Issue #6

Brownstock lives on

Jazz Ensemble goes to nationals

by Brittany Grosser-Basile @BrittanyGrosser

LT Jazz Ensemble selected to compete in competition, thriving with excitement

Show of student, staff performers will occur, but in different way

by Gillian Dunlop @gilliandunlop15

(Dayna Larson/LION)

D

espite the uncertain future Brownstock had for much of this school year due to the construction in the Reber Center, organizers have decided that it will happen, but in a different way than the school is used to.

“There’s a sense that Brownstock is something that is so unique to LT that it is so worth keeping and that it is so worth making whatever efforts it takes to make it happen,” English teacher Eugene O’Reilly said. “As long as I’m here and I can make it happen, it will happen. I’m committed to it.”

Brownstock will be taking place in the Vaughan Gym, in conjunction with the annual Car Show on Saturday, May 16.

“I think Brownstock is a wonderful celebration of music at LT, and I love the history and tradition of how it has evolved throughout the years,” Principal Dr. Brian Waterman said. “I was able to attend last year’s event as a guest of Mr. David Franson, and I was so impressed with the talents of our students and staff.”

Brownstock would have been the first event taking place in the newly redone Reber Center, and people, including O’Reilly, didn’t feel that it was right to have as the first production, O’Reilly said.

Details of the event are still being coordinated, because with the new location, there are new possibilities. One possible change is for SC students to be offered the chance to perform since it’s no longer an event taking place during the school day and they wouldn’t have to be shuttled over.

The change of the date also means that English teacher, magician, and typically one of O’Reilly’s partners for the event, Frank Alletto, will not be able to attend the event because of previously booked magic shows.

“I think this year’s Brownstock is a good compromise,” Alletto said. “Obviously it’s a hectic year in terms of construction and scheduling. The fact that the administrators are helping the legacy continue is wonderful. The major drawback for the schedule change this year is not being able to be there on the day of Brownstock.”

Alletto was the first-ever Brownstock performer, although not officially named that at the time, in 1992, when creator and former English teacher Glen Brown heard that he played guitar and told him to bring it to class so that they could play together in Brown’s old room 117, which is now Alletto’s classroom.

Whether or not Brownstock will return to the Reber next year remains undecided, and the decision will likely be influenced by the outcome of this year’s event.

“There’s a phrase about being the victim of your own success,” O’Reilly said. “We may do it so well in the Vaughan gym on a Saturday that we may just keep it there. The whole essence of what it was, which was a day off of school where kids got together and enjoyed each other playing music rather than going to class, would be lost.”

Auditions for Brownstock will be held the end of April.

Student life tragically lost LT’s crisis team reacts, offers help to grieving students

Buginas was involved in LTTV once he started the TV Production class this semester. He did more truck shoots than the class required, he worked more crew shifts

by Brittany Grosser-Basile during Rock-a-thon and he worked really hard on his first @BrittanyGrosser film project, Allan said.

When a tragedy occurs, LT has a crisis response team, Dylan Buginas ‘16 died of an alleged suicide, suggestconsisting of around 30 people, including the principal, ed by his last post on his Facebook page, on April 7. assistant and associate principals, guidance counselors, “He was enthusiastic, fun and had a positive attitude,” social workers and psychologists, Buginas’s LTTV teacher Bill Allan said. that meets as soon as they can “I want to remember Dylan for all of the “I want to remember to come up with a plan of action good things that he brought to the world, based on research that asks all of and I hope other people do, too. He was Dylan for all of the the necessary questions to address a good kid, he had a good heart and I will good things that he the problem, and then has followmiss him tremendously.”

Buginas posted a video on YouTube on brought to the world, up meetings to see how the situation has been dealt with.

Feb. 22, 2014, titled “My Life and my selfand I hope other “In this situation, we want harm story.” In this video, he explained people do, too.” to make sure we reach out to as his family situation, and said that he had many individual students as we severe depression since the third grade -LTTV Teacher Bill Allan can to make sure that they are and has had non-fatal attempts at suicide. safe and to assist them throughout the healing process,” “In junior high, I was abandoned by everybody, treated Principal Dr. Brian Waterman said. as though I was an outcast for no reason,” Buginas said in The crisis team determines which students have been the video. “That was when I got into drugs and self-harm most impacted by it, and in the case of a student death, and depression.” they find which students were friends with the student.

Buginas talked about the problems he was having in A counselor also follows these students’ schedules to exthe April Facebook post, and also apologized for things plain the situation to the classes, and lets students know he had done. People commented on the status, hoping to that if they need to come down to the counseling office, stop Buginas. they can.

“I’ve known him for a long time, and knowing that “Every life is valuable, and that’s one of the things something this tragic and heartbreaking happened to a that I tried to say in the classroom when I visited,” social good person is horrible,” friend Destiny Hurd ‘15 said. worker Mary Palacios said. “This is a loss in our family, “I want people to know him as more than just another statistic, but a guy who would put others before himself.”

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Construction completed

Is Facebook Dying?

Check out photos from the opening day of the new cafeteria and Reber Center.

Discover the debate on if the social media giant’s reign of dominance is at an end.

North Campus

NEWS, 5

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OPINIONS, 8

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

For the first time in LT’s history, LT Jazz Ensemble has been selected as one of the 15 jazz band finalists across the United States and Canada to participate in the 20th anniversary of the Essentially Ellington competition located at the Lincoln Center in New York City on May 7-9.

“It is pretty unbelievable, because the pool of people that [we] were chosen from is enormous and really talented,” trombone player Kate DeMonica ‘15 said.

This year, Jazz at Lincoln Center sent out over 3,200 copies of Duke Ellington music across the U.S. and Canada, giving schools the opportunity to record three songs and send them in to be judged by some of the most world renowned artists and jazz educators. From there, 15 finalists were selected to compete in New York City.

“It is an incredible honor to be a member of these 15 groups,” Jazz Ensemble Director Mark Dahl said. “Educationally speaking, it is a tremendous opportunity.”

The thousands of bands that submitted the required recordings included not only a pool of public school bands, but also fine arts high schools and conglomerate bands, which are essentially a band made up of the best student musicians in a given city or area. This increased the competition to be selected for one of the coveted 15 spots, but despite these challenges, LT Jazz Ensemble prevailed.

“When we found out we made it, it was a big shock, but then when we got over the shock, we knew we deserved it,” tenor saxophone player Andrew Lichtenauer ‘15 said. “I think we have a lot of individual talent, and I think we had a good start right off the bat. Mr. Dahl saw a lot of potential in us.”

Jazz Ensemble is only allotted 17 minutes to perform. This includes the time it takes to assemble onstage and get into position before beginning the performance. They are also required to play a new transcription, which will be “Chelsea Bridge;” however, they will be performing “Rockin’ in Rhythm” and “V.I.P.’s Boogie” as well.

“There is so much more motivation in the band, because so much is riding on this performance,” DeMonica said. “We want to show what our hard work has done. My biggest fear is not having the band be able to represent what we can do because of nerves.”

In order to prepare for the Essentially Ellington competition, every sub section of Jazz Ensemble meets outside of school every week, while the entire band plays together during the day in the class. Additionally, the Lincoln Center is going to send trombone player Chris Crenshaw to give the band insight as how to improve on their skills and help them prepare for the concert.

Also, Dahl’s former teacher, Ron Carter, has come to assist with the band’s preparation, administering multiple clinics with the band.

“By him being there, it shows how high the expectations are and our potential,” DeMonica said.

After all 15 groups perform, the top three bands will be chosen to play in a final concert at the Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, who, according to DeMonica, is a jazz musician comparable to that of Duke Ellington or Count Bassie’s caliber.

“The educational experience is crazy,” Lichtenauer said. “The equivalent is going to spring training for baseball or a NFL camp with professionals that play with you and compete with you.”

Among all of the excitement for the competition, there still lies the fact that this year’s Jazz Ensemble is comprised of 17 students, 15 of which are seniors and two juniors, leaving the expectation for the success of next year’s Jazz Ensemble unknown.

“I think the band is really going to have to work hard [next year] to get to where we are,” DeMonica said. “Most of them are not as experienced as we are this year.”

According to Dahl, there is enough depth in the Jazz program at LT where students always step up despite large amounts of seniors graduating.

“I think [the competition] serves as a goal for future LT Jazz Ensembles to work for, because now they know it is attainable,” DeMonica said.

Sharing the Field Learn about the various teams occupying Bennett Field this spring.

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SPORTS, 12

Vita Plena Checklist Find out if you’ve completed the ultimate LTHS bucket list.

PULSE, 14

4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558

NEWS

Scientific start-up The first recorded Science Olympiad was held on Nov. 23, 1974 at St. Andrews Presbyterian College.

Friday, April 17, 2015  Page 2

Native newcomers The Native American tribe Potawatomi settled in the Western Springs area around the turn of the 18th century.

Science Olympiad prepares for state Motivated by improving success, club looks to place first or second in state, earn national bid

by Joe Okkema @joe_okkema

With much anticipation and excitement, captain Matt Nutley ‘15 looks forward to competing at the Illinois Science Olympiad state tournament. Looking to avenge a particularly tough loss to Hinsdale Central at their regional meet on March 14, Nutley and the rest of the LT Science Olympiad team will travel to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and compete during the weekend of April 18.

“At least a second place finish at state has been the goal since day one,” Nutley said.

Throughout the season, LT has been in tight competition with Hinsdale Central and New Trier in Winnetka, two of the top teams in state. Being in contention with such strong teams bodes well for a possible first or second place finish at state, potentially qualifying for the national tournament, captain Madeline Bernstein ‘15 said.

“We started stronger than we normally do, and we’ve just been working on cleaning up some of the loose ends and putting our strongest lineup forward,” Bernstein said.

The fact that the team began with an experienced group of members who have participated in Science Olympiad for a number of years has been conducive to their successful start, Nutley said.

This experience has allowed the team to correct what had been one of their major weaknesses in the past: improving their performance in building events. These events require stu-

dents to construct devices to perform a specific task, like an air-powered launcher for an air trajectory competition.

“We have a group of seniors and juniors that are building like we’ve never built before,” Advisor Bruce Falli said. “You’re only as good as your weakest building event, but now what was once our weakness is no longer one.”

Members and advisors alike also highlight the growth in the number of underclassmen, particularly sophomores, participating in Science Olympiad as one of the team’s major strengths.

“We have a lot of sophomores who are really stepping up and competing well, gaining experience and learning material that is beyond them already,” Falli said.

With this strong increase in younger students entering the program, Falli hopes that the team will continue having an experienced lineup each year.

Unfortunately, the season has not been without its mishaps.

“Every season has its ups and downs,” Nutley said. “There have been some meets where we’ve come out strong, but there have been others that have had disappointments across the board.”

One such mishap occurred at regionals, where a scheduling mix-up contributed to a larger point differential between LT and Hinsdale.

Looking forward to state, the team hopes to remedy these issues and perform well consistently so they can qualify for the national tournament on May 15 and 16 in Lincoln, Neb. “There’s no reason why it can’t be us, and right now we’re focused,” Falli said. “If we’re third or fourth in state, it’s a disappointment. That just shows how it’s a special place to be at LT where you get third or fourth in state out of a group 50 and you’re disappointed, but that’s just the kind of team we have.”

Jazz Ensemble continued Continued from page 1

Jazz Ensemble will continue to stick to its regular schedule as it finishes out the year and prepares for the Essentially Ellington competition; however, it is hard not to miss the air of excitement generating from the band room.

“You can definitely see that people are taking this and ourselves a lot more seriously,” Lichtenauer said.

Although the results of the competition are still yet to come, even if the band does not succeed in making it into the top three finalists at the Lincoln Center, this special opportunity will not be lost on them.

“The cool thing about this beyond the competition aspect is that it provides a really unique learning opportunity for the students,” Dahl said. “I have a huge amount of pride for the program.”

Members of the LT Jazz Ensemble perform with Director Mark Dahl. (Dahl)

Emergency dispatch units condensed

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!

Western Springs, La Grange Park and La Grange emergency units shut down to combine with others for economic benefits

Bess Connelly ‘15 @GodBessTheUSA “Bess, if we’re both 40 and not married...we should both buy helicopters and fly them into each other” -Tim Parzyck

by Abby King @abigailann_01

Illinois is looking at condensing individually operated emergency dispatch units in order to more easily regulate their funds. Western Springs, La Grange Park and La Grange have started the consolidation process, and plan to have one large dispatch unit for fielding 911 calls in La Grange by early 2016.

“The three villages are looking at consolidating our emergency dispatch for both police, fire and medical needs from the ambulance,” Police Chief of La Grange Park Ed Rompas said. “In the long term this will help us financially, because the state is looking into consolidating units for economic benefits. The village is trying to go one step ahead of where the state is down the road, because the state hasn’t mandated exact time frames for that yet.”

With this future consolidation, there are no planned cuts to current dispatch resources or personnel. All currently employed dispatchers will be invited to apply for a job at the new center. However, if any of the dispatchers are not emergency medical dispatchers [EMDs] they will have to undergo training in order to apply.

As of now, there will be no physical changes made to the La Grange dispatch center, because all departments agree it can handle the additional units. The vacant Western Springs and La Grange Park units will still be lightly staffed in order to handle the people that still walk in to the departments needing aid.

“I’m 100 percent pro for this,” Rompas said. “It gives more training to our staff.

What’s nicer about [La Grange Park’s] center more than the other centers that have consolidated is that our center’s going to consist of all the dispatchers that presently work in these towns, and who truly know them. So when someone picks up that phone with a 911 call it’s truly going to be someone who can answer it, because they’re familiar with all towns presently involved [La Grange, La Grange Park and Western Springs] at this time.”

However, the transition has not always run smoothly. Western Springs Police Chief Pamela Church changed the shifts the officers had worked under for 17 years from 12-hour shifts, with rotations every two months to eight-hour “fixed” or permanent shifts with no rotation. The officers then put a vote of “no confidence” in Church, which means they feel she is no longer fit to remain in her position. The vote is non-binding, so Church does not have to take any measures against it, but its purpose is meant to send a powerful message.

“It makes me sad my fellow officers do not understand that the schedule was changed based on the operational needs of the department,” Church said. “The two other Village’s officers work an eight-hour schedule. At the end of the day, I am in charge and I have to make tough decisions. I understand that the 12-hour shifts are what they are used to, but operational needs change and adjusting to those changes is part of what is expected of today’s law enforcement officer.”

The acting Chief of Police of La Grange, Renee Strasser, declined to comment.

Matt Fisher ‘15 @notmattfisher new themed party idea: dress how you did when you were in 7th grade Sophie Allison ‘16 @sophiegraciee Death by physics review packet Stefana Vasic ‘16 @stef_uhh_nuh Still baffles me that the scientist from the ACT passage ate a venemous grasshopper Aidan Van Nest ‘15 @aidanvannest Ugh I left my LaCroix in Lord Ann Taylor by the Michael Kors purse display #thingswhitepeoplesay

Photos Lucy Schaefer ‘17 @Lucy_Schaefer3 This is what being bored is

Annie Denton ‘15 @annie_den10

Leading lady One of the judges for the ROV competition, Leah Hebert, is the world’s first female offshore ROV supervisor.

Steppers host competition LT steppers perform at state qualifying competition for first time at LT

by MelRose Buckler @amrbucks608 The LT steppers had its first annual performance in the SC PAC April 11. The show, which was also a competition for the Illinois Step League (ISL) for teams to qualify for state, had performances by the LT steppers.

“I am most proud of is the fact that so many people came to support us steppers,” LT stepper Daijah Jackson ‘18. “It felt so good to be able to witness people enjoying something we enjoy doing.”

The LT steppers did not compete, but rather performed in the show because they have already qualified for state after winning other ISL competitions and through doing community service.

The steppers have been asked for several years by both the ISL board and the national president to host competitions, LT steppers coach Tamiaka Killins said. But she wanted to start with a small competition, and hopefully have a larger show in the future.

“It was the first ever at LT,” Killins said.

“I’m so excited, they have been asking us for years, but we thought we should start small and work our way up [to a larger event].”

The proceeds from the show will help fund the team’s trip to the ISL state competition at Northern Illinois University on April 24-25.

Also, a portion will be donated to help fight sickle cell anemia and breast cancer, Killins said.

The steppers hope that the show brings more awareness to LT and the community about stepping and also showcase the talent that steppers have, Killins said.

“I am beyond proud of the LT steppers because everyone pitched in and helped make the event run smoothly,” LT stepper Myranda Williams ‘17 said. “Many of them performed whether it be stepping, singing, dancing or even reciting an original poem. We all cam together and worked hard to make it happen.”

NEWS

Friday, April 17, 2015  Page 3

Traffic troubles The first three-color traffic lights were initially operated manually from a tower in New York.

Freshmen work with ROVs LT students use engineering skills to compete in contest

by Ceili Doyle @cadoyle_18 A team of freshman led by Bowen Pearson ‘18 has been diligently working on creating the ultimate functional and efficient underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to compete in the Shedd Aquarium’s 2015 Midwest Regional Competition Saturday, April 26. The competition is held through the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center (MATE) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) pool.

Pearson’s love for robotics began at an early age and was influenced heavily by his father’s line of work.

“My dad builds ROVs for a living and he’s responsible for most of the WWII birds that have been lifted out of Lake Michigan and salvaged,” Pearson said. “I’ve been interested in robotics since I was a kid; I’ve always loved the little RC cars and helicopters. When my parents and I found this program, I instantly had to do it.”

When Pearson initially approached aviation and engineering teacher David Root about recruiting other students to join his robotics team for the MATE competition, Root was happy to not only offer support to Pear-

The team’s ROV at the SC pool. (David Root)

son, but to suggest opening up the MATE competition as a club at LT. “After speaking with Bowen and seeing their team work in the water, I helped them schedule pool time [at SC] and we realized that this might be something we should incorporate more into our curriculum,” Root said. “We might try to develop it as a club if I see the interest there. I think a lot of the students who got into land-based robotics will transition into this; it’s just robotics on an underwater basis.”

The MATE competition is divided into four levels of competition: Scout, Navigator, Ranger and Explorer, with Explorer being the highest level. Pearson’s team will be competing at MATE through the Ranger mission which is classified as the intermediate level of competition, according to the

MATE Shedd Aquarium Midwest website.

All of the ROV missions on the Ranger level rely solely on sensors and the camera that the team has quipped their ROV with and participants cannot look in the pool to move their ROV. The assembly of an underwater ROV is a very delicate and time-consuming process, but Pearson has high hopes for a strong showing at UIC. “Aquatics are much harder to make because you have to waterproof everything.

If any single part of electricity touches the water the whole thing will fry and that could also endanger human lives,” Pearson said. “But I think we have a pretty good shot. The competition’s going to be pretty tough, but we’re also pretty tough.”

Overall, the team is excited to have their ROV contend in the MATE competition later this month and hopes that this experience will lead to LT adopting robotics as a club.

“We’ve been talking with them [Bowen and his team] and we’ll see how the competition goes,” Root said. “Bowen and his team will act as our guinea pigs and see if it’s a feasible thing to create as a club, and we’re hoping to make this a club next year, but it really depends on the team now and how they do at the competition.”

Relay for Life to return to Bennett Field Different time frame to attract more students

by Clare Mikulski @ClareMikulski Due to the inability of the 2014 Dance Marathon to meet fundraiser expectations, Relay for Life will return to its traditional format on June 6 from noon to midnight at Bennett Field. “[The new time frame] will allow us to have more fun activities for the participants without worrying about the neighbors calling the police on us,” Assistant Principal Kris Costopoulos said.

Relay for Life is a national community fundraiser that aims to raise money to fund research that will eventually find the cure for cancer. Participants in the Relay for Life event

SC traffic transforms New traffic plans created, stoplight to be added, hope to improve safety

by Lauren Hucko @laurenhucko

As Emma Shippee ‘16 was driving through the SC parking lot after an after school activity, a fellow student turned haphazardly into the oncoming parking lot traffic, nearly causing a crash. Due to the volume of motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic at SC, this is a fairly common occurrence.

“If I wasn’t aware of my surroundings, this incident could have ended much worse,” Shippee said. “I am concerned for the safety of other drivers who are in the parking lot after school.”

LT administrators and other members of the community, such as Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, the Village of La Grange, the park district and the Village of Western Springs, are aware of the dangers of the congested parking lot and have been working together to find a solution.

“The villages were able to secure grant funding for the large portion of this project which is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Superintendent Timothy Kilrea said.

“It has been a great example of how municipalities can work together, and we are very appreciative to both villages, but specifically La Grange, for taking the lead and helping to make this happen.”

In March of 2011, KLOA, a traffic and transportation planning and engineering firm, conducted a traffic study and concluded it would be beneficial for changes to be made to the SC parking lot.

“Hiring experts in the field to make recommendations is reassuring,” Kilrea said.

The plans include the addition of six stop signs along with a traffic signal on Willow Springs road near the Corral. There will also be a flashing crosswalk at Mason Drive and a one-way entrance near The Great American Bagel, Kilrea said.

“We just feel like it will add a safety feature that is currently not there,” Principal Brian Waterman said.

The traffic signal will include a sensor that will determine when a light change is necessary, depending on the amount of traffic. With the exception of immediately before and after the school day, the signal will primarily remain green, Kilrea said.

Underground construction will commence for the traffic light over spring break, and the real construction will begin in June to comply with the goal of mid-July completion, Kilrea said.

“We’re looking forward to having it installed this summer,” Waterman said. “It’s going to certainly require some communication on our part, so we are in the process of putting together some maps, timelines and news items that we can send out to our community so that everyone is properly prepared for it.”

traditionally fundraise prior to the event, and spend the night with their team of 10-15 people camping out, celebrating the survivors, the money they have raised and and walking the track.

“The idea of walking the entire time comes from the thought that cancer never takes a break, so neither will we,” Costopoulos said. “Someone from your team is to be on the track at all times.”

Last year’s Dance Marathon was not the success Relay organizers hoped it would be, student organizer Natalie Orsic ‘15 said.

“Last year, a lot of people didn’t know about the Dance Marathon,” she said.

“Our biggest problem is PR. People are interested and want to participate, but they just don’t know enough about it.”

Costopoulos and Orsic both hope that students and community members will respond well to the traditional Relay for Life structure.

“Our students prefer to be out on Bennett Field,” Costopoulos said. “I think it is the fresh air, camping out, the comradery and the experience of walking the track that make it a special event.”

Organizers hope that student involvement will increase this year, and are encouraging LT clubs and sports to form teams, fundraise and come to the Relay in June.

“It’s a really awesome event to end the year, and we still need all the help we can get,” Orsic said. “We want the whole community to be a part of it.”

Teams can start signing up as soon as possible in preparation for the Relay in June.

Student life lost continued Continued from page 1

in our LT community, and it should be respected as such.”

There are many ways for students who are struggling to get help. Guidance counselors and social workers are available, and they can get a student further help if needed. There are also links on www.lths.net regarding topics such as eating disorders, suicide and depression.

Anyone who has a concern that does not need immediate action can also call the Speakup Line.

“What I have heard from students when I have visited classes is that some students’ perception is that [the Speak-up Line] is a joke,” Waterman said. “Unfortunately, there are some students that do, in fact, view it as a joke. However, there are many cases where students have provided information about other students that needed help, and we were able to get those students the necessary assistance. That’s the reality of the Speak-up Line.”

A memorial service for Buginas will be held on Saturday, April 18 at 11:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church at 8404 S. Cass Ave., Darien.

The original blueprint above is from the 2012 Gilbert Avenue/Willow Springs Road traffic study. (Google Images)

Wonderful walking Relay for Life started in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt walked around Baker Stadium for 24 hours. He raised $27,000.

NEWS

Friday, April 17, 2015  Page 4

Further fundraising The LT Bowling Team will host a fundraiser benefitting the Donegan family on April 20 at Rolling Lanes Bowling Alley.

Donegan family continues to struggle Fundraisers have limited success as son’s disease worsens, financial difficulties mount

by Michael Rasmussen @MikeRas55

In early February, Angela Donegan spent 11 days at her son’s bedside in Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital. Suffering from as many as 40 seizures daily during his stay, Blake Donegan ‘13 tearfully looked at his mother in a way she’d never seen before – a heartrending indication to Angela that this could be his last night. She spent hours conversing with her parish’s priest for consolation over the phone, and through tremendous struggle, Blake spurred himself to recovery.

“Blake is the strongest, happiest, funniest, most courageous fighter I’ve ever met in my life,” Lori Brown, Angela’s best friend and neighbor, said.

As a small child, Blake was diagnosed with Niemann-Pick type C, a terminal illness which hinders the body’s ability to metabolize fats and eventually leads to neurodegeneration and possible respiratory failure, with symptoms such as constant seizures, which Blake developed during his freshman year. His case is one of roughly 500 diagnosed worldwide.

Along with the physical suffering that Blake has endured, his disease has also taken a devastating emotional toll on the Donegan family.

“You’re living and grieving in the same moment,” Angela said. “I grieve everything that he will never go to college, never get married. These are losses I think about every day. It’s a horrible way to live. Holidays [turn into] days of worry. It’s sad at the time, because you think is this going to be the last one.”

Due to Blake’s need of constant medical attention, his mother serves as his primary caretaker, though this responsibility has left her unable to work consistently.

Brown provides one of the strongest bases of support for the family, providing Angela with moral support and taking care of Angela’s four kids during an emergency. Other than her daughters (Riley ‘15, four-year-old Knox, and 14-year-old Logan), a few close friends, and community resources like St. Francis Xavier Parish, Angela has few means of assistance. “[Her situation] is heartbreaking,” Brown said. “I wish I could do so much more for her, especially in the financial area. It’s rough to see a mom go through that.”

The family is two months behind on their home’s mortgage and utility payments, putting them in danger of foreclosure.

They currently benefit from a fundraiser organized by St. Francis Xavier Parish and the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education (LADSE). Brown also organized an online fundraiser at GiveForward. However, success has been limited.

“Unfortunately, [although] the fundraisers we have are a great help, they can’t end any of the financial problems because Angela can’t work,” Brown said.

According to state government guidelines, Blake doesn’t qualify for the state’s full-time nursing care program. In order to receive this benefit, he would need to be attached to a feeding tube inserted into his abdomen, an idea recently proposed to Angela. However, she refused the offer, as according to LADSE worker Madeline Butler, eliminating Blake’s independence will probably hasten the deterioration of his health.

Blake Donegan ‘13 poses with his classmates at his graduation in May 2013. (Angela Donegan)

“I’ll be damned if Angela’s going to let that happen,” Brown said.

For the family, one of the hardest parts of Blake’s disease was witnessing the gradual deterioration of his motor skills. He has difficulty eating, swallowing and walking, yet his cognitive ability remains mostly intact—although he often has trouble with his memory and verbally expressing his feelings.

Despite these recently developed challenges, Blake remains the same kid as before—the kid Brown called “funny, vivacious...the light of our neighborhood.” According to Special Education P.E teacher Scott Walker, Blake motivates himself each day to come to school for the Transitions Program and stay fit using a treadmill and LT South’s swimming pool.

Riley said that without Walker’s help during Blake’s last few years with the program, he might be confined to a wheelchair.

“When I [taught] Blake, my main goal was to get him out of his chair. Every Monday and Friday, he would swim, and he would just love that,” Walker said. “He’s got to be one of the strongest kids in the school.”

Blake also receives a tremendous amount of support from his main nurse Toni Pendergast, whom Angela calls his “second mom.” Next to Angela, Pendergast spends the most time caring for Blake, as she accompanies him to school each day.

Throughout his life before high school, Blake was an avid baseball and hockey player. He had dreamed of playing baseball in college and becoming a firefighter and paramedic in Los Angeles. And although his disease has prevented him from achieving his ambitions, he still finds ways to enjoy his passions.

He never misses a Cubs game on television. When his friends from college return home, they always take him to Hooters, his favorite restaurant. Blake also spends many of his days at the Pleasantview Fire Department, chatting with the firefighters and sometimes riding along in their firetruck.

According to his family and friends, Blake’s positivity and thirst for life shines through his illness. He is one of Walker’s greatest inspirations as a teacher and a person, and for Riley, Blake’s struggle has motivated her to accomplish his greatest dream.

“Blake was always there for me,” Riley said. “I want to become a firefighter for him. I’ve always wanted to do it before he passes.”

Sodexo service Sodexo, the company that provides LT school lunch, also serves 75 million consumers around the world.

IMPACT Friday, April 17, 2015  Page 5

Construction costs The total cost to renovate both the Reber Center and the NC Cafeteria totaled approximately $11.2 million.

Construction completed After months of construction projects throughout NC, both the cafeteria and Reber Center are complete

by Brittany Grosser-Basile @BrittanyGrosser

Construction of the cafeteria and Reber Center was completed on schedule and under budget, allowing students to use both facilities for the last two months of this school year.

“This was a very large capital improvement that was completed on-time and under budget,” Superintendent Dr. Timothy Kilrea said. “We appreciate the support from our tax payers for allowing us to continue to provide outstanding facilities to our students, staff and communities, to the Board of Education for their tireless efforts and focus on students and to the students and staff for their flexibility. This has really been a team effort all the way through.”

Students were able to use the cafeteria on March 27, the Friday before spring break, and were served pizza and cookies.

“Treating the students and staff to lunch was a great way to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated cafeteria,” Kilrea said. “It’s a small token from the Board of Education to say thanks for your patience and flexibility.”

Once school was back in session after break, the cafeteria was officially opened, serving Sodexo-supplied food in the new food court-style lines.

“I like the openness and lighting a lot,” Hallie Vlahos ‘15 said. “It’s like the High School Musical cafeteria. I’m glad the seniors are able to be in it for the rest of the year.”

The Reber Center had its grand opening on April 14, which included performances by Eurythmics and Madrigals, and a one-act play.

Following the performances, the lights were turned on and people were able to look around the facility, and refreshments were offered in the cafeteria.

Reber Center

Check out the progression of construction on the Reber Center (top) and NC cafeteria (bottom) throughout the year. Construction began in June 2014 and ended spring 2015.

Beginning

Lunchroom

The first person to make a purchase in the new cafeteria checks out.

Middle

(Brittany Grosser-Basile, Riley Carroll, Ceili Doyle/LION)

End

Random Chatter “Give a man a fire he’ll be warm for a day, set a man on fire he’ll be warm the rest of his life.”

-Aidan Hunt ‘16

Random Chatter

NEWS

“Whenever I don’t wear underwear I get squirrelly.”

-Luci Lussier ‘16

Friday, April 17, 2015  Page 6

LT Theatre Board put on a production of William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” on March 12, 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. in the SC Performing Arts Center, just missing the Ides of March. The play featured actors from all grade levels with stars ranging from freshmen to seniors.

(Riley Carroll/LION)

Spring is a season full of variety. Just as the weather brings everything from tantalizing sunshine to the threat of tornadoes, we bring you a Breakdown filled with everything from nuclear peace deals to meth-filled plush toys. compiled by Ceili Doyle

April 1- In the spirit of April Fools’ Day, Petco released a limited time offer to buy the first ever animal-mounted dog-ona-stick selfie stick and harness.

Unfortunately, the offer proved too good to be true. There goes any chance of me getting a picture of my dog looking at the camera.

April 5- Rolling Stone retracted its article published last November, featuring a young woman alledgedly gang raped at a fraternity party at UVA. The fraternity Phi Kappa Psi is now filing a lawsuit against the magazine. The author, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, worked with disgraced journalist Stephen Glass, and obviously picked up a few of his old tricks.

April 2- After a year and a half of negotiations the U.S. and its allies reached an agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program that allows international representatives to regularly check on Iranian facilities in exchange for lessened sanctions.

April 6- As the March Madness season drew to a close, only 9.3% of the 11.57 million brackets entered into ESPN’s Tournament Challenge picked Duke to win another NCAA National Championshp. The Blue Devils were beyond excited, but based on Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s telling soft smile, he knew it was bound to happen all along

April 3- Tahlequah, Okla., Police Chief Nate King,intercepted an Easter Bunny stuffed with condoms filled with meth valued at $30,000 apiece. Unfortunately, the bunny never made its way to Carolyn Ross’ Easter basket, who admitted she knew the drugs were coming in the mail and is currently being held in Chereokee Detention Center.

Sources: Tribune News Service, Yahoo News, ABC News

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Friday, April 17, 2015  Page 7

PageSevenGrid

GuestColumn

Really? You’re reading this? The introduction to the grid? The thing I slave over for weeks in hopes of creating something remotely witty and potentially considered to be funny? Wow. Good for you.

You get to chill with Waterman for the day. How do you impress him?

I probably shouldn’t tell people that I have a ________ in my room.

When I die I want to be remembered as the person who ________.

If I could bring back one trend it would be:

Had the sassiest baby pic. [ed. See mug]

Gauchos: Nothin’ like some flowy pants.

Takes down Meghan Trainor.

Frosted tipped hair.

A Pete Rose baseball Show him my Pete Rose card [ed. The odds Adam baseball card in my actually has a Pete Rose closet. baseball card are quite low.]

Owned a Pete Rose baseball card in his closet.

Keeping Pete Rose baseball cards in your closet.

Drop a whip. Maybe a nae-nae.

Another sibling. I’m not actually a twin, I’m a triplet

Knew how to boogie.

Planking.

Impress him with my insight on sports then chill at Chipotle for lunch.

Old Jonas Bros CD

Saw a Cubs World Series

Bell-bottom jeans

Elephant shaped humidDress to the nine to look ifier named Hubert [ed.

You have an elephant in so fine. the room?]

Patricia Stametelos ‘15

Steak dinner and then back to my place for “coffee.”

Bunch of bowls

Richard Capalby ‘15

Adam Cardone ‘16

Lucy Schaefer ‘17

Patrick Catezone ‘18

LetterstoEditor This letter to the editor, titled “Strength and honor,” is world history teacher James Milkert’s response to Michael Rasmussen’s ‘15 guest column titled “No joking matter.” Rasmussen’s column, addressing the wussification of America in relation to this years’ All-School Assembly, received this response about the true spirit of the All-School.

The All-School Assembly is the one time each year that our entire school is together to celebrate our accomplishments and inspire future greatness. There are two ways to inspire unity and pride at an All-School Assembly. We can choose to celebrate our shared sacrifices, diversity, accomplishments and dreams or disparage them in the hopes of entertaining many at the expense of a few. People attending the All-School represent an impressionable, captivated audience seeking inspiration. These are unique, powerful and important moments.

They determine what excellence and honor look and sound like at LT. The strength of a democratic society lies in its ability to represent the majority while protecting the rights of the minority, especially in moments like these.

The courage of those who lead and perform at All-School Assemblies should be admired and praised. It is extremely difficult to lead and/or entertain a small group of friends, let alone an audience of thousands. During moments of excitement and passion for LT, people of good character can get caught up in the moment and say or do things they might not otherwise do. Learning, growing and improving from these moments is what matters most. If, in these moments of intense enthusiasm, even one person celebrating LT is hurt by actions at the assembly, those actions merit an honest reflection.

Is strength best demonstrated by carrying on all traditions because they have always been done a certain way? Perhaps, true strength is best displayed by establishing new traditions by using leadership opportunities to celebrate our shared sacrifices, accomplishments, diversity and dreams when appropriate. True strength can also be shown by speaking up for those who have not or do not have a voice.

True strength is the ability to empathize with those who may have been hurt by something you did, despite your best intentions, even if it has not been an issue in the past. Times change, values change and true strength is being able to adapt and respond accordingly. When mistakes are made, it takes true strength to own them and not just blame the victim. These expressions of strength are meaningful and inspiring.

Our decisions and actions during times like these and our response to them will define what strength and honor look like at LT. This will be our legacy. Let it be one we are proud of.

compiled by Will Most

This letter to the editor is Keefe Mulligan’s ‘15 column on the usefulness of water bottles. The column argues that LT students should recycle plastic water bottles if they use them and more so that students should be supplied a clean water bottle at registration to supply them for the rest of the year.

As Ryan Cunningham ‘15 and I were piling through our school’s recycling during weekly recycling club, one thing couldn’t leave our minds: the sheer amount of plastic water bottles LT uses. Besides the fact that most students don’t understand that they should empty the bottles of all liquid before they toss them in the recycling bin (props to them, though, given that a lot of students still just throw them away in the garbage), the amount of waste these bottles generate is immense. The average American uses 167 disposable water bottles per year. If we apply this to LT’S student population of 4,000, that’s 668,000 water bottles a year. Only about a quarter of plastic water bottles actually get recycled properly so we as a student population waste over half a million plastic bottles a year.

Look, I get the reason many people choose to buy plastic water bottles. They’re convenient, you don’t have to wash them, they seem to be fresher than tap water and some of the water bottle designs are just downright sexy (I’m looking at you Fiji). But the fact of the matter is that they are overpriced and are by no means cleaner than tap water.

Tap water is essentially free when it comes to the amount of water used to drink, as opposed to the average dollar a bottle for a mere 16.9 ounce bottle. Also, tap water is a public asset, therefore it is put under multiple tests daily for harmful bacteria by the Environmental Protection Agency and all of these test results are available to the public. But the Food and Drug Administration monitors bottled water and they only test weekly and do not need to share the results at all.

So what can we do as an LT community? First off, if you use a plastic water bottle RECYCLE IT. Also, Cunningham had the idea of handing every single LT freshman a nice, sustainable water bottle at registration to use throughout their LT careers and eliminate the sale of plastic water bottles in the lunchroom completely. This would encourage LT students to use reusable water bottles instead of throwing more money into a system that ruins our environment.

Minding the Gap Scrolling through the scholarships on Naviance, it seems like there are millions of options. However, a lot of that Anika Ranginani aid is conditional on being a graduating senior and enrolling in college the next year. For many students, this could present a significant financial barrier to partaking in a gap year.

LT should focus more on providing financial aid and counseling support for students who wish to take a gap year. I recognize that there are students from LT who take a gap year, but they are definitely the minority. There are too many roadblocks that prevent students from considering taking a gap year.

We grow up so inundated with the steps that we think will take us to the next place in life. For as long as I can remember, I’ve known that immediately after high school follows college. In “Gilmore Girls” when Rory takes a few months off from school, the entire show centers around sending her back. But just because that’s the way that things have been doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the way they have to be in the future.

Even if we ignore the inherent cost of some gap year programs that allow students to gain global exposure, if we assume they somehow managed to find an external scholarship outside of LT, those students would still be missing out on the multitude of scholarship aid offered by LT to its students who are following more traditional pathways through school.

And that traditional pathway doesn’t necessarily mean a “Vita Plena” for all students. Recent studies have shown that one-third of American college students don’t return for a second year.

That’s the highest rate of any developed nation. Other countries have developed systems that reduce burnout in students.

It’s possible that for some students a gap year could be a much needed break in order to be emotionally ready for college.

I hate that because of that rigidity, we’re just “getting through” our education. School, and especially college, should not be about getting a diploma and getting out. Students should want to go to college to explore their interests and ask questions that maybe don’t have answers and have fun and form relationships. I’m done spending my life just trying to get from Point A to Point B. Taking a gap year shouldn’t feel like a “gap,” but rather another important step in the journey.

And here’s the thing: college is expensive. Really expensive. When I say I’m not 100 percent sure about what I want to major in, most adults shrug it off and fondly tell a memory of how they switched their major three times before graduating college. Which would be fine, except for in a situation where the average American student takes six years to graduate a four-year college.

Even that time frame would probably be all right, except for the fact that college is really expensive. We are so busy following this pathway to success that we don’t stop and consider what education really is — an investment into our future. In the stock market, you don’t make an investment if you don’t know what you want to buy. But because of external pressures, students are pressured into starting school immediately out of high school, investing in an education even though they don’t really know what they want.

I’m not saying everyone needs to take a gap year, just that there are some serious benefits involved, and we should be encouraging kids rather than discouraging them to take a gap year.

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 “Do you think they have colored Goldfish to teach people diversity?”

- Sarah-Kate Weibel ‘16

Random Chatter “I checked out your mom at Mariano’s.”

-Kevin Karpinski ‘15

Friday, April 17, 2015 n Page 8

Is the once-prevalent website Facebook dying?

Will’sWord

LION polled 213 South Campus students and 270 North Campus Students regarding their use of Facebook and other social media.

PawsUp n to the new cafeteria- It just needs a Chipotle and then it’s finally worth $4 million.

North Campus Students

South Campus Students

No 11%

n to announcing your

Do you use Facebook?

college decision through Facebook- It took a lot of time and dedication to make a post get more likes than your regrettable freshman year ‘truth is’.

No 40% Yes 60%

Yes 89%

nto poorly planned, shoddy promposals__________, will you go to prom with me? nto the word ‘jargon’. nto rain- It might not be

Facebook 7%

Facebook 15%

Twitter 13%

nice, but at least it’s not snow.

nto nihilism- None of

these paws matter. This paper is meaningless.

What is news, opinions, Pulse or sports when we will all be absorbed into dark oblivion some day?

nto really dark pawsSometimes you have to change the tone. nto blood brothers- Who doesn’t love dangerous alliteration? nto construction finally finishing up- It feels like that time in “The Benchwarmers” when they built the nerd baseball park in one night.

PawsDown

nto making a bad pun and then acting like it’s nothing- It’s not punny at all.

nto March MadnessMore like March Sadness, amirite? Ok, I’ll go sit in the corner now. nto expectations- You think I can make all of these paws funny? I can’t.

It’s not possible. Help me. nto my utter lack of

motivation- Everything I start I abandon halfway through and it’s really

nto conservatives saying they’ll move to Canada if Hilary Clinton is elected president- sorry to tell you, but they have socialized healthcare there, too. nto finding three bodies in your crawlspace- No one will believe that you’re telling the truth, so you can just play it off as a very public joke and no one will think a thing of it. nto bean dip- Easily the worst of the several chip toppings. nto sock tan lines returning- unequal UV radiation has never looked so good.

nto Buzzfeed- a true humiliation to journalism.

Other 23% Twitter 16%

What is your social media of choice?

Instagram 46%

Other 18%

Instagram 62%

Point

Face it, we need FB Keep it. Eighty percent of people age 12-24 use Facebook as of January 2015, almost 30 percent more than the next highest social media, Instagram.

And although critics say otherwise, the most populated and most commonly used social network isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Garrett Ariana In a school of 4,000 kids, it can be hard to get a hold of someone when you need him or her. Facebook’s messaging is outrageously more useful than sliding into someone’s Instagram or Twitter DMs. Almost everyone active on social media will have more Facebook friends than Instagram or Twitter followers, making it vital if you need to contact someone whose phone number you may not have, whereas an app such as GroupMe requires their number.

Also, Facebook has become more than convenient in helping seniors in their search for the perfect roommate. High schoolers all over the U.S. are able to search college freshman groups and search for a roommate by interests, study habits or whatever the kids desire. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want someone that they can have a solid friendship

with in college, as opposed to an unmotivated, mustard-eating, loud snoring, obnoxiously dirty, slob of a roommate that you can’t get rid of and have to spend a one of “the best years of your life” with.

According to the State of Inbound Marketing, 42 percent of companies claim that Facebook is critical or important to their business. Magazines can’t be sent out on a daily basis, people can’t be going into stores anytime they want and for most places, just word of mouth won’t do it. With the click of a mouse, people are able to see the new shoe that Adidas just put out or the sale going on at local stores.

Another recent opposition to Facebook, especially in middle schools and high schools, is that it stems from concern about depression and cyberbullying, when in reality it isn’t as prevalent as before. More kids are being raised to just simply turn their heads and be the bigger person in the situation as opposed to creating a whole fiasco about it. Nowadays, more than 90 percent of kids who experience cyberbullying ignore it, according to Dosomething.org, which extinguishes the fire that others may try to start. I couldn’t possibly stay updated with everything going on in my life without having Facebook, and that isn’t going to change.

CounterPoint

Put down the ‘book Facebook is not only unnecessary at this point in social media evolution, but very often brings nothing but anxiety and unhappiness to its users. If we assume that Facebook was created in order for friends and relations to update one Clare Mikulski another on their whereabouts and activities, the site has been made obsolete by a multitude of other apps. Why would any self-respecting social media user subject themselves to the drivel that has filled Facebook when they can turn to the cooler Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.?

As shallow as this may sound, Facebook just isn’t cool enough to make it worth using. None of your friends are on Facebook anymore. Sure, they all have Facebooks, but only for the purpose of sharing homework answers on their Third Period Lit&Comp class page, or sharing the occasional (but still infuriating) listicle about Why Your Mom Is Your Best Friend, or 34 Things Everyone In The Suburbs Of Chicago Understands.

Facebook is not only useless, but actually harmful to users’ self-esteem. People who check Facebook often feel less satisfied with their lives. Hav-

en’t we all fallen into the trap of scrolling through page after page of Sally It Girl’s 2013 Homecoming pictures, green with envy over her hair/date/shoes/ ability to find the right lighting and angles in her backyard? (No? Just me?)

Facebook, like all social media apps, allows us to show the world that we are worthy of their likes and comments because our lives are so cool and enviable. However, Facebook fails to show the shadowy parts. Sally’s cutesy cover photo doesn’t reveal the fact that her grades are slipping and she’s been having trouble with her “perfect” boyfriend. If you delete your Facebook, you won’t have to worry about constantly comparing yourself to an unrealistically perfect image of someone you barely know.

Please stop making excuses, and just delete your Facebook. You think you need it for one reason or another, but the fact of the matter is that you don’t. You don’t even like Facebook. You could live the rest of your life without ever seeing that little blue and white F. Facebook has become nothing but a blackhole of over-shared Buzzfeed articles and prom pictures that make you hate yourself. Delete your Facebook, and delete all of the garbage that comes with it.

Hipsters: A cultural conundrum you’ve probably never heard of It’s hard to pinpoint when it occurred, but the idea of the hipster is dead.

Many are quick to blame bands such as Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend that Will Most became too “mainstream,” but it is much more complex and convoluted than a band “selling out.” Being a hipster is a being part of an established counterculture. When that culture and all of its customs, including indie music, flannel and other thrift store clothing, becomes widely accepted by society, it ceases to be counterculture.

When I was in grade school, I was the counterculture of Saint Francis Xavier (SFX). I listened to indie music while all of my peers listened to Top 40.

I raved about “Inception,” “Memento” and Alfred Hitchcock when my peers were more interested in the latest action movies. It wasn’t cool to be counterculture; my interests separated me from my peers and often made me the butt of many jokes.

At SFX, I pondered trying to be less different. LT caused me to have the completely opposite reaction. Being a hipster became a competition: a race to be the most different. If you weren’t buying unique clothing, listening to “underground” music and watching quirky and odd TV shows or movies, you were falling behind in the race, and if you weren’t winning, you were a poser.

Suddenly, it became cool to be a hipster. Long-time “underground” indie bands were becoming household names and songs about thrift stores were suddenly topping the charts. Popular culture snatched indie music and thrift store flannels right out of the counterculture’s hand. Suddenly, hipsters were left without anything to identify themselves with.

So, this begs the question: who is the current counterculture? It’s often the people you’d least expect. They’re far different from their hipster predecessors: they don’t want everyone to know they are different; they simply enjoy being who they are and liking the things they like. Counterculture listens to whatever music it pleases, without subscribing to the ideas that there are such things as “guilty pleasures” or bands that are “too mainstream.” Counterculture wears whatever clothes make it happy, even if that means occasionally wearing practically the same thing they wore the day before. They are trying to counteract the pretentiousness the previous counterculture created.

If hipsters are no longer the counterculture, how are thousands of people going to identify themselves? Do they continue to follow the trends they enjoyed that were once counterculture, or do they abandon all of them in favor of new clothes and new music, just for the sake of being different? The results with many will be more of an in-between, still enjoying some of their music and not yet throwing out their old stuff such as flannels and other thrift store clothing.

Don’t feel too bad for the counterculture, this is just what they wanted to happen. That’s the big secret about hipsters: we love it when you wreck our stuff. It brings hipsters great joy to say that the Black Keys’ last two albums were bad, that the Arctic Monkeys sold out and that Passion Pit hasn’t released anything worth listening to since their debut EP. (In actuality, hipsters would probably criticize even lesser known bands, like CHVRCHES and Milky Chance, but you get the point.) Sometimes we don’t even mean it, but it makes us feel better just to think that we aren’t even a little bit a part of popular culture, but instead on the opposing end of it.

Random Chatter

“I look like a kangaroo and a traffic cone had a baby.”

-Conor Wiegmann ‘15

OPINIONS Friday, April 17, 2015 n Page 9

Random Chatter

“They should invent a toilet that weighs your poop before it flushes.”

- Trace Mortimer ‘16

AnotherView

StaffEditorials

Deep Freeze

As of Jan. 15, 2015, the University of Illito the Sun Times, both housing and general nois (U of I) board of trustees voted to freeze fees will increase at all three U of I campuses undergraduate tuition for the next four years (Springfield, Chicago and Urbana-Champaign). at their present rates for the 2014-2015 school Though increases in fees are relatively small, years. The tuition freeze comes as part of an ranging from roughly one to three percent, effort to increase the number of Illinois resithey assure that the cost of attendance will not dents attending U of I. While nine out of evdecrease, but will likely increase. ery 10 freshman attending the university used In that respect, the flaws in this plan should to be Illinois residents 80 years ago, according become apparent. It seems quite counterproductive to raise the cost of attendance for to the Chicago Sun Times, that number has students who already find it too high when dropped to seven out of every 10 students. a school is trying to market themselves to While this news might sound extraordinary, the implementation of the freeze is long those same students. Flaunting a tuition freeze overdue. Over the past 10 years, tuition at U while simultaneously raising other costs seems of I has increased by more than an outrageous dishonest and resembles a practice one would 71 percent. And at the current tuition rates expect to find at a used car dealership rather for Illinois residents, which, according to US than at a world-renowned university.

News & World Report It’d be naïve to say that Our Position: While the are the sixth-highest in tuition freeze at University of college should be cheap, but the entire United States, Illinois is a step in the right choosing a school often comes it’s no surprise that direction to increase Illinois to a question of affordability.

Illinois residents choose resident enrollment, it fails to No matter what school most to attend college elsemake the already high cost of students choose to attend, in towhere, where the cost tuition more affordable and day’s dreary economic climate, of attendance is signifi- will not make the school more the cost of attending college cantly more attractive. attractive to instate students. will be ludicrous. If a school Take, for example, the wishes to make themselves more University of Alabama where non-resident marketable, however, it’s necessary that they students who have earned at least a 32 on the lower the cost of attending their school. In a ACT and have a cumulative GPA of at least state as strapped for cash as Illinois, unfortunately, that requires sacrifice. Yet all of these 3.5 receive a scholarship that covers the cost sacrifices don’t have to be particularly trying. of tuition for four years of attendance. That’s Take, for example, cutting the salary of the U an unbelievable deal, and while it only applies of I football coach Tim Beckman, who makes to non-Alabama residents, it goes to show that roughly $2.2 million annually, and lead the simply freezing tuition does not make the cost team to a dismal 6-7 record last season. of attending U of I more attractive when compared to other schools across the country.

While athletics and other extracurricular The rather gilded nature of this decision are a valuable part of the overall experience a by the board is even more evident when you university offers its students, students need to look at other costs it affects at the university. first be drawn into enrolling at that school to Deceivingly enough, this tuition freeze does gain that experience, and cutting the cost of not guarantee that the overall cost of attendattendance is likely the most significant form ing U of I will remain constant. According of that persuasion.

Staff Vote: 22-3

Burning down the PARCC waste of class time that could be being used to The infamous behemoth that is the Common Core is now serving up a new recipe for continue on with the intended curriculum. disaster and dissatisfaction in the hearts of IlliThe main positive aspect to the PARCC test nois student test takers. The PARCC test, a sup- is that the tests have been revamped to now posedly “new and improved” exam, will replace feature multi-step problems that are designed the despised ISAT test this year. Although its to better evaluate a student’s problem solving intentions are good, the unsettling truth is that capabilities and thinking process. Although the the test itself is undeveloped and its results not idea is sound, early practice tests and sample verified to be effective. In all, its implementaproblems have revealed confusing questions tion into schools throughout the state is a mere that require specific background knowledge distraction to curriculum goals. that every student is not guaranteed to have, The problems with the PARCC test begin as well as questions that are drastically too with the name itself: Partnership for Assessadvanced for the grade level they are targeting. ment of Readiness for College and Careers. You Requiring background knowledge for certain really expect one test divided into two sections questions is absolutely ridiculous, seeing as (Math and English) to determine how ready though every school prioritizes certain aspects we are for our futures? Work and education of education and has different benefits available to it. And even though requiring students are more than just the two core subjects that to show their step-by-step process in solving a the PARCC test deemed the most important. certain problem can better evaluate a student’s By paring the test down to just two subjects, PARCC hasn’t simpli- Our Position: Despite its suppos- skill set, the truth is that a large fied how students are edly new and improved format amount of these questions are evaluated, but instead and in depth answering process, unsettling to the test taker and has just limited stucan often discourage them or the PARCC test is flawed in the dents’ ability to prove material it covers, will be taxing wear them out, especially when what they really know. to learn, and will require class considering that the average A student who is exage group the PARCC test is time that could be better used tremely talented at sci- for normal curriculum goals. targeting is elementary to midences or arts and is well dle schoolers. prepared for a career in them will be rendered The biggest challenge PARCC will face, unprepared by the PARCC test, simply because however, is an invalidity in results. Currently for most schools in Illinois, the PARCC they didn’t thrive on math or English.

Another downside of the test is its “new and has zero effect on graduation, final grades, or college admissions. As a student, we have no improved” format. The PARCC is designed to incentive to do well. If something has no effect be taken fully through computers, which for on the future of our education or our current large schools such as LT will be a truly daunting task due to the sheer numbers of computers life, why should we be expected to complete it needed. The mathematics portion features virto the best of our ability? How can the results tual rulers and protractors, and the rest of the of such a purposeless exam in the minds of test features a new format that students taking students be looked at by adults and rendered the test will not be familiar with. Honestly, accurate or feasible? when was the last time you used a ruler or proAlthough the creators of the PARCC test tractor on a computer? This confusing and inef- certainly had good intentions, their exam will ficient method will force math classes to spend simply not be taken seriously by student test class time prior to testing days to specifically takers, because for them it’s just another pointless standardized test thrown at them simply re-teach kids about these new “upgrades”. Not because the state said so. only is this process exhaustive, it’s a complete

Staff Vote: 23-2 C ontact :708-579-6403 Staffviavote: 25-1

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Illustration by Bryce Hughes

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Streaking swimmers UCLA, the nation’s top-ranked water polo team, continued its two-month long winning streak with an 11-5 win over ASU.

SPORTS

Friday, April 17, 2015 n Page 10

Legendary laxers Bates College stunned top-ranked Tufts University 12-8 in a Division 3 contest on April 7, behind sophomore Charlie Fay’s five goals.

Boys water polo underway Team looks to improved depth to aid in game situations, flexibility to extend state berth deep into postseason

by Bailey Blum @ultimatebailey

As George Lundgren ‘16 plunged into the South Campus pool for the first practice of the boys varsity water polo season on March 4, he could feel a new vibe in the air and knew this season would be a special one.

“We’re really excited and a lot more positive than last year,” Lundgren said. “This year, we know we have a solid shot of beating Fenwick, one of our biggest rivals, at either Sectionals or State.”

The team credits much of its improvement from previous years to the additions of new players from the JV team last year, which finished the season undefeated. The team plans to use these new additions to deepen their bench and allow for top players to get rest during games.

“This year, we have a lot more depth,” Lundgren said. “We have a lot of juniors who can come off of the bench and really play well and contribute to the team.”

Juniors looking to make an impact off of the bench include Adam Cardone ‘16 and Michael Zahorik ‘16. The team as a whole looks to be led by Lundgren and Sam Szczepaniak ‘16 as attackers on offense, as well as Nathan Henderson ‘15 and Tommy Kaptur ‘15 on the defensive end, Lundgren said.

Coach Doug Eichstaedt, who has been coaching the team since 2002, believes much of the team’s early success is a result of the adaptability of many of the players and their ability to perform effectively in any situation. Their style of play is a result of teamwork, and everyone working together no matter what position they are in.

“All of the players are very versatile,” Eichstaedt said. “I can move them around and they can play multiple positions. It gives our team a lot of flexibility.”

In addition to flexibility and depth of roster, Eichstaedt and Lundgren attribute much of their increased intensity and attitude towards winning to a heavy practice schedule. Depending on the amount of games scheduled during the week, the team will have up to nine practices before and after school. Practices are a mix of conditioning and skill work, Eichstaedt said.

“We’re conditioning a lot more this year than in years prior,” Lundgren said. “We’ve been doing lots of leg work, in addition to morning practices and lifting.”

All of this preparation and cohesiveness as a team is for the goal of winning state, which the boys are gunning for this year especially, Lundgren said.

“We’ll have to attack on offense and force low percentage shots on defense,” Eichstaedt said. “It will take a total team effort.”

As of April 14, the team boasts a 15-3 record, and faces off against Palatine High School on April 17 at 6 p.m. at Palatine and then hosts Neuqua Valley High School at home at the SC pool on April 23 at 6 p.m.

Top: A teammate tries to swim around Nathan Henderson ‘15 as the team warmed up for its championship game against St. Ignatius. (Riley Carroll/LION) Bottom: A member of the boys water polo team practices his attacks as he prepares before the championship game against St. Ignatius. (Riley Carroll/LION)

Lacrosse moves into full swing Boys look to make strong run at state title, veterans lead

Strong team dynamic, new players contribute to cohesion

by Drew Cushing @drcushing32

by Gaby Sabatino @gabysab8

The boys lacrosse team has its sights set on the state title this year after losing several key players from last year.

“Last year’s team was a team that is not easy to come by,” defenseman and team captain Alec Cohen ‘15 said. “We had an All-American middie and another even better middie that we lost. But we have our defense returning, which is a huge plus.”

The team’s returning defense consists of Cohen, Dominic Raphael ‘16, Luke Pigman ‘15, Jack Walton ‘17, Jack O’Malley ‘15 and Jake Walczyk ‘15. The returning defense is strong with upperclassmen and the team’s strategy as whole has placed more emphasis on it.

“Coach Duffy has given them all the strategies for them to win every game for us and to get us the ball when the offense needs it,” Attack Spencer Kinzie ‘16 said.

“Our biggest weakness would have to be inexperience,” Pigman said. “With the loss of most of our offensive middies, we have turned to two sophomores and a freshman to play midfield. They’re all talented players but they haven’t played together before this season so there’s some chemistry that needs to be built up in that department.”

The weather has also played a role in the team’s development earlier this season.

Because of the late snows, the team has had to use the fieldhouse and the south campus driving range as practice facilities due to all the snow on Bennett field. Despite the snow, the team has made sure to condition often and watch plenty of film in preparation for games.

“The motto we decided on was FBRC, which stands for Friendship, Brotherhood, Respect, and Community,” Pigman said. “We say this before and after games and practices to remind ourselves to be respectful because when we play, we play for each other and we want to represent our school and community as well as possible.”

The team is currently 2-2 and plays next on April 18 against St. Rita at St. Rita.

After coming off of a 10-11 record last season and a 15th finish in state, the LT girls lacrosse team is heading into its new season with high hopes and driven mindsets. With the help of several talented underclassmen, as well as returning seniors, the team has the opportunity to finish this season with a more successful state ranking as compared to last year.

However, a high pace and competitive playing strategy will force the girls to challenge themselves throughout the entirety of the season.

“This year, I hope to place in the top 10 at state,” Head Coach Jim Moy said. “We have great leaders who provide a lot of support and the younger players are significant building blocks for our team as a whole.”

The team’s first game was on March 16 against Lincoln Way CO-OP and the girls successfully sealed a victory with a score of 20 to 2. Their team strategy is to run a high-pressure offense and utilize all the players through frequent substitutions, Moy said.

“This year, I feel like we have a great team to get wins under our belt in order to place in the top 10,” team captain Rachel Iffert ‘15 said.

Out of 24 players, the team consists of nine underclassmen, five of whom are in the starting lineup. Therefore, team cohesiveness has been an important aspect that the team has been working on in order to create a positive environment that subsequently translates on to field.

“The veteran upperclassmen and the new players have definitely made it a priority to work in various ways to bond as a team,” team captain Maddie Green ‘16 said. “We have a lot of new talent and I think that gives us an advantage.”

The team’s current record is 4-1 and players hope to continue their successful record throughout the season. The girls face off against Libertyville High School on April 18 at an away game.

Top: Jack Walton ‘17 makes a pass in the varsity game against OPRF on April 11.

(Drew Cushing/LION) Bottom: Isabella Melilli ‘18 moves around a defender in a game against Palatine on April 11. (Gaby Sabatino/LION)

Braggingbaseball Here’s the deal: When I said the winter athletic season was my favorite season, I might have been lying—but only slightly. The Joe Rossetti spring and summer extracurricular athletic season will forever hold a special place in my heart and might just beat out the wrestling season as my favorite.

When April hits full swing, the concession stands open up, the outfield grass is cut for the first time and the sunflower seeds begin to coat the dugout, there’s no doubt that it’s Babe Ruth Baseball season.

Sure, it doesn’t seem that cool to you, but this season and this sport are capable of drawing more hype than your beloved Church League Basketball. Look at them side by side and Church League almost seems like child’s play compared to the intense rivalries associated with Babe Ruth.

And for those of you out there that think the Lyons Township/Hinsdale Central rivalry is bad, you don’t know the definition of rivalry until you’ve seen an All-Star Game between Brookfield Western Conference and La Grange. Sure, I’ll always hate Hinsdale, but an All-Star loss to La Grange in the district finals when I was 12 nearly ruined my childhood, especially when I had to face these kids and accept this defeat in school.

Despite the hype, I think that a lot of people who don’t play fail to realize the intensity associated with Babe Ruth Baseball. It’s not just something to do, something that takes up a couple hours twice a week; it’s a commitment—a way to live your life for the summer. There’s a common misconception that it’s not intense, but the kids take this very seriously. Many athletes hold themselves to a very high standard and always expect the very best. Emotions are often noticeable both on and off the field, as players care about every single game.

Babe Ruth Baseball is an opportunity for a lot of kids, like myself, who were never good enough to make their high school team, or the most elite travel team, to express their love and passion for America’s national pastime. And I can’t think of anyone who plays in my league that would trade the opportunity for anything else.

What’s really amazing about Babe Ruth Baseball is that it’s where anyone can shine. You don’t have to be the varsity MVP and D1 commit to make a name for yourself. This is where a track runner, a football player or even a wrestler can come and enjoy playing a sport that they truly love and are truly passionate about.

And what’s most surprising is that a lot of times, the kids who don’t play high school baseball make the biggest impact and can have the greatest effect on the team. The track star might surprise you and have 30 stolen bases, or the football player might shut out the other team or the benched high school baseball player might make the best catch you’ve ever seen in the outfield in your entire life— you just don’t know what to expect.

Maybe this is just another shameless plug to boast about something that I enjoy, but I really am a huge supporter of Babe Ruth Baseball. My league in particular brings kids together from all backgrounds and from all playing abilities and allows them to develop relationships as well as learn the game, which is something that you don’t see a lot anymore.

It’s not often that you see a group of kids comprised of college athletes, Morton West athletes, Riverside Brookfield athletes, Lyons Township athletes and kids who aren’t athletes at all, working together as a team, trying to win a championship.

If you haven’t registered to play this summer, I suggest that you do before sign-ups close. It’s one decision that you’ll never regret. It’s such a shame that America’s interest has shifted from baseball to football and basketball, because a lot of kids will never get to experience something like this: America’s true pastime.

Beautiful bunt On this day in 1947, Jackie Robinson bunted for his first career major league hit against the Boston Braves.

Shortseason On Tuesday, March 17, the Hampton Pirates defeated the Manhattan Jaspers 74-67 in the first round of the NCAA March Madness tournament. Hampton was the only team Bailey Blum inducted into the sacred “big dance” that had a sub-500 record, and only received a bid due to their surprising underdog win of the MEAC Conference tournament. It marked the first-ever tournament win for the university, a historic feat.

Videos soon surfaced of the players jovially jostling one another on the sidelines, smiling, clearly having a fantastic time. They didn’t care that they were going to have to face Kentucky, the Goliath to their David, the behemoth of all college teams. They had absolutely nothing to lose.

What Hampton had in that game was heart. They were out there playing for love of the game and not caring about the circumstances. It’s the story of every underdog in the tournament, and it’s one of the reasons that college basketball and March Madness continue to be so successful and such a huge favorite among sports fans. With only 32 games in a season and a win-or-go-home mindset in the tournament, every single game and possession matters.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the NBA. The vibe in the league during the regular season is frankly quite disappointing. The game is slower, defense is lacking, they take games off for “rest,” and you honestly just don’t see the heart or character that you see from certain guys during playoff time. This isn’t entirely the players fault, though. It’s unrealistic for players to be expected to play 100 percent every game, especially when they are playing 82 games a season. Part of the reason that the NFL is the most popular American sport is that you see guys out there giving everything they have for one single score, because in a 16-game season, every victory matters significantly.

In the NBA, games don’t truly matter until the playoffs—the very best teams still tally around 20 losses a season—so consequentially come playoff time, the entire atmosphere of the league changes.

Suddenly, the game gets faster, the crowds get louder and the emotions run higher than ever before. It’s because each single game is just as important as the one before. You battle it out for a chance to keep your season alive or end it in turmoil. Wouldn’t it be cool if just a little of that vibe translated into the regular season, too?

In a recent interview with the New York Daily News, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that there were no plans in the future to shorten the season, and that he heard from league fans that even they could not get enough of NBA basketball and didn’t want the season shortened.

That’s the problem, Mr. Silver. Every sport has the fans that watch every single game and follow the league as a whole instead of just one specific team.

It’s not about appealing to those people.

It’s about appealing to the masses, those who just tune in to a few games a year.

There’s no incentive for these people to watch a regular season game because there’s going to be 82 more of them. If the season were shortened to under 60 games, suddenly each game matters that much more, each player goes that much harder and each win or loss could make or break a season. The league needs to create a go-hard-or-go-home atmosphere for the whole season, because if every game has that sense of urgency that fuels the lifeblood of March Madness, then the NBA’s popularity will skyrocket.

By shortening the season, players would be more well-rested and able to put better effort into each game, and the NBA could move that much closer to games being just as big of an event as an NFL Sunday.

SPORTS Friday, April 17, 2015 n Page 11

Slingin’ strikes On this day in 1983, Nolan Ryan recorded his 3,500 strikeout, though he was still far from his all time record, 5,714.

Baseball swings into season New head coach brings new style of leadership, team looks to veterans to set the example

by Izy Scott @3izy3

Despite being a season of many changes, the boys varsity baseball team carries on one tradition that it knows will lead to success: “Play as one.”

“That has always been our team goal,” first baseman and outfielder Chris Cooper ‘15 said. “Full throttle on the field and off.”

With many new but expected challenges of filling starter positions and assimilating new players to the varsity level, 14-year Coach George Ushela will be passing his head coaching duties to Kevin Diete. Not only a LT alum, Diete was coached by Ushela during his time playing for the LT baseball team and knows the ropes of the program through experience.

“Coach Ushela has been a good mentor for me and has been showing me the traditions that he’s carried on from past coaches,” Diete said. “He’s letting me figure out what things I want to continue, while still letting me implement my own strategies and techniques.”

After a transition period early spring where Diete learned the basics of the program with the assistance of Ushela, their season kicked off with an opening 13-0 domination against Oak Lawn on March 21, solidifying the start of a season under new leadership.

“We started off slow, but now we’re getting more confident,” pitcher Tom Hickey ‘15 said.

“The juniors are ready to step up, and Coach Diete brings new aspects to the program.”

Hickey is one of only three returning starters, and is building off of a .98 Earned Run Average from last season, which will be a key factor for the team. With the leadership from Hickey and other key players including Cooper, Jack Oremus ‘15, Charlie Harrigan ‘15, Jeff Wolf ‘15 and Jake McMillan ‘15, new players were swung into the lineup with ease, resulting in a productive season so far.

“We knew last year that players were going to have to step up this year, so we were prepared,” Cooper said. “Everybody knows what they have to do to get the job done and earn their spots.”

The 29-player team has been relying on their strengths of pitching and defense to solidify wins, Diete said. Through a hands-off coaching technique, he is avoiding weaknesses by working on situation hitting.

“I like to teach more than yell, unless it’s war- ranted,” Diete said. “During games, I let the players compete, and when certain things need to be addressed, that’s when I’ll interact with the players either individually or as a team.”

The boy’s next home game will be on April 17 A photo illustration depicts Chris Cooper ‘15 in his stretch, against York. Regardless of the result, the players and waiting to record the out at first base. (Riley Carroll/LION) coaching staff are building to consistently improve the baseball program as a whole, while upholding the traditions implemented even before Diete sported blue and gold.

“I was told that I would be the head coach,” Diete said. “I am just grateful to even be here, especially having been a former student and member of the program. It’s a great honor, and I hope to continue all of the success and tradition that the program has had in the past.”

Girls soccer has high hopes After successful 2014 season, current team hopes to regain success, win conference

“The team atmosphere has changed a lot,” Janicki said. “Practices are a little rough because we are still getting used to each other. Margaret and I try keeping the practices very competitive since everyone is still fighting for a starting spot at this point.”

by Claire Quinlan Head Coach Bill Lanspeary agreed, citing this new team vibe as the @cquinlan97 cause of large motivations from the team as a whole.

“There’s a sense that we need to get to work, but also that we’re As Sheila Murphy ‘16 stepped onto the Bennett field turf March 17 to her center defender spot for her first game of her second varsity having fun,” Lanspeary said. “There are a lot of starting spots and other season, she squinted into the rapidly setting sun on the backs of her roles to fill on this team, but that’s going to take some time and that’s part of the fun as well.” teammates’ white These new players will jerseys and reflected need to step up, as the on the changing team faces harsh rivals at team: the loss of both the Pepsi Showdown cherished old teamTournament in mid-April mates and the gain and the Naperville North of new ones.

Invitational later in April.

“It is definitely Last year’s team struggled a big change with at the Naperville North losing so many tournament but made it seniors last year, to the quarter finals in the because they all Pepsi Showdown. Lanplayed dominant speary feels the pressure roles and were key to move forward from last players,” Murphy year. said. “But losing “The Pepsico and the them has made a Naperville Invite are two of lot of players step the toughest tournaments up this year. The in the state,” Lanspeary new members said. “We play a high level have realized how of competition in those many key players tournaments and in our we have lost and Margaret Lynch ‘15 exhibits some fancy footwork as she dribbles around a defender in the first conference— it all goes into everyone is trying varsity girls soccer home game on March 17 against Waubonsie Valley. (Quinlan/LION) making us a better team and really hard to be hopefully ready for a nice run into the state playoffs.” that person to fill the spots.”

Team goals for the remainder of the season include beating Hinsdale The first game against Waubonsie ended in a 0-0 tie, and the team continued with four wins against St. Ignatius, Lincolnway North, Oak Central May 7, winning conference and even making it to state. Janicki Park and Warren. The team plays in the Pepsi Showdown Tournament wants to continue the momentum from last year with this new team.

“As of now, our short-term goals seem to be just getting the team this week. New team members Mary Devine ‘18, Jenna Fuller ‘17 and Kimmy Vitek ‘15 have been stepping up along with starting cap- chemistry going and playing well together on the field,” Janicki said. “I tains—forward Margaret Lynch ‘15, goalkeeper Lidia Breen ‘15 and hope to make it far in playoffs this year. We were so close last year and I would love to start where we left off.” midfielder Kristen Janicki ‘15.

Rippling rivalries Water Polo’s longest-running rivalry started in 1891. The rivalry between the Oxford and Cambridge University water polo teams continues to this day.

SPORTS SPORTS Friday, April 17, 2015  Page 12

Scores 

Total turf Today there are currently 11,000 synthetic turf fields being used by athletes of all ages for various atheltic events and practices across the United States.

Highlights  Profiles

With Vaughan gym unavailable, LT offers less space to practice, teams are forced to compete for, share limited practice space

by Lidia Breen @lidia_breen

With the return of warmer weather, nicer conditions and spring sports another commonality of the spring has returned to LT—a lack of practice space. As all levels of spring sports teams return to play, the majority of the teams are looking to get time outside—on LT’s one turf field—Bennett Field.

In the fall, only two sports compete for time out on Bennett, boy’s soccer, and football.

In the spring, however, seven teams—boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer, softball, baseball and girls and boys track and field—compete for a condensed amount of available space, resulting in teams being resigned to practice in some unorthodox locations like the gyms, and even the parking lots.

The Vaughan gym being converted into a cafeteria for the majority of the year has restricted the amount of space that volleyball, badminton, and girls soccer have access to, moving teams to SC for practice, and shrinking everyone’s available space. “[Vaughan] is a great space for all of those sports to be able to use, and we haven’t been able to do it because of the cafeteria relocation,” athletic director John Grundke said.

“We’re looking forward to construction being over and being able to move everything back over to NC. Even at SC some coaches have less space than usual, because we sent volleyball over because we have no space at NC for those teams.”

While this year’s amount of available space is smaller than usual, Grundke said that coaches and players are no less understanding, and appreciate any space that they can get, even when that means being relocated to the farthest plot of grass, or out on the drivers education range.

“We’ve been using that drivers education course for years, and people don’t like it,” he said. “But at least it’s giving you an oppor-

tunity to work, and do activities as opposed to just watching a video, or running or just sending everybody home early.”

And sports do find a way to get any bit of practice in, especially at the beginning of the season, baseball player Chris Cooper ‘15 said. If they can’t get space outside, watching film while working on both physical and mental conditioning are a common practice among most teams.

“We just adjust to the adversity and find a way to get some sort of practice in,” he said.

“Either conditioning in the hallways, hitting in the upstairs gym or even talking over some areas we can improve in.”

One proposed solution to the lack of available space in the spring is the creation of a turf field at NC in the space at West Fields. However, after contacting architects and getting price estimates, this solution has been delayed, because there are 100-year-old pipes beneath each field, and the threat that they may burst is too risky, Grundke said.

“It is extremely expensive, but it’s not just the cost,” he said. “There are some pipes that go underneath the fields that are about 100 years old, if we were to put a turf field on there, there is no guarantee that those pipes wouldn’t burst and then we’d have to tear up the new turf field in order to replace those.”

Although there is a distinct lack of space for spring sports to practice in at the beginning of the season, coaches and players are typically very understanding and appreciate the facilities that LT does offer.

“We have great facilities here,” Grundke said. “I think that sometimes people tend to forget that, but we’ve got the sports facilities that some small colleges aren’t privileged enough to have.”

Left: A photo illustration depicts Sam Stuba ‘15, Matt Faucher ‘15 and Margaret Lynch ‘15 from left to right respectively.

(Riley Carroll/LION) Right: A photo illustration depicts Alex Lima ‘15, Sarah Aldrich ‘15 and Tom Hickey ‘15 from left to right respectively.

(Riley Carroll/LION)

by Joe Rossetti @joe_rossetti

After giving up swimming to play volleyball her freshman year, Caroline Walsh ‘15 tried out for the girls water polo team, and four seasons later, she finds herself to be one of the most elite players in the state, and in love with a sport that she used to overlook.

“I always played basketball and volleyball and never really thought that I would play water polo,” Walsh said. “It’s a very random sport that not many people even know about, but I just decided to do it freshman year, just on a whim. Honestly, I’ve built so many great friendships, ones that I would never have been able to make without water polo. I just love the competitiveness. I’ve always been a competitive person. Water polo gives me the ability to be competitive at the high school level.”

Not only has Walsh’s appreciation for the sport grown, but her skill level has followed a similar trend. Walsh was moved up to varsity with teammate Julia Cohen ‘15 for the sectional tournament her freshman year, and has been there ever since. This year, Walsh has lead the team to its 14-4 record, with 61 goals, 35 assists, over 40 steals and drawn 35 ejections.

“She has come so far since when I first saw her,” Head Coach Lauren Burel said. “She’s gone from being a really good player, to becoming one of the best players in the state. It’s been fun to watch her.”

Walsh is also a captain of the team and does her best to make the team feel comfortable with each other both in and out of the pool. A lot of Walsh’s leadership is done by example.

“She’s always talking and always leading the team through each play and each practice or set we’ll swim,” Cohen said. “Everyone looks up to her as being a great person, a great leader and a great water polo player. She’s definitely a role model,

especially for the younger girls on the team. I can tell they just look up to her. She always knows exactly what she’s doing, and that’s something you can really look up to a player for, because that’s not a common thing.”

Walsh was recently named the Week 3 Super Baller by ILLpolo.com. This is a special recognition given to one male player and one female player each week of the water polo season. Walsh was awarded Super Baller for her performance in the LT Tournament, where she scored 12 goals, one of which was an overtime game-winner against Evanston, as she lead her team to a tournament victory.

“She’s one of the most versatile players [I’ve coached],” Burel said.

“She can equally play defense and offense at the same ability and the same high intensity and that high level and it’s fun to see her do that.

She gets great position in the water and she’s got a great shot.”

Already enrolled at Michigan, Walsh is unsure of whether she will continue to play at the collegiate level. Walsh is looking to make the most of what could be her last water polo season, especially after a broken hand caused her to miss the second half of last season.

“Since I didn’t get to play too much last year with my injury, I’m hoping to make up for that this year and take advantage of the time I have,” Walsh said. “I’m looking to be placed on the first All-State team. That’s what my goal is.”

Walsh’s presence in the water is noticable, and has a great effect on her team.

“She always knows what to do next, and she’s always five steps ahead of her defender,” Cohen said. “She can block practically any shot, and I believe she is one of the best players in the state as of now.”

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Pizza paws

Garrett Ariana ‘16 ordered a pizza for LION in the middle of the school day, which was fantastic.

score

Friday, April 17, 2015 n Page 14

Staff score

Clare Mikulski ‘15 scored a 42 on this quiz, but she’ll have a 44 after she goes to prom and graduates.

compiled by Grace Gumbiner, Dante Stefanini and Michael Grace (@grace_gumby, @DanteStefanini, @_michaelgrace)

High school is all about making memories and living out experiences both good and bad. As an LTHS Lion you are entitled to certain rights of passage throughout your four years. Here’s a checklist to make sure you’re Vita-Plena-ing to the best of your abilities, no matter your grade level.

sit front row at the Blackout game be in the variety show yell “Huck Finsdale” at a sporting event sing the fight song in the middle of the library make the honor roll be featured in the LION continue to partake in the LTHS chant at AllSchool Assembly, even when they say stop get a picture of yourself in the yearbook (other than your composite) go to a theatre production (not for extra credit) be in a theatre production pull an allnighter to finish a paper or project

use the newest, trendy app before the school finds out about it meet your best friend get an A on a final exam go on more than three field trips ride the bus home shower in the locker room take a picture on the North Campus lion statues participate in Jersey Thursday learn all the security guards’ names chase geese through the South Campus courtyard nugget someone’s backpack pump iron in the weight room go out to breakfast on a late arrival day

ask someone to a dance

ride the elevator (injured or not)

go to a state sporting event for lt

go to the nurse’s office to take a nap

shake hands with Dr. Waterman

be forever scarred by the birth video in health

get yelled at by Mr. Godinho see a fight in the hallway hangout in the Jwing before school

appear on WLTL attend a home game for every sport

go to the fourth floor of North Campus

sweat profusely at your freshman year homecoming dance

fail a test

glitter bomb a classroom

ace a test

dress head to toe in blue and gold

storm the court after upsetting a team

be in the AllSchool Assembly

beat Hinsdale in some sort of event

run through the tunnel

go to the bathroom in every bathroom at both campuses (for your own gender)

climb the rock climbing wall

write a letter to the editor for the LION newspaper

order a pizza while you’re in school

bring in pie for Pi Day

pass your CPR test in health

be a part of the LT Weirdos

visit your former teachers

go to prom

participate in senior ditch day

graduate

get a tardy

What’s Your Score?

eat a cafeteria cookie spend over $20 in one day in the lunchroom go in the basement at South Campus fall asleep during relaxation day in P.E. play church league basketball correct a teacher if they make a mistake

63

Word wisdom

A polygot is defined as a person that knows and is able to use several different languages

PROFILES Friday, April 17, 2015 n Page 15

Select speakers

Out of the 6,500 languages spoken throughout the world, 2,000 are spoken by less than 1,000 people.

