December 2014 issue

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S P E C TAT O R

VOLUME 93 NUMBER 3

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NEWS ISACS review of LFA gives feedback and constructive criticism

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NEWS Vietnam veterans address the LFA community during All School Meeting

page 2 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Backstage takes the frontstage: Theater Tech class numbers are up

page 7 OP-ED Halloween Dance: good idea but poor execution

page 10 SPORTS Age before beauty: Senior studded lineup looks forward to new season

page 16 Wick to introduce Ju Jitsu as new fall PE

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Apple TV? 1500 WEST KENNEDY ROAD, LAKE FOREST, IL 60045

Featured Stories

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DECEMBER 5, 2014

A problem, and a possible solution

By Catherine Kvam News Editor

Is there anyone at Lake Forest Academy who has not seen a teacher start a class presentation using Apple TV (through its tool AirPlay) only to be thrown offline after a few minutes? Since its arrival at Lake Forest Academy, the Apple TV has received a plethora of both praise and criticism. Often unreliable due to the unconventional use of the product on one central network, Apple TV was still deemed a very helpful educational tool.

Now a possible solution may be on the horizon, according to school sources.

When the Apple TV was originally installed, there were not any problems because there were so few classrooms using them. As more classrooms were added to the network, the occasional “dropping” started occurring much more frequently because each room’s Apple TV was competing against the other on the same network.

“What happens is, we bought 40 more, put them all out into the wild, and they basically started bumping each other off,” said IT Help Desk Technician Keith Cameron.

The original product was meant to be by itself on one home network, and never to compete with 50 or 60 other units on one network.

“Since then, we have isolated each unit in smaller sub-networks as a possible solution, but they seem like they are still bumping each other off. So we’re in the midst of investigating whether we have properly isolated them and if any further actions need to be taken,” said Cameron.

Other institutions have dealt with the same issues, especially in large high schools and colleges. The more Apple TVs, the more problems the institutions have encountered.

“I know that colleges, businesses, and other institutions are calling for change, and the recent IOS update was Apple’s

response to that,” said Director of Academic Technology Jeremy Sands. “I think Corbin was probably one of the bigger problem areas because there are so many classrooms in a line there and two floors,” said Sands.

Teachers have learned to cope with the “dropping,” though it is the hope of the IT Department that it will occur much less often. The IT Department has apparently reduced the problem by switching to Bluetooth and utilizing Clear Pass by Aruba Networks, which utilizes a more direct connection, rather than having all the Apple TV units connect to one network. “ I think the problem is far less severe in lower Korhumel now that there are fewer actual classrooms down here,” stated English teacher Bill Murphy.

“I don’t let it interrupt my teaching too much, because I just keep talking while I reload my iPad to Apple TV,” said Science Instructor Kerry Cedergren.

Many teachers have found ways around the interruptions. While it can be annoying for teachers and students alike, the majority of the school is enthusiastic about the Apple TVs. “I do like having the wireless connection so that I can walk around the room while I teach. So I do think the positives outweigh the negatives,” said Cedergren.

“If you are going to be a school that is on the forefront in educational technology, then you are inevitably going to experience these problems first and have to figure out a solution on your own,” said Assistant Director of Academic Technology Ashley Kolovitz.

In the classroom, the struggle continues for many teaches. According to History teacher Mrs. Suzy Vaughn, Apple TV’s potential is limited by its inconsistency.

“I think Apple TV is a wonderful idea; it would be great in the classroom but I haven’t used it very consistently since it has been introduced to its limitations. It can be very frustrating,” said Vaughn.

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Photo by Bill Murphy

THE SPECTATOR

News

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World News Roundup Compiled by Julia Mills and India Shelley The Spectator compiles a monthly summary of world news events.

Below are the most pressing issues this month.

Space Probe Comet Landing

For the first time in the history of space exploration, a space probe was landed on a moving comet on November 12 at 10:30 a.m. ET. The probe, named Philae, has been on an Ariane 5 rocket for the past 10 years, and traveled 6.4 billion miles before it finally made contact with the comet. Philae contains many experiments that scientists hope will photograph and test the surface of the comet. Specifically, there are hopes that Philae can discover what happens when the roasting effect of the sun expels gas and dust.

Photo courtesy of esa.int

An artist’s representation of the Philae probe touching down on the comet during the Rosetta Mission.

Army Takeover in Burkina Faso

In late October Burkina Faso’s government collapsed with violent protestors demanding the resignation of President Blaise Compaore. Compaore had held office for more than 27 years and initially agreed to dissolve his government but not step down, however his eventual resignation led to the takeover of the West African nation by two military leaders, General Honore Traore and Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida. Zida later claimed sole control and said he overruled Traore. What has been called a military coup caused great protest in the country’s capitol and the African Union to order the country to transfer power to a civilian president with the threat of sanctions if compliance isn’t met.

Ukrainian Separatists Elections

Recently eastern Ukrainian citizens cast ballots in elections that many westerners considered to be “illegitimate.” Pro- Russian separatists organized the votes in order to choose a new leader in the rebel-controlled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk. The U.S., and many European allies, has refused to recognize the outcomes of these disputed elections. The European Union’s new foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, called the vote both illegal and illegitimate. Ultimately, pro-Russian forces voted to elect Alexander Zakharchenko to lead the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, an event that greatly angered the existing Ukrainian government in Kiev.

DECEMBER 5, 2014

2014: Theft, Retirement, Freezing Temperatures and Controversy

By India Shelley and Julia Mills News Editors Because this will be the last Spectator for the year 2014, the staff thought they would put together a review of the most important news stories that happened at LFA during the past 12 months. Here are those stories: FFA Summary Freshman Foundation in the Arts used to be an integral part of the freshman curriculum, however, now it has been cut. According to Monica Palmer, Director of Fine and Performing Arts, it seemed as though many students weren’t putting in as much effort as they were in other classes, possibly because FFA was a pass/fail course.

Instead, the Fine Arts department has decided to allow freshmen to choose an actual art class in order to allow students to pursue whatever their artistic passion may be.

Kulieke Retirement At the end of the 2013/2014 school year, longtime Ferry Hall and Lake Forest Academy faculty member, Lynn Kulieke made the decision to retire after 48 years of teaching. Kulieke taught everything from Mythology, to Mystery writing, to Spanish classes, and she was able to enrich the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of students. She has been honored by both LFA and Ferry Hall, being chosen as a member of the LFA Hall of Fame, and receiving Ferry Hall’s Woman of the Year award.

Photo by George Pfoertner

Co-ax member Marcus Koppenhoefer plays the saxophone in a concert.

Co-Ax Changes Co-Ax, LFA’s student/faculty rock band, has long been an integral part of the school community. Mr. Steve Ryder, the faculty sponsor for Co-Ax gave the students a greater leadership role in the band. Ryder said he believed it was the right time to give the students more decision-making power. Ryder still oversees the band, but for now, the students are able to choose the songs that they will play in concerts and who sings what. This increased leadership came as a surprise to students, but it’s nothing that they were not prepared for.

Lake Forest Academy campus, sending shock waves throughout the entire Lake Forest community. This past September the Lake Forest Police department arrested three men allegedly responsible for the theft: Nicholas Roiniotis, Natan Khanania, and Anam Qadri. Nicholas Roiniotis was a former security guard at LFA, while his two accomplices had no relation to LFA. Two months after the theft occurred Roiniotis quit his job at LFA. He was being held in custody on a $500,000 bond, while Khanania and Qadri are free on bonds of $300,000 and $200,000.

IPad Theft at LFA In June of 2014 more than 400 iPads were stolen from the

Polar Vortex 2014 The winter months of 2014 brought with them record-breaking cold temperatures. The bitterly brisk weather, nicknamed the “Polar Vortex”, arrived on January 5th and caused freezing temperatures throughout the Midwest. The Chicago area reached temperatures of -16 degrees, but with the wind chill they felt more like -40. The only cancellation of LFA classes for cold temperatures in more than a decade was on January 6th at LFA. Not only was a cancellation of school required but incredible amounts of hard work from the facilities team was given to help keep LFA running smoothly. More than 20 tons of road salt was used throughout the course of the winter and wreaked havoc on LFA’s winter budget.

