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S P E C TAT O R
Volume #94 Number #1
1500 West Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Featured Stories NEWS
Class size on the rise?
d
e
m
y
September 25,2015
Changes to dress code add
some color to
school
page 3 NEWS
Summer changes and construction bring new additions to the community
page 2 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Brede Baldwin: Rising musical talent at Lake Forest Academy
page 10 OP-ED
Immigration, Emigration, and Migration: Raising Awareness
page 5 SPORTS
LFA Field Hockey prepares for State
page 12
Sandra Shaw poses with an array of colored jeans, now a new addition to the school dresscode.
By Peter Corsiglia News Editor Returning students may have been surprised recently to find out about one of the most “colorful” changes to school dresscode in LFA history. The school’s dress code has been modified in the LFA 2015-16 Student Handbook allowing for “nice-colored denim” to be worn by both girls and boys, a change that surprised both students and faculty alike. This change to the dress code was one of a number of modifications to the 2015 Student Handbook. In an interview with The Spectator, Dean of Students, Chris Tennyson described what he hoped the dress code change would accomplish. “I would hope that any student could demonstrate or display their individuality and creativity while adhering to the dress code,” said Tennyson. Many students were very pleased with the changed dress code. Sophomore Elizabeth Kasten commented that she feels that students now have more freedom to wear what they want. Junior Grace Rempala, another student who approves of the new dress code change, said that people regularly wore colored denim in the past and the new rule will lead to fewer people abusing the dress code. Although Tennyson believes the change in dress code is minor, he involved faculty, students, and members of the Dean of Students Office in the dress code decision. According to Tennyson, they looked at what other boarding schools were doing and tried to get as much input and information as possible before making the change. Some male students, including junior Alex Gamache, believe that the change in dress code will not affect them. “As a male student, colored denim
will not change the way I dress,” stated Gamache. “Colored jeans are stylish and you can wear them however you want and they are comfy, so people are going to be a lot happier,” commented junior Bella Shin, another female student who is pleased with the change in dress code. The wording of “nice colored denim”
Photo by Arthur He
in the student handbook could potentially cause some uncertainty. Tennyson says the jeans must be in “good repair” and that students should not wear frayed or tattered jeans. He also said that there is a very fine line between denim and corduroys and that the change in dress code was not a free pass as a jeans day and no blue jeans could be worn.
Head of School Symposium to focus on Emigration, Immigration, and Migration By Obaid Ansari Features Editor Each year at LFA, Head of School Dr. John Strudwick establishes a Head of School Symposium which is a year-long observation of a pressing issue or a region of the world. Previous symposia have looked at emerging science and technology and Southeast Asia. According to Strudwick, this year’s topic will be Immigration, Emigration and Migration of people, a theme that Strudwick believes is a very important topic considering what is happening in the Middle East, Africa, and southern Europe daily. “I was asking people on the Dean’s Council to give me some ideas,” said Strudwick. “Someone mentioned immigration as being a good topic for literature, languages, English, and history.” Strudwick wanted to expand the topic to not just immigration to the United States but migration as a whole, whether it was immigration or emigration around the world. It also crossed his mind that it would be an important topic for the U.S. elections. “Even before Donald Trump’s remarks, I
thought it would be an important topic in the elections because it has been proven to be one of the hottest political topics in the U.S.,” said Strudwick, who has appointed English teachers Mrs. Amanda Byron and Mr. William Murphy the HOS leaders for this year. Murphy will be leading the HOS Spring Break trip to Ireland to study why millions of people left Ireland and came to America. The crisis in southern Europe, where many refugees are trying to escape violence in their home countries through Bulgaria and Hungary has also become a dominant news story lately and only makes migration an even more important theme for students to consider. “I always try to pick a topic that I think is good for the students to explore that they might not know as much about as we would like,” said Strudwick, “and that helps the overall vision of the school in developing global citizens.” He wants students to look more into the “push-pull” factors in immigration and migration. Dr. Strudwick believes it is important to be well educated on why people migrate.
THE SPECTATOR
News
2
World News Roundup
Compiled by Julia Mills Managing Editor
The Spectator compiles a monthly summary of world news events. Below are the most pressing issues this month. European Migrant Crisis Over the past few months hundreds of thousands of migrants have been fleeing persecution, war and other adversities in the Middle East and Africa for safety in Europe. Most have been traveling from Turkey or Libya across the Mediterranean to islands off of Greece or Italy’s coast and traversing the Balkans with the hope of reaching Germany or Sweden, where asylum applications are more likely to be approved. Most recently Hungarian officials blocked thousands of migrants from boarding trains headed to Germany in an attempt to control the massive influx of migrants. This blockade ended quickly and Hungary agreed to bus numerous refugees to Austria and Germany, where they will receive asylum. According to the International Organization for Migration between 1,500 and 2,000 migrants are crossing from Greece into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia each day. Today the U.N. refugee estimates that more than 300,000 people have attempted to travel this treacherous journey so far this year. Sources: BBC.com
Canvas now omnipresent and not going anywhere By Sandra Shaw Op-Ed Editor In the past few years, technology has been becoming increasingly prominent in students’ and faculties’ academic lives at LFA. Now all classes are required to use the online educational management system known as Canvas. This system allows straightforward access to shared files, homework assignments, and class announcements that students may need, enhancing the learning experience, according to administrators. Canvas is an app that allows both students and teachers to access important class information, such as the syllabus, cycle sheets, chapter notes, and homework. It can also be used as an open space for virtual classroom discussions and a place where students can turn in homework. Since every class has changed its platform to Canvas, students and teachers have been told to expect more work flow through the site.
Photo courtesy of bbc.com
Refugees wait in heavy rains in Northern Greece, trying to cross into Macedonia.