Polygot roams the halls

Cristian Gonzalez ‘16 learns 12 languages, practices through schoolwork

by Claire Quinlan @cquinlan97

A

He also logs onto polyglot websites to talk with native speakers of his new language or the language he is focusing on that week.

Once he feels comfortable with a language he will put it into his weekly rotation, where he starts in Asia with languages like Russian, Hindi and Arabic then travels west across Europe. All of this language learning has a huge impact on his schoolwork in general. In Gonzalez’s math class with Joe Barker, he constantly writes his notes and homework in the language he is focusing on that week.

“I don’t think the time Cristian uses to study foreign languages during math class negatively impacts his math grade, because he works to keep ahead,” Barker said. “I do think his drive in studying languages and cultures is model for others. He is not doing all this for a grade or to be flashy or draw attention to himself, but to communicate across cultures. What amazes me is how much energy he puts into learning these languages and how comfortable he seems with each one.”

Yet even with all this practice, Gonzalez has days and even weeks where language retention seems impossible. He cites the hardest language he ever tried to learn was Euskera, a dialect spoken in Northern Spain.

“Euskera is is so difficult to learn because there aren’t any links between it and other languages in the region or even the world,” Gonzalez said. “Sometimes I look at a page and I have no idea what I am reading.”

Some of his practice at LT has brought on some unkind comments.

“There are a lot of prejudices here around Asian languages,” Gonzalez said. “I was in study hall and I was writing a book report on Tom Sawyer which I read and wrote in Arabic. While I was writing the report, some kid leaned over and asked if it was secret plans for ISIS. That is what I hope to eliminate with learning all these languages, these rigid mindsets.”

Hoping to go to Harvard, Gonzalez has big plans for his future, using his lingusitic knowledge to connect people across the world.

“Cristian certainly has a bright future ahead of him,” Mirjat said. “His drive will take him anywhere he wishes to go, whether it be to the college of his choice or even the career of his choice. I expect nothing but the best for him.”

s Cristian Gonzalez ‘16 walks into school Monday morning, he isn’t thinking of that English FRQ or running the pacer in P.E. He is running through Arabic grammar in his head as he climbs the stairs because this week is Arabic week, one of 12 languages he puts on a constant cycle when he does his homework, listens to the radio, watches TV and talks to people in one specific language all week.

Gonzalez considers himself fluent in Spanish, English, Italian, Arabic and Portugese but he is also very close in the remaining seven: Russian, Dutch, Farsi, Pashto, Hindi, Korean and Mandarin Chinese. He does feel that the concept of fluency is a very fluid term.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about fluency in general,” Gonzalez said. “It’s not that you know every word in the entire language instantly. I define fluency as being able to go to a country and being able to interact with the people there and not feel totally alone, but comfortable. Fluency is more than the grammar and vocab and pronunciation. It is so much of the culture as well.”

Ever since he started Model United Nations at LT (MUN) as a result of his interest in foreign affairs and international relations as a sophomore, languages have been the focus of Gonzalez, a native Spanish speaker.

“As I came to understand foreign affairs, I realized that the reason the world is so messed up is because of our miscommunications,” Gonzalez said. “We are not in tune with each other’s cultures. What better way to remedy that than to learn the languages of people’s hearts in order to really connect with them?”

The culture and background of the languages he studies has always played a big role in Gonzalez’s learning process. Fellow member of MUN Bak Mirjat ‘15, who speaks four languages fluently (English, Sindhi, Urdu and Arabic), has helped him out with Arabic pronunciation and learning the culture as well.

“Cristian just has a pure drive to acquire knowledge,” Mirjat said. “I believe that the potential to learn is within all of us, and Cristian doesn’t limit himself when it comes to learning languages, which helps him tackle the hardest ones.”

When learning these languages, Gonzalez starts by getting a book of the language and making sure he knows all the basics: the alphabet and initial vocabulary as well as the basic sounds.

(Tim Parzyck)

www.lionnewspaper.com

Don’t forget to visit our website for additional stories

Awesome Aesop

Extra excerpts

Rapper Aesop Rock has the largest vocabulary in today’s hop scene, using 7,392 unique words in his combined first 35,000 lyrics.

Check out our website, lionnewspaper.com, for extended excerpts of each piece of writing we featured on these pages.

scribbles Friday, April 17, 2015  Pages 16 and 17

Brain busy

Clubbers clip

When writing pen on paper, you are stimulating a collection of cells in your brain known as the reticular activating system or RAS.

Check out our website for a video of WRITE CLUB-ers Mardi Sramek ‘15 and Brianna Wilson ‘15 battle it out in ways only they can.

When you think of our school of 4,000, there are a lot of talents weaved into all of us: athleticism, artistry, intellect, creativity, charisma, wit. One that is not always recognized is the ability to convey deep thought in original words. While LION newspaper, Tabulae yearbook and Menagerie literary magazine offer worthwhile modes of communication for the writing-minded, our school doesn’t stop there. For this issue of the LION, we decided to devote this special coverage to our fellow writers and speakers, the ones who do the dirty work and don’t usually get the spotlight, the ones who click away on computers and scribble in notebooks to get their beliefs heard. Enjoy the following articles and brief excerpts from some of the best.

by Abby King @abigailann_01

“

LT students Adrian Ramirez ‘17 and Santino Salinas ‘17 have created a rap group called UNITE, Universal Nomads Influenced Through Evolution, comprised of six peers who began to rap together at the beginning of the school year. The group is not affiliated with LT, however, they are open to the idea of creating a rap club in the future, Ramirez said.

“I just want other people to get involved with rapping too,” Ramirez said. “I feel confident showing my raps to people. Usually it’s a good reaction and people like it, but I just want a reaction. If it isn’t good then I know what to fix.”

Ramirez and Salinas both draw off of everyday life to find lyrics for their songs using current world events and their family life for guidance. Their songs are generally two to four minutes long.

“When I first started rapping, I would just take any random beat that I found and use the first part of that

song and work off of it,” Salinas said. “I used to go on dictionary.com a lot and look up words there, but then as I got better I just got used to it and started free styling.”

Rapping is the best way they express themselves.

Their goal is to impact other people with their lyrics, the two boys said.

“Being able to come up with rhymes that make sense and fit all together and having the craft and ability to do it is amazing,” Salinas said. “With rap you get to say what you want and express yourself how you want. To say what others can relate to.

Your mind is your limit.”

No UNITE member has recorded a mix tape as of now, but they are hoping to have the opportunity to drop some beats soon. Ramirez has three mix tapes completely written out, and he is looking forward to recording soon.

Violence makes violence, you know that, I know it, then why doesn’t anybody show it?

--Excerpt from “CRTL” by Adrian Ramirez ‘17

”

by Mike Flaherty @mikeflaherty96 Tens by Teens is a series of plays written, directed as: acting in the plays, writing the scripts or even and performed by LT students themselves. This pro- directing the plays themselves. duction isn’t merely a way for students to highlight Dan Devine ‘15 has taken on all three of these their playwriting skills, it is also a way for students tasks in the upcoming April 29 weekend production.

“Being able to observe the dynamic between the to express themselves through the art of theater. writer and the actor collaborate to reach a specific “Writing the plays for Tens is probably my topic and seeing how your actors and directors interstrongest form of self-expression, because it’s as if pret your work tickles my heart,” Devine said.

I can take a little section of my brain, show it to All students are allowed to submit their work, people and say, ‘this is me’,” Playwright and Director but the majority of the plays are written in the playAnnika Murrell ‘15 said.

Murrell has been involved in Tens by Teens since writing class offered at LT. “It’s really touching when so many people come her sophomore year and continues to play a vital to witness this performance you’ve been working on role in the success of this production. for two plus months, and they really show so much There are many different roles that LT students respect by responding to all the plays,” said Murrell. can participate in to be a part of Tens by Teens such

“

Shawn: Man, if we’re not real Meta: We’re characters. Not necessarily fake, just not real.

--Excerpt from “Walls” by Annika Murrell ‘15

“

And with each giggle, I was becoming one step closer to unveiling the truth behind the mystery of the snickers and snorts.

”

--Excerpt from “QUESTION” by Mardi Sramek ‘15

by Grace Gumbiner @grace_gumby English teacher Nik Gallichio began implementing the on our stage, you get to plant your feet and make your case, in activity called Write Club into the junior and senior English full-throated and unambiguous fashion—something too few curriculum in 2011 and its popularity has caught on. Write of us get to do in our daily lives,” Belknap said. “If you’re in Club explores timed creative argumentation of one topic against the crowd, you get do lots of hollering (always liberating), but another, such as foolish vs. wise or old vs. new. you’re also deputized as an expert in what makes compelling “My mind was blown by Write Club’s whip-crack ferocity,” writing and performance—you and your audience-mates make Gallichio said. “I couldn’t wait for my own students to shock the call together in real time, picking victors and vanquished. each other with the ideas they came up with.”

Plus: money to charity.”

Typically three out of the five large assignments in all junior Gallichio herself has participated at a Write Club perforyear Composition classes involve Write Club, the performances mance where the topic was hungry vs. full, and she was arguextending for at least three days during class. ing for hungry. She decided to write a story about surviving “I love it because it’s creative variation of debate,” Write on truth like it was food, and whether there was enough to Club participant Mardi Sramek ‘15 said. “I had always consid- sustain yourself. The story idea came to her when she was saw ered being on the debate team, but it was too competitive and a famous photograph of a little boy near a vulture in Sudan logical for me.” during a famine, and how the photographer killed himself a The creator of Write Club, “Overlord” Ian Belknap, started year later because of how many people were questioning his write club in order to have a show with original writing that decision to only photograph the child, not help him, Gallichio did not require long rehearsals due to family commitments. He said. believes it has brought many benefits to his daily life.

Come out to see LT face the Geneva Vikings Wednesday, “Whether as a writer/performer, or as an audience member, April 22 at 7 p.m. at Corner House Coffee in Lombard.

“

”

Being o p e n and frolicking in your gum drop forest with rainbow skies is bull, and it’s going to slam closed in your face one day.

--Excerpt from “CLOSED” by Brianna Wilson ‘15

”

PROM

Random chatter “Gillian Dunlop ‘15, will you go to prom with me?”

-Adam Plotke ‘14

Washington wonders

In 1975, Presdient Gerald Ford had his daughter’s senior prom at the White House.

Friday, April 17, 2015 n Page 18

Your Guide to the Perfect Promposal: It’s about to be that time of year again, when typically a young gentleman will bestow a lucky lady with a promposal, inviting her for a whimsical night of bumps and grinds. Make sure you don’t find yourself alone on the dance floor by using these tips.

by Gillian Dunlop @gilliandunlop15

your ou need nd Y . g in eryth feet, a on is ev off her 1. Locati te to be swept t her locker. l da mag pen a potentia t going to hap ce to pop that o la n !” p s esque tee you a “ye that is a pictur n Picking on will guara sti ical que

2. Don ers! You ’t forget the flow d the dunc on’t want to be e empty-h who asks the gir a l a colorfu nded. Nowadays, l poster ju enough. st isn’t M that extr ake sure you go a step an d invest in some p your lad retty flowers for y no carna (and please, boy s, tions, th is isn’t 1952).

4. Pictures are w By now you’ve go orth 1000 words. t tion, you have go the prime locargeous flowers an a hysterical poste d r. effort, don’t be th After all of that e the frickin’ cam idiot that forgets era. lady need to docu You and your m ful asking on the ent your successol the only true way ’Instagram. It’s to say “I’m committed to you fo ra time on a specifi certain amount of c night.”

Illustrations by Colette Kocek ‘15

it. no to w can say a multitude e n o o 3. N seen d probably s. Instea You’ve r” prom saying t of all u e of “clev e tiresome “o ou go to th y of using the sea, will , think of in k h ic s fi m e e gim th ith me” mor is th prom w g original. Hu in someth y girl’s heart. n key to a

n fore garde 5. Bros be u o y re e su tools. Mak buddies to r u o y e z li ect uti ith the perf w u o l ’l help y y e er all, th asking. Aft nfortunately, ,u be there if But of course . o n s y sa er she happen aft ’t n that wo ar ll e st se e th following tips.

Ads and checks are due in the LION mailbox on campus no later than May 1st at 4 p.m.

Crush

Fast foundation The Make-a-Wish foundation grants approximately one wish to a child every 38 minutes.

Rewarding revenue In 2014, the St. Baldrick’s foundation raised just under $39,000,000 for cancer research.

Unite to Fight Friday, April 17, 2015 n Page 19

While some LT students have unfortunately faced medical hardships, these organizations have worked to provide them with a reason to smile despite their difficult situations.

In December of 2007, Hannah Mathieson ‘15 used her wish to meet Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana at the time) backstage at her concert in Detroit, Mich. The Make-aWish foundation also gave Mathieson tickets to see the Nutcracker and a few months later sent her tickets to go see the Cheetah Girls.

“It may sound really lame, but when I was 10 it was awesome,” Mathieson said. “The whole thing made me feel really special that all those people cared about me and put so much effort into making it a great experience.”

Community gathers to fundraise for cancer LT student raises $2,649 in honor of friends who have battled cancer, shaves head

Compiled by Mary Hadley @maryhadley22

by Anika Ranginani @a_rangs

Walking into the St. Baldrick’s event at Palmer Place on March 16, I was blinded by green. Men in green shirts sitting at green-tablecloth covered tables, excited children in green running around and looking at the table of baked goods and the main spectacle— those on the stage, in green, waiting to get their heads shaved.

Annika Murrell ‘15 signed up to be a “shavee” after being exposed to the impact of childhood cancer. After meeting leukemia survivor Grace Melon at summer camp, the loss of Jack Kunkle ‘14 in September and the re-diagnosis of her friend Katie Palermo ‘17, she wanted to take action.

“I couldn’t just sit there and deal with it anymore,” Murrell said. “I needed to do something. I needed to make myself feel better somehow.”

After she walked off the stage, a hoard of friends rushed to congratulate Murrell and take pictures.

“The look of triumph on each participant’s face as they walked off the stage with their newly shaven head, knowing that they had done something beautiful, was absolutely priceless,” Mardi Sramek ‘15 said.

Murrell raised a total of $2,649, surpassing her initial goal of $2,000. All of the participants together raised over $34,600, according to the Chicago Tribune, which will go towards childhood cancer research.

“The event was filled with energy and laughter and happy tears,” Julia Cooley ‘15 said. “Everyone there seemed to band together over the shared experience and passion for the cause, even if they didn’t know each other. There was a feeling of unity.”

This past winter break, Katie Palermo ‘17 went on an all expenses paid trip to Bora Bora, Tahiti, French Polynesia all thanks to Make-a-Wish. For a week and a half Palermo stayed in a hotel with an ocean view and for the last few days of the trip they stayed in little huts that were over the water. She got to experience a Land Rover tour through the mountains and a jet ski tour around the island.

“Make-a-wish honestly planned an amazing trip that I won’t forget,” Palermo said.

After going through a liver transplant, Michael De Vries ‘16, was contacted by Make-a-Wish. He decided to use his wish to go to the 2011 Players Championship in Ponte Vedra, Fla. The De Vries family got to stay in a private condominium right across from the 13th floor for the week of the tournament. When he was there he got the chance to meet a lot of the players including Rory Sabbatini and Graeme McDowell, have access to the clubhouse, and viewed the tournament from private boxed seats in the stand behind the 17th hole.

Girls badminton creates fundraiser to crush cancer

by Mary Hadley @maryhadley22

For the past couple of years the badminton program has been joining many of the spring sports in the Pink Out to raise money for the Susan G. Komen organization. However, this year they have decided to split away from the Pink Out event and instead create a new one: Orange Crush.

“We encourage our guests to actually participate in the sport (as opposed to just watching) by getting on the floor with a racket in their hand and playing against girls on the team, or just having a friendly rally with other guests,” Coach Bryan Hamilton said. “Also, a member of our program has leukemia, so we thought it would be more appropriate to align ourselves with that cause. The color theme for leukemia is orange.”

Katie Palermo ‘17 was diagnosed with Leukemia for the first time shortly after becoming involved with the badminton program through a summer camp before seventh grade. Then she was diagnosed again this year after being on the team last year. The team decided to support Palermo by donating the money to the Leu-

kemia and Lymphoma Society. The cancer ribbon color for leukemia is orange, hence the Orange Crush change.

“I’d been told that I would always be part of the badminton team, even when I am not able to play,” Palermo said. “But I had no idea that they would go so far as in changing the Pink Out to the Orange Crush and having it be in support of my second fight.”

To get into the event people were suggested to donate $10 at the door. The team also sold shirts before spring break for $15 that paid for the shirt and also an entry into the event.

“It is extremely unfortunate that Palermo is in this position, but the girls throughout the program have rallied to her cause because it is a personal connection for them,” Hamilton said.

Palermo planned to attend the event and possibly take on a few players in a match, she said. The check that the team will donate will be from Palermo and all of the players that participated in the event, Head

Pictured above is the design used for the Orange Crush T-shirts. (www.lths.net)

Coach Susan McClenahan said.

The Orange Crush event happened last night.

Coverage for the total fundraising and an update on the event will be on our website.

Eurythmics: Dynamism Performance dates are Thurday, Friday and Saturday, May 7, 8 and 9 at 7 p.m in the Reber Centert. Tickets are $10. The doors open 30 minutes before the performance.

Friday, April 17, 2015  Page 20

GET OUT Weekend Entertainment  Events Calendar

Weekend Weather Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Cloudy High: 70 Low: 47

Cloudy High: 63 Low: 45

Cloudy High: 67 Low: 48

Solstice shines, but does not eclipse Reviews Album: AWOLNATION Solstice serves decent dishes, but fails to be consistent

by Riley Carroll @riley_carroll_

by Lidia Breen @lidia_breen

AWOLNATION has consistently had the ability to give me goosebumps. Their newest album, “Run,” features a handful of standout Riley Carroll tracks that do just that such as “Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf),” “Woman Woman” and “Drinking Lightning.” But it also has a handful of flops such as “Windows,” “Like People, Like Plastic” and its title track “Run.” What really makes the album is the variety featured in some of its stronger tracks. The song “Drinking Lightning” is a ballad, whereas “Hollow Man (Bad Wolf)” is fast-paced and upbeat. This same variety can be seen throughout the album, creating a mix of songs.

The band took risks in creating music unlike that of its previously successful album, “Megalithic Symphony,” and it seems to have paid off. By straying from their typical style of mixing screaming lyrics over an electronic backtrack and opting for a more genuine interplay between the lyrics and sound, the band is able to display its talent for songwriting.

While the album does contain some gems, it is a struggle to listen to some of its tracks which feature superficial lyrics and an unmemorable sound. Most clearly apparent in its title track, “Run,” there is a clear disconnect between the harsh sound and the meaninglessness of the lyrics that occurs in several songs.

Bottom line: AWOLNATION’s album, “Run,” will find great success in some of its tracks, but struggles to succeed as a whole.

Needless to say, I was excited when I found out that a new brunch place was going to be opening in Western Springs.

I am a self-described brunch aficionado, and I was so, so excited to not be forced to drive into the city when I wanted some good chicken and waffles. Unfortunately, though, after my experience at Solstice, 800 Hillgrove Ave., it looks like I’ll be need to continue driving downtown to get my brunch on.

When you first walk in to Solstice, it seems great. They’re a seasonal, farm-totable restaurant—already a plus—that just screams hip. It’s a very small space, but with its chalkboard menus and breakfast bar, it has a homey ambiance and charm that makes you want to sit down for hours on end. Combined with friendly, helpful staff members, the appearance of Solstice makes you want to enjoy the actual food.

Unfortunately, the food isn’t anything special, and often it just was bad.

I was most excited to try the chicken and waffles ($11): a staple of any good brunch place. But, somehow Solstice managed to make a waffle taste like a rock, with almost the same texture. Seriously, I was stunned at how they could mess up a waffle. The chicken part of the chicken/ waffle duo was acceptable, but combined with a dry, crunchy waffle, it was overshadowed and brought down.

April 18 - Baconfest, UIC Forum, 7 p.m.

April 19 - Chicago Taco Takedown, Chicago, 3 p.m.

April 24 - Chicago White Sox v. Kansas City Royals, US Celluar Field, 7:10 p.m.

April 27 - Kiesza, Metro, Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

May 2 - Long Grove Chocolate Fest, 10 a.m.

May 11 - Chicago Cubs v. New York Mets, Wrigley Field, 7:05 p.m.

May 13 - The Who, Allstate Arena, 7:30 p.m.

May 16 - Mayfest, Chicago, 12 p.m.

GetConnected lionnewspaper.com

@LTLionNewspaper facebook.com/ LionNewspaper @ltlionnewspaper Subscribe to LION Newspaper

Dresscode Column Check out Mary Hadley’s ‘16 opinion on dresscode for tall girls.

North Campus

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/out of five Paw Prints

The outside entrance to Solstice, which is right along the train tracks. (Riley Carroll/ LION)

We sampled the Chilaquiles ($12), and after a couple of bites, I had to stop eating.

The awkward combination of crunchy chips and soft scrambled eggs made the dish taste funny from the start. Then, the “chile crema” began to weigh down the flavors, and combined with the contrasting textures to make the whole dish a bowl of spicy mush.

Dejected by the way that my expectations were crushed, I decided to send a Hail Mary pass and order one last thing: the sunrise burger ($12). I played it safe and asked for it without an egg, so just know that it wasn’t the entire burger that I tried.

But, this burger was the one bright point

that Solstice provided, and may just give me a reason to return.

With a fluffy brioche bun, melty cheese and perfectly cooked, juicy meat topped with sautéed onions and crispy bacon, this burger was worth an otherwise experience. Served with great french fries, it was perfectly cooked and tasty, and without a doubt one of the best burgers around—certainly the best in Western Springs.

Bottom Line: Don’t get too excited about going to brunch at Solstice, it may not be worth your time. But, for relatively low-priced food, there are some bright spots at the new brunch locale, and the burger is worth a lunch stop, for sure.

Arcade delivers with variety Old fashioned arcade provides fun, different experience in suburbs

Inside the arcade, there are many different gaming console options. (Riley Carroll/ LION)

by Micheal Rasmussen @MikeRas55

Movie: Get Hard

by Garrett Ariana @garrettariana3

/out of five Paw Prints

Nothing works faster and more consistently to You’ve probably driven by it dozens of times—that relieve stress and bring inconspicuous brick building at 9415 Ogden Avenue in your body into balance Brookfield, across the street from Tony’s Breakfast Café than laughter (according and next to Canton Chinese Restaurant. That buildto webmd.com). If you’re Garrett Ariana ing, the “Galloping Ghost” arcade, houses more than looking to take advantage Planet of the Robot Monsters.” The sheer number of 400 games, making it one of the largest arcades in the of that, this Will Ferrell, options is almost overwhelming—in the most beautiful world.

Kevin Hart movie, “Get Hard,” will way possible.

For $15, customers may enjoy a free-play gaming no doubt do the trick. Based around a Even though more than a hundred world records experience until the arcade closes at 2 a.m. To head multi-millionaire sentenced to prison for have been broken at the arcade (including many by its into the bustling establishment and sweat from the fraud, Ferrell is looking to become tough heat of a couple hundred tightly-packed cabinets is like owner “Doc” Mack), the atmosphere is incredibly welthrough training from one of his employtaking Marty McFly’s DeLorean back into the late ‘80s. coming to both casual and hardcore gamers alike. Those ees and Hart proves he’ll go to any means There are no gimmicks—none of that Dave and Buster’s who enjoy the competitive aspect of the arcade are to de-soften him in “Get Hard.” welcome to monthly competitions, such as the hyped foolishness with tickets and money-grabbing modern There wasn’t a span of five minutes “Mortal Kombat X” release event and competition that games like “Wheel of Fortune” or “Fruit Ninja FX2.” in the movie that I didn’t find myself was held on April 14.

This is retro-gaming at its finest. nearly falling out of my chair from the If you’re just looking to chill, sample the plethora You’ll find legendary stalwarts like “Pac-Man,” hilarity of the sometimes-overdone inapof games and absorb the nostalgia, you also can’t go “Galaga,” “Defender,” “Asteroids,” “Centipede” and propriateness. The nonsense that Ferrell “Donkey Kong” playing smoothly in their original cab- wrong. And although the space can be cramped and and Hart bring to the table comes across inets, as if the last thirty years never happened. There’s uncomfortable due to the volume of hot cabinets and as preposterous, however, it is the type a dedicated pinball section, with “Creature from the customers, immersing yourself into the lively atmoof humor that a lot of high schoolers find sphere and ridiculous selection of games is so smooth, Black Lagoon,” “Twilight Zone” and “Space Invaders” rib-tickling. As with most movies staryou’ll barely notice the initial discomfort. highlighting a stellar lineup of about 10 machines. ring Ferrell or Hart, the writers and diBottom Line: Those with strong desires to reach Plus, there are tens of games that the casual gamer has rectors went above and beyond to make probably never heard of, ranging from the rare “Dragon button-tapping, ghoul-slaying nirvana, look no further their characters as absurd and fitting to than the “Galloping Ghost.”

Spirit” to “Ninja Baseball Batman” to “Escape from the inner-city and one-percent stereotypes.

Unless you go to this movie expecting to not be offended by the senseless stereotypes and not to be somewhat uninterested in the idle plot, you’ll get what you pay for: an hour and a half of Snowball Speech Student Council Debt chuckling. If you go just looking to have BEDS Plus Learn about Phil a good time and share some laughs, this Find out about Read about Janowiak’s ‘15 movie doesn’t miss the mark. how the drop students inspiring story Bottom Line: Unless you really have in attendence supporting the that he shared an urge to see this offensive yet riotous at dances is proposed BEDS with his peers at affecting student film on the big screen, it might be better Plus program.

Snowball. council’s budget. to wait for it to get to Netflix.

100 S. Brainard Ave. LaGrange, Ill. 60525

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South Campus

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4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558