Issue #1 Sep. 23

LT policy updates

IL budget at LT

Revisions to dresscode and technology policies bring LT up to date

LT remains unaffected by statewide budget cuts

by Lea Voytovich @leaaa21 At the start of the 2016-17 school year, LT administration implemented new policies regarding dress code and cell phone use during school.

Student use of cell phones is allowed during non-instructional time— study hall, lunch, and passing periods—while during class, teachers have discretion. Students are also free to dress as they like as long as it is not causing a disruption to the learning environment. Both changes were decided upon at school board meetings during the spring of 2016.

“One of the drivers for the [technology] update was based on how we can give students and teachers another resource to use in the classroom—how can we leverage the fact that a majority of students have access to a smartphone,” Principal Brian Waterman said.

“There was also an interest from our leadership team in focusing more on whether dress is appropriate or inappropriate verus whether it met some quantitative criteria.”

The technology project was lead by Assistant Principal Adam Davis with a committee consisting of a group of administrators, a group of teachers and IT Director Ed Tennant. Together they researched student use of technology in the classroom, looked at other schools’ policies and the advantages and disadvantages of re-writing the policy.

“We really felt like we wanted to update our policy to reflect our practice. Students were using cell phones in the hallways but we wanted to provide language to support that,” Waterman said. “We want students to have access to their cell phones for a variety of reasons—most importantly, for accessing Canvas and Infinite Campus, but also to complete homework or even for some stress relief.”

The new policies seem to be succeeding. Students and teachers alike seem to be enjoying the new changes. The full policy descriptions can be found in the student handbook.

by Sydney Hansen @_sydneyhansen

Despite the absence of a state budget, LT has not yet been affected by the budget crisis that continues to cause issues at public schools and colleges across the state.

“The state has continued to make the payments to [LT] that they otherwise

“I have no problem with the updated technology policy,” Kevin Murphy, physics and astronomy teacher of 26 years, said. “Everyone has a stopwatch for physics now.”

Students are also appreciating the dress code changes.

“The dress code allows people to remain cool and be comfortable in the warm months and I do not see it to be a disruption,” Katie Broedlow ‘17 said.

Teachers and administration will continue to monitor the policies for any additional revisions.

“There were some concerns that came up about the proposed electronic device language, including academic dishonesty,” Waterman said. “Academic dishonesty has always been prohibited and will continue to be; however, we don’t want to create a policy based on what a small percentage of students might do.”

would have, with or without the budget,” Director of Business Services Brian Stachacz said. “We’ve seen no great impact yet.”

Beginning with fiscal year (FY) 2016, which started on July 1, 2015, Illinois was unable to pass a budget—an issue that has extended to the Illinois FY 2017. The absence of a budget has resulted in financial issues at public institutions all over the state, with schools such as Eastern Illinois University, Chicago State University and Northeastern Illinois University issuing layoffs to hundreds of employees. Likewise, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was also plan-

Homecoming 2016:

P H

aper ighlights

ning staff reductions as of April, according to the Chicago Tribune.

In an effort to temporarily solve the crisis and provide some relief to state programs and schools, Governor Bruce Rauner signed several sixmonth stopgap budget bills in June, according to ABC7 Chicago. The series of bills would make sure that schools would open in the fall, and would likewise fund state services for the next six months. The stopgap budget is important to downstate rural schools as well as Chicago Public Schools, as they receive a majority of funding from the Illinois state government, LT principal Dr. Brian Waterman said. “ W e agreed to[give] a couple hundred million dollars more for all schools [statew i d e ] not just Chicago [ public schools],” Rauner said in an interview with Jim Mertens, a reporter for News Channel 8 in Moline. “That’s a great step.”

In the case that a budget was decided upon and major cuts were made to school districts, it would be an issue in the future rather than an immediate dilemma, as LT has the resources to continue operating at current standards, Stachacz said. “[LT] is fortunate to be in an area where so many of the resources come from local sources,” Waterman said.

“We’re able to maintain our programs and services we provide to students even in the current state budget situation.”

Co-ed court

Look here for some quick reads on this issue’s features.

Page 2: Get the full lowdown on the continuing NC construction.

Page 3: Read about the heroin speaker and town hall meeting that was hosted at SC. Page 4: What’s going on during Homecoming weekend? Turn to Page 4 for information on plays, events and shows.

Page 5: Hand Foot and Mouth Disease, train accidents and the infamous Melon Man feature together in a compilation of the worst of what’s around.

Page 6: Looking for the Twitter Box? It’s been moved from Page 2, and now it’s in color.

Page 8: LION’s own Charlie Stelnicki ‘17 and Brandt Siegfried ‘18 square off on summer reading policy.

Page 10: Can LT’s XC Boys run a season better than last year? Get the full story on their new Project 16.

Page 11: Homecoming weekend is full of games and tournaments. Get who’s playing when right here.

Page 12: And the Athlete of the Month is...LT’s Ben Bryant! Read about his season and plans for the future on Page 20.

Page 16-17: Addicted to your phone? LION covers social media trends and facts.

Page 18: Read the gritty, in-depth stories of your classmates’ embarrassing and awkward middle school dates.

Page 19: How’s your fantasy league going? Turn to Page 19 for a Q & A with fantasy experts.

Page 20: Tired of normal movies? LION reviews the Cascade Drive-In Theater.

Rising attendance

October 1

Spirit days

• Parade: Oct. 1 at 10 a.m., starting from NC parking lot • Grand Marshal: Mark Doyle, history teacher • Homecoming football game: 1:30 p.m. vs Downers Grove North, Bennett Field • Dance: 7:30 p.m., SC fieldhouse, presented by Monster Entertainment • Tickets: $15 pre-sale, $25 door/non-LT guests compiled by Tim Mikulski

North Campus



100 S. Brainard Ave. LaGrange, Ill. 60525 South Campus

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4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558

Arrested ACT Cheating on the ACT can get you arrested and brought up on criminal charges. Is it worth the 36?

NEWS

Friday, September 23, 2016

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Pulverized pipes

Page 2

A four-inch pipe leaks 3,400 gallons of water per minute, which totals out to 4,896,000 gallons per day.

Community gathers to remember Kelli

(Above) 8 and under participants running the 50-yard dash.

(Below) Volunteers pose with Wonder Woman. (Juliana Halpin/LION)

by Juliana Halpin @jhalps315 LT’s South Campus was overflowing with people as community members united to remember and celebrate the life Kelli O’Laughlin ‘15, a former LT freshman whose life was taken by a burglar in her home in Oct. 2011. Over 600 community members came out to participate in this year’s Run for Kelli.

“Run for Kelli ​is a chance for us to bring the community together to celebrate Kelli’s life and raise funds to continue the work we have started in her name,” Kelli’s father John O’Laughlin said. “It’s amazing and gratifying the support we receive.”

This year’s Run for Kelli included a 5K run, one mile walk, and a 50-yard dash. Both the 5k run and the one mile walked were filled with participants of all ages while children 8 and under were given the opportu-

nity to race their way through a 50-yard dash. This year’s Run for Kelli also reached far outside of Western Springs. Those who could not physically attend the race were encouraged to form teams and run elsewhere. These teams received pledges and support to raise money.

“To be able to come back and help out is very humbling,” former recipient of the KJO Scholarship Austin Buen-Gharib said. “There’s always a wonderful turnout and it’s very special to see a lot of girls who are Kelli’s age which makes it even more special.”

Along with Buen-Gharib, this year’s run brought back four other former KJO Scholarship recipients including Anna Doten, Brianna McCormick, Jenna Stobbe and Michael Shea.

“It means a lot to be a recipient of the scholarship and having the opportunity to come back

and help out means a lot to me,” Buen-Gharib said.

The Run for Kelli is an event that raises money for the Kelli O’Laughlin Memorial Foundation (KJO Memorial Fund). This year alone, the Run for Kelli raised over $35,000. The KJO Memorial Fund has handed out 47 scholarships totaling $295K since 2012, according Kelli’s mother Brenda O’Laughlin. The foundation also sends a child who has gone through an abusive situation to Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana.

Additionaly, during the Holiday Season, the Foundation presents gifts to the children at Maryville Academy.

“The Run for Kelli represents a focal point for our foundation,” John said. “This is the event everyone can come to and see what the foundation has been doing. This day is for people to come together in person to celebrate the accomplishments of the foundation.”

NC construction continues In a transition from the ACT to the SAT, LT is offering both tests this year. Here are some essential differences and things to know about the ACT and the SAT. Compiled by Spencer Levinson and Sydney Hansen

• 215 total questions

• 154 total questions

• Subjects: 1. English (75 MC) 2. Mathematics (60 MC) 3. Reading (40 MC) 4. Science sections (40 MC)

• Subjects: 1. Reading (52 MC) 2. Writing (44 MC) 3. Mathematics--

• Optional essay (40 min)

• Optional essay (50 min)

• Grading scale: 1-36

• Grading scale: 400-1600

• 215 minutes (with writing)

• 230 minutes (with writing)

Calculator (30 MC, 8 grid in)

4. Mathematics--

Non-Calculator (15 MC, 5 grid in)

Q&A with LT Assessment and Research Coordinator Katherine Smith Q: What is the ratio of questions to time on each test?

A: “SAT has fewer items than the ACT in approximately the same amount of total time.”

Q: Are there any real disadvantages to either test?

A: “Having the reading and science sections (which both involve intense reading), at the end of the test, can be difficult for students.”

Q: Do you know why that is?

A: “Reading requires sustained concentration. Typically, concentration wanes in the last sections of the ACT. Students are more fresh at the onset of the ACT so having reading at the onset could be a benefit.”

Pipes at NC need emergency repairs

by Brandt Siegfried @brandto13

Construction between NC and the Vaughan Building began the first week of August to restore hot water to the main building. The project is supposed to be completed in late September or early October.

Boilers in the Vaughan Building bring steam to the main building for heat and hot water, NC Associate Construction on Cossitt and Park. (Brandt Siegfried/LION) Principal Kevin Brown said. school without heat in the building,” Brown said. “The The 50-year-old pipes were risk was that if [it] ruptured in December we would not discovered to be leaking last be able to heat this building.” winter and required repairs.

Funding for the project was approved in spring, and it The steam travels under has cost approximately $520,000, Brown said. This project Cossitt Avenue, throughout has been part of a gradual replacement of pump room apthe main building, and back paratuses that can no longer be repaired as they age. to the boilers after conden“The district has a budget every year to replace things sation, Brown said. “We that break and this is an example,” Brown said. “It was noticed in the sump pump one of those things that because it was such a large expen[that] we had super hot water diture, the Board of Education recognized that and they and it shouldn’t be,” Brown voted to fund it.” said. “[The water] was comFences have blocked off parts of several sidewalks and ing from the outside and [the foot traffic has been rerouted, Brown said. Throughout school] excavated and found the project, LT committed to always keep at least one path the leak.” open across the trenches.

Maintenance staff had to “It hasn’t really been that much of a nuisance,” Student keep adding more water to Representative to the Board of Education JP Remijas the loop, Brown said. This is said. “They always directed you elsewhere.” because chemicals from the The construction has been minimally noticeable, water were leaking into the Remijas said. No resentment has been expressed to the ground, and the system was administration with regard to starting school during the supposed to be closed to pre- completion of the construction. vent this.

“Remember that it’s not just students that use our “We found the leak and sidewalks,” Brown said. “If you’ve ever been out in the realized that it was not the morning there’s a lot of commuters going to the train and only place the pipe was bad downtown. There’s a lot of people that use those sideand obviously you can’t have walks besides just LT students and teachers.”

Q: What does having both tests offered at LT mean for students?

A: “None of it you have to pay for. The school offered the practice ACT for the current juniors, so LT wanted to give students the opportunity to take the test they prepared for and take the SAT [provided by the college board].

Don’t forget to visit our website for additional stories at

Q: What is new about the SAT? A: “The SAT has been redesigned to be more like the ACT. Also the reading section is first on the SAT which is a good thing.”

www.lionnewspaper.com Featured Stories...

Hand, Foot, Mouth strikes LT

by Spiro Kass

LT alum named Northwestern Captain

by Mikaela Larson

NEWS

Harmful heroin Our country has had 330 overdose deaths so far this year. In 2015, there were 228 overdose deaths total.

In 2009, a 50-year-old woman attempted to smuggle in 600 grams of heroin into the U.S. by swallowing 50 packed pellets of heroin.

Friday, September 23, 2016  Page 3

Heroin danger

by Grant Campbell @grantc_3100 State Representative Patti Bellock co-hosted a town hall meeting with the Western Springs Police Department on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. in the South Campus Performing Arts Center. The meeting was dedicated to the prevention of heroin usage.

“I am determined to help raise the awareness of education about heroin,” Bellock said. “You can tell that based on the crowd, people want to be educated.”

Heroin is continuously becoming more and more prevalent in the Chicago suburbs, especially in the western suburbs. Since 2012, heroin has taken a life every three days in Chicago’s suburbs. The purpose of these town hall meetings is to serve as a forum and to educate the general public.

Dumb dealing

Physical Effects of Heroin HEAD:

The attendance reached over 70 concerned parents and students.

A board that consisted of DEA Special Agent Dennis Wichern, Chief Narcotics Prosecution Bureau of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Brian Sexton, Director of DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group Mark Piccoli and Western Springs Police Sergeant Dan Albrecht gave general information on heroin and later opened discussion for a question-and-answer.

Many often refer to heroin as the “Rich White Person Drug.” This is largely due to the relationship it has with prescription narcotics.

“Heroin prevention starts at home,” LT Principal Dr Brian Waterman said. “It is the work that parents do. It starts with making positive choices and having conversa-

• • •

MOUTH:

Dizziness Drowsiness Slower reaction times

•

Dryness HEART: •

LUNGS:

Panelists discuss at Town Hall Meeting. (Grant Campbell/LION)

tions at home on the negative effects of drugs at home.”

Both heroin and prescription narcotics are derived from the same poppy plant. They contain very similar chemical make-up, forming an equivalent reaction in the human brain.

There are four “prongs” to stop the spread of this epidemic: prevention, education, treatment and enforcement, Piccoli said.

The physiological addiction is present in both heroin and prescription drugs. Teenagers tend to turn

to heroin after abusing their parents’ prescription drugs.

The distributors tend to be gang members who commonly lace heroin with any form of chemicals, Wichern said.

Fentanyl, one of these chemicals, is associated with the death of Prince. This chemical has reached the Cook County area, Sexton said.

“I feel that heroin has impacted the LT area,” Deputy Chief Brian Budds said.

“Heroin is relatively easy to obtain and very inexpensive.”

Proximity to Chicago is also a reason why heroin has affect LT, Budds said.

