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S P E C TAT O R
VOLUME 95 NUMBER 5
1500 WEST KENNEDY ROAD, LAKE FOREST, IL 60045
Featured Stories NEWS
Decriminalization of marijuana will not change zero tolerance policy at LFA page 2
Results from the February Froghunt are in!
page 3 OP-ED
The problematic circulation of fake news Page 5 FEATURES
Caxy Profile:
World class musician Natalie Clark
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MARCH 10, 2017
Class of 2017 senior gift to replace current campus entrance sign By Peter Corsiglia Managing Editor
The class of 2017’s senior class gift will be a new sign at the entrance to campus on Route 60. The sign will promote LFA’s new graphic identity by sporting the new logo in color. Leaders of the senior student council recently decided upon the gift and fundraising has already begun. “It would be in color and would be easier to spot from the road, which was the thing that drove the original interest from the class,” said Dean of Communications Cathy Morrison. The gift will be one of two potential designs based on how much money the senior class raises. The more expensive option, which would cost around $4,000, is a monument style sign that would be mounted on the ground. The second and more likely design would replace the hanging part of the current sign at the entrance of Academy Drive. The second option is more likely because it would cost between $1,500 and $2,000, which is typically what a class is able to raise, according to Director of Alumni Relations and Giving Ruth Keyso. According to both Senior Class President Joe Alexander and Keyso, the fundraising is “off to a very good start.” The fundraising is supposed to conclude before Spring
Break, and the specific sign will be chosen at that point. “I think we’ll reach 100% participation. It’s really not that hard,” commented Alexander. “It doesn’t mean you have to donate a certain amount of money, you just have to donate something.” Senior class gifts in recent years have included benches for the Student Union last year, campus street signs in 2015, and a sign for Sonia’s Snack Bar in 2014. Alexander explained that Student Council originally had wanted the gift to involve the new Student Union, such as lettering on
the glass panels, but that they weren’t able to go through with it. He says a monetary donation also was suggested, but senior Student Council agreed that a material gift would be more significant than a monetary one. Alexander explained that as an incentive, class sweatshirts would be made if 100% participation is reached. The sign is scheduled to be installed in mid-May. The senior class gift is always installed before the senior-faculty dinner night, so that students can have time to be proud of their gift.
Photo courtesy of Ruth Keyso
The class of 2017 senior gift would replace the hanging campus entrance sign that drivers on Route 60 would see. The design shown above is one of the two options that was created.
Prom pushed to May preceding final
exams, graduation due to Easter weekend
By Sandra Shaw Editor-in-Chief
page 6 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Music Review:
Zion. T brings new sound to Korean music with OO page 11 SPORTS
New track coaches look towards another successful season page 16
As the most anticipated school dance of the academic year nears, this year’s prom brings much excitement--and many inquiries. Previously set to be on April 15th, 2017, its conflict with Easter weekend has prompted school officials to push it back to May 20th. This change brings both benefits and complications, being sandwiched between AP exams and final exams but promising nicer weather. Many aspects of the LFA Prom make it unique. Unlike many other high schools, LFA prom invites students from all classes to attend, and not making it exclusive to just the upperclassmen. “For me, being able to attend prom is another great way for me to have fun with my classmates and even my friends grades older than me,” said freshman Anna Schilling. According to Junior Class Advisor Maggie Tennyson, LFA Prom used to be held in
May. But over time, as more events were added to the school calendar, prom was bumped back earlier to April. “[Prom] got pushed earlier and earlier for a variety of reasons, conflicts of one form or another,” said Tennyson. Tennyson said this year’s original date of April 15th didn’t receive much positive feedback because of its conflict with a religious holiday. “It’s a family time where a lot of people go out of town to be with their families, so they decided to move it to May 20th,” said Junior Class President and Prom Committee Member Dieter Villegas. A notice of the date change was sent out in the November Parent’s Newsletter, but neither the Student Council nor the Prom Committee was informed. However, Villegas said the change in date didn’t come out as much of a surprise to the student body when it was announced during a morning meeting in January. Though the weather of last year’s prom, held in April, was on the edge of being wintry, a later date this year
would mean more warmer and more welcoming weather. “I would like [Prom] to be in May because the weather is better,” said senior Kori Zhang. While this new date aligns with other high schools, some students worry about the fact that prom being on the Saturday right before finals might be problematic. For upperclassmen, however, who will most likely be done with AP exams by that date, prom will act like a culminating event of the year, said Tennyson. “I would definitely prefer an earlier date if I were an underclassmen, but since I’m a senior, it doesn’t really matter to me,” remarked senior Joey Thomas. The Student Council and Prom Committee have been making plans since November, deciding on the location, themes, and a variety of fundraisers. The location and theme of prom remain a mystery, but an announcement will likely be made after Spring Break.
THE SPECTATOR
News
2
World News Roundup Compiled by Lucas Jacob Sports Editor Kim Jung-Nam allegedly assassinated
On February 13th, Kim Jung- Nam, the half brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jung- Un, was killed in a Malaysian airport. Many news sources have speculated that his death was an assassination. Nam, 42, was checking into his flight to Macau when two strange women suddenly smeared a very high amount of the toxic nerve agent, VX, on his face. After 10-15 minutes of pain, Nam died. According to Malaysian airport officials, the two suspects are named Doan Thi Huong and Siti Aisya. Doan is from Indonesia and Aisya is from Vietnam. Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali says that if the two women are found guilty, then they will be given the death penalty. Ali will be charging them with the violation of section 302 of the penal code. Both women moved normal home lives with their families; it’s hard to see why they’d commit this viscous crime. When the women were questioned in regards to the murder, they claimed it wasn’t intentional. The girls stated that they thought they were being aired on a reality prank show and it was just a funny joke. They had claimed they had been paid 400 Malaysian ringgit ($90; £72) to smear what she thought was baby oil on to Nam’s face.
MARCH 10, 2017
Zero tolerance policy stays the same despite new cannabis laws By Austin Clamage Editor-in-Chief
The zero tolerance policy at LFA will not change even though Illinois has decriminalized the use of marijuana. The new state law means the penalty is only a $100-$200 fine if someone is caught with up to 10 grams instead of up to 6 months of jail time and fines up to $1500. Likewise, people with prescriptions can get up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis per 14day period. Nevertheless, according to Dean of Students Chris Tennyson, there are multiple reasons why LFA will continue to enforce its current zero tolerance policy. From a technical standpoint, it’s still illegal for LFA students to use marijuana without a prescription.In addition, according to Tennyson, results of surveys and meetings with parents, alumni, administration, and trustees express that they are in favor of the zero tolerance policy. “It’s who we are as a school,” explained Tennyson. “It’s a key characteristic of who we are institutionally.” Another reason for why it hasn’t been a topic of conversation is because marijuana hasn’t been a problem at LFA. Based on a 2015-2016 survey taken by all students, only 10.2% reported that they have tried marijuana. This is significantly lower than a national survey by the Teen Rehab Center who reported that 44% of just 12th graders alone have tried the drug. While it’s unknown if this low number is due to the zero tolerance policy, it doesn’t give a reason to bring change to the current policy.
McDonalds to start delivery service McDonalds has grown to be one of the most popular fast food resteraunts of all time. It’s reliable and available just about anywhere internationally. But have you ever been craving those delicious burgers from home and tried to place a delivery? Lots of people have tried, but McDonalds did not previously By Shreya Singhvi have a delivery system. After 76 years Features Editor of business, McDonalds has announced that they’re going to start up an app For the third year in a row, Lake Forest where diners can place orders for pickAcademy’s Spring Break has been pushed up and delivery. The app will store othlater into March, so that the vacation scheder common food delivery features such ule more closely coincides with that of as “customized favorites” and “preneighboring public schools. Spring Break ferred payment methods” sections. The this year runs from March 18-April 2. Last app is also going to allow a new feature year, Spring Break ran from March 11-28, to make sure your order is made to perand the year before it went from March fection. Instead of screaming your or8-23. Spring Break has been progressively der into a microphone through your car moving later in March for a multitude of window, customers can now place their reasons. order on the app and will receive an orThe main reason for the Spring Break der code. The customer can then read change is to coincide more directly with their code to the drive through window other local public schools and their breaks. and their meal will be presented. This The closer the LFA break schedule aligns new app will be available to 20,000 with other local schools, the more stress is restaurants in both the U.S. and abroad. relieved for LFA families and faculty. Fam ilies whose students have siblings attendSources: BBC, CNN ing other schools may now have an easier
However, there is still some gray area for the use of marijuana in the case of medicinal purposes. While marijuana is legal in Illinois with a prescription, LFA does not have a definitive protocol for assisting a student if they were one of those prescribed. Tennyson did say however that the school would do its best to assess the situation and support the student’s needs. If LFA does plan to change its zero tolerance policy, it would be discussed among numerous groups of people. Conversations
with the board of trustees, alumni, head of school, parents and students would all take place before any significant changes were made. Those who are critical of the current zero tolerance policy and believe it’s too strict may not see change for a while. According to Tennyson, he does not see the policy changing in the near future. “I don’t enjoy enforcing the zero tolerance policy, but there’s not a parent or student here that doesn’t understand the rule before they come,” said Tennyson.