Guatemala President Resignation In early September, Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina resigned from office after his connection with a corrupt scandal. The fraud scandal involved alleged bribes by business people seeking to avoid customs duties and has left his administration upended. Since the scandal has become public more than five of Molina’s cabinet members quit and his former vice president Roxana Baldetti has been imprisoned. Molina’s criminal immunity of office was lifted following national protests demanding his resignation. By stripping Molina’s immunity, he became exposed to possible prosecution on corruption charges, which followed shortly after. Soon after this, the attorney general’s office issued a warrant for his arrest in connection to a tax fraud plot. When the announcement of prosecution came about Molina’s office he said he would, “be very respectful and submit himself to the rule of law.” Sources: Associated Press
For a multitude of classes, Canvas is now the focal point of communication. “What we used to have were teachers using all different platforms. So, let’s say a student is taking six or seven courses: they may have five or six different places to go and log in and figure out what they need to turn in and how they need to access information,” said Director of Academic Technology Jeremy Sands. According to Sands, some previous platforms include Box, Dropbox, a web page on the LFA website, Edmodo, and more. “Box and Dropbox are great for sharing files or access to certain files and PDFs, but that’s where it stops. They are great storehouses for stuff, but Canvas then takes that to the next level,” said Sands. On Canvas, students and teachers can not only upload useful documents, but also have discussions, see an overview of upcoming assignments, and use the grading
been receiving a lot of positivity so far, but there is some push back. “There have been many teachers that have embraced it and run with it and done really well; there are other teachers that have been a bit more apprehensive,” said Assistant Director of Technology Ashley Kolovitz. “In order for innovation to be transformative, it needs to be disruptive,” said Kolovitz. According to the Canvas website, Canvas is currently “used by more than 1,400 universities, school districts, and institutions around the world,” both public and private. Schools that use Canvas range from Harvard to preschools and kindergarten classes. Although it is hard to gage how long LFA will be using Canvas, the school’s commitment to the site is long term. “Realistically, we’re looking at having this for a few years. It’s not something I
feature (one that is still being considered). The ubiquitous change seems to have
would want to abandon in a month or even a year,” said Sands.
from 12 feet underground to about 30 feet underground.” Engineers had to be brought in but the vault didn’t have to be dug up minimizing the delay in the construction of the building. The builders had to break the vault and then fill it with small rocks they had compacted to create a stable area for the building’s base. There are no official plans for the current Student Center and Hutch, but the downstairs will likely be turned into offic-
es while the upstairs will become the new practice area for orchestra. The smaller rooms in the current Student Center, such as the student store and Sonia’s snack shop, will be great for the orchestra because they can be used as smaller practice and storage rooms. “It would be a great place for the music department to take over,” said Reidy. It would be a place solely dedicated to them rather than the current practice area they have in the Cressey lobby.
Student Union Building still on schedule despite surprises By Andrew Ryder News Editor
September 25, 2015
The development of LFA’s new Student Union building has brought on some unforeseen problems, but according to administration sources everything is still going according to plan. The building should be enclosed by late December so the workers can work on the interior and then turn the finished product over to LFA by mid July of 2016. This construction will cost $9 million and a large portion of that money has been donated by parents and alumni. However, not all of the building costs have been raised. “We’re in the process-we have a big chunk of it,” said Chief Financial Officer Mike Reidy. “We have raised enough that the board felt comfortable moving forward with the project.” The development of the new Student Union has also brought on some unexpected problems. While digging up the ground, the builders found an unknown cable that was responsible for the northwest part of campus’s internet and telephone connection. The LFA IT department an a specialized contractor were able to relocate this cable. The builders also ran into a massive concrete vault which was thought to be a water reservoir or well. “It dates back close to 100 years-we had no idea it was there,” said Reidy. “It went
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Construction begins on the Academy’s new Student Union right outside of Hutch.
THE SPECTATOR september 25, 2015
News
3
Class size on the rise? By Austin Clamage and Julia Mills Staff Writers
Walking around the hallways or overhearing conversations in Hutch, it is apparent that LFA students think that the average class size has increased significantly at LFA this year. According to administration sources, school classes have not increased as dramatically as some have thought with the average class ranging from 12-15 students this year. However, some classes are
seeing an increase in students per class. One reason for some classes having more students, said Dean of Faculty and Curriculum Phil Swartz, is because there is no hard cap on the maximum number
non Bradac said, the college counseling office manager. She was part of the group who set up classes this summer. Another reason for some classes having more students is because a large num-
of students allowed in a class. However, when students’ schedules were being made this summer, the administration tried to have no more than 16 students per class. “The whole student body has to take core classes, so those definitely have a higher average in students,” Mrs. Shan-
ber of students switch their schedule at the beginning of the year causing an unbalance in size for some classes. According to Schwartz, 762 changes have been made to schedules since school started. According to Bradac, AP classes have been becoming more popular for students since
Photo by Arthur He
One AP Literature and Composition class does not even have enough tables and chairs to accommodate all of the students.
it looks more attractive on college resumes. “There does seem to be a trend, not just at LFA, but also nationwide, in an increase of students enrolling in these (AP) classes,” Bradac said. One student who has noticed an increase in class size is senior Shai Kiven with her AP English Literature class. “Having such a big class gets a little cramped when there aren’t enough desks for everyone, and people are all trying to express their ideas at once,” Kiven said. “However, it’s also fun at times since you are, in the end, able to hear so many more viewpoints, ideas and opinions than if the class were small.” In addition to AP classes, other subjects that are experiencing an increase in students are Psychology, Computer Science, and English electives. Some English electives, according to Bradac, have had so many students sign up this year that some have had to be waitlisted. Bradac attributes this to the fact that some years more students are more interested in one particular class than others. “The size and the make up of each class impacts the way teachers plan and develop lessons,” Schwartz explained. “Some classes, like Statistics, benefit from large numbers (of students) because the depth of the analysis in that class can be greater just through the collection of more data.”
