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S P E C TAT O R
VOLUME 94 NUMBER 2
1500 WEST KENNEDY ROAD, LAKE FOREST, IL 60045
Featured Stories NEWS Student Union breaks ground and draws crowd page 2
NEWS GYLI works to make LFA more environmentally sustainable page 3 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Dorm hacks to make boarders’ lives easier page 5 OP-ED Open Letter: The dilemma of dropping classes page 11 SPORTS Prep Hockey off to a hot start page 15
SPORTS Girls Varsity tennis team dominates the season page 15
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OCTOBER 30, 2015
Construction brings new hazards to S Curve
By Jacob Chagoya Sports Editor
The construction of the new LFA Student Union building has added to the driving dangers of Academy Drive as the amount of construction vehicles traveling on campus has increased the potential for accidents. Along with the seasonal change, the twists and turns of Academy Drive, often referred to as the “S-Curve”, have become even more dangerous than before. The next three months will have an increase in construction vehicle traffic while the foundation of the Student Union building is constructed, according to the Chief Financial Officer Mike Reidy. Early November will bring flat bed tractor trailers delivering 20,000 pound panels. Removing these panels will require a 200 ton crane to travel on campus. Although the people driving these vehicles are trained and experienced drivers, these big vehicles present a danger to drivers. An average of a dozen construction vehicles per day will be traveling in and out of campus. “I’m always worried because those vehicles are so very big and they take up a large part of the road,” said Dean of Students Chris Tennyson. “I’m just always afraid that a student is going to make a
Reporter Jacob Chagoya highlights the speed limit at the Curve
bad decision while driving that can potentially injure themselves or somebody else.” Most crashes that occur on Academy Drive tend to happen as the weather gets colder, according to Tennyson. As the S-Curve gets icier, the danger will become more prominent. With the tight turns of the S-Curve, it is easy to lose control of the vehicle when the road becomes slippery. This increase in construction vehicles traveling through campus will occur at the same time that the season changes into winter. “We get just enough freezing rain and sleet and snow that that curve can become a dangerous one,” said Tennyson.
Going through the S-Curve, the speed limit is 20 miles per hour. Many drivers speed on Academy Drive despite the speed limit signs posted. Academy Woods residents have sometimes expressed concern about the speed at which members of LFA drive. In an effort to keep students safe, administrators are placing a heightened emphasis on proper campus speeds.The amount of signs on campus has increased in an effort to help remind people to slow down while driving. Tennyson will also send reminders via email to both parents and the student body. Photo by Artur He
Sorenson’s cookbook shares years of hardship By Ananta Srivastava Staff Writer
Today in the United States, peoeple enjoy the benefits of freedom and multiculturalism. However, what has been the price of these benefits? Ms. Valerie Sorenson, Spanish teacher at Lake Forest Academy and member of the Head of School Symposium committee, knows this price personally. Sorenson’s grandmother, Mrs. Otilia Klorman, escaped the religious persecution of Jews in Vienna, avoiding certain death, by giving up her Austrian citizenship. She escaped to Valparaíso, Chile in a boat. There in Chile, she amalgamated her Austrian and Chilean experiences in her written memoir in form of a culinary cookbook. That cookbook is currently on display
in the LFA library as a part of this year’s HOS on Immigration, Emigration, and Migration. Klorman experienced various cultures throughout her adult years while travelling to three very different continents, and the cookbook is a reflection of her travels. “It is a time capsule of things that were important to her and were part of her daily life,” Sorenson noted. Traveling from Chile to Los Angeles and finally to Lake Forest, Klorman and her cookbook eventually reached the academy. According to Sorenson, the culinary memoir is written in all different languages, and is was a clear reflection of her grandmother’s travels. That also makes it an excellent example for this year’s HOS topic. One recipe on display, called “Corvina” is unique because it is written with the words
alternating from Spanish to German. Before entering Chile, she and her fellow travelers were almost sent back to Europe because it was clear that they were Jews fleeing from there. She came to Chile with a limited Spanish vocabulary. However, once she was able to speak Spanish fluently, Klorman worked as a translator for a numerous number of years. At the time of her death Klorman was able to speak eight different languages. “My family was very fortunate that they never had a lack of water and lack of food. I am thankful that they were able to make it to Chile and I am here today,” said Sorenson. Klorman is one of the many stories of immigration and migration that have enriched the American fabric of a diverse American culture.
THE SPECTATOR
News
2
World News Roundup
Compiled by Sandra Shaw Op-Ed Editor The Spectator compiles a monthly summary of world news events. Below are the most pressing issues this month.
Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal In late September, the German car company Volkswagen admitted to cheating the emissions tests in the US. Their cars are releasing extremely high nitrogen oxide pollutants than what is normally allowed because Volkswagen engines were able sense when the car is being tested and then would adapt it to pass the test. On the road, however, the car is switched off from this “test mode.” This scandal is causing Volkswagen to recall about 500,000 cars in the US and 11 million worldwide and will cost them about $87 billion. Recall for Volkswagen vehicles may begin in January. This also does not bode well for the diesel market, either, as the demand for diesel cars will likely to experience a sharp decrease. Sources: BBC, CNN
New discovery of water on Mars Many space speculations are on the rise. Following the big event of NASA’s space probe passing Pluto and taking the first clear photos of it, another recent discovery on Mars by NASA confirmed the presence of flowing water through its use of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). It saw dark streaks running on the planet’s surface that may be related to running water. Although the water might be salty, these results further support that Mars can be a habitable planet. Sources: CNN, NASA
Oregon college shooting A devastating school shooting that shocked the nation occurred on Umpqua Community College’s campus in Oregon on October 2. The 26 year old shooter, Chris Harper Mercer, seemed to be specifically targeting Christians, ordering those in a classroom to stand up. Nine people are believed to have died and seven injured. The shooter was then killed during the crossfire with police. President Obama expressed his frustration as he vouched for tighter gun laws.
OCTOBER 30,2015
New Homecoming Committee help to plan the annual student Fall dance By Peter Corsiglia News Editor
This year’s Homecoming Dance took place in the Student Center and the theme was “Film Noir.” According to the people who created and managed the event, this year’s dance was a success on many levels, but there was still room for improvement. For the first time, the Student Council put together a Homecoming Committee of interested students to plan the dance. This year was also the first year that Assistant. Dean of Students Jon Freeman oversaw the Student Council efforts. “[The Homecoming Committee] helped make a dance that more people would want to go to and reflects more of the ideas of what the student body wants, ” said AllSchool President Ella Ekstrom. The Homecoming Committee was made up of 14 students who volunteered to help plan and set up the dance. Freeman commented that it made a lot of sense having a student group focused on the specifics of the dance. Unlike in past years when certain grades were responsible for certain dances, the entire Student Council collaborated to help plan the dance. One of the results of having the Homecoming Committee was a more concrete theme than in past years. Ekstrom commented that themes in past years have been
mostly color themes such as “highlighter”, while this year’s theme was more of a substantive theme. She also said that the dance continued its past tradition of being relaxed and easygoing. “It has been more of just a kickback-and-relax type dance,” said Ekstrom. Freeman stated that he liked this year’s theme, but that the most important thing is that the students were happy. He also said it was important to keep in mind that Homecoming is a fundraiser for prom, so if the decorations are too elaborate, it could take away from the options for. “The most important thing is to take the cue from the students and give them the ownership of event like Homecoming,”
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
LFA students pose for a photo at the photo booth during the 2015 Homecoming dance.