Usage of marijuana at LFA
Date change:
Graphic by Austin Clamage
In a 2015-2016 survey, 89.8% of LFA studnts said they had not used marijuana.
Spring Break gets pushed back to match with public schools and help families
time coordinating spring vacations. Additionally the schedule change takes some of the stress off of the faculty and staff at LFA who previously had children that need to be placed in one or two extra weeks of child care because the schedules didn’t allign. “One of the big decisions going into this was whether or not there would be a negative impact on our spring athletics,” explained Dean of Students Chris Tennyson. There were many things to account of when scheduling this change, including athletics. Because of the change this year, some teams actually are able to have games the week prior to Spring Break as well. But in the past, LFA has struggled to find schools to play our sports teams because so often they are on break when we return. Another big factor that contributed to the Spring Break date change decision was the effect it would have on academics. Teach-
ers have complained before that sometimes the gap between the end of the break and the beginning of AP exams does not offer enough time to properly prepare, leaving students at a disadvantage. By moving the break later to later in March, teachers are now able to offer at least one more review test or assessment prior to the break, ensuring that the time after break will be spent solely on reviewing. As for boarding students, both domestic and international, the new dates of Spring Break have not interfered with their scheduling directly. Students are still able to purchase flight tickets even with the date change and are able to return home during the holidays if they wish. Tennyson stated that “we are closely monitoring and will continue to monitor the effect of the date change.”
THE SPECTATOR
News
MARCH 10, 2017
Multicultural Day
LFA celebrates student diversity By Ananta Srivastava News Editor Lake Forest Academy is a school that has students and faculty from all around the globe. Each year at LFA, the school takes the opportunity to celebrate this diverse culture by hosting the Multicultural Celebration Day and International Fair. This year that event will begin with the International Talent Show in the evening on March 14th and Multicultural Day will take place from 8:10 am- 3:00 pm on March 15th. “I think that Multicultural Day is a unique event that gives another opportunity for
people at LFA to reveal more about their individual identities,” said Assistant Dean of Communications Grace Kim. “It’s a celebration of a vast array of cultures, and it’s not something that many other schools do.” The morning of Multicultural Day will begin with a community dialogue that is facilitated by members of the Multicultural Affairs Committee. According to Dean of Pluralism and Multicultural Affairs Lusanda Mayikana, these dialogues give an opportunity for students to engage in authentic conversations about issues that matter to them. After the dialogues finish, the Language Department will take over and
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Irish dancers performed in front of the LFA students during last year’s Multicultural Day.
show a short documentary related to learning languages. Modern and Classical Language Department Chair Valerie Sorensen stated that students will be split into two groups and be shown the film at different times. Sorenson also reported that the movie would replace the language classes from previous years. “Multicultural Day gives us an opportunity to see connections between our own experiences and identities with those of others, while also allowing us to learn and appreciate new ways of seeing the world,” Sorenson replied. The film will be followed by exhibitions in the Cressey Lobby that showcase different cultures. Sorenson highlighted that these displays will be a chance for students to show aspects of their cultural heritage with items such as food and clothing. Mayikana added that in the past, she had also seen students choose to showcase countries that are not represented at LFA. According to Mayikana, she believes that this is the true meaning of Multicultural Day because not only do students recognize all the cultures that are represented in the community, but they also represent outside ones too. Finally, she reported that the day would end with a drumming circle performance by S.O.U.L. Creations at the All-School Meeting. “Multicultural Day gives us a chance to pause and appreciate that diversity does not divide us, but it makes us who we are,” remarked Mayikana.
Bird House flies to the lead with Frog Hunt win By Elizabeth Christoph A&E Editor One of the most anticipated events of the LFA year, the February Frog Hunt is a deciding factor in who wins the House Cup competition. Bird house was able to snag the win this year by a landslide over the other houses with 81 points and now holds a decisive lead in the current house standings. Assistant Dean of Students-Director of Residential Life Jon Freeman with the help of other faculty members, developed the tasks for the hunt that were completed during February. Freeman initially started the Frog Hunt five years ago when he got the idea from the University of Chicago’s annual insanely extravagant scavenger hunt. He admits that throughout the year he is thinking of interesting and odd tasks that he can add to the list. “The student body needed something completely irrelevant and fun, purely enjoyable, silly, goofy creative, to sort of shake the mid-winter blues,” stated Free-
man. to buying fast food at a specific time for a At the all-school Frog Hunt finals held specific price and providing the receipt, or on February 27, there were many interest- remaking a scene from “Love Actually” in ing challenges presented, and many stu- front of the entire school. dents went on stage to compete or bring Faculty and students from every house up specific items. Bird House was able participate and although many of the tasks to win out at the allare small with little school meeting with 81 “The student body points, they add up afpoints which currently ter a while and really needed something puts them in the lead at help a house to win the 889 points, while Sar- completely irrelevant hunt. gent comes up with 814 Junior Katy Morrison and fun, purely enpoints, Lewis at 750, (of Lewis) has been an and Welch with 655. avid competitor in the joyable, silly, goofy One of his favorite past Frog Hunts and creative, to sort of tasks he said, which he is always ready when uses every year, is mak- shake the mid-winter Freeman emails out ing an innocent student the list of tasks at 12 blues.” sit in detention either A.M. on February 1st. Friday night or Saturday “One of my favorite -Mr. Jon Freeman morning, which to him parts of Frog Hunt is is the “ultimate sacrifice the creativity aspect, I’ve loved being able to meet the weird for one’s house.” This year’s frog hunt included 50 tasks challenges and get the most house points,” ranging from a Chia Pet hair growing com- said Morrison. petition, to reciting the first 30 digits of Pi,
3
Campus News Roundup Compiled by Max Hayes Sports Editor Campus News Round-Up highlights important events occurring in the upcoming month.
Students take break from classes for Service Day Service Learning Day will be held on Thursday, April 27th. For Lake Forest Academy students, Service Learning Day provides a wonderful opportunity to give back to the local community by helping out at various volunteer programs. Students register for the volunteer programs offered on Service Learning Day online, through an email that typically comes out a day or two before the actual event. LFA students are presented with the opportunity to be a good citizen and spend a few hours helping out with community service that ranges from open lands, to soup kitchens, to visiting nursing homes. “Service Learning Day is important to the LFA community because it teaches us how to be a better person and help others. It is a day I always look forward to because I know I am helping out in some sort of way which makes a difference,” said junior Mikey Mesrobian. Service Learning Day is a day off of classes and can provide a nice break for LFA students from normal routines. With academics and athletics after school, community service can be hard thing to find time for, especially as an LFA student. This is why Service Learning Day is essential, in that it takes time out of the school week to free up time for students to engage in important community service. “I think that Service Learning Day is a good way for us to take a break from our repetitive school schedules and participate in helpful community service activities,” said junior John Lee. Service Learning Day should be marked in everyone’s calendar, and be sure to sign up for your community service of your preference when the email is sent out before April 27th.
Other Events March 13th- Spring PE begins March 15th- Multicultural Celebration Day/ International Fair March 18th- Spring Vacation begins April 3rd- Classes resume April 6th- Chamber Concert April 19th- VOX concert April 20th- Progress Reports become available April 27th- Service Learning Day
THE SPECTATOR
Opinion and Editorial
4
MARCH 10, 2017
Drug policy at LFA deserves a controversial makeover
By Will Everett Managing Editor
The drug and alcohol policy at Lake Forest Academy is the longest section of the Student Handbook. The “zero tolerance” policy is what has defined the integrity of LFA since its introduction. The handbook actually received a significant makeover at the beginning of 2015. Perhaps, more changes will be forthcoming with a new Illinois law going into effect legalizing medicinal marijuana. Illinois became the 21st state to decriminalize the drug for medicinal use in late 2016. This begs several questions. If somebody would need to be prescribed medical marijuana on Lake Forest Academy grounds, would they be able to use it? Should they be able to use it? Will the drug policy change because of the introduction of this new law? I think the drug policy should change to address the situation
where a student was prescribed medical marijuana. It would not be difficult to implement a clause specifying special cases in which the drug could be used on or off campus. Unfortunately I’m worried that this won’t happen because it’s a laborious process to change the Student Handbook. A conversation would have to occur to distinguish the details of a special clause, which would lead to lengthy debate. The revamping of the policy would be tedious. It’s much easier to say, “The policy stands as it is and won’t change under any circumstances.” The bottom line is that, no matter how laborious the process, if an LFA student contracted an illness that required the drug, the school drug policy should be reformed to compassionately address the needs of that student. LFA prides itself on communal inclusion. Placing a clause in the drug policy to include medical
marijuana would be an example of adapting to the needs of the students and extending the compassion of the LFA community. Medical marijuana also does not have to be smoked. It can be vaporized, taken in pill form, even injected. Most importantly, the drug can have a medicinal purpose. It is true that if the policy were to be amended, there could be controversy, but in my opinion there could be compromises reached. This is why I think the school should amend the policy as it stands right now. The possibility of a student gaining a medical advantage because of the new law seems to supersede the demands of the Student Handbook. Simply amending the policy does not automatically mean that other parts of the alcohol and drug policy have to be changed. Even though a change of the terms in the policy would be tedious, it would not be impossible or even complicated.