Schedules involve complex process
By Andrew Hechtman News Editor The seven-day rotating schedule that every LFA student has become familiar with is a jigsaw of classes and free periods, and takes large amounts of time and effort to put it together. The process begins in the spring when teachers submit their recommendations. Over Spring Break, Dean of Students Chris Tennyson and the College Counseling Office go over the recommendations to decide what is best for each student. “A lot of information goes into making sure that the student’s schedule is appropriate,” Tennyson said. “And [that it] is going to challenge them while also position them for future success.” By the end of May, recommendations are in. Once students select their classes, Tennyson and College Counseling Office Manager Shannon Bradac can set how many sections there will be for every class. When the computer system updates for the new schoolyear in July, the schedules begin to be loaded online. In a change this year, schedules were
posted online once the process had begun. Students received an email notifying them that their preliminary schedules were available for viewing but subject to change. Once the schedules were online, Tennyson and Bradac had to manually move around all the classes to even out the numbers of students in each section and make sure everyone was in the classes they want. “The by-hand part is making sure that everything on your four-year plan that you’re recommended for is in your schedule,” Bradac said. “As well as balancing sections.” The computer program is far from perfect and creates huge overlaps in classes. Tennyson and Bradac try to manipulate the schedule so that every student can take the classes they want. They believe they succeed more often than not. Occasionally there are hard conflicts where a student has to decide one class or the other, but they are rare. “[Hard conflicts] are not common at all,” Bradac said. “This year there were maybe four or five out of the entire student body” Tennyson receives numerous calls and emails early in the year about switching classes and free periods. He tries to accommodate them, but is of-
ten unable to because that would offset the delicately balanced schedules. Tennyson enjoyed his first year actually putting together schedules.
Caption
“Having seen it from the inside out this year, our schedule is kind of amazing,” Tennyson said. “In the sense of how it works and how the pieces seem to fall together.”
Photo courtesy of Arthur He
Shannon Bradac uses school’s online program to edit a student’s schedule.
Photo by Arthur He
THE SPECTATOR 4
Opinion and Editorial
September 25, 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.
Raising awareness on Immigration, Emigration, and Migration By Dr. John Strudwick Head of School When, in April, I selected the theme for this year’s Head of School Symposium - Immigration, Emigration, and Migration: Culture, Citizenship, and Conflict - I didn’t realise how the topic would burst onto the international news this summer. I anticipated that it would be an issue raised in the US Presidential debates, but I did not anticipate the speed and severity of the migrant and refugee crisis in Europe. These developments strengthen my hope that the symposium will help the LFA community learn more about the current issues facing the global community and will provide a platform for informed discussion and debate on a fundamentally crucial issue. It is in the hope of sparking discussion that I share my opinion. As students and faculty are aware, I am a self-proclaimed “global citizen”. Yes, I hold a British passport, I would like
nothing more than to see England win a second World Cup in my lifetime, and I am a proud resident of the United States, but I fear that the current obsession – especially in the developed world - with nationalism and the rights and powers of individual nation states is not a feasible philosophy for the future of the world. The rights and lives of all people must be placed above some insular notion of nation-
alism and moral superiority. LFA prides itself on being a school that holds to pluralistic beliefs, the idea that although we must recognize and honour differences in race, religion, gender, sexual-orientation, and nationality, we must do so without bias or hierarchy. It is mutual respect and support at its finest. What we are currently witnessing in Europe in particular is a clear violation of that principle. Yes, there
are politicians and organisations who are standing up for human rights and imploring European nations to put aside their fear and their animosity towards the refugees, but it is apparent that the underlying voice of the majority of people of the European countries is one that says to the migrants: “We do not want you here”. The current rhetoric being espoused in the US Presidential race as well as the current US policy
appears to be similar as so-called “Western, developed, and civilized” nations turn from the crucial problems at hand. Instead of seeking ways to stem the refugee crisis by intervening in areas of the world where specific peoples are persecuted, threatened, and killed, governments embrace isolationism and a doctrine of denial. Instead of championing a pluralistic and empathetic approach to the refugee crisis, leaders endorse claims of job loss, wage reduction, terrorist threat, and cultural anarchy to defend their policies. Now, it is clear that the issue is a very complicated one and that its solution requires great thought and precise execution to safeguard all involved, but I do hope that the voices of pluralism can win the day because if not, we are facing an era of rising nationalism and intolerance which will not serve any of the local, national, or global communities positively in the future.
Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service
An aerial view of the proximity of migrant refugees who have to stay in camps waiting for their next move.
Caxy Rant: What about Field and Warner? By Andrew Hechtman News Editor Over the last several years, Lake Forest Academy has raised enough money to either redo or rebuild every academic building with the exception of Reid Hall. The next renovation should be improving the dorms of Warner and Field to the standard of the rest of the buildings. Warner dorm head Nathaniel Small said that the carpet has been the same since his first year, over six years ago. The air conditioning units have been leaking onto the carpets. The mix of an old carpet and liquid damage has produced a mildly disgusting combination. “It’s not shoddy, it’s just old,” Small said. “Then when you add on the A/C units, car-
pets don’t want to get soggy and un-soggy over and over.” In addition to the carpets needing to go, the Warner kitchen is definitely in need of repair. It is tucked behind the staircase, making it difficult to get to, and once you’re there, it’s nothing special. There are no sinks, no cabinets, and no space. The dorms really should be brought up to the standard of all the other buildings. Warner was originally a stable, so the antiquity is part of the charm, but the dorm should still live up to the high standards which have been set by the rest of LFA’s buildings. The Field dorm should also be renovated. It got new carpets this summer, but the carpets in the dorm rooms could still be replaced. Dorm head Abby Croft
also noted the need of new furniture, such as couches. Any improvement to the dorms would be welcomed by the girls of Field. Both dorms could use new carpets in the rooms. They could also use new furniture including beds, couches, dressers, and desks. Croft and Small stressed the importance of every dorm getting renovated. Neither of them wanted their dorms to be the only one benefiting from any would be improvements. LFA’s buildings have, over the last couple years been renovated to an incredible level, and the next project should be touching up the dorms. Large scale improvements aren’t needed, but small touch ups would go a long way towards improving life in the dorms. As the campus nears perfec-
tion, this year’s gala should focus on making small yet needed improvements to the dormitories, especially Field and Warner.
