acted in the later spring play, Spelling Bee.
4 Spotlight•august 2017
They are nervous, but excited. Their stomachs churn as they hear people talking directly in front of them, but they cannot see their audience. As the lights flicker, the room becomes silence, the curtains open, and the production begins. Two actresses were given the opportunity to experience one of these ways unfamiliar to them as they headed into the spring play. Emmi Connick, senior, and Elizabeth Crutchfield, junior, went from creating productions through acting on the stage, to doing so behind the scenes as they both student directed last year’s fall play Love Sick. Through this experience the two recreated themselves within the drama department, and Connick describes it as “one of the coolest experiences of my entire life.” “[Directing] made me appreciate acting so much more because it was the first time I had student directed, and seeing it from a different angle is so interesting,” Connick said. “It’s like when you write an essay, and then you have someone edit it. It’s like they’re a completely different perspective. It just made me appreciate everything that directors do when it comes to directing their actors, or the technical aspects of it, and working with the technicians who are doing different things with [everything].” In taking on this task, Connick worked aside Crutchfield, who agrees that because she “got to do it with one of my best friends,” the experience was better than . “I think our minds kind of think alike, and we both have different personalities,” Crutchfield said. “We were both able to view the scenes in different ways so we could give different feedback, but it still didn’t conflict with each other. It was very cool to see our peers from the other side of the table because usually we’re the ones on the side of the table where we’re performing,” Crutchfield said. “Honestly, I think the reason why [we] also worked so well together is because we both respect each other a lot. The reason why we’re so
Left Unscene compatible comes down to all of the experience we’ve had together, what we’ve dealt with together, and just the fact that we’ve both been there for each other.” Through their drama class, Tom Skobel, director and drama class teacher, says he got to know Connick and Crutchfield’s personalities, which helped him pick the two as student directors for this particular production. “Typically he tries to choose people he thinks will balance each other out,” Connick said. “[Skobel] was different than our old drama teacher. He forced me to see acting in a different light and to think deeper about the characters, about the storyline, and how different angles of the story affect each other,” Connick said. “Directing has obviously opened my eyes to viewing acting differently [too]. I used to think of acting as archetypal characters, ‘here’s how I’m going to portray this character,’ and that’s it. I never thought deeper about it, and so directing, has motivated me to act in scenes differently. It has just made me become a better actor in general.” With Skobel teaching Connick and Crutchfield how to be better actors in class, the two say they were then able to pass this knowledge onto other actors as they student directed their peers. “Liz [Crutchfield] and I were fortunate enough to be able to work with scenes in Love Sick individually, so we actually got to take [the actors] into a different rehearsal space and work with them one-on-one without [Skobel’s] his guidance,” Connick
said. “It was interesting because all three of us work together, and we had different perspectives, so our brains together made what happened on the stage, which was really cool.” At times, however, the directing process was challenging as the two now lead individuals they used to act on stage with. “It was difficult at times to find a balance between overstepping [our] positions, [but] when we found that solid ground it was very calming,” Crutchfield said. “I think we all respected each other, and that was the nice thing about that. It was so cool to see each of the individual scenes, [and] just seeing all of the special moments in each scene come to life. [After starting] with a script and [knowing] the rawness of it, [you] really find the meaning of the entire scene and theme of the entire play itself.” Seeing these “individual scenes” and “special moments” from a different perspective than Crutchfield and Connick were used to all began with initially disappointing casting results. “Most performers go through ups and downs. They’ll audition, and they won’t get the roles they want,” Crutchfield said. “I’ve dealt with that. That can be very disappointing because you work so hard and you want it so badly, but at the end of the day, I think just being with people that have the same passion as you, learning with them, experiencing that journey, and just creating these things into one whole show [...] is just a magical experience. It’s not like any other experience I’ve ever had.”
