Issue 2 Oct. 23

LT staff responds to recent tragedy LION reveals how administration, crisis team handles student death

by Gaby Sabatino @gabysab8

O

ver the course of the past six months, the LT community has suffered the devastating loss of two students. Dylan Buginas passed away on April 7, 2015 and Neyla Soriano on Sept. 14, 2015. Due to the catastrophic tragedy that LT students have experienced, the administration is working behind the scenes to provide extensive support to those who are greatly impacted by these deaths.

After a death has occurred, the LT crisis team, made up of around 30 psychologists, social workers, guidance counselors, public relation coordinators and other administrators, meets frequently in order to discuss what actions must be taken and what support must be put in place. Therefore, their response is two-fold: the actions taken within an initial response period of a death and the long-term response period as well.

“Whenever we lose a student, for whatever reason, it’s tragic,” Principal Dr. Brian Waterman said. “We look at it from a proactive perspective and also from a reactive perspective.”

Within the initial response period, all social workers and guidance counselors are contacted after information has been released about a student passing. Then, in order to inform the faculty at LT, the school must receive permission from the family of the student who has passed to confirm the individual’s death. When this permission is given, the faculty is officially informed via email. After this, the crisis team compiles a list of students, based on knowledge from teachers, counselors and the family, who may be directly impacted by the death of their friend. This includes students that are in the same classes of the student who has passed.

“There is a research protocol our guidance director, Donna Bredrup, takes the team through,” Waterman

This is a photo illustration of a grieving student receiving support from a peer in the counseling office at NC. (Izy Scott/LION) tinue to check up on, according to Waterman. said. “We first take a look at what students will be directly Then, during the long-term response period, a select few affected by such tragedies.” administrators attend the services (wakes and funerals) put LION reached out to Bredrup as well as Student Assistance in place to provide further support during those difficult Program Coordinator Jeanne Widing and school psychologist Morgan Anderson. All three declined to comment. times. The list of students who initially talked to counselors Counselors and social workers then closely monitor these will continue to be checked up on in the weeks following students. the death.

“We have a counselor and social worker that will follow “The work that the crisis team does is always based on the students schedule, usually for at least the first two days research,” Waterman said. “The research, historically, has [following the death], and then on a needed basis after that,” pointed schools to act in a certain way when any student Waterman said. death occurs. That research has certainly driven our communication protocols and our crisis response.”

In the case of Soriano’s death, there have been about 162 students who the administration has met with and will conContinued on page 4

Ambiguity surrounds course FAFSA changes Many unknowns remain regarding potential required civics course

by Phil Smith @phil_ip_smith

After the mandatory civics course was signed into law by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner this summer, Global Studies Division Chair Paul Houston immediately began preparations for the new class.

“I’m excited about it because I think the spirit of the legislation is good,” Houston said. “At the same time, I’m worried about it because of how messy it can get.”

This apprehension is due to the widespread uncertainty about details concerning the class. An amendment is on the table in the Illinois Legislature to let all current high school students out of the requirement, according to Houston.

If passed, the course would become mandatory for the class of 2020 and beyond.

This uncertainty has not prevented optimism from spreading about this class. AP U.S. Government teacher Jessica Lee is hopeful about the future civics class.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Lee said. “I do believe it is necessary for people to know and understand the voting process in America, understand how the government works, understand how elections work.”

Lee sees the class as filling a gap in education about how politics works.

“My friends are all intelligent, my friends have all grad-

Editorial

OPINIONS, 9

Can we solve the migrant crisis in Syria? Turn to page 9 to find out what the LION staff thinks.

North Campus

uated college, my friends are all professionals, and a lot of them don’t know or understand our democratic system works,” said Lee. “I think part of it is that they were never taught.”

There are some issues with the implementation of the class. It is still unknown if the class will be offered at South or North Campus, if it will count as a Social Studies elective and other details about class structure, Houston said.

Teachers and administrators are also wondering if some e x i s t i n g classes may cover the civics requirement.

AP U.S. Government may meet the standards passed by the state legislature, and Constitutional Law and Contemporary Issues come close, according to Houston.

“If the state allows [AP Government], it would need minor modifications to the class,” Houston said.

Some of these changes may include adding a service learning requirement, but most of the class framework would probably stay This map illustrates the same, according to Lee. the eight states that “AP Government should fuladminister statewide civic standarized tests, according to fill the requirement,” Lee said. “I can’t imagine how it wouldn’t.”

Huffington Post.

The Global Studies department, however, has already been working to clarify the policy. On the school improvement day, the department spent an hour and a half talking about the changes that would need to be made.

“I definitely would prefer [the process] to be simple and clear for the students,” Houston said. “We need to streamline and make it easier and clearer.”

Girls swimming Turn to page 12 for an inside look into the success of the girls swimming and diving program.

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SPORTS, 12

Deep web

by Juliana Halpin @jhalps315

President Barack Obama recently announced changes in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process. This is going into affect for students applying to colleges in the 2016-2017 school year.

FAFSA will now ask for the taxes of the student’s family from two years prior to their first year of college instead of just one, according to College and Career Coordinator Lianne Musser. Another result of the FAFSA changes will include that colleges will no longer be allowed to view all of the various schools that students are applying to. In addition, the deadline for FAFSA submissions will be pushed up to Oct. 1 as opposed to Jan. 1 as it has been in previous years. “[The new FAFSA changes] are helpful,” Musser said.

“People will actually know what [taxes] they filed a year ago so they will have accurate information that won’t have to be changed or corrected.”

The changes raise concern that it will speed up the college process for students and that colleges may force them to decide on their school earlier, Musser said. Where as students currently have until May 1 to decide which college to attend, people are concerned that as a result of changing the deadline to Oct. 1 students will receive their reward letters at an earlier date causing colleges to expect students to make their decisions by an earlier date as well.

To meet the Oct. 1 deadline, students will have to go through the new challenge of fully completing the college application and FAFSA processes at the same time.

“I think that the new changes will make the FAFSA process easier next year,” student Emma Bastyr ‘17 said.

“However, they could also complicate and bring more stress to the entire college process as a whole.”

PULSE, 16-17

Get yourself familiar with the depths of the deep web. Turn to page 16-17 for more information.

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

Updates involving FAFSA filing for the class of 2017, beyond

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isit us online at lionnewspaper.com or scan the QR code:

4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558

NEWS

Crowded company Hillgrove Tap will join 33 other restaurants throughout four states as a part of the Mia Francesca franchise.

Friday, October 23, 2015

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Octogonal origins The first stop sign was established in Detroit in 1915. It was simply a white square that read STOP.

Page 2

NC adjusts traffic plans AP Euro changes New traffic system improves safety, efficiency for pedestrians

New AP Euro curriculum designed to follow more consistent standard

by Thomas Atseff @thomas_atseff

by Lucy Schaefer @lucy_schaefer3

In an effort to adjust to the crowded and congested streets surrounding NC and create a safer, better functioning school zone, LT has helped revise the current traffic pattern at NC. In August, LT proposed new traffic plans to the Village of La Grange. The Village Board voted on the proposition and approved the installation of a three-way stop at the intersection of Cossitt Avenue and Park Avenue, and the installation of a four-way stop at the intersection of Elm Avenue and Park Avenue. These new stop signs were installed on Friday, Sept. 25 and are currently in operation.

Kenig Lindgren O’Hara & Aboona, Incorporated (KLOA) gave a presentation to the Board of Education in August, in which they gave suggestions for LT’s traffic, based on observations they made at NC last spring. KLOA is the same company that studied the traffic at SC last year. “[The new system] was something that was recommended to us by the experts that performed the traffic study, and the village was behind it,” Superintendent Dr. Timothy Kilrea said.

The village discussed and voted on the NC plans on Sept. 14. One topic that was discussed was the restriping of Brainard Avenue.

“The neighbors on Brainard expressed concerns about buffer space by Elm Park and the shifting of traffic,” Kilrea said.

According to Kilrea, the village board acknowledged the issues and plan to look at the issue further in the future, but the concern did not affect their decision on the new plans.

“The village was confident in putting forth the stop sign ordinance, but they did not act on re-striping Brainard,” Kilrea said.

A key factor in the success of the new traffic system is

This year, College Board has altered the AP European History (AP Euro) curriculum in order to be more consistent with AP U.S History (APUSH) and AP World History courses. The class now contains new curriculum, different tests and an entirely remodeled AP exam.

Adjustments have been made to the AP Euro rubric to align with APUSH. The document based questions (DBQ) have a stricter criteria, and the free response questions (FRQ) have been changed to long essay questions (LEQ), according to AP Euro teacher Jessica Drogos. With clearer guidelines, teachers hope to see growth.

“So far it has provided a lot of direction,” Drogos said. “It takes the questioning out of subjectivity in regards to the essays and how they are graded because there is such spelled out criteria.”

There will be more emphasis on stimulus-based questions, such as those that answer questions from a letter, painting, map or graph. The goal is to encourage students to think more like a historian, Drogos said.

It will take a full year for College Board to analyze the differences and progression from the course. So, it is too early to tell if the course will be successful and beneficial. Past AP Euro students believe the new curriculum is beneficial because the essay portion is more direct, and the format is more similar to APUSH. “I actually feel at a disadvantage now because the classes were so different,” Avery Denning ‘17 said.

Not only is the course new to students, but to the teachers as well. After 15 years of teaching a course that has had few changes, Drogos and LT’s other AP Euro teacher, Keith Bailey must adapt. Drogos attended a week-long conference at Northwestern and Bailey attended one in California to learn the new curriculum.

“It is a lot of work,” Drogos said. “[Bailey] and I collaborate much more closely now, which is really nice to create the redesigned course for our students. Two heads being put together is better than one, and I think we’re putting out a quality product.”

Car stops at new stop sign after school. (Izy Scott/LION)

compliance, Kilrea said. It is crucial for pedestrians and drivers to adhere to the changes.

“This all hinges on whether or not people follow the established traffic patterns,” Kilrea previously said.

“We are hopeful that drivers will comply with the new plans.”

According to Kilrea, the school will not enforce the new regulations in any way, should they be passed.

“We are not permitted to give out tickets to drivers in the area,” Kilrea said. “Nor would we want to do that.”

However, according to Lara Taylor, a spokesperson for the local group Neighbors for North Campus Safety, the school does have some power to enforce the potential new traffic system.

“While the school is not allowed to issue tickets, they have the obligation as well as the power to direct parents,” Taylor previously said.

The new plans will be most effective if everyone is respectful and aware of safety around NC, Kilrea said.

“This is not just the village, or just the school, or just the neighbors,” Kilrea said. “This is all of us. We’re a neighbor that has 2,200 inhabitants daily. So, it’s all of our responsibility to keep people safe.”

Hillgrove Tap to open

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New sports restaurant being introduced in Western Springs in place of Hillgrove Cellars

by Lea Voytovich @leaaa_21

Hillgrove Tap is a new, casual sports bar-like restaurant opening up in downtown Western Springs. Chris Elsey, Managing Partner of the Mia Francesca franchise, is the owner of the new restaurant that is expected to open mid-November.

“I think people are very excited for more of a casual place in town,” Elsey said. “Many regulars have already been asking about it. There isn’t any place like it unless you go to La Grange or Hinsdale.”

The aim for the restaurant is for people to be able to gather and watch sports events. High quality bar food such as wings, salad, sandwiches and burgers will be on the menu along with craft beers for adults. Although the focus of the restaurant is on its specialty beers, Elsey expects many families and older people to attend as well. A kids menu will also be available.

Phil Luwoksi, Executive Vice President of Waterton Residential and resident of Western Springs, buys and manages retail space that he frequently rents out to restaurants. He believes that the Hillgrove Tap will be a good addition to the Western Springs community.

“It is important for new owners to have a successful operating track record and understanding of its business,” Lukowski said. “With [Elsey] behind the idea, he is already familiar with the clientele and what Western Springs is all about. His current restaurant [Davanti Enoteca] should complement this well with a nice, more laidback place.”

The restaurant will have more of an industrial look with a brick bar, Elsey said. Hillgrove Tap will share the same address of Davanti at 800 Hillgrove Avenue, Western Springs.

“The key to the restaurant will be great food, great service and a great atmosphere,” Elsey said.

50% off Studio Time for LT Students

Dave O’Connor ‘16 @daveoc21

Nothing screams I’m a tool more than scooters, red jumpsuits, and saying “booties” to end a pump up video

Siobhan Callahan ‘17 @sio_callahan

Clocks are of no use to me in school. I just listen for the sound of crutches in the hallway & then I know the period is almost over

Pearl Truax ‘16 @pearl_truax

Used my physics book to kill a terrifying flying bug so it’s usefulness is now up from 0% to 2%

Jack Bernstein ‘17 @bigbernie100

If you’re not rooting for the Cubs tonight you either live in Pittsburgh or you’re a communist

Sam Scriba ‘16 @scribs97

just ate a chipotle burrito in the shower. not an ounce of shame.

Jack Melone ‘16 @Big_Red_97 Don’t even dare sweat my swag

Eamon McGuire ‘16 @E_McG26

S/O LT newspaper for feature #ricksalsa

NEWS

Homeless help In Chicago, 9.1-percent of the homeless population in early 2015 was comprised of unaccompanied teens.

Advanced academics There are 38 Advanced Placement courses offered, including AP Studio Art, AP Computer Science and AP Japanese.

Friday, October 23, 2015  Page 3

BEDS begins planning for new shelter including counseling, job training and referrals to area services. Additionally, there will be 20 permanent supportive housing units on the second and third floors.

The candidates for these units will be screened and selected by a committee, which includes at least one person who lives close to where the development will be, a social worker and representatives from the funding sources.

The candidates are people who have a disabling condition, which could be physical or mental, people who have a history of homelessness and people who need the community that the BEDS Plus center offers.

“We want to get people in a safe comfortable apartment in a secure environment, where they have someone working with them and counseling them,” Rounds said. “That environment will have the greatest likelihood for recovery, and for restoring homeless people back to everyday life.”

Although the development met opposition in the spring, as people in the surrounding community were concerned that the possible negative consequences of the BEDS Plus Permanent Supportive Housing center would outweigh the positive consequences, the BEDS team and its supporters are very hopeful that the center will be seamlessly incorporated into the community.