While there may be other buildings that are in line for renovation, the dormitories should definitely be near the top of the list.
Photo by Sandra Shaw
The hallway’s carpet in Field has been redone but contrasts with all of the rooms’ old crapets.
THE SPECTATOR September 25, 2015
Opinion and Editorial
Editorial Jeans day, every day? New changes hope to decode denim It is the start of another school year at Lake Forest Academy, which means another set of “improvements” or changes for students to deal with. Typically, one would assume the important improvements would simply be to buildings; however, this year there is an additional major improvement to something other than that: the dress code. To be concise, for the first time in the history of the school, students are now allowed to wear colored denim pants on an everyday basis. The 2015-2016 edition of the Student Handbook has added the term “nicely colored denim” to the list of approved bottoms for both male and female students. While some members of the LFA community don’t realize the significance of this,
it sure has been a major talking point amongst other students. In previous years, denim pants have only been allowed several times a year during a “Jeans Day”. To the dismay of the faculty and the delight of the students, there tends to be many grey areas in the dress code, and the addition of “nicely colored denim” is yet another one of those. The first thought many students had was, “Does this mean I can wear blue jeans everyday to school?” Sadly, blue jeans are still not acceptable. This is because what it really comes down to is whether the students look professional or not. While most jeans are becoming common in the business world, blue jeans still have yet to break through. As styles change and evolve, the dress code for students at
LFA should as well. Take a look back at what men were wearing to work 100 years ago and compare it to what they wear today. There is a big difference in what was and is considered appropriate business attire. Nicely colored jeans are now becoming considered appropriate business attire and it is great that LFA is keeping up with the fashion trends. Maybe one day blue jeans will be allowed as well. Male students have complained loudly and often that the dress code is not fair. Many feel that it is much stricter toward boys than on the female students. The Spectator believes that this new addition to the dress code has been provided to both genders of the student body, increasing the equality and hopefully quieting their objections.
An Open Letter About:
LFA Wi-Fi net(needs)work By Tori Koontz Editor-in-Chief I’ve been noticing you’ve been having issues lately, especially concerning the availability of Wi-Fi throughout campus. Not like anyone isn’t to blame for this; I know the IT department has been working tirelessly to try and find a solution for the problems and make everyone’s lives much easier. For their efforts, I am forever grateful. I can only imagine how much worse the problems with you would be if they weren’t here to help out. However, your spotty service has been causing somewhat of a mess for me (and I’m sure many other students as well) lately. I’m not talking about being inconvenienced when I want to watch Netflix or stalk my friends on Instagram- there’s more important things at risk here. See, you really start to become an issue when I’m in my AP Psychology class, ready to pull out the notes I slaved over the previous night to finish, and I
can’t even open them up because I need Wi-Fi to access the file. Then I have to sit there and try explaining the whole thing to my teacher, who I’m sure doesn’t believe a word I say. Who would? By all accounts it looks like I haven’t done my homework. And this isn’t just a problem for students. I have experienced teachers stuck in the same situation. Often times they’ve planned the whole class on their
“And this isn’t just a problem for students. I have experienced teachers stuck in the same situation.” -Tori Koontz
laptop, complete with detailed notes and Power Points, on Canvas or some other online site. But alas, their entire class is then ru-
ined by the fact that they’re unable to present any of their helpful guides to the students. See? Now a whole class period has gone to waste, all because of you. I’m sure IT is just as frustrated with you, too. It seems like it’s always just one problem after another with you. What’s up? Why is it so hard to work properly and let us all complete the work we need to get done? Lake Forest Academy is such a technologically advanced school that has integrated the iPad and programs like Canvas into our system. And it’s a great system. Being able to access the resources that we’re able to during school is a great advantage and helps learning and productivity. But this system is only as good as its weakest link: you. We all just want to enjoy using your wireless internet services to finish our project or study for our next test. What do you have against that? C’mon, be a team player and start working like you’re supposed to. I know we’d all appreciate it.
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
Tori Koontz Katherine 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
Op-Ed Editors
Will Everett Sarah Hershenhorn 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 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
“Don’t forget - no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.” -Charles de Lint
THE SPECTATOR
Centerfold
6
September 25, 2015
New faculty bring new By India Shelley and Arthur He Staff Writers
Lake Forest Academy has an extremely large influx of new faculty members this year. Many fa new faces around campus. Some of them have lived in the Lake County area before, and there is to ask the newest members to the LFA community a little bit about themselves so that everyone c Q1: What classes do you teach at LFA? Q2: What did you do before you came to LFA? Q3: What attracted you to LFA? Q4: What has been your favorite thing about LFA so far? Q5: What is a fun fact about you? Ms. Jessica Gimbel Q1: I teach World History 1 for Freshmen and I teach US History for Juniors and Seniors. Q2: I was at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, so I just graduated in May. Q3: I’m from Highland Park, so I have always known about it. One thing that really attracted me to this school was the multicultural affairs and pluralism committee which I hope to get involved in. Q4: All of the students have been so awesome and welcoming and helpful. They have just been so warm and embracing. Q5: I have 11 sets of fraternal twins in my family and they are all same-sex. I am not a twin, but it goes back for generations.