• • •

Slower breathing Risk of pneumonia Chance of Tuberculosis

Infection

SKIN: • • • •

Warm Flushed Abscesses Dry

STOMACH: • •

Constipation Weight loss

MUSCLES: •

Weak

Source: Illinois Department of Human Services

Students stay cool with AC

by Christina Rossetti @c_rossetti6

conducted a meeting and began determining what other big construction LT has installed air-conditioning in jobs they needed to do. certain classrooms of NC over the 2016 “I think that any time we have the summer. The air-conditioning and reopportunity to air condition any part modeling of NC took place from June of the school, it helps create a better 2 to Aug. 15, with remodeling of the learning environment for students,” corridor surrounding rooms 206-220, Waterman said. “I think we get to a primarily the math rooms, on the east point where if kids can spend at least side of NC. two or three pe“I think that any time we riods a day in the “There really wasn’t a decision have the opportunity to air air-conditioning, to install air-conit helps a lot.” condition any part of the ditioning; I think Many students it’s really more are excited about about the oppor- school, it helps create a bet- the new change tunity to install it ter learning environment for they have been when other work wanting for years. students.” is being complet“The air-coned,” Principal Briditioning makes -Principal Dr. Brian Waterman an Waterman said. school so much After this sumbetter,” Teodora mer, LT plans to continue to repair and Ljuboja ‘18, said. “It makes classrooms install air-conditioning whenever posmore comfortable to learn in.” sible, Waterman said.

With the air-conditioning installed “There’s no set in stone plan to say in some parts of NC, many wonder we’re going to do this hallway or this about the future for SC. hallway, or the whole campus,” Wa“There’s no plans,” Waterman said. terman said. “The general feeling is, if “But there is always the hope that we can do this while we’re completing again, as we do major projects, if there other work, we’re benefiting ourselves is the opportunity to install air-condilong term.” tioning, then I know our board and our Last fall, LT’s upper hallways needcentral office team would be interested ed remodeling, so the school board in doing so.”

“

“

The boxed sections of the map depict the NC rooms with newly installed air-conditioning. The rooms include 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, and 211 on the second floor and 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, and 310 on the third floor.

New staff sparks L.I.F.E. program Small changes affect this year’s program

by Lindsey Hauch @lhauch20

The LT special education curriculum debuts new staff members for the Learning Independence for Everyday (L.I.F.E) & Work Skills class, a course within the L.I.F.E. program.

While the structure of this program has remained constant for many years, the additions of vocational director Paul Petrik and teacher Tracy Kraus ensures a new start.

“The work skills program allows students to get hands-on job skills, the experience of working with adults, following directions and learning the steps in a job sequence,” Petrik said.

Work skills is an optional yet highly encouraged two-period class that is offered to all students in the L.I.F.E program that can be taken any or all years of high school, L.I.F.E program coordinator Colleen Gibbons said. Students younger than 16 years old are able to learn good employee behavior at LT’s in-house

businesses before entering the community’s work force.

“When students are freshmen or sophomores, they are not yet ready for an intense, off-campus job,” Gibbons said. “We start them with on-campus jobs to ensure they build the skills they need before leaving the building to more complicated employment experiences.”

At SC, students perform various jobs such as cleaning in the AP office, dusting shelves, wiping down tables in the cafeterias and facing books in the Library, Petrik said. A majority of the students in the program do not receive a salary. A few who work at SC are paid a small stipend, but the main focus of the program is to give the students a positive work experience.

“Some students who qualify to become Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) clients are paid $3 a day by the government,” Gibbons said. “For the students who aren’t DRS clients, I remind them all the time they are getting ‘paid’ in high school credit.”

Before leaving SC and working at job sites like Great American Ba-

gel, Walgreens or TJ Maxx, students learn with provided in-house jobs in partnership with many departments throughout LT, Gibbons said.

“We asked teachers if they had any small jobs that they needed to be done,” Petrik said. “We did this so kids have a change in their routine jobs and be able to adapt their skills to new daily job requests.”

The effects of this program are evident as Delaney Borzym, a graduate of the L.I.F.E & Work Skills program, credits many friends and job opportunities to this program at LT. “I’ve worked at South Campus, La Grange Hospital, as well as Great American Bagel,” Borzym said. “It was really fun being a part of it, and I met some of my best friends through it.”

There’s a lot of moving around and organization involved, but it all works out, Petrik said.

“This is the reason I went into Special Education,” Petrik said. “When they come back and tell you they did a good job, and you congratulate and reassure them, it’s a joy for them and maybe even more so for us, being able to see the kids grow. It’s a win-win.”

Below is a sample list of jobs that the L.I.F.E Skills class performs

Picking up and delivering mail Making dog treats from scratch Recycling pick up Folding towels Shredding

Delivering passes Cleaning cafeteria tables

Cleaning windows Source: Paul Petrik

Ghostly guests Two seats are left vacant for theatre ghosts at Palace Theater in London to keep them from sabotaging performances.

NEWS

Friday, September 23, 2016  Page 4

Not dead

Latin is a language option on the Vatican Bank cash machines. It is the only bank in the world that allows the option.

Standing ovation for shows

Drop-in centers expand resources

By Greta Markey @gretamarkey

Lunch period study center to assist students in English, Global Studies departments

Be sure to stop by these performances in late September and early October and support these fellow students.

Girls Swim and Dive practice for their Variety Show dance. (Markey)

Eugene O’Reilly, writer and director of LT Theatre Board’s “Robin Hoode of Sherwood” is excited to be putting on LTHS’s first outdoor play on Oct. 8 and 9.

“We are trying to make it a very interactive play, using the structure and the nature of the courtyard to our advantage,” actor Justin Monarrez ‘18 said.

In addition to the play being outside, O’Reilly is incorporating a lot of stage combat into the show.

“We normally don’t have this much stage combat, but the story calls for it and it will add more action into the performance,” O’Reilly said.

The cast of 38 plans to overcome the challenges of rain and the possible need for some actors to have microphones in order to put on a successful play that may start a trend of outdoor performances.

Cast members of “So ___ You’ll ___8: Fill in the ___!” pose at one of their practices. (Markey)

As auditions started on Aug. 31 for LT’s Variety Show this year, Variety Show director Gary Morrill knew that the show’s co-sponsor David Hartley and he had a lot of work to do as the only two people running the production.

“If you can entertain a crowd while also enjoying yourself, that is what we are looking for,” Morrill said. “We want people to have fun performing in the show as well as watchin*g it.”

Morrill is entering his sixth year of running the show. Once again, it will be split into two days to fit as many acts as possible.

“This show is a great way to showcase LT’s talent,” Morrill said.

Although many of the acts are singing or dancing, expect some new, special events in this year’s show on Oct 1 and 2.

Actors rehearse for upcoming play “Robin Hoode of Sherwoode.” (Markey) When cast member Corey Kline ‘17 sat in the audience of last year’s Improv show, “So ___ You’ll ___ 7: Fill in the ___!”, he didn’t expect that this year he would be performing in the very same show.

“It’s a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day, I’ve never experienced anything better than going on stage with nothing prepared and leaving the stage successful,” fellow cast member Kevin Garcia ‘17 said.

The cast of 19 has been practicing two hours after school every day since Aug. 23 for their performance of “So ___ You’ll ___8: Fill in the ___” on Sept. 22, 23 and 24.

“Improv itself is an awesome life philosophy,” Mike Kuehl, director and creator of the Improv show said. “The kids learn to be open, accepting and agreeing on all different types of people and circumstances.”

The cast has been preparing for the unscripted performance by playing various games that get them to think on their feet and by practicing the format of the show.

By Mikaela Larson @mikaela_larson

At the start of the 2016-2017 school year, the English and Global Studies departments partnered to create a drop-in center similar to the one the Math department started last year.

“Space was found for students to go and get help with anything in Language Arts or Global Studies,” Language Arts Division Chair Karen Raino said.

The departments were paired based on the amount of overlap the classes share, especially with the study of the United States junior year and the amount of writing involved, history teacher Benjamin Lafontaine said.

Students do not need to be referred by a teacher to attend, and they can come in on an as-needed basis.

“I like that it’ll be more student-driven and you don’t need to be failing to come in,” English teacher Ryan Darrah said.

Since it is a new program, teachers do not know what type of questions students will bring in, Raino said. Students can come in for any form of help they may need, such as essays or test prep.

The year has started slowly, but attendance is expected to increase as the year progresses and essays are assigned. Posters will be added around the school and teachers have been asked to make announcements in regards to the new resource.

“When the end of the quarter comes, I know I’ll have a ton of essays and [the center] will be a huge help,” Kaysie Stuba ‘18 said.

The center can be found in room 44 at North Campus and room B109 at South Campus and is available during all lunch periods.

Following the example of other departments, the World Language Department also has a dropin center during the 4B lunch period in room 331 where students can help one another.

IMPACT

Wacky watermelon Watermelons are both fruits and vegetables. It is a fruit because it produces seeds but also a vegetable in the squash family.

French fares UberMOTO located in Paris allowed riders to order a motorcycle ride, but this option was discontinued in 2013.

Friday, September 23, 2016  Page 5

It’s always a good idea to stay up to date with the current event in the community. Here is LION’s recap and our suggestions for you.

Car Services With car services like Uber and Lyft rising in popularity, it is important to stay safe in any situation. On July 31, a Lyft driver was carjacked in Western Springs. While this rare, it’s important to consider the possibility of the situation while riding in anyone else’s vehicle. Similarly, Uber has run into problems with drivers taking advantage of passengers or taking longer routes to up the cost of rides.

Since Lyft and Uber do not require the same background checks cabs do, riders should take proper precautions such as riding with a group or letting someone know where you are and what kind of car you are in.

Melon Man Indian Head Park residents fell victim on July 19 to the Melon Man, who smashed melons on their driveway and left a note reading, “The melon man has struck.” A similar incident was reported on Aug. 1 in La Grange when fruits and vegetables were thrown at a house, capped off with a note that read, “You’ve been hit by the melon man,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The identity of the Melon Man is not yet known.

Train Safety

With trains being an easily accessible form of transportation in the community, it is important to remember train safety tips to prevent railroad accidents. A man was fatally struck by a train while crossing train tracks near Hinsdale Avenue and Stough Street in Hinsdale on Aug. 23, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. At the time of the incident the man was trespassing along the tracks, Amtrak said. In order to stay safe around railroads, stay alert around the train tracks – by the time a locomotive engineer sees someone or something on the tracks, it is already too late for the train to stop in time.

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is a growing concern in society today. There have already been reports of cases at U of I and other universities within the first week back at school. While it isn’t a strong concern of many LT students thanks to the resources and strong community the school offers, it’s important for students to be proactive and educated on the topic in high school and for college. The national sexual assault hotline offers confidential help at 1-800-656-4673.

Illness Prevention

Flu season is just around the corner. Recently, LT health services has identified a spread of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease at NC and SC. The disease is a viral illness that results in a fever, sore throat, and a cluster of blisters mainly on the feet and hands. It is usually spread through saliva and skin contact. To avoid an illness like this make sure to keep to yourself--do not share food or drinks, wash your hands thoroughly throughout the day, and cover any coughs or sneezes.

Compiled by: Lea Voytovich, Sydney Hansen, Spiro Kass and Tim Mikulski Sources: Chicago Tribune, WGNTV, Operation Lifesaver, Chicago Sun-Times

Random Chatter

Random Chatter

NEWS

“The only thing I like better than magic tricks are riddles.”

-Kate Beumer ‘18

“I have a lot more in common with George Costanza than I am comfortable with.”

- Hunter Pendleton ‘17

Friday, September 23, 2016  Page 6

Summer has ended, and with it, a saga of strangeness has come to a close. Here to recap it is a throwback Lion feature that last appeared in 2012: The Odd News.

Canine Chief

In what may be the strangest story of the 2016 election season (I know, I know, quite the claim), a town in northwestern Minnesota reelected a dog as its (honorary) mayor.

Duke’s overwhelming reelection in the town of about 20 people came as no surprise, as he has run away with the vote every year since 2014. He is reportedly very friendly for a politician, loves kids and greets everyone who comes into the town.

Sharknado Scare

A Sharknado has been officially ruled out in Australia when a small baby shark was found—alive—in a roadside puddle. Although the shark later died, authorities are still confused how it got there. They believe it was either a pet that outgrew its tank or someone dumped a poached shark. Or is the truth still out there?

What?

The 31st Annual World Mountain Bike Bog Snorkeling Championships in Powys, Wales, has crowned a new champion: Oliver McKenna. Competitors in this race wear weight belts and ride lead-filled bikes through a six-foot deep bog, trying to finish the race as quickly as possible.

But, for those who feel that this sport just doesn’t cut it

for you, don’t worry. If this is not hardcore enough, a bog snorkeling triathlon is also offered.

Karma

Brandon Thomas, a minor league baseball player in southern Illinois, blasted a game-changing grand slam out of the park in late August. The ball broke the windshield of a truck in the parking lot. His truck. Thomas later tweeted out that it was “definitely worth it.” He must have a pretty low insurance deductible.

onboard—at a county fair. Bystander Whitney Castro, who helped hold up the Orient Express after its welding failed, told the press “I was scared I was going to see dead people.” Luckily, all were saved, except for the fair (it hadn’t been inspected in months). It was quickly shut down.

Sheep View

A resident of the Faroe Islands has brought Google Sheep View to the series of North-Atlantic islands. By strapping solar-powered cameras to many of the 70,000 sheep on the islands, she was able to complete a database that Google used to make island-wide street view. Could this be done at South Campus with freshmen? Just an idea.

A Burning Image

In something straight out of a 6-year-old’s nightmares, firenados swept across an Oregon farmer’s fields. Apparently, these are not a rare phenomenon. The tornado can suck in oxygen to fuel itself if a small spark lights it up, and can burn for several minutes. After it burned out, it will stay to haunt the imaginations of local children for generations.

Quite the Ride

And finally to close on a happy note: Locals in Georgia propped up a collapsing roller coaster—with kids

Compiled by Phil Smith Illustrations by Sydney Kaehler Sources: Yahoo.com, upi.com, huffingtonpost.com

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Siobhan Callahan ‘17 @sio_callahan 2 86 can’t wait to graduate HS so I can take a gap yr & dedicate my time to driving past LT blasting anything with a loud bass & revving my engine Shannon Cone ‘17 @shannon_cone 65 8 Idk why the cars wait for all the students to cross from Vaughan, it would be much simpler if they just ran us over and ended it already Molly Stark ‘16 @MollyStark7 103 11 Year after I leave there’s no dress code, u can use phones in class & there’s a summer trip to Europe @LTWaterman u got some explainin to do 9 Pilar Valdes ‘19 @pilarvaldes55 25

Lauren Mochizuki ‘17 @laurenmochizuki 88

Kyle Reblin ‘19 @kylereblinn 14

when u cough in class and everyone lowkey thinks you have hand/foot/mouth disease

104

15

As much as highschool football is not for me My friends are real

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OPINIONS

Random Chatter “I’m in the LION grid, suckas!”

-Chris Velisaris ‘17

Friday, September 23, 2016  Page 7

Want your opinion heard?

Get it published in the paper! Submit any opinionated piece as a freelancer and you may see your work in our next issue.

PageSevenGrid

GuestColumn

Welcome to the Page Seven Grid, what many of you know as the only page in the LION. Watch your classmates (and principal) respond to a series of questions and (try to) be as funny as they can!

If Pokémon Go could catch people, who would you catch?

Jennifer Aniston or Quinn James from “One Tree Hill”

My only chance to be in the Olympics is if they add a competition for ______.

If the Cubs win the World What cartoon character is Series, what 100-year curse your spirit animal? will come to LT?