“The Academy takes a very strong position against alcohol and drug use by adolescents; distribution, possession, or use of these harmful substances is illegal in addition to being harmful. In perticular, while a student is under the school’s jurisdiction, regardless of weather the infraction occurs on or off campus, the school forbids the following: possession or use of alcohol or drugs; possession of alcohol or drug paraphernalia, including empty containers for either; being intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
(Lake Forest Academy student handbook) Transcript courtesy of Will Everett
The current drug and alcohol policy direct from the LFA handbook.
Inquiring Photographer
Did having Spring Break pushed back affect your plans in any way?
“Yes, I was planning on going with family but since it got pushed back, my family doesn’t have the same breaks, so we can’t come all together like planned.” -Luis De La Garza Sanchez ‘17
“It was pushed back? I didn’t know that… so I guess it didn’t affect me at all!” -Eukyung Hong ‘19
“No, it didn’t really affect my plans that much. I was planning on traveling to the East Coast, but now I might just relax at home.”
-Charnice Hoegnifioh ‘20
“Now that it’s pushed back, it’d be like spring in Hangzhou, so it’d be much more of a sentimental break since spring is such a beautiful season. I’ll definitely be sadder and miss home more after this Spring Break.” - Jack (Cheng) Zhong ‘17
“Well for Spring Break I am going on the Head of School trip, so I don’t think it makes a difference for me.” -Cameron Crowley ‘18
“Not really, I just changed my flight. The dates didn’t matter so much, so it wasn’t really a big deal for me.” -Erin Snoddy ‘17 All photos by Allison Torres
THE SPECTATOR
Opinion and Editorial
MARCH 10, 2017
Editorial: Public service While LFA is mainly known for its prestigious and rigorous academics, the school also does a great job getting students involved in community service. Most notably, the school has formed a connection with A.J. Katzenmaier Elementary School through the North Chicago Community Partners. Through this connection, students have the opportunity to get involved with various programs and events throughout the year. In addition to this, clubs such as Interact and Relay for Life provide the LFA community with opportunities to volunteer and fundraise for numerous causes. The most popular form of community service at LFA, however, is during Community Service Day in May when all students and several faculty go out to the local area to perform various acts of service. The Spectator applauds the LFA community for providing various opportunities for community service which help
students enhance their growth as caring citizens while enhancing valuable skills that will aid them in the future. Community service is extremely important to LFA as it enables students to become better leaders and collaborators which are skills that cannot be taught in the classroom. However, while students are getting involved with the community service opportunities the school provides, it brings up the question of what some students are actually trying to accomplish with their service. Are these students volunteering to make a lasting impact on the community or just so they can put in on their college applications? “Personally, I was thinking about my college application when I volunteered for community service,” said an anonymous student. “While I know it’s not the mentality I should be going in with, there’s a lot of pressure on us students to do everything we can to form a strong college ap-
plication.” On the Common Application, students are allowed to fill out ten activity slots that show their extracurriculars. One of the most important aspects of this section is to show colleges how you’ve gotten involved within your community. “Strengthening my college application was my number one priority,” said another anonymous student. “With that said, going out into the community and making a difference is something I certainly value as well.” The Spectator believes strongly that some students are solely doing community service for the benefit of their college application instead of doing it to make a positive and caring impact on the community. The newspaper staff believes that if your college application is the reason you perform service, you need to re-evaluate your involvement. You are missing the real point of giving your time and effort.
The issue with “fake news”
T h e L a k e A c a d e m y
5 F o r e s t
S P E C TAT O R
STAFF LIST Editors-in-Chief
Austin Clamage Sandra Shaw Hunter Wolff
Managing Editor of News
Peter Corsiglia
Managing Editor of Photography
Allison Torres
Managing Editor of Op-Ed
Will Everett
Managing Editor of Features
Andrew Ryder
Managing Editor of Sports
Obaid Ansari
Managing Editor of A&E
Hong Joo Kwon
News Editor
Ananta Srivastava Dieter Villegas
Features Editors
Shreya Singhvi Ayaan Ahmed
Op-Ed Editor
Daniel Chia
A&E Editors
Elizabeth Christoph Katy Morrison
Senior Sports Editors
Jacob Chagoya Lucas Jacob Nithin Reddy
Sports Editors
Jaleel Gray Max Hayes Jack Mahon
Staff Writer
Kyle O’Shaughnessy
Faculty Adviser
William Murphy
Online Faculty Adviser
Jeremy Sands
With the increase in fake news reports on social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, consumers are losing trust in what they read and hear. PUBLICATION By Daniel Chia Op-Ed Editor
famous examples of this politi-
The reason fake news has be-
cal fake news were: that people
come so popular is because it is
attending a Trump rally chant-
effective.
People actually be-
Fake news is a buzzword in
ed “We hate Muslims, we hate
lieve it, whether because it con-
today’s America, especially as
blacks, we want our great country
firms their own bias or because
a result of the past presidential
back”; that Hillary Clinton was
they’re simply gullible and not
election. However, the blame for
running a child sex ring out of a
actively searching for the truth.
fake news cannot be exclusively
pizza parlor; and that Democrats
That means we, the readers of this
put upon the writers or creators
wanted to establish Sharia law in
fake news are part of the problem.
of it, although obviously they are
Florida.
While the mighty do their best to
primarily responsible. The people
It is obvious how damaging this
stop fake news from being creat-
who read and unquestionably be-
fake news could be to both candi-
ed at all, there is a responsibility
lieve it must bear some blame as
dates if it was accepted as truth.
we must take on as readers.
well.
Fake news is a serious problem.
It would be all too easy to be
First of all, what is fake news?
It threatens the principles of jour-
lazy and simply accept what we
It is commonly accepted to be
nalistic integrity. Instead of find-
read as fact. However, that would
news that is propaganda, hoax-
ing the truth and reporting on it,
mean becoming sheep, thinking
es, and disinformation for the
fake news invents hoaxes and
at the whim of whatever fake
purpose of political, economic,
lies in an attempt to further spe-
news we believe. We must be
or other gain. This fake news
cial agendas, whatever they are.
aware of how widespread fake
is often just realistic enough for
While some news organizations
news is, and in turn, never accept
readers to click on it, believing it
are known to have a political bias,
anything we read at face value.
to be fact, but extreme enough to
they are still reporting the truth.
We must actively seek the whole
damage reputations.
Fake news, on the other hand, is
truth. We must search for the ab-
The information contained in
“reported” for the express pur-
solute tuth. There’s a saying that
the fake news was usually de-
pose of furthering an agenda, not
not everything on the Internet is
signed to attack one of the pres-
to objectively report on facts.
true. In this day and age, that is
idential candidates, hurting their
However not all the blame can
reputations. Some of the most
be put on creators of fake news.
doubly true of the interenet and social media, as well.