Dr. Patrick Finnessy
“ I like the em whole student, n demics, but the i tween student a personal lives, a possibilities.”
Q1: I am teaching a Grade 12 elective—Gothic Literature and Moral Courage—and a Grade 11 American Lit. Q2: I was a professor at the University of Toronto for the past seven years. Q3: I have long known of its reputation, and its quality, and its well-rounded students. The potential to come here and be a part of the community just excited me. Q4: I like the emphasis on the whole student; not just the academics, but the intersection between student academics, their personal lives, and their future possibilities. Here there is a focus on the student as a person. Q5: I used to be a marathon runner who is now a marathon eater of pizza.
Ms. Allie Bernard Q1: I just teach one class right now, Intermediate Speaking and Listening for ESL. Q2: Before I came to LFA, I was getting my masters in secondary education at DePaul. Q3: I am an LFA graduate! I graduated in 2009 and Mrs. McCabe who is the head of the ESL department was my advisor. So we ran into each other at Starbucks and she told me about the summer ESL program that we have, and she told me that they were looking for teachers, and so I was here for the summer program for five weeks. At the end of the summer they told me that they had one class open, and that they were looking for someone who was interested in teaching part-time at LFA. I loved the summer program a lot, so I was very happy to stay on.
Ms. Lydia Wells Q1: I am one of the four new English teachers here. I teach three sections of Freshmen, and I teach one section of Juniors which is American Literature.
Ms. Natalie Schawel
Q2: This is actually my first full-time job, but I have taught at Lake Forest Highschool before, so it’s pretty close.
Q2: I taught at McHenry Highschool for four years before I came here.
Q4: I would say the students. I have a really great group this year. Everyone is like a family here.
Q4: I love the sense of community. I love the schedule, even though I am stuggling with it a little.
Q5: I was 65th in bowling in the state my senior year in highschool.
Q5: I was visiting my friends in Ecuador and we ended up spending a week camping in the jungle.
Q1:
I
teach
English
10
and
11.
Q4: I love seeing how much it has changed. The science building wasn’t there (when I graduated), and the gym looked completely different. It’s just not quite the same, so it is really interesting to see how the school has grown in just a few short years since I was here. Q5: My father has a farm where we have a herd of about 20 goats. We have a lot that were just born in the spring, so I have lots of baby goat pictures. They’re pretty adorable.
Freshman Emre Budak consulting the new Learning R with his homework.
“Everybody truly so that is refreshin
THE SPECTATOR
Centerfold
September 25, 2015
w perspectives to LFA
7
aculty members decided to leave LFA at the end of the 2014/2015 school year, so there are many s even an LFA alumnus (and former school newspaper writer) in the mix. The Spectator decided could learn more about them. These are the question that they were asked:
Mr. Kevin Hagen
mphasis on the not just the acaintersection beacademics, their and their future -Dr. Finnessy
Q1: I teach AP Environmental Science, and two sections of Advanced Biology. Q2: For the last four years I was at Dundee Crown High School in Carpentersville.
Dr. Julia Sagraves Q1: I teach World History I and II. Q2: Teaching actually is my second career. I taught at New Trier, where I taught World History and Modern World History, which is essentially the same two courses. I was an Art Historian before I started teaching. I got my Ph.D at Northwestern for the History of Art. The Art Institute of Chicago was one of the museums I worked with. I also taught for awhile at the college level before I moved to the UK for 11 years. When I came back I decided that I would rather teach younger people than university students. So I went and got my Master’s in Education. I have a lot of degrees. My husband likes to jokingly say that I collect them. In my history classes I incorporate a lot of arts and visual culture.
Photo by Arthur He
Resource Specialist Katie Press on time management
y likes being here, ng.” -Mr. Hagen
Q4: I love the coaching. I have never coached before. I am the JV Girls’ Tennis Coach. I really like the ability to meet students outside of my classroom. I also love the diversity in the classroom that I didn’t have before. It’s really important for me since I am teaching a course like World History to have all those perspectives. Q5: I am related by marriage to Miley Cyrus. My husband’s gandmother was a Cyrus. I don’t have any of her talents though. It’s cousin Miley. That’s what my husband says.
Q3: There was a variety of factors that really influenced me. I grew up in the Gurnee area, so we were trying to go back to Lake County. After coming here and seeing this amazing science building, and interacting with students and staff who are all very friendly, then I knew for sure that I wanted to be here.
Ms. Kimberly Graham Q1: I teach two sections of English 10, and two sections of AP Language and Composition. Q2: I moved up here from Houston, Texas. I was teaching for two years at South Houston High School. Q3: I am originally from the Chicagoland area, so I wanted to come home. What really attracted me to LFA was the sense of community that I have never seen or found before in a school, and I wanted to be a part of that.
Q4: Everybody truly likes being here, so that part is refreshing. Also, how about those Hutch cookies? They are too good!
Q4: I have really enjoyed meeting my colleagues and my students; I think that a bonus is just the incredible aesthetics of the grounds here.
Q5: I have a key chain collection that weighs about 20 pounds.
Q5: I used to be obsessed with Kevin Bacon.
Mr. Ben Wetherbee
Ms. Katie Press Q1: I teach Algebra I, and I spend the rest of my day as the Learning Resource Specialist. Q2: I was the Corordinator of Academic Advising at University of Wiscousin in Waukesha before I came here. Q4: There has been a lot of changes and I am excited to see where this year takes me. The students, the faculty are all very welcoming. Q5: I own a cat who is bigger then my dog.
Q1: I am a college couseller, but I teach four sections of the senior seminar now. Q2: I worked for three years in the Knox College admissions office. Q4: The oppotunity to work with kids that are really engaged and want to be here, and also the oppotunity to get to know them and live with them. Q5: I have never had a cup of coffee in my life. I feel like if I ever get into a job where I need to drink coffee, it’s not the job for me.