Dabbing

Goofy

IF the Cubs win, the new LT curse will be a losing drought in every sport

Hasahn Austin ‘17

I would catch Coach Taylor and Mesut Ozil from Arsenal

Mr. World

Beavis and Butthead

History would repeat itself and like the curse of the billygoat, I would bring my dog Kiki to an LT sports event, but Al will kick my dog out, so I would curse LT to not win another state championship for 100 years!

Jimmy Fallon

Salsa dancing

Kim Possible

Mr. Alletto will lose his magic

I hate Pokémon Go, but Justin Bieber

Gaga ball

Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz

The Cubs are not going to win

Hillary Clinton

Call of Duty

Spongebob

No more late starts or early dismissals

Simba from “The Lion King,” of course

It would be a reverse curse; we will never lose to HC again in any sport if the Cubs win (Go Cardinals!)

Chris Velisaris ‘17 (Mr. LT)

Clare O’Connor ‘18

Harper Hill ‘19

Fintan McDermott ‘20

Dr. Waterman, Principal

I would catch whoever keeps stealing tomatoes from our transition house garden

Watching college football

compiled by Thomas Atseff

LettersToEditor This letter to the editor was submitted by Sean Brynda ‘18. The column discusses the worrisome changes to journalism and its repercussions.

Over the past month, I have learned of the current state on journalism and find it to be nightmarish in a way. Many TV news stations simply rip off sources for their stories such as The Tribune, New York Times, and many other papers wherever the station is based. I view this as showing little or no commitment to television news reporting.

This leads me to my next point: the media itself is controlling the journalism world. Certain apps such as Instagram and Snapchat give us some form of news from big news companies such as CNN and TIME magazine, but just how well does this affect the reader? Sure, there will be some big story that the media will cover for days, but what happens after those events? All I see now are human interest stories. Where’s the actual news? I don’t want to hear about certain celebrities or how a town held a huge rubber duck race down their river. No. I want to be informed more about political corruptness,

improvements on certain diseases that may affect thousands of people with a condition.

Recently, I got whiff of Tribune Publishing’s new format, TRONC. Owning some of the most accredited newspapers such as The Chicago Tribune, The L.A. Times, and The Baltimore Sun to name a few, Tribune Publishing is perhaps one of the most respected news organizations in the United States. It was only a few months ago that the Tribune introduced TRONC (Tribune Online Content) to consumers. There was immediate backlash of this new form throughout the journalism world for a few reasons. TRONC is a service that personalizes and interacts with a reader’s content.

This goes against what journalism really stands for. Readers can’t ignore the news. This isn’t a swipe away sort of thing. Newspapers have one goal only and that goal is to inform the public. News cannot be like Instagram. It’s too important to multiple audiences.

All opinions must be heard and not ignored. If the news becomes a media service, how can we as readers take the news for granted?

Lion’sMissionStatement LION is a newsroom for journalism students designed to serve the community of Lyons Township.

It is LION’s responsibility to cover the events and issues that may have relevance to the readership in the community. LION will attempt to cover all aspects of the school; however, coverage will greatly depend on the item’s news value. News value is determined by timeliness and how relevant the item is to the majority of the newspaper’s readership.

LION editors reserve the right to determine the news value of content.

LION will clearly identify sources of news, except in cases when it is clearly necessary to protect the source’s identity. LION will avoid sensationalizing the news. LION does not invade the personal privacy of sources.

Each issue of the paper will feature two lead editorials. Although they are written by individuals, they reflect the viewpoints of the staff.

The LION staff strongly supports the First Amendment rights to freedom of press and opposes censorship in any form.

LION is written primarily for LT students and faculty. LION makes every possible effort to correctly spell the names of sources. All facts must be checked for accuracy by the writer. Any unverified information will not be printed in LION. Most of what is published is the work of individuals. The writer’s name will be printed by every story, except for the editorials. The entire staff is responsible for all content that is published. Administrators have a non-review role and do not control the content prior to publication.

LION strives for the highest standards of accuracy in its presentation of material that time allows. The staff accepts responsibility for the accuracy of these facts. Rumor, gossip and innuendo are not included in a story appearing in LION. Sources interviewed for a story will be given the opportunity to look through their interview notes and verify their quotes prior to the printer’s deadlines. Every reporter and other member of the staff will face the ramifications for any inaccuracies presented in his or her story.

Value Veganism

Every second, 3,000 animals are killed in the U.S. Factory farm raised chickens suffer from overcrowding, 80 Sheridan Spiess percent of U.S. pigs suffer from ammonia exposure and 900 million animals that are raised to be eaten die prematurely from disease, handling, transportation and other factors. This is the reality of how we treat animals.

Many people believe that it is okay to eat animals because it helps them sustain a healthy diet. Many use this as a justification, but in reality, eating animals can cause more damage to our health than it does good.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. Studies have shown that a low-fat and high-fiber diet prevents heart disease. With animal products being the main source of saturated fat and cholesterol in the food we eat, I raise the question, why do we continue to do this to our health?

After heart disease, cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S. In a scientific study called The China Study, a vegan diet was proven to shrink cancer cells making it 34 percent less likely to get cancer.

Changing the way you eat could lower your chances of getting cancer.

The environment also suffers when we support animal agriculture. With the world population rapidly expanding, food production would have to double by the year 2050. We are running out of land used to support animal agriculture. Forty percent of world grain are used to feed livestock, according to a report published by Cornell.

This high demand for grain requires a plethora of land and water. Growing food for animal agriculture is also the main cause of deforestation, leading to 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest having been cut down, according to National Geographic.

Another way animal agriculture harms our environment is through greenhouse gases. According to a report published by the World Watch Institute, 51 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture. Rather than solely focusing on minimizing transportation, we should also consider how the food we eat affects pollution. With so many animals being raised, there is much more CO2 exhaled than in the past. If we stop eating meat, we stop supporting the industry that destroys the environment.

The last reason why it is important to consider a vegan diet is animal welfare. It is unfair to accept cruel treatment of animals. Ten percent of animals raised from agriculture die prematurely because of the conditions they are put in. Due to the high demand for chicken, overcrowding has become a large issue according to PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals). Each chicken in a factory farm has a little more space than the area of a piece of printer paper. Typically, cattle are stunned before they are slaughtered. Five to 10 percent of cattle are not stunned correctly or efficiently, causing them to be painfully stunned a second time or dismembered while still conscious, according to the EU Scientific Veterinary Committee. This is an unfair and cruel way to treat animals.

The simple solution to these many problems is to convert to a plantbased diet and vegan lifestyle. Vegans cut out all animal products including meat, eggs and dairy. There are so many reasons to make this transition whether it be for your own health, the environment we all have to live in, or the animals who suffer from our unfair treatment. In order to improve the world we live in, try a vegan diet.

Write in and make your voice heard.  100 S. Brainard Ave., La Grange, Ill. 60525  LION reserves the right to edit all letters.

Random Chatter “I think I strained my vocal cords trying to do an impression of Mr. Krabs.”

-Michael McInerney ‘17

OPINIONS Friday, September 23, 2016 n Page 8

Should summer reading books be mandatory?

PawsUp n To Donald Trump, for being the fourth “stooge,” and providing free, endless jokes to entertainers since “The Celebrity Apprentice.” n To the expression “no offense,” for warning me whenever someone is about to say something offensive. n To Snapchat News— helping me keep up with the Kardashians without having to watch the show. n To LTHS honor roll stickers- making it easy to spot alumni across the country. n To manequins that wear entire outfits; you make my shopping experience so much easier. n To smoothies with chunks of fruit in them, for making me feel like I’m being healthy when I’m clearly not. n To spell check: imagin a world without it. n To Elvis Presley, the OG Daddy.

PawsDown n To Donald Trump, because obviously. nTo sleeveless turtlenecks. Make up your mind! Do you want to be warm or cold? n To Tim Allen narrarating the Pure Michigan commercials; in Chicago Michigan doesn’t exactly feel like “Infinity and Beyond.” n To home gym equipment, for taking away all of my excuses to still be so out of shape. n To the Zika virus, for turning every mosquito bite into a mild panic attack. n To Taylor Swift’s breakup a day after labor day... Could she be more on the nose about a “summer fling?” n To plastic silverware— I never before realized just how strong bread could be. n To decaf coffee, for giving people the same stained teeth and bad breath as normal coffee, but doing literally nothing. n To chairs that make a farting sound whenever you shift in them. It wasn’t me! n To the first sheet of a new roll of toilet paper; thanks for making me destroy at least five other sheets just to use you.

Random Chatter “Three teachers have asked if I was a foreign exchange student today.”

-Roland Rondez ‘18

AimlessArms

On June 12, 2016, 49 people were murdered and 53 LION interviewed 424 students about their opinions on the summer others were injured in reading policy. a terrorist attack and hate crime in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Did you read a Thomas Atseff resulting in the complete book deadliest mass shooting Do you think No Part of one for summer by a single shooter in American history.

41% 24% the summer reading this The shooter had a semi-automatic reading list Yes year? rifle as well as a semi-automatic pistol. provides a 41% Since then, there have been upwards of variety of 7,000 cases of gun violence in the U.S., Yes choices?

No according to gunviolencearchives.org.

59% 35% Just think about that number: 7,000 cases of gun violence in the past three months alone. Think of all the lives lost, all the lives ruined. Many people will never understand the severity of gun violence in our country unless they Yes experience it first-hand. But everyone 8% Yes, for AP should have sympathy for all of the lives, Level English families, schools and communities torn Yes, for all classes Could be grades apart at the hands of firearms.

11% 13% improved There are many arguments against 21% gun control that have been used for Should not be years. People say, “If everyone had a gun, mandatory we’d all be safer.” This is historically and 51% Do you think No factually incorrect. In several shootings, Yes, for South that summer 71% Do you think when a bystander has used a gun, the Campus reading summer read- situation is exponentially worsened and 25% assignments ing should made more dangerous for everyone. in the first We’ve all heard this one: people be mandaweek of school say, “Guns don’t kill people, people tory for all are helpful? kill people!” Clever, right? Well, a gun grades? certainly helps. Could the shooter in Orlando have murdered nearly 50 people in a minute with a knife? Even a nonautomatic weapon? At a certain point, the weapon becomes partially responsible for The summer reading webpage cational system. I’m sure that all of us, even adults, the extent of a crime. cheerily announces on lths.net, remember those elementary school book reports.

And of course, people say, “Americans “Continue to cultivate the habit of The intention of summer reading is undeniably have a right to bear arms!” Yes, the reading and escape into new worlds good-natured. It is an attempt to maintain intellecsecond amendment says that Americans this summer with a good book!” I tual engagement in a season during which ongoing have the right to bear arms. The second learning is all-too-easily sidelined.

Charlie Stelnicki understand that many students lack amendment was also written over 200 enthusiasm for anything school-reI believe that summer reading is a well-estabyears ago, when a gun could fire about lated during long summer days, and that isn’t by lished tradition, and that doing away with it would one bullet every 90 seconds, and when any fault of their own— but reading a book cover to mean LT would lose one of its best opportunities the country had just finished a war.How cover in those laid-back months can be worthwhile to help assist in their educational mission as well is it that some Americans just earned for students, and there are many good reasons we’re as help students pursue their “Vita Plena” over the the right to marry, and yet a right that given this assignment each year. summer, the quest for a fulfilling life. enables the murder of 50 people in a The reading lists themselves are expansive and Summer reading provides healthy substance to minute is granted at birth? diverse. The list for all freshmen, sophomore and the Language Arts department and its curriculum.

America’s gun violence rate is higher non-AP upperclassmen alone includes classics from The diversity of choice (roughly 50 titles across three than nearly every other industrialized industrial England like “Wuthering Heights” by separate level lists) is masterful and is a testament to country in the world. More than 30,000 Emily Bronte, contemporary family dramas like our Language Arts division and librarians, but there people are killed by firearms each year “Along for the Ride” by Sarah Dessen and intense is a sense of disconnect between the assignment in the U.S. More than 30 people are shot sporty reads like “The Closer” by Mariano Rivera. and what happens in classes. There is a sense among and killed every day. In Canada, less Our interests are as diverse as our student body is, some students and in some English classes that than 200 people die from firearms every and our reading lists accurately reflect that. summer reading is inconsequential. year. In Germany and France, less than LT’s summer reading program differs from most Summer reading is a tradition that the L.A. 150. So what do these countries have schools in the district. Instead of having a few department continues to be vigilant on improving in common? Well, they all require a books that all students entering courses must read, and refining each year. There will always be a porlicense, registration, reason for purchase, we provide some freedom of choice. This does not tion of the student body that disregards the assignsafety training and safe storage in order only benefit the hordes of parents who would rush ment and may not even check the list that LT staff to purchase a gun. America has very few to Barnes and Noble to buy the same few books for spends weeks deliberating over, but that does not of these requirements. What to we have their kids, but it benefits the students themselves— mean that we should throw away a summer assignthat none of them have, though? The 24 choices across genres from mystery to non-fiction ment that has clout among parents and students right to bear arms, of course. appeal to more students than they turn away. alike. In the spirit of keeping students engaged with It is absurdly easy to purchase a Summer reading is a staple of the American eduthe literary world, summer reading should remain. firearm in this country, especially an automatic or semi-automatic one. To prove this, I went onto the deep web of the Internet, and within 27 minutes, I was one click away from being able to purchase an automatic weapon and have it delivered to my doorstep. I am 17. I Mid-August, the week right school now. We’re big kids capable of making our needed no license, no registration, no before school starts, we have all done own choices with regards to reading. Everyone reason for purchase, nothing. It should it: our summer reading isn’t comlikes to read a different genre; that’s the great thing not, cannot, be that easy for someone to pleted yet. What’s the solution? Pick about books. We have about 130 million to choose purchase a weapon that allows them to out this random book off the list, from, so students should be free to decide what Brandt Seigfried skim it or Spark Note it before school murder dozens of people. they read over the summer. Reading provides great Perhaps the most infuriating argument starts. We won’t do anything importopportunities to learn and enjoy, but this is taken against gun regulation is when people ant with it anyways, right? away from us when our teachers force us to choose say, “Nothing can possibly change. This When I was a kid, my parents used to read to me from their narrow list of 24 books. We read enough problem can’t be solved with new laws.” before bed. In elementary school, I was required to school books during the regular year.

Really? 30 people, 30 human beings, will fill out an independent reading log signed by my Reading is supposed to be fun. The very act of die today. And tomorrow, and the day parents to prove I was reading outside of school. In requiring it makes it a cumbersome task to be comafter that and the day after that. And middle school, I completed several projects in Lanpleted. We are teenagers; we rebel by nature, even people are content to simply be apathetic guage Arts class on books that I was allowed to pick when it doesn’t make sense. Therefore, if the goal is and unwilling to try? This mentality out myself. In high school, I am forced to read one to encourage reading during the summer, it should surpasses ignorance; it reaches the point book during my summer with little related work in become optional. of true heartlessness. class the next year.

Fundamentally, required summer reading is a Until we make a change, we are all I consider myself an avid reader and I try to battle over whose business it is to dictate the activdefending and enabling future mass make time every day to pick up a good book. I do ities of summer: you or the school? In the summer shootings, future death. The blood of the not dispute the benefits of reading. Researchers during high school, we are trying to work, discover victims in Orlando, of all of the people agree that summer reading helps with knowledge and enjoy ourselves. I firmly believe that requirwho will be murdered with a gun today retention, increasing literacy and, according to ing students to complete required reading during and tomorrow and so on, is on all of our Daily Mail, may even help you live longer by reduc- the summer is an encroachment on the sacrosanct hands. We need to stop all of this death. ing stress and keeping the mind active. freedoms summer offers us, and that it discourages Isn’t it at least worth a try?