“We have not experienced any problems,” Meredith Onion, who lives down the street from two of the churches that provide overnight BEDS services, said. “We’ve lived here for 22 years, raising children in this community, we just never experienced that, so I do not predict the BEDS Plus Permanent Supportive Housing Center will cause problems in the surrounding community.”

Fundraising begins for new center to house homeless for BEDS Plus

by Heidi Hauch @HeidiHauch11

This past April, the La Grange trustees unanimously approved the BEDS Plus Permanent Supportive Housing Center to house the homeless, despite individuals’ concerns regarding its effect on the surrounding community. Since then, the directors of the project have bought the land where the center will be built, at the southwest corner of East Avenue and Ogden Avenue, and are now focused on funding the housing center.

“We have about a third of the financing secured, and now we are waiting to hear back from other sources,” Beds Plus Executive Director Tina Rounds said.

On top of that, Beds Plus will start a capital campaign, Rounds said. A capital campaign is a fundraising effort designed to raise a specified sum of money to meet the financial needs of, in this case, the Beds Plus Center. The campaign will start with small homebased parties, for people close to the cause or who have supported BEDS in the past, and will eventually host open parties for the general donor base. In the spring, BEDS will conduct a public written campaign.

If all goes well, Rounds said, the earliest the BEDS Plus Care Housing Project will break ground is early this summer. Then it will be about 12 months after that before it is up and running.

The Beds Plus Permanent Supportive Housing Center will provide a number of services for the homeless,

Above: Proposed design of new BEDS Plus shelter. (beds-plus.org) Below: Corner of East Avenue and Ogden Avenue where the BEDS Plus shelter will be constructed. (chicagotribune.com)

EXPLORE test averages Freshman test retires The graph below depicts the average LT test scores on each subtest of the EXPLORE assessment. The highest subtest score is the English test of 2016.

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Sydney Hansen @_sydneyhansen

18.5 18 17.5 17 16.5 16

Questions remain over how future freshmen will be tested

English

Class of 2015

Math Class of 2016

Reading Class of 2017

Science

Composite

Class of 2018

Source: Katie Smith, Coordinator of Assessment and Research

Class of 2019

After the 2013-2014 school year, the EXPLORE test, which assessed all incoming freshmen, was retired. The departure of the long-established test left the opportunity for a new assessment to be introduced and distributed to all future LT students.

The EXPLORE test offered administrators a way to predict future ACT scores and aided in the process of placing students in classes. An old version of the test was given to future freshmen during the 2014-2015 school year, but due to the fact that retired tests are available online, students will no longer be taking the test this year, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Scott Eggerding said.

Aspire, an all-online assessment, replaced the EXPLORE test for the 2014-2015 school year.

While some parochial schools use the Aspire test, its administration is not mandated by Illinois at this point, according to Coordinator of Assessment and Research Katie Smith.

“Our state chose [the PARCC test],” Smith said. “It is possible in the future that [the PARCC test] could be replaced. There are many factors like budgeting that will impact the

future of our state assessments.”

Budget issues in Springfield, combined with the fact that Illinois may decide to administer the SAT instead of the ACT to juniors, have contributed to the testing dilemma that LT faces.

“Before we decide to invest in a new test, we want to know if the state is going to be focusing on [a certain test] so that we’re not preparing students for the test they won’t be taking,” Eggerding said.

The SAT, which has been redesigned for 2016, is written by the same people involved with Advanced Placement (AP) courses, Eggerding said.

“They’re trying to package that all together, so if you take the PSAT, it’ll give you information on students who should take AP classes,” Eggerding said. “They see it as a big college preparation system, which is what ACT is doing, too.”

As for the incoming class of 2020, LT will be using any test scores students have from their respective middle school, as well as teacher recommendations and grades, to place freshmen in their leveled courses.

“We’ve lost an opportunity to track students all the way from eighth grade to high school,” Eggerding said. “It’s just going to be a little more difficult to have an outside test give us some information.”

La Grange Park board considers TIF districts Village considers implementing three different TIF plans for area

by Caroline Konstant @carolinekon

With the renovations of Tischler’s foods in Western Springs and the closed Borders in La Grange, La Grange Park has submitted its plans to see if the city is eligible for its own Tax Increment-Financing (TIF) plan.

“The TIF district allows the community to benefit from additional money that comes in above the initial tax increase,” La Grange Park Village President Jim Discipio said.

Currently, three areas in La Grange Park are being evaluated to see which one, if any, are eligible for TIF zoning.

The possibilities include: Village Market on La Grange Road, property along 31st Street near La Grange Road, and the industrial area on Barnsdale Road that borders 31st and includes Hanesworth Park.

“If we are able to make [the TIF] eligible, it will hopefully incentivize the owners and developers to come in and improve the site,” Discipio said. “When you have the chance to improve a site you increase the value and tax base of that district. In the end you can get a new business or further tradition of the spot.”

Proposed Village Market TIF boundaries. (Emily Rodman)

Although stimulating business and luring in new residents are a plus to any TIF plan, schools and other tax-based institutions will receive the brunt of the possible deal. Taxes freeze for 20 years if one of the TIFs would become eligible, so if the school district needs to increase their taxes to reap benefits for their students, they would be restricted.

“It sounds really great for those who are non-taxpayers, but in the end it cause higher taxes, and the taxes are already really high here,” LT student and La Grange Park resident Siobhan Callahan ‘17 said. “It wouldn’t produce immediate results either. The taxes here have practically doubled and I don’t think the people could handle more.”

Before finalizing any plans, La Grange Park Officers will speak with of the members in the community on the tax bill that will be affected by the possible TIF district.

“We do not want to make it hard for any of our local entities, like our schools, to function,” Discipio said.

If the TIF plan is passed, Discipio and the rest of the village board look to educate all of the members of the community about the plans they have made for the layout of the TIF. “We looked at our options on how we would be able to increase our business and economic environment and developments,” Discipio said. “One of the options to help and stimulate growth was to possibly get a developer to improve the site and offer them an incentive with a TIF.”

Helping hotline The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free, confidential suicide prevention and intervention services 24/7.

NEWS

Friday, October 23, 2015  Page 4

LT adults respond to tragedy Continued from page 1

The crisis team is trained to take school,” Waterman said. “That will action and provide support where it is probably be one of our most challengneeded, keeping the gates of communi- ing problems moving forward.” cation open to the students and the adAfter the passing of Soriano, the ministration. They emphasize the im- news of her death was posted on the portance of properly dealing with stress school website along with information on the micro-level, meeting with indi- on how to reach out to counselors for vidual students, and the macro-level, support. This is the first time the school incorporating it into class curriculum. has reported the death of a student on Therefore, many aspects must be the school website. Although this may monitored in order to make sure the appear to be a small step, the LT adminvulnerability of students is being re- istration works to improve its handling spected. For example, the administra- of sensitive information each year. tion discourages any public memorials “I think there are always things that for a student we could do differently to avoid based on what we learn “We know more than emotional from every incident,” anything that we need Waterman said. “We responses from peers to get better every sin- will certainly, at some closely consit down again gle day. Our focus is on point, nected to the and look at how this death. affected our school and supporting students.”

“Research [based on that] contin-Principal Dr. Brain Waterman indicates ually improve our supthat schools port services through should avoid our crisis team.” holding memorials, celebrations, moWith that in mind, the administraments of silence etc. in cases of student tion will evaluate the response to the death, regardless of what the cause handling of Soriano’s death and make was,” Waterman said. “One thing we progress in the future according to are very conscious of is not producing what was successful and what was not emotional triggers for students, and successful. those types of events really have the “We have a wonderful team of ability to do that.” adults here working with our students Despite the actions taken by the cri- and we know more than anything that sis team to handle student deaths, there we need to get better every single day,” is still much more room for improve- Waterman said. “Our focus is on supment, Waterman said. porting students. No school wants to “One challenge we really face is go through this, but unfortunately, evgetting family permission to share in- ery school has to go through this from formation, but on the other side know- time to time. It shouldn’t happen, but it ing that so many of our students are on does, and we want to provide as much social media and have the information support to students as possible.” before we can officially share it as a

“

Superb swimmers

About 91 million people over the age of 16 swim in oceans, lakes and rivers each year in the United States.

MAX builds swim facility McCook gains new pool to fulfill aquatic needs

by Katie Palermo @thekatester223

Despite holding the McCook “MAX” name, “MAX Aquatics” and the “The MAX” are not owned by the same company. Founder and President Marty Brown, along with 19 other investors, leased the 4751 S. Vernon, McCook space in hopes of building an aquatics center to replace the La Grange YMCA pool that closed in 2010.

The land is leased for 20 years, but is renewable. MAX Aquatics is estimated to finish by the end of the year. January 2016 is its scheduled opening. “[The placement of the walls took] a lot of thinking ahead of time,” Construction manager Bill Metz said.

The general contractor, Synergy Construction Group, had to face the unique challenge of fitting the walls around the pool, but not the pool within the walls. Glass windows will be placed to see into the pool area, along with 12 skylights to let natural light into the building.

The pool, built by Maverick Pools, is 75 feet by 45 feet and six lanes wide. At the shallow end of the pool, the water is four feet deep and slopes to six feet at the deepest point. The pool was sprayed with a substance called gunite, which is a byproduct of concrete that has a dry texture.

Gunite dries faster than concrete, therefore allowing the building process to be expedited.

The pool hopes to offer programs such as water aerobics classes and swimming lessons, along with many other programs to the surrounding community.

“Swim lessons and early childhood water safety will be our primary focus,” Brown said.

“School of Fish” is the children’s program that will be offered to three-year-olds, and older. Along with swim lessons, LT could use the

Outside new MAX Aquatic Facility. (Katie Palermo/LION)

Inside new MAX Aquatic Facility. (Katie Palermo/LION)

facility as overflow of events when they are double-booked. “[The pool] will be beneficial to the [swim] teams and clubs [who are in] need of more space,” LT Swimmer, Paige Mitchell ‘17 said.

With the opening in the near future, Brown is looking forward to hiring LT students and other members of the community to staff MAX Aquatics.

“

Colorado creeps Stephen King’s novel The Shining was inspired by the haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO.

IMPACT Friday, October 23, 2015  Page 5

Paranormal politics The White House is said to be home to multiple ghosts, the most sighted being the late Abraham Lincoln.

Freshman, sophomore prepare for musical Underclassman show theatrical skill, talent in upcoming musical performance at SC

by Hallie Coleman @hallie_coleman

Coming to a stage near you...

“The Women” Nov. 18-20 NC Reber Center

“Around the World in 80-ish days” Nov. 21-22 SC PAC

The underclassman theatre cast will be performing a play titled “13” in the PAC at SC on October 23-25. “13” is a coming of age musical with substantial messages about stereotypes, labels and fitting in.

“It’s a simple message you hear from a lot of teachers when you’re a little kid which is to accept everyone for who they are,” Theatre Director Eugene O’Reilly said. “But [‘13’] does it in a very funny way with really awesome music.”

The play is based upon a 13-year-old boy named Evan, played by Jack Doherty ‘18. Evan is forced to move from the large, busy environment of New York City to a relaxed, smalltown Indiana envrionment after his parents’ divorce. Evan struggles to fit in and make adjustments to his new, limited and quaint environment, theatre co-sponsor Ann Dudek said.

“I can personally relate to Evan’s struggle to be popular,” Doherty said. “I can relate to how it sucks being the weird one out.”

The cast has been rehearsing for two to three hours, six days a week. A large majority of the “13” cast knows each other from theatre programs that they have participated in outside of school, such as Music Makers and Western Springs Theatre, as well as the play from last year.

“My biggest hope is for the cast to work together

as a unit because it’s just one of those shows that really relies on the chemistry,” Doherty said.

“13” will be O’Reilly’s 29th show that he will have directed at LT. A couple years ago, O’Reilly had heard a few songs from “13” and decided to further research the production.

“The lessons are very real,” O’Reilly said. “Adults will appreciate it because the characters are everybody whose been in high school since high school started.

It’s all the stereotypes brought out in front of you.”

Doherty has been acting for 10 years. In the past, he has played comical characters while performing. Evans is one of the first serious roles he will play, Doherty said.

“Being the lead is a lot of fun and it’s great to have the limelight, but it is a little nerve racking,” Doherty said.

Over the course of four years, the theatre program varies the genre of plays. Some of the past genres have been classical, modern and Shakespearian, Dudek said.

“The music is so different, the story has lots of twists and turns that I don’t think anyone will see coming, and it just nails what it was like being a preteen,” Doherty said.

The main goal for O’Reilly is to sell out all three shows. That means about 350 people would attend each performance.

“For the freshman and sophomore show we always hope to get a good number of cast members in,” Dudek said. “That way they get to experience LT theatre and it helps us recruit new talent and it allows them to showcase their talent. We always hope that students have a good time and they learn more about the craft of acting and that they are able to share it with the community.”

‘Ghost Stories’ haunts Reber Center performance garners attention, scares

by Mary Sullivan

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Dec. 11-13 NC Reber Center

“Legally Blonde” Feb. 18, 19 and 21 NC Reber Center

“A Flea in Her Ear” April 15-17 SC PAC

Late at night over Columbus Day weekend, fog drifted along the first floor of NC, bloodcurdling screams filled the school and two eerie, skeletal hands occupied the stage in the Reber Center.

“There’s something about the nature of a haunting story—the presence of the supernatural, and why people turn good or evil,” Director of Ghost Stories Ann Dudek said.

“It’s very popular in our culture.”

After months of preparation, LT junior and senior ensemble members performed their play, Ghost Stories, in the Reber Center on Oct. 8-10. Centralized around a campfire, the play was a compilation of 26 short horror stories that came about as a result of research conducted by the cast. Stories included local spooky tales, such as Resurrection Mary, more general ghost stories like Bloody Mary and the Irish Banshee, and then scary fictions crafted by a few ensemble members that are entirely original.

“We have 19 members that are part of an ensemble and all of them have crafted a story that contributes to the storyline,” Dudek said. “It’s been a collaboration of everybody.”

The cast spent the summer researching stories, and continued into the first week of school. After the second week of school the students began working on the play on a daily basis. They spent hours in the classroom, brainstorming, and then they spent a couple weeks in the library typing up scripts.

“Writing it was hard,” Amy Fatora ‘17 said. “You’d have a good idea, but then it would be hard to put that idea into words. You can envision something, but then you can’t write it, and you just hit a wall.”