Photo courtesy of news.yahoo.com

A Ukranian man votes at the separatist elections polls in Donetsk.

Sources: Reuters, BBC, CNN

Photo courtesy of LFA Communications

Lynn Kulieke speaks to her guests at her retirement party in June of 2014.

THE SPECTATOR

News

DECEMBER 5, 2014

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ISACS review of LFA goes according to plan The team seems generally impressed by the commitment of the students

By Michael Phillips Managing Editor Every seven years, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, commonly referred to as ISACS, comes to Lake Forest Academy to re-accredit the school, judging all facets of the academic institution.

ISACS just completed its most recent review of LFA, and while it sounds daunting, the whole process was not as stressful as it may have seemed. The LFA administration was confident with the school it was presenting to the committee, because the process of preparing for the ISACS visit began more than a year in advance.

“The school has to write a big report a year before the ISACS team comes in,” said Chairman of the Self Study Steering Committee Chris Dozois. “[Their] job is to review that report and judge if the school does what the report says it does.”

The report given to ISACS had a combination of student, faculty, parent, and alumni input with student leadership groups such as Student Council, Prefects, and Proctors working as the voice for the students. These

same students then met with the ISACS committee, and according to Dozois, the committee was pleased with what it saw.

“They were really, really impressed with the students,” said Dozois. “The thing they ranked first was how strong the students were and what a great job they are doing and

how committed they are.”

Perhaps the most stressful part for the LFA community was when ISACS members would attend classes, sitting quietly in the back of the room taking notes in regards to what they saw. Some LFA students noticed their teachers’ response to these sit-ins, while others did not see much of a change.

“I felt like the teachers were definitely more attentive to their surroundings and how they went about their day,” said senior Mario Sense. “But from a student perspective, I really did not see much of a difference in our behavior aside from a few students helping the representatives out here and there.”

Photo by Tori Koontz

ISACS Committee member works on the report for Lake Forest Academy in the Little Theatre.

“I actually had an ISACS representative sit in for only one class and in that one experience there really was not anything different,” said junior Katie Zhou. “Class went on the same as usual, as it normally would.”

Faculty at LFA were given notice as to when the ISACS committee would be attending classes. However, most did not change their itineraries.

“I had a lab going on which was what I normally would have done,” said Science Instructor Ed Shaugnessy.

While ISACS gave LFA initial comments about what LFA does well and what it can improve upon, the full report comes in a couple of weeks. That report will more than likely re-accredit LFA for the next seven years.

In the meantime, there were no “major concerns” that Dozois said LFA needed to address, and most of the recommendations made by ISACS, such as improved use of technology, were already being discussed.

“We appreciate all the work the students and the faculty put in to this,” said Dozois. “It was a great job making the school look so good.”

Veterans discuss Vietnam

By Kristen Van Tine Managing Editor There was a double significance to having three Vietnam War veterans speak at the LFA All School Meeting on Veteran’s Day this year. First, they were part of a veterans’ group that for years was not always granted the proper respect for its time in the military because of the unpopular nature of the Vietnam conflict. Their appearance was also significant because of this year’s Head of School Symposium which focuses on the countries Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The veteran speakers’ appearance added an enrichment to the HOS year-long curriculum.

“It was timed well because of Veteran’s Day, especially since some Vietnam veterans have not been as appreciated to the full extent of other wars’ veterans because of the controversy behind the war,” said event organizer Mr. Sam Wold.

Assistant Academic Dean Kristine Von Ogden and History teacher Wold have been work-

ing together to prepare various materials for the Head of School Symposium. The two teachers were appointed by Head Master Dr. John Strudwick as cochairs for this year’s symposium.

Both teachers are particularly dedicated to global education.

It was Wold’s idea to find the veterans to speak at the All School Meeting. Von Ogden and Wold believed the veterans’ appearance would provide an appropriate opening to the Symposium topic. The committee has decided to have a focus on people telling stories about their experience in connection to the region.

“When people talk about their lives and their experiences that resonates with the audience.

Personal stories that people share will stick with us longer than statistics,” said Von Ogden.

Therefore, it was valuable to gain an American perspective of Vietnam, as America’s relation to the Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos regions are an important factor to an American school’s comprehension of the countries.

During second semester, region natives are going to present at future All School Meetings as well.

Wold reached out to different veteran organizations in search of Vietnam veterans willing to speak to the school. Vietnam veteran Gary Siereslowski offered to make an appearance, along with two other veterans Tom Newton and Brian Malcrone.

After speaking with the veterans in preparation for their visit, Wold was told that while some veterans find revisiting memory of wartime in any way traumatic, the veterans that visited actually found it therapeutic to talk about the time they spent in the war.

“The veterans benefit from speaking about their experiences—it helps them heal as well,” Wold said.

The presentation made an impact on many LFA students. It provided an eye-opener to the realities of war.

“Hearing the Vietnam veterans speak gave me a deeper understanding of war effects on a personal level,” said senior Diago Quinn.

Photo courtesy of LFA communication A Vietnam War veteran speaks at a LFA assembly to students and staff.

THE SPECTATOR

News

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DECEMBER 5, 2014

The Spectator 100 years in the making

By Tori Koontz News Editor How often can anyone say they are part of something that is more than 100 years old? Well the staff of The Spectator was reflecting on being part of the Lake Forest Academy for more than a century – the newspaper was started in 1906 -- and reporting the most important stories of the time.

Copies of the newspaper from 1914 and 1911 recently came to light, and the paper looked much different than it does today.

The Spectator came out approximately every two weeks in the early 1900s, and a year subscription could be bought for $2.00.

On top of the revenue brought in by subscriptions, there were also ads featured on the last two pages of every edition to help pay for the printing of the paper.

“Because LFA was part of the Lake Forest College, school news

was originally captured in the college paper called The Center, and we have copies of that going back to 1887. But The Spectator itself, as a stand-alone newspaper, goes back to 1906,” said Ms. Rita MacAyeal, archivist at LFA. In this edition, The Spectator has decided to compile some of the important news items from 100 years ago. In a 1911 edition of the paper was a story about the LFA Archery ( with a surprising 25% of the student body participating in the sport) under the leadership of a Mr. Rendtorff,. The club hoped to later compete with other teams in the Chicago area.

A 1914 edition featured a story about the addition of the new headmaster.

Mr. John Wayne Richards became the Academy’s headmaster in the fall semester of 1914. He was formerly a teacher at Hotchkiss in Lakeville, Connecticut.

“During his recent visit to the

Academy, [Mr. Richards] won many loyal friends among the fellows who had the pleasure of meeting him,” The Spectator reported.

The paper also carried a story about the creation of LFA’s school song. It was announced early in that school year by the headmaster that there was to be a contest among the students to write the best original school song for LFA, with a prize of $10 for the winner. Out of 18 possible entries from the students, the winner was McLeod Boyle, a senior. His submission was entitled “Fair Lake Forest”. It was written to the tune of the popular song of the time, titled “Cambria”. Not only was his song then sung at the school’s Glee club’s concert that February, but it is still LFA’s school song. At least once a year, current students have the opportunity to hear Boyle’s song, and can be found on the back of every student’s planner.

But in a school where students come from nearly 30 countries, school leaders must plan for the remote possibility of Ebola being brought to campus. LFA recently released its policy on the possibility of an outbreak, taking

all necessary precautions. In a recent letter attached to the parent e-news, the school informed parents that LFA is following all protocol set by the CDC, and the nursing staff is prepared to detect any early symptoms in students.

Photo by Tori Koontz A copy of The Spectator’s front page for the January 1914 Spectator is depicted here.

LFA develops an Ebola policy

By Romaer Chopra Editor-in-Chief For most students at Lake Forest Academy, the Ebola outbreak in west Africa has been a worrisome, but relatively distant issue.

Photo courtesy of Tribune Media Services

President Barack Obama adresses the ebola epidemic at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Although no cases have been reported in the state of Illinois, we wanted to take the opportunity to assure you that Lake Forest Academy has prepared itself and that we will continue to monitor the Ebola outbreak,” reads the recent letter in the parent e-news.