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
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” -Charles R. Swindoll
THE SPECTATOR 6
Features
MARCH 10, 2017
Natalie Clarke recognized on both national and international levels for her remarkable viola talent By Katy Morrison A&E Editor
The Lake Forest Academy community is filled with people who possess countless and varied special talents. The Arts department is host to many of these talents, and this year one student specifically stands out. Natalie Clarke, a junior, is a hugely talented musician who is continuously held in high regard by her instructors, but whose many large accomplishments and hard work are unrecognized by the majority of the community. Mr. Adam Schlipmann works closely with Clarke; as her advisor and orchestra instructor, and he knows about Clarke’s extremely vigorous work ethic with her viola that he believes is a leading reason for her successes. He is also keenly aware of the various competitions and performances Clarke takes part in across the country and additionally notes the activities she takes place in around campus, ranging from the orchetra to the student-teacher group Coax. Schlipmann found this to be one of Natalie’s more unique qualities and was widely impressed by her ability to stretch
herself in various directions and use viola for a wide variety of skills. “Nobody is born just being able to do what she does,” Schlipmann commented, pointing to one of Clarke’s more recent feats- winning the famous Fischoff competition. The Fischoff competition is largely known to the Arts community but Schlipmann attested to how unknown the event is around the LFA community and how the majority simply does not understand the importance of it. Around the country, and even internationally, the prestige of Fischoff and the intensity of it is regarded as one of the hardest coompetitions, especially for someone college aged and even more so for one Clarke’s age.The competition an impressive feat. So when Clarke’s group went on to perform in the international and collegiate level, her chamber group never expected to get as far as they did. When they won, Clarke remembers being speechless saying that “words could not describe” the feeling of being called up as the first place, originally not even sure they would place in the first place. But the Fischoff prize couldn’t have happened without 12 years of vigorous
Photo by Allison Torres
Clarke playing one of her favorite solo pieces, Walton Viola Concerto I. Clarke takes advantage of every moment, at school or at home to dedicate to viola practice.
practice under her belt. At age four, Clarke remembers her slight interest in the viola. Sharing her newfound interest in the string instrument, Clarke, excited, shared with her mom of the discovery of her newfound interest. Her mother, also extremely excited and interested in Clarke’s future passion, encouraged practice, lessons, and the eventual hiring of a private teacher and the entry into the chamber group that she is currently still a part of. When her mother spoke to Clarke’s grandmother, the opportunity came up. Clarke’s grandmother had recently noted the local church violist. Clarke’s grandmother then spoke to their church violist putting Natalie’s passion into full drive. Soon after, work had begun and Natalie was practicing multiple days a week with the church violist, Clarke’s teacher of twelve years and counting today. “[She’s] been very inspiring. [She] taught me the importance of hard work. And practice. And more practice, ” Clarke commented, adding that on average, she likely practices about 25 hours a week, a habit molded by her instructor who encouraged numerous hours a week in order to ensure comfortability and skill improvement. In addition to working with her teach-
er, Clarke is part of a local group, Midwest Young Artists, or MYA. Every year, through MYA, participants of the selective organization can opt to be assigned into a chamber group. Last year, Clarke recalled how amazing her group had been, an instant connection. Rebecca Moy, the second violinist from the ‘dream team’ last year, said that Clarke “is really hardworking and helped the quartet get a lot done in rehearsals… she’s a super great violist and was really fun to play with.”. Winning the Fischoff competition had always been a dream of Natalie’s, one she had previously considered far-fetched. Now, there’s no telling what ‘unreachable’ dreams she’ll be able to attain next. In the future, Natalie isn’t sure of the specifics but she does know that it will definitely involve music. “I love working with kids, so maybe something along those lines but also the idea of a solo violist in a big name orchestra as a travel performer, that would be really cool, too.” To read more about Natalie Clarke and view a performance, visit: www.caxynews.com.
Photos courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Clarke, who is also a member of the school rock band Co-ax, playing a solo during one of the concerts last November.
THE SPECTATOR MARCH 10, 2017
Features
7
Senior awarded Chick Evans Scholarship
By Andrew Ryder Managing Editor
Every year, more than 900 caddies get awarded four-year scholarships to college from the Evans Scholar Foundation. This year, Steven Rayzman, a current senior at LFA, was awarded one of these grants. In order to qualify for a Chick Evans Scholarship, applicants must have caddied for at least two years, shown great character, performed well academically, and shown need for financial assistance. For the past several years, Rayzman has worked hard to meet these requirements. “It’s great to see that my hard work has paid off,” said Rayzman. “I’ve really pushed myself academically over the past couple years so when I heard that I had gotten the scholarship, I was ecstatic.” Rayzman also noted the sacrifices he and his parents have made in order to get the scholarship. Before Rayzman had gotten his drivers license, his parents would have to drive him to and from the golf course several times a week. At times, Rayzman
would have to wake up at 4:30 AM so his parents could get him to the golf course by 5:00 AM. “I started caddying at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park in seventh grade but
had never heard of the Chick Evans Scholarship,” said Rayzman. “Once I started caddying there, I learned about the scholarship and immediately made it a goal of mine.”
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Senior and Chick Evans Scholar recipient Steven Rayzman hits a shot out of the sandtrap during a round at Deerpath Golf Course.
Rayzman advised any students who are planning to pursue a Chick Evans Scholarship to never lose focus of your goal. “Just keeping working hard. Fight through the struggles and it will all be worth it,” he said. Since Rayzman has caddied for more than 5 years, he has also made a lot of money along the way. However, not all of this money is for him to spend freely. A portion of Rayzman’s earnings actually goes towards his tuition at LFA so he can attend the school. Currently, Rayzman plans on attending Northwestern University in Evanston next year where he will be studying economics. He will be living in the Northwestern Evans Scholars Chapter which is a house specially for golf caddies who have been awarded the scholarship. In the future, Razyman plans to continue his passion for golf by playing and caddying as much as he possibly can. “I know I’m going to have a lot of work next year at Northwestern,” said Rayzman. “But that’s not going to stop me from playing golf,” he said with a smile.
Traditions such as Yale Cog and Festivus help bring sense of community to school dorms By Austin Clamage Editor-in-Chief
Photo by Allison Torres
Students posing on the “red carpet” during Oscar Night in Field Dorm.
From TV inspired events to water gun battles, there are numerous ways boarders in each dormitory come together and create a deep bond with one another throughout the year. Dorm traditions help create a sense of community, and according to dorm proctors, what makes the traditions truly special is being able to celebrate them with the other people in the dorm. ‘‘With everyone’s schedule going different ways we don’t get the opportunity to come together as a community that often, so it’s nice to have these events,” explained Atlass proctor Jacob Upshall. All the proctors spoken to also explained how the dorm events allow them to relax, take a step away from school, and get a chance to hang out with others in their dorm. Students, proctors, and dorm heads may change, but unchanging traditions add a sense of continuity. In Atlass, one of the most beloved events is Yale Cog. It includes a dinner and then a tale about the ultimate snowball fight between Atlass and Warner a few years ago. Another event includes an end of the year feast where everyone celebrates each other’s accomplishments, and awards are handed out. According to Ferry proctor Marilou
Cameron, the best event in their dorm is the Scavenger Hunt where everyone is divided into 4 quads and they run around the school for 30-40 minutes to accomplish various tasks and try to get the most points. On top of that, Ferry also has an annual tea party, (food) dip party, and pool party. In Warner, the most cherished tradition is Festivus, a holiday created by the TV series Seinfeld. To celebrate, the dorm has a dinner, and at the end, each person stands up to proclaim their problems and how others have upset them. According to one of the Warner proctors, Cameron Judge, the comments are “always in good taste”. The boarders also have an end of the year barbecue hosted by Mr. Steve Ryder. For Field proctor Allison Torres, Oscar night is the event she gets most excited for. The girls all dress up and act as if they’re going to the Oscars by walking down a red carpet. They then are given out awards, and the night is finished with a big dinner. Field also has Head of School Com where Dr. John Strudwick has dinner with them. In Macintosh, the girls have a gift exchange, study trips to Starbucks, and an end of the year barbecue along with an epic water gun battle. ‘‘You get to know the people in your dorm better,” said Cameron about the events. “It’s great bonding time.”
