Spectator February 2016

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S P E C TAT O R

VOLUME 94 NUMBER 5

1500 WEST KENNEDY ROAD, LAKE FOREST, IL 60045

Featured Stories NEWS

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FEBRUARY 29, 2015

Multicultural Day increases student involvement with leaders and clubs

Clean School program tasks responsibilities page 2

Michael Phillips ‘15 passed out crepes to students during last year’s Multicultural Day.

By Hong Joo Kwon Features Editor

NEWS

Independent Studies allow students to pursue interests page 2 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Foodies team takes over Date Night page 10 OP-ED

U.S. prison system opinion piece page 4 SPORTS

10 Questions with Alumnus Diago Quinn

Multicultural Day, composed of language classes, cultural exhibitions, and an international talent show, has become a crucial event in the Lake Forest Academy school calendar, as the members of the school’s diverse population look forward to the annual showcase. This year, Multicultural Day will be on Wednesday, March 9th.

There will be several meaningful program changes to this year’s events, as there will be more cultural content in the language classes, some student clubs will participate in the exhibition, and student leaders will replace teachers as the leaders of each event.

“More than anything else, this day is to celebrate the cultures and the nationalities of all the different people we have in this school. So this day is a celebration for diversity. We certainly want the people to discuss issues of diversity as well, but our primary goal is for us to celebrate and put on display all the different talents, culture, languages, and cuisines,” said Mr. Steve Ryder, a language teacher and a Multicultural Day Director.

For language classes, students are encouraged to add more cultural content, as

opposed to just language materials. Students are also being discouraged from using swear words in the languages they teach, which has happened sometimes in the past.

Moreover, people are being encouraged to develop displays for the international exhibition, and clubs are welcome to be involved in the exhibition to give detailed presentations about their groups. Clubs such as BSU, JSU, GSA, and The Harlow Society will be doing presentations as part of the exhibition.

“I think it’s a positive change towards Multicultural Day because this year it’s more student-led, and what the students expressed is the desire to expand from just countries around the world to covering cultural norms and prejudices, placing emphasis on multiple aspects of culture,” said Maggie Meyer, one of the leaders of Harlow Society.

Another big change implemented this year was student administration of the day.

This year, there are students in charge of the exhibitions, the talent show, and the language classes. Students participating in the three events will be asked to sign up through the student leaders who are assigned for their different areas, making this day even more about student learning.

page 14 SPORTS

March Madness Bracketology page 16 Cameron Reidy ‘17 and Lucas Jacob ‘17 participated in an excercise on the stage.

All photos courtesy of LFA Communications

THE SPECTATOR

News

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World News Roundup

Compiled by Julia Mills Managing Editor of News The Spectator compiles a monthly summary of world news events. Below are the most pressing issues this month.

Zika Virus spreads throughout Americas The Zika virus continues to spread through the Americas. The virus is transmitted by mosquito bite and can cause symptoms like fever, a rash, and joint paint. It is especially harmful to pregnant woman because it can also cause birth defects in infants. In 2015 thousands of babies were born in Brazil with abnormally small heads and developmental issues after the virus was passed to them from their mothers. The virus has spread to at least 20 countries mostly in Latin America and parts of the Caribbean. Cases have been confirmed in Denmark as well as in the states Hawaii, Florida, Arkansas, Illinois, and Texas. In El Salvador officials recently told women to avoid becoming pregnant for the next two years. Health officials have urged pregnant women to postpone travel to countries like Brazil, Barbados, Colombia and El Salvador. So far there is no vaccine, no cure, and the World Health Organization thinks there could be as many as four million cases in the next year. Recently the WHO has also declared the virus a global public health emergency. Currently US health officials have been working on developing a vaccine for the virus.

North Korea launches long-range rocket despite sanctions In early February North Korea launched a long-rang rocket. The rocket put a satellite into space, and caused much global dispute. Some also believe the launch was a cover for a ballistic missile test, despite Pyongyang saying it was only for scientific purposes and that they were only sending a satellite into orbit. North Korea is currently under international sanctions. Included in these sanctions is a clause, which bars North Korea from developing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and launching anything into space. This news of launching a long-range rocket comes only weeks after North Korea claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb. South Korea responded to the launch news by firing warning shots at a North Korea patrol boat. After the launch the United Nations Security Council had an emergency meeting to both strongly condemn and consider more significant measures against North Korea.

Sources: BBC, The Associated Press

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

Clean School initiative headed

by GYLI and Student Council

By Peter Corsiglia News Editor

Campus cleanliness is an issue that is attracting more attention in the new year, especially because of the new and recently renovated buildings on campus. Both students and faculty have increased focus on the amount of food and trash left in campus facilities. A recent ten-day program run jointly by Student Council and the Global Youth Leadership Institute (GYLI) encouraged students to pick up after themselves.

In the program, each grade had a specific area on campus to keep clean. For example, the junior class was responsible for keeping Hutchinson Commons clean and free of food every day. At the end of every day, a picture of each area was taken and members of Student Council assessed the cleanliness. If after ten days, all areas remained relatively clean, students were rewarded with a jeans day.

“People seem a lot more conscious of the mess they’re making, and making sure to clean it up,” said Junior Class President and GYLI member, Eli Kuli, about the current project.

Kuli stated that he thought the project was working so far and hoped that students would continue to be conscious of campus cleanliness in the future.

Dean of Students Chris Tennyson commented that he is proud that students are taking initiative and acting to improve the condition of campus facilities. Tennyson believes one of the achievements of the GYLI and Student Council “cleanliness”

project is that it has created greater awareness of the issue. Faculty announcements during all-school gatherings also have increased awareness about this issue.

Tennyson wanted the project to be successful, but acknowledged the project has had some setbacks. Another day was added onto the end of the ten-day project because of food left in the Student Center, and food crumbs and spilled drinks left in Crown Fitness Center that attracted mice.

Another harmful consequence of stu-

dents littering in school is the effect it has on the Sodexo staff. Kuli commented that they have more than enough to do without picking up after students, and that it is disrespectful and unappreciative to leave a mess.

Tennyson stated that being part of the LFA community means taking pride in and respecting campus facilities.

“When you take pride in something you want it to look its best, to be its best, to act its best,” said Tennyson.

Photo by Julia Mills

A sign hanging outside the media commons in Corbin reminding seniors to keep LFA clean.

Independent Studies offer students the opportunity to explore interests

By Austin Clamage News Editor Independent studies have been a quiet gem at LFA with about 20 students participating each semester. Starting from just a conversation with a teacher to creating a class, a student taking an independent study can easily end up being a student’s favorite event at LFA. This year’s independent studies range from French Phonetics and Conversation to learning about America’s 44th president, proving that students are truly able to learn about a topic that excites their interests.

Junior Max Wetzel takes French Phonetics and Conversation where he is able to learn how to transcribe and perfect his French vocabulary skills.

“It’s more student driven which allows me to work at my own pace,” said Wetzel.

“I also got to choose the direction of study, so it’s about a topic that interests me.”

Some independent studies have been so popular that they have become actual classes. For example, after alum Stanton Cope worked with Kraft Foods last year as an independent study, it ended up becoming a class this year called Advanced Biochemistry with 10 students enrolled in it. In addition, Dr. John Strudwick started teaching Economics as an independent study which has now grown into a class that has multiple sections.

Since the student is able to choose the topic of the independent study and there is not a curriculum already made, the teacher acts more as a facilitator allowing the student to take the initiative to learn on their own; a great advantage of taking an independent study over a normal class.

Students are not the only ones who benefit from taking an independent study. It also helps teachers understand how students work and operate.

“It’s a really good learning opportunity

for faculty as well,” said Dean of Students Chris Tennyson.

Tennyson is one of the multiple faculty members who sign off to approve a student’s application to take an independent study. Others who have to sign their name for approval are the parents, the department chair, the student’s advisor, and the teacher willing to teach the class.

