The Eagle's Eye: January 2017

January 2017

East Leyden High School

Record Crowds Call for Rights

3400 Rose Street

Franklin Park, IL 60131

Nationwide Women’s March draws over 3 million Leyden teachers and their friends took part in the Women’s March locally, with Johanna Heppeler, Amy Stolarsky, Cynthia Ellis, and Caroline Holtgrewe active in Chicago. Ms. Michele Curley, who took the picture to the left, traveled to Washington D.C. to join the protest.

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Alessandra Muro

he day after President Trump’s Inauguration, many women, and men, marched for women’s rights. Marches took place all over the country, from L.A. to D.C., drawing in record breaking crowds. Chicago’s march was one of the largest in the city’s history. The crowd was about 250,000 people, leaps and bounds above the predicted 75,000 marchers. The crowd was so large, in fact, that the actual marching was temporarily cancelled. According to attendees, no one could move due to the amount of people attending; the whole route, which was supposed to begin at Jackson and Lake Shore Drive at 9 a.m. and end at the Federal Plaza, was taken up by all the people attempting to march, therefore it turned into a rally until later when the crowd was allowed to move. Although Chicago’s March was one of the biggest, Washington D.C. had an estimated 470,000 people attending. According to the New York Times, “the Women’s March in Washington was roughly three times the size of the audience at President Trump’s

inauguration.” Many men and women, kids and teenagers, attended in hopes of having their voices be heard. These marches all over the country were organized due to the rhetoric that was used in this past election, which dehumanized, insulted, and threatened many people all over the country. This march was organized to stand up for what many women, and men, believe in.

Ms. Michele Curley, an East Modern Language teacher, marched in Washington D.C. She explained her reasons: that “Women should be able to make choices about their bodies, that LGBTQ people should have the same human rights as straight people, that we should work to get rid of racism and prejudice against all minorities,” and she doesn’t believe that “all undocumented people, especially children, should have to suffer.” Critics of the march pointed to its wide set of purposes and argued that it made it unclear why this was occurring. Some believed that the women’s march, then, didn’t call attention to specific women’s rights. Ms. Amy Stolarsky, an English teacher at Leyden, disagrees. She marched here in Chicago because ”It’s really important to model empathy, always, especially in today’s climate.” She believes that it was important to “gather with [many] people and show support for all women.” To her, it seems like “There are many groups of women that are marginalized and I wanted to show up, and be one of those people who say it is not

right for anyone to be marginalized, and it is not right for anyone to have fewer rights or fewer opportunities than anyone else.” Ms. Cynthia Ellis, also an English teacher here at Leyden, agrees with Ms. Stolarsky. She believes that women do have many reasons to march. She also had her own personal reasons for contributing to this historic moment. She marched “out of gratitude to the women that marched [around] 45 years ago.” She explains that what many women are trying to do is fight for the rights of women, such as reproductive rights. She’s fighting so that “Girls growing up today retain those rights, such as the rights to reproductive freedom, equal pay, and furthermore extend those rights to personal safety and freedom from sexual violence.” January 21, 2017 will definitely be one for the history books. Women are still fighting for the same inequality that has been present in our society for so long. Just like Audre Lorde-black writer, feminist, and rights activist says- “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

free time and entertainment we have here. Since they spend much of the day in school and studying, they don’t get much free time, which can be a bit stressful for them. I hope that they learn the importance of relaxation and entertainment here.” Chinese exchange student, Aleyna Yuan, from the Anhui Province, China, noticed that one of the key differences between her school in China and Leyden would be the relationship between the students and the teachers. Yuan said that in China, “Students would have to raise their hands for permission before they do anything.” While the same display of respect between students and teachers is common here at Leyden, Yuan says that students here “have more freedom.” Nevertheless, one of the things Yuan will remember during her experience here at Leyden would be how “the classes are more lively” because of “the close relationship between the students and their teachers.” Yuan’s host, Ashley Chui, says that much like the other exchange students, Yuan was “very shy at first and didn’t voice out her opinion much” when she first got here.

However, as they continued to learn more about each other, Chui and Yuan were able to relate to each other and form a strong bond. Chui says that the reason she wanted to host a student was because “I thought it would be a fun and exciting experience” to show others what Leyden is all about- spreading kindness. While Yuan and Chui weren’t able to participate in FMSC, they still learned a lot about each other’s culture by visiting the Museum of Science and Industry, going on a walking tour in downtown, skydiving at IFly in Rosemont, exploring the Shedd Aquarium, and watching the cultural presentations that took place at the Nardini Library on January 26. Although Chui is accustomed to Chinese culture herself, she said that in participating in the exchange program, she’s “learned a lot about how Yuan’s culture is different” from what she grew up with. While there are many differences between the Chinese culture and American culture, both the students who volunteered to host and the Chinese exchange students shared meaningful experiences with the memories they shared together.

From Far East to East

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Hanna Nazareno & Krystian Misiewicz ecoming a host for Chinese exchange students was a tough choice, especially for Leyden senior Paulina Cylwik. Short on hosts, the Leyden administration and staff repeatedly sent emails asking for volunteers to host these students. Cylwik became one of those last-minute hosts. “Two weeks before they came, the teachers from NHS and Mr. Bodin were asking if we would host. At first, I figured ‘Oh my parents are really busy, and there’s no way they’ll want to host.’ I asked my parents, and they said no,” Cylwik explained. But when the school was still looking for hosts Cylwik pressed her parents. “Olga Bulka told me she was hosting, and so I figured if a friend is hosting, it might be fun. And plus, I wanted to be exposed to a different culture.” Currently, Cylwik is the host of Chen Ruizhe or “Hal,” his American name, who came from Hefei, in Eastern China. “I decided to host because I figured this opportunity would be fun. It’s not often you get to learn firsthand about the Chinese

culture, so this is very interesting.”Cylwik added. Joined by the Chinese exchange students, the National Honors Society at East Leyden organized to volunteer at Feed my Starving Children,an organization that packages and ships food to developing countries. “Hal and Olga’s student, Sage, went to Feed My Starving Children because it was a trip for NHS, and I figured that would be something fun to do while they are here.” From what Hal said, the trip to FMSC was interesting and a little tiring for him, but I think the trip gives them a good sense of how American teenagers try playing a role in helping out our communities and the importance of service.” “As a host, I have learned that, regardless of the different ways we spend our time everyday and our hobbies, we are similar in the sense that we aim for our highest potential in school and in being well-rounded students. As far as now, I’ve learned that respect is a major part of their culture, and I hope to increase my respect for other people and people’s cultures. Obviously, our cultures are very different, but I think they are taking in the great amount of

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Gorzynski ‘Making’ the most of her Leyden travel year

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News

January 2017

Finally, No More Final Exams!