THE SPECTATOR
Features
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‘Spare’ your night out: By Tori Koontz and India Shelley Editors-in-Chief Every month in Date Night, we try and find the best restaurant, activity, or event to go experience and then review in our column for The Spectator. Our main purpose is to help show our readers what may be a fun and enjoyable night out for anyone looking to try something new. Our “dates” are ranked on scales of enjoyment, price, distance, and time. This month, we have chosen to go bowling and eat at a crêpe and gelato store afterwards. Spirits were high as we set out on a Friday night to our first “date” for our column. Music was played extra loud and we were both smiling as we arrived at our first destination. Originally, we planned on kicking off Date Night by playing laser tag at a local complex in Vernon Hills. However, when we arrived we realized something was off. Still, we pressed on towards the basement, where the laser tag arena was located. Here, we found a dance floor of sorts, with a DJ and even an elaborate LED light setup, but no laser tag. Then, it dawned on us: we were crashing someone’s private party. We tried to escape as quickly as possible, but someone confronted us right before we reached the door to freedom. Without
being either nice or rude, they told us that a private party was being hosted here, and we had to leave. So much for laser tag. Not to fear, though. Luckily for us, a bowling alley was just across the street. As we pulled in the parking lot, we noted that it seemed a bit empty for a Friday night. When we stepped inside, we realized our earlier assumption was correct; there were only 8 other people there. Not letting this fact deter us, we went ahead and bought one game. With shoes included, one game is only $9 per person. Plus, they offer many deals when buying more than one game and can also charge by the hour. The game itself was really fun; with the right company, having a night out bowling has the potential to be rather enjoyable. The music they played was current and great to absently listen to as you wait your turn. Sometimes, if you go late enough and there are enough people there, the bowling alley turns on cool black lights and disco lights. One downside besides the lack of customers present is the overall appearance inside: it is very clear that almost every piece of furniture there is from the 1990s (but seriously- the copyright date on the screens read 1995). Looks aren’t everything, though, and the place still had a certain charm. There’s
September 25, 2015
Go bowling and eat at a crêpe cafe in Vernon Hills
India takes her turn bowling, hoping for a strike and a better score than Tori.
even an arcade and photo booth! We took part in both extra activities. The arcade token machine only gave us three tokens instead of the four we paid for, but the game of skeeball was about as enjoyable as a small arcade game can be. Overall, we had a pretty good time bowling. It wasn’t the most enjoyable thing we’ve done on a Friday night, but it wasn’t a negative experience in any way at all. Located nearby, affordable, and quick to do, going bowling receives three out of a possible 5 stars. After our bowling adventure, we made our way two minutes down the road to the Vernon Hills mall. We walked around the mall for about five minutes searching
Tori and India had a blast not only bowling, but eating a delicious crêpe and some gelato. All in all, it was a great night out.
The Verdict: Bowling
for the crêpe and gelato restaurant that we had picked out, simply called MeltGelato and Crêpe Café. The restaurant was clean and had a slightly rustic feel. We ordered our food--one small cup of peanut butter gelato and a nutella strawberry crêpe- paid, and settled down to eat. The food was slightly overpriced at about $3 for the gelato and almost $5 for the crêpe, but since the bowling had been fairly inexpensive we didn’t mind paying a little extra. The food, however, was simply delicious. It tasted fresh and in the crêpe, the balance between the strawberries and the nutella was the perfect ratio. Overall, while it was fairly difficult to find and quite expensive, the restaurant received four out of five stars for simply delicious food and a welcoming, warm atmosphere. We would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun end to a date night. Our first Date Night of the year was an extreme success. While we were upset that we had been unable to go to the laser tag place, it made for a hilarious story to tell later on. Our eventual round of bowling was fun, however, the venue could have had a livelier atmosphere. The real star of the show was the dessert restaurant which was truly delicious. It was truly memorable first date. All photos by Tori Koontz and India Shelley
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THE SPECTATOR September 25, 2015
Features
Club Fair offers more variety for a new year By Austin Clamage News Editor Club Fair has always been an exciting event for LFA students to join new clubs and find new passions. With the amount of clubs soaring to more than 40 this year, many students were able to find a club that sparked their interest. “I’m excited about how incredibly broad the range of interest is for the fair,” said Assistant Dean of Students Jon Freeman, who was in charge of the fair for the first time after the departure of Mrs. Kate Jones. “There are a lot of clubs that appeal to students not only because of what they’re interested in, but also students are able to find something that’s cool and fun that they might sign up for on the spur of the moment.” The clubs range from religious groups to just grilling and chilling, and everything in between. The leader of “Grill and Chill”, is senior Gaston Adams who has started the club this year. One reason for starting the club is to give students an outlet to relax during stressful times in the school year. “What we do is in the name of stress relief,” Adams said. “I definitely want people to get good food from it, but it’s a place for people to relax and not
worry about school while at school.” On the other side of the spectrum is a club called “Relay for Life” that raises money for cancer research, and is a nationwide organization. “Relay for Life” was brought to LFA last year by a group of juniors: Felipe Alban, Blake Cedergren, Andrew Ryder, Sam Shapiro, Jacob Chagoya, and Logan Shaughnessy. Last year alone, “Relay for Life” at LFA raised $8,000 by selling t-shirts to students. It was the second largest amount of money raised at a school in the North Shore area last year. “I’ve known someone who has had cancer, so the club is very personal for me,” co-leader Blake Cedergren said. “Relay for Life” has a goal of $10,000 for this school year. Even though students continue to create new clubs, there are still many clubs that have been at LFA for more than 10 years according to Freeman. Some of these clubs include Cultural Diversity, Caxy Keys, Gay-Straight-Alliance (GSA), Model UN, and Unidos. “We are building a set of clubs that are reflective of the students and [we] are not only having the same clubs year after year,” said Freeman.