Following the script type-up, there were read-throughs, and then it was onto full staging mode. Staging, refining, fine-tuning and polishing, the cast worked very hard, Dudek said. Over the three days the play was performed, the house attendance was 302 people. Proceeds from the tickets went to funding the general costs of the nine shows that the junior and senior ensemble perform throughout their season.

“There are certain people that really enjoy horror stories,” Fatora said. “I think they would really enjoy this play because it’s not just one big, long play. It’s a bunch of little stories, so you get a taste of a bunch of different things.”

Top: Isaac Smith ‘16 and George Zurowski ‘17 perform on stage. (Maggie Madro) Middle: “Ghost Stories” cast members pose while acting. (Maggie Madro) Bottom: Meghan Gove ‘17, Katie Burke ‘16, Claire Foley ‘16 and George Zurowski ‘17 perform. (Maggie Madro)

Random Chatter

Random Chatter

NEWS

“Just because I make one make-out tutorial doesn’t mean I’m a freak.”

-Andrea Simms ‘16

“I ripped my lip on a McDonald’s bag last night.”

-Griffin Hickey ‘16

Friday, October 23, 2015  Page 6

Ranging from heartbreaking stories to strange wordly events, the Breakdown brings you the latest information you don’t want to miss. compiled by Lea Voytovich Oct. 1- Gunman Christopher Harper-Mercer shot and killed nine students on the campus of Umpqua Community College in Oregon and later killed himself. His father opposed firearms and commented that he did not know that the family had any. Investigators are looking into the mental and emotional condition of the gunman.

Sept. 28- About $10,000 worth of marijuana fell out of the sky and crashed through a Arizona family’s house. The family discovered that there was a huge hole in their carport due to the falling package. The mysterious package turned out to be about 28 pounds of marijuana that likely fell out of a smuggler’s plane.

Sept. 27- For the first time in 33 years, a combination of a supermoon and an eclipse occurred. The annual supermoon appeared 14-percent larger and 30-percent brighter this year. The last supermoon eclipse took place in 1982, and the next will not happen again until 2033.

Sept. 30- Scientists from NYU discovered the world’s first biofluorescent reptile near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. The Hawkbill Sea Turtle glows green and red as a form of defense or to attract prey. This particular type of turtle is endangered, and there are as few as 1,000 breeding females left.

Oct. 3- The World Beard and Mustache Championship took place in Leogang, Austria, with over 300 contestants from around the world. The competition has been held every couple of years with different groupings such as: full beard, partial beard and mustache.

Sources: CNN, USA Today

Live from LION Archives

compiled by Sheridan Spiess

We took a step back this issue to review old LION news articles. These snippets range all the way from 1943 to 1987. We hope you take the time to catch up on LT throughout the decades and enjoy these blasts from the past as much as we did.

1987

1967

1943

Students voiced strong opinions against a new rule forbidding boxer shorts under gym uniforms. The school banned them after claiming that they were a safety hazard to students during gym class.

North Campus art teacher Gary Nemchock spent his free time in a professional modeling career. His pictures appeared in Seventeen and Glamour magazine.

LT assisted in a statewide drive to purchase the original copy of the Gettysburg Address. It would have cost $60,000 to purchase.

1959 Upperclassmen rushed into the study hall room with fear after a swarm of bees invaded NC. For the first month of school, there were about four bee stings a week causing screaming, pain, and chaos in the classroom.

1969 Thirty-five people, including reporters, faked being disaster victims to sneak into the Community Memorial General Hospital. Reporters were caught by the police after their second instance of this to test the security of the hospital.

Save students from smothering.

Support student free expression rights. Donate to SPLC.

ADVERTISE WITH LION Interested in advertising in our publication?

Contact Business Manager Heidi Hauch at hau500920@student.lths.net for details OR Log onto lionnewspaper.com and click on the “Business” tab for more information We offer ads of all sizes, ranging from 2 inches x 4 inches to full page at competitive prices!

Random Chatter “Sometimes when I’m stressed out, I just starfish in the middle of my kitchen floor.” -Meghan Cannon ‘16

OPINIONS Friday, october 23, 2015  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

And we are back! Welcome to the part of the LION that you missed the most! And is Tierney dressing up as a dog, a turtle or a dog dressed up as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle? Do we want to find out?

What will your Halloween costume be this year?

A TV show about your life is about to start. What is its name?

_________ is fun, but frowned upon.

What secret has Victoria been hiding from us all?

Spencer Coffee ‘16 has over 120 Webkinz

Céilí Doyle ‘16

Gossip Pearl

When your mother, Hester Prynne, commits adultery with the local priest

A college rejection letter

White Rice

Eating in the library

The krabby patty secret formula

The Secret Life of Chief Keef

Listening to Chief Keef

She’s actually Chief Keef

Pearl Truax ‘16

Michael Le ‘16

Tierney Dufficy ‘17

Probably gonna bring back my pine tree air freshener costume from 5th grade

Keeping Up With Kae503519

Taking more than one free sample

That she wears granny panties

I was thinking about going as a pig or a person from “The Purge”

The struggles of school when you’re tired and hungry

Being loud and talkative

That she’s actually a man

Mr. Mark Kropke

Return of the Weirdos... November 2015

Rounding your final answer

No comment

Sydney Kaehler ‘18

Jack Riordan ‘19

Tom Sloan, Math Teacher

WriteUsALetter?

Have an opinion on a story? News? Opinions? Want to clarify something? Anything you want to tell us?

Write us a letter! Simply bring a letter, of any length, to NC Room 220, or put it in Mr. Scales’s mailbox, and maybe see it in the next issue!

compiled by Philip Smith

Make sure the content of the letter is appropriate, sign your letter and make sure to put down your email!

LION reserves the right to edit all submitted letters, and sadly not all letters will be published.

LettersToEditor

Let us feel in times of grief This letter to the editor was submitted by Gillian Dunlop ‘15, the Editor in Chief of LION Newspaper for the 2014-15 school year. The column argues for a change in the counseling policy at LT after a student passes away.

LT is arguably one of the best high schools in America. Most colleges don’t have radio stations or newspapers like WLTL or LION. Most theatre departments don’t have enough resources to put on nine shows a year, and most schools don’t have thousands of kids showing up to every sports game just to cheer on their team. In my opinion, LT gives the best high school experience that a high school can give except for one extraordinary flaw: they don’t know how to let students grieve.

When I heard that two LT students had committed suicide in the last six months, I was overcome with sadness. Although I didn’t know these students, I had some idea of what their friends were feeling, having gone through my own grieving period when my friend Jack Kunkle ‘14 also died, although under different circumstances, far too young. Then I learned that the school did not permit the friends of the first suicide victim to memorialize his locker, and then I wasn’t sad, I was angry.

I remember distinctly how I learned of Jack’s death. I was in school. I wasn’t supposed to find out until after, but I did anyway and immediately dissolved into tears along with many of my classmates.

Instead of being allowed to grieve together and lean on each other for support, we were separated from our classmates and friends, shunted off, and taken to a room with three guidance counselors and social workers. People we didn’t know, who we were supposed to trust to

take care of us on the worst day of our lives, did not cut it. Instead of being there for us, it only made us feel uncomfortable and was not very helpful.

It is unnatural for people to die young, and when it happens it is extremely confusing and hurtful to the rest of us left behind, and being forced to enter “grief counseling” with people we didn’t know asking us personal questions and trying to feed us candy as a distraction was one of the worst ways possible to “help” us grieve. Students don’t want to feel like they can’t show their sadness and express their emotions. They want to honor their friends and prove to the world that they are worth remembering, so for LT to have the authority to decide how and when we can grieve is monstrous.

Students are humans too. We aren’t little robots that go to class and do what we’re told. We have feelings, emotions, and to feel stripped of our right to feel on what could be the worst day of our lives is inhumane. LT needs to rethink how they let students grieve.

One student death isn’t more important than another, so if they’re going to let memorials be made for one, then they have to be made for them all. We shouldn’t tell students to stifle their tears but rather to let the tears shine on their cheeks. I get that the faculty is worried about disruption if students are seen crying, but in that moment who honestly cares? The main objective of the school shouldn’t be to maintain order; it should be to care for the students. We are people too.

Editor’s Note: For more coverage on this topic, along with details about how the counseling staff helps grieving students, please see Page 1 or visit us online at www.lionnewspaper.com or www.lths.net.

Contaminating the ECOnomics Encompassing over 2 million acres of land in Northern Minnesota and Ontario, the Boundary Waters Canoe Adam Janicki Area (BWCA) and Quetico Provincial Park are some of the last true wilderness areas left in the world. With unique wildlife and serene landscape, one can only dream of visiting such places. But, this pristine wilderness is under attack.

For the last year, the BWCA has been struggling to win a battle over sulfide mining. Sulfide mining is the extraction of sulfide ores and other metals out of the ground which leads to hazardous waste that contaminates lakes, rivers and groundwater, can hurt fish and other wildlife, and could irreversibly damages the multiple ecosystems there.

The BWCA contains a variety of valuable ecosystems such as boreal forests and wetlands. It also can damage human health by contaminating the food and fish people eat as well as the water that those who live and visit there drink.

There are many reasons why sulfide mining in the BWCA should not be permitted, but some will say that it’s a good thing. The addition of sulfide mining would greatly help the iron ore industry, therefore creating many jobs for those living in Minnesota. It has been argued that the two companies fighting to mine there (PolyMet and Twin Metals) will improve their tactics and awareness while mining in the protected wilderness.

However, Nevada, New Mexico and Montana have all dealt with the harmful effects of sulfide mining, as seen in their polluted streams, lakes, rivers and mercury contamination in fish and wildlife. If they started sulfide mining near the BWCA, the harmful waste would be irreversible and the cleanup efforts would take years and probably would be very costly.

Every year, the BWCA attracts over 250,000 visitors, including students from LT. For the last two years, I have had some of the best experiences while in the BWCA. Like most, I fell in love with the BWCA the moment I laid eyes on it. Both trips were with my dad and brother. They enjoyed the long days paddling through marshes and across serine lakes, just as I did. The only method of travel in the BWCA is by canoe, and there are no buildings or cell towers. Despite the large number of visitors, we were isolated from other people for most of our visit there. This leaves much of the land untouched and unspoiled, enhancing the experience and connecting visitors with the land.

The best part about my trips up to the BWCA was the solitude and lack of stress that everyday life brings. I believe it brought out the best in my dad, brother and me and it brought us closer together by connecting us with the wilderness and temporarily being self-reliant. I hope others are able to have the great experiences I have had with friends and family in the BWCA, but the risk of sulfide mining will continue to threaten unless we join together to save the BWCA by opposing sulfide mining.

Please sign the petition against sulfide mining here and do your part to save one of the last true wild areas left in the world: www.savethe boundarywaters.org/

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 love wagging my toothbrush at people, it’s such a reign of power.” -Ellie Sovcik ‘16

OPINIONS Friday, October 23, 2015 n Page 8

Are students pressured too much to take AP classes?

PawsUp n to capris- pants with freedom. n to thesaurus.comturning my essay from something sounding like a third grader wrote it into something sounding like a language-conscious third grader wrote it. n to midnight hot cakesonce a dream, now a reality. n to church league- “O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.”

And the Lord did grin. n to candy corn- the candy with the name to trick you into thinking you’re eating healthy n to breaking sprint records to the charger when your phone is at 1 percent. n to pulling off the homework hustle- doing each assignment one period before it's needed. Due next class? Do next class. n to Jon Snow's favorite time of year- winter is coming (10 bucks he's alive). n to all day breakfast at McDonald's- ba da ba ba ba, we're lovin' it.

PawsDown n to drug rugs- we get it, you enjoy recreational substances. n to watermelon season ending- goodbye happiness... n to the White Sox- why aren’t you playing in October? n to D-Rose- injured for the 1,000,000th time... n to people who pronounce milk like “melk”IT’S CALLED MILK! n to the ketchup prohibition in the NC cafeteriaketchup is a right, not a privilege! n to people who unfavorite a tweet- it’s like taking back a high five. n to LG trick-or-treeting from 3 to 7 p.m.- sleep is for the weak and sugarless. n to Emerson, Thoreau and all their friends- way to ruin junior year English for me. n to solitaire- you know things are looking down when you keep losing to yourself. n to annoying commercial songs- Sure, I don’t know Poison Control’s phone, but I always will know 773-202-LUNA! n to country radio stations outside of carsmuch less entertaining when slower than 40 mph.

Random Chatter “Mary, your foot is so sweaty it’s is fogging up the windshield.”

-Maddox Hill ‘16

Philosophy Fix it up

As “Monty Python” repeatedly LION polled 348 students concerning their AP class load and the reasons states, “And now for something comthey took these classes. pletely different.”

We all know that LT does a number 0 of things very well, Philip Smith No 12% and we live in a How many Have you 6+ 18% nice community. Yet there are some AP classes 29% taken/are 1-2 do you think things, little and big, that continue you taking/ 24% you will have to bother me around LT. Enter the Yes do you plan taken by the hundred-word-rant. Each paragraph 82% to take an in this column is exactly one hundred 3-5 time you AP class?

35% words on some problem around our graduate? community. They are not in specific order, and please take no offense.

Although I might be preaching to the choir or raving about a topic you do A teacher’s recomIt’s counterproducmendation or presnot care about, please give these diftive to take a college sure from the school ferent ideas some thought. level course before 10% We have all had it happen before.

Encouraged college 10% Sitting in class, trying (sometimes) to not to take it study and work hard, when the call of 11% nature hits. Yet many teachers only allow students a couple of hall passes each semester. Teachers may have If you are If you are Parental Too good reasons to limit us. Some stunot taking taking AP influence 13% difficult dents abuse the hall privilege, using it an AP, why 54% classes, to cheat or for other illicit activities, Your own not?

I’m lazy what were which costs the rest of us. There is ambitions 25% you motia very easy solution to this. We are Peer 73% vated by? influence (almost) legal adults, so it would not 4% seem a big stretch to give adult privileges to us. Just also give adult punishments to the violators.