Pilot promises exemption for attendance, academics, and behavior

Karla Montesinos

or this school year, business teacher Ms. Amy Gorzynski is participating in sabbatical, which means that rather than teaching in the classroom, she’s being paid a part of her salary to pursue deeper learning on a topic important to the district’s goals. Ms. Gorzynski spends most of her time travelling all around the US, and that’s not just about it, she is actually heading to Australia, New Zealand next week to visit schools, talk to teachers, students, and administrators about the cool things that they are doing with project based learning; mostly makerspace. The sabbatical has taken Gorzynski to Philadelphia, Montreal, Denver, St. Louis, schools all around the Chicagoland area, California, Stanford, and Washington to attend workshops and retrieve information on how to help Leyden students. Gorzynski explained, “Australia and New Zealand are progressive in terms of education. Project based learning is the foundation of their education.” On this journey, Gorzynski has been pleasantly surprised with the new information she has gathered and the new tools for learning she can bring back to Leyden. She states that this experience has been “everything I have been hoping for and more.” She’s made new connections with people whom she can now reach out to, whether it be through social media or in person, and they share a common of interest about education. Having these connections with people has made networking “that much more productive and valuable” according to Gorzynski. Taking a break from school to travel for learning purposes has given her time and flexibility to acquire the knowledge that she’s been interested in for a long time. Gorzynski spent some time back at Leyden in January, and she’s working to develop a “makerspace” at each of Leyden’s campuses. The point of this type of space, she explained, is to give students and teachers access to the types of materials and equipment, such as video studios, craft tools, and eventually sewing machines and power tools, to create projects. A lot of Ms. Gorzynski’s visits to schools were to see how they are doing what they are doing, organizing makerspace, and asking questions, such as “What makes a makerspace successful?” The makerspace is for students, and we have to help Ms. Gorzynski with how or what design we want the makerspace to be or to look like. Typically, these tools are housed only in the classrooms where they are used most. A makerspace aims to make creativity a part of all classrooms. Gorzynski explained, “School culture is a key factor. In all of these schools I’ve gone into, the school culture that they’ve created is indescribable. The teachers and the student, working together for a common cause. You can see that those relationships are authentic, and they are reinforced in everything that they do.” While exploring teaching techniques at other schools, Gorzynski has been exposed to the collaborations between classes in different departments. For example, some schools combine classes such as entrepreneurship with culinary basics to launch food-based businesses. This sabbatical made Gorzynski realize how important collaboration is, not only just with teachers or classes in the building, but with schools and people all around our area and state. Overall, her passion and motivation has been encouraged throughout her sabbatical and will have a positive impact on the Leyden community. The first of these will be the creation of the makerspace, which will be located in the Nardini Library next year. Any questions, or ideas.. please don’t hesitate to email Ms. Gorzynski at agorzynski@leyden212.org , and let her know your thoughts!

Students who focus throughout the semester can make an early exit for finals.

Madison Ganir o one likes the dreaded F-word, but it’s that time of year again and I have to say it. Finals are upon us yet again, and it’s one of the most challenging times for a high school: students and teachers included. Knowing that finals are not fun, the Leyden administration will be launching a pilot program that allows students to trade attendance for exams. Leyden assistant principal Anita Huffman is helping pilot this program, starting second semester. “We’ve been looking at attendance data, grades and behavior data for the whole school for a few years now. And we recognized that we needed some incentives for students to be here every day,” Huffman said. “We don’t have a significant issue, but we noticed a trend from the fresh-

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man to senior classes in accordance with the number of absences.” According to the numbers, 19% of students from both the East and West campuses have missed a total of 10% or more from August 2016 to December 1. Considering a typical school semester is roughly 80 days long. This data means that roughly one out of every five students has missed eight or more days of school in this semester. This is why Leyden will now reward those who are showing up to class continuously by exempting students from finals. To qualify, you must be a junior or senior, have a 95% attendance rate, be earning B or average or higher in the class, and have no behavioral consequences (suspensions, BICs, detentions) issued. You must have fewer than three tardies in that class

“Missing Students” Found Autumn McGee any students take on the responsibility of AP and honors classes in high school. Even though it can be challenging for them, motivation and dedication can lead to success. But not everyone thinks he or she is capable of taking these types of classes. This type of thinking can often cause students to steer away from challenging environments. Often, the students who stay away from AP courses are those from low-income households and minorities; these are known as “missing students”. This widens the achievement gap in schools, creating a division in the student population. Willing to take action, an organization called Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) found that in high schools all around the nation, at least two-thirds of a million students who are qualified for advanced courses are not enrolled in them each year. Because of this discovery, EOS is pushing for diversity in the classroom and an increase in the number of AP and honors students. Leyden wanted to take part in this change, which helps prepare underrepresented students for college. The Leyden and EOS partnership started last school year, pushing Leyden to send out surveys to students and collect data on those who qualify for more rigorous courses but aren’t taking them. It’s helped Leyden identify ways it might address the “missing students.” There are a few reasons that can explain the achievement gap— one of them being that students were poorly informed previously about class options. Karen Ritter, Assistant Principal for Teaching & Learning at East Leyden, mentions that counselors used to only make trips to AP and honors classes to talk about the same level classes in the future. They skipped regular classes altogether, making the assumption that students

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in these classes were going to stay on that same path. This left some of them “missing” from classes they could potentially be a part of. The gap is also widened by the “misconceptions about AP classes and their expectations,” Ms. Ritter stated. Students currently taking these types of classes sometimes complain about the hours of homework they have. This could scare regular students off and lead to a lower selfconfidence and motivation to be in that type of difficult environment. Since Leyden started working with EOS, these problems are slowly disappear-

ing. After the first year, there has been an increase in enrollment in AP. First semester grades show that“Students transitioning to AP did as well as students who were already in AP,” Ritter said, “which is something we hoped to expect.” EOS gives each participating school a goal of new AP enrollments by minority and lowincome students. Leyden did not aim for the “target,” but instead elected to highlight AP benefits and conduct outreach for all Leyden students. The goal, then, is not to target students as products of the EOS system but to take care of all AP students. Senior Zuzanna Kretowicz took her first AP class this year and found it to be

and fewer than nine overall. It is important to note that your attendance is counted for unexcused and EXCUSED absences. Juniors who qualify can select to be exempt from only one class in which they meet the criteria, but seniors can be exempt from all finals if they meet the criteria. As of right now, 40% of juniors would qualify for this program, and only 34% of seniors would qualify. Junior Justyna Kowalski voiced that she felt the pilot program is definitely a good incentive for those who do their best to be present in class and meet the attendance requirements. However, “If a student is doing their best in that class but just happens to have less than a B, then they shouldn’t be punished or not exempt from a final. It just makes it harder and puts more pressure on the student.” Senior Lauren Vermilyer addressed similar concerns. “People may have family or health problems that take them away from school, and it’s not fair that they’re going to be penalized for it.” But Dean of Students Michael Grosch points out that it’s not punishing; it’s a reward or incentive. And he suggested that it’s a necessary change to how the school aims to improve attendance. He said, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. If all we ever do is pound on kids and punish them, you’re going to get zero results. So we’re trying to put more tools in our toolbox and further these kids’ successes.”

difficult, and she wasn’t “used to that type of challenging environment.” Students in her position haven’t been previously exposed to classes with higher expectations, so they might feel a little overwhelmed. But the students who see this challenge as a good thing will dedicate their time to be successful in those classes. “Once they get over that initial shock and learn how to navigate the course, students do exceptionally well,” Ms. Ritter states. Looking ahead, Leyden is hoping to get information out to students about AP and honors classes starting their freshman year, giving them enough transition time if they decide to take this path. Therefore, revealing the nature of AP to the “missing students” earlier in their high school career can prepare them for college courses in the future. Leyden is also holding a Summer Transition Program to help those going from regular to AP classes and to get a “feel” for the rigor. SNAPS (Student Navigated AP Supports), led by teacher Johanna Heppeler, is another opportunity for AP students to receive more help. The Learning Center is always available to provide extra help as well for all students. “Success increases for these students by changing mindsets and removing barriers in the classroom,” Ritter stated, emphasizing that a growth mindset is a factor that EOS looks for. Being able to participate in more challenging classes can help the student reach their future goals and can boost their potential for achieving more than they thought they could. “Without being part of EOS, Leyden’s classrooms will be portrayed as underrepresented,” Ms. Ritter said. “It would be a system for some but not all.”