THE SPECTATOR 8
Centerfold
MARCH 10, 2017
School hosts spring break trip to Ghana to help Trip to Ghana takes a new perspective as community service and tourism come together
By Ayaan Ahmed and Dieter Villegas Staff Writers
Lake Forest Academy’s Amnesty International will be hosting a service oriented trip to Ghana during Spring Break from March 19th-30th. The group will be in four main areas of Ghana: Accra, Kumasi, Mankessim, and Cape Coast. Besides touring Ghana, the LFA group will be helping in building a safe house for rescued trafficked children and will be visiting schools for underprivileged children. The trip is being led and chaperoned by history teacher Sam Wold and english teacher Natalie Schawel. “The trip offers a wonderful opportunity for students to engage in service while exploring a deeply rich culture. It will allow students to gain another perspective regarding human rights through education, food production, and history,” explained Schawel. The group will be visiting poor and special needs schools in Ghana. They will be providing these schools with supplies and will be spending time with the students there. The group will also help to
build a safe house for rescued trafficked children in Brenu Akyinim. Afterwards, LFA students will meet with local organizations to talk about child trafficking and what can be done to stop it. Some donations will also be given to these organizations. Alongside community service, according to Wold, LFA students will also have a chance to explore Ghana. They will visit Cape coast- where slaves were bought and sold, and then afterwards were sent across the Atlantic to the New World. They will experience parks with canopy walks where students will be able to walk above the trees. LFA students will have a chance to visit Kuapa Kokoo, which is a cacao farm cooperative that provides cacao for several companies that make Fair Trade chocolate products. The group will have the opportunity of visiting the Manhiya Palace Museum and some local markets as well. “We are going to Ghana because we have already established different connections with different organizations there in the past,” commented Wold. One of those established connections
Photo courtesy of Sam Wold
Kojo Bey, founder of Obey Youth Care, interacts with the children at one of the schools in Ghana.
is with Right to Be Free, which works to combat child trafficking. This organization has also previously spoken at LFA. Another such organization is Obey Youth Care, which is an affiliate of the Global Youth Leadership Institute. During the trip, attendees will maintain a blog, which can be found at https:// lfaghana2017.wordpress.com/. Each day one pair of roommates will update the blog with pictures and a story of the ac-
As seen above, human trafficking is a worldwide problem which the Ghana trip is hoping to help reduce.
tivities that the LFA students participated in on that specific day. There are no concerns from Wold about the safety of the students as Ghana is one of the most stable countries in Africa. According to Wold, mainly petty crimes happen there. There are also no fears of child trafficking as the students will be in a group and will be smart enough to not fall into the trap of being exploited by the child traffickers.
Photo courtesy of graphs.net
THE SPECTATOR MARCH 10, 2017
Centerfold
9
Inquiring Photographer
p reduce child trafficking Why did you decide to
go on the Ghana Trip? LFA helps to build safe house in Ghana for trafficked children By Ayaan Ahmed Features Editor
Lake Forest Academy’s Spring Break trip to Ghana is focused on the child trafficking crisis present there. As part of the trip, LFA students will be helping with the construction of a safe house for trafficked children and their families. The safe house is being built in the village of Brenu Akyinim in coordination with the Obey Youth Care organization. “We know we are helping in the construction of it. I’m assuming they will not have us build it from scratch as there will probably be a foundation. We will do what
they [Obey Youth Care] will ask us to do,” said Mr. Sam Wold, LFA history teacher. LFA will only be spending two or three days in helping with the construction of the safe house. Hence, they will not be present
for the whole project. Upon completion, the safe house will be used to place rescued trafficked children. Eventually, the children will be educated and will return to their normal lives. This is what Wold hopes would become the eventual use of the safe house. “It is a place for people to stay when they are endangered. I hope it is effective but I won’t know for sure as we won’t be there,” commented Wold.
“I think it would be a great opportunity because I have never been on a school trip and it’s my senior year. I also think it would be cool to see Africa.” -Jack Zhang ‘17
“I decided to go on the Ghana trip because I was in Amnesty International as well as wanting to see how the kids rescued were doing.” -Julia Knauz’19
“It seemed like a great opportunity to go in high school, as I won’t be able to go later. Also, because of the community service aspect as I like to help people out.” -Donte Sibley ‘19
“I have never been to Africa, and it sounded like a trip that would be exciting and would be giving back to the community which sounded really cool.” -Anna Markey ‘18
Photo courtesy of hunters2southafrica.com
This is an example of a safe house for abused children in Africa and it is a possible design for the safe house in Ghana.
Child Trafficking is rising in Ghana By Dieter Villegas News Editor Human trafficking is one of the biggest challenges Ghana, and many other African countries, face. Children are exploited into working long hours, live in terrible conditions, and face physical, mental, and psychological problems. In addition to children getting bribed, some are kidnapped or sold by their families. In an article written by Raggie Johansen for United Nations Offices on drugs and crime, approximately 40% of the people living in Ghana face poverty, encouraging families to sell their children for a small amount of money to human traffickers. After this, the two big industries that are most accountable for child trafficking are the fishing and cacao industries. Lake Volta is the main place where children are taken into the fish industry. They are asked to get a certain amount of fish a day. Children end up working around 17 hours a day to complete their share of
work. If they don’t complete this, their owners beat them. According to Stop Child Labor, six year old James Kofi was a son of 12 in a poor family living in the a Ghanian fish village. “Sold by his trafficker to a Lake Volta fisherman, James worked 17 hours per day, enduring constant physical and emotional abuse. When displeased, his master often withheld food, beat him with a paddle, or threw him in the lake,” said Sharon L. Fawcett, intern at Child Labor Coalition. Stated by the United States Department of Labor, the Cocoa industry had approximately 1.75 million children working in farms located in Ghana. Children have to work with dangerous tools, carry heavy loads, spray pesticides, and burn fields to clear them of pesticides which affects their lungs. The governments in Africa are working to fix this issue with laws and meetings to come up with a solution to the problem.
“During our Amnesty International meeting Mr. Wold really interested me. I was also interested in the community service aspect of the trip.” -Shreya Singhvi ‘18
“I was always interested in the African culture and in Africa and I thought of this as a good chance to travel to Africa with my friends.” - Joel Hwang ‘20
“ I decided to go because I think it would be good experience to go to Africa because I have never been there before. Secondly, I think travelling with friends from school to build comradery.” -David Sun ‘19 All photos by Dieter Villegas
THE SPECTATOR
Features
Rapping history 10
MARCH 10, 2017
BSU brings Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco to Cressey Stage for presentation regarding Black History Month By Hunter Wolff Editor-in-Chief In case you didn’t attend a recent AllSchool Meeting, you soon realized what you missed when you opened Instagram later that day and saw too many selfies of LFA students with Chicago rapper, Lupe Fiasco. When people hear the name “Lupe Fiasco”, words such as “rapper”, “Chicago”, or “The Show Goes On” probably come to mind. However, what many people may not know about Wasalu Jaco (Lupe Fiasco) is that he is one of the most intellectual and influential public figures in the entertainment business. Jaco is a Grammy award winning Chicago rapper who has six studio albums and has been associated with acts such as Pharrell and Kanye West and was even named Music Director of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team. Aside from his accomplishments in entertainment, Jaco has started or been a part of a number of philanthropic organizations, his own being called M.U.R.A.L. During a recent Lake Forest Academy All-School Meeting, sponsored by Black Student Union in honor of Black History Month, the community was fortunate enough to listen to Jaco speak. “It was really nice because his message was relevant to Black History Month, while still finding a way to connect everyone in the audience through history,” said BSU Co-President Zhuri Bryant. During the presentation Jaco spoke about his music career and the use of history and
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Senior Taylor Moore snags a selfie on stage with the Chicago rapper after his presentation.
especially African American history in his art. Jaco is known for being a pioneer in the “conscious rap” movement where artists focus more on social, political, or intellectual issues rather than concepts such as fame, money, and parties. “I speak about a lot of current affairs in my music, things that happen politically and socially right now,” said Jaco during the presentation. “I actively use history and actually go study it and turn it into something current: a song, painting, or sculpture.” Jaco captured his audience by speaking eloquently to the students and faculty. He displayed his knowledge for history by giving the community a brief lesson on the
“Manilla,” a traditional African bracelet that later became of Portuguese monetary significance in the Atlantic Slave Trade. He injected humor into this talk by holding the small bronze object in his hand and promising the school a free concert if someone could identify it. “He was entertaining and was good at capturing an audience. He gave us a reason to listen,” said Bryant. Despite his eloquence, Jaco made sure to preface his presentation by speaking about history as a unifying object, something that can bring people together. In a time of exceptional division in the United States and even at Lake Forest Academy during this academic year, it was an important mes-
sage that Jaco stressed to the community. “History is a unity project. History is about bringing things together. Just because it can be divided, it is not meant to divide us. It is meant to bring us together because history is a part of all of us,” said Jaco. When speaking on Black History Month, Jaco explained that African American History is special because it is born out of a place of struggle. He notes that the public figures celebrated throughout the month are all people that have succeeded in areas where institutional racism was prevalent. The audience was encouraged to then look beyond just the celebration of an accomplishment but also look at and celebrate the odds at which many African American icons were able to overcome. The topic of moving from success to significance highlights Jaco’s discussion as being one of his most profound moments. He said that moving past fame and being able to inspire the people that come after you, for generations, is the highest goal. When the LFA community left the Cressey Center for the Arts, numerous students said they had been inspired by the presentation. “I think he introduced a new and very different perspective that our school is not exposed to very often,” said senior Gabi Osher. “I found it so interesting to hear about his life and his experience in the music world, along with his incorporation of African American history.” Make sure to check out Lupe Fiasco’s new album Drogas Light and stay tuned for his next project, Drogas, coming soon.
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Lupe Fiasco displays a Portuguese Manilla to the LFA audience and gives the historical significance behind the item, which had monetary value during slave trade.
