The Eagle's Eye: February 2015

Learn about Legends page 12

Find your Female Page 3

Revisit your Regrets pages 6 & 7

’

Consecutive years with multiple weather-related closures have Leyden wondering if it can call it school if you’re at home in your slippers.

Let it snow?

L iving in Chicago provides the opportunity to experience all four seasons.

Spring gives us rainy days that keep us cozy in our homes, summer keeps everyone playing outside, and fall shows us the beauty of changing leaves. And winter, it chills us to the core.

For the past two years, that chill has become dangerous for students. It’s been cold enough that schools have decided to close.

Even adorned with jackets, gloves, scarves, and hats, Chicago’s youth would have faced frostbite as they walked to school or waited for the bus.

When the schools announce a “snow day” (or cold day or flood day), students everywhere rejoice at the unexpected but welcome chance to sleep-in and have a day off to relax. None of the students seem to give the missed school day a second thought, ignoring the accumulated work to do when school restarts, or the cramming that will have to happen before AP exams and graduation, or the added day at the end of the year.

But the teachers and administrators recognize the issues. Spanish teacher Mrs. Beatrice Porro, who teaches varying levels Spanish students who have a set date for their AP test and can’t afford to be missing days.

That is why Mrs. Porro took it upon herself to send her students all the work that was missed-- through e-mail. trend that Leyden may look to enact: hosting a ‘virtual’ school day when the building has to close. Its been practiced by other teachers and schools in different states like Minnesota,

Sandy Sanchez

Indiana, and Ohio. Illinois has not yet opened its doors to online schooling during snow days. That is, the state does not accept these Leyden and other districts are still discussing the pros and cons of such an approach.

If they’re convinced that an online day could work, they may ask the state to approve the concept.

A team of teachers, students, and administrators has already met to explore the idea. Superintendent Dr. Nick Polyak’s this point. This is a conversation that will likely span this year into next year.”

Supporters, like Najera Veljkovic, like the idea. Veljkovic said, “Having online school count as a regular school day is a good idea because it allows us to get our work done on time and continue learning on pace with the school’s schedule, especially with all the technology we have available to us.”

Others point to some problem areas, such as internet availability or a teacher/ student having other responsibilities, such as taking care of children or siblings while at home, when weather turns bad. Ultimately, a virtual school day would need to guarantee a valuable instructional experience.

Student input on the matter will be important. Dr. Polyak said, “We had four students on the committee (two from East many of the adults in the room felt that the feedback and comments from the students was the most valuable part of the discussion.

We will be meeting again next month to continue investigating this concept.”

Online everyday A

Samantha Caputo

connect with our friends, watch our movies, and listen to our music. And more and more, it’s where we learn. The major question of the “virtual snow day”--is an online day a worthy replacement for normal school--caused us to look into the status of the district’s current online offerings.

One conclusion is that classes that meet online each day preview what the future will hold for many students. In the fall of 2012, one in four higher education students took an online course. “These classes are more than a wake up call to students,” said Dr. Fran Brady. Even those not headed to college should expect to learn online as many jobs include online training.

Currently, Leyden students regularly take online classes to recover credits following failures in traditional classroom. Only two classes are regularly experiin letter grades between online and in class.

Other classes, like Statistics and Applied Math, are shifting to primarily online. Students learn with a teacher in the subject matter but complete the majority of the work online.

Senior Alma Domazet took Biology her sophomore summer. Her schedule was too busy during the school year, so she was forced to take a course over the summer. The class consisted of units that she was able to complete on her own time.

Overall, she stated that she “loved the class. I loved being able to work at my own pace and have the ability to manage my time to my schedule.” At some points, she of the program that would be able to help her at any time.

Seniors Gracie Bednarczyk and Eddie Sendaydiego both love their stats class because they have the ability to both work with a teacher and work independently. They both chose this class because of the ability to earn a college credit for it. It’s a good class for them to take because they are able to do their own thing and be in a more relaxed environment. Their time management skills are challenged due to the fact that they only have one deadline, and that is when all of their work is needed to be done before the test.

That required maturity and focus may be the biggest downside to expanding online offerings. Statistics teacher Ms. Angelica Buzun stressed, “Online learning can be successful, but I think you need to be very motivated to do it.”

One other concern with online learning is whether or not it closely matches the classroom curriculum and experience. Early versions of online at Leyden required partnerships with other organizations, such as Illinois Virtual High School, what’s learned. But with the move to a 1:1 environment and a consistent online sytem, OpenClass, Leyden teachers may now author and host its own classes, as is the case with consumer education and digital literacy.

The Eagle’s Eye

2

News

February 2015

Standardized teSting: Screwing KidS Over Since 1990

Reporting and Design by Piotr Dabek, Crystal Iniguez, Jessica Batson

S

History and Stats

tandardized testing has been surrounded by concerns for a long time. Are the tests biased? Should kids be tested so frequently? Should so much depend on a single score?

But new national standards and the new tests created for them have caused a

exam, leaves us wondering what the role of testing is in students educational careers.

The idea of standardized testing originated in China, although rather than test-

colleges used it to determine whether or not an applicant would be accepted. Later on the ACT was created as a competitor of the SAT. Many more tests were created, or purchased, and delivered at the state level.

Then, in 2001, the debate about the role of standardized testing really kicked up with the No Child Left Behind Act, which made it mandatory across the nation to test students from grades three through eight. Additionally, the act set achievement targets that schools needed to hit in order to avoid penalties. Scores for each school were routinely published as well, and results began to be used to name “failing schools.”