Features

Waiting For Admission L

Nada Marei

ike any other senior waiting on a college admission decision, senior Homero Vazquez is also waiting on a college admission decision and not any college, but his dream college. “So, I applied as an early action to MIT, and when it was time for the release of the admission decisions, they told me that I wasn’t rejected, but passed to the waiting list and that they will tell me by March if I will get accepted or no,” he said. It’s kind of intimidating to apply to your dream college and know that you have been moved to the waiting list, isn’t it? “Well, I feel excited, but at the same time scared. It is a feeling that I can’t explain because I’m happy for not being rejected, but also scared of not getting accepted,” he

January 2017 explained. Vazquez wants to study Electrical Engineering and also have a minor in Computer Science. “MIT has the perfect course that is connecting Electrical Engineering and Computer Science together.” He wants to earn his Doctorate degree from MIT! He is also planning to go for a visit one day to check out the campus. Advice that Vazquez mentioned for juniors who are going to be seniors next year and considering going to college, “Well, my advice would be to start looking early at their majors and which school is the best fit for them. Do not procrastinate with college essays and letters of recommendations, but also don’t stress too much; as long as you work on that you will be fine.” Vazquez went through lots of college research and counselor help until he got to MIT. “Well, I have been interested in engineering for a long time, and in movies I heard the name MIT a lot and I did lots of research to find out what it was, and also with my counselor’s help I created my MIT account my junior year, and I went to meetings with them and also had an interview where I found out about their programs and I talked to the interviewer and got to learn about that kind of college life… So, I think I put a lot of effort in researching that school and I hope I get accepted.” Vazquez didn’t just stop, and lay back relaxing and patiently waiting for them to give him an answer, instead he is actually still working on that school. He took his winter break to create his Engineering Portfolio which will contain all the things that he has made in his engineering classes and computer science, “...then I will send it to MIT to have a better chance of getting accepted.” For those of

Resolved to Positivity

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VictoriaValentin

ew year, new me” is the overused saying that we all have said at least once as the new year approaches and make our resolutions.. But these resolutions typically end up as phases lasting through January and maybe, if you’re lucky, through February. This month, I’ve become even more skeptical of resolution “phases.” Walking into stores, I’ve noticed this is the only month when workout clothes are on sale and on display. It’ll be over in a week or two. Even our retail industry knows our resolutions aren’t meant to last. I give immense credit to those who are succeeding in traditional resolutions on diet or exercise, but this year, I refused to go through my annual stress brought about by store windows and advertisements. Instead of going through the struggle of trying to change myself abruptly, I’m instead focusing on small, subtle resolutions.r I was scrolling through twitter, and I came across this picture of a girl’s resolution. It listed examples of how she would try to focus on positivity.One of her examples had said, “Instead of telling people ‘I’m sorry for being late,’ tell people, Thank you for waiting for me.’” Another example was, “Instead of saying ‘I’m sorry for rambling,’ say ‘Thank you for listening.’” This would not only have an effect on the person no longer saying sorry but also on the person that now feels more appreciated. Using this, 2017 has been a challenge for me to say the least in keeping my goal. I’ve caught myself a couple times being negative at times when it’s not necessary. SUch as when someone would disagree with an opinion that I’ve had makes keeping my resolution extremely difficult. But I feel I have done pretty well when it comes to regulating the way that I see situations. I have become more aware on the impact of what I say on others and have tried to become more careful in that area. Overall my resolution is still in tact although I may have my moments of weakness I would say that I have done well in bringing myself back to what I want to achieve. A new year’s resolution shouldn’t be about trying to change your personality but rather to improve. We are all in our teens and our personalities are well developed by now and is what makes us different from others. There is no reason to try and change what you have already developed naturally into. Rather try and create small improvements which will create larger changes over time.

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you who don’t know what Portfolio means, it’s basically like a resumé. You put all the successful things that you have done during your high school career, and things that specifically related to your major, or the subject that you will be studying in college. The portfolio is as important as the grades during your high school career, but the only difference is that grades show how hard you have been working to build up that magic GPA, whereas the portfolio is just to show what kinds of things you have created that is relating to your college major(s). Because Vazquez is still on the waiting list of MIT, he still gets to update and add new things to his portfolio, and that’s why he was working on it during winter break to have it done in advance, and to have enough time to review it and look at it one last time before he submits it. Vazquez explained that, “MIT is kind of hard to get admitted in, so they are asking me for more stuff like my Engineering portfolio, and I have to take 2 SATs; one for Math and one for Physics. So, I am still working on that school until this moment.” His waiting is very unique, and he is trying to do his best and all he could possibly do to attract their attention, and accept him. “The portfolio angle is important if you have created something in one of your classes that is related to your major in college, and that you are proud of. You should immediately send it to them to have better chances of getting accepted.” Last thing that he wanted to add was that, “I just want to add that besides doing all of this college stuff I also try to give time to enjoy my last year at Leyden.”

Younger siblings have a better “Taste of East”

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t’s almost the end of your last year in middle school. You’re nervous about the idea of high school. You get letters in the mail about what classes you were placed in and then you finally get a letter that welcomes you to the Taste of East. Being an eighth grader, thinking about high school is a little bit overwhelming. There are many different classes, sports, activities, and organizations to be a part of. There are many groups to take part in and then there are a few you didn’t even know existed! For the past three years you were only given the option to be involved in three to four things at most, but when you’re in high school, that number is 30 times larger. So how exactly does one expect to learn more about all these different opportunities at Leyden? For many students, that option comes in the form of Taste of East, an annual event when students and faculty are set up in the field house to represent different academic offerings. But for incoming eighth grader, Lydia Moser, a “Taste of East” has been a regular part of her home life. The youngest of five siblings, including senior Hadassah Moser, Lydia has a strong sense of our

Mike Motyka school culture and its offerings.Lydia said, “Being able to choose what I want to do instead of it being chosen for me is a great advantage.” Hadassah explained that she’s been doing her best to tell Lydia what to expect. “We’ve gotten multiple chromebooks, and have transitioned to a very technology-based environment. “I feel like [Leyden] gives each person a place. There are so many different clubs, activities, classes, and organizations that are present all around the school, and it really creates an open environment in which everybody is welcome and has a place they fit in.” She also explains that Leyden keeps progressing each year with offering more and more opportunities for its students. Lydia said that for her, that place will likely be the same as her sister: the theater. Hadassah has given her little sister the same advice she’d give any freshman: “The most important thing is try everything you can. It helps you find out what you like to do and allows you to meet all types of people. And when you do find things you love, you know to stick with it.”

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The Eagle’s Eye

Holiday Horrors: Hectic Hosting Alessandra Muro

‘Tis the season everyone was looking forward to: waking up early to make food, having to clean all day because family is coming over and having to clean up the mess. Twas the night before Christmas, and no, I don’t mean that in a good way. The last month of the year did not only mean Christmas and New Year’s, but it also meant family going over and ruining that peace you had all year long. Holidays were all fun and games until you find out your whole family was going over to your house. There was nothing more stressful than waking up early in the morning to cook food for everyone and to clean the whole house. I’m not sure about everyone’s mom, but my mom likes to leave everything spotless. From the floors, to the chairs, to everyone’s room- everything has to be clean.

No matter what the holiday is- if it’s Thanksgiving, if it’s Christmas, or even if it’s New Year’s, households get crazy. Senior Jazmin Villanueva says that her family once had “Christmas at [her] house and it was a complete chaos.” She would also have to clean the whole house, and by that she meant “WHOLE HOUSE.” Senior Lilly Solis knows this struggle as well. She states that her mom and dad wake up “around 5-6 a.m.” while she and her brother “wake up around 8-9 a.m.” Not only was it a pain to wake up early to cook and clean in preparation for the family to come over, it was also really messy once the family arrived. Don’t get me wrong, I love my whole family and spending time with them, but once we were all in the same household, things got pretty chaotic. Elizabeth Preciado, 2016 alumni, says that when she “and her cousins were younger, it would

Naughty nephews, nosey Nonnas

be chaotic.” They would all “be running around” or they would be by the Christmas tree “trying to guess what gifts they got” but now that they’re older, they just “go and sit in a room and talk.” Villanueva says that her “room is where everyone puts their coats, bags, and any other belongings.”Not only that, but her basement is also where “everyone hangs out.” As messy as that seems, she says that the “real mess is present time.” The very awaited opening of the presents, which for her occurs around midnight. I hope that we can all agree that opening presents was hectic-wrapping paper was everywhere and some family members forgot how to properly rip open a box. Not only that, but there were many plastic bags being passed around where the wrapping paper got stuffed into and once you thought you had everything in the

bag, “bam!” more wrapping paper appeared from under the couch. The whole holiday mood was over once everyone left, but that didn’t mean that all work was done. Just like everyone got up early to clean, they got up early the next day as well. Nothing was worse than having to throw away all that wrapping paper and having to clean up all the cups and plates from the night before. Also, those dishes weren’t going to wash themselves, which meant standing in front of the sink for at least an hour trying to wash everything. Just like Villanueva says, “The clean up is also a headache because you have to clean the whole house again.” Although the holidays were a fun, cheerful and a way to spend time with your family, all the planning that goes into them are as hectic as trying to put up the Christmas treeor in this case, having to put it away.