THE SPECTATOR
Arts and Entertainment 11 There’s more to Korean music than “Gangnam Style” MARCH 10, 2017
R&B artist Zion. T brings a smooth sound with new EP, OO By Hunter Wolff Editor-in-Chief K-pop is largely responsible for bringing the Korean music scene to the forefront and becoming one of the biggest genres of music in the world. Although PSY’s “Gangnam Style” and Keith Ape’s “It G Ma” are two examples of Korean songs that have blown up in the U.S., Korean music has struggled to gain popularity in America. Even though the language barrier takes away a major part of the listening experience for the American audience, artists such as PSY and Keith Ape have been able to become superstars in the U.S. by providing extreme and bizarre content. However, Korean R&B artist Zion. T has brought a more refined approach with his music. After his 2013 album Red Light won “Best R&B and Soul Album” at the 11th Korean Music Awards, Zion. T has become one of the top Korean singers in the last few years. Now with his latest EP, OO, the Korean R&B singer has created more respect internationally. The project has recieved top praise from Billboard, calling his vocals “lushious” and the production “a refreshing, poppish update to his sonic style.” The album even peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts on release day, which is rare for an artist outside of the mainstream U.S. scene to achieve. Shortly
after release, his song “Complex” featuring G-Dragon made Apple Music’s “Best of the Week” selection and the EP was noted as one of the top new albums on the streaming service. Zion. T’s sound is undeniably smooth and melodic amongst the company of plain and uniform K-pop singers of today. Zion. T is good at making hit records while still producing high quality instrumentals and above average lyrics. OO begins with “Cinema”, a song that shows off the production quality on the EP with a playful, almost Venetian guitar melody that creates a beautiful balance between Zion. T’s voice and the instrumental. The lyrics are metaphorically creative, comparing his feelings for a girl to watching a romance movie. For what is a pretty traditional love song, Zion. T adds more flare on this track than one would expect. The third song on the EP “Comedian” is another good track that comes after a rather underwhelming and washy second track, “The Song”. “Comedian” is short and to the point, only two minutes long, but lyrically transparent to Zion. T’s true emotions. The song acts almost as an interlude where he speaks rather than sings to the audience. The next song “Sorry” featuring (Beenzino) continues a reconciling sound on the EP. The song is upbeat and cheerful for a song about apologizing, which is
Photo courtesy of Apple Music
The album cover for OO grabbed my attention on Apple Music because of its artistic look.
ironic but overall pleasing to the ear. This track continues a small narrative that this album attempts to tell and keeps the listener interested as to what’s coming next. The final two songs on OO are “The Bad Guys” and “Complex” (featuring G-Dragon) and they are two great concluding tracks. “The Bad Guys” has a jazz inspired instrumental and the lyrics parallel richness in money to being rich in love. At this point in the project Zion. T has creatively found a way to bring his narrative back towards the beginning, telling the girl that he was originally apologizing to that he will treat her better. “Complex” concludes the narrative as Zion. T explains that he’s complicated and only has good intentions. He also incorporates a humorous chorus into this last track by saying he is “more complex than the magazine.” This track features more of a rap feeling with less rythmic singing and more choppy and stacato word play. G-Dragon delivers a good verse and towards the end of the song the beat incor-
porates heavy hitting 808s that make for a great ending to the song. Despite having to follow along with translated lyrics, OO was an enjoyable project to listen to. The love narrative that builds throughout the EP is captivating and only on “The Song” does the plot lose some of its traction and consistency. The highlight of the project has to be the balance between the high quality instrumentals and Zion. T’s smooth vocals. His lyrical transitions from verse to chorus are thoughtful and logical. Zion. T has the potential to be the artist to break through in America and bring a new wave of Korean music to the forefront. However, while his EP is great in many ways it still can’t compete with the depth of the US’s R&B contemporaries in terms of lyrics, production, and more emotional subject matter. American artists such as PARTYNEXTDOOR, Bryson Tiller, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and many others outshine Zion. T’s best efforts and continue to dominate the R&B genre.
Caxy Match
Every month, The Spectator chooses one person at LFA who bears a striking resemblance to a celebrity figure. This month, we have paired senior Kenan Clarke with Houston rapper and 2x RIAA Gold Certified artist Travis Scott.
THE SPECTATOR 12
Arts and Entertainment
Repurposing flower pots into crafty containers
Simple & cute spring flower pot cupcakes
By Shreya Singhvi Features Editor
By Katy Morrison A&E Editor With warmer weather and more sun approaching, spring is just around the corner and with that, numerous spring treats! This month Caxy Corner’s making chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, and the best part-- the numerous decorations to top off the cakes. With stress that may come from final projects, tests, quizzes, or papers crammed in before the luxurious two week break, two things about chocolate cupcakes resonates. One, the desperate need for chocolate is unreal at this time and there’s nothing you likely want more, but acquiring chocolate cupcakes at a busy time like this would seem highly unlikely. Cupcakes typically require a ton of prep and patience and so to alleviate your concerns, we’re keeping this to the basics, simple with an easy box mix and a container of frosting. To make the cupcakes, follow the instructions on the box. However instead of making 12 regular sized cupcakes, we recommend 24 mini cupcakes. This requires cutting your cooking time to around 10-12 minutes instead of the usual, and instructed, 17-20 minutes. We recommend the 24 count cupcakes because a, more people can enjoy the treats and also b, you can put the mini cupcakes into small terra cotta planters for an additional spring vibes. These
Caxy Corner is a page for up-to date recipes, DIY’s (do-it-yourself), and super useful hacks! Compiled by Shreya, Katy, Elizabeth.
In anticipation for the upcoming Spring Break and warm beachy weather, Caxy Corner has provided a few beach body essentials you can easily make at home and bring with you wherever. In order to get a healthy and safe glow without the expense try this first recipe of tanning oil with a coconut flavor. Coconut glow tanning oil: ¼ Cup Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil, 2 Teaspoons Walnut Oil, 2 Teaspoons Avocado Oil, 2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil, 5-10 Drops Coconut Essential Oil, 5-10 Drops Vanilla Essential Oil. Bring the coconut oil to a boil and then
Spring is fast approaching, and what better way to ring in the warm weather than to redecorate your room? These small succulent gardens can be placed in your bedroom to bring some spring cheer to your life. This DIY is incredibly easy and affordable, and can completely transform the feel of your room. The first step is to gather your materials. You will need a small shovel, gloves for gardening, a planting container to hold you succulents, and whatever plants or cacti you would like. You will also need succulent soil which is imperative for draining purposes in your container. Lastly, you will need drainage and decorative rocks. This project can be personalized very easily, so it is up to you the kind of succulent, rock, and container you would like to purchase. You can make it large or small, and skinny or wide, depending on where you would like to place it. Next, you need to create the first layer of your terrarium garden. To do this, first place the rocks and then the soil, which will allow for proper drainage without rotting the plants. Then, place your succulents in whatever arrangement you would like. This is the best way to personalize your garden! Last, all you need to do is add the last layer as a decorative element. You can add rocks, sand, gems or anything else to create the perfect look. Make sure to properly care for your succulents. You don’t want all your hard work creating the garden to go to waste! If caring for these plants is too high maintenance, maybe opt for plastic plants instead. Plastic Succulents can be purchased at Michaels and can even be found at Target, typically near the home decorations section.
can be found on amazon (https://www.amazon.com/10-Clay-Great-Plants-Crafts) or in any craft store. The cupcakes in the pots is a truly special touch and makes the treat all the more spring-like. Once the cupcakes have come out of the oven, allow them to cool, and then it is time to frost. Again, keeping it simple, we recommend a pre-made frosting however you may certainly opt to create your own if you desire. Then spread a generous layer of chocolate frosting on top of the cupcakes. At this point you have a simple chocolate cupcake, sure to make anyone smile but added spring decorations make the day so much better. One of the easiest ways to do so is by crushing oreo cookies into fine
crumbs. Sprinkle on top of the cupcakes for the ‘dirt cake’ effect. To vamp up the spring feels, one may add gummy worms, however you can also create edible ‘sprouts’ imitating the ones that emerge during spring due to rain and ample sunshine. One could use fondant to do this but to keep it simple, you can simply use any green candy such as lime tootsie rolls or green laffy taffys. Roll the candy thin and shape into leaves and stems accordingly. After rolling, the candy may be soft and in a sense, too malleable. Before inserting into the cupcakes, consider freezing the candies so they hold shape better. If this seems to advanced, you can also opt to order them on Etsy for a larger fee.
after it cools a little bit, add the walnut oil, avocado, and sesame oils. After you mix the oils together you can add drops of the coconut and vanilla essential oils to give it a fresh and beachy scent. This will be in a lotion form at room temperature and you can easily apply to all parts of your body. This is not only very easy to make, but doesn’t include the harmful parabens, preservatives, and artificial colors or flavors that are harmful to the skin. This combination of oils will leave your skin feeling soft and sun kissed. Hydrating fruit and vegetable infused waters: Water is extremely essential during spring break when you’re baking in the sun all day at the beach. Rather than turning to soda, coffee, and juices packed with sugar, jazz up your water by infusing fruit and vegetable juices
These are some of the fruit infused drinks that you can take to the beach with you, they are extremely easy to make and can be easily improvised with any fruits or vegetables you have.