Independent studies meet 2-3 times a cycle, and students taking them receive a half credit for the year. Though the credit does not go toward a student receiving a diploma, it does show up on their transcript when applying to college. Due to this, it is more common for juniors and seniors to take an independent study, according to Tennyson, because they have most of their credits needed to graduate.

Students who are interested in creating an independent study for next school year can fill out the application they will receive from Tennyson in May.

THE SPECTATOR FEBRUARY 29, 2016

News

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Iowa and New Hampshire Primaries bring uncertainty to Illinois Primary

By Andrew Hechtman News Editor On Tuesday, March 15th the doors of schools, community centers, and churches will open across Illinois for the state’s Presidential Primary.

This election will help to decide who is nominated for the general election.

There are 182 delegates for the Democrats and 69 for the Republicans, according to Bloomberg.com. By the time of the Illinois primary, 1,219 delegates will be pledged to the Republican candidates and 1,768 to the Democrats.

According to a Huffington Post combination poll, polarizing businessman Donald Trump leads the Republican side with the support of 34.8% of those polled. This number is nearly double the support of his nearest competitor, Senator Ted Cruz, who is polling at 18.7% and that of Senator Marco Rubio who is at 15.3%. A poll of LFA students and faculty found that Trump had a thin lead at 23.6% over Rubio’s 22.5%.

Senator Cruz fell far behind at 14%.

Junior Alex Gamache supports Rubio because he conducts himself in a professional manner.

“I would vote for [him] because he has a presidential aura,” Gamache said. “I think he can get things done because he is progressive enough to appeal to the left socially but still fiscally conservative enough for the right.”

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is leading Senator Bernie Sanders by 13.8%. Senator Sanders

Photo courtesy of newstatesman.com

Presidential Republican candidate Donald J. Trump speaks to a large audience.

has shocked pundits by becoming a legitimate challenger in an election previously thought to be uncontested for Clinton. At LFA, Senator Sanders had the support of 53.4% of students and faculty who voted in a recent Spectator poll, showing his advantage among young voters.

Junior Natalie Nuñez, a Sanders supporter, believes he can improve American education.

“I believe Bernie is for the people. I believe that Bernie’s free education policy is a step towards a better, well-educated America,” Nunez said. “It creates an opportunity for underprivileged children to receive an affordable education.”

Since the Presidential race started, 13 candidates have dropped out including three Democrats and 10 Republicans.

The most important date of this primary season will be March 1st, also known as Super Tuesday, when 15 states and territories will hold primary elections. Super Tuesday will be crucial in determining the Presidential nominees.

Even though the Illinois primary falls after Super Tuesday, it is still a very important state, with many delegates up for grabs on both sides. In the past six Democratic primaries and past 16 Republican, the winner of the Illinois primary won the nomination.

“The goal of real healthcare reform must be high-quality, universal coverage in a costeffective way.”

-Bernie Sanders

Photo courtesy of forbes.com

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Donald Trump were the Democratic and Republican primary winners in the 2016 New Hampshire Primary.

The candidates who

are under the radar

By Catherine Kvam Editor-in-Chief Every election season, the American people focus on a handful of high-profile candidates. However, there are many Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who are in the running that usually go unnoticed. The Spectator sought to illuminate some of these lesser known candidates.

Valma Kittington (R) is a Navy veteran from Massachusetts and member of the Baptist Church. She considers herself to be a social and fiscal conservative.

According to her website, she is running on the principles of being pro-life, pro-gun, and in favor of traditional marriage. Kittington advocates to maintain the retirement age at 65 and is pro-social security. Militarily, she insists on aiding veterans and active personnel, while retaining strong ties with Israel.

At home, Kittington urges energy independence, welfare reform, and educational reform, while reversing Obamacare, the Patriot Act, and Eminent Domain. Against amnesty, the veteran wants to restrict the border but will receive Cubans. Kittington also proposes allowing migrants to reside in the United States during harvest, while being registered in Mexico. She hopes to facilitate more business separation from federal government.

Robby Wells (D) is an Army veteran and football coach. Wells attended Furman University and earned his Master’s at University of South Carolina in Adult Education. He is running on the principles of Universal Childcare and border security, stating he would “quadruple Border Patrol.” He proposes a unique pathway to citizenship called Service for Freedom for those staying in the United States illegally.

It will “[allow] immigrants to come into our nation by serving in local, state, or federal government and the military. This program will take an individual four years to complete,” stated Wells on his website.

As a veteran, Wells advocates maintaining a powerful military, while reforming Veterans Affairs (V.A.), with a distinct focus on those who return with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or are in need of prosthetic limbs. In addition, Wells is campaigning on energy independence and free college tuition.

Sources: robbywells2016.com, kittington2016.com, 2016.republican-candidates.org, 2016.democrat-candidates.org

THE SPECTATOR 4

Opinion and Editorial

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

Why I’m scared for America’s prison system

By Catherine Kvam Editor-in-Chief America faces a serious problem now, achieving the highest number of individuals incarcerated — ever, according to David Crary of The Times Herald. With America now wasting more money on prisons than education according to CNNMoney, many are asking themselves, where did we go wrong?

Since the wave of toughness on crime in the 1980s, Americans have paid the price of new facilities to house more people, with little return on their investment. This form of mass incarceration is much more than some states can handle, being plagued with extensive overcrowding of 2.2 million prisoners, according to Nick Pinto of Rolling Stone.

With overcrowding, prisons are

incapable of having a positive impact on the convicts when resources are spread so thinly.

One of the factors contributing to mass incarceration is the mandatory sentencing laws, which lead to attaching those who commit repeat minor offenses with sentences usually reserved for those who have committed murder.

One such case exemplifies the absurdity of this practice: Stephanie George became a victim on the Mandatory Sentencing Laws after being given a life sentence for storing her boyfriend’s drugs in her home, according to Pinto.

While the problems are still plentiful, many great strides have been made under the Obama Administration, including the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015, in which “the three-strike penalty is reduced from life imprisonment to

25 years, and the 20-year minimum is reduced to 15 years.”

However, it is simply not enough. New legislation should be focused on eliminating the rule all together. This focus should especially be on the large disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentencing.

Originally in 1986 as a result of the wave of toughness on crime, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, according to expert Deborah Vagins, established “the 100:1 drug quantity ratio (which) was designed in part to account for certain harmful conduct.” Years later with many crack cocaine rumors being proven false, America still has a 18:1 sentencing disparity, with 85% of crack cocaine offenders being African American, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. To change the prison system, you must eliminate mass

incarceration. Doing so requires new legislation but the rewards of these efforts will be well worth it by allowing programs to work for those who truly need them.

The prison problem is arguably one of the largest contributing factors to a depleted economy and significant poverty rate. The biggest mistake lawmakers can make is approaching the system with a

one-size-fits-all solution. We are dealing with people here; there is no one-size-fits-all person. Just as Stephanie George’s case can remind us all, every case is different and requires different forms and levels of reprimand. A little bit of personalization would go a long way in clearing up the backlog, and the time for change is now.

Photo courtesy of Prison Time

The number of people being incarcerated has recently increased greatly.

Inquiring Photographer

What is your opinion on the advisory dialogue discussions?

Once per semester, advisories gather during the B-Day all-school meeting slot to have deep discussions about pressing issues that are prevalent both inside and outside of LFA. In the fall, advisories talked about “micro aggressions”’, and the topic this spring was “cultural appropriation”.

“I feel as though it’s not taken entirely seriously, because it seems like the same thing happens every year...my group doesn’t participate as much as they could because the topics seem so similar.”

“I feel like the community dialouges really bring the LFA community together. In my experience, they have really put important topics into perspective”

-Angela Zhou ‘18

“I think they could definitely be improved...we always generate around very similar topics, and I think we should introduce some new ideas and broaden the horizons...there’s a lot of other stuff going on that we could benefit from talking about.”