A couple weeks ago, sitting in English class, I was told to start writing an essay in class about the theme of our book we were reading. Now, I take a while to come up with ideas to write about. It took me 30 minutes tations, in terms of study habits and note taking skills, College is a highly anticipate period to get the idea just for these hundred so they will have the upper hand in comparison to their of time for many high school students. It words. Students cannot be expected to peers who have never took advantage of having AP is an important time of big career decibe able to crank out perfect and anasions, excessive studying, note-taking classes in high school. lytical thematic statements without and maybe a little partying on the side.

Lastly, high schoolers taking a college-level course some trial and error. I spent the entire The point is, who would not want a little have something to be proud of because it is no stroll in period staring forward at my blank extra boost of preparation before starting the park. While taking an AP class can be stressful at Mary Sullivan piece of paper. Teachers need to be college? times, it also raises a student’s self-esteem, because it considerate of and help students with Taking an Advanced Placement gives a student the opportunity to display that they are severe writer’s block. course is the perfect introduction to college level acaon the intellectual level of many college students.

Learning targets. Flipped classdemics, and furthermore, it gives students an edge in More than just an individual’s self-respect, our school college admissions. Putting the pressure on students to pride increases as a result of more students signing up to rooms. Cooperative learning. Differentiated instruction. While these edutake an AP course stimulates educational motivation take AP exams. High schools are ranked based on how cational buzzwords may be meaningfor students to reach for higher intellectual standards, many students take AP exams. The test data is used in ful to teachers with education majors among a plethora of other benefits. determining the best high schools in the nation, and as and years of teaching experience, stuFinancial aid, increased self-esteem and strong study of right now, Lyons Township is ranked 1,102nd in the dents do not know what these mean skills are just some of the positive results of taking an AP nation, 46th in the state, with 39 percent of our student and, frankly, do not care. Sometimes body participating in AP classes, according to US News class. To have the opportunity to amass college credits these methods are not even effective. and World Report. Let’s raise that rating. before actually embarking off to a university means that For instance, peer assessments are The academic profits of engaging in Advanced you will have fewer classes to take when you get there, only as helpful as the peer assessing Placement classes are innumerous. However, the most and therefore less fees to pay on books, classes and other you. Let’s focus on the topic at hand important thing to remember is that you must know resources. AP courses also look very impressive to college-recruiters looking to extend a possible scholarship. your limits. AP classes will assist your present and future instead of distracting students who may already be struggling with these Furthermore, kids who take an AP course in high academic career plans if you are mentally prepared to abstract concepts. While the teacher school will be acclimated to the college academic expectake them on. should keep these topics in mind, they do not need to be taught to student.

The important lessons—content— should.

Halloween is coming up, and little children will be walking from door AP classes have come to define every depending on what is due the following day, and many to door, asking for candy. To put it student’s Thursday night grind. Students high-achieving students who take AP courses do not bluntly, LT students should not be come home after a grueling practice, have enough room in their schedules to take a fullamong them. We are close to (or are) shovel down food, shower and begin length study hall. reading 40 pages of Jane Eyre for AP While LT’s newly built in 25-minute lunch and study legal adults, and should not be trooping around from door to door like English, in anticipation of a reading quiz hall period does allow students more time to complete 6-year-olds. If you want candy, buy Céilí Doyle the next morning. assignments, it does not make much of a dent in the it. It is not that pricy. Or steal it from This is followed up with two review overarching stress that results from taking AP classes. packets and additional studying for the AP Calc test, an Students who attempt to balance this lack of time during a younger sibling, neighbor, or the random kid you see walking down the AP style e-mail for Spanish homework and a chapter of the day to finish schoolwork with the parental and acablock. Long story short, if you show demic pressure to succeed will only spark the powder reading for AP Government. up at my house asking for candy, keg of stress waiting to go off.

This doesn’t even account for half of the various On the flip side, AP courses do provide students with chances are I will hand you a draft other extracurricular activities students participate in: be registration form. the opportunity to obtain college credit during high it a job or anything from Debate Team to Best Buddies Finally, please stop complaining. school. This can lead to early graduation from a univerto LTTV, in addition to studying for ACT/SAT and/or Or at least give it a purpose. My parsity and potentially save parents thousands of dollars applying to college. ents always told me “Only complain in tuition based on how well students perform on AP Are we spreading ourselves too thin? Yes. to the degree that you are willing to exams in May. AP classes are a nice concept in theory but in the fix a problem.” If you do not care Despite the possible financial benefits, students are overscheduled lives of high school teenagers they are enough about that issue to fix it, then impractical. The pressure should be taken off of students more inclined to overexert themselves in high school you should not be complaining about while taking these classes. The combined pressure from to pursue these higher level courses.

The typical daily college schedule differs greatly from parents, teachers, counselors and college representatives it. Do not complain about the homework load from the five AP classes the traditional 7:45 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. high school setting. to take AP classes takes a negative toll on students. that you chose to take. Stop whining Adults need to take a step back and reevaluate how In college students have more flexibility in their schedules. They take only two or three classes a day and do much emphasis they are placing on high school students about that club or sport that no one but you is making you keep doing. If not spend over six hours in the same building five days to take AP classes. Imposing four to five collegiate level there is a serious problem with somea week. classes on 16-18 year olds five days a week 25 weeks a thing, then you can complain. You The homework load of AP classes can vary anyyear, year after year, is not helpful. It is simply unneccan also fix it. where between an hour to three hours each night essary.

Point

AP pressure is APpropriate

CounterPoint

Not end all be all

Random Chatter “I know more about the Greek Constitution than the American Constitution.”- Chris Velisaris ‘17

OPINIONS

Random Chatter “Ok, there go my hopes for being an elbow model.”- Jack Hammond ‘19

Friday, October 23, 2015 n Page 9

StaffEditorials

AnotherView

Our Responsibility

The civil war in Syria began during the hundreds have drowned, including the Arab Spring of 2011, when many countries 3-year-old boy who washed up on a Turkish beach, making international headlines. in the region experienced transitions of His father returned to Syria to bury his son, power out of the hands of dictators. Four and refused an offer to resettle in another short years later, the population of Syria has country, saying that all that was precious (his decreased from 22.4 million people in 2012 family) had been lost. to an estimated population of 10.6 million It is easy for larger numbers to feel cold in 2015, according to CountryMeters.com.

Entire cities lay vacant—ghost towns of their and distant, because it is easy to detach them from the hundreds of thousands of lives, former selves. faces and stories they represent, like those of The European continent is experiencing this man’s, whose life was ruined by the risks the largest influx of refugees since the end he was forced to take, echo this sentiment. of WWII. Over 4 million refugees are in We can not lose sight of that.

Turkey where they sit in a legal limbo. Despite many having high education and labor Makeshift boats are not common by skills, Turkish regulations prevent them chance. They are the only option for almost every immigrant who is barred from from working legally. Thus, many turn to working, hungry and the more viable option— Our Position: The European unemployed in Turkey or Europe. union and other nations should Lebanon. And the EuroMedia outlets have recognize the Syrian Civil War pean Union knows this. referred to this ongoing as not solely a Syrian issue and They benefit from it being phenomenon as a “migrant should welcome the nonviolent such a dangerous jourcrisis,” which is inaccurate persons risking their lives to ney. They legally have and insulting. Migrants seek refuge. to protect anyone who are peoples who choose requests asylum, and if it is safe and easy to to leave their homelands in search of better enter, there would be many more. The risk opportunities. Refugees are people fleeing and danger involved is swept aside, despite persecution. When Bashar Al-Assad is legal obligations to help these people. We are committing war crimes and using chemical weapons on his own people, they might have all human, and knowing that children drown at the perceived benefit of keeping borders more compelling reasons to leave than the safe is sickening. desire for more pocket change.

The Syrian civil war and refugee crisis are Migrants can easily be turned around and not Syrian-exclusive issues. They are global sent home. Refugees have rights. Denying ones. Nothing can hope to be resolved until them asylum and sending them home has potentially deadly consequences. This is why action is taken, and the problem must be stopped at the root. We must work towards referring to the crisis as what it is, a refugee ending the turmoil in Syria, but until then, crisis, not a migrant crisis, is an incredibly we must focus on our legal and ethical obliimportant distinction to make. gations to refugees.

For the past two years, a human tsunami It is easy to think that we have to take of small boats has been washing onto the southern shores of Greece and Italy. Interna- care of “our” people before we take care of tional law states that once you have a refugee foreigners when it comes to situations like at your border, you have legal obligations to these, but we must take a step back and protect and help them. realize that we are one people. When the Thousands of people have paid smugglers oppressed die, it is we who have the power, fortunes to take this risky journey. Many who are to blame.

Staff Vote: 25-1

Loosen up tech policies In our society, technology is constantly coaches can email it to them. on the rise, especially in education. 73 perStudents do not have to read these cent of Advanced Placement and National messages during class. They would be able Writing Project teachers said that their to check emails and texts during passing students use cell phones in the classroom periods, study halls or lunch. However, or to complete assignments, according to accessing social media sites and personal a Pew Research Center study. So, why is email on cell phones is only permitted LT behind in this aspect? LT should loosen before and after school, according to the up on their technology policy, specifically Technology Guidelines of the LT Student regarding handheld devices such as cell Handbook. phones.

In emergencies, cell phones and other Handheld devices should be permitcommunication devices can prove to be ted in school due to the accessibility they vital. For example, if there was a fire at the offer through school-sponsored applicaschool, students would need to be able to tions. For example, there are apps for the notify their parents to communicate that LTHS Website, Infinite Campus, Outlook, they are okay. Or, if a student was missing during a hypothetical emergency, the Canvas, Naviance and most importantly, student’s phone would be able to be located LION Newspaper. Numerous teachers post assignments and class Our Position: LT should modify with GPS programs. schedules on Canvas or its technology policy and allow Therefore, students need to their teacher webpag- students to use handheld devic- to have their cell phones es on the LTHS website. es during school hours. on them during school in Students would be able case there is a crisis. to access these assignments easily with a Numerous teachers have their own cell more relaxed policy. Teachers would be phone policy. Spanish teacher JoEllen able to update students throughout the day Gregie, for example, instructs her students if students were able to access Outlook on to access Canvas via cell phone during class their phones during school. Students could when necessary, and even has given some check their grades or read a story during assessments using the Canvas app. She also the lunch study hall if the cell phone policy allows students to take a picture of the allowed them to do so. homework assignment instead of writing Some students need to make afit down. Many teachers have the same reter-school arrangements during the school laxed opinion as Gregie on cell phone usage day. It is easy for these students to contact during school. a parent or friend with their cell phones.

Cell phones and other handheld devices Students who do not drive themselves to should be permitted during school hours school usually need to ask for a ride home because they allow easy accessibility to from school and arrange a place and time school-sponsored applications, they are to meet with their driver. Students also useful in emergency situations and they may need to be reminded of a club meeting help students communicate with teachers, or sports event. Their peers can text them parents, and peers when necessary. LT this information or their club sponsors or should keep with the times.

Staff vote: 25-1 Staff Vote: 19-7

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via :708-579-6403

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Illustration by Owen Swanson

LION The Voice of Lyons Township Students Since 1910

O ctober 23, 2015 n Volume 106, I ssue 2

Open Forum The opinion section of Lion is a public forum. Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the editor are the opinions of individuals. Letters to the editor must be signed and represent only the views of the signed writer.

Editorials Editorials represent the collective opinion of the entire Lion staff. The idea for the staff editorial will come from the Opinions Editor or suggestions of the other editors and staff members. One writer will compose each editorial.

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Lion 2014-15 Staff Garrett Ariana, Editor-in-Chief Gaby Sabatino, Managing Editor of Print Content Drew Cushing, Managing Editor of Online Content/Social Media Content Thomas Atseff, Assistant Online/Social Media Editor Izy Scott, Art Director MelRose Buckler, Ceili Doyle, News Editors Lea Voytovich, Assistant News Editor Philip Smith, Opinions Editor Bailey Blum, Sports Editor Charlie Stelnicki, Assistant Sports Editor Lauren Hucko, Abby King Pulse Editors Tim Mikulski, Assistant Pulse Editor Heidi Hauch, Business Manager Kristen Roemer, Photo Editor Sheridan Spiess, Caroline Konstant, Copy Editors Mary Sullivan, Adam Janicki, Juliana Halpin, Lucy Schaefer, Grace Palmer, Hallie Coleman, Katie Palermo, Sydney Hansen, Reporters Owen Swanson, Editorial Cartoonist Jason Scales, Advisor Nik Gallicchio, Faculty Assistant

100 S. B rainard , LaG range , Ill. 60525

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Concussion commotion On April 22, 2015, a class-action lawsuit for retired NFL players guaranteed $5 million per athlete for conditions from head trauma.

SPORTS

Friday, October 23, 2015 n Page 10

Cup craze The 2014 FIFA World Cup hosted in Brazil drew crowds of 5,154,386 spectators from all around the globe at multiple locations.

Technology aids in concussion prevention New advancements in prevention of concussions at Dartmouth College begin to set standard for programs nationwide

by Caroline Konstant @carolinekon

The Dartmouth College Football program has added a new player to their already full roster. He stands 5-feet, 10-inches and weighs in at 160 pounds with an impressive 4.7 time for his 40-yard dash. The new player is controlled by a team assistant on the sidelines.

It is a Mobile Virtual Player (MVP), a football dummy on wheels that players tackle instead of their teammates.

A few years ago, Dartmouth Football Head Coach Buddy Teevens asked the engineering students at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth to replicate a moving target as a class project and now implements the product into his “no contact” practice.

“Our thought was that we could teach tackling more safely and technically,” Teevens said. “Now, the MVPs have taken on a life of their own and we have professional teams calling about them.”

Concussions are an issue that every sports team faces during their season. Recently, Illinois has passed bill SB0007 that requires high school athletes who suffer from a concussion to receive clearance from a doctor to return to their sport. At LT, students who are

suspected to have a concussion take the screening test that they took before the season started and have to follow a strict road back to their sport that includes doctor visits and daily check-ins with an athletic trainer.

“A lot of [our precaution] has to do with who we are as Lyons Township,” varsity football Head Coach Kurt Weinberg said. “Everything we do is always in the best interest of our kids, whether it be academically or athletically.”

To further prevent concussions during the football season, players are supplied with the SpeedFlex helmet from Riddell, which is the most reliable concussion-preventing helmet made by Riddell, Weinberg said. The LT coaches have also changed their tackling to a style called “heads up tackling”. Teevens has opposite opinions towards the tackling technique.