New Student Union breaks ground By Peter Corsiglia News Editor
construction site recently was the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, September 17th . At the ceremony, Head of School
The construction site for the new Student Union building continues to be active and progress can be seen from the outside.
Dr. John Strudwick, Altounian, parents, trustees, students, and faculty celebrated the start of the construction of the Student Union. Attendants put on hard hats, toured the site, and used golden shovels to kick off the ceremony. Altounian commented that the ceremony was very well done, well attended, and although it was a rainy day, was successful event. There was even a cupcake truck serving free cupcakes to all of the students in attendance.
According to Todd Altounian, president of Altounian Builders and LFA Class of 1986, the site is progressing on schedule. “They’ve basically dug out 75% of the first floor,” said LFA Chief Financial Officer Mike Reidy, “and three quarters of the walls are up.” A major event that happened on the
Sources: BBC
Photo courtesy of Reuters
A memorial is seen outside Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.
said Freeman. There were some negative comments about the dance venue. In recent years, the Homecoming Dance has been held outside under a tent on campus. This year, though, the dance was held inside in the Student Center. Freeman said that it is much more difficult logistically to use a tent as a venue because of weather, and getting the tent. He also doesn’t think that the students have a major preference for having the dance inside or outside. Ekstrom prefers having Homecoming outdoors but recognizes it is more difficult logistically. “It’s harder to pull off, but when we can, it’s nice to do,” explained Ekstrom.
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Students gather at LFA’s Student Union groundbreaking ceremony this past September.
“It was nice to get some of the people responsible for getting this project off the ground in one place and kind of kick off the project,” said Reidy. Significant progress has been made since last month to meet the winter deadline. Altounian commented that most of the progress has been in structural foundation work. For the workers to keep working on the site through the winter, the building must be fully enclosed by Christmas. To make this happen, the workers have dug out 75% of the first floor, trucking large amounts of dirt out of the site. Large concrete support columns, which will be a sturdy base for the poured concrete first floor, can be seen in progress on the site. Also, three of the four first floor walls are up. The remaining walls will be made of pre-cast concrete and lifted into place by a 200-ton crane. According to Reidy, there have been no major setbacks in the project. The weater has not caused any major delays, according to Altounian. Despite working on a school campus, the construction workers proceed at a regular pace, and do not worry too much about the noise level. They do have to take extra safety measures because of the number of people and amount of traffic near the site.
THE SPECTATOR OCTOBER 30, 2015
News
3
GYLI students work to make LFA more environmentally
sustainable through cleaner and greener recycling By Hong Joo Kwon Photo editor Last summer, six juniors --Obaid Ansari, Zhuri Bryant, Lucas Jacob, Eli Kuli, Sandra Shaw, and Erin Snoddy -- went on a trip to New Mexico for the second year of their Global Youth Leadership Institute camp. That GYLI year-two trip was about environmental sustainability, and leadership. The Lake Forest Academy group focused their Leadership Learning Plan on environmental sustainability for LFA and they will be implementing the plan this year to make LFA a cleaner and greener community. GYLI is a non-profit organization that pursues to foster wider perspective and understanding of cultural and religious pluralism, and environmental care practices. This year’s group was chaperoned by math teacher Mr. Paul Makovec and Assistant Director of Academic Technology Ms. Ashley Kolovitz. “They realized that living out there for a week this summer without creating any waste in terms of trash is do-able,” said Makovec, “and it definitely raised awareness and made them think about what we could do here at school.” Since the GYLI participants were able to realize the importance of recycling and limited resources, he believes that the LFA
community would be able to realize similar things and make changes as well. According to Makovec, recycling in dorms is currently one of the biggest problems at school. He stated that a lot of the boarders throw everything in the same bin, and the recycling bin is always filled with trash, which leads to none of the trash get-
ting recycled. Part of the problem is that both types of bins look similar. Makovec hopes that some of the plans that the GYLI participants organized will bring a change into the LFA community. He says that one thing they are planning is to possibly bring in a speaker to talk about what can be recycled and what the best
Photo by Hong Joo Kwon
Junior Zuri Bryant, a member of GYLI, works on her homework in her dorm room.
ways to recycle are. “I don’t think anybody knows which things can go into the trash bin and which into the recycling bin,” said Makovec. Although bins are all around the school, people usually do not know what can and cannot be recycled and which trash could go where. Since the LFA community is confused, the GYLI participants need to look into ways to educate all of the LFA community so that everyone knows what gets thrown in which bins, and which of those bins gets recycled. “One of our ideas was to make a design for the recycling bins, making them pop out so people would actually notice them, since the trash can and the recycling bin look the same,” said Sandra Shaw, who hopes that by redesigning the recycling bins, the LFA community would be able to bring change to the environmental awareness. “Environmental sustainability has become important to those in GYLI so we want to get back to the community and show the importance of recycling and being responsible for waste. While the GYLI trips allow us to learn and grow for ourselves, we want to give other students the chance to learn and acknowledge new things that they weren’t aware of,” said Zhuri Bryant.
Photo by Hong Joo Kwon
Junior leaders Erin Snoddy and Zuri Bryant discusss ways to improve the community.
Photo by Hong Joo Kwon
Students utilize the recycling bins, paying close attention to which objects are allowed.
Photo by Hong Joo Kwon
Sophomore Isabella Blankers also participates in the recycling movement, separating her trash from recyclables.
THE SPECTATOR 4
News
OCTOBER 30, 2015
New LFA Learning Resource Specialist helps to aid students with their studies By Arthur He Managing Editor of Photography
Photo by Arthur He
LFA’s new Learning Resource Specialist, Ms. Katie Press, works on helping students.
Lake Forest Academy’s new Learning Resource Specialist is Ms. Katie Press, a new aid for any students who are struggling with their academic life. Press is replacing Mrs. Mary-Stewart Lewis who retired last year. Press intends to increase the accessibility of her services for all students. So what exactly is the job of a Learning Resource Specialist? According to Press, she works with students through an array of services. “Things like time management, study skills, test-taking skills,” said Press, “I help them get organized… I work with students on project management, too.” Often times if students have a lot of final projects or papers, Press would help them to strategize and block out the projects in the time span of a week or two weeks so students are not procrastinating and leaving it till the night before. Students meet with Press for a variety of support. Many students ask for help in keeping track of their assignments. “A big thing that I get asked a lot for is helping with time management,” said Press, “so how to use your breaks efficiently. How to manage your time after school,
basically how do you strategize or prioritize your time during study hall and study hours.” Students can set up a meeting with her by simply sending her an email. They could even drop by her desk in the Dean of the Students Office. Cycle meetings have been the most popular options so far. “I really trying to make sure that students know that I am available to everyone,” said Press, “You don’t have to be doing badly in classes to meet with me. I work with all different students.” Check-ins with teachers are also an important aspect of the job. If the students are not doing well, teachers often inform Press so she can begin work with the students. According to Press, this system is not only applied during progress report or interims, but rather throughout daily academic life so that students are better supported. The location change of the night study hall was also instituted by Press. According to Press, a more centered and organized study hall in places like the library really helps the students to be focused. “Needing help with our work could happen to any of us,” said Press. “It is important to have such a support system to help students get back caught up with their work.”