-Gaston Adams ‘16

“I believe that these dialogues have really helped improve not only the awareness on campus and in our community, but it also starts to spark new conversations on the material.”

“I think it’s good because you can learn other countries’ opinions… In Korea, we have different perspectives than other cultures, and now they can learn about our opinions, and I can learn more from others, too.”

“I think the multicultural dialogues are helpful in that they are thought-provoking when we’re talking about issues during advisory, but their effects don’t really extend outside of those conversations.”

-Ella Ekstrom ‘16

-Kayla Park ‘19

-Abigail Hernandez ‘18

-Nelofer Siddiqui ‘17 All photos by Tori Koontz and India Shelley

THE SPECTATOR FEBRUARY 29, 2016

Opinion and Editorial

Editorial Keeping the school clean Jeans day--these two words alone bring out relief and excitement because it means the obvious: that we can wear jeans and casual attire on an academic day. It also seems to be one of the top incentives clubs and organizations use to urge people to take a particular action at LFA. The Global Youth Leadership Institute (GYLI) group at LFA and Student Council have devised a plan in order to keep LFA clean -- free of trash, crumbs on the tables in Hutchinson Commons, and so on. In the past semester, there have been numerous and constant reminders from various students and faculty, such as Dean of Students Chris Tennyson, stressing the importance of having respect for the facilities we use everyday due to the amount of mess LFA has faced. Hutch, Crown Fitness & Wellness Center, Corbin Academic Cen-

ter, and the Student Center have been the most notable areas that needed more focus, but because of the past semester’s unsatisfactory attempts, jeans days were no longer a frequent privilege.

Therefore, GYLI and Student Council collaborated and decided to assign each grade to be responsible for a specific location for 10 consecutive days: the reward is a jeans day. They put their efforts in, hoping to make the student body more aware of the cleanliness of their school environment.

The school had been off to a great start but was not able to hold up. After a disappoitning day where Lower Corbin and the Student Center were left in unsatisfactory conditions, the plan was suspended. Despite the abrupt end the school as a whole made a lot of progress. Dean of Students Chris Tennyson stated that he was glad GYLI and Student Council took action on improving condi-

tions regarding trash on campus, Through the “clean for a jeans day” campaign led by Eli Kuli, who is a part of GYLI and junior Class President, certainly seems to have made students more conscious of their surroundings and their immediate impacts.

Yet if the motivation to get jeans days back is the prime reason students are keeping areas clean, this effort will not have an effective result in the long run. We can’t always rely on using jeans day to spark the motivation: it needs to come within each of ourselves as citizens taking responsibility of this community.

Overall, this has been an impressive and rewarding initiative taken by GYLI and Student Council, but to take it a step further means to have everyone eventually become motivated by themselves and not by rewards to clean up the spaces we, the students, use everyday at LFA.

Caxy van shuttles during the winter months are very much appreciated

Photo courtesy of Lucas Jacob

LFA uses all five of its Caxy Vans to shuttle students to school.

By Austin Clamage News Editor It’s eight o’clock in the morning and I’m all bundled up to make the two-minute and six-second walk from the Crown parking lot to Reid Hall. It’s eight degrees outside with a windchill below zero. I get out of my car, and get punched by a strong wind that whips me across the face.

Before I get a chance to continue on my freezing and gruesome journey, a Caxy Van pulls up in front of me and the doors open.

I’m saved, and instead of taking a 254 step walk in the cold, I get to sit on a heated Caxy Van before I start my school day.

LFA has been picking up and dropping off students in the morning for more than 10 years after former students came up with the idea of getting shuttled to class instead of embarking on a long, cold walk. The faculty of LFA decided that they would take the advice and help out students in severe weather situations: freezing temperatures, snow, or rain. So, Caxy Vans provide the

welcome service of shuttling students from Warner and Crown parking lot to Hutch or Reid Hall.

Having Caxy Vans shuttle students to school in the morning highlights how LFA acts as a community. Most of the staff at LFA are the ones driving the Caxy Vans. This is something special LFA does to help its students compared to other high schools in the area. Students from some nearby schools don’t get this luxury of being chauffeured to class and even have to endure longer inclement walks to school.

In some extreme instances and weather, students could’ve gotten frostbites if they had to have made the walk to school instead of being picked up by a Caxy Van. Furthermore, if LFA did not implement Caxy Vans during extremely cold days, it may have to shut down school for cold days because of the safety hazards.

Overall, the LFA staff using Caxy Vans to shuttle students in severe weather has positively helped the student body in terms of helping its attitude, safety, and saving school days.

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

F o r e s t

S P E C TAT O R

STAFF LIST Editors-in-Chief

Tori Koontz Catherine Kvam India Shelley

Managing Editor- news

Julia Mills

Managing Editor- photography

Arthur He

News Editors

Austin Clamage Peter Corsiglia Andrew Hechtman

Features Editors

Hong Joo Kwon Andrew Ryder Hunter Wolff

Op-Ed Editors

Will Everett Sandra Shaw

Sports Editors

Obaid Ansari Jacob Chagoya Lucas Jacob Nithin Reddy

Faculty Adviser

William Murphy

Online Faculty Adviser

Jeremy Sands

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.

EDITORIALS 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 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 Kettle Moraine Press Association.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“Writing is the best way to talk without being interrupted.”

-Jules Renard

THE SPECTATOR 6

Features

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

No-bake mug cakes equal instant success

By Tori Koontz and India Shelley Editors-in-Chief This month, The Spectator decided to switch it up and have India and Tori write Foodies, while Julia and Cat took over Date Night. Instead of baking a more classic array of cookies and brownies, we decided to be slightly more adventurous and baked mug cakes. If you haven’t heard of this culinary phenomenon, mug cakes are currently one of the hottest cooking trends.

They are cakes that are single serving and take just minutes to make because instead of an oven, they are made in the microwave.

We decided to each choose a mug cake recipe to try, therefore producing two mug cakes in total. Tori chose a daring Chocolate Brownie, while India went for a more classic Carrot Cake. Both recipes were simple to follow and took less than ten minutes to make with only a few simple ingredients required.

For Tori’s brownie, butter, white and brown sugar, cocoa powder, egg yolk, vanilla extract, self-raising flour, and chocolate chips are combined in a mug. You simply have to stir the ingredients together, microwave for 50 seconds, and then allow it to cool; if desired, the recipe suggests sprinkling extra chocolate chips over the top for additional chocolaty indulgence.

This recipe was speedy and tasted exact-

ly like a brownie that was fresh out of the oven. We suggest baking it for slightly less than the suggested time to ensure that gooey center.

India’s carrot cake was delicious but it took slightly longer due to a longer ingredients list; vegetable oil, egg, milk, vanilla extract, brown sugar, self-raising flour, cinnamon, grated carrot, pecans, and raisins all went into this classic cake. The instructions, however, were much more straightforward. You only need to mix all of the ingredients together, and then microwave for 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

Both of these recipes are extremely simple and take mere minutes from start to finish! The one thing that you must be cautionary of is the type of mug that you use. Most ceramic mugs work, but metal mugs, or mugs that have any metal components can be very dangerous to both you and your microwave. In order to test a mug for safety, place your chosen mug in the microwave for a minute and if it is slightly warm or cool then it is acceptable to use for your mug cake.

“I love the convenience of mug cakes,” said Tori, “Anyone can make them in a very short amount of time!”

The mug cakes were delicious and quick to make: the perfect quick treat to whip up for a late night study session or when you’re just craving something sweet but you don’t have much time.

Photo courtesy of kirbiecravings.com

The brownie that Tori made was deliciously indulgent with a gooey chocolate center.

Chocolate Brownie Ingredients

2 tbs soft butter 2 tbs caster sugar 1 tbs light soft brown sugar 1 tbs cocoa powder 1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 4 tbs self-raising flour 2 tbs chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Place the butter in a small mug and microwave until melted.