LFA has a clearly unique scenario, compared to other schools in Illinois, considering the wide range of countries that send students here. According to Dean of Students Chris Tennyson, the school monitors student’s travel plans as a way to be aware of any possible threats.

“We track our boarding students during the vacation periods and we would rely on our day families to let us know if they traveled to areas where there has been an outbreak. To be honest, though, if families traveled to those areas, then they would have to go through a screening process at O’Hare that would serve as a foundation for us to conduct our own risk assessment,” said Tennyson

While the nursing staff is ready to detect any symptoms, the appearance of such symptoms would be followed by the school immediately contacting the Lake County Health Department. It is assumed that students who show any symptoms would immediately be transferred to a local hospital. The school would then follow the recommendations of health authorities.

LFA has had to deal with similar situations in the past, such as the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. According to Tennyson, the school had several students who caught the flu, and the nurses properly dealt with the problem.

“To date, there have been no cases in the State of Illinois, but if there were then we would follow the lead of the medical professionals (Lake County Health Department, CDC, Lake Forest Hospital, our nurses, etc.) to make sure that the members of our community were safe,” said Tennyson

THE SPECTATOR DECEMBER 5, 2014

Arts and Entertainment

Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes and “Never Ending Tour”

By Madison Olivieri Senior A&E Editor

Even if you have been living on a comet that is circling the solar system, you have heard of Bob Dylan, America’s folk-rock icon.

Dylan released Basement Tapes Recording Sampler: The Bootleg Series, Volume 11, on November 4. The tape features fifteen uncovered tracks of Bob Dylan and The Band, which was a group that played at Woodstock, all of which were recorded in 1966.

The Basement Tapes are an important aspect of Dylan’s career. They have been uncovered and released throughout the past 35 years, and they were Dylan’s first new recordings after his 1966 motorcycle crash. The crash left him with neck vertebrae injuries and a concussion, which has been penned a pivotal turning

point in his career; his style switched from rock and roll to a mix of folk, blues, and country after the crash. The tapes were never meant to be released, but illegal bootleg copies were made available in the late 1960s; Dylan officially released the first of the series in 1975.

“Odds and Ends”, the first track of the eleventh volume, is an alternate version of the same song from Dylan’s Basement Tapes LP, released in 1975. Whereas the original song is clearer, the alternate version is quieter and emphasizes Dylan’s vocals rather than the instruments. “Million Dollar Bash – Take 1”, features a steady piano chord, pausing to let Dylan’s emphatic oohing be heard. He also covers Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”

While Cash’s original song whoops with a low bass and his deep voice, Dylan incorporates his own lighter, folk style. Songs like “All You Have To Do is Dream – Take 2,” “I Shall be Released – Take 1,” and “One

Too Many Mornings” show off Dylan’s early lyrical genius.

Without the music, Dylan would be a poet; throughout his career, his musical talent has been evident in his ability to create a lyrical story with music.

Shortly following the release of the eleventh volume, Bob Dylan and The Band came to Chicago at Cadillac Palace Theatre on November 8th. The hour and a

half set consisted of his more recent work, the oldest song being a rendition of “Blowin’ in the Wind” from 1962. After that, there was a thirteen-year gap in music he didn’t cover; from 1975, he performed a rendition of “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Simple Twist of Fate.” He opened with the rhythmic 2000 single “Things Have Changed,” and finished with the guitar strumming “Long and Wasted Years.” His gravelly voice filled the entire theatre as audience members enjoyed hearing newer songs and reinterpretations of older music.

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Caxy Playlist -- Study Mix 1. Intro. . . The xx 2. Loud Pipes. . . Ratatat 3. You Wish. . . Nightmares On Wax 4. Rhiannon. . . Fleetwood Mac 5. Your Hand In Mine. . . Explosions In The Sky 6. Jubel - Original Mix. . .Klingande 7. Mirror Maru. . . Cashmere Cat 8. VCR (The xx cover). . .The Antlers 9. Ekki Mukk. . .Sigur Ros 10. Bookends. . .Simon & Garfunkel

Backstage takes the front stage: Theater Tech class numbers are up

By Tori Koontz News Editor

In recent years at Lake Forest Academy, the popularity for a particular Fine Arts class has steadily increased -- the Theater Technology class. Taught by Mr. Jason Koenig, the course has become one of the central classes in the department.

There are six students currently enrolled in the course, and, according to Koenig, that is a good number to have. Theater Tech, which has been around for approximately nine years, is divided into three sections that are taught over the course of the semester: stage design and construction, sound, and lighting.

“We talk a lot about sound, and that’s what I do during the musicals and performances… I have my own sound system at home

Photo by Tori Koontz

Maggie Meyer ‘16 works on soldering metal pieces together.

so it gives me a lot of useful information,” said senior Giovanni Harold when asked about his interests in the class.

The course is structured differently than a regular class. Because it involves so much equipment and technology, Theater Tech has a much more hands-on approach to its workload. However, elements of projects and homework can still be seen within the class.

“You don’t really know what you’re doing until you’re actually doing it in a production, so being in some element of production [is required] so students are able to get that experience,” said Koenig.

Each student is required to put in at least 15 hours of technical assistance for events in Cressey Theater, such as Morning Meeting, music concerts, or speakers. The purpose of this is to get

experience with the equipment in a practical, real-life setting.

“I really enjoy working one-onone with the theater equipment and technology that we use because it’s very different than just sitting in the classroom learning about these things,” commented Maggie Meyer, a junior and twoyear stage manager for the major theater productions at LFA. This recent interest in Theater Technology can also been seen in other areas of the Arts department as well. Stage crew for the winter musical, which counts as a PE, has also seen a rise in participants in the last few years. This season, 21 students are involved with it.

Although there is no direct connection between the class and stage crew, almost all students in Theater Tech also participate in it, as stage crew relates to what they are learning in the class.

THE SPECTATOR 6

Arts and Entertainment

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Shut out the cold and bring in holiday cheer

By Amanda Bozorgi and Madison Olivieri Senior Editors ‘Twas the week before finals, when all through the campus, not a student was ready, not even the teachers. The students trudged through knee-deep snow to the dorms, in hopes that winter vacation would be there soon. When out in the dorm hallway there arose such a clatter, they checked on their neighbors to see what was the matter. They opened the door and there were the snowflakes, snowmen, and winter lights -- hooray!

To shake the winter blues and brighten up the last few weeks before finals, The Spectator wants to share fun ways to embrace the cold and make it through to Winter break.

Like you and your roommate, every snowflake is unique. To start, get some colorful paper. Fold the paper any way that you want, and cut whatever patterns you want into it. Glow in the dark paint on a paper snowflake is a great way to light up a room and make it feel like a winter wonderland too. When you turn the lights off to go to bed, your snowflake wil light up and serve as a delightful reminder of the below temperatures outside your cozy dorm room.

At all costs, avoid glitter. That stuff won’t go away until you vacuum for the first time on Move-Up Day. Adding some snowmen to your walls would also be a great way to make your room feel snug during the winter months.

They’re a quick and easy way to decorate, using just some paper and scissors. You can cut out a few circles of different sizes, paste them together, draw on some buttons, maybe a carrot nose, a scarf even if you’re feeling a little artsy. To personalize your snowmen, you can print out individual photos of you and your roommate and paste them onto the snowman to make your room feel even more homey.

To top it all off, add some white winter lights! You could easily stream the lights around your room, adding the pretty effect of snow falling when you turn them

on. You could organize the lights to make a wintery design on your wall, or you could use individual lights to brighten up the room. Using paper mache, you can also cover the lights so that they look like a candles floating on your wall.

Not only will the sight of the lights comfort you from the cold temperatures and the thought of finals, they will also get you in the perfect mood to spread your winter cheer.

Another great way to jump into the holiday spirit is to get a group of friends together to create a Secret Santa. Everyone loves getting presents, and with Secret Santa the awkwardness of accidentally leaving out a friend or the struggle of finding cheap enough presents to buy for every person is completely avoided.