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Sign-ups for clubs were thriving this year; Ping Pong Cub had more than 80 interested students, including junior Jack Yang.
Caxy Match
Photo courtesy of Katy Morrison
Photo courtesy of LFA SmugMug
Students crowd into Reid to look at and sign up for all the clubs offered at LFA this year.
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Photo courtesy of metro.co.uk
Every month, The Spectator chooses one student who bears a striking resemblance to a celebrity figure. This month, we have paired sophomore Katy Morrison with model and actress Cara Delevingne, who was recenty in the movie adaptation of John Green’s Paper Towns.
THE SPECTATOR
10
Arts and Entertainment
September 25, 2015
Album Review Brede Baldwin:
What’s it like being a musician while in high school?
By Arthur He Managing Editor of Photography
Beauty Behind the Madness by The Weeknd By Hunter Wolff News Editor If you have never heard the Weeknd sing, you should probably take a listen. The Weeknd is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic artists and singers of the current generation. With a voice reminiscent of Michael Jackson, Abel Tesfaye (better known as The Weeknd) might just be the next best artist since the King of Pop himself. With two albums under his belt already, one which went platinum,The Weeknd’s latest album, Beauty Behind The Madness, is received with high expectations. The Weeknd’s first two albums travelled deep into his heart, surrendering his vulnerability to the world. With production having a foundation in slow tempos, crashing percussion, resounding bass, and soulful echoes of sorrow; all of these components were blended together beautifully to create two albums of high quality production and immense attention to detail. Lyrically, both previous albums were honest and candid. The Weeknd conveyed his pain from his troubling past filled with drugs, crime, partying, and sex. His debut album, Trilogy, was released in 2012 after gaining increasing popularity on the internet via Youtube. Trilogy, as a whole, blended incredibly, song after song. The album really felt like one long track, differentiating minimally either rhythmically or sonically. The album eventually went platinum in 2013. His sophomore album, called Kiss Land, came out in 2013 and while it was sonical-
ly and thematically similar to Trilogy, critically it was not as favorable and got less attention than it really deserved. So now, after this history lesson on The Weeknd’s successful beginnings, let’s get into his latest project, Beauty Behind The Madness. The first song, “Real Life,” is played. Woah. When the album begins, you notice it. A multitude of synths join in chorus as if to proclaim the start of the album. The second song, “Losers”, features piano sounds from crescendos to fortissimo until the first chorus, where a beautiful explosion of sounds occur. Piano, synths, percussion, guitar, and vocals all harmonize to create a colorful image of sonic in the brain. The album continues strongly with a Kanye West produced song called “Tell Your Friends,” harking to vintage soul and jazz. His latest album features more up beat instrumentals and more pronounced “pops” of percussion. Importantly, these are features that are welcoming to the ear. While the album does feel more up beat, happier, and generally more “pop,” The Weeknd does have several songs that bring up topics of addiction to drugs and sex and the loneliness that comes from these weaknesses of his past. The Weeknd experimented sonically with the new album by having less of the slow tempos and soulful echoes that his fans know so well and instead, successfully integrated crisp sounding instrumentals. This album, though not as good as Trilogy, is one of the best albums of the year.
Coming from a family of musicians, junior Brede Baldwin has been kindling his love for music both inside and outside Lake Forest Academy for many years. A singer and song-writer himself, Baldwin has been an active member in the school’s rock band Co-ax. However, his talents extends far beyond that. “I’ve opened for OK Go at The Metro, in front of like 1,500 people,” said Baldwin, when asked about his achievements in music so far. “Over the summer, I opened for the Steve Miller Band, which was like a 5,000-person crowd, which is pretty awesome.” Opening for bands may not be what normal high school students do on their free time, but music has been offering Baldwin some special opportunities in his life. In fact, just over the summer, he was offered a professional contract. Such talent in music runs in the family. Baldwin is not only influenced by the music he grew up on, the music played by his parents, but also his brother, Brendan Baldwin, who is also an alumni of LFA.
“I think he is extremely talented,” said Brede Baldwin. “He is basically my role model for both music and life, really.” So how does someone who has so much going on manage his time to cover both his music creation and school work? According to Baldwin, there are three phases when you produce a song: a writing period, an exposure period, and a performance period. “When I’m in school, usually it’s the exposure period,” said Baldwin, “ 75 percent of my music, I write on breaks. The other 25 percent I write in the music room.” He also expressed that it’s a little easier to balance music than other things and it doesn’t really stress him as much as most people think it would. Baldwin did admit, however, that he is concentrating his efforts to make his music career flourish. However, Baldwin is still unsettled about exactly what that future music career will be. “Of course I want to be a musician as a career, but obviously it’s a really hard thing to do,” said Baldwin. “Depending on if people start to recognize me in the next year, I wouldn’t have time for college... I am going to continue persevering. I am going to continue to do that whenever I can.”
Photo courtesy of Brede Baldwin
Brede Baldwin opened for the well-known band Ok Go earlier in the year.
THE SPECTATOR September 25, 2015
Sports
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Caxy Football led by two of the most desired prospects in Illinois By Nithin Reddy Sports Editor Daniel Joseph and Thomas Schaffer are considered two of the best high school football players in Illinois. In fact, they are ranked in the top 10 recruits in Illinois according to ESPN. Schaffer and Joseph have learned that finding the right college that fits their needs requires looking at more than just football. The two have been offered scholarships to play at some of the best schools in the country, which has made them aware of what the recruiting process entails. Joseph has already verbally committed to Penn State University, but he found that that the recruiting process has been memorable. His view on recruitment is one that many don’t have. Daniel’s brother, Faith Ekakatie, is an LFA graduate who was recruited by Iowa and is currently on their football team. Daniel has been able to benefit from Faith’s experience by staying in contact with him and asking for help when needed. “I was able to follow Faith and how he played it out and made the right decision for him. I would often call him on the phone,” said Joseph. “I was also able to get advice from him about school and as an individual and about being an athlete.” This summer Joseph tried to get his name in front of scouts by attending the Sound Mind Sound Body Camp in Michigan, it is known for attracting some of the best recruits in the country. About a week after the camp he visited Penn State University, and he thought the school was a perfect match. Joseph found out that there was more to the top football programs than going out and playing. He noticed how the players interacted with the coaches on a daily basis with a mutual respect for one another.