2. Add both sugars and cocoa powder and mix unti combined.

3. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, chocolate chips and flour and mix again until smooth.

4. Cook in the microwave for 50 seconds. Scatter more chocolate chips over the top and bake for another 30 seconds.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Carrot Cake Ingredients

2 tbs vegetable oil 1 egg 1 tbs skim milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 tbs light brown sugar 4 tbs self-raising flour 1/4 tsp ground mixed spice 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tbs grated carrot 1/2 tbs pecans, roughly chopped 1/2 tbs raisins

Instructions

1. Place the oil, egg, milk, vanilla, and sugar in a small mug and beat with fork until combined.

2. Add the flour, mixed spice, and cinnamon, raisins, pecans, and carrot and beat again.

3. Cook in the microwave for 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

4. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Photo courtesy of howtobake.com

The mug carrot cake was not too sweet, yet tasting just as delicious as a classic carrot cake.

THE SPECTATOR

Features

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

7

Why we have Daylight Saving Time: The origin, the reasoning, and the benifits

Don’t forget to “spring“ your clock foward for Daylight Savings this year.

By Lucas Jacob Sports Editor Spring season is just around corner: the snow is melting, the flowers are growing, and the rain clouds are soon to come. With all the hype around spring break, spring sports, and the weather finally being over 20 degrees, people forget about one of the biggest, yet smallest, changes of the year: Daylight Saving Time (DST). On November 6th and March13th, at 2:00am, the time is shifted by one hour. In November the time goes back one hour; we fall back. In March the time goes forward by an hour; we spring forward. So one might ask, what even is the point of changing time by an hour?

It all started when Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay in 1784 on the cost of light, saying that if light is present when people wake up candles will not need to be lit and energy can be conserved. Although this theory was put aside, it came back in 1945 due to a nationwide confusion of train and bus schedules traveling from state to state. In order to resolve the confusion, Congress established the Uniform Time Act of 1966, putting DST in effect through-

out the country. In 1973, DST was proved most effective after a trial period showed that more than 10,000 barrels of oil were being saved each day due to light saving energy consumption, benefiting the United States during the Oil Embargo with Iran.

DST was also found popular by parents who felt safer sending their kids to school when it was light out rather than dark out.

In today’s world, DST has become global, and hundreds of countries have adapted to the system. DST remains useful, because it allows more sunlight in the evenings during the summer and more sunlight during the mornings in the winter. Sunlight can be found valuable on summer nights in America, because it gives people more time to stay outside and enjoy their days. More daylight in winter helps people avoid seasonal depression. Driving is already hard enough with the icy, sleety roads the Chicago winter has to offer, and driving in the dark would be even worse. The extra sunlight given in these cold winter mornings reduces the risk of early morning car crashes.

So don’t forget on March 13th at 2:00am to set those clocks ahead.

Graphic by Arthur He

Caxy Match

Image courtesy of macleans.ca

Photo by Arthur He

This month, the staff of The Spectator agreed that English Instructor Nat Small bears a striking resemblance to talk show host John Oliver.

THE SPECTATOR 8

Centerfold

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

LFA students are goi

Why is Spring Break at LFA so unique?

By Tori Koontz Editor-in-Chief Spring Break at Lake Forest Academy is one of the most looked-forward to events in the second semester. Why is that? Two major reasons that contribute to the Spring Break excitement are the length of the break and the abundant opportunities for student travel.

It doesn’t take long to realize how long Spring Break is at LFA compared to other schools. While most middle schools and high schools in the area have approximately a week off of school this time of year, no one competes with LFA’s extremely lengthy break of two-and-a-half weeks off from classes. Although there are many rumors as to why it is so long, the answer is actually quite simple, according to Dean of Students, Chris Tennyson.

“Given that we’re attracting students from all over the country and all over the world, we need to provide them an extended opportunity to go home again,” said Tennyson.

This is also part of the reason that breaks, like the winter break, seem longer at LFA. Another possible factor, according to Tennyson, is that boarding schools tend to give longer vacations than regular schools.

Another huge upside to a long break is having the ability to unwind and relax after following a hectic schedule, like many students at LFA do. The rigor of classes can take a toll on students, both mentally and physically, so a longer time off from the pressures of school is much-needed.

The other interesting component to Spring Break at LFA is the numerous school-spon-

sored trips. These trips can range from an educational adventure in a foreign country, or simply a fun ski trip in the U.S. The range of trips for a student to choose from is immense. But why host trips in the first place?

These trips were originally solely curricular-based, like the trips taken by the AP Environmental Science and Spanish Culture classes. Travelling during this break is much more convenient than trying to fit it in at the end of the year, like they used to be, according to Tennyson.

This way students and teachers aren’t missing any school in order to travel.

Now, Spring Break travel has been expanded to include more than just trips for one specific class. The Head of School trip, which incorporates the Head of School Symposium, is now offered in hopes of taking the topic to a greater level.

There are also trips outside the educational realm. Some are solely for having a fun and relaxing break, like this year’s trip to Australia and New Zealand, or the Utah skiing excursion.

“A lot of our trips have begun to incorporate some educational or service component, which is neat...It’s like an extension of our mission,” said Tennyson.

Everyone can agree the Spring Break at LFA is unusual, but those differences have been put in place to offer maximum benefits to the students. Students who want extended time at home with their family are offered that opportunity, and students who want to travel the world with their classmates are also satisfied. Whatever the individual reason, every student can find what they’re looking for in Spring Break.

Caribbean Sailing

Itinerary: Students will live aboard a 44-46 ft catamaran, enjoying a sailing adventure most can only dream about, exploring the islands of St. Martin to St. Barts, St. Kitts, Statia, Tintemarre, and Ile Fourche. No prior skills are expected, as students will learn basic sailing skills.

On land, students will explore 17th century sugar plantations and British forts, beautiful national parks, and hike into a beautiful rainforest located in an extinct volcanic crater. Through service, we will gain a more meaningful connection to the cultures and communities we explore while taking an active role to address important global issues that impact the island communities.

Participants: 11 students Length of trip: 11 days

“Above all, students will earn valuable leadership and communication skills as they work with one another to literally chart their own course and see what the real meaning of teamwork is.”

-Ms. Croft Photo courtesy of www.exadasyachts.com

Southern United States Road Trip Itinerary: On this trip, students will visit many states in the South. Some stops include Nashville, TN to see the Grand Ole Opry, Orlando, FL to spend a day at Disney and another day at The Holy Land Experience, Asheville, NC to be in and view the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Gatlinburg, TN to visit the Christ in the Smokies Gardens and Museum.

Participants: 6 students Length of trip: 11 days “I hope students gain a sense of awe and majesty for the beauty of the South, its culture, and rich history, along with having a ton of fun in the sun!”

-Mrs. Arrowood

China and Japan

Itinerary: Students will be traveling to both China and Japan during this excursion.

Some exciting parts of the trip include visiting places like the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Shanghai Bund and World Financial center. In Japan, they will see Osaka Castle, Kiyomizu Temple and Shinto Shrine in Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, Tokyo Tower, Sensoji Temple, Imperial Palace, and even Disneyland.

Participants: 23 students Length of trip: 15 days

Photo courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

“I love this itinerary because the students can explore the eastern culture, both ancient and modern.”

-Ms. Jiang

“I am looking forward to seeing all the historical sights in China and Japan. I’ve never seen anything outside of the U.S, and Asia has beautiful scenery.”

Photo courtesy of India Shelley

Senior India Shelley and junior Marilou Cameron enjoy refreshing drinks from coconuts on their French Culture trip to Guadeloupe last year.

-Zoe Lewis ‘17, on attending the Spring Break trip to China and Japan

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Centerfold

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

ing places!

Skiing in Utah

Itinerary: This trip will take students to 3 different resorts: Park City, Snowbird/ Alta, and Solitude. Students will be learning how to curl, and possibly dogsledding.