These are great benefits, but we are in high leisure reading on our own.

Point

Kick back and read

CounterPoint

Summer’s too booked for reading

Random Chatter “I’m literally writing the lyrics to ‘Uptown Funk’ in Spanish right now.”

-Allison Ozark ‘18

OPINIONS Friday, September 23, 2016 n Page 9

Random Chatter “Do you ever see an old guy and wonder if he’s someone from ‘Jackass’ in disguise?”

-Jack Roche ‘17

AnotherView

StaffEditorials

Required revisions Every LT student has secretly pulled out his day, all the extra-curricular activities and sports or her phone in the hallway to quickly send a planned for after school or all the homework to few Snapchats, texted during a movie day in be done that night can make a student feel more class, scrolled through Twitter during lunch or relaxed. Phones can help relieve all that stress even tried to check Canvas during lunch study off a student for six minutes, which adds up over hall. Until this year, every student did this in the course of the day. fear that a teacher would come and confiscate LT was definitely right in allowing the use their phone, sending them to the assistant of phones during study halls. Now that we principal’s office to pick it up at the end of the are living in an era that utilizes technology so school day. much, it is important that phones can be used If that situation did not scare students so that students can access Canvas, teacher enough, another common fear for LT girls was webpages, homework assignments and anybeing dress coded. Many girls frequently expething needed to the aid the process of completrienced the humiliation of Our position: The revisions to ing schoolwork. Using cell being sent to the locker room, both the dress code and elec- phones during study halls will having to change into their only boost the productivity tronic policys at LT this year gym uniform because their were necessary and important of students. shoulders were showing, their changes that will undoubtedly Some people say that stushorts weren’t an ID length dents should not be able to help make LT a much more above their knees or too much comfortable and realistic have their phones in study hall of their back was exposed. school environment for all of because all students would do However, this year is be texting or going on social our students. very different. LT has finally media instead of being proembraced a new era of student freedoms by ductive. The thing is, students in high school accommodating students so that everyone feels are anywhere between 14 to 18 years old. High comfortable while on school grounds, while schoolers should be treated like adults and accomplishing the same amount of learning not be told that they cannot use their phones as before. because there’s a chance they will not be proLT recently made a policy change to the ductive. Most students do not want homework, student handbook modifying the technology so they will be productive in order to have less and dress code policies. The technology policy work at home. Also, a large portion of students’ now allows students to use electronic devices homework is electronic, so often, the use of during passing periods, study halls, the cafetephones would only help students become much ria and classrooms in which teachers provide more productive. permission. Changes in the dress code policy Regarding the dress code, it was finally time allow students to wear whatever makes them for girls to feel comfortable within the confines feel comfortable as long as it does not disrupt of either campus. Both campuses are known the educational environment, promote tobacco, for getting very hot in the beginning and closalcohol, drugs, weapons or be symbolic of ing months of school so allowing girls to wear gang membership. running shorts, a little bit shorter of shorts or The students of LT should greatly appreciate anything comfortable will lead to more girls the administration’s change because students focusing in class. can now come to school with less stress on their With the policy changes made this year at minds and feel more comfortable throughout LT, students will feel much more comfortable at the day at either campus. school and will be able to accomplish more work During passing periods, checking one’s more efficiently throughout the day. The school phone is a mental break before getting to the did a fantastic job in recognizing students’ needs next class. While it may not seem like it, forand making changes to tremendously help the getting about that stressful math test the next student body.

Staff Vote: 26-2

Illustration by Samantha Land

A helping hand

The National Alliance on Mental Illness fact, there is a Pillars location just in Western (NAMI) has recently declared that September is Springs. A private therapist outside of school is Suicide Prevention month. Of course, we should another option. For some people, going to see be aware of suicide year round; however, espean outside therapist is a big deal. It shouldn’t be. cially with school starting we need to be more You’re doing what it takes for the sake of your conscious of and enlightened about what is, mental health. many times, the root of why we feel depressed.

Again, people see outside therapy sessions as You may be stressed, or you may have what embarrassing, or even scary. It’s not at all. Never one in five youths aged 13-18 have: a mental be humiliated by taking the proper steps to take illness. This is not in any way something to be care of your mind. Cost should not be an issue ashamed of. We go to the doctor when someeither, because oftentimes insurance covers the thing is wrong with our body. We go to the cost and it can be state funded. As most of you dentist when there’s someknow, there is also the Speak Our position: Seeking help thing up with our teeth. Why from certified counselors in Up Line, 708-588-7326. It’s a would people have a negative or outside of school is never hotline for any concerns or for connotation with the word something to be ashamed of; reporting on unsafe behavior. “therapy” or “counseling”? It if you or someone you know is Since the students are the ones should be perfectly fine to see feeling depressed or suicidal, who see this on a regular basis, a doctor for your feelings. It’s never let he or she struggle in it gives us a chance to make a your body, and you’re taking silence. difference. This is not a crisis care of it. Many students our hotline, but if you are worage feel like they always have to be “alright,” ried about a friend, classmate or even a random and that they can’t have a single thing wrong person, call. It’s a safe place to seek help. As with them. Our absurd fear of getting help needs many students and teachers know, the Speak Up to end.

Line has been seen as a joke, and many people Seeing your school counselor is okay, seeing mock it, pretend to call it or say they’re going to an outside therapist for a long or short period call. Kid around about it as much as you want, is okay, in fact, not feeling 100-percent is okay. the Speak Up Line is an amazing resource.

We all have bad days, but we shouldn’t have If it becomes more serious than that, and if bad weeks and months, especially if you are you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, feeling alone or depressed. Every single stucall the National Suicide Prevention hotline: dent at LT has his or her own counselor who 800-273-TALK. Do not wait to get help. Direct is always ready to help. In addition to that, we services are right here at LT, in our community have a social worker for each grade, and a stuor just a phone call away. dent support counselor at both North and South Despite the enormous size of our school, we Campus. The school can also suggest outside can and should be a tight-knit community. We student and support groups through Pillars, the need to be here for one another, stand up for largest nonprofit provider of mental health and each other and do what it takes to make sure no social services in the southwest Chicago area. In one ever feels alone.

Staff Vote: 28-0 C ontact

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No-nonsense naming Modern tennis orginated in Birmingham, England. In the late 19th century it was called “lawn tennis.”

SPORTS

Friday, September 23, 2016 n Page 10

In 1978, Kenyan runner Henry Rono broke 4 world records over the course of 81 days. He did not get the chance to compete in any Olympics.

Bozovic conquers court Bozovic trains extensively, aims for success throughout season, sets sights on state

by Lucy Schaefer @lucy_schaefer3 The team is optimistic towards the upcoming state tourAndjelija “Jelly” Bozovic ‘17 takes foot on the Hinsdale Central court, eyeing nament after placing fourth as a team last year. Individually, down her friend as well as opponent, Bozovic, ranked third in Illinois, lost in the fourth round to Olivia Oosterbaan ‘19. After carefully last year’s one seed Isabella Lorenzini ‘17 from Hinsdale Cenbouncing the ball four times, Bozovic lifts tral, currently ranked second. This year, however, the aim is to place third or higher. Both Bozovic and teammate Lahari her racquet, tosses the ball up and swings.

Swiftly defeating the 11th ranked player in Yelamanchili ‘19 have the ability to potentially place into Illinois, Bozovic helps LT take the win at the quarter-finals, and hopefully send one into the semis, the Hinsdale Central invitational.

Wham said. In order to achieve this, the team must mainSince the age of 6, Bozovic has continutain a good record throughout the season and in turn earn a high seed. ally increased her level of competition. By 10, she was competing at a national level and “Jelly’s got a big game, and if she gets more consisbeginning to stand out. Since then, she has made tent on her forehand and her serve, she will be a force both at state and in college,” Wham said. tennis a priority, dedicating two to three hours daily to After high school, Bozovic will shift her focus the sport. towards a tennis career. Currently, she plans to play “Her strongest skill is her tenacity,” varsity Head division one in the Big Ten, although she has not offiCoach Bill Wham said. “She hates to lose more than liking to win. If she’s hitting her forehand well, you can’t cially committed to any team yet.

“I want to see if I can take it even further,” beat her.”

Bozovic said. “Potentially, I could play in worlds or Bozovic travels solo year-round to compete in national other international tournaments and maybe even tournaments in places such as California, Tennessee and go pro.” around the Midwest.

Bozovic “It’s individual, but I personally like individual With her focus on this season, however, warms up Bozovic is excited to play, especially at because you worry about yourself and only yourself,” before match. state. The support from classmates and Bozovic said. “It’s less stressful.”

(Schaefer/LION) teammates is what makes high school This all changes when high school season comes season differ from national competitions, around. Suddenly, there is the team aspect. Although Bozovic may win her match, the win depends on the she said. Bozovic is a social person, which is essential when team as a whole, and her individual record at that point means working with a team, Wham said.

“She supports her teammates,” Wham said. “As far as coachnothing, Wham said. Bozovic has worked to ensure both she and ing goes, she listens, which is 90 percent of coaching. She’s had her team succeed.

“She doesn’t come to practice and screw around,” Wham good coaching over the years privately, but when she’s out here said. “She plays and works on specifics, and she has improved.” with us, she’ll listen. She’s been a pleasure to work with.”

XC programs prepare for season

With several state runners returning, Lions get ready for anticipated season

New coach helps girls XC prepare for state, girls adjust to new program

by Luke Lusson @LukeLusson Following a terrific season last year, Vincent Zona ‘17 and the boys cross country team are ready to build off their success using their gained confidence.

“After finishing well in recent years at state, we know that we belong in the highest level of competition,” Zona said.

The team is coming off not only a second-place finish at the state race, but also a ninth-place finish at the Nike Cross National tournament in Portland, Ore. Despite these accomplishments, there seems to be no added pressure to this year’s group.

“We are used to having high expectations,” Zona said. “We have a lot of experienced runners who know how to handle highpressure situations.”

The depth of the squad is a major strength this year. The team had nine runners break a 10-minute two-mile in a pre-season time trial, Zona said. The depth comes from a combination of returning stars and a new wave of talented boys, including Andrew Tarasuk ‘18, who are ready to round out the group.

“It is always good to have strong returning runners,” Tarasuk said. “Not only do we have two runners shooting for top spots, but we have a tight pack of guys close behind them.”

Along with the incredible depth, the team has great experience with three returning state runners—Zona, Danny Kilrea ‘18 and Alex Pall ‘17.

“Experience is key to success at high-level meets,” Assistant Varsity Coach Jake Discipio said. “To have some guys who went downstate last year and also ran some major invites is a huge advantage to us.”

The depth and experience were on display on Saturday, Sept. 3 at the annual LT Invite at South Campus. As a team, LT captured first place in a strong field that included the defending state champions, Carl Sandburg.

“I think that the LT Invite was a confidence booster for us, which is always a good thing,” Tarasuk said.

With the first meet under their belts, the team aims to continue their success all the way to state, where they have not won since 1956.

“Everyone on the team is extremely motivated,” Zona said.

“We have set big goals and we hope that this will be a special year for LT cross country.”

by Maddy Cohen @maddyc700 As the girls cross country team prepares for another competitive season, first year varsity head coach Alex Lyons has taken a new approach in strengthening the program.

“His style of coaching is different from our previous coach,” varsity runner Ali Hamilton ‘17 said. “It will be a good change for us.”

Lyons’ coaching style is based on the philosophy of self-progress. Instead of pushing the girls from beginning to end, Lyons does something very rare: holds them back.

“My job as a coach is to pull the reins and help them see the big picture,” Lyons said.

Lyons starts practices more conservatively, Hamilton said. The workouts, though difficult, are at a slower pace and progress each week. This progression will prepare the girls for the most important meets: conference, regionals, sectionals and state.

“That is the championship season,” Lyons said. “That month defines our year.”

Participating in arguably the most competitive conference in the state of Illinois, Lyons wants to ensure the girls know the importance of their own self-progress as the season develops.

The team’s unique relationship is another key factor that contributes to this season’s success. With a mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen on the team, senior captain Maddie Hilling ‘17 has taken a huge part in creating the team’s unbreakable cohesion. She completes every workout going the extra mile, all while encouraging and including her teammates, Hamilton said.

“We are very lucky with the team environment we have, and that has nothing to do with me or the other coaches,” Lyons said. “They create a really special, familial atmosphere.”

While this is Lyons’ first year as head coach, he is familiar with the upperclassmen as well as the LTXC program. During the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, he was an assistant coach for the girls team and formed relationships with several varsity runners.

Although Lyons took a coaching job at Downers Grove North last year, being head coach has been something he has wanted to do since the age of 14, Lyons said.

“It gave me a greater appreciation for how great [LT] was when I went somewhere else,” Lyons said. “This is home for me in a lot of different ways.”

Varsity boys train for competition. (Henry Groya/LION)

Varsity girls train for competition. (Lucy Schaefer/LION)

Olympic ommitance

KaepControversy America prides itself on democracy. With the signing of the Bill of Rights in 1789 came the establishment of freedom, forever engraved in the hearts Lucy Schaefer and minds of our citizens. Over the course of our existence, a plethora of athletes have risen in rebellion over social issues. So why is quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick’s silent protest against police brutality receiving so much criticism? Ironically, patriotism.

Kaepernick has refused to stand for the national anthem as a form of speaking out against what he believes to be widespread racially motivated police brutality. The public outrage against his actions stems from those who believe he has slighted the U.S. military and municipal police forces. This claim, however, seems far-fetched.

The NFL is perhaps the most overtly patriotic organization in sports history. Dramatic displays of national pride, whether it be military flyovers or the presentation of the U.S. colors and military branches, occur at an obscene rate. It was even revealed earlier this year that the Pentagon had spent upwards of $6.8 million on these displays, while the NFL embarrassingly returned $700,000 worth of taxpayers’ money which had been doled out to 17 teams to put on military tributes. There is no doubting that the military receives the praise and celebration it deserves in these stadiums.

One man, however, sat during the pre-game rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and suddenly a monsoon of criticism has overtaken the media while overly nationalistic viewers accuse him of not respecting our armed forces.

Perhaps we should instead look at the good Kaepernick is trying to accomplish. The light he is shining on the leading civil rights issue of the 21st century has stirred much needed conversation on the issue of #BlackLivesMatter.

The institution of democracy allows for change. We can use our collective voice to alter our society, build on ourselves, and strengthen the ideals that define us as a nation: equality and freedom of opportunity. Are we a country that chooses to idolize a symbol rather than solidify our own purpose?

Many athletes besides Kaepernick have also stood up, or perhaps even quite literally sat down, in opposition to the police force and its actions. In 2014, many NBA players including Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose and countless others sported warm-up T-shirts with the quote “I can’t breathe” across the chest in support of Eric Garner, who was put in a chokehold and later pronounced dead at the hands of the police.

With the NFL averaging about 20.75 million viewers per game, the stadium is the perfect stage to stand up. Kaepernick is using his constitutional right to give a voice to those who lack the money and the power it provides.