Spring Break beach essentials By Elizabeth Christoph A&E Editor
MARCH 10, 2017
Photo courtesy of the Greenblender.com
to give it a slightly sweet and fresh taste. There are so many different combinations and these ingredients are just a starting point for all of the flavors you can come up with. Citrus pick-me-up: orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime. Fruity goddess: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries. Mint refresher: cucumber, mint. Directions: Wash
all the fruits and vegetables and chop them into slices or place the berries in a mason jar or water bottle of your juice. Let the vegetables or fruits sit in the water for at least 30 minutes before drinking, the longer they have time to sit, the better. Take to the beach or wherever your spring break activities find you.
THE SPECTATOR MARCH 10, 2017
Arts and Entertainment
13
Choir seeks exclusive access for their trip to New York City By Allison Torres Managing Editor The Lake Forest Academy choir class will be taking 40 of its students to New York City, where they will attend concerts, shows, have back stage access, perform, and experience the city. The trip will take place from March 9-12. “I’m excited that the kids will have kind of a personal connection to some of those shows we see,” said Mr. Timothy Plambeck, the Director of Music at LFA. “We won’t just see them and leave them. We will be able to connect with people that are engaged in them, so I think that will give the students not only life long memories, but also dreams for kids that want to perform.” The choir students will watch Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, a concert on the music of Kander and Ebb, and Romeo and Juliet at the Metropolitan Opera. They will have a talk back session with the composer, John Bucchino after The Great Comet of 1812 and a backstage
tour of the opera that Jasper and Olivia Fisher’s mom set up for them at the Metropolitan Opera. The students will also have a master class with Scott Coulter, a well known cabaret singer, who has performed at LFA various times throughout the years. They will be performing at a retirement center which will include a mashup of “Go the Distance” and “Seize the Day” which is from the musical, Newsies. The New York trip also includes a lot of tourist attractions, such as the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum, a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and some time to explore different neighborhoods in smaller groups that will be split between the chaperones. “I’m just excited to go to New York in general because I have been there before, but not for a long enough time to really have the full New York experience. I’m also just excited to be with the whole group because we’re like a family,” said Lilah Roth, a two-year choir member. Despite the group already be-
Photo by Allison Torres
Choir sings the Alma Mater for the 160th Anniversary for Charter Day in Reid Hall.
ing quite large, not everyone in the choir class is able to attend this trip. “We have forty spots and we actually have forty five kids in choir but I had to buy the tickets for everything last se-
mester. So I didn’t know that we would have five extra people going, for the kids that started this semester we can’t take them unfortunately. We’ve never had that situation,” stated Plambeck.
Multi-talented Min Choi finds passion in singing, composing, and playing six musical instruments By Hong Joo Kwon Managing Editor
When was the last time that a student at LFA could play six musical instruments as well as compose their own music? Maybe never! Current sophomore Min Choi seems to set new school standards not only in his musical talent in singing, playing instruments, and composing ability, but also in his passion for music. “Music is just me. I feel like it just defines me because I’ve been doing music for a long time, as in I’ve liked it for a long time, and although I started pursuing music only a few years ago, I had the passion for quite some time,” said Choi. “I can’t define what music means to me, it’s just there, and it’s like a norm for me now.” Although Choi wanted to make music since he was very young, he decided to seriously pursue in music about four years ago. Some of the instruments he plays are drums, piano, guitar, and violin, as well as a little bit of flute and haegeum, which is a traditional Korean instrument. What is interesting about Choi is that despite the fact that he cannot read notes on the paper, he can figure out what the notes are when he hears music and just plays off the top his head. “I don’t know why I decided to pursue music, I just like it,” said Choi.
His hope is that he graduates with a music degree from university and becomes a singer. One of the other ideas he has been pursuing has been producing for other musical artists. Musically, his goal is for other people to listen to his music and enjoy it. He is happiest when people clap after he finishes playing. Although he likes all kinds of music, from
classical to hip-hop, he aspires to be an artist who sings and composes the genre of Korean R&B and K-pop. According to Choi, his inspiration for composing just sparks up. “I might be doing something completely irrelevant, like playing games, studying, talking to friends, hearing some sound, and something just sparks and I get inspired to
compose,” Choi explained. At LFA, he usually composes and practices in his room since he has a piano. When he is in Korea he practices music at a music academy, where he gets lessons from professionals. “My influence is mostly myself. I usually challenge myself to try new things and keep pursuing it,” stated Choi.
Photo by Allison Torres
Sophomore Min Choi shows his passion for music by practicing the piano and violin during break in the Cressey Center for the Arts.
THE SPECTATOR 14
Sports
MARCH 10, 2017
LFA boys tennis looks to qualified coaches and team leaders to find success in tough upcoming season
By Jack Mahon Sports Editor
A core of experienced players will hope to lead Boys Varsity Tennis to another very good season this spring. Led by Juniors Mason Schilling and Charlie Kilborn, as well as sophomore Jack Selati, the team will have to cope with a very tough schedule this season, which is a massive step up from last season’s schedule. Last season Varsity Tennis had an astounding record of 20-4, but the quality of opposition was questioned by some of the team’s best talents. “We had some nice wins but I would say we really weren’t tested too much,” recalled Schilling. This year’s tennis team will feature Mike Friedman as the returning head coach. In May of 2016, Friedman was recognized as Professional of the Year by the Who’s Who Worldwide Edition. He received this award for contribution to sport and recreation in his 25 years of coaching tennis. The assistant coach will be Kimberly Graham, coaching the boy’s team for her second season. Graham is also the head coach for the girl’s team. “It will be a challenging season, but I have every expectation that the boys will
rise to the occasion. I am expecting the players to strive for both individual and team goals,” said Graham. This upcoming season features many tough games such as Loyola, Glenbrook North and last year’s state champions New Trier. While it will be a challenge, many of Varsity’s best players are rounding into fitness at just the right time. Jack Selati, last year’s Varsity 3rd singles players as a freshman, unfortunately tore his ACL playing in July of 2016. After a long and grueling recovery process, Selati is back and ready to compete in his sophomore season. “Getting back into shape took a lot of time, hard work, and especially patience. I have to realize that I won’t be able to do a lot of the things I once could for a long time,” said Selati. This coming season will bring another match between the Caxys and Latin. Last season LFA beat Latin 4-1, in what Schilling referred to as the “biggest victory of last year.” Latin will be one of the Varsity team’s lesser concerns this upcoming season with its tough opposition set to make the season an exciting one. “It will be great for the team to play competitive matches from the start. I think the boys are very excited for the season!” concluded Graham.
Photo courtesy of Mason Schilling
Junior Mason Schilling playing for the boys Varsity team during a match in the 2016 season.
Experienced coaches to take volleyball to a new level By Jasper Fisher Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Senior Blake Cedergren serves during Varisty boys volleyball senior night vs. Grayslake North.
After two years of coaching together, Varsity Volleyball Coach Jeffery Bateman and Assistant Coach Brian Sheu are very experienced at the unique “independent” status of their team. Last year the Caxys were 10-3 playing without any league or conference structure, meaning that they play all manner of school and club teams. The coaches are hopeful for another successful year. The team will be playing another schedule independent of a league. The Caxys play games as they can find them, meaning they will play all flavors of schools and clubs. Because of last year’s success, the returning veterans of the team have high hopes for this year and believe they will be able to keep the upward trend. “It will be a good season, even though we lost a lot of guys from last year and we have to fill in. I have high hopes,” stated Josh Arrowood, a returning junior, and an outside hitter (a player who blocks the front left side of the court). Without the recently-graduated friendly Austrian giant Thomas Schaffer, the team will be missing a quite large pres-
ence which will have to be filled in by the new and returning players. According to Arrowood, senior Blake Cedergren is a top contender for filling in the now-empty middle of the court. He also believes that Joey Thomas, a returning senior, will be experienced and will be able to serve as a leadership presence for the team. Bateman is hoping for strong, new presences during the tryouts. “I am usually ‘pleasantly’ surprised by two or three players that I did not know were even here,” said Bateman. Both coaches are together in expecting a good turn out this year for tryouts. Arrowood is also expecting a good turnout, most notably being the freshmen Sky Wang and Nick Shapiro, and the sophomore Cedric Chong. “We will be pretty good, and I am very hopeful for what is to come,” stated Sheu. The volleyball tryouts start March 6th for all and both coaches strongly advise that students planning to tryout get their hands on a ball and practice now. They also recommend heading to the open gym to bounce a ball around, polish your skills and get organized. With seven returning players, the competition for spots will be very tough.