Participants: 15 students Length of trip: 7 days

“I am looking forward to learning how to curl... I’m hoping for no broken bones, a love of nature, and an appreciation for the American West and the mountains.”

-Mrs. Cooper

Australia and New Zealand Itinerary: Students are going to several places to look at indigenous cultures. In New Zealand, they will go to a Maori center where they are going to learn the Haka. Then in Australia, students will visit an Aboriginal center where people can learn how to throw boomerangs and other things. Some of the other highlights will be surfing lessons in Sydney, and getting to see fuzzy, cute animals visiting a wildlife sanctuary.

9

Multiculturalism extends beyond the classroom Head of School Trip: Ireland

Itinerary: Students will be visiting castles, as well as the only place on earth where Gaelic is spoken daily. They will learn the reasons why millions of Irish people emigrated from their country to America, similar to what’s happening in Syria today. For fun, students will also go to see five places where the TV show Game of Thrones has been shot, and they will also see parts of the Titanic that have been raised from the ocean floor. This trip will also view a shipwreck from the Spanish Armada, which came to rest in Ireland.

Participants: 11 students Length of trip: 8 days

“I’m hoping that they realize that there are factors beyond some people’s control that might cause migration or immigration. Therefore it would be good for everyone to accept or try and help migrants or immigrants.”

-Mr. Murphy

Participants: 19 students Length of trip: 13 days

Photo courtesy of therapricity.com

Curriculum Trips Photo courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

On the trip to Australia and New Zealand, students will have the opportunity to learn how to surf in Sydney.

AP Environmental Science: Washington State Itinerary: This trip will take students trekking through the Hoh Rainforest, snowshoeing sub-alpine Hurricane Ridge, exploring the Pacific Coast wilderness beaches, learning about the Elwha River Dam Restoration Project, as well as helping with conservation and the removal of invasive species. Students will also be hearing Northwest Native American stories from a S’Kallam elder, designing and conducting their own experiments, studying soil and aquatic invertebrates, conducting a stream biomonitoring project, and exploring tidepools.

Participants: 19 students Length of trip: 6 days

Photo courtesy of bighugelabs.com

LFA students are traveling across the globe over Spring Break on school-organized trips that explore other cultures, languages, and nations.

Miami, Trinidad, and Cuba

Itinerary: Students will visit Little Havana and Old Havana in Miami.Comparing the two will help our students understand immigration and migration, and the types of migration as well. Students will also have the opportunity to experience Cuba, as it become open to travel. They will visit three different schools in Cuba, as it has a very unique education system.

Participants: 9 students Length of trip: 9 days “The most important thing for me is that students leave the trip a little bit more brave.

Being able to engage with people who are a little bit different from them, also having a broader perspective that government does not mean people, and that the most important thing for us to do as citizens of our great nation the United States, is to engage with people who are different from us. ”

-Ms. Carter

Spanish Culture: Nicaragua Itinerary: Students will visit indigenous villages, as well as cities such as León, Granada, and Managua, where the students will stay with local families. Another stop will be Lake Nicaragua, the biggest lake in South America, which is home to many rare species of life. Students will also meet and talk with students and professors at a university.The country has recently just opened, so this trip will let students experience the true Nicaragua, before tourism and such start to change the country.

Participants: 10 students Length of trip: 8 days

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Arts and Entertainment

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

Foodies team takes over Date Night for pottery night (or so we thought)

By Julia Mills and Catherine Kvam Staff Writers After Catherine’s failed attempt at chocolate bark, the Foodies team decided to take a break and take over Date Night. The opportunity we had been waiting for had finally arrived, as the Date Night team does not give up this page easily, but they were also willing to try something new. We decided we needed to do something that had never been done before on this page (we presume).

Cooking classes were obviously a possibility to brush up on our techniques, but most classes not available on Groupon

topped $80 for an hour of cooking. This was unacceptable considering that we could cook at our homes practically for free.

Instead, we chose the next best artistic challenge: pottery painting. Catherine and Julia both had experience in the art, and we quickly found Color Me Mine in the Glen Town Center, which allowed walk-ins on a late Tuesday night, or so we thought.

Initially we chose Color Me Mine because it was not only the closest pottery place to both Catherine and Julia but it was also open until 8 pm. However, we ran into quite a few problems with Color Me Mine. For starters, it is located in Glenview, a 30-min-

The family-style meal incorporated many different types of food, including sushi.

ute drive from Julia and a 20-minute drive from Catherine. This lengthy drive didn’t seem like it would be that big of an issue though, we both decided. We each left our homes late Tuesday night excited to paint some pots. We planned on meeting at 7:15 and both reached the destination right on time ready to paint.

“It seemed like such a fun idea. I hadn’t painted pottery since I was a little kid,” Julia mentioned.

As we both strolled through the front entrance to Color Me Mine we were greeted by an employee standing at the cash reg-

ister.

“Are you here to pick up?” The lady promptly asked us. We responded telling her that we actually intended to paint something and believed walk-ins were allowed; after all that’s what their website had read.

“Oh, sorry but we don’t allow anyone to start painting after 7” the employee told us both. Catherine and Julia looked at one another stunned.

“You’re kidding?! Can we please paint something? We promise we will be quick!”

We both begged and pleaded with the lady but she wouldn’t budge. After a solid five

Julia FaceTimed in (with a bad connecton) to see what was going on during the Kvam family dinner at Zuma.

minutes of arguing and even contemplating a small bribe, we gave up and left feeling annoyed. We easily could have painted wonderful pieces of artwork in less than 45 minutes if she just had let us. The worst part was driving all the way out there only to have to turn around right away and come back home.

Despite this, we still were set on having a date night. So, on opposite sides of the country, we Face Timed a dinner date on

Valentine’s Day. Catherine had a family dinner at Zuma in Miami, a fun and family-style restaurant with food to satisfy her dignified palette. Julia, who was on the other side of the country in Park City, Utah, dined with her family at Italian eatery Buona Vita.

While we were several states apart from each other, we still enjoyed fantastic meals, which made up for not being able to take home a freshly painted pot.

Julia’s family experienced an interesting family dinner in Deer Valley.

All photos taken by Julia and Catherine

THE SPECTATOR

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

Arts and Entertainment

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Monica Palmer set to take over fall plays and winter musicals after Mark Dryfoos’ retirement

By Arthur He Managing Editor of Photography Dr. Monica Palmer, the Fine & Performing Arts department chair, is going to take over directing the fall play and the winter musical next year following the retirement of the current Director of Performing Arts Mark Dryfoos.

Holding a Masters in Fine Arts in Acting from Columbia University, Palmer has more than 20 years of experience teaching theater and was a professional actress for a decade appearing in films, television, and on stage.

“I would like to build on the wonderful foundation Mr. Dryfoos has established here at the academy,” says Palmer.

Many people at LFA feel that Dryfoos has left a huge legacy at the school and it will take a lot of energy, talent, and expertise to fill his position.

According to Palmer, being an actress herself, she understands how important it is for the cast to feel good in their own roles. Palmer said that generally she has the same approach as Dryfoos but the focus might be slightly different.

“My rehearsal process is focused on character development and script analysis,” said Palmer. “I really want the kids involved to know their characters.”

In addition to Dryfoos’ usual methods, Palmer plans to include new aspects of theater production so that students can broaden their knowledge of theater next year.

“In theater production, the instrument is your body,” said Palmer. “I want the kids to develop their body through things like Sun Salutation and vocal warm ups like reading Royal Shakespearian Company monologues.”

Palmer has already been active within LFA’s performance art productions in her years teaching here. She has directed several One Acts plays in the spring, adapted both from nationally acclaimed short plays or plays written by the playwriting class here at LFA. “I loved the One Act she did last year,” said senior Lillian Chung. “It was fun because the story was full of energy. It was definitely fast-paced and engaging throughout.”