There’s certainly value to seeing where students rank against peers across the nation. The arguments are more about what should be done with that information.

Should it be used to determine students’ futures or the futures of individual teachers or the school district as a whole?

An additional criticism of the whole standardized testing system is that it is tional companies is to make money. The actual educational purpose--giving helpful information about student learning--comes second. And it’s a big business now, with multiple companies hoping states buy their tests. In 2002 the testing industry was priced between $400 million to $700 million. In 2012, a report concluded that states now spend roughly $1.7 billion a year on testing.

Questions and Answers

with Ms. Maura Gavin, Mr. David Narter, Mr. Jerry Patt, and Dr. Mikkel Storaasli What is your stance on standardized testing?

Narter: “I don’t really have a problem with it as a measure of a student’s ability to do whatever it is being tested. The real question is whether or not it is a good test. For the most part, the standardized test doesn’t bother me so much, but what bothers me is that’s everything now.”

Patt: “I think we do it too much. I think it is important, but I think there’s too much of it. It measures what [students] know. I think the ACT is reasonably fair and a good comparison of what you know. It is not an intelligence test. It is an achievement test. When they use them for achievement, I don’t really have a problem with them. Aptitude tests, I think they can be problematic. On the ACT, if [a student] gets a 27 in the math portion and [another] Storaasli: “Any kind of test, any kind of assessment that you give students should be one piece of information, right? It should not be a piece of information that determines your future and what you do for the rest of your life. I know sometimes we push things like ACT by saying, ‘Oh my god, you have to do well on the ACT otherwise you’re gonna live in a ditch!’ That is not really the case. It is important, but if you actually talk to colleges they say ACT and G.P.A. are important. But they kind of seem to be moving to a model where they are looking at the student as a whole. It is not just that one number, but who knows, maybe you were sick that day or whatever reason. They will look at a number of different Gavin: “Standardized testing has been around at least for a 100 years in terms of evaluating students academically. It is a great tool to use, but I believe that there are other types of intelligences [that should be considered] in evaluating anybody.”

Can you think of a better way to measure students’ knowledge?

By the Numbers 738 14 10

The number of minutes one high school teacher estimates his students will spend testing and preparing for tests in just three weeks time.

The number of different standardized tests one reporter iden-

Narter: “I know that the AP tests are really good tests, and I know that the SAT tried to come up with something like that. The problem is that the AP gives you a single objective while the ACT does not.”

Patt: “Well, yeah. I’d like to sit with a kid individually and have them talk through problems while they are working, so I can see what is going on in their heads, if possible. That would be better, of course, one on one and say ‘Hey, do this problem, and explain it to me as you do it.’ I’d really know if they knew anything. [With] a class of 30, I can’t sit with every kid.

What’s your opinion on companies making money off of students’ education?

The number of standardized tests that Leyden freshmen will take this year: three MAP subject area tests, once in fall and once in March and again in April.

Storaasli: “That, in my opinion, is a big, big problem. It is not just the ACT corporation.

It’s ACT, Pearson, and any number of companies that found that education is a big market.

There is big money in that whether it’s from tests or from test preparation. They work with ACT to sell test prep work or sell a test prep program. It’s really kind of a problem. Those They are trying to make money for the stockholders.”

0

reported or what they’ll mean.

Gavin: “All education is a money maker. Is it fair? I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily fair because it’s putting kids at a disadvantage because the kids that don’t have the proper tools or don’t have the resources are probably not going to get a score as high.”

http://www.topeducationdegrees.org/standardized-testing/

The Eagle’s Eye

Opinions

February 2015

3

Feminism: the new “F” Word Rethinking YouR heRoes By: Jasmin Villalpando

For many young women, discovering what it means to be female is informed, or misinformed, by role models from music, movies, and television. Here’s some of our top choices to imitate and to ignore.

Watson decided to go to prestigious Brown University.

She wanted to be normal and do normal things. A student who went to the university remarked, “She was just like everyone else. No one treated her different just because of who she was; she treated everyone with respect also.”

She also started a campaign called ‘HeForShe’ which is a movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity,

Many people believe that Nicki Minaj’s latest video, ‘Anaconda,’ was too profane. That is just one of the the principal refused to let her visit, with no explanation as to why she wasn’t allowed. This video, as well as the subjects she raps about--drugs, alcohol, profanity, and sex--are probably the reasons.

Miley Cyrus may be a successful recording artist. But dancing. She’s also quick to speak out about the ‘fun’ of drinking alcohol and doing drugs. Even worse, Miley’s outlandish behavior follows fame built entirely on the backs of young girls. This means her following has seen her “grow up.” Many argue she is setting a bad example of what that means. For the past two years, she’s been at the top of AOL’s end of the year poll for “Worst Celebrity

no

moRe

leading role on a television show: “Orange is the New Black.” Laverne created a show, ‘Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word’ and stated that this shows examples of her ability to amplify the experiences of others, speak positively to her audience, and bring long overdue conversations into the mainstream, particularly about racism and sexism.

silence

Between 2008 and 2012 the number of rapes at four year colleges has increased by 49 percent. Every 21 hours, there is a rape on an American college campus. These statistics have prompted an outcry and generated a discussion about whether our country has a “rape culture,” an environment in which women are perceived as objects and in which violence and sex are closely related. More shocking still is that, even as victims, women continue to be blamed for encouraging this behavior through their dress. This past year, a version of protest against rape on campus and victim blaming, known as a “SLUT WALK,” spread made a comment that women should stop dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized.

