November Issue

S TA F F L I S T I N G

NEWS

Editors-In-Chief Maggie Burnetti Savanna Winiecki Matt Smith, Online Editor Molly Boufford, News Editor Olivia Gauvin, Features Editor Jacob Kemp, Features Editor Rachel Benner, Opinion Editor Maggie Evers, Sports Editor Ian Cox, Layout Editor Claire Salemi, Social Media Editor Faculty Adviser Michael Gluskin

Libertyville High School

Drops of Ink 2 Drops of Ink

Several Libertyville businesses and families have fallen victim to recent break-ins.

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Science classes research Butler Lake fish kill

After the sudden loss of a large amount of fish in Butler Lake, the AP Environmental Science students began investigating and conducting research on the situation.

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GiGi’s Playhouse opening in Deerfield

GiGi’s Playhouse, a Down Syndrome achievement organization, is opening up a new location in Deerfield.

Anya Belomoina Andrew Benoit Olivia Bertaud Annika Bjorklund Amanda Black Ariella Bucio Sayre DeBruler Moira Duffy Thomas Evans Kate Felsl Jade Foo John Freberg Stephanie Gay Aliya Haddon George Hayek Grant Herbek Rowan Hornsey Benjamin Kanches Ella Marsden Benjamin Mayo Allison McLean Charlotte Pulte Kirsten Townander Carly Wagner

@lhsdoi

Numerous break-ins occur across Libertyville

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What’s Trending

A look at the most recent and efficient ways to stay safe when going out.

FEATURES 12

Studying Made Simple

13-15

Keeping Libertyville Safe

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Distracted Driving

Students can maximize their studying time based on changing outside factors to increase proficiency.

The many different safety teams of Libertyville -- the police department, fire department, and LHS security team -- keep the community and the people in it safe Although students are taught about the risks of distracted driving, many still choose to do it.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Contact us at doi@lhswildcats.org @lhsdoi @lhsdoisports Visit us at lhsdoi.com

Contents by Maggie Evers Cover photo and design by Ian Cox Focus Cover by Ally McLean and Annika Bjorkland

SAFETY ISSUE 18-20

Safety in the Digital Age

22-24

Safety First

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Personal hacking breaches have caused some concerns about cybersecurity and social media privacy, but the connections made online can also lead to new opportunities.

Take a look into what to do in an emergency situation when illegal activities are involved.

SPORTS 25

Athletes Give Back to the Community

Athletes giving back to their communities has become a national trend and is a large part of many LHS programs.

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Sporting Their Superstitions

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Wildcat Stats

Many athletes have superstitions as a way to help ensure they perform at their highest level.

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A breakdown of the most common injuries for teen athletes and fall athletes at LHS.

OPINION 29

Safety vs. Privacy

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The Cap on Compassion

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How TV Affects Our Reality

The Drops of Ink staff discusses balancing security and privacy.

Staff member Ally McLean dives into the meaning behind human nature shutting out tragic events and becoming numb to the feelings of loss.

After watching a series of crime shows, does your thinking become more alert and fit the circumstances of the fake scenarios?

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LETTER TO THE READER Hey Wildcats, Hopefully, the first half of the semester has gone well for you so far! Our November issue is focused on safety, which is exemplified on our cover with the caution tape. Safety is a daily necessity that sits second on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In a community of people where this basic need may sometimes be taken for granted, the Drops of Ink editorial board decided that it was important to shed light on the topic.

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of safety is “free from harm or risk.” The editorial board and DOI staff as a whole also felt that the magazine should include not just physical aspects of safety, like driving, at the school or in the community, but also some practices of a secure mentality as well. These mentality focused stories are about studying habits to help you feel better about taking a test (page 12), various superstitions that athletes have (page 26-27), how people are becoming apathetic to tragedies (page 30) and how TV shows affect people’s perception of reality (page 31).

Features Editor Olivia Gauvin, on pages 22-24, defines what rights minors have in an emergency that may arise while students are participating in illegal activities. While Drops of Ink does not promote illegal activities, the staff is aware that students could potentially be in a dangerous situation, so we felt that it was necessary to inform the community of what needs to happen in a situation when illegal situations where drinking or drugs are involved. During the writing process of the story, Gauvin decided to interview professional emergency responders, such as doctors and police, rather than students, to be sensitive to their situation.

We also decided to include non-safety related stories because they are still prominent to the Libertyville community, which correlates to Drops of Ink’s purpose. These stories are about the AP Environmental Science classes studying Butler Lake’s problems (page 6), as well as the opening of the Deerfield GiGi’s Playhouse location (page 7). Many of these stories are written, photographed and/or designed by our new staff members, representing their first work for our magazine. Although there were some new staff members who worked on the magazine last issue, all of the new staff members are creators of either magazine or online content this time around, after learning about journalistic standards.

Below this letter, there is a QR code which, when scanned, will direct you to our website. This code leads to stories that the editorial board thought were important to talk about but space didn’t permit them to be included in the magazine.

Without further ado, here is our November issue!

Enjoy!

Claire Salemi

Scan the QR code below to check out more stories and pictures like these!

4 Drops of Ink

Numerous break-ins occur across Libertyville

By Kirsten Townander

Photo by Claire Salemi

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string of recent break-ins throughout the past few months While he was lucky enough to have gotten his missing belonghas caused concern for Libertyville citizens and police ings back, not every situation has ended this well. Dairy Dream, alike. From parked cars to an old ice cream shop, crimes of a local ice cream shop, fell victim to thievery in late August. this type have been reported relatively frequently to local police.

According to an article in the Daily Herald, an intruder wearing Kiley Nolan, a junior, witnessed the aftermath of a car break-in a green morph suit “jimmied the back door and removed two that happened on her street from her bedroom window early on safes containing an undisclosed amount of rolled coins and cash, September 18: “It was about 2:45 in the morning,” she recalled. with one safe weighing about 20 pounds and the other about 100 “At first my dad woke up … to flashing lights right outside our pounds.” street and then he looked outside and there were police everyManager at Dairy Dream and LHS senior Kylee Kraus reflected where and police dogs.” on the event over email: “It just felt like a big shock … it gives me Remembering the vivid details of that night, Nolan went on to say that “in Libertyville, you don’t really think that many bad things are going to happen because it’s such a nice community and a nice area, so it’s obviously scary. I was nervous because I woke up and my parents were locking my window, and I didn’t really know what was happening.”

Senior Zach El Ghatit has been personally affected by a break-in much like the one Nolan observed. On the morning of September 8th, he discovered that his soccer bag and garage door opener were missing from his car, which was parked and unlocked on his driveway.

When he called to file a police report, El Ghatit was informed that many of these kinds of crimes are committed by “inner-city kids who drive In the past four months, many car break-ins have occurred, some being up during the night to the suburbs where they know people leave their cars unlocked reported via Libertyville Facebook groups. In August, a Libertyville and they take [what is in] them there,” he ice cream shop was robbed as well, by a man in a green morph suit. described, recollecting the phone call.

School Resource Officer Dusan Racic affirmed this. He exchills knowing I am standing where the robber could’ve stood.” plained that they “were part of what [the police] refer to as an She expanded, “There also was a new mark on the floor, which ‘organized crew’ that bounced from town to town and partook in kinda creeps me out.” … ‘car-hopping.’” These groups scope out unlocked cars by shakOverall, Kraus said that work life is “mostly normal,” but that ing the doors and then, if they’re successful, proceed to snatch they’re being extra careful to lock doors and windows at the items like “GPS devices, spare change … anything that really can’t shop. She suggested that community members take similar prebe traced,” Officer Racic added. cautions to keep themselves safe.

For El Ghatit, the events took a positive turn: “My mom just got In regards to the public, Officer Racic has some similar advice a call one day from the Libertyville Police Department and they to give. Over email, he recommended that community members were like, ‘Oh, we have your son’s soccer bag on the side of the “keep vigilant and report things to the police you deem suspicious road,’” he said. … [and to] keep your vehicles and homes secure at all times.”

Drops of Ink | News 5

Science classes research Butler Lake fish kill

By Moira Duffy

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Photo by Claire Salemi

Photo Edit by Amanda Black

Matt Engfer, a senior in Mrs. Jennifer Kahn’s AP Environmental Science class, is taking samples of Butler Lake for their experiment to measure the acidity and conductivity of water.

fter many fish in Butler Lake died suddenly, the AP Environmental Science classes investigated the event and reported their findings to the Village of Libertyville in an effort to prevent another fish kill.

A “fish kill” is defined by Dictionary. com as “the sudden destruction of large quantities of fish,” which is what occurred in late August at Butler Lake, located across from the LHS campus. The abundance of dead fish in Butler Lake, according to Lake County water specialist Gerard Urbanozo, was due to the lack of dissolved oxygen in the lake when an herbicide was applied. The weed killer removed excess vegetation, which enhances fish diversity, depleting the already drained dissolved oxygen source necessary for the survival of the fish.