“I have issues with heads up tackling,” Teevens said.

“Heads up has players practicing things that don’t happen in a typical game. I have tried to simulate what actually happens with the use of MVPs.” According to Weinberg, most concussions occur in

A Dartmouth football player tackles a roving MVP in practice. (NPR)

younger players at LT because of their lack of knowledge in the proper way to tackle and lack of strength.

Concussions have never been consistent throughout the years at LT. There are weeks where multiple athletes came in with symptoms, but also seasons where the trainers don’t see any athletes with a concussion for multiple months, Head Athletic Trainer Robert Fichter said.

“Technique is the biggest factor in preventing concussions,” Weinberg said. “Equipment also plays a large role along with the strengthening of the athlete.”

If an athlete has any symptoms of a concussion, they are automatically out of their sport for one week. Within the seven days, the athlete needs to have two consecutive rest days, followed by two consecutive days of exertion testing on the treadmill and then they are finally

allowed to return to practice with no contact.

“It’s a complicated process that also involves our team doctor,” Fichter said. “He has the final say and plays a major role in the concussion protocol.”

When a football player is out with a concussion, he either chooses to film or help with equipment to stay up to date with the team.

The engineering students at Dartmouth and Teevens have applied their efforts to create MVPs for high school, junior high and other collegiate athletes.

“LT is always willing to explore whatever is in the best interest of our athletes,” Weinberg said.

LT alumn and Dartmouth linebacker Will Konstant ‘12 has been able to use the MVPs during practices and has not sustained a major injury.

Culture clubs’ World Cup repeats success

by Grace Palmer @gpalmz32

The German club members anxiously stand on the sidelines at the LT World Cup while carefully watching their other club members play. All of a sudden, the ball slides past the opposing goalie’s hands and the fans erupt in loud cheers, rushing onto the field.

“You think that you are at the Pepsi Showdown Final,” German club player Jacob Brown ‘16 said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

This year was the second annual LT World Cup and was held after school on Friday, Oct. 2, German teacher Karen Hoobyar said.

The LT World Cup began one year ago when the German Club wanted to do something in light of the German soccer team winning the international World Cup. They decided to make a soccer competition between six different foreign language clubs that mimics the World Cup. “The [ LT World Cup] is so much fun,” Hoobyar said. “Some of these clubs have never had an opportunity for club competition or club spirit and there is this competitive atmosphere that

attracts a bunch of soccer players that wouldn’t normally come out to a club.”

For this event, Bennett field is split up into three smaller fields and there are three different rounds of games, she said. Whichever team wins the most games out of the three wins the golden squirrel and that team possesses it until the next World Cup. “It’s a great way to get into club activities going on and meet some new people, have some fun and win the golden squirrel,” Brown said.

The golden squirrel is the trophy of the tournament, Brown said. Last year, Hoobyar wanted him to try to find something shiny and ironic to use for the prize.

“I went to five different places and I couldn’t find anything but then later Ms. Hoobyar said she had found something and once I saw the golden squirrel I knew it was perfect,” Brown said.

The World Cup, although it has only been around for two years, has had a great showing of soccer fans.

“If you did not get to come out this year, come out next year because even if you do not get to play, it’s a great event to spectate,” Hoobyar said.

Fall coaches Q & A

A glimpse into the minds of athletic supervisors BOYS GOLF GIRLS VOLLEYBALL compiled by Sheridan Spiess Coach Bryan Hamilton Coach Joann Pyritz Q: What sports did you play as a kid?

A: Football, soccer, basketball and baseball but tennis was the primary.

Q: What led or inspired you to coach?

A: You will notice golf was not one of the [sports] I played as a kid. I didn’t really start playing golf until after I graduated high school. I worked in the business world for 15 years and had many occasions to take customers out golfing and fell in love with the sport. The coach that had the position before me stopped coaching because he had a baby and that provided the opportunity and I expressed interest and got the job.

Q: If you could be any famous female athlete who would you be and why?

A: I would say Serena Williams, because she played at such a high level for such a long period of time and because I share her belief in a strong work ethic.

Q: What sports did you play as a kid?

A: In high school I played varsity basketball, volleyball and softball at LT. In college at Valparaiso University I played volleyball and softball as well. I was an all-state volleyball player in college.

Q: What led or inspired you to coach?

A: First of all, the reason I wanted to teach and coach was that I was inspired by my coaches and teachers in both high school and college. I was an athlete myself, so it was natural to move into teaching PE and coaching in both high school and college. I enjoy the challenges of high school coaching, like raking a team of athletes and making them a cohesive unit.

Q: If you could be any famous female athlete who would you be and why?

A: I would be Mia Hamm, because she pushed to achieve her goals and she was a positive model for female athletes regardless of their sport. I was personally motivated by her despite the difference in sports we played.

VexatiousVegas

In recent months, the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) has made questionable rulings about punishments for martial artists that have sparked controversy in the hearts of fans Charlie Stelnicki across the coutry.

At the pinnacle of these controversies, you will find Nick Diaz, a 32-year-old fighter who is signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The UFC is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world. It hosts and sponsors an incredible number of worldwide events year round. It has seen huge growth in the U.S. in the past decade, especially with younger generations.

On Jan. 31, 2015, Diaz lost a decision match against Anderson Silva, a Brazilian fighter who held the longest title defense streak in UFC history – 16 consecutive wins and 10 title defenses. Silva left the ring victorious, as many predicted. However, for other reasons, the match is still under heavy speculation and is a topic of heated conversation nearly nine months later.

As UFC and NAC regulations mandate, both men took three drug tests over the course of four hours the night of the fight.

Two were conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leading authority on performance enhancing drugs, and one was done by a smaller, cheaper clinic based in Las Vegas.

Exceeding the allowed level of cannabinoid metabolites, Diaz failed one of the three drug tests. An important point to make note of is that it was the test done by the less prestigious, less reputable Vegas clinic, not the WADA. Diaz has a valid medical marijuana card, yet he received a five-year ban from the NAC. The justification? A claim that the substance he tested positive for was performance enhancing. The WADA does not consider marijuana a performance enhancing drug.

Obviously, this raised suspicions.

Silva tested positive for anabolic steroids and received a slap on the wrist: a measly one year ban.

I hope that contrast is raising some alarms.

Let’s connect the dots.

The NAC has come under fire for allegedly taking the personal conduct of Diaz into account. Understandably, the punishment given when measured against the treatment of his opponent frustrated Diaz and his droves of fans. In particular, Matt Hughes, a UFC corporate executive, posted a tweet calling Diaz a “punk who does not deserve leniency.”

To me, this does not sound like the fair and objective statement of the decider of a man’s future career in his sport.

The only thing the UFC should be concerned with is the use of performance enhancing drugs. The UFC has been known to give soft punishments when it comes to steroids, and I don’t believe this is a norm they should be proud of, brush aside or continue. It goes against the integrity of mixed martial arts sand the artists as a whole.

On top of all this, Diaz was fined $165,000, the maximum allowed amount. What about Silva? Well, he was promised a title shot and the clearance to fight on Jan. 31, 2016, exactly one year after he broke the “number one rule” of the UFC: to stay off steroids.

These numbers and dates don’t add up from any viewpoint, much less a legal one.

Silva will have been back in the ring for four years, and might even have another title to his name, by the time Diaz even has a chance to fight again in the far off days of 2020.

The public is not sitting silently in the shadows on this issue, either. While more and more states let their restrictions on medical cards and recreational marijuana loosen, the decision to ban Diaz for five years comes as more of a shock.

The potential future career for Diaz as a professional has been shaken to its foundations. I think the key issue is to reform the process of dealing with athletes using substances, to make it uniform and less susceptible to the personal feelings of decision makers.

Despite the growing momentum from the UFC community and pressure on the NAC to repeal or amend their decision, they stand steadfast. I hope we will soon be certain the athletes we cheer for are playing on a fair level, and that they are being punished on it, as well.

Climbing China While marathon runners race 26.2 miles along the Great Wall of China, competitors have to climb 5,164 steps.

SPORTS

Friday, October 23, 2015 n Page 11

Marathon madness After completing a marathon in Washington D.C., Oprah Winfrey exclaimed, “Damn!

This is better than winning an Emmy!”

XC sprints towards finish After recent surgance in state ranking, the girls are prepared to make impact at state

Despite many injuries, setbacks, boys take strides towards state

by Hallie Coleman @hallie_coleman

by Drew Cushing @drcushing32

A

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fter missing the state cut last year, the girls cross country team ith the state meet coming up in Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 7, has a new tenacious drive to make it this year. If the girls the boys cross country team is preparing for the competicross country team qualifies for state, it could be the beginning of tion by becoming more focused on what it has to do to be the best another 14-year state qualifying streak for the team. at state.

“We missed the state meet as a team the past few years, so I “We are putting in work day in and day out and gradually think our primary goal is to get back to the state meet as a team,” incorporating race-specific workouts that will allow us as a team head coach Stetson Steele said. to peak at state,” captain Matt Begeman ‘16 said.

In order to reach this goal, the girls must endure their two-hour The team has also developed a motto for this practices, Monday through Saturday. During practice, the girls season, “LTXC vs. Everybody.” The team uses this follow a schedule in which they motto as a way to rally themselves against the Vanessa Flaherty have specific workouts. competition. This year’s team is also the fast‘16 strides to the “It is important to come to est team in the school’s cross country hisfinish line in a practice with a positive mental tory, and the runners hope to show their race against OPRF. attitude and being ready to speed by winning state.

(Abby King/LION) work and train hard,” varsity This season marks a change with the runner Vanessa Flaherty addition of a new coach, Leo Reyes.

‘16 said.

Reyes took the place of Coach Ken The cross country team Koval, who retired after 35 years was originally ranked 25 of coaching. The team also looks in the state, but after to improve even more upon its third performing well, the place finish from last year. team is now ranked fifth “These guys have been around some in the state. successful teams from the past. and they “As a team, we have know what it takes to be successful,” coach had many accomplishments Jake Discipio said. “Mike Danner, the that we achieved together,” head coach, has laid it all out for them varsity runner Emily Henkel and he really knows what he’s doing and ‘18 said. “We have bonded and they’ve learned to trust his judgment and grown not just as runners, but his plan. He’s the one that allows them to as people.” become successful.”

After meeting in mid-June for The top runners on the team set an examLT’s summer running program, ple for others too both through their racing Vincent Zona ‘17 the girls have spent a great deal of performances and also through the advice sprints in the last time together and have formed a very they give to the underclassmen. One of the stretch of a meet close connection, Steele said. team’s top runners, Connor Madell ‘16, is against York.

“I think there is a strong bond that we especially a benefit for the team.

(Greg Smith) always have, but for some reason, this year’s “[Madell’s] an upperclassmen who’s bond is much stronger than in years past,” experienced success at the highest Steele said. level,” Discipio said. “He’s someone One of the most crucial elements of being a who has absorbed a lot of knowledge runner is mental toughness. When runners get tired and who the other kids look up to.” mid-race, it is their mind that motivates them to keep going.

At the state meet, the team’s biggest competitors will be Sand“There are a lot of good runners out there, but even good and burg, ranked first in state and in the nation, and also Neuqua great runners get to a point in the race where mentally it is hard Valley, ranked third in state. The LT team, currently ranked to get through,” Steele said. “The great runners are the ones who second in state, placed second to Sandburg at a meet in Peoria, on can get past the mental block. Good runners are still very talSaturday, Oct. 3. In the meet, Vincent Zona ‘17 finished in 3rd, ented, but react to the mental block differently than great runDanny Kilrea ‘18 in 7th, and Madell in 12th. ners do.”

Despite the second place finish, the boys cross country runners The path to state is very tedious. First the team must qualthink they still have room to improve and grow. At the Peoria ify for regionals and then onto sectionals and finally to the state meet, Sandburg had a 14-second gap between their first and fifth meet, varsity runner Megan Ng ‘17 said. runner while LT had a 39-second gap.

“I hope in the state meet [the girls] have their best races and “Our biggest weakness is not keeping the pack tight for our top that they walk away completely satisfied with what they did five runners,” Madell said. “The time split between the first and that day knowing that they put their best selves on the course,” fifth runner is a leading factor in the state competition, so getting Steele said. that pack time down helps.”

INFLUENTIAL UNDERCLASSMEN

by Lucy Schaefer and Garrett Ariana @lucy_schaefer3 @garrettariana3

Sarah Barcelona ‘19 steps up to the starting line at Minooka High School. This is the first time she will be participating in a flight race, a race in which each school places one runner per flight, and therefore the first time she will not be running alongside her teammates.

The gunshot fires and Barcelona bolts out to the front, finishing in third place in the third flight, with a time of 18:24 for three miles, the best time of any varsity runner.

“I was kind of surprised at how I could stay with runners who would be a lot faster than me in a big race, but I was actually able to stay with them in the flight race,” Barcelona said. “Now I know I can go a lot faster.”

Barcelona has already made her way to the top position on the team, running the three-mile race at a team-best 17:58 at the Palatine Invite. Running her pre-season mile at 5:32, Barcelona demonstrates outstanding consistency in the sport, cross-country coach Stetson Steele said.

The team is amazed at how humble she is, despite her incredible and early success. She always brings dedication, focus and discipline to every practice, varsity runner Hannah Dutler ’16 said.

“Barcelona is what we call a doer,” Dutler said. “She goes out, takes care of business and that’s it.”

Barcelona relies on her teammates to push her. Every practice is tough, and the team creates a great atmosphere, Barcelona said.

“When someone comes in as a freshman, and as good as she is, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘me’,” Steele said. “But Sarah really embraces the idea of the ‘we’. She wants to see the team do well.”

Barcelona’s work ethic has proven to be her key quality. She never complains about a pace being too fast, and she pushes herself every day, Dutler said.

If someone three years ago told Danny Kilrea ‘18 that every day after practice he’d be hooked up to a sequential gradient pump to reduce the amount of lymphatic fluids in his legs, he would have given you a bizarre look. However, knowing full well of his potential and capabilities, Kilrea came into this cross country season ready to take care of his body and make sure that he didn’t have another season-ending injury.

Just as Kilrea was hitting his stride as an elite runner about halfway through his freshman year, he found out that he had two stress fractures in his left leg and couldn’t finish the season. This year, coaches have brought in pumps, such as the one Kilrea uses, to help reduce injuries.