President Barack Obama spoke out on the issue and acknowledged the criticism saying the protest is “a tough thing for [U.S. soldiers] to get past.” But I think we need to be smart enough to understand that this protest is fully in support of the marginalized black community and is not an attack on those who fought and continue to fight for our country.

Kaepernick spoke out saying that he has deep respect for our soldiers: “They fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening.” By silently protesting, Kaepernick is advocating for the justice that has been deprived of people of color—the same justice that our soldiers die fighting for.

Police brutality is the key focus of Kaepernick’s protest, so it isn’t surprising police officers are offended. It is unfair to stereotype the entire police force as racist and violent; however, it is more reasonable to call those out who continually cover up their colleagues’ errors.

In the case of Chicago teen Laquan McDonald’s shooting, seven police were fired for covering up the details. The blue wall of silence that exists between police officers encourages the unwritten rule not to report a colleague’s crimes, including police brutality. This is what needs to end; this is what Kaepernick is trying to bring attention to.

It’s time that we acknowledge the social injustices that have plagued this country.

It’s time that we listen to the voices of those brave enough to stand up, and understand that Kaepernick’s actions aren’t an attack on our soldiers and our police force, but instead a plea for justice.

Golf gaffe Contrary to urban legend, the word “golf” does not stand for “Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.” It is derived from “club.”

SPORTS

Cross-country crossover Olympic runner Steve Scott invented the game of Speed Golf when he played 18 holes of golf in 29 minutes and 30 seconds.

Friday, September 23, 2016 n Page 11

Girls golf tees off strong season Senior leaders on girls golf look to strike big with wins in conference, state in final stand

About girls golf

by Katie Palermo @thekatester223

Cassidy Schwartz ‘17 sealed her place on the varsity team with a hole-in-one after a rain delay during tryouts at Flagg Creek golf course.

“This was my first hole in one and it was such an indescribable feeling when my coach was jumping on the green because the ball was actually in the hole,” Schwartz said. “At first, I didn’t believe it was in, since I wasn’t sure how my swing was going to be after the rain delay.”

Schwartz’s hole-in-one won’t carry the team all the way to the top of the conference. With oppressive competition throughout the West Suburban Conference, state is the ultimate goal for the team. Like many teams, they want to make it to state with the intention of winning.

Both Schwartz and Siobhan Callahan ‘17 are optimistic and believe the team will go far this season.

“We have a tough conference, but we are working hard to prepare ourselves for the crucial rounds toward the end of the season,” Callahan said.

While Schwartz has been involved with golf since the age of 9, many players chose to play golf as a competitive sport in the past few years.

“I have been playing golf seriously for about

Below are some striking LT golf facts three years,” Ava Sengpiel ‘19 said. “I was on the team last year just for a few weeks due to conflicts with poms, but I am so happy to be a part of the team full time.”

With a large portion of the team graduating, Schwartz and Callahan hope to make their last year playing for LT memorable.

“For my last season, I really want to enjoy myself with the lifelong friends I’ve made from the team,” Callahan said. “I didn’t know anyone when I started golf at LT and have met some of my closest friends through it, and I want to leave a good legacy for the future of LT golf!”

While getting into college is the first step, decisions between playing intramural and club in college still battle in Schwartz’s mind, but she mainly is focusing on getting good rounds into conference, regionals, state, and starting and ending her school year on a good note.

“Getting the opportunity to play with such awesome girls--I want to build even better relationships with them,” Schwartz said. “I hope to continue to create even more awesome memories!”

Varsity’s home course is the La Grange Country Club.

This year girls golf did not cut any golfers.

Girls golf changes into their uniforms in a closet.

Compiled by Sarah Grier

Girls golf has a lucky golf sweater that a team member wears to important meets.

Preceding the homecoming dance on Oct. 1, the varsity football team along with other LT athletics will be competing in front of larger crowds at invitational meets and big games

by Adam Janicki, Greta Markey and Luke Lusson @Adam_Janicki_ @GretaMarkey @LukeLusson

A

s the season winds down and the adrenaline of conference and state builds, varsity girls cross-country runner Megan Ng ‘17 and the rest of the team prepare for one of their last meets: the Saint Charles North Invitational on Oct. 1.

“This meet will prepare us for state by allowing us to compete with some of the top teams in the state,” Ng said. “Batavia and Hinsdale always have strong teams as well as Geneva and Downers Grove North.”

Last year, the varsity team placed second behind Batavia, while JV and frosh/soph both finished first. The three-mile course involves weaving through a forest preserve and running up seven tough mini-hills, Ng said.

“I am very excited for this race because each one presents a new opportunity to try and run a personal best,” Ng said. “And we get to run against some teams that aren’t in our conference.”

W

hile excitement fills the halls of LT throughout homecoming week, the LT varsity football team is just going about its business as if it is any other week of the season.

“For us as a football team, it’s not that much different than any other game,” Head Coach Kurt Weinberg said. “It’s a fun thing for the school and alumni, but for the team it’s just about preparing for another game.”

LT is set to face the Downers Grove North Trojans on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 1:30 p.m. on Bennett Field. The Homecoming atmosphere is one the players love to play in each and every year.

“It’s pretty amazing,” defensive tackle Ryan Buhle ‘17 said. “With all the people

F

E

ver since Joie Reisch ‘18 was 4 years old, she has been playing tennis with her four older sisters. Following in their footsteps, she has been competing on the LT girls varsity tennis team since freshman year.

Reisch typically practices tennis three to four hours a day plus one hour of conditioning to stay in top shape. She feels confident that LT can win its match at Naperville North High School on Oct. 1.

“I go into a match with a calm and focused mindset, not thinking of the person I am playing,” Reisch said. “I try not to overthink when I play, and I try to think of my matches as practice, playing for fun.”

After defeating Naperville North in a quad match earlier this season, the team hopes to repeat that victory in this upcoming homecoming weekend.

that come out to watch, it should be a very exciting and energetic atmosphere to play in.”

The Lions are coming in with a talented and experienced group that has shown good execution so far this season, Weinberg said.

They have a 4-0 record with away victories against Warren and Morton.

“We have handled several situations well so far this year,” Weinberg said. “That speaks to the experience of this team.”

Running back Reggie Terrell ‘17 is also excited about this year’s team and thinks there is plenty to accomplish.

“We have a lot of guys who can make plays when they touch the ball,” Terrell said. “Since we play in a very hard conference, winning conference would be special.”

ollowing multiple successful matches versus conference teams and tough weekend meets, the varsity boys golf team expects to take first at this year’s LaSalle-Peru Invitational on Oct. 1.

“The competition at the LaSalle-Peru invite isn’t the best,” varsity golfer Bryce Mitchell ‘17 said. “The team got second place last year, but I think our team is going to take the ‘W’ this year.”

In his second year on the varsity golf team, Griffin Wasz ‘17 is excited for the LaSalle-Peru Invite, as are other teammates, Wasz said. Even though Coach Brian Kopecky has yet to release the official roster for the invite , focus and camaraderie will be crucial to the team’s performance.

“I’m pretty excited for the invite because I really like that course,” Wasz said. “The only other time we get to play on it is in the summer at the U.S Junior Qualifier, but if I get the opportunity to go back and play that course again, I’d really like to improve how I played there before.”

A

Whether they win conference or not, the homecoming game is one that the team hopes to have won when it is all said and done.

“We definitely want to get a win,” Terrell said. “We want to celebrate the night with a win and have fun at the homecoming dance.”

The Lions will face a Downers Grove North team that enters the game with a 1-3 record. However, it is not Downers Grove North that is the problem, but rather themselves that the Lions are concentrated on going into this matchup.

“We will need to play hard, physical and fast,” Terrell said. “As long as we keep doing what we’re doing, that win will fall into place.”

fter finishing in the bottom, bronze bracket in last year’s Asics Mother McCauley tournament, LT girls varsity volleyball hopes to use their improved team chemistry and strong defense to perform better.

“This year, we have four returning starters that played in last year’s tournament,” team leader Abby Vulich ‘17 said. “We are coming in this year with more experience and background on this tournament than some of the other teams.”

The tournament is located at Mother McCauley High School and includes teams from Florida, New York and Chicago.

“We have been working on our defense and have developed some really good hitters,” Vulich said. “But we realize that the biggest advantage we can have is a positive attitude. The minute our team starts getting down on each other, all of our hard work goes to waste.”

The team is preparing to compete on Oct. 1 and is hoping to finish in a higher bracket than last year.

GameOver

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, oh wait, it’s just Kevin Durant posterizing the entire league off a lob pass from Stephen Curry.

Yep, that’s right. The 2015 record-breaking Adam Janicki Golden State Warriors now have one of the best players in the NBA: Kevin Durant. With four superb players including Curry, Klay Thompson, Durant and Draymond Green, all stars, the Warriors are the best team in the NBA. Destined to win their second title in three years, few teams will be able to stop their pursuit.

The 2016-2017 NBA season is under way, and this season is going to be worth watching. After a year of high-salary trades and an incredible rookie class, this year will quite entertaining and full of suprises.

However, there are a couple of other teams that can compete against Golden State and possibly even win the championship. Almost all NBA fans know that the New York Knicks struggle to win games year after year, but maybe with the acquisitions of some risky-but-great players, they might win a few games. And with the addition of past Chicago icons, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and crafty guards, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings, the Knicks look like a decent team. Furthermore, they have their franchise superstars returning, Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony.

Is this another powerhouse?

Provided that they don’t have a deep bench and their chemistry is poor, we’ll see if they can win more than 32 games without hiring a new coach, unlike last year.

As NBA fans across the nation hop on the Warriors and Knicks bandwagons, there lies a King sitting on his thrown in Cleveland. Wait, who won the championship last year?

The Cavaliers, with Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Of course King James and the Cavs could be a formidable opponent and a top team in the East, but they are not good enough to beat the best. To go back-to-back, they will have to play perfectly, balance their defense and hope for some star injuries in the league. The Warriors will have no problem outscoring them and their defense is shaky.

What about the Chicago Bulls?

Well…to start, our two icons, Rose and Noah, were sent to the New York Knicks. Likewise, Bulls fans suffered the loss of their star bigman, Pau Gasol, to the San Antonio Spurs. In return, the Bulls were able to draft Michigan State star Denzel Valentine and sign three over-thehill stars, Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Robin Lopez. The Bulls’ new “stars,” Wade and Rondo, have been in the league too long and each player has already reached their peak.

Another weakness that came with the new package of players is the awful shooting and chemistry. Both players came from a past of keeping the ball to themselves and never taking three-point shots. This is a problem for them and the team. The only true leader I see on this team is Jimmy Butler. Last year when Rose and Noah were out for various injuries, Butler stepped up his game and became the Bulls’ leading scorer. If Chi-town wants to see its team in the playoffs, Butler will have to act as the floor general while the others provide crucial points and share the ball.

There have been many over-powered teams in NBA history and few stuck together for more than a couple years. When too much talent is put on one team, players get upset over who gets the ball and stardom, which ultimately leads to collapse. No doubt this will be an awesome season, but hopefully not a predictable one. The NBA season begins Oct. 25.

Penalty pants In the 1938 World Cup semifinals, the Italian soccer captain, Giuseppe Meaza, had his pants fall down before his game-winning penalty kick.

SPORTS SPORTS Friday, September 23, 2016  Page 12

Scores 

Highlights  Profiles

Copious cows It takes 600 American cows to make the footballs for an NFL season. Each cow has a one in 17,420,000 chance of being in the Super Bowl.

Soccer fails to repeat success Despite change of Pepsico Showdown’s location, LT aims to win championship, loses to Morton Mustangs

by Spiro Kass @spiro_kass

L

ooking back at last year’s championship game, boys varsity soccer captain Isaiah Nieves ‘17 recollected what it felt like to win the largest high school soccer tournament in the country. “[Winning] it meant a lot, because towards the end of the season, we’d look back at it and know that we won Pepsi,” Nieves said. “No one could ever take that away from us. We played really well and won the whole thing.”

Although the team gained confidence from last year’s victory, the team’s quest for the cup came short this year due to an unexpected loss in the third round against the highlyskilled Morton Mustangs.

In addition, they were forced to adapt to a break of the tournament’s tradition. Due to a new change in criteria, the Pepsico Showdown no longer held its preliminary rounds at the LT NC fields, varsity Head Coach Paul Labbato said. Instead, the tournament relocated its opening day to Stuart Sports Complex in Montgomery, Ill., according to the official PepsiCo Showdown website.

“I feel sad because we won’t have our first Saturday game on our fields,” Nieves said. “I don’t know how many fans will go out to the park that far from here.”

The promoter and director of the Pepsico Showdown has decided to expand from 32 teams to 64 teams; therefore, the three soccer fields of LT cannot support another set of games for the tournament, Labbato said. The new site has 12 soccer fields and all the games can happen in a short period of time.

The new location of the tournament seemed to trouble some of the members of the team, but Labbato was confident that a change like that would not affect the performance of his players.

“This year’s team has all the components that are required to win a long tournament,” Labbato said. “We have depth, very good defenders and goalkeepers, creative midfielders and dangerous forwards. That is the kind of recipe you need to compete in a long tournament like this one.”

Not including their performance in the Pepsico Showdown, the team has a current record of 7-2-1, and three out of the eight games played were against teams that are ranked top 10 in the state of Illinois, Labbato said.

Some good could be found in the location change, but there was a negative side effect

Over the past seven years, LT has competed in the Pepsi Showdown championship five times. Of these matches, they brought home the first place trophy twice.

2009

2011

that was unavoidable. The fan section, or LT Hooligans, that has notoriously carried the team in the past was not as present this year, LT Hooligans leader Erin Smothers ‘17 said.

“The players on the varsity team will want to play better when they know they are being supported by fellow classmates,” Smothers said. “It was a big atmosphere that helped them win it last year.”

Not only the fans themselves, but the coaches also saw disadvantages with less student support, Labbato said.

“I am sad to see it go because the advantages of having [the tournament] as a home game can’t [be] put into words,” Labbato said. “Having hundreds of kids out at the games catapulted us into the finals many times just by sheer adrenaline of the student section.”

The boys varsity soccer team was not be completely abandoned, however, because the main Hooligans still went and showed their support, Smothers said.

Problems aside, the team then set its focus on nothing else but to walk away as winners, including boys varsity goalie Matt Vear ‘18.

“I feel pretty good, even with the possibility of having less fans cheering us on,” Vear said. “I think we will perform the same way and play our best game.”

The stakes were high as the varsity boys entered the battlegrounds of the PepsiCo Showdown tournament, and Labbato shared his pregame nerves about the importance of this tournament.

“There are a lot of good teams going into the Pepsi Showdown and people judge your team by how well you do there,” Labbato said. “It’s a dangerous tournament because everyone is so good in it.”

It turns out the pregame jitters Labbato and the team were facing did not phase them—at first. After their first game on Saturday, Sept.

10, the boys walked away with a shootout win against West Chicago, thanks to three goal saves by Vear, after a 2-2 tie in regular time.

Then, the team moved on to beat Waukegan in an intense battle that resulted in a score on 1-0 in favor of LT, before finally playing in the match that decided it all. The varsity team’s tournament performance finally came to an end after an unfortunate loss to Morton, ending the game with a final score of 4-1.

