Issue 1 Sept. 18

Lunch situation

Get happy

OPINIONS, 8

PULSE, 16-17

Should seniors be able to eat lunch off campus? Check out the staff editorial on page 9.

See page 16-17 for a truckload of happiness, and delve into the smiles of LT community members.

LT student sections

New tests

SPORTS, 11-12

NEWS, 19

See page 5 to read the new SAT, ACT and PARCC testing update.

Check out pages 11-12 for more info on LT’s student sections.

AP scores accepted in Illinois L.A. policy New Rauner signs bill, creates new AP standard changes New policy allows students to turn in assignments late in the Language Arts Dept.

Garrett Ariana @garrettariana3 While LT students slept, hung out with friends or played frisbee on their sunny summer mornings, staff and faculty in the Language Arts division were crafting a new policy for the school year. This policy allows students not only to revise summative assignment (tests, projects and papers), but to coordinate extensions for due dates.

The belief that grades cannot accurately depict a student’s skill level through a summative assignment that is missing or marked down for lateness was the inspiration behind this new approach. The biggest outcome from this policy change is the completion of all summative assignments as well as to give students the opportunity to put their best work forward.

“Grades should be a reflection of skill attainment, not necessarily behavior,” Chair of Language Arts Karen Raino said.

“Turning something in late has nothing to do with your ability to write a good paper.”

If there is a summative assignment that has not been turned in, a student will earn an incomplete for the marking period. If an assignment is incomplete, a student’s responsibility becomes communicating with teachers, preferably before the due date. From there, the student and teacher can discuss an extension if it is needed. No quarter or semester grade can be earned without every summative assignment being completed.

For students loaded with extracurricular clubs, sports, jobs and more, this policy provides alleviation.

“Students have a sense of relief that this isn’t the end,” Director of Curriculum and Instruction Scott Eggerding said. “Kids don’t have to stay up until 2 a.m., finish this paper, turn it in tomorrow, get whatever grade I get and then that’s it.”

As far as revisions go, they must be discussed with teachers well prior to the resubmission and are to display a student’s learning and growth. The amount of revisions, nor the date when the assignment is turned in, are not allowed to diminish the grade of the assignment.

This policy takes one more step further in coordination between divisions. The discussed unity as far as textbooks, grading scales, curriculum and accpetance of late work is how teachers are working to make courses the same throughout the division, according to Eggerding.

While most teachers are on board for this new approach, some see potential revisions that could be made to the new policy, especially with the lack of responsibility that students may take advantage of.

“With the current setup, it seems like students have until a week before finals to turn assignments in,” English teacher Tom Stukel said. “At that point it’s not teaching them responsibility, it’s teaching procrastination, which isn’t realistic. When students go to college and don’t have their paper in on time, it’s done.”

There is the belief that we as a school will begin the conversation about late work and grading but talks have not begun yet, Raino said.

“This year, I think that the conversation is going to continue,” Raino said.

“There are a lot of researchers that support this and were looking forward to moving this direction.”

North Campus

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by Céilí Doyle @cadoyle_18

B

eginning in the 2016-2017 school year, a new Illinois law will take effect allowing all students attending instate public universities to receive credit for an AP score of three or better, according to the Chicago Tribune. Governor Bruce Rauner signed the new piece of legislation into law on Aug. 13 and the LT community is invested in how this new law will factor into making college decisions.

The reasoning behind Rauner’s decision to pass the new law is based on the fear that many prospective college students had not been considering Illinois public universities due to their policies of only accepting fours or fives on AP exams.

“Illinois passed this law because legislators were afraid potential [in-state] students were leaving Illinois to go somewhere else that would accept threes or better on AP tests,” LT Director of Curriculum and Instruction Scott Eggerding said. “They were also concerned students from outside of Illinois weren’t considering Illinois schools because if they stayed local they could gain credits with a three.”

In recent years the number of students taking AP tests at LT has skyrocketed. With the addition of AP Physics I and the elimination of English IV accel that forced an increase in AP English IV Language and Composition, the number of AP tests administered to students from 2014 to 2015 increased from 742 to 990. Additionally, 88 percent of LT students who took an AP test last May scored a three or higher, according to Eggerding.

Lianne Musser, LT College and Career Center coordinator, is apprehensive about how much the new piece of legislation will change the amount of credit public

universities in Illinois will offer students.

“I don’t think a school like U of I is going to be giving away any coursework to be honest, especially if it’s in a required area,” Musser said. “If you’re an engineer and you’re required to get a C or better in Calc 1 and Calc 2, I think receiving a three in Calc 1 AP isn’t cutting it for them. I think they’ll say we’ll give you an elective credit, you still have to take our Calc 1 class; however, I do not know yet what they will decide.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the specifics, hundreds of LT students who earned a three on their tests will be feeling the effects of this new law if they attend public Illinois universities.

“It definitely helps if I’m thinking about an in-state school because I’m more likely to go to a school in Illinois if I’m going to get more credit from the AP test,” Jack Cushing ‘16 said.

From a financial standpoint, if all LT graduates went to Illinois public universities under the new law, these students would be awarded up to three hours of credit for 1,617 courses. These credit hours could amount to saving anywhere from $2,350,309 to $2,898,618, in college tuition by LT students alone.

“I think the new law will end up being beneficial for all the students here at LT, especially for kids that can only afford to go to cheaper schools,” Adam Cardone ‘16 said. “If they can get more money off of their classes, every dollar helps.”

While the consequences of changing the accepted score statewide remain to be seen, most administrators and students are hopeful that this new standard will be positive for the LT community.

“I think the law is great,” Eggerding said. “I think it’ll be a really good opportunity for our students and some may actually consider staying more local for college because of it.”

Canvas expands learning for students LMS improves teachers, students learning experience

by MelRose Buckler @amrbucks608

This year LT has introduced Canvas to enhance the classroom experience for students and staff.

“The reality is that [this generation] consumes learning in different ways than its predecessors,” Director of Technology Ed Tennant said. “It’s cool, but it’s different and we’re working our way towards that. [Canvas] gives us that opportunity.”

Canvas is qualified as a learning management system (LMS)—a platform that creates a communication channel along with multimedia elements that can be shared by students and teachers online. Canvas offers features that LT did not have from the other services, such as Infinite Campus, Office 365, Edline or turnitin.com.

“We were finding that as teachers were working with students, there were things they wanted to do with the students from an academic standpoint that some of the historic tools we were using didn’t provide solutions for,” Tennant said.

The technology department started looking for an LMS last year to solve this problem. Canvas was the best option out of the 340 LMS products on the market because it was geared toward a large high school like LT. For example, Canvas doesn’t require every teacher to input all of his or her students; instead, it links with the data

on student schedules from Infinite Campus.

This past January, a few teachers experimented with Canvas to see how they liked using it. After proving its success, the Department of Technology gained the Board of Education’s approval.

Starting in July, all teachers were offered the opportunity to attend training sessions to learn how to use Canvas. LT expected around 100 teachers to attend, but about 140 teachers were present at training, which was a huge success, Tennant said. Although not all teachers have integrated Canvas into the classroom yet, Tennant hopes that by the end of the year every student will have some experience with Canvas.

“From the perspective that [we have only been training since July], Canvas has been a pretty stunning success,” Tennant said. “Teachers really seem to be embracing it.”

Geometry teacher Jeremy Vrtis helped other teachers learn how to use Canvas at the training sessions in July and is utilizing it in many different ways during his classes.

“Canvas provides an interactive way for students to gain resources,” Vrtis said.

“They can get immediate feedback on what topics they need to explore and which topics they have mastered. I also like the

We are saddened to hear of the recent passing of LT sophomore

Neyla Soriano on Sept. 14. Due to press time, we are unable to

comment further, but please visit our website and look to our second issue for further coverage.

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

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variety of tools Canvas provides—links to websites, videos, worksheets, and assessment tools can all be in one spot.”

Tennant hopes that Canvas will allow teachers to share, develop and communicate with students in a more meaningful way. On Canvas, teachers have the ability to share worksheets, comment on student’s submitted work, announce deadlines and important due dates. Canvas also has an app available for iOS and Android devices, which allows students to receive instant feedback from their teachers.

“I like that there is an app for it because I can receive immediate updates when teachers comment my work, compared to going online,” Pearl Truax ‘15 said.

Canvas’ goal is not to completely replace Infinite Campus, Office 365 or teacher webpages, but to allow for a more interactive and immediate learning tool, Tennant said.

“Canvas is really exciting because it’s in its infancy and it’s growing right now,” he said. “It’s very intuitive for teachers, because teachers who have had relatively little training have done some pretty fantastic things already.”

V

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

4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558

NEWS

Cool creation In 1902, the first modern air conditioning system was created by a 25-year-old engineer from New York, Willis Carrier.

Friday, September 18, 2015

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First fire Baylor University had the first homecoming bonfire in 1909 to keep their rival, Texas Christian University, away.

Page 2

HVAC subcontractors sue Titan Mechanical LT holding money for subcontractors from construction, tied up in lawsuits

an option, they filed a complaint against Henry Brothers and the district.”

Titan Mechanical hired multiple subcontractors to help complete the HVAC, and when Titan Mechanical stopped communication they also ceased paying their subcontractors causing two court cases, six liens and two potential liens, Stachacz said. LT has done nothing wrong to be sued in anyway. The school is mentioned in court because it is holding the money the subcontractors want to be paid with.

“I’ve been around enough,” Stachacz said. “This is my 14th year in school business, and the last school I was at did several renovation projects and I could say that I had some similar problems on those as well. It happens.”

LT would have had almost 100 percent of the project paid out if not for this situation, Stachacz said. Both of the renovations, however, have come in under time and budget.

“I think when [the students] saw the cafeteria on a daily basis and [they] could see the evolution of the facility, it was actually very interesting,” Kilrea said. “There are always some unforeseen conditions associated with large renovation projects, and we had quite a few. I thought the architects and contractors responded well. We certainly did not foresee the issue with the mechanical subcontractor, which is unfortunate. The bottom line is the facilities look great and they are a great improvement.”

by Abby King @abigailann_01

After months of persistence and patience, the NC cafeteria and Reber Center construction projects have finally begun to draw to a close. Or they would be, if LT did not have to freeze $800,171.16 in bonds due to liens subcontractors filed for their money. Currently, this problem looks as if it could still be tied up in courts from anywhere in between six months to a year, LT Business Manager Brian Stachacz said.

A lien gives subcontractors legal recourse to be paid for their work along with any materials they may have purchased for the project.

LT hired a contracting group, Henry Bros. Co., to manage the contractors for the project, as they are legally obligated to hire the lowest bidding company with the adequate qualifications necessary to complete the plan to the school’s expectations. In turn, Henry Bros. hires subcontractors to work on specific parts of construction. The controversy lies in the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) subcontractor, Titan Mechanical LLC, which allegedly went bankrupt during the project and cut off communica-

tions with Henry Bros. and LT. This forced Henry Bros. to re-subcontract the final part of the construction to Chicago Piping Co. “This situation is unfortunate, because you never want to hear about people performing work and not getting paid for it,” Superintendent Dr. Timothy Kilrea said. “Those subcontractors want their money, and rightfully so. Their first step is to file a complaint against the mechanical subcontractor, but since the mechanical subcontractor is no longer

Homecoming revamp Homecoming Spirit Days Studnet Council President, Nick Fuentes ‘16 poses for the Homecoming spirit week.

LT redesigns homecoming due to lack of attendance at school dances in recent years

Compiled by MelRose Buckler and Lea Voytovich

Monday Sept. 21

Tuesday Sept. 22

Wednesday Sept. 23

Thursday Sept. 24

Friday Sept. 25

Hawaiian Day

Blackout at NC Whiteout at SC

Blue and Gold Day

by Lea Voytovich @leaaa_21

Due to decreasing attendance at recent school dances, students can expect a completely new homecoming experience this year. Student Council is working to reinvent the typical high school dance scene.

“Homecoming is almost guaranteed to be a new experience for everyone this year, not just the freshmen,” Director of Student Council Peter Geddeis said. “The goal is to revitalize this year’s dance and all future dances.”

In order to achieve the goal, Student Council is not reusing any part of the dance design from previous years, according to Geddeis. After extensive planning with Boom Entertainment, the suppliers of over the summer, Student Council decided on Monte Carlo as the theme.

Although the details have not yet been finalized.

“It will be a completely different experience than any other dance at LT,” Student Council President Nick Fuentes ‘16 said. “Although the design is going to be a surprise, I can tell you it will be classy, sophisticated and Vegas baby!”

Fuentes is a fan of the theme and he said the dance will not be corny or cheesy this year as compared to some of those in the recent years.

The dance will be held Saturday, Sept. 26 in the SC fieldhouse. Tickets will still be $15 in advance and $25 at the door and for any non LT students. Laser tag will also be available in the Fieldhouse for students who are interested at Homecoming. In addition, the Homecoming Parade and Variety Show remain relatively the same while the pep-rally will be reconstructed. According to Geddeis, the pep-rally festivities will also be planned from scratch.

Although there will no longer be a KOH dance, that the homecoming budget will not be affected Geddeis said. It will stay around the same as last year--$33,045.69.

In regards to KOH, Student Council is looking to plan another type of social event with the help of Boom. Nothing is planned yet, but said to Geddeis, something will take place in late winter or early spring.

“Student Council is moving away from a formal dance. We want to make it more of a party than homecoming,” Fuentes said. “It will be less formal, more loose, and more of a free atmosphere-- completely different than homecoming.”

Geddeis encourages anyone that wants to share their ideas to come to any Student Council meeting on Wednesdays at 6:30 in the South Campus study hall room.

“It’s ultimately up to the students to turn our school events around,” Geddeis said.

Pajama Day

Patriot Day

Want one of your tweets featured in the next issue? Follow us on twitter @LTLionNewspaper. To be eligible to have your tweets in our paper you have to follow us. So if you think you are funny, clever or witty enough to have your tweets in here, follow us and keep the tweets coming!

George Lundgren ‘16 @george_lundgren

If your mom buys your family skim milk she definitely hates you #wholemilk

Jack Dahill ‘16 @kingof_dahill14

No sir, your cargos, “chin putter” and neon ball from Lost Mountain is the reason why you missed that putt... #caddiethoughts

Lily Hahn ‘17 @hillylawn

I really prefer the term rough draft over first draft because my first drafts are always very rough

Eamon McGuire ‘16 @E_mcG26

Me: *mouth full eating bowl of cereal* know the downside of a big house? Gotta walk farther to put the dog out lol Homeowner: who are you

Sarah Brunet ‘16 @sarahsjustsayin

“I love homework!1!!1!” I scream, plunging a fork into my left eye socket.

LTHS Drumline @LTswagline Mr April’s name is Deandre, but his beats are so sick everyone calls him vitamin D

Sam Scriba ‘16 @scribs97

for all those complaining about the start of school, just remember:

Classroom computers In 2009, 97 percent of teachers had at least one computer in their classroooms and 54 percent of teachers could bring computers.

NEWS

Friday, September 18, 2015  Page 3

Shapiro resigns from BOE Todd Shapiro resigns after decades of service

In 1994, Congress mandated economics as one of nine core subjects for which national standards should be developed.

Social Studies Department reacts to sudden change Former economics teacher resigns late in summer, Christopher Cabaj steps up to teach class

by Gaby Sabatino @gabysab8

While attending a student event at LT, Todd Shapiro admires the commendable community, sitting from the audience. He sits, waiting attentively and proceeds to fiddle an unusual object through his hands: a plastic spoon. As time passes, Shapiro notices the quiet laughs from a student sitting right beside him. He then leans in and whispers a friendly reminder. “Never grow up,” he said.

After 18 years of service, Shapiro resigned from the Board of Education (BOE) in August 2015. He has filled many positions on the BOE including President and Secretary, as well as Chairman of the Curriculum, Finance, Technology, Facility and Negotiation committees. He served from 1995 through 2007 and then again from 2009 to 2015.

“What made working on the board for 18 years so enjoyable was that the members overall want the school to be a better place,” Shapiro said.

Danny Benson ‘16, student representative for the BOE, explained the impact Shapiro has had on the other members of the board.

“Everyone on the board that knew him said that they had learned from his experience,” Benson said.

Shapiro also works at the Illinois CTA society. He has been there for 14 years and previously held the CFO position. However, back in June 2013, he

Economics education

by Lauren Hucko @laurenhucko

Todd Shapiro talks with Dr. Brian Waterman at a BOE meeting. (Chicago Tribune)

was elected CEO of this non-profit company. His tight schedule led him to the decision to resign from the board.

“The challenge was that I was taking a lot more time traveling inside and outside the state, so I was missing too many meetings,” Shapiro said.

“I didn’t think I was being fair to the students or the administration in my absence.”

Despite his departure, colleagues, like Superintendent Dr. Timothy Kilrea, speak highly of his service to the LT community and the impact that he has had on the students and other board members.

“His experience, intelligence and ability to connect and represent his voters greatly benefitted our commu-

nity,” Kilrea said. “At the end of the day I think he works very well on a team, and our board is a team.”

In order to uphold his everlasting ties to LT, Shapiro plans to continue his involvement by attending games, performances and shows that go on throughout the year. He hopes to maintain strong relationships to the faculty and students of LT. “There is nothing more gratifying then when you’re sitting at graduation and you see the students walk across that stage,” Kilrea said. “You watch them as they begin to move on from LT and forever appreciate the connection you will have with them.”

The new BOE member will be announced at the Sept. 21 meeting.

LT experiments with laptops in class

by Heidi Hauch @HeidiHauch11

This year, LT will be joining the increasing number of schools who are incorporating personal technology, such as laptops, into the classroom. LT has purchased 500 HP ProBook 11 laptops for English 1, Algebra 1 and Chemistry classes at SC so that teachers and students can experiment with having laptops readily available during class.

LT intends to use the classroom laptops to analyze how having access to technology will impact students in a learning environment, as well as for testing purposes. Each Algebra I, English I and Chemistry classroom will receive a set of laptops to be used solely for that classroom.

“In purchasing these laptops, we can really explore how having a device in the hands of a student in school can help change learning for the better,” Director of Technology Ed Tennant said. “The goal is to make a better decision of what we do next year based on the data we get this year.”

Given that Algebra I, English I and Chemistry classrooms are shared with other courses, students in those classrooms but enrolled in different courses will also be able to use the laptops, Tennant said. Thus, more students and teachers will be exposed to the new laptops.

Through the experiment, the school board will receive feedback on how laptops function in the classroom, possibly prompting a change in LT’s technology policy. Ultimately, LT is looking to analyze how the school would function in a one-to-one environment, in which every student would have access to his or her own laptop to work on throughout the day.

“There are some that will say ‘this is horrible and we can use the extra 500 computers for testing,’” Tennant said. “And there are some that will say we should buy 1,500 more so that the entirety of SC is a one-to-one environment

or even we should buy 3,500 more so the entire school is a one-to-one environment.

It is like a science experiment.”

The HP ProBook is attractive both because of its price, and its functionality as far as Microsoft Word and other Windows programs are concerned, Tennant said. The school is also compiling data on what technology students already have available to use at home, or possibly bring to school, if LT decided to move towards a one-to-one system .

For now however, teachers and students agree that having laptops in their classrooms this year will be beneficial.

“It’s really difficult to get Discovery Center time,” English 1 teacher Katy Melcher said. “So having the laptops in the classrooms will be really great and convenient.”

The commencement of this school year was marked with change to the LT Social Studies department. A teaching position for AP Economics opened late in the summer which led to the addition of three sections of AP Economics classes to teacher Christopher Cabaj’s schedule.

“I have always been waiting for an opportunity to get back into economics,” Cabaj said. “Econ has always been my favorite thing to teach. I am teaching my passion.”

Despite having taught economics for years at Leyden High School and LT, Cabaj had never taught AP Economics.

“I am as prepared as I can be not having taught the course,” Cabaj said. “There’s stuff I’ll learn as I go, and I’ll make adjustments. It will be okay.”

Cabaj is fulfilling the job of former AP Economics teacher Kennith Su who was rumored to have moved to China to pursue a career in international teaching. Global Studies Division Chair Paul Houston could not confirm nor deny this.

“My understanding is that [Su] wanted to take a job abroad and that he wanted to teach in China,” Cabaj said.

“I’m really happy he’s doing that. It’s phenomenal that he’s taking that opportunity.”

According to Houston, the position Cabaj filled did not exist until a very late resignation—allegedly Su’s. Although Cabaj did not know he would be teaching the AP Economics course, he attended an AP conference through the College Board this past summer in preparation to eventually teach the course.

“I have no doubt [the students] will be well prepared” Houston said. “[Cabaj] is absolutely ready to be an effective teacher in that course.”

The students currently enrolled in AP Economics were made aware of the change in teachers upon entering the course.

“Mr. Cabaj knows what he is doing,” Patrick Egan ‘16 said. “The switching of teachers has not impacted teaching in any significant way.”

Crowds frustrate SC Fewer lunch periods at SC cause many students to feel rushed, not eat

by Charlie Stelnicki @c_stelnicki

With the implementation of the new bell schedule and subsequent lunch-study periods, the number of lunch periods decreased from five to four. This has caused the number of people in the cafeterias at a time to increase by almost a third.

At NC, the influx hasn’t been very noticeable with the opening of the new cafeteria built last year.

“It’s hard to believe that there’s around 500 people in [the cafeteria] with you while you eat,” Dominic Pavone ‘17 said. “It seems so open and modern.”

With six check out lines and just as many cashiers, the flow moves pretty steadily and, typically, nobody feels rushed to eat. But no more than a mile south on Willow Springs Road, the same can’t be said.

“The visual difference between the SC cafeteria last year and this year are like night and day,” Cameron Cowan ‘18 said. “There really isn’t any other way to put it.”

With more students being scheduled into fewer periods, lines have grown and tables are often crowded. In the past, open tables were a common sight, and now they’re a rare one, Cowan said.

“Last year you could sit where you wanted, have lunch with your friends, and then change tables to talk to a different group if you wanted,” Cowan said. “There was always room. You could bring homework or a book if you wanted or needed to. Now it’s always difficult to find a table.”

The increase in students eating together affects tables, but it also affects them when they’re standing. The lines for hot food as well as for snacks and drinks have grown exponentially, Kayla Brudnicki ‘18 said. The lines are so long at times, that some students have stopped buying from the cafeteria all together.

“Since the lines have slowed, I haven’t been eating lunch,” Brudnicki said. “Waiting in the line takes too much time. So now I just bring a drink and socialize.”

However, not every reaction is negative.

“I have to give the school credit. Everyone says the same thing--lunch sucks, but study hall has saved our lives,” Cowan said. “We go home with less homework, which means less stress, more sleep and better attitudes.”

NEWS

Enriched enrollment 100-percent of students are admitted into College of Dupage and there are 26,722 students enrolled.

Artistic architecture

Friday, September 18, 2015  Page 4

Reber column restored Class of 2015 donates to refurbish artifact

La Grange had been established.

In the 1927-28 school year, the Sunday Evening Club was founded. The purpose of this club was

by Lucy Schaefer to attract prominent figures to the @lucy_shaefer3 community to speak and perform, LT architect Joseph Llewellyn Page said. created the once ornate and decoPeople and organizations such as rative Reber Center in 1928. Built Amelia Earhart, the Chicago Symsimilarly to extravagant Chicago phony Orchestra and the Sound of theatres, the Reber Center once Music family were brought to the stood as a prominent community Reber Center. The Sunday Evening landmark, attracting politicians Club lasted until the 1950s, bringand culing prominent tural figfigures to the ures alike. school and es“The column is a really Now a tablishing LT as piece of cool artifact of the school’s a more respectthe origi- history. Displaying it helps ed institution. nal theatre “It was an has been us connect with LT’s past.” amazing culturrestored al thing,” Page -Patrick Page, teacher for the lisaid. brary.

Now the In 2012, Reber Center art teacher Patrick Page discov- has been redone to be simpler and ered the ornamental column from more practical. However, the remthe historic Reber Center on the nants of the 1928 Reber Center fourth floor of LT. Sharing these have been installed in the library artifacts allows LT to engage with to reintroduce the historic atmoits past in meaningful ways, Page sphere. said. The class of 2015 donated “It’s amazing to see how this their funds to rebuilding the de- structure has evolved through the cayed plaster, repairing damage, decades, accommodating more and discovering the column’s orig- contemporary as well as classic inal paint. pieces,” LT actress Kiera Prinz ‘16 “The column is a really cool ar- said. tifact of the school’s history,” Page In the words of the LION article said. “Displaying it lets us connect covering the opening of the Reber with LT’s past.”

Center in 1928, “Such a wonderful In the 1920s, many communi- auditorium is indeed one to envoke ties were just being formed. The a feeling of pride in every student high school stood as a symbol that in L.T.H.S.”

“

The Reber Center was built in 1926 with a seating capacity of 1,800, an orchestra pit, space for an organ and dressing space.

Spending concerns students COD President allegedly takes college funds away from students

by Caroline Konstant @carolinekon College of DuPage (COD) President Robert Breuder, has allegedly taken taxpayers’ dollars to fund his own personal needs. The money that should have been used to help fund various other opportunities, was allegedly being used for Breuder’s lavish expenses: hunt clubs, expensive liquor and more.

According to College and Career Center coordinator Lianne Musser, 25 percent of students from LT go to COD because of the upgraded programs offered and the opportunities in the job market available after obtaining a degree.

COD students have felt the effects of the underfunding in years past.

“Each semester the tuition went up and there were fewer and fewer supplies,” cosmetologist Julie Evans ‘10 said. “I felt that Breuder didn’t appreciate the program and pushed [the college to become] a campus that no one knew of.”

The board has decided to fire Breuder, but nothing has happened since Aug. 18, the Chicago Tribune reported. Students and faculty mostly

Robert Breuder posing in 2014 (Patch). agree that he is a fraud and unwanted at the college.

“I believe that Breuder is not truly invested in the value of our education, nor does he understand the meaning of a community,” Evans said. “If he does not have charges placed against him or serve prison time, then there is no justice system.”

Adam Espinosa ‘15 has expressed his concern to his teachers, only to be directed to a faculty member who was higher up to explain the situation on campus.

“It was a little weird to be sent to a high-level faculty member,” Espinosa said. “They told me that it won’t be affecting the credibility of my classes or give me a hard time transferring to a four-year institution.”

With the topic of a new president in mind, ideas have been stirring with students, staff, and the public.

“The president [of a college] shouldn’t have the job unless he has integrity,” Musser said. “Breuder stole from the students and he should not be rewarded with a high-paying pension.”

“

IMPACT What the differences really are Memory magic

Score statistics

Chewing on gum while reviewing material and then chewing that same flavor on the day of the exam can help jog memory.

As of 2014, Hawaii had the worst statewide average ACT score at 18.2 while Massachusetts had the best score at 24.3.

Friday, September 18, 2015  Page 5

by Grace Palmer @gpalmz32

The SAT is considered an aptitude test, however, it has gone through multiple changes recently. It went from being a test mainly composed of smaller parts, to an assessment of three categories: Reading, Math and Writing.

The Reading portion is 52 questions and focuses mainly on vocabulary, context and using various types of texts to find evidence. The math section is 58 questions with 45 questions of multiple choice and 13 produced response questions that are centered on real world problems. Finally, the writing test is 50 minutes long and focuses on analyzing a source. The SAT has subjects tests and are sometimes required from colleges.

The different subjects available can be found on collegeboard.com.

Unlike the SAT, the ACT is more of a curriculum and achievement-based test. It is centered around four tests: English, Math, Reading and Science with an optional writing test. The English test is 75 questions based on five different passages. The math test is 60 questions focusing on basic math skills. The reading test is 40 questions focusing on the passages prose, social science, humanities and natural science. Lastly, the science test is 40 questions focusing on interpreting graphs and experiments. The writing section has undergone the most changes this year because now, instead of elaborating on an opinion, the test taker must consider three different perspectives and explain the relationship between them.

VS.

Sources: Lianne Musser, college and career center, and Katie Smith, testing director

compiled by Grace Palmer

by Sydney Hansen @_sydneyhansen

PARCC Testing

Months after the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment was administered for the first time in the 2014-2015 school year, uncertainty surrounds the 2016 version of the test.

Confusion ranges from which grade levels will be taking it to when LT will administer the ACT to juniors, which will influence the specific testing date of the PARCC. What is currently known is that the PARCC test will be one combined assessment rather than two timed tests given at different times of the school year. The assessment will also be given within a 30-day window of when 75 percent to 90 percent of instruction has occurred, Coordinator of Assessment and Research Katie Smith said.

“School districts are waiting to determine their exact testing timelines until the state of Illinois has passed its budget and communicated exact information concerning which tests must be administered and to whom,” Smith said.

States supporting the Common Core initially supported either the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), the PARCC, or they designed their own testing system, Smith said. Only six states, including Illinois, remain with the PARCC, and internal budgeting issues in Illinois have resulted in more trouble concerning the formation of a concrete testing plan.

“States that choose to administer the PARCC test experienced school districts reporting technical difficulties and concerns with test validity,” Smith said. “These reported frustrations are only heightened by the lack of definitive information about this year’s state tests.”

After obtaining a one-year waiver for the 2015 test that allowed the PARCC to be administered on paper instead of computer, LT is considering switching to the electronic version after purchasing 500 computers, currently in use at SC, that would allow the switch, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Scott Eggerding said.

“We just haven’t quite worked out the logistics of it,” Eggerding said. “Do we have to buy 500 computer mice? Do we have to get 500 headphones? All those kinds of questions are still unknowns.”

Administrators are tentatively expecting results for the PARCC exams taken last year to be reported in November, Smith said.

“Since we’ve seen no results, it’s been a disaster,” Eggerding said. “We have no way to measure what students have or have not done.”

Q: Which colleges take the ACT vs. the SAT? A: Most colleges will take both and will take the highest score of either.

Q: Which test do you believe students struggle with the most?

A: I think in the past it might be the SAT because our students take the

Explorer and then the Plan and the ACT which are all similar tests. They start eighth grade year so I think they’re more familiar with what is coming on the ACT than the SAT. : Which test do you think students have more resources available to prepare for? : They pretty much have equal resources. We have test prep here for the SAT and ACT and students go to different companies and tutors.

There is an abundant amount of test prep and I think the difficult thing for our students is finding the time to do it. : How does test prep differ between the two tests? : It really is just how they approach the test, so I think some students think that test prep means that they are going to learn, say geometry, and in fact you’re going to try and find the gaps in the learning. : LT had the highest ever ACT score this past year. Why do you think they did so well? : I think students are doing more test prep and I think we’ve been teaching now to reinforce certain concepts that will appear over and over in both kinds of tests. I think our teachers and our students are much better prepared for the test taking process and even knowing how to take a test is helpful. Test prep will teach you, “memorize the directions because why should you have to spend one of those minutes reading the directions.”

So clarity with the test helps. Some students take it over and over and so I think they get more comfortable with the test taking process and they end up doing better overall.

Q A

Q A Q A

Q: Which test do you think tests the students better?

A: Considering we’re teaching a curriculum and

Q&A

we would like to see if that curriculum shows itself in good academic achievement on a test, the ACT might measure that a little bit better since because its testing abilities. We have with many more students who take the ACT.

Lianne Musser

Random Chatter

Random Chatter

NEWS

“If I were dead, my corpse would rise up and start dancing to Bieb’s ‘Somebody to Love.’”

-Maddie Green ‘16

“So then, I licked the placenta.”

-Angie Patel, teacher

Friday, September 18, 2015  Page 6

As summer nears its end we bring you the news you missed the most, everything from indestructible iPhones to obese sheep. Welcome back to The Breakdown. compiled by Lea Voytovich Sept. 8- A British man was arrested for pretending to be Nicki Minaj while on the phone with the police.

His love for Minaj was so extreme that he ended up in a jail cell and his sentence is for four months.

He is said to be mentally unstable. Tough love.

Aug. 28- Two T.V. journalists were and killed on air by an ex-coworker while broadcasting in Roanoke, Virginia. Both Alison Parker and Adam Ward suffered gunshots to the head. They were shot by Vester Flanagan who later committed suicide.

Aug. 2- As a private plane in Texas took off, a business man’s iPhone slipped through a crack in the airplane’s door and fell 5,000 feet without a scratch.

He may have expected a regular ride, but his phone experienced some crazy free falling.

Sept. 2- 98 pounds of fleece was sheared off a sheep in Australia. The sheep’s life was in danger due to the weight of fur. Shearing the sheep was so intense that a professional shearer had to be hired. Poor sheep, he must have been very hot all summer.

Sept. 8- Germany expects 800,000 Syrain refugees in 2015 alone. Refugees are escaping from a civil war in Syria and are persuing a better life in Europe. In total, almost 3 million refugees have fled Syria. One out of every two Syrians is leaving.

Sources: BBC, Mid-Day, Yahoo News, UPI

Live from LION Archives 1958

compiled by Ceili Doyle and Sheridan Spiess

We took a step back this issue to review old LION news articles. These snippets range all the way from 1958 to 1997. 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.

1997

1970

The West Side gang organized a paper drive at The First Presbyterian Church in La Grange. While the volunteers from the West Side gangs didn’t always show up to class at LT they did recycle paper in the parking lot.

Footsore, tired juniors complain about the many flights of stairs in NC. Although the stairs are tiresome, students look at the bright side on how the stairs will help them improve their weight and get into shape.

1963 During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, two LT students, Robert Lubin ‘66 and Rachel Findley ‘64, attended the March on Washington and heard Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.

EX-GIRLFRIEND IN TRUNK

A rule was put in place that prohibited students from wearing wallet chains in school. Principal John Young decided to allow students to wear the chains because of the confrontation between teachers and students.

1986

People put “baby on board” signs on their cars so that firemen would be aware in case of an accident. People began to make other signs, like “ex-girlfriend in trunk,” which distracted drivers and led to reckless driving.

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 “One time I got stuck under a fat man in a wave pool, and I thought I was going to die.” -Luci Lussier ‘16

OPINIONS

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.

Friday, September 18, 2015  Page 7

PageSevenGrid

GuestColumn

Welcome to the Page Seven Grid, which no words can truly describe. This is where we can watch people (try to) be funny. Your classmates are asked a series of questions, which they try to respond with the most humorous answers! Enjoy! Have a funny question and want to see it in the Grid? Drop it off in NC Room 220, and maybe see it next issue!

Describe the start to the school year in three emojis.

What is the deal with Donald Trump?

Straight Outta ______________

Which celebrity, past or present, would be your prison buddy?

He’s the father of my child and I respect his decisions.

Mr. Sloan’s PreCalc class. Which is pretty much like Compton (except crazier).

Richard Nixon. Biggest bro in American history.

Janet Stark

Martha Stewart, she’s experienced and could make my prison food a little tastier.

He be like “You fired Obama!”

Mexico

O.J. Simpson

He has a cool tower, he also fires a lot of people.

My algebra textbook

Ronald McDonald

Michael Gilger ‘16

Forget about him, it’s time for Kanye West to make America the Kanye Best #Kanye2020!

Molly Stark ‘16

Stephen Romero ‘17

Jeffery Vitek ‘18

All I hear is that he’s a really bad person.

My mom hates him.

Chicago

Harry Styles

Greenbo AlaBAMA

Nobody. I don’t have any friends nor do I plan on making any if I am ever incarcerated.

Gabi Blauw ‘19

What the heck is an emoji?

Stupid is as stupid does.

Matthew Ranft, Teacher

compiled by Philip Smith

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 of LION! 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.

Lion’sMissionStatement

Read LION’s mission statement LION is a newsroom for journalism students designed to serve the community of Lyons Township.

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

It is LION’s responsibility to cover the events and issues that may have relevance to the readership in the community.

LION will attempt to cover all aspects of the school; however, coverage will greatly depend on the item’s news value. News value is determined by timeliness and how relevant the item is to the majority of the newspaper’s readership. LION editors reserve the right to determine the news value of content.

LION will clearly identify sources of news, except in cases when it is clearly necessary to protect the source’s identity.

LION will avoid sensationalizing the news. LION does not invade the personal privacy of sources.

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

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

LION is written primarily for LT students and faculty.

LION makes every possible effort to correctly spell the names of sources.

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

LION strives for the highest standards of accuracy in its presentation of material that time allows. The staff accepts responsibility for the accuracy of these facts.

Rumor, gossip and innuendo are not included in a story appearing in LION. Sources interviewed for a story will be given the opportunity to look through their interview notes and verify their quotes prior to the printer’s deadlines.

Every reporter and other member of the staff will face the ramifications for any inaccuracies presented in his or her story.

Leave politics out of class

Politics is one of the most controversial issues within this country today, especially with the Presidential election coming Henry Groya up next year.

Whether a teacher is a Democrat or a Republican, or has no affiliation to a political party, it is without a doubt incredibly inappropriate for them to express their political opinions in a class setting.

“When you look at someone as an expert and source of knowledge, a subjective topic such as politics could be full of influence,” an anonymous student said.

Many students at LT may not be aware if a teacher is inappropriately expressing their political bias in class, but they need to be. A student cannot leave a class if a teacher is imposing their beliefs; instead he or she must listen as if it was part of a normal class lecture. This can be harmful to a student’s education.

“It feels like a danger to education and more of a distraction to me,” the student said.

Some students are very aware when teachers politicize their classroom, which is when it comes as a true distraction. Not only does this annoy students and can influence their opinions wrongfully, but it also takes away from the teacher instructing on class content. As the teacher goes on, ranting about politics that students may or may not agree with, valuable time is taken from students’ education.

I am aware of the First Amendment, which includes the freedom of speech. Teachers of course have this; yet teachers should not express their political opinions in class. Even though they may have the right to do this, it is not the right thing for them to do. This can only harm the learning environment because it does not let students form their own opinions on political matters.

Another experience from my high school life is about disagreeing with these political statements. If your opinion differs from that of the teacher, you are truly intimidated to speak up about it in class. You are fearful that the teacher will dislike you, creating a hostile learning environment for everyone. Every day walking into one of my classes last year, I knew I had completely different opinions on politics than my teacher’s. This would not have been a problem had this teacher not insisted upon lecturing us about his or her beliefs, which slowed the class, hurt our learning environment and lessened my desire to express my opinions in class. This assault on students’ learning envoronments and their ideas is unfair to say the least.

Students should not have to conform to their teacher’s political opinions. What is that teaching to the future of America? All this is doing is turning students into followers rather than leaders. In no way is it a right to make students conform. We want the future to form their own opinions after becoming educated on topics from fair, unbiased sources. If you hear a teacher express their own political agenda in class, students may listen and nod along, but do not let the teacher sway your opinions, whatever they are. Developing minds should develop their own stances. This is the only way that a democracy like the United States can work. Blindly following anyone will only harm you as an individual.

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

OPINIONS

Random Chatter “I would kill to be in Witness Protection.”

-Alli Leach ‘16

Random Chatter “Boy, you look like a sad jaguar sippin’ on hot chocolate.” Brandon Sheehan ‘17

Friday, September 18, 2015 n Page 8

Philosophy

Is the new study hall helping students’ homework loads?

PawsUp n to pants, in case you forgot. n to the Oxford dictionary adding hangry, butthurt and mic-drop to the new edition. Oddly enough, if I’m butthurt it’s likely that I’m also hangry. n to the Cubs finally doing well- this is the year? Maybe? Please? n to babies- because who has not ever considered kidnapping one? n to mid-calf socks- the protection of high socks with the cool breeze of ankle socks. n to karaoke- because singing High School Musical at a party really tests your singing ability. n to weird people- for when you’re trying to make very interesting conversations. n to kiddie coctails- for letting the kids in on the fun. n to flirting at red lightsfender-benders have never been so exciting. n to food exploding in the microwave-who doesn’t love some excitement? n to buns- we’re talking about the hairstyle here.

PawsDown n to rising cafeteria prices- 2-for-a-dollar-tencents-cookie-Wednesday? n to LT not having air conditioning- Gold Bond, you da real MVP. n to the new Google logoyou can't kill the classic. n to thumbs- why do some of you look like toes? n to gummies that look like hamburgers- why? n to people who use selfie sticks- you just have trust issues if you won’t let people touch your phone. n to wet dog food- it’s just nasty. n to velcro shoes- a total rip-off. n to elementary schools getting laptops- because who honestly needs them more than 7-year-olds? n to having to clarify that your drive thru order is “to go.” n to suppressing sneezesdid you know you can rupture a vein in your neck and die?! n to food exploding in the microwave- a little bit too much excitement in life... n to fantasy football- the easiest way to throw money at your friends. n to Calc AB- the cheap way out. n to LT’s tissues- why don’t you just get us sandpaper?

LION interviewed 350 students about their opinions on the new study hall policy.

Total waste of time 7%

No 12%

Do you think the new study hall policy is helpful?

It lengthened the day 43%

Yes 88%

Not enough time to get homework done 50%

What is the worst part of the new policy?

On the phone/listening to music 3% Yes 11%

Has the new study hall affected your selection of courses?

Doing homework for classes due later in the day 34% No 89%

Doing homework that is due tomorrow 57%

Resting 6%

How do you normally spend your study hall?

Point

Study hall, not free-for-all As I look around my lunch study hall room I recognize what is expected: students sitting with their phones, headphones on and totally ignoring the homework that they could otherwise be getting done in the ample amount of time. HowGaby Sabatino ever, for the students who choose to put those 25 minutes to use, they are able to get homework done or meet with teachers for individual attention and in turn, reap the benefits. So I ask you, what could possibly be so bad?

The new 25 minute study hall recently implemented this school year, has without a doubt been one of the biggest changes that returning LT students have experienced so far. Some may agree that this study hall is beneficial to students’ success, but others may believe that it is a waste of their time. However, the opportunity to receive more in-school time to finish homework, study for classes or get ahead in your courses can do nothing but good for individual students.

Therefore, given the ability to meet with teachers for classes that students are struggling in gives them more one on one time to learn in a

setting that is more individualized, compared to classrooms. If you use your time in a responsible manner, these 25 minutes are very valuable.

This new policy requires students failing a class to meet with the teachers of those classes for extra time to review material and work on their studying habits. Implementing this individualized teaching rewards students who get lost in the midst of their peers in the classroom. With a school of about 4,000 students, this is exactly what we needed. Furthermore, this new policy enables students to develop a stronger relationship with their teachers in order to ensure a more confident and beneficial learning experience.

High schoolers’ schedules are busy enough.

Between clubs, sports, jobs, volunteer work or any other time consuming activity, many will take whatever time they can during the school day to do homework. Obviously, this comes with responsibility. If you use this time to sleep or play on your phone, you will not experience the helpfulness of this new schedule structure. However, if you choose to put this time to use you can receive the opportunity to grow in your learning and be accountable for your education.

CounterPoint

Study flaw

When a Chicago Tribune 2014 survey revealed a much higher degree of stress from LT students as opposed to students at other suburban high schools, I think the student body was Garrett Ariana expecting more than a stingy 25-minute study hall. For students who say their homework loads of four to six hours an evening is what is causing stress, the 25 minutes doesn’t do anything to help them.

The main purpose of this “study hall for all” is to allow students to relieve their stress, as students involved in extracurriculars hardly have any time for homework. This 25 minute study hall gives practically no time for students to be able to get into a rhythm and actually finish a reasonable amount of homework to leave at school.

The time will maybe allow a worksheet or two to be completed, which over four hours of homework, doesn’t make a difference. And this is for students who are staying focused and locked in on completing something. In the study halls that get too noisy, it is almost pointless to have the class.

A focus of this study hall, to allow students to improve their understanding of material, also has been made impossible. With the current setup, a student is only allowed to talk and go to a teacher if they have a failing grade in the class. While some teachers will indeed have classes during these

study hall periods, there are also a fair amount who do not, causing this policy to make less sense than the Seahawks passing on the one yard line. If this 25-minute period is implemented to improve students comprehension of classes, then why are they not permitted to see teachers about questions and concerns until it is too late?

In order for this study hall to actually hold some value to those students with too much going on, two things need to be done. First, the length of the period needs to be extended to at least 40 minutes, a time sufficient enough that students can focus and complete some of the larger assignments that would take up substantial time at home.

At the current duration of the period, I honestly would rather end school 25 minutes earlier at 2:40 instead of wasting it in the school.

Another thing to be done is to allow students to go to teachers they need help from. With practice or a club after school every day, it’s difficult to make time for getting help for all seven classes.

Only letting students who are failing to visit teachers won’t improve students’ performance in their classes and help them outside of school.

As a student of Lyons Township, I feel that it is obligated to all of us to be able to get the help needed to relieve the exponentially higher levels of stress as opposed to other schools. The current study hall needs to be fixed in order to serve the students that right.

In the movie “American Sniper,” which tells the story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, one scene recounts the words a young Kyle heard from his father.

Philip Smith Kyle’s father instructs that there are three types of people in the world: wolves (who do evil), sheep (who suffer the evil), and sheepdogs (who protect the sheep from evil). The father tells his son that he is raising neither wolves nor sheep.

His sons will be sheepdogs.

We recently learned that Spencer Stone, Alex Skarlato and Anthony Sadler are sheepdogs. Stone, an airman in the U.S. Air Force, Skarlato, a member of the National Guard and Sadler, a student, stopped what would have been a deadly terrorist attack in France on Aug. 21, 2015. With the help of Chris Norman of Britain and other French heroes, they saved hundreds of lives.

Cynics responded in a predictable way (bow to your cross-Atlantic saviors again, Frenchmen!), but the thwarting of this attack teaches a very important lesson: no matter what is going on in the world, no matter how bad it looks, there is often someone who is willing to do the right thing, to stand up to danger and to put life and limb on the line for the greater good.

Of course, the inverse of this is also true.

As gunfire was heard and screams echoed down the train’s corridors, the train’s staff quickly barricaded themselves into safe areas, leaving passengers stranded, including families returning from vacation. Those who should have been counted on to help others cowered.

They locked the door, and refused to let others into the safe area. While we call all understand fear, these actions are inexcusable. Those who should have provided some protection or at least guidance, hid like sheep.

Enter the sheepdogs. Skarlato, upon seeing the gunman enter the car, yelled for Stone to attack and ran to the gunman himself. The three Americans, friends since middle school, attacked the terrorist. They then hog tied him, tended their many wounds and to those of others, and delivered the shooter to the authorities.

Their bravery came with a cost.

The terrorist cut Stone in the neck and almost severed his thumb with a large box cutter. Mark Moogalian, a French American, who had also stood up to the attacker, was shot through the back of the neck and severely wounded. He was rescued by an already injured Stone, who managed to reach into Moogalian’s neck and push down on the carotid artery, preventing him from bleeding to death. The risk of severe injury was no doubt apparent from the outset. But the commitment was clear from Skarlato’s words when he saw the gunman enter the carriage. “Spencer, go,” Skarlato said.

“Let’s go, go!”

The shout of “Let’s go!” is eerily similar to another thwarted terrorist attack. On United Flight 93, on Sept 11, 2001, Todd Beamer, attempting to inform the authorities about his hijacked flight, spoke two almost identical words. After saying that the passengers were preparing to attack the terrorists, he set the phone down and asked his fellow passengers–his fellow heroes–“Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.” Those were Beamer’s last recorded words. Instead of allowing their flight to be used against targets in Washington, D.C., Beamer and his fellow heroes attacked the terrorists and sacrificed themselves in the fields of Pennsylvania to save lives.

Edmund Burke, an eighteenthcentury Anglo-Irish statesman, once said that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Circumstances often require common people to take the initiative to defend themselves and others. Unless the sheepdogs step forward, the wolves may triumph.

Random Chatter “Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night to do math problems.” -Timothy Rediehs ‘17

OPINIONS

Random Chatter “It’s like he has a bra made of chest hair.” -Noah Smith ‘16

Friday, September 18, 2015 n Page 9

StaffEditorials Drop the class

AnotherView

As we enter the 2016 election cycle, we Further issues come up with teacher can expect to be bombarded by attack ads training. Training for the entirely new class and 24/7 media coverage of all major canis funded by donations from outside donors didates. How can a relatively uninformed for only three years, and then the cashteenager sort through the political maneustrapped state will have another expense vering, learn about politics and government, to pay, according to the Chicago Tribune. and decide whom to support?

While schools are able to fund the course Illinois lawmakers are trying to answer with private donations, the majority of the this question by creating a new class, one money is almost guaranteed to come from that would be required to graduate, about our already sky-high property taxes. civics. The state legislature approved the Another worry is that teachers will push class in late summer, and Governor Bruce their political views on such controversial Rauner signed the bill into law on Aug. 24, topics such as abortion, capital punishment, 2015. The new law requires all students immigration, taxation and welfare on their graduating public high schools to take a students, politicizing the classroom. (For civics course concerning the operation of more on this, see page 7.) This would be government works and discussing controcompletely unacceptable. It would be very versial issues. Democrats and Republicans difficult for many teachers to present a fair, alike applauded Rauner, and many journalunbiased and objective lesson on topics on ists praised the new course. which they have strong beliefs. By way of While the intent of this law is laudable, example, how many teachers could present the initiative is misguided. As mandated, an unbiased view on cuts to public education pensions, benefits or the course should be revised or removed. Changes must Our Position: While the salaries? We must make sure new couse on civics may that students are allowed to be made. seem beneficial, it de- form their own ideas, not just At the outset, the law leaves uncertainty on exact- stroys students’ schedules, adopt those of their teachers. ly when course completion messes up teacher trainFinally, adding another would become a graduation ing, stretches already-thin class required for graduation funding, and adds to stu- will only further reduce requirement. Would it be dents’ loads. It must be student choices. Currently, required for the class of revised or changed.

2016? 2017? 2020? We LT requires a one-semester don’t know. Do current Social Studies elective in seniors need this class for graduation? It all addition to the required courses. Unless the depends upon interpretation. Paul Housrequirements are modified, this civics course ton, the Global Studies division chair, said would remove an incentive for students to that the law currently states that it takes take other Social Studies electives. effect on Jan. 1, 2016, which means it would “Decisions need to be made by the state force current seniors to drop a class to take and school district about the class requirements,” Houston said. civics. According to Houston, lawmakers Without question, civics and the operahave proposed an amendment that would grandfather out all current students, making tion of our government are important topics, and high school students need to learn the class mandatory for the class of 2020 and stay informed about controversial topics and beyond. in order to develop informed opinions. But “I’m not sure how much, if at all, while we cannot afford to have a generaeducators were involved with this process,” Houston said. “It may be a bad idea tion of uneducated voters and citizens, we to pass a law that will immediately need cannot afford this legislative requirement in amendments right away.” its current form.

Staff Vote: 21-5

Illustration by Owen Swanson

Senior liberty A five minute drive out of the North When second semester hits, most seniors Campus parking lot is all it takes for already know what college they will be hungry, hard-working seniors to find attending in the fall, and suddenly, unsurprisingly, lose motivation to keep up with themselves parked outside of a Chipotle, their classes because they see no point. OfNoodles and Co., Subway, McDonald’s, fering seniors the freedom to venture out Mariano’s and more. After three tediously past LT boundaries for an hour, as long as long, grueling years of high school, senior they maintain a B-, is the perfect encourstudents deserve the privilege of utilizing agement for slacking seniors to continue their hour-long study hall and lunch break striving for decent grades. to venture off campus.

One of the most exciting aspects of It is understandable why this idea has being a senior is the independence involved never been seriously debated before. Prior with turning 18, and suddenly finding that to this year, no mandatory study hall existed, and lunch was only 25 minutes, leaving important decisions are entirely yours to barely any time for students to even think make. And what is more important than about leaving. Howyour diet? People joke ever, with the updated Our Position: Due to the new about the fearsome schedule, a new oppor- lunch schedule, the opportuni- “freshman 15” and the tunity emerges: leaving ty to allow seniors the freedom issues with gaining of an off campus lunch is more weight your first year campus for lunch. than just probable: it would be of college, but in our Consider the situbeneficial. ation. Senior students society of predominantly (with a B- or better in overweight individuals, eating healthy should be on top of the all their classes) supporting local businesses and eating at any nearby restaurant of their priority list. Exploring local eateries for a lunchtime meal would mimic the same choice. While the new cafeteria is awesome, there is no doubt that it can get very situation many college students find themselves facing on a daily basis and therefore hectic sometimes as the lines tend to get would provide an excellent introduction to annoyingly long. This promotes the stance making good eating decisions on your own. that in some situations, lunch time at LT It is clear that the benefits to instituting causes stress for students rather than alleviating it. Having an hour in the middle of an off campus lunch opportunity for seniors a busy school day, to sit, socialize, eat, and is a logical idea, with a handful of benefits. relax in a comfortable environment would Supporting local businesses, promoting be a fantastic break for the seniors that healthy eating, motivating seniors to do deserve it. well in school, and the absolute outburst of Extending the prospect of an off campus happiness that will ignite as a result of this lunch also provides additional incentive for opportunity should all make this lunchtime seniors starting to fall victim to the wildly decision worthwhile to take into heavy common pandemic known as senioritis. consideration.

LION The Voice of Lyons Township Students Since 1910

September 18, 2015 n Volume 106, I ssue 1

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 Lauren Hucko, Abby King Pulse Editors Tim Mikulski, Assistant Pulse Editor Heidi Hauch, Business Manager Sheridan Spiess, Caroline Konstant, Copy Editors Kristen Roemer, Mary Sullivan, Adam Janicki, Charlie Stelnicki, Juliana Halpin, Lucy Schaefer, Grace Palmer, Hallie Coleman, Katie Palermo, Sydney Hansen, Reporters Owen Swanson, Editorial Cartoonist Jason Scales, Advisor Nik Gallicchio, Faculty Assistant

Staff Vote: 23-3 Staff vote: 25-1 C ontact

via :708-579-6403

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Basic basketball Derrick Rose is the only Bull besides Michael Jordan to finish in the Top 10 in both points and assists within a season.

SPORTS

Friday, September 18, 2015 n Page 10

Meadville madness

Meadville High school running back Journey Brown ran for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns in a Pennsylvania football game.

Varsity football rebuilds, starts off season strong With only three returning starters, Lions recover with a younger, energetic line and look towards new talent to step up

by Charlie Stelnicki @c_stelnicki

A

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Ben Bryant ‘18 drops back in a play against Warren. (Michelle Nacker)

“With sophomores, juniors and seniors on the field at all times, our overall chemistry is improving.”

-Chase Nacker ‘16

“

fter an almost exclusively senior starting lineup on the 2014 varsity football team, Head Coach Kurt Weinberg, in his seventh season of coaching at LT, turned to younger students to fill in spaces left vacant after graduation.

“The experience level this season is very different,” Weinberg said.

“With only three returning starters, all on the offensive line, a lot has changed. But I like it. They’re all athletic, tough, and excited.”

One of the constants on the team, captain Chase Nacker ‘16 has made his leadership presence known, both on and off the field. As one of the five captains on the team, he has made the transition to a younger team easier, Weinberg said.

“We have been rebuilding our team on both sides of the ball,” Nacker said. “We moved from a senior-heavy team to a mixed one.

With sophomores, juniors and seniors on the field at all times, our overall chemistry is improving.”

Ben Bryant ‘18 is one of the most crucial and surprising additions to the lineup, starting at ‘quarterback as a sophomore. However, the new players are not the only thing that has changed on this team.

Coach Jon Beujter has taken up a new role on the team this season.

“With Coach Beujter as the new offensive coordinator and Coach Brian Bergman as the defensive coordinator, we’re getting a lot done as a team,” Nacker said. “They have both been doing really well.”

The 24-0 win on Aug. 28 against Warren and the 23-20 win on Sept. 4 against Morton suggest that the new team, albeit young, works well together under pressure. The young quarterback is a prime example of this.

“Ben really stepped it up against Warren and doesn’t play like a sophomore. His confidence level is very high, and he plays like he’s a veteran,” Nacker said.

Starting on the freshman A team last year, Bryant had high hopes but was still grateful for the opportunity. He went into this season with an “I’ve got nothing to lose” attitude, and reaped the rewards early on.

“We plan on working extremely hard for the next game. And the next. Every game is a must-win,” Bryant said. “Our coaches will do a good job preparing us week after week, just as they did for Warren.”

The team focuses on one game at a time but is already anticipating a big Homecoming standoff against Glenbard West on Sept. 26. The festivities of the weekend are extensive and exciting, culminating with

the intense game in the afternoon and the dance that night. This year, the team plans on nothing different.

“The way we prepare never changes,” Weinberg said. “We’re going to be thorough and extensive, focusing on one minute at a time until the whistle blows. Glenbard West is one of the best around, and they dominate our conference. We’ve got to find a way to knock ‘em off.”

The task seems daunting, but the team appears indomitable.

“They’re always a great team,” Nacker said, “which means we’re going to need to be ready to come out and play ball on Sept. 26.”

Unsung heroes of athletics play crucial role in practice, games Athletic trainers have huge impact, help athletes with game-time needs

by Sheridan Spiess @sheridanspiess

Above: A group of trainers cleans up after a football game. (Katie Palermo/LION) Below: Trainer Sarah-Kate Weibel ‘16 brings water to athletes. (Katie Palermo/LION)

F

or the past four years, Madison Collard ‘16 has attended athletic practices and games, but not to play. As an athletic trainer, she helps different types of players every week to treat a variety of injuries, from taping sprained ankles to CPR. The Athletic Training program began in 1976 and has grown exponentially ever since. During the fall sports season, athletic training students attend all of the football, volleyball, and soccer games, while at least one of the head athletic trainers attends all of the games. It is beneficial for the athletes to always have athletic trainers on the scene in case of an injury, Collard said.

“It is a huge time commitment, but everybody who has made the commitment has not regretted it because they have been interested, they have been involved, and they like what they are doing,” Athletic Training Program sponsor and head trainer Kristine Vins said.

Vins spent all four years of her time in high school in LT’s athletic training program and now is one of the head trainers who oversees the program. She teaches the new athletic training students and attends games with all the trainers.

The student athletic trainers are required to work at practices three days a week after school, and to staff all the games of their assigned sports. This time commitment is required so that trainers can become more familiar with their assignments and so all injuries can be treated properly.

“They are our eyes and ears, because we obviously can’t be everywhere at the same time,” Vins said.

Since the trainers have the medical skills necessary for injured players, they become

a crucial part of sports at LT. They know the difference between an injury and an emergency, and are equipped with first aid kits and radios to call head trainers in case anything goes horribly awry.

“We’re there to help athletes be rehabilitated, which is the most important thing, so without us, it’s hard for them to get quickly back into their game,” athletic trainer Grace Shine ‘17 said.

With this great responsibility comes great pressure for the athletic trainers. Trainers have to make sure they treat injuries correctly in order to get athletes back on the field.

“It’s high pressure and you want to make sure you’re doing everything right, but you want to stay calm so everyone else stays calm,” Shine said.

Despite the pressure, athletic trainers continue to assist players. Shine, Collard and other student athletic trainers hope that this experience can lead them to future careers in medicine.

“If you want to go into the medical field, it’s a very hands-on club and you will definitely never be bored,” Collard said. “There is always something going on.”

In the past few years, the athletic training program has gained immense popularity.

In the past, 20 to 25 members have joined the program, but this year there are already 30 members and other students have shown interest in joining. Athletic trainers attend future freshman night and co-curricular night to get more new members and keep the program going. Vins attributes the program’s success to the students.

“They are so dedicated,” Vins said. “They put in so much work. I really feel like we wouldn’t be able to do half the things we do without them.”

AccusingAthletes It’s been a rough month for Chicago.

Within the span of three weeks, two of Chicago Sports’ hottest superstars took significant hits as Chicago Bulls point guard DerBailey Blum rick Rose and Chicago Blackhawks wing Patrick Kane each received allegations of rape. However, before everyone starts pointing fingers, we should take a closer look at each of these cases, because they certainly beg a lot of questions.

Rose was accused on Aug. 26 by a former ex-girlfriend. However, there is a huge asterisk next to the word “former”. The woman hasn’t been romantically affiliated with Rose for nearly three years. This naturally makes us wonder, would she wait three years to accuse him since his popularity is declining? It is also worth noting that she took her lawsuit to a civil court and not a criminal court.

Why wouldn’t she take this case to a criminal court? Rape obviously deserves to be fairly punished and the culprit obviously deserves significant jail time. One has to wonder, then, why not have the criminal justice sytem involved?

Kane’s case is just as up in the air as Rose’s. He was accused on Aug. 1 by a woman he had met at a bar in New York, a woman who claimed she was forced into Kane’s house after the two were riding in a car. Although the driver claims that the agreement to go inside was completely mutual, nothing else is known beyond that. This is complicated even further by the fact that the driver was hired by Kane himself and had worked for Kane for over five years. One can’t help but wonder how biased the driver could actually be, and questioning his reliability seems fair.

The fact is that there are lots of loose ends in either of the cases. Both lack conclusive evidence, and both seem to sway back and forth as the weeks go by.

Regardless of whether Kane or Rose is guilty, it’s important not to jump to conclusions when such allegations are made. Unfortunately for Patrick Kane, that is exactly what EA Sports has done by removing Kane from the cover of NHL 16, which would have featured him alongside teammate Jonathan Toews holding the Stanley Cup. Types of accusations like these should all be taken seriously and a proper investigation should ensue to make sure the correct decision is made based on the evidence given. Therefore, it is unhelpful to compare these cases to the cases involving the Duke Lacrosse team and Virginia fraternity cases. Both cases involved frats being accused of gang rape by an individual woman, and both cases ended up proving the women had lied and the events described hadn’t taken place. Despite these overrulings, the status and reputation of both the Duke Lacrosse program and the Virginia greek life scene took severely damaging hits, and they are still recovering from them. Also in recovery is America’s flawed habit of assuming celebrities’ innocence.

In the end, it’s a tough gig for celebrities such as Kane and Rose. Like normal people, they like to go out and have a social life. I’m sure every celebrity who goes out feels a little hotheaded and confident, but they shouldn’t let their high societal status make them think it’s okay to take advantage of someone. A line must be drawn to how far that confidence takes you. And with the careful and meticulous eye of the press, that line becomes much more dangerous to cross. A celebrity’s popularity might make them more vulnerable to having people treat them differently, but it shouldn’t be a ticket to being above the law.

SPORTS

Cookie combo

Brian Urlacher used to eat exactly two Girl Scout Cookies before every game, mixing up types for flavorful playing.

Friday, September 18, 2015 n Page 11

Professional pajamas NBA player Jason Terry sleeps in the shorts of his opponents before he plays a game. He has shorts from every team.

Four varsity athletes share pregame rituals, team superstitions and lucky charms that carry them through their seasons

by Adam Janicki and Hallie Coleman @Ad_man34 @halliecoleman

BOYS SOCCER

When the last few varsity soccer players arrive at the North Campus locker room, Camilo Drobny ‘16 knows it’s time to crank up the speakers. The song they play has been a long-lasting superstition and tradition for the team.

“Before every game, our team has to play the song ‘In the Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins,” Drobny said. “And when the drum solo comes on we bang on the lockers to the beat of the drums, which creates this adrenaline rush that fires us up before every game.”

Since freshman year, Drobny remembers the song playing in the locker rooms before every game, but no one truly knows how far back it goes.

“If the team somehow did not play the song, we wouldn’t have the same mentality going into the game,” Drobny said.

“We have done a great job over the years making sure the song is played, even if that means playing it on the bus or on the field during warm ups.”

As one of the captains on the team, Drobny feels an obligation to uphold the pre-game music tradition. However, the song does more than just pump up the team before a game.

“The song not only allows us to reflect on our game, but it also reminds us of all the games we have played together and pride we have as a team,” Drobny said. “Hopefully, years from now, this song and superstition will still be circulating around the locker room.”

BOYS GOLF

In a game based on luck, the little things are the most helpful, varsity golfer Griffin Wasz ‘17 said. Superstition routines can help build a mental stamina when it comes to the staggering competition. “[Superstitions] make me feel more comfortable,” Wasz said.

Wasz has been playing competitive golf for the past four years. Within these four years, he has latched onto a few different pre-round rituals, from tees to ball markers.

“I always keep at most two tees in my pocket, no more than that,” Wasz said.

On the endless green on the golf course it is easy to feel small, but even easier to lose track of a ball mark.

“I have one ball marker,” Wasz said. “It’s a big metal poker chip and I use it every round. A lot of the guys use special or unique ball markers that they use when playing.”

Before teeing off, Wasz has a permanent warm-up routine that he has used ever since he has started playing competitive golf, he said.

“I have the same practice routine at the range,” Wasz said.

“What clubs I hit, how I stretch.”

In addition to stretching and the clubs he uses, Wasz also has a playlist he listens to before each round to get him motivated and ready to go.

“I have some AC/DC, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Black Keys, Eminem and Imagine Dragons,” Wasz said.

“Music gets me focused on the match.”

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Before the race begins, varsity cross-country runner Hannah Dutler ‘16 is visualizing the course of the race in her head silently while others are jamming out to music trying to fire themselves up. As the runners line up, Dutler prepares mentally for the race by checking to make sure she has followed her superstitious routine. It is one that has followed her since she was younger, just starting out in the sport.

“Before every race, I have to wear my lucky yellow polka dot hair ribbon, eat two thermoses of pasta, put my left shoe on first, and not look at my phone,” Dutler said. “I always have been pretty superstitious, especially when it comes to cross country.”

Throughout her middle school years at Saint Francis Xavier in La Grange, Dutler developed her superstitions for cross country.

“There was one time I wore a blue polka dot hair ribbon instead of my lucky yellow, and I raced terribly,” Dutler said.

“From that point on, I have always made it my priority to bring my yellow polka dot ribbon.”

Dutler’s superstitions have stuck with her since freshman year, and she continues to use them to her advantage.

“My superstitions don’t control me and give me instant energy, but they help me prepare for the race mentally,” Dutler said. “They give the sense of control over the race and result.”

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

As the whistle blows and feet shuffle, varsity volleyball player Meg Kern ‘16 avoids the timid monologue athletes psych themselves out with. When the pressure becomes overwhelming, Kern turns to positive thoughts to make her feel more confident on the court.

“Before each serve I bounce the ball twice,” Kern said. “I always wear a headband and I have to high five each player on the team before each game.”

The superstitions began when she started playing club volleyball for First Alliance her freshman year, Kern said.

“Usually I feel like I play worse when I don’t do my superstition routines,” Kern said.

“During a club game last year, I forgot to wear a headband, and I felt like I had the worst game of my life.”

Though Kern has her own routine, the varsity team also likes to stick to tradition. Last year, the LT girls varsity volleyball team did a game-day cheer before every game, she said.

“I think most of the people on our team are pretty superstitious,” Kern said. “Some people don’t even wash their knee pads for the entire season, which is kind of gross!”

Having been playing volleyball competitively for almost four years, these superstition routines come naturally when she is playing, she said.

“Some people are really superstitious and other people say it’s stupid that you are doing that,” Kern said. “I’m really superstitious when it comes to volleyball, and I think [my superstitions] work.”

Junior marches on sideline, rushes on field

by Lauren Hucko @laurenhucko

Amid the masses of excited football players celebrating their opening night victory against Warren High School, Zak Lavaty ‘17 stood proudly sounding his famous cowbell: a symbol that seamlessly combines his world of football with his world of marching band. “[Zak] has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. The kids love him and he’s a big part of our family,” LT varsity football coach Kurt Weinberg said. “He loves football, loves LT, loves the band [and] loves being involved with his teammates both as part of the band and as part of the football team.”

Despite his intellectual disability, Zak has taken on an integral role within the LT football program. According to Weinberg, he participates as both an offensive lineman and assistant coach of the LTHS football team.

“I feel proud being the assistant coach of my football team,” Zak said. “I like to hang out with my friends at football practice, [and my favorite part of playing football is] going out to the field and playing hard.”

Zak comes from a family that bleeds blue and gold and lives for athletics as much as music. His father played football for LT before continuing at the collegiate level.

“There is no better thing for a young man than being associated with a strong football program,” Howard Lavaty ‘80 said. “It has done so much for [Zak]. He is involved in everything based on football.”

A typical day for Zak consists of waking up at the crack

Zak Lavaty ‘17 poses for the camera at an LT football practice. (Robyn Lavaty)

of dawn in order to watch football films with the coaching staff and players before attending school. Immediately after school, he suits up for football and marching band practice respectively--all before beginning his homework.

“I am proud of his devotion,” Howard said. “He knows he’s not going to be starting in a game, [but] he never misses a practice. He is doing whatever it takes.”

Zak’s resiliency has not only astounded his family, but doctors as well. He was born deaf but now can communicate with ease, and his doctors were in disbelief upon hearing of his involvement in a varsity sport.

“I truly mean he is my hero,” Howard said. “What he has done, given the hand he was dealt, has surpassed anything I ever thought he would do.”

As a member of LT football, Zak’s presence is invaluable.

His spirit and enthusiasm have single-handedly influenced the entirety of the program.

“Zak has shown me to have fun in everything I do and to always be positive,” captain Jimmy Saracco ‘16 said.

“Whenever things aren’t going your way, he’ll do or say something that makes you laugh. He’s someone you want on your team because he’s the type of person who brings everyone together.”

According to Howard, Zak is known wherever they go.

From the local Mariano’s to the city of Chicago, the Lavaty family never fails to run into one of the many people whose lives Zak has touched.

“He is outgoing, and he doesn’t have a bad word to say about anyone,” Howard said. “He is my son, and I love him.”

Contagious chant The “I believe that we will win” chant originated at the Naval Academy in 1998 and has remained a fan-favorite ever since.

SPORTS SPORTS Friday, September 18, 2015  Page 12

Scores 

Split-second serve In 2012, professional tennis player Samuel Groth recorded the fastest ever serve, which clocked in at 163.7 miles per hour.

Highlights  Profiles

Student sections under new reign New leaders, new voices, LT student sections warming up

by Izy Scott @3izy3

The LT soccer student section known as the “Hooligans” paraded onto the sideline dressed from head to toe in business apparel, white collars vibrating against their shouting voices and neck ties flowing in the West Field breeze. Prepared for a 90-minute soccer match on Aug. 27—complete with sign holding and referee heckling—the Hooligans staked their claim as varsity soccer’s number one fan. However, the costumes aren’t the only thing defining this student section’s success.

“Although it’s fun and probably looks funny, the number of fans is the most important thing,” Hooligan’s co-leader Maddox Hill ‘16 said.

The Hooligans have been averaging 40-50 attendees at home games, and filled the stands against Burlington Central on Sept. 12. The Hooligan leaders have bigger plans for the season than just a loud voice on the sidelines, however.

“We don’t want to just be ‘that high school student section,’” co-leader Tommy Sopic ‘16 said. “We want to be known when we go play other teams so they’re worried about our number of fans.”

Hill and Sopic were encouraged by the soccer team to head the section, and they are relying on social media, T-shirt sales and simple word-of-mouth to promote games. The informal organization has been a part of LT soccer for years and its leaders are striving to continue the tradition for future LT students.

“We want to get as loud as we can and get as many underclassmen as possible to keep the trend going,” Sopic said.

However, soccer fans are not the only mass of recklessly screaming students Sopic has to lead this year. Last year

The Hooligans show their pride for the varsity soccer team before a PEPSI Showdown match on Sept. 15. (Izy Scott/LION)

he was passed the torch and chosen as one of the five LT “Weirdos” basketball student section leaders, which preparation has already begun for.

Unlike the Hooligans, the Weirdos captains were selected by the class of 2015 leaders to ensure the section remains intact. This will be the first year in history that the Weirdos will be led under new captains, as head creators Joseph Bruni ‘15, Emmett Corrigan ‘15, Spencer Decker ‘15 and Brendan Swinehart ‘15 graduated in May. This year’s captains were selected and announced on Twitter last school year as Jack Dahill ‘16, Chase Nacker ‘16, Jimmy Saracco ‘16, Jack Melone ’16, and Sopic.

The Weirdos will share a common goal with the Hooligans of “getting as loud as possible.” Weirdos co-captain Melone

Jack Melone ‘16 pumps up a crowd at a varsity basketball game. (Izy Scott/LION)

said he wants to involve as many LT students as possible.

The Weirdos will rely on posters, social media accounts and new T-shirt designs to promote their games to all ages of LT. “As leaders of the Weirdos, our goal is to get as many people as we can to the games and then once we fill the stands, make as much noise as possible,” Melone said.

The Weirdos have 12 weeks until game one, and the Hooligans have only seven more home sidelines to fill until playoffs. Despite new leadership for both and the core challenge of being heard, both groups have seen or expect to see sufficient spirit from the LT community.

“People come out to the games for the love of our school,” Melone said. “LT has a great student body that creates an even greater student section.”

by Bailey Blum @ultimatebailey

T

he sun beat down on Stefana Vasic ‘16 as she wiped the sweat from her brow and gently bounced the ball twice on the concrete, floated it up high into the air, and delivered a hard overhand serve. Smooth backhands and sharp forehands laced together a careful series of volleys, until finally the entire year’s work seemed to pay off. Vasic and Megan Hickey ‘15 had just upset the number one overall doubles seed, Stevenson High School, at the 2014 IHSA Tennis State tournament, to advance to the quarterfinals and set the standard for her senior year.

“It was unreal,” Vasic said. “All these news reporters wanted to talk to us and interview us, and I just couldn’t make out any words.”

Vasic and Hickey went on to complete an impressive victory over Glenbrook North in the quarterfinals and eventually a state finish of fourth place overall for doubles, a moment Vasic cites as her favorite while playing for LT tennis.

All of the hard work it took to get to this point dates back to her early childhood.

Vasic started playing competitive tennis when she was just 8 years old at the Hinsdale Racquet Club, an organization she still practices with today. They weren’t her only coaches and source of motivation, however.

“My older sister started playing tennis before I was even born, and I wanted to be just like her,” Vasic said. “Everyday when she would go to practice, I would go with her just to watch, and that got me really into the sport. Once I started, I couldn’t stop.”

Vasic grew up practicing with her sister, Jovana Vasic, and eventually the two were joined by her younger brother and it became a family sport. It became routine for Vasic to attend her sister’s meets, and it wasn’t long before her sister was almost like a coach to her, Vasic said.

“She was always giving me tips to make me better,” Vasic said. “But she wasn’t just a coach. She was my role model, in all aspects of my life.”

On Aug. 24, 2011, her sister passed away from injuries sustained in a car accident. Vasic was in eighth grade and her sister was going to be a junior in college. After this, Vasic stopped playing tennis for a year, before realizing a change was needed.

“When she passed away, I didn’t want to play anymore because it was too hard, it reminded me too much of her,” Vasic said. “I came back because I realized that she wouldn’t want me to do this, she would want me to do what makes me happy. Tennis is what makes me who I am. She would want me to be the best player I could be.”

Vasic entered her freshman year burning with fire and a new drive to play better than she ever had before. She made the varsity girls tennis team

as a freshman, and her growth both as a player and as a leader has skyrocketed ever since.

“She was more reserved as a freshman coming onto the varsity team, as I’m sure any freshman would be,” Varsity Head Coach Bill Wham said. “Now, she’s very outgoing and a team leader. She’s become much more consistent, grown very aggressive and she’s probably one of the best volleyers on the team.”

Throughout her career, Vasic has played a mix of both singles and doubles, and has experienced great success in both areas. In 2014, Vasic finished in first place overall at the conference singles championship, and won sectionals for doubles, in addition to her fourth place finish at state.

This year, Vasic expects similar glory as she enters her fourth season on varsity, and captains a girls tennis team very similar to last year’s alongside co-captain Sophie Allison ‘16. The team only lost one member, Hickey, who played at state last year.

It won’t all be a single-handed effort, however. Much of her success and comfort level on the court is because of her teammates, who even as a freshman were always supportive in helping her grow both as a player and as a person, Vasic said.

“She has really developed an on-court charisma,” Allison said. “She’s a people person, and that makes her a good team leader. Her attitude and dominance on the court has helped her grow more confident in all areas of her life, and people now genuinely just want to be around her.”

This on-court charisma has been one of the primary reasons the team has been so efficient at practices recently. Under her leadership, the team has started practices and drills on its own without its coach, and really works to get better every single day, Wham said.

“She works really hard,” Wham said. “If you watch her play, she moves really well.

You can tell she’s a talented athlete. If I were a college coach, I would recruit her in two seconds.”

Vasic plans to continue her tennis career next year at a Division I collegiate level; however, she hasn’t yet decided where she is going to play. She hopes to commit to a school sometime in the next few months, and continue playing right where her sister left off.

“She’s definitely one of my primary motivations now to keep playing,” Vasic said. “I really just want to make her proud.”

2007: 2,771

2008: 2,977

2010: 3,101

2011: 3,133

2012: 2,875

2013: 2,849

Source: Peter Geddeis

2014: 2,554

In the middle of the dance, at 9:15 p.m., the fire alarms went off and over 3,200 student were told to “evacuate the dance floor.” At the time, the Cascada song “Evacuate the Dance Floor” was popular so students thought the DJ was going to play the song. They soon realized that the alarms were actually going off. The alarm was most likely set off by hazers that BOOM Entertainment brought in for special effects at the dance.

2010:

1977-1993 by Katie Palermo @thekatester223 2008-2010 by Lea Voytovich @leaaa21

In addition to the normal homecoming traditions—games, parade, and dance—LTHS raised money to donate to victims of Hurricane Ike. One dollar from each homecoming ticket was donated to the efforts. Student council also sold buttons, shirts, and Mardi Gras beads in honor of the Mardi Gras theme to collect extra money. Students gained a cultural insight into other parts of the world and helped those in need while celebrating homecoming.

2008:

Boyd had a freshman boyfriend at Eastern Illinois who could not make it out to the dance. “While on [a] [college] visit I ran into Krissy’s boyfriend and proceeded to tell him I really didn’t want to go with her to the dance and it was her idea,” Sullivan added. “Of course that was not true. I was just trying to act cool in front of him, but that backfired.” Several years later Sullivan and Boyd ran into each other at a party. They now have three kids and have been married for 12 years. “I guess it worked in the end,” Sullivan said.

“[My senior year] I went to the dance with Krissy Boyd ‘93 ‘just as friends,’” Patrick Sullivan ‘93 said.

1993:

Friday, Spetember 18, 2015 n Page 14

2009: 3,155

by Kristen Roemer @kristen_roemer Homecoming is much more than just a dance; it is the numerous events that bring the students together to celebrate their school spirit. Homecoming consists of spirit week, the variety show, the pep rally, the football games, the pictures, and most importantly, the school spirit.

“Homecoming has been a fantastic tradition at LT for decades,” Student Council Treasurer Abby King ‘16 said. “It brings our enormous school together for one night to have a good time and show we are proud to go to LT.” I can remember my freshman year Homecoming like it was yesterday, and I don’t just mean the dance—I mean the excitement I felt in the days leading up to the dance.

The school spirit radiated off the walls the week before the dance, and on the spirit days where students would dress up in crazy costumes. I attended both days of the talent show, impressed by the creativity of the student-made dances and other performances.

The Friday night pep rally surprised me by attracting a majority of the student body despite the nearly subzero temperature. I remember marching in the parade as the community around me celebrated our school spirit.

After we cheered our football team to a win, I rushed home and began to get ready for the night.

I took pictures with my friends and finally went to the dance. I was in awe walking into the future-themed dance. The lights, music, and decorations were all so impressive.

There are some changes being made to the Homecoming dance this year: Boom Entertainment will be providing the music for LT after being absent for three years. The look and feel of the dance will be different to make it feel like an event rather than the same old dance, Student Council Advisor Peter Geddeis said.

As exemplified by the LT Weirdos last year, no school is more spirited than LT. The decreasing numbers in dance attendance, however, diminishes our school spirit.

We need to get our act together and show everyone just how spirited LT is, and the best way to do that is to attend the Homecoming dance this year to support our school.

“Stay tuned,” Geddeis said. “I think there are going to be a lot of exciting things that we’re going to be able to reveal at this dance.”

DANCE

Each chip represents 100 students, and the two lighter chips at the bottom of each stack represent 1,000 students each.

Due to declining attendance for both the Homecoming and King of Hearts dances, Student Council is opting to replace King of Hearts with an alternative event and making big changes to the Homecoming dance to try to increase attendance.

1983:

Ellen Kunkle ‘78 attended her only LT homecoming her senior year in 1978, “Nobody went to dances without a date, and I couldn’t get a date until my senior year,” Kunkle admitted. “My boyfriend didn’t even go to LT. He went to Proviso West”. Even though it was the end of the ‘70s, the main kind of dancing was still Marty Dunne ‘83 never missed a school dance disco, and people still were bad at it. “Just at LT, sports events, yes, but never a dance. “I being able to get a date had to be the would find really funny plaid coats or argyle sweathighlight of my homecoming” ers that would go under the jacket,” Dunne said about Kunkle said. his dance attire. “It would be this great autumn collection of fabulous clothing. I’d have really cool corduroy pants and penny loafers.” His wife, Marcy Dunne ‘83, added how there always would be a formal dinner afterwards. “You know your date was loaded when he would bring you to Benihana. Like wow, this guy is stacked.”

1978: Crowded court

Attendance gamble

This year’s Monte Carlo-themed Homecoming dance is seeing some big changes. Take a look at some notable past homecoming dances, and see page 2 to learn about the changes we can expect this year.

in 1977 in a dress that she still vividly remembers to this day. “[The dress] was long red corduroy and my mom made me wear a turtleneck because she thought I might be cold,” McCahill said. “Yes I was a dork, but for the record I got a job as a freshman so I could buy my own dresses.

Future years were Gunne Sax.” (Gunne Sax was founded in San Francisco in 1960 and was a very popular formal dress company during this time).

Kim McCahill ‘81 went to her freshman year homecoming

1977: At California’s Cupertino H.S., the boys water polo team rush on in Speedos as the Homecoming court is crowned.

Flower power

It is a Texas tradition to give your date a “mum”, an oversized flower decorated with anything from ribbons to lights.

Alaskan area Alaska, from a global geographic point of view, has both the easternmost and westernmost points in the U.S.

PROFILES Friday, September 18, 2015 n Page 15

Provincial poverty Around 60 percent of rural Bolivians live below the national poverty line.

LT student Nicole Cattin ‘16 completes Alaskan summer photo expedition

by Juliana Halpin @jhalps315

N

icole Cattin ‘16 was suspended upon the side of an enormous wall of slick ice and snow as she bladed down a glacial crevasse in Alaska. Focused on her surroundings and movement, she managed to photograph her experience along the way. Surprisingly, this was only one of the many adventures she took part in while traveling around the rough terraub of Alaska this summer.

From June 26 to July 7, Cattin traveled throughout Alaska on a National Geographic student expedition.

Going from Anchorage, to Denali, to Seward and back to Anchorage, she traveled alongside 21 other talented students, a photographer, a filmmaker and a conservationist and wildlife expert, Cattin said.

“I learned things about cameras and photography that I never knew before,” Cattin said. “It allowed me to photograph things I’ve never been able to photograph living here. I also made some pretty great friends and did some crazy things that I never thought I would get to do.”

A large majority of the trip was spent hiking through the state as well as other adventures. These include blading into a glacial crevasse and kayaking through the Gulf of Alaska. While traveling, Cattin focused her photos and images around people and their relationships with the environment, she said.

“While kayaking in the Gulf of Alaska we saw a bunch

Alaska’s vast and untouched landscape along the water captures its beauty. (Cattin)

Hiker ascending Exit Glacier near Seward, Alaska. (Cattin)

This picture was taken while kayaking through the “Arm of the Pacific”, the Gulf of Alaska. (Cattin)

of jellyfish and strange sea creatures that you don’t see anywhere else,” Cattin said. “I got some really cool pictures of those too.”

Being a writer for the school yearbook, Tabulae, Cattin’s interest had not always been in photography. She was inspired to get into photography by all of the photographers around her in and out of school, as well as her dream to write for a travel publication, Cattin said.

Upon receiving a National Geographic magazine in the mail about student expeditions, Cattin decided to sign up for the Alaska trip.

“I had always wanted to go to Alaska because I want to cross all fifty states off my bucekt list,” Cattin said.

After filling out an application along with recommendations from teachers, including Tabulae advisor Tim Spitsberg, she received an email of acceptance, she said.

“Given her personality, it wasn’t surprising to me that she would find and take advantage of such an amazing opportunity,” Spitsberg said.

After partaking in the expedition, students were welcomed to submit their photos to National Geographic.

Their photos were also published on a travel blog documenting their adventures as they traveled--one of these photos included a time lapse taken by Cattin.

“I would say that the whole trip was pretty memorable,” Cattin said. “It was the experience that I wanted.”

Flattop Mountain Trail, a 3,510 foot mountain just east of Anchorage. (Cattin)

LT teacher volunteers at Bolivian diocese Sylvia Tanious travels to Santa Cruz on Coptic Orthodox mission trip

by Tim Mikulski @t_mikulski

Mission trips through the Coptic Orthodox Church have long been a part of biology and anatomy teacher Sylvia Tanious’s life, but her trip this past summer was notably different from her past two. Rather than traveling to Africa, like her last two trips to Kenya and Tanzania, she spent six weeks at the church’s Bolivian diocese in Santa Cruz.

“I knew I wanted to go on another trip and was initially planning on going back to Africa,” Tanious said. “But with some of the terrorism that’s going on in Africa, we were recommended to try somewhere new.”

The Coptic Orthodox Church organizes mission trips year-round from various missions around the world. Tanious spent six weeks in Bolivia starting mid-June, working in “the compound” at the diocese where she stayed as well as in neighboring villages.

“The biggest season is usually around Christmas, when we get the biggest groups,” said Karim Aziz, director of the diocese’s sister organization Love and Hope.

Groups that bring equipment and needed aid to the nearby villages and orphanages often consist of specialists like physicians, pediatricians, optometrists, and dentists, Tanious said. Her group of 42 helped patients both in the villages and in the diocese’s health center with medical conditions like diabetes and blood pressure problems.

They also provided daycare services and other aid to single mothers.

“There’s more poverty in Africa [than in Bolivia],” Tanious said. “Even in the poorest areas of Bolivia, some people manage to find some land and they’ll grow sugarcane to sell on the side of the road. Because of the land they have a little better opportunity of making some money, but there

Tanious and other volunteers on the trip. (Tanious)

Tanious with children she worked with in Bolivia. (Tanious)

are still very poor conditions.”

While the trips also include teaching opportunities, there was little teaching on the summer trip due to the Bolivian schools’ winter break (seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere), Tanious said.

“We also have seminars for local doctors to empower and teach them what they need to know,” Aziz said.

The largest groups now fill not only the diocese’s medical center but also have expanded into a nearby rented hospital, Aziz said. While the trips have remained similar in purpose and area in the 15 years that the bishop Anba Youssef has been organizing the trips, they are now expanding into neighboring South American countries.

“They’re just amazing people who are completely content with the simplicity of life,” Tanious said. “They’re happy with what they have.”

Shocking statistics

Smiling Singapore

According to Science Magazine, an extra hour of sleep can do more for happiness than a $60,000 raise.

Singapore has the best test scores with the happiest students, based on the percentage of students who agreed with the statement “I feel happy at school.”

Happy

Beaming Brits

Friday, September 18, 2015  Pages 16 and 17

Friendly flowers Random Acts of Flowers, a non-profit charity, is dedicated to making hospital patients happy through the power of giving flowers.

A survey of British adults found that having regular contact with at least 10 friends had an impact on the individual’s happiness level.

Pursuit of Happiness

It’s the little things

by Tim Mikulski @t_mikulski

happy

It would be unfair to neglect all that LT does to make its students feel . Between the new cafeteria, the mandatory lunch study period and even actions as simple as the orchestra performing in the entrance or handing out free hot chocolate in the mornings, administrators and teachers clearly care about helping to relieve their students’ stress.

Other additions are much more significant from a financial or administrative standpoint, but in the end contribute only marginally to the overall happiness of the student body. There’s been relatively little fanfare over the new Reber Center or the Canvas program for making people’s days so much better, despite all of the time and effort that went into implementing them.

Changes feel most powerful when they feel personal. A student’s day is much more likely to be brightened up by a cup of hot chocolate or school wristband in the morning rather than 12 months of construction for a place that most students will sit in less than a dozen times before they leave LT. Like personal actions, changes that affect a student every day—most notably the lunchroom and study hall—are more powerful than similar changes that students notice less.

The school’s changes are most effective when the students know exactly why the changes are happening. A morning orchestra performance has a fairly clear purpose: relax students, appreciate the group and promote a more personal and relaxed atmosphere through the choice of venue.

This isn’t to belittle such big projects like the new Reber Center or so many influential class gifts. They will have an immeasurable effect on the school in years to come, and their effects will

“Being with my family at my lake house in Michigan when we are all sitting around a bonfire and

memories

we are all remembering fun and no one’s fighting because we are all happy.

”

-Sam Scriba ‘16

happiness

for decades. However, when the school certainly improve student wants to help its students through stressful times, the most effective way is in the here and now.

“Helping other people.”

“Having the opportunity to

-Mattis McLean ‘17

play on the soccer

cross country family and “Families

like

the

my family because without them [I]

”

wouldn’t have anything.

-Emily Henkel ‘19

team, and all the

fans that come out and watch us.”

As our society changes happiness is becoming a more prominent focus in our daily lives. Most people are no longer searching for a career that will make them the most money, but rather a job that will make them happy. For example, clubs in New York City offer “happy raves” from 7-9am three times a month for people to jump-start their day with dancing before they enter the hectic, busy, real world. We took a look at LT’s happiness by asking a variety of different students what made them happy.

-Diego Lopez ‘16

“Making people laugh because I like to make people’s day better.”

-Sydney Kaehler ‘18

A look at happiness

“The

”

-Drew Callahan ‘17

85%

Happiness

. Sometimes those choices cause us to feel that feeling we have been striving for and sometimes it doesn’t.

There are two types of happiness, a natural and forced. Natural happiness is when you are surrounded by your friends laughing. No pressure. No obligations. Just bliss. Forced happiness is choosing to make light out of a tough situation. With phrases like “oh at least” or “I’m still so blessed with all of these things” you are ignoring your true feelings.

Say, for example, you study all night and don’t go out for the weekend in preparation for a test that will decide whether or not you got an A or B in the class, and you miss the score you needed by one point. While being optimistic about this situation is all well and good, you should let your feelings of frustration come to surface. That is an emotion that is demanding to be felt in that instance. Why try covering it up? Let it be. Get upset then get over it. Forcing happiness over other emotions to make light of situations is only really hiding how you truly feel. Sometimes sadness and disappointment are just as healthy to feel, as happiness would be. In the end, happiness is what you make of it.

waking

ing back into my blanket burrito.

You wake up. But it’s not the good type of morning rise. This is the eyes-glued-shut, grasping blindly at your side table to stop the belligerent, incessant beeping alarm clock that seems so cruelly independent of your personal feelings at the current moment type of morning.

You have a choice: do you stay in bed all day? Secede to the plush warm covers and, of course, the most comfortable position you’ve ever been in? Or do you struggle out of your tangled sheets and place both bare feet on the cold, hard ground and begin your day?

Life is comprised of a series of choices; some purposeful and some so subconscious you don’t even realize

happy

of

up before my alarm clock and roll-

by Abby King @abigailann_01

, however, refuses to fit neatly in a section or category that we they’re there. as humans love to group choices into. Happiness changes depending on the person, genetic variations, heck happiness can even vary on whether or not your crush asked you for a pencil during class today. But, as humans, we all have that desire. That desire to feel emotions, and emotions that demand to be felt.

What is so intriguing about happiness is that it is supposed to be a fleeting emotion. But, due to society and the euphoric feeling tied with the emotion, people strive to be in a constant state of happiness. What is important to realize is that we are not designed to be happy 100 percent of the time.

Research from Harvard Medical School suggests “depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, depression has many possible causes, including faulty mood regulations by the brain, stressful life events, and medical problems. It is believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.”

Clearly people who suffer from depression do not purposefully choose to be unhappy. So how can it be said that happiness is a choice for them?

If I told you right now to force yourself to be happy without doing anything, you couldn’t. Happiness is a reaction to stimuli. It is a byproduct of actions and conversations and events that happen throughout your day. We do things; make choices, in our day to become

feeling

of LT students are happy.

84%

of LT students believe late arrivals increase their overall happiness.

65%

We

asked th eL Tc om

of LT students believe lunch study hall increases their overall happiness.

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Cooking

Pricey pizza The most expensive pizza in the world costs $12,000 and takes 72 hours to make.

Nutella Brownies Ingredients:

Pizza Bagels Even better and more fresh than the frozen pizza bagels, and they are just as easy to make. These pizza bagels make an impeccable after-school snack or on-the-go dinner.

PBagel PPizza sauce PShredded mozzerella cheese PDesired toppings

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie

This smoothie was absolutely phenomenal. It tastes just like a blueberry muffin, but it’s so much more healthy for a fast and easy breakfast.