Where does leftover food in Hutch go? By Austin Clamage News Editor
Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the food not eaten at Hutchinson Commons? Does the staff at Hutch throw away hundreds of pounds of food daily? Well, Hutch reuses 80% of the leftover food according to Mrs. Debbie Lindstrom, Director of Food Services, in order to be as waste-free as possible. “Most of the food we make can be used in many different ways,” Lindstrom said. Hutch plans out its meals in order to reduce the waste of food. A few of the many different meals that are made include chili or taco meat from leftover burgers, or homemade croutons from leftover bread. In addition, extra sausage from breakfast can be used to make sausage pizza for lunch or dinner. “It’s a rarity when we literally take a pan (of food) and dump it,” said Lindstrom. There are two main ways, however, in which food is wasted at Hutch. One way is by overproducing on the grill with making foods such as grilled cheese or sandwiches. The other way is when students take more than they can eat and eventually throw the uneaten food in the trash.
From a study done in 2010, where the weight of the trash collected by the students’ food dumped into the garbage at the dish window, it was possible to see how much food students were throwing away: breakfast -10.5lbs, lunch - 62lbs, and dinner - 33lbs. To help avoid this problem of waste, Hutch switched over from trays to using plates. “By going tray-less, we have saved a lot more food,” said Lindstrom. “When you have a tray, you just keep on putting more food on it.” In addition to saving its own food, Hutch uses extra food from weddings to serve to the students. Some of the foods used include carrots, squash, and a student-favorite, cake. When reusing food, Hutch takes care in making sure the food is stored and refrigerated the correct way to ensure student and faculty safety, according to Lindstrom. They do this by filling out daily temperature log sheets to track how long food has been stored and at what temperature to avoid the risk of contaminating food with bacteria. By using different methods, Hutch is able to reuse and reduce its leftover food.
Photo by Austin Clamage
Lake Forest Academy Sodexo and Hutch chef prepares garlic bread from leftover hamburger buns.
THE SPECTATOR OCTOBER 30, 2015
Features
5
iPads used for more than just learning
Smashy Road, FIFA, Madden Football, and Happy Wheels become students’ favorites Junior Jacob Chagoya spends a free period using his iPad to play games. These games are a good way to unwind over the course of the stressful school day.
By Obaid Ansari Features Editor iPad games are always present in the LFA community and an informal survey of students indicates that there are three games that are the most popular right now. The most popular seems to be “Smashy Road”, while the No. 2 category includes sports games, like Madden football and FIFA, and No. 3 is “Happy Wheels”. The informal numbers show that 30% of the people who answered the survey play “Smashy Road”, 21% play Madden
or FIFA, and 18% play “Happy Wheels”. What makes these games so interesting to the students of LFA? Well Smashy Road is a car running away from the police and the longer you go the more police there are. Madden and FIFA, are football and soccer, and who does not love those games. “Happy Wheels” is a guy on a Segway going through these different levels of obstacle courses. All these games can become very addicting because they are never ending with seemingly endless levels allowing the player to continually work toward a better score.
Photo courtesy of Smashy Road game
The cover page for “Smashy Road” shows the simple controls for the game. The goal of the game is to survive for a long period of time and accumulate ponts during a police chase.
“I play games for fun when I get bored and to occupy time,” said freshman Alex Jackson. There is another game that is on the rise called “Agar.io”. This game, like the others, is very addicting and time consuming. You start off as a small circle and there a tiny dots around the map that you eat to get bigger. As you are doing this there are other players in the same game server that can eat you if they are bigger than you and you can do the same to them. This is a classic case of survival of the fittest. “I play games for fun to take breaks from my homework, it is a great stress
Photo by Bill Murphy
reliever,” said sophomore Josh Arrowood. However, not everyone plays games on their iPad. About 33% of the people who took the survey said that they do not play games. A few responses indicated Notability, Pages and Email as the most-used apps. Most of the responses saying that they didn’t play games came from juniors and seniors. This would seem to indicate that freshman and sophomores are the ones who play games the most on their iPads. “I do not play games on my iPad. They are silly,” said one junior.
Photo courtesy of Happy Wheels game
Happy Wheels features a character riding a segway through various levels. The objective is both to survive and finish quickly.
THE SPECTATOR
Features
6
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Pie or Die: Foodies critique a classic Apple Pie Recipe
Difficulty Level: 5 out of 10 Time it takes: 1.5 hours
Photo by Julia Mills
The apple pie was filled to the brim with apples and then baked to golden perfection.
By Julia Mills and Catherine Kvam Staff Writers Every other month, the Foodies column will feature online recipes that pique our interest. This month, we chose the old classics and favorites, Chocolate Pie and Apple Pie. In addition to recipes, we hope to give you the inside scoop to make everyday cooking a piece of cake! The Chocolate Pie recipe from Hershey’s Kitchen was both easy and straightforward. This was a no-bake pie, but it did require me to use the stove. Once certain ingredients are combined in a saucepan, it is critical that you follow the instructions to get desired results. That means keep stirring the pot, even if your arms cramp. You will thank us later during clean up. Also, do not lose faith, as once you bring the mixture to high heat to boil, it will begin to thicken
almost magically. Everyone who tasted the Chocolate Pie enjoyed it. If you use store pie shell, you will surely have more than enough filling; we even had extra that we poured into individual ramekins, allowing us to sample the creation. Although you can use storebought whipped cream, we advise you to make your own -- it’s fast, easy, and fresh. You can apply as much as you’d like to the top of the pie once it has sat in the fridge; we chose to thickly cover the top, adding another layer to the pie and combatting the intense richness of the chocolate. Overall, the Chocolate Pie Recipe was an extreme success and can even substitute for the famous French Silk Pie if you aren’t keen on eating raw eggs. The Apple Pie recipe was also quite simple and easy to follow. We chose to use the Perfect Apple Pie recipe from Pillsbury.
Chocolate Pie Recipe Difficulty Level: 4 out of 10 Time it takes: 20 minutes
Ingredients One 9-inch pie shell 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 egg yolks 3 cups milk 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips Whipped cream topping Recipe courtesy of Hersheys.com
Ingredients 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup water 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
Instructions 1) Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes. 2) Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. 3) Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com To start, you want to preheat your oven to 425 F. Peel your apples and combine with all the other ingredients in a bowl, you can then just hand stir until everything is well combined. A good tip on making your apples softer and sweeter is letting them sit in the mixture for around 30 minutes to soak up all the juices and really absorb all the flavor. From there, you will want to get your pie crust and place it into a pan. Pour in the apple filling and place the top layer of crust over. Make sure to pinch down on the sides of the pan so no filling pours out in the baking process. You also want cut slits across the top of the pie. Once you
have finished all of this allow the pie to bake in the oven for at least 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Another tip is to take your pie out after 15 to 20 minutes and wrap the edges in tin foil to avoid excessive browning. Like the Chocolate Pie, the Apple Pie was a huge success with our tasters. Everyone loves a delicious apple pie, especially in the fall when apples are in season. The pie was gone quickly and everyone thought it was so good. If you are looking for some sort of baked good, either the Chocolate or Apple Pie will be sure to impress whoever tries it.
Instructions
1) Bake pie shell; cool. Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt in 2 quart saucepan. Combine egg yolks and milk in container with pouring spout. Gradually blend milk mixture into sugar mixture. 2) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Add 1-3/4 cups chocolate chips; stir until chips are melted and mixture is well blended. 3) Pour into prepared pie shell; press plastic wrap onto filling. Cool. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled and firm. Garnish with whipped cream and remaining chocolate chips, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
Photo by Austin Clamage
Senior Catherine Kvam taste tests her own creation, as well as that of her competion.