Young women need to be aware of these misguided attitudes and know that what they wear clothing, gives anyone an excuse for sexual violence.

staRt & stop

The path toward equal treatment for women starts with our own attitudes. We asked girls on our staff to help us identify how they and the young men who surround them might help, or harm, the cause.

Boys, you need to stop...

And you need to Girls, we need to start... stop...

...following in the footsteps of the ancestral men, who believed that women served no other purpose but to please and serve!

...opening new doors for the future generations of men who will allow women to show their potential, that they’re capable of the same male ‘dominated’ tasks.

... saying judgmental comments that make girls feel less of a person than you.

...appreciating how much girls actually do for this society.

... thinking you deserve anything from women. Just because you compliment a girl, does not mean she cares. She has no obligation to thank you or return the favor under any circumstances at all.

... start facing the fact that sex drive is completely controllable and women have nothing to do with it. Let women be themselves and stop shaming them for being proud of their bodies.

... generalizing all men to be guilty of sexism and or other acts of women’s rights deprivation.

And we need to start... ... actually pin-point a real issue solution without seeming too pushy or aggressive.

Sandy Sanchez

... letting boys make you feel like you are not good enough because

... Appreciating and respecting ourselves in order to get that in return

Yolisiya Yonova

Aimee Jordan

word for word and

Joanna Leski

...taking some things so lightly.

Don’t be ignorant and take feminism as a joke! It’s a serious issue. Most boys never get to experience [judgment] and don’t know what it feels like.

...hating other women. We can’t compare each other and decide who is better for wearing a certain because that only shows guys that they can do it as well.

... expecting so much from the boys. As much as we would all ... being respectful. These are your future wives, your sisters, moms.

surprises, and gifts.We need to understand that we aren’t the boy’s only concern. If we don’t respect guys, why would they respect us?

... loving each other, supporting Women are amazing. Cheer each other on and congratulate them when they succeed because you’d be helping women everywhere.

... Being happy with what we have and realizing that the only way we will ever achieve equality is by working together. Mutual respect is important.

4

The Eagle’s Eye

Opinions

February 2015

#bringbackournews “L

ocation, location, location!” You hear it all the time when buying a property or starting a business, but why does it also apply to news coverage.

Lately it appears that for Americans to care about an issue, it has to happen in what we consider a prominent country. Take, for example, the ever growing troubles of the African country Nigeria, which has been subjected to numersous terrorist attacks in the past year, one after another. Its troubles are far lesser-known than those of France, which experienced one equally important and worthy of our compassion and care, yet one story was on loop in the news coverage. The other is given a brief summary and then forgotten.

In speaking with students about Nigeria and its terrorists wreaking havoc there, one thing stuck out. It wasn’t that the students didn’t care about what was happening. Insead, it was that the places they relied on for their news weren’t doing a Senior Dagmara Noon twitter because most of the time things are trending and I also [find] things on Yahoo about the world important. Mag-

Adriana Balvaneda and Akur Kaunyin-Agoth gie Dencheva said of Nigeria and Boko Haram: “It’s a big problem, and [the Nigerian people] really want to get the news out and tell other people, not just people from their country. This is is bad, and they need help to When the news fails, perhaps the classroom is the place to expand horizons. Mr. Frank Scalero, literature and creative writing teacher, explained his willingness to take time during class to discuss events he “Occasionally, I will. if it’s a bigger item and it’s impacting me or or if it’s impacting the students more, I might bring it up.”

As for global news, like what’s happening in Nigeria, he said, “With the new technology, we are more global citizens today then we have ever been before. It’s good to all get out of our own little bubble and to realize that people live lives all around the world and sometimes what we do impacts their lives, or what we do might actually As student journalists, we personally know it’s our job to bring teen readers issues that matter and not just those they want to hear. With that said, here’s a summary of what you need to know about Nigeria and Boko Haram:

While the power of social media helped people start paying attention to Nigeria and Boko Haram, attention has died off. Sadly, so have hundreds of innocent people.

Boko Haram began in what is observed as an attempted takeover on June 11, 2009.

Its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, posted a threatening video to the Nigerian president following the death of 17 of the terrorist organization’s members following a joint military and police operation in Borno state. Since then there have been many attacks, most notably the kidnapping of 200 school girls on April 14, 2014, which prompted the #bringbackourgirls hashtag and brought Boko Haram to global recognition. But despite that ‘trending’ moment, few have kept up with Boko Haram. In the same week that France suffered the Charlie Hebdo attacks, which killed 12 people, Nigeria witnessed a Boko Haram attack in which militants kidnapped 185 women and children, and killed at least 35 people in the raid. This kidnapping occurred after Boko Haram burned a majority of the village. Days later, on January 10, Boko Haram sent a ten-year-old girl into the market in Maiduguri. Concealed under her veil and wrapped around her waist, she carried a deadly explosive that left her body torn in two and killed 20 others.

The Eagle’s Eye

Features

February 2015

5

Reporting and Design by Yonka Angelova, Kristina Ivanova, and Aimee Jordan

Studies behind the music M

usic is a form of expression through sound. Some believe that music has a positive effect on our cognitive task performance, but others disagree.