Torturous Travel

Madison Ganir

Mike Motyka

We all know what the holidays, and especially the big dinner, REALLY meant: putting up with all the “Christmas Cousins.” These family members, whom we only only saw during the holidays, threatened your good cheer in any number of ways. If you’re the oldest among the younger cousins, you were given babysitting duties. News flash, Aunt Betty: I wanted to eat some crescent rolls, not clean up after little Sally. Senior Sam Lopez knows this was the case for her thi holiday season. “Aunt Karen always makes me watch my younger cousin who’s almost three,” she said even though she “likes to spend time with the adults too.” A visit from the Christmas Cousins also meant that you got to choke down the “specialty” that every family member brought to the table. Whether it was a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle or a cousin, it was bound to happen- and it did. You were either expecting authentic meatballs in between the cheesymashed potatoes or some weird green bean recipe. It was also all fun and games until we were sitting around the dinner table and those personal questions started flowing in. “Yes, grandma. We’re all still single. No, we still haven’t decided what college we are attending, and yes I do like to think I lost a bit of weight.” Senior Paulina Cylwik said that her “family just annoys [her] with the questions.” She also doesn’t “like sharing personal things” with people she doesn’t normally talk to, aka those “Christmas Cousins.” The holidays wouldn’t be the same without that one uncle, whom you’ve never seen without a Miller in his hand. He brings life to the party with his insightful, yet skewed, view of the world, so just enjoy him and the Christmas Cousins--except for Bobby. He’s always been a little weird.

Family vacations during holiday breaks are a great idea for the parents and young children, but is it a time teenagers look forward to on their school break? Parents think that it will be great for the family to reconnect and take a nice relaxing break from the usual routine. They are excited to finally take a step back from their exhausting work life and to finally enjoy themselves from all the drama-filled family members and friends. Though the adults see this vacation as something to look forward to every year, it may be something that teenagers dread every year. It was days before break and everyone was excited and talking about all the sleepovers they were going to have and all the junk food they were going to eat- then there was you. The only kid in the ninth grade that still went on a family vacation with their siblings and parents. Every year is the same deal when the holidays come around, you beg your parents to stay home because all your friends are, you try and prove to them that you’re older than you actually are, or if worse comes to worse, you pretend that you’re sick and you can’t leave the house. Well, after a long argument mostly talked by mom, it came down to the decision that you either have a great time with your family for the next two weeks on vacation, or you’re grounded with no phone or friends for the next couple of months. So we all know what the typical teenager picked.. Now, the real frustration began. Junior, Olga Bulka, describes that when her and her family went to Florida every year she’s constantly annoyed by her parent’s protectiveness. Bulka says, “I don’t like going on family vacations where you are always with your parents, then getting them to let you go out somewhere without them is hard.” Family vacations offer this sense of self-reliability and independence from parents, but with these opportunities parents tend to worry more about their safety. Yet, if they keep a strong leash on their kids to protect them, then that’s a time where teenagers undermine their rule. During this independence, teenagers want to be with their friends more by either staying home or bringing them with. Teacher, wife, and mother of two teenagers, Annette Miller, has similar situations with her teenage kids. She’s been going on annual vacations with her close family ever since she met her husband. Now that both of her kids are teenagers she feels that “they don’t like it as much now and want to bring their friends.” She said, “when they were little they use to love it, now since my son is 18 all he wants to do is bring his friends, so we think we’re going to let him stay home.” Family vacation is now over, most teenagers are regretting that they left because they missed all the fun that their friends had without them(Bulka). So once you found out about all the fun and memories your friends made, how could you ever forgive your parents for dragging you along on the vacation? Miller strongly believes that teenagers could regret it as much as they want because going on these annual family vacations builds her family stronger and closer. She says,”It’s still good to spend time with your children, otherwise they drift away at a time when they are facing tough decisions. This also brings the ability to be honest with one another and have a chance to bring them closer.” Some vacations can be a time of frustration between adolescents and adults, or it’s a time to rebuild and reconnect their family’s relationship. The key to a successful vacation with the whole family is to be able to respect each other’s decisions and understanding one another’s needs.

FEATURES

A Message to Your Memory Nada Marei “It can be scary because when me, my mom, aunts or sister are not around, she tends to roam around her house when my granddad is at work. One time she let some of our distant family members into her house, but she didn’t realize who they were. Luckily, my granddad arrived on time, and it was family in the house and not total strange people.” East Leyden senior, Jazmine Rockett explained, detailing what it’s like to love someone with Alzheimer’s. Rockett’s grandmother lives with this progressive disease that causes people to lose their memory. It is most commonly found in elderly people, affecting their memory, thinking, and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. “When my sister and I walked into my grandma’s house, she would say to my sister, ‘Hey grandson,’ even when she clearly is a female,” Rocket said. “My family began to notice that she was showing signs of Alzheimer’s around the age of 86, and she is now 89,” Rockett said. “I spend a lot of time with her because I like to make her feel safe and make her feel like she has people there for her because she is going through a rough time.” Rockett’s grandmother generally remembers her son who lives with her, most other interactions are problematic. “She is greatly affected,” Rockett said, “because she repeats the same things multiple times. To add to that, she has moments where she will get angry for no reason and act like we are strangers, which

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CertificationsRoundup

Leyden is lucky enough to offer certifications in different departments for students to acquire. Certifications can help in future employment and opportunities. A few of them are highlighted below. CompTIA’s A+ Certification An entry-level computer certification for PC computer service technicians. The exam is designed to certify the competency of entry-level PC computer service professionals in installing, maintaining, customizing, and operating personal computers. “A certification shows that they are skilled in a certain area and can help them gain meaningful employment.” - Lauren Martire, TSI Instructor

Jazmine Rockett poses with her grandmother.

is why she has to take medicine to keep her calm.” Rockett struggles with the fact that her own grandmother sometimes doesn’t recognize her, but she’s grateful for moments when her grandma seems like herself: “She can be feisty, but then again my grandmother was always a firecracker.” Rockett offered this advice based on her personal experience with her grandmother: “I would say to be there for that person 100 percent because they rely on you to be there for them. Not that anyone would want to, but put yourself in their shoes and imagine how they feel, and I am sure you would want someone to do the same for you.”

Filling the Gap

wheretovolunteer.org

January 2017

NIMS Certifications The National Insitute for Metalworking Skills cerftification’s standards are modular, thus permitting credentials based on specific metalworking processes and levels of competency. Certification validates skills in metals related topics. “Students who receive these credentials can potentially have an advantage when applying for manufacturing related jobs.” - Michael Matticks, Industrial Tech Chair

Gateways ECE Credential Level 1 Gateways ECE Credential Level 1 is for students interested in entering the field of early care and education and school-age care. It consists of a series of trainings that are offered statewide. “They are required for varying Circles of Quality in ExceleRate Illinois and can be used as a prerequisite of employment in early learning programs.” - Jennifer Maldonado, FACs Teacher

Cristal Salgado-Franco As Josh Fredrickson (Class of 2014) approached graduation, he had many of the same concerns that all seniors have: What’s in store for the next year? How much can I actually afford? What should I do with the rest of my life? For Fredrickson, the answer to these questions was to not worry about answering them right away. Frederickson chose a gap year instead, a choice that some estimate 30,000 to 40,000 students nationally choose each year. A gap year is a year spent off from any additional schooling after high school. Malia Obama is a famous example of a person taking a gap year. Of course, with her family’s influence, she was able to take a gap year with the plan of intern abroad or with a film company. She has a clear advantage in a gap year; for Fredrickson and others, the gap year is more about breathing room. Fredrickson explained, “I talked to my former councilor, Mrs. Reynolds, about my concerns, and weighed the pros and cons of each decision, and she helped me through the process of making one of the hardest decisions that I’ve ever made.” Making the choice to take time off isn’t an easy one. Telling your parents you aren’t attending school next fall isn’t a walk in the park either. Parents work endlessly to make sure we have all that we need and more. They struggle so that we won’t have to, with a intention that one day, with an education, we can have all you ever wished for. “My dad told me to do what I thought was best,” Fredrickson said, “and that it’ll work out no matter what. My mom was hesitant throughout the entire process, but was still supportive.”