THE SPECTATOR OCTOBER 30, 2015
Features
7
Sonia’s under new management By Obaid Ansari Features Editor
Upperclassmen know that there was once a wonderful person, named Sonia, who earned a special place in the hearts of the students while operating the school snack bar now named after her. Ms. Areli Bueno, who is part of the Sodexo Food Service Staff, is running Sonia’s Snack Bar in the Student Center, and Bueno would like to create that same connection with students. Before working for Sodexo, Bueno was managing a Subway restaurant. However, Subway’s compensation was not impressive, so Bueno came to work for Sodexo. When she was told about the snack bar position she was very excited. “When they came to me about running the snack bar I thought it would be really cool,” said Bueno. So far running Sonia’s has exceeded
expectations for Bueno, as she has already been able to connect with students. “I love to get to know a lot of you(students) and look forward to the different conversations I have everyday,” said Bueno. Obviously the Student Center can get very loud and obnoxious, especially during break, but Bueno said that she actually enjoys to watch everything that happens. “I have had to deal with so many really bad customers elsewhere, that this is really fun compared to what I’ve dealt with before,” stated Bueno. Besides connecting with students, Bueno would also like to make improvements to the snack bar to make the students happy. She started off by organizing the snack bar differently so that students could easily see all the products that were available. “I brought in a lot of new products and researched more about what snacks and drinks students like the most so we could get
Photo by Arthur He
Bueno poses with ID scanner and computer. All purchases can be made on student IDs.
more of those specific items,” said Bueno. Some students still refer to her as Sonia and she explains her perspective on it. “Obviously there is history behind the
Caxy Match
photo by Tori Koontz
Photo by Arthur He
Junior Obaid Ansari purchases snacks using his school I.D. from Sonia’s Snack Bar.
Sonia name and students quickly associate the snack bar with Sonia especially since it has her name on it,” said Bueno, “But if students know my name that is great too.”
photo courtesy of fanpop.com
The Spectator staff agrees that sophomore Abby Hernandez looks extremely similar to American actress Natalie Portman, circa 2002.
THE SPECTATOR 8
Centerfold
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Introducing the spooky sid The Spectator sat down with Mr. Darrin Madeley, the athletic director at Lake Forest Academy, to hear his scary stories about LFA. Madeley is an avid believer in a supernatura presence of sorts on the campus.
Ms. Ardelle Hagar, Assistant Dean of Students, told The Spectator about her supernatural ghost experiences in Upper Reid, where English is now taught.
A former security guard was sitting in here with myself and Scott DeGraff (a previous trainer at LFA) and he came in and said that while he was doing his rounds, around one in the morning, he was driving around and he saw someone walking towards the baseball field. This person was hunched over, and it looked like just an old man that may have been lost. So he drove up to find out what was going on, drove past the person, turned around, and as he drove back towards the person, they had the face of a little girl on the “old” person.
There used to be a printer where the IT office is now, and I was on duty in the dorm, and so I had to come over after 10 o’clock... and I had to print something out to that printer for some reason and I don’t remember why... The school was deserted, because it was after 10 so all the students are back in their dorms... so I come over [to upper Reid] and all the lights are still on; it’s not like it’s completely dark in the building. I walk up the grand staircase, down the hallway to where the IT office is now, get my stuff, come out, and you know how there’s a table you can sit at, and above the table is a chandelier? The chandelier was going in a circular motion... and it just keeps going, and I thought well, there must have been a student that came by and hit it and have it spin. I thought it was a little weird; I didn’t hear anyone, but you know, whatever. So I walk from that chandelier to the top of the stairs, and I turn to look at it, and it hasn’t slowed down. it was going the same speed it was going before... but I thought maybe you can do that, maybe you can get it to spin and it doesn’t slow down very quickly. The next day I came back and I tried to do it. [I was wondering] if I take and spin it, does it not slow down for awhile? So I spun it and I walked [to the stairs], and by the time I got there, it had slowed down enough to notice it...
Madeley also had this spooky story to share.
I did Structured Study Hall my first year, and some girls from Field dorm told me that, one night, one of the girls woke up at about two in the morning and looked out in front of Hutch where the swing set used to be, and there was a little girl in a white dress, sitting on the swings, swinging back and forth. She went and got someone, came back, and the little girl was still there. Then the two of them got nervous and went to find someone, an adult, and when they came back, the little girl was gone. Both of them said they saw the little girl in the white dress.
Photo by Tori Koontz
This chandelier hangs above a table in Upper Reid and has been sighted swing violently without stopping for minutes on end. This portion of Reid Hall used to contain bedrooms for members of the Armour family.
By India Shelley Editor-in-Chief
Lake Forest Academy is full of nooks and crannies within the olde ed to investigate some of the spookiest spots on campus. We collected scary, the spooky, and the supernatural. From the Devil’s Altar to the cre school’s past. The Spectator interviewed members of the LFA community parts of the school such as Reid Hall. We accumulated these stories into a
Photo by Tori Koontz
The library is supposedly home to multiple ghosts from many years ago who have returned to haunt their home.
The history (and mystery) surrounding Reid Hall By Tori Koontz Editor-in-chief As one of the oldest buildings at Lake Forest Academy, Reid Hall has quite an interesting history, as well as a spooky or mysterious past. Reid was originally built as a summer home for Mr. J Ogden Armour, a businessman involved in the meatpacking industry and eventually the president of Armour and Company. After he died in 1927, the estate was essentially abandoned until 1947 when LFA moved their campus onto the property. Although it appears to have a relatively straightforward past, there remain many stories and legends about Reid. When asked, Mrs. Rita MacAyeal, librarian and archivist at LFA, said, “There was a woman who worked for the library several years back and she told me a story that she was up in the attic... and she suddenly just felt the temperature drop and she felt a cold wave through her body, but then it all went back to normal after...” Many students and faculty now have their own favorite ghost stories surrounding the old building. With unsettling places like the basement and attic, it’s not hard to imagine there could be some truth to
some of the tales. Many well-known stories focus on the ghost of a little girl who roams Reid and even outside the building. Usually she is reported being dressed in white and playing in various places. A few ideas about who she is have surfaced; perhaps she is the daughter or relative to Mr. Armour, or a little girl who wandered into the house while it was abandoned and was somehow killed. There is no certain idea as to who she could be. One reported and documented death on the Armour estate took place back in the early 1900s, when the wife of Mr. Armour’s blacksmith killed herself after her affair with a butcher’s assistant became public. Although it is hard to say exactly where this took place, the more likely locations include Warner and back where the nurse’s office is currently located in Reid. There are also numerous “legends” about students wandering into the Reid basement at night where they encountered unsubstantiated spirits. Whether Reid Hall is actually haunted or not, everyone can agree it is an old, creaky building that has many spooky tales and legends surrounding it.
THE SPECTATOR OCTOBER 30, 2015
Centerfold
9
de of Lake Forest Academy
er portions of the school. In honor of Halloween, The Spectator decidstories from faculty and students alike about their experiences with the eaking floorboards of Reid Hall there are many little known secrets of the who had strong convinctions that LFA is haunted; in particular the older a Halloween collection of mystery to shed some light on the school’s past..
The tunnel: fact or fiction? By Andrew Hechtman News Editor School legend has it that the pagoda in the formal gardens of LFA is supposedly the entrance to a tunnel system leading all the way to the Warner dorm. A recent escorted visit to the back of the pagoda revealed that it contains the remains of three filled in arches, leading under, and inside the pagoda. These arches have been replaced with one door, locked to students. Through the door, the interior is dull. A large, empty concrete room filled with the chairs used for graduation and weddings. The walls are filled with graffiti and the names of students from as far back as the class of 1958 through the class of 2001. A closer look at the walls reveals a small, square hole, just large enough for an adult to crawl through. Inside that hole is a small empty space on each side of a support pil-
lar. Those empty spaces are about four feet tall and continue for about a yard before ending in concrete walls. While it appears that there is no tunnel, the rumors persist, and there do appear to be places where a tunnel could have begun if they were not blocked off. Even without a clear entrance to the tunnels, there are still stories of a way to Warner from the formal gardens, however, there is no factual evidence that these tunnels exist, and the space under the pagoda seems to be nothing more than storage. At the other end of the “tunnel” is an equally spooky sight. The Warner dormitory, formerly the stables, is one of the oldest buildings on campus. Outside, there is a large clocktower, where the time has not moved in as long as anyone can remember. The tower was home to a colony of bats. Both ends of the “tunnel” are shrouded in mystery and with more time, more students will undoubtedly add more to the myth.
