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S P E C TAT O R
VOLUME 93 NUMBER 5
1500 WEST KENNEDY ROAD, LAKE FOREST, IL 60045
Featured Stories NEWS
Sonia retires after 22 years of dedication to LFA page 2
Shortened Presidents’ Day Weekend causes travel problems for students page 3 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Oscar fever sweeps throughout LFA community
page 7
OP-ED
Caxy Rant: $20,000 door job
SPORTS
page 10
Alumna Meredith Rowe transitions from player to coach page 16 SPORTS
Indoor soccer keeps LFA soccer players in shape
page 14
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FEBRUARY 27, 2015
Jammin’ in their jammies Seniors’ inaugural Lock-in hoping to establish a tradition Seniors Hope Challenger and Vicente Nagel play a game of twister at the Senior Lock-in.
NEWS
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By Catherine Kvam News Editor As the end of year draws closer, this year’s LFA seniors looked to set themselves apart from all previous graduates, and what better way to accomplish this than by locking themselves in the school. The Inaugural Senior Lock-In was held February 21st when students spent the night in Reid and Corbin Halls with a schedule of entertainment, food, and games. Senior Prefect Alec Mesrobian thought of the idea early on in the year and set out to make it possible. “I tried to think of some memorable event that would separate our senior class from others and I realized that my 8th grade class had an event quite similar,” said Mesrobian. Students were generally enthusiastic about the new event because it was something that had never been done before. “We had a great turnout of around 77 people for our organizational meeting, which was awesome, especially because this is the first time an event like this is being held at LFA,” said Mesrobian. The Lock-In entirely credited to students from its conception to follow through on planning. “While there [were] faculty chaperones, the entire event [was] created and run by senior leaders,” said Assistant Dean of Students Kate Jones. The Prefects honed their original plan with a variety of activities scheduled throughout the night to keep participants entertained. They did not skimp on food either, offering a variety of snacks, pizza, drinks, bagels, energy drinks, and kettle corn. “We all got along well [with] good music, chill events, and we had fun just being seniors,” said senior Wesley Annan. Lock-In goers determined the night a success due to talking to new people, as well as being unable to actually leave school
Photo courtesy of Amanda Bozorgi
until the next morning. “It gave me the opportunity to hang out and bond with kids I’ve never really hung out with before, which kind of brought us all together,” said senior Malcolm Chaka. Whether or not the Lock-In turns into an annual tradition will depend on
the following senior class, as the night involved weeks of planning and effort on the students’ end. “It was definitely successful,” said senior Hope Challenger. “I really do think it helped us bond as a senior class!”
By Allison Hechtman Managing Editor Lake Forest Academy will hold prom this year on Saturday, April 25. Following tradition, the location will be undisclosed until ticket sales for the event begin. The date, a week earlier than past LFA proms, is due to location availability. Rumors had been circling that prom was planned to not overlap with AP testing, which starts the following Monday. Although this is not the case, it is a fortunate side effect of the early date. “Scheduling conflicts at the venue made that [weekend] the most viable option,” explained Junior Class Advisor Jennifer Madeley. Junior Class President Sophia Platcow confirmed Madeley’s reasoning, saying that scheduling was based off of location availability. Prom has traditionally been held during the first weekend of May. AP exams tend to begin on the first Monday of May. Due to the timing, Prom tends to be smack dab in the middle of AP testing. “I am so relieved that prom is early this year,” said senior Liza Tarr. “In past years, Prom weekend always interrupted time where I was worried I should be studying.” The junior class organizes prom each year, including location and theme. While the date this year was unintentionally convenient, it does bring up some interesting
points. “I hope this is something that the school keeps in mind for the future,” said junior Alexander Mullarkey, adding that he is sure this will lessen stress levels for future AP students. Prom of 2014 was held at the Milwaukee Discovery Center, a beautiful lakeside museum venue. While it usually holds exhibits on various types of energy, futuristic ideas, and ingenuities, LFA turned the museum into an out-of-this-world themed experience for all. Locations prior to that include the Sears Tower, the Shedd Aquarium, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and on a dinner boat venue called The Odyssey. “Past venues have been pretty impressive,” said senior Barrett Medvec. “2015 Prom has a lot to live up to.” At museum venues, exhibits tend to be open to students, which has allowed for entertaining breaks from the dance floor. “All I need is a dance floor and some good food,” senior Hope Challenger said with a laugh. The venue tends to be announced to the LFA student body about a month before prom. Tickets go on sale in Hutch at the same time. This year, prices will be around $75 per ticket, and the school, as per usual, will provide transportation. While no hints have been given out about Prom’s location this year, it is sure to be a fun time for all.
Venue availability forces unusually early prom