Taking a year off from school doesn’t necessarily mean a free-for-all. Many who do take this route find work. And even then--with the perfect plan--obstacles may arise that require you to rethink your plan. Fredrikson experienced just this. “My original plan was to take only a year off of school and then start at Triton Community College. I attempted to register for school the following fall semester but ran into some problems. After that I decided to take another year off and then attend a university.” While Fredrickson and many others take jobs during a gap year in hopes of avoiding debt later in life, some gappers use the time, and money, to explore the world or to do service. There are even a growing number of official programs, coordinated by the American Gap Association. They include opportunities for helping in countries of need, completing environmental programs, and internships. The AGA offers those in their time off the chance to travel with various groups and work on a wide rage of global issues. But returning from a gap year isn’t easy. “It’s definitely kind of weird being at school now,” Frederickson said. “I’m a bit older than the other freshman, but age doesn’t matter in college. It’ll be hard seeing the people I graduated high school with graduating from college two years before me, but I know that I did what was best for me.” Fredrickson said, “No matter what. It’s going to be a stressful process. Communicate how you’re feeling with your family, friends, and resources at school. Explore all of your options and trust yourself to make the right decisions.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

January 2017

Ed Sheeran begins New Year by breaking silence

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Weronika Trzaska

heeran finally broke his silence in the music world, recently releasing two new singles that will be a part of his new album, Divide. Sheeran made his first appearance as a British singer with the single “The A Team,” performed with Elton John. The song was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammys. Shortly after, Sheeran rose to fame with his first official album, Plus, which featured the famous single and landed him on tour with Taylor Swift. The world fell in love with his pure, simple sound, which often included only an acoustic guitar and vocal talent. He released his second album, Multiply, which continued his pattern of album covers featuring mathematical symbols. The album earned him two Grammy Awards in 2016, however, the famous singer went on a conspicuous year-long music break from creating music, performing, and interacting

release: with fans “Shape of on social You” and & media. It “Castle on was as if he the Hill”. fell off the When I saw face of the his tweet, Earth for a I quickly year. opened up my Apple Last month, Music app Sheeran and lissurprised tened to the his fans by two new changing singles. I his Twitter, loved them Instagram, Photo from Jerad Hill on Flickr along with cover art. both; howand Faceever, true book profile picture to a blue background with a fans and followers of Sheeran had mixed division symbol, as well as tweeting it. reviews. Hopeful fans were curious and delighted “Shape of You”, the first song I at the implication of a new album on the listened to, really caught my attention. The horizon. first ten seconds of the single features a Sheeran delighted fans by releasing marimba beat. The addition of the marimba two new singles in advance of the record creates a percussive sway throughout the

Office Christmas Party a Bust

Andre Delloglio tests out the Samsung Virtual Reality in TSI.

Virtual Reality:

Interesting applications for new tech across platforms

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Billy White

ou look below yourself to see only fog and whispers of the clouds, almost certain you actually feel the wind and the lack of air due to the high altitude. You take a deep breath, close your eyes, and begin your flight down the ferocious mountain. As you glide side to side dodging trees, your adrenaline levels increase and you begin to forget that this isn’t real. As you come to a crash at an upcoming tree, you take off the headset in fear of what’s to come. You gaze at the inside of your bedroom and realize that this is only the beginning of what you can do with virtual reality. 2016 was the year of VR, with over 20 different VR devices being released from the Oculus Rift to the HTC Vive to the Google Cardboard. With this technology there are many new forms of entertainment that put you in places where you can interact with the environment around you making for many new possibilities in interactive movies, video games, and other forms of entertainment. Google has already released a feature on google maps where if you wear a VR headset and go into street view you are able to “walk” around and explore all of the

whole piece. As you listen to the lyrics, Sheeran sets up a scene of him meeting a woman and “falling in love with her body.” The lyrics here are a new, scandalous side for the normally sweet, soulful Sheeran. “Castle on the Hill”; however, featured the emotions fans are used to. Musically, The beginning reminded me of the popular song by Sheppard, Geronimo. The whole song is mostly guitar driven, but still highlights a percussive beat. Lyrically, Sheeran focuses on memories and growing up in his hometown, a more familiar, heartfelt subject from the deeper side of Sheeran. The singles suggest that Sheeran’s style of music is changing, and his true fans can really tell. Although I like the new, electronic touch to his music, I miss the songs where it would just be his voice and his guitar. In the past week, Sheeran has also left his fans with another surprise: a whole list of all the songs that will be featured on this next album, releasing in March.

surroundings without leaving the comfort of your home. This makes it easier to see places like the Eiffel Tower or Stonehenge without spending the big bucks on a plane ticket. There have already been instances of video games and movies that have leapt over to VR. Movies like The Lion King, The Hunger Games, and Star Wars have been adapted to allow a 360 degree view allowing you to take in the surroundings and become fully immersed in the movie and its environment. As 2017 progresses there is expected to be more and more movies being developed for VR. Through 2016 there was an influx of video games released for VR. All types of games from driving simulators to zombie survival games. It is only to be expected that as 2017 progresses the amount and quality of experiences that are available on VR will increase. One student was lucky enough to test out the Oculus Rift over winter break. East Leyden Senior, Martin Tylman was able to try it out and give his opinion saying “the experience was like no other. Being able to be placed in an environment and explore without being there is an experience like no other and that it will only get better from here.”

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Majda Causevic

s 2016 was dying down, the life of Hollywood was very much alive and springing movies to life around the holiday season. Office Christmas Party was one in particular that had a Christmas theme, one of the very few ending off the year. The film stars many familiar faces such as Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. Both previously worked together in such films such as Horrible Bosses. It was a comedy hit, which pushed for a sequel, making millions. Despite profiting from yet another comedy, it doesn’t necessarily depict enjoyment within new movie as previously experienced. Begs the question if they are living up to their name. Office Christmas Party is based in Chicago, focusing on a company called Zenotech, which involve incorporating new technology into society. The CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close down her brother’s branch of the company. In order to salvage the damage, Clay (T.J. Miller) and his chief technical officer (Jason Bateman), need to convince a wealthy client, so they aim to persuade him by throwing a grand office christmas party. You know, nothing extravagant. As the lights came to a dip and the surround sound kicked into high gear, the movie began, allowing to see if my $11 and hour and forty-five minutes was worth it. To say the least, the plot was bland and simple. The climax of the story appeared way too early and got way out of control towards the end. Scenes such as, throwing valuable office machines through the 50th floor of a building or flying through the air only to land perfectly fine and unharmed, was unrealistic. There was no validity to the actions. It felt as though just because jokes were written in every other line, there would

be a continuous laughter throughout. That wasn’t the case here. It seemed as though the actors weren’t living up to what they usually bring to the table. Upon watching the trailer, certain moments left me expecting more, but I was sadly disappointed. There was an expected humor within the dialogue, deemed as predictable. It didn’t seem as though the comedy flowed through or seemed natural. Every other line was a pun or punch of the joke just waiting to be said. Not everything had to end with an inappropriate joke. It was jagged and outlandish. Despite some rough spots, some moments made me chuckle when the actors were being themselves, and bringing their personality into it. If more time was spent revising the dialogue, and meticulously depict movements and the flow of the actors and scenes, the movie would be something worth watching. Despite negative feedback, Office Christmas Party (OCP) had topped the charts, but only for a time, due to new releases of 2017. As the holiday season passed, and new movies came to life, OCP came to an end, along with 2016.