Photo by Andrew Hechtman
Chief Financial Officer Mike Reidy explores the entrance to the tunnel in the Formal Gardens. This tunnel is rumored to lead all the way to the Warner Dorm, however, it is currently inaccessible.
Photo by Tori Koontz
The so-called “Devil’s Altar” is buried deep in the forest by Caxy Pond. Not much is known about this secluded spot, however, it is rumored that J. Ogden Armour, the original owner of Reid Hall, was somehow involved in the occult and satanic worship.
The Spectator discussed the supernatural presences on campus with one of the more skeptical faculty members, Mr. Mark Dryfoos, Director of the Performing Arts.
As the daughter of Latin teacher, Mr. Wick, MC Wick has lived on campus for the majority of her life and knows her fair share of spooky LFA stories.
The most persistent story is about Mr. J Ogden Armour haunting what we would today call the library reading room, next to the green room. Supposedly numerous teachers in the past have seen Armour in there late at night. Now I’ve been in Reid Hall many many times, and I’ve even been in the basement late at night with students... I’ve never had any experience really with ghosts there. I’ve also been in Reid Hall pranking people during the summer, when it would be thundering... it was really fun, but I have no real, legitimate ghost stories. The only story that’s really good is that many years ago, back in the 80s, I used to, on Halloween, haunt as J. Ogden Armour, and walk around with a topcoat and a hat late at night. I managed to scare a lot of people with that costume.
So, Mr. Madeley has two children, Jenna and Tyler. The two of them and some friends went to the Formal Gardens at night to play the game Ghosts in the Graveyard. While they were playing the game, and all of a sudden they see a man leaning against a tree smoking a cigarette. The man is not a normal man, he is white and misty and wearing a hat and a jacket. He’s just standing there leaning against this tree smoking a real cigarette—they could smell the smoke—one of the kids yelled something to the man and he stubs out his cigarette and begins to run after them. They’re running away and eventually run to the front of Reid near the Corbin bridge, and they look up at the balcony above Reid and the man is there staring down at them. The next day, there was a cigarette butt lying by the tree in the formal gardens.
“I’ve never had any experience really with ghosts [in Reid Hall]” -Mark Dryfoos
THE SPECTATOR 10
Opinion and Editorial
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Each year, Dr. John Strudwick chooses a topic for the whole LFA community to closely look into -- technology, religious pluralism, gender issues, and the environment were topics of previous years. This year, Strudwick has chosen to focus on Immigration, Emigration, and Migration. The Spectator is offering various opinions regarding the HOS Symposium each month, hoping to gain insight on this topic.
The immigration crisis: How it could matter
By Kristine Von Ogden Assistant Dean of Curriculum
Waves of people have left their countries. Are they fleeing danger or flocking to a possibly better life? Is this forced migration or chosen migration? Politicians and other prominent government figures will be hashing this out for quite some time since some countries may bit hit harder economically either in the short or long term. For many of us, we see other human beings in perilous situations, simply trying to be elsewhere. Some people are overwhelmed by
the sadness of their plight, while others do not feel affected. As there are no clear-cut answers to how politicians should respond, how you should respond is just as murky and individualized. I recently read an interesting study which explained that human beings are built to feel empathy towards a group of about five hundred other people. In short, we are designed to be connected to a group of people the approximate size of our community here at LFA. If this is the case, it is not only the why you should (or should not) feel empathetic towards
those fleeing their homelands that we should wonder about, but also the how. Are we even equipped as individuals to handle such heartache on a global scale? When did you first become moved by what you saw in the media regarding the massive migration? Was it seeing boats full of exhausted, wandering people? Was it seeing lines of men, women, and children waiting for food distribution? For many, they can easily pinpoint the moment: seeing a toddler washed ashore in Turkey. The image of his little body, life evidently cut short,
was heartbreaking to many. We didn’t see the color of his hair, his eyes, or his face. We didn’t see a refugee or an immigrant or a migrant. What we saw was a child. Suddenly, it was relatable. Possibly one of our five hundred. Everyone knows a child. He could have been your cousin, your brother, your neighbor. He was someone’s child. Someone’s neighbor. Someone’s cousin. Tragedy can strike at a moment’s notice, and we never know whom amongst our five hundred it will affect. When people in our community bring a plight to our atten-
Inquiring Photographer
tion, they deserve our attention. Though we may not be heartbroken or affected as much by the news as others, they deserve our attention. They are one of our five hundred. The little boy was one of someone’s five hundred. Fleeing or flocking, forced or chosen, other people’s plights in this world deserve our attention. I am not asking you to carry a burden or to feel guilty. Empathy requires attention. I am hopeful that you will be mindful of those in your community—your local community, your global community—your human community.
What does LFA feel about a formal versus a non-formal Homecoming?
Homecomings at LFA have always been a non-formal event, in contrast to many other public and private schools where they treat it as a formal dance. The Spectator went out to see what LFA had to say about the formality of Homecoming.
“A lot of my friends like the opportunity to dress up. I like having it formal so you can dress up, and it’s good to look nice.” -Rye Marra ‘16
“I think having an informal event in a very formal school is a good way of bringing people together and getting to know other sides of people.” -Maria Pereira ‘16
“I think the non-formal way of doing homecoming here is unique. I liked it because it’s a way just to dress down from what we usually do in school.” -Julia Knauz ‘19
“I think that LFA should begin to move away from the non-formal homecoming. The non-formality of homecoming hurts the participation of students. If we all dressed up, people might be more inclined to attend.” -Sneha Pamulapati ‘16
“I like the non-formal one better because during our school day it’s not relaxed or anything, so it’s a nice way to de-stress and not have to worry about presentation.” -Alina Moreno ‘18
“I think it’s different from other schools, but it’s unique to us, so I like it. We already have two other formal dances.” -Thomas Pinel ‘17 All photos by Sandra Shaw
THE SPECTATOR
Opinion and Editorial
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Editorial
T h e L a k e A c a d e m y
The “S” curve on Academy Drive stands for “safety” The construction of the new Student Union that began this past summer appears to have brought much anticipation and excitement to the LFA community, yet it has also has brought up a certain point everyone should be aware of: the practice of safe driving around campus, especially on Academy Drive. Every vehicle arriving at LFA drives down the beautiful, heavily wooded--and windy--Academy Drive, but if one decides to speed down the road, rounding its “S” curve can bring a moment of fright due to its sudden turns. And now that there is added traffic from the construction trucks on the road, The Spectator staff feels that it is necessary to stress the prominence of safe driving. Similar to roads in residential areas, Academy Drive has curves, as it can make drivers more aware of the speed they’re going at. The speed limit is 30 mph, and it goes
down to 20 mph right before the curve as a warning to the drivers. But why do some people choose to speed? Getting to class on time is definitely one reason. When you’re cutting it close to the start of first period or your first class, it can be easy to decide to add a little gas in order to shave off some seconds. It may seem like no big deal, yet these small decisions could have large impacts for you and your car when you least expect it. According to Dean of Students Chris Tennyson, collisions do occur on the “S” curve, although it is more common during the winter season when the road gets icier. There also have been cases where cars hit the stones on the curve and other rare cases where cars are actually stopped by the police. But when there are incidents where students and Academy Woods residents feel compelled to complain about reckless driving, measures need to be taken.