“The Lake County Health Department always recommends most of these treatments to be done early in the year, when the temperatures are lower and the dissolved oxygen is higher,” said Urbanozo.

He added that studies conducted on Butler Lake’s water quality in 2005 and 2015 show it historically has low dissolved oxygen levels, especially in August, because when temperature increases, dissolved oxygen levels tend to decrease.

Mr. Urbanozo clarified the herbicide was not the sole cause of the die-off. In fact, there was a chance a fish kill would have occurred anyway. Butler Lake is cleaner than other lakes in Lake County, such as St. Mary’s and Loch Lomond, because its aquatic life uses up nutrients

6 Drops of Ink | News

and traps sediments, but any shallow, natural lake is susceptible to a fish kill.

Lakes in the summertime tend to stratify due to phosphorus release from sediments, which in Butler Lake led to a lack of oxygen at the bottom of the lake.

Attention was drawn to the dead fish in August when a student running for cross country noticed the floating fish and notified LHS principal, Dr. Tom Koulentes.

AP Environmental Science teacher Mrs. Jennifer Kahn opened up the possibility for her students to study the fish kill at Butler Lake, and the overwhelming majority of them said yes. They began a project that expanded across three class periods, keeping a collaborative Google document to communicate. “[The kids] were teaching themselves; I did not give them any instruction during that time. The students had to decide how they were going to organize themselves to answer the question: What killed the fish?” stated Mrs. Kahn.

The students split into four groups, focusing on either water, herbicide, sampling or research.

“We tried to figure out [information on] the herbicide that was applied to the lake, which [was] really difficult because none of the information was out to the public,” expressed junior Lizzie Behnke, a member of the research group. The students discovered information about Butler Lake’s water quality through their own observations, using equipment that they learned to master themselves. “[The communication strategy] worked

for the most part; there were challenges because some people had some ideas about what they wanted to do and it was hard when they’re not face-to-face with someone to collaborate,” admitted Mrs. Kahn.

Despite the difficulties, the students were able to exchange information effectively with Google Drive throughout the process.

By focusing their report on Butler Lake before, during and after the fish kill, students were able to reach the same conclusion the Lake County Health Department did: the herbicide, combined with the already low dissolved oxygen levels, killed the majority of the larger fish (that require more oxygen), leaving only smaller fish.

In September, the environmental science classes gave a presentation to Libertyville mayor, Terry Weppler, to discuss their conclusions.

The Lake County Health Department has already taken steps to prevent another die-off of fish. According to Mrs. Kahn, this includes banning homeowner use of phosphorus and installing two aerators (large fans) on Butler Lake to disperse the water and prevent stratification. There has been a reduction in road salt (which spreads a harmful amount of chlorine into lakes), and the department, as well as the AP Environmental students, recommend hiring a contractor to cut the plants rather than use chemicals that have unforeseen consequences.

GiGi’s Playhouse opening in Deerfield

By Carly Wagner

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Photos by Moira Duffy

new GiGi’s Playhouse is opening in Deerfield on Nov. 18 and will provide services for children with Down Syndrome and their families at a more convenient location for Libertyville residents.

GiGi’s Playhouse aids in the development of people with Down Syndrome from childhood through adulthood.

The nonprofit provides kids with play groups, which help with social interaction, sign-language lessons, to help them learn to communicate, and tutoring. “[There will be] speech classes, singalongs, socialization, physical therapy, some hands-on classes. Lots of classes to focus on expanding what our children’s capabilities already are,” explained Julie Waltz, parent to Leilah, a child with Down Syndrome. Waltz does not currently attend a GiGi’s Playhouse due to their distance from Mundelein, where she lives.

“As long as it’s close enough, we’re super excited to be able to go.”

There are also programs that help children with Down Syndrome in the transition from high school to college. Furthermore, the organization provides services for adults with Down Syndrome to assist in their success finding and keeping a job.

In the past, Libertyville High School has supported GiGi’s Playhouse and their goals for the future by hosting a Color Run in the spring of 2017. Students and members of the

Cheerful 18-month-old Hudson Hammond, son of Deerfield GiGi’s Playhouse Board Member Hollyce Hammond, attends GiGi’s Playhouse for its therapy, teaching of sign language, and

socialization.

community spent their day running/ walking a 5k, getting covered in paint, and playing on a slip and slide. The profits from this event were donated to GiGi’s Playhouse.

Two-and-a-half-year old Teddy DeBruler has benefited substantially from the programs provided at the GiGi’s Playhouse in Hoffman Estates. His sister Payton DeBruler, a junior and a member of the Youth Board of the GiGi’s Playhouse opening in Deerfield, stated, “[Teddy has] definitely learned more sign language, a lot of words, and how to enunciate words more.

That’s helped him and we can understand him a lot [better].” (Sayre DeBruler, Payton and Teddy’s sister, is a DOI staff member.)

Not only does Gigi’s Playhouse help children with Down Syndrome, but it also greatly impacts the families.

Families often want to bring their children to the free services multiple times a week in order to help their child develop, however, it is not always convenient or realistic for them to drive the long distance to the nearest current GiGi’s Playhouse location.

“It will be nice to have a larger group of friends [and] a larger community [because of the new GiGi’s Playhouse] Finn Ray, a 2-year-old with Down Syndrome, currently goes to classes at a GiGi’s Playhouse location in Hoffman Estates.

His mother, Elizabeth Ray, expressed she is looking forward to a shorter commute for Finn’s services at GiGi’s in Deerfield.

that we can reach out to...who will understand -- without any explanation -- some of the things we experience,” said Waltz.

Elizabeth Ray a parent to Finn, Ray a child with Down Syndrome, explained that it’s difficult for her to make the trip to Hoffman Estates because she has “four kids and Finn has between four and five therapies a week so there’s a lot of things for just one household member to try to fit in.” The new location will help their situation.

Likewise, Payton DeBruler has difficulty finding time in her schedule to go to GiGi’s Playhouse. She currently volunteers about once a month, but once the new location opens up in Deerfield, she’s hoping to volunteer every week. As a nonprofit organization that provides free services, it operates on a volunteer basis.

According to Hollyce Hammond, a member of the Deerfield GiGi’s Playhouse Board and parent of Hudson, an 18-month-old child with Down Syndrome, the new GiGi’s Playhouse is looking for student volunteers above the age of 13.

If interested, students can contact the Deerfield location at deerfield@gigisplayhouse.org.

“It’s so much about the simple joys in life, being grateful for every single day and finding the happiness, even in the darkness,” Hammond said. “People with Down Syndrome, they’re really good at that and typical people aren’t very good at that. We have a lot to learn from that extra chromosome.”

Drops of Ink | News 7

What’s Trending: How to Stay Safe

By Jacob Kemp Out and About At Home General tips:

General tips:

Undercover Colors:

Pet Dogs:

Let somebody know where you’re going or check in with a friend before you leave and when you’re out. Keep them updated.

Plan ahead for getting to and from your destination.

Bring a friend or somebody you trust. Having a friend to help you in uncomfortable situations is priceless.

Don’t tell strangers where you’re going or staying.

Don’t be afraid to be rude or loud if somebody won’t leave you alone. Attract attention if you need help.

Carry non-violent deterrents such as mace, a whistle, or pepper spray.

Use busy, well-lit paths, avoiding dark areas and suspicious characters.

Finally, trust your instincts. Do whatever it takes to protect yourself, whether that be noise, force or running as fast as you can.

According to a 2016 study published in the journal Psychology of Violence, one in 13 college students has been drugged, or suspects they were drugged. Undercover Colors is a sample port of liquid that changes colors when exposed to common date rape drugs, with an accuracy of about 99.3 percent Photo courtesy of Undercover Colors in over 100 beverages, according to the product’s website. Just take a drop of liquid and put it in the port and wait. Two lines means you’re in the clear, while one means that your drink is likely drugged.

Emergency SOS on an IPhone: Here’s how to make the call on iPhone 8 or never: Press and hold the side button and one of the Volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears.

Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call emergency services. If you continue to hold down the side button and Volume button, instead of dragging the slider, a countdown begins and an alert sounds. If you hold down the buttons until the countdown ends, your iPhone automatically calls emergency services.

Here’s how to make the call on iPhone 7 or older: Rapidly press the side (or top) button five times. The Emergency SOS slider will appear.

Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call emergency services.

8 Drops of Ink

Lock your doors and windows. It might go without saying, but don’t make it easy for somebody to break in by leaving them an entryway.

Putting porch or door lights with sensors on the front and back of your home can be an excellent deterrent to burglars.

According to SecureLife, experts say that 34% of home invaders come in right through the front door, so it’s worth it to invest in strong locks, such as double key deadbolts.

If you’re going away for an extended period of time, don’t tell people on your answering machine that you’re out of town. Police say that, surprisingly, many thieves will find your number and call to see if you’re at home.