Arts and Entertainment

January 2017

Hoping for Hamilton Hanna Nazareno hether you’ve taken APUSH or not, you know that Alexander Hamilton is a “founding father with no father,” and is known for being a “self-starter by working a lot harder.” Directed and written by Puerto Rican, LinManuel Miranda, the musical “Hamilton” is now so popular that it’s hard to escape knowledge of its titular historical figure. The musical follows the life of one our founding fathers and author of the federalist papers, Alexander Hamilton. Apart from the groundbreaking soundtrack, and countless awards nominations, Hamilton is composed of a diverse cast. From Aaron Burr being played by Leslie Odom Jr, the woman in the cast, and to Alexander Hamilton being played by Miranda himself, it’s no surprise that the musical is sold out each night. It was clearly the hottest ticket in town when its Chicago dates were announced. While almost everyone wants to see the musical, not everyone can. Tickets are at least $400, and you probably won’t be able to see the play soon. Senior Karen Alcaraz, who hasn’t seen the musical, feels that although she hasn’t seen Hamilton, knowing all the lyrics to all of the songs makes her feel as though she’s witnessed the musical already. Alcaraz said, “I first listened to ‘Satisfied’ and was blown away!” Despite not seeing the musical, Alcaraz imagines Hamilton to be “like a journey… full of emotion, intelligence, and of course, aesthetically pleasing.” With hit songs such as “My Shot” and “Alexander Hamilton,” the renowned

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musical has surely captivated almost anyone who has listened to the soundtrack. English teacher, Ms. Amy Stolarsky, was able to see the show on November 10. She says that she was “fascinated” by the way the story was told. For Ms. Stolarsky, listening to the soundtrack beforehand allowed her to pay attention to the small “details and minimal movement” of the play. For those who haven’t seen the play, but have listened to the Hamilton soundtrack and mixtape countless times, Ms Stolarsky describes the play to just transition from “one song to another with very little dialogue,” so if you have a good imagination, it’s just like you’ve seen Hamilton through the music...kind of. Senior, Paulina Cylwik, who has purchased tickets for April, expects the musical to be “jaw dropping and emotional.” Cylwik says that one of the factors that influenced her into wanting to see the musical was the soundtrack itself because “with a soundtrack as incredible as Hamilton’s, the musical itself must be up in the same field.” For most students, the story of Hamilton resonates primarily because of the rap and hip-hop crafted by Miranda. According to Cylwik, “the rap and hip hop incorporated into the play definitely makes it more entertaining to learn about history and makes the play more connectable to our youth.” Overall, it’s “a great way to tell the story of Hamilton while the accuracy remains.” Despite the million things to love about Hamilton, Cylwik says that “if it weren’t for its incredible reviews, I most likely wouldn’t have been as prompted to go see

Writers Week in Photos

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The Chicago production of the show that won 11 Tony awards is a hard to get ticket.

it.” Nonetheless, Cylwik still believes that the play itself is “History in the making” because of “the irony of the characters (the founding families of the United States), who were wealthy white folks, being played by minorities presents a significant message.” For most people, the fear of missing out on such a historic event left an aching hole in their heart. From what Alcaraz can recall feeling, “it was awful, and it physically hurt knowing I wouldn’t be able to see Hamilton.” Alcaraz adds that she

coped with the loss of tickets by listening to “‘Burn’ and ‘It’s Quiet Uptown’ since I felt extremely depressed.” Though Alcaraz hasn’t completely given up on dreaming of Hamilton and the opportunity of seeing such a spectacular musical, Alcaraz says that whenever she listens to songs from the soundtrack, it would forever and always leave her “triggered and shook to the core.” Like most people, Alcaraz states that until she sees Hamilton, “I will never be okay.”

Grand Tour kicks it into Top gear

From January 17-19, Leyden hosted its first ever Writers Week. The event featured professional writers presenting their ideas about the power of storytelling.

Hanna Nazareno From January 17-19, teachers, students, staff, and other guests presented their different stories and experiences through their writing. According to Leyden Senior, Angel Rivas, “When I first heard about Writers Week through my English teachers, they kept on telling me to submit my pieces so I could go perform on stage.” Rivas adds that while it may seem nerve-wracking to speak in front hundreds of students, he “didn’t really mind participating” because of his past experiences in public speaking. Rivas says that because of his participation in Writer Week, he’s been approached by a lot of students and teachers who try to encourage him to continue writing.

Billy White Fast cars, funny skits, and hot girls, scratch that, replace the hot girls with three old British dudes and you have the Grand Tour. The three hosts that used to host Top Gear are now hosting a new show, funded by amazon, where they travel the world driving cars and having fun. More important than the show is how they got to the show in the first place. Last year host Jeremy Clarkson, during a shooting for Top Gear Clarkson punched a producer in the face. After this Clarkson was fired from the BBC, at which point his co-hosts quit out of anger. Only two months after being fired from the BBC, Clarkson was approached by Amazon with a new idea, The Grand Tour. With a budget of over 160 million dollars and 36 episodes, that’s about 4.5 million dollars per episode, more than 10 times that of top gear. Clarkson and his co-hosts set out to make an amazing show. The first episode hit it off with a bang and positive reviews flooded the internet. The five minute intro of the first episode tugged at the strings of beloved fans’ hearts. The intro consisted of the trio in a Mad Max style convoy of su-

percars riding through the Californian desert at the end being greeted by a crowd of roaring fans. Following this was an overview of what they would be doing throughout the 36 episode season. In a summary, they will be traveling the world doing exactly what they did in Top Gear. As the season comes to a finish you can see they obviously love what they are doing. When I started the first episode, I was a bit skeptical that it could never live up to what Top Gear had to offer and after the first episode it is obvious that The Grand Tour is better than Top Gear, and Leyden students agree with me. Student Artur Bak has been following the show since its inception and said, “When I heard the show was only on Amazon Prime I was a bit upset, but I signed up for the free trial just to watch the Grand Tour. And I can say that the $100 price tag of Amazon Prime is definitely worth it to watch the Grand Tour alone. It’s superior to Top Gear in every single way, and I can’t wait to see what else they have to offer.”

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FEATURES

January 2017

Retirement Reflections

Landschoot Leaving Leyden

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cience teacher Ms. Theresa Landschoot will retire at the end of this school year, leaving some memorable experiences behind while taking new steps forward. Landschoot has been teaching for thirty-three years, twenty-eight years of them at Leyden. “I also worked for two years in Biochem research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and one year as a film chemist in New York.” She was a pre med student as an undergraduate and pursued a Masters doing Biochem research. “I was placed on a waiting list and worked as a teaching assistant in college”. Before moving to teaching full time, Landschoot was aware of the career’s difficulty. She said, “A career concern when I began teaching was that I wondered if I could motivate students to learn and appreciate science and become critical thinkers.” In the course of her career, she found many opportunities to do just that. “Some really fun experiences were animal dissection in Biology and turning copper pennies into ‘gold’ in Chemistry,” she said. Ms. Landschoot has also worked at other schools through the course of her career: “I started teaching in the late seventies at Mother McAuley High School in the city for two years, then at St. Ignatius High School for one year. I spent another two years at Hillcrest High School (District 228). I was the head coach for the girls varsity volleyball team and was a regional volleyball official for ten years. Although I never played sports in high school, I really enjoyed watching all sports, and my kids were athletes,” she said. Landschoot expressed some goals she set for her

Nicole Mora

students.“My hopes for my students are that they actively engage in their education and enjoy many things that Leyden has to offer both inside and outside of the classroom. High school is that special time where you can explore different courses and meet different types of people. Students also learn a lot about themselves, and I hope that they challenge themselves and have a memorable high school experience.” She also shared advice for potential teachers: “My advice for someone considering a career in high school teaching would be to be ready for some challenges. In the end, teachers really do make a difference and have a huge impact on the students’ daily lives and their futures. I will really miss these opportunities!” Next year, during this time, Ms. Landschoot will be looking forward to “major rebalancing in life. I have been working since my teen years, and I’m ready to pursue other interests such as traveling, writing, and joining a book club. But she’s not leaving the field entirely. “I will still be involved with education on a consulting level,” she said.