According to Palmer, for the potential productions next year she would want to hold meetings with students to find out what people might like.

“I want to feature amazing dancers or even visual art students who can do costumes,” said Palmer. “I want to get the entire department involved so they can really showcase their talents.”

Photo courtesy of Dr. Palmer

Fine & Performing Arts department chair Monica Palmer poses in a photo.

Controversial Netflix series Making a Murderer

gains popularity throughout United States

By Andrew Ryder Features Editor Making a Murderer is arguably one of the top television series being watched by people throughout the United States today.

The 10-episode series takes place in Manitowoc, Wisconsin where a man named Steven Avery gets falsely accused of several crimes. In 1986, he was sentenced to 32 years in prison, being found guilty of sexual assault and attempted murder. Eighteen years later, a DNA test proved that Avery didn’t commit the crime, and he was released from prison. In 2005, he and his nephew, Bobby Dassey, were thrown into the middle of another murder case as they were accused of killing a woman named Teresa Halbach. The series takes viewers through this controversial court case, unveiling all the evidence against Avery and analyzing it bit by bit, leaving the viewer to decide if Avery is truly guilty.

The large popularity of Making a Murderer is in part due to the timing of its release. Available to the public December 18, 2015, the series caught on quickly because many people were on holiday break from school or had time off from work.

Additionally, it was released at the same time as the famous podcast “Serial”, which is similar to Making A Murderer in that it involves murders and legal issues, was thriving.

The Avery documentary has caused quite a spark on social media and the internet.

Currently, there are several petitions demanding that President Obama free Stephen Avery. However, according to the

Photo courtesy of Fox.com

The cover for Netflix series Making a Murderer which was released December 18, 2015.

White House, the president doesn’t have the power to pardon Avery because his case was tried in a state court.

Making a Murderer has also become a hot topic here at LFA. Several students and faculty members have seen it and have diverse opinions.

“Steven Avery’s case just shows how corrupt the American criminal justice system is,” said junior Felipe Alban, who thinks Avery is innocent.

Teacher Ruth Smith, who instructs a forensic science course, had a different opinion on the matter.

“It’s really interesting how the court system works and how police investigations occur,” said Smith, who thinks Avery is guilty.

With everyone raving about season one, people throughout the nation are urging Netflix to put together a season two. To these people’s delight, they may get their wish. The producers of the show, Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi, have already filmed conversations with Avery that could potentially be used for a season two, and there’s a lot of evidence that wasn’t put into season one that could pave the way for a second season.

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Arts and Entertainment

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

On the record album review: The Life of Pablo Kanye West’s best album, or is it just hype?

By Hunter Wolff Features Editor Attention: Yeezy Season is currently in full effect. On Thursday, February 11th, Kanye West unveiled his latest clothing line, Yeezy Season 3, along with his highly anticipated album, The Life of Pablo. Delivered live to a sold out Madison Square Garden and an additional 20 million people streaming the show online via Tidal, West created one of the biggest (if not the biggest) fashion shows and album debuts ever. The self-proclaimed God knows how to captivate an audience. With eight studio albums, his own record label, a well-deserved 21 Grammy Awards, and the most desired shoe and clothing line in the world at the moment, it seems that West truly does have the “Midas Touch.”

A Kanye West album comes with extremely high expectations. After all, he is one of the greatest artists of all time. West has only built on his success since his debut album, The College Dropout, in 2004.

Every album he has released since then has raised the bar for all musicians around the world to achieve a similar level of attention to detail as West has. Sampling with classical, jazz, hip-hop, rock, you name it, West can cover it all. But now he can check gospel off that list too, as The Life of Pablo is essentially a gospel/hip-hop album. With Kanye West, you get a complete sonic experience that you won’t see from another artist on the planet at the moment.

The first song, “Ultralight Beam,” clearly sets the tone for the gospel inspired album.

With organs humming mellow tones in the background Kanye sings, “This is a god

Photo courtesy of The Guardian

Kanye West raises his hands high at his Yeezy Season 3 show in Madison Square Garden.

dream.” The song comes across more as a hymn, a beautiful infusing of gospel, hiphop, and RnB. The song has great features such as, gospel icon Kirk Franklin, a striking vocal verse from Kelly Price, smooth and soulful melodies from The Dream, and a solid rap verse from Chicago native Chance The Rapper. Immediately following is “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 and Pt. 2.” Starting with a smooth jazz sample, it swiftly picks up the pace. The beat then comes in with vocals done by Kid Cudi.

This is personally my favorite part of the entire album. This joyous chorus is full of energy and life. Kanye’s rapping on this song is, well, not his best, but in general it gives off a happy vibe. I couldn’t help but smile and move to the beat of this song.

Blending seamlessly yet rather suddenly, the tone of the song completely changes in Pt. 2. The beat is much faster and sharper, a stark contrast from Pt. 1. Lyrically, Kanye gives it everything on this song, maybe his best verse on the album. He even stated on his Twitter account that he cried while writing this song. Coming in right after Kanye is G.O.O.D Music’s (Kanye West’s record label) latest signing, Desiigner. This is where the song gets intense, the lyrics and the beat are unlike any song on the album. This song will definitely pump you up.

Moving further down the album one of the highlights for me was “Low Lights” and “Highlights.” When these songs come on, you really have to hold your breath,

it’s that powerful. The entire song of “Low Lights” is an audio clip sample from Kings of Tomorrow’s, “So Alive.” A woman is praying to God in such a beautiful way, you don’t need to be religious to appreciate it. As one of the 20 million viewers to tune into the fashion show and album release, I noticed that when this song came on, several of the models couldn’t hold back their tears. It was a powerful moment, acting as a small interlude on the album. Moving into “Highlights” the beat immediately picks back up and the rapping continues along with harmonies from Young Thug.

Some of the other major songs on the album that sonically resonate are “Waves” featuring Chris Brown, “FML” featuring The Weeknd, “Real Friends” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, “Wolves” featuring Frank Ocean, and “Fade” featuring Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign.

The Life of Pablo, for me, is right up there as one of Kanye West’s greatest albums. In my opinion, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Graduation were his best albums, but is The Life of Pablo better? Definitely not.Kanye had a lot of good things on this album: the features, the beats, the cohesive gospel theme throughout, and the flow of the album from beginning to end.

However, a major downside I see so far is some of Kanye’s lyric choices, they could have been better. If you haven’t heard the album already, you can stream it exclusively on Tidal, you don’t want to miss out on such an incredible album.

The man behind LFA’s dance music

By Will Everett Op-Ed editor If you have attended an LFA dance, such as Homecoming or Winter Formal, you might have noticed a tall, dirty blondehaired figure stationed behind the DJ booth with a big smile on his face. This figure is none other than Milo Green. Milo has been mixing LFA dances ever since his first Homecoming at Lake Forest Academy, and loves every second of it.

“I went to Homecoming my first year [here] and thought it was pretty cool. In middle school, the DJ was just some guy who played songs off iTunes,” he recalled “That wasn’t very cool.”

After Green had been thoroughly impressed by DJ Thomas Lee (‘15), he Googled everything about what a DJ does to learn the craft.

“I wanted to know how to do that!” Green stated.

He also accompanied Lee many times throughout his tenure, and was voted last

year by Student Council as its go-to DJ. “They decide whether they are going to hire an outside DJ or not,” he explained.

“That’s my only competition.”

Usually they go with Green. The only dance Green is likely to have off this year is Prom, where the venue provides the music. However Green says his favorite part about being a DJ is his love for music, being able to play music for other people, and above all, having fun.

Milo also is part of an electronic music class taught by Mr. Adam Schlipmann. It was here where his love for making music was created, and within the class is where Green started crafting his own tunes, in accordance with practicing his disc jockey skills. Green also tends to post his own tracks on a music social media website called Souncloud.com. The website is excellent for up-and-coming musicians to be heard, since it’s easy to upload projects, and listening is free. “[My Soundcloud following] has been pretty good,” Green says. “Since my first

year in Laptop Orchestra it has increased faster.”