Spotlight• august 2017 5
Creating art through spoken word
photo illustration illustration by by Rachel Rachel Brauer Brauer photo
Chloe Faris co-spotlight editor
It is Monday morning at 7:55am. Many students are in the cafeteria waiting for the bell, or enjoying their late start by sleeping, while a group of students is tucked away in the library sharing their experiences through poetry. Breanna Abboud, senior, joined poetry club her sophomore year, but poetry has been one of her interests since freshman year after researching poetry for her World Cultures class. “The first poetry workshop I went to really struck me,” Abboud said. “This is what I want to do. Everyone was so happy you were sharing poetry, and no one was mean. They were all very encouraging. It was a good environment.” This environment led Abboud to grow in her skills and interest of creating poetry, Tess Melvin, senior, said. “I recruited her for poetry club which I am going to take over as president this year,” Melvin said. “Poetry club is where I think her interest started to flourish. She seemed like she has always been creatively minded and I know that she had written before. Poetry club really provided that outlet for her to share her work.” For Abboud, sharing poetry is not
6 Spotlight•august 2017
only an outlet to share her work, but is used as a way of getting her feelings out. “It has made my life easier,” Abboud said. “Whenever I feel strongly about something, I can write about it and it doesn’t affect me as much. It is a coping thing. Usually when people feel sad, they feel alone, so when I hear people’s poems and that they go through similar situations that I do, I don’t feel so alone.” The sense of community Abboud feels is evident, as she attributes her growth in poetry to the safe and open environment of poetry club where she can express her true feelings. “Because not many people go to poetry club, it feels a lot more intimate. It’s a secret I suppose. Something we do back and forth,” Weronika Markowska, junior, said. “Because poetry is so intimate, I get to learn more about Breanna and the way she feels, especially when the subjects tend to be from the heart and about her experiences. It’s like not even having to ask a question, just receiving an answer in the form of art.” The subjects of poetry Abboud writes is shaped by the experiences she has endured, no matter the size. “In my book, no experience is too
small for a poem. If you’re scared of rollercoasters and want to write a poem about how it relates to your life, do it,” Abboud said. “For me, I mainly write about how someone hurt me and how it has affected me. I also write about when I get frustrated about something, like traffic or the new school grading system. The experiences vary a lot unless it’s something that has affected me a lot.” As time continues to go on, Abboud and others believe she has grown in her skills of poetry. She now presents more of her work weekly, Melvin said. “What we write is very dependent on our experiences so Breanna obviously has a lot of unique experiences and she has been able to articulate that in a very intense, well-written way,” Melvin said. “I would definitely say she has grown, because the work we do leads to progression. I am very proud of the way she has been able to talk about her experiences. She has made a lot of progress.” Abboud’s skills and love for poetry continues to grow and she now goes to slam poetry meetings every Friday, outside of school. Even after high school, Abboud says she is going to continue taking her experiences to create poetry.
Key to Happiness
How one senior uses his creativity to excel in music Meggie Furlong website editor-in-chief
“The moment he wakes up until the moment he goes to bed, he’s cheerful, he’s polite, and he’s just happy,” said Renee Holbrook, mother of singer, actor, musician, and senior, Nathan Holbrook. Although Nathan plays saxophone, bassoon, and piano, his true passion is singing. “I love singing and it was something I was always jamming out in my house,” Holbrook said. Because of his childhood passion for singing, Holbrook joined choir. “[In the beginning, I sang] whatever my sisters were listening to, which, at the time, was Hannah Montana and country Taylor Swift,” Nathan said. “I love musical theater [music], but I also love just straight up choir music [now].” As he grew up, Nathan became more involved in choir and musical theater. His first role in a production was Zeke in The Wizard of Oz, but he soon earned the lead role of Charlie Brown in the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. “I was nervous because he had never done solos before, but then I was so amazed when I went to hear him practice because I couldn’t believe he was up there, signing, by himself without any help,” Renee said. “Singing wise, that was when [I realized his talent].” Once Nathan was dedicated to that talent he showcased, he became more invested in his choir career. Throughout choir, Nathan befriended fellow singer, actor, choir spirit leader, and senior, Megan Lane. “[We met] freshman year at band camp. Nathan did not like me! I just thought he was nice.” Lane said. Nathan was also named a part of
the Illinois Music Education Association (IMEA) All-State Choir, an honor equivalent to an athlete participating in the state championship for their sport. This achievement earned Nathan a spot on the Lake Zurich Music Hall of Fame, which is displayed in the Performing Arts wing at Lake Zurich. “IMEA can be a really stressful experience for many people,” Holbrook said. “I’m one of those people who doesn’t get nervous until I’m sitting there or standing there about to [sing or play] it, at the point of no return, or when there’s no backing out of it.” Nathan is not the only one who does not feel nervous when he performs. “I just get teary-eyed. I’m so proud of him. I don’t get nervous. I know he’s
going to do a great job,” Renee said. “I just love that he enjoys it so much. He has a smile on his face. I wouldn’t say I get nervous at all, or anxious.” Nathan attributes his musical talent to his mother, who plays piano and sang in her high school choir. “I’m most creative when I’m really tired. I definitely get this from my mother, because late at night she’ll be singing, but will be tired and make up words. They usually end up working and rhyming because she’s so tired,” Nathan said. The musical ability that Nathan and his mother share is also present in all three of his sisters, who each play various instruments. “My father is the only one who isn’t very musical,” Nathan said. “He jokes that he can play the radio, as dad joke as that could be.”