In order to understand how different genres of music played at different volume levels affect our cognitive task performance Smith and Morris conducted a study. Student Pulse states that, “Participants had to indicate their preferred genre and were requested to repeat a set of numbers backwards while listening to either the stimulative, sedative, or no music. The results indicated that participants performed worse while listening to their preferred type of music.” In addition, “Participants who listened to sedative music performed better than participants who listened to simulative music and worse than those who listened to no music at all.” According to them, calming music helps, but listening to a preferred type of music could become a distraction.

In contrast, Hallman, Price, and Katsarou conducted a different study. The study tested whether calming proved that the participants performed better while listening to calming and relaxing music than while not listening to music. However, it could also improve cognitive performance.

Studies have also demonstrated the effect that noise has on our cognitive task performance.

Dobbs, Furnham, and McClelland conducted a study which proves that, “cognitive performance in silence was better than performance with background music” (Student Pulse).

Another study demonstrated that background music does not impact cognitive performance. Throughout the study Pool had background television playing while students were doing their homework assignments.

Jacquilyn Frausto, Senior: “I don’t really mind listening music, but if I really like a song, I might stray from my work. It really just depends on the situation.”

Mr. Kim Gerber: “Every student is different, so if they want to try it, I let them, but if it is distracting to themselves and others I would take it away.”

Stephanie Villegas, Senior: “Some music is disruptive while I’m trying to concentrate. I find myself getting off task and listening to the words more than focusing on the current assignment.”

Mrs. Jeanette Gagliardi: “I don’t think music helps students focus. Listening to music while working requires the brain to attend to two different stimuli, two different tasks, so the brain doesn’t efficiently focus on or attend to either of those two tasks.”

Sound off

Brienne Swanson, Junior: “Listening to music definitely helps me concentrate while I work. I tend to listen to rock or alternative music in order to stay focused.”

Mrs. Beatriz Porro: “I believe that [music] helps them concentrate. If they are doing what they are supposed to be doing and finishing their work, I don’t have a problem with it.”

http://dailyinfographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Music-Learning-800-550x1796.jpg

6

In Fo

The Eagle’s Eye

Young & Dumb Yolisiya Yonova

W

hen it comes to regrets, not all students are comfortable talking about them. They may feel like a black cloud of mistakes hovers over them.

But that is not the healthiest thing. It is okay to let go of your regrets and mistakes and learn something from them. Even though some mistakes might affect you later on in your adult life, it is still okay to look for the lesson.

Kevin A. Hansen, share, “It’s always been tough to be a teenager. For today’s teens, it’s even tougher.”

Hansen’s book includes confessions from anonymous teens. A couple of examples follow: “I regret wanting to be popular and well-liked. I got my wish but the grass isn’t greener over here. I’ve lost my mom’s trust due to partying, my true friends due to thing I’ve ever wanted and all I want is for it to all go away.”

- Anonymous Female, Age 15 “I regret being so lonely all throughout my adolescence up through the end of my high school years and not being able to change no matter how hard I tried and wanted to. I regret turning to self-harm and drugs - Anonymous Male, Age 17

Leyden students expressed similar concerns. Alexis Bono got matching tattoos with her ex boyfriend. They are no longer together, and she wishes that she could go back and take it all back: “I wish I waited until I was 18 to get my tattoo so that I can think about it more.” she made many decisions impulsively, not thinking about long-term consequences. Bono also admitted to getting in the car with a drunk driver which was, as she claims, “a huge mistake.” Bono claimed, “I put my life at risk instead of trying to be the better person and tell my friend not to Behaviors” risky, rebellious behaviors often earn teens acceptance and respect from their peers. Seeking to make more and more friends and feel a “part of the group” leads teens to do things they will regret later on.

One common long-term regret is not taking school that she wasn’t able to apply to many great colleges she wishes she could have gone to because of the fact that she failed important classes she needed. These decisions are not something you can easily go back and change. It takes lots and lots of work in order to get past them and move on with life in a regular way.

Even though many people have lots of things they wish they could go back and change, it is important to understand that even the biggest regrets are learning experiences.

By learning from yours and other people’s mistakes, we are able to prevent ourselves from making the same mistakes in the future.

ocus

7

February 2015

Reporting and Design by Yolisiya Yonova, Nick Elliott, and Kuba Kondy

If I could change one thing it would be...

“Getting caught stealing different kinds of things and having to pay the neagative consequences, which still affect me and haunt me.”

“I wish I could go back and fix my relationship with my mom. She moved away and when she came back years later, I still never get the chance to talk to her. It’s like she’s not even there.”

Saveon Crespo

Gabby Novielli

“Lying about certain things, which led me to get in trouble, and it impacted my life very negatively becauase I lost the trust of the people I loved the most.”

“I regret getting into trouble with the law and having it stuck on my record. Even though it was something I did when I was young and dumb, in today’s society most people would define me as a bad person based on my record.”

Rachel Modi

Samuel Cortez

“I wish that I tried better in school and took my grades more seriously.

It would have saved me a lot of time, effort, and money..”

“I was very shy and independent in high school. I wish I broke out of my shell more and went out and enjoyed my time more because it would have made high school much more enjoyable.”

Mr. Justin McCabe

Ms. Lisa DeWelde

Who can help us?

T

here are many ways to prevent teens from making choices that they

is sit down and do their homework. I make sure to reduce the procrastination

and helping them get on the right path in life. There are many things that parents can do in order to prevent teenage regrets.

For example, a parent should set a clear boundary. Telling your children that you love and care about them and would love to see them do better is a way to show them that you are on their side. However, a parent should never enable bad behavior, if you feel like you don’t like what your child is doing, don’t give them a basis to go off about and continue their behavior.

anything else.”