This method of gift giving and re- ceiving is also quite versatile, as it can be executed in as small a group as three or four, or up to an entire dorm!

In fact, some Secret Santa groups are

shockingly large. Last year a subset of Reddit, called Redditgifts, broke the world record for largest online Secret Santa group with 89,000 participants.

Secret Santas are easy to apply to sports teams as well to incorporate winter cheer into team bonding.

The easiest way to execute a Secret Santa is to write each person’s name on a slip of paper, and put all of the slips into a hat or bucket.

Have each person in the group pull out a name, and if they pick their own name they can simply draw again.

The process of beginning a Secret Santa is quite simple, but sometimes finding the gift itself can be a challenge. Some sleuthing may be required to obtain the tastes and preferences of your chosen person, but often times the gift of food and drink is much appreciated, especially in the dorms.

For girls, a mug with their initials or a cute winter-themed cup stuffed with hot chocolate mix, hot apple cider, and some candy is perfect to warm up those winter nights

when snuggling up in bed with Netflix seems far preferable to writing out that tedious lab report.

Boys sometimes struggle with the concept of Secret Santa, or gift giving in general as they tend to believe that giving a present to another guy is “lame.” However, food can break that tension. Put some of their favorite snacks in a bag, or a Chipotle gift card, and bro hug it out.

When price limits are set within the group, creativity is often required to find the perfect gift. One way to get around this obstacle is to make a homemade gift!

Small crafts are simple to make, and supplies are easily found anywhere from Target to Michael’s. Or, you could use your arts classes to be productive, and make a custom pot in ceramics or a colorful glass pane in glass fusing for your friend. A handmade gift is sure to fit any individual’s tastes and preferences.

Photo courtesy of Lacey Williams’ Flikr

An example of what your dorm could look like if you follow these fun and easy decoration tips and tricks.

THE SPECTATOR DECEMBER 5, 2014

Arts and Entertainment

7

Date Night

With Amanda Bozorgi and Allison Hechtman

Nightcrawler and pancakes make for a great date

By Amanda Bozorgi and Allison Hechtman Managing Editors This month, your favorite couple tackled the most clichéd date we could think of: dinner and a movie. We figured that everyone could relate to this one, and hopefully be inspired by us to catch the latest movie.

a new animation coming out soon, and Dolphin Tale 2 is supposed to be . . . decent.

To view this film, we paid a visit to the Regal Lincolnshire Stadium 21 and IMAX. Although this theater was slightly farther away from the LFA campus than the AMC Showplace 8 in Vernon Hills, we agreed that this theater was both larger and cleaner than the Vernon Hills theater. Also, the array of dinner options, such as Wildfire,

Photo by Amanda Bozorgi

The delicious Healthy Start Medley included four tasty wheat germ granola pancakes.

Our romantic evening started with a movie, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Nightcrawler.

The suspense and character devolvement throughout the movie was delightful. Even Allison, who is prone to falling asleep in movie theaters, stayed awake. Nightcrawler is the story of Lou Bloom, a man who finds his calling filming news stories. This thriller adds a dark twist to the Klondike bar question, asking what one wouldn’t do to get what they want.

It was agreed by us that Nightcrawler was Gyllenhaal’s greatest display of acting yet.

His performance was gripping, and he entirely stole the spotlight from every other character. Every action that Gyllenhaal executed throughout the film was flawlessly suited to his disconcerting and hauntingly ambitious character. Even if it this movie didn’t contain an action packed plot, it is worth seeing solely for the sake of taking in Gyllenhaal’s performance.

The movie is rated R, so this is for our upperclassmen only! It’s okay, underclassmen, we’re sure Disney has

Cosi, and Big Bowl, surrounding the Stadium 21 make it the perfect destination for a date. Swirlcup, which is one of our personal favorite frozen yogurt spots, is also just across the parking lot from the theater.

We couldn’t help but add a bit of a twist to this classic date, so we made our meal breakfast for dinner at the classic Walker Bros. Original Pancake House in Lincolnshire.

While Allison was a bit distracted with her new favorite iPhone game, aa, Amanda thought of the idea to put our phones together in the middle of the table in order to enjoy more face to face contact.

The rule implemented was that the first to touch their phone had to pay for all of dinner. Luckily, both of us were able to avoid our phones for the rest of the evening.

This ended up making the scramble for the check a tad awkward, but at least we did not succumb to the technology addiction of our generation.

On a separate note, the service was very attentive. We were seated as soon as we

entered the restaurant, and our order was taken prompty.

Allison was feeling

savory, ordering an omelette and hash browns.

The eggs at Walker Bros. don’t come with hash browns like at most diners. What’s up with that? Amanda, feeling more sweet, ordered the healthy start medley and some hash browns.

Amanda’s Healthy Start Medley included fruit, egg whites, and some delicious wheat germ granola pancakes which Amanda declared were her favorite item at Walker Bros. That’s saying a lot, because Amanda would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Walker Bros. if it weren’t frowned upon by society. Both of us would recommend ordering the hashbrowns cooked extra crispy, because it adds a special crunch to the already tasty dish. Allison thought it was gross when Amanda also added hot sauce to her hash browns, but that’s just her opinion.

Walker Bros. is known for its signature monster of a meal, the apple pancake.

Although n o t

ordered on our date, it’d be perfect to split between two (or ten) people. It takes approximately 20 minutes or more to bake in the restaurant, but it is well worth the wait. The crispy edges combined with the droolinducing cinnamon apple filling will satisfy almost any sweet-tooth as a breakfast style dessert.. However, no one will judge you if you order it for dinner and eat the entire thing yourself.

Looking to recreate this perfect night at a fraction of the cost? Walker Bros. sells apple pancakes to bring home and stick in the freezer. Come date night, pop it in the oven to warm up to gooey perfection and turn on some Netflix for a romantic, DIY date.

Photo by Amanda Bozorgi

Amanda and Allison highly recommend ordering the hashbrowns extra crispy.

VERDICT: Nightcrawler is a fantastic film, and Walker Bros. leaves nothing to be desired.

THE SPECTATOR 8

CENTERFOLD

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Before or after winter break: The great finals debate rages

By Allison Hechtman Managing Editor It’s that time of year again— time to cram, time to stress, and time to study like never before. It’s a time where one word sums up a multitude of emotions: finals.

Some high schools hold finals before Winter break, and some hold finals after break. The evidence to support both schedules is abundant. Lake Forest Academy, and neighboring Loyola Academy, are both adamant supporters of holding finals before Winter break.

“The primary advantages of finals before break are two-fold,” said Loyola Academy Principal Dr. Kathryn M. Baal. “Students get a two-week holiday break where they have no work. This provides them a break without stress and anxiety while providing them the opportunity to rejuvenate themselves. Also the transition between semesters is a clean break, which is helpful from a teacher and student perspective.”

LFA is a strong believer in a stress-free Winter break, hosting exams before break for at least the last 30 years. This year, LFA will hold finals from December 11th to 13th before dismissing students to a luxurious three-week winter break.

On a different side of the argument lie

schools such as New Trier H.S., Lake Forest H.S., and Stevenson H.S. All host finals after Winter break, and all have been pleased with the results.

“Calendar-wise, moving finals before break requires either uneven semesters or an atypically early start date in August,” said New Trier East Principal Denise Dubravec. “Our teachers and students also see the need for two weeks of class after break before finals.”

LFA does indeed have uneven semesters in order to accommodate the finals schedule, resulting in a 10 cycle first semester and a 13 cycle second semester.

“There has never been an argument to move exams to after the Winter vacation,” said Dean of Students Chris Tennyson. “In fact, the school believes that homework should not be assigned over these types of breaks.”

At LFA, Winter break is a time to unwind and temporarily forget about school.

“Winter break affords some students time to catch-up,” said Dubravec.

At New Trier, students use the two weeks wisely. New Trier Senior Maggie McMahon cites the two weeks of break and two weeks of class time spent reviewing for her success.