“It was hard to adjust to high school,” Kilrea said. “I kept working even when I was injured. I did a lot of swimming and rebounded during track.”

That hardship only made him faster and stronger. Starting the year with a personal record at 16:43 for the three-mile, Kilrea managed to shatter that with a 14:47 pace at the Peoria Central Invitational on Oct. 3. This skyrocketed him into a second place ranking in the nation for his age group.

“He’s been more confident in his running,” coach Tom Stukel said. “Confidence goes a long way when it comes to the pain you have to endure to do three miles in under 15 minutes.”

Some of the more experienced upperclassmen varsity runners such as Matt Begeman ‘16, Connor Madell ‘16 and Vincent Zona ‘17 have helped mentor Kilrea as far as being a smart runner with precaution to injury while also noticing his hard work ethic. “[Kilrea] doesn’t care who is in a race with him or if he went out too fast or if he is in a bad position,” Zona said. “He just does what we need him to do.”

ConcussionCrisis For the last half-century, Sundays have been dominated by the NFL. It’s the one day of the week where almost every sports fan gathers around a TV for a day of relaxation, food ingestion and hard-fought Bailey Blum American football. For the most part, the NFL has remained largely similar during this time span; however, fast forward 20 years from now and the NFL as we know it may be completely changed.

So, what could possibly change one of America’s most endearing pastimes? That answer lies not in the people watching the games, but with the players themselves.

Specifically, their brains.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University have been working closely together on examining the dead bodies of former NFL players, as well as athletes who only played football in high school or college. They have found that out of all players tested, 79-percent of them (131 out of 165) had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease that can lead to depression, memory loss and insanity. Of these 165 players, 91 played in the NFL, of which a staggering 96-percent were discovered to have CTE. However, the cause of this brain degeneration isn’t exactly what it seems.

When you think of scenarios in football where it seems that players could become susceptible to brain trauma, your mind probably conjures up images of Jadeveon Clowney and other huge linebackers and defensive players absolutely trucking some poor wide receiver or quarterback. While these instances are the most likely to cause concussions, they aren’t in fact what causes CTE and other long-term brain disorders.

CTE is actually believed to be caused by repeated minor instances of contact to the head, something any football player who plays long enough is bound to face.

Just think of all of the tackles, hitting and blocking that goes on game in and game out. Although in that exact moment no damage is done, the long-term effects, like CTE, could prove to be life-threatening as they were to a few famous NFL players after they hung up their jerseys for good.

Junior Seau and Dave Duerson both played in the NFL for over a decade, and earned multiple Pro Bowl selections and team honors in the process. In 2011, Duerson committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest; however, he left a note before he died asking for his brain to be sent to a lab for research. Seau committed suicide in 2012, and after his death, his brain was also sent to a lab for research. In both cases, CTE was found to have led them to suicide.

On Dec. 25, “Concussion” will be released, a film starring Will Smith. He plays the role of Bennet Omalu, the neurosurgeon who discovered CTE in the brain of former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster in 2002. Although the film does represent an era before all of the rules regarding reckless tackling and blind hits were made, it undoubtedly will serve as a wake-up call for anyone who has not yet heard of the NFL’s ongoing problem with brain damage.

These scientific findings are a harsh reality for the NFL. Although the league has done its best over the past few years by installing new rules regarding return times of players with concussions and restrictions on how players can tackle, it won’t ever be enough. The NFL can do its best to take away the huge, jaw-dropping tackles it has become so well known for, but as science has recently proven with CTE, that’s not the issue. The issue is the relentless tackling and, frankly, the fearlessness players exhibit on the field. When they are under the protection of their helmets and pads, they feel like they have no limits and can tackle however they want. If the NFL truly does care about its players and wants to increase its safety, then a complete overhaul of the game-style is going to have to take place.

Superb swimming Donna de Varona of California is nicknamed the “Queen of Swimming.” She won 37 titles and two Olympic gold medals in the 1960s. After she retired from swimming, she became the first female reporter.

SPORTS SPORTS Friday, October 23, 2015  Page 12

Scores 

A

s Mackenna Dunn ‘16 dried herself off after a hard-fought swim in a dual-meet against Hinsdale Central, she looked around the locker room and decided a change was needed.

After a tough first half in their dual meet against Hinsdale Central on Sept. 24, the girls were down on themselves and upset at their own performances. Dunn knew they needed a spark.

“At the middle break, we had a huge pep talk and tried to motivate everyone to keep their heads up and keep working hard,” Dunn said.

“That really got us going, and the rest of the meet went much better for us.”

The girls defeated Hinsdale Central 100-86, a match that set the tone for the rest of their season. Dunn captains the team alongside Molly Rogan ‘16 and Taylor Guagenti ‘16, and the dive team is captained

by Alex Scotty ‘16. The team is currently 3-1 in Conference and 4-2 overall, its only non-conference loss having come at the hands of state powerhouse New Trier. The girls don’t see that as a setback, however.

“We came the closest we ever have to beating New Trier,” Dunn said. “People are just ready to do well this year. The past few years, there’s always been the sense that we could’ve done better, but this year I think really could be our year.”

In addition to their internal drive to succeed, there’s been a variety of other factors that have made this year especially special for the girls swimming and diving team.

“I think a big thing this year is that Coach [Kurt Johns] slightly changed his coaching strategy,” Dunn said. “There’s definitely been a lot more focus put on staying positive mentally, instead of just the usual physical goals of working hard and getting better.”

This year, the team has experienced an increase in team-building exercises, as well as Johns giving talks and sending the girls motivational articles to read before meets, Dunn said. Naturally coming alongside the increase in positivity amongst the girls has been a strong sense of team unity.

If you were walking through the North Campus hallways on Sept.

24, the day of the Hinsdale Central meet, it wouldn’t take long before the bright and extravagant signs decorating every swimmer’s locker exclaiming “Swim fast!” demanded your attention. It’s little things like these add to the spirit of the season, Dunn said.

“We have a lot of new, really talented freshmen that came in, so creating a welcoming and united environment for them has really been a big focus for us this year,” three-year varsity member Paige Mitchell ‘17 said.

Highlights  Profiles

by Bailey Blum @ultimatebailey

Mighty man Hall of Fame NFL player, Jim Brown, was one of the fiercest players to take the field. He was a 6-foot 2-inch fullback who used his brute size and strength to rush for over 12,000 yards and score 106 touchdowns.

With the influx of new freshmen has come an increase in roster depth. A friendly sense of competition amongst the girls has been created, who all are competing for the top spots on varsity, Mitchell said.

“In all of our relays right now, we’re just looking for that fourth person,” Johns said. “We have a ton of great options this year, and we’re just trying to find who is going to be the best fit.”

This year, the girls biggest goal is getting someone to come back for the second day of the state competition, Dunn said. Only the top 12 girls from each event advance, and last year they didn’t return anyone for the second day. As the season winds to a close, however, the need for top-performance only gets higher.

“Our depth is the reason we’ve done so well at dual-meets and larger invitationals,” Johns said. “As we widdle down to the end of the season, we’re going to get to those meets where we can only enter a few girls. The question becomes whether those few top girls can really rise to the occasion, and this year I think they can.”

For the 2014 season, the girls swimming and diving team was awarded the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Girls Scolar Gold Team Award. The girls finished the season with a team GPA of 3.825 out of 4, a score that ranked them first in the state and 25th in the nation.

“The award is something that everyone here is very proud of,” Coach Johns said. “To maintain such a high GPA coupled with the amount of time swimming demands isn’t an easy task.”

3.82

(2014 team average GPA on a four-point scale)

#1 GPA in Illinois, 25th in the nation.

Mackenna Dunn ‘16 finishes a lap at swimming practice. Photo taken with underwater technology. (Bailey Blum, Charlie Stelnicki/LION)

by Adam Janicki @Ad_Man34

W

hether its dodging tackles or pushing his teammates to get better at practice, Reggie Terrell ‘17 is constantly moving his team forward. The varsity running back may not be the most intimidating on the field, standing at only 5-foot 9-inches, but the amount of work ethic, passion and dedication he demonstrates for both the sport and his team gives him an advantage over other players. “[Terrell] has been our main running back throughout this season,” varsity football head coach Kurt Weinberg said. “He is athletic and powerful, and he has been hugely important in our success on the field.

Along the way, he has shown great work ethic and commitment to the team.”

Contributing to the teams success through his offensive capabilities and leadership, Terrell makes a substantial impact on the football team, as did LT’s previous running back, Leonard Ross ‘15.

“I knew that when [Ross] left to play for Miami of Ohio, it was time for me to step up my game at running back,” Terrell said.

“Leonard and I were friends that were always helping each other get better. He was a great football player and he taught me a lot when we practiced together.”

Terrell is constantly motivating his team with his tough mentality and infectious energy; however, he also has developed into a great leader and friend.

“Since LT football freshman year, Reggie has become a lot bigger, faster and stronger,” varsity cornerback and wide receiver Antwane Thigpen ‘17 said. “Reggie is always putting in the extra effort to improve his game, but at the same time he manages to be a great friend.”

During the Sept. 4 game against Morton, Terrell made an early season statement by moving his team forward with 167 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns en route to a 23-20 victory.

“I was very proud of my performance in the home game against Morton,” Terrell said. “I wanted to do all I could to get my team consistent yards and a score, and I did.

Not only did we get the win, but I also got bragging rights over my cousin, who was one of the Morton linebackers.”

Terrell has been a sprinter on track since freshman year. He participates in the 100 meter relay, 400 meter relay, 4x2 and 4x1 and high jump. His personal best 40-yard dash is 4.6 seconds. Track has improved his agility, endurance, and acceleration for football.

“Both football and track benefit each other,” Terrell said. “Track works with my agility and quickness, which is key to have as a running back when your dodging tackles and speeding past opponents.”

In the offseason, Terrell is determined to improve upon his game. He works with teammates, friends and family to gain speed and power.

“I am constantly working on getting my legs faster and stronger, because as a running back your legs are a crucial part of your game. It’s important to keep your legs strong because players on the opposing team try to tackle your legs. The drills I do in training prepare me for the games when I have to make sharp cuts.”

Coaches have played Terrell at other positions in addition to running back throughout the season.

“In our offense, [Terrell] can also play wide receiver and special teams, as well as running back,” Weinberg said. “He is a versatile player that can play most of the positions we need him to.”

Terrell grew up in a football family. When he was young, he was inspired to play the sport by his uncle, who continues to motivate Reggie and his cousins.

“I started playing football because of my Uncle Darin,” Terrell said.

“He played defensive tackle and offensive line at Chicago Collins High School and was really good. When I was younger, he talked about playing football and that influenced me to play the sport. He continues to give my cousins and I pep talks that fire us up.”

As a junior, Terrell still has his senior season ahead of him, and he plans on playing football in college. “[Terrell] has all the qualities of a good football player and leader,” Weinberg said. “He is an intelligent athlete that shows a lot of commitment to the team and to the game.”

trends

Crazy crocs

300 million Crocs have been sold in the last 13 years from 500 retail locations in 90 countries around the world.

Crook croak

Robert Croak, the creator of Silly Bandz, has a criminal record for forgery. He was never sentenced to jail.

Friday, October 23, 2015 n Page 14

Nothing is so cringe-worthy as thinking back to the popular trends that consumed our generation’s prepubescent lives. Back when conformity and material items went hand in hand to promote popularity, people would buy almost anything, whether it be rubber shoes or backwards robes, to seem normal. However nostalgic you may be about the trends of years past, their time has come and gone.

compiled by Garret Ariana, Juliana Halpin, and Caroline Konstant

2005-2007

It’s a mystery why this trend ever died. Still waiting for the comeback of the flowy capris.

08

6-20

2008

uck ber d a b u r the making ears , ent y ave been entlemen c e r h g In rend s and st in feet t k. Ladie one to re c s a i b h come e allow t ce. pea pleas 200

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Boss bands

The top five best selling Irish acts of all time are U2, Enya, Van Morrison, The Cranberries and Westlife.

LION‘Scopes

Are you in desperate need of some guidance? Looking forward to what is yet to come? Then here are the ‘Scopes. (Note: The following are for entertainment purposes only and are not intended to be taken seriously in any way, shape or form.)

by Thomas Atseff and Charlie Stelnicki @thomas_atseff @c_stelnicki Aries- (March 21-April 19): The pumpkin patch field trip your math teacher has been talking about will turn out to be a trip to the Corral to play math games.

Taurus- (April 20- May 20): While trick-or-treating this year, you will accidentally visit the local dentist’s house— enjoy the toothbrush.

Gemini- (May 21- June 20): Your mom will get a Twitter account and find all of your angry tweets about her. Be prepared for a very passive-aggressive dinner conversation.

Cancer- (June 21- July 22): Your grandma will schedule a family reunion on Halloween. Lucky for you, all the faces you’re supposed to recognize are covered in masks.

Leo- (July 23 – Aug. 22): You and your significant other will enter the only thing more damaging to a relationship than Ikea: a corn maze. The argument on whether to go left or right at a fork in the road will bring your relationship to a standstill.

Virgo- (Aug. 23- Sept. 22): Your long habit of arbitrarily reporting people on Instagram will finally catch up with you.

Good luck regaining those 200 followers on your new account.

Libra- (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are overjoyed to get so many gummy worms this Halloween, but dismayed to find that after a few bites that they are more worm than they are gummy.

Scorpio- (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You will be visited by the haunted activity bus to take you and your friends to the scariest haunted house around. Unfortunately, you’re the only one who doesn’t have your activity bus sticker. Better luck next time.

Sagittarius- (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte is what will send you to the emergency room. Third degree burns have never tasted so good.

Capricorn- (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): While looking for ghosts in your neighborhood abandoned house, you will find Casper.

Now you can tell people that your friends aren’t entirely imaginary.

Aquarius- (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your hay ride will turn into a pray ride as you go from 0 to 60 in 3.5. Get ready to never struggle during a heart rate day in gym ever again.

Pisces- (Feb. 19-March 20): Checking your quarter grades on Infinite Campus will be the scariest thing you experience this Halloween season.

PROFILES Friday, October 23, 2015 n Page 15

Large land

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America and is slightly bigger in area than the state of New York.