Schaffer is still engrossed the recruiting process as he hasn’t committed yet. This summer Schaffer received hundreds of letters from colleges, and is excited to talk to coaches. Schaffer has narrowed down his choices to Stanford, Oregon, and Wisconsin; he plans on visiting each school after the football season ends. Schaffer has not had to make this decision on his own; he has received help from former LFA graduates that have been through the process already. Schaffer understands that he was put into this situation because of his hard work, and he knows that to become even better he has to keep working hard. This is apparent in his workout regimen. “I lift five times a week, I do cardio and core every day,” said Schaffer. “I work out two days in a row and then take a break. On my days off I still like to stay active by doing activities like hiking.” Both Joseph and Schaffer have learned a lot from the recruiting process, but one of the main lessons they’ve learned is that they need to continue to focus in the classroom. One of Joseph’s main reasons why he chose Penn State is because the business program is extremely prestigious. Likewise, Schaffer has been successful in the classroom and knows academics are a big part in his college decision. “[The school I attend] must have good academic standings,” Schaffer said “I don’t want to just be a football player. I want to be a student-athlete.” As the football season continues both Schaffer and Joseph compete against each other every practice to become better as individuals and as a team. Schaffer and Joseph are trying to take one game at a time and work as hard as possible. Their focus is to be happy with their game performance and their eventual college choices.
Caxy’s Daniel Joseph & Thomas Schaffer look on as they prepare for the season. The two have been recruited by the best schools football programs and academics Photo Courtesy of Arthur He
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Sports
SEPTEMBER 25, 2015
Photo courtesy of Arthur He
Coach Cooper (left center) and Coach Lazzeretti (right center) prepare the field hockey team for the upcoming season.
LFA field hockey prepares for state By Lucas Jacob Sports editor Starting the season off 0-4 isn’t as bad as it seems for the Lake Forest Academy girl’s field hockey team. Not only were these games hard fought and against the top teams in the state, but the Caxys managed to beat Deerfield, Francis Parker, North Shore Country Day, and tie Lake Forest High School. Although these wins didn’t count to their record, the games were a great test to prove that the Caxys have the potential to be a top team in the
state. “We’ve played four games so far and they were all against top six teams in the state. All of those games were close and could’ve gone either way,” said Head Coach Diane Cooper. “Last year when we played these teams, those games could also have gone either way. It definitely was a big loss losing the seniors, but we were still in games and competing.” Although the team lost five of their key players and seniors last year, the team has many young and skilled players that were ready to step up as the new season
began. The Caxys’ bench only consists of four players so playing Lake Forest High School (one of the larger, stronger teams of Illinois) to a tie and a one-goal loss was impressive. The team has been led by fouryear mid fielder Lexi Silver, and Caroline Miller, both of which are NCAA Division I commits: Silver to the University of Maryland, and Miller to American University in Washington D.C. Both players have strong passion and their fearless play has brought success to the team. “Playing LFHS so soon was really great, because it showed our new girls why we
play and introduced them to the heavy pace of play in high school field hockey,” said captain and senior goalie, Miller. “Playing against the big schools and looking over at our four-person bench can be tough. But our girls always want to go in, so despite our size, we can still give a good fight to those big schools.” Despite a rough start to the season, the team is optimistic about the remainder of the season. The Caxys still have 13 games left and one month left in their season before playoffs and have plenty of time to prepare for success.
Lake Forest Academy implements new soccer team By Jacob Chagoya Sports Editor Lake Forest Academy has added a second Junior Varsity Soccer Team to the soccer program this year to accommodate for the large amount of athletes trying out for the sport each year. In the team’s first year Head Coach Sam Wold hopes to develop the players, in hopes of creating a competitive team. “We’d like to win a few games but I think more important is improving and having fun,” said Wold. Wold believed that because of the soccer programs large number of cuts last season that a third team was needed. Wold thought there had been around 35 cuts last year, as opposed to only eight cuts made this year. Now more kids can participate in what they enjoy doing. The team has many players who have not played on formal teams before, leading to the improvement of the players being a major focus. According to Wold, during a team meeting held early in the year the players wrote down their goals for the season, with many players talking about improving and honing their
skills. Fundamentals, such as positioning, are worked on throughout practices. “Practices have been getting better since preseason,” said sophomore Krishna Nair. “The drills they’ve been making us do, they have been better.” Led by Wold and Assistant Coach Mike Rogan, this third team does not shy away from the competition. In a tight scrimmage versus the other JV team, the new kids stuck around until the end in a competitive 1-0 loss. Wold believes there will be many matches this year that will be close, with the hopes of being on the winning side more often than not. “I think we have a group of guys that want to win and want to compete, and they’re willing to put everything in it,” said Wold. There is a hope that with a few more years of chemistry and development this team can be a consistent feeder for the other two soccer teams, as long as the right progress is continually made for the young team. Wold pointed to the other JV team and the chemistry they have. In its first year the second JV team is trending in the that direction too. “For a team to mesh it will take some time,” said Nair. “In a couple of years, especially, we can be pretty competitive.”
Photo courtesy of Hong Joo Kwon
Member of the new soccer team Donovan Perry works on his fundamentals during practice.