“All four kids in my family went to New Trier, so my parents know that

Photo by Arthur He

Juniors Monica Wang and Maddie Zhang fill out study guides as they prepare for finals in the coming week.

Exam Schedule Thursday, Dec. 11: 8:30 am Science

1 pm English

Friday, Dec. 12: 8:30 am Language

1 pm Math

Saturday, Dec. 13: 8:30 am History

1 pm Conflicts

Winter break is a time to study and not necessarily a great time for vacation,” McMahon said. “I feel like having two weeks that I can devote to my style of studying greatly improves how well I do on the final.”

New Trier Senior Meghan Mulhern spent her freshman year at Loyola. Having experienced finals before and after winter break, she acknowledges pros and cons to both.

“Freshman year, it was really nice to have Winter break be a full break. I didn’t worry about school and just got to unwind,” recalled Mulhern. “However, I also really appreciate that having later finals gives me time to study. Personally, I haven’t found that timing has affected my grades and I don’t really have a preference for when finals are held.”

From an administrative perspective, neither style seems to have a great impact on a student’s performance.

“I have worked in schools with finals both before and after the break. Personally, I believe the academic success ultimately is dependent on the student’s own preparation and work ethic,” said Loyola’s Baal.

Academic administrators are quick to say that finals are not about grades.

“We need to stay focused on learning, not grades. However, assessment is actually a key component of learning,” says Dubravec, citing a Purdue study.

Overall, it appears that no matter when finals are scheduled, there will always be pros and cons to consider. Happy studying!

To read more about the Purdue study, visit our website: www.caxynews.com

THE SPECTATOR DECEMBER 5, 2014

CENTERFOLD

9

No right way to study

By Romaer Chopra Editor-in-Chief With final exams looming on the horizon, LFA suddenly becomes a time of increasing stress. Students have to figure out how to compress all their information from this semester into a couple hours of testing, an often nerve-wracking task.

LFA teachers put an emphasis on learning for the sake of learning, not for grades, but they also emphasize studying in the right way. For tests as stressful as final exams, students must master the right techniques.

According to Mrs. Mary Stewart Lewis, LFA’s Learning Resource Coordinator, there are three phases to adequately preparing for exams: organizing materials, preparing to study, and actually studying.

Lewis believes that all students should be organizing from the first day of classes, but she knows that not many students actually do that. Her hope is that students will have everything organized by the end of Thanksgiving vacation. Lewis emphasizes that organizing and preparing to study isn’t actually studying; it is crucial to have these steps done as early as possible to have enough to time to actually study.

Some LFA students don’t take an as or-

thodox approach. Senior Richard Melville likes to block out a couple weekends before finals and isolate those as time for studying.

“I just take 3:00 PM on Friday till 9:00 PM on Sunday, and I just crank them all out. Boom. Boom. Boom. After a couple weekends of that, I feel prepared,” said Melville.

While Melville and Lewis may have different techniques for studying, they both emphasize a need for sleep when it comes to preparing for final exams. Melville believes that there is no point studying so much or so late that he feels tired the next day. According to Lewis, sleep has been scientifically proven to help the brain solidify all of the learning of the past day.

Lewis also believes that if students start studying earlier enough they should not have troubles sleeping.

“Studying four hours a night before the final gives your brain one night to make connections, but studying for one hour for each of several nights before the final gives your brain four nights of sleep to make those connections,” said Lewis.

While many students often complain about the existence of final exams, Lewis recognizes them as crucial for preparation

for college. Known for having a rigorous curriculum, LFA would be leaving its students unprepared had it not required some

final exams. While students like Melville are frustrated by final exams, they do understand their value.

Photo by Arthur He

Freshman Tommy Filip takes thorough notes in class so that he has a good review source in December.

Personal Opinion: Why do students cheat?

By Matt Filip Senior Op-Ed Editor

students cheat.

A focus on the pressure to achieve high grades ran throughout an entire discourse about cheating with junior Clayton Magos.

“The culture [at LFA] focuses on grades over learning,” he explained.

Family pressure, as well as the pressure students put on themselves, came up again

Wherever there is a test, there will be people that attempt to cheat. It’s just inherent to human nature that some people will try to game whatever system they are put in. The reasons why people cheat are as diverse as the people of the world are, however when speaking to LFA students, a common set of reasons why they believe students cheat began to emerge.

“Everyone here, including the parents and students, wants to go to an Ivy or Stanford or Duke, so the pressure can be intense,” senior Nick Frystak said.

Which makes sense; LFA is a college prep school. Our students have ambitions to go to the best academic schools in the nation. In addition the workload of the school is commonly cited as a reason why students feel compelled to cheat, particularly if time mismanagement has made it hard (if not impossible) to turn in assignments when they’re due.

“They’re stressed out. Sometimes they think the cheating way’s the best way to get a good grade, and, you never know if a Photo by Arthur He teacher will find out,” said sophomore J.J. In this recreation, Spectator staff members Allison Hechtman and Matt Filip show how easy it Gray when asked why he believed certain is to cheat and how obvious it looks.

and again.

“Pressure from the parents pushes a lot of people to cheat, they ask for good grades instead of, you know, the kids trying their best in school,” senior Nick Soh commented.

Overall students at Lake Forest Academy appear to believe that certain members of the community cheat for a handful of common reasons. A focus on going to elite colleges, while not necessarily a bad thing, seems to occasionally bleed into students stretching themselves too thin and sometimes making a poor decision due to a variety of pressures. In addition, while the workload at LFA is often substantial, being organized does help the process along. Perhaps, this finals season, it would be wise for everyone to take a step back and focus less on the grades and more on the process.

We here at The Spectator would like to wish everyone good luck and remind them their life won’t end because of a letter on their transcript.

Follow us on Twitter: @caxynews Follow us on Instagram: @caxynews Visit our website: www.caxynews.com

THE SPECTATOR 10

Opinion and Editorial

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Caxy Rant A good idea poorly executed

By Joseph Kim Op-ed Editor Everyone at Lake Forest Academy was surprised by a video shown during Morning Meeting a couple days before October 31, Halloween. Romaer Chopra, the All-School President of LFA, used the video to invite students and faculty to a surprise Halloween Dance planned on Nov. 1 However, despite the efforts put in by Student Council and the faculty members, the dance was anything but a successful one.

“The advertisement done for the Halloween Dance was great, however, its execution was poor, not living up to its expectations at all,” explained Josh Lam, a junior at LFA. Planned in a hurry, the Halloween Dance was definitely not up to par with other major dances such as Homecoming or Prom in terms of participation. Many students, caught by surprise, weren’t prepared to participate in the dance, and others were busy with other

plans or spending time with their family members for Halloween.

People who did attend claimed that the dance wasn’t as exciting as other dances were. It had a poor choice of music and the low participation took the level of excitement down significantly.

“The dance was really not very fun at the beginning. As it approached the end, it kind of got better but the dance was basically over by the time people started getting into the mood of the dance,” said Milo Green, a student DJ at the dance.

Should there be more dances like the Halloween Dance held? Considering the level of participation and the comments received from the students who have attended the dance, it wouldn’t be the best idea to have another surprise dance planned in the future. It lacks tradition, motivation, and can be incredibly inconvenient for many students who want to participate, but can’t due to family events.

“I fully support dances such as

the Halloween Dance as long as they live up to their advertisements,” claimed Janice Wang, a junior in LFA.

Dances raise school spirit and help students relax from the heavy work required by the academy.

With a tad bit more preparation

and support from students and faculty of LFA, holding more dances in the future can turn out to be quite successful.

Photo courtesy of Jack Zhong

A group of students at LFA attend the Halloween dance with their costumes.

Personal opinion

Should schools enforce dress code?

By Joseph Kim Op-ed editor Yes and no, the experts say. The debate about having dress codes and uniforms in schools has been a major topic around the world for some time. Lake Forest Academy is private institution not acquiring uniforms but instead enforcing a strict dress code. It requires males to wear a dress shirt, tie, dress pants, belt, and dress shoes.

It also requires females to wear equally formal attire.