Keep a flashlight, a whistle, and something to defend yourself in your nightstand for just-in-case scenarios.

Dogs are proven to help with crime and burglary deterrence.

“If you don’t want a home alarm system, consider adopting a dog,” noted a Chicago Tribune article. “Not only will your pet alert you or your neighbors of encroaching danger, but it will also provide a risk of injury for the burglar. The best breeds for home protection, notes the Canine Journal, are German shepherds, Rottweilers, and bullmastiffs, but the list says boxers and Bernese mountain dogs will also do the trick.

Security Systems:

Security systems are an excellent way to protect your home from a break-in. In the Cromwell-Olson-Avary study, which was sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, more than 90% of the 30 burglars interviewed said they would not choose a target with an alarm system, and 75% said they were deterred simply by a sign or window sticker. It’s worth it to have these systems protecting you and your family, if you can afford it. If not, as shown in the study, even a sign in your lawn or a prominent sticker in your window can be a deterrent.

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Drops of Ink | Advertisements

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Safety is a significant part of our everyday lives, even if we don’t think about it at all times. The concept of safety can be defined in many different ways; for some people, it’s a comfort; for others, it’s a privilege. In our November issue, we explore this topic in many of our stories.

As you analyze our focus cover, you will notice many of our focus stories are represented in a part of this drawing.

studying made simple It’s the night before a big test. You’re stressing out over studying, wondering if your grade is even worth it. You run your fingers through your hair, taking three big, deep breaths. Effective study habits can be hard to find, but practicing them can help you feel more safe and secure heading into an exam.

finding the best studying environment Many people tend to choose distracting places to study. They might go to their kitchen table or their TV room couch or, even worse, their bed. Studying somewhere that one usually eats, sleeps or

watches TV in is not ideal. Brian Robben, author of “How to College,” stated that, when studying in your bed, “you’ve trained your body to associate your bed as a place to study or get homework done, [so] once you lay in bed to call it a night, your mind will continue to think.”

Mrs. Jennifer Kahn, an environmental science and chemistry teacher at LHS, stated that “as a science teacher, [I have] to go with what the science says, and the science says that your brain is not great at multitasking.” Furthermore, she mentioned that having other noise around you while studying is distracting, and even harms

the studying process. Somewhere quiet to study is most ideal.

Bruce Senter, a senior, said he will “book the [innovation] rooms for clubs and spend not only the club time, but some time after that just working and doing my homework because [he likes] the whiteboards.”

Senter is a “visual learner,” so working with the whiteboards really helps him.

However, when the innovation rooms are unavailable and Senter is stuck at school, he “sometimes [goes] to the chairs outside the A-F LST.”

finding the perfect study habits and staying motivated Students use the new innovation centers at LHS, located in rooms 149 and 150, to study effectively with unique furniture and whiteboards.

By Sayre Debruler Photos by stephanie gay Layout by Ian Cox

12 Drops of Ink | Feature

It’s just as important to know how to study as it is to know where. Melanie Faber, a junior, said that her “number one study tip is to study out loud and repetitively.”

Art Markman, a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas, mentions in his psychology blog, “while there are memory pathways of visually seeing the words and also the auditory pathways of hearing the words, there is also a memory link to the actual production of the word.” So, speaking the words while reading makes more connections in the brain, making it easier to remember what you have studied.

It’s not always easy to find the best study habits to fit someone’s personal needs.

Senter noted that “it’s all based on what you can do. It’s physiological really; it's whether you can find that drive, and if you

could find the passion in that class to get the work done.”

However, motivation is critical to focused, effective studying. Faber has a few tips on how to stay focused, like “[setting] an end time for my studying, which motivates me to work hard in the time I give myself. Other times, I will section off my studying with breaks in between. And for the late nights when it's hard to study because all I want to do is sleep, I’ll eat or drink something sugary to keep myself going.”

In the end, everyone is different when it comes to the best and most productive ways to study. What students need to do is understand what works for others, try out different methods, and then find exactly what works best for them. When students study correctly, they learn much more efficiently.

KEEPING LIBERTYVILLE SAFE A look into the groups and people who dedicate their lives to protecting the community.

FIRE By maggie burnetti

L

ocated at 1551 N. Milwaukee Ave. is the Village of Libertyville Fire Department headquarters. The department services Libertyville, Green Oaks, Mettawa and areas covered within the Libertyville Fire Protection District, under contract.

The Fire Department is staffed by paramedics and firefighters. All firefighters at the Libertyville Fire Department (LFD) are paramedics, trained to the highest level of pre-hospital medicine. There are three different locations that the LFD sends aid from. These locations are strategically placed to allow for efficient and effective response to the various emergency calls they receive, according to the Village of Libertyville website. Station One, their headquarters, is located on Milwaukee Avenue; Station Two is located off of Golf Road; Station Three, a district station, is located off of Atkinson Road.

They normally staff four to seven firefighters at Station One, and three at Stations Two and Three. The LFD services about 4,300 calls in a given year, and Deputy Chief Mike Pakosta further explained that 70% of those calls are medical-related.

In a given shift, there are normally 10 to 14 firefighters on call between the three locations. A typical shift for a member of the fire department is anything but typical, as no two days are the same. Furthermore, every shift is 24 hours long, starting at 7 a.m. There are three separate shift groups: red, black and gold, which rotate every three days.

Due to the nature of their job and shift duration, the firefighters have strong relationships with one another. Deputy Chief Pakosta expanded by saying that each shift group essentially has spent a third of their lives together and bond intensely through

Photos by anya belomoina

the work that they do specifically because of the calls that they answer. “[The firefighters] come from all different backgrounds, everybody is different, but the commonality of it all is when the alarm goes off, everybody goes to work … [to] make a difference,” said Pakosta. “It’s just a trick bag full of different personalities around here.”

When they aren’t responding to calls but are still on shift, they are free to do a number of things. That can include anything from cleaning and checking equipment to engaging with the community. The department interacts with the community at various times, such as last month, when firefighters educated the elementary and middle schools for fire safety month; the

Layout by Ian Cox

New member Mike Boyle (left), David Naspinski (middle), and deputy chief Mike Pakosta (right) are some of the members you can find working a 24 hour shift at the Libertyville Fire Station. When not responding to a call, they often clean, check equipment, or find ways to engage with the community. department also participates in events like the Homecoming parade, Libertyville Days Festival and various block parties.

Above all, Deputy Chief Pakosta described the department as a welcoming and open place to any seeking help.

Deputy Fire Chief Mike Pakosta Mr. Mike Pakosta has worked at the Libertyville Fire Department for 17 years.

He currently works as the Department’s Deputy Fire Chief, working under Fire Chief Rich Carani, and Pakosta oversees operations on a daily basis.

The 1989 Libertyville High School graduate went to Iowa State University, originally intending to be an engineer. While still at Iowa State, Pakosta changed his major and set his sights on sports medicine. Once Pakosta graduated, it wasn’t until after he took an Emergency Medical

Training class that he decided to become a public servant.

The Deputy Fire Chief feels great pride to help the public and described it as rewarding.

“It’s public service and it’s not for everybody, but it’s something where you’re not behind a cubicle Monday through Friday, and you’re actually doing something that benefits other people,” stated Deputy Chief Pakosta. “It’s just that selfless type of satisfaction where what you’re doing, you know it helps."

Drops of Ink | Feature 13

safety team

T

he Safety Team at Libertyville High School is comprised of 10 full-time individuals, dedicated to maintaining the safety of the high school’s students and staff.

“First and foremost, our biggest responsibility — our main task — is making sure everybody in the building is safe, every single day,” said Mr. Robert Uliks, Director of Campus Safety.

Before each school day starts, the team meets to review video camera footage from the night before, looking for anything out of the ordinary. During the daytime, two members of the team are stationed at either of the entry and exit points, located at the Main and Studio Theater entrances.

They also check different areas of the building like washrooms, common areas and the parking lot.

All of the members of the Safety Team are personally invested and involved with the school and dedicated to the main goal, as described by Mr. Uliks. Additionally, four of the security members are retired police officers and a number of them either currently have children enrolled at LHS or have had children graduate.

New safety team member, Bill Kinast (left), director of campus safety, Robert Uliks (middle), and team member Tim Akers (right) are three of the ten individuals on the campus safety team involved in keeping Libertyville High School students safe.

Many on the team aren’t here singularly for the job but also the interpersonal relationships it brings.

“I really liked working with kids because I saw the positive influence and interaction you can have … I was able to bridge that

Mr. Bill Kinast Mr. Bill Kinast, a new member to the campus safety team this year, started working at the beginning of October. Prior to coming to LHS, Mr. Kinast was employed at the Libertyville Police Department for 33 years and retired as the lieutenant in charge of the Investigations Unit. After receiving notice that there was a position available from a previous co-worker of his, Mr. Uliks, Mr. Kinast applied.

“I figured it would be a nice job coming from the police department and into the security position here at the high school,” stated Mr. Kinast.

From the area, Mr. Kinast went to Lake Forest High School and after graduating, attended Lake Forest College. While in college, he completed an internship with the Lake Forest Police Department, which solidified his aspirations to go into police work.

After graduating from college, Mr. Kinast

14 Drops of Ink | Feature

took a job as a police dispatcher for the Lake Forest Police Department. Shortly after, he began testing and was hired by the Libertyville Police Department. He has been a member of the Libertyville community since 1993 and has two daughters, one who has already graduated and another who is currently enrolled at LHS. In his free time, Mr. Kinast can be seen in his 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback GT. A hobby of his is to attend vintage car shows with some friends from high school, who all have purchased an American muscle car.

Because of his experience at the police department and involvement with the community, Mr. Kinast feels comfortable at LHS. “I do feel working with the police department, I actually worked very closely with the high school on a lot of cases, so I feel very at home here, I know I’m going to enjoy it,” said Mr. Kinast.

gap between the community and school,” said Mr. Uliks, a retired police officer who was the School Resource Officer at LHS for 16 of his 28 years as a police officer.

“The most important thing is the human factor and building relationships and knowing what might not be right and getting people to feel comfortable to communicate with us,” Mr. Uliks said.

This especially applies to students, on top of “brick and mortar things,” like protective bollards, security cameras and electronic door locks. Because of the various security measures that LHS and Vernon Hills High School have, District 128 was recently voted the safest school district in Illinois, according to an article posted by Niche, a school ranking and review website.

The team itself was described by Mr. Uliks as cohesive and dedicated to their profession. They also have social outings, like gathering to celebrate someone’s birthday or going to LHS sporting events.

“Even though there’s 2,000 students and 200 staff, [we’re] a family, so we all take care of each other when we’re here, and that includes raising concerns and looking out and being accountable,” said Mr. Uliks.

POLICE Officer James Davis

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Patrol Officer James Davis’ job is to protect and serve the community. He has physically saved four lives during his time working in the Libertyville police department.

nother 24/7 organization provided by the Village of Libertyville is the Libertyville Police Department.

The department is divided into Operations and Support Services, employing 54 sworn and non-sworn members, according to the Village of Libertyville website.

Under Operations lies Patrol, Investigations, and Community Services.

Patrol officers work eight-and-a-half hour shifts for five days a week. The exception to that schedule is that every other week, they have an extra day off, working four days a week. Under Investigations are various investigators including the School Resource Officer assigned to LHS, Officer Dusan Racic. Lastly, Community Services includes Public Service Officers who work with non-criminal calls of service, parking and ordinance enforcement and animal calls.

Within Support Services is administration, which does exactly as its namesake suggests: they support the various officers and direct them to where they are needed. This includes information technology, human

resources and finance for the records unit. Furthermore, this division handles training, evidence and property.

“When you think about it, we’re the middle man. When you come to us, there’s obviously an issue or a problem that you have and you’re looking for us to try and help you with that,” said Patrol Officer James Davis. The police department witnesses various civilians on their worst days, and their life’s work is to make that day better by solving that problem.

The Police Department interacts with the community in similar ways to the Fire Department. They participate in the Libertyville Days and Homecoming parades. They also have outreach events for Special Olympics through a multitude of events; for example, they raise money through “Cop on the Rooftop” at Dunkin’ Donuts; “No-Shave November” and sometimes a continuation of that with “Double-Down December.” These events allow the police officers to bond outside of shift time and with cooperation from the community, donate money to a cause.

“My name is James P. Davis and my position is patrol officer,” stated Officer James Davis.

Officer Davis, who once desired to be a chef, has worked at the Libertyville Police Department since 2000. As a patrol officer, his duties include resident and business checks, patrolling and traffic control, which he described as his most frequent responsibility. He further expanded that their chief, Clint Herdegen, encourages proactive patrolling, in order to prevent possible car accidents.

“A lot of people think patrolling is out there because we want to give out tickets. It’s more about prevention of accidents. We give out more warnings than we do tickets,” said Officer Davis.

On-shift experience for Officer Davis has been both protecting and serving the community; this has ranged in activities such as preventing a suicide attempt to rescuing ducks from a sewer.

During his time at the LPD, Officer Davis said that he has saved four lives, two of which were the result of CPR. Although Officer Davis appreciates the welcoming and encouraging community of Libertyville residents, he expressed that that notion isn’t necessarily the opinion of the general public toward police in modern-day America.

“It’s definitely a different climate than when I was [younger]. I think all you have to do is go on YouTube or [read] the newspaper. It’s a little bit tougher now, and I think it’s par for the course, but that’s what makes the job unique,” Officer Davis said. “It is [worthwhile].

There’s a lot of good to it, [and] gratification when you help someone out.”

Drops of Ink | Feature 15

Distracted Driving: How Dangerous is Losing Focus?

By Rachel Benner Photo by Rowan Hornsey Layout by John Freberg

Y

ou are driving in your car and pick up your phone to change the song or check the navigation or see if your mom finally texted you back.

This simple act of taking your eyes off the road makes you 1.4 times more likely to crash your car, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. If while picking up your phone you decide to send a text, that is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Factually, distracted driving is a dangerous act that claims several lives a day, and though many students are aware of the dangers, it is often ignored for a glance at a notification or engagement with friends in the back seat.

What is it?

plained that she feels more scared than guilty: “I’m more terrified that I’m going to hit somebody...If it comes really close, I’m like, ‘Oh shoot, maybe I should focus.’ But it’s never like guilt, more like fear.”

She later expressed that the only times she will feel guilty about driving recklessly is if she gets in a car accident, which has happened to her in the past.

What are the consequences?

Every day, 1,000 people are injured in car crashes that are reportedly due to a driver that took their attention off of the road; those crashes result in nine casualties a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Aside from fatalities, being preoccupied while driving is against the law: consequences such as tickets and fines can be issued from the police if someone were to be pulled over.

The state of Illinois prohibits the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle; however, hands-free devices or Bluetooth are allowed for drivers ages 19 or older.

Dusan Racic, the school resource officer, recalled what he would do if he witnessed someone who seemed to be looking down at their phone behind the wheel: “It can constitute as reasonable suspicion. I’d probably want to gather more information: I would probably want to follow that person so if they are still doing that, looking down, now their driving has become erratic...Then I have them looking down, then I have other factors, now I have probable cause that [they] are committing a violation.”

Distracted driving is when the driver’s attention is averted from watching the road and controlling the vehicle. This can be anything from texting or talking on the phone, eating and drinking, listening to music loudly or being preoccupied with other passengers in the car. From a survey completed by 203 LHS students with their driver’s licenses (from which data can be viewed from the graphs on the right side of the following page), many students admitted to doing most of these activities while behind the wheel.

All students must complete a driver’s education course— whether that be from the school class or an outside program— before getting their license, which means most students are either currently enrolled or have completed the course. In driver’s ed classes at LHS, part of the curriculum is teaching new drivers about the risks of distracted driving and prevention.

“We focus on cognitive, biomechanical, visual and auditory forms of driver distraction,” explained the drivers education teachers —Mr. Alex Adams, Mr. Sean Matthews, Mr. Brent Mork, Mr. Ron Russ, Mr. Adam Stuart and Brent Wilcox—in a typed response to interview questions. “Additionally, a number of our simulation lab films cover various topics that compete for driver attention on a regular basis. This lab environment allows students the opportunity to encounter challenging scenarios without placing themselves in harm’s way.”

Although all students learn information like this, many are not alarmed with the dangers of not having their full focus on the road. In our survey, 54 percent of students said they don’t feel unsafe or guilty while taking their attention away from the road, while the other 46 percent of students admitted to feeling uneasy doing so.

Senior Ellie Seyl, one student who Teenagers will often drive with their phones in hand which increases the risk of crashing admits to being a distracted driver, exbecause of visual and auditory inattention.

16 Drops of Ink | Feature

If caught, the first fine is $75 with a $25 increase with each ticket. In Illinois for people over the age of 21, three moving offense tickets will result in a suspension of driving privileges. Currently, the law says the first ticket is not considered a moving violation, however, starting in July 2019, it will be, which counts towards a potential driving suspension.

Another part of distracted driving is using a phone while stopped at a red light. The law states that in order to go on your phone at a red light, your car must be in neutral or park. Forty percent of students said they don’t do this, while 60 percent admitted they do.

Though it is harder for a police officer to pull someone over for distracted driving that is outside of phone usage, Officer Racic believes that natural consequences will occur: “If you are stuffing your mouth eating and trying to do your makeup at the same time and your vehicle is moving erratically during that time and you cause an accident, putting all those factors together, you could be charged with reckless driving, or heaven forbid someone gets hurt, reckless homicide.”

Several groups, including the the police department and educators, are continually stressing preventative measures that drivers can take to lower the risk of a crash.

