Issue 1 Sept. 20, 2019

Friday, September 20, 2019

Volume 110 Issue 1

New violent incident procedure introduced to students, faculty As result of increasing gun violence in high schools across the United States, LT adopts new strategy to deal with threats

can take time to implement a change like this. The official decision to switch over to the ALICE training method was made last fall.

“When Parkland happened, it sort of prompted schools to think about it

by Olivia Janik in a different way,” Waterman said.

Last winter, LT sent Brown, along with SC associate principal @livjanik Shanna Lewis and the student resource officers to be trained On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Zach Patrick ‘20 felt a rush of adrenaline

by ALICE at a conference with other schools. The four of them when North Campus associate principal Kevin Brown’s voice rang spent the next six months devising a plan to train the faculty over the announcement system during second period. Even though from what they were taught, he said. The faculty training, he knew it was a drill, Patrick told himself, “It’s go time” and which took place shortly after the 2018-2019 school year ended, rushed into action, barricading the door to his Spanish classfocused on sharing statistics and scenarios with the teachers to room. best prepare them for a violent incident.

“It sucks and it’s a terrible situation we’re in, but even “We took them through some common misconthough it is we need to develop a better procedure, we can’t ceptions, versus what is the reality,” Brown said. just sit in the corner and pray something doesn’t happen,” Pat“And from that we went through scenarios.” rick said.

Following the three scenarios that were run This past summer, LT joined more than 5,000 school disin early June, the faculty regrouped to reflect tricts across the United States that use ALICE training in and give feedback. The faculty reported that case of a violent incident. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockthey felt better prepared to protect the kids down, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. It was started 20 after the ALICE training, Brown said. years ago by law enforcement officer Greg Crane, “The staff had some real concerns as a result of the Columbine High School shooting. before the training,” Brown said. “But “[ALICE is] an options based approach that they left feeling like this was a much allows students and staff to be more prepared more positive direction for our student when responding to a violent critical inci[body].” dent,” LTHS principal Dr. Brian WaterOne example of a misconception man said. that the training attempted to clear School officials first started looking up was the possibility of a second into changing LT’s violent incident attacker in a violent critical inciprocedures two years ago after the dent, Brown said. Historical data shooting in Parkland, Fla., Watershows that 98% of incidents are man said. But, at a large school, perpetrated by a single person. with a two-campus system, it In this photo illustration, LION recreates a barricade similar to those practiced in the ALICE drill (Voytovich/LION). continued on pg. 4

Nine ACE members resign from club Sponsor shares insight about resignations; ACE members were contacted, declined comment

by Diane Makovic @dmakovic8

High School vs.

Open up to pg. 16 to read a review of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (see pg. 13-15 for more)

The Athletes Committed to Excellence (ACE) group at LT is smaller than in years past, sponsor Bradley Anderson said. Only 10 members remain including two seniors and eight juniors after nine members resigned.

“As much as it was sad for me, I thought that was an incredibly mature response because sometimes leaders have to sacrifice for the greater good,” Anderson said. “Students who resigned will forgo a year of leadership training, a year of leadership experiences and something pretty great on their résumé because they wanted to see the club continue for future students, and so that we could move forward as a group.

And to me that’s what authentic leadership looks like: sometimes you have to make tough decisions for the greater good.”

At the end of the 2018-2019 school year, Anderson received four separate reports without names or evidence that members of ACE were going to parties or drinking, he said. At their annual summer leadership camp, Anderson told the group that if the reports were true, some members would need to resign due to violating the club’s mission statement.

While nine members resigned, LION does by no means insinuate that the members that resigned were engaging in drinking alcohol or attending parties where alcohol was present.

“I told all of them about [the reports], and I said ‘If this is true, some of you need to resign or I will have to end my involvement as the sponsor of ACE,’” Anderson said. “Our mission statement says we aspire to

Members of ACE participate in last year’s All School Assembly (Breen/LION).

unite and lead the student body toward lives of excellence through positive, healthy choices. We’re out here trying to tell people ‘hey there’s a healthier, more positive choice for how you can live your life,’ and if we’re not doing that in our own lives, then it’s not going to have the impact on the school that it should.”

In the past, the ACE club at LT has provided leadership training for a select group of athletic leaders, who spread a message of healthy living continued on pg. 4

Look here for a preview of our first issue Notice anything different? Open up to pg. 2 and 3 to read all about the changes made at school.

Drop your best two line freestyle...or just read some in the grid on pg. 7.

Take a look at pg. 5 and 6 to see what your classmates accomplished this past summer.

North Campus



Swipe right to pg. 8 to see a debate on the effectiveness of social media activism.

Oregon just passed a law allowing students to take mental health days. Read our staff’s opinion about it on pg. 9.

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



LT’s legendary swim coach has returned. Read about Coach Walker on pg. 10.

Our sports editor has some strong feelings about Da Bears.

Read his take on pg. 11.

It’s comeback season for LT football: find out more on pg. 12

4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558

NEWS

Page 2

Friday, September 20, 2019

AP Government New INcubator course added now available to for upperclassmen students underclassmen “Shark Tank”-like course offers fresh LT extends advanced placement course to underclassmen in order to balance student schedules in following years

by Lillie George @georlill

Ever since Civics became a required course for high school students in Illinois, the LT board of education has been looking to make this requirement work for each individual student. Before this, the board was discussing ways for students to take AP classes earlier on, so the idea of offering AP U.S. Government to sophomores seemed like a great way of providing both of these opportunities.

“We had a huge cliff - very few sophomores were taking AP classes while juniors were taking a bunch of APs,” Principal Brian Waterman said. “The original thought was that if we introduced [these classes] at an earlier age, we’d give students some additional opportunities that would reduce [stress levels junior year].”

The class, originally only offered to juniors and seniors, has been opened up to sophomores and will count towards their civics credit, global studies division chair Paul Houston said. There are 126 sophomores enrolled in AP U.S. Government this year, making up five different sections.

LT students have expressed their interest in the course.

In fact, many juniors say they would have taken AP Government during their sophomore year if they had the option to do so. “[AP Government] will definitely be beneficial to students like me who want to go more in depth into this topic,” Alex Henningfield ‘22 said. “Personally, I chose this class because I heard from my brother that Civics isn’t worth the time. [Also], I like the challenge and the [idea of getting] AP credit.”

On the contrary, a significantly smaller number of students are taking the alternative global studies AP class offered to sophomores, AP European History. In fact, there are only 16 sophomores total enrolled in the course this year.

“Taking this specific, in-depth examination of how the government works [in AP Government] might even lead students to know they have an interest in [something government related] as a major or career,” Houston said. “Then they could also take courses during their junior and senior years that prepare them for that.”

LT teacher Jessica Lee will be teaching the first sophomore sections of half-year-long class beginning second semester.

“Students will now be exposed to different aspects of political participation starting from a young age,” Lee said.

“They will now have the skills to study and observe our political system before they are able to vote in 2022.”

The school board and staff are optimistic about this new option and look forward to seeing how things go this year.

“We’re happy that our students have the opportunity to access AP Government at the sophomore level,” Waterman said. “It will be interesting to see the reactions of students after they have completed the course.”

learning experience for business class

by Kaitlyn Joyner @kaitlyn.joyner

After taking Intro to Business and Economics at South Campus, and Accounting at North Campus, Elizabeth Allan ‘20 was looking for another business course at LT to gain more experience before heading to college. She was overjoyed to find out LT has implemented Incubator Ed for the 2019-2020 school year. The course can be understood most as the shark tank unit from Intro to Business magnified into a year long course. It emphasizes teamwork and problem-solving, while bringing in mentors to help students apply their learning to real life scenarios, Allan said.

“We learn all about starting a business, really in depth,” Allan said.

Students push their boundaries by identifying a problem, creating a product to target the problem and marketing a product, Incubator Ed teacher Krista Wilcox said. They simulate different examples of business environments to educate students on how to handle the climate of a real market, and how it will react to a certain product. The course focuses on the business aspect as well as the skills needed to be successful in any career students decide to pursue, Wilcox said.

This course, available to juniors and seniors, offers a unique learning experience with an abundant amount of knowledge and experience guaranteed to help students thrive in any career they intend to pursue, Wilcox said.

In addition to the content students learn, the learning environment makes this course stand out. Students work collaboratively at tables instead of traditional rows of desks.

The classroom is set up to be more similar to a business environment rather than a classroom (Joyner/LION).

Advanced computers and new programs have been added to transform the classroom space, Global Studies division chair Paul Houston said.

“We like to think it looks like a Google or other tech company work space,” Houston said.

Students in the class work with mentors and coaches who have created established careers within business, mentor liaison Kathy Dierkes said. Mentors are volunteers from around the community who have an interest in aiding LT students learn more about entrepreneurship. The mentor role is longer than the two to three day coaching position. Meetings with mentors fluctuate from a weekly phone call to meeting in person, Dierkes said.

“This program has far reaching implications for every student in a fun and challenging format,” Dierkes said.

LT updates computer software

by Alfonso Fernandez @alf0nso_506

Over the summer, LT’s Technology Services Team refurbished the school computers to an updated version of the Windows software. They also provided students and staff with sleek new monitors, in parts of the school.

“While I would say that I am not thrilled in making big changes, it’s just one of those things that, in everyone’s benefit some short term pains are going to lead to longer term gains such as better features, functionalities, and securities,” said Technology Services Director Ed Tennant. “So while everybody is always a little uncomfortable with change, the reasons for doing it outweigh the reservation in doing it.”

The software update, as with any major update, has brought on differences in its functionality and has created minor headaches early on in the school year. The log-out button is in a different location, and for G-suite, students can access it through the LT homepage.

“Microsoft announced an official end to their support and updates of Windows 7 for 2020,” Tennant said.

Microsoft wouldn’t be able to provide updates or patches

to the previous server. Without any patches or updates, the students and staff are at risk because of some hole or bug that nefarious people can take advantage of, Tennant said.

“It’s just like any new thing. The log out used to be in one area, but now it’s in another. It’s just like getting a new car: it’s something you’ve got to get used to,” paraeducator Mary Craggs said.

On the first day of school, first time log-ins for any user took an extensive amount of time, which caused some minor complaints between students and staff.

“For any user, first day log-ins took a little longer than we had even estimated. So as students have been going through their log-ins that has been helping the situation,” Tennant said. “The more of you that have gone through the process the better it’ll be.”

While there have been many negative reviews, there are some that see the upside to the updates.

“Anytime you can update your school or software for the students, it’s an advantage,” PC Repair teacher Matt VanDiepen said. “There’s going to be your ups and downs with it for the students and staff, but with any update you’re going to have problems you have to fix. It’s all new.”

Transition Academy paints diversity mural at SC Program paints mural to help incoming minority students feel welcome at LT

by Sophia Schultz @sophialouschultz

The first diversity mural of the three that will be displayed in room B101 at South Campus was painted over the summer by students enrolled in Transition Academy.

Transition Academy is a summer program at LT that is geared towards the Latino population. Its mission is to make the students enrolled in the program feel empowered and comfortable at LT. “These kids are coming into LT as incoming freshman, so what better way to empower them than to have them create something themselves that is going to be up permanently?” Hispanic Liaison Jorge Sanchez said.

LT is one of the few schools that has the positions of Hispanic and African American Liaison which cater to the growing demographics at LT. When students walk into the liaison’s office, they will automatically be drawn to the artwork on the wall, Sanchez said.

“It is our obligation to make every single student at LTHS feel like this is their school, and we feel that this provides students with that extra connection that shows them we care about them and want them to succeed,” Principal Brian Waterman said.

In partnership with art teacher Samantha Zavala, Sanchez was able to bring his idea of a diversity mural to life.

Transition Academy participants work on the painting in B101 (photo courtesy of Jorge Sanchez).

Over a sixth month time period, Zavala and Sanchez created 20 different designs. They also included students by photographing them and asking for their feedback, Zavala said.