Social media also plays into how teens shape themselves. Mr. Byerly is very aware of this and makes sure that he can prevent problems. “I check their messages and facebook accounts because I am aware and have noticed

later on. Many students will take that and turn themselves around. From a teenager’s point of view, some teens would rather change than let their parents down, so the feeling of disappointing their parents might cause them to just stop their bad behavior and change for the better.

Security guard Mr. Danny Byerly is also the father of three children,

to get on the right path and stay there from a very young age.”

Another security guard here at East Leyden also spends his time outside of work dedicating it to try and put his children on the right path of life. Mr. James Soczewa has four kids, two of them are fourteen-yearsold, one is eight, and the youngest is three. In order to give them the right guidelines to succeed he makes sure to teach them right from wrong by being a good role model to them.

“If they mess up or get in trouble, I hold them accountable for what they have done in order for them to learn something from it and hopefully prevent it from happening again.” He also likes to keep them involved with sports and their community.

As a parent, it might be hard to set clear boundaries and make sure that your children follow them. Even though no parent will be able to prevent regrets entirely, they can certainly limit the problems that linger.

some of the outcomes of being a teen on the wrong path. At home, he tries to prevent his children from going down that wrong path. “I make sure that I always know where they are. That is part of being an involved parent and setting boundaries for my children.” He makes sure to keep his children busy so that they have their days planned ahead and have “little room for trouble.”

By putting his children in sports and involving them in activities, he keeps them busy enough so that their minds are occupied at all times.

He is also aware of the fact that adolescents need to stay focused on school in order to be successful later on in life. “I make sure that they have

they are actively checking their social media accounts.” Finally, he makes sure that he sets very clear boundaries. “I don’t want to be their friend yet.

8

The Eagle’s Eye

Features

February 2015

Parents and Alcohol: What Type Do You Have?

Zero Tolerance

Alyssa DeSimone Many students in high school have a “zero tolerance” parent when it comes to drinking. Some may agree with that and others won’t.

A “zero tolerance” parent clearly states that he or she will not put up with their kids drinking under age, no matter the circumstance.

An anonymous zero tolerance parent stated, “My children have their whole life to drink, they can wait until they are 21 to have their

No house party will ever be held at my house, and my kids will never attend one either, for reasons that I can still be liable for a house party if one would be held in my home.”

A second anonymous zero tolerance parent responded to the other parent by stating, “I agree, but I also look at who my kids hang out with. Not only that, but their friends’ parents also. I believe my kids will be who they hang out with, and I make sure they are hanging with the right type of people.”

The last anonymous parent stated, “I trust my child. That’s all there is to it. He/she knows I am trusting them, and they don’t want to lose my trust. We are honest with each other, and I know my kids won’t underage drink. I am thankful for this close relationship with my kids because I know I don’t need to worry about them being in bad situations.”

Autumn McGee, sophomore, said, “My dad is more of a zero-tolerance parent. If he were to ever catch me drinking I would get grounded for a very long time, hence why I don’t drink.” Parents are always looking out for their children to make sure that they are not getting into any kind of trouble. tolerance parents because they don’t want to me to fall down the wrong path. They want to make sure I make good decisions.”

Cartoons drawn by Janine Flanagan

“Only Under my Roof” Christina Leon Underage drinking has always been a controversial issue in society. There have been debates as to whether or not the drinking age should be changed and debates on how to lessen underage drinking. Many parents work to make sure their children never drink.

Other parents knowingly break laws to supervise drinking, hoping for safety. With this aim in mind, these are the parents who allow underage drinking, but only under their roof. These are the parents who do not allow their child to drink outside their house with their friends, but more or less allows them to bring their friends over and drink under their supervision.

In some families, this takes shape as allowing their children to start drinking underage at family parties simply because they are under adult supervision and they are aware of what their child is doing. In other families, this may

wrong. Although this may sound like responsible parenting, it can bring a lot of legal issues.

If your parents allows you to bring your friends over to have a couple drinks, they can get into a lot of trouble. If parents knowingly allow underage drinkers to consume alcohol in their home they are subject to civil and criminal penalties. It becomes a Class 4 felony if someone suffers serious injury or death as a result of you allowing underage drinking on your property, which involves

mean hosting a party where other families’ children are driking.

One parent explained, “It is safer for my kids to drink under my supervision rather than going out with their friends to some house party.”

Another added, “We make sure that when they drink, everyone stays and we take all their car keys away to remove the threat of them driving.” They also said that it comes down to being able to trust their child and their

friends. They know that they won’t do anything bad because the risk of getting caught can ruin their child’s life, but they also understand that they can’t stop them.

So why not supervise it to make sure they are okay and do nothing

house, and you provided the alcohol, your parent is known as the “social host” and as a “social host,” criminal penalties will be imposed.

Although these parent might feel like their child is “safer,” they can still be held liable for many other legal issues, especially if they have other teenagers drinking alcohol under their home.

Lenient It’s no secret that underage drinking happens in high school.

Some parents choose to acknowledge and accept the behavior, hoping that their understanding will bring about honesty from their children and a possibility to keep them safe.

They don’t give their child approval to drink but they also don’t give them a no. The parents know that there is nothing they could do to stop the child from doing things when they are not around. So instead of punishing them for it and knowing they will more than likely keep doing it, the next best thing would be to show them the effects of drinking underage. To the lenient parent, it all comes down to trust. Do they trust their child enough to know they will not drive when under person gets caught, that drink could affect the rest of his or her life.

