Seniorissue2016

SENIOR LOGUE

2016 Hannah Horton

2

PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Julia Dirkes-Jacks composes a world of her own Stephanie Hu Viking Voice Editor

Within the Fremd library, bookshelves stretch to fluorescent ceiling lights, while students scatter among chairs set over all corners of gray carpet. As Julia Dirkes-Jacks glances at her surroundings and its varying arrangements of books, she ponders her ideal formula for falling in love with a story. After several seconds, she laughs. “If the main character’s a redhead, it never hurts.”

From her flaming red hair to her distinctive wardrobe, Julia’s quirks of her identity spark swirling ideas and words as she sprinkles them into her characters. As a child, she presents stories starring her split selves as miniature movies and plays for any willing audience. Sibling disputes heat up as she jams out lengthy contracts assigning the better beds and declaring the areas her younger sister, Paige, is allowed to wander. As similar and countless wild ideas bounce within her mind, she carves her way to storytelling through casting her natural lens on the world.

As the role of writing lasts through an array of her lighthearted childhood fantasies, Julia continues to touch her youth in her stories, conveying messages framed by the uniquely teenage experience.

“So much of the literature available to teens doesn’t reflect what real life is like for them,” Julia said. “The message you’re trying to deliver is stronger when people feel like you really know what it is, and it’s almost impossible for adults to write that accurately. So, I’ve got a couple years here where I can write about teenagers with authenticity, because that’s who I understand.”

As her imagination leads her to weave stories geared toward young adults, writing plays a larger role within her life as she transfers personal struggles onto paper. As hardships strike her at a young age, creating characters to absorb the force of her emotions becomes an outlet.

Paige remembers Julia’s concentration on writing as a way of coping.

“Julia’s definitely had a lot of anger from our parents’ divorce, and a lot of sadness,” Paige said. “She’s written

Logue photo by Jayne DePaolis

HAPPILY EVER AFTER. From Writers Week to her church’s jukebox musical, Julia loves sharing stories with her community.

plays about family turmoil, and the idea of a parent leaving is something she’s so familiar with - she could craft a main character, and even when it’s a boy who lost his mother, I could see the elements of her losing a father in a sense through that character because there’s no other way you could write like that. She turns to playwriting as a way to take her situation and really spin it to make it about someone else, and write out her feelings.”

Julia’s desire to write authentic pieces for young adults connects with her pattern of shattering overused images in stories and displaying diverse, dimensional characters. These standout casts of characters also tie in with

her personally as she breaks stereotypes that negatively portray loved ones.

“There’s this sort of idea of single mothers barely holding it together, needing help and without a great home life,” Julia said. “My mom’s a boss. I love to write about single mothers who totally have it all together, and are fine without a husband. They can take care of their kids, and make money, and have fun and they don’t need anyone. Because that’s so personal to me, that’s something I try to go against.”

“Brace Yourself,” a comedic drama script written for high schoolers about their lives in junior high, is a touch of Julia’s teenage view. The piece was written after speech coach Karl Craddock noted her involvement in playwriting, and advanced to the speech team’s sectional competition after securing first at regionals. As a milestone within Julia’s writing, “Brace Yourself” was also awarded as this year’s winner of the Illinois 10-Minute Playwriting Festival, and was performed by future theater graduates before a statewide audience.

“The neat thing was, I had approached her to write a script, and she ended up writing seven,” Craddock said.

“So, in a few short weeks, she had written seven completely different scripts ranging from comedies to really serious subjects, and she was like, ‘Pick one of these, what do you think?’ And each of these are fifteen, twenty minute plays, and that’s just so impressive.”

Connections and interactions with friends and family, along with reaching truths within herself, stand as major factors in inspiring her work. At the core of her writing, these inspirations continually spark a lifelong passion for literature and for transferring ideas on a page and seeing them brought to life.

“I love the idea of building something from the ground up,” Julia said. “It’s like there was nothing but a blank page, and I put words on it, got people to come in and say those words, and created something out of what was nothing. And that’s the coolest feeling I’ve ever had, watching the finished product of a piece and just being like, ‘None of this ever existed until I dreamt it.’ It’s the literal version of your dreams coming true.”

Eric Ruzanski forecasts a bright future Cara Ward Editor-in-Chief

The wind continues to howl as tree branches snap and the tornado warning siren blares. All the students of Hunting Ridge Elementary School are forced into the music room in the basement to be protected from the storm. Tears flow and cries for parents are coming from nearly every child, except for fourth grader Eric Ruzanski, who is too busy trying to catch glimpses of the storm out the window.

“I remember feeling so scared yet so intrigued by the entire thing, so maybe that got something going in my mind for the first time,” Eric said.

Ever since that day in 2007, Eric’s interest in weather has only grown, going from just a curious nine-year-old to fullon weather fanatic who craves the excitement of following a major storm.

“I guess my least favorite weather is clear weather,” Eric said. “Whenever there’s clear weather it’s boring. There’s nothing for me to do other than look at models for a week out, but when there’s severe weather, I’m glued to the weather apps on my phone and my computer or watching TV flipping between news channels.”

Eric has taken his passion even further than just watching storms on his phone or the TV, though. He now goes out on his own small-scale storm chases.

“It’s really just for the thrill for me,” Eric said. “Getting to be in touch with mother nature and feeling the energy that just comes off of storms. Whenever I’m out

there chasing, following behind a storm or even before it comes through, you can just feel it in the air. It gets moister, the temperature drops, the dew point goes up and you can just feel that energy coming from the atmosphere. I love that feeling.”

Eric’s mother, Ann, recalls Eric being interested in how things worked and seeking the answers from a young age.

“Eric has always questioned things,” Ann said. “He would follow his dad and learn mechanical things when he was young, like learning how to run electrical circuitry. That continued to all sorts of technology - not just how to use it but literally how it was made and how it worked.”

That drive to learn has expanded into his research and interest in meteorology.

When Eric realized there weren’t many classes offered at Fremd that dealt with weather, he took his education into his own hands.

“There isn’t much in high school that has to do with weather or meteorology,” Ann said. “Eric wasn’t ready to accept that and took it upon himself to learn.

Fortunately he is also very tech savvy, so I remember his researching and watching the people on The Weather Channel and the next thing I know is he can read a radar and see where a tornado is or possibly forming.”

Eric’s former physics teacher, Jason English, noticed Eric’s strong desire to learn in his class and explains how his passion made Eric stand out.

“Eric was always checking the weather on his iPad,” English said. “Some students

Photo courtesy of Jayne DePaolis

ON THE RADAR. Eric Ruzanski will often spend time doing research and studying doppler radar in order to learn more about meteorology.

play Angry Birds, Eric checks the weather.

At first I fought this, but by the end of the year, I was asking him the chances of my son’s soccer game being rained out.”

Eric will be continuing to explore the unpredictable world of weather by majoring in Meteorology at Valparaiso University.

With dreams of becoming a broadcast weatherman, Eric hopes to one day be the one relaying the forecasts to the general public; however, with curiosity as strong as his, he plans on staying active in the science of meteorology as well.

“That’s the thing with broadcast - it’s just getting the word out,” Eric said. “I

also want to go into the scientific research too. I don’t just want to read off a teleprompter and be done.”

Whether it be researching or reporting, Eric’s love for weather revolves around how unpredictable it can be.

“It’s always changing,” Eric said. “No one really knows what’s coming and we can only predict that and we only have like a slight percentage that we’ll know.

So that’s what I love, it’s always changing. I never know what’s going to happen other than maybe like a day or two out, and even though there are forecasts that are further out, it can change at any moment.”

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

3

PROFILES

Nathan and Trevor Schmidt craft new connections through woodwork Vibha Pandurangi Editor-in-Chief

Large slabs of dusty gray wood lay across the porch. The wooden sides, stripped of paint, stand in stark contrast to the rusty nails and broken planks that they support. Nathan Schmidt crouches precariously on the dismantled porch, as Trevor Schmidt returns from a lumber run with a pickup truck full of fresh blocks of wood. Words go unsaid as Trevor seamlessly joins Nathan to work for their company, The Woodschmidts.

During their freshman year of high school, the Schmidt brothers first experienced woodworking while taking the Production Technologies class. However, they quickly found that they wanted to continue their work outside of class.

“We realized there’s only fifty minutes in a period. That’s not that much time when you want to build these projects. It seems like a lot but it’s really not,” Trevor said. “So we started buying a couple tools for our house so we could get some of the work done after class.

Pretty soon, we had bought a thousand dollars worth of tools, so we thought we needed to try to make some of that money back.”

The duo first introduced The Woodschmidts by selling cutting boards, pens, styluses and Baggo sets at Fremd’s craft fair at the end of their sophomore year. Soon after, they began taking custom orders from clients.

Applied technology teacher Josh Cattero saw how the fair helped The Woodschmidts expand outside of Fremd.

“It was astounding how many people

Logue photo by Jayne DePaolis

MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE. The Woodschmidts continue constructing and repairing a porch they are building for a local family.

they met just through the craft fairs.

Through word of mouth, they received more and more business,” Cattero said.

“They’d have an opportunity to help someone who was in need, so they’d go and do that. Sometimes other people would pay for their services to help somebody who couldn’t afford to get something done.”

Both Nathan and Trevor have gained experience in a wide range of woodworking skills by taking a multitude of woods classes, from Independent Study, which gave them the freedom to pursue their own projects, to Building Construction, a two-year program where students have the opportunity to build

a home.

Through both Nathan and Trevor’s participation in the Building Construction class, the two have been able to assist in larger projects throughout various local suburbs after meeting a teacher at Palatine High School. Working with him, they’ve participated in outdoor, commercial and residential projects beyond woodworking.

Working together has pushed them to learn how to cooperate with each other, settle differences and strengthen their relationship.

“We argue a lot, and sometimes we’re at each other’s necks a little bit. But we usually work well together, though,

since we know each other so well,” Nathan said. “We rely on each other a little bit more. And we spend a lot of time together in the garage working, so our relationship has definitely improved.”

In the construction process, the two have divided the roles as Nathan takes on a construction-heavy responsibility while Trevor focuses on the details, finishes and painting as well as customer relations. Trevor sees their conflicts when roles overlap as a way to grow.

“There’s definitely been disagreements but us working together has been the best way to spend time and bond throughout high school,” Trevor said.

Through projects in their company, Nathan and Trevor have expanded in the Fremd community, from creating an engraved table for American Studies to helping students’ families.

“I’ve met a lot of different people through the customers that I’ve had, and people kind of know us as The Woodschmidts. It’s part of my identity now. It’s helped me build character,” Nathan said.

By repairing families’ porches and garages, it’s clear that The Woodschmidts impact the neighborhoods around them.

Their work with construction will not stop after they leave Fremd. Trevor is attending University of Alabama to major in Construction Engineering while Nathan plans to attend Harper College and study Construction Management.

“We’ll be going to separate schools, but I plan on staying in close touch with Trevor. I’m sure we’ll come back together and live somewhere close and work together,” Nathan said.

Kellie Halloran lends a helping hand through engineering Eric Wong Features Editor

On the soccer field, she was always helping out her teammates. In her Project Lead the Way class, she helped her fellow students who had fallen behind on the material.

At her engineering internship with Northrop Grumman, she maintains a razor-sharp focus on her work. It’s clear that Kellie Halloran’s work is about doing more than just creating the gadgets of tomorrow - it’s as much about the people involved as it is the end product.

Kellie has been involved in numerous projects pertaining to engineering, including constructing robotic mazes for an internship at the Museum of Science and Industry, creating various mechanisms in her Project Lead the Way classes and interning at aerospace company Northrop Grumman.

One of Kellie’s current projects involves the creation of a remote-controlled prosthetic hand.

“I’m paired up with a mentor, and I’m making a 3D-printed prosthetic hand that is connected to a Kinect,” Kellie said. “Motors connected to the hand are connected to the computer. Your hand will move and the 3D-printed hand will move.”

Engineering’s ability to positively impact people’s lives around the world was enough to draw Kellie into the field.

“I’m a little biased, but I think that engineering is one of the best professions to go into,” Kellie said. “You’re making literal products that are going to help people live longer than you are, and that’s really cool.”

Designing and creating prosthetics also lets Kellie assist those missing limbs by returning some of their functionality.

“I’d really like to be able to design prosthetics, because I think that’s really cool, to be able to give people who maybe might not be able-bodied those capabilities,” Kellie said.

Kellie’s inspiration to work on the creation of synthetic limbs stems from her brother, who has disabilities and uses assistive devices created by engineers to offset them to live an easier life.

“He has cerebral palsy and he’s actually deaf, but he has cochlear implants which allow him to hear and leg braces that help him walk,” Kellie said. “That’s been really inspiring and caused me to want to go in biomedical engineering, just seeing that those medical devices have changed his life. He inspires me every day because he also has so much stuff that’s going against him, and he’s one of the happiest people I know.”

Kellie’s desire to design prosthetic limbs is also visible in her work ethic at her internship, according to engineer Sarah Danek.

“Kellie always comes to Northrop Grumman prepared and focused to work on the

Logue photo by Jayne DePaolis

DESIGNING OUR TOMORROW. Kellie Halloran works tirelessly to aid others, whether it’s in the classroom or creating prosthetic limbs through Northrop Grumman’s internship program.

various tasks,” Danek said. “She shows a lot of determination and creativity, which is very refreshing.”

Kellie does not limit her hard work to her internship as she always strives to assist her fellow classmates.

Applied technology teacher Michael Crosse distinctly remembers Kellie offering assistance to others in her class.

“When students are first learning how to use Inventor, some students learn it faster than others, and some students have experience from middle school, so I always try and make sure that I have certain students other students can go through,” Crosse said.

“I remember using Kellie as somebody who, if students had questions and I was busy, I could say, ‘Go ask Kellie,’ or ‘She’ll be one of your go-tos for help.’ There’s not many students that come through that are like her.”

To Kellie, hearing that her actions don’t go unnoticed among those in her school and elsewhere is a humbling and satisfying experience.

“It’s really good to know my mark on Fremd will be a positive one, and that people will think of me as being a positive influence on the school,” Kellie said.

4

COLLEGE LIST

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

“People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Alabama

University of Alabama Elaine Beaulieu Kayla Colby Kaitlyn Houp Alex Johnson Kelly Leonard Jayden Messner Trevor Schmidt Jenna Sjogren Nikki Wojtkow

Arizona

Arizona State University Jason Park Kevin Stevens

Georgia

University of Georgia Jenna Coyne

lllinois

Augustana College Courtney Baker Brenna O’Donoghue Bradley University Vicki Klanang Jessica Moore Kathryn Serena Joe Smaga Tommy Vannieuwenhoven Amanda Vieceli

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Isa LoPiccolo-Kleine

Columbia College Chicago Angela Rublaitus

Grand Canyon University Evelyn Ayala

Concordia University Chicago Eden Schultz

University of Arizona Zoe Draznik

DePaul University Connor Bradshaw Imama Khawaja Zach Kuehn Gabriella Mascari Jared Narter-Slezak Priyanka Podjale Michael Pullara Cara Ward Monica Zawisza

California

St. Mary’s College of California Natalie Alden Stanford University Daniel Classon Jiamin Huang Annie Zheng University of California— Berkeley Akcan Balkir Emma Davies University of California— Davis Zoe Che University of California— Los Angeles Lisa Chen University of Redlands Sydney Wells University of San Diego Alexander Plummer University of Southern California Jessica Lim Rohan Menon Nicole Ricken Stephanie Spartz Colleen Sweeney Daniel Xu

Colorado

Colorado School of Mines Gina Heinsohn Colorado State University Matt Serikaku University of Colorado— Boulder Yzzy Swearingen University of Colorado—Denver Dyanette Rea

Connecticut Yale University Julia Cai Matt McCabe Daniel Tokarz

Florida

Flagler College Dan Suero University of Miami Mariana Kanellos Leanna Rice

Eastern Illinois University Jagoda Szostakiewicz Elmhurst College Amanda McCartney Harper College Nicole Bayne Aggie Bielinski Kailey Brey Zach Bryniarski Joe Cermak Sunha Cho Sunju Cho Giana Fallico Josh Heinlein Jack Heinrich Daniel Hong Sami Horcher Sebastian Ibarra Seiya Iguchi Paul James Zak Keper Shahraiz Khawari Andrij Kozych Andy Kraft Sumi Lee Josh Levin Erin Lowe Sam McPherrin Mizraim Nieto Tim Reidy Aaron Rife Allison Romag Sarah Ruffolo Karen Rumps Nathan Schmidt Mike Skolik Mike Steck Alex Tangney Amanda Valdes Jennifer Willney Anna Wysocka Madelyn Ziaj Illinois State University Gabi Arnieri Morgan Faulkner Arianne Floody Kayla Groebe Ryan Hanks Ariya Hatami

Allison Leczycki Katie McIntyre Kyle Mlynarczyk Stephanie Naumowicz Jeremy Pope Dylan Simios Dimitri Sotos Melanie Stevens Halle Tyska Adam VanStedum Nick Vitosh Illinois Wesleyan University Johnny Barrett Graham Dano Trevor Razo Johnny Whitfield Madeline Zachman Lake Forest College Alex Lytle Loyola University Kayla Baum Suhaavi Chavla Srivats Prakash Emma Serikaku Jenny Walentowicz North Central College Nelle Scranton Christina Truver Northern Illinois University Asia Brown-Perkins Brittany Ekwonwa Nora Finegan Armani Mabry Nortwestern University Suruchi Batra Matt Baughman Bella Buccieri Amy Chen Karishma Desai Bryana Hopkins Brooke Mahoney Reina Nagasaka Brad Posdal Justin Song Nathan Xu School of the Art Institute of Chicago Julie Edwards Southern Illinois University Pat Geregach Brody Martin University of Chicago Jessica Lu Caleb Vail University of Illinois—Chicago Raqib Adebayo Michael Burton Ann Hsieh Haezi Jung Illiyeen Khan Eunice Kim Joshua Kim Matt Lebiedzinski Ji Lyun Lim Jong Lee Tiffany Lu Yuki Omae University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign Hayley Ban Maria Chemello Jenny Chu Tiffany Chu Abby Cohen Lindsey DeFilippo Nathan Du

Steve Jobs

Dayna Duffy Kayla Dzierozynski Kristi Escobar Giana Fallico Jordan Freer Nicole Gary Gillian Gould Lauren Gregory Samiksha Gupta Mariah Gura Kellie Halloran Lily Ho Jamie Hwang Isabella Iaccino Abby Iuorio Veronica Jung Kartik Kansal Pranathi Karumanchi Joy Kim Sophie Kish Lingqi Kong Mike Kramer Sneha Kumar Daniel Lee Grace Lee Karis Lee Leonard Lee Jerry Li Brian Lin Matt Markowski Stephanie Mbi Ema Milojkovic Lucky Nanduri Nathan Narasimhan Deepesh Notaria Samson Oladimeji Vibha Pandurangi Kruti Patel Sarah Pitzaferro Ann Rajan Ryan Rowden Patrick Ruan Kyle Saxon Randheer Sehmbey Esther Shim Insiya Syed Megan Teeter Ben Thomas Natasha Thomas Anusha Thotakura Jacqueline Trujillo John Tuzzolino Karolina Urban Varsha Vembar Andrew Winter Ken Wu Wheaton College Cameron Harro Ippei Togo

Indiana

Ball State University Jack Molnar Butler University Bobby Christodoulopoulos Alyssa Garcia Grace Grzybek DePauw University Vanessa Balis Indiana Institute of Technology Megan Gron Indiana University— Bloomington Anthony Betti Lauren Carver Sean Erickson Jill Finis Parisha Gupta Emily Helbing Ashwin Joseph Grace Korn Brian Lannon

Meghan Mileski Kristen Nortillo Christy Osborn April Poggio Sean Rasmussen Chris Sander Madeline Scharm Josh Seidman Jenna Simios Tim Steininger Ethan Violette Emily Yin

Michigan

University of Rochester Megan Benka Patrick Benka

Calvin College Holly Straup

North Dakota

Indiana Wesleyan University Elizabeth Carlson Jared Swenson

Michigan State University Emma Albrecht Jennifer Brand Robert Bulman Olivia Miles William Pankratz

Purdue University Calumet Suzanne Black

Albion College Grace Haffner

Grand Valley State University Dawson Rubin Hope College Ruth Upadhyaya

Purdue University Ryan Dudar Chiranth Kishore David Ostman Sean Wan

Northern Michigan University Drake Danzer

Taylor University Amanda Fleischmann Carlee Svec

University of Michigan—Ann Arbor Ian Freeman Rosaleen Kim

University of Evansville Mara Atristain

Western Michigan University Molly Muhs

Valparaiso University Abby Kobilarcik Eric Ruzanski Claire Wiltgen

Minnesota

Iowa

Drake University Gayathri Dollu Sheridan Lurie Cassie Rohan Iowa State University Kenny Benjamin Robert DePau Mike Downing Jonathan Free Daniel Han Samantha Kramp Cole Patton Katie Stearney University of Iowa Sarah Hoadley Derek James Bradley Kometer Matt Lee Anna Milecki Austin Spiewak Addison Stremel

Kansas

University of Kansas William Anderson Nick Divizio Dylan Schweinebraten

Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky University Danny Rosenwinkel University of Kentucky Riley Carlson Carly DeFilippo Kelsey Faust Kendal Freeze Katelyn Izzo Gabrielle Lytle Molly Toriumi Kennedy Tyska

Massachusetts

5

COLLEGE LIST

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Michigan Technological University Liam MacGillivray

University of Minnesota—Twin Cities Ryan Allen Sarah Dybicz Rachel Perlin Tom Peterson William Wang Winona State University Maggie Betti

Missouri

Culver Stockton College Ally Fermanis Maryville University Erin Lenahan St. Louis University MacKenzie Bednarek Kylie Hess Truman State University Caitlin Adlophsen University of Missouri—Colombia Ali Fissinger Kelsey Fissinger Jack Fox Natalie Oplt Braden Kobeski Lexi Zimmer University of Missouri—Kansas City Eshwar Kishore Washington University in St. Louis Nikki Menis

Montana

Montana State University Nicholas Kuechel

New York

Barnard College Quinn Jackson New York University James Hudson Isabel Moroney

Brandeis University Arial Nieberding

Pratt Institute Aidan Stadler

Northeastern University Jessica Kim

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Bissem Gill School of Visual Arts Annie Cha

University of North Dakota C.J. Hoy

Ohio

Jayne DePaolis Bridget Horn Vidhi Jain Eugene Kim Emily Kivland Hailey Matich Sean Shields Nicole Sygieda

Baldwin Wallace University Riley Mahon

St. Norbert College Jake Lytle

Case Western Reserve University Melissa Nakazawa

University of Wisconsin—Green Bay Chase Jauch

Miami University—Oxford Celia Bugno Nikki Gundimeda Katie Murauskis Eric Schaeffer

University of Wisconsin—Madison Jake Arbour Jessie Holzhauer Keshav Parthasarathy Lucas Ratajczyk Hayley Scheid

Ohio State University Emily Fasick Sydney Hill Hayley Husar Nick LaManna Ariana Marean Cole Nielson Serra Ozgen Varun Pinto Lisa Radochonski Ishan Taparia University of Dayton Kenzie Storm

Oklahoma

University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee Kayla Knippen Quinn Sanecki Becca Stapleton University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point Brad Hamilton University of Wisconsin—Stout T.J. Hentges

England

Emma Aftelak

University of Oklahoma Mya O’Brien

Netherlands

Pennsylvania

U.S. Air Force

University of Pittsburgh Will Komoll

U.S. Military

Penn State—Behrend Jenessa Islas-Parker

University of the Pennsylvania James Feng Angie Peng Michael Zhou

South Carolina

College of Charleston Kelly Millar University of South Carolina Jack Shirmer

Texas

Texas Southern University Brianna Lewis University of North Texas Melinda Coleman

Vermont

University of Vermont Julia Bley

Virginia

Virginia Military Institute Jeremiah Chiang

Wisconsin

Beloit College Julia Dirkes-Jacks Lauren Glaser Carthage College Emma Jeronimus Shae Taylor Concordia University Wisconsin Austin Espinoza Marquette University Ishan Bhatia Sarah Brand Lily Cheong Chloe David

Floor Rompelberg United States Air Force Academy Alexander Knox National Guard Gina Rowlett

U.S. Navy

United States Naval Academy Chris Timonen

6

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

PROFILES

Riley Carlson finds rhythm in DJing career Pavel Warzecha Sports Editor

On a Saturday night at Medusa’s night club in Elgin, the catchy, electronic melody speeds up, and the crowd gets louder and louder. Finally, after a short pause, Riley Carlson drops the bass and, standing behind the DJ table, jumps up and down as one of his remixes reverberates throughout the venue. The heavy, uptempo electronic beat has the audience going crazy.

For Riley, the idea of performing electronic dance music (EDM) in front of big crowds goes much further than the performance itself. A factor in every one of his performances is the idea of showing people a great time and an unforgettable experience through the music he plays.

“You’re able to really push the buttons on people’s emotions,” Riley said. “Putting smiles on people’s faces and getting everyone to dance is definitely my favorite part of DJing.”

Riley’s exposure to EDM began two years ago, when he and his friend Austin drove through Palatine. As Austin cranked up the radio, Riley’s eyes were opened.

“When Austin played the song, I thought it had a really catchy beat and some pretty cool lyrics,” Riley said. “After I looked up some more songs, I enjoyed the beats and I just really got into the whole style of music.”

As Riley’s interest for music grew, he wanted to try editing the music and performing it himself. Along with former Fremd student, Sean Tucker, Riley

Logue photo by Jayne DePaolis

DROPPING A BEAT. Riley Carlson shows off one of his remixes at the Fremd Color Run, a recent event which he performed at. created an EDM duo called Storix in the summer of 2015.

“Performing alongside Riley has been incredible,” Tucker said. “I see a huge future for Storix and hope we’ll eventually get the dream we are striving for.”

As spontaneous and thrilling as it appears when he is on stage, it took Riley a lot of practice, time and effort to master the unique art of remixing and editing music.

Once he decided to make DJing more

than a hobby, Riley invested in a professional grade table, the Logic Pro X, and decided to use it to perform at parties and events with Sean.

In just under a year, Storix has remixed hours of EDM music and are currently finishing up their first original song. The process of creating completely original music is relatively new to Riley, but he is excited to take on the challenge.

“We’ve been searching through a bunch of sounds and synthesizers to

find a melody and beat that we enjoy,” Riley said. “We want to make a song that we’d be able to perform and everyone would really like it.”

The group has also performed numerous shows in EDM venues in the Chicago area, as well as at Fremd’s Winterfest.

“I was really nervous for Winterfest because it felt like the whole crowd was people I knew,” Riley said. “I wanted to create a good set list that would keep the crowd excited.”

Riley discusses how shows such as Winterfest have taught him how he can use his music to bring people together.

“I learned that for school events like Winterfest you need to play a lot of songs people will recognize,” Riley said.

“If you’re a DJ playing songs that nobody knows, it’s not going to be as fun.”

Over the summer, Riley and Sean are planning to perform at events at a higher rate than they currently are, with the school year being over freeing up more time to work on music. Storix is currently booking shows in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, along with radio time on the DePaul University station.

Next year, Riley plans to attend the University of Kentucky. There, he will look to expand the interest even more in upcoming years, sharing his love for EDM with new crowds in Lexington.

Riley’s aspirations with Storix are ambitious.

“Our dream is definitely to play at festivals like Lollapalooza or Ultra,” Riley said. “I think there is a lot of opportunity for us to hopefully get a set like that one day.”

Quinn Jackson sets the stage for a dynamic theater experience Ethan Wong A&E Editor

While many performers find their passion for theater through discovery, Quinn Jackson found hers through force during her freshman year. Diverging from the usual path of gentle encouragement, Quinn’s vocal teacher instead threatened to find her and force her to an audition if she chose to pass on the opportunity.

Quinn quickly relented and realized the cause of her teacher’s ultimatums.

“I had never really gotten into theater before it, nor did I think I would get into theater, but my vocal coach saw something in me that I hadn’t seen in myself, and she knew I would fall in love with theater,” Quinn said.

Soon after, Quinn surrounded herself in theater at Fremd. Participating in fall and spring performances, group interpretation and choir, Quinn became an established member of the Fremd drama community.

Following a trip to New York two years ago, Quinn was introduced to theater management and arts outreach through a family friend. She quickly fell in love with management due to its fusion of the two worlds she felt passionate about.

“It was really cool because I was able to combine my passions - service and my passion for the arts,” Quinn said.

Although Quinn’s responsibilities as a manager for arts outreach may not be as visible as other theatrical professions, they are just as vital. Quinn actively seeks to create an environment for other artists within the theater world. By organizing and assisting programs for the theater community, Quinn continues to forge toward her goal.

During her junior year, Quinn began to work at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre where she and the Goodman Youth Art Council (GYAC) manage and organize theater programs, helping young artists in the Chicagoland area find their voices through theater. Their main goal is to allow artists to personalize performances, akin to the way Quinn was introduced to theater.

Logue photo by Jayne DePaolis

REACHING OUT FOR A BETTER FUTURE. Quinn Jackson continues to broaden her theater management and arts outreach experience through her work with the Goodman Youth Art Council.

“We want to give people a chance to use their voices capacity. She’s had minor roles, she’s had major roles, in a way that they may not have thought was possible,” she’s worked on crews,” Dennhardt said. “We just did Group Interpretation, and she couldn’t work on it beQuinn said.

Quinn and the GYAC allow other young artists to be cause she couldn’t be there at the exact time of the perheard by organizing special presentations of running formances, but she worked on it on her own.”

Quinn’s fervent passion for theater can be tied back performances, featuring group discussions and activities. With these interactive opportunities, young artists to one word – truth. The openness of theater is what are able to use the performances and art to share and first excited her, and she wishes to keep fueling that in others through a degree in theater management at Barconnect their own thoughts about the play.

GYAC member Ariya Hawkins acknowledges that nard College in New York.

“I just really love acting because you’re really just tellQuinn’s contributions to the council have been iming a story and you’re really just telling a truth,” Quinn mense.

“She is able to keep us on task, brings valuable in- said. “It might not be your truth, but it’s someone else’s sight while making important decisions and has in- truth. I know for myself, acting is not my strongest gift, credible organizational skills that make her a strong and I don’t like to be really center stage. That’s why I love theater management because I still get to be a part leader within a group of leaders,” Hawkins said.

In addition, Fremd drama sponsor Lauren Dennhardt of that storytelling and that truth telling, but being able has noted Quinn’s strong commitment to the program. to make it happen instead of being the one telling the “She’s the kind of girl who’s willing to work at any story.”

7

PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Michaela Pullara leaves audiences spellbound Lisa Chen Lead News Editor

Pennies have a weird habit of ending up on the ground, only to be picked up and tucked into the pockets of little kids. So, when I saw a 1963 penny dangling from a chain around Michaela Pullara’s neck, it caught my eye the same way children are drawn to parking lots as if they’re copper mines. As a self-taught magician, Michaela tries to evoke this same childlike excitement through her tricks and sleight of hand.

Though Michaela’s performances can be grand, her roots as a magician are fairly modest. In fifth grade, she began by watching YouTube magic tutorials and was immediately enchanted. After learning some routines, the school playground soon became Michaela’s main stage, a place where she would share her newly-learned talent with her peers.

Instead of tossing her card tricks aside as a childhood hobby, Michaela continues to improve her skills to provide not only an outlet for herself but for her audience members.

“I’ve had people tell me that watching my magic makes them feel like a little kid again, and I haven’t really found anything that makes me that happy,” Michaela said. “So, if that’s not interesting, I don’t know what is.”

Since her elementary school days, Michaela has now performed twice at Fremd’s Variety Show. When she’s not on the big stage, she enjoys doing magic for students in the cafeteria and other small audience settings. She also teaches magic lessons and occasionally performs at parties.

Magic is more than just a one-woman show for Michaela. She believes the audience has just as big a role in a successful performance as being able to execute the trick.

“I don’t really know if I am a magician - I think I’m more just an entertainer. If you believe that it’s magic, then it will be magic. And if you don’t, then it’s just like me acting,” Michaela said. “To me, deception is not my job.”

With an authentic and relaxed stage persona, Michaela’s personality certainly plays a role in her performances.

Similarly, she thinks getting up onstage has shaped her

Logue photo by Priyanka Podjale

PICK A CARD, ANY CARD. Even though she’s picked up plenty of routines throughout the years, Michaela still likes to perform a card trick she learned when she was first starting out. into the outgoing yet laid-back person she is.

“I’m very casual, so it makes me feel like a more natural person when I’m talking to my friends or when I’m talking to people I’ve never met before,” Michaela said. “It puts you outside your comfort zone because doing magic for someone I’m meeting for the first time is much more magical than doing it for someone who knows me.”

Michaela’s video and animation teacher, Jeremy Malinowski, saw this confidence firsthand in class. As students waited to return after a photography and video field trip, Michaela decided to entertain everyone with an impromptu performance. Though showing a card trick to a group of restless teens sounds like a recipe for disaster, Malinowski saw Michaela gradually capture the room’s attention.

“As the trick progressed, people were getting closer.

They were really interested to see how it would turn out, and I believe that it was truthful,” Malinowski said. “You

know, with magic, it’s not really intended for yourself - it’s for people to witness, and I was glad to be a part of it.”

Looking back on this moment, Michaela thinks that magic, like pennies, has its way of making people feel like a child again.

“To a kid, picking up a penny is amazing and then now, they’re meaningless to us. I think that goes along a lot with what I try to teach people with magic too,” Michaela said. “You can be a kid again. It’s okay to be a kid. We’re all kids.”

Even though her high school career is ending, and her transition to adulthood has already begun, Michaela still has big plans for keeping magic a part of her future. When she starts school next fall at DePaul University’s Lincoln Park Campus to study graphic design, she hopes to start doing street magic in the city and also start incorporating music into her performances. But for now, Michaela’s inner child still exists in the form of tricks up her sleeves.

ALEX KNOX TAKES CHARGE AND AIMS HIGH Natasha Thomas News Editor

On Tuesday evenings, Alex Knox can be found outside of the Schaumburg Airport marching a group of younger cadets up and down the runway. As flight commander for the Woodfield Composite Squadron, Alex teaches these 12-18 yearold cadets customs, courtesies and drills.

For three hours, Alex takes part in opening formations, reviews Civil Air Patrol (CAP) knowledge, recites the Cadet oath and discusses current events and foreign policy.

Alex realizes that, in order to lead, he must first inspire people to respect him.

“I had to learn from the get-go that you have to make people want to follow you, because you can’t force them,” Alex said.

“My biggest method is to never ask them to do things I wouldn’t do myself.”

Since his freshman year, Alex has been part of CAP, the official civilian Air Force Auxiliary. Youth members in CAP grow acquainted with aerospace education, leadership development and character development. As a leader, Alex’s main duties in CAP consist of teaching the next group of squadron leaders and planning CAP meetings and activities. He has also led classes in which he taught cadets topics in aerospace.

Alex wants to provide guidance and support to the people he leads.

“I try to follow the ideas of servant leadership. Servant leadership is the idea that it’s all kind of a circle,” Alex said. “The person at the top of the chain of command exists to see to the needs and serve the people under. Each leader higher up on

Logue photo by Priyanka Podjale

ABOUT FACE. Alex’s commitments to CAP and Boy Scouts have helped him develop his leadership and service roles. the chain serves the people beneath him, as they serve him.”

Captain Jackie LeFevre, the Deputy Commander for Cadets in CAP, is impressed by Alex’s well-rounded nature.

“Both Civil Air Patrol senior members and cadet members are amazed by his knowledge of aerospace topics and his ability to participate in multiple service activities as well as extracurricular sports and fitness,” LeFevre said. “We all suspect he doesn’t bother to sleep. I hope others are motivated to follow his example.”

Alex’s experience with leadership can be traced back to Boy Scouts, in which he has been an active member for 11 years. As an assistant Scout manager, Alex mentors the younger Scouts, offering guidance to help keep the Scouts engaged community members.

Alex believes being a leader not only involves guiding others but also shaping personal character.

“Leadership isn’t just about other people, it’s very much about yourself too,” Alex said. “I have very much exercised

this mantra of, ‘You can’t lead others unless you can lead yourself.’ The ability to lead yourself makes you far more capable - it allows you to make yourself into the person you want to be, rather than just being who you are.”

Brenda, Alex’s mom, admires Alex’s accomplishments, and is excited to see what he will achieve in the future.

“I think most of all we are proud of the confident young man he has become and the hard work he put in to have these great life choices ahead of him,” Brenda said.

“We are extremely proud and supportive, and, though we recognize he hasn’t chosen the easiest path, we know he’s up for the challenge.”

Alex will attend the Air Force Academy next fall and eventually commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force, with a required service time of five years. Afterward, Alex can decide to continue to work with the Air Force or go into the civilian work force as an aerospace engineer.

His family is also involved with the military, as his great-grandfathers and grandfathers served in the Navy, Army and Marine Corps. Knowing that ensuring freedom comes with making many sacrifices, Alex feels he has a commitment to serve his country.

“I feel that what we get in this country is not simply provided,” Alex said. “We have to fight for it, and pay to make the sacrifices to keep us free, and keep us having such great things in this country.

I kind of figured that if I am not willing to do that, how can I expect anyone else to? I feel like it’s my duty.”

PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

8

Raqib Adebayo maps out his own journey Nabeela Syed Features Editor

Raqib Adebayo spends the early years of his life in Chicago, its tall buildings casting shadows over the urban streets.

At six years old, he takes a flight only to find himself in a different country - food vendors gather on the roads shouting for his attention, and motorcycle taxis let out frantic honks, the frequent traffic jams only adding to the heat of Nigeria.

Eventually, those bustling dirt roads transform into the cobblestone streets of London packed with cafés and marketplaces. Once again, Raqib has to adjust to an entirely different culture in an entirely different country.

Over the past eighteen years, Raqib has seen a multitude of differences in the behaviors and social norms in each of the places he’s lived. Constantly moving has forced him to acclimatize to each culture, but he has managed to embrace this change like no one else.

“I feel like I was just a parcel, moving place to place,” Raqib said. “Each big move in my life was like a shipment. I was constantly moving away from my home.”

Raqib began his journey at six years old when he moved to Nigeria.

“We moved around for my dad’s business, so I had no impact on where the next destination would be. First, we moved to Lagos, Nigeria. It was busy, but the community there was like this one big family.”

Logue photo by Nabeela Syed

WORLD TRAVELER. Raqib Adebayo has immersed himself in many cultures, distinguishing himself from his peers.

Despite the welcoming environment of Nigeria, the American-born Raqib found himself often annoyed by certain behavioral constructs. Nigerian culture stresses the importance of having the utmost respect for elders and emphasizes the necessity for traditional customs. Adjusting to the changes in the social environment of Nigeria proved to be difficult for Raqib.

“It was really warm and loving, but sometimes it was frustrating,” Raqib said.

“In Nigeria, no matter what an elder was

saying, you were forced to respect them.”

Rather than contradicting the social norm, Raqib patiently abided by the customs. Although he remained appreciative of the welcoming Nigerian culture, his desire to speak out grew.

At the age of eight, Raqib packed up his bags once again and moved to London.

This time, Raqib found himself taking advantage of London’s more expressive culture; he became politically active in his community, consistently defending his

stance on feminism and advocating for marginalized groups.

“I’m outspoken because I truly don’t care about what people think of me. I joined a youth parliament, and we used to rally,” Raqib said. “I used to be really shy.

I wouldn’t talk to anyone, but I realized that if I’m always moving around, I might as well speak my mind and be myself.”

After immersing himself in London’s culture for six years, Raqib moved back to Illinois during his junior year, once again integrating himself into his new surroundings. After experiencing the diverse cultures of three different countries, Raqib became especially curious about how these experiences sculpted his identity.

“My experiences with different cultures has lead me to become more and more curious in finding out how behavior is affected by culture,” Raqib said. “I’ve been interacting with different cultures in Nigeria and England and here - that’s what made me who I am.”

Infusing his curiosity about cultures into his passion for learning about behaviorisms, Raqib will major in psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“From a very young age, I’ve been intrigued by the way the mind works, why someone acts the way they do or what makes someone who they are,” Raqib said. “I’m just so interested in that. Learning about theories interests me and I have this desire to learn more and more and more.”

Anusha Thotakura elects to bring change through politics Andrew S. Hwang A&E Editor

After a long day of school, representatives from Congressman Brad Schneider’s office call Anusha Thotakura to see if she is able to help gather volunteers to promote an event, and, not surprisingly, she is willing to do so. Despite the amount of homework she has to do when she gets home, Anusha doesn’t stop pursuing her goal to help others.

Anusha was not born with an innate sense of passion for the political field; rather, it all started when a friend convinced Anusha to join Fremd’s Model United Nations (MUN) club during her freshman year.

“My time at MUN allowed me to educate myself with different policies in our society today, but, more than that, it was the community of people who were equally interested in political issues that made me want to stay with politics,” Anusha said.

Up until she joined MUN, neither domestic nor global politics struck much interest in Anusha. However, during the summer after her sophomore year, she applied for an internship for Schneider’s campaign and her passion for politics blossomed.

“I worked forty hours a week, constantly knocking on doors, making phone calls, setting up different events, leading a team of volunteers and trying to get as many voters for Brad Schneider,” Anusha said. “But I didn’t really know anything about working for a political campaign, so it was hard not to take it personally when people slammed their doors in my face.”

Anusha was often discouraged by the number of rejections from many voters. However, she was able to overcome the discouragement by persevering with her campaign work and turning it into a learning opportunity.

“I was able to turn the conversation in the right direction and those kinds of conversations with potential voters were for sure what kept me going through my internship,” Anusha said. “Also, the race was so close that it could’ve come down to one vote. I didn’t want to have any regrets after my internship, so I treated every door like it was the last important vote.”

According to Anusha’s mother, Geeta, Anusha has

Logue photo by Priyanka Podjale

GET OUT THE VOTE. Anusha Thotakura makes calls on behalf of Congressman Brad Schneider’s campaign to garner support from voters in the area.

always been independent and strives to do whatever she believes is her calling to assist others.

“Anusha has always been a compassionate person who wants to help those in need of her help,” Geeta said. “My husband and I would like her to do whatever she wants that will strike her interest and others’.”

Though she is set on a political future, Anusha is still considering different career possibilities within the political realm.

“I’m still not sure what I want to do in my future exactly, but I’ve been thinking about working for progressive causes and immigration policies,” Anusha said. “No matter what I choose to do, I want my work to leave a global impact, especially for those deprived of everyday necessities.”

One particular event, D211’s case with the Office of Civil Rights regarding transgender students, strength-

ened Anusha’s desire to work in the political field.

“The D211 transgender issue gave me an opportunity to take some action close to home,” Anusha said.

“It hit home because I had the power to do something in my community.”

Anusha will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a double major in political science and global studies to develop herself into a humanitarian. Anusha would like to study abroad in order to experience different cultures and see how she can best serve them.

“I want to travel to some other country to get a better understanding of what our world is like. I want to understand why everything is so difficult and why our world isn’t perfect,” Anusha said. “By having different perspectives of the world, I’ll be able to understand how to help better this world and its many flaws.”

SENIOR QUOTES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

9

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One FHS senio who r diffe made a renc e is.. .

Living in New Orleans eating gumbo and enjoying street music.

- Pat Geregach Keep in mind that deep inside, you are not a Viking; You are a 42er. - Jessica Kim

10 years from now I will be...

Runn in baker g my o wn y the e on ast c - Sam oast McPh errin

If I could do high school all over again, I would…

The head varsity basketball coach at Fremd High School - Dylan Simios

Not wear a Rajon Rondo shirt every single day for two years. - John Tuzzolino Establish a non-profit Quidditch team. - Jack Fox

Keep your friends close but keep your hall monitors closer. - Grace Mr. Craddock’s favorite Haffner cheese is Vermont Sharp White Cheddar.

- Sarah Hoadley

Ride a motorcycle to school...chicks dig motorcycles. - Will Anderson

In the words of Mr. Widlowski, Put down the burrito and pick up a book. Maggie Betti

Take another language.

- Kristen Nortillo Not eat the cookies every day freshman year, so my heart wouldn’t be broken by their absence the remainder of my high school career. - Sydney Wells

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Always hug Mr. Zacharia when you see him. - Matt Baughman

S wit o ric h h dog so ma s n Mly - Ky y nar le czy k

Take part in the foreign exchange because you will make memories you will see a part of the world you never have and make lifelong friends in different countries.

- Eric Schaeffer They still sell old cookies in the vending machines after school. Go get them.

Go. - Jessica Lu

If you’re ever feeling down, eavesdrop on the freshmen walking behind you in the hallway. It’ll give you something to smile about. Lauren Gregory

My advice to future Vikings is…

Get involved. That is where you really find yourself and see what is really important to you.

- Jenna Coyne

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10 Raqib Adebayo Mustafa Adel Caitlin Adolphsen Emma Aftelak Alexa Ahlgrim Kyle Aichinger Emma Albrecht Natalie Alden Tyler Alfirevic Ryan Allen Leen Alsalhani Robben Amos Roland Amos William Anderson Brandon Aranza Michael Arbour Gabriella Arnieri Matthew Aronson Dylan Assmann Mara Atristain Evelyn Ayala Kyle Bagwell Afraz Bakar Courtney Baker Vanessa Balis Akcan Balkir Hayley Ban Connor Barker Brittany Barrett John Barrett Grant Barwacz Collin Basten Suruchi Batra Matthew Baughman Kayla Baum Nicole Bayne Elaine Beaulieu MacKenzie Bednarek Justin Beeman Daniel Bellino Kenneth Benjamin Megan Benka Patrick Benka Anthony Betti Margaret Betti Ishan Bhatia Agata Bielinski Kerri Bjornholm Suzanne Black Julia Bley Travis Bossard Connor Bradshaw Jennifer Brand Patrick Brand Sarah Brand Joseph Breen Kailey Brey Asia Brown-Perkins Zachary Bryniarski Isabella Buccieri Celia Bugno Robert Bulman Michael Burton Thomas Bustamante Javier Cabrera Hernandez Maria Cabrera Hernandez Julia Cai Philip Calabrese Sydney Callero Abbigail Canace Jovany Candelas Jared Candra Elizabeth Carlson Riley Carlson Lauren Carver Justin Castillo Daniel Castle Joseph Cermak Hye Min Cha Michael Chaires Lelia Charpentier Suhaavi Chavla Zoe Che Maria Chemello Amy Chen Lisa Chen Lily Cheong Jeremiah Chiang

SENIOR CLASS Bright Chin Deven Chism Sun Ha Cho Sun Ju Cho Yoon Kyung Cho SuEun Choi Jeremy Chong Haralampos Christodoulopoulos Jenny Chu Tiffany Chu Paul Cizek Nicholas Clark Daniel Classon Abigail Cohen Kayla Colby Melinda Coleman Anthony Coman Sarah Coombes Aaron Cortez Jenna Coyne Patrick Cudney Maya Czerkies Megan Daniele Graham Dano Drake Danzer Chloe David Emma Davies-Hogg Robert De Pau Carly DeFilippo Lindsey DeFilippo Anna Del Magno Nicole DeMay Jayne DePaolis Kalah Deresinski Karishma Desai Michael DeVry Stephen DeWaal Julia Dirkes-Jacks Nicholas Divizio Gayathri Dollu Lucas Donovan Michael Downing Zoe Draznik Nathan Du Ryan Dudar Dayna Duffy Sarah Dybicz Kayla Dzierozynski Julie Edwards Brittany Ekwonwa Sean Erickson Kristi Escobar Austin Espinoza Mario Esquivel Giana Fallico Emily Fasick Morgan Faulkner Kelsey Faust James Feng Ally Fermanis Alexander Fernandez Nora Finegan Jill Finis Cordell Finley Cole Fischer Alison Fissinger Kelsey Fissinger Jessica Flannery Amanda Fleischmann Arianne Floody Antony Fontanot-Medina Jack Fox Jameson Franks Jonathan Free Ian Freeman Sean Freeman Jordan Freer Kendal Freeze Timothy Fuhs Kenneth Gagnon Aishwarya Ganne Alyssa Garcia Michael Garcia Nicole Gary Claudia Gebert Mark Geregach Bissem Gill Lauren Glaser

Gillian Gould Joaquin Grace Lauren Gregory Emily Grewe Caitlin Griffin Kayla Groebe Megan Gron Grace Grzybek Michael Guedel Nikhila Gundimeda Mark Guo Parisha Gupta Samiksha Gupta Mariah Gura Ethan Haduch Grace Haffner Ethan Hajdukovic Troy Hajdukovic Jalend Hall Kellie Halloran Bradley Hamilton Jesse Hammond Daniel Han Austin Hancock Takehiro Handa Ryan Hanks Cameron Harro Muhammad Hassan Ariya Hatami Brittany Hayes Aatu Heikkonen Joshua Heinlein Jack Heinrich Gina Heinsohn Emily Helbing Elin Henderlight Thomas Hentges Jose Hernandez Kylie Hess Christian Hilderbrand Sydney Hill Lily Ho Sarah Hoadley Tyler Holbrook-Engel Jessica Holzhauer Joseph Homan Niah Homyak Daniel Hong Bryana Hopkins Samantha Horcher Bridget Horn Jessica Hotchkin Kaitlyn Houp Tytianna Howery

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Charles Hoy Ann Hsieh Jiamin Huang James Hudson Jack Huffman Jae Hee Hur Andrea Hurlburt Hayley Husar Shayan Hussain Jihee Hwang Christina Hynda Isabella Iaccino Shelby Ibarra Seiya Iguchi Jenessa Islas-Parker Shingo Ito Abigail Iuorio Katelyn Izzo Quinn Jackson Alex Jacobs Vidhi Jain Derek James Paul James Chase Jauch Emma Jeronimus Alexander Johnson Logan Jordan Nathaniel Jordan Zachary Jordan Ashwin Joseph Haezi Jung Hye Soo Jung Veronica Jung Joseph Kadzielawski John Kaiser Maria Kanellos Kartik Kansal Rusudan Kardava Robertovna Pranathi Karumanchi Charles Kaye Chase Keegan Zachary Keper Tariq Khader Illiyeen Khan Zain Khan Imama Khawaja Shahraiz Khawari Adrian Kim Carolyn Kim Elisa Kim Erica Kim Eugene Kim Eugene Kim Eunice Kim

Class of 2016 John Kim Ha Eun Kim Joshua Kim Joy Kim Kristin Kim Nicole Kim Payton Kim Rosaleen Kim Philip King Bailey Kirsten Sophie Kish Chiranth Kishore Eshwar Kishore Taylor Kistner Emily Kivland Victoria Klanang Ethan Klieman Kayla Knippen Alexander Knox Braden Kobeski Abigail Kobilarcik Michael Kochanski Nathan Koerner Jackson Kolderup Bradley Kometer Will Komoll Lingqi Kong Grace Korn Andrij Kozych Andy Kraft Michael Kramer Samantha Kramp Nicholas Kuechel Zachary Kuehn Trevor Kukla Sneha Kumar Nihar Kummetha Anna Kunstman Yoshiki Kurata Patrick Kurka Ahmed Kurtishi Blerand Kurtishi Byungjun Kwak Jake LaGasse Nicholas LaManna Brian Lannon Jenna LaPiana Tyler Larson Kevin Leah Matthew Lebiedzinski Allison Leczycki Aiden Lee Daniel Lee Grace Lee

Jong Woo Lee Karis Lee Leonard Lee Matthew Lee Samantha Lee Su-Mi Lee Erin Lenahan Scott Lenz Kelly Leonard Joshua Levin Brianna Lewis Linda Li Shijie Li Wenjie Li Jessica Lim Ji Lyun Lim Brian Lin Lauren Lin Liyu Liu Yao Hua Liu Isa LoPiccolo-Kleine Matrix LoPiccolo-Kleine Alec Lowe Erin Lowe Jessica Lu Tiffany Lu Juan Luna Sheridan Lurie Kenneth Lyke II Alexander Lytle Gabrielle Lytle Jake Lytle Armani Mabry Liam MacGillivray Lunoni Mahdu Sarah Mahmoud Riley Mahon Brooke Mahoney Joseph Malicki Matthew Mallon Anthony Mangiaracina William Maniscalco Jack Mann-Johnson Czarisse Mae Maralit Ariana Marean Andrew Markantonatos Matthew Markowski Brody Martin Wendy Martinez Gabriella Mascari Connor Masi Hailey Matich Luke Mayo Stephanie Mbi

11

SENIOR CLASS

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Matthew McCabe Collin McCaffrey Amanda McCartney Catherine McIntyre Emalie McIntyre Ryan McMahon Samantha McPherrin Madison Mellin Monica Mendez Nicole Menis Rohan Menon Mobolaji Mensah Michael Meshreki Jayden Messner Sophia Metallo Victoria Metzger Hinako Michihara Anna Milecki Olivia Miles Meghan Mileski Kelly Millar Ema Milojkovic Nikhil Mistry Kyle Mlynarczyk Maya Mocarski Jack Molnar Jessica Moore Isabel Moroney Matthew Mrohs Molly Muhs Ryan Mullane Samantha Muno Katherine Murauskis Jonathan Mursuli Safa Mustafa Reina Nagasaka Melissa Nakazawa Lakshmi Nanduri Nathan Narasimhan Jared Narter-Slezak Stephanie Naumowicz Alexander Nicholas Arial Nieberding Cole Nielsen Mizraim Nieto Gonzalez Alexandria Nischke Joseph Noelle Kristen Nortillo Deepesh Notaria Jakub Nowak Mya O’Brien Brenna O’Donoghue Taiki Okamoto Samson Oladimeji

Yuki Omae Natalie Oplt Christine Osborn David Ostman Adam O’Toole Justin Ott Collin Owens Serra Ozgen Jovany Palacios Ortega Meghana Paleti Nathan Palumbo Vibha Pandurangi William Pankratz Chong Hyun Park Trevor Parker Keshav Parthasarathy Kruti Patel Cole Patton Anqi Peng Cesar Perez Omar Perez Avalos Rachel Perlin Daniella Perna Emily Perrino Thomas Peterson Natalie Pfister Christian Phillips Zachary Pielin Gabriela Piluk Varun Pinto Sarah Pitzaferro Alexander Plummer Trevor Plunkett Priyanka Podjale April Poggio Prahalad Pole Jeremy Pope Aleksandra Popielarz Bradley Posdal Eric Power Srivats Prakash Michaela Pullara Wesley Purdy Connor Puritz Nathaniel Pusch James Qiu Deion Quackenbush Lisa Radochonski Ann Rajan Raheem Raji Varshini Ramanathan Samarth Rao Sean Rasmussen Lucas Ratajczyk

Trevor Razo Dyanette Rea Timothy Reidy DeAndre Reynolds Leanna Rice Nicole Ricken Aaron Rife Visca Rife Marife Rigor Curtis Robinson Cassandra Rohan Allison Romag Floor Rompelberg Jennifer Rosales Haley Rosenthal Daniel Rosenwinkel Ryan Rowden Gina Marie Rowlett Patrick Ruan Dawson Rubin Angela Rublaitus Sarah Ruffolo Karen Rumps Denislav Rusulov Rebecca Rutkowski Eric Ruzanski Yui Saito Nicole Salonga Omran Samadi Alexandra Sanchez Christopher Sander Quinn Sanecki Nanase Sato Kyle Saxon Eric Schaeffer Madeline Scharm Hayley Scheid William Schiraldi Nathan Schmidt Trevor Schmidt Corey Schultz Eden Schultz Samantha Schutz Dylan Schweinebraten Nelle Scranton Randheer Sehmbey Joshua Seidman Kathryn Serena Emma Serikaku Matthew Serikaku Peter Seyring Isa Faizan Sheik Sean Shields Esther Shim Jack Shirmer Jocelyne Silva Connor Simios Dylan Simios Jenna Simios Jenna Sjogren Michal Skolik Joseph Smaga Austin Smith Jazmin Snipes Jeremy Soland Justin Song Abigail Sosa Garduno Dimitri Sotos Stephanie Spartz Austin Spiewak Aidan Stadler Brooke Stamper Jordan Stamper Ryan Stanke Rebecca Stapleton Katherine Stearney Michael Steck Jack Stedronsky Aleksandar Stefanovic Timothy Steininger Heather Sternberg Tina Sternberg Kevin Stevens Melanie Stevens Mackenzie Storm Holly Straup Addison Stremel Kyle Suchomski

Daniel Suero Madison Sullivan Carlee Svec Ysabel Swearingen Colleen Sweeney Jared Swenson Insiya Syed Nicole Sygieda Jagoda Szostakiewicz Magdalena Szozda Michael Tader Neal Tailor Alexandra Tangney Ishan Taparia Shae Taylor Megan Teeter Ben Thomas Natasha Thomas Anusha Thotakura Christopher Timonen Ippei Togo Daniel Tokarz II Molly Toriumi Gino Troia Jacqueline Trujillo Christina Truver Munkhtamir Tuvden John Tuzzolino Halle Tyska Kennedy Tyska Ruth Upadhyaya Karolina Urban Caleb Vail Amanda Valdes Noah Van Jacobs Adam Van Stedum Thomas Vannieuwenhoven Cristian Vazquez Hernandez Cameron Vega Jamie Velez Varsha Vembar Amanda Vieceli Justin Villarreal Ethan Violette Nicholas Vitosh Noah Voehringer Julia Wacker Holden Wagner Jennifer Walentowicz Sean Wan William Wang Cara Ward Pawel Warzecha Sydney Wells Tyler Welter Thomas Whiteside John Whitfield Destiney Wilkinson Jennifer Willney Claire Wiltgen Andrew Winter Eric Witting Kirsten Wochinski Nolan Wochinski Nicole Wojtkow Austin Wonder Dominik Wrobel Kenneth Wu Anna Wysocka Daniel Xu Nathan Xu Mizuki Yamashita Tomoki Yasuda Grace Yim Xuemeng Yin Clay Yoksoulian Sea Na Youn Jason Yung Madeline Zachman Briana Zajler Monica Zawisza Timothy Zerfass Annie Zheng Michael Zhou Madelyn Ziaj Alexis Zimmer

12

SPORTS AWARDS

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Bryana Hopkins continues to lead by example Pavel Warzecha Sports Editor

As the final buzzer sounds inside Illinois State’s crowded Redbird Arena, a 47-40 OT win sends the Fremd girls basketball team to a second consecutive state championship game. Celebrating on the court with her teammates is Bryana Hopkins, the star forward that has led the team in scoring all season, including this game, and played a key role in the team’s overall success.

Earning both All-Conference and All-Area honors, the Fremd girls basketball captain, Bryana Hopkins, is clearly Viking Logue’s Female Athlete of the year.

Over the course of a fantastic senior season, Bryana averaged 14.6 points per game and contributed greatly to a 29-3 record for the team.

Senior point guard Lauren Glaser discusses how Bryana has positively impacted the team outside of basketball alone.

“Sometimes when we would get frustrated in practice, some teammates would get on each other for mistakes,” Glaser said. “But Bryana was always the opposite. She was always very encouraging and positive through when we struggled.”

With two consecutive state runs, Bryana weighs in on the difference between the two second place finishes.

“Last year there was a lot of uncertainty because we had a goal but we didn’t know if we could make it happen, but it was awesome to go down to state,” Bryana said. “This time we had the experience from last year.”

Glaser discusses the forward’s skill-set and how her talent has been very unique in nature.

“It’s been a privilege to play with someone as talented as Bry,” Glaser said. “What really struck me the first time I played with her was her deceptive speed at her position.

While a lot of forwards her size just sit on the block, she can move well and shoot the ball” Bryana’s unique style of playing has helped her achieve numerous accomplishments throughout her career, but she attributes a majority of her success to those who have helped her grow on the court and off of it.

“I wouldn’t be able to get to where I’m going without my teammates and coaches,” Hopkins said. “Everyone being there and supporting me through my career has been huge.”

However, Bryana’s family’s consistent support has

Photo courtesy of Bryana Hopkins

FUTURE WILDCAT. Bryana Hopkins smiles as she signs her National Letter of Intent on signing day. Bryana will continue her basketball career in the fall at Northwestern University.

been even more important in her career than any coach or teammate. With both of her parents being Division 1 athletes in previous years, Bryana had the support to pursue her aspirations of playing college basketball.

“My parents have 100% been my biggest inspiration for basketball,” Hopkins said. “They laid down the foundation for me that I had to work hard for everything I achieve and have always supported my dream to play in college.”

Coming from a family with a deep background in sports, Bryana has been playing basketball from a very young age.

Getting an early start to sports in her life is something that has also helped Bryana through her basketball career tremendously.

“I started playing when I was six years old in a church

league,” Hopkins said. “Since then, my interest for the game grew to a point where it was all I wanted to do in my free time.”

After the two historic seasons with the Fremd team, Bryana looks to continue her basketball career at Northwestern University. Committing over a year ago, Bryana’s talent for basketball had been noticed by many far before she reached her full potential, as college coaches contacted her as early as her sophomore season.

Next year at Northwestern, expectations are high for Bryana in terms of academics and athletics. With the way she has been able to succeed in years past, however, these high expectations are not likely to overwhelm her.

“I’m really pumped to meet new players and coaches at Northwestern,” Bryana said. “I’m very excited to start my new basketball journey there.”

Future College Athletes from the Class of 2016 Boys Baseball

Troy Hajdukovic: Lewis University The steadfast catcher will take the field in Romeoville for the Flyers.

Jack Molnar: Ball State University The outfielder will join the Cardinals on the diamond in Muncie.

Boys Basketball

Patrick Benka: University of Rochester

Julia Wacker: Hillsdale College The forward brings her rebounding skills to the court in Hillsdale for the Chargers.

Boys Football

Cordell Finley: Grand Valley State University The speedy athlete will look to make an impact on the field for the Lakers.

Charlie Kaye: Saint John’s University

Girls Golf

Girls Soccer

The technical golfer will take the course in Rock Island as she continues her Viking career.

This dominant defender will bring her tackling skills to the field for the Vikings next fall.

Boys Lacrosse

Girls Softball

Brenna O’Donoghue: Augustana College

Austin Espinoza: Concordia University Wisconsin The dependable lefty defender will join a Concordia team looking to avenge their loss in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference championship game.

Benka will take to the hardwood as a small forward for the Yellowjackets.

The hardnosed rusher adds his playmaking abilities to the Thunderbirds’ backfield.

Girls Basketball

J.T. Kolderup: Case Western Reserve University

Glaser will add her offensive prowess to the Buccaneers backcourt in Beloit next year as a guard.

Kolderup’s leg will add range to the kicking game in Cleveland.

As an offensive midfielder, Mahon will add offensive firepower to the Yellow Jackets’ roster.

Bryana Hopkins: Northwestern University

Kenney Lyke: Michigan State University

The forward will bring her offensive power to the Wildcats’ program in Evanston.

Lyke joins the Spartans as a defensive back looking to get back to the College Football Playoff.

Will Pankratz: Michigan State University

Erin Lenahan: Maryville University

Matt McCabe: Yale University

Lauren Glaser: Beloit College

Lenahan joins the Saints as a shooting guard and looks to make an impact with her offensive and defensive tenacity.

McCabe will take his pass-rush skills to New Haven as a defensive end.

Brianna Lewis: Texas Southern University

The longsnapper will join the special teams core of the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.

Lewis will bring her ball handling skills to the court in Houston as a point guard.

Amanda McCartney: Elmhurst University The three-point specialist will look to add range to the Bluejays next season.

Austin Spiewak: University of Iowa

Boys Golf

Payton Kim: Bryant University Kim will take his driving and putting talents to the course in Smithfield.

Riley Mahon: Baldwin Wallace University

The four-year starter looks to add depth to the Spartans defense next year in East Lansing.

Courtney Baker: Augustana College

Alyssa Garcia: Butler University Garcia brings her offensive power and fielding skills to the diamond at Butler next season.

Girls Swimming and Diving Grace Grzybek: Butler University

Grzybek looks to dominate the 100-yard backstroke for the Bulldogs.

Becca Rutkowski: Carthage College Rutkowski will compete in the 50-yard freestyle in Kenosha next year.

Boys Water Polo

Alex Nicholas: McKendree University

Trevor Razo: Illinois Wesleyan University

Nicholas will take the pool for the Bearcats as a utility player.

Razo will take his close defense skills to the field in Bloomington.

Girls Water Polo

Girls Lacrosse

Nelle Scranton: North Central College Scranton will be a scoring threat for the Cardinals from her midfield position.

Christina Truver: North Central College Truver will join Scranton in Naperville as her fellow midfielder.

Jenessa Islas-Parker: Penn State Behrand University Islas-Parker adds her impressive defensive presence to the Lions in Erie.

Emma Jeronimus: Carthage College The goalie will look to build a brick wall in net for the Lady Reds.

Logue file graphic

13

SPORTS AWARDS

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Payton Kim hones his shot on the course and court Scott Lenz

Lead Sports Editor

Most athletes start young in their individual sports, developing their skills for years before coming into high school.

Payton Kim took a different approach. He rarely golfed before trying out for the team freshman year, but he surged under pressure and played his two best days on the course to barely make the cut.

Four years later, Payton finished his final round at sectionals after earning his second consecutive all-conference award, and leading the Vikings to a second place finish in the MSL with a 9-2 record overall.

Payton’s strong performances in both golf and basketball earn him the distinction of being named Viking Logue 2016 Male Athlete of the Year.

While Payton concluded his Fremd golf career with a 1.0 handicap, he didn’t come in freshman year as a star player on the team. He began at the bottom of the program, but didn’t allow that to prevent him from developing his game.

“I started off probably being the worst player on the golf team my freshman year, shooting the worst scores,” Payton said.

Golf forced Payton to shift his focus from physically beating his opponents in one-on-one battles in basketball, to centering his attention around each shot on the course. Through golf, Payton was presented with a set of unique mental challenges that separated the game from most other sports he had played during

Logue photo by Jayne DePaolis

DUAL-DOMINANCE. Payton Kim led Fremd to a regional championship in basketball after earning a berth at the IHSA 3A Rockford sectional golf tournament.

his childhood.

“I’ve been a basketball and baseball player all my life, and golf was very different because you don’t have to really be athletic to be good at golf,” Payton said.

“It was weird transitioning from running and jumping everywhere to slowing down and having to think so much more about what I’m doing.”

Although Payton split his time between two varsity sports, he didn’t use that as an excuse to accept mediocrity in either of them. Head basketball coach Bob Widlowski explains how Payton still fully

devoted himself to both programs.

“He really put in a lot of time after golf working on his shot and ball-handling,” Widlowski said. “He was always in the gym working to get better for his next season of basketball.”

Payton’s hard work came to fruition his senior year on the basketball court as well.

As the starting point guard, he shot 51% from the field, with an average of 6.7 points and 2.0 assists per game. He led the Vikings to a 23-7 record and a regional championship, while also earning a unanimous MSL all-conference selection and representing

Fremd on the all-area team.

Beyond the stat sheet, Payton was integral to the success of the golf and basketball programs as a captain for both teams.

Widlowski saw how Payton’s leadership ability impacted his fellow athletes both during practices and in games.

“I think that he was one of the best leaders I’ve ever had in my 25 years of coaching at Fremd,” Widlowski said. “He didn’t just lead verbally, he was an example of effort and consistency for his teammates every day.”

Although basketball and golf are seemingly very different sports, both have taught Payton to maintain a positive mindset.

“The biggest thing for me in golf and basketball is that you take so many shots throughout each round and game, so you have to be in the mentality of focusing on the next shot and next play,” Payton said.

“You have to lock in on what you’re doing at that moment and try to forget any bad plays that you made in the past, while holding onto the good plays so that you keep your confidence up.”

As he heads to Bryant University in Rhode Island next fall, Payton will once again have the opportunity to evolve as a golfer.

“I think I’m coming in being the worst player on the team, the last recruit that they had,” Payton said. “I’m kind of starting over from freshman year, being at the very bottom, but I have no doubt that I’m going to work my tail off and rise up the ranks.”

Yates' team-first atmosphere facilitates bonding and success Scott Lenz

Lead Sports Editor

When the “Chicago Tribune” preseason top ten for girls basketball was published at the end of last season, Fremd was left off the list. Head coach Dave Yates took this as an opportunity to motivate his team. He photocopied the poll and passed it out to each team member at their presummer meeting. Yates challenged his players to prove they were one of the best teams in the state.

Although Fremd had just lost Ms. Basketball of Illinois, Haley Gorecki, he knew that this team was more than just one player. Looking back, the Vikings probably should have been on that list, but the only rankings that truly matter come at the end of the season.

Yates coached his team to a second consecutive second place finish at state this year, earning him the title of Viking Logue 2016 Coach of the Year.

Although the Vikings are now seen as a state power in girls basketball, when Yates became head coach he had to establish it as a sport worth playing at Fremd.

“Initially, when I first took this job ten years ago, that was a struggle,” Yates said. “This is a highly competitive athletic school and, in this day and age, kids specialize in certain sports from an early age. The biggest battle and challenge that we had to overcome to get us to where we are now was to get kids to play basketball.”

Yates promotes a family atmosphere within the program, putting bonding first through activities like team dinners and letting success follow in its footsteps, as evidenced by the program’s 30-3 record.

“What I hear from the players is that when the season ends, they truly miss each other and that says something about a program. It’s not just about wins and losses, it’s about relationships they develop,” Yates said. “That culture doesn’t exist on every team.”

This year, the Vikings flew down to Florida for the Naples Holiday Shootout, finishing third. Competing against nationally ranked teams across the country helps Yates to develop both his team’s family mindset and their skill.

“We played a team out of Louisville, Butler High School, who won the Kentucky state championship, and beat them

Photo Courtesy of Steve Hernandez

VIKING PRIDE. Head coach Dave Yates celebrates the girls basketball team’s second consecutive runner-up finish at the IHSA 4A state basketball tournament.

in overtime after being down nine points at halftime,” Yates said. “That sounds really familiar to this year’s state tournament. Being able to go through those situations and traveling like you do in the state tournament prepares our players for big moments.”

On the road to the state championship game, Fremd fell behind early in the Super-Sectional against Huntley and in the State Semifinals against Whitney Young. The team wasn’t tripped up by these deficits, and they pulled out wins in each game.

After finishing as the runner-up to the 4A state title in 2015 and only graduating three seniors, Yates knew he would have a very experienced team this season. With so many highly skilled players on the roster, he had to get each person to buy into his “team first” mantra.

“With our deep and talented team, many people had to take roles that maybe didn’t benefit them personally, but it benefited the team,” Yates said. “They accepted

those roles, realized they were on a really good team, and worked hard making sure that they got better and took advantage of their opportunities.”

Senior forward Bryana Hopkins and guard Brianna Lewis led Fremd to their fourth consecutive Mid-Suburban League title and were named to the Associated Press All-State Class 4A second team and honorable mention, respectively. They are just two of the six seniors who will be moving on to play collegiate basketball next year.

Yates uses his role as a coach to prepare his players for overcoming obstacles both on and off the court.

“I hope the one thing I teach these guys is that to achieve something, you have to have big dreams and you have to work for those dreams,” Yates said. “I don’t think that we have many kids leaving our programs playing professional basketball, but hopefully when they leave, they’ve worked hard, dealt with adversity, and they’re ready for whatever challenges await them in life.”

14

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

15

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Best School Spirit Most Likely to be Late to Graduation Girls Boys

1. Maya Czerkies 1. Matt McCabe 2. Rosa Li 2. Kenney Lyke 3. Ariya Hatami 3. Michael Kramer

1. Hayley Scheid 1. Jack Stedronsky 2. Gabi Arnieri 2. Justin Castillo 3. Meghan Mileski 3. Keshav Parthasarathy

Girls

1. Vanessa Balis 1. Graham Dano 2. Samie Kramp 2. Eshwar Kishore 3. Parisha Gupta 3. Curtis Robinson

Boys

1. Sam McPherrin 1. John Tuzzolino 2. Lexi Zimmer 2. Tim Steininger 3. Emma Davies 3. Joey Breen

Best Shoulder to Cry On Girls Boys

Best Dressed Girls Boys

1. Brian Lannon 2. Jared Swenson 3. Danny Rosenwinkel

1. Kayla Baum 2. Anna Milecki 3. Kennedy Tyska

Best Smile 1. Kelsey Faust 2. Cassie Rohan 3. Amanda McCar tney

Boys 1. Brian Lannon 2. Trevor Parker 3. Braden Kobeski

Biggest Class Clown Girls 1. Kayla Groeb e 2. Emma Albrecht 3. Zoe Che

Prettiest Eyes

Boys

1. Tim Steininger 2. Will Anderson 3. Braden Kobeski

Girls 1. Dayna Duffy 2. Megan Teeter 3. Amanda

Biggest Flirt 1. Abby Iuorio 2. Kennedy Tyska 3. Jessica Holzhauer

Boys 1. Alex Jacobs 2. Jake Lagasse 3. Kenny Benjamin

Boys

1.Cordell Finley 2. Patrick Cudney 3. Sean Balkir

Girls

Boys

1. Jenna Coyne 1. Patrick Benka 2. Lucky 2. Alex Johnson Nanduri 3. Michael 3. Abby Iuorio Chaires

1. Sarah Pitzaferro 2. Cara Ward 3. Kelly Leonard

Boys

Best Personality Girls

Most Caffeinated Girls

1. Austin Wonder 2. Srivats Prakash 3. Dylan Assmann

Boys

1. Braden 1. Abby Iuorio 2. Gillian Gould Kobeski 3. Erin Lenahan 2. Srivats

Biggest Ego 1. Ali Fissinger 2. Kayla Colby 3. Sami Schutz

1. Cordell Finley 2. Daniel Tokarz 3. Jake Lagasse

Most Involved Girls Boys

1. Emma Serikaku 1. Johnny Barrett 2. Emma Davies 2. Jake Lytle 3. Gabrielle Lytle 3. Jack Shirmer

Girls

Best Friends

Boys

1. Nicole Ricken 1. Tim Reidy 2. Anusha Thotakura 2. Daniel Classon 3. Quinn Jackson 3. Leonard Lee

1. Nikki Menis & Isabel Moroney 2. Lucky Nanduri &Imama Khawaja 3. Gabrielle Lytle & Katie Izzo

1. Garrett Garcia 2. James Hudson 3. Aidan Stadler

Best to Bring Home to Mom and Dad Girls Boys 1. Jenna Simios 1. Brian Lannon 2. Stephanie Spartz 2. Braden Kobeski 3. Maddie Scharm 3. Peter Seyring

Should Have Been a Couple 1. Jenna Simios & Patrick Benka 2. Aggie Bielinski & Graham Dano 3. Samie Kramp & Jake Lagasse

Most Innocent Girls 1. Nikki Menis 2. Hayley Ban 3. Jayne DePaolis

1. Angela Rublaitus 2. Melinda Coleman 3. Jackie Trujillo

Boys

1. Annie Zheng 2. Julia Dirkes-Jacks 3. Cara Ward

Boys 1. Will Komoll 2. Johnny Barrett 3. Daniel Classon

1. Alex Knox 2. Dylan Simios 3. Corey Schultz

1. Dawson Rubin 2. Daniel Tokarz 3. Graham Dano

1. Lauren Gregory 1. Trevor Parker 2. Nikki Wojtkow 2. Jack Molnar 3. Suhaavi Chavla 3. Eugene Kim

1. Denis Rusulov & Jack Shirmer 2. Matt Baughman & Jerry Li 3. TJ Hentges & Cole Nielsen

Talks the Least, Says the Most Girls

Girls

Boys

Best Hair Boys Girls

Boys

1. Tyler Larson 2. Raheem Raji 3. Grant Barwacz

Girls

Most Artistic 1. Emma Albrecht 2. Halle Tyska 3. Lauren Gregory

Most Likely to Change the World Girls Boys

1. Braden Kobeski 1. Megan Benka 2. Andy Winter 2. Erin Lenahan 3. Yzzy Swearingen 3. Pat Geregach

Most Likely to be a Millionaire Girls Boys

Best Laugh Boys Girls

1. Ryan Hanks 1. Maggie Betti 2. Samson ri Nandu Lucky 2.

3. Cassie Rohan Oladim eji 3. Srivats Prakash

Most Likely to Win an Oscar Girls Boys

1. Gabrielle Lytle 2. Kennedy Tyska 3. Varshini Ramanathan

Best Writer

1. Annie Zheng 1. James Feng 2. Jiamin Huang 2. Daniel Classon 3. Abby Iuorio 3. Daniel Tokarz

Most Underappreciated Girls Boys

1. Graham Dano 2. Dylan Schweinebraten 3. Dylan Assmann

Most Likely to Marry for Money Girls Boys

Biggest Party Animal Girls Boys

1. Peter Seyring 2. Matt Lee 3. Ishan Taparia

1. Alyssa Garcia 1. Dan Suero 2. Erin Lenahan 2. Daniel Classon 3. Ali Fissinger 3. Patrick Benka

1. Emma Albrecht 2. Julia Dirkes-Jacks 3. Quinn Jackson

Most Intelligent Girls Boys

1. Lucky Nanduri 1. Eshwar Kishore 2. Jenna Coyne 2. Patrick Kurka 3. Vibha Pandurangi 3. Patrick Benka

Boys

Born in the Wrong Generation Girls Boys

Most Opinionated Girls Boys

Boys

Best Legs Boys Girls

1. Mark Guo 1. Ariya Hatami 2. Lisa Radochonski 2. Danny Castle 3. Graham Dano 3. Gabby Mascari

1. Kayla Colby 1. Jack Shirmer 2. Gabby Mascari 2. Justin Castillo 3. Rosa Li 3. Matt Lee

1. Ariya Hatami 2. Aggie Bielinski 3. Karolina Urban 1. Will Komoll 2. Patrick Benka 3. Anthony Betti

1. Sean Balkir 1. Cam Vega 2. Dom Wrobel 2. Jessica 3. Trevor Parker Holzhauer 3. Kristi Escobar

Girls

Boys

Prakash 3. Leonard Lee

Most Likely to Shock Everyone at the 10 Year Reunion Girls Boys

Worst Driver Girls Boys

1. Leonard Lee 2. Austin Wonder 3. Cole Nielsen

Best Twitter Game Girls

Girls

Girls

1. Halle Tyska 2. Maria Chemello 3. Nicole Sygieda

Girls

Most Sarcastic

Biggest Teacher’s Pet Girls Boys

1. Lauren Carver 2. Maddie Scharm 3. Lucky Nanduri

Biggest Heartbreaker

Biggest Case of Senioritis Girls Boys

Most Likely to be a PTA Parent Girls 1. Maddie Scharm 2. Colleen Sweeney 3. Jenna Coyne

Boys 1. Graham Dano 2. Riley Carlson 3. Dylan Schweinebraten

1. Julia 1. Jared Dirkes-Jacks Narter-Slezak 2. Quinn Jackson 2. Braden Kobeski 3. Angela 3. Connor Rublaitus Bradshaw

Most Likely to Win a Grammy Boys Girls 1. Chloe Cho 2. Nicole Ricken 3. Quinn Jackson

1. Nathan Du 2. Jared Narter-Slezak 3. Joe Noelle

1. Abby Iuorio 2. Anusha Thotakura 3. April Poggio

1. James Feng 2. Prahalad Pole 3. Alex Knox

Most Positive Influence Girls 1. Lucky Nanduri 2. Nicole Ricken 3. Abby Iuorio

Boys 1. Tim Reidy 2. Will Komoll 3. Dawson Rubin

Best Gossip Girls Boys 1. Gabrielle Lytle 1. Patrick Kurka 2. Hayley Husar 2. Eshwar 3. Samie Kramp Kishore 3. Grant Barwacz

Biggest Tech Addict Boys Girls

Best Music Taste Girls Boys 1. Emma Albrecht 2. Erin Lenahan 3. Ariya Hatami

Most Openly Admired Girls Boys 1. Jill Finis 2. Jenna Simios 3. Kelsey Fissinger

1. Matt McCabe 2. Braden Kobeski 3. Patrick Benka

Most Likely to Come Back to Fremd as Faculty

Girls Most Secretly Admired Girls Boys 1. Nicole Sygieda 2. Maria Chemello 3. Kristi Escobar

1. Peter Seyring 2. Braden Kobeski 3. James Feng

1. Maria Chemello 2. Cara Ward 3. Melinda Coleman

Boys 1. Graham Dano 2. Matt Lee 3. Will Anderson

1. John Tuzzolino 2. Will Komoll 3. Dylan Schweinebraten

1. Sammy Lee 1. Eshwar Kishore 2. Gabby Mascari 2. Eric 3. Carly DeFillipo Ruzanski 3. Brad Kometer

Most Changed Since Elementary School Girls Boys 1. Sheridan Lurie 2. Ariya Hatami 3. Jenna Coyne

1. Alex Johnson 2. Matt McCabe 3. John Mursuli

Least Changed Since Elementary School Girls Boys 1. Abby Iuorio 1. Chris Sanders 2. Maggie Betti 2. Daniel Tokarz 3. Jayne DePaolis 3. Derek James

Couple Most Likely to Get Married 1. Lauren Carver & Will Pankratz 2. Maddie Scharm & Connor Puritz 3. Katie Murauskis & Eric Schaeffer

16

PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

Zoe Draznik speaks the language of dance Lisa Chen

Lead News Editor

Zoe Draznik steps softly on the creaky wooden floors of the dance room with her hair pulled back into a neat bun. In a barely audible voice, she apologizes to our second period yoga class about not mastering the new dance routine she’s about to perform, yet as soon as the music starts, her eyes focus and she is speaking boldly to the whole class, just without any words.

Maybe one of the reasons why Zoe leans on the quiet side is because she started learning the language of dance when she was two years old, around the time toddlers start speaking in sentences. She thinks that dance has helped her gain confidence even though it may not be that obvious within the walls of Fremd.

“I’m confident, not just because I’ve won awards or gotten high scores. I’m confident because I know my body and I know how I fit in that space,” Zoe said. “And I don’t have to talk. I can say whatever I want to say just by small expressions or big ones. It’s dance.”

Dance became Zoe’s main form of communication when she started dancing at the Palatine Park District. In sixth grade she began taking lessons at a pre-professional studio called Jenny’s Dance Centre and was invited to join the company a year later.

As a senior, Zoe now leaves school after fifth period to practice daily at Jenny’s for three hours. And if she’s not at Jenny’s, she’ll take the train downtown to take her classes at Visceral Dance Centre Chicago. When the weekend comes, there’s barely time for rest because she has Saturday rehearsals from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

But, as physically demanding this schedule sounds, Zoe sees dance as an emotional release.

“When I’m on stage performing a solo, just finding the silence in the movement, finding your breath, is just the greatest comfort in the world because you are completely vulnerable,” Zoe said.

Dance has also shaped Zoe into a leader at her studio.

She acts as a mentor for younger dancers and she is one of

Logue photo by Priyanka Podjale

ON POINTE. Zoe hopes to continue her dance career by joining a company in the future.

very few high schoolers at Jenny’s that has been allowed to substitute for classes. Having watched her grow over the years, Zoe’s dance teacher, Jenny Campbell, has seen Zoe’s hard work and determination shine through.

“She’s probably my most high-achieving student I’ve

ever had,” Jenny said. “She stands out in her dedication not just to dance, but to the peers around her, to the art of dance, to her teachers, and most importantly to herself and the goals she is trying to accomplish.”

In addition to learning at Jenny’s, Zoe attended the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Summer Program, a highlyselective intensive with a focus on contemporary ballet, twice during high school. Zoe’s mother, Jennifer, thinks that all of this training, along with her artistic interpretation, is what makes Zoe stand out.

“When she moves her arms, it’s like watching a painting being drawn,” Jennifer said. “Her lines are so geometrically and artistically beautiful to watch, and she has a degree of artistry that is more pleasing to watch than people just doing the moves.”

Zoe has come a long way both physically and mentally. She is now able to speak her mind confidently through dance, even if she is performing for an audience of strangers.

“You’re ultimately a communicator and completely human and you’re just portraying that,” Zoe said. “It’s just about sharing yourself or even telling story you have no connection to.”

For Jennifer, Zoe’s impact on her audience has become prevalent these past few years. Even at competitions with hundreds of soloists, when Zoe performs, all eyes are on her.

“When Zoe starts dancing, people will be talking as they normally do. Then, all of sudden, the audience is quiet and they’re wrapped,” Jennifer said. “It’s wonderful to see the whole audience stop and to be involved in it. I’m happy that she is able to reach people like this.”

Moving forward, Zoe will attend the University of Arizona to study dance at one of the most prestigious programs in America. Dance continues to push Zoe forward, and she is excited to see where it will take her next.

“It’s like poetry because you’re putting yourself out there and expecting nothing in return,” Zoe said. “You’re giving everything every single time because realistically, how are ­­­­you going to create new experiences?”

Michael Zhou codes his way into the future Prayag Bhakar Tech Editor

Hunched over his laptop, Michael Zhou types hundreds of characters per minute, racing against time in a room full of programmers in the Business Professionals of America Java Programming competition at the Doubletree Hotel Chicago-Oakbrook. The humidity in the room, along with the keyboard clicks, only serves to add more pressure to the contestants.

Their goal? Make a program that manipulates and encrypts data.

“The competition is as much a mental one as it is one of programming skill,” Michael said. “Points are awarded for both the time you took to write the program, as well as the quality and readability of the code. I had to carefully weigh my options in order to win.”

The planning paid off as he received a perfect score at regionals and won state in Oakbrook, advancing to the national conference in Anaheim, Calif.

Michael’s passion for coding and computers, however, was not as defined as ones and zeros. Growing up, Michael was outgoing and wanted to discover how the world - both real and digital - operated.

Michael’s father, James, was supportive of his curiosity.

“He never really grew out of this ‘Why?’ phase,” James said. “He would spend hours on the family computer looking up the reason why the TV remote worked or how to make computers.”

Nonetheless, dismantling electronics he wanted to learn more about only

lasted for a little while before his parents stopped him.

“My parents always yelled at me for taking apart cameras and other things and breaking them,” Michael said. “I’m the reason why we don’t have videotapes from my childhood because my parents would record them on cassettes and I would be like, ‘What does this do?’”

Eventually, Michael turned to the sprawling digital worlds. As he moved onto games that required better graphical and computational performance, he realized that his old laptop was not going to cut it. Captivated by the idea of creating his own computer, 12-year-old Michael set out to make his dream into reality.

“The learning curve for building a computer is pretty big in the beginning, but then it drops down, because in the beginning you need to learn what each part does and how they work together,” Michael said. “I spent most of my time teaching myself all of this information before I even started to make the list of parts.”

After six weeks of work, Michael had finally gotten everything in order and created his masterpiece all by himself.

“I finished my computer pretty late in the day so I was tired, but I was super excited that it was finally done, so I turned it on and then fell asleep on the keyboard,” Michael said.

Michael does not, however, limit himself to personal projects. He applies his ability to create programs for various jobs, such as his work with the Brad Schneider campaign as the technology and finance fellow. Under the looming presence of

Logue photo by Prayag Bhakar

TINKER. Michael shows off his current computer, similar to the first one he made, but with updated modern technology.

an application deadline, Michael created a database for organizing financial records and donor history. The application ranked donors by points and determined who would most likely donate to the campaign so that the Schneider campaign could pursue them for future donations.

Hoping to continue learning more about computer science, Michael plans to go to University of Pennsylvania.

“The nature of computer science is that it’s always changing and no matter how experienced or educated you are,” Michael said. “There’s always something new to learn, whether that’s updated syntax or the development of an entirely new language itself. That’s what makes programming interesting to me - the challenges are always there, it’s just whether or not you choose to tackle them.”

PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

17

Dan Suero's destiny to be in the water Eric Wong Features Editor

As the announcer blares over the pool, swimmers take their positions on the blocks and begin to prepare, shaking out and loosening up their arms before they propel themselves into the water. Among them, Dan Suero focuses his mind, entering a meditative state. The moment the horn sounds, however, Dan transforms his body into one of rhythmic motion, moving one arm in front of the other, just like his competitors. The only difference between him and the other swimmers is that Dan has limited control of his legs.

Dan’s path to discovering his love of swimming began when he underwent surgery for the removal of a spinal cord tumor that still affects him today.

“I was kind of born with it, but it never really became a problem until I was five when it started growing real big and wrapped around my spine,” Dan said.

“I remember I couldn’t sleep at night because it hurt a lot. I got the surgery when I was five, and that removed about 90 percent of it, and then I got the rest removed at nine, and, at the moment, I’m still trying to physically recover from it.”

According to his mother, Helen, Dan discovered his passion for swimming after experiencing water therapy, finding that being in the water put him on a level playing field with other swimmers.

“He kind of naturally loved the water when he was little,” Helen said. “When he was five, when he was diagnosed with the tumor and he lost the ability to walk, he really seemed to like being in the water because he could move so much more in the water and he always liked being along

Logue photo by Priyanka Podjale

SWIMMING TO SUCCESS. Not willing to be limited by his disability, Dan Suero pushes himself every day to be the swimmer he feels he was meant to be. with other kids in the water. If he stands up next to somebody the same height in the water, the water pulls him up partially, so he’ll be able to see eye to eye without a set of crutches.”

Dan began to swim competitively at the age of seven. During his time swimming, he has competed in the Paralympics, traveling to countries like Puerto Rico and Canada for competitions. Dan plans to

continue swimming at Flagler College by participating on the masters swimming team.

Dan’s swimming coach, Monika Chiappetta, notes that Dan’s disability, despite the challenges it poses to his swimming ability, has not hindered his tenacious approach to swimming.

“Since swimming involves all muscular groups, it makes it very challenging for

Dan to swim due to his leg weakness. His arms are working to pull his legs through the water,” Chiappetta said. “He worked very hard to improve his strokes with his arms and make what he does with his upper body the most efficient it can be.”

Swimming also drove Dan to share his positive attitude and inspire others to swim, Helen notes.

“He’s had an opportunity to teach a Marine to swim, which is kind of cool,” Helen said. “It’s kind of his way of giving back.”

Dan recalls the moment he realized that his swimming could impact how swimmers with disabilities would compete in the future.

“I realized I wasn’t doing this for myself - I was doing this for other swimmers as well,” Dan said. “I remember my first year at state. It was kind of an unfair competition because I was swimming against a blind kid who was fully capable of swimming - he just couldn’t see. I was like, ‘Oh, this is really unfair,’ but I was like, ‘No, I’ve got to stop thinking about myself and think that I’m a pioneer in this sport for my kind of people with the same type of disability.’”

For Dan, a belief in fulfilling destiny, no matter what physical obstacles you face, drives him towards achieving success in swimming.

“I believe you’re destined to do the things you’re passionate about,” Dan said. “I had to tell myself, and I fully do believe now, that I was meant to have this physical disability so I could make something of myself in a different atmosphere, which was underwater. I feel like I was given this disability to pursue this life and inspire others.”

Caitlin Adolphsen goes to war against PTSD with four-legged friends Vibha Pandurangi Editor-in-Chief

Under the bright fluorescent lights of the Medinah Park District gym, dog owners walk their puppies around orange traffic cones arranged in two rectangles. Despite the barking and yapping in the echoing gym, I can clearly hear Caitlin Adolphsen as she leads an introductory training class for the Chicagoland Dog Rescue. As I sit on the bleachers, the organized chaos unfolds in front of me but, to Caitlin, this is a regular Saturday morning.

After meeting veteran Casper Vande Hei and a guide dog in training at a Sam’s Club in Caitlin’s hometown of Jacksonville, North Carolina, Caitlin began training service dogs in his company, Unleashed Dog Training.

“I got my certification and started training. I fell in love with it,” Caitlin said. “I was training service and therapy dogs, which is where most of my passion comes from because it wasn’t just about the animals anymore at that point. It became about the people they were going to help.”

As a trainer, Caitlin helped prepare dogs to become service dogs, teaching them simple commands and how to walk properly on a leash. Through her work, Caitlin gained opportunities to interact with not only the dogs, but also the veterans.

“It started with the animals and how I thought that was fascinating in getting into their heads,” Caitlin said.

“But then to train them and pair them with someone and see the difference is really what the spark was for me. I wanted to see that for every person who came back from war, since not everyone can cope afterward and an animal provides no judgment.”

For those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), service dogs can help veterans cope and adjust.

“With PTSD, you feel so isolated. You can’t make the same relationships that you did with people, so creating that bond with an animal can mirror making relationships with people,” Caitlin said. “They give you a reason to get up in the morning - you have to feed them, you have to walk them. There’s responsibility there, and you have a responsibility to yourself to keep yourself healthy.

I want to make a difference in those people’s lives.”

Logue photo by Vibha Pandurangi

GIRLS’ BEST FRIEND. After adopting her dog Ozzie Mae from the Chicagoland Dog Rescue last February, Caitlin Adolphsen has spent the past year training her, teaching her both beginner commands and tricks.

Caitlin’s father, Mark, a veteran himself, explains how therapy dogs provide an outlet for those suffering after their war experiences.

“The Wounded Warriors, when they came home, were mostly broken from the things that they had seen, the things that had affected them and how there wasn’t anything they were happy about because of all the pressure that they kept inside,” Mark said. “Once they got their service dog, once they saw that they were able to share and open up, they were able to smile again.”

Her time working with Unleashed Dog Training and the veterans she met got Caitlin interested in psychology in understanding and treating mental illnesses. Less than a year later, though, Caitlin moved to Palatine and had to leave her work behind - a rough change after living in

North Carolina for seven years.

Looking for another way to continue working with animals, Caitlin began volunteering for the Chicagoland Dog Rescue for adoption events, helping find shelter dogs the right owner. Recently, she was offered a position as a dog trainer for their introductory classes for puppies.

Next year, Caitlin will be attending Truman State University to study psychology, incorporating both her passions for animals as well as assisting those with PTSD. “I know that I really want to work with people who have PTSD,” Caitlin said. “I have experience with that and I’ve seen the magical difference from someone who has PTSD and is alone and isolated, and when I trained their dog and gave it to them, they were a completely different person. It’s pretty incredible what can happen,”

PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

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Courtney Baker preaches inclusion through relationship building Cara Ward

Editor-in-Chief

Standing in front of 20-plus students in the cafeteria talking about next month’s Love Your Friends Equally (LYFE) agenda, Courtney Baker couldn’t seem more comfortable. One would never be able to guess that only months earlier she had been absolutely terrified of public speaking, but becoming part of the executive board for the club changed that quickly.

“I had been so terrified to be in front of people or even just talk to people but having a supportive audience and knowing they are all there and supporting me helps me realize it’s not that big of a deal,” Courtney said.

LYFE started this year with Courtney being one of the founding five members along with advisor, Shannon Denna. The club is dedicated to fostering friendships between students in the special education department and students in typical classrooms at Fremd.

“Our purpose is to bridge the gap between the special education program at Fremd and everyone else who doesn’t even notice the program is there,” Courtney said. “The kids seem very isolated - it’s only in half of

a hallway and they only hang out with the their own classmates. A few other classmates and I had been communicating with them and realized that they had the want and need to hang out with everyone else in the school and feel included.”

Being part of LYFE wasn’t Courtney’s first time doing service work; in fact, it’s just one instance on a long list of organizations and service projects that she has been a part of.

When Courtney was four, she became friends with her neighbor friend, Katy, who was about 15 years older and had Cri du Chat syndrome. Since Katy couldn’t take care of herself, Courtney had her first experience working with someone with special needs.

Ever since, Courtney has continued helping those around her.

Her thoughtfulness for others led her to join the Disabilities Ministry and PADS Ministry at her church, help organize the library at Ups For Downs, learn sign language at Harper College and coach a boy who is deaf at Buffalo Grove’s Buddy Soccer program.

Courtney isn’t only passionate, she’s also driven to actually make a difference.

Denna explains how Courtney is special in the way she take initiative to do the things she sets

Logue photo by Andie Evans

FRIENDS FOR LIFE. Courtney spends time with her friend, Katy, who was diagnosed with Cri du Chat syndrome.

Their friendship helped inspire Courtney to get involved in helping those with special needs.

her mind to.

“Some students can come up with really great big ideas but then can’t figure out how to put them into action,” Denna said.

“Courtney is really good at putting big ideas into action.”

For Courtney, none of this has ever been about wanting to be a leader or pursuing her passion.

It’s been about making a difference, big or small, in others’ lives.

“For me, I feel like it’s all really worth it when I can see someone else smile,” Courtney said.

“That is really something when I can just make someone else’s day better.”

Next year Courtney plans to study Communication Sciences and Disorders at Augustana College. She would like to work as a Speech Pathologist in a clinic or group where she can help children with communications disorders improve their communication and social interaction skills using her Spanish and sign language that she learned over the last four years.

As Courtney continues learning how to professionally help people with disabilities, it becomes clear that volunteering has become an integral part of who she is.

“Helping care for people with special needs is pretty much my passion,” Courtney said. “It’s really important to me. If I didn’t have it, I honestly don’t know where I would be. It feels like I’ve always been involved in this kind of thing - it’s hard not remembering it being part of my life.”

Connor Bradshaw plays the lead role in his own future Ethan Wong A&E Editor

As soon as Connor Bradshaw steps foot near Kolze Auditorium for a drama rehearsal, the energy gravitates toward him. Instructors and colleagues, both young and old, greet Connor and figure out what needs to be done for the rehearsal. After answering each person, Connor returns to each question I asked moments before with sharp focus and the same amount of respect he gives to his colleagues. It’s clear that theater is where Connor belongs.

“I’ve said a few times that Kolze is like my second home because I’m here so much,” Connor said. “But I guess theater as a whole is, I would say, my home away from home. Because when you’ve done something you truly love, it’s like being at home. There’s this comfort to it and there’s this welcoming aspect of it.

It’s like, ‘Okay, I’m here, I’m in my zone, I can just be me and don’t need any false pretenses.’ I get to just go in there and do what I do.”

Theater has provided a nurturing environment for Connor at Fremd, allowing him to build his repertoire. One would never guess, however, that he was a relative latecomer to Fremd drama. Although Connor first started performing in plays in elementary school, he didn’t start acting at Fremd until late sophomore year in the group interpretation performance of “Wonder.”

This late arrival provided a different atmosphere for Connor when he first began, but the Fremd drama community was more than willing to help and welcome him to the family, as well as help

Logue photo by Jayne DePaolis

PROJECTING PASSION. Following an successful run in drama at Fremd, Connor Bradshaw is ready to continue his study of theater in college.

him with any problems.

“When I came in sophomore year, it was a little bit different. It wasn’t like ‘Oh, here’s this young freshman kid and we have to teach him everything.’ It was more like, ‘Okay, he’s still an underclassman, but he’s not like some baby,’” Connor said. “At the time a few seniors took me under their wings and they kind of showed me what the Fremd theater community is all about. They taught me how to maneuver around certain obstacles.”

Connor soon proved to be a natural, racking up numerous sectional awards at competitions and being inducted as an Honorary Thespian. He was also involved in a variety of Fremd’s performances, including his major roles as Captain von Trapp in last fall’s production

of “The Sound of Music” and Oberon in the spring production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Connor’s success in competitive drama can best be attributed to his devotion to his roles and his willingness to immerse himself as much as possible “I know that, with a lot of the characters I’ve done, I’ve tried to read as much as I can about them and the work that they’re in, and also dissecting the work and analyzing what the character’s motives are,” Connor said. “Once you do that, you can also figure out what physical characteristics will embody the character and what would best convey that character’s nature to the audience. I think that examining a character is really important if you’re going to do that.”

During his time in the drama program, director Judy Klingner observed Connor’s commitment to expanding his roles and incorporating his own style into his performances.

“Connor puts his all into every role. At each rehearsal, he would add new details to his characters until they were fully developed - a personal gesture, a pause, a facial expression, or a change in his tone of voice.”

Additionally, Connor’s mother, Julie, has seen a significant transformation in Connor as he continued to extend his involvement in theater.

“He is a better person because of theater,” Julie said. “It has taught him compassion, time management skills, teamwork, given him friends and allowed him to more effectively communicate with others.”

Theater was never just a temporary venture for Connor - his involvement with performing arts will continue at DePaul University, where he’s majoring in playwriting. As many young students still search for majors that suit them best, Connor couldn’t be more sure that the path he chose for his future is the only one for him.

“Especially with other majors, I consider myself a fairly pragmatic person in that I don’t want to go into something unless I’m absolutely certain it’s what I want to go into,” Connor said. “There’s always an element of risk with theater. The chances of making it are slim. But, really, the love I have for it makes it totally worth it.

There’s a lot of this element of trying to find your true calling in high school, and I think I’ve found myself. I’m really excited to pursue my future in theater.”

Viking Logue Friday, May 27, 2016

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MESSAGES FROM LOGUE

"Bubble Bending and Dog Parks"

DRESSED UP. EICs Vibha and BLESSED. The Viking Logue editors have a potluck to celebrate Cara are all smiles at prom. Loguesgiving together.

‘RUFF’ TIMES. Mr. Dawson IT’S POPPIN’. Features editor Nabeela FAM. The three Logue advisors smile because they have poses with a big smile after Syed takes a break from layout with a all the power... and Costco cake. snickity-snack. a long day of editing

CAUGHT RED HANDED. Graph- TETRIS FANATICS. Tech editor Prayag DYNAMIC DUO. The ics editor James Feng snacks on “works” alongside James during a busy week Wongs pose back-toRed Vines before getting back of layout. back together to work.

Most Likely to be a Bubble Bender 1. Lisa Chen 2. Nabeela Syed 3. Prayag Bhakar

SELFIE! Cara and Vibha snap a quick selfie after Vibha’s V-Show dance.

THUMBS UP. Mr. Dawson HAPPY/SAD. Mr. Dawson gives a gesture of positive frowns as Cara smiles on by reinforcement during edits. his side.

LOGUE SUPERLATIVES

Most Likely to Become a Sports Editor Without Applying 1. Pavel Warzecha 2. Scott Lenz Most Likely To “Laugh” at Dawson’s Jokes 1. Andrew Hwang 2. Eric Wong 3. Ethan Wong Most Likely to get Fourth Place 1. Lisa Chen

Most Likely to Falsify Information 1. Stephanie “Mahogany” Hu Most Likely to Buy a Ripped Up Jacket for $50 1. Jayne DePaolis Most Likely to Photoshop Someone’s Eyebrows off 1. Natasha Thomas Most SoCal 1. James Feng 2. Andrew Hwang 3. Pavel Warzecha 4. Lisa Chen

Vibha Pandurangi @Viburrito “RETWEET” - to everything Grant Dawson @VikingLogue “Shut up, Nabeela.”

Lisa Chen @LisaChenProbably

“Is popcorn a whole grain?”

Cara Ward @Carawardd “Hey gurl...What’s yer number?”

Awards and Accolades IHSA Sectionals

Emma Davies - 1st in Broadcast News Cara Ward - 3rd in Newspaper Design Ema Milojkovic - 3rd in Yearbook Copy Writing Ariana Marean - 3rd in Yearbook Layout: Double Page Spread Rayna Cheong - 3rd in Editorial Cartooning, 4th in Advertising James Feng - 4th in Info Graphics Tim Moran - 4th in Sports Writing Vibha Pandurangi - 5th in Yearbook Caption Writing, 6th in Editorial Writing Fremd Journalism Team - 3rd Overall

IHSA State

Emma Davies - 4th in Broadcast News Ema Milojkovic - 6th in Yearbook Copy Writing

PEACE OUT GIRL SCOUT. News editor Lisa Chen throws up some signs promoting peace and positivity in the Logue office.

Most Likely to bring ice cream to a Logue meeting 1. Cara Ward Most Likely to Take Up and Abandon Veganism within 24 hours 1. Vibha Pandurangi Best Hair 1. Nabeela Syed 2. James Feng 3. Cara Ward 4. Lisa Chen Best Eyebrows 1. Priyanka Pojdale 2. Nabeela Syed Most Likely to Move to Ireland 1. Cara Ward

Viking Logue Seniors 2015-16

Editor-in-Chief Vibha Pandurangi is easily the sole reason Logue is kept organized and on-time when publishing each month. Despite her crazy sleep schedule, Vibha balances being part of nearly every club here at Fremd. Between all her afterschool commitments, Vibha enjoys eating Ben & Jerry’s dairy-free ice cream and making fun of features editor Nabeela Syed. Vibha will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to major in Computer Science.

Logue’s font expert Cara Ward has been a part of our school paper for the past four years. When she’s not scooping ice cream at Capannari’s, she can be found making graphics or lounging in the English office.

This year, as Editor-in-Chief, she’s been mastering her InDesign and Illustrator skills and revisiting old Logue memories. Still waiting on getting a puppy, Cara will be attending DePaul University next year where she plans on double majoring in communications and journalism.

Vibha Pandurangi Editor-in-Chief

Lisa Chen Lead News Editor

Cara Ward Editor-in-Chief

Lisa Chen is a quiet warrior, taking on the role of lead news editor for the Viking Logue. Her hobbies include painting, writing, and wearing super cute outfits. A natural bubble bender, she loves to share her talents with other Logue editors when she isn’t writing leads that slay, eating Chipotle or showing her newest painting or work of art. Next year, Lisa will be heading to Los Angeles to study at University of California at Los Angeles, looking to major in Chemistry and Art. Natasha Thomas

Even though Natasha might be small in stature, her sassy and hilarious personality has made her role as a news editor a big one. Whenever deadlines approach, Natasha is always ahead of schedule, prepared, and is extremely dependable. But when she’s not working, Natasha can be found browsing Tumblr and photoshopping makeup onto faces using her iPad. In the fall, she will be studying computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

News Editor

As one of our courageous sports editors, Scott Lenz is a dependable man who is always on top of everything he does. A varsity lacrosse player for two years, his “attackman” position suits his personality quite well, as he always takes on his responsibilities with full force. When he’s not on the field, Scott enjoys structural engineering, and has even won a contest designing a real house. Scott plans to pursue this passion at Purdue University next year, where he will study Civil Engineering.

As a self proclaimed Taurus, Pavel is a reliable and ambitious sports editor. When not contributing to the Viking Logue, Pavel spends his time playing volleyball, loving Kanye and Drake’s new albums (like how Kanye loves Kanye), and pouring milk before the cereal in the morning. He is also a connoisseur of local pizza joints and enjoys dropping fire tweets every now and then. Next year, he plans on majoring in Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Scott Lenz Lead Sports Editor

Pavel Warzecha Sports Editor

An avid photographer, Jayne DePaolis has found time between traveling around Chicago and running an Instagram account for her dog, Chief Keef, to take pictures as a Photo Editor for the Logue.

The self-proclaimed hipster has spent her time at Fremd playing soccer and fueling her love of caffeine. This coming fall, Jayne will attend Marquette University to study Computer Science while taking in her new surroundings by continuing photography.

When she’s not taking pictures for the Viking Logue, photo editor Priyanka Podjale spends a lot of her time indulging in gourmet foods at the local Taco Bell.

Her dedication to taking the perfect photo has taken her from the suburbs to the city over and over again.

Many times over, editors have crowded around her photos during layout. Next year, she will attend DePaul University where she plans to major in marketing and continue making memes and fire Spotify playlists.

Priyanka Podjale Photo Editor

Jayne DePaolis Photo Editor

James Feng, Logue’s graphics extraordinaire, began as a news writer in his underclassman years before creating impressive graphics for the Viking Logue throughout his senior year. While designing the superlatives page, his “Fengtastic” graphics skills were on display. James is also known for creating online study guides as well as a grade calculator app. After graduating from Fremd, James will be attending the University of Pennsylvania to major in computer science.

James Feng Graphics Editor