Photo taken by Meggie Furlong
Spotlight• august 2017 7
Left: Rachel Moore, junior lighting technician, holds up a piece of paper to test the lighting on stage. She is responsible for creating the lighting effects during a show. Middle: Melanie Villarmarzo, senior, and Moore paint the gym floor set for Spelling Bee. All crew members work on projects help to make the show a success. Right: Technical theater works backstage to prepare for an upcoming show. Photos by Bear Facts.
The Sound (and Light) of Support Behind the scenes with the makers of stage magic
Ria Talukder
co-spotlight editor
As the lights in the theater dim and fade to black, the actress takes center stage. Mood lighting surrounds her, and a single spotlight shines down on her. As she sings, different sounds play in the background. The actress is not responsible for any of the effects; there are many backstage working to make this possible. The actors’ work is most easily visible, but without the creative insight from behind the scenes, the show could not go on. As the actors rehearse their lines, these technicians choose lighting design, build props, and create an array of sounds that bring to life the reality presented to the audience on opening night. “To really immerse yourself into a scene, everything around the actor needs to resemble the world they’re living in,” Rachel Moore, junior lighting technician, said. “Stuff like lighting and sound can really pull the actor away from just being on a stage to being in whatever world their character is in.” According to Moore, when designing lighting for a show, she has many decisions to make and, as such, many opportunities to be creative. Different colors paired with certain effects evoke a variety of moods, all on its own. Pairing these things with what the actors are performing on stage create many different options, said Moore. “The whole point is to take what the actors are doing and accentuate it for the
8 Sports•august 2017
audience,” Moore said. “So getting artsy with the lighting really can do that.” Effects and lighting are not the only way to create a theatrical experience for a packed audience, however. Michael Malek, junior sound designer, knows first hand how the power of sound elevates an experience in the theater. “When I’m designing [audio for the show], I get a list of sound effects from the director,” Malek said. “But I can be creative with those specific instructions by taking that list and finding the sounds, or even creating them myself. If we run into roadblocks, I’m allowed to think outside the box for a solution.” Malek and Moore both agree that the creative thinking for a show is a constant process. According to Malek, during the months of rehearsal, inspiration for a show can strike at any time and place. “Being creative and my work doesn’t stop necessarily when I leave the theatre,” Malek said. “Sometimes I’ll hear a sound, similar to what I want, at home or in class that I wasn’t even considering using until then. It’ll hit me as a perfect sound for the show.” Pushing themselves to seek inspiration for the theater in the world around them has in general made them more creative individuals, according to Moore. Technical theater presents many different problems that are difficult to predict; but as managers they have to anticipate these issues, said Moore.