The debate centers upon whether wearing a certain type of clothing can make a difference in one’s academic career. Many parents and teachers believe that LFA’s strict dress code helps student focus on their academics, since they won’t be distracted by how they look since everyone’s clothing looks similar.

“Having a strict dress code really takes away the pressure to dress nicely,” explains Angela Kwon a sophomore in LFA. Students who are not in a position to dress as well as others

can suffer from peer pressure and become discouraged because they feel like they do not fit in. A dress code can help solve this and possibly relieve some of the discouragement some students feel.

The formal-looking dress code definitely does let the students in LFA seem more professional look and keeps students from wearing clothing with violent or profane messages printed on them.

Not everyone agrees with the concept of a dress code.

“I think that the idea of dress code suppresses the student’s abilities to express their own unique style and personalities through the way they dress,” said William Wan, a junior in LFA. Wan is part of a group of students who see a strict dress code as a major disadvantage that restricts students from showing their individuality through attire.

For people, teenagers especially, clothes are an expression of a person’s style and taste and this is a way to establish their individual identities. It can be argued that prohibiting students from wear-

Photo by Joseph Kim

Junior William Wan poses out of dress code with a hat, untied tie, and jeans.

ing what they would like is stifling their freedom of expression.

Another disadvantage is that it is uncomfortable and can cost more than a regular t-shirt and sweatpants one would wear. It can also pressure people in a lower so-

cioeconomic status financially because they would need to buy both clothing to wear at school as well as at home.

All in all, the concept of enforcing a dress code is a good idea, but it needs minor tweaks.

Perhaps acquring a more relaxed dress code, letting students express their personalities can be a great way to enhance the positive effects dress code and give the students at LFA a better enviornment to study in.

THE SPECTATOR

Opinion and Editorial

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Editorial

T h e L a k e A c a d e m y

Students say Saturday exams to be a disaster

They are wrong Saturday exams? On first consideration that sounds un-American, yet this semester’s History and conflict exams are set on a Saturday. Many students are already outraged at this schedule.

They might think that sitting down to tests on Saturday during exam week, when they may have been counting on the weekend as study time, to be particularly stressful. Some may even add that this year’s tests will be stressful enough because they will follow the Thanksgiving break so quickly. Students often imagine the whole Saturday final to be devastating, but The Spectator, holds a different opinion.

We believe that high school students should be able to take two and a half hours on Saturday to take a final without all the histrionics. Time management and studying on Friday night can help students get exams and the se-

mester finished without extending testing into the following week.

What some students don’t realize is that the Saturday final is not a full day of exams. Most students don’t have a conflict exam, so it really is just half a day of testing.

Then, instead of going back to school Monday to take another final exam, everyone gets to start Winter break either Saturday afternoon or Sunday. Therefore, taking an exam on a Saturday is not the end of the world, but rather an earlier start to vacation.

While preparing for the finals, the study schedule doesn’t really have to change because of the Saturday final. In fact, it may help students to concentrate, since studying on Friday instead of Sunday is just a continuation of the study pattern stunts would have established at the start of exams. We also believe that there are only two kinds of people: the

ones that will study all weekend and worry about the Monday final, or the ones that won’t study at all since it is weekend. Neither of the options sounds too great.

It makes more sense if you take a Saturday exam and complete your semester then.

Moreover, if you think about it, having finals from Thursday to Saturday is actually a lot better than having finals from Wednesday to Friday. Students would have one less day to prepare for the finals if they started on Wednesday.

In the end, there shouldn’t be more panic or stress about Saturday finals than you are already going to have for finals anyway.

The advise from the Spectator staff? Give up a Friday night to study and start your holiday early!

Good luck on finals!

Inquiring Photographer

11 F o r e s t

S P E C TAT O R

STAFF LIST Editors-in-Chief Managing Editors

News Editors

Senior Features Editors Senior Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editors Senior A&E Editor A&E Editor Senior Sports Editor Sports Editor Staff Writer Faculty Adviser

Romaer Chopra Jordan Wolff Amanda Bozorgi Allison Hechtman Michael Phillips Kristen Van Tine Tori Koontz Catherine Kvam Jason Lee Julia Mills Sophie Hanson Aban Yaqub Matt Filip Arthur He Joseph Kim Madison Olivieri India Shelley Ned Kennedy Ryan Wong Brandon Amoroso William Murphy

PUBLICATION

The Spectator is published eight times per year by the students of Lake Forest Academy and is a forum for student expression. The views and reporting herein are the sole product of The Spectator’s student reporters and in no way reflect the official views of Lake Forest Academy faculty, staff, administration or Board of Trustees.

What does LFA think of Saturday exams?

EDITORIALS

The Spectator went out to hear what the LFA community had to say about finals on a Saturday.

Opinions of the staff are presented in the form of unsigned editorials. Personal views are bylined or presented as formal dissents.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The Spectator welcomes responses to its articles in the form of Letters to the Editors in addition to letters on subjects of the author’s choosing. Please e-mail Letters to the Editors to Mr. Murphy at wmurphy@lfanet.org.

AWARDS “Saturday exams are not terrible because I would be using my Saturday morning for homework anyways.” -Abby Hernandez, ‘18 “I think they’re unnecessary because I feel that we should be able to have school Monday through

“They are better than Monday exams because you get straight through and get done sooner rather than having to wait over the weekend to stress out for another day.” -Luke Corsiglia, ‘15

Friday and not have to come in on a day when we’re supposed to have two days off.” -Matt Pugliese, ‘16 “Honestly it doesn’t bother me because an exam is only for maybe about 2 and half hours. So as far as taking an exam on a Saturday it’s only a one-time thing.”

-Michael Zaucedo, ‘15

“In the past we had an entire weekend to study for Monday’s exams, so I don’t feel like it’s giving us an opportunity to really prepare as much as we did last year.” -Nakoma Goodsell, ‘16

The Spectator has been awarded several prestigious journalism awards in recent years. It has consistently taken first place in competitions against schools of similar size held by the American Scholastic Press Association and the Kempler Moraine Press Association.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“I don’t think that my kind of journalism has ever been universally popular. It’s lonely out here.”

-- Hunter S. Thompson

THE SPECTATOR 12

Features

DECEMBER 5, 2014

The holiday shopping craze

generates billions in revenue

By Sophie Hanson and Aban Yaqub Senior Features Editors

Thinking of the holiday season brings to mind cocoa, cookies, snow, and, of course, shopping. The winter holidays create a great deal of shopping opportunities, what with Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the ever-increasing lead up to Christmas.

Black Friday takes place the day after Thanksgiving, a date that some find ironic. After all, Thanksgiving is a holiday on which Americans are supposed to appreciate what they do have and not want for what they don’t. Regardless, Black Friday is one of the largest American shopping days of the year. In 2012, Black Friday and the following weekend generated a record $59.1 billion in sales, according to the National Association of Retailers.

“I’m making a list of stores I want to go to and I’m waking up early in the morning,” senior Lili Mae Kinney said. “The best places to go are outlets because, everything is already marked down, and with Black Friday everything is marked down even more.”

Black Friday has its origins in the late 1930s. Following the Great Depression, The Retail Dry Goods Association warned President Franklin Roosevelt that sales were tanking because Americans were not starting their Christmas shopping until after Thanksgiving ended. In those days, Thanksgiving took place on the final Thursday of the month. Not wanting to see America’s recovering economy crash, Roosevelt decided to move Thanksgiving up a week, allowing more time for Americans to finish their Christmas shopping. So it was in 1939 that Black Friday came into being.

Though Roosevelt’s choice to make Thanksgiving sooner was initially begrudged by the public, it was soon widely accepted for financial reasons. Retailers used the extra weekend to kick-start the holidays by offering massive sales on Friday. The tradition stuck, and the public was

appeased.

The name “Black Friday” originated from the phrase “get in the black”, which referred to a company actually making profits. After the buying bonanza on that special Friday, many companies finally start to make profits for the whole year. They are “in the black.” Moreover, dealing with the buzzing shopping centers were policemen, cab drivers, and those navigating traffic, who considered the day “black” to connote the negativity of the hustle and bustle of eager shoppers.