Tennyson is obligated to identify the license plates of speeders and contact the student, if necessary. If reports escalate, the whole community will be reminded in a morning meeting or email addressing the situation. Now that there are added construction vehicles driving down Academy Drive, it is really important to bring awareness for the next three months, where the traffic would be the greatest, according to Mr. Michael Reidy, the chief financial officer. He says that dozens of large construction vehicles will be driving back and forth everyday during this period and that safety is a concern. Driving safely doesn’t apply solely to Academy Drive, either, as it is integral to a safe campus. With the new construction traffic added, The Spectator reminds everyone it is extremely important to be cautious while driving on the Academy Drive.
An Open Letter About: The dilemma of dropping classes By Will Everett Op-Ed Editor Students, if you are struggling with an Advanced Placement course , I have some words of wisdom for you. You are not the first. However, do not be discouraged! I have put together my personal story to help you understand that dropping classes can actually bring you more success. Learn from my mistakes. I am here to help you. So I invite you to relive my journey of accepting challenges. I am a Junior, and this year I knew I had to step up the game since I didn’t take any AP’s sophomore year. By the way if you’re a sophomore taking AP World History, more power to you. It is true you have an advantage, but do not fret if you’re a sophomore not taking AP World History. If you’re a Freshman doing well in World History I, consider it. Anyway, in the spring of my sophomore year I had the qualifications for AP Chemistry, AP U.S. History, AP Spanish, and AP English. My initial thought, like any crazy person’s would be, was go for all of them. I brought it up to my
11 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
Obaid Ansari Hong Joo Kwon Hunter Wolff Andrew Ryder
Op-Ed Editors
Will Everett Sandra Shaw
Sports Editors
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
Photo courtesy of Survey Monkey
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.
LFA students reflect on how frequent they think about dropping classes.
Dad, and like any crazy Dad he agreed with me. Good thing my mom is reasonable. I had decided to take three of the four. So there I was at the beginning of Junior year with AP U.S. History, AP English Language, and AP Chemistry. I handled it for two weeks and things began smoothly. I must say, I was nervous, not necessarily about any particular class, but just the concentration of the rigor. Then it went awry quickly. That’s why I wrote this piece, so you all can learn from my mistakes. Finally, I succumbed to the beast that was AP U.S. History. So, in the end, a possibility for taking four AP’s actually turned into taking two. However, this brings up a few different pieces of advice I would like to offer you.
First, AP’s are not supposed to be dropped. If you feel challenged, you should! AP’s are also not meant to bring down your GPA either. If you feel challenged, but you’re holding strong and working hard, excellent. Second, if you have a brief idea of what you want to be when you grow up, gravitate to the AP or Advanced class that would set you up for studying that in college. Third (and final), IT IS OKAY TO DROP A CLASS. Please, do not feel ashamed, stressed, obligated, or stupid if it comes to the point of dropping a class. It is ok. If you take away one thing from this article, you will be happier with success, so put yourself in an environment where success can be achieved.
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
“Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to split open.” -Natalie Goldberg
THE SPECTATOR
12
Arts and Entertainment
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Online streaming services bring hidden harm to the independent music scene By Hunter Wolff Features Editor
Run the Jewels’ new experimental mixes are one of a kind
By Arthur He Managing Editor of Photography There is no album that better showcases what you can do with just simple samplers than the new Run the Jewels remix of their well-received LP Run the Jewels 2. The album titled Meow the Jewels is a remix of all the songs in the previous LP with cat sounds. Run the Jewels is a Hip-Pop duet consisting of rapper Killer Mike and producer El-P. The last LP they released was a perfect example of their brutal yet artistic lyrics and energies. Their rhymes throughout Run the Jewels 2 are just aggressive and violent. However, it’s the kind of violence you would find in a cartoon, hysterical, satirical, and smart none the less. It’s very much a dark comedy. Many songs like “Crown” and “Early” are lyrically building a very depressing story, while songs like “Close Your Eyes” are filled with more punching and angry lyrics. On the other hand, the melody throughout the album has a great depth and there are many intricately detailed intros and outros. At first glance, one might think that such repetition of cat noises is going to get annoying after maybe two songs. However, RTJ somehow manage to deliver the
same melodic feelings through cat noises that’s been synthesized and elastically molded very diversely. The first song “Meowpurdy” started with screeching cat sounds covering the original intro, dotted with extremely distorted and high pitched cat screams paired with heavy base beats. Songs like “Paw Due Respect” just push it over the top with cute cat noises right at the beginning of the song. It is definitely enjoyable to people who are into glitchy and alternative electronic music. So why make a remix of the original violence-studded LP and juxtapose it with cat sounds? In my opinion, the cat sounds really kick it over the edge of the original dark humor that the LP is going for. In songs like “Creown”, a remix of the original “Crown” in which the lyrics dealt with incredibly heavy guilt, the cat noise changed the original instrumental into a kid’s rhyme with funny, overflowing yet enjoyable screeches here and there. It really contrasted the lyric and showcases the ridiculousness of the situation it’s describing. For such a bizarre idea of an album, none of the songs actually sound abandoned or jokingly irresponsible. It really is a challenge for RTJs’ talents and ideas. If anything, listen to it for a good laugh.
Music streaming services have bombarded the music industry in the 21st century as the most attractive alternative to buying music. It is now the norm to no longer buy music, but instead, listen for free with ads or for a monthly fee. While many people enjoy services such as Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, or Apple Music for their music listening experience, the fact of the matter is that they are hurting artists by using those services. Artists are not getting sufficiently paid for the work they create. Before we know it, the music industry may be completely revolutionized by these services, and not for the better. Everyday we see headlines on websites and in magazines about big name artists like Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars and how much money they are making or what stages they are gracing. However what you do not hear about is how much money they are losing, or rather, missing out on. In October of 2014 Taylor Swift had the number one song in the world, “Shake It Off,” which received 46.3 million streams on Spotify. From these streams Swift made nearly $390,000 (just $0.0084 cents per stream), no small sum of money to the average human but to Swift this payout doesn’t fairly represent the value of her art. For example, if just one-eighth of the peo-
ple that streamed her song (5.78 million) went to iTunes to purchase the song for $1.29 Swift would have made $3.64 million, meaning she would’ve earned over nine times as much as she did from Spotify. After noticing the effects of music streaming, Swift took her music off of Spotify. While the stars of the music industry are taking a hit because of the music streaming services, the small indie artists are barely making any money at all. According to The Guardian, Indie cellist Zoe Keating made $75,000 from digital downloads in 2013, however, as digital downloads declined by 14% in 2014, Keating made less than $2,000 in over 400,000 Spotify streams, nearly $3,000 in undisclosed Pandora streams, and $1,200 from 1.9 million views on Youtube. These statistics add up to just $6,200 in one year, a stark contrast from 2013-2014. It makes you wonder, if digital downloads go away, where does Keating and all the other indie artists go? The music industry of the future could become a monopoly of big artists if music streaming continues to gain popularity over physical and digital purchases of music. Musicians deserve money for the art they create and the amount of their own money that they invest into creating music, merchandise, and tours for their fans. So next time you think about using a music streaming service, think again and give the artists what they deserve.
