December 2019 Issue

DECEMBER 12, 2019 VOLUME 93, ISSUE 4

HEADS IN THE GAME PAGES 23-25

LIBERTYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWS PUBLICATION

NEWS

5 LHS

Main gym closes again after problems with lead paint continue 6 LHS

IT Department removes Chrome extensions

6 21-23 BASKETBALL

41 Hoops: The Girls Basketball Team and their Successes

SPORTS

24-25 ATHLETICS

Sporting Successes After High School

21-23 WHO WE ARE Drops of Ink is a student-written, edited and produced high school publication. Our publication functions as a service to the school and greater community of Libertyville, first and foremost delivering open-minded, informative content that is relevant to our readership. While not our primary motive, Drops of Ink also looks to provide entertainment to our audience.

We aim to challenge readers to see different perspectives and gain knowledge of the world around us.

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CONNECT JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @lhsdoi Libertyville High School Drops of Ink

@lhsdoi Visit us at lhsdoi.com

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU Contact us at doi@lhswildcats.org Contents by Charlotte Pulte Cover photo by Amanda Black

FEATURES

7-9 TRENDS

No Cap, Recap: Top Ten 2010s Trends 10-11 ENGLISH

Cracking Open the English Curriculum 12-13 TECHNOLOGY

ProcrasTECHnation 14-15 AVIATION

Takeoff: Future Pilots of LHS 26 TRENDS

What’s Trending: Winter Edition 26 CROSSWORD

The Holiday Crossword

14-15 16 STAFF EDITORIAL

Cancel culture: The good, the bad and the vitamins

OPINION

17 OPINION

Ok, Boomer: The iconic rally cry of Gen Z 18 OPINION

18 EDITORIAL BOARD

MOLLY BOUFFORD

ELLA MARSDEN AND CLAIRE SALEMI

AMANDA BLACK

Editors in Chief

IAN COX

ella.marsden@lhswildcats.org claire.salemi@lhswildcats.org

Layout & Design Editor

Online Editor Managing Editor

MOIRA DUFFY News Editor

MICHAEL GLUSKIN

CHARLOTTE PULTE

Faculty Adviser

Features Editor

michael.gluskin@d128.org

ANDREW BENOIT Opinion Editor

Why outside-of-school athletes shouldn’t be in PE 19 POLITICAL CARTOON

Spoiled for choice

STAFF MEMBERS Sarah Bennett Sara Bogan Sayre DeBruler Jade Foo Mara Gregory Rowan Hornsey Brooke Hutchins Natalie Isberg Jasmine Lafita

Megan Lenzi Cali Lichter Maguire Marth Anika Raina Christian Roberts Peyton Rodriguez Lillian Williams Rayna Wuh Pavan Acharya

DECEMBER 2019

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ADVERTISEMENTS

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NEWS

MAIN GYM CLOSES AGAIN AFTER TESTING POSITIVE FOR LEAD PAINT Molly Boufford

The main gym was closed for a second time after an inspection held Friday, Nov. 15, where lead paint was found in paint specks falling from the ceiling. The closing of the gym affected many of the winter sports practices and events.

F

ollowing a routine inspection of the main gym on Friday, Nov. 15, lead was again found in paint specks falling from the ceiling -- which also happened in the spring -- and the gym was immediately closed before reopening on Dec. 2.

An email was sent out on Nov. 15 to to notify students and staff of the main gym closure.

“As soon as we knew that there was [lead] paint [problems] in the main gym, we shut it down to make sure everyone was safe,” explained John Woods, the athletic director.

After an emergency meeting on Nov. 20, the Board of Education decided to give “$75,000 for all costs related to removing existing ductwork and then painting under the removed ductwork. Additionally, under the same emergency provision, the Board authorized the expenditure of up to $100,000 for all costs related to replacing the existing ductwork,” according to an email sent out by the district.

Last April, the main gym was closed when it was found that the paint falling from the ceiling contained lead. The gym closed for a week to remove the areas that were cracking on the metal air ducts.

At that time, the lead paint chips that were flaking in certain spots were scraped and removed, and it was thought that the issue would be cleared.

Lead paint is only dangerous if ingested, so the lead paint that did not chip off was not an area of concern at the time.

However, new peeling and chipping was discovered last month due to

Jade Foo

the continual expansion and contraction of the metal ductwork.

In an email sent out on Dec. 1, District 128 Superintendent Dr. Prentiss Lea gave more insight on the process itself, explaining that there are three phases in the process of removing the lead paint and abating the gym entirely. He explained that the new ductwork has not arrived in the main gym yet but will be installed over winter break. He said there will also be further investigations into the painted ceiling panels and exposed steel support beams.

The closure of the main gym affected sporting events and practices of winter sports for two weeks, Thanksgiving break giving more time for workers to finish the repair job.

When the gym closed, Mr. Woods and the basketball coaches, Brian Zyrkowski (boys) and Greg Pedersen (girls), met to figure out how to move forward with where the teams would practice before the main gym opened again.

The boys basketball program ended up having morning practices to help accommodate more teams for after school practice. Youth feeder programs, like Jcats and Ladycats, also had to be factored in as well as the rearrangements were being made.

Mr. Woods added that he was amazed by the resilience of the coaches not being bothered by the closure.

“I mean wow, [Zyrkowski and Pedersen] never complained once, and we just sat down for about two hours and hammered out how to move forward,” said Mr. Woods.

The varsity dance team was scheduled to hold its first-ever dance invitational, the Wildcat Welcome, on Saturday, Nov. 23, in the main gym but this event was moved to the west gym instead. With 17 teams participating in the invite, additional seating was needed, so in order to make more seating available, there were outside bleachers brought in for the visitors to sit on.

Additionally, the closure also affected the wrestling meets on Nov. 23 and 26. The first meet was moved to the first bay in the field house and the second meet was hosted in the west gym. With the smaller size of the west gym, it made for a full house during the invite against the Grant Bulldogs.

DECEMBER 2019

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NEWS

I.T. DEPARTMENT REMOVES CHROME EXTENSIONS Sara Bogan

Peyton Rodriguez

surface, collect personal profile data, share data with third parties or send emails on students’ behalf,” Mr. Kelly said.

The department has “legal obligations as well as that [they] are here to protect students and help them learn,” Mr. Kelly explained.

LHS students have the option to visit the I.T. room, room 160, to request certain educational extensions. The department will then evaluate the application’s terms of service to discover if it utilizes the best practices for sharing and collecting data.

Since the decision to eliminate the extensions, the I.T. department has received many requests from LHS teachers, especially the international language teachers.