Although the day is still radically successful, there has been a spending drop since 2009. As a result, stores follow up with “panic sales” in order to make up for lost revenue, according to Poonam Goyal, a Bloomberg Industries analyst.

“I feel like now, the price of clothes has gone up, but their quality has gone down.

But, on Black Friday you get the chance to buy clothes for their actual worth,” sophomore Sasha Bilinkis said.

Black Friday has gained a negative reputation for violence. Last year, 15 injuries and one death were attributed to the mad scramble for products vastly cheaper than usual.

“Black Friday is something people really look forward to but the fact that people get injured takes away from the experience,” senior Yeso Lee commented.

In recent years, Cyber Monday has followed Black Friday with a comparable number of sales online. The massive online traffic sometimes causes websites to crash, but hunting for sales at the computer is far safer than braving the commotion at the stores.

“I like to shop on Cyber Monday because I find that I get better deals online,” senior Ayo Odebiyi said.

As Internet shopping becomes more popular, and the dangers of Black Friday shopping more prevalent, Cyber Monday may supplant its predecessor as the most popular shopping day of the year.

Photo courtesy of blackfriday.com

Despite cold temperatures, Black Friday continuously sees throngs of eager shoppers.

THE SPECTATOR DECEMBER 5, 2014

Features

13

Ms. Amanda Pentler ties the knot in LFA’s Armour House over Thanksgiving weekend

By Aban Yaqub Senior Features Editor When Mrs. Amanda Byron, previously Pentler, had envisioned her wedding, she had her heart set on getting married at an estate; however, she had never considered that her wedding venue would also be her workplace. English teacher Byron married her fiancé, Mr. Brett Byron, over Thanksgiving weekend, here at Lake Forest Academy.

“I had always kind of dreamed of getting married in a historical home, partially because of my fascination and love of British literature. I preferred the idea of getting married at an estate to a hotel ballroom. I work in one, so it was a perfect fit,” she stated.

Byron explained she had hoped for her wedding venue to be somewhere of significance, to where she and her husband felt a sentimental tie.

“It wasn’t just some random banquet hall; it was somewhere we felt emotionally connected to, even before we lived here. The whole reason I came here was to be with him,” she said.

Although she’s lived in DC, worked for Scholastic and Ralph Lauren in New

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Amanda Byron

Mrs. Amanda Byron poses with her husband , Brett Byron, at their engagement photo shoot.

York City, and taught English in Italy, Byron ultimately never expected to settle down outside of her hometown of Mequon, a Milwaukee suburb, and she certainly never expected to move again.

However, that all changed when she met Brett Byron, a Chicago

Photo courtesy of carnivalstudio.com

A wedding party poses in the library, where a fireplace and chairs make for a cozy scene.

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Amanda Byron

Mr. Byron’s father is a landscape architect who helped shape the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

native, and moved to the city to be with him. “[The move] was a change, but I really knew what I wanted in a partner, and I thought that it was worth the move and life

change to be with him. It’s rare to find someone, and when you find someone you really want to be with, sometimes, somehow, you have to do things that aren’t necessarily part of the plan, and so now we have a new plan,” Byron said.

Comparatively, the couple felt that Chicago had much more to offer in terms of job opportunities and being an artistic sphere, which was ideal for her husband; Brett is currently a drama and English teacher, and the Fine Arts Department Chair at a Chicago Public School. Additionally, while she enjoys the familiar feel of a suburban lifestyle, Byron nonetheless loves having access to the city -- which was a plus during wedding shopping.

“The wedding planning ended up being great because I could schedule things like tastings and the audio walkthrough here on campus. In between teaching and coaching, I didn’t have to worry about getting to a 4 pm appointment,” she added.

The move had been especially hard for Byron because of how close she is with her mother. But, living on campus has helped, due to the shorter drive back

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Amanda Byron

The Chicago Botanic Gardens were picturesque even during winter for the couple’s shoot.

Photo courtesy of nakaiphotography.com

The Great Hall of the Armour House is furnished and decorated as the event’s dining room.

THE SPECTATOR

Features

14

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Procreate reinvents

iPad drawing ability “I’ve used several drawing apps, and this is the one where I find the most freedom,” junior Arthur He said about the Apple app, Procreate. “It also runs really smoothly.”

There are dozens of different drawing apps on the Apple market, but the general consensus among digital artists is that Procreate is at the top of the game. It received an average of 4.7 stars in the App Store, and generally positive reviews among customers.

Winner of the Apple Design Award in 2013, Procreate allows the artist to create drawings, paintings, and digital artwork.

Hundreds of different brushes, pens, pencils, and abstract textures are available to the user along with infinite color possibilities. Artists are able to mix style and texture with ease as well as change the opaqueness and width of the tools they

use. Additionally, users are able to upload custom-made textures and tools to suit their needs. Procreate also allows artists to layer their projects multiple times, allowing for highly detailed and layered images.

Artists can also zoom in on specific parts of their works in order to add minute details, and rotate images forward and backward to make them appear three-dimensional.

“I got it because it allowed me to use multiple layers,” junior Annemarie Morrison explained. “Also, most importantly, it let me mix digital drawing and my photography, which I thought was so cool.”

Procreate’s biggest competitors on the Apple market are Brushes and SketchBook. Though not as advanced or complex as Procreate, Brushes offers a playback feature, so that the artist can view his or her work step by step, and has an easy-to-use interface. SketchBook is more advanced than Brushes, but lacks the sheer amount of customization that Procreate offers.

Photo taken by Amanda Bozorgi

Photo taken by Amanda Bozorgi

By Sophie Hanson Senior Features Editor

Caxy Match

The Spectator Staff believes freshman student council member Dieter Villegas could be Vicente Nagel’s mini-me.

Photo courtesy of www.procreate.com

Artists can smear the artificial paint they use, creating a surreal effect in their works.

Procreate is not faultless. Many users complain that the “gallery” page is unorganized. A reviewer of the app on iOS.net recently complained that the app sometimes “freezes and shuts down,” though no LFA students have complained of this issue thus far.

“There’s a feature I really want them to include but they don’t have,” Arthur He

noted his only gripe. “I want them to have a watermark, and they don’t have it.”

An updated version of Procreate (Procreate 2) is currently available in the App Store for $5.99. With its numerous impressive features, seamless interface, and highly customizable toolbar, it is well worth the price for any amateur or professional artist.

Photo courtesy of www.procreate.com

This digitial painting entitled “Escaping Time” by artist Kyle Lambert illustrates Procreate’s immense layering and shading capabilities.

THE SPECTATOR

Sports

DECEMBER 5, 2014

15

Wick uses past experience in an attempt to bring Jiu Jitsu to LFA

By Brandon Amoroso Staff Writer Jiu Jitsu isn’t necessarily thought of as a school activity, but Mr. Dave Wick, English and Latin instructor at Lake Forest Academy, plans on making it such. This winter Wick will teach 10 students the basics of Jiu Jitsu, as a Physical Education class, demonstrating his many years of experience in the martial art.

Wick has been studying various forms of Jiu Jitsu since 1975 and is ranked as a black belt in Danzan Ryu Jiu Jitsu. With a foundational understanding of the art solidified by competing in Judo tournaments for several years in the 1980’s, Wick branched off to studying the internal arts of Chinese Kung Fu, including Pa Kua, Tai Chi, Liu Ho Pa Fa, Lama, and Chi Gung since 1991. Through his deep background in martial arts, Wick hopes to be able to provide basic training for his students.

“My plan is to introduce students to the basics of Jiu Jitsu, including basic throws, joint locks, escapes, constrictions, striking, and general self-defense. I want students to develop self-confidence and mental stillness during an attack, though this comes with long-term practice. I hope to inspire them to continue Jiu Jitsu with me in future years (for underclassmen) or take

up some other martial art,” said Wick.

Dean Romanchek, a senior at LFA, has been interested in martial arts since the beginning of his high school career and is excited for the opportunity to learn from Wick.

“I’ve always been interested in martial arts and Japanese culture. So when Jiu Jitsu was offered, I could not refuse. Plus I’ve know Mr. Wick, our Sensei, for a very long time and I feel as though I have a close relationship with him. Therefore, the sport is more personal and comfortable at Lake Forest Academy than it would be at another dojo,” said Romanchek.

This isn’t the first time Wick has taken on the challenge of introducing students to Jiu Jitsu at LFA, offering it as a team sport starting in 1983 and intermittently throughout the 1990’s. Unfortunately, for current students, there are a few issues with Jiu Jitsu being offered as a team sport.

However, Wick plans to continue to offer Jiu Jitsu as a PE. “The only difficulty with offering Jiu Jitsu as a team sport is getting students ready for competition in the short time that a season or two provides, but it’s definitely a possibility. We’d also have to enter open tournaments, which we did back in the early days of Jiu Jitsu at LFA,” said Wick.

Photo by Tori Koontz Mr. Wick teaches senior Dean Romanchek about the basics of Jiu Jitsu.

Courtesy of LFA smugmug acccount Adam Wisco defends the goal during a LFA Prep Hockey game.

A conversation between Prep Hockey goalie Adam Wisco and the Spectator

By Ned Kennedy Sports Editor Adam Wisco is the new goalie for the Lake Forest Academy Caxy prep hockey team. He is from Peterborough, Ontario, which is about two hours away from Toronto. Adam agreed to answer a couple of questions about his experiences so far at LFA and playing for the prep hockey team.

Q 1. How does LFA compare to your old high school?

A. “Obviously a lot different cause it’s a private school. So much better though. It’s a lot smaller so I already know a lot of people, and I like everyone. There’s a lot more of a real community feel. The teachers are all way better, way more understanding and caring. LFA is way better than my old school.”

Q 2. How did your tournament in Vancouver go?

A.” It didn’t go bad but it definitely didn’t go as we all hoped it would. We won two out of the five games we played hard but with all the guys hurt it was tough for us to get the wins.”

Q 3. What are the major differences between this team and other teams you have been on?

A. “This team is so much closer than any team I’ve played on before. We are just starting the winter season and I trust every guy on this team completely. It helps that I

live with half of the guys, but even the day students I spend a lot of time with. We are a great team. This teams also a bit different because of the age differences, but it’s not a big deal, its just different.”

Q 4. Which dorm do you live in and who is your roommate?

A. “I live in Atlass and my roommate is Joey Visconti.”

Q 5. What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the season?

A. “I’m really looking forward to playoffs. If we all play well we can make things happen, and we are a solid team. This season will be a lot of fun.”

Q 6. Was it easy to fit in with this team?

A. “It was definitely a lot easier than I thought it would be. Despite the different ages and placed everyone is from, We are all just hockey players.”

Q 7. How is the team chemistry considering there are so many new kids?

A. “The team chemistry is great. The vets made all the rookies feel welcome and were a true team. We did a lot of team building stuff at the start of the year, and if someone was looking at our team, they would think that we have been together for years.”

Q 8. Where are you from?

A. “I’m from Peterborough, Ontario in Canada, which is about 2 hours northeast of Toronto.”

Sports

DECEMBER 5, 2014

16

Girls basketball targets another successful season

By Ryan Wong Sports Editor Lake Forest Academy’s Girls Varsity Basketball team, recorded 14 wins and 8 losses last year, is currently practicing hard to prepare for a challenging schedule of games this winter. A positive for the team is that there are a lot of players who are returning such as Brianna Sturkey, Liza Tarr, Jasmine Sawyer, and Aleeya Sawyer. The fact that the four of them are back helps the team a lot. Head Coach Chris Tennyson has a lot of confidence in the team this year, if the players can stay healthy.

“We have a very good nucleus, Tessy Onwuka, and I hope they will be competitive,” said Tennyson. “However, we do play a pretty tough schedule. We open up against Lake Forest H.S., and there is going to be a part of the tournament where there would be five other public schools and us.”

This year the team has three seniors: Liza Tarr, Jasmine Sawyer, and Miriam Akogu.

Sawyer also believes that the team is going to achieve a lot of success this year.

“I think that our team is going to be strong this year. We have a lot of leaders on the team. We have already formed some great connections and the season has just started,” said Sawyer.

The girls open their season in the Vernon Hills Cougar Classic Tournament, where the team has not had a lot of success in the past few years. However, Tennyson

believes that beating some of the teams in that tournament would be a great breakthrough for the team.

“We talked on Friday, and one of the goals would be to beat some of those public schools in that Vernon Hills Tournament,” said Tennyson. “It would be a tough task since they are just so much bigger. If we can beat some of the teams that we didn’t beat last year, it would be great.”

Sawyer also stated that the team will have a key advantage if they quicken the pace of their game.

“Our goal this year is to get out and run against teams. We aren’t going to be the tallest team, but we are definitely going to be very quick compared to a lot of our competition, which could benefit us a lot,” said Sawyer.

The new returning nucleus of the team, Tessy Onwuka, also thinks that the team will achieve success as a new comer.

“I expect the team to continue to work hard as they are doing, develop good relationship with each other on and off the court, be supportive of each other and help each other grow in skills and development,” said Onwuka.

Tennyson strongly believes that the team can also be motivated by its strong oncourt leadership. That has been a traditional thing on the team in recent years.

“The really neat thing about the girls’ team is that for the past couple of years,

there has been good leadership throughout the team, and so it is definitely going to continue,” said the coach. “There is an idea of nurturing and seeing how people have

done it before them, and I think the seniors have already taken it upon themselves to be leaders. It should be a lot of fun to see.”

Junior Erin Abrams dribbles away from a defender.

Photo courtesy of LFA Communications

Experienced Caxy Boys Basketball team strives for an outstanding 2014-2015 record

By Ned Kennedy Sports Editor

The Lake Forest Academy Boys Basketball team is looking forward to a successful season behind a veteran lineup. Ending the season with a 14 and 9 record this team hopes to grow and have a better year with eight returning seniors. This team is one of

the most experienced teams that LFA has seen in the last few years. The eight returning seniors are, Alec Mesrobian, Ryan Clamage, Malcolm Chaka, Josh Postadan, Isaiah Foust, Diago Quinn, Brandon Amoroso and Dejon Brissett.

Senior Alec Mesrobian was very enthusiastic while recently describing the team.

“I think we have the definition of a solid

Senior Diago Quinn defends fearlessly in the paint.

Photo courtesy of LFA Communications

team. Through just a few practices it seems that our intensity has been high as we look to have one of the best years in LFA basketball history,” said Mesrobian. “I believe we definitely have the talent to be great this year, since most of us have been playing together since freshman year and have grown a lot.”

Mesrobian is confident coming into his fourth year as an LFA Caxy. He also hopes to get off to a strong start behind this veteran lineup.

“Since this is a very senior-heavy team none of us will be wasting any time getting started on, what looks to be, a great year,” said Mesrobian.

Coach Matt Vaughn also took time to answer a couple of questions about his expectations for the upcoming season.

“We have an experienced team back, so anytime you have an experienced team you hope that you are going to be better than you were last year. There’s an opportunity to do that,” said Vaughn.

Vaughn seems to be excited about the possibilities of the upcoming season. After one full week of practice Coach Vaughn seems to be pleased in regards to where the team is so early on in the season.

“They worked hard and pushed it pretty hard so hopefully by our first game we will be in great shape,” said Vaughn.

The first couple of games this season will be played during a Thanksgiving basketball tournament. This year’s tournament will be played at Mundelein High School, against teams that include Mundelein, Barrington, Warren, Uplift and Lakes High School. Last year the team played a terrific tournament earning record of four wins and only one loss. This year’s team seems to have the same aspiration for this upcoming Thanksgiving tournament.

Ryan Clamge also had some thoughts on the experienced team that is about to hit the court for the Caxy’s. When asked about how the team is looking so far he seemed to have similar thoughts to Coach Vaughn and Mesrobian.

“We look good, athletic, there is good team chemistry from our experience together,” Said Clamage.

Team chemistry seems to be an important part of this years LFA basketball team, hopefully they can take this skill and translate it to a successful year behind the experience athleticism and hard work put forth from this year’s team.