Also the way that the parents were raised can play a big role into if their child can drink underage or not. If the parents drank underage and had no problems then they can be more lenient with the fact of underage drinking.

These parents will never come out and say that the child is allowed to drink, but the punishments are rare or non-existent.

The Eagle’s Eye

Features

February 2015

9

’ Reporting and Design by Jamie DuBrock, Joanna Leski, and Martha Leski

B

y this time in the new year, most people’s hopes of “New Year, New Me” have become just another forgotten phrase. But senior Michelle Styrczula does not want to be most people, to become another statistic of resolutions made and quickly forgotten. In 2015, she’s trying harder than ever to make her commitments come true.

Styrczula has been a member at Planet Fitness for over a year, but things did not start to get serious until January. Getting to the gym used to be hard when Styrczula did not have her own car, but now with a license and the gym pass in her hand, she is unstoppable. leave to Arizona State University. Before I start a new life, I want to be exactly who I’ve always wanted to be. I’m going to work harder than I’ve ever worked before to reach this goal and by the time summer rolls around, I want to weigh 30 pounds less and generally be more healthy.”

Styrczula plans to reach her goal by visiting the gym every day for at least two herself when she sets her mind to it. Taking full advantage of the Planet Fitness machines, at home and beyond, too. “Many people’s resolutions for losing weight fail because they only rely on working out. You have to maintain a healthy diet, leave behind bad habits ,such as smoking, and you constantly have to be thinking about your goal and striving to reach it- not only at the gym,” Styrczula explained. has her bad days and has been discouraged before. “I think too many people give up because they don’t see results and changes in one day. My advice would be to not give up so fast. You have to wait to for the gradual, small changes and be happy with them.”

Michelle advises. When she loses motivation and is having a hard time picking herself up, Styrczula knows she can rely on her biggest support system, her boyfriend. Former Leyden student Marco Obaya thinks his girlfriend “is beautiful no matter what, but if she has a goal she needs to achieve, I will make sure to be her biggest supporter, and I’ll make sure she reaches it”.

Six pounds lighter already and with no junk food in her system for almost a month, Styrczula is feeling better than ever. “It feels amazing to be in control now and seeing these little changes already makes me so excited to see what’s down the road. The New Year coming along motivated me. It was like receiving a new chance to change myself.

It’s not too late to start making changes. Anytime is a better time than never.”

A

successfully carried out, many of them are broken even a few days into the new year. Senior Monika Dimitrow broke her resolution, which was to eliminate her nonstop use of social media.

Social media has always been an unhealthy distraction for me. I knew I was going to Brazil over winter break, so I decided that a long vacation would be a good time to wean myself off of social media,” she explained. “I deleted all the social media apps from my phone before I left.”

Not wanting to feel failure is a common motivator among people. “Whenever I don’t do something I know I should do, I feel guilty and disappointed. Wanting to feel accomplished instead pushed me to stick to staying away from social media.”

However, obstacles are quick to arrive on the path of even the most determined achiever.

That made my resolution way harder for me to stick with,” Dimitrow said.

“A week in, and three more weeks to go into my vacation, I started feeling disconnected.

Not knowing what was going on with everyone I’m usually connected with made me feel like I was on a deserted island,” Dimitrow said. “I gave in and redownloaded all the apps I deleted.”

But just because you break your New until next year. “Even though I didn’t completely decreased. I’m less distracted, and I don’t feel like I need to check it as often, which I think is still a big accomplishment.”

D

ean of Students Michael Grosch decided to stop tweeting for the month of January after he found himself at a New Year’s Eve party tweeting and not enjoying his time with his friends. Mr. Grosch claimed that he was getting “obsessed” and needed time off Twitter.

And he mostly stuck to his resolution, except for nesses for years, and she emailed all of the Leyden staff and asked for everyone to retweet for prayers for her health and comfort in facting the terminal illness.

For people who need resolution motivation, Mr. Grosh said to “Find your work, and work your plan.” offered some advice for those with resolutions that require greater focus: “If you have a goal, go do it. Anything worthwhile is hard. If it was easy, everybody would do it.”

10

The Eagle’s Eye

Features

February 2015

Songwriters make music at Javaccino Christina Leon

J

avaccino has been spicing things up by adding some live music, provided by the Songwriting Club, in the Nardini Library on certain Friday mornings. Along with the treats made by our very own Pastry and Cuisine Chef classes, students can now enjoy music performed by their peers.

Students who are a part of the Songwriting Club set up near the circulation desk and perform songs they have written, or even well-known songs. Freshman Jessica Bernal is one of the students brave enough to perform. She said, “I was very nervous [to perform].

My voice was shaking, but next time I will be better, you just got to learn from it.”

Bernal explained, “Ms. [Linda] Smith had the idea [to perform live music during Javacinno] because she was in a band when she was in high school, and she wanted us to get out of our shell and comfort zone and we all agreed to it.”

Ms. Smith, sponsor of the club said, “We have a really talented group this year, and they wanted a chance to get their music out there.”

“Everyone was really excited and chose to participate in a way that they were comfortable. Some students chose to perform cover songs, even though they have some awesome original ones,” Ms. Smith said.

Ms. Nicole Sweeney, the culinary teacher, added, “Ms. Smith wanted to showcase the talent from the kids in the songwriting club and thought that coffee and music goes well together because it gives off a cafe atmosphere.” She also said she’s seen bigger crowds during Javacinno, whether the students were buying some treats or just standing around to listen. senior Joe Bianchi said, “It was an exceptional performance by my fellow students.”