“It was a let down for our Pepsi Showdown performance,” Vear said. “After a few games, we will get over it and move on with our season.”

Neuqua Valley

Libertyville

Lyons

Lyons

2012

2014

2015

Lyons

Morton

Lyons

Morton

Lyons

Libertyville compiled by Spiro Kass

by Henry Groya @henry_groya

A

s starting quarterback Ben Bryant ‘18 steps onto Bennett Field, his relaxing and calming presence soon changes as he calls out plays and organizes his offense. Bryant, who last year started as a sophomore, now looks forward to improving his abilities as a junior. In the opening game on Aug. 26 against Warren Township, Bryant completed 12 of his 14 passes and threw for 175 yards.

“Last year’s first game didn’t go as well as I wanted, I was very nervous and had jitters,” Bryant said. “But this year I felt much more comfortable, aware and focused.”

Coming off a first round play-off loss to New Trier High School last year, Bryant has begun to improve both his skills and leadership.

“We have to focus week to week and not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Bryant said.

He knows this won’t come easily, as currently two starting offensive linemen, Charlie O’Connor ‘18 and Jack Hangsterfer ‘18, reinjured. However, Bryant looks to see past that fact in their upcoming games. In the 2015 season, Bryant led the team to a four game winning streak at the beginning of the season.

“I think we will do well in these upcoming games. We are more prepared then ever,” Bryant said.

Bryant has begun receiving calls from Division 1 football programs such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Central Michigan University.

“It was really surprising to get calls this early,” Bryant said. “I went to some camps over the summer and the schools started to recognize me.”

Bryant spent long hours during the summer improving his skills. The team has improved as a whole over the summer, he said. Another strong contribution to his success is the strong relationship he has built with Quarterback Coach Jon Beutjer.

Beutjer has been coaching Bryant since he was in 6th grade. Over the years their relationship has strengthened.

“Bryant is a team guy and wants nothing more than to win conference and lead our team to a state championship,” Beutjer said. “He works extremely hard, is calm under pressure,

and goes above and beyond to be the best quarterback that he can be. His overall understanding of offensive schemes and reading defenses has improved as well.”

Beutjer said that Bryant is a positive player and wants nothing more than to win.

He and Bryant consistently talk on and off the field.

“If I am watching film and I see a play I want to use against the opposing team, I’ll text Coach immediately,” Bryant said.

Beutjer is a former quarterback at the University of Illinois and has seen incredible progress with Bryant this season.

“He is much further ahead than I was,” Beutjer said. “He has a stronger arm and a much quicker release than I did as a junior.”

Not only has Bryant developed a strong bond with his coaches, but with his teammates as well. Reggie Terrell ‘17, the current starting running back, said Bryant is the smartest player on the field.

“He works extremely hard and doesn’t only make plays with his arm, but also with his feet,” Terrell said.

Last season Bryant was more timid with his run game, but this year that has changed. He has turned into an effective mobile quarterback, Terrell said. The bond between a running back and a quarterback is typically strong, but with Terrell and Bryant it is even more.

“On the field we are real close,” Terrell said. “We are always talking and laughing.”

Not only can Bryant lead the team, but he also manages to stay calm and friendly to his coaches and peers. Head Coach Kurt Weinberg has also seen significant improvements with Bryant this season.

“Through his knowledge he is beginning to command the game,” Weinberg said. “He consistently performs at a high level.”

Weinberg believes that Bryant has made some significant steps toward being a great offensive leader by making various changes with Beutjer and the offense as a whole. Bryant seems to have created an entirely new attitude for this season and plans to have a more successful year on the field.

Turn to pages 16-17 for full coverage

Receiving remedy

Every year, as many as 8 million Americans with mental illness don’t receive adequate treatment.

health

Friday, September 23, 2016 n Page 14

Chronic cases

One-half of all chronic mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 and three-quarters by age 24.

Established by Congress in 1990, Mental Health Awareness Week takes place the first week of October. It was created to destroy the stigma associated with mental health illness and start an ongoing conversation about mental health.

Discussing mental illness

by Sheridan Spiess @sheridanspiess

Many people around the world believe it’s shameful if they have a mental illness. It is often seen as a weakness rather than a serious health problem. This stigma has made mental illness a seemingly unspoken topic.

With one in five children diagnosed with a mental illness, we need to start talking about it to end the stigma and help those in need.

Sheridan Spiess There is a fear that talking about certain aspects of mental illness will lead to disastrous effects. One aspect of this is the fear of talking about suicide. According to an analysis done by The New York Times, if media writes about suicide without offering hope and resources available to help others suffering from depression, suicide contagion can begin. Suicide contagion is when one person’s suicide influences others to commit suicide. While this is a legitimate reason to avoid the discussion of suicide, it is still essential to let people suffering from all mental illnesses know that there is help and support available to them.

As more people talk about mental illness and the treatment available to them, as others have received, it creates a common experience. For some people reluctant to seek out help, this can be just what they need to convince them otherwise.

Some people talk about mental illness in the wrong way. They speak as if a person is

t of ercen 18 p y t n Twe ged 13 to l a a youth ith a ment . n w tio live condi health

defined by his or her mental illness. With this, those who suffer are even more reluctant to recognize their own mental illness. The more we talk about it as we do other medical disorders, the more likely others will seek the support and treatment.

There are various ways to help students in need, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255). There are also resources available to students within LT. Guidance counselors and social workers are always available to assist students with problems, whether they have to do with academics or mental health. Teachers are another great way to receive help.

“Depending on how much exposure or training they have had in mental health issues, their comfort level may vary, but they can definitely help support a student,” Student Assistance Program Coordinator Jeanne Widing said. “They are very open, if a student does confide in them, they can process with that student, they can get the student either to a place where they can access support outside of school or at the very least take advantage of the supports here at school.”

LT staff is being trained so that they will be informed and aware of these problems, Widing said. Teachers’ day-to-day relationships with students allow students to feel comfortable enough to seek support from their teachers. Students will also learn about mental health through group guidance and over the announcements. For the month of September, LT has spread awareness to students about suicide prevention by offering information over the daily announcements. According to Widing, LT staff is looking to post signs for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline around school, once they have gone through a copyright process that allows them to do this. There are many resources available to students; we just need to let them know that they are here for them.

Serious Statistics One childre out of five n have or aged 13 to 18 serious will develop a mental illness.

50 ately ents m i x ro ud App nt of st der with e l c per 4 and o ss drop 1 lne l. aged ental il schoo h g m i a of h out of ercent Fifty p cases of e lifetim lness begin l i l a ment age 14. at

Source: NAMI.org

Battling mental health

by Christina Rossetti @c_rossetti6

Mental health is no joke. While we may not realize it, many high school students are struggling with many different mental health disorders. The struggles and pressures of high school can lead to anxiety and depression.

“Every day, we see somebody whose mental health functioning is getting in the way of things,” Jeanne Widing, Student Assistance Program Coordinator, said.

Widing sees anxiety, depression, mood regulations and the pressures of battling expectations of teachers, family, schoolwork, sports and clubs. She also sees students setting high standards for themselves as the biggest stressors each day.

“One of the biggest things that students can do is go out and get professional help,” Widing said. “Sometimes it’s helpful to have an objective soundboard, as well as friends. Self-care is very important, as well as getting help professionally, in getting better.”

According to Mental Health America, one in five students has a diagnosable mental health issue. Two thirds of those students go unnoticed.

“Without treatment, children with mental health issues are at increased risk of school

Abou adult t 43.8 mi l ment s experien lion al illn ce given ess in a year.

O adu ne ou t l me ts live of five nta l ill with nes a s.

Compiled by Sheridan Spiess

failure, contact with the criminal justice system, dependence on social services, and even suicide,” Mental Health America reported.

One important factor of battling mental health is speaking out.

“Oftentimes, it’s hard for us to get out of our own feelings and our own brain,” Widing said. “If somebody helps us do that, it can be really enlightening.”

Mental Health America states that there are many indicators that a mental health issue may have arisen, such as: decline in school performance, poor grades despite strong efforts, constant worry or anxiety, repeated refusal to go to school or to take part in normal activities, hyperactivity or fidgeting, persistent nightmares, persistent disobedience or aggression, frequent temper tantrums, depression, sadness or irritability.

“Going to see a counselor would be a great starting point to begin to cope with these mental health issues,” Widing said.

However, out of many responsibilities that students face, mental health should take top priority.

“Dealing with any mental health issue is a matter of problem solving,” Widing said.

“It doesn’t mean you have to lose something that is causing stress totally, but just maybe take a weekend off. Or just maybe take step back for a minute from an activity. Realize that it’s okay to get a ‘B’ on a paper rather than to stay up too late and work toward the ‘A’. It’s a matter of prioritizing and realizing you don’t have to lose something, you just might have to take a step back from it for a little bit.”

High schoolers hired This year, 50 percent of all companies are creating high school internship positions.

Students work for Senator Mark Kirk

By Hallie Coleman @hallie_coleman

Over the summer, Brain Zak ‘17 and Miles Hessian ‘18 both worked as interns helping with Senator Mark Kirk’s re-election campaign. Kirk’s opposing candidate in the election is Democrat Tammy Duckworth. Although Zak and Hession did play different roles in the process, they both were helping others better understand Kirk’s policies.

“It definitely changed my outlook on the world and politicians,” Hession said.

Both Zak and Hession were looking for meaningful summer internships. Zak is currently interning at the Downers Grove Township Republican office dealing with door to door campaigning, surveying and taking calls, primarily focusing on what people want in a candidate.

Hessian worked at the legislative office dealing with case work, field trips and phone calls, primarily focusing on helping others comprehend Kirk’s decision- making. Over the summer, the two students had very similar hours, usually from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“I’m calling people from everywhere in Illinois,” Zak said. “Everybody has a very different political opinion, and that’s really reflected in the sheer amount of people I get to talk to.”

Although working for the same cause, the two had very different experiences.

“It was really interesting,” Hession said. “I’m a Democrat, but [Kirk] is a Republican and most of the other interns there were Republicans, so it was interesting for me to get that different point of view.”

Both Zak and Hessian expressed how much they gained from their time just by communicating with other people.

“It has taught me a lot about interacting with people just because you meet so many different people,” Zak said. “A lot of people may not be the nicest and may not want to speak to you, so it’s dealing with a lot of rejection.”

Zak will continue with his internship until the end of Kirk’s campaign in November, he said.

“It’s good for people to get involved,” Zak said. “I can’t vote, but I feel like I am still doing my civic duty by working on the campaign.”

DirectlyAfter Accident

Nicole Pigatto ‘17 sits up for the first time at Loyola. (Pigatto)

PROFILES Friday, September 23, 2016 n Page 15

Inbound immigrants In 2014, a reported 1,016,518 immigrants were granted lawful U.S. citizenship.

English teacher helps, works with immigrants Teacher spends summer volunteering, helping with assimilation, teaching English and computer skills to displaced immigrants

by Maddy Cohen @maddyc700

While most teachers use summer as a time to riences, but the kids are always great,” he said. get away from their demanding jobs, Language Arts Although the students were of different race, age teacher William Wesley decided that he would use and religion, they all had one thing in common: a his free time and teaching skills to give back and hope for a safer future in America. No matter if they complete a task perhaps even more difficult than worked with Wesley one-on-one or in a group of 20 dealing with high school students: teach immigrants people, he was thanked profusely, Wesley said. basic English skills.

“It’s an extremely “Watching people inspiring atmosphere,” from different counWesley said. “Some tries who spoke difpeople had to flee ferent languages make countries where there friends with one anwas genocide and still other was great,” Wesfind a way to smile and ley said. move on with their Wesley volunlives.” teered at Heartland In both classes, Alliance, located in Wesley encountered Chicago, every Tuesmany challenges in day and Thursday trying to teach with teaching immigrants such a strong language from all over the world barrier. The most difEnglish and computficult was coming up er skills. According with creative ways to Immigrant students study material that William Wesley had to the organization’s convey English words, provided them at Hearthland Alliance. (Wesley) website, Heartland AlWesley said. While liance provides housing, healthcare, job training and words like ‘mouse’ could be more easily explained secure safety in 12 countries. Specifically, they offer by squeaking around the classroom, Wesley also had aid with immigration, visas, education, job place- to try and define some of the most basic words of the ment and living arrangements to those who have English language: such as if, to and the. been forcibly displaced from their own country.

“At Heartland, as in most ESL settings, the in“There’s a lot of conversation,” Wesley said. structors do not use materials that translate from “You try to get to know people and their stories.” another language to English,” Wesley said. “We just Many of the students in the class had little to no have English words we are trying to teach them.” experience speaking English, which required WesAlthough Wesley was one of the teachers, this ley to start with topics as simple as the alphabet. experience impacted him just as much as he impactFrom there, he built on each lesson through playful ed the students. games, humor and visual tricks, he said.

“Doing something like this will enrich your life “It’s amazing how humor, even if you can’t speak and make you feel better about humanity and yourthe language, allows you to laugh with them and self,” Wesley said. make them feel welcome,” Wesley said.

Though it was Wesley’s first year as a volunteer, The classroom was adjusted to the students, Wes- he plans to go back next summer and hopes to teach ley said. A majority of the students came from the and connect with students like he did these past Middle East, but students came from other places months. as well. It was not uncommon for mothers to have “We are all the same,” Wesley said. “You realize their children in the classroom or in the hall, or for no matter how different a person’s culture or lanhim to alter the class schedule based on the religious guage or religion is, at some level we’re all the same. needs of students, Wesley said.

We’re all just looking for decency and respect and a “Many of them could be traumatized from expe- place that’s safe.”

Student recovers from car crash Senior reaccounts crash and road to recovery

by Sarah Grier @smgrier On June 3, Nicole Pigatto ‘17 raced to catch the 12:05 train for a day at the beach by running across two lanes of traffic stopped at the LaGrange intersection of Spring and 47th. In the lane closest to her, a car obstructed by a large tree went around a stopped car, flying through the intersection and hit her. This caused her left side to crash into the windshield and then roll onto the street, breaking both collarbones, her thumb and leaving severe road burns.

“The last thing I remember was leaving my house and onto the driveway,” Pigatto said. “I think that there were guardian angels there becuase you don’t hear someone get hit by a car like that and then walk away from it a month later.”

After the car hit Pigatto, her two friends with her, Clare Cooley ‘17 and Kylee Leyden ‘17 were frantic, as they looked for signs of life in their unconscious friend. Luckily, a mother of a senior at LT, Clare Groya, was driving one of the stopped cars and immediately took control of the situation.

“I had this little mom instinct that was like, ‘Oh, I think that they’re going to try to run across,’” Groya said.

Cooley and Leyden were unable to fit into the ambulance with Pigatto, so Groya drove the girls to Lagrange Hospital.

“She just offered a mother’s love and comfort as we were sitting traumatized and crying,” Leyden said. “Later, she just kept texting and making sure we were all okay and met up with all of us for lunch. Overall, she was just a kind-hearted stranger who proved how impactful someone can be.”

After getting the all-clear from LaGrange, Pigatto was transferred to Loyola hospital to the pediatrics floor. However, as this transition was happening, Pigatto’s parents were five hours away in Ohio, dropping off her older brother at freshman orientation. When they heard the news, Pigatto’s mother’s heart plummeted and raced to get to the hospital, unaware of Pigatto’s condition.

“I remember my mom coming in sobbing and putting her head in my lap, and I kept saying to her ‘I’m okay mom, I’m okay,’” Pigatto said.

Pigatto was fortunate enough that her collarbones did not require surgery; however, she was unable to lift her arms off her body for the next two weeks.

Thankfully, she had a lot of sup-

Student forms independent study

By Hallie Coleman @hallie_coleman

After completing every Spanish level that LT has to offer, Lucy Meehan ‘17 decided to take on a challenge. She was determined to expand and share her Spanish knowledge by taking an independent study in Spanish, here at LT. “It’s really cool to be able to teach people the material I have already learned,” Meehan said.

Meehan began taking Spanish when she was in preschool. When she moved on to middle school, she found that she had already learned the material. This is when she decided to take a placement test in eighth grade that allowed her to take Spanish 2 Accel at SC. “[Spanish] has always come kind of easily to me,” she said.

The independent study consists of teaching other students vocabulary, while also mastering new material. Meehan is currently reading a play titled “El Colour de Nuestra Piel” (The Color of Our Skin) about racism in Mexico during the early 1900s. She is graded on oral presentations, as well as tests about the play, by Spanish teacher Ellen Acuña. This will be Acuña’s third year teaching Meehan.

“She’s always demonstrated a strong desire to speak in Spanish, and she’s always very well-prepared in class,” Acuña said. “She has an enthusiasm that is admirable for someone taking a foreign language.”

The process for creating Meehan’s independent study required a lot of paperwork and approval.

Acuña had to present a form that described the course work to the division chair, Meehan’s parents and administration, all of whom had to approve the independent study, she said. “[Acuña] had to put in a lot of extra work to make it happen,” Meehan said. “I’m really happy she was wiling to do this for me.”

Meehan plans to either double major with Spanish and business or minor in Spanish. She also hopes to study abroad in Spain to experience the cultural aspects of the language, Meehan said.

“She is doing a very good job already,” Acuña said. “She is making the process easy because she is organized and enthusiastic about what we’re doing.”

port during her time of recovery.

“The entire neighborhood was very supportive because I got so many cards from neighbors who heard,” Pigatto said. “My friends did so much for me and visited me almost every day when I was at the hospital and the weeks that followed when I was at home.”

Although the accident was traumatic for Pigatto and her friends, the adversity brought the three closer than they had been before.

“When you feed someone, help them change, and scratch their itches, you become close on a new level,” Cooley said. “She’s one of the most determined and competitive people I know. Her recovery was a difficult battle that put all these traits to the test, but in the end, she definitely won.”

After that day, Pigatto learned how important it is to appreciate every moment and never take life for granted.

“People are always in a hurry to get somewhere, and now I don’t see the need to be in a hurry,” Pigatto said. “I now would’ve rather walked there and been walking on the beach two hours later rather than getting hit by a car and it taking away my entire Pigatto on June 27, almost a month after the accident. (Pigatto) summer.”

RoadTo Recovery

Phone phobia

phones

Immutable Instagram

Nearly 53-percent of mobile phone users suffer from nomophobia: the fear of losing your phone.

52 million photos are uploaded to Instagram each day and 20 billion photos have been uploaded since it launched.

Friday, September 23, 2016  Pages 16 and 17

Superior software

This year, 1.4 billion smartphones will be in use; 294 million of them will run using Apple’s software.

Perpetual pictures

9,000 snapchats are sent every minute and 60 percent of those users are between the ages of 13 and 14.

Phone Frenzy Pick up the phone “A

Phone psychology

by Grace Palmer @gpalmz32

H

ow many times do you look at your phone throughout the day? Odds are, you do it a lot more than you actually think. According to CNN, the average teenager spends about nine hours on his or her phone every day, which is about the same amount of time that the average teen sleeps per night. So why has looking at phones become second nature for this young generation of teens? Two words: Social media.

Social media includes smart phone apps like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to name a few. With these apps, teens are allowed to share, like, post and send to their hearts’ desire. But teens seem to take this freedom and desire to a new level when they begin to use it while they should be doing something more important.

According to CNN, half of teens say they “often” or “sometimes” use social media or watch TV while doing their homework. Some 60 percent say they text and more than 75 percent say they listen to music while working on schoolwork at home. Even though students keep themselves entertained while doing algebra homework, experts question their quality of work while they are multitasking. However, according to CNN, nearly two-thirds of teenagers say watching TV or texting makes no difference and more than 50 percent

feel the same way when it comes to social media.

So why do teenagers feel the need to constantly look at social media even when they are supposed to be doing homework? A term psychologists use to explain this is called “FOMO” (also known as the fear of missing out) is often the main cause. Teens believe that while they are not looking at social media their friends are posting and sharing without them. This fear causes them to continually look minute after minute just to be sure that nothing is happening without them seeing it first.

Sociologist Robert Faris, a school bullying and youth aggression researcher and the other author of the study, “#BeingThirteen” said, “There’s a lot of anxiety about what’s going on online when they’re not actually online, so that leads to compulsive checking.” According to CNN, the more teens look at social media, the study found, the more distressed they can become. The heaviest social media users admitted to checking their social media feeds more than 100 times a day, sometimes even during school hours, just to make sure they were not missing out.

So the next time you think about hitting that unlock button or press the Instagram logo, think about the real reason you want to like, post, share, and send.

We surveyed 424 LT students to find out what the typical phone usage is for teenagers.

66%

of students use their phone in class

77% 87%

of students use their phone while doing their homework

ll anyone does anymore is stare down at their phone screens! No one actually communicates anymore!”

If you’re a teenager, you have heard this countless times from parents, grandparents or anyone who hates smart phones but definitely owns one. The downsides of smartphones are well documented, but the wonderful benefits they hold are often downplayed. The common complaint with smart phones, of course, is that they hinder communication and interaction.

However, this is quite the opposite.

Many situations are certainly unsuitable to be using a smartphone and never should they replace face-to-face communication as many fear. But these sinister inventions corrupting the minds of us Millennials are adding more channels of communication than ever before, and we constantly reap those unseen benefits.

With smartphones, communication is never lost but always available (except in the basement of NC).

Constant communication allows connection and interaction with anyone and everyone—friends, family and loved ones, no matter where they or you are.

We can be and are much closer to everyone we care about, and just everyone in general for that matter.

Cell phones have also improved communication in

Drop the phone T

ake a look around you-- what do most people have in their hands, pockets, or bags? A cell phone, almost certainly a smartphone. With the new adjustments to the LT cell phone policy, students are allowed to use their phones in class with teacher consent and in the halls. Although this change seems innately good with almost unlimited freedom to use phones, the real problem here is a lack of human interaction. Phones are a driving force in stealing raw and irreplaceable social encounters that could possibly be more beneficial than the constant gratification found in a phone or the social media on it.

To begin, with full disclosure, I am as heavily reliant on my phone to communicate with my friends through texting, social media and about any media outlet available as most other people our age. However, I have seen the unfortunate normalcy of cell phone usage recently while there is a whole world around us to be seen and experienced. I am calling upon each of you to think about your daily actions and habits for the few short minutes it takes you to read this.

Cell phones have been around for almost 40 years, but in our day and age, cell phones have evolved into bright screens that connect you to all your friends, family and the world in a second. This intense level of interconnection is helpful to coincide with the fast-paced life so many teens often have, but it also pushes us to always be connected, looking down.

Because of this, relationships are heavily influenced on the amount of time spent texting a person rather than the amount of time spent with that person.

Psychology Today found that 80 percent of teens prefer contacting friends by texting. Our relationships are being formed in a technological world that only fosters more use of technology in that relation-

by Thomas Atseff @thomas_atseff

times of emergency and have overall made the world a much safer place in general, with the ability to instantly contact the police or other authorities when in need.

With smartphones, we also have connection and digital access to almost every single piece of art, movie, TV show, etc. This not only has brought great, endless entertainment and happiness to our lives, but also enables us to locate potential passions and interests.

The ability to watch movies, TV or other forms of entertainment on your phone, whenever and wherever you want with Netflix and various other apps and websites, is truly incredible to have at our fingertips.

Smartphones have also allowed everyone to be aware of the constant news cycle much more easily.

With apps for nearly every major news organization as well as social media apps like Twitter, everyone can remain informed about the news going on every single day. This is also made possible with constant connection to the internet on smartphones.

Despite their well-documented flaws, smartphones have undoubtedly benefited everyone’s lives and made us a more connected society. They provide us with countless opportunities to experience and enjoy.

So appreciate them, because these tiny screens can make us smile, laugh, cry and everything in between.

1959

Phone usage According to recent research, people in the U.S. check their Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts a staggering 17 times a day. You could be laying in a hammock, eating bagged spaghetti. Or cook a hot meal. Go to an animal shelter and hold cats or dogs.

1973

by Caroline Konstant @carolinekon

ship and a lazy attitude. For example, how often have you decided to face-time your friend when it was possible to meet up with them in-person? Full detachment is unrealistic because of how much our life is dependent on being connected, but small changes of “throwing your phone away” are completely possible and healthy.

Teens can often be found with their noses buried in their phone, whether it be checking news feeds, looking up a crucial fact or texting their friends throughout the day. Because of this constant connection, relationships can be severely altered. When in a social scene, phones are used as a buffer to ease awkward moments of stalled conversation, sometimes to avoid conversations entirely. While they most certainly are a godsend in a time of despair, they have the same capability of pulling you away from beautiful moments. Too often are our heads buried in our phones and not facing another breathing human being. The time we spend checking snapchat stories may relieve stress and help time fly, but that time is valuable. Life is made up of so many moments that you simply cannot take them all in if you’re lost in a screen daze.

We should all take the moment for what it is, whether it is a beautiful sunset or the moment you take a bite of the best slice of pizza. In the ever-present and relatable series “The Office,” Pam and Jim take “mental pictures” of the high points during their wedding, so they can be present and have those memories for the rest of their life. When a phone comes into play, the simple act of taking a picture takes you away from the hidden sparks of the moment. So make the effort to put away your phone, as hard as it may be, and soak up every fortunate sliver of life that a moment has to offer.

“It is quite shocking that on average, approaching one-third of people’s waking hours are spent using their phones, being used on average five times an hour, every waking hour.” Build a bunker or learn to crochet.

47-percent of smartphone owners say that their smartphone is something “they couldn’t live without,” compared with 54 percent who say that their phone is “not always needed.”

The average person unlocks his or her phone 110 times a day. With this time, you could organize your movie collections. Buy a pair of gaucho pants. Protest.

Compiled by Sydney Kaehler

2016 2007

2004

of students would not be comfortable leaving their phone at home during school

58%

of students use social media most frequently on their phone

2002

2006

Expensive entertainment The average Fantasy Football player spends $110 on bets each year to play the game.

football Friday, September 23, 2016 n Page 18

Mainly masculine Over 33 million people play Fantasy Football and 20-percent of players are women.

The latest Sunday football tradition

by Spencer Levinson @spencerlevinson

In an age when fantasy football is a near-equal part of Sunday-football tradition as football itself, it seems natural to wonder how the virtual nation-wide obsession effects the NFL and it’s fans. Yes, the way we watch football has changed since the days before fantasy, and the way football is covered by the media has changed with it. Fantasy football is cultural; something seemingly unique to our nation.

Before we get into why fantasy has changed the game of football, one crucial question must be addressed: what is it that makes fantasy football so compelling? Is it the camaraderie between friends playing in a league, or the technicality of drafting players by rank of effectiveness in order to rack up as many points as possible? Maybe it’s the sheer competition of it; a battle for bragging rights or even a little cash.

“By far the best thing about fantasy football is beating your friend’s team and then winning it all, which I do every year,” Will Stenner ‘18 said.

With so many things to like, it’s easy to see why fantasy sport has become a staple of our American football tradition. But fantasy football went a step farther than to align itself with the pigskin sport; it changed the way we view the game, and how that game is exposed to us. Picture a time when football fans rooted for teams over players. A time when the only draft that crossed your mind was the NFL draft, not simply one between friends in fierce competition for bragging rights.

Source: Bustedtees.com

Q

A &

WLTL Sports Director Cole Tuisl ‘17 sat down with LION to answer some questions and give us some tips on Fantasy Football.

by Juliana Halpin @jhalps315

If you have a fantasy team, you’re probably watching more than just one game a week. You check in on your players by watching them in game, debating between trade proposals and simply rooting for your key assets. You aren’t just watching football, you’re a general manager. You vigorously manage your team in a feverish pre-trade deadline crunch. All in all, fantasy seems to make football matter more.

“Being a Packers fan, I only watched [the Packers] and sometimes the Bears,” Kevin Lizik ‘18 said. “But when I started fantasy I would watch almost every game too make sure my players were playing well.”

Football media coverage is changing as well. In the United States and Canada, almost 57 million people age 12 and above played fantasy sports in 2014, according to the New York Post. With so many people invested in fantasy, it’s safe to say that it would be a smart move for sports-broadcasting channels to appeal to that audience as best they can. Thus, the creation of NFL RedZone. It’s a channel that frequently reports the statistical performance of players and switches between games in constant progression. This caters to fantasy players who want to monitor more than one game at once.

The amount of people that play fantasy football in the U.S. and at LT is staggering. It’s broad spectrum of appeals seem grab the interest of football fans of all kinds, so it’s not surprising that fantasy has made such an impact on the way we view the sport, along with how the media might cover it.

(Halpin) Q: How long have you participated in Fantasy Football?

(Tuisl) A: Since seventh or eighth grade, about a year or two after I started watching football Q: How do you pick your teams and players?

A: There’s an online draft through the website you use, whether it’s ESPN, Yahoo or NFL Network and you log on whenever your draft time is. Your draft pick determines when you pick and it’s usually a serpentine style draft. In a 10 team league if I had the seventh pick in the first round, I get the third pick in the second round, and it goes on like that for however many rounds there are.

Q: How often do you change players?

A: Weekly, you almost have to. Nobody is going to find the best possible player on all 14 or 15 of their picks, and no team is going to be able to avoid injuries. There are always players that disappoint you and there’s others that surprisingly play really well, [racking up] yards that weren’t drafted at all. Trades are also a big part of fantasy football. Bye weeks for players are an issue too, [for example] if your kicker or team defense isn’t playing this week, you have to pick somebody up to replace them that week or longer.

Q: How do you earn points to win Fantasy Football?

A: More yards and TDs turn into more points from any position, unless it’s team defense where less TDs and yards mean less point deductions. More points means more [wins] for your team.

Q: Do you have any strategy in picking your players?

A: Absolutely. There’s so much [strategy] that goes into picking a player. [For example,] how many opportunities they have to get points, if someone will get a lot of chances in the redzone, injury risk/history, if their roster on their actual team gives them the opportunity to succeed and value at the draft pick. For your first round pick, you [want to] pick a guy that is almost guaranteed to put up a high amount of fantasy points with low risk of anything bad happening, like injury or underperformance. [In] your 10th or 11th round pick, you’re going to take a risk on somebody who probably won’t, but might put up big numbers. There is also strategy on when to pick a certain position, but that depends on the person. The most common [strategies] for that are to take a team defense and a kicker with two of your last three or four draft picks and to take a stud running back with one of your first couple draft picks.

Q: In your opinion, do you have to be an expert on football to participate in Fantasy Football?