Caxy Playlist ~Right My Wrongs- Bryson Tiller ~Four Pink Walls- Alessia Cara ~Hold on- Gary Clark Jr. ~Lisa Sawyer- Leon Bridges ~Prisoner- The Weeknd feat. Lana Del Rey ~Nocturnal- Disclosure feat. The Weeknd ~Good Intentions- Disclosure feat. Miguel ~Bad Intentions- Niykee Heaton ~The Less I know the Better- Tame Impala ~Touch Me- Avicii
THE SPECTATOR
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Arts and Entertainment
13
A night out with the lads: Nando’s PeriPeri is the best chicken spot in Chicago By Andrew Ryder and Hunter Wolff Feature Editors You may be saying, “Hold on. Where are the girls for ‘Date Night’ this month?” Well for October, the lads have decided to take over Date Night! So when you’re out with the lads and feeling extra adventurous, where do you go for a quick dinner? The answer should always be Nando’s Peri-Peri on Randolph Street in Chicago. With an easy train ride down to Chicago, fast and friendly service, and a lively atmosphere, Nando’s is the ultimate restaurant for a lad’s night out on the town. We recommend taking the train from Lake Forest West to Union Station in Chicago to avoid traffic. The train is comfortable, spacious, and more relaxing than having to nav-
igate the busy streets of downtown Chicago. From the moment you step into Nando’s you can feel a sense of belonging. The smells captivate the nasal passages and immediately strike the brain. A host or hostess
range of sauces to gloss atop your chicken dish. From “Lemon-Herb” to “Extra Extra Hot Peri-Peri,” the eatery offers nine rich sauces that really make the chicken as good as it is. We both tasted many of the sauces,
pita cleanses and cools the palate, making for a great snack to enjoy throughout the meal and in between bites of chicken. A few other highlights delve into the side dishes at Nando’s. “The Flame-grilled
then greeted us warmly and enthusiastically. In our case a nice guy by the name of “Tony” greeted us and struck up conversation. Needless to say Tony was an absolute legend. As soon as we were seated, the excitement for the food to be brought out grew. Nando’s is a fine South African and Portuguese fusion chicken spot that has franchises all across the globe. Nando’s is world famous for its “Flame-Grilled Chicken Breast,” cooked with the skin still attached, char coats the juicy breast indicating the “flame-grilled” title. A major component of the flavor, however, is the wide
such as “Lemon-Herb,” “Medium,” “Wild Herb,” and “Hot Peri-Peri.” After our thorough testing our burnt tongues made the unanimous decision that the “Medium Peri-Peri” flavor best supplemented the chicken. While the “Flame-Grilled Chicken” is the classic go-to entrée at Nando’s, there are still plenty of appetizers and other options for alternative meal choices. For starters, garlic bread sticks and pita with hummus began our feast. The garlic bread was warm, soft, and rich in flavor without the garlic being overpowering to the taste buds. The hummus and
Corn on the Cob” is a must order. It is so rich in flavor from the grill. “Portuguese Rice,” “Peri Chips” (aka fries), and “Red Skin Mashed Potatoes” are other great sides to compliment the meal. For vegetarians, the salad section of the menu offers nine delicious options. For us, the “Caesar Salad” was our favorite from that section. Overall, Nando’s is an experience you just can’t beat. The atmosphere and mouthwatering food make for a memorable night out with the lads. Just remember that if you’re in Chicago, looking for a casual meal, Nando’s should be at the top of your list!
Hunter and Andrew ordered a variety of dishes to get the full Nando’s experience.
The Verdict: Price: Distance:
Nando’s
Time:
Overall: Hunter enjoying his Peri chips which come as a side with the Flame-Grilled Chicken Breast. All photos by Hunter Wolff and Andrew Ryder
THE SPECTATOR
Arts and Entertainment
14
Dorm Hacks: Hack: (n) \’hak\
A clever solution to a tricky problem.
By Tori Koontz Editor-in-Chief Anyone who has lived as a boarding student knows the struggle of keeping a dorm room organized. Without constant attention, a once-tidy room can go from spotless to a complete disaster within days. Forgetting to clear your desk or not hanging up your clothes one day can quickly add to turning your room into an unrecognizable mess. If you have a roommate, this problem becomes even more severe, either because they too are contributing to the messy room or because they are very frustrated and annoyed with your things lying around everywhere. Worry no more: this month’s Dorm Hacks is about organizing your room and keeping it that way. One category that usually causes the most cluttering in a dorm room is clothing. A vast majority of students don’t find time to hang their school clothes back up in their closet or put them away in their dresser after school has ended.
This is completely understandable; everyone has busy schedules. But clothes on the floor will quickly accumulate until you can’t even see your floor. There are quite a few solutions to this problem. The first solution is to keep two laundry baskets: one for dirty clothes, and one for clothes that need to be hung back up or put away. This works best when the clothes are folded first before just being thrown into the basket, to prevent wrinkling. Another option to reducing clothing clutter is to organize your closet by outfits: hang up your dress shirts with a pair of pants and a matching tie, or hang your dress up with a sweater or cardigan. Not only does this save both time and space in your closet, it makes things easier to hang back up, since there is only one hanger instead of two or three. The second biggest area of messiness in a dorm room is clutter on your desk or dresser. This can happen quickly and is one of the first things spotted when people visit your room. To prevent things piling up on your desk, invest in storage containers
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Tips for keeing your dorm room organized and clean that fit your needs. An extra pencil case or small boxes are always good to have around. Another great way to organize desk and school supplies is with a metal hanging shower caddy. These can easily be attached to the wall by your desk and can hold everything from pencils to notebooks. The most important thing to remember
when organizing a room is to find methods that work best for you, specifically, and are easy to stick with. Developing your own ersonalized routine is key, as it is always easier to keep with habits you are mst comfortable wth. Once a routine has been developed, keeping a tidy room is no problem.
Photo courtesy of www.gurl.com
Hanging shower caddies make for a great, practcal, cheap, and stylish desk-space organizer.
Prestigious pianist May Han is a new talent at LFA By Andrew Hechtman and Will Everett Staff Writers The world of piano is filled with talented individuals. Among those talented people there are some who stand out from the crowd -- the prodigious. LFA student Xuyuan (May) Han has been playing piano for 11 years, since the age of four. From that young age, piano was a focus of her life. That focus paid off recently when
she took first place in the piano competition at the Indiana State Fair, where she finished as the winner in the duet section and received an honorable mention for the classical portion of the competition. “My mom took me to an institution where they have private tutors,” Han said. Since that young age, Han has spent four hours a week practicing and honing her skills as a pianist. She said that making sure to practice regular-
ly is the most difficult part of piano. “Players can find [practice] boring,” Han said. “And it can be hard to find time to practice” Han is driven to practice by a love for piano and by her wish to succeed in competitions like the one at the Indiana State Fair. Han normally competes in the classical section because it is her favorite music to play, but Indiana was her first time playing as a duet. “That was my first time playing with
Photo by Arthur He
During her free time, new junior May Han practices one of her many piano pieces in Cressey Lobby to keep her skills sharp.
someone else and I really liked it,” Han said. Han prepares diligently for competitions by binge playing and repetition of the more difficult sections of the pieces. An important part of each competition is the choice of song. The winner is selected both by the quality of her work, and the difficulty of her piece. Han takes great care in picking her songs for competition. “It’s definitely based on interest,” Han said. “Secondly, [it’s] based on difficulty” Han’s favorite pieces are written by some of the most famous and most influential artists of their time. “I like Chopin, Bach, Mozart,” Han said. “Basically anything classical.” Even though she is experienced in competitions, having taken part in more than 10 competitions, she still feels nervous before she competes “I get nervous every time,” Han said. “But I inhale and exhale tell myself that it’s going to be okay.” When Han gets on stage and takes her seat at the bench, her nerves melt away and the audiences fades as well. Han is going to take a break from competition to focus on school now that she is in her junior year but would like to try composing her own pieces in the near future.