Direction

s: ~Mix all in gredients in a bowl ~Pour into muffin pan ~Top with h azelnuts, if desir ed ~Bake at 35 0°F These Nutella for 30 min u tes Brownies are just

as delicious and easy to make as they sound. They have an ooey-gooey center that melts in your mouth, making them the perfect dessert.

Ingredients:

A jar of Nutella is sold every twoand-a-half seconds throughout the world.

Friday, September 18, 2015 n Page 18

There have been plenty of viral revivals since the Internet became such a central part of our culture, and recently viral-focused sites like Buzzfeed and Pinterest have become centers for creative and simple recipes oriented more towards youth than traditional recipe books. Here are some of the most popular viral recipes we found and what News Editor MelRose Buckler thought about them.

P1 cup of fl our P2 eggs P10 tablesp oons Nutella

Chocolate crazy

Directions:

~Heat oven to 350° F ~Put bagels on baking sheet ~Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on sliced bagel ~Sprinkle cheese on top, and add any extra toppings ~Bake for 8-10 minutes

Ingredients:

P½ cup of milk P1 individual vanilla Greek yogurt P½ cup of frozen blueberries P1 banana P¼ cup raw, uncooked oats P¼ tsp. lemon zest P½ cup ice cubes Directions: ~Add all ingredients (in order listed above) into blender. ~Blend for aabout 2 minutes until smooth

Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream

This recipe was incredibly simple to make and absolutely delicious, and is a perfect and healthy dessert. It tastes just like normal banana ice cream.

Ingredients:

P4 large ripe bananas P2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Directions:

~Peel bananas and cut into ½ inch discs ~Place banana slices into Ziploc bag.

Freeze for 1-3 hours ~Put bananas in a food processor or blender ~Puree bananas until creamy and smooth ~Add peanut butter and combine ~Serve immediately for soft-serve , or put in freezer for a few hours for harder ice cream.

Compiled by MelRose Buckler @amrbucks608

Pinterest Cooking

By Mary Sullivan

As a result of Pinterest, Buzzfeed and easily obtainable, quick recipes and small project ideas online today, young people are now cooking, baking, building and designing much more in their free time.

Young people spend mind-numbing long hours in front of various screens, scrolling through their social media accounts and random websites, procrastinating. However, there is a beneficial side to the recent technological obsession seen in today’s culture’s passion with advancing creative work in arts and technology online.

Motivational projects like cooking from recipes online are capturing the interest of the youth, and it is largely thanks to the new media darling, Pinterest.

“I’ve definitely seen a rise in interest students now have in cooking,” Nancy Schwerin, Culinary Arts teacher at LT said. “With the reality TV shows and the easy accessibility of finding articles online especially. By using apps like Pinterest, anyone can benefit.”

Pinterest is a site where users upload pictures and videos on their digital pin boards and share their ideas with other people. Recently, it has become a haven for men and women interested in funky, new recipes that suit their diets. Vegetarians, vegans, celiacs, and lactose intolerants would have no issue finding “boards” that host an innumerous amount of recipes

that would satisfy their dietary standards.

Between pop rock cookies, parmesan hash brown cups, dark chocolate zucchini brownies, a variety of smoothies, salads, sandwiches and more, it is clear that creative cooking is achieving great popularity in our culture.

Another common site being utilized today for recipes is Buzzfeed. More than just humorous articles, intriguing quizzes, and bizarre facts, Buzzfeed is becoming a useful media outlet for innovative cooking instructions. They’ve also recently updated their Snapchat stories to include original snack ideas such as pizza cones and quick, microwavable cheesecake.

“I only watch the videos,” Gretchen Cannon ‘19 said. “I’m a visual learner, and I think the Buzzfeed videos are awesome.”

Pinterest and Buzzfeed have risen to become undeniably prominent factors in today’s society, inspiring fresh spurts of imagination to our daily routines, and also coming into our lives as a handy procrastination tool.

It has provoked a food frenzy among the youth with its promotion of fast, fun recipes.

“My biggest recommendation is to never try the cake in a mug recipe from Pinterest,” Cannon said. “It leaves a ratchet aftertaste.”

Magical mystery

J.K. Rowling admitted that Albus Dumbledore is gay. He was in love with a wizard named Grindelwald.

Equality Friday, September 18, 2015 n Page 19

Liberal literature The first U.S. book to touch on homosexuality is Bayard Taylor’s 1870 novel titled “Joseph and His Friend.”

Win s

e v Lo Supreme court legalizes same sex marriage

Support the rainbow

by Caroline Konstant @carolinekon

by Juliana Halpin @jhalps315

Over the past 40 years, same sex marriage has been a long, hard-fought battle. On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court legalized marriage nationwide between people of the same sex.

Lawrence Keller, an English teacher at LT, was unfortunately away on vacation during the legalization.

“I really would have liked to be a part of the celebration during Gay Pride,” Keller said. “I was so moved by so many friends on social media who were happy for me, for us.”

In the five to four ruling, Justice Anthony Kenned wrote the opinion for the majority of the votes. According to the Los Angeles Times, couples all over the LA area have been saying, “I do” with the same words he spoke during the case.

Prior to legalization, same-sex couples struggled in experiences daily.

“The simple act of filing a joint tax return was quite complicated before this,” Keller said. “Since this ruling, it’s been a joy to hear other gay men and women refer to their partners as husbands and wives.”

Even recently, some people of the United States have had a hard time adjusting to this law.

“Marriage equality becoming the law of the land takes one issue off our plate,” PRISM club advisor, Maria Rohloff said. “We still are fighting for equal rights in the workplace, housing, and public eye.”

In countries such as Yemen, being gay can be a crime punishable by death in some cases. In less severe cases, men are whipped or subjected to a year in prison.

Marriage legalization is a big step in opening opportunities for the LGBT community to keep moving forward.

“One of the greatest things about teaching is to see how young people are really ahead of the curve on this,” Keller said. “It’s great to see that so many students are so not only accepting but welcoming of LGBT people.”

As I hope most of you already know, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage on June 26. This resulted in the legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states. This was a day in history that not only made my highlight reel for the summer, but the entire year.

Upon the news of the Supreme Court’s vote, the excitement that swept through the entire country was a historical breakthrough that we were lucky to have been able to live through.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very open-minded and accepting home, so to no surprise, equality has always been something that I’ve firmly believed in. When my older brother, Joseph Halpin ‘13, came out about being gay, it brought this issue much closer to home.

The idea that he, or anyone else, should not have equal legal rights due to something they cannot control is a completely foreign idea to my mind.

In my eyes it is a no-brainer that everyone deserves equal rights despite differences in gender, race, sexuality or any other quality that we are born with. I am now happy to see that the law of the land is finally on the same page.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, over 10,000 teens between the ages of 13 and 17 identify themselves as a member of the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) community. Of those 10,000 teens, 42 percent of them say they feel they live in a community that is not accepting of LGBT people.

The legalization of same-sex marriage is a huge step in the right direction in breaking down barriers for the LGBT community. With this victory, I hope that current generations and the generations to come will be more accepting and supportive to all who are LGBT.

June 26 2015 A day that will go down in history

Improv Show

LT improv will present “So ______ VII: Can’t ______ won’t ______!” an evening of student improv on September 18 at 3:30 and 7 p.m and September 19 at 7 p.m. in the SC PAC. Admission is free with your student ID.

Friday, September 18, 2015  Page 20

GET OUT Weekend Entertainment  Events Calendar

Weekend Weather Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Showers High: 83 Low: 63

Cloudy High: 73 Low: 51

Cloudy High: 75 Low: 51

Battle of the

Burgers

Small Cheval delivers flavor

Burger Antics packs punch

Pictured above is the double cheeseburger with bacon and a side of golden fries.

(Abby King/LION)

After the chic ambiance of downtown Chicago illuminated Small Cheval, I was hesitant walking into the tiny restaurant called Burger Antics located in downtown Brookfield. The moment I stepped inside, I was reminded of the Restaurant Story App because of the awkward black tables and chairs that were sprawled out in the one-room restaurant.

But, even though the burnt orange colored walls that sported local art were definitely a change compared to the twinkle lights and outdoor furniture offered at Small Cheval, the service at Burger Antics was unparalleled to any restaurant I’ve ever been to.

The second I sat down, a waiter was at my side in an instant, always ready to refill my water or ask if I needed anything else. Open for only six months now at their new location after moving from Countryside, Burger Antics is a hometown, sit-down family restaurant run by a husband and wife who offer hospitality and a large array of choices.

Deciding to splurge, I sat down and ordered a slider plate ($10) to try an array of what they offered. Since all of the food is made to order, after 20 minutes, the food arrived on—quite literally—a silver platter. I looked in shock at the amount of food I had just so foolishly purchased and began to chow down.

The first burger I tasted, the Four Cheese Burger, melted in my mouth and overwhelmed my taste buds with the perfect combination of meat and provolone, muenster, pepper jack and fried mozzarella cheese. After sampling their home-made crisp chips and golden fries that were seasoned heavily, I turned to one of their craft cherrytree colas ($4) which had a tangy and authentic flavor.

After a short, much needed reprieve, I turned to the next slider: the Mushroom Swiss. This burger was comprised of Swiss cheese, grilled white button mushroom and house made mayonnaise. Mayonnaise on a burger may sound good in theory, but slopped on with cheese and mushrooms made me cringe at my first bite. But, I did not let that stop me.

I forged on to try the final slider, the Black n’ Blue. It was decked with Cajun seasoning that was not in any sense of the word spicy, blue cheese crumbles, house made blue cheese dressing and frizzled onions. While this burger sounded delectable and unique on paper, it was no better than mediocre.

The Hail Mary of Burger Antics’ menu, its saving grace, was the Burger of the Month—The Max ($13). This burger was something else. Mouthwatering smoked gouda, bacon, Buffalo sauce and a fried egg was a combination about as unique and irregular as burgers come. Delicious and complex, The Max made you appreciate what good burgers should taste like.

Bottom Line: Burger Antics has a variety of unique and different burgers on its menu with friendly service, but may not be worth a second visit due to high prices that may encourage the teenage demographic to turn to other, more affordable burger joints.

by Lauren Hucko @laurenhucko Au Cheval was immediately on our radar of restaurants to try upon hearing of Food Network’s declaration of its double cheeseburger as the best burger in the nation. Centrally located in the West Loop, Au Cheval is notorious for long lines and famous for big flavor which contributed to the creation of their second location--Small Cheval (1732 N. Milwaukee).

It was no surprise that when we arrived at the original 800 W. Randolph location, we were greeted by a never-ending line extending around the perimeter of the petite corner sensation. We decided to trade the three and a half hour wait for the shorter line Small Cheval promises.

Situated in the heart of Wicker Park, Small Cheval offers an ambient patio adorned with lights and colorful furniture. While the understated building closely resembles that of the original location in its simple advertising, its menu does not.

Small Cheval offers a double hamburger ($8.95), a double cheeseburger ($9.95) and golden fries ($2.95) along with an extensive assortment of adult beverages and the traditional vanilla and chocolate milkshake ($3.95). Although compensated with a 20-minute wait at this location, Small Cheval lacks the depth of options the original location provides.

We first sampled the double cheeseburger (with bacon, $2, of course) that put Au Cheval on the map. Every layer of the burger, from its paper thin pickles and fresh tomato, to its homemade Dijonnaise, seems strategically calculated to form the mouthwatering combination of flavors that graced my mouth. Though

by Abby King @abigailann_01

the patties are of a smaller size, they are liberally coated with cheddar cheese in what Food Network and my taste buds deem “the perfect burger-to-cheese ratio”.

Once I finally tore myself away from the king of all burgers, I began on the pile of perfectly golden shoe-string french-fries. Alone, they were crisp and delicious, but when dipped in Au/Small Cheval’s house-made garlic aioli, they were transformed into an explosion of savory and salty that could crush any competitor. In addition to the aioli, Small Cheval’s condiment bar is comprised of an array of condiments that proudly exceeds the bounds of your average burger joint.

Needless to say, the all-American burger and fry experience would be incomplete without a shake ($3.95). After recovering from the initial shock of the sheer flavor of Small Cheval’s burger, I excitedly sipped my chocolate shake in hopes to be met by a thick blend of heaven and ice-cream. To my dismay, the shake’s consistency was unimpressive, and its chocolate flavor was lacking the handcrafted design of the burger.

Now I must clarify one thing: do not let the shake’s disappointment dissuade you from trying Small Cheval, because you might be missing out the best burger in the nation.

Bottom Line: Small Cheval has monopolized on small space to share big flavor with the hundreds of eager customers who do not want to spend three hours waiting for food. Its reinvention of the classic cheeseburger into a sophisticated blend of nuance and meat meshed between a lightly-toasted bun has earned Small Cheval the recognition it deserves.

Hawk Released at LT

Area couple discovers red-tailed hawk stuck in batting cage at LT while on a walk by the baseball fields.

North Campus



Pictured above is Burger Antic’s September burger of the month —“The Max”.

(Abby King/LION)

online Discover Beach House

Revised NC Traffic Plan

Check out Beach House’s new album “Depression Cherry” reviewed

by Tim Mikulski ‘15.

Read about the changes in NC’s traffic plan that will attempt to remedy the congestion surrounding NC during school hours. Changes resulted from the many safety implications the congestion caused.

100 S. Brainard Ave. LaGrange, Ill. 60525



South Campus



Boys Soccer Season Begins Check out the boys’ soccer season preview online for some insight into the 2015 team.

4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558