THE SPECTATOR
Sports
MARCH 10, 2017
15
Caxy baseball will turn to its veterans for success in the 2017 spring season By Max Hayes Sports Editor
Lake Forest Academy’s baseball team had an eventful offseason leading up to the 2017 Spring schedule. Senior Alex Gamache committed to Georgetown University to play D1 baseball. Along with this exceptional achievement, the baseball team also planned a trip to Florida over Spring Break to IMG where they planned to work on their skills before the main stretch of the season. However, this trip has since been cancelled due to a lack of players able to travel during the break. With an eventful offseason, LFA baseball remains focused and has high hopes for the approaching 2017 campaign. “This year we have a large senior class, so I will depending on that class to perform well,” said Head Coach David Wick. This year’s baseball team will be heavily relying on the senior class to lead the team to a winning record. With only one senior graduating from the team last year, the Varsity squad is largely composed of seniors. The seniors have been playing together for three years, and that experience could be a strength this year. Throughout the three years they have
been playing together, the seniors have developed a strong chemistry. However, one area of concern that has daunted the team recently has been pitching. Wick has concern for this year’s team when it
comes to finding enough reliable pitchers to carry the Varsity team through the season. “Pitching is always a black hole of uncertainty. We have some good arms,
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Jacob
The 2016 Caxy’s walk into the 2017 season. 12 of their players will return to play this year.
so I’m hoping that we can rely on Tyler Grumhaus, Austin Clamage, Logan Shaughnessy, and maybe even Andrew Ryder to pitch. Without pitching, nothing else really matters much,” said Wick. The baseball team is also looking forward to welcoming new talent. With five freshman planning on trying out for the program, the Caxys will look to develop some new talent for the upcoming years. A challenge that freshman encounter when transitioning from middle school baseball to high school baseball is facing better and faster pitching. “Pitchers are going to be throwing a lot harder, it’s going to be a totally different game, so I will have to transition into that,” said freshman Scott Skinner, who hopes to get some time with Varsity this year. According to Wick, this year’s schedule will consist of some bigger public schools that are going to be good competition, but also smaller schools closer to the size of LFA. Practices started on February 27th. The players have high hopes for the remainder of the 2017 season. “We are going to go undefeated,” said senior Tyler Grumhaus on his hopes for the upcoming season.
New coach Aimee Lonigro looking forward to working with the softball team By Adriana Rivera
there she coached a team who previously
Staff Writer
didn’t have success, to three consecutive winning seasons. After Eisenhower, she
Coming from Lincoln-Way North H.S.
began coaching at Lincoln-Way East for
down in Frankfort, Illinois, Coach Aimee
another six years. She created a softball
Lonigro will be a brand new addition to
program from the ground up while there
Lake Forest Academy’s Softball team
and brought them to win a Class AA state
beginning this spring. Lonigro has been
title. Most recently, she has been coach-
coaching softball for the past 18 years in
ing at Lincoln-Way North High School
Chicago’s south suburbs, and with the re-
for nine years and has six winning sea-
cent move of her family to North Shore
sons in a row.
suburb of Libertyville, she has decided to continue her career here at LFA.
Last year LFA’s softball team had a record of 3-2. This year there are 18 games
“My passion for athletics brought me
scheduled to be played. With such a tal-
into the coaching profession. I was a
ented new coach there are high hopes
three-sport athlete in high school, played
for this season. Moving forward, Coach
collegiate softball at Indiana University,
Lonigro wishes to create a positive, fun
and was fortunate to come upon a head
environment with this year’s team.
coaching position soon after graduating,” Lonigro explained.
“My plan is to continue great traditions and uphold a positive environment. My
As both a three sport athlete in high
program philosophy will be to provide
school, and a college athlete, Lonigro had
each student athlete an environment that
a strong foundation in athletics for the
not only develops them as softball play-
career she has today. Right after college,
ers but also uses softball as a learning
she began coaching at Eisenhower High
tool for life experiences,” Lonigro com-
School for three years. During her time
mented.
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Junior Joan Karstrom picthes for the Caxys at a home game last season.
Sports
16
MARCH 10, 2017
Theodore Golota takes over as new track head coach, replaces Joe Ward
By Obaid Ansari Managing Editor of Sports
After a lot of movement within the coaching staff, the Varsity Track and Field Team is looking forward to a successful season under new guidance. Math Instructor Theodore Golota will be taking over the head coaching position with a revised group of other coaches assisting him. “I want everyone to enjoy themselves and I don’t want injuries,” said Golota. “So we are going to do a lot of conditioning and strength training.” Golota, who suffered a career ending injury his first year of college, is very keen on the player’s safety. In order to achieve this, he plans to implement a lot of drills that he learned throughout his time as a track athlete. With this big change in the coaching staff there is a chance that it may take a while for the players to adjust. However, Assistant Coach Jessica Gimbel isn’t worried about it. “It’s just a matter of organizing stuff every day and it looks like Mr. Golota will have that under control,” said Gimbel. Gimbel is excited because the experienced returning athletes should give the Caxys strength in short distance, long
distance, and throwing. For events where the team may be lacking experience, she looks forward to organizing time trials in the beginning of the season so that everyone finds the right event for themselves. One of the bigger challenges the team will face is going up against bigger schools in very competitive meets. Although they have some really good runners, the team lacks depth compared to larger public schools. Some events they may only have
one participant while others have multiple athletes. “We have a little bit of a disadvantage because we have fewer people doing each event,” said Gimbel. The goal for the season is for everyone to get personal bests, set a bar and continue to beat previous time. Going to these competitive meets will help them achieve this goal. Some of the best sprinters are senior Kenan Clarke and Stephan Kostov. The
team will be srong in the mid and long distance section with seniors Jacob Chagoya and Sandra Shaw as well as juniors Dieter Villegas and Anna Markey.There are also some school records that can be broken this year. The most likely is the 300 meter hurdles by senior Jaleel Gray. “I’ve been working extremely hard this offseason so that I can break the school record,” said Gray. “It has been a goal of mine for a while.”
Track and Field loses Head Coach Joe Ward (far left) and Assistant Coach Mark Copestake (far right).
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Senior star Thomas Pinel looks to shatter school record
By Lucas Jacob Senior Sports Editor
Photo courtesy of Thomas Pinel
Senior Thomas Pinel is two goals away from tying the school record.
There is a positive attitude among the members of the LFA Boys lacrosse team this spring. The team hopes to have another winning year and, once again, challenge for the Chicago City Conference Championship. But the casual observer might ask why that attitude exists since LFA lost all-time leading goal scorer and assist leader Ford Johnstone to graduation. But the knowing fan can positively point to returning attackman Thomas Pinel, who is poised to shatter Johnstone’s scoring record well before the 2017 season ends, as a reason to be positive. Pinel, a four-year starter and one of the team’s MVPs last year, has committed to play for NCAA Division II school Palm Beach Atlantic University. He has been a key to the Caxys’ offense by finishing in the top three in goals every year he’s played. Ironically coming into his freshman year at LFA, the lefty sharp shooter had no intentions of playing college lacrosse. In fact, he was planning on playing college hockey as a goalie, but a hip injury his freshman year ended his hockey career and shifted his focus to lacrosse. Switching his emphasis to lacrosse ended up being a great situation for Pi-
nel as he is now poised to break LFA’s goal-scoring record of 120. Pinel is currently at 118 and counting. “I’ve known that I’ve been pretty close to the goal for a while now, but it’s not my main objective. My main objective is to help the team win as many games as we can,” said Pinel when asked if he was thinking about breaking the record. Pinel is prepared for upcoming season, although he doesn’t know who will be playing with him on offense or who his new coach will be yet. Pinel has been playing since he was in the second grade and is currently on the True Lacrosse 2017 State team that practices four times a week. After playing for 10 years, Pinel has developed a hot spot from the left corner of the goal. Being a lefty, Pinel takes advantage of the left side of the field. “Ten yards back, left side of the goal. There’s no place I’d rather fire that thing (ball) into the goal from than there,” said Pinel. It seems as though the Caxys will have another successful season this year with a hard working team leader like Pinel. The team will have a new coaching staff and another challenging schedule, but with Pinel they will have a leader and goal scorer they can depend upon.