He admits to not posting as often, since college has been the main focus of his senior year. Green also is not too worried about being a disc jockey in college and

wishes to continue making music only on the side.

“I’m not going to take any classes for it in college. I just want to continue doing what I’m doing, “ he added.

For Green, it’s all about having fun.

Photo by Jack Zhong

Senior DJ Milo Green mixing songs at this year’s homecoming dance in the student center.

THE SPECTATOR

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

Arts and Entertainment

Famous Broadway

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composer to collaborate and perform with Choir

By Elizabeth Christoph and Kathryn Morrison Staff Writers

Photography teacher Nick Smith poses with one of his cameras.

Photo by Jack Zhong

Nick Smith: an insight into LFA’s creative photography teacher

By Hunter Wolff Features Editor Situated in the bottom of Cressey Hall there is a relatively quiet and less inhabited room where Mr. Nick Smith spends most of his time teaching and creating art.

You can find him always with a tool in his hand, whether it is a camera, pencil, brush, or computer mouse. Smith is well-versed in a multitude of two dimensional art skills.

Teaching Photography One and Two, Introduction to Graphic Design, Introduction to Video and Animation, and 2-D Studio, Smith is able to keep his skills fresh by diversifying the classes he teaches. However, Smith’s background is primarily in photography and he finds himself mostly working on perfecting that art form.

“It’s something that when I’m thinking of a project to do it usually has to do with photography,” said Smith. “I love painting and print making but my ‘go-to’ is always photography. I like to come up with projects for myself and sometimes they start out by just going out and shooting different things.”

Stumbling upon some of his projects, Smith is able to find interesting perspectives to photograph what would be rather ordinary scenes. Growing up in Ohio, he found beauty in farmland and barren landscape.

“When I was younger and I lived in Ohio, there’s a lot of farmland there and I became really obsessed with going to abandoned farmhouses. I’d be driving around in the country and I would come across these huge houses that were abandoned by farmers. I would sneak in there and take some pictures,” said Smith.

In college, Smith ventured out to find the deeper meaning in his projects. He found that for a successful project, he needed to go out and find something of interest and build upon it. His goal was to evoke questions about what was happening in the setting.

“One of my projects became to take pictures of rooms at these cheap motels. The idea was to reenact what I assumed would happen there, to recreate this misconception that I thought happened in these places, rather than what actually does happen,” said Smith.

A big part of Smith’s career has been centered on who and what inspires him to create his art. One of his favorite parts of his creative process is the ability to go listen to artists speak and see their exhibitions to honor their work. However, Smith has also had the opportunity to share some of his work with the art community.

“I moved to Boston when I finished college and I didn’t really know anyone there. I had a job at an art supply store, and I worked as a picture framer there,” said Smith. “I was working with this photographer and I was complementing him on his work and he said he would really like to see some of my work. So I showed him some of my work and he immediately said it resembled the work of William Eggleston, a famous photographer and one of my favorite artists. I took it as a huge complement.”

Smith has found his true passion in the arts and still wants to keep getting better at what he does, constantly in search of perfecting his skills and finding new concepts that represent his creativity. To see his work make sure to check out his website, nicksmithart.com.

For the Lake Forest Academy Choir, April 8th is intended to be a very special night.

That night, at 7pm in the LFA Cressey Theater, the music of John Bucchino will be performed by the musician himself, as well as a number of accompanists, including members of the LFA choir, as part of their spring concert. The cabaret-themed performance will be majorly influenced by Bucchino, the composer, who is well-known in the theater realm.

“It’s really exciting any time that our kids get a chance to perform with professionals from New York City... it’s something they’ll really feel proud of when we do it,” said Director of Music Tim Plambeck.

In addition to the evening concert, Bucchino and his three singers will perform for the entire school during morning meeting. Following the morning performance, during the choir’s normal class time they will have a master class in which they will practice with Bucchino for their concert that night.

The art concentration students are fortunate enough to have the chance to sing in front of such a successful songwriter. They

will be singing solos as well as a group requiem in Latin written by Bucchino.

Although Bucchino’s work is mostly jazzy and upbeat, unlike the classical music the choir is used to, Plambeck is excited for the challenge of the change of pace this music is exhibits. He is confident his students will be just fine, joking that even if they can’t be good, they can be loud.

“We are all like a big family so it doesn’t matter what songs we do, we just find a way to have fun with it, ” senior Kendall Logan remarked.

A four-year choir member and arts concentration student, the talented Logan is a leader within the choir and makes sure that they are the best they can be. She is also very excited to be able to work with the professionals from New York and hopes this concert will be awesome because it is one of her last at LFA. Plambeck emphasized how talented the students are, not only in arts concentration, but also the people who don’t necessarily take center stage. The growing music department is giving them the ability to fine tune and showcase their talents.

“Singing is a special form of expression,” stated Plambeck, who and extended an invitation for the April concert to everyone.

Save the date!

The Music of John Bucchino Performed by: John Bucchino and accompianists with LFA Choir Cressey Auditorium Friday, April 8th, 2016 7pm

Photo courtesy of LFA Smug Mug

Senior choir member Kendall Logan performs on the Cressey stage.

THE SPECTATOR

Sports

14

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

LFA Alumnus Diago Quinn takes his talent to Monmouth

By Obaid Ansari Sports Editor

About a year ago the majority of current LFA students were walking the same halls as basketball star Diago Quinn. Standing at 6’9, he he was easily the tallest person on campus and was pretty hard to miss. Quinn came to LFA as a junior and added a new element to an already talented basketball team. His height helped protect the rim on defense and produced some electrifying dunks on offense. Quinn has been truly missed this year not only because of his talent and height but because of leadership and work ethic that helped the entire team.

However, Quinn has moved on to bigger and better things now playing Division I basketball at Monmouth College. Quinn lives in New Jersey and despite a lot of attention from other schools, he decided he wanted to play close to home. As a freshman, he is averaging 8.9 minutes per game contributing to the Monmouth Hawks success this season. The Hawks currently are 19-5 and hope to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) as well as make the NCAA tournament. They have been getting quite a lot of publicity due to how well they have been playing, but also because of their bench routines. The Spectator asked Quinn some questions about what it is like to play for the Hawks: Q: What is your favorite part about Monmouth?

A: My favorite part of Monmouth is definitely the access to the gym.

I can go to practice and get shots

up anytime in the main arena and the coaches are always available to work with.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge for you on the team?

A: The hardest change from high school to college is the amount of time and energy spent in a day.

sionally.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge for you on the team?

A: I don’t think I have any challenges on the team.

Q: What are your thoughts on the team’s bench’s routines?

A: The Bench Mob thing is hilarious. The arrow guy Tyler is actually my roommate. It’s crazy how everything blew up after the games in Florida. I think it’s cool that they are having just as much

Q: What is your daily routine?

How much time do you spend practicing?

A: On a usual day, we weight lift, go over scouting reports, and have 1 1/2 hour practice. That with classes makes a day end around 6 or 7pm. Then that’s when we have mandatory study hall in the library for 2 hours.

Q: Did LFA prepare you for college basketball? If so how?

A: LFA gives you everything they have in college; as far as the gym, weight room, and trainers.

As far as getting you ready for college basketball, I’m not sure; you really have to be focused and self-motivated in order to get better there. If you spent lots and lots of time in the gym you will definitely get better, no doubt.

Q: What is your personal goal for the season and the rest of your college career?

A: Personally, a goal for the season is to continue to help my team do as well as possible. we are on a great run right now and winning the MAAC Championship is the main goal. Making it to the tournament is something we all think about, but Coach Rice reminds us it’s one game at a time. A goal for my career is to continue to get better and hopefully play profes-

fun doing their celebrations as we all are winning.