During Transition Academy, which took place from July 29 - Aug. 2, each of the 55 students involved spent at least 45 minutes on the mural a day, about 10 students at a time.

Through the use of a projector, the students were able to trace all of the design elements onto the wall, Zavala said.

“The mural allowed students to hone in on their problem solving skills as they followed the design to identify where

to paint the different colors and values into the shapes they had traced,” Zavala said.

During the painting process, Zavala really encouraged the students to take risks and step out of their comfort zones, Sanchez said. She instilled in their minds that it was okay to make mistakes because all of the mistakes could be fixed.

“Personally I believe that people learn more from their mistakes than out of consistently succeeding, failure is instructive.” Sanchez said. “So then, having students be comfortable with making mistakes I think was something that Ms. Zavala really instilled in the process.”

The final product of the mural consists of five faces of current and former LT students, surrounded by symbols of culture and unity. In the lower right hand side of the masterpiece, a quote from Maya Angelou reads: “In diversity, there is a beauty and there is strength.”

Incorporating specific details and symbols that were important to students, Sanchez said, gives representation to all students and specifically celebrates differences verses any negative mentality.

The two other murals that will be painted in the next two summers will also be in B101. The idea is for students to own that space, Sanchez said.

“Think about the powerful nature of coming in to a new school, being scared and being shown this idea,” Sanchez said.

“This idea of what you are going to create, then going through the process of taking this ownership and painting it, seeing it come to life, day after day..., not only that, but having a voice in adding elements to the product. I mean, that’s powerful.”

NEWS

Friday, September 20, 2019

Page 3

Relay for Life club revitalized

“This year we’re going to have more events and fundraisers, as well as inform students about how to get involved with our club,” Carlisle said.

by Kate Ferrell Last year, the club had a total of 14 members, @mk_ferrell but this year they are hoping to exceed that This past summer, Natalie Carlisle ’21 took the number. Carlisle is now a student co-leader of initiative to reboot the dwindling Relay for Life after the club alongside Morgan Kearney ’21, Sam attending an event for the club. Relay for Life is an Linares ’21, and Kathleen Duffy ’20. They are event run by the American Cancer Society that aims striving to become a more organized program to honor cancer victims, survivors, and caretakers, as than before by prioritizing reaching out to stuwell as raise funds for cancer research. She rememdents. bered her middle school math teacher always menLinares had little understanding of what Retioning how great the program was at LT, she said. lay for Life was until Carlisle approached her “We saw how small the event had gotten and we and is now a student co-leader, she said. [thought] this should get way more attention than it “We all know someone who was affected by does,” Carlisle said. cancer and we owe it to them to give everything In 2019, former assistant principal Kris Costopouwe can,” Linares said. los retired from Lyons Township and stepped down To ensure that the club stays active, the stufrom her role as sponsor for the Relay for Life club. dent leaders are hoping to make themselves Members participate in a team challenge at the Relay for Life event in the SC Costopoulos had been a part of the club since it started stand out against the numerous clubs at Lyons in 2005. When she left she hoped that the club would fieldhouse (courtesy of Morgan Kearney).

Township high school, Linares said. grow, as she saw a strong showing of sophomore students, Costopoulous said.

Student involvement matters. Not only does student involvement make or break their “I hoped their enthusiasm and energy [would continue] and would attract others,” club, but it can have such a positive impact on the lives of cancer survivors and their Costopoulos said. families, Carlisle said.

LT special education teacher Brian Wolf has agreed to take over the role of club sponThe club is planning on meeting in late September and early October. Relay for Life is sor, as it was time for the club to grow with new ideas, Costopolous said. also planning on selling T-shirts during Pink Week in early October.

Former fundraiser club re-vamped, welcomes new sponsor, leadership

Phone pockets becoming popular with teachers Teachers’ frustrations with distractions in classroom prompt phone pocket idea

by Brianna Fonseca @briannafonescaaa Nicole Lombardi, an English teacher at LT, was becoming concerned with students distracted by their phones in class, rather than learning the material. This frustration inspired her to reach out to other English teachers and approach a higher authority for clarity on the phone policies within classrooms, Lombardi said.

Teachers have realized that the policies in the LT student handbook clearly state that the presence of phones within classrooms is solely up to their discretion. Since LT administration clarified this, teachers have become increasingly more comfortable with the idea of students keeping their phones in phone pockets during the class period, Lombardi said.

“The phone pocket idea was very organic,” principal Brian Waterman said. “Teachers started using them in their classrooms as a result of them trying to preserve that cellphone free environment. I think we’ll continue to see this effort in a variety of the classrooms where there is a high value placed on student and teacher discussion, and critical thinking and analysis.”

Zaria Giannotti Frye ‘21 was one of the many worried students who hoped the phone pockets wouldn’t become a common tool throughout classrooms.

“I would hate if this became more mandated, it’s that feeling of teachers thinking you have no restraint or responsibility,” Giannotti Frye said. “It kind of felt like I was in kindergarten again. When my English teacher started to explain the phone pocket system to us, I was like, do we really need this for 17-year-olds?”

There are still some teachers who don’t believe the phone pockets are necessary, or that they can potentially cause an issue with safety. English teacher Katy Melcher voiced her concern after a conversation that arose between her and her teen daughter.

“The Blue Point system could be activated and a student would get a text that included important information, but their phone would be in a pouch on the wall,” Melcher said.

“In a hurry to evacuate the classroom, would students all run for their phones or for the exit first? I really took this to heart.”

Melcher has yet to implement the phone pockets in her own room, but is understanding of their purpose within the classroom.

“I am not saying that I do not have students who inadvertently check their phones during class or pull it out at

Student puts her phone in a phone pocket placed on the door of an English classroom before class (Fonseca/LION).

the end of the period, but I try to be consistent in my message and expectations,” Melcher said. “I have told my students I will put up a pouch if it becomes a problem, so perhaps that has served as a deterrent.”

LT administration has not implemented this policy school wide, but for now teachers have the right to utilize one.

Food line changes introduced in SC cafeterias New system for getting lunch put in place at SC cafeterias

provements,” Lewis said. “We’ll always try to listen and get things figured out.”

The main difference is the increased

by Max Dike availability of food in the cafeteria, which @mxdk430 include Slice of Life Pizza, The Grill and Old School Favorites being featured every With the beginning of the new school day, Sodexo area General Manager Patrick year, students arrived at South Campus to Thompson said. see that both the layouts and procedures in Freshmen and sophomores are also their cafeterias had been given a facelift. allowed to eat together, in either lunchSouth Campus lunchrooms will now room, Thompson said. LT’s administration offer more choices when it comes to the was supportive of the idea. food options available to students, SC asso“LT wants Sodexo ciate principal Shanna to use their experience Lewis said. The changto improve the Stues became a priority afdent Cafeteria experiter students advocated ence,” Thompson said. that increased options . “We also wanted to were something they change the two dining wanted, Lewis said.

- AP Shanna Lewis rooms from the fresh“We want to hear men dining room and what kids have to say,” the sophomore dining Lewis said. “Students room to two dining rooms for both freshreally wanted more changes, with regards men and sophomores.” to food.”

Students who receive free or reduced The school administration first heard lunches also saw changes made to their about the desire for change when they services. Their previously limited options conducted the Peaceful Schools Initiative have been greatly expanded, Lewis said. survey towards the end of the 2018-2019 “There are more food choices and difschool year, Lewis said. Over the summer, ferent types of meal options, same as all Lewis and other members of LT staff sat other students,” she said. down with Sodexo, the school’s food serThe changes have been received posivice provider, and worked out changes. tively, especially by sophomore students.

“Students will come and ask for im-

“

“

We want to hear what the kids have to say

Reorganization of the SC lunch room has resulted in shorter lines for certain items such as chips (photo courtesy of Xavier Sorice).

The new system is more inclusive and has something for everyone, Hayden Constas ‘22 said.

“With the change of certain foods day to day, people don’t get bored of the options,” Constas said. “But by keeping some of the foods every day, like pizza, even picky eaters get a chance to get something they like.”

There are different areas for smaller items, like chips and smoothies, Constas said. This has greatly reduced the time spent waiting for food.

“I do believe [the new system] is better,” Constas said. “With the new separate snack cart, I can go and just get a little something if I want more to my lunch and I don’t have to wait [through] the entire big line.”

While the changes have been received positively so far, Lewis vowed to continue to listen to students and working with them to fulfill their needs.

“This is your school,” Lewis said. “If [something] doesn’t work, then we’re not going to keep doing it.”

NEws

Page 4

Friday, September 21, 2018

Continued from page 1

New ALICE procedure Nine ACE members resign continued from pg. 1

Classrooms may look like this during a violent critical incident drill (Voytovich/LION). continued from pg. 1 Through the ALICE training, Brown everyone spent learning and completing hoped to clear up these misconceptions the drill. about VCIs and better educate everyone.

“School safety is not one person’s job, Once the faculty was trained in the ALor two people’s job, it’s the job of 4,000 ICE method, they were prepared to help students and 500 staff,” Waterman said. the students during the school wide drill.

Not every student at LT is completely During the drill, students and staff memon board with the implementation of ALbers practiced lockdown procedures that ICE and how it is being taught. included barricading entryways, turning “People are talking about this as if it’s off the lights and spreading out around the going to happen,” Charlotte Wolf ‘20 said. classroom.

“Making it seem like a school shooting is Friday, Aug. 30, during P.E. classes stugoing to happen this year is not what we dents walked to the meet-up spot that they want and just not safe in general.” would evacuate to in case of an emergenOne concern that has been expressed cy. North Campus students will evacuate by parents is that the school shouldn’t to Park Jr. High School and South Campus need an active shooter training, Waterstudents will go to Saint John of the Cross man said.

Catholic Church.

“It’s an unfortunate reality of our sociStudents and staff did a good job preparety that students today grow up with vioing for the drill, Waterman said. The adlent critical incident drills, active shooter ministration is very appreciative of the time drills and so on,” Waterman said.

and good choices to their peers and future LT students, Director of Student Activities Peter Geddeis said.

“We haven’t done it much in the last couple years, but [ACE] goes to eighth grade health classes and talks [to them],” Anderson said. “Last year, we talked to all the freshmen fall teams about it, and we train the junior high student council people for Red Ribbon Week just like we do Red Ribbon Week here.”

LT faculty Anderson, Athletic Director John Grundke, Geddeis, and cross country coach Alex Lyons met twice over the summer to discuss possibilities about the future of ACE, Anderson said. At a meeting where Anderson invited all the ACE members back in July, 12 out of 19 showed up to talk about how to move forward with the club.

There are still many options and no final decision has been made, Geddeis said.

“Every year we ask the same question of why is this happening,” Anderson said.

“And so we have some ideas about how to move forward, and one of them being that ACE will take a year to kind of figure out where it wants to go and what it wants to do. Obviously it’s still going to be leadership development, but my hope is that we will focus more on the health choices because I think that’s become such an issue in our school and not just the don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t vape thing. It’s going to be more than that.”

Anderson hopes to take a more holistic wellness approach and focus on mental, emotional, and physical health. ACE also might become application-based, instead of each coach nominating two sophomore athletes to be considered.

“We’ve talked about the possibility of

making it application [based] with the idea that if students know what it’s about, and they’re asked to apply, then you wouldn’t apply unless this is what you’re about because no one’s going to join a club where they don’t want to live out what they’re saying,” Anderson said.

The other possibility will be to create an additional leadership development council that focuses on leadership outside of wellness to involve more students. This council would consist of one athlete selected from each sport that automatically makes it in.

There are still possibilities being discussed by the administrators. The remaining students in ACE will help develop the ACE side of the program, and then the faculty and administrators will develop the new leadership development council, Anderson said.

“ACE club might get smaller but we still want to have better leaders in all our athletic teams,” Anderson said. “I want to give more opportunities to more athletic leaders.”

Anderson believes the remaining ACE members will step up and be more focused on the mission statement.

“In order for students to have integrity in front of other students, they have to live out the mission statement,” Anderson said.