THE SPECTATOR OCTOBER 30, 2015
Sports
15
Girls Tennis dominates under new coaching staff
Photo courtesy LFA Communcations Department
Senior Shai Kiven celebrates after a match-winning shot on the LFA tennis courts.
LFA Prep Hockey gets off to hot start winning 7 of their first 10 games By Lucas Jacob Sports Editor This year’s Prep Hockey team has had a great start to the season after winning seven of its first 10 games. Losing eight players to graduation, including all four captains, hasn’t seemed to be an issue for Head Coach Darrin Madeley and the rest of the team to adjust to. “It’s hard every year,” said Madeley. “Because when you have seniors like Jake Stevens, Will Lavezzorio, or Johnny Tomlinson who play so much and bring so much to the table, it’s always going to be hard adjustment. But we go through it every year and we just hope that the new captains can step up and take control. And so far the new guys, the new captains, have done a great job.” With new recruits coming to the team every year, the Caxys have been fueled by a great deal of young players who have plenty of potential to fulfill the team’s expectations, much like talented four-year senior and current captain, defenseman Michael Thomas. “When you have a player like Michael Thomas on your team, who’s probably the best skater I’ve ever had on this team
and one of the best stick handlers we’ve had... having him allows your guys to feed off how he plays, and we’ve already seen it these past ten games,” said Madeley. “Cameron Judge’s play has come up and Davis Browning is now playing with Michael so his play is already going where I’d hope it would be. We also have three lines that play extremely hard, two that are very gifted offensively and one that works extremely hard.” While the team has plenty of skill on the ice, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to improve on. Madeley has the team doing three upper-body lifts a week before their next tournament in pursuance of improving upper body strength. With all the young players on the team, physical strength needs to be improved in order to be stronger around the puck. All the on-ice talent and determination to improve is creating an optimistic feeling about the rest of the season for the Caxys. “Our goal is the same thing every year, to come home with the MPHL (Midwest Prep Hockey League) trophy at the end of the year and get better along the way,” said Judge.
By Julia Mills Managing Editor Every year hundreds of students take part in athletics at Lake Forest Academy. Few Caxy students or teams could match the overall success of the Girls Varsity Tennis team this season. With a new coaching staff and new team members, the girls worked toward one of the team’s best seasons in recent memory, posting a 13-1 record with a victory over neighboring rival LFHS. “There was a really strong sense of team spirit which I think helped our season immensely,” said two-year team member and junior Sarah Hershenhorn. This team spirit contributed greatly to its almost-undefeated season. The team’s coaches also attribute their success to the girl’s mental toughness. Practices for the girls helped establish that toughness through the use of drills, games and challenge matches to help advance every girls’skills. “Every match, each girl has walked onto the court with a determined mindset. There have been many matches that were incredibly close, and in the end, we were able to pull out a win due to our girls’ perseverance,” said Head Coach Kimberly Graham. Graham led the new coaching staff for the girls’ varsity team. Along with Graham was returning assistant coach Tim Plambeck, who is also LFA’s Director of
Music, and LFA alumna Kathleen Kennedy (’11) who is currently the Academy’s Alumni and Events Coordinator. According to Graham, the coaches tried to create a welcoming environment where the girls were able to develop their skills. “The team made it really easy to come back to LFA,” said senior Caraline Patterson, who recently returned to the Academy after spending her sophomore and junior years at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida. The camaraderie amongst the team helped tremendously and led to many of the season’s highlights, said Graham. Specifically in the girls’ match against Lake Forest High School, a tough rival, the girls were able to win 5-2 with several come backs that were crucial to this win. At both 2nd and 4th doubles, which consisted of Hannah Sutkowski and Shai Kiven and Elizabeth Kasten and Nikki Rust, both teams were able to fight their way back from losing their first set, to ultimately win their match in third set tie- breakers. With the season having recently ended and six graduating seniors there is much to anticipate for next season. A new group of girls and more intense daily practices are expected to come. “I know we’ll be a strong team again next year!” said Graham.
Photo courtesy LFA Smugmug
The Prep Hockey team prepares to start their first tournament off with a bang in this pregame huddle.
Zeynep takes over the record books after breaking every girls’ swimming record By Jacob Chagoya Sports Editor Lake Forest Academy girls’ swimmer Zeynep Kivanc, who also goes by the nickname of “Z”, has now officially broken every Caxy girls’ swimming record. Entering the year, Z was one event away from having her name next to every swimming event on the pool record board.
With a time of 1:00.75, Z broke the 100-meter Butterfly record. This elusive record was previously held by Jennifer Gottlieb at a time of 1:03.3. Z now has the record for every event, as well as helping to set the record for all Relay events. In only her junior year Z has left her mark in LFA history, with the ability to improve her times and make them possibily untouchable.
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Sports
OCTOBER 30, 2015
LFA Field Hockey star Lexi Silver headed to Maryland
By Nithin Reddy Sports Editor
Lexi Silver has become one of the most talented field hockey players, and athletes, to ever come out of Lake Forest Academy. She currently is one of three senior captains for the Caxy’s field hockey team and is hoping to lead the Caxys to a deep run for the state title. Silver has committed to the University of Maryland and is now looking back at the process, glad she made the right choice. “I love the coaches at Maryland and also the other girls on the team. I loved the vibe that the school gives and the environment. I wanted to go somewhere new and out east,” said Silver Silver is now a part of a program called Futures where she could eventually join the national team and possibly become a part of the Olympic team. The way the program works is that there are 11 regions that you can join. Each region will have multiple teams including one number one team. The next step is joining the National Team, and the final team is the Olympic Squad. Silver is on the Futures team for Chicago, and is hoping to join the National team. Currently, multiple University of Maryland players are on the national team. As for the current season, Silver is trying to adapt to the new role she has on the team. As a captain, she has become a leader and now has the job of teaching the new girls. “We started out with a more diffi-
cult situation this year. We lost a lot of girls over the past few years that were very experienced and very talented,” said Silver. “We have a lot of freshmen on our team and girls who have never played before. We take these girls and shape them into good young players.” She has not been alone in her new role as captain. Seniors Emily Conklin and Caroline Miller are also captains that stress the importance of each and every practice and game. Coach Diane Cooper has been instilling these values of handwork into these girls ever since they joined the team. Field Hockey is one of the few teams at LFA that competes in State, and Silver is hoping she can lead the Caxys as far as possible. She has already been in a situation to compete for the state title. The last few years the team has been 3rd in State, but Silver learned the most from her freshman year. “My freshman year we made it to the first round and didn’t make it to the state game because we lost an important game. I remember that feeling. It was crushing. Everyone was crying in the locker room, I never want to feel that way again,” said Silver. LFA started losing multiple tough games to start the year, but with a recent victory against the highest ranked team in state (New Trier), Silver has confidence the Caxy’s will finish strong. “We played a lot of tough teams at the beginning of the season, and I hope that our seed will reflect the way we have improved,” said Silver.
Photo courtesy of Tori Koontz
Senior Lexi Silver (above) hones her skills as she prepares for the current season and her future.
Photo courtesy of Jack Zhong
Field Hockey Captain Lexi Silver (left) competes against Deerfield as the Caxys begin their quest for state.