A: Not at all, just do a little research a few days before your draft and you could have a solid team. Even the Fantasy Football experts like Matthew Berry on ESPN are wrong sometimes.

Q: What advice and tips would you give to others entering Fantasy Football?

A: Do a little research, it can go a long way in making sure you don’t draft anybody who’s draft value is way too high.

ADVERTISE WITH LION Interested in advertising in our publication?

Contact Business Manager Spiro Kass at kas503525@student.lths.net for details.

Tongue tied About 42-percent of people will tie their shoes on their first date to break the awkward tension typically present.

Dating

Friday, September 23, 2016 n Page 19

Trash talk On average, trash bins are the focal point of conversations while on a date in a kitchen.

We all know about those embarassing middle school dates that featured awkward hugs, sweaty hand-holding and minimal talking. We convinced several current and former LT students to share some of their stories. Most of them wanted to remain anonymous, but you can enjoy their adolescent angst and pre-teen passion with their bumbling beloveds.

Worth the dollar

Dead Battery Alright, so here’s the scoop. It was the middle of December, there was snow on the ground, and my at-the-time girlfriend of less than one month and I had spent an hour or two staying warm at Panera, studying for our upcoming finals. Before dropping her off at home, we got ice cream (as stereotypical high school relationships go) and parked alongside a field in La Grange to sit and talk. As it got later, I went to turn the engine back on, and all I got was the buzz and stall we’re probably all familiar with. With no other option, my girlfriend called her senior-in-college football star brother, (who I had not yet met) and explained our situation. He came in about 15 minutes, looked me up and down when he got out of his car, and sidelined me as he jumpstarted my car—on an abandoned street, in the dead of winter, in La Grange, Illinois. Without much more than a goodbye, my girlfriend rode home with her brother and I took a ride of shame back to my house with my faulty battery.

Iced over When I was in sixth grade, a boy took me to get ice cream, which he paid for with his mom’s money.

All we did was walk around DTLG and make little conversation. He ended up walking me home and ended our date by giving me a high five. We broke up a week later by him sending me a “KIK” saying “I’m dumping you.” 2011 was quite the year.

It was a middle school crush, someone who I had always dreamed of dating, but sadly never had the chance to. By the end of eighth grade, this boy knew I had a crush on him for the past three years and things were quite awkward between us. One day, I went to the park with a few of my friends and low and behold, my crush showed up with all of his friends. There was awkward conversation and a game of cherry cherry. But all of a sudden a new girl showed up at the park and my crush began to flirt with her for $1. Everyone asked me if I was jealous, but at this point I was already over him.

Someone suggested that I slap him for $1, which I took them up on. I walked over to my ex-crush and slapped him across the face and exclaimed “I thought we had something special.” He was shocked, but I walked away with a smirk on face.

Dud Denied

It was a bright, sunny Friday morning as the McClure seventh graders gathered outside the side entrance clumped into various friend groups gossiping and chatting. The hum of the promising weekend hovered around the building, but I, Abby King ‘16, did not share the same excitement.

Caleb Baron ‘16 had hesitantly walked over to my group of girlfriends and interrupted our conversation. “Abby, my love, will you give me the honor of being my girlfriend?” MY HEART DROPPED. I began to sweat feverishly. Forgetting how to breathe I leaned on one of my friends next to me for support. The once sunny Friday turned into a dizzy, terrifying mess. My friends were giggling and whispering. My eyes met Baron’s, who was waiting for a response. “Um” I said then proceeded to quickly run away. However, Baron was one of my good friends. So, I did what any seventh grade girl would do. I made his best friend, Bailey Blum ‘16, tell him I said yes. I managed not seeing or talking to Caleb for the entire 17 hour relationship. The next night I had texted him that my dad wouldn’t allow me to date. Cop-out that definitely wasn’t true, but we continued on as friends. He will always be my first boyfriend.

Returned Bear My boyfriend asked me out over text and two weeks later, I texted him on Valentine’s Day and said I just wanted to be friends. He bought me a present, so he immediately walked right back into Walgreens and returned the stuffed teddy bear.

Candy Hand Music heals It was our second time back together. I broke up with him over text with a crafted message on my slide phone. I regretted it immediately after I sent it, so I watched the video for “Want You Back” by Cher Lloyd on TV on demand. A true seventh grade heartbreak.

Peeping Friends

I was in a sixth grade relationship and things were getting pretty serious (like we’ve been dating for three days type serious). Both our friend groups decided it was time for us to have our first kiss. So we all met at a mall and hid out in the parking garage and I had my first kiss, eyes open, while all of my friends watched from behind a car.

Compiled by Grace Palmer Illustrations by Sydney Kaehler

Mother knows best

Our relationship prospered in the hallways of Park Jr. High, with awkward smiles and about two hugs within a year. Although technically we weren’t “dating” because his mom wouldn’t let him. It was April 1, 2013 and I felt that our “relationship” was coming to an end. I nervously grabbed my slide phone and texted him that I no longer liked him.

At first he responded with “April fools?” and guilt consumed me. Then after responding no, he angrily texted me that I just said last week that I wanted to kiss him. After one year the opportunity was lost.

Funions? Dunions.

On and off relationship in seventh grade, our end came when he Snapchatted me a black screen that said, “We’re Dunions.”

My boyfriend in seventh grade and I never talked but for Valentines Day he came to my locker and gave me a handful of candy and walked away without making eye contact with me. He dumped me two weeks later with a text saying “I think we should be friends.”

Hobo Smooch

It was a classic Western Springs date in Spring Rock Park when my sixth grade boyfriend and I decided to explore the infamous hobo-land. Hobo-land for all of the non-springer’s out there is a small creek under a bridge known to have hobo sightings. While my date and I sat under the bridge he decided to go in for a kiss on the cheek; however, I was startled by him moving towards my face and turned my head quickly to look at him resulting in the most awkward kiss on the lips. What followed was an eternity of silence. We broke up shortly after that.

Improv Show

LT Theatre Board will present “So _____: You’ll _____ 8: Fill in the _____”, high-stakes, competitive improvisational comedy in the South Campus PAC on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., Sept. 23 at 3:30 and 7 p.m., and Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.

Friday, September 23, 2016  Page 20

GET OUT Weekend Entertainment  Events Calendar

Stix and Stones redesigns typical pizza Pizza parlor incorporates unique ingredients along with a fresh, inviting atmosphere

Weekend Weather Friday

Rain High: 80 Low: 65

Saturday

Rain High: 80 Low: 64

Sunday

Rain High: 78 Low: 59

Album Review: ‘Blonde’

by Fred Moody @Fred_moods

/out of five Paws

by Caroline Konstant @carolinekon

Four years ago, millions were introduced to Frank Ocean and his Pizza is a staple for Friday night quick bites and we all are both sharp and creamy. All the flavors oozed together with the red soulful crooning as he sat attached to our favorite place, but when I have the opportunity to sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcain front of a live studio autry something new, I always jump at the opportunity. Hidden in the nic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius. I couldn’t help but get dience surrounded by the Fred Moody glowing screens of classic shopping center of Burr Ridge, you can find the up-and-coming Ne- lost in a world of cheese from the few bites I had taken. apolitan wood fired pizza parlor Stix and Stones (505 Village Center I followed with the Soppressata “Honey Luv” which featured arcade games on “Saturday Night Live.”

Dr., Burr Ridge) that opened about a year house-made mozzarella, parmesan, Since then, Ocean has played a game of ago. It is a fast casual dining option that spicy soppressata, crushed chili flakes, hide and seek, leading his fans to believe encompasses exactly what it sells: great honey and oregano. It came with a they would never see the New Orlequality pizza and welcoming décor. special marinara dipping sauce, just in ans-born R&B sensation again or hear his The restaurant is designed in a modcase there weren’t enough tomatoes on follow up to 2012’s “channel ORANGE.” ern and inviting layout that pulls you to this pizza. The sweet melodies of the They were met with cryptic images of the nearest table, either inside or outside, honey complemented the spicy tones of library cards with phantom release dates weather permitting. The abundance of the soppressata to create a joyous music and years of delays. When the wait finally choices of salads, sides, sandwiches and that danced on my taste buds. ended, it came in the form of a live stream pizzas are all posted right next to the regThe crust of the pizza is what makes titled “Endless,” which showed Ocean ister with a brief run-down of the dish’s Stix and Stones such a great pizza excrafting a spiral staircase out of plymain ingredients. It makes ordering a cursion. Because they use a wood fired wood with a fuzzy distorted soundtrack breeze, if you’re not as indecisive as I am. oven and type 00 flour dough that is of entirely new music playing beneath After a few minutes of contemplation tender and high quality, the crust of the tutorial. The very next day, the full and various questions posed to the emtheir pizza is exceptional, but also length 17-track album was independently Stix and Stones Honey Luv pizza.

(Caroline Konstant/LION) ployees, I settled on ordering the 4 Cheese very different than what we consider to released by Ocean through Apple music ($12) and the Soppressata “Honey Luv” ($13), both 12 inches, each be crust. The crust is super thin and a bit flimsy, but the pizza still alongside a wonderfully hazy and majestic perfect for a single serving. holds up the intense flavors and unique concoctions. music video for the lead track “Nikes” Shortly after choosing my own table in the dining room, a server To top the meal off, Stix and Stones offers a fresh scoop of Plush and a coffee table book titled “Boys Don’t immediately greeted me and placed the plates, silverware and spice Horse ice cream ($4.75). With a variety of flavors ranging from Cry.” Finally, his fans could breathe a sigh cart consisting of parmesan and crushed chili flakes on my table. chocolate to Superman, anyone’s sweet tooth can be satisfied with of relief.

Within a few minutes of ordering, my pizza arrived promptly on a just one scoop and topping.

“Blonde” is a noticeable departure from hot silver pan that is fresh out of the oven.

Bottom Line: Stix and Stones provides a darling atmosphere open the glossy beats and youthful guise of I started with the 4 Cheese which was made with gorgonzola, to all pizza lovers who aren’t afraid to try something new. It’s fresh “channel ORANGE,” showing a maturafontina, taleggio and house made mozzarella. The cheeses all played ingredients shine through and entice its customers to return again tion in Ocean’s incredible songwriting. In off one another to create a thoughtful concoction of cheese that was and try the variety of pizzas.

“Blonde,” he exhibits a spiritual enlightenment not previously present, most notably in “Godspeed” and “Futura Free.” While “channel ORANGE” seems to display the wide range at which Ocean can perform, “Blonde,” seems to be concentrated in its -VeganMania: Saturday, Oct. 1, musical scope. It is very explorative in its 10am-5pm, 5917 N Brodway, own right, not in complexity but in miniOld-fashioned theater offers throwback style, family-friendly atmosphere -Apple Fest: Saturday, Oct. 1-2, malism. What’s so wonderful about this is 9am – 6pm, Lincoln Ave bethat Ocean is able to create such complex

by Sheridan Spiess tween Lawrence & Eastwood music, yet as simplistic as possible and still @sheridanspiess -Bengtson’s Pumpkin Fest: release it with mass appeal to an audience Upon entering Cascade Drive-in, located at night. An adult ticket costs $10, children ages 5 to 11 Sept. 17-Oct. 30, every day of music consumers who in this day and 1100 E. North Ave, West Chicago, I felt that I had cost $5, and children under the age of 5 are admitted 11am- 9pm 13341 W. 151st St. age usually veer away from such stylistic traveled in a time machine and gone back to the for free. Pets are also allowed in the drive-in. There is Homer Glen, 60491 melodrama and synthesizers.

1950s. As I parked my car, I was welcomed by no additional fee for parking.

Similar to “channel ORANGE,” -Richardson’s Farm corn maze: ‘50s music, an old fashioned snack shop and vinThere is a snack shop in the middle of the lot that “Blonde” incorporates short snippets of Sept. 3-Oct. 30, Wed- Sun tage-looking car speakers placed next to each spot. offers a variety of concessions. A large popcorn cost conversation but in a far more advanced 10am- 11pm, 909 English -PraiAfter arriving at the drive-in a little after the $8.75 and a large soda cost $4.25. Although they sell fashion. On “Be Yourself,” Ocean’s friend’s rie Road Spring Grove, 60081 box office opened at 7 p.m., it quickly began to food there, outside food is allowed in the drive-in. mom warns him not to use drugs, which -Basement of the Dead hauntfill up with other cars at 7:15 p.m. I recommend Cascade Drive-In seemed like a family-friendly he follows up by beginning the next song, ed house: Sept. 23–Oct. 31,Fri arriving early to attain a spot with a clear view of place, as many families surrounded me to watch “Find- “Solo,” with the lyrics “Hand me a towel 7-10pm, Sat/Sun 6-10 pm, 42 the movie screen. ing Dory,” followed I’m dirty dancing by myself/ Gone off W New York Street, Aurora, Although I arrived by “Pete’s Dragon.” tabs of that acid.” This sharp juxtaposition 60506 early, I was parked Although it is a perfect between good guidance and Ocean’s total -Scarecrow Fest: Oct. 7-9, near the end of one activity for families, a disregard of it shows how self-aware he is Friday/ Saturday 10am-9pm of the rows, so it was person of any age will and the progression his music has made in Sunday 10am-5pm, Downtown a bit of a challenge to enjoy this throwback four years. see the screen comexperience.

St. Charles Aesthetically, Ocean weaves the tracks pared to the parking If you’re looking together like a sonic quilt he has been GetConnected spots in the middle of for a new way to enjoy a working on his whole life. They flow bethe rows. movie, I highly rectween each other so smoothly, it feels as After placing the ommend taking the lionnewspaper.com if you are walking through a house enterspeaker in the car, I 45-minute drive from ing a room, hearing a song, then walking opened up the trunk LaGrange. Even though down the hallway to a conversation and @LTLionNewspaper and climbed in to it is a bit of a trek comarriving to the next distinct room as soon watch the movie. The pared to movie theatres facebook.com/ as the next song is ready to play. This LionNewspaper sound was clear and around town, it is worth playfulness of emotion between tracks is the screen was easily the drive to see a movie one of the defining factors of this album visible even with other Drive-in movie screen and snack shop. (Sheridan Spiess/LION) in an entire new setting. and what makes it unique. @ltlionnewspaper large cars in the lot.

Bottom line: I was Although it doesn’t have the shock and The drive-in also offers an area with lawn impressed by the large lot, happy with the low movie awe that came along with the now-classic Subscribe to chairs if you don’t wish to sit in your vehicle. price compared to most movie theaters, and found the “channel ORANGE,” “Blonde” implores LION Newspaper Cascade Drive-In plays two movies for the drive-in much more exciting than your typical trip to the listener to actually listen and hear price of one if you are willing to stay late into the the movie theatre. what Ocean has to say as he pours his soul lionnewspaper out into melodies that feel like midnight.

Cascade Drive-in astonishes

Matthew Harris Read about former LT alumni Matthew Harris ‘13 on his recent Northwestern football captaincy.

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School Dance

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Find out about the recent success of the return of the Back to School Dance held at the LT Corral on Sept. 9.

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Fire Alarm

Discover the cause of the recent fire alarm in the NC Fieldhouse that caused evacuation of all of NC.

Brock Turner

See our take on the recent release of the former Stanford swimmer, Brock Turner, from jail on good behavior.

4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558