“When those problems pop up, there isn’t a rulebook to follow,” Moore said. “I can do an awesome combination of things to come up with something more creative as a solution.” Penny Burke, senior technician, can attest to the quickfire thinking that technicians need to possess that make Moore and Malek such successful managers. “The thing with something like technical theatre is that there are a lot of unexpected problems. You never know when something can break. For lighting, a light can explode from getting super hot. Or the soundboard can lose power randomly. Both those things have actually happened during a show,” Burke said. “That’s when being creative comes into play. People like Rachel [Moore] and [Michael] Malek show their out of the box thinking when they come up with quickfire solutions to stuff like that.” Approaching these problems with a innovative eye has overall helped with creativity in all aspects of his life, Malek said. When faced with other projects or tasks, the insight he gained during a show travels with him outside of the performing arts center. “[Tech] continually teaches me that not everything is a logical step by step,” Malek said. “Sometimes I need to be crafty with my methods whether it’s in tech, school, or personal life before I can get an amazing solution. I’m grateful that I can do that.”
Sports Snapshots compiled by:
Valerie Multra sports editor Adam Cupples & Meghan Warner staff writers
Photo used with permission of Alecia Mandal
SPORTS
“This season I’m looking forward to performing in front of everyone and being back with our school. One of my favorite things about football season is getting the crowd excited to watch our team,” Paige Bandel, senior flyer, said.
Photo by Emma Brummage-Kilcourse Football players have been practicing all summer for their first game of the season against Fremd on August 25. “I’d say adjusting to how Coach Mertens runs things and learning his system [is the most challenging part of rebuilding this year]. Along with it being my senior year, I think all of us seniors have leadership rolls that we have to find to help the younger kids get as prepared as possible for their games,” said Robert Hinsberger, senior wide receiver.
UPCOMING FOOTBALL:
August 25 at Fremd High School September 1 vs Montini Catholic High School September 8 vs Waukegan High School September 15 vs Zion-Benton High School September 22 at Warren Township High School September 28 at Lake Forest High Schoool
Sports•august 2017 9
“The most challenging part of camp is learning all the routines and getting it down, along with dealing with being exhausted the entire day from dancing from 7am until 10 or 11pm. The hardest part is trying to remember all the different routines you are learning,” Isabella Christopherson, sophomore dancer, said.
UPCOMING BOYS XC:
September 2 Invitational vs Horlick at University of Wisconsin Parkside September 7 Meet vs Stevenson and Lake Forest at Vernon Hills Athletic Complex September 12 Meet vs Waukegan and Zion Benton at Lakewood Coun -ty Forest Preserve
“Our coach is pretty strict on beating our scores that we had before, so [we are] trying to improve our game and lower as many shots as we can,” Taylor Schwab, junior golfer, said.
UPCOMING MEETS:
September 5 Match vs Warren Township at Vil -lage Green Golf Course September 7 Match vs Lake Forest at Village Green Golf Course September 12 Match vs Stevenson at Village Green Golf Course
UPCOMING GIRLS TENNIS: September 5 Match vs Waukegan September 7 Match vs Zion-Benton September 14 Match vs Lake Forest
UPCOMING SOCCER:
September 5 at Cary Grove High School September 7 vs Waukegan September 12 vs Zion-Benton
10 Sports•august 2017
UPCOMING BOYS GOLF:
September 9 Invite vs Zion-Benton at Shepherd’s Crook Golf Course September 12 Match vs Stevenson at Arboretum Golf Course September 14 Match vs Libertyville at Lake Barrington Shores Golf Course
UPCOMING VOLLEYBALL:
September 6 vs Zion-Benton September 13 vs Waukegan September 18 vs Palatine
“I really like the team. I love all of [them]. Everyone supports each other. Pasta parties are every week and everybody is invited. I love Palatine[‘s course]. I got my PR there. It’s entirely flat and doesn’t feel that long. Runs are really therapeutic. You can talk about your problems [with your friends] and find solutions while you’re dying. Honestly, it’s like free therapy,” Ragini Rangan, senior, said.
UPCOMING GIRLS XC:
September 7 Meet vs Stevenson and Lake Forest at Vernon Hills Athletic Complex September 9 Invite vs Waukegan at Waukegan Sports Complex September 12 Meet vs Zion-Benton and Wauke -gan at Lakewood Coun -ty Forest Preserve
Sports• august 2017 11
!
Photos used with permission of: Melanie Brown, Jack Sanborn, Rachel Lee, Olivia Miller, Jillian Baffa, Valarie Multra, Julie Dobrow
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