Siempre adelante Teacher leads students to follow Pulsera slogan: ‘siempre adelante’ (always moving forward)

by Lauren Hucko @laurenhucko

Two weeks into the 2015-2016 school year, Spanish teacher Lisa Plichta was ecstatic to have received a small package postmarked from Nicaragua and brimming with meaning. Excitedly, she opened the package and was greeted by hand-carved maracas and a letter thanking her for the largest donation the Nicaraguan-based organization “The Pulsera (bracelet) Project” has ever received.

“It was a wonderful surprise to find out how big our impact was,” Plichta said. “To do something so impactful and know that we can make it even bigger is more than exciting, it’s exhilarating.”

The Pulsera Project is a fair-trade organization that supports Nicaraguan artists who grew up in orphanages by selling handmade pulseras (bracelets) in over 900 schools across the U.S. All of the proceeds from each sale are returned to the artists who crafted them.

Last spring, Plichta led a coalition of eager LT students in selling “pulseras” to members of the LT community which culminated in a $4,600 donation from LT to

“I have been wanting to do a service learning project for a long time and this caught my eye,” Plichta said. “LT kids, being the best students on the planet, absolutely embraced it and ran with it.”

According to her colleague Anuja Kolathu, Plichta sets up a platform for her students to shine by introducing the idea of The Pulsera Project to them and allowing them to execute it. “[What Plichta has done with the Pulsera Project] is revolutionary,” Kolathu said.

“The amount of money they raised for that cause is amazing.”

As a result of last year’s success, Plichta and her students will be selling pulseras at NC and SC from Nov. 30-Dec. 17. Each pulsera is $5 and is accompanied by a tag that Lisa Plichta holds hand-carved maracas she introduces the story of its artist. recieved from “The Pulsera Project.” (Charlie “I feel called to be a global citizen, [to] Stelnicki/LION) reach out and [to] guide my students to think outside the textbook and the classAlthough The Pulsera Project is not a room,” Plichta said. “It’s really fulfilling to part of Plichta’s curriculum, she includes it work together with my students on making in her lessons to instill the virtues of volun- a difference. It has been the best part of my career.” teerism in her students.

The Pulsera Project. “[Her] positivity and willingness to try and do better for other people is really awesome,” SC Pulsera Project President Michael Henehan ‘18 said.

Musician returns from Ireland to teach, perform Junior competes, learns at worldwide Irish traditional music festival

by Tim Mikulski @t_mikulski For nine August days and nights at the Fleadh Cheoil in Ireland’s cultural center Sligo, music spilled out from pubs and venues throughout the town. Conor Sheldon ‘17 and thousands of other musicians returned from playing at the festival with a newfound experience in Irish traditional music, to use both for his own performing and for teaching others.

“It was what the Irish would define as crowded, which is basically the average density of Chicago,” Sheldon said. “Everywhere there were sessions going on, which is where musicians gather to play together.”

The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (meaning Music Festival of Ireland in Gaelic) is the world-stage competition and festival for traditional Irish musicians, organized by Irish music and culture organization Comhaltas (CCÉ). Sheldon qualified for the by winning the mandolin competition at the Midwest Fleadh in Cincinnati, allowing him to compete with the 14 other top mandolin players in the world in his age group (15-18).

“I got to play an amazing session at a pub called Shoot the Crows, and met a famous flute player named Seamus Tansey,” he said. “We stayed out playing tunes until 4 a.m.”

Though he only competed in the mandolin competition at the Fleadh Cheoil, he also plays fiddle and guitar and teaches all

three instruments for the Murphy Roche Irish Music Club, an Illinois branch of the CCÉ. Sheldon performs with the club weekly at The Irish Legend in Willow Springs, as well as for a monthly céilí dance at Chicago Gaelic Park.

Conor Sheldon, middle, playing with other Murphy Roche members at The Irish Legend.

(Tim Mikulski/LION)

Other Murphy Roche musicians also accompanied Sheldon. The leader of the weekly Irish Legend session, Mike Chole, stressed that the Fleadh was much more than a competition.

“Getting to play and learn with some of the best musicians in the world is an absolutely fascinating experience,” Chole said. “Only then comes the competition, so even if you don’t do anything you have succeeded just to be there.”

Irish music sessions are different from American folk music performances, mainly

through their organization. Instead of songs, players take turns leading sets, which consist of the leader starting a tune and then other players who know it joining in. The leader will then repeat the tune with the group before flowing into a new one, with most sets consisting of three repetitions of three tunes. The music uses traditonal and Gaelic instruments.

“Sessions are great because they’re a casual way to play tunes with friendly people who you’ll instantly share something in common with,” Sheldon said.

“They’re as much fun for the players as they are for the listeners.”

Robyn Jedlicka, another Murphy Roche member, plays at the weekly session with Sheldon and also attended the Fleadh.

“It’s great to be able to go out and play music with people,” she said. “And at the Fleadh, we met musicians from all over the world.”

Next year’s Fleadh will be held in Ennis in midwest Ireland, and Sheldon hopes to compete there again. Here in the U.S., Sheldon is continuing to play his regular sessions and dances, teaching at Murphy Roche and improving his playing of all three instruments.

“I definitely plan to continue playing after high school,” Sheldon said. “You can find a session going on nearly anywhere in the world.”

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

www.lionnewspaper.com

Risky revolution The Arab Spring Revolution was covertly coordinated through the invisible web in the year 2010.

Finally found The Silk Road’s creater was arrested for hiring an undercover FBI agent to murder a member of the site who was blackmailing him.

g n i r o l p x E e h t

Deep web

Friday, October 23, 2015  Pages 16 and 17

Dangerous dealers

Easily explored Deep web users cannot be tracked by internet protocol (IP), and the software used to gain access to the deep web is free.

The deep web has been around for over a decade, but recently came under spotlight after police shut down the “Silk Road.”

Understanding the deep web

by Tim Mikulski @t_mikulski

In its broadest definition, the deep web is anything on the Internet that you can’t find on Google—however, this doesn’t mean that your email inbox is on the same level as hidden online markets. The biggest problem in shining a public spotlight on the deep web is the lack of common language describing it, and confusion over the border where the normal internet “ends” and the deep web “begins”.

Most search engines track web pages by following links, which means anything requiring a password or special search term to access won’t be displayed; by this definition well over 90-percent of pages on the Internet are part of the deep web. However, these databases, message boards and archives don’t form most people’s ideas of the “underground” internet.

The parts of the deep web most commonly associated with anonymous and illegal activities are special networks designed to keep users anonymous. The most popular is the free-to-download Tor, which itself is only one method of hiding everyday internet use from any tracking attempts.

Tor encodes any outgoing messages with multiple layers, and then sends it through a randomly selected network of volunteers’ computers.

Each stop through a volunteer unencrypts one layer and reveals the next destination. The only trackable link in this chain is between the last volunteer computer (the “exit node”) and the message’s destination, and it is nearly impossible to follow this link back to the original computer.

Anonymity networks themselves are legal, because there is no law preventing encrypting internet use. However, the networks enable hidden services: revealed classified documents, counterfeiting services for money and papers, and illegal markets for drugs or weapons. These sites are accessed via randomly generated, 16-character names ending in .onion (for Tor’s “onion routing” encryption), and since they are rarely linked between each other, they are found only on dedicated non-deep web pages on websites like Pastebin, Reddit and Twitter.

Seven of the most visited deep websites according to ibtimes.com 1. Evolution

Allows for the sale of hacked credit card information as well as stolen goods.

2. MOM4Europe

This acronym, Mail Order Marijuana, is one of the most used bulk order sites on the deep web, most famously for illegally purchasing marijuana.

3. White Wolves Professionals

This famous site allows for ordering hitmen, as long as the “target” is not under the age of 16 or a top 10 political figure. The average going rate for a kill is around $25,000 while cops, mob members, celebrities, CEOs, ministers and politicians will test your wealth a little more. Also, there are sites related to ones like this that place bets on how soon or where “executions” will be made.

4. Buttery Bootleg

Know of something you want but don’t have the money for? Buttery Bootleg is for these people as the almost famous head of the site, Dangler, will steal just about anything for people.

5. The Human Experiment

Horrifyingly dangerous procedures and medical experiments are performed on homeless, unregistered people living on the streets to test research and to satisfy sadistic viewers of this site. Most of the time, the subjects die, however, are not noticed as they do not have documentation.

6. The Hidden Wiki

Similar to TORCH, this is parallel to actual wikipedia as it essentially is the portal to anything on the deep web and explains anything you would ever want to know.

7. Silk Road Book Club

A section of the most prominent deep web site to ever exist (Silk Road, which was shut down by government officials in Nov. 2013), this site doesn’t feature drugs, firearms, pornography or murder, but rather just a bunch of book lovers, looking to be adventurous.

How sweet! compiled by Garrett Ariana

Looking into the rabbit hole

by Abby King @abigailann_01

The ocean covers over 71-percent of the Earth’s surface— containing approximately 97-percent of our water supply—yet over 95-percent of it remains unexplored. Similarly, the internet impacts millions upon billions of people’s lives, yet over 96-percent of it has yet to be discovered by the average citizen.

Hit-men purchases, murders, kidnapping, illicit drug purchases: the list goes on. Words and phrases that make us cringe—awful injustices hidden underneath the cloak of blissful anonymity that drape the deep web, yet there are little to no government regulations in place to stop these untold horrors.

The real question is how can we control a growing group of people that are stretched around the world that whose names are unknown? People post videos of themselves murdering innocent people, yet there is no punishment for their crimes due to the complete anonymity that they may hide behind. All of these images and videos cover the deep web, but no one can do or has done enough to stop this ever-expanding problem.

The government’s immobility in the situation is primarily due to the fact that most people do not know about the other 96 percent, but this does not change the fact that it is still there. And while the government has shut down a few of the major underground drug lord websites, like the Silk Road, the intervention has been minimal due to the rights of anonymity.

The Supreme Court has ruled in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission that the right to anonymous free speech is protected by the First Amendment.

The statement reads, “Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society” (securityaffairs.com).

However, just as we make laws to protect society from dangers that we can physically see, we also must make laws and regulations to protect us from the virtual dangers that lurk deep in the internet. While it is important to feel as though you can speak your mind without being persecuted, if you are committing crimes there should be recourse for your actions.

The government must begin to allocate more funds to research of the deep web and help find solutions on how to curb this unchained monster.

Human beings have at long last created a weapon that they cannot control. The internet is not going away any time soon, and it is time for us to start taking action against the untold and unspeakable horrors within its virtual walls.

Q&A with David Brown, systems administrator for technology services A tech-savvy LT faculty member breaks down the details of the deep web and informs us about the positives and negatives surrounding this unfamiliar territory. compiled by Gaby Sabatino

Q. What are the differences between the deep web and the surface web?

on from a network security perspective so it’s likely the government and other governments at a minimum have similar resources dedicated to monitoring the deep web

The main differences revolve around access methods and technologies, otherwise they are quite similar in nature.

Q. What are the dangers of the deep web? Are there any

Q. Can the government monitor the deep web? Why haven’t they?

I would say with increasing difficulty, but I am sure they do in some ways. However, to what extent and to what degree of success is not widely known, nor would it be in their best interest to advertise if they do or can. I know there are security professionals that have bedded themselves in the deep web to observe, track, discover and report on what’s going

positives?

The dangers are clearly evident if you consider the illicit side of the deep web. It’s a substantial black market for a myriad of illegal goods, services and transactions. In the current technology world, as more companies look to exploit personal information (Google, Facebook et al.) for various uses, privacy has become a very hot topic. A positive thing I see is that the more people that are exposed to what is actually going on in the deep web as well as the regular web, hopefully they’ll be more aware of the challenges and risks of using the

web in their daily lives. The deep web is also driving innovation in the information technology security field as companies look to the deep web for inspiration for innovation and development of some of the principles and technologies in use.

Q. In your opinion, what is the most frightening thing about the deep web?

We know there is a lot of illegal activity and some abhorrent uses for the deep web and that is truly unsettling. I do believe that the deep web is contributing to the evolution of privacy practices as a whole on the internet and within the information technology field so the future is interesting but definitely complex and provides challenges for technology companies and law makers alike.

Famous fanatics

President Barack Obama wears the Fitbit Surge. Actor Ryan Reynolds wears the less expensive Fitbit Flex.

Health

Favored Fitbit

Fitbit was voted best overall fitness tracker of 2015 compared to Jawbone, Misfit, Moor and others.

Friday, October 23, 2015 n Page 18

LION held a staff step-off for one week with Intro to Business teacher Jennifer Walker against AP U.S. History teacher Andrew Newcomb. Afterwards LION asked them questions about their Fitbits.

QUESTIONS How long have you worn a Fitbit?

What activities/kind of exercise do you most frequently do?

What ways have you benefitted from wearing a Fitbit?

Total number of steps

WALKER

NEWCOMB

I was given my Fitbit as a birthday present in May.

I got the Fitbit as a holiday gift last December, I think I actually got it working on New Years Day.

At this point, I run around with my two kids, Max (8 yrs.) and Sam (6 yrs.) I try to get as much walking in as possible. During the summer, I love biking.

I run a little, sometimes take the dog for a walk, but really I just try to keep moving even if I’m in the classroom. I’m a pacer by nature. Coaching and having three kids helps also.

I set my goal at 10,000 steps per day. For me, I am more aware of keeping active in order to hit my goal. Instead of sitting and watching my boys play baseball, I will make a conscious effort to get up and walk around. I have also tried to add a family walk in after dinner which has been fun for all (we hit the parks too).

I don’t really see any benefits beyond tracking what I’ve done each day. It’s like if I feel really lazy one day I can look at my Fitbit and be like, yep that confirms it. But probably more disheartening to me isn’t the lack of steps I might record, but how many hours of sleep in a night I log. That was probably my biggest shocker with the Fitbit - I really don’t get enough sleep.

48,778

75,032 compiled by Sydney Hansen

Student fitness

Health at our fingertips

by Izy Scott @3izy3

The Fitbit made its debut in 2007 and has since sold 21 million of the wrist fitness trackers. Recording exercise, food consumption, hydration, weight and sleep, the Fitbit has made its way to the wrists of millions, only recently sparking interest in younger generations of health-conscious teens.