Learning from even the worst jobs Yolisiya Yonova

E

ast Leyden student Alyana DeLeon watched as the little girl stood still, a smile

DeLeon would have to clean.Between clean ups like these on a daily basis and dealing with rowdy kids, enjoying her job at Anna Montana Water Park in Schiller Park was the last thing on DeLeon’s mind.

Working 12-16 hours a week at a pool had initially seemed like a good idea: getting your tan, chatting with friends poolside and getting paid. Not quite. De Leon soon realized a number of problems in her work. She wasn’t able to get a break on the days she needed one most, the people around her were negative and rude, and the job, obviously, wasn’t as glamorous as she imagined. De Leon learned that working around a whole bunch of crazy running kids and crabby co-workers wasn’t the right situation to put herself in for the future. “I never want to go back there!” she said.

Junior Kevin Vargas walked away from a summer working on air conditioners with his father learning that working countless hours outside wasn’t the right choice for him. He also learned about specialized labor: “It really made me realize that I want to go to school and specialize in something that really interests me in order to enjoy my job, which will allow me to perform much better during the workday.” Vargas took what he got out of that one dreadful summer and changed his plans for the future. Before going out and experiencing such intense physical labor, he thought that following in his father’s footsteps would be the best idea; however, after going out and actually experiencing it, it made him realize that he needs to take a different path in life.

Interested in working for us your senior year?

Talk to your counselor about enrolling in English IV Journalism.

But they still need to work. Doing so will help them learn what they want (and don’t want) in their work. Some might argue that taking jobs with a bad working environment will ruin their attitudes about working; however, it will teach many young adults what career to pursue later on in life and in what kind of environment they want to put themselves in. Dealing with tough working conditions will help guide many young adults in the right direction.

Editors-in-Chief Samantha Caputo (News) and Alex Mennella (Sports)

Web Editor

Opinions Editor

Visuals Manager

Jessica Batson

Christopher Brito In Focus Editor Yolisiya Yonova

Social Media/Marketing Manager Christina Leon

Feature Co-Editors Yonka Angelova & Adriana Balvaneda

Copy Editors Joanna Leski Martha Leski

Arts & Entertainment Editor Maria Barron Broadcast Editor Piotr Dabek

The Eagle’s Eye is produced by students enrolled in English IV Journalism and English IV Journalism Honors with Mr. John encouraged to check out our full collection of content and submit story ideas via the web site.

Social Chair Jamie DuBrock

Reporters Alyssa DeSimone Nicholas Elliott Jacob Hawking Crystal Iniguez Kristina Ivanova Aimee Jordan Kuba Kondy Akur Kuanyin-Agoth Angel Perez Ivaylo Petrov

Sandy Sanchez Alicia Solis Jasmin Villalpando

Find us at lhsnews.org

The Eagle’s Eye

February 2015

11

Semester 2-DO List Our picks for must-attend events from now until April

X

Turnabout: February 27

E

ven though it just returned last year, the Turnabout dance is a highly recommended part of the Leyden experience. Unlike all the other school dances, this is the dance where it’s intention is to have the girl ask the guy to the dance.

Some people may like this switch, which makes the dance unique. The dance was brought to our school last year, and

inside joke between us,” she said. guy to a dance is pretty cool because it just goes outside of the social norm, and at the same time, it makes things fun by changing things up a bit.”

X

Junior Olympics: March 27

B

efore Leyden seniors head off to college and switch to the “all ramen noodle soup” diet, they know they have one last item of high school business to tend to: winning Junior Olympics. The school spirit erupting from

this school event at least once in his or her Leyden career.

Camille Lazzarotto, a senior, has competed in Junior Olympics for the past three years. “It’s just a fun experience to compete against all the other grades, especially because I am a competitive person,” she said. “As seniors, almost all of us know we might not be seeing each other after we walk across that stage, so coming together to have fun at a last event of school spirit is just great”.

“During the Junior Olympics the kids all get into the competitive games and start to cheer their grades on.

Although there is only one winner for a certain grade, the memory of the event should last a long time,” said senior Myah Martinez. “This could be a last celebration before seniors leave or before summer because it’s one of the last times that the whole school comes together for an event, and I believe everyone has a really nice time. It’s always a nice memory.”

Spring Art Show: April 14

X O

h, no! You missed the Leyden Winter Art Show? It’s okay, you still have one more opportunity to see the creative talents of your fellow Leyden students.

The art department tries to get at least one piece from every student who is currently taking an art class into the show. It is because of this that there is no way you can get through the whole art show in just ten minutes. There is so much to look it, consider, and appreciate. The came to Leyden over 15 years ago!

“Before we used to bunch up a lot of desks together in the basement. Now we moved up into the Little Theater and got some boards to display the artwork” she said. In order to go look at the wonderful artwork, you must go through a long process of signing forms and reserving your spot before........I’m just kidding. All you have to do is get any of your teachers to take your class to the show! It’s as simple as that. you can’t convince your teachers, there will be a night reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. where awards will be given to winners...and cookies to attendees.

X

Blood Drive: April 16

A

nother event to add to your Leyden to-do list is the Blood Drive. Leyden High School has the title of the Biggest High School Blood Drive Donations in 2012-2013 in all of Illinois! Although we didn’t reach our goal last semester, we still have a chance of getting that title one more time this spring.