Falls Says Farewell

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s. Eileen Falls, the Family & Consumer Sciences Department Chair, will be retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Falls has taught in the department for 33 years, and has been a department chair for 12 years. “I always wanted to be a teacher, specifically an English teacher, but I realized in my junior year in college that I loved fashion and cooking. I really wanted to teach students how to do everyday needs and to feel the way I do about FACS,” explained Falls. After deciding to focus specifically on teaching FACS, Falls started her teaching career at Elmwood Park High School, as a culinary teacher, but shortly after transferred to teaching Leyden. “When I first arrived at Leyden, I taught the Work Program,” said Falls. She now currently teaches Child Care Practicum at both East and West Leyden, which features high school students working with preschoolers. Falls said, “I love seeing the interaction and connection when the high school students work with the preschoolers. It’s a great environment to work in.” Since starting at Leyden, Falls has not only been teaching several FACS classes, but leading the Family and Consumer Sciences department. “I was put into the place of being department chair in 2004,” explained Falls. Being a department chair comes with a great number of responsibilities and tasks. A typical day for Falls includes starting her morning at East Leyden and then traveling to West Leyden. Falls has to manage both her classes and the department. “I have to make sure the curriculum is up to date, control the budget of the department to use for supplies and equipment at both

Weronika Trzaska

Nataliya Grygorash

NORM GOODMAN One $1500 scholarship The scholarship was created by some of Coach Norm Goodman’s past players at East Leyden back in the day. When Coach Goodman passed away a few years ago, the players wanted to develop a scholarship that would represent what he was all about. The scholarship is targeted toward East athletes going on to college.

campuses, attend meetings, evaluate teachers, and also hire teachers,” explains Falls. Being a teacher in the classroom and having the role of department chair greatly impacts not only the students, but the teachers as well. Leyden Alum and current FACS teacher, Ms. Dana Thomas adds, “She (Falls) is an excellent leader and always incorporates humor into our meetings and interactions, which is appreciated by everyone. She is very passionate about her content area, and it rubs off on her students.” Irma Tovar, a student of Falls, explained, “I like that she really cares for her students and always makes us smile and laugh.” Falls’ dedication and commitment to teaching for the past 33 years has tremendously added to the successes of many Leyden students over the years. Falls explains that the transition into her retirement will be to “relax and travel,” but she will truly miss what she loves doing most: teaching.

Overnight Trips: Lasting Impact Majda Causevic The roar of the engine, the dim lighting, and the escaping scenery slipping beyond should put anyone to sleep, but not Hadassah Moser. A sleepless, potentially dreadful 3 hour bus ride to Wisconsin had left her wide awake. As Moser and the Chambers pulled up to their temporary home for the weekend, a cabin in the woods, the scene came to life like a movie. The anticipated halt of the bus, sudden lights illuminating their now excited faces, and the unknown staring them each in the face. By taking that first step off the bus, onto the steady ground, Moser knew she and her school group were already coming together before they had learned to sing a single note. By experiencing this adventure together, their team would improve. For groups like Chambers, the experience of an overnight field trip includes the chance to learn in a different environment, to change perspectives, and to open the door to new interactions. While all field trips offer a time to ditch school for the day for some out of the classroom fun, these multiple-day trips have benefits that last longer than the educational purposes that motivate them in the first place. For Moser and her fellow singers, their trip included vocal workshops and some deep learning about singing, it was the nature walks and late nights that led to real team bonding. “It brought us together as a group,” Moser said. “We understand each other better, and we grew together as a group into a family.” The same could be said for Rakan Alzagha and his recent trip with the Model UN club. Alzagha explained that the bus trip allowed him

Local Scholarships Name Game

and his club friends to “talk about life.” And while he now remembers the anxiety and content of his presentation at the conference, he’ll likely always remember how he and three others stayed up playing Risk each night. Alzagha reflected, “Overnight field trips are the most memorable. Whenever we leave a certain area that we are so used to, we get out of our comfort zone, and that is when we truly build experiences and learn something we don’t normally see.” All field trips lead to content learning, but it’s the overnighter that leads to new values and deep friendships, whether through mastering the game of Risk or the becoming the champion of the sack race.

GENE HAAS Six $4,166 scholarships (3 East & 3 West) Awarded to students who intend to enroll in a college level machinist-based training or engineering program. The Gene Haas Scholarship was created last year and offered to West Leyden students taking Metals I. This year it is offered again but now open to both campuses. DONALD E. STEPHENS Three $5000 scholarships to seniors from East and West The Donald E. Stephens Scholarship was created in 2008 by his family to memorialize him. He had passed away earlier that year. To qualify, the applicant must rank in the top 25% (weighted) after seven semesters. In addition to strong academic performance, the committee looks at extracurricular involvement and community service. KEVIN “BIG KAT” KRISTON Three $1,500 scholarships to East Leyden Graduating seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA who plan to continue their education by attending an accredited college (2 or 4 year) or trade school. KBKKF first scholarships were awarded April 2016. Kevin regularly advised his high school and college friends on saving and investing their money. The goals of the Kevin “Big Kat” Kriston Foundation were developed using his mantra “Make money, save money, invest money and have fun with your money!” LUCIA RAMIREZ COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Two $1,000 scholarships; one East and one West Applicants must demonstrate a strong record of school and community involvement. The award was created by Lucia Ramirez to help the community that supported, and continues to support, her through a series of illnesses.

OPINIONS

January 2017

Unknown Variable: I

With E-Sports changing entertainment, schools should consider adapting, too

ing money towards tuition so that gamers can attend their institutions and play under their brands. More of these opportunities are sprouting up worldwide every day, and one of them is close to home. Robert Morris University, a local college, offers tuition scholarships and even full-rides for students who reach their academic requirements and are skillful players. They are among the first colleges to offer scholarships for gamers to play at a collegiate level and more are following. East Leyden Senior and SemiProfessional Smash Bros. player, Enrique Carvajal, believes that “if we are making the argument that eSports are similar to sports, then yes, these types of scholarships should be available. This can give the opportunity for players to have an education to fall back on after they finish playing eSports.” Most professional eSports players play at the top level for a few years and have rather short careers compared to traditional sports play-

ers who can play up to multiple decades. As a result of this, providing an education to these players can help them further down the road as well as enhance their all-around skills in life. Though eSports has been around for almost a decade in different forms and has been growing exponentially ever since, mainstream media hasn’t fully recognized them yet. Only in recent years have big outlets like ESPN started showing and highlighting these eSport events. Carvajal stated that he “hopes to one day see it become as mainstream as regular sports.” And with recent events in eSports such as Shaquille O’Neal and Rick Fox endorsing eSports players and organizations, Carvajal’s vision doesn’t seem too far away. The eSports industry is only proving itself right now, and I expect to see it being bigger and stronger than any of its traditional sport counterparts. With that said,

Rachel Modi social media “mutual approval machines,” which is a dangerous tool for a country that ur generation defines lazy: a strong relies on reasonable disagreement. reluctance to work or use energy. Sadly, the machines are growing in Frankly, our generation behaves numbers. In 2016 social media was used by like the “most ludicrous, self-absorbed and “78 percent of U.S. Americans...representspoiled generation”(Tom Wolfe). ing a five percent growth compared to the And social media isn’t helping. Ev- previous year. According to estimates, the ery time we aren’t presented with our wants, number of worldwide social media users even the smallest thing, we are triggered to reached 1.96 billion and is expected to grow impulsively bang out 140 characters worth to some 2.5 billion by 2018”(Statista). of instinctive thoughts and share them, I’m convinced that the fight against the maknowing our followers will agree and cheer chines needs to start with how we express up our spirits with a flood of notifications. disagreement. And that’s a problem. Let’s define impulse: For some odd reason, the “talk”A sudden, strong and unreflective urge or -the one about our digital footprint, about desire to act. It’s that unreflective part that how we should think before a post or a gets us into trouble. comment--flies right over our heads. There Anger clouds our judgement, and will always be a way to find a dumb, ignowe neglect to consider the consequences rant post again because there are snakes who that expressing our ideas may bring. Worse, screenshot the tweets you “deleted.” Posting we’re pretty much guaranteed that our social anything exposes vulnerability. We like to sit media “followers” (it’s in the name, folks) behind our screens and preach change and will simply agree with our perspectives. If injustice, but what are we really doing? How we’re engaging in an actual online disagree- many people actually take action beyond ment, most of our friends will immediately hitting some letters on a keyboard. How disregard the need to weigh their own ideas many listen to, rather than attack, people and willingly attack other opinions. This with whom they disagree.? People talk a confounds the cycle as our broadcast biases big game, but lack the ambition to move the are confirmed through likes and retweets. conversation forward and influence actual And so we rally our troops and lead them change. straight into the hateful comments of the Consider America’s current politiopposing army, which has developed in the cal situation. According to a recent CNN/ exact same, lazy way. ORC report poll, Donald Trump retains the In short, the greatest tool ever made lowest approval rating in his first week, with to foster equal communication, to connect just 40% compared to Barack Obama who people to those outside the bubble of their took the oath in 2009 with an 84% approval physical environments, is only an outlet to rating. There are REAL concerns about carelessly rant, then attack our attacker for President Trump’s plans--and, I imagine, temporary relief and gain that instant grati- some legitimate support for them. But you fication. In a Ted Talk, Jon Ronson called wouldn’t know it because we spent the first

week arguing over the oh-so-important and contentious issue of crowd size. It’s the type of argument that fits neatly into 140 characters, which means it probably doesn’t matter.. Standing up for your convictions is a responsibility in this country, but if you can do that and tear down those of your opposition in a tweet, you’re probably obsessing over small details and doing more harm than good. You’re using the free pass social media affords tear people down before listening and without the threat of a real conversation. Social media is making us lose the capacity for both of these simple skills. And because every post and picture occupies roughly the same space on the screen, it’s hard to distinguish serious and unserious concerns as well as legitimate and illegitimate sources. Change is an uphill battle which takes time. One cannot simply force others to change perspectives instantly. Expressing opinions is a step; influencing change is a run. Social media is necessary for commanding attention to injustice, expressing anger, and insisting on change. But the intellectual and civil responsibility of holding constructive negotiations and influencing others to acknowledge your point of view will always take more work than social media requires. And they should. Right and wrong are not black and white. The temporary relief we feel when we cleverly phrase why we’re right is just that: temporary. Worse, it compounds the problems if your opponent responds in the same lazy way. I’m hoping that my fellow teens and I can shake off the title of “laziest generation” and prove that if something bothers us, we’ll put in the work necessary to give our voices power.

Christopher Corr

n recent years, the eSports industry has grown at a quicker rate and reached a larger size at a higher level audience than many might assume. As video games gain more and more mainstream attention by appearing on outlets such as ESPN, they are starting to rival other modes of entertainment. By the end of 2016, the eSports average view count has surpassed that of hockey, and that will likely only be the start. With the eSports industry growing so rapidly and competing with traditional sports, is it possible that they, like their traditional counterparts, will start working their way into schools. The first way that eSports are being appreciated within the school system is that colleges and universities are now offering scholarships for aspiring gamers. Yes, you heard that correctly. Some schools are giv-

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I wouldn’t be surprised to see eSports roaming into more colleges as well as possibly high school leagues. Since high schools offer traditional sports such as football and basketball, there is no reason that it should not offer eSports. Those traditional sports involve players, coaches, analysts, casters, and so do eSports. There are tons and tons of career options within the eSports industry just the same as medical or science fields so schools should be encouraging involvement as much as possible. No matter how much eSports grows, there will always be the debate and constant tension between it being a sport or just people playing video games. But eSports are here, and they have shown what they can produce. And I don’t see anything stopping it now.

Lazy & Ignorant, One Post at a Time O

Social media debates are as easy and completely underdeveloped.

10 Lights, Camera, Gays

OPINIONS

January 2017

Depictions of gay characters across the media are increasing, but they’re still surprisingly one-dimensional.

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Mariana Urueta-Hernandez

he main character is a white man. He sings, dances and goes home to a loving and affluent home in liberal America. His hardest struggle will be his coming out, and somehow, in a mere hour or two of TV time, his family will end up supporting him as he seeks out and falls madly in love with the oh-so-convenient other gay, white, male character in the fictional town. Under the glow of fairy-tale lights at a prom or over a latte at a hip and trendy cafe, they will embrace happily and be ready to tackle the world, all while they fix their expensive scarfs and perfectly brushed hair. This is the all too frequently told narrative of the lives of LGTBQA+ Americans according to our TV and movie screens. Unfortunately, this is a representation that fails to fairly represent the many horrors this community actually faces, a task often left uncompleted by most TV shows and prime time television networks. We might be tempted to cherry pick honest portrayals, such as those in Modern Family or The New Normal, and praise the recent skyrocketing in LGTBQA+ characters overall, but the truth remains that the mainstream portrayal of the community is often too rosy, too hopeful, and too far out of reach for those it seeks to champion. Boiled down and stripped of its realities, there is no shortage of critique for the ongoing representation rising and its failure in striking the chord of honest support that progress requires of the media and even more so that the community requires of the main population. HIV, hate crimes, homeless youth, sexual assault, poverty, and suicide are not pleasant terms. Or so Hollywood would like keeps them miles away from the perfectly styled clothes of its LGTBQA+ characters. But these experience are still the very sad truth for much of the community, especially those of color and those who identify as ‘trans.’ These groups are, on average, the most likely to be victims of such heinous realities. Where are these people and these narratives amidst the record breaking number of cinematic portrayals? For the first time since the begin-

ning of cinematic recording, the number of gay men on TV has reached a high point. Gay characters are no longer forced to claim small roles of the sidekick neighbor or the nameless victim, and instead, many star as a show’s main protagonist and often display heroism. Yet while this is something to be proud of, we must be aware that absent in these roles are those in the community facing the worst of plights. The movie The Stonewall Riot depicted the famous moment of progress, but erased the presence of proud, black, trans women and drag queens for the face of young, white men. Even in displaying LGBTQ+ triumphs, many directors and screenwriters have perpetuated the tragic alienation of many in the queer community. The hastened assimilation and acceptance of the most ‘socially acceptable’ queer lives, specifically those of gay men, does not immediately mean victory for all queer lives. As long as gay men are disproportionately the face of the community in mainstream media and straight America, progress for others will be slow. Some may say that any representation is good representation, but the undeniable white washing of LGTBQA+ portrayals in media could actually hinder the very progress it hopes to create. By portraying gay youth as only coming from the accepting, happy-golucky, and hip metropolises, the media alienate the youth it’s aiming to help, who come from and come out in much more varied circumstances. Not all media portrayals fall to this error. The show How to Get Away with Murder includes an intricate gay portrayal. One of its characters is HIV positive, and while it becomes a roadblock in his relationship with another character, it does not completely incapacitate their love or willingness to work around it. Another notable media portrayal is the movie Moonlight, which demonstrates the budding love between two young black men who grew up poor and victims of societal racism in 80s Miami. Their identity struggle exists amidst drug addiction, poverty, and a toxic, hyper-masculine culture. The media’s focus on what scarf to wear or how to ask someone out is a farce when trans men and women are being slaughtered on the street. Not strangers to bigotry or prejudice, the LