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SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 | SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19 2017
SUNDAY BREAKFAST
Breaking bread — not a leg — with Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s creative producer. P26
SPORTS
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Lake Forest High School swimmer Wyatt Foss serves as consummate leader. P19
SOCIAL SCENE
Veronica Beard held a special fall runway presentation and fundraiser at Neiman Marcus Northbrook. P14 FOLLOW US:
NO. 228 | A JWC MEDIA PUBLICATION
NEWS
‘Day on Race’ stirs controversy at New Trier BY EMILY SPECTRE DAILYNORTHSHORE.COM
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ontroversy is brewing over New Trier High School’s Seminar Day On Race, with one group of vocal parents and residents urging District 203 administrators to add speakers with what they say is a different world view — or suspend the event, and another group rallying in support of the all-day seminar, which is scheduled for Feb. 28. The group opposing Seminar Day created a website called Parents of New Trier, with a tagline that states: “Balance — or else suspend — New Trier’s Seminar Day on Race.” District 203 administrators do not plan to change the lineup or postpone the event, the Chicago Tribune reported. Parents of New Trier maintain Seminar Day lacks speakers with varying points of view who may offer solutions to real-world Continued on PG 10
For the love of science
BY EMILY SPECTRE DAILYNORTHSHORE.COM
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ate Butkus has been passionate about science for more than half his life. His interest started when he was just three years old, and now, at age six, this budding scientist has his own podcast, where he asks science experts questions on topics he finds interesting. “Sometimes I come up with people I want on the show and my dad works on finding them,” Butkus told DailyNorthShore. Recent show topics include “alphanatomy,” climate change, evolution, ants, butterflies, vultures, radiation ... and sugar. To name a few. (The free podcast can be found on iTunes.) “I have already harvested some living cells,” he told one of his guests. It helps that Nate’s father, Eric Butkus, creates podcasts for a living for The Journal of the American Medical Association. One day Nate was visiting his father’s office and decided that he wanted to make his own podcast and call it The Show About Science. Nate’s first interview? His mom, Jenny Butkus. Nate said he peppered his mom with the same question over and over. “What else do you know?” he asked. Since then, Nate’s questions have evolved and so has his podcast. He’s branched out from family friends with science backgrounds to experts in the field such as Anna Rothschild, creator and host of the PBS YouTube series Gross Science. Nate gets many of his ideas from watching videos on the internet and sometimes his parents pitch their own ideas. But Nate has final say over what is on the podcast.
Nate Butkus and his parents set up a space for “The Show About Science” podcast in their Wilmette home. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER
“Ultimately, Nate has to be excited about it. If he is not excited, then it is not going to be a good show,” Eric said. The family has dedicated a spot in their house where the podcast is recorded, and Eric edits the footage during his commute to and from work. He helps Nate by contacting scientists and finds that most are
receptive. “It is just so cool because everyone is so wonderful and generous to Nate,” Eric said. Nate said he likes learning about new science topics from experts but doesn’t come up with specific questions ahead of time. “I pretty much do not prepare. I come up with the questions out of the blue. It makes for a better
interview,” Nate said. Nate recently sharpened his interviewing skills on the other side of the table. On January 25, he was interviewed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about his podcast. NBC producers had heard Nate’s podcast and contacted him to see if he was interested in being on the television show. His mom said Nate was
enthusiastic. “He is fearless,” Jenny said. “He feeds off the audience. He just loves it.” Indeed, Nate charmed DeGeneres and the live audience. And he wasn’t nervous about being on television. “It was awesome to be in front of a big audience,” he said. Continued on PG 10
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