“Students must find ways to limit distraction and temptation,” the driver’s education teachers said.

They provided several tips on how to avoid driving distractedly: students can turn off their phones or place them away from arm’s reach; if someone must respond to a message, they should pull onto the side of the road to answer; minimize the number of occupants in the car; and “plan routes in advance when driving to unfamiliar areas and limit or minimize times of driving in stressful situations or busy traffic.”

How likely are you to drive distracted when there are other passengers in the car?

Student Survey Out of 204 licensed students

Are you distracted by or do any of these activities while driving?

If yes to any of these, do you feel guilty and/or unsafe while doing it?

Drops of Ink | Feature 17

Cybersecurity is not only how data and information are kept safe on the internet, but it’s also a massive industry, with about $47.9 billion being invested, according to the NASDAQ website, and Forbes estimates that it will reach $170 billion by 2020. It’s comprised of huge technology firms and small upstarts all competing to keep data secure.

W

hile reported hacking incidents and data breaches may seem like distant topics, cybersecurity can affect our everyday lives. According to Mr. Eli Kelly, a member of LHS’s Information Technology (IT) department, “cybersecurity is really the responsibility of everybody who uses technology.”

Experian and Equifax are two major credit report companies that handle millions of Americans’ information. According to the Federal Trade Commission, at Equifax alone, 143 million consumers had private information stolen during a 2017 breach, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver’s license numbers; for around 209,000 consumers, credit card numbers were stolen. The hackers had monetary incentives: Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses can sell for $20 dollars apiece online, according to Forbes. That number may not seem substantial, but multiply by 143 million and these hackers stole a large sum of money.

Having sensitive data stolen can be a serious issue for people. Social Security numbers can be used to open new bank accounts, taint medical records and file

18 Drops of Ink | Feature

a fraudulent tax return, among many other things.

The other major credit report company, Experian, saw hackers gain access to private data on 15 million Americans in 2015. These data breaches and hacks paint a grim picture for the security of many people’s personal data. A noted researcher on the subject and former Washington Post journalist, Brian Krebs, said Equifax and Experian “have for the most part shown themselves to be terrible stewards of very sensitive data.”

Even if students don’t yet use services like Equifax and Experian, “there have been so many data breaches, most U.S. citizens probably have some data that is in the hands of people who have obtained [it] through illegal means,” Mr. Kelly said. He added that he thinks it is important to hold these companies responsible: “There needs to be more oversight, probably holding these companies more responsible for the protection of the data,” but he doesn’t think that will completely fix the problem. In Mr. Kelly’s mind, “I don’t care how much legislation you put down, these hackers who are doing this illegally are not paying attention. There is always gonna be a way the hacker is [going to] get that data.”

Libertyville High School and its students aren’t immune to the effects or implications of cybersecurity breaches.

LHS senior Jenn Formica recently had her Instagram account hacked. Formica was sitting in her car when she realized what had happened. “All of a sudden…it logged me out,” Formica describes. When she tried to log back in, she discovered that her username and password had been changed.

Instagram failed to respond to her emails asking for help, so she was forced to create a new account.

“It was kinda rough As technology has become more and more ingrained within modern society, cybersecurity has bebecause I had a lot come significantly important. Major credit report companies such as Equifax and Experian have experienced severe data breaches as well as platforms like as Instagram, so how does LHS keep of followers, and it student’s information secure? is annoying having to go back and follow everyone,” Formica said. to get information. This can be through a phone call, an While Formica only lost pictures, people can lose a lot email or text messages. more than that. Often times, hacked Instagram accounts LHS has many ways it protects its students; the most can contain personal information, and changes made important way it does this is through its firewall. A firewall, to them can hurt people’s reputation. Mr. Kelly has also digitally speaking, is a part of a computer or network had run-ins with hackers, as his credit card number was that blocks unauthorized access while still allowing potentially taken during a 2017 Home Depot data breach. communication going outwards. Libertyville also uses “I had to get a new card and at the very least, it’s a third parties to help track and block potentially dangerous hassle,” he said. sites. Mr. Kelly declined to share the names of the Mr. Kelly noted that LHS “[doesn’t] have any specific companies LHS uses. attacks we’re aware of; we’ve been actually pretty lucky, This is what Mr. Kelly calls “content filtering;” according we think.” But this doesn’t mean LHS and its IT team to him, LHS has “an obligation to do some content aren’t constantly updating their system and trying their filtering, but we try to give students some leeway.” This best to prevent any harm from coming to LHS and its means that Libertyville actually blocks students from very students. few things but instead tracks concerning patterns. “[LHS] is constantly learning about new threats, [we] Even though LHS has not faced any cyber attacks or attend workshops… and [are] constantly updating our breaches, Mr. Kelly and the IT team understand that the system, patching everything so that we have the latest threats are out there. Mr. Kelly recognizes that “we have to security patches. The threats are out there,” said Mr. be solid 100 percent of the time. Somebody who is trying Kelly. According to Mr. Kelly, the threats usually have to to get our information only has to be successful once. It is do with something he calls “social engineering,” which a challenging thing to keep up with. he defined as people taking advantage of you in an effort One of the most important ways students can protect

Drops of Ink | Feature 19

themselves from hacks, breaches or information theft is to watch for red flags in emails and other communications. Always make sure that the email address matches who it claims to be before putting information in emails.

According to MIT’s IT department, another important thing to do that offers protection in the digital world is frequently updating devices. Companies oftentimes find bugs and loopholes that hackers can exploit and they often release updates or patches to fix these issues. Staying up to date on software is an easy way to help protect your system.

Another easy way to help protect data is having strong passwords. UC Berkeley’s Information and Security Policy suggests having long passwords of 20 characters or more. There are many password-managing applications like KeePass and LastPass, which are both free.

Using secure connections to transfer data, installing anti-virus services on devices and backing up data on a regular basis are all easy ways to keep data safe.

Cybersecurity can be difficult to understand and navigate, but it is becoming an important aspect of people’s everyday lives.

Staying secure in the digital world is paramount as more and more personal data and information can end up in the hands of others.

20 Drops of Ink | Feature

At this point in our lives, we’ve probably heard about the “Libertyville Bubble” more times than we care to count. However, no matter how much you’re told that you live in a bubble, it doesn’t become real until you have a personal connection with someone who lives outside of it.

Far outside.

Over the last few years, the only cancelled school days at LHS were due to cold and snow. In some parts of our country, we may have days where storms or wind prevent transportation to school. In Damascus, Syria, my friend Jack’s classes are cancelled when bombs fall in the streets and it’s too dangerous to leave his home.

Though no two lives are the same by any means, the lives of those who directly surround us are fairly similar to our own. The further away you go, the more circumstances are likely to change. My Canadian friend Liv skis competitively almost every weekend, while Ally, who lives in Singapore, has never seen snow. I go to public high school, while Hannah in Kentucky is homeschooled and BritishZimbabwean Nia goes to a massive private academy.

At the beginning of the summer I met one friend, Vic, in downtown Libertyville.

For a year we’d talked about hockey and movies and music, lamenting the fact that we lived on opposite sides of Lake Michigan. She’s no more or less of a “real” friend because we spent those few hours together, but it meant a lot to me nevertheless.

What makes a friend? Most people would say common interests or similarities, which are the most obvious reasons a friendship would form. What might be often overlooked is the element of proximity. In the past, who you were friends with depended entirely on who you lived closest to. As transportation developed from horses and carriages all the way to planes, it became easier and easier for people to stay in touch with friends and family who were further and further away.

With the advent of the internet, the necessity of proximity fades away. Every year, there’s a new social media platform, a new network to stay connected. It doesn’t matter where you live, as long as you have an internet connection. Truly, it barely even matters what language you speak — translators can facilitate any discussion.

Without proximity as a defining factor, friendships are built mainly on the people.

Friendships of mere convenience are obsolete because these new relationships require active effort to maintain — thus, they will become stronger over time.

So why should my friends on the other side of the globe be considered any less valid than those I make in class? Why are they called “internet friends,” as if they don’t deserve the distinction of being real friends?

Of course, safety is a major consideration when putting yourself out there online, and safety should be at the forefront of any decision made regarding an online presence. There are ways to spot danger, and I am by no means arguing that these things should take a backseat in the name of friendship. However, if you keep yourself secure and safe, as the previous pages’ article explains, there’s no reason to shun potential connections.

Some people I talk to lead similar lives to mine, but some have experiences so vastly different from my own that I would never have understood — if it weren’t for the connections I’ve made. Knowing these people has made me a more conscientious world citizen and a more compassionate person.

And no, I’ve never met my Syrian friend in real life. But we often talk about what we’ll do when we’re grown up, when the war is over and he can leave his country safely, when we can meet up in some city and grab a drink and continue the same conversations we’ve been having all these years.

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First

SAFEtY SAFetY 1 1

By Oliv ia Gauvin Layout by Liv Bertaud

In the basements with friends or the houses where parties are held, it is known that underage adults, or even minors, partake in illicit activities, such as drinking or drug consumption.

In fact, according to the 2018 Illinois Youth Survey, 12 percent of freshmen and 23 percent of sophomores at Libertyville High School reported that they had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days of taking the survey.

This statistic increases when observing the juniors and seniors, who had reported rates of 33 percent and 53 percent, respectively.

Adults and adolescents alike know that such activities occur, but what many are unaware of is what to do if an emergency occurs. Regardless of an individual’s decision to involve themselves with drugs, alcohol or sexual activity, it is important for everyone’s health and wellness to not only be aware of the consequences but also of how

Data from the 2018 LHS Illinois Youth Survey

22 Drops of Ink | Feature

to stay safe in the event of an emergency.

come, there is protection for you that you may not, depending on the circumstances, get Drugs and Alcohol in trouble,” Dr. Watson further Let’s say you are at a party. explained.

For the purposes of this Walter Rodriguez, a detective article, the term “party” will with the Libertyville Police Debe used as a descriptor for a partment’s Investigative Bureau, gathering in which underage confirmed that this law is true teenagers and/or adults are ex- and is practiced in Libertyville. plicitly consuming drugs and/or “A lot of times, [this law] deals alcohol. At this party, most indi- more with the harder drugs,” viduals are intoxicated, possibly he explained, “but you do have even blackout drunk, including [circumstances] where the yourself, when a party goer victim will be protected and the slips on the floor, hitting their party that called 911 will be head while falling, and begins protected.” to bleed profusely.

Detective Rodriguez further What do you do? noted that it is more common Dr. Bill Watson, Lake County’s for the police to be called to a Medical Director for Trauma party due to noise complaints as well as a trauma surgeon rather than for medical emerat Advocate Condell Medical gencies.

Center, repeatedly emphaIndividuals participating in sized, “you have to call 911,” illicit activities may hesitate to in the instance of any emergen- call 911 for various reasons. cy. “There is a part of Illinois Detective Rodriguez explained law where…if you call 911 to some of the most common have the police and ambulance concerns regarding alcohol or

of 2019 sophomores have had a drink within 30 days of the survey

12%

1 out of 5 Current LHS seniors used marijuana at least once a month

symptoms are not the easiest to spot either, as blacking out from consuming alcohol doesn’t always indicate alcohol poisoning and vice versa.

When it comes to drug usage, Detective Rodriguez emphasized that the opioid epidemic in the United States is very real and very dangerous. He said that most individuals who contact the police due to drug-related emergencies are

!

!

drug-related emergencies are “punishment and repercussions.

When it comes to underage [drinking], I think [teenagers] are more scared of their parents than anything else.”

However, according to Dr. Watson, the medical consequences are life-threatening if those in the midst of an emergency don’t call 911, as well as more severe than potential punishments. “[Alcohol poisoning] can decrease your breathing, so you get decreased blood flow to the brain, which can cause stroke-like symptoms. It slows your breathing so much where it can actually make your heart stop,” he explained. “In young people, it is much easier to stop breathing than in adults...and that can cause permanent brain damage.”

It was further noted that alcohol poisoning, or consuming too much alcohol in general, can also cause all organs to build up toxin levels.

Alcohol poisoning is quite common. In fact, Dr. Watson estimated that about 10-15 underaged individuals are sent to emergency rooms in Lake County due to alcohol-related problems each week. The

!

involved in heroin overdoses or are looking for help with their addictions.

Detective Rodriguez said that “several law enforcement agencies now carry Narcan,” a medication used to block the effects of opioids, especially in overdose. “We’re carrying Narcan to try to take that first step and push the antidote into the system and bring [the victim] back,” he further explained.

Yet Dr. Watson highlighted that though underage drinking and drug usage are quite common among today’s youth, the drunk-driving rate is on a de-

creasing trend.

“Drunk driving is [decreasing].

I think the reason for that is Uber. Young people, especially high school students, are pretty smart these days, so they know drinking and driving is bad,” he noted. “The rate of drunk driving and accidents in young adults is probably [improving] because of [individuals] making some good choices amidst all the bad choices.”

Detective Rodriguez agreed that he has observed the same trend.

If you or a loved one may be struggling with addiction or other concerns regarding illegal activity, Libertyville High School’s social workers work under confidentiality laws, and as Mrs. Emily Eichmeier, the social worker in the G-P LST, explained, these laws allow for students to discuss just about anything going on in their personal lives without the social workers having to report it.

“Drug and alcohol use is actually covered under confidentiality with social workers, so students can talk to us about their own use and we don’t report it to their parents, their teachers or their dean if they are using substances,” she explained.

10%

“A Way Out” for substance abusePrograms and services (847) 362-8310

increase in marijuana use of current juniors from 2017 to 2018

Zacharias

sexual abuse center (847) 244-187 Drops of Ink | Feature 12 23

“be responsible. [Illegal drug and alcohol consumption] is going to happen, whether you’re at your parents house [or a] friend’s house. I’d rather you not do it, but if you’re going to do it, do it responsibly. Make sure that somebody is going to be taking care of you” — Detective Walter Rodriguez It is important to note, however, that all social workers are legally required to contact parents, guardians and potentially doctors if they believe a student may be in physical danger.

In regards to drug usage and alcohol consumption, Detective Rodriguez explained that he understands underaged individuals may be curious to try drugs or alcohol, which is why he genuinely emphasized to “be responsible. [Illegal drug and alcohol consumption] is going to happen, whether you’re at your parents house [or a] friend’s house. I’d rather you not do it, but if you’re going to do it, do it responsibly. Make sure that somebody is going to be taking care of you.”

Sexual Assault According to the U.S. Department of Justice, teenagers 16 to 19 years of age were 3.5 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. Furthermore, sexual assaults occur all across the country, including in Lake County; exact statistics of such assaults are difficult to determine because, as 24 Drops of Ink | Feature

Detective Rodriguez noted, many are unreported.

However, when it comes to reporting sexual assault, there are many different ways to receive help and even medical attention.

“Just like with any issues that go on, [students] can speak with a social worker, they can speak with our police liaison, whether they would like to report something or they just have some general questions about reporting,” Mrs. Eichmeier clarified.

“Certainly, us trusted adults in the building that are trained to know how to help those students, they would be the first line of defense.”

Mrs. Eichmeier further noted that, from her understanding, while there are many resources for students to turn to if they are concerned about potential assault or harassment, not many students go to their social worker for help.

Dr. Watson explained that the likeliness that a sexual assault will occur increases when drugs or alcohol are added into the mix.

While he was not certain how often sexual assaults occur in Libertyville, he did note that “if an adolescent drinks at least once a month, the risk of being sexually assaulted increases about 12-15 percent.”

And that statistic is much of the reason why victims are afraid to

report their assault, as they fear potential consequences for being in a situation involving sex, drugs or alcohol. That is why Dr. Watson seriously emphasized that “a lot of victims blame themselves for putting themselves in that situation. It is not your fault. You need to get help.”

It is important to note that Advocate Condell Medical Center has a 24/7 nurse who is specially trained to help victims of both assault and sexual assault.

Furthermore, Mrs. Eichmeier emphasized that the social workers and student resource officer at LHS prioritize the safety and health of all students.

“We want to create a climate where they are safe places here in school and supportive adults that you can come talk to about these issues,” she concluded.

Both Detective Rodriguez and Dr. Watson commented on the importance of consent and safety if minors or young adults are to partake in sexual activities.

“Make sure [sex] is something you are not being pressured into or forced into,” Dr. Watson stressed. “Everybody is different; everybody matures at a different rate.”

Athletes give back to the community

By Matt Smith Photo by Grant Herbek Layout by Savanna Winiecki earts pounding, food packing, sweat dripping, money “Organized sports is an amazing thing for high school kids, and raising, crowd cheering. in those sports, you learn all kinds of life lessons,” Mr. Pedersen At Libertyville High School, most sports teams take said. “[Giving back] helps the team make the community better their talents from the field or court into raising money, and giving back is part of the deal of being a Libertyville athlete.” awareness and much more to help the less fortunate.

In addition, the girls volleyball team held their annual “Dig According to the LHS athletics policy, participating in a serPink” game on Oct. 20, which raised money for stage four breast vice project is not required, but most teams choose to do one cancer research and awareness through the Side-Out Foundatogether. A lot of teams, such as boys soccer and the girls cross tion. In the weeks prior to the game, the team raised money in country team, choose to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, many different ways: some athletes asked their family to donate which packs food for impoverished people in developing couna certain amount of money for every ace, kill or dig they get. tries, such as Haiti, Nicaragua and the Philippines.

“It was a very special game for us, since we got to play for “It is encouraging and impactful to see all of these young athsomething more than just a win in the record book,” expressed letes come out and pack food for the less fortunate,” said Nina senior Katie Hay, a member of girls varsity volleyball. The team Slidek, Libertyville’s Feed My Starving Children Site Manager, raised around $5,000 for breast cancer research this year. over the phone.

“I think it’s really cool in sports to play for a cause that is bigger According to Slidek, multiple sports of all levels volunteer, than yourself. I think that it’s inspiring and it gets the game going, packing thousands of boxes of food for the less fortunate. The if you’re playing for something more,” said Hay. “The ability of athletes in Libertyville have a lot of advantages and Slidek begiving back gets me excited, and I think the athletic programs do lieves that “if people don’t take their talents or advantages and a really good job of it.” help others, then they can go to waste.”

The girls basketball program does something a little different than most sports. During the year, the athletes and coaches try to find different organizations to raise money for; the past two years, the teams at all levels have raised money for the Lake County Haven. The Haven is a location for women and children to go for a secure place away from violence or other harms they may be facing.

Before that, the girls helped out at a more national level. “We had been doing work with major organizations, such as the American Heart Association, and we wanted to make it more local; so in those efforts, one of the families suggested looking into the Haven,” said Mr. Greg Pedersen, the girls basketball head coach.

The athletes raised money for this cause by holding bake sales. In addition, the girls were taken around the facility and given different brochures to hand out to spread the word about the Haven and Many teams, such as girl’s cross country, take advantage of the popular non-profit organization here in Libertyville, Feed My Starving Children, where they pack food for its job. developing nations.

H

Drops of Ink | Sports 25

By Maggie Evers

Photos by Aliya Haddon

Layout by Annika Bjorklund

S

uperstitions have been described as irrational beliefs that are not based on any knowledge or fact, but are instead performed out of the fear of a certain end result. Since an athlete’s performance requires strong consistency, both physically and mentally, the so-called “magic” behind superstitions can seem game-changing for some. Superstitions seem to dominate the sports world, yet they are often hidden from the public eye, as they are done off camera and in the locker room. These habits can provide athletes a sense of confidence and comfort, allowing them to feel safe in their performance space.

“By repeating these routines in games, it can help your body to get your heart rate, your breathing rate, and many other physiological factors to their optimal levels,” explained Mr. Jonathan Kim, an LHS AP Psychology teacher and girls volleyball coach, in an email interview.

He also discussed the idea that the human body has different forms of arousal — nerves, anxiety and adrenaline — that could affect one’s performance level. In order for one to perform at their best, “an optimal level of arousal” is required for the body to be energized yet stable enough for productivity.

“There is also the factor of your body being a machine of routine — it thrives on muscle memory and repetition, and skipping a routine can throw you off,” said Mr. Kim. Superstitions often remain a part of an athlete’s routine throughout their entire career. The sense of security that is given to these athletes from their habits is what drives the desire to continue performing them.

They occur in all sports, in all levels, all the time.

Senior Josh Steinhaus started his routine of eating a Snickers bar before every game during his early years of playing basketball, and has continued this pregame ritual into his LHS basketball career.

26 Drops of Ink | Sports

The well-known slogan for Snickers chocolate bars — “You’re not you when you’re hungry” — became the beginning of a tradition for senior Josh Steinhaus when he was playing J-Cats basketball, the Libertyville boys feeder team, in fifth grade.

“It started when my dad would get me a Snickers bar because he said I needed energy before the game because he felt like I didn’t go hard enough [in the previous game],” explained Steinhaus.

Since that time, Steinhaus has made eating a Snickers bar an essential part of his pregame routine. The candy bar not only adds a burst of sugar to his bloodstream but also a sense of reassurance.

“It makes me feel confident just because I’ve been doing it for so long,” said Steinhaus. “I know I’m ready [to play] when I have a Snickers.”

Being dedicated to the same superstition for so long has led Steinhaus to become particularly detailed in his planning. He has taken control of the tangibles to ensure that he won’t have to face the frantic moment if the workers at a concession stand tell him that they just ran out of Snickers.

“I have a bulk supply at home. I have a drawer under the stove that is just full of Snickers,” said Steinhaus.

Payton DeBruler, a member of the LHS varsity girls golf team, competed her way to the IHSA Sectionals this fall… all while chewing gum on every hole. The junior chomped her way through the season, staying not only consistent with her strong performance but also with her choice of gum.

“It has to be mint. I coincidently always have Extra, but I don’t think [the brand] matters,” said DeBruler.

Her superstition was born when her dad offered her an entire package of gum, instead of a single piece, for one of her tournaments this past summer. She suddenly began to go through the whole pack, unwrapping a new piece for every round.

She believes that the incessant chewing while she plays increases her focus and is directly related to her performance.

Recalling the only round this past season in which she nor her teammates had a spare piece of gum, she shot her highest score of the season.

“Against Waukegan, I shot a 53, and I haven’t done that in a year. I didn’t have gum. Since then, I haven’t shot that [high],” explained DeBruler.

Mason Williams, a LHS senior, can be seen on the soccer field wearing two to three pairs of socks. This superstition began many years ago and to this day, Williams will not be seen touching a soccer ball without these layers.

Gearing up for her Lake Forest Scouts hockey game, senior Amanda Peter doesn’t step out onto the ice without fulfilling her strict pregame process.

“I always have to eat 12 pistachios. I don’t know why 12. I always keep some in my backpack just in case I have something going on. So exactly 12,” said Peter. “Also… I always put on my right skate then my left skate, then my right pad and my left pad.

Always right before left.”

Favoring her right has always been a superstition Peter has had since she started playing hockey more than 10 years ago. It started as an unconscious decision to start with her right but soon turned into a priority. Pregame snacking, on the other hand, came around three years ago, when she connected eating the nuts to a strong performance.

“I don’t like to eat a lot before I work out, so I just ate a couple pistachios [one time] and thought, ‘Wow, this really helped! It made me play so well today,’” explained Peter.

Knowing that these actions don’t necessarily have an effect on her hockey performance, they do give her a feeling of confidence and comfort.

“I feel like if I don’t do it, something is just not right,” she said.

“If I’m not at the top [of my game], if something can go wrong, then it will go wrong [if I don’t do them].”

Payton DeBruler, a junior on the LHS varsity golf team, has recently began the habit of chewing gum while she is playing.

It’s game day for the varsity boys soccer team and senior Mason Williams is calling his dad, asking him to bring an extra pair of socks before the game. The catch is, he already has socks on.

For about 10 years, Williams has been wearing two to three pairs of socks while he plays soccer: in practice, in games, every time he touches the ball.

“I did it one time. I liked it and we won, so I keep doing it for good luck I guess,” explained Williams.

Although he acknowledges the common notation about sports superstitions having direct correlation to physical performance, he respects the power of a comfortable mindset.

“I’d say [it gives me] a little bit more confidence and security,” said Williams. “It feels like I help the team win when I do it, but in reality it doesn’t affect anything [physical] at all. It’s all just mental.”

Sometimes an athlete can’t even describe a reason for a superstition but only has a feeling for the need to continue a habit. “[My teammates] make fun of me. They ask me why I do it…I really don’t have an answer. I just like it,” said Williams.

During the postseason, Williams continued by layering up his socks.

Senior Amanda Peter relies on her hockey pregame ritual of eating 12 pistachios and putting on her skates right before left to ensure her readiness for a game.

Drops of Ink | Sports

27

Wildcat Stats 28 Drops of Ink | Sports

La y

Ph out b oto y

by Liv B e Be n K rtaud an ch es

SafetyVS Privacy

S

ecurity—the protection against unauthorized access—and privacy —the ability to protect sensitive information about personally identifiable information—have become increasingly present and controversial today in our society.

The DOI staff discussed how these two factors intertwine in our world, especially regarding airports and technology.

Many staffers agreed that a lot of security is absolutely necessary when it is for the well-being and greater good of people, especially in large quantities. Companies that hold personal information, including social media organizations and others websites, must enact high security measures to ensure the information is not released, in order to maintain privacy.

On the flip side, a small percentage of opinions on staff saw that a large amount of security can be detrimental because it takes away from individuality and human rights due to monitoring. Privacy is an important concept that everyone has a right to, according to the majority of staffers.

Too much privacy can be damaging in many regards. For instance, if security teams can’t keep tabs on people to prevent criminal activity, it could potentially allow possible threats to develop, leading to hazards in the long run.

This also translates to mental health, which could be harmful because if someone keeps everything to themselves, no one would know that someone needs help.

Because personal privacy is different for everyone, the amount of privacy needed for one situation could vary person to person. People are more likely to give away their privacy to other average people they are familiar with as opposed to large entities, like the government, Facebook

Staff Editorial

and, Google, etc., according to some of DOI staff.

Specifically, there was division over the topic of safety and privacy in airports. The majority of staff believed pre-boarding precautions that are taken in the airport are worth the loss of privacy for the safety of the greater good of all travelers. Most students did not think that it was dehumanizing to be asked to remove shoes, receive body scans and limit the ability to bring liquids; this is seen as a small price to pay for safety that overall has been successful in preventing dis-

but to comply if they wish to fly. It goes past a point of privacy because they aren’t just looking for weapons but looking into their belongings, invading a part of their personal life.

Many on DOI also disputed the security and privacy within technology. The majority of staff members saw technology’s use of personal information as negative. It is uneasy knowing that personal information is accessible across the internet for just about anyone to see, like cookies that remember what someone searched, which was seen as “creepy”. Some see it as a clear violation of rights and believe it is wrong to use others’ data for personal gain, like companies using it for profit. A common agreement is that there needs to be regulation that limits how much personal information can be accessed to protect people’s privacy, especially as the internet grows because right now it is too easy to gain data.

The internet is an integral part of society, so super vision of it is vital. Some didn’t see this as a frightening problem at the moment, but thought that if it were to continue, the repercussions could become worse. Privacy on personal accounts of social media was also a concern.

Most believed that we sign away our rights when we agree to the terms and conditions while making an account, so it’s the responsibility of the user to understand that. As an overall thought, some DOI staff members believed that safety is ultimately what humans strive for and want more than freedom. Security is all about feeling safe, even if it comes at the cost of some privacy. Another side believes rights as a human being should not be infringed upon to feel safe just because someone can’t come to terms with not feeling safe.

Safety is ultimat -ely what humans strive for and want more than freedom.Security is all about feeling safe, even if it comes at the cost of some of your privacy.

Your rights as a human being should not be infringed upon to feel safe... you should not be dehumanized to feel safe. turbances and threats in airports.

An intense security process may cause some fear, but that fear can be worth it which could improve the overall safety.

Although, it was also said that fear -- in the instance of practicing for an emergency, like a lockdown drill -- is worth it because the possibility for an emergency is acknowledged and taking precautionary measures so people are prepared.

Others argued that TSA’s immediate process does nothing except take away a sense of humanity by telling travelers what to do and leaving them no choice

Note: As this piece is a staff editorial, it is representative of the opinions of the Drops of Ink staff as a whole. The staff is comprised of LHS students from each grade level and spans a wide range of opinions from one class period, with 34 students total. The author(s) of this piece did not place their personal opinions in the story; they merely relflected the staff’s thoughts.

Drops of Ink | Opinion 29

THE CAP ON

COMPASSION Photo courtesy of ABC Action News

Illustration by Stephanie Gay

J

Photo courtesy of CBS News

By Ally McLean

Layout by Jacob Kemp

une 11, 2016: Omar Mateen enters the Pulse nightclub likely to act on behalf of 4,500 lives in a refugee camp if the camp in Orlando, Florida and opens fire, killing 49 people and had 250,000 inhabitants than if it had 11,000, even though 4,500 wounding 53 others with an assault-style rifle. lives should be as important in any context. It’s maddening.

Oct. 1, 2017: 58 people are killed when Stephen Paddock “The feeling system doesn’t really add,” Dr. Slovic explained. opens fire on a crowd at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in “It can’t multiply; it doesn’t handle numbers very well.”

Las Vegas from a room in the ManWhy is it like this? Why have we dalay Bay Resort and Casino. become so numb?

Nov. 5, 2017: 27 people are A key player in this answer is the killed when 26-year-old Devin feeling of helplessness. Gun safety Patrick Kelley opens fire inside the and school safety advocates say the First Baptist Church in Sutherland shock factor has disappeared amid Springs, Texas, about 40 miles years of school shootings, making southeast of San Antonio. them feel like common, everyday Feb. 14, 2018: 17 people are events. And because of the monotokilled when Nikolas Cruz opens fire nous nature of the tragedies, we beinside a high school in Parkland, lieve that we are powerless in halting Florida, near Ft. Lauderdale. this epidemic. In turn, we shut off Although they are among the those feelings of empathy. most publicized, these mass shootHowever, this excuse is deceptive. ings are not the only ones that have We are not helpless. We have the occurred in recent years. According power to make change in this nation. to data from the nonprofit research Small changes to gun control laws group Gun Violence Archive, a total could save lives. Banning semi-auof 273 mass shooting incidents tomatic weapons could save lives. have occurred this year (as of Oct. Making it harder to purchase a gun 3) in the U.S., and this number concould save lives. tinues to climb. In 2017, the U.S. Even though it goes against our insaw a total of 346 mass shootings As mass shootings continue to occur, it has become natural stincts, we can choose empathy. But within its borders. as the research suggests, if we allow to be numb and unaffected by such horrific headlines.

It would seem that with each for more mass shootings to happen, death attributed to a mass shootand for the number of casualties to ing, we would all feel a greater sense of empathy and remorse. keep climbing, the numbing will only Unfortunately, no. It’s only human nature to feel numb. grow worse.

There’s a profound and infuriating psychological concept that can help explain increasing numbness in the face of long, The change starts with you. A simple phone call or letter to our slow-burning tragedy like mass gun violence in America. It’s this: state’s elected officials can be more impactful than you’d think.

As the number of victims in a tragedy increases, our empathy, Take a minute out of your day to contact one of the following and our willingness to do something, reliably decreases. senators or representatives, introduce yourself and voice your This tendency is called “psychic numbing.” The term was opinion on safety and gun control today. coined by renowned American psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton in 1967 to describe the “turning off” of feeling that enabled rescue Senator Tammy Duckworth workers to function during the horrific aftermath of the Hiroshima 524 Hart Senate Office Building bombing. It describes how tragedies turn into abstractions in our Washington DC 20510 minds, and how abstractions are easily undermined and even (202) 224-2854 ignored. www.duckworth.senate.gov/content/contact-senator “There is no constant value for a human life,” University of Oregon psychologist Dr. Paul Slovic, the leading expert on psychic Senator Richard Durbin numbing, reported in a 2007 study to the American Psychological 711 Hart Senate Office Building Association. “The value of a single life diminishes against the Washington DC 20510 backdrop of a larger tragedy.”

(202) 224-2152 One of Dr. Slovic’s recent studies demonstrated this simply. www.durbin.senate.gov/contact/ Dr. Slovic and his colleagues asked participants how willing they would be to donate money to children in need. And all it took was Representative Bradley Schneider raising the number of victims from one to two to see a decrease 1432 Longworth House Office Building in empathy and donations to the children.

Washington DC 20515 In another experiment, Dr. Slovic found participants were less (202) 225-4835 www.schneider.house.gov/contact/

30 Drops of Ink | Opinion

How TV Affects Perception F

inishing the last episode of the season, I watch as the screen goes dark and the words “to be continued…” appear.

My house is quiet and every faint noise is multiplied by 10. After making sure that no one has tried to break into my house, I make my way upstairs and lie in bed with the thought of, “What if that episode plotline happens to me?” running in the back of my head.

I’ll admit I watch my fair share of lawand-order-type TV shows, and every time the show ends, it leaves me with an uneasy feeling. It might be because I watch the shows late at night, but also the storyline seems so realistic, and I can always find a way to relate it back to my life. Now obviously that is what the producers want; they want the audience to be left with a sense of eeriness, or at least awareness that these situations can happen, but how accurate are the portrayals?

In most shows, the main idea is about creating drama to get good ratings and reviews. So even though episodes may be based on true events, the

event is often exaggerated to be more entertaining for audiences to watch. However, sometimes things can get out hand with how much drama is being added in, making it seem unrealistic to viewers. For

By Molly Boufford me, I enjoy that aspect more than Photo by the average Joe might because it makes it easier to watch knowing Amanda Black that these events couldn’t take Layout by place in daily life.

John Freberg These shows also look at the backstory of each character. While I’m not saying it’s completely impossible, it seems a little unconvincing that one person will have a love interest or something of the sort that directly ties into a couple episodes oh-so-perfectly multiple times in a series or season, even.

Because let’s be real, that’s not how life works.

I also find myself looking at vans, and while that may seem like a certain things in a different light and semi-normal fear, TV shows -- “Criminal sort of being hypersensitive to everything.

Minds” in particular -- has exaggerated For example, I have a major fear of white those fears to a different level. I’m talking anything that looks even remotely like a white van, I deem automatically sketchy.

Now this could just be me, but I’ve noticed that these fears might have something more to do with how the TV shows are portraying how police departments and criminal cases actually work. In each episode of a TV show, like “Law and Order,” there is a different plot line and a different mystery to solve. It usually takes the main characters one to three days to solve the case start to end, and then they simply move on to the next episode.

But in real time, it almost never happens like this. It can take weeks, months, even years to solve a single case. And on occasion, some cases are unsolved all together. Take the Golden State Killer, for example. He was in his “prime” in the 1970s-80s, committing dozens of murders and rapes, and was only just arrested in the last six months.

So even though TV shows accelerate the timeline, the reality of crimes is that they are often not so fast paced. People, like myself, can take a breather and stop stressing out about every white van they see.

Drops of Ink | Feature 31