Spanish teacher Mrs. Elaine Schreck heard several complaints from her students on the removal of an extension to add Spanish accent marks or special charMany of the applications and extensions available on the Chromebook webstore have been acters. She contacted the I.T. department blocked by the administration. Only the extensions that have educational purposes have been to request the special characters extenunblocked like Spanish Characters and Grammarly. sion and a screenshot application that her students use for Spanish classes. n the beginning of November, the District 128 Information Explaining the process, Mrs. Schreck Technology Department and Libertyville High School described: “[District IT Manager Temple Murphy] looked into the administration decided to eliminate most Chrome extensions on extension and re-enabled it within 24 hours.” students’ Chromebooks and Google accounts due to security Many students have expressed concern and disappointment over concerns regarding user data. the removal of their favorite or useful extensions. This includes According to the Chrome website, a Chrome extension is a small personal Google themes and the 2048 tile game. software program that is utilized to customize web browsing. These “At first, I was actually really mad about it because [I use] the extensions range from personal themes to educational applications. extension ‘Momentum’ to track my homework assignments,” junior The LHS I.T. Department’s desktop specialist Mr. Eli Kelly explained Cayla Slachta recalled. that without restrictions on Chrome extensions, “many of the Students were not initially informed about the extensions’ restudents would have their Chromebooks in [the I.T. room], visiting all moval, so Slachta emailed LHS Principal Dr. Tom Koulentes with her the time, trying to fix problems because extensions that have bad concerns. Students and staff have now been updated via email. intent often interfere with other functions of the Chromebook, Dr. Koulentes responded that “Momentum” was eliminated by the including Wi-Fi, email capabilities and searching.”

IT staff because the application is one of the many personal theme The Chromebooks will continue to have a “core group of extenextensions that collects profile data. sions,” previously evaluated by the I.T. staff, according to Mr. Kelly.

Rather than visiting the I.T. Department, Slachta created her own These include Grammarly, Hapara and Sketchpad. solution: she uses her personal account on her Macbook computer Mr. Kelly described how the I.T. Department has previously utilized to access “Momentum” and other Chrome extensions instead. blacklisting, in which only specific extensions are removed. The The IT Department’s long-term plan is to create a system similar method was difficult to maintain and there was a “growing concern” to the previous one, except they will eliminate extensions that will for students’ safety that “has sort of hit a tipping point where we not secure data and are non-educational. can’t manage blacklisting apps securely,” Mr. Kelly stated. The “We do appreciate the patience we have had from many people department decided to transition to the current whitelisting: and I understand that there’s questions about this and we’ll do our removing all extensions but allowing certain applications for best,” Mr. Kelly stated. “But everyone needs to remember this is all educational purposes. about security.”

“Many extensions, although they appear to be educational on the

I

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no caprecap Megan Lenzi

Lilly Williams & Rayna Wuh

Cali Lichter

TOP 10

2010s TRENDS

For current high school students, this past decade has been the first they experienced in its entirety. The 2010s are coming to a close, and leaving with them are a collection of iconic moments and items that will be remembered for years to come. Here, we look back at some of the most memorable pop culture trends and events.

APPS

Instagram (2010)

Candy Crush (2012)

Vine- RIP (2013)

Musical.ly (2014)

Pokemon Go (2016)

Fortnite (2017)

Taken by Capsun Poe

Taken by BagoGames

Movies “Inception” is a sci-fi thriller starring Leonardo DeCaprio as a professional thief. Numerous pop songs released soon after the movie contain references to this iconic film, including Lil Wayne’s “6 Foot 7 Foot,” and Jennifer Lopez’s “On The Floor.”

Released in March 2012, “The Hunger Games” is a sci-fi dystopian fantasy film based on a book series that centers around the Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), as she embarks on an action-packed fight for her life in order to save her sister.

Starring Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley, this love story about two teenagers struggling with cancer earned $124.9 million in North America and $182.3 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $307.2 million.

This mystery-thriller hybrid won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay following its 2017 release. In the film, Chris Washington, an African-American photographer, meets the family of his white girlfriend and begins to witness strange behaviors.

The eight-year buildup of the Marvel Avengers series began in 2011 with “Captain America: The First Avenger” and ended with the iconic film “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019. The film quickly became the most watched movie of 2019.

Inception (2010)

The Hunger Games (2012)

Fault In Our Stars (2014)

Get Out (2017)

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

TV Shows

*dates signify run-time

Full House (‘87-’95) Seinfeld (‘89-’98) Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (‘90-’96) Friends (‘94-’04) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (‘93-’03) That 70’s Show (‘98-’06) Gilmore Girls (‘00-’07) The Office (‘05-’13) Gossip Girl (‘07-’12)

Hannah Montana (‘06-‘11) Wizards of Waverly Place (‘07-‘12) iCarly (‘07-‘12) Phineas and Ferb (‘07-‘15) Suite Life on Deck (‘08-‘11) Big Time Rush (‘09-‘13) Jessie (‘11-‘15) Victorious (‘10-‘13) Shake It Up (‘10-‘13)

Grey’s Anatomy (‘05-) Dr. Who (‘05-) Breaking Bad (‘08-‘13) The Walking Dead (‘10-) Game of Thrones (‘11-‘19) American Horror Story (‘11-) Stranger Things (‘17-) The Handmaid’s Tail (‘17-)

Family Guy (‘99-) How I Met Your Mother (‘05-‘14) The Big Bang Theory (‘07-‘19) Parks and Recreation (‘09-‘15) Modern Family (‘09-) Bob’s Burgers (‘11-) Black-ish (‘14-) Fresh Off the Boat (‘15-)

The Bachelor and The Bachelorette (‘02-) Dancing with the Stars (‘05-) The Real Housewives Shows (‘06-) Keeping up with the Kardashians (‘07-) Chopped (‘09-) The Voice (‘11-) Queer Eye (‘18-)

Old shows that made a comeback

Disney/Nickelodeon

Cult Following

Sitcoms

Reality TV DECEMBER 2019 7

FEATURE

PRODUCTS Silly Bandz

PopSockets

Fidget Spinners

Fanny Packs

Hydroflasks

Founded in 2012, the company PopSocket first came out with a popular smartphone accessory that sticks to the back of devices.

Advertised as a way to relieve anxiety, fidget spinners became a major craze in 2017.

Despite being the butt of several jokes over previous decades, in 2018 the fanny pack returned to prominence as a trendy fashion item.

Commonly associated with the “VSCO Girl” trend, Hydroflasks can be seen everywhere. Often adorned with stickers, many people swear by these insulating water bottles.

Nintendo Switch

Taken by Steven Depolo

Invented in Japan, Silly Bandz, packs of colorful and fun shaped silicone bracelets, reached peak popularity in 2010.

Taken by David Eickhoff

TECHNOLOGY Home Assistants

Hoverboards

After digital assistant Siri was introduced in 2011, voice assistants like Amazon Echo and Google Home have become prevalent household items.

Hoverboards were brought to fame in late 2015, but their prominence was short-lived after some of the self-balancing scooters began to explode.

AirPods

Bitcoin

Taken by Irvin Chen

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Apple’s wireless Bluetooth earbuds, AirPods, were originally mocked when they came out in 2016, but now they have become increasingly widespread.

Taken by BagoGames

Bitcoin was first created in 2009, but in 2017, it spiked in value. The hype seems to have since disappeared.

Released in March 2017, the Nintendo Switch quickly became many gamers console of choice with its portability and wide selection of games.

FEATURE

SLANG SEARCH Bae (noun): A term of endearment, used to describe one’s “babe” or “before anyone else,” or generally to describe someone/something you love.

Cap (noun): A lie, or false information. The phrase “no cap” refers to no lie being told.

Low-key (adjective): Not much emphasis, not very forceful; on the down-low, or “kind of.”

Salty (adjective): Annoyed or bitter, usually over something insignificant.

Shook (adjective): Shocked or taken aback; can’t believe what you’re seeing/hearing.

Tea (noun): Gossip, generally highly sought-after and usually regarding the personal information of someone else.

Throw Shade (verb): Acting in a casually disrespectful manner towards an individual; often used to describe the act of subtle rudeness towards someone.

MEMES Drake Hotline Bling

Distracted Boyfriend

Mocking Spongebob

Women Yelling at a Cat

Taken by Topher McCulloch

Spider-Man Pointing at Spider-Man

Success Kid

Doge

Rage Comics

Taken by エルエルLL

DANCE TRENDS Gangnam Style (2012) Harlem Shake (2013)

Whip & Nae Nae (2015)

Dab (2015)

Juju On That Beat (2016)

DECEMBER 2019 9

FEATURE

Cracking Open the Curriculum Jasmine Lafita

Jade Foo

Ella Marsden

and there’s a lot of racism and sexism.”

At LHS, English teachers have the ability to choose what they teach, which can create a diverse curriculum based on an individual teacher’s preferences. This is why there are lots of different types For decades, the same classic novels have been of books taught across the English classes. Books taught in English classes at Libertyville High School are discussed and chosen to teach students specific and around the country. From “The Odyssey” to “The skills with emphasis on comprehension and analysis Great Gatsby”, these books found their way into of a text.

English Books can classrooms also help and stayed people to unthere. These derstand new books concepts and were often gain more assigned skills: “We read because of to better their life understand lessons or other people challenging and ourlanguage, selves in the but some world we teachers, live in,” said including Dr. Paul Reiff, those at the English LHS, have department started to supervisor. make the Despite switch to some recent more recent changes and current Beartown by Fredrik Backman was introduced into the world made by literature honors curriculum this year and has become a favorite for many students. novels. many teach“I wanted ers throughto bring more diversity into the curriculum because out the department, some teachers still incorporate everything I was teaching was [written] by dead classic texts. For example, freshmen literature white men, and I thought that was pretty messed up,” honors and AP English language teacher Mr. Dave said freshman literature teacher Mr. Craig Schmidt.

Lapish still assigns “Lord of the Flies” and “The Scarlet Mr. Schmidt is not the only teacher who feels Letter” to his students, and AP English literature this way. World literature teacher and diversity teacher Mr. Ryan Ebling teaches various Shakespeare coordinator Mrs. Anne Singleton also believes that works. more modern books should be brought into English World lit honors teacher Mrs. Karen LeMaistre still classes: “I’ve had students who would say, ‘All the believes in teaching classics to her students and books are really depressing,’ and I agreed I switched explained that, “Some people will ask why we’re still from having a Shakespeare tragedy to a Shaketeaching Shakespeare… I often tell my students that speare comedy, but those were really problematic, [Shakespeare] is a challenging text for honors stuIt’s the first day of school. You walk into your English classroom and take a seat. After a few moments, the bell rings. Your teacher walks to the front of the classroom and begins to explain the year’s curriculum, including the books you’ll be reading. But how and why are those books chosen?

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FEATURE

Many classics have been taught in literature classes at LHS for decades now and some literature teachers are starting to integrate more recent books into the curriculum to add more diversity.

dents, and one of the Common Core skills we have read, and I wanted to change that up,” Mr. Tooley them practice is reading comprehension.” said.

Added Dr. Reiff, “The older texts are important, Some teachers get together over the summer and there’s a place for them, and we can’t lose that.” to discuss which books they plan on teaching the Some teachers teach modern books along with upcoming year in their classes and debate which classics, like freshmen literature honors teacher Mr. would be best for students.

Matt Tooley, who assigns both “Fahrenheit 451” and Teachers have a variety of means for finding the graphic novel “March: Book One” together. these books. They can go to the LHS library to find Between last year and this year, many new books new books and talk with the teacher-librarians have been added into the English curriculum. Whether there, both former English teachers, or they may old books are replaced or moved to another unit of attend workshops and conferences on the topic. the year, the English curriculum is constantly changing.

“Over the summer [the world lit teachers] This talked a lot about year, the what we want world litera“I would say that the aims and goals students to be ture honors able to do as teachers of an English class are to foster a readers. We want just inthem to be able troduced love of reading, so the kids want to to understand “Beartown” what they read

by Fredrik read more on their own.” and ask thoughtBackman, ful questions and which tells -Dr. Paul Reiff make inferences the story about characters,” of a small Mrs. Singleton town whose hopes rest on a junior hockey team. explained.

According to Mrs. LeMaistre, this book has become The books that are chosen are intended to both very popular among students. relate to and challenge students’ perspectives in Mrs. Sharra Powell’s world literature class is order o engage them in the curriculum. “There’s reading “When Dimple Met Rishi”, which is a rothis concept of windows versus mirrors. When you mantic comedy telling the story of Indian-Amerread, a character and their experiences may sound a ican teenagers who fall in love while at a summer lot like you, so that acts as a mirror, but sometimes program. they’re more like a window, where you’re learning “I picked it because [Indian] culture was not widely about something you haven’t learned about,” Mr. studied, and I thought the best way to study it Tooley stated. would be through first-generation Americans (as “My goal was to bring a lot of different perspecthe book depicts),” Mrs. Powell said. tives into the curriculum… [To choose,] I look back In addition, over the past few years, many of and see what [groups] were covered enough and the freshman literature honors teachers started what I could focus more on,” Mrs. Singleton added. teaching “Fences” by August Wilson and “The Hate U When it comes down to what English class is really Give” by Angie Thomas. for, Dr. Reiff concluded: “I would say that the aims “I realized that I had a very similar perspective in and goals of an English class are to foster a love of terms of authors that I was giving my students to reading, so the kids want to read more on their own.”

DECEMBER 2019

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FEATURE

Claire Salemi Natalie Isberg Ian Cox

Y

ou are just about to start working on your essay that is due tomorrow, but then you hear a buzz, and you see that @wildkoulentes_memes has shared a post on Instagram. You get sucked down the rabbit hole: scrolling on Instagram for hours on end, watching a funny TikTok, waiting for a Snapchat from your friend.

Now, after all of that screen time, you have to pull an all-nighter to finish all the work you have due tomorrow.

For a large portion of the teen population, this situation is a common, sometimes nightly, occurrence. That’s because on a daily basis inside and outside of school, most students spend hours on multitudes of devices. According to a Common Sense Media survey in 2017, the average teenager is on their phone for around seven hours a day.

This also stands true for many LHS students. While there are a myriad of media options that come with technology, students are using these options to put off their assignments, keep them from sleep or distract them during class.

According to AP Psychology and U.S. Government teacher Ms. Laura Brandt, technology addiction has not yet been added to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is the handbook to officially diagnose mental health disorders, but it could possibly be added in the near future.

“There are great things about technology so to just say dismissing all of technology as being negative is not the way to do that,” Ms. Brandt said. “There’s a slippery slope. We know that people [who] spend more time on social media have higher rates of depression,” she added on why technology addiction will possibly be in the DSM. Ms. Brandt also commented on students using their phones in class and remarked that it has increased over the years as new technology has arisen: “It’s safer to be on your phone where you’re comfortable and not having to put yourself out there years ago, at the beginning of the class, people would always talk to each other... nobody talks to each other [now], and it’s a big difference.”

Studies have shown that students’ grades can be negatively impacted by the usage of non-school-related technology. For instance, a study done by The Journal of Educational Psychology in 2017 illustrated that students’ grades decrease with increased screen time in class. In the study, a group of college students were divided in half and one group was given a laptop and phone that they could use during class, while the other half was not given access to technology.

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A study by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 76 percent of teens between the ages of 13-17 use Instagram.

Many of these students use their screen time for unproductive reasons other than homework or studying.

On average, the group without technology ended up having a half letter grade higher than the group with technology.

Lily Bruns, a junior, states that she averages five hours of screen time per day. Most of her time after school is filled with social media apps like TikTok or Snapchat. She stated that she always tries to get her homework done at school because when she’s at home, she immediately pulls out her phone.

She emphasized the struggle of not being able to stop using her phone once she gets started. “It’s always buzzing. It’s like, ‘Oh, this person just sent me a Snapchat,’ and ‘This new person just texted me.’ Once it is opened up, I can’t get off of it,” she stated.

Some students may check their phone while studying or doing homework if they receive a notification, but Ms. Brandt explained the harm in stopping and starting again while studying. “It takes you a couple of minutes to get back to the task [you were previously doing. It’s] like you’re writing an English paper but then you check your emails or you check your text messages. Every time you switch

“It’s always buzzing. It’s like, ‘Oh, this person just sent me a Snacpchat,’ and ‘This new person just texted me.’ Once it is opened up, I can’t get off it.”

- Lily Bruns

Photo from Wikipedia In 2018, Common Sense Media found that 57 percent of teens were often distracted from homework and 54 percent said they ignore their friends to pay attention to social media.

tasks, it’ll take you three minutes to get back to the tasks you are doing,” she stated.

Similar to Bruns, sophomore Alex Campos has an average screen time of more than five hours a day and finds his phone to be a big distraction, along with his television. He explained that his reason for using technology other than his school Chromebook is usually “to relieve stress after school.”

Campos also emphasized that he doesn’t let his phone affect his grades but sometimes his sleep: “There will only be some days that I lose track of time, and I end up doing my homework until 2 in the morning.”

While Campos and Bruns are closer to the seven-hour daily screen time average, sophomore Ella Baffico uses her phone for about half of that time.

“I am involved in a lot of extracurriculars,” Baffico commented over email. “During school, I do not have a lunch period or a break to use my phone. When I am at home doing homework, I try to leave my phone in the kitchen so it is not a temptation. At my house, you can’t have electronics at any meal unless you need it for homework.

In the car, I try not to use it because I prefer talking to my family and friends.”

Baffico also didn’t receive a phone until seventh grade and noted that most of her peers were getting them in fifth or sixth grade.

The sophomore said she prioritizes her time with others instead of her technology: “Spending time together and living in the moment is more important than spending it in front of a screen.”

DECEMBER 2019 13

FEATURE

Takeoff: Future Pilots of LHS M

ost current seniors at LHS are in the midst of college applications, looking to further their study in areas such as business, engineering, education, psychology and more. Among possible majors and future careers is aviation, but it doesn’t occur to many that it is possible to work toward a pilot’s license in high school and college, getting a head start in the field.

However, several LHS students are either working toward a private pilot’s license or already have one. A private pilot’s license allows pilots to fly almost anywhere in the United States and even possibly outside of the country. “[About] two years ago, I really wanted to be a pilot; first I wanted to be an engineer or something along those lines, and I noticed I didn’t know much about the life of a pilot, but we talked to a few and I was like, ‘that’s kind of a cool [profession],’” stated senior Bradley Larsen.

Since then, Larsen has obtained his private pilot’s license through training on a Cessna 152 and Cirrus SR20, and he has plans to obtain instrument and commercial licenses as well to become an airline pilot.

He began the process earlier than most because he didn’t want to get to college and realize aviation wasn’t for him.

Larsen also found during his solo flights that flying is an enjoyable hobby or activity as well as useful for his future career goals.

“It’s really peaceful in the air. There’s not a whole lot going on.

There is [air] traffic, but it’s always cool when you can always look down on the places you know and you can see all the traffic on the road; it’s kind of cool to be above all that,” he shared.

Given that having a private pilot’s license while still in high school is quite rare, many are impressed by Larsen’s ability to fly planes.

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Moira Duffy Brooke Hutchins Ian Cox

“My friends all think it’s really cool; I haven’t taken any of them up yet, [but]I think I will eventually,” expressed Larsen.

Those looking to obtain their private pilot’s license must be at least 17 years old, but they may get their student license at 16. A private pilot’s license also allows pilots to fly as many people as the aircraft allows.

Junior Tyler Trigg is in the final stages of obtaining his private pilot’s license and plans to go into the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp in college.

Trigg was a recipient of a national scholarship from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association that covered most of the expenses of his flight training; he stated he grateful for this, as he wouldn’t have been able to pursue his license without it.

“I’m the first one in the family to become a pilot, and it’s just something that’s unique to me, and I have a love for it so I chose to pursue [it],” Trigg shared.

Other students have not obtained their private pilot’s license yet but are taking steps toward aviation.

“I always said I [wanted] to be a pilot in my free time, but maybe five or six years ago, I thought, ‘I want to do this full-time,’” expressed senior Joseph Nowak.

Nowak had been interested in piloting since he was young and went to air shows with his family. He is currently planning on attending college for aviation to eventually become a commercial airline pilot.

“There’s not enough people coming in to match the number of people going out [of the piloting industry], so it’s a cool time to be a pilot. You can get a job real fast; you can get a really good-paying job; you can get exposed and start working for a big company early in

life, so that’s pretty cool,” noted Nowak.

In fact, the nationwide pilot shortage is a major reason why some students are eager to go into the piloting industry. According to Forbes, 800,000 new pilots will be needed in the next 20 years.

For senior Nate Stevens, the shortage contributes to his interest in being a pilot; he noted there are many advantages for those looking into aviation as a career field.

“Hopefully by the time I or somebody else would be in college with all the required licenses, hopefully we would be getting paid to start much more, getting better hours and whatnot,” expressed Stevens.

Senior Kiley Nolan has had an interest in aviation since she was young and went to airports often due to traveling with her family.

“I think being a commercial airline pilot is really cool because you get to fly a ton of people but then you also get to stay wherever you’re traveling,” stated Nolan, who has yet to obtain a private pilot’s license but plans to do so before the end of college.

What drew Nolan to aviation was the traveling aspect. She is interested in seeing the world as a commercial pilot, though she expressed it takes extra time and dedication to build up the hours required to fly internationally. She also has the support of friends and family.

“I’ve always loved aviation so if that’s what I choose to do, my family fully supports that,” she said.

Nolan is in the process of applying to schools with strong aviation programs, including Auburn University in Alabama and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.

Another aspect of pursuing aviation as a broad field of interest is that it can be very expensive. Many young pilots have parents or other close family who are pilots themselves, which can give a legup in connecting to flight schools or finding flight instructors. Paying for the expenses of obtaining a private pilot’s license, which on average amounts to a cost of approximately $9,900, is also a significant barrier preventing some young pilots from pursuing aviation while they are in high school.

However, these expenses do vary depending on the number of training hours. It is also important to note that the cost depends on the type of pilot license. Expenses include paying for a flight instructor, the charges of the flight school and other factors.

A common thread among students with an interest in aviation is that most had dreams of being pilots when they were young.

“I’ve wanted to [be a pilot] for a long time; I’ve been building model planes forever,” stated Nowak. Attending air shows with his dad also convinced him it was a career he wanted for himself.

Trigg also knew from a young age he wanted to go into aviation.

“As a child, my number one goal was to be a fighter pilot. When I was little, I would go to air shows and see the jet fighters flying around; I told myself, ‘Yeah I want to do that when I am older,’” shared Trigg.

He is currently working towards becoming a fighter pilot for the United States Air Force.

Still, there are many who don’t decide to become pilots until later in life or who pursue aviation as a pastime rather than a longterm career. Still, pursuing aviation is a path these aspiring pilot would recommend.

“Go take a discovery flight; if you’re not afraid of heights, you will love it,” Stevens expressed, “It’s something I think everyone should take a look at just like so many people look at business or medical or something else, and at the very least, [aviation] is a really cool hobby.”

Senior Bradley Larsen took his first solo flight July 2, 2019. This experience led him to search for aviation programs around the country to further his studies.

Tyler Trigg, who is currently a junior, participates in a program at Waukegan National Airport, where he is given instructions to fly a plane. Skill Aviation, the program in which Tyler is apart of, is very popular among Lake County aviation students.

DECEMBER 2019 15

OPINION

The good, good, the the bad bad and and the the vitamins vitamins The Peyton Rodriguez

Maguire Marth

People shared their opinions on “canceled” celebrities like James Charles, Gabbie Hanna and Misha Collins through different social media networks. Staff members believe that Cancel Culture allows people to openly voice their opinions on the situation.

T

his past spring, unless your chosen place of residence was the underside of a sizable rock, buzz about the controversy between beauty YouTubers James Charles and Tati Westbrook most likely circulated on your social media feed. Sparked by Charles’s support of a vitamin brand in competition with his (now former) business mentor and friend Westbrook, a feud between the two illustrious makeup artists ensued.

Launching a volley of accusations at each other via videos on YouTube, fans of the two reacted by taking up metaphorical arms on Twitter and other social media platforms in an attempt to prove the righteousness of their respective “side.” Westbrook’s original video expose’ on Charles — which garnered more than 34 million views before it was deleted — painted the 19-year-old in an inextricably guilty light, and nearly five million fans of Charles unsubscribed from his YouTube channel in response. However, Charles shot back with a video of his own, using a plethora of “receipts” to prove his innocence, essentially putting an end to the ongoing controversy.

The James Charles situation is probably one of the primary examples that may spring to mind when discussing “cancel culture,” and it is by no means unique in its occurrence, especially on YouTube and Twitter, where it seems like a new person is added to the ever-expanding “canceled” list every other day. The term has largely been utilized to explain the fallout in the aftermath of these petty social media spats that have come to define the popular connotation of the phrase. However, cancel culture does rear its head outside of disagreements surrounding hair vitamins, and it is these scenarios — ones with real significance and impact — where we should be focusing our attention.

In 2017, comedian Louis C.K. was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in a report from The New York Times — allegations which he admitted to. Media backlash was considerable and his then-upcoming movie was canceled. Additionally, he took a 16 DROPS OF INK

year-long break from doing standup comedy. The trajectory of his incrimination was largely directed by the general public, which played a key part in the situation’s magnitude.

Cases such as this one display the powerful effects and redeeming qualities of canceling, but they also bring up the confounding question of how to confront the content of someone who has been “canceled.” While some say it is impossible to separate art from the artist and that boycotting their work altogether is the way to go, others make the point that it’s acceptable to enjoy someone’s work, as long as you recognize that what they did was wrong and don’t openly support them.

In reality, the context and gravity of the situation should determine how you deal with the person’s content. For example, feel free to continue to watch James Charles, as he did nothing morally reprehensible outside of supporting a vitamin brand. But in cases like Louis C.K.’s, openly supporting him and his work, especially after he admitted that the accusations made against him were true, has negative implications and is a form of enabling and an expression of forgiveness for his sexual assault. Choosing not to support someone’s work, especially if they’re already very successful, won’t have any monetary or “real” consequences, but it is a way for people to broadcast their personal statement about what we will or will not accept as a society.

On a case-by-case basis, cancel culture’s application is so different when comparing petty social media drama and large-scale controversy that it is impossible to make a decisive verdict on whether it is a positive or a negative phenomenon. However, “canceling” someone in cases of moral culpability is ultimately effective in stripping them of their platform and serves as a way to democratize the opinion of the general populace. If nothing else, we advocate that being cognizant in your participation in cancel culture is of ultimate importance, as your voice does have a considerable impact when added to the cacophony of public discourse.

OPINION

OK, Boomer: the Iconic Rally Cry of Gen Z Cali Lichter In early November, 25-year-old New Zealand lawmaker Chloe Swarbrick was giving a speech to Parliament on a climate crisis bill but was being heckled by an older member. Her response?

“OK, boomer.”

If you’ve been at school at all in these past few months, I can certainly say that you’ve heard the famous phrase at one point. It’s spread through these halls like the flu. There’s “OK, boomer” shirts, stickers and the infamous “OK, boomer” song. Nobody is immune.

The rise of this phrase can be traced back to the Gen Z headquarters: TikTok. In a since-deleted TikTok by late-middle-aged user @ old_school_is_not_so_bad, he states: “The millennials and Generation Z have the Peter Pan syndrome; they never want to grow up. They think that the utopian ideals that they have in their youth are somehow going to translate into adulthood.”

TikTokers fought back with the now-familiar phrase: OK, boomer.

Gen Zers needed to further separate themselves from boomers, so they declared themselves “zoomers” (Gen Z + boomers). These teen and twenty-something TikTokers decided to get @old_school_is_ not_so_bad back the only way they knew how: through memes. That user’s comments and mentions were flooded with the phrase, duets were filled with pro-Gen Z content, and eventually, @old_school_is_ not_so_bad deleted his TikTok. These teens and twenty-somethings were taking jabs at anyone who they deemed “outdated” or “old school.” According to Dictionary.com, “OK, boomer” is used to “call out or dismiss out-of-touch or close-minded opinions associated with the baby boomer generation and older people more generally.” This phrase isn’t something to get angry about. It’s simply a call-out phrase that can be equated to “Hey, man. Wanna think about that comment?” But with the skyrocket of this phrase came global media attention and misconstrued information.

On Oct. 29, The New York Times published an article titled “‘OK Boomer’ Marks the End of Friendly Generational Relations” with the tagline “Now it’s war: Gen Z has finally snapped over climate change

Rowan Hornsey and financial inequality.”

This opened up the fight of the Gen Z to a world beyond TikTok, with new opponents ready to take shots at the phrase.

The article aimed to highlight and show the thoughts of major figures behind the “OK, boomer” movement, angered many baby boomers. One Twitter user tweeted: “Replace ‘boomer’ with any ethnic or cultural minority, does [it] still read okay to you?” Political commentator Bob Lonsberry even equated the use of the word “boomer” to the N-word, with many others saying that it’s ageist.

Before going into ageism, let’s talk about Mr. Lonsberry’s loaded comment. In no way, shape, or form is the phrase “OK, boomer” as bad as the N-word. This is not a slur nor is it even intended as an insult. It’s a simple retort to insensitive comments, a simple way of confronting the issue without actually diving into it.

Moving on, ageism is “prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age,” according to Oxford dictionary. While the phrase “OK, boomer” could be seen as ageist, it’s not. Baby boomers and boomers are two different things, but since many baby boomers hold ideals that are considered by younger generations to be “outdated,” the term is mostly directed at them. As an example, my peers and I call my youth pastor a boomer when he takes our phones away, but he is not a baby boomer.

It’s not like these sentiments haven’t been expressed by older generations about younger generations, either. “OK, boomer” is ironic due to the circumstances and history between generational rifts. For years, the older generation has lamented about millennials killing every market imaginable and brand these millennials as “snowflakes” when they get upset. Now the tables have turned: these boomers are getting heated when they’re branded “boomers.”

“OK, boomer” is a meme. It’s the only way that people our age know how to combat the hard truths of life. This isn’t a fight against the baby boomers; it’s the rebuttal to those who doubt the power of the young person.

Get ready for the age of youth power, boomer.

DECEMBER 2019 17

OPINION

WHY OUTSIDE-OF-SCHOOL ATHLETES SHOULDN’T BE IN PE Amanda Black

Natalie Isberg

Many people have that one friend who can never hang out after school due to their sport. The only time they can see this friend is during school when he or she is stressed and focused on their work.

Possibly, this friend is in your PE class.

He or she plays their sport for hours after school, but they’re still forced to participate in PE. When a student plays a sport outside of school for hours a day, they should not have to participate in PE, even if it’s out of their school season. Not having PE during the day would allow the student to have a study hall in its place, giving them more time to work on homework which, if used efficiently, will give them the opportunity to get more sleep or just relax a little after school.

Although he can’t speak for past principals, current principal Dr. Tom Koulentes has never allowed an athlete to be excused from PE on the basis that they play a sport outside of school; this decision rests solely with Dr.

Jade Foo

Koulentes.

This is spelled out in a statewide school code that reads, “A school board may also on a case-by-case basis excuse pupils in grades 7-12 who participate in an interscholastic or extracurricular athletic program from engaging in physical education courses.”

Dr. Koulentes said he and the leaders of our district interpret interscholastic as IHSA and extracurriculars as sports like hockey and fencing; they’re affiliated with LHS but not considered official sports.

Personally, this doesn’t make sense to me.

Dr. Koulentes did mention that schools can interpret this differently, and many do. I have friends who go to different schools in Illinois who have been exempt from PE since freshman year for tennis.

To me, interscholastic does relate to IHSA sports; however, the “extracurriculars” part confuses me.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, an extracurricular does “not [fall] within the scope of a regular curriculum.” Although, it does continue to say that they are “usually” connected to the school; “usually”-- meaning it doesn’t have to be -- being the key word.

This makes me think that any student playing a sport without a connection to school should be allowed out of PE, or at least considered for an exemption.

To Dr. Koulentes, PE is very important for all students, including people who play sports for hours after school. The PE curriculum not only covers physical fitness but also physical education, he emphasized. This includes things we learned in health freshmen year: nutrition, sexual health and taking Highly competitive athletes like dancer Brenna Farrell care of your life and body. work hours perfecting their skills, yet are still unreasonably In a way, I understand the expected to also take a PE class on top of their stress from point of this. However, after practices and homework. taking health freshman year 18 DROPS OF INK

and in middle school, a lot of the basics are covered, and to me, some things are either common sense or not necessary unless you want to go into a science profession.

One high-achieving athlete is junior Brenna Farrell, an amazing dancer who has already been offered college scholarships.

She practices from 5-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from noon-6 p.m. on weekends. During seasons when she has performances, for example, right now she is playing Clara (the lead) in “The Nutcracker,” her classes are even longer.

On top of her 5-6 hours of dance per day, she consistently has 2-3 hours of homework because she takes three AP classes and an honors class. Because she’s in AP Physics I, she only has half of a period for lunch, where she tries to do homework as she doesn’t have a study hall. But she does participate in PE; she’s in yoga.

Obviously it is Farrell’s choice to dance outside of school and she knows that between dance and homework, she’ll be busy, tired and stressed; however, a student shouldn’t have to consistently feel this worn out when there is a solution that could improve every aspect of her health: give her a study hall instead of making her participate in PE for 45 minutes a day.

There is no need for her to be in PE if she’s already dancing for five hours after school.

I understand that there have been studies that show that students perform better during the school day if they participate in physical activity. However, studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep a night.

Farrell doesn’t go to bed until around 12:30 a.m. and then wakes up at 7 for school.

Yes, I realize that if student-athletes were given study halls instead of PE classes, they would only get 45 more minutes of homework finished, which would only translate to 45 more minutes of sleep.

But, first of all, I think many, many people would take an extra 45 minutes of sleep.

Secondly, I’ll ask you, what difference does it make for a dancer who practices at least five hours a day to play some sort of sport for an extra 30 minutes?

Farrell’s case makes clear that students who play sports outside of school should not have to spend time in a PE class playing a sport that does not advance their skills for their sport. In turn, they lose time when they could actually be productive.

OPINION

SPOILED FOR CHOICE Jasmine Lafita

Note: A political cartoon provides commentary on politics or current events.

Opinions in the cartoon are those of the author and do not represent those of the Drops of Ink staff as a whole.

DECEMBER 2019 19

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20 DROPS OF INK

SPORTS

41 HOOPS

THE GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM AND THEIR SUCCESSES

Sarah Bennett Amanda Black Ian Cox

DECEMBER 2019 21

SPORTS

F

or the Libertyville girls varsity basketball team, the number 41 seems to show up everywhere. Members of the team recall multiple times when the number 41 began to appear out of nowhere, starting last season.

“Every time we check the clock [during practice], it’s says 2:41 or 3:41. It’s kind of just a good luck charm for us now,” said senior point guard and captain Margaret Buchert.

Senior Abby Parkerson, a member of the team last season, was the first to tell teammates about how 41 seemed to be showing up everywhere. She saw it at school, in various places throughout Libertyville, on social media - it was everywhere.

“We [said to Parkerson], ‘You’re crazy,’ and then we all started noticing it,” Buchert added, who even has 41 on the jerseys that she wears for practice this year.

The recognition of 41 everywhere extends beyond just the players.

“Yeah, it was on the scoreboard just yesterday,” said Head Coach Mr. Greg Pedersen during a recent interview.

Even last year during their sectional semifinal game, as the second half started, it was tied 41-41. The Cats did not come out on top, falling to their rival team, Lake Forest. Prior to that loss, the team’s success last season included winning their conference and regional championships, ending with a 23-8 record. After a successful season last year, combined with the fact the team graduated just two seniors, the Cats hope to surpass last year’s accomplishments and go even further into the playoffs this season.

While the number 41 has quickly turned into their good luck charm, another aspect to their team dynamic is their use of the social media site TikTok, a popular app where people dance, sing and make jokes.

“It started at summer camp. We pretty much just [made a TikTok] and it kind of just kept going on from there,” said junior guard Elise Rodriquez.

TikTok has increasingly become an important bonding activity for the team, as they make a video almost every week. One of their recent videos features different clips of each player doing a dance all around different places of their home court. The end of the video features Ms. Amy Holtsford, assistant coach and retired social studies teacher, doing the dance with the entire team at the end. On the other hand, for Coach Pedersen to join in on TikTok, he said “they have to earn that.”

A timer selfie — another popular trend among the team — is often used to capture a single moment in time.

Buchert is especially known for these, in every aspect of her life, whether it be during cross country, basketball or even at home with her family. With TikTok and the timer selfie on Snapchat, the team uses social media to have fun after a hard practice or game, bonding them closer together.

Another aspect of the team off the court is their annual charity work. This season, the team will be working with Fill a Heart 4 kids, a foundation that works with Illinois foster children. In addition, the team is also partnering with Maddy’s Voice, a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting sick children and families who have lost children. The money raised through a bake sale will all go to Maddy’s Voice.

“

22 DROPS OF INK

They know what it takes to be successful, and they know what it takes to be successful at the crunch time too, like in January playoff time.

- Greg Pedersen

!

“The charitable work that we can do is time off the court away from basketball, where they can just hang out together and do good work together,” Coach Pedersen said.

!

!

At their game against Crystal Lake Central on Tuesday, Nov. 26, Junior Morgan Spaulding dribbles across the court after the opposing team scored a basket.

Three Wildcats block their opponent after she gets the rebound, preventing her from passing.

While the team is busy with various activities outside of the white lines, they also work hard on the court. “Score Stop Score” was the motto on the back of their shirts over the summer, and they are “focusing on defense since [they] have a bunch of good shooters on [their] team,” said Buchert.

To help improve their defense, the team runs a shell drill during practice, helping to focus on getting defensive stops, not specifically scoring. And due to the team’s offensive philosophy, they may be playing defense more often than in the past.

“There are going to be a lot more possessions in our games versus

possessions at an average basketball game because we’re not going to hold the ball very long. We’re going to get our shots quickly,” explained Coach Pedersen.

Coach Pedersen added that he is going to be looking to the four seniors, as well as junior Lauren Huber, a three-year varsity player, for leadership.

They know what it takes to be successful, and they know what it takes to be successful at the crunch time too, like in January playoff time,” added Coach Pedersen.

DECEMBER 2019 23

SPORTS

SPORTING SUCCESS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Christian Roberts

JOEY GUNTHER University of Illinois wrestling Currently ranked as the 11th-best 174-pound wrestler in the country in InterMat’s National Rankings, Joey Gunther has had tremendous success at the college level.

This isn’t new for Gunther; he was an all-state athlete twice in high school, which included a second-place finish in the 160-pound weight class during his senior season in 2015.

Gunther wrestled at the University of Iowa his freshman and sophomore years (he redshirted his freshman year, which means withdrawing from activities for a year to further one’s eligibility in college), but decided to transfer to the University of Illinois for his junior year, where he now wrestles with his younger brother Michael as a redshirt senior. Through his four years of collegiate

Ben Kimpler Miami of Ohio Football A 2016 LHS graduate, defensive lineman Ben Kimpler was an IHSA first-team all-state selection in his senior year, when he helped propel Libertyville to a second-place finish in the 7A state finals.

Now a redshirt junior at the University of Miami at Ohio, Kimpler has enjoyed his time at the college thus far.

“I love it here in Miami. I came here for two reasons: the academics and to get the football program back where it used to be. Now, in my redshirt junior year, we put Miami back on the map by making it to the [Mid-American Conference] championship,” Kimpler explained over text.

24 DROPS OF INK

Maguire Marth wrestling, he’s recorded an overall career record of 78 wins and 40 losses.

Gunther was named the Big Ten wrestler of the week on Nov. 19 after his upset win over a highly ranked opponent from the University of Missouri, which helped Illinois complete a comeback win over the Tigers.

Gunther stated “this was easily one of the best things we’ve accomplished as a team (upsetting 12th-ranked Missouri). My favorite moment as an individual is definitely being a three-time NCAA national championship qualifier.”

Gunther was the first Illinois wrestler to win Big Ten wrestler of the week in almost two years, which was one of his goals coming into the season. His final goal for his wrestling career is “to become an All-American. That’s it.”

He has recorded more than 70 tackles in his three years playing at Miami and will have one year left on his eligibility after this season wraps up.

Kimpler said his transition from high school to college was smooth because of Miami’s “freshman bridge program,” where freshmen football players “go to campus mid-June and start taking classes, as well as working out with the team,” he stated. “Being able to get on campus early and get a little head start was huge for me.”

As of Dec. 3, the Redhawks were 7-5 and have the best conference record in their division, which marks the first time they’ve won the MAC East since 2010.

“After clinching our division, our goal now is to bring home the MAC championship. Also, for next year, I hope to put myself in a great position to make it to the next level,” Kimpler stated.

SPORTS

Morgan O’Brien University of Illinois Volleyball

Avryl Johnson University of Kansas Track and Field and Cross Country

O’Brien, a former MaxPreps All-American and record holder at LHS for most digs in a single season, helped lead Libertyville’s girls volleyball team to a state-runner up title in 2014, when she was only a sophomore.

Currently a junior at the University of Illinois, O’Brien has been a major key to the team’s success in her three years.

Although she never had a dream school, she “wanted to play in the Big Ten since it is the most competitive volleyball conference. It was also important to find a school that had a good volleyball program and good academics,” she stated.

She also wanted to go to Illinois so that “my family could come and see a lot of my games. I really wanted to stay close to home,” she explained.

As a sophomore, O’Brien took on a major role, taking over the libero position and starting in all of the team’s 36 games.

She led the Illini in digs by more than 200, putting her at seventh overall in the Big Ten. She also racked up 111 assists, which was the second-highest count of any player on the team.

As a junior, she currently leads the team in digs, once again, with 329, which puts her at ninth in the Big Ten. As one of the key players on the Illini squad, O’Brien said she hopes to lead her team to a Big Ten conference title before she graduates. Illinois currently sits at seventh in the Big Ten, which puts them right in the middle of the standings.

Avryl Johnson, an LHS graduate in 2018, was a three-time USA Track and Field All-American and made the state final track meet all four years during her time in high school, where she was all-state once.

As a freshman at KU, she redshirted for her cross country season due to health concerns. After adequate amounts of rest, Johnson’s outdoor and indoor track seasons were “the best seasons I’ve ever had,’’ she said in a recent interview.

Her indoor 800 meter time dropped seven seconds from her high school best, going from a 2:18 to 2:11. Her outdoor 800 meter run time also dropped from 2:14 to 2:10. She recorded her personal best while running at the National Relay Championships in Arkansas, where she took 11th place.

Johnson said one of her favorite moments so far was “getting to race at the Big 12 Championships for indoor and outdoor as a freshman. It was such a cool experience.” She took 14th overall at the outdoor Big 12 Championships, the third-highest overall place of any freshman.

Along with her accomplishments on the track team, she’s enjoyed her time in Lawrence, Kansas, so far: “The team and coach are such a good fit. Coming to KU last year was a very easy transition because of the people here,” she articulated.

With her cross country season finished and her sophomore track season approaching soon, Johnson hopes to build on her past successes.

“I’m hoping to get a new [personal record] and hopefully medal at conference, along with staying injury free,” she stated.

Photos courtesy of The athletes DECEMBER 2019 25

WHAT’S TRENDING

What’s Trending: Winter Edition Anika Raina

Brooke Hutchins

Rowan Hornsey

The Christkindlmarket is a German Christmas market that features international foods and performances.

According to their website, the market is held annually in Milwaukee, Wrigleyville and Daley Plaza, and is decorated as a traditional German market with multicolored lights, Christmas trees and garlands. They offer a variety of German foods, such as sausages, potato pancakes, strudels, roasted nuts, pastries and chocolates.

The market also has many vendors selling ornaments as well as other holiday gifts. The tradition first came to America in 1996 and was inspired by the Christmas market in Neuberg, Germany.

Its locations can make this festive activity a great day trip to Chicago (or Milwaukee) and make memories with your family and friends.

The Christkindlmarket is open until Dec. 24, and the hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekend.

Wilmot Mountain is located in southern Wisconsin (about a 40-minute drive from Libertyville) and offers skiing, tubing and snowboarding.

The resort provides different trails for the varying skill levels of all activities. Wilmot provides three terrain parks: The Gulley, The Rope and The Pop-Up on Paradise, which is dedicated for the more advanced riders. These parks enable skiers and snowboarders to practice on obstacles such as bonks, hips, rail jumps and stair sets.

Wilmot also has a progression park, which allows beginners to practice and feel more comfortable.

For newer skiers and snowboarders, the resort offers lessons for all ages, costing around $34 per group. The skiing and snowboarding area of the resort is currently open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The tubing area of the resort is located half a mile away from the ski/ snowboarding area, and is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

26 DROPS OF INK

Winter Wonderfest is another festive activity to check out this season. The event is hosted at Navy Pier from now until Jan. 12.

During this time, Navy Pier is transformed into a winter wonderland, with an ice skating rink, carnival rides, a tubing hill, giant slides and other seasonal activities.

The Winter Wonderfest is open from 10 a.m. until the evening (closing times depend on the day) and entry prices vary from $10$20.

The Lincoln Park Conservatory is also hosting its Holiday Flower Show from now through Jan. 6 with no entry fee. This year, the conservatory will display photos from the years 1940-1960 to celebrate the memories of past holidays and will exhibit sparkling lights and model trains.

In addition, Millennium Park is hosting its annual ice skating rink until March. Ice skating is free (if you bring your own skates) and open to the public; ice skate rentals cost $13-$15 depending on the day. The rink is open from noon to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

THE HOLIDAY CROSSWORD Sayre DeBruler

ACROSS 1. With his yellow and black shirt, this character was originally created for comic strips; these comics were turned into a Christmas film in 1965.

4. This song is the finale of a musical with the same title.

5. This movie tells the story of the most famous reindeer.

6. This holiday song encourages listeners to “light the menorah” 10. In the popular sitcom “Friends,” Ross told his son Ben all about this animal, which Ross invented to be associated with Hanukkah/the holidays.

15. This Christmas movie by Tim Burton is also considered a Halloween movie.

19. This film features the three ghosts of Christmas.

20. You make this out of clay, according to a popular Hanukkah song.

DOWN 2. This popular Christmas song is sung by Mariah Carey.

3. According to a well-known holiday song, this person was run over by a reindeer.

7. Although written by Felix Bernard in 1934, this song was originally sung by Perry Como.

8. Jim Carrey was originally up for the starring role in this movie, but it was instead played by Will Ferrell.

9. What you should do with boughs of holly.

11. This film features this famous line: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”

12. In this movie, the main character receives a special bell from Santa after riding a train to the North Pole.

13. This movie was the highest grossing live-action comedy movie for 25 years.

14. This holiday song includes the lyric: “Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!”

16. This Christmas character was created by Jon Lovitz, an actor on “Saturday Night Live,” in 1989.

17. This Christmas movie is the first in a trilogy starring Tim Allen.

18. This Dr. Suess classic features a little girl named Cindy Lou Who.

DECEMBER 2019 27