Q: What do you think the biggest reason is for your team’s success this year?

A: Biggest reason for our success is, first and foremost, all the hard work the guys have put in to be where they are. Another reason is the coach, in my opinion. When you can genuinely feel that your coach has faith in you, it makes you play harder and believe harder. He gives us freedom to play how we want to as long as we do what we need to do on defense.

He made that clear from the beginning. But yeah I think his faith in us has mad us really believe we could do something special this year.

Q: Are you excited for the possibility of playing in the NCAA tournament?

A: I am, it was a personal goal before getting here to go to the tournament my freshman year. So I’m just focusing on doing everything I possibly can to help get the team there.

Q: How does it feel knowing you are playing on TV and have people here at LFA watching and looking up to you?

A: Its pretty cool when you have people tell you they saw you play on TV. Now I have to watch what I do because there are a lot more eyes.

Photo courtesy of Diago Quinn

College freshman Diago Quinn goes up strong for a dunk during a game.

Q: Who do you aspire to be? Who do you model your game on?

A: I don’t really model my game after anyone, but I always say I want to be like a faster, more athletic LaMarcus Aldridge.

GSA Senior vs. Faculty basketball game: Where does all the money go?

By Obaid Ansari Sports Editor

Three years ago, senior Brianna Sturkey came up with the idea to have a Senior vs. Faculty basketball game to raise money for the Gay Straight Alliance(GSA).

The game has been a great way to raise a lot of money for a deserving cause as well as give students and faculty a source of competition and entertainment.

GSA club advisor and English teacher Nat Small did not expect

the idea to become an annual event.

“The first year was a big success, so we decided to do it again last year,” said Small. “It’s come to the point where people anticipate the game every year.”

Both years raised more than $1,200 and all the profits are given to the Center of Halsted, one the biggest centers in the Midwest that is dedicated to advancing the health and safety of the LGBTQ community. The center also provides shelter to teenag-

ers who were kicked out of their homes because of their sexuality.

Small has been pleased with the support and responses from people towards the game. He noted that he saw many students, faculty, and parents donating more than just the minimum $3 entry fee. This shows that people are not there just for the game but to support GSA as well. One of the more notable supporters is Mr. Randy Lund—father of senior River Lund—who buys pizzas for the event and allows GSA to do-

nate all the proceeds. Some other fundraising techniques are selling baked goods made by GSA members as well as selling other snacks and refreshments at the concession stand.

“This year we are planning to sell gear like headbands and socks that are rainbow colored,” said Sturkey.

Setting up for the event and cleaning up is not an easy task and Small thanked Athletic Director Darrin Madeley for his amazing support and willingness

to help with the event.

“Both years it was a great game, both years it came down to the last shot and both years we missed the last shot,” said Small, “but maybe not this year.”

This year the game was February 26th where the seniors look to improve their record to 3-0.

“Sometimes our mission gets lost in the game,” said Sturkey.

“This year we really want to remind people what the game is for and where the money is going.”

THE SPECTATOR

Sports

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

15

Lake Forest Academy athletes

boast impressive winter seasons Boys Basketball Record: 12-8 Leading scorers: Chris Harris (19 ppg), Daniel Joseph (16 ppg) Highlight of the season: The LFA Boys Basketball team went to Canada where they won their first three games, and lost their final game to Ridley College. The team came home with 2nd place in the tournament.

Girls Basketball Record: 22-1 Leading scorer: Theresa Onwuka (16 ppg) Highlight of the season: The LFA Girls Basketball team competed in two tournaments, the Vernon Hills Tournament and the Culver Invite, and won both of them. This is the first time they have ever won either of those tournaments.

Boys Swimming Team Record: 11-0 Records broken: Medley Relay - River Lund, Ryan Wong, Milo Green, Jackson Bedward (1:54:85) 400 meter Freestyle Relay - River Lund, Ryan Wong, Milo Green, Jackson Bedward (3:47:93) 200 meter Individual Medley - Jackson Bedward (2:19:52) Highlight of the season: The seniors completed their undefeated season on senior night when they defeated Taft High School, finishing off one of the most memorable seasons in years.

Photo courtesy of LFA Smugmug

Senior River Lund prepares for the race to start as he completes his last meet as a Caxy during Senior Night.

Girls Hockey Record: 11-10 Highlight of the season: The Lake Forest Academy Varsity Girls Hockey Team defeated Andrew High School in a great game.

Boys Prep Hockey Record: 29-5-4 Team Awards: MPHL all-division first team: Zach Rose, Michael Thomas “Its a great feeling to have received it, and I owe it a lot to the boys around me,� said Rose.

Highlight of the season: The Lake Forest Academy Boys Prep Hockey team defeated Shattuck St. Marys on January 8th. This was a great game as the Caxys narrowly won in a close 4-3 contest.

Photo courtesy of LFA Smugmug

Senior Tessy Onwuka drives to the lane as LFA defeats Highland Park.

Photo courtesy of LFA Smugmug

Junior defenseman Cameron Judge skates down the ice for LFA.

16

Sports

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

NCAA March Madness brackets for dummies

By Jacob Chagoya Sports Editor

The start of March brings with it the return of the very popular National Championship tournament for Division I Men’s College Basketball called March Madness.

This tournament made up of 68 teams has the best college basketball teams face off in single elimination games to determine a champion. The competition involves brackets in which anyone can fill out who they believe will win every matchup in the tournament, and who will be the eventual winner. Many around the LFA community participate in filling out brackets as they compete with others for fun.

“It’s just a fun way to watch all of the games and cheer for a team who I am not particularly affiliated with,” said junior Blake Cedergren, who competes every year with his LFA friends to see who can fill out the best bracket. “I can cheer for the teams I pick, which makes it a lot more fun.”.

Forty million Americans fill out more than 70 million brackets yearly, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).

Many of these brackets are filled out as part of pools for money, as two billion dollars is betted each year, states the AGA. To fill out these brackets there are many different methods and strategies used.

In the tournament there are various rounds. After one round, the competition is whittled down to 64 teams. From there, teams are seeded from one to 16 in four conferences. The one seed is the best rat-

ing, which faces off against the worst seed, the 16 seed. The two seed faces the 15 seed and so on.

With so many teams in the tournament, the odds to fill out a perfect bracket are very low. Estimates range from one in five billion to one in 128 billion. With these low odds, there has never been documentation of a perfect bracket.

Due to the unpredictability of this tournament there are various strategies and methods used to fill out brackets. If you follow college basketball and know enough about the teams, you are well suited to pick who you believe will win each matchup. Stats, individual matchups, momentum and other such factors play a part in deciding each winner.

However, for those who have limited knowledge in college basketball there are strategies that do not require much knowledge. The practical way is to set the higher seed to win. Unfortunately, there are numerous upsets every year in which the lower seed beats the higher seed. These upsets are the main reason why this tournament is unpredictable, and some are nearly impossible to predict.

“I like to pick a lot of upsets because that’s how you usually win,” said junior Patrick Dwyer, who won his LFA tournament freshman year. “I like to pick one team and really ride them the rest of the way.”

Another strategy also involves no basketball knowledge, and is a fun method. Many people look at the mascots of the opposing teams. Then the individual picks the mas-

Image courtesy of jbertho.com

The graphic above indicates the number of possibilities and watch time of March Madness.

cot they prefer, filling out their bracket in that manner.

Another unusual way to fill out a bracket is by color. Many choose the same color throughout the bracket, such as having every blue team advance. An unusual method

but 10 of the last 11 winners have had blue as a color on their jersey “I feel that my knowledge of college basketball can help me,” said Dwyer. “I just like to compete with my friends and get lucky.”

Image courtesy of fastcompany.com

The graphic above depicts the large sums of money, internet trafic, and visitors produced by the NCAA March Madness as compared to 2007 and 2008.