On April 16, you can help Leyden earn that title back. In order to participate in the Blood Drive, you must be 16 years or older with a parent permission form signed is always good; we keep LifeSource (the company that organizes the blood drive) busy. You should participate in the next blood drive because, for one, through donation you can save up to three human lives. And you get a cookie and juice box. Oh, and you get to miss a couple periods out of the day.

12

The Eagle’s Eye

Sports

February 2015

A Leyden legend: Mike Shanahan E Jesus Renteria & Alex Mennella ast Leyden has had a rich football history over the course of almost a century. From numerous allstate players such as Dennis Mannella, to a state championship in 1977, Leyden has been exceptional on the pack in terms of the greatest football accomplishments. Mike Shanahan, East Leyden quarterback in 1968 & 1969, has won the Super Bowl three times, including back to back in 1997 & 1998 as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. than once in his life, and here’s the story of his journey from small town to the big stage: Michael Edward Shanahan was born in Oak Park, IL on August 24, 1952 but was raised in Franklin Park. His father was an electrician and his mother was a stay at home mom. He went to East Leyden, and he was a quarterback for coach Jack

Leese’s 1968 and 1969 teams. He broke the single-game rushing record of 260 yards on 15 carries on September 20, 1969. However, Shanahan wasn’t a one dimensional athlete. He played basketball his senior year and was a top runner on the track team. He was voted East Leyden Athlete of the Year and was named MVP of both football and track teams. Shanahan graduated in June 1970 and went on to play football at Eastern Illinois University.

A tragic injury changed Shanahan’s life. During his junior year at Eastern Illinois he suffered a hit to his side that split his kidney in half. His heart stopped beating for over 30 seconds, but surprisingly, Shanahan made a full recovery although he wouldn’t be able to play football again.

This led him to pursue a coaching career. Shanahan coached which is among the most in NFL history.

backs coach and later as an offensive coordinator. In 1988 Shanahan was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles to the San Francisco 49ers for two years as the offensive coordinator. After that Shanahan was the head coach for the Denver Broncos from 1995-2008. Lastly Shanahan was the

but he was interviewed by Bills.

Shanahan has three super bowl victories. His first championship was in 1995 when he was the offensive coordinator for San Francisco 49ers.

His second and third came back to back in 1997 and 1998 when he was the head coach of the Denver Broncos.

On a personal note, Shanahan was married in 1977 and he and his wife Peggy have two kids: Kyle and Krystal. Kyle is in the NFL and is currently the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. Both of his children graduated from the University of Texas.

from 2010-2013.

Shanahan is currently not coaching a team

Former eagles soaring in college F

of this season.

Leyden’s softball team has had an incredible run the past few years. In 2010, they won pionship in Leyden history and won the regional tournament. The girls also got a huge change of scenery. The Varsity team now plays at the Ball-

Alex Mennella & Ivaylo Petrov

rom the Leyden record books to college athletics, Leyden athletes have had a celebrated history.

They’ve set school records when they were our age and some have gone on to set professional sports records. A few have even been members or led championship teams.

While most of the athletes who participated in professional sports have since retired or gone onto other ventures in life, a few former Leyden athletes of recent memory are hoping to take their talents from college athletics to the major leagues.

Leyden’s baseball team had great success from 2007-11. In 2007, Leyden reached the Sweet 16 for the Il-

players have gone on to play in college includAnna Kawka (Harper College), and Jessica Potts

had many promising players that hoped to play in college and beyond, but most chose to pursue other endeavors or didn’t make it beyond college athletics. A few, however, are eyeing the MLB and hope to get there in the next few years: Dan Savas, class of 2010, had an excellent career the attention of Illinois State, and chose to go there for college. After a stellar 4 years in college, Savas was drafted in Morgan Maize in a 2012 game against Addison Trail. Photo courtesy of the 19th round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Arizona Dia- Mr. Steve Marten.

More Standouts

season with Single A (short) Hillsboro Hops. He pitched a total of 43 innings, but gave up 21 runs. Hopes are high for Savas, who has a long career ahead of him.

Justin Stawychny, class of 2011, was one of the best hitters Leyden baseball has ever seen. He was named to the all-state second team in his senior season after he

time for home runs in Leyden baseball history. Stawychny caught the attention of many local scouts and decided to play for Louisiana-Monroe. Currently a senior, Stawychny has experienced a successful college career. He started all ting average (.279). He has drawn interest from a number of major league teams, and hopes to be drafted at the end

of recent Leyden graduates, however, is Morgan Maize.

Morgan Maize, class of 2012, was arguably the best softball player in Leyden history. The four year varsity player was named the Chicago Tribune Player of the Year and a Max Preps All American. Primarily a pitcher, Maize won a remarkable 103 games during high school, including going 29-8 her senior season. She was a two-time

four-time all-area team. Maize was equally successful at the plate. Her 18 home runs junior year are tied for the state record. Maize’s playing ability earned her a full-ride scholarship to DePaul University. Currently entering her junior year, Maize had two grand slams last runs. Maize looks to continue her dominance at the plate and pitching this season for the Blue Demons.

Ned Colletti Craig Wilson

Glen Grunwald

Class of 1988

Class of 1976

Class of 1972 Triton Sports Hall of Famer 1992 Team USA member General Manager of the L.A. Dodgers (2006-2014) 1992 College All-American Currently Senior Advisor to the President of the L.A. Dodgers.

New York Knicks VP of Operations (2006-2012) New York Knicks General Manager (2013)