“If they’re living it out, then actions speak louder than words. I think that those who resigned gave current and future ACE leaders an opportunity to live out the mission statement themselves. I think what they did is going to go a long way to restore the integrity [of ACE].”

Multiple members of ACE were contacted to be interviewed, but they all declined to comment.

Popular DJ returns for LT homecoming dance Changes to homecoming were made to make dance, other festivities successful

by Nina Shearill @marie_nina

As Sept. 28 draws near, many students are deciding whether or not to attend this year’s homecoming dance.

Many factors, including the DJ, the theme, and last year’s HoCo experience will help students make their choice.

With several changes being implemented this year, Student Council hopes to make this one even more memorable than the last.

“Over the years we have revolutionized our way of doing Homecoming,” NC Student Council Vice President James King ‘21 said. “[Changes over time] have allowed us to invest more in DJs and the overall experience.”

After trying out DJ “Flipside” for the 2018-19 homecoming, Student Council voted to bring back the former DJ due to his popularity and familiarity with the students.

“We thought [DJ Flipside] would be a fresh face, but it didn’t really work out,” Student Council President Macy Siegfried ‘19 said.

After using DJ “Big Daddy” for several years at homecoming, students had gotten used to his style of mixing music.

“Flipside used more radio edits and changed the songs often,” Siegfried said. “Big Daddy understood that LT students wanted to hear most of the song [before it was changed].”

Along with providing the music, Monster Entertainment helps plan items such as stage placement and set-up, lighting and the balloon drop, Siegfried said.

In addition to the comments about the choice of DJ, input was received about the movement of the stage from the middle of the field house bleacher wall to the far right side of the field house.

“We received student feedback [from last year’s dance] saying the placement of the stage [on the right side] created traffic by the entrance,” Siegfried said. “We plan on going back to the bleacher wall to decrease traffic.”

As far as other decor changes, there will be the addition of CO2 cannons. “[CO2 cannons] help the lights look more visible and help create a better visual effect,” King said.

At the start of last year’s homecoming, the haze from the fog machines in the fieldhouse caused the particle detectors inside of a fire alarm to go off. The students at the dance had to evacuate. This year with the addition of CO2 cannons that also create haze, it will be even more crucial to prevent

haze from build up.

“We have used [CO2 cannons] before, but it has been a few years,” Student Activities Director Peter Geddeis said.

“We plan on going easier on the haze earlier on in the dance so it doesn’t build up and making sure the correct particle detectors are deactivated.”

Outside of the field house festivities, gyms one and two used to house student bands that played throughout the night, King said. This year they will be eliminating the performances and replacing them with a large version of Just Dance.

The night itself is not the only thing changing, Siegfried said. Due to the cancelation of the variety show that would have taken place the Sunday before homecoming, Student Council has arranged for an outdoor movie night on Bennett Field on Sept. 22. The student body had a chance to vote between “Mean Girls”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, and “Spider-Man: Homecoming” in a poll that was available on their desktops through Sept. 13. The poll was tallied and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was chosen.

Spirit Week Here are the themes for this year’s Homecoming week (9/20-9/27) Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Movies

Denim

Memes

Jerseys

ADVERTISE WITH LION

Interested in advertising in our publication?

Contact Business Manager Nina Shearill at she506494@d204.lths.net for details.

Also, visit www.lionnewspaper.com for advertising information.

Click on the “business” tab for advertising rates and dates of publication

Friday

Blue & Gold

compiled by Tessa Voytovich

IMpact

Friday, September 20, 2019

Page 5

Many LT students are as busy over the summer as they are during the school year. These next two pages highlight some of those students’ amazing accomplishments.

Seniors own landscaping company Local lawn-care business created by LT graduate continues to succeed under new management by three current LT students

“Although we aren’t as established as other companies, people value the personal connection we have with our clients,” Melilli said. “Even though the owners [of the company] haven’t been the same throughout its history, American Lawn Pros still takes care of the

by Tessa Voytovich original lawns it started with.” @tessavoytovich Another thing that sets American Lawn Pros aside from other services is their Jimmy DiLoreto ‘20 pulls up to a unique uniforms. house in Western Springs and cuts the “We have very strong beliefs and tradiengine on his black Toyota Tacoma. tion and we like doing it the right way. We The Lynyrd Skynyrd playing through believe our white coveralls embody that,” the radio stops and Salvatore Melilli DiLoreto said. “People will also ask us why ‘20 climbs out of the passenger seat. we’re wearing the uniforms, and we’ve acGriffin Gresge ‘20 follows behind, tually gained some clients that way.” pulling the two lawn mowers out of Owning a company has come with rethe bed of the truck. All three boys are sponsibilities and has been a learning vendecked out in crisp white jumpsuits. ture, the two agreed.

“I had been mowing lawns on my “Experience in owning a lawn service own since around sixth grade,” Melilli has taught us how to network, use technolsaid. “Last spring was when I was ofogy to keep track of logistics—like making fered to buy the company and the three spreadsheets—and accounting, of course,” of us went in on it together.”

Melilli said.

DiLoreto, Melilli, and Gresge are the Apart from gaining business experience, owners of a landscaping service called lawn-mowing provides a nice summer pastAmerican Lawn Pros. What makes the time, Melilli said. company unique is that it has been “Mowing lawns can actually be quite passed down through a number of Lyrelaxing and is basically meditation for us,” ons Township alumni.

DiLoreto said.

Nick Florek ‘12 started American The landscaping season starts in April Lawn Pros in 2006. It was then handand can last until December. ed over to his younger brothers Jack “It was forty degrees out, and I had to and Max Florek ‘14. Tyler Byrne ‘18 postpone family events on Christmas Eve to bought it for $1.00 and owned it until work,” Gresge said.

2019, DiLoreto said.

In addition to lawn mowing, the com“I got started with ALP in 2016 be- Salvatore Melilli ‘20 and Jimmy DiLoreto ‘20 relax on a break from lawn mowing and raking grass at pany offers services such as leaf raking, cause my cousin worked for Nick,” one of their work sites. Griffin Gresge ‘20, the third company owner, is not pictured (Voytovich/LION). shoveling and occasional weed removal.

DiLoreto said. “It has grown so much since then.”

“It’s really cool when something you’ve created and worked for makes a profit,” DiloreJust in the past summer, the company has raked up around $7,000 in profit. They have 30 to said. “It’s super rewarding.” regular clients, eight employees, and a fleet of nine lawn mowers, they said.

LT student becomes certified nursing assistant

Julia Zylstra ‘20 takes eight-week class to kick-start her future healthcare career over summer before senior year

do,” Zylstra said. “We constantly helped people and I feel that has prepared us for both nursing school and working as a CNA.” During the class, she was introduced to the healthcare

by Nicole Klein field, Fugazzotto said. They learned about insurance, nor@nicole.klein24 mal versus abnormal aging and hands-on care. Since there Ever since Julia Zylstra ‘20 saw the way the nurses inare many different types of dementia, they also had 12 teracted with her grandparents in the hospital, she wanted hours of dementia training. to be a nurse. To get a head start, she became a certified “Many of the people I assisted during clinical had mild nursing assistant through College of DuPage this summer. to severe Alzheimer’s and could not remember past mem“It’s a way I saw I could give back to the community, but ories,” Zylstra said. Their photos, paintings, valuables and also get a kickstart on my future career, which hopefully is room decor helped my class get a glimpse into the people [becoming] a nurse,” Zylstra said. “It gave me a lot of good we were helping.” experience and made me more confident in myself.”

After completing the course, Zylstra received a certifiFor eight weeks, Zylstra spent two days in class per cate that never expires, Fugazzotto said. She can use it for week, and once a week for six jobs or to fulfill a prerequisite for a differweeks, she participated in an ent medical program. eight hour clinical to get hands-on “She was very eager and open to learn practice, Zylstra said. and participate,” Fugazzotto said. “She “It’s a big commitment, but had a lot of energy and a positive attitude it’s a great entry level position for about everything.” someone who wants to investigate CNAs are not able to give medicine, but whether they are interested in any can assist the nurses and interact with the -Julia Zylstra ‘20 of the allied health professions,” patients, Zylstra said. instructor Rosemary Fugazzotto “Going into it, we were helping comsaid. “It also gives great experience of how to deal with plete strangers and that was uncomfortable at the beginpatients with all different diagnoses.” ning, but the attitude from the residents inspired me and The clinical was held at the nursing home Tabor Hills showed me that no matter your circumstance, the way you in Naperville, Zylstra said. She helped residents with daily go about handling it is what will allow you to get through tasks such as eating, dressing and doing their exercises. each day,” Zylstra said.

“It was really tiring and exhausting, but it also reiteratTo complete the course, students have to be 16 years ed my passion and told me that nursing is what I want to old, Fugazzotto said. Zylstra took it as an eight-week

“

“

It’s a way I saw that I could give back to the community

Julia Zylstra ‘20, pictured second to left, with classmates in the CNA program at COD (photo courtesy of Julia Zylstra).

course, but it can also be taken as a 16-week course, depending on the school.

“I would definitely recommend it [over the summer],” Zylstra said. “It was a lot of work, so juggling school and that class would probably not be advised.”

Page 6

IMpact

Friday, September 20, 2019

Student summits Mt. Kilimanjaro Grace Morkin ‘20 reaches top of mountain in seven days

by Anna McCormick @annakmccormick

For seven days, Grace Morkin ‘20 woke up above the clouds. Through the youth travel organization Rustic Pathways, Morkin had the opportunity to hike not only a mountain, but Africa’s tallest mountain and one of the world’s largest freestanding volcanoes, Mount Kilimanjaro.

“One of the most memorable things were the clouds rising,” Morkin said. “We had to get an early start on the day and go as fast as we could without pushing ourselves too much because the clouds would catch up to us.”

Morkin and the group began their trip on June 24 at an elevation of 3,000 feet in the town of Moshi, Tanzania, with only a pack of water, snacks, and additional layers, Morkin said. Local Africans called porters carried the group’s overnight packs, tents, and food.

“I think [Grace] helped the group get comfortable immersing ourselves in the Tanzanian culture by always being comfortable putting herself out with the locals,” Adam Boesky, another high school hiker from New York, said.

Although they had assistance from the porters and three guides, no one could control the dangerous circumstances throughout the hike.

The group had to walk through an area known as the red zone—an area that, because of its high elevation, can potentially cause hallucinations or death if people are in the zone for over 10 minutes.

“We were in the red zone for five to eight minutes,” Morkin said. “You just start going crazy and it’s super hard to breathe.”

Altitude sickness was an additional battle Morkin faced. The leaders were worried Morkin would not be able to summit due to her sickness, but she pushed through it, she said.

“Because I got bad altitude sickness and a virus, I learned even in the toughest times you

Morkin and the group pass an elevation of 15,000 The sign at the summit of the mountain listfeet and start their hike on day five (Grace Morkin). ing its unique qualities (Grace Morkin).

This picture captures the clouds and sun rising and was taken on day four of the trip. Morkin was sick during this time, but said this view motivated her (photo courtesy of Grace Morkin).

can push yourself harder especially with a good support system,” she said. “When everyone’s in the same boat everyone wanted everyone to peak the mountain.”

Because of all the potential risk, the mountain motto is “Pole Pole,” meaning “slow or slowly” in Swahili, Morkin said.

“All the guides and porters would say [the motto] meaning don’t push ourselves too hard because everyone can climb the mountain; it’s just a matter of how fast,” Morkin said. “My leader, Megan, kept saying timing is everything.”

On day five, the group began hiking at 12 a.m. and reached Stella’s Point—the summit of the mountain with an elevation of 19,300 feet—at 8 a.m.

“I was super proud of myself when I made it to Stella,” Morkin said. “I started sobbing when I made it to Uhuru (the summit of the summit) because it was crazy. It was the first mountain I’ve ever climbed and everyone else had prior experience.”

Boesky was impressed by Morkin’s attitude throughout the intense climb to the summit.

“Because it was her first time doing a significant hike, I think she did a lot of adjusting on the first day or two,” Boesky said. “Regardless, she kept an impressively positive attitude and was admirably tough throughout the whole climb.”

That night, the group was able to see both the sunset and the moonrise, Morkin said.

“It was surreal to see both those things happen in one night,” she said.

Junior interns for activism nonprofit in Serbia Student interns for worldwide activist organization

by Claire Williams @claireswilliams118

For the past 10 years, Alex Kostich ‘21 has spent a month and a half of his summer visiting his family in Serbia. This summer, he dedicated five weeks to interning at the Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS).

CANVAS is an international nonprofit that promotes the use of nonviolent resistance in the fight for human rights and democracy, according to its website.

“It’s all about nonviolent activism, which I don’t think people have the right view of,” Alex said. “When people hear nonviolent activism, they always think of hippies and that type of movement, but it’s such a more powerful movement than that.”

A nonviolent activist group, Otpor! (Resistance! in English), was very influential in the take down of the corrupt Serbian government in the 2000s. Alex’s parents, Marko and Mina Kostich, would often talk about this group, he said. In January, Alex decided to search the name of the group’s leader, Srdja Popovic. He found that Srdja Popovic had also started the organization, CANVAS, in Belgrade, Serbia.

The Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies posted this photo on its Twitter account featuring adolescents in Norway marching in a climate change movement (aftenpost.com).

After a few emails and a Skype interview, Alex had a summer internship.

“I was very happy to hear Alex would get involved with such an influential man as Srdja Popovic,” Marko said. “I knew Alex would learn so much.”

Alex worked five days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this time, he complet-

ed weekly reports that detailed the state of countries where activists were contacted by the organization. One country was Greece.

“That’s the whole thing about nonviolent struggle,” Alex said. “It’s a war, but you’re not fighting back; that’s the best type of warfare. Because if you’re using violence back, you’re just fighting. With nonviolent

struggle, you can clearly see who the good guy or bad guy is.”

Alex and the other interns were also assigned research projects. One project focused on “laughtivism”, a form of nonviolent activism that uses humor and mockery to benefit the cause, he said.

CANVAS has done work in almost 50 different countries, according to their website. While there are places of ongoing struggle, such as Zimbabwe and Venezuela, they have also had many successes in places such as Lebanon and Egypt.

“It helped me see more of a globalized world and how strength in numbers is a real thing,” Alex said. “It really works. Nonviolence is all about strength in numbers–the more people you get to protest, the more people you get involved, the more people you get to make a stir, do anything, the more beneficial for your cause.”

Alex’s work at CANVAS has increased his interest in foreign politics and affairs, Marko said. He is also now considering nonprofit work as a possible career.

“I would love to see him help others on a daily basis like Srdja and his colleagues did for the people back home in the 2000s,” Marko said. “The connections he made will hopefully last a long time–a globalized man [Popovic] is a rich asset.”

opiniOns PageSevenPhotoGrid

Page 7

Friday, September 20, 2019

GuestColumn

School spirit

Welcome to the Page Seven Grid, which you might know as funniest in the paper. Your classmates are asked questions, and respond with their funniest answers. Each issue we feature one member of each grade and a member of the LTHS faculty. compiled by Olivia Janik

If you could make a sculp- If you could only say one ture out of butter, what word for the rest of the day, would it be? what would it be?

What secret conspiracy theory would you start?

Drop your best two line freestyle.

“We’re all going to move to the moon by 2035 and start a new civilization inside the moon, because it’s hollow.”

“Yo yo yo, what up?

I’m at LT and I’m gonna be me.”

“Handsome Squidward.”

“Sus—short for suspicious because suspicious is my favorite word.”

“It smells like up dog in here.”

“Mr. Storm’s head ‘cause the beard would be the best part.”

“Buddy”

“I’m being interviewed the interviewer has a ‘tude.”

“Just a giant ball of butter.”

“Whatever”

“I can’t think of anything So..uh.. something something ding.”

“I would make a sculpture of Squidward and keep it in my bedroom so that I could admire it before I go to bed every night.”

“Tax-evasion”

“Lil Jumex, before he cut his braids.”

“No words, just a disappointed look.”

Sarah Tobin ‘20

“Kevin Murphy ‘21 likes feet.”

Thomas Peterson ‘21

“There’s no air conditioning at LT because all the teachers are demons and they need the heat.”

Logan Lestina ‘22

“Every state is Iowa” Ann Hepp ‘23

“That LION doctors your grid quotes.”

English teacher Joseph Maffey

“My money Phillip Banks like Carlton’s dad.” ed. note: We thought that an English teacher wouldn’t plagiarize.

Lion’s Mission Statement The LION staff strongly supports the First Amendment rights to Freedom of expression and opposes censorship in any form.

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

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

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

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

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

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

LION is written primarily for LT students and faculty.

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

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

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

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

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

Write us a Letter!

Have an opinion about a LION article or something happening at LT? Bring a letter to NC Room 220, Jason Scales’s mailbox or email it to Olivia Janik at jan506339@d204.lths.net. Make sure the content of the letter is appropriate, sign your full name and include your email! LION reserves the right to edit all letters. Not all letters will be published.

Random Chatter

Did you hear that? Here, the Random Chatter Box, LION compiles some of the funniest, weirdest, and most random comments we hear in the halls of LT. “I bet you’re wondering how I got hired. Well, HR wasn’t there that day.” -Ms. Michelle Wrona “I’d do anything except cannibalism for that 36p, though.”-Will Brannen ‘20

“Sometimes I read y-axis as YAKSIS.”-Tess Lewandowski ‘20

“I do my homework by candlelight to work for the progression of America.”

-Kiley Durkin ‘20 “I’m hip, I’m with it. I know what a VSCO girl is.”-Ms. Lisa Plichta

Follow LION!

Twitter: @ltlionnewspaper Instagram: @ltlionnewspaper Snapchat: lionnewspaper To follow individual staff members on Instagram, look at their byline to find their user-name.

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

For my whole life I have grown up watching movies and Grace Kulat TV shows about the perfect high school experience. When I watched these shows one thing stuck out at me: football games. Ever since I was little I have been excited to be a high schooler and go to football games.

I used to sit next to my dad on the couch and watch Sunday football games imagining Bennett Field just as full as Soldier Field, but in reality the stands are cleared by half time.

Since when did we lose all of our school spirit? I can admit, LT has done a much better job recently with school spirit.

For example, the Weirdos do a phenomenal job of getting the student body excited for the games but kids still continue to leave halfway.

What’s better than a Friday night football game? I may be impartial because I’m a cheerleader but it’s upsetting to look up and see four people in the student section with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. As a student body, I think that we can do better. We need to show up and support our teams, all teams, even sports other than basketball and football. Last year many other students and I went to some of the boys soccer games and they were unexpectedly fun. Everyone in the crowd was so hype.

After the game my friends and I agreed that we should go to more soccer games. I think that we as students underestimate other sporting events. I’m sure that if the Weirdos and others showed up to a tennis match or a swim meet it would be just as fun as a football game.

Lately I’ve been seeing videos of high schools that go all out for every sporting event and I’m envious of them. In the South, Friday night lights are the most important part of the week. I understand that we aren’t southern and we’re not in college but for a school of over 4,000 we should be doing better.

At the first football game New Trier had their stands filled up, with a student section twice the size of ours. I was initially jealous when I saw their stands but after seeing ours at the first home football game, I felt a lot better. When we played Proviso East our stands were packed but as the game went on more people continued to leave, and by the end of the game, as I expected, there were about 10 people left in the student section. As a cheerleader, turning to face the crowd and no one being there makes the job a lot more challenging. If I notice it, I’m sure the football players do too and it’s not a great feeling to look up and see that no one wanted to stay and see how the game actually played out. I think that our generation has lost its sense of school spirit. On homecoming week only a few people dress up for the theme days and most of them end up being student council members because they have to. Nobody is perfect but we can do a lot better. Let’s show up to all of the sporting events that we can stay as long as we can and have as much fun as we can because these days, right now, are the best times of our lives.

Page 8

Opinions

Activism or slacktivism?

LION surveyed 328 students about their opinions on the effectiveness of social media activism. The following infographics display their answers.

PawsUp

n To the Hollywood Hoco theme—I’ve been redcarpet-ready for the past three years, about time you noticed. n To Syllabus homework—the only 100% I’ll have all year. n To kids who don’t tell everyone that you gave them a piece of gum— you’re the real MVP n To senioritis—my go-to excuse for procrastinating n To ALICE training— building desk forts instead of reading poetry? Sign me up! n To 96 days until Santa comes—get your wishlists ready. n To spicy chicken nuggets—we love it. n To the new Starbucks in Mariano’s—because one Starbucks wasn’t enough for both the soccer moms and the caffeine addicted high school students. n To excused college visits— Ohio College of Clown Arts here we come. n To chinchilla take out day in APES—I look forward to holding that fluffy beast. n To the teachers who still use Kahoot as a study system—that theme song never stops running through my head. n To the midquarter—1/8th done!

PawsDown

n To AP Psychology kids—stop trying to diagnose me before you’ve taken the AP exam. n To PDA—if I wanted to see people make out, I’d watch ‘Bachelor in Paradise’. n To Soup—are you a drink or food? Who knows? n To kids who don’t wash their gym clothes—do you even have a sense of smell? n To the iPhone 11 coming out—I literally just saved up enough to buy the iPhone 10. n To people who walk slowly in the hallways— sorry not sorry for stepping on your shoes. n To all our Disney favorites leaving Netflix—Netflix originals just aren't the same. n To VSCO girls—stop dropping your hydroflasks in the hallways. n To group guidance— nothing stresses students out like hearing about their futures. n To no air conditioning—tell me why sending sweaty kids from gym to classes on the third floor with no AC and broken fans makes sense. I’ll wait.

Do you follow activism accounts on social media?

Clicks for change

Social media has grown to be an essential part of every teens’ lives. Yet, social media activism continuously receives a bad reputation. Activists are labeled as “feminazis” or “social justice Quinn Riordan warriors.” Social media can spread misinformation, fake news and alternative or out-dated facts. Social media activism is sometimes described as Slacktivism or being a “feel-good” measure without accomplishing anything tangible.

This is resoundingly untrue.

Since 1999, social media has been used to form and fuel grassroot campaigns and social movements. The principal purpose is to spread information faster than ever before. A total of 2.48 billion people use social media worldwide, according to Statista.

Social media was used to embolden the Arab Spring, one of the largest and first instances of a massive scale social media movement. The Arab Spring started in Tunisia in December 2010. The Tunisian Revolution was a campaign of civil resistance against unemployment and corruption. Social media was the driving force behind the spread of the democratic revolution as more and more people aimed to gain more freedoms. This caused a wave of similar protests throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa. As a result, Tunisia is now classified as free by the Freedom House organization.

Although the final outcome of the Arab Spring is still debated, there is no doubt that social media was a powerful organizational instrument. Social media gave power to the people when they had so little allowing them to connect and protest for a cause.

“What’s so interesting and so meaningful about social media and social movements is just how quickly people can mobilize through social media,” Rachel Einwohner, a sociology professor at Purdue University said in an interview with USA Today.

Movements such as #Blacklivesmatter, #Metoo, and #TimesUp have inspired campaigns of thousands of people. Originating from just a hashtag, they have grown into worldwide movements with political and social sway. Five years after the creation of the hashtag, the Black Lives Matter movement has become a quintessential example of social media activism and its success. The hashtag has been used nearly 30 million times on Twitter which is an average of 17,003 times per day, as stated in a Pew study. #BlackLivesMatter is a symbol of a greater trend: the flourishing importance of social media in all different kinds of activist movements.

Since the Black Lives Matter movement began, activists have developed specific policy recommendations and legislation. Using social media awareness, the movement has gained power and support, whether through a like, a tweet, or in-person participation.

“People who are tweeting or liking things on Facebook are also participating in marches,” Einwohner said. “They’re also having face to face conversations with neighbors, and they’re also calling their congressmen.”

Whether though a little action such as an Instagram post or calling a senator and lobbying for a bill, activism is activism. Social media activism is important and valuable in building awareness and change for issues.

When we have social media, we have a voice.

The double tap is crap My sophomore year, Civics became a required class at LT for sophomores.

With it came the Take Action Project (TAP). The idea of TAP was to teach students about the importance of taking meaningful action to solve a problem.

Olivia Janik Sadly, most of the time TAP became nothing more than the creation of an Instagram account that posted a few times before becoming dormant once the grade was in.

The TAP Instagrams are a great example of why using social media as a platform for change doesn’t work. Social media activism soared with the rise of Instagram. New accounts and hashtags flood social media platforms every day, if not every hour, each new hashtag burying an old one.

The main problem with social media activism is that it only creates awareness about a problem, without doing anything beyond that. With no call to action or clear set of goals to achieve, people forget about it and move on with their lives. Awareness is the first step to solving many of the problems that these activists wish to solve, but without a second or third step, the problems remain unsolved. In the best activism campaigns there are charities created people going door to door collecting donations, and countless calls to local representatives. A tweet saying #feminism isn’t the only thing people can do to create change, and it shouldn’t be.

In the right situation, activism on social media can be an instrument of change. Both the Women’s March and March For Our lives used social media to connect people across the globe to create change and organize marches. The #Metoo movement shed a light on the

harsh realities of sexual assault. However, hashtags and Instagram pages aren’t all encompassing solutions to every world problem.

Another popular method of causing online change is the website change.org, where users can create and sign petitions about any issue under the sun. Change.org was created with good intentions, but no matter how many signatures a petition gets, its ability to create change is limited. A petition is a helpful tool if it’s being used by community members to show local support for a measure being passed by the city council, but does nothing to stop the Amazon from burning. Petitions aren’t an end all solution, but because they are convenient, they are treated as such.

The reason people gravitate towards signing an online petition or posting something on social media is because it’s easy. It gives them the satisfaction of doing good, but there is no sacrifice of time or money.

Another problem with social media activism is that there are so many posts on the internet that many troubles get pushed aside within days or even hours because of something new going on. The internet is designed to show us whatever is the newest, so no matter how important something is, it gets buried. There is no algorithm on twitter to remind users of the important issues the world faces.

Change takes time. Real and lasting change takes thousands of hours of work from countless people, more than that, it takes patience. Real change takes the patience to understand that there is no quick and easy fix to all the troubles we face.

Step one to create change is raising awareness Social media makes people aware, but it’s what we do with that awareness that matters.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Girlhood

Imagine using your phone camera to check to make sure Olivia Janik you’re not being followed. Imagine hiding your key between your knuckles so you have a weapon ready in case someone attacks you. Imagine taking your first self defense class when you were just 11 years old, because even in a neighborhood as safe as LaGrange, walking home as a young girl is dangerous.

The sad truth is, about 50% of my readers don’t have to imagine that, because they’ve lived it. From a young age, girls are told to stay alert and be cautious of everything, because being a girl puts them in a dangerous situation. Self defense classes, pepper spray: common techniques that girls as young as 12 have to use to stay safe.

In fifth grade, my mom set up a self defense class for my Girl Scout troop. We learned to scream, we learned to run, and we learned how to defend ourselves against grown men. I never asked why I had to do the class; constant vigilance was just my normal. I grew up paralyzed by the fear that one day I would get attacked by a man.

A parody music video from SNL titled “Welcome to Hell” sums up the realities of being a woman perfectly.

Saoirse Ronan and the women of SNL sing about the things that were ruined for them because of their gender: parking, walking, Uber, ponytails, bathrobes, nighttime, drinking, hotels and vans.

While the song was designed as a comedy piece, the underlying message was serious: harassment and assault have always been a problem for women, and they’re the ones who have to make changes to keep themselves safe.

The burden is always placed on the women to keep themselves safe, but it shouldn’t be. We don’t tell men to keep their hands to themselves. We tell women to watch their drinks so they won’t be spiked. We don’t teach men to respect women and understand that not all women are attracted to them.

We teach women that they need to travel in groups and lock their doors right away.

No man is ever told that he shouldn’t look at a woman’s body, but women are constantly told what to wear so they don’t “give off the wrong impression”.

As disturbing as this problem is, I can’t offer a solution.

I can’t lay out a 10-step plan that will solve street harassment. I can’t deliver a rousing speech that will make it safe for women to walk at night.

I can’t snap my fingers and magically make rapists and attackers get just sentences.

There is nothing that a single person can do to improve the way women are treated, and it sucks. But that doesn’t mean that society can ignore it and move on. We need to teach young boys that no means no and it’s not okay to stare at girls if it makes them uncomfortable. No more saying boys will be boys, no more letting them off the hook because they’re young. This isn’t just on women, it’s on all of us to make this a safe world for girls to live in.

Opinions

Friday, September 20, 2019

StaffEditorials

Mental health days should be a must

Page 9

AnotherView

Now more than ever before, mental illmental health or illness. Bills in Oregon and ness is an issue that students deal with. It’s Utah have recently been passed that allow only intensified by the great deal of stress students to take these excused mental health that comes with being a high school student. days. Under the new law, students can have Tests, projects, homework, sports, clubs, jobs up to five absences excused in a three-month and social relationships are just some of the period, with any more than that requiring a things that students face every single day. doctor’s note.

Studies from the Centers for Disease Control On the other hand, people may think that and American Medical Association have students should not have mental health days. found that depression, anxiety and suicide There are some who believe that students will rates have all increased by 50% or more abuse the policy, falsely citing mental health as among teens since 2000. As a result of this a reason to stay home or skip school. This will increasingly prevalent problem, it is crucial likely happen, but the positive change that that LT allows students to mental health days can bring far take excused mental health outweighs the negative of a few Our Position: days. students missing school. Similarly, LT should allow For a long time, our socithere are concerns that it will students to take ety has not treated mental allow students, ill or not, to miss health as seriously as physical too many days of school. Personal excused mental health. However, physical health should always be greatly health days. and mental health are equally prioritized over schoolwork. important and must be recStudents need to be healthy first, ognized as such by the LT their studies should come second. administration.

Some may believe that mental illness among Suicide has become the third leading teens is not a priority. In reality, teen suicides cause of death among youth aged 10-24, have increased almost 50% since 2000, accordaccording to a study done by the National ing to an article published by the Journal of Alliance for Mental Health. When more the American Medical Association in 2018. teens die from ending their own life than That is a fact. No amount of ignorance can from cancer or illness, there’s a problem. We make it untrue. cannot be idle. One in five teens aged 13-18 At the end of the day, students need to be have, or will have, a serious mental illness, able to have time, even if it is only a few days, and 8% of that same age group has an anxito recover and heal when dealing with mental ety disorder. The study also found that half illness. Many adults and administrators don’t of all students age 14 or older with serious understand the stress that students are under. mental illness dropped out of high school. As That being said, mental wellbeing is not a school administrators, there is an obligation privilege, but an inalienable human right. to do whatever they can to help those who Ultimately, mental health days will prove vital are affected by mental illness. Accordingly, to students’ health and happiness. The posiinstituting mental health days is an important tive change that mental health days can bring step in that process. about is invaluable, and as a result should be Mental health days would operate in the implemented by the LT administration. If you same way that normal sick days do. Students or anyone you know is dealing with suicidal would be able to take a certain number thoughts or actions, call the national prevenof excused absences each semester due to tion hotline at 800-273-8255.

Illustration by Charlotte McLaughlin

Staff Vote: 26-2

Gym swim required only for freshmen The words “gym swim” send shivers the winter many students end up dreading down most LT students’ spines because of swimming because the chilly temperature of the memorable experience they had in the the pool and the cold air is bound to leave stucourse. On the first day of gym swim, students dents shivering. are required to get in their bathing suits and LT’s requirement for gym swim is that stuthen sit on cold bleachers while the teacher dents are obligated to take the course as part of explains the plans for the day. Not only is this their gym track freshman and sophomore year uncomfortable, it can also be embarrassing for and as a junior or senior students can choose a students with insecurities. gym track that has water games At times students have to or one with no activities in the Our Position: LTHS put on old swim caps that water. Swimming is an importgym swim should only ant life skill to have, but it does are particularly unflattering. be taught freshman not need to be taught after Once students are year because students freshman year. The skills that dressed and ready they freshman year swim provides learn all necessary have to slowly trek into us with are supplementary skills the first time they the freezing cold pool enough to help us through our are in the class. with their classmates and adult lives. In swim class we are wait in their “squad” lines taught survival techniques and to take attendance. Often basic strokes that can be used in while waiting for attendance to be taken stumany situations. dents are shivering because of the room’s chill As a freshman gym swim should be temperature. After class, students are given an required but swim should not be a requireextremely small towel and seven minutes to ment after freshman year. Additionally the change and then go about the rest of their day. track that contains swim should be the only Gym swim has been around for many track to contain water activities so students years before us. The gym swim programs have who wish to play water games can choose that advanced greatly since then and have become track. Students often get stuck with a track an important part of highschool. Freshman that has swimming in it and end up hating the and sophomore year LT students have to get entire class because of the swim unit. In the used to the cold SC pool to participate in gym past, students have done just about anything to swim. This course is a requirement both fresh- get out of gym swim; many will go to the nurse man and sophomore year and the time in the instead of going to class. pool lasts about four weeks.The course takes Swimming helps save lives, but LTHS gym place either in the beginning of the year or swim covers this area well enough freshman during the winter, depending on who the gym year that students should not be required to teacher is. If your class is swimming during complete the unit again in high school.

Staff Vote: 22-6 Contact via:708-579-6403



Illustration by Sophia Schultz

Lion The Voice of Lyons Township Students Since 1910

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

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

Advertising Display advertising rates begin at $30 with optional discounts available. Call (708) 5796403 between 2:10 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. for further information.

Subscriptions Yearly subscriptions can be purchased for $10.

Lion 2019-20 Staff Diane Makovic, Olivia Janik, Co-Editors-in-Chief Liz Gremer, Grace Kulat, Art Directors/Design Chiefs Nicole Klein, Managing Editor of Online Content Anna McCormick, Tessa Voytovich, News Editors Maggie Kahn, Tommy Layden, Sports Editors Dani Almase, Mia Bonfiglio, Pulse Editors Nina Shearrill, Multimedia Content Editor Page Darling, Assistant Multimedia Content Editor Isabella Sorice, Editor of Photography and Social Media Claire Williams, Copy Editor Quinn Riordan, Kaitlyn Joyner, Photographers/Reporters Max Dike, Alfonso Fernandez, Kate Ferrell, Brianna Fonseca, Lillie George, John Hepp, Charlotte McLaughlin, Lizzie Patel, Sophia Schultz, Adriana Serano-Matsumoto, Robert Sullivan Reporters Xavier Sorice, freelance photographer Jason Scales, Advisor Ryan Darrah, Assistant Advisor

100 S. Brainard, LaGrange, Ill. 60525



www.lionnewspaper.com

sports

Friday, September 20, 2019

Page 10

Scott Walker returns to coaching After retiring in 2019, Walker is back, ready to lead girls swim team to success

by Maggie Kahn @maggiekahn

A year after walking away from nearly 30 years of coaching at LT, Scott Walker has returned to the SC pool as the head varsity girls swim coach.

When Kurt Johns, the previous girls swim coach, was promoted to be the division chair of Physical Welfare, Walker decided he would come back and take Johns’ position, Walker said. It was a way for both men to step up to a personal and professional challenge to continue their work in this program.

“Being away from high school swimming for a year [was difficult and] I missed it right away,” Walker said. “I love coaching, period [and I thought returning] would be a way of coming back full circle.”

The girls swim team has adjusted to the coaching change with enthusiasm because they admire Walker’s emphasis on the team aspect of high school swimming, returning varsity swimmer Eleanor Tuerk ‘20 said. The girls are encouraged not to focus on themselves as individuals, but rather the team as a whole.

In the season so far, Walker has had the girls practice swimming longer distances, co-captain Callahan Dunn ‘20 and Tuerk said. He has also implemented new drills that involve either partners or the entire team, which the girls enjoy.

Walker tries to make the SC pool a comfortable place that the girls look forward to practicing at, before and after school, he said.

“I want [swimming] to be their escape,” Walker said.

“Swimming is so challenging because if you’re doing things right, you’re going to get broken down physically, mentally and emotionally. So, it is difficult, but I’d rather have a kid break down that way, here in this facility where it’s safe, and then accept the challenges of making themselves better because the real world is going to be much more challenging than what the sport is going to be.”

The girls have noticed Walker’s efforts to make the program a welcoming and safe environment and they greatly appreciate it, Tuerk said.

“One thing I like about this season is that Coach Walker thinks of little things that will help us feel better at practice after a long day of morning practice, school and then practice again,” Tuerk said. “He started a ‘let it go’ bucket where we put in a piece of paper [with something written on it] that has been on our minds all day or [has been] stressing us out so we can forget about it at practice.”

With the central focus on the team as a whole, the girls have developed some goals they wish to accomplish as one unit, Dunn said.

“Our goals are to have a better attitude than any other team and just race,” Dunn said. “Ultimately, [we want to place in the top three] at state. Coach Walker can help us reach these goals by supplying us with the right practices to push ourselves and our teammates. He tells us what we need to do to get better, but it’s on us to actually do it.”

Walker has attained the following top finishes at the state swim meets over the years: two boys state championships (2016 and 2017); a second place finish for the boys (2018); a third place finish for the girls (1994), with six individual state champions as well.

The team’s next meet is tonight at 5 p.m. in the SC pool against Oak Park River Forest High School.

Coach Scott Walker instructs swimmers to complete a set during after school practice in the SC pool (Sorice/LION).

Girls swim, dive makes blankets for hospitals

Team gives back to others with Project Linus

By Adriana Serrano @_adrianaserrano_

As the girls swim and dive season started, fourth year diver and one of the team captains, Cerys Egan ’20, worked alongside the entire team early Saturday morning on Aug. 17 to make blankets for children’s hospitals.

Egan and the other captains coordinated the drive and collected fabric a week in advance. While working in SC gyms, the team broke off into nine groups combined with swimmers and divers from various grade levels, allowing for the girls to participate in some team bonding early in the season, while also helping a good cause.

This experience gave the 66 swimmers and 14 divers the opportunity to work together to make 18 blankets in approximately an hour, Head Varsity Coach Scott Walker said. The homemade blankets were then donated to Project Linus, a non-profit organization where blankets are collected locally and distributed to children in need.

“My favorite part was knowing we were making a difference while getting to know people who I don’t normally see or get to

Cerys Egan ‘20 and teammates create blankets for sick children in hospitals through Project Linus after one morning practice (photo courtesy of Coach Erin Rodriguez).

talk to at practice every day,” Egan said.

Every year the team volunteers in a service project that they all pick together. In previous years the team has made T-shirts for leukemia awareness, along with volunteering at Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit organization that packages and

distributes food to underprivileged people in developing nations.

“We will support anything that they want to do to help,” Walker said. “I have no problem doing it and supporting them as long as they lead the charge.”

This year will be Walker’s 25th year

coaching at LT and first year back coaching the girls since 2009. Walker allows for the girls to come up with fundraising events or organizations that they wish to help out, and makes time for them to do so as long as they are able to make it a team activity and work together. He hopes by doing this, the girls will be able to take on responsibility and make the most out of what they are given, Walker said.

The team is also set to have a dual meet that will take place at York on Oct. 3. The girls will all wear pink caps in support of breast cancer awareness month and the money raised from the caps that were bought, along with donations from the community, will all be donated to breast cancer research. Walker said the whole purpose behind this meet was for the girls to understand the awareness they can spread while learning more about the cause.

Throughout the season and in future years the team is hoping to do more fundraisers like the Pink Out and work with Project Linus again, along with other charities. However, for now, Walker is mainly focused on improving the team dynamic as they progress through the season and compete against other teams at meets.

Student named AAU Academic All-American Lizzie Patel ‘21 earns prestigious title

“[Patel] has done a phenomenal job at balancing her schedule between high school and club volleyball, all

by Liz Gremer while maintaining an exceptionally high GPA,” Sands said @lizgremer in her submission. “After the loss of [Beth Dunlap], Lizzie Over the summer, Lizzie Patel ‘21 got a text from her was always a strong and comforting shoulder for her team1st Alliance club coach telling her she had been named an mates and others around her.”

Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Academic All-American.

Teammates have also noticed Patel’s charisma and Weeks later, Patel gleamed with delight and pride upon leadership, Mary Murray ‘21 said. In addition to being finding the certificate in her mailbox. captain of her club team, Patel was also voted MVP for the “I want to do well,” Patel said. “I don’t like it when I’m LT sophomore team last year. not successful. I’m always striving to do my best, both in “[Patel] is a leader both on and off the court,” Murray school and in sports.” said. “She not only has huge intelligence of the game, but This year, AAU hosted its 46th is also the first person to notice annual Junior National Championand help a teammate when ship in volleyball from June 16-28. problems come up.”

All-American athletes are announced Patel played for 1st Alliance on the last day of game play during 16-1’s this past year, in addition the tournament, and awards are given to playing for the school volto top athletes in the different brackleyball team, club and school ets. However, academic All-Amerisoccer. Despite playing two, -Lizzie Patel ‘21 cans are announced roughly a month full-time sports, Patel managed after the tournament. to show up to tournaments and The award is given to athletes practices without overwhelming who compete in club sports in AAU. conflict.

While there are no specific qualifications, there is an appli“I’ve had at great experience at 1st Alliance and have cation that coaches need to submit for the player, Patel always felt supported,” Patel said. said. After applications are submitted, a review board reads As well as club volleyball, Patel is a member of the LT over the applications to determine the winners. girls’ volleyball team. Furthermore, she balances her school “My club coach texted me and told me I got it,” Patel and club soccer teams, volunteering at the LaGrange hossaid. “She told me how proud she was of me and how I pital, and being the founder of the Social Action Project. deserved it.”

Additionally, she is a member of the LION Newspaper.

Patel’s 16-1’s club coach, Aubrey Sands, nominated “I don’t think any kids our age who works harder than Patel for the award. Between balancing school and sports, [Patel] does,” Murray said. “She is the most deserving of Patel deserved the award, Sands said. this award, and I couldn’t be happier that she is being

“

“

I’m always striving to do my best, both in school and in sports.

Lizzie Patel ‘21 sets up a hitter at a First Alliance volleyball tournament during her club season (photo courtesy of Patel).

noticed for all the hard work she puts in.”

Since the award takes both athleticism and academics into consideration, the criteria is difficult to meet, Patel said “I think it is very rare to find student athletes with all these characteristics without coming across as sucking up to a coach or causing tension among her teammates,” Sands said. “Everyone of her teammates wanted her to excel and followed her lead.”

Patel’s next volleyball game is on Sept. 25 at the Wheaton-Warrenville South High School quad at 4:30 p.m.

sports

Friday, September 20, 2019

Boys golf starts year off strong, predicts success Team anticaptes sending players to state

“After [playing Glenbard West], we realized we really have a chance to be special,” Rockrohr said. “I think

By Isabella Sorice that gave us a lot of confidence going @isabella.sorice forward.”

The boys varsity golf team is ready to Since the season is short, around keep its level of competition high, head eight weeks, it is important for the coach Brian Kopecky said. players to keep up their skills over the “This league is very good,” Kopecky said. summer, Kopecky said.

“We are in a good position to challenge the The player put in extra effort top team, Hinsdale Central, this season.” during practices and off season to On the team of 10, each member has ensure their spot on the team, Schoa different strength, Kopecky said. Every drof said. player has had the lowest score at a compe“I have worked all spring, summer tition so far in the season. and even winter to improve,” Rock“With a number of our sophomores perrohr said. “I think the main thing is forming well, our team has really done great that I taught myself how to shape to start off the fall season,” returning varshots right to left and left to right.” sity player Andrew Schodrof ‘20 said. “We Looking to the future, Rockrohr have developed great team chemistry and hopes to return to state and believes have jacked up our intensity.” the team has the same outcome waitAlthough the team is scoring well, they ing for them at the end of their season. need to be able to keep their performances “My personal goal is to contend for steady, Kopecky said. the state title,” Rockrohr said. “I think “The skill is there for each player, we I’m good enough this year to play as just need to work on becoming more conwell as anyone. With how special this sistent,” Kopecky said. “Risk for reward Max Rockrohr ‘20 takes a swing at the 2018 3A state team can be, I have the same goal for could be [the team’s] downfall. They need tournament (photo courtesy of Max Rockrohr). the team. I still believe if we all play to make sure they aren’t making mistakes.” to our potential, no one in the state After a team victory against Glenbard can beat us.”

West High School on Aug. 17, varsity player Max Rockrohr ‘20 The team’s next competition is Saturday, Sept. 21, against was able to see the team’s potential, he said.

Dundee at 12:30 p.m. at Randall Oaks golf course.

Varsity girls golf strives for state New teammates, changes make state achievable goal

By: Paige Darling @paige_darling23

Varsity girls golf coach Jeff Johnson expects improvement both as a team and individuals this season, that could be a challenge due to the strong conference this year, he said. Despite this potential obstacle, the team started off the year tied with rival Hinsdale Central, with two wins and one loss as of Aug. 29.

“In any year, we want to improve as a team and as individuals,” Johnson said.

“We want to be competitive in matches and conferences and have fun playing golf.”

Johnson is implementing practice rounds and competitive putting drills to make this season a success. The nine varsity players practice everyday aside from Thursday where the girls have the option to rest or practice with a pro, Anne Charlotte ‘21 said.

“I think this year we have a lot of potential that we haven’t had in the past,” Nora Kirby ‘20 said. “We have a chance of making it to state, which would be really cool. A lot of people have grown and our varsity team is really strong this year.”

There have been adjustments to the team such as JV and varsity now practicing

together, which makes for a more connected team, Kirby said. With the teams combined, they share advice and participate in friendly matches to simulate a competitive game and environment, Charlotte said.

“We lost a lot of seniors this year, so there is a lot of new talent that came in,” Kirby said. [There are] only three returning varsity players. We try to do a lot of team building, like team breakfast.”

In addition to the strong competition, another challenge is bad weather preventing the team from practicing often. Instead the season has consisted primarily of matches with other high schools. Without practice the team doesn’t have time to correct problems they’ve been struggling with, Kirby said.

“It’s harder to play because of the conditions,” Charlotte said. “I think it’s more difficult because we have less motivation.

We have to keep up our motivation for good results.”

Since golf season is only two months, individual improvement is the most important for the team. Players have to devote themselves to golf by practicing, getting lessons, and playing as much as possible in the 10 months off. The team will get better during that time, Kirby said.

“There is a one team aspect instead of varsity and JV this year,” Kirby said. I think

Anne Charlotte ‘21 in her backswing as she practices her drives at Green Meadows (Joyner/LION).

everyone has put a lot of work into making it the team we want it to be, and we have a better chance of making it farther this year.”

Their next match will be Sept. 23 at Glenbard West.

Soccer sustains previous success Team remains optimistic about season

By Lizzie Patel @lizzie.patel

Silence fills the air before every varsity soccer game. All 22 players sit in the locker room silently and listen to the song “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. They wait to make any sound until they all bang on the lockers when the drum solo hits. They stand, one by one, motivating each other with a fist bump, varsity captain Bradley DeBoer ‘20 said.

Co-captains, center midfielder Michael Niedermeyer ‘20, center back Zack Kristy ‘20, and goalie DeBoer were members of last year’s team that made it to the Super-Sectionals. Resulting from the loss of seniors, half of the team is new players. The number one thing the team can improve is confidence, head varsity coach Paul Labbato said.

“The new guys are nervous about meeting expectations of teams in the past,” Labbato said. “I am optimistic [about the season], but it is very hard to get to the semi-finals in IHSA 3A because every team is playing at such a high level.”

The team is looking to be as competitive as they were last year.

Last year’s seniors graduating has made a major difference in the way the team plays, Labbato said.

“It’s a completely different team than [what] we saw last year.”

Labbato said. “Right now, we are just looking for the guys that can make those differences.”

Senior leadership comes most notably from DeBoer, Niedermeyer, Kristy and forward Jake Fraser ‘20 and will play a crucial role in the team’s chance at success this season, Labbato said. Given

the depth and variety in the roster and the length of the season, any player could lead the team but no one else has stepped up yet.

“Everyone will do their part to ensure the team’s success.” new varsity center midfielder Jonathan Hill ‘21 said. “Everyone on the team is where they should be. We’re all excited for the challenges the season will bring.”

This year’s team has players from various club teams with many different styles of play. Despite this, they have been able to come together, competing at an extremely high level that makes the season look promising, Labbato said.

“We are all working hard and playing well as a team,” returning center midfielder Tim Slusarczyk ‘21 said. “There’s this feeling that each person on the team has when we play a game, that we have something to prove, so we play even harder to compete with top teams.”

In only their second game of the year on Aug. 29, they faced Naperville North, the number one team in the state and tied. This early game was at the level that a state championship could be played at, Labbato said.

The team has had trouble with being able to dictate each game’s style of play with the high physicality that they have seen from the opposing teams, Labbato said. The team is working to better their style of play through increased passing. Labbato has made it a point for the team to spend time every week working on capitalizing on set pieces like corners, throw-ins and free kicks, in order to ensure goals on those kinds of plays.

“This varsity squad seems to have the potential to achieve a lot if the newcomers can work on finding confidence and trust in themselves and their teammates,” Labbato said.

Page 11

Four or five years ago, Chicago wasn’t even on the map in the NFL. It was a city so desperate for a leader that we were

by Tommy Layden willing to sell our soul to the devil just to give the reins to some guy with “great arm strength,” which is a phrase I can’t even say anymore without wanting to punch a wall. Years and millions of dollars were wasted on Jay Cutler.

But, in 2015, the Bears new GM, Ryan Pace, set the team on track to return to the physically overpowering, defensively minded teams for which the Bears are famous.

The Bears are back and by halftime of the first game last year—which is a painfully bitter memory given the Packers’ comeback—people were already saying that the Bears could win the Super Bowl. By the end of last season, that crazy prediction seemed possible, only to be stopped by some bum who couldn’t kick a 40 yard field goal. But this year is the year that the Bears officially become unstoppable. They have a young and dynamic offense with a wizard of a play caller and the undisputed top defense in the league.

The Bears run a defense jam packed with seven in the box; this unit of absolute dogs is led by Kahlil Mack and Akiem Hicks.

Teams across the NFL have tried to slow the defense down by double teaming Hicks and Mack. But in doing so, teams end up leaving Danny Trevathan, Roquan Smith, and Leonard Floyd in the perfect spot to light up some running back five yards behind the line of scrimmage. The Bears defense had a league best in points allowed per game at only 17.7 and a league leading 27 interceptions. In almost every game of the regular season in 2018-19, the Bears defense got two interceptions. For any quarterback throwing two picks is awful and the Bears found ways to make almost any quarterback not named Brady or Rodgers to look like trash. No matter how you say it, the Bears D is unstoppable and they are bound to give quarterbacks concussions and offensive coordinator’s nightmares.

The one area the team lacks is offensive maturity and experience. After a somewhat lackluster rookie year, Mitchell Trubisky took steps in the right direction last season.

He threw for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns. If you break that down, the guy is throwing just under 200 yards, running 25 yards, and over one touchdown in each game. That isn’t bad for a sophomore season, but there needs to be more improvement. If Trubisky can throw for more like 250 yards and two or three touchdowns every week the Bears won’t just make the playoffs, they will be doing the super bowl shuffle like it’s 1985.

In addition to adding a little juice to beef up his stats, Trubisky needs to move away from some of his juvenile decision making that has plagued him in the past. Last season he threw 12 picks, tied for 20th in the league with a few Quarterbacks. Aside from a couple games, he was giving the opposing team an extra drive on offense. If he can mature a little more and cut out these errors that are usually caused by misreading coverages, the offense could turn into a formidable threat.

In the Bears season opener versus the Packers, Trubisky threw from 228 yards and one interception. If a few calls had gone differently, the Bears could have won that game.

In the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, Trubisky was nine for 12 on completions and he marched the team from their own 25 to within scoring range. Although he ended that drive with an interception, it gave Bears fans hope that we might finally have found a franchise quarterback.

Essentially, Trubisky has to evolve into a more efficient, less risky player, the defense has to continue to tear apart anything in their path and the Bears will play in a Super Bowl. The defense has been in the process of cultivation for years and we finally saw it come to fruition last season. Whereas the offense is still in the midst of growing pains.

This past year, they lost Jordan Howard RB and drafted Riley Ridley WR (University Georgia Athens) and David Montgomery RB (Iowa State University). Ridley should give the receiving core a boost and Montgomery should replicate some of the success that Howard had when he was paired with Tarik Cohen. If the rookies have decent years and the Bears receivers have better seasons with a matured Trubisky, the Bears have no ceiling.

They could be the best team in the league for not just next season, but the Bears could start a new dynasty in Chicago.

Page 12

SPORTS

Friday, September 20, 2019

Hartman brought in, team adjusts to new system, practices, drills

by Tommy Layden @layden_tommy

After finishing last season with a 1-8 record, LT varsity football is back and has something to prove.

Linebacker Sam Heyer ‘20 has been chomping at the bit waiting to play since the last game of the ‘18-19 season, which ended in a loss to Oak ParkRiver Forest High School.

“Players have taken it upon themselves to lead the team,” Heyer said. “There’s more at stake now than ever.”

The team knew what it was like to be at such a low point coming off of last season, and now they are eager to win, lineman Aidan Kelly ‘20 said.

“There’s definitely more of a sense of confidence, and there’s a lot of us that are experienced after last year,” quarterback Blaise Reichert ‘20 said.

In the season opener at New Trier on Aug. 30, the Lions went into the second half tied 10-10. They ended up losing 20-10, but the game showed an improvement from last season.

“It was really six big plays that decided the game,” Kelly said. “[Before the second half] we had a chance to go up 14-3 and we were stopped twice on the goal line. A score that would’ve changed the tempo of the game, they would’ve had to adjust what they were doing.”

This season is the team’s first under new head coach Dan Hartman, former head coach for Hinsdale Central. In each of his last two seasons coaching at Central, the Devils finished with a record of eight and three. Under Hartman, there have been many coaching changes, with the new additions of linebacker coach Patrick O’Neil and Defensive coordinator Carl Landi, who formerly coached at Glenbard West.

“There are a few different things; schematically we have changed the offense and the defense,” Hartman said. “We have spent a lot of time focusing on fundamentals and trying to get those better first before we move on to bigger concepts.”

Hartman and the players said that the ultimate goal is for the team to win at least five out of the eight upcoming games, which would qualify the team for the playoffs. In the first home game of the season, the Lions prevailed in a 31 -20 win over Proviso East. The win moved the team’s record to .500 for the first time since the 2017-18 season, but the 23-13 loss to Oak Park River Forest High School on Sept. 13 puts their season record at 1-2. “[At practice] we are always focused, always locked in,” running back Olin White ‘20 said. “We are a pack of dogs. We are hungry.”

If the team executes on both sides of the ball and stays focused for the duration of the game, Reichert believes that they can make the playoffs.

“[Overall] it’s about having fun,” Heyer said. “It’s a brotherhood, and we can’t let [our teammates] down.”

The team’s next game is tonight at 7:30 p.m. at York High School.

by Robert Sullivan @robertsullivan24 This coming January, as the LT community braces for another Chicago winter, volleyball star, Grace Asleson ‘20 will board a plane headed to Deland, Florida where she will spend her spring practicing with her new squad, Stetson University’s girls volleyball team.

“I am really looking forward to this transition,” Asleson said. “Right away, after the first call, I loved the coach and after visiting I really liked the small town, everybody-knows-each-other feel to the campus.”

Although she is graduating a semester early, Asleson is still playing for LT. She plays as the setter in the new 5-1 formation, meaning she is the only setter on the court and responsible for building up offensive scoring opportunities for the team, she said.

Last season, Asleson compiled 225 assists throughout the 28 matches she played. These high quality performances earned her respect from her teammates as they named her a captain of this year’s team. This decision was soundly approved by second year varsity head coach, Jill Keeve.

“I would say the biggest thing that makes Grace stand out would be her calm swagger,” Keeve said. “She remains cool and collected under pressure which not only benefits her play but helps the team also.”

Asleson is looking to build off the Regional championship LT won last year, she said. She will be co-captaining the team with Patti Cesarini ‘20, another division-one-bound athlete committed to Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.

“Volleyball has really brought us together,” Cesarini said. “When Grace leaves, I’ll miss her bubbly personality the most. She is always so happy and light-hearted and knows how to cheer people up.”

TOP: Head coach Dan Hartman (LEFT) strategizes with defensive coordinator, Carl Landi (RIGHT) during the second quarter. BOTTOM LEFT: Linebacker coach Patrick O’Neil walks the sideline at the first home game. BOTTOM RIGHT: Quarterback Blaise Reichert ‘20 drops back to throw a pass while the offensive lineman provides protection against Proviso East High School on Sept. 6 (Sorice/LION).

The girls are not only LT teammates, they also play on the same club, 1st Alliance.

Asleson began playing for them in second grade and has attributed her success in the sport mainly to the competition she faces at that level, she said.

“Grace has shown steady growth and improvement since starting in our youth program,” 25-year club director Susan Keck said. “She is a dedicated teammate and leader and has always earned a very big role on every team she has been on.”

This past year, Asleson was again the 5-1 setter on her club team and led her team to a fifth place finish in the club division at nationals. She even made the alltournament team which she said had been a goal of hers going into the weekend of games.

“Losing the last game [of the tournament] was kind of sad,” Asleson said. “If we would’ve won that game then we could’ve gotten at least third place. And I know that we all wanted medals, so that stunk. But if you look at it from an overall perspective, we had a great tournament and only lost that one game.”

Since 1999, 1st Alliance has had more than 416 athletes go on to play volleyball in college, 265 of those division one. And although statistics favor this club as a gateway to college ball, Asleson knows the transition will not be seamless.

“There is definitely a much higher speed of play at the college level,” Asleson said. “I hope the spring, or offseason, will better prepare me for the fall and I look forward to getting to know my teammates, too.”

Catch Asleson before she leaves either tonight at the Mother McAuley High School Invitational tournament or at their next home game on Oct. 8 in the NC fieldhouse when the girls square off against York High School.

Grace Asleson ‘20 jump sets a ball to her outside hitter during a game in the NC fieldhouse (Photo courtesy of Todd Ganguz).

Reality check

Friday, Septemeber 20, 2019

Page 14

Better than the movies

by Mia Bonfiglio @miabonfiglio

Walking down the jam-packed, humid hallways, the first day of freshman year completely squashed all of my preconceived notions of what high school would be like. Throughout my younger life, I was obsessed with the “High School Musical” movie series. The sudden flash mobs and constant singing led me to believe that high school was a whirlwind of unrealistic fun.

In reality, there is no sneaking to the rooftop gardens to dance in the rain or chanting “summer” as the clock counts down. As much as I wish my experience at LT could be everything in the movies and more, it has not been, but I’m thankful for that.

Personally, I love high school. The community LT has created has made me feel so comfortable with all of the people surrounding me and has

given me the opportunity to really strive to meet my fullest potential. My teachers have been some of the most influential people in my life, which is not something everyone can say at other high schools. I have learned more than just school subjects, as many of my teachers have taught me unforgettable life lessons. I will never forget my Spanish teacher confiding in our class about how she lost her best friend in high school, encouraging us to cherish every moment with everyone.

Besides the actual school aspect, I have found friends who I know will last a lifetime. I became friends with my current friend group through the lacrosse program as a freshman and I’m so thankful for it. The social aspect of sports games and school spirit is also one of my favorite things about high school. The football games under the lights and the packed stands are one of the only things that has felt somewhat like a movie. I love the sense of family everyone brings whenever we are doing something to represent LT. As a senior this year, I can confidently say that my high school experience has been nothing like the movies. So I may not have broken out in song and dance during passing periods, but I have had an unforgettable journey at LT.

Not so ‘High School Musical’

by Dani Almase @dani_almase

When we were little, most of us desired to grow up.

The fantasy of being able to drive our own car, the yearning to be one of the “big kids” or just having the ability to make our own decisions without our parents. However, the truth is growing up isn’t as fabulous as it seems in the movies. Especially when it comes to high school.

When it comes to my LT experience, there is only way to describe it: tough. I find high school more anxiety provoking than enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, LT itself is a great school with a supportive community, encouraging teachers, and friendly classmates. However, the whole high school atmosphere of test, work, and stress is very overwhelming to me.

The main reason why I don’t enjoy the high school experience as much as others is because my stress peaks during the school year. Since I am constantly worried

With the start of a new school year, people come with certain expectations from movies and TV shows. However, Hollywood sets up unrealistic situations that do not happen in real life.

Here, we dive deeper into the preconceived notions of high school

“They portray high school to be the best place ever. It’s going to be a good four years, but people aren’t always the nicest and support you all of the time.”

“They never have substitute teachers in their classes.”

about tests and grades, I don’t get to see the positive sides of high school.

In the iconic movie “High School Musical,” the kids seem to have it all figured out. The movie gives the impression that high school is relaxed, and you have plenty of time to do everything you want.

Troy Bolton was able to play varsity basketball and perform in theatre. This would be impossible because of how much of a time commitment those those two activities require. I play girls varsity basketball, and during the season, I have no time for other after school activities because of practices and games.

Furthermore, the Disney TV show “Hannah Montana” shows that Miley Cyrus has concerts on school nights. That is so unrealistic because there is no way she would have time to get her studies done while also being a part time rockstar. Moreover, entertainment like “High School Musical” and “Hannah Montana” give impractical expectations of what the high school experience is really like.

Going into freshman year I was excited to try all different activities, meet new friends, and have time for other things I enjoy- like in the movies. Now in high school, I realize that it was nothing like what Hollywood presents it to be.

Junior We asked a student from each grade level about their personal experience with high school and how it compares to Hollywood.

“No one does their homework in the movies and no one has to walk really far from the parking lot to get to school.”

“Most of the movies give really false expectations, especially when the actors are over 20 years old.”

“I also thought the boys would be taller and a little cuter.”

“High School Musical made it look like the best four years ever, and I’m sure it is, but not as much as the movies.”

“It seemed like there were so many cliques. There aren’t many cliques and everyone is so welcoming and nice.”

Page 15

“I haven’t seen ‘High School Musical’ or ‘Mean Girls’ in years, but I don’t think I was really affected by them.” “[My experience has] not really been alike to the movies. I think people at LT are a lot nicer.”

“One misconception is that everyone is treated poorly by certain groups.”

“They make high school seem so much more positive and easy in the movies.”

Sophomore

Volume 110, Issue 1

“They make you think things like nerds aren’t cool, but they are.”

Senior

Freshman

by Liz Gremer @lizgremer

Before most students entered high school, they were exposed to differing ideas of what high school was going to be like. Whether that was jocks constantly seen with letterman jacket or cliques ruling the cafeteria, the media has created a vision of what high school that isn’t close to reality. These five TV shows and movies are just a handful of examples that have falsely depicted the average high school experience.

“High School Musical”- This 2006

Disney channel original movie has been a phenomenon since it was released. While it is remembered for its catchy songs and dancing, setting relationship goals for young viewers, and kickstarting careers for Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron, it is highly unrealistic. In the song song “Stick to the Status Quo,” characters break out into song and dance on lunch tables. This just simply doesn’t happen in schools. Additionally, the movie set up young viewers with unrealistic expectations about stereotypes and how everyone belongs to a clique.

“Glee”- Similar to “High School Musical”,

“Glee” created the facade that everything in school involves a large, heavily produced musical number. While this obviously isn’t the case, “Glee” also tackled some tougher issues. The most realistic parts of the show dealt with bullying, body image and sexuality, which are pretty common issues in school. Although the show is highly dramatized and unrealistic at times, the show featured storylines that high schoolers could relate to.

“Mean Girls”- One of the most well-known, high school movies is “Mean Girls”. The plot follows transfer student Cady Heron as she befriends “the Plastics”. At its roots, the movie is about bullying, which is quite common in school settings. However, “Mean Girls” takes bullying to a new, dramatic level. The topics are exaggerated for comedic purposes, but many young viewers perceived the bullying portrayed as normal. The image of the stereotypical popular mean girl is depicted, and sets us young viewers to think that girls like this run the school and should be feared.

“Clueless”- Unlike the other movies on this

list, “Clueless” isn’t unrealistic when it comes to its plot. The movie follows the daily life of clueless 16 year old Cher Horowitz (Alicia SIlverstone).

In fact, it is pretty believable and realistic when it comes down to the story. However, it lacks reality when it comes to the actors and the general look of the movie. Yes: Cher is considered a style icon and ahead of her time. But, it simply isn’t realistic for a high school student to parade around the halls in stiletto heels and big hats.

“Degrassi: Next Class”- In 2016, Netflix rebooted the series “Degrassi: Next Generation”. The series features a wide variety of realistic high school scenarios, ranging from identity issues, school violence, teen pregnancy, and mental illness. However, the kicker about this series is that all the characters seem to experience these major issues one after the other. While this is obviously a creative plot choice to gain viewership, it drills the idea that this is normal into the mind of a pre-teen.

GET OUT

Page 16

Friday, September 20, 2019

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams opens

Well-known ice cream parlor features unique flavors, cones, toppings

by Dani Almase @dani_almase Nothing sounds better to me than a creamy sugar rush of a piercing frozen treat that melts on your tastebuds. Ice cream holds the key to many people’s hearts, including mine. If you are an ice cream enthusiast, you have to make your way to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has seven scoop shops located in the Chicago area. The newest creamery is located on 521 Oakbrook Center right next to Potbelly’s and AMC Movie Theater. It is open daily from 11a.m. to 11p.m.

Outside the creamery is outdoor seating patrons can enjoy anytime of the day. When I first walked in the shop, I was instantly welcomed by the open light shining through the big glass window. Inside, it has a modern, chic vibe with white walls and tiled floors.

There is a poster of the most popular flavors: brambleberry chip, darkest chocolate, salty caramel, salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks, and brown butter almond brittle. As a result, I decided to choose the darkest chocolate, because I am a chocoholic, and the salty caramel to try something different. I also wanted to go all out, so I also got the waffle cone bowl. Altogether, my total was $6.75.

The first bite of the darkest chocolate was rich. It had an instant flavor of Fair Trade cocoa: chocolate lover’s dream.

The creaminess was closer to gelato more than regular ice

cream. The salty caramel took me by surprise, and I happened to like it more. It was the perfect balance between salty and sweet. It was a burst of fire-toasted sugar with sea salt and vanilla. Lastly, the waffle cone was a flaky vanilla crisp with a brittle texture. It was the best when you ate both the flavors and the cone. The most perfect combination.

The company’s mission is to make ice cream to bring people together, according to the Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream website. The founder, Jeni Britton Bauer, has been making ice cream professionally for two decades. She uses whole ingredients and dairy from grass-pastured cows, rather than synthetic flavorings and commodity ice cream mix.

Overall, my experience with Jeni’s Ice Creams was memorable. From the moment I walked in, I knew I would have

to come back. The only critique I would have is that the price was everything was a little expensive: $6.75 is more than I would like to pay for a dessert. However, the amount and quality you get for the price is acceptable. I can’t wait to come back to Jeni’s to try other delicious flavors.

Outdoor seating at Jeni’s filled with color (Almase/LION).

4.5/5

Left: darkest chocolate and salted caramel, Right: salted caramel and gooey cake (Almase/LION).

Crate and Barrel opens first restaurant, Table at Crate

New restaurant serves array of dishes, many healthy, vegetable focused meals

by Mia Bonfiglio @miabonfiglio

Oakbrook Mall is known for some of the best restaurants in our area. From Asian cuisine to cheeseburgers, they have it all. When I heard about the new restaurant opening, The Table at Crate, I knew it had to be good.

When I first approached the restaurant, I was shocked by the modernity of it. The outdoor seating wraps around the building which consists of large floor to ceiling glass windows which let in a plethora of light. Inside, sleek wooden tables line the walls with a mix of pink, green and grey chairs. The bar is located in the center of the room highlighted by blue iridescent lights hanging above.

Collaborating with Cornerstone Restaurant Group, the home store Crate and Barrel opened its first restaurant. The Table at Crate was built in what was previously the Land of Nod, Crate and Barrel’s children’s store, at 35 Oakbrook Center in Oakbrook Mall. They offer a variety of healthy, vegetable-based dishes.

To start, I ordered the waffle fries ($8). The fries were dusted with madras curry salt and were served with aioli

Art Director, Grace Kulat ‘20 Give this playlist (and others) a listen on our Spotify: lionnewspaper

dipping sauce. The mix of the salt with the sauce was a perfect combination.

Then, I ordered the watermelon salad ($15) which included watermelon chunks, poached shrimp and black rice on a bed of arugula served with agave dijon dressing. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, however I was not impressed with this salad. The greens were overpowered by

1.”Fallingwater” by Maggie Rogers

5.“25 in Barcelona” by JP Saxe

9.“Slow Burn” by Kasey Musgraves

2. “Loving Is Easy” by Rex Orange County

6. “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers

10.“Fire and Flood” by Vance Joy

3.“Something Like Olivia” by John Mayer

7.“Better Together” by Jack Johnson

11. “River and Roads” by The Head and the Heart

8. “Lights On” by Shawn Mendes

12.”Face to Face” by Ruel

4. ”Fortress” by Lennon Stella

Username: @charlottemcnealy Followers: 23.0k Favorite tiktoker: ChaChi

“My friend Erin and I were making [tik toks] as a joke, and when we woke up it had over 7k likes. It kept getting more popular. We couldn’t stop laughing because we couldn’t believe it.”

“My favorite part about making tik toks is trying to get on the For You page. Even though I do it as a joke, I still want those likes.”

North Campus



4.5/5

Chicken BLT tartines topped with a green goddess dressing, served with a side salad (Bonfiglio/LION).

Username: @olivia83002 Followers: 21.1k Favorite move: the ‘Woah’

Olivia Washburn ‘20

the amount of toppings and the items did not mix as well as I thought they would.

On a different note, when the chicken BLT tartines ($16) and C & B burger ($16) were dished out, I was pleasantly surprised. A tartine is an open faced sandwich. The ingredients were neatly stacked on the tartine, drizzled in a green goddess sauce. The addition of chicken to the classic BLT flavors was a great touch. The dish includes three tartines and a side salad, making it great for sharing. The juicy burger was topped with American cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, and mayo. The patty itself was the perfect size and was truly a quality burger.

The menu also offers a variety of entrees along with different vegetables, tartines, salads, and poke or pasta bowls.

I will definitely recommend this place to anyone seeking a new, quality restaurant and I will be going back to try more of the distinct dishes on the menu.

Charlottee McNealy ‘22

100 S. Brainard Ave. LaGrange, Ill. 60525



South Campus



compiled by Mia Bonfiglio and Dani Almase 4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558