In Illinois, 11.5-percent of high schoolers are obese, according to stateofobesity.com, proving the need for healthier lifestyles. Not only does the Fitfit provide a simple solution, but other recent technological developments do too, like the Nike+ Running app which tracks running distance and MyFitnessPal which provides communal support for health-conscious people.

These newfound technologies have not surpassed the old, however.

Take a look at Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) days in gym class at LT. Besides causing groans in the locker rooms from reluctant students digging out their damp heart rate strap from under three-week-old socks, HRM days do serve as an excellent example of where the future of high school fitness may be heading. Before the dawn of the infamous HRM, students were not aware of their own individual requirements to increase their heart rate.

As technology has progressed beyond the gym and down to the number of steps taken to get from the couch to the fridge, technology-based fitness devices are only progressing in high schools. Professional and college teams have been gaining access to easier ways to track performance aspects like heart rate, field location and speed, and it will only be a matter of time before high school programs will be able to afford lower-tiers of this same equipment.

“I use it to track my steps, workouts and sleep patterns at night,” cross country runner Olivia Zawojski ‘16 said. “It shows my improvements on running times and I can go on the computer to track my progress.”

In some cases, club and professional coaches track player improvement, which poses the question of how intrusive a coach should be when evaluating a player. Many feel high school sports should be about learning and building relationships considering only about seven percent of high school athletes continue to the Division One college level according to the NCAA. A number of people, however, find the use of items like Fitbits, HRM’s or even WebMD unnecessary when trying to stay healthy. Many people can still maintain a healthy state without the use of fitness trackers, but for those who feel health is inaccessible, the advancement of technology like the Fitbit is paving the way for a society that can physically see their health at the tips of their fingers rather than a scale under their feet.

LION polled 290 students regarding their personal health and technology tendencies.

Here are their responses.

36%

of LT st moni udents to physi r ca activi l ty over a ny other categ ory of he alth.

33% of LT students exercise at least 3-4 days a week.

f 31% tos

LT

n stude it itB use F ir as the preffered s fitnes . e devic

Yearning youth Public displays of affection and using “youth slang” are other embarrassing acts parents do.

parents Friday, October 23, 2015 n Page 19

Technology TMI Unsavy and over-sharing parents often misuse Facebook and mortify their kids.

LION Newspaper @LTLionNewspaper

Imagine the endless rage washing over you, feeling your cheeks become a shade of red that you didn’t believe possible, and forever wishing you could hide away in the safety of your hands covering your face. Unfortunately you are incessantly tormented by the laughter echoing throughout all those who witnessed your parents yet again embarass you. Read on to discover some of the most embarassing parent moments as narrated by LT students.

Ellie Sovcik @popAmollyImSweatin

While giving advice to me, one of the least likely things I expected to come out of my mom’s mouth in front of our cross-country team was “Ellie, just pop a molly and calm down.” As I nervously looked around to see at least a half dozen fellow runners look my way and give a raunchy, yet disturbingly approving look, I quietly asked “Mom... do...do you know what that means?” to which she responded “Yeah...like take like a chill pill or something. Right?

Ellie?” To my dismay, I had to explain to my pharmacist mother what drugs were. Let me say, that was the last time I let my mom use Urban Dictionary.

Mary Sullivan @ilikeolderguysal0t

The summer going into my sophomore year, my cousin Maeve and I were at a bonfire beach party with a bunch of really hot, older guys. My mom had told us to be home by 10 p.m. but we thought that was ridiculous, so we ignored her and we were feeling very celebratory at midnight while we were still partying on the beach. But our excitement was vanquished as a hollering figure charged our set-up, a wild woman wielding a baseball bat telling everyone to back up because she was taking Mary and Maeve home. That woman was my mother.

Queen of Hearts @FluffyCrushFriday

The night of the King of Hearts dance freshman year carried with it much anticipation and tons of nerves. At the pre-dance pictures I was relentlessly trying to impress this popular girl at the party. All was going as planned; she was even on track to put me as her woman crush Wednesday on Instagram. However, right before we were about to leave, my dad walked up to my friend and I, turned to my friend and told her that she looked “nice and fluffy tonight.” Needless to say, I was not her #wcw the next week.

Bailey Blum @LetsGetItOn

So, my freshman year, I didn’t have a homecoming date. I was still transitioning from my awkward, semi-fat kind of life with matted-down hair and wide-rimmed glasses, and, naturally, the women hadn’t yet taken to my uptown style. My dad, of course, was well aware of this and became keen on finding me a lady for my first high school dance. One night, I came home and found my parents sitting on our living room couch with a mischevious look on their faces. They explained to me that they had been reading through my texts in an attempt to discover any girls I could potentially ask to the dance, and in their search had apparently found the perfect candidate. Abby King ‘16 had been texting me about how concerned she was that she wouldn’t find a date to the dance, and my father had seemingly interpreted this as (despite his knowledge of our close friendship) pure desire and lust. Despite my protest, they said I had no choice. Lo and behold, the next week I found myself asking one of my best friends to my first high school dance over the air on my WLTL radio show. It was surely one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, especially since I decided to play “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye afterward.

Charlie Stelnicki @GreenMeanMamaMachine

Over the summer, I was working at a summer camp called Camp Deerhorn in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. I was there for about seven weeks, working hard, spending time with my friends on staff and bonding with the kids. I was in charge of one of the four teams that the kids get sorted on to, which is important in their everyday lives while they’re up north. I was in charge of the Apache, and our color was green. My mother made a surprise visit during the last few days of the summer, decked out in green hair spray, green clothes, green nail polish, green earrings, green everything. She walked into the office when I was busy out on the lake, proclaiming “I bet you can guess what team I’M on.” For the rest of the day she proudly introduced herself as my mother to my best friends. I still haven’t been able to live it down.

Izy Scott @snapmomz

When my mom downloaded Snapchat, it was filters and fun when we were sending pictures of our dog to each other from the same room. However, she then accumulated minor popularity from some of my friends who added her, and the “My Story” was invented. This wouldn’t be an issue, except now everyone I know can see her stories that consist of me eating, falling asleep, talking to my dog, complaining about homework and other awkward activities from home. So in reality I’m the one embarrassing myself, but it’s my mom who is always there to exploit that embarrassment on public social media.

Girl Probs @mydadismyhero

When I first started dating my boyfriend, my awkward dad didn’t know what to talk about with him. He decided that TV shows or movies were fair game. One day, they were talking about various shows my dad used to watch when my dad started talking about a TV scandal. He explained to my boyfriend that a clown was kicked off one of his favorite childhood shows for masturbating on set. I was mortified and my dad later explained himself by saying, “What? I made him laugh.”

13

LT Theatre board will present the musical “13”- this year’s freshmen/ sophomore show. Performances are on Oct. 23, 24 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. Tickets will be sold before the show and will be $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Friday, October 23, 2015  Page 20

GET OUT Weekend Entertainment  Events Calendar

Weekend Weather Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Cloudy High: 65 Low: 57

Showers High: 67 Low: 46

Cloudy High: 58 Low: 42

Bengston’s Pumpkin fest: fun for all

by Lauren Hucko @laurenhucko

AMC 4 Theater

Upon entering the lively locale of Bengston’s Pumpkin Fest, I was olate’s ($2.50) lack of flavor paralleled a sad mixture of water and met by numerous astounded expressions plastered onto the faces of generic hot chocolate powder. Even the apple cider donut ($2) was pleasantly overwhelmed children. This scene of pure Autumn joy dry and lacked the appeal its name suggests. While disappointing, immediately liberated me of the subtle agitation I was beginning to this discovery did not damper my Bengston’s experience. develop from the congested parking lot and steep admission ($14.99 My options following the pig race and food stop were endless. As Friday-Sunday and $9.99 Monday-Thursday).

I passed multiple children’s rides (free) teeming with laughter and Before exploring the seemingly endless array of fall activities youth, I discovered a petting zoo. Contrary to my preconceptions, Bengston’s provides, I conversed with a this petting zoo was clean and advertised friendly, welcoming staff member who animals such as a an African aoudad. The enlightened me regarding one of Bengston’s spacious tent included a table selling carrots most renowned traditions: the hourly pig racfor the animals ($1) and was occupied by es. Luckily, I arrived just in time to witness a steady flow of spectators, amazed to see the 12:30 p.m. race, so I rushed through the such creatures in suburban Illinois.

Sunday crowd and found a seat beside the Also included in the price of admismass of eager spectators anxiously awaiting sion was a hayride through the pumpkin the race. Promptly, three young men began patch. The brief ride consisted of four to introduce the race in a comical yet appeallarge, wooden trailers towed by a tractor ing way that I, unfortunately, struggled to that paraded past attractions including a hear from my seat.

Bengston’s Pumpkin Fest. (pumpkinfarm.com) pumpkin canon. Besides the excitement of After a few minutes of theatrics, the men the pumpkin canon, the hayride lacked the introduced pigs with names such as Lindsay Loham before opening excitement the rest of Bengston’s evoked. the gates and allowing the pigs to battle for victory. Immediately In addition to the festivities open to all visitors, Bengston’s has following pig four’s triumphant trot over the finish line, an excited some attractions that require extra cash. Children have the opportucheer rose from the crowd of bemused children, parents and grand- nity to enjoy camel and pony rides ($5), and all visitors can purchase parents. a pumpkin of their choice ($0.39/lb).

Before embarking on another fall adventure, I decided to invesBottom Line: Leave your appetite at home, and come to tigate whether Bengston’s food matched its fun. To my dismay, the Bengston’s Pumpkin Fest for an eventful day of Autumn excitement apple cider ($2.50) resembled warm apple juice, and the hot chocand family fun.

Haunted Segway tour

Oct. 25- Trick or Treat Trot 6K in Evanston IL-Lakefront, 9:45 a.m.

Oct. 26- Funny Laser Show at The Laser Comedy Show, 8 p.m.

Oct. 31- Halloween Parade for dogs, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Oct. 31- Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field, 12 p.m.

Oct. 31- Halloween Carnival at the Halloween Boonanza in Schamburg, 5-8 p.m.

Nov. 1- Day of the Dead at The National Museum of Mexican Art, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Nov. 7- The Arts of Life Chili Cook-Off at 2010 W. Carroll Ave., 5-8 p.m.

Nov. 19- Mythbusters Live at Rosemont Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 26- McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade starts on State Street and Congress, 8 a.m.

by Mary Sullivan

Looking for a thrilling way to spend your Saturday night? Searching for a sensational, new activity in Chicago? Or perhaps you just want a fun, informational tour of the city.

Absolutely Chicago Haunted Halloween Segway Tour provides a titillating adventure for those seeking excitement. The cost of half hour of segway-riding training, and an hour and a half of exploring in the city, is $70 or $63 with the online, Halloween discount. The website made explicitly clear that you must be 18 years or older, or with adult supervision, and you must weigh 100 pounds, although no verification of either was requested. The intro to learning how to Segway was tedious and boring, but the overall night was an incredibly amusing experience.

Around 9 p.m., our official tour began and our group glided out of Millennium Park, with our obnoxious orange helmets, and into the nipping, frosty air that made me regret not wearing gloves and a hat.

We began our tour coasting along a trail bordering Lake Michigan, and the eerie, white-capped waves reaching out of the water towards us really set the ambiance of the tour.

Our guide was quite vivacious, full of both energy and information, and the sites we stopped at along the Chicago river, on State Street and in front of the Congress Hotel, hosted a plethora unnerving historical facts. Perhaps the most startling thing I heard throughout the tour however, was regarding the secret recurring disasters that take place in the John Hancock building.

Despite the frigid weather, and the bothersome wind, I’d say the experience as a whole was worth the money. Casually rolling over cobble stones in a dreary alley, where there had once been a pile of dead bodies was chilling to hear about, and learning about the horrific details of the SS Eastland disaster of 1915 was depressing, yet really interesting. It was an education-

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Western Springs Parks

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Segway riders drive along the Chicago River. (Mary Sullivan/LION)

al tour, as our guide was very knowledgeable, and not just about the hauntings that occurred in Chicago, but also about other random facts ranging from the architecture downtown to quarrels between Donald Trump and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Bottom line: being able to whiz through Chicago on a Segway, under the bright, night lights of my home city was exhilarating, to say the least. The stories were fascinating, scary, and flat-out bizarre, but I loved hearing them never the less. If you ever have the opportunity to try this Haunted Tour, I say go for it.

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by MelRose Buckler @amrbucks608

/out of five Paws Nestled between restaurants and shops and tucked behind the parking garage, the Oakbrook AMC 4 TheMelRose Buckler ater is a bit difficult to find. But once you find it, the movie experience is definitely worth the search.

Upon entering the movie theater lobby there are two kiosks that allow you to buy tickets with a credit card to avoid the line at the ticket booth; they also allow you to print tickets that you can purchase online in advance.

There is assigned seating in the theater, so I would recommend buying your tickets before the movie starts—especially if you are going to a popular movie on a Friday or Saturday night. I arrived at the theater about 10 minutes before the movie started on a Friday night and there were only a few seats that were together left to choose from.

After arriving at our assigned seats, my friend and I sat in the cushioned, reclinable seats. These seats are magical; they are a soft, leather-like material and my body sunk right into them. With a large armrest in-between each seat, there was no need for the awkward “who gets the armrest” dilemma. These plush seats were definitely the best part of the entire movie-going experience. The chairs made it feel like I was watching a movie at my house, with a gigantic, high-quality screen movie with crisp sound.

My main concern was that after 15 minutes into the movie, the lights in the theater were still on. When I asked an employee if they were going to dim the lights, she informed me that the lights were dimmed as low as they could be. It seemed rather odd that they couldn’t just turn off the lights like a normal movie theater, but apparently they don’t.

Regardless, the comfortable seats made up for this inconvenience.

The concession stand had the typical way over-priced movie-theater food. For example a large popcorn and large drink cost $13.49, which I thought was a bit outrageous. However the cheaper movie ticket at only $10.29 made up for the over-priced food, making it less than the AMC Hodgkin’s theater ($10.89), which is not upgraded with reclinable seats.

There is also a student discount after 4 p.m. with a student I.D. for $8.79, which is a fantastic deal. The atmosphere of the entire theater and lobby was very clean and modern.

Bottom line: I was very impressed by the modern and cleanmovie theater and the comfortable seats, but the expensive prices and poorly dimmed lights definitely put a damper on my movie going experience.

Pink Out

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