April 2012 Spectator

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S P E C TAT O R

Volume 90 Number 6

1500 West Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045

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april 19, 2012

Featured Stories

NEWS

New assistant deans revealed: Ms. Hagar and Mrs. Jones

page 2

NEWS

New freshman class facts and figures

page 6

FEATURES

The Spectator critiques popular breakfast locations

page 12

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Laptop Orchestra to collaborate with 2D Imaging class

page 15

SPORTS

New P.E. offered: Modern and hip hop dance

page 18

Artist’s rendering of the front facade of the new Science Center

Plans for new Science Center underway

By Hunter Johnstone News Editor

After much planning and preparation, construction of the new school Science Center, as it is being referred to officially, is planned to begin as early as next month. Andy Kerr, LFA’s Chief Financial Officer, said that the “goal is to be able to break ground before the end of May.” The new building will be located between the Cressey Center and Atlass Hall; however, it is still to be determined if the Science Center will be connected to Cressey or be a stand-alone building.

According to Kerr, construction and outfitting of the new building will take 12-14 months to complete (hopefully before the 2013-2014 academic year) and will cost an estimated $7 million, the bulk of which has already been raised.

Preparations and plans for construction have been allowed under the provision that the rest of these funds will be raised.

Kerr expressed confidence that the school can do so before construction begins.

“One of the most important things [about the Science Center] is that we’re going to have a lab and a classroom in the same space,” said Kerry Cedergren, Science Department Head, regarding the need for improved and expanded science facilities.

Cedergren said this seamlessness between the classroom and the laboratory will benefit students by letting them work on experiments as they

learn the corresponding materials, as well as allow for more frequent lab work.

Erica Wood, physics instructor, is similarly looking forward to “the ability to have everything in one classroom…where you can turn around and have a demo.”

“For physics we need space more than anything else,” said Wood on how the Science Center will benefit the subject.

Wood explained how performing group experiments in her current classroom can be crammed and not allow each group the space they need.

Along with meeting this demand for space with two combination laboratory/classrooms designed for twenty students, the Science Center will feature prep rooms between the labs as described by Kerr. Also planned are a number of small group-work/independent study rooms, whiteboard walls on which students can write out problems and ideas, and a patio and seating area in the front (east side) of the building. As for the technological features, Kerr said that they “will move over what’s appropriate and recycle what isn’t” from lower Corbin, and they will outfit the Science Center with the most up-to-date technology utilized by the school.

Possibly the only concern with the construction of the Science Center is the time required for students to travel to and from their science classes as LFA has no passing periods and the new building will be located farther away from Corbin and Reid Hall than the Cressey Center. Wood noted that many arts classes in Cressey al-

ready have to clean up and end class well before the period is up so that students can be on time to their next class. At a farther distance, the new science classes could suffer from a greater time constraint. Both Wood and Cedergren believed this would have the greatest effect on the ability to complete lab work in one day, especially in classes like Physics 9 where there are no double periods.

“This building is designed to enhance the study and learning of science and its integration with all the other disciplines,” said Kerr regarding the role of the Science Center in academics. “That’s really what we’re trying to do.” This integration continues to be a central concept of the new building design, referred to officially as “STEAM”, or Science integrated with Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Additionally, the Science Center will be constructed to LEED specifications for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Kerr listed ambient lighting and widespread use of passive heating and cooling systems as some of the ways in which these specifications will be met.

Overall expectations for the Science Center are very positive. Cedergren mentioned that she “is very grateful that we have this chance to have a beautiful new building,” and Kerr considered its construction to be “exciting…we think it will be a place where students will want to spend some of their spare time.”

THE ORANGE

Letters to Leo: How to ask a girl to prom

page 20

All images courtesy of Mr. Andy Kerr

The new science building will be constructed between Cressey and Atlass Dorm.

THE SPECTATOR

News

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World News Roundup Compiled by Mary Kate Hayes and Ariana Bhatia

Siberian plane crash kills thirty-one passengers Information from CNN

A Siberian plane went down April 2 killing 31 of its 43 passengers. The plane took off from Tyumen and immediately could not be tracked down by air traffic control. The cause of the crash is unknown, but help from foreign experts will hopefully identify the problem. Britain, France and Canada plan to help investigate.

Trayvon Martin killed by volunteer watchman Information from Seattle Times

Florida’s “Stand Your Own” law allowed Trayvon Martin’s killer to not be questioned for the 17-year-old’s death on February 26.

The shooter, George Zimmerman, was the neighborhood’s volunteer watchman. He shot Martin after seeing the black man, who wore a hoodie to shelter him from the rain, approaching him. But 911 calls, witnesses, both men’s families, and Trayvon’s girlfriend have contradicting stories of the event. Both Zimmerman’s and Trayvon’s families defend their own son; yet, witnesses now say that it was the young man calling for help.

Photo courtesy of Tribune Media Services Trayvon’s parents and Reverend Jessie Jackson addressing a group of supporters

Hagar to take on role of Assistant Dean of Faculty

By Anastasia Perry Staff Writer

The school year of 20122013 is expected to generate many new changes and improvements, particularly in the faculty.

In hoping to improve the Academic experience at Lake Forest Academy (LFA), the school has decided to restructure the current positions of Dean of Faculty, Dean of Students, and Academic Dean into two positions; Dean of Students and Dean of Faculty and Curriculum. The creation of these two positions also generated two new positions: Assistant Dean of Students and Assistant Dean of Faculty.

Mrs. Ardelle Hagar will work beside Mr. Phil Schwartz, the Dean of Faculty and Curriculum, as the new Assistant Dean of Faculty and support his new vision for improving the school academically. Schwartz will supervise and manage the curriculum, faculty, academic advising, and scheduling, while Hagar will particularly focus and assist with matters of the faculty. In an interview with Hagar, she explained her position more fully:

“I will be assisting Mr. Schwartz…from helping with

By Carina Baker Features Editor

US increases sanctions on Iranian companies

Two new assistant dean positions have been created for the next school year, and Mrs. Kate Jones has been chosen to fill one of them. The new Assistant Dean of Students position has been created to enhance the Dean of Students’ office and its ability to respond to student needs. The position will officially begin in the 2012-2013 academic year and Mrs. Kate Jones has been selected to fill the new job opening. She will be “in charge of student development”.

“I’m going to be working with students who are coming that may need support in their

In addition to previous sanctions on Iran, the United States has placed new sanctions, specifically on engineering and shipping companies that are directly or indirectly doing business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp has been named a terrorist organization by the U.S. Government. Their specialized Quds unit has had relations with companies that have been sanctioned such as the Iran Maritime Industrial Company SADRA. These additional sanctions are designed to curtail the Iranian economy and further enforce the U.S.’s stand against Iranian nuclear developments.

Ms. Hagar teaching a math class

the hiring and mentoring of new faculty members, to assisting department chairs with the annual self-assessments and professional development plans, to working in conjunction with the Academic Office to plan workshops and coordinate Grant opportunities that would help the faculty be better teachers.”

With this new system and focus on detail, LFA hopes to improve its teaching staff and, in return, help its students excel.

Photo by Jane Xu

Hagar, having had much experience as the Chair of the Math Department looks forward to this new position.

“Many of the responsibilities I have as Assistant Dean of Faculty will be similar to the work I have done as Chair of the Math Department, but done on a larger scale.”

Hagar will be teaching fewer classes and the process has begun to find a new chair for the Math Department.

Jones to fill new Assistant DOS position

demonstrating in the wake of the shooting of the young man.

Information from CNN News and Yahoo News

April 20, 2012

academic adjustment to the academy,” Jones said.

She will also be working with any students who are struggling academically, coordinating the support services that individual students may need to succeed. The new role will also have elements of discipline and leadership, said Jones, although she emphasized that as this is a brand new position, there are still many things yet to be determined.

“I’ll be working with Mr. Tennyson and Mr. Freeman in the Dean of Students office,” Jones said, “It’s completely under the umbrella of the Dean of Students.”

Her job will not overlap with the role of the other new As-

sistant Dean, Ardelle Hagar.

One of the biggest changes, at least from the perspective of the student body, is that Mrs. Jones will no longer be one of the counselors. She will, however, still be teaching Seminar.

Although there are similarities between this new job and her old, such as continuing work with student development and student support services, Jones said that the change will be a big transition.

“It’s hard to imagine what it’s going to be, since I’ve been doing my current job for the last eight years,” Jones said, “It’s going to be a shift.”

THE SPECTATOR

News

april 20, 2012

Future renovation possibilites for Corbin, Korhumel discussed

By Zunaira Arshad Op-Ed Editor

With decision to move ahead with the construction of the new LFA Science Building, many teachers, administrators (and even students) are starting to wonder publicly what shall happen to the Corbin and Korhumel Buildings.

The reshaping of space in lower Corbin, in particular, has become a hot discussion topic at LFA. While administrators caution that no official planning for Corbin has begun, students, faculty, and trustees alike have begun dialogue on possible uses of the buildings once they are vacated.

Mr. Andrew Kerr, the school’s chief financial officer, has mentioned that no plans for

Corbin are set in stone.

“Figuring out how to use this space for the school’s best advantage is what we are wrestling with now,” he stated.

Other possible uses of this space include additional classrooms for teachers or creating new offices for each department.

There is also a current need for

Kerr went on to mention that there are quite a few possibilities for how the space may be used. Whatever does happen will undoubtedly include technology. One specific possibility is to create a multimedia lab which could be used by all departments. Another idea would be to move the IT department so that they may have a more centralized location and extra room. This would also give them more space for running the Robotics club as well as their technology training where they can give tips and tricks for iPads.

more faculty meeting space.

These meeting spaces could offer places where faculty and students could interact or where department heads may hold their specific department meetings.

All of these final decisions will not be made, said Kerr, until the science department does, in fact, move out of the space. Therefore there are numerous ideas afloat for what to do with the Corbin space but none are officially sanctioned at this time.

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Campus News In this space, The Spectator provides further details on upcoming events at Lake Forest Academy.

Compiled by Hunter Johnstone

April 25

Vox Concert

Vox will adopt a new format for their concert this year in which they will be performing a series of scenes from famous musical theater productions. The concert will feature primarily group songs and duets and will take place at 7 PM in the Cressey Center auditorium.

May 5

Prom

This year’s prom will take place at the Shedd Aquarium on May 5. The theme will be Octupus’ Garden, based on the popular song of the same name by the Beatles.

Photo courtesy of diningchicago.com The dance will be centered around the Caribbean Reef (shown here) and the main lobby at the Shedd Aquarium.

Photo by Hunter Johnstone The current space in lower Corbin is one of the building spaces that will undergo renovations within the next few years.

Sophomore class plans Ra Weekend festivities

By Anastasia Perry Staff Writer

As spring approaches, many students find themselves relaxing in the sun and looking forward to the end-of-the-year festivities at LFA. Spring here just would not be spring without the Moon-Bounce, the Freshman Car Wash and the giant soccer balls of Ra Weekend. Many students at LFA are excited to finish off the AP exams with a weekend of friends and fun!

As is tradition at LFA, the sophomore class will be running and setting up the Ra-

Weekend events. They will put up the usual dunk-tank, obstacle course, moon-bounce, and giant soccer balls. The freshman will also be working the annual carwash. In addition to these events, the Sophomore Class President, Tommy Clarke, hopes to get everyone in the school more involved this year.

“There will be opportunities for different clubs, different organizations, to set up here in school, to have fundraisers and booths at Ra Weekend to raise money,” explained Clarke.

Though this is still an idea that the sophomore class is

looking into, Clarke hopes that many of the main clubs at LFA will volunteer to join in the fun.

The sophomore class has a few surprises planned for this year’s Ra Weekend, and hopes to sell something other than Ra Weekend T-Shirts. Clarke refused to disclose any of the other ideas that they have been exploring to replace T-shirts because he is unsure what they will be doing.

“It’s also going to be a really great experience because the House Cup is going to be parallel with it, and with the Freshman Car Wash. So it should be a great weekend!” said Clarke.

May 7-18

AP Exams

AP Exams begin with the AP Chemistry and Environmental Science exams at 8 AM on Monday, May 7. A full exam schedule is provided below or can be found in the back of the Day Planner.

Date Mon. May 7

Tues. May 8

Wed. May 9

Thurs. May 10

Fri. May 11

Mon. May 14

Tues. May 15

Wed. May 16 Thurs. May 17

Fri. May 18

Morning Exam (8 AM) Chemistry

Environmental Science Computer Science A Spanish Language Calculus AB

Calculus BC

English Literature

United States History

Biology

Music Theory US Gov’t & Politics

English Language Macroeconomics World History Human Geography Spanish Literature

Afternoon Exam (Noon) Psychology Art History Chinese Language & Culture Japanese Language Latin: Vergil European History Studio Art Physics B Physics C: Mechanics Comparitive Gov’t French Language Statistics Microeconomics

THE SPECTATOR 4

News

April 20, 2012

Students reflect on LFA Spring Break trip experiences around the world

By Matt Stevens Managing Editor

There were many spring break trips offered this year at LFA. Students went to China and Thailand, Morocco and France, the Virgin Islands, and Israel and Jordan. Now that these trips are over the students who went on these trips reflected on what they learned, what they enjoyed, and all the crazy things that happened while traveling.

The French culture class took a trip to Morocco and France. They stayed with host families in Rabat and in a Berber village. In Rabat they saw the city and worked with various NGOs and learned about Moroccan society and culture while also doing service. The Berber village stuck out in many of their memories, however.

“They only spoke Arabic and Berber so I had to pick up some basic words like ‘thank you,’ or ‘stop making me eat’ because they just kept on making me eat,” said Philbert Tong.

“None of the women were allowed to leave, except the girl who had to go to school, so all they had was each other, so it was a lot more intense,” said Anastasia Perry.

Many of the Berbers also used donkeys to get around, so many of the students got to ride donkeys.

“That was the first time I’ve ever ridden an animal,” said Casey Coulter. “It was awesome. It made my week.”

“We learned that the people there are actually really nice and hospitable despite not having much,” said Tong “I met this really old woman, and although I didn’t speak her language, she offered me tea.”

Photo courtesy of Carolyn Schoen

The male members of the HOS Symposium spring break trip on the main Roman road in the town of Jerash, Jordan.

They finished up their trip with two days in Paris, including a visit to a Muslim cultural center and a mosque.

The Head of School Symposium trip went to Israel and Jordan. Many students were surprised by their initial impressions as they came into Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

“It blew me away because it was so green,” said Brian Challenger.

“I was surprised how much tourism has affected Jerusalem. I didn’t expect it to be so touristy,” said Rachel Riccio.

After a week in Israel, the trip moved on

Photo courtesy of the LFA China/Thailand Trip blog

Hannah Sklarov, Hope Challenger, and Grace Kasten are greeted by an elephant on the LFA Spring Break trip to China and Thailand.

to Jordan, which for many was an entirely different experience from Israel.

“Amman was a nice city, but it was definitely a really different transition,” said Challenger.

“It was interesting to see that not everyone in Israel was wearing headdresses, but when we got to Amman and Jordan, a lot of girls were in full headdresses, so I did feel a little odd walking around without one,” said Riccio.

Many of the students also had religious experiences as well.

“In the Garden of Gethsemane, it was a little overwhelming just to be in the actual place where Jesus was. When we went into the church I took a moment to pray. That was probably the most powerful moment of the trip,” said Riccio.

“It made me want to go back to church again and start exploring my religion once again,” said Challenger.

The AP Environmental Science class took a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

They stayed on an off-grid sustainable farm and got to see many places around the island and do service work.

“It was rough the first few days because there were lizards everywhere, and there was a frog in my shower, which I was not a fan of,” said Corry Lane

“We were staying in the middle of the rainforest, which could not have been more beautiful,” said Haley Wilhelm. “But,

then during some days we would climb in the vans and head to the most beautiful beaches.”

The trip was a learning experience for many of the kids.

“For the first time ever, I wasn’t just reading my APES textbook and talking about living sustainably, I was actually doing it,” said Wilhelm.

“It was a good balance of relaxation and service,” said Lane.

There was also a trip to China and Thailand. Students got to see Bangkok, Qunming, Beijing, as well as many other sites near these cities. Many students said that the Reclining Buddha in Thailand was among the highlights of there trips.

“The Great Wall of China was amazing. It was so much fun,” said Amanda Bozorgi.

Many students also got to experience at least a part of the local culture.

“A lot of us learned how to use chopsticks because we didn’t know how to,” said Hannah Sklarov.

“Bargaining was actually one of my favorite parts,” said Seimasko “And if they didn’t speak enough English they’d pull out a calculator and they’d put in a price and I’d put in a price”

“I think traveling to another country is easily the best way to learn about it, rather than just reading about it in a textbook,” said Seimasko.

THE SPECTATOR april 20, 2012

News

Moving into Ferry Hall Photographer/writer Jane Xu was ready to photographically record the day when the Field and Mac girls officially moved into their new spaces Ferry Hall. Clockwise from top left: Stella Zhang is buying cold drinks from the vending machine for which boarders took a survey for choosing what to sell; the new bathroom; one of the study rooms in each hall; the new elevator to the second floor; the laundry room; a single room for seniors; one of the kitchens; the common room on the second floor; the twisted staircase connecting the first and the second floor.

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THE SPECTATOR 6

News

April 20, 2012

Incoming LFA freshmen: New class composed of many siblings, faculty children, and day students

By Grace Coburn Sports Editor

With deadlines and the end of the year nearing, it’s time to think ahead to next year. The Admissions Office has been extremely busy the past new months preparing for next year, selecting which applicants will be offered a place in next year’s freshmen class. From a record number of applications, there are 68 students currently enrolled for the incoming freshmen class and 18 more undecided. Then there is a long waiting list. Admissions Dean Loring Strudwick has described the incoming class to have a “wide variety of students.”

With 43-day students and 25 boarding students so far, the origins of the new freshmen students are spread out across the globe. So far, 12 students are attending from China, including twin sisters Nina and Sonia Lai, one from Canada, one from Korea, one from New York, one from California, and two from Iowa. As well as out of state boarding students, there are also 10 Illinois boarders.

The 43 day students come from across the North Shore: Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Libertyville, Gurnee, Evanston, Grays Lake, Waukegan,

Buffalo Grove, and Lake Villa.

Dean Strudwick expects that the final freshman class will have between 85-90 students. The incoming class includes many faculty children, as well as siblings: Matt Pugliese, son of Senior Associate Dean of Admissions Mrs. Caroline Pugliese and brother of Lauren Pugliese; Andrew Johnson, son of Spanish teacher Dr. Stephen Johnson and brother of junior Dylan Johnson; Katie Zhou, daughter of Mrs. Ivy Jiang; Marion Claire Wick, daughter of Mr. David Wick and sister of Graham and James Wick; Marcus Koppenhoefer, son of Accounts Receivable Accountant, Judee Koppenhoefer; and JP Shaughnessy, son of physics teacher Mr. Ed Shaughnessy and brother of Ben Shaughnessy. Siblings of Mary Kate Patton, Emily Meyer, Alec Doyal, Eric Flynn, Tommy Clarke, Katie Reid-Anderson, Carolyn Gillette, Vivian Chung, Adam Mills, and Faith Ekakitie will also be attending next year as freshmen.

Strudwick has high hopes for the incoming class of 2016.

“The class of 2016 is a diverse group of talented artists, athletes, academics, adventurers, and achievers,” said Strudwick.

Cartoon by Jane Xu

Move into Ferry Hall creates new double single space in Field Dorm

By Ariana Bhatia Editor-in-Chief

While many girls have moved into Ferry Hall, those who remain in their original dorms feel the change, particularly in Field. With approximately half of Field Dorm moving into Ferry Hall, those who remain find themselves with more space.

As a result, 23 double singles were created, dorm rooms which were designed for two people but actually only house one, were created. While there was a strict selection process for moving into Ferry Hall, almost every girl who wanted a double single in Field received one. Two single rooms remain open, one of which may be turned into a small kitchen space.

With many moving out, members of Field are not only adjusting to the new space, but also, to the new atmosphere.

“It’s just more manageable, now Field can do a lot of things Mac could do,

during study nights we can put up a form where 14 can sign out to study together,” said Ms. Diane Cooper, Field dorm head.

“We’re still finding our identity now that we’ve lost half the girls.”

“The dorm feels very empty!” said senior Allie Matherne.”But Field has definitely regained its sense of community, I have enjoyed getting to know some of the girls who have moved closer to me due to the open rooms.

“I love the extra space personally.

It actually feels like a normal bedroom in my double single,” said junior Alexandria Moton.

When asked why they chose to stay in Field rather than apply to move to Ferry Hall, many Field girls stayed not only for the extra space but also out of a sense of loyalty.

“As a four-year senior, I could have easily landed a single in Ferry Hall, but it just didn’t feel right. In my time at

LFA, being a Field girl has really shaped who I am,” said senior Haley Wilhelm.

“Leaving Field would have been a lot of

work, and a little bit of betrayal. My favorite teachers are still on duty at Field and I made a pact with some girls to stay.”

Photo by Jane Xu

The new spacious double-single rooms went to the vast majority of the Field girls who wanted them.

THE SPECTATOR

Opinion and Editorial

april 20, 2012

Opinion:

By Zunaira Arshad Op-Ed Editor

I recently came across an article outlining the New York Police Department’s secret surveillance of Muslim student associations (MSA) around the Northeast of the country. Institutions like Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, and New York University were among the schools targeted. After reading in detail the actions of these un-justifiable investigations I came to realize how spoiled I am to go to a school like Lake Forest Academy.

At LFA I have never felt the sense of insecurity that many Muslim students around America are currently discerning at their respective schools.

These incidents make many question the actual legitimacy behind the secret investigations. Under U.S. law any website is subject to being checked by authorities for suspicious activity. It is when the authorities begin to keep track of names and files for persons who have not committed any crimes or been involved with any suspicious activity that the subject becomes unconstitutional. People are not solely offended by the lack of distrust the authorities have put on them; they are also dealing with the newly-created problems from those background checks and surveillances. Today it is already very hard to get a job with a completely clean resume. If employers see names of their prospective

Are Muslim students’ civil liberties in jeopardy?

employees in files connecting them to investigations of possible criminal activity, it does not matter what the situation was, getting that job becomes ten times harder.

Recently, the Yale Daily News allowed the officers of the Yale MSA to write guest opinion articles condemning the preemptive covert investigations like those of the NYPD. In the official Yale MSA response Yale students highlighted how “shocked and saddened (they were) by this violation of (their) civil rights and basic dignity as students, based purely on a religious and national identity.”

What is probably most alarming about this improper surveillance of university MSAs is that it has scared away many members from staying with an organization that they had previously cherished. No one wants to be suspected of any wrongdoing and it is understandable that students would shy away from situations that could put their civil liberties in danger. It is sad, though, that students are forced to stop attending religious events and participating as members in their close-knit communities just to insure that they can count on their civil liberties.

As a junior in high school my time to go to college is no longer a vague dream far off in my future. It is quickly approaching. As many Muslims I know before me, I have always planned on joining a Muslim Students Association because of its practical usefulness. These types of organiza-

Fordam Law students upset by surveillance.

Photo by Jane Xu

Junior Zunaira Arshad is aggravated by the injustice toward MSA organizations.

tions serve to plan fast breaks during the month of Ramadan, they provide schedules for Prayer times, and they conduct charity work for other organizations. Muslim Students Associations have no intention of doing anything other then creating a sense of community for students on campus, which makes it hard to see why these organizations in particular are being singled out and

labeled as terrorist advocates.

Though, I am grateful for the authorities that continually endeavor towards keeping us Americans citizens safe there is a definite line between ensuring safety from those that will cause harm and discriminating against a law-abiding particular type of people based on their religious beliefs.

Photo Courtesy of http://media.ny1.com

Photos courtesy of Google Images

NYPD Discriminates against university MSAs.

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Photo Courtesy of www.pavementpieces.com

New York University students protest NYPD’s surveillance of its MSA.

THE SPECTATOR

Opinion and Editorial

8

April 20, 2012

Opinion: We need a new science curriculum

By Matt Stevens Managing Editor

LFA has recently been very proactive in trying to improve how classes are taught. Between a new science building and new iPads, a lot is being done to improve the classroom environment. But change has been slower in what is being taught, largely because the curriculum works well as is. Except, that is, for the AP sciences. Students typically take physics their freshman year and chemistry their sophomore year, leaving no room for an introductory biology course for students who want to take multiple AP sciences. As a result, only six students are taking AP Biology, compared to 50 in AP Chemistry and 49 in AP Physics. In effect, AP Physics and Chemistry courses have two years to cover their material, and AP Biology only one. In a one-year course there is a great rush to cover all of the material, and in a two-year course, there is significant repetition and review.

It seems clear that for students headed for AP courses, one and a half years of total course work would be optimal. A workable solution would be for these students to take one-semester introductory courses in the three core sciences before their year of AP. This would give them a strong enough base to prepare them for an AP course while allowing them to maximize how much they learn. It would also mean that they would leave LFA with at least an exposure to all of the sciences. The extra semester, preferably the first semester of freshman year, could be used for teaching (in context) fundamental skills like the scientific method, technical writing, significant figures, and dimensional analysis.

A significant part of introductory physics and chemistry classes are spent teaching these concepts, and having time to really reinforce them would be great preparation for any science class.

Granted, this would require the entire science faculty to alter their courses, which is no small task, especially if it is

Senior Matt Stevens is “weighing” options for the science curriculum.

done in tandem with the adjustment to a new building. Likewise, it would only be beneficial for students taking multiple AP sciences. So for many reasons, this proposal is merely a suggestion. However, with all the change going on at LFA, it seems that now is the time to capitalize on the

Photo By Jane Xu

improvements being made. It would be a shame if all of this change is made in order to do the same thing that has always been done, merely in a different media or setting. Instead, it would be fantastic if LFA could be as forward-thinking with its curriculum as it has been with its classrooms.

Inquiring Photographer School shootings, like those in Colorado, Virginia Tech and most recently at a school in Ohio, have left many school communities and students devastated across the country. In response to these horrific incidents, the staff of The Spectator asked LFA students how safe they felt while on campus.

The following students responded...

“Yes I do feel safe because there are good security measures being taken like the security guards around campus and also the ID cards.”

-Cece Boles

“I do feel safe because it’s a very exclusive campus and it’s somewhat hard to get to.

Not many people know of it, we only have that sign right off of the highway and no one can really see our actual buildings.”

-AJ Jayakunar

“Yes I do feel safe beacuse there are a lot of security guards around. But I don’t feel a lot of security from the ID cards because people will just let you into the buildings.”

-Grace Robinson

“I feel extremely safe because unlike most high schools Lake Forest Academy requires ID cards for entrance into many of the buildings. Although, it is interesting that the student center is left unlocked majority of the time.”

-Devan Rottman

“I feel as though it is really safe because everything is so peaceful around school.”

-Angel Zhang

“The only thing that would make LFA safer is bulletproof glass. Personally, I don’t see any students at LFA that would consider harming the school.”

-Arlo Clarke

“Yes, it’s the safest I have ever felt anywhere. I love how we have locked doors and very serious campus security.”

-Gabe Gould

“I feel pretty safe. I don’t think there is much crime in Lake Forest and we don’t need that much security.”

-Will Stewart

THE SPECTATOR april 20, 2012

Opinion and Editorial

Editorial:

T h e L a k e A c a d e m y

Is LFA prepared for an emergency?

Because teachers take lots of time to tell us, many of us know exactly how to do a research paper , what the structure of an essay is, how to annotate our readings , and what needs to be included in a lab report. But what each of us needs to do – or where we need to be -- during a school emergency doesn’t come as immediately to mind as we walk the halls of school every day.

If you think about that, it’s scary. The one time all LFA students need to know where to go will be during a school-wide emergency. Until recently, when Mr. Chris Tennyson emailed everyone a statement about what to do in an emergency, nobody

knew what to do, where to go, or how to react . More importantly we also didn’t know what NOT to do.

By now, all of the students at LFA have received the updated Emergency Response Plan from Mr. Tennyson. However, how many of you actually took the time to open the detailed plan, which spans many pages, and read and memorize the whole thing? Probably not even a majority of us actually read the document. While the school has provided a prominent plan in case of an emergency, how effective is this plan if most of the students are not familiar with it.

In the past three years, the school has not had one fire,

tornado, or lockdown drill during school hours. We can argue all we want that the school has a plan, but if chaos ensues, those who do not have an understanding of what is happening will further the chaos. Even though these drills can be scary and disrupt class time, isn’t the safety of the students more important than disrupting an hour of class. A recent spark of school violence and the ever-changing weather bring up a question that no one wants to ask: can it happen here? The answer is “Yes”; even though the odds of events such as these actually happening here are extremely rare, they are always possible and unpredictable, so, we as a community should be better prepared.

Catchy Cartoons This year The Spectator will print opinionated cartoons from around the nation.

9 F o r e s t

S P E C TAT O R STAFF LIST

Editors-in-Chief

News Editors Managing Editor Feature Editors

Sports Editor Arts & Entertainment Editors

Op-Ed Editors

Entropica Editors

Photo Editors

Staff Writer

Faculty Adviser

Andrea Shen Mary Kate Hayes Ariana Bhatia Hunter Johnstone Matt Stevens Sarah Clark Carina Baker Grace Coburn Mimi Moses Anastasia Perry Erica Lewis Zunaira Arshad Leo Rudberg Jane Xu Bailey Ayers John Luttig Lauren Clamage Nancy Wang Brian Ahern Michelle Whitehead William Murphy

PUBLICATION The Spectator is published eight times per year by the students of Lake Forest Academy and is a forum for student expression. The views and reporting herein are the sole product of The Spectator’s student reporters and in no way reflect the official views of Lake Forest Academy faculty, staff, administration or Board of Trustees.

EDITORIALS Opinions of the staff are presented in the form of unsigned editorials. Personal views are bylined or presented as formal dissents.

SUBMISSIONS The Spectator welcomes submissions from the community.

If you would like to write an article, please see Mr. Murphy (please note: if space is limited, priority goes to journalism students). We also welcome short stories and poetry for our “Featured Writers” column, and we are always interested in publishing student artwork and photographs. Please send all submissions to Mr. Murphy via e-mail at wmurphy@lfanet.org, or hand them to him directly.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The Spectator welcomes responses to its articles in the form of Letters to the Editors in addition to letters on subjects of the author’s choosing. Please e-mail Letters to the Editors to Mr. Phioto Courtesy of Alexandra Campbell Murphy at wmurphy@lfanet.org.

AWARDS The LFA Spectator has been awarded several prestigious journalism awards in recent years.

2008 The American Scholastic Press Association... 1st Place 2008 The Kempler Moraine Press Association... 1st Place 2009 The American Scholastic Press Association... 1st Place 2009 The Kemper Moraine Press Association... 1st Place 2010 The American Scholastic Press Association... 1st Place

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth.”

Courtesy of Tribune Media Services

-Dorothy Thompson

THE SPECTATOR

Features

10

april 20, 2012

Hidden Talents:

Fabulous Caxy Fi Chris Karamanos

Photo by Meg Kennedy and Lauren Clamage

Mei Zhan playing the violin in the Music Room.

Mei Zhan

By Nancy Wang Staff Writer

A skinny Asian girl with long, smooth black hair confidently walks on stage, firmly holding her shiny violin. As she takes a deep breath and begins performing, her hair beautifully moves with the rhythm, the student body is stunned into silence and remains amazed until she strikes the last note of the piece. Then the crowd applauds like never before.

“I love performing violin more than anything.” said Mei Zhan after her first school performance during morning meeting. An extremely passionate and talented violinist, Zhan, a freshman girl from China, is currently enrolled in one of the best music programs nationwide--the Academy program at The Music Institute of Chicago. Coached by Almita Vamos, one of the leading violin instructors in the world and a prestigious Concert Artist Guild Award winner, Zhan has mastered the basics of violin performance in both chamber music and orchestra.

“She is the kind of person who plays incredibly and you might not even realize what she was doing because she is so good at it.” said music teacher Mr. Tim Plambeck who enjoys working with Zhan every cycle because of her unique “cooperative” character and musical energy. “It is the give and take of energy that differentiates her from many violinists I have worked with. I can tell right away she loves playing with people.”

Enrolled in violin lessons at a conservatory school of music in China since the age of six, Zhan described her nine-year relationship with the violin to be “destined”.

“I have never asked my mom anything as she recalled, but I cried and begged her to buy me a violin when I was six.” said Zhan.

Zhan, introduced to LFA through the Music Institute last April, currently studies in LFA’s ESL program. Although the curriculums do seem challenging to her, compared to those at her school in China, Zhan said that she enjoys her teachers and classes very much.

“I like Ms. McCabe’s class a lot.” said Zhan, “I love when a teacher sets goals for me and really pushes me through.”

When asked about the most challenging part of playing violin, Zhan gives an answer with assurance: “Being persistent is the hardest. But it doesn’t bother me anymore because I love it so much.”

By Jenna Selati Staff Writer

It typically takes years of training and focus for an athlete to excel in their sport. For Sophomore Chris Karamanos, it has only taken three.

Labeled one of the best of Lake Forest Academy’s wrestling team, Karamanos found success this past winter—achieved in only his third year as a wrestler—which has played a big part in elevating the team’s previously shaky confidence.

Karamanos finished 3-0 at the year-ending invitational hosted by The Kiski School of Pennsylvania, a boarding school with a renowned wrestling program. According to LFA wrestling coach Mathias Kerr, defeating a Kiski opponent is an accomplishment of which to be proud.

“Kiski was just on its own level,” said Kerr. “They have a fantastic program.”

Karamanos also added a stellar finish at the Pennsylvania State Tournament, a qualifying tournament for nationals, to his list of accomplishments. Finishing seventh, Karamanos missed the qualification for nationals by one place. However, he is using his loss as motivation for next year. His goal is simple.

“To qualify,” stated Karamanos. “Top three.”

With training plans set for the offseason (Karamanos also plays football for LFA), it seems he just might get there. While at home this summer, Karamanos will wrestle with a friend’s brother who is a nationally-ranked college wrestler. Along with the rest of LFA’s wrestling team, Karamanos will also use the team’s new athletic equipment and practice space to his advantage.

“I like the new equipment, it helps us better ourselves,” said Karamanos. “The jump ropes really help us get in shape for the season.”

Getting in shape is as important for a wrestler as it is for any other athlete. With specific weight class requirements, wrestlers must carefully watch their diets while following strict fitness regimens. Though demanding, Karamanos enjoys the sport.

“When you win, there’s no greater feeling,” said Karamanos. “So it’s all worth it.”

Photo by Brian Parmenter

Chris Karamanos wrestling at a tournament at Kiski.

P

Oh Joon Kwon preparing for a Math

Oh Joon

By Yakov Shapiro Staff Writer

“The Math Team without J without unlimited breadsticks. It’s s ter.” said Lake Forest Academy Ma ing about sophomore Oh Joon Kwo the LFA community with his partic academic and extracurricular pursui

As a freshman, Kwon parti Mathematics Association regional multiple events. He continued to com of Illinois, where he won, almost sin person team event and was a major eight-person team event. This April level competition with the LFA mat

Kwon’s talents have not go

“Joon came [to LFA] as a v ity to manipulate mathematical for helped him develop,” said Joe Ward

Kwon has a reputation am nity as an menacing Counter-Strike times and deadly accuracy. Recently to focus more on his school work an

Kwon founded Caxy Film to filming and producing short movi the school campus with a DSLR ca graphs. Kwon is also interested in fi

“I suppose it’s because of film writer. She has influenced me,”

After high school, Kwon p tute of Technology to become a de ware. However, Kwon isn’t plannin his dream of becoming a programm a job right now, maybe in editing or

THE SPECTATOR april 20, 2012

ive

Photo by Meg Kennedy and Lauren Clamage

h Team competition.

n Kwon

Joon would be like the Olive Garden still good, but it could be much betath Team coach Ken Magarie speakon. Kwon has continuously stunned cipation and achievement in various its at LFA. icipated in the American Scholastic competition and won first place in mpete at state level at the University nglehandedly, first place in the twor contributor to LFA’s victory in the l, Kwon is preparing to enter a state th team. one unnoticed by his teachers. very strong mathematician, his abilrmulas is very strong, and LFA has d, Kwon’s AP Statistics teacher. mong the LFA video game commue player, known for quick reaction y Joon has abandoned these pursuits nd other activities.

Production Club, a group dedicated ies. He’s often seen walking around amera, capturing interesting photofilm production. my mom, who was a documentary ” he said. plans to attend the California Instiesigner specializing in Adobe Softng on waiting until college to pursue mer. He admitted that he wants to get r a related field.

Features

11

The Journalism I class discovered five underclassmen with various gifts ranging from academics to athletics to fine arts. The class created this page to introduce these amazing individuals to you here.

Jessie Rosso

By Michelle Whitehead Staff Writer

If you have attended a Lake Forest Academy musical or a Vox, Chamber music, or Co-ax concert in the past two years, you have heard sophomore Jessie Rosso sing. Rosso is involved in a total of four musical activities on campus this year in addition to being a member of the voice branch of Arts Concentration. Specializing in musical theater and opera, Rosso is known throughout the fine arts community for her incredible voice as well as her acting skills.

“I started acting and singing in fifth grade,” said Rosso. “My old teacher at [Lake Forest Country Day School] introduced me to singing. I started with opera and then it evolved into musical theater.”

Rosso has been coached by Peg and Tim Plambeck since her freshman year at LFA. Mrs. Plambeck explained that they meet twice a cycle for voice lessons and that Mr. Plambeck sees Rosso once a week for vocal coaching.

“My main goal is to keep her focused on prioritizing her voice in her life,” stated Mr. Plambeck. “I want to nurture her as well as encourage her to continue with her music.”

“I would love to see her go on and major in music, whether she continues with classical or musical theater,” said Mrs. Plambeck. “She loves it enough and she is dedicated.”

Over the next few months, Rosso will be involved in many performances both on and off campus. According to Mrs. Plambeck, Rosso will be singing in the Vox concert on April 23rd, the Chamber concert on May 15th, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (N. A. T. S.) competition in Chicago on April 25th.

“Jessie is a natural musician,” said Mrs. Plambeck. “She is intrinsically musical and smart and, to me, that combination means she has tremendous potential.”

Photo courtesy of Mr. Mark Dryfoos

Jessie Rosso perfoming in LFA’s winter musical, The Secret Garden.

Photo by Meg Kennedy and Lauren Clamage

Preston Stolber making a pass during lacrosse practice.

Preston Stolberg

By Margaux Boles and Mary Kate Patton Staff Writers

With four years of experience, sophomore Preston Stolberg continues to make an impact on the second-year boys’ lacrosse team at Lake Forest Academy. Both a strong midfielder and team player, Stolberg continues to impress both his coaches and teammates in and outside of the LFA’s lacrosse program. Stolberg also plays for Team Illinois, a travel team, where he improves his performance and skills.

“Preston is one of the more experienced lacrosse players on the team,” commented Mr. Bob Degen, head lacrosse coach at LFA.

Preston’s love for lacrosse started when he watched his first game on television. The speed of the game became an immediate interest. He told his dad about his newfound love for the game and signed up for a beginner’s camp. Through years of practice, his level of experience makes him one of the best on the field.

“His knowledge of lacrosse helps people who don’t know how to play get to know the game better,” said LFA newcomer Barrett Medvec.

“Preston has solid skills like throwing and catching but he is also able to take face-offs and is willing to contribute anywhere else he is asked to,” said Degen. “Lacrosse is a unique game and the players have a passion for the game like few other sports. This passion is infectious and Preston passes this on to his newer teammates. He is able and willing to help the newer players improve their skills.”

Preston’s passion for the game comes out when he is on the field, hoping to come out with a win for his team. His best game was his championship game in seventh grade when his team won and he scored five goals.

Preston looks forward to a successful season and a strong sense of optimism that the entire team shares.

“His enthusiasm, work ethic, and leadership bring the team together, helping us to have a good time,” said senior team captain, Ross Burke.

“The keys to success this season will be making sure our team is solid defensively as well as scoring on our fast break opportunities,” said Stolberg. “I think the great coaching and great group of guys will keep people coming out for the sport. I couldn’t ask for a better set of either.”

THE SPECTATOR

Features

12

april 20, 2012

Popular breakfast spots and how they stacked up Page compiled by Ariana Bhatia and Sarah Clark

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day; keeping this in mind, The Spectator decided to test out local breakfast hot spots and report on our favorites. We visited restaurants accross the area and three places clearly rose above the rest. Eggsperience (located in Ban-

nockburn) came out the winner, taking first place. Not far behind, Walker Brothers (located in Highland Park) rallied for second, and Egg Harbor (located in Lake Forest) took third. All within 15 minutes of LFA, these restaurants proved to be the best breakfast places keeping in mind factors

such as price, ambiance, location, service, menu variety, seating, and most importantly, meal quality. Whether it’s a saturday morning or a D-day before school, here are The Spectator’s picks for a scrumptious breakfast near campus.

1st Place: Eggsperience in Bannockburn

While it is the farthest of the three from LFA (approximately 15 minutes away without traffic), the drive is well worth it. The ambiance of the restaurant is homey and quaint, displaying the usual chicken and egg mementos without seeming cluttered. The clean space contains ample legroom allowing you to choose from both spacious booths and tables. Upon being seated, you are given not only a regular menu but also a beverage menu. Unique to Eggsperience, this beverage menu includes innovative juice combos, such as pomegranate-orange juice, fruit smoothies, milkshakes, frappuccinos, tea and more.

Their main menu reflects the same amount of variety and options. In spite of its name, Eggsperience offers a variety of both salty and sweet entrees, in fact more sweet options than the other two locations. However, their only downfall is their lack of combos. This requires one to have to ultimately make the tough decision: salty or sweet?

In addition to their multiplicity of breakfast options, Eggsperience also serves several attractive lunch dishes including burgers, paninis and wraps. This along with the fast service and reasonable pricing makes Eggsperience an ideal breakfast location.

An omlette and pancakes at Eggsperience.

2nd Place: Walker Bros. in Highland Park

The Walker Bros. restaurant in Highland Park is by no means a distant second place to Eggsperience. With roughly equal pricing and meal quality, the restaurant makes a strong run for first, especially when you factor in their delicious Apple and German Pancakes. Its location in downtown Highland Park is ideal. While close to LFA, it is also located in a town with great shops and other restaurants. It is the ideal place for a low key day trip.

At the same time, Walker Bros is the only breakfast spot of these three that remains

open after 4:00 pm. You can stop in here until 9:30pm. As such, the restaurant offers great sandwich and salad options for later in the day. Nevertheless, all of their breakfast options remain available all day, good news if you’re in the mood for a late night pancake. Walker Bros also has the most spacious and private seating of these restaurants with large booths seemingly always available. Walker Bros is never a poor choice when looking for a great a breakfast spot.

The booth-style seating at Egg Harbor.

3rd Place: Egg Harbor in Lake Forest

Though it places third on this list, Egg Harbor in downtown Lake Forest is not a bad breakfast option. In terms of pricing and menu selections, it ranks on par with the other two restaurants as reasonably priced and varied in breakfast selections. The Egg Harbor menu offers many relatively cheap combo options for indecisive customers. Location is perhaps the restaurants greatest asset. Of the three breakfast spots in this article, this is the closest to the LFA campus and conveniently located near the train station. On

the other hand, Egg Harbor does have it’s pitfalls. The little restaurant feels casual but crowded, especially during the weekend when the wait to be seated can feel like forever. With limited booth options in terms of seating, it often feels as it you are back to back with the chairs at other tables.

In terms of decorations, Egg Harbor could do with a few less chickens. Unlike Walker Brothers, which can successfully transition into a dinner venue when you’re in the mood, Egg Harbor closes at 2:00pm, limiting such flexibility.

Photos by Ariana Bhatia and Sarah Clark

Sarah Clark pours a glass of water at Egg Harbor.

THE SPECTATOR april 20, 2012

Features

13

Is LFA prepared? Examining the school safety plan

Photos courtesy of (left to right) i.usatoday.net, abcnews.com, img.metro.co.uk, and newsimg.bbc.co.uk

A security camera snapshot, a newspaper story, a commemorative sign, and a medical team all respond to different acts of violence in schools across the nation.

By Sarah Clark Features Editor

In the wake of devastating acts of violence such as the horrifying shootings at Northern Illinois University, Colombine High School, and most recently Chardon High School in Ohio, high schools and universities across the nation have been forced to think extensively about campus safety.

Though many students may not realize it, Lake Forest Academy is no exception.

In April of 2009, the LFA Emergency Response Plan was adapted by Mr. Chris Tennyson, Dean of Students, using the Northern Illinois University Emer-

gency Guide (the guide in place during the school's infamous 2008 shootings which resulted in 6 fatalities).

"After the shootings, NIU was praised for their speed of response and pre-

motion and sent to advisors three years ago, many students still had no idea they even existed, raising questions about the effectiveness of an unknown Emergency Response Plan. This year however, after

to do now."

Despite the many updates to the LFA Emergency Response Plan, Tennyson is still constantly working on improvements. For example, he describes the lack

paredness," said Tennyson, "I used that as a starting point."

In addition to plans for lockdowns and intruder response, the LFA Emergency Response Plan includes procedures for dealing with a wide variety of dangerous circumstances. Responses to almost any situation, from bomb threats to severe weather, fire evacuation, and violent crime, have been mapped in this guide.

While these plans were set into

the Plan was revised to account for the many new additions to campus, the problem was remedied using the iPad program.

On March 30th an iBooks downloadable copy of was sent via email to the entire student body.

"The emergency response plan is very helpful because it covers all types of situations," said senior Vivian Chung. "Although we don't practice emergency drills, I think students at LFA are aware of what

of a school-wide speaker system on campus as one of the "biggest challenges" in campus safety. By utilizing the Thor Guard or even a mass text message system, this communication issue will hopefully be solved soon.

With school-based acts of violence appearing ever more prominently in the media, LFA is among the many schools across the nation that is striving to better campus safety and emergency response.

LFA works to improve students’ public speaking skills

By Mimi Moses A&E Editor

This year, The LFA Curriculum committee has identified a 21st century skill that should help prepare students for the future, yet very few LFA students are aware of what that skill is. A recent survey taken among the LFA alumni asked them how well LFA prepared them for their college experience. The outcome was that these students felt incredibly prepared for college and for work, except in the area of public -speaking skills. There the LFA alumni felt they were not ready to take on opportunities to do presentations and public speaking.

In fact, the committee was concerned that it was possible to graduate LFA without giving some type of formal presentation. For all the students’ futures, public speaking and communication skills are now critical tools that students need to be successful in college and the work force.

The Curriculum committee has now taken many steps to make sure that students are exposed to these skills.

First, the faculty needed to evaluate their own presentation skills before

demonstrating them to students. Through a series of small meetings, teachers practiced presentation competence with each other. They were recorded in order to distinguish what types of mannerisms they should avoid in order to set a proper example for LFA students. By doing so, the faculty members were able to create a more concrete rubric of standards for public speaking skills. This will help students how to exhibit poised actions and fluency in speaking.

“As a faculty members we always want to continue to reflect on our practice and see what we are doing. Based on that, we were able to assess ourselves, and create our rubric so we now know what we should pay attention to when accessing our students,” stated Academic Dean Phil Schwartz.

Within these new and improved standards, students should hopefully start to get in the routine of being aware of their posture, the tone of their voice, annunciation and all different elements that are involved to make a speech more formally presentable. Aside from public speaking, communication is crucial ability students should all aim to improve on. When making

a simple morning meeting announcement or making a persuasive keynote presentation, students need to know how to grab ones attention without saying the “um’s, yeah’s and like’s”. The faculty wants to help students develop these speaking skills across the curriculum, through all classes, to build the fundamentals and have communication skills become a second nature

to all students.

“Communication skills are not limited to getting on stage in front of the whole school or even in history class presenting on a topic, but the way you present yourself verbally is the first contact and impression you can set on a person,” said Ms. Kristine Von Ogden, chairwoman of the curriculum committee.

Photo by Alex Campbell

Juniors Izabela Tyszka and Kalina Gajda present about Poland during Multicultural Day.

THE SPECTATOR

Features

14

april 20, 2012

Strange weather hits a new high this season

By Carina Baker Features Editor

Everyone has noticed the unusually warm weather of late, from the abnormally mild winter to the heat wave over Spring Break, when the temperature shot into the 80s. The year 2011 was recorded as the NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) 11th warmest year on record, with record drought, record wet, and record heat.

The mild winter has been, in some ways, a boon to the school.

“The average temperatures since November have been in the 30's to 40's with many days in the upper 50's. Winters in our area usually average in the 20's with many days in the single digits and below.

The biggest affect we should see from this is the cost for utilities. We should have lower utility costs…” said Kelly Mede, LFA’s Director of Facilities.

While running around a Chicagoarea March in short sleeves and shorts is nice, the warm weather has also been causing problems. Warm winters with little snow like this past one mean less snowmelt water and nutrients for trees, endangering some of the school’s older trees.

“We will be keeping a close eye on the trees and make every effort to keep them as healthy as we can,” said Mede.

The immediate assumption is, of course, that global warming is to blame for this warm winter. Global warming

Graphic by Carina Baker

The daily high temperatures over 2012 compared to the normal high temperatures determined over a period from 1981 to 2010.

certainly has an effect on a larger scale: all 11 years of the 21st century have been among the 13 warmest years recorded by the NOAA.

“Higher temperatures today are largely sustained by increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide,” according to NASA.

This year’s specifically warmer

In this chart from the NOAA, darker shading means more extreme drought. The conditions reflect early April.

winter, according to the Washington Post, is a result of the warmest La Niña on record. La Niña and its counterpart El Niño are oceanic/atmospheric phenomenon where changed ocean surface temperatures affect weather patterns around the world. Although La Niñas bring the global temperature down, in Chicago they correlate with above-average temperatures. La Niña means strange precipitation patterns;

drought is prevalent from the lower half of the United States through Latin America, causing widespread worries over this year’s crops.

However, according to the NOAA, the current La Niña is expected to fade to neutral conditions during a period from March to May.

The shading across the south and east of this map reperesents higher temperatures preedicted earlier this year over March and April into May, with darker shades demonstrating higher temperatures. The shading in the northwest represents predicted lower temperatures.

“Higher temperatures today are largely sustained by increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide,” -NASA

This chart’s shading reflects early predictions of precipitation levels across the continental US over a period from March through May. Darker shading means lower precipitation.

Photos courtesy of noaa.gov.

THE SPECTATOR april 20, 2012

Arts and Entertainment

15

Curriculum Crossover:

Laptop Orchestra and 2-D Art class make stop-motion videos

By Leo Rudberg Orange Editor

Last year signaled a great step in collaborative work for the LFA Arts Department. Mr. Grier Carson and Mr. Nick Smith challenged their classes, Laptop Orchestra (LO) and 2D Imaging, respectively, to collaborate on several stop-motion film projects. Stop-motion is similar to “claymation” movies such as “Wallace and Gromit.”

This year, the same project returns, with a few changes. Both teachers are very excited about their students’ upcoming films.

During the last few weeks of school, the two classes created short stop-motion films that were fully scored with electronic music. The overall goal is to use these modern tools to “recreate a fable or short story in their own way by adding a twist to the original,” says Smith. Stories last year included tales such as “Hansel and Gretel,” “The Three Little Pigs,” and “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

“[Some students last year] took

very dark and twisted perspectives on the stories. They were supposed to be based on traditional narratives, like fairy tales. However, [these modifications] allow for more original and expressive music,” says Carson.

This is an intensive assignment, requiring much time and attention to detail from both groups. The classes are broken up into groups of several students, each working on one film. From there, the groups have preliminary meetings to discuss artistic decisions such as the style and tone of the work. However, Carson hopes that this year communication over the Internet and through iPads will allow for smoother and more fluid adjustments to this large project.

This year, Carson hopes to integrate iPad apps such as GarageBand into his students’ part of the project. The 2D students will use digital cameras, iStop-motion software, and computer programs like Adobe Photoshop to piece together the visual part of the project.

“These tools allowed students to create something that was both collabora-

Photo Courtesy of Grier Carson

A video clip snapshot of a LFA student’s stop-motion video project collaboration with the 2-D art class and music composed by the Laptop Orchestra. tive and unique,” says Smith, “I certainly hope we can collaborate more throughout all disciplines. This will ensure a much deeper understanding of real-world experiences within our learning here at LFA.”

“This is the work that people

actually do in the entertainment production industry,” concludes Carson, “The collaborative elements give it the kind of credence it needs. It’s an example of what people can do across the school. We just have to seize these kinds of opportunities.”

Does the Harry Potter series Opinion: deserve a special Oscar?

By Erica Lewis Op-Ed Editor

The unbelievable success of the Harry Potter film series has been hard to ignore--except, apparently, by those belonging to the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, or AMPAS. The Potter series as a whole--which has collectively been nominated for 12 Academy Awards--has achieved world-class fame over the past decade, but regardless of how many nominations it receives, every year the series leaves the awards empty handed.

The films were not only robbed of wins they arguably deserved, but they were also frequently passed over for nominations in the major categories such as direction and acting--music, make-up, visual effects, and costume design being some of the few aspects that received any sort of admiration from the Academy.

Many Potter fans, myself included, thought the Academy might take the opportunity this year to honor this incredibly consistent and well-done film series with a special achievement Oscar. But that was not the case and Potter fans across the country think the Academy is not seeing the big picture.

The series as a whole has made

more than $7.7 billion, the last movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part two, became the third most successful movie of all time. With statistics like these, it is hard to believe that a film series as successful as Harry Potter could be rejected at the Oscars so many times. With the final film failing to change the series’ luck at the prestigious awards, some people have labeled the Harry Potter movies as “the most snubbed film franchise of all time”.

“Some critics have said the Harry Potter series is not an Oscarworthy collection of films.”

As a die-hard fan of the series, I can attest to the Academy’s inability to properly honor the quality of these films.

Some critics have said the Harry Potter series is not an Oscar-worthy collection of films; they might tell you no because the Harry Potter phenomenon had more to do with being a successful book series and not because of the quality of its acting. But is this really a fair statement? It is true that the books have been, and will

always be, considered beloved classics, but if you watch the movies carefully, the acting is sophisticated and is not to be overshadowed by the idolization of its textual counterparts. It can be extremely difficult to transform such a successful book series into films, especially when that book series has thousands of dedicated followers ready to criticize any aspect of the movie that doesnt stay true to the writing.

The fans praise and the success of these movies is really a testament to the strenuous efforts put in by everyone involved with the movies, who worked their hardest to give the fans the experience that they were longing for. What the Academy fails to see when judging these movies is how hard the actors are working to deliver preformances that perfectly portray the heroes from the books. It isn’t easy to pull off, to make a book character beloved by thousands, come to life; but the success of the movies prove that they did it, and for that the film series deserves some recognition.

Millions of dollars went into the production of the movies, and the result was a series of spectacular films that with or without any Oscars we will be watching for years.

Photo Courtesy by Jerome K. Moore and AMPAS

THE SPECTATOR 16

Arts and Entertainment

april 20, 2012

Opera outburst in the Fine Arts

LFA Choir hits new notes with opera stars

By Bailey Ayers Staff Writer

Over the past few months, the Lake Forest Academy Choir has been studying Opera, an art form which has not been very popular among current teenagers. Opera has been the focus of Choir students who have been studying and singing some of the world’s most famous operas, as well as meeting some of the most famous opera singers in the Chicago area.

The Choir’s studies began with an introductory unit of five world famous opera choruses which the Choir would sing in four different languages.

By studying these choruses the students learned about operas from different times and parts of

the world. This unit of study was shortly followed by a trip to the Lyric Opera of Chicago to see “The Magic Flute”, an opera by Mozart.

The Choir students were also visited by a series of different guests. World-renowned opera legend, Mr. Samuel Rammey came and did a question-answer session with the choir members.

There the choir members learned about his path to the opera world and the many challenges he faced.

Two graduate students from the Opera program at Roosevelt University came and performed for the choir as well. The range of visitors allowed the students to learn from experienced performers as well as a hopeful beginners in the opera world.

Junior Hannah Olinger

World famous opera star, Samuel Rammey, does a Q&A with LFA Choir students.

said that, “[her] appreciation for this art form has grown tremendously during this unit.”

The unit ended with a Choir performance of the opera choruses, joined by professional

opera tenor, Matthew Chellis.

“It’s been fun that we did this unit the past couple of months, it’s been fun for me to reconnect more fully to the Opera World, especially doing the

Photo By Alex Campbell

Opera concert with the Choir and Matthew Chellis,” commented Choir Director Tim Plambeck.

The Plambeck’s love libretto with opera

By Bailey Ayers Staff Writer

While taking their own “paths” in music and opera, Mrs. And Mrs. Plambeck found each other and a joint “path” that brought them to the LFA community. Countless fine arts students have benefitted ever since.

Mrs. Peg Cleveland Plambeck, recalled that her love of opera and classical voice began as a freshman in high school. She had grown up listening to lots of her parents’ recordings. After pur-

suing her love of music in high school productions and at the Interlochen Fine Arts Academy, where Mrs. Plambeck now teaches, she went on to the University of Washington, Seattle where she majored in Music.

After graduation she went on the road with “lots of musical theater tours.” After three years of traveling she realized what “[she] really wanted to do was opera.” She said that after she went back and got her masters in opera; then her life became “auditioning and getting an agent and

Mrs. Plambeck performs in the opera, Robinson Crusoe.

singing opera as much I could”.

Mr. Plambeck took a different path in the same industry.

Mr. Plambeck attended St. Olaf College where he participated in many choral music groups, playing piano and singing. After that he attended the University of Michigan for grad school, where he started getting into opera specifically.

Eventually both of their careers would cause the two to meet while performing an opera.

Mr. Plambeck was the Opera Coach and Accompanist, while

Mrs. Plambeck was in the cast.

Mrs. Plambeck recalls that they, “met and became instant friends” and the opera was Rigoletto at the Cleveland Opera. At one point, after being in New York and Connecticut for many years on the opera track, and pushing the opera career, they realized that they wanted to settle down. They had been teaching the entire time during their careers, and when they decided they wanted to start a family they didn’t want it to be on the east coast.

“At this point it was

The Plambecks pose in Mrs. Plambeck’s dressing room.

time to reevaluate the goals and I realized that my passion for teaching was really largely more of my calling than I had originally thought,” commented Mrs. Plambeck when she explained about her transition into teaching.

When Mr. Plambeck got the job at LFA, they were able to settle down, begin their focus on teaching, and start a family.

“We still sing and we still perform; we haven’t done our own show as much recently, but hope to next year,” promised Mrs. Plambeck.

Photos courtesy of the Plambeck Family.

Mrs. Plambeck performs in The Merry Widow.

THE SPECTATOR april 20, 2012

Arts and Entertainment

17

New directions for Vox’s spring concert: Bringing musical theater to a whole new level

By Andrea Shen Editor-in-Chief

Out with the old, and in with the new; this semester, Vox takes on a new challenge, revamping the format of its concerts to focus on the acting and singing aspects of musical theater.

In the past, Vox concerts have focused on a series of solos and group songs from musical theater arrangements. This spring’s concert, however, will involve new skills, such as acting and collaborating with their peers, as the singers work to stage scenes from well-known musicals.

After a number of years of the same format, Director of Vox Peg Plambeck decided to change it up, especially with the new complexion of the group this semester.

“I like the way it’s formatted this time. We’re doing a lot of group songs, and all the duets are related to the group songs. It’s not all solos so there’s more focus on everybody, and not just individuals,” said senior Vox member Kate Lee.

“I wanted to experiment with the idea of, especially

for those kids that [haven’t had a lot of experience], giving them a chance to get up and test their acting chops with their singing chops, and put together scenes from musical theater. [With this new format], those kids can be featured and really have a character to study, as well as the music to learn, so that they can get the exercise of what it feels like to put together the character interpretation and the singing, and to pull their own weight in a scene,” said Plambeck.

This year’s spring concert features various scenes from West Side Story, Little Women, Les Misérables, and Dr. Horrible, sing along with group numbers from Wicked, West Side Story, and Thirteen to round out the show.

The format of the concert has involved a lot more individual work than in past years, as the singers have focused on developing skills that go beyond singing.

“It’s kind of out of my comfort zone, so I’m just trying to get used to being more forward and being active on stage,” said Lee.

“Not just teaching them notes and rhythms, but bringing my experiences of creating characters and performing and putting

it all together––that excites me, to be able to teach that,” said Plambeck. “This is a different kind of night, and the kids are fantastic,

and they’re excited to share the work that they’ve done. I’m proud of their ability to have started at ground zero and take a character

and memorize its music and its intentions and relationships to the other characters, and give a public performance on stage.”

Junior Hannah Olinger, practices a scene from the musical West Side Story.

Photo by Bailey Ayers

“All The Places (in Chicago) You’ll Go” is a monthly list of great places for LFA students to visit when they go down to the city. Each month there will be reviews for places in Chicago to go for food, events and activities.

Rise 3401 N. Southport Ave, Chicago Sun-Thu: 4-10pm Fri-Sat: 4-11pm This is probably one of the most trendy and creative sushi places in all of Chicago. If you are looking for something ultra modern and fun, try Rise… just make sure to dress nice. My favorite thing about Rise is their creative menu; ingredients are wrapped together which you would not traditionally expect. Of course they have the typical California roll, but to experience Rise, get the Kinomi Maki containing avocado, tuna and raspberry with a raspberry sauce.

Weber Grill 539 N. State Street, Chicago IL Mon-Thur: 6:30- 11pm Fri-Sat: 6:30-Midnight Sun: 6:30-11pm Off one of the side streets of Michigan Avenue, this place is a great stop if you’re in the center of down town and looking to sit down for some steak. The restaurant usually has a wait at night but they will seat you at the bar if room is scarce. It’s the perfect place to sit down for lunch in between shopping on the Magnificent Mile to get the best burgers downtown. They are a meat-lovers dream serving wood-smoked meat, sandwiches, savory barbecue and large burgers.

Jellies Exhibit 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago- Shedd Aquarium Mon-Fri: 9-5pm Sat-Sun: 9-6pm Ending on May 28th, if you haven’t seen the Jellies exhibit at the Shed Aquarium, you should set some time aside this month to go see it. Though many people think Jelly Fish are strange or disgusting, I found this particular exhibit truly interesting. These creatures, slowly dancing through the water, were illuminated to show the many colors within their skin. The exhibit gave these slimy creatures an artistic and poetic quality.

Sabatinos 4441 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago Mon-Thur: 11-11:30pm Fri-Sat: 11-12:30 Sun: Noon-10:30 Sabatinos is one of the top restaurants that has been able to maintain an old, classic Italian décor and atmosphere. While many restaurants look cheap when they attempt to make their restaurant look “classic,” Sabatinos gives off a rusty yet comfortable atmosphere. With violinists walking around playing tunes and thick smells of Pasta Alfredo in the air, you feel like you’re sitting in Venice in 1910.

The Fudge Pot 1532 N. Wells Street, Chicago Mon-Thursday, Sun: 12-10pm Fri-Sat:12pm-12am This family owned business has been around for over a decade for a reason: it is the number one place for chocolate addicts in Chicago. This is a great place to buy gifts because they literally carve everything into a chocolate statue and have millions of chocolate truffles at the counter.

Though this is a small place, do not underestimate their delicious chocolate covered strawberries or chocolate roses.

By Anastasia Perry A&E Editor

All the places (in Chicago) you’ll go

THE SPECTATOR 18

Sports

APRIL 20, 2012

Photo by Bailey Ayers

The JV team loading the bus as they prepare to travel to their off-campus practice location while the on-campus courts are being repaired.

Boy’s tennis forced to play off campus:

Tough competition doesn’t faze experienced players

By Michelle Whitehead Staff Writer

The Lake Forest Academy boys’ tennis team is faced with a new challenge this spring: getting through the season without on-campus courts. Since Athletic Director Kevin Versen deemed LFA’s courts unplayable due to dangerous rips and cracks, the team now has to practice and hold home matches off campus with the Varsity at Everett Elementary School and the JV at Deerpath Middle School until repairs can be completed on the LFA courts.

“Our JV always played in town because we don’t have enough courts for

two teams,” explained Versen. “So now it’s just the fact that the varsity is playing in town.”

According to Versen, planning for renovations on the courts is already underway.

“We are looking into the possibility of putting in five courts,” said Versen.

“I know that people have come and looked at them but I haven’t heard when we’ll be starting renovations.”

In the meantime, both newcomers and veterans to the team are proving that the relocation won’t stop them from having a successful season.

“We have a lot of tough competition within our team this year,” said Coach

New Spring PE

By Jane Xu Staff writer

The spring sport season has started recently. LFA students who did not have a spring sport they liked were lucky because there is a new physical education class, hip-hop and modern dance, which will be taught this spring season.

When talking about the reasons for adding the new spring PE, Mr. Kevin Versen, the athletic director of Lake Forest Academy, explained that LFA has had dance classes which were popular before.

With the availability of the new dance studio in Fitzsimmons, said Versen, it was a great opportunity to add the hip-hop and modern dance to the LFA course offerings.

“The students will meet with an instructor every Monday and Wednesday after school in the dance studio,” said Versen.

In the first class, students had fun

learning some basic moves and freezes.

On Mondays, students will learn Hip-hop; on Wednesdays, they will learn modern dance.

This year the school hired an expert instructor from Chicago, Mr. Daniel Gibson, to teach the dance lessons. Gibson graduated from the University of Georgia and has danced with the 13th Floor Performing Arts company in South Africa, The Seldoms, Jump Rhythm Jazz, and Five Star Boogie, and in a music video with Kanye West and Kid Sister.

“I think it sounds really fun,” said Chelsea Yo, a junior who chose hip-hop PE this Spring, “and I really like dancing.”

“There will be approximately 22 students participating,” said Versen, “and I really hope they will have fun and take good exercise during the dance classes.”

“I want them all to have fun and dance with confidence,” said Mr. Gibson, teaching in his first Hip-hop class in LFA.

Dennis Dobrin. “There are going to be some battles to get into the starting lineup, and to determine which spot they play.”

Battling it out will be AJ Jayakumar ’12, Andy Xia ’14, Mike Hong ’12, and John Franzese ’15 as the top singles players and seniors Christian Buerkle, Scott Fuller, Shawn Shin, and Jay Mehta as the top doubles players.

“There are a lot of good players, probably the best I’ve seen throughout my four years here,” said Fuller.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing this take place, and watching their hard work in practice translate into match play,” added Dobrin. “Our competition is going to have a lot to handle when they

play us.”

This year, the team will be playing schools notorious for being good.

“ We have a lot of tough competition this year,” said Dobrin. “We’re playing some toguh varsity teams from Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Mundelein and Lake Forest. We’re also in some Saturday invitationals that will test our guys. Our goals will be to compete hard and improve each match, whether we win or lose.”

So far this season the team has been able to defeat both Niles North High School and Chicagoland Jewish High school, leaving them with a record of 2-0.

The Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have faced a difficult season this year, not only with the lockout, but with the leagues MVP, Derrick Rose, suffering multiple injuries resulting in 22 missed games; they have had to learn how to survive without him. Rose, who’s currently suffering from a groin injury was able to log 38 minutes in the game against the New York Knicks but the possibility of instability during the playoffs still lingers. If Rose isn’t 100% heading into the playoffs, there’s a good chance their hopes of the title will end soon. Unless Rose regains his MVP form, avoids future injuries and recovers from previous, the Bulls are looking very vulnerable heading into the playoffs. With a record of 43-14, the Bulls will enter the playoffs ranked first in the Eastern Conference while the San Antonio Spurs are ranked first in the Western Conference.

The Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks will enter the playoffs ranked 6th in the Western Conference with a record of 45-26. Under the leadership of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp, they were able to having a winning home record of 27-8-6. As well as the Bulls, the Blackhawks have also suffered due to injuries. The team has had to learn to survive without their left-winger Andrew Brunette due to a foot injury, center Dave Bolland and defenseman Steve Montador with upper body injuries, and Toews with a concussion. All three sat out the season’s closer against the Detroit Red Wings in which the Hawks defeated them in a 3-2 shootout. With the playoffs starting on April 12th, the injured players have time to recover but the key that the team needs to succeed is Toews. Toews, who has experienced the famous Stanley Cup win, knows what it takes to take that title; without him, this playoff season may be an uphill battle for the Hawks.

By Grace Coburn

THE SPECTATOR

Sports

APRIL 20, 2012

19

Baseball to have a successful season

Wick formally commits to Carthage College

By Grace Coburn Sports Editor

Yet another LFA student has chosen to continue to use his athletic talent next year at college. Senior Graham Wick has decided to not only pursue baseball, but football as well. Wick. who recently committed to Carthage College, is planning to play both sports next year.

Wick was given the honor of participating in the Under Armor AllAmerican Showcase where he and 325 other NCAA Division 1 prospects were invited to play as they were evaluated by Under Armor and Baseball Factory. He was awarded an honorable mention, meaning he was one of the top 25 players in the showcase, which was run by Major League scouts.

“The showcase was a great experience, in that it enabled me to compare

myself to other players who have been scouted as D-1 prospects from around the country,” said Wick.

As a senior on the team, Wick’s only goal for his final LFA season is for the team to be successful overall.

“We will have a great team this year. We have eight returning players and great leadership in our seniors,” said Wick.

“We also have some new talent, ranging from juniors to freshmen.”

Latin teacher Mr. David Wick, who coaches the varsity team, along with history teacher Mr. Justin Jones, are also very confident in their upcoming season.

“I think we’re going to be pretty strong this year, we have a fair number of new students who are going to help us, not only at the JV level but at the varsity level.

We can be a very strong team as long as our pitching holds up. We have a lot of guys who can pitch; it’s a question of how

LFA Boys’ Lacrosse:

consistent and affective they can be,” said Coach Wick.

After losing four seniors last year, Coach Wick isn’t worried about filling those spots.

“[The returners] are doing a good job, I don’t think there will be any gaps in the lineup; I’m sure our lineup this year will be stronger than it was last year,” said Coach Wick.

Coach Wick believes that they will have a strong hitting team this year as they’ve accumulated a large number of power hitters, as well as left-handed hitters.

The team also plans to continue using their aggressive base-running program, which continues to be one of their strengths year after year. This year, the team will face a challenging schedule as they plan to face a number of large public schools such as Grayslake Lake North, Carmel, Antioch and Wheeling High School.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

Graham Wick at bat at a previous game.

Skills improving quickly due to strong leadership,difficult scheduling, and teamwork

By Mary Kate Hayes Editor-in-Chief

“I am looking forward to the difficult schedule and becoming a better lacrosse player because of this season,” Preston Stolberg said.

His attitude epitomizes the prospects of LFA’s Boys Lacrosse team as that group enters its first varsity season. A more intricate schedule will challenge the team this year.

“I am looking forward to seeing the boys build on last year and continue to learn and improve,” Coach Robert Degen said. “The most important thing to me is that they have fun while honoring the game of lacrosse.”

The team, led by senior Ross Burke, should have a successful season.

“I expect us to be very competitive,” Stolberg said. “I also expect us to gain a lot of lacrosse knowledge since we will be playing at such a fast pace.”

“I except to see our players come together as a team and work to get better every game and every practice,” Degen said. “I hope to see the boys learn and improve and to grow the popularity of the sport at LFA.”

This year, the Lacrosse team will

Photo by Jane Xu

Coach Bob Degan (left) leading a drill and ovbserving sophmore Pedro Leme (right) during a recent practice.

be split into Junior Varsity and Varsity.

“We can accommodate athletes of every skill level and it is fulfilling to watch the boys quickly improve on a daily basis,” Degen said.

Last year’s season posed other problems.

“Sometimes our team would have trouble clearing the defensive end and that resulted in opposing players scoring,” Stolberg said. “So it would be good to eliminate that this year.”

Coach Degen saw another problem.

“The biggest challenge last year was the weather.”

Overcoming and dealing with these difficulties will be easier under the strong leadership of captain Ross Burke and talented players Sam Mannion, David Rowe, and Stolberg.

The

range

Brought to you by the Entropica Team

Freshly squeezed, WITH PULP

Letters to Leo:

College Rejections and Asking for Prom

Dear Leo, Help! I haven’t gotten into any colleges.

-A very frightened senior.

one else is open for blame.

In addition, as I discussed in my previous article, senioritis, the debilitating disease that affects high school students nation wide, could have caused this terrible result. It’s obviously not your fault that your grades might have slipped, your attendance record might have turned sour, or sending in those darn apps might have gotten too hard.

It’s seniorits’ fault, of course.

You might want to think of pursing a gap year instead of going to college. Since only dirty hippies do stuff like that, however, I lack sufficient information about gap years.

In conclusion, thank you for your question. As always, I am sure that I answered it thoroughly and amazingly. I should really start charging for these.

As next year approaches, juniors will be searching for my sound advice, too. Anyway, good luck next year, with whatever you do.

Millionaire or not, you still went to LFA, so you can be snobbish about that.

Sincerely, Leo Rudberg.

Oh no, you’re one of “those” people. I feel so bad for you. What will you do with your life if you haven’t been accepted yet? College is absolutely the most essential and important thing in your life. If this happened in ancient India, you and your family would be in the “worsethan-untouchable” caste. However, I have consulted several trustworthy sources and, as always, I can help you.

Many quality schools offer rolling admissions that continue to accept students beyond these last few months. Look for colleges that place ads on TV and the Internet. Remember, the more sketchy a college ad seems, the better--the school is obviously putting the rest of its money into the infrastructure and quality and authenticity of education. Some of these college ads even promise students that they will become millionaires within a year of graduation. Seems legit.

You must also investigate the reasons why you have been rejected. Automatically, we can discount your parents being at fault for choosing schools for you. Parents know that you either go to an Ivy League (or equivalent institution), or you become a bum on the streets. Furthermore, your parents always know what’s best for you, whether you become a doctor, a lawyer, or a businessperson, or whatever other job there is. And while your parents are at no fault, pretty much every-

Dear Leo, How should I ask a girl to prom?

-Anonymous

Boys asking girls to prom has been a long-standing tradition at LFA. And, like all traditions, it should be updated, or at least given a twist. You can always go with the “flowers and candy” approach, or the classic, “awkward morning meeting an-

nouncement” that has worked for many gentlemen.

But this is LFA. We do things a different way. The pluralistic, multicultural way. I figure that you can incorporate some of those kinds of beliefs into your “ask.”

Something you might consider is Borat’s way of asking Pamela Anderson to marry him, in his eponymous film. If you forgot or haven’t seen the movie, with a traditional Kazakh marriage sack, he tries to capture her. You might want to go with this method because it not only demonstrates your physical prowess, but also the extremes to which you’ll go to get your date.

Another tactic involves some more creativity. Since prom is on Cinco De Mayo, the fiesta of all fiestas, you might want to incorporate something from our amigos to the south. First, you’ll want to hire a mariachi band.

Don’t be cheap--go for the full ten-person band. Next, get some of your buddies to put on disguises and capture your date. Then, you don a Zorro style outfit, and with the mariachi music in the background, fight your way to your beloved prom date. This is super romantic and your date will totally understand what’s happening. I’ve never tried this, but I’m pretty sure it will work.

You might also try to go with the “South Dakota” approach. Fun fact: South Dakota IS actually part of the contiguous United States! With the help of a few friends, blast your and your future date’s initials (or simply “PROM?” if you can’t get your hands on enough dyna-

mite and pick axes) into the side of cliff, much like Mt. Rushmore or Crazy Horse monuments. The problem is that we don’t have mountains in Illinois, so feel free to use the side of a building, like Corbin (they’re demolishing it anyway, right?). I’m pretty sure this is legal as long as you get a permission slip from your mom, don’t ingest any alcohol, or disturb anyone in Academy Woods while the “construction” is going on.

In conclusion, I guarantee that any of these multicultural methods will work in getting a date for prom. I have even tried one of the, but I’m not going to say which one. For legal reasons.

Let’s just say, hypothetically

speaking of course, that you don’t want any “police” or “authorities” around when you ask your date. I think we can all agree that being handcuffed and pepper sprayed by the police is NOT a good way to ask a girl. Or is it? You do get that “dangerous/mysterious/permanently prohibited from buying pick axes” appeal. Anyway, I’m glad I could help. And remember, stay multicultural LFA!

Or you could just do something simple, like saying, “Grace Robinson, will you go to prom with me?”

Sincerely, Leo Rudberg.

The subjects discussed in this article are fictional and are meant for entertainment purposes. Created by Leo Rudberg.

Caxy Match

Phtoto by Bailey Ayers (above); Photo courtesy of http://3.bp.blogspot.com (below)

For this month’s Caxy Match, we think that seniors Reggie White and Quai Chandler resemble Kenan Thomson and Kel Mitchell from the 90’s Nickelodeon TV show “Kenan and Kel.”

Caxy Cartoon: A Normal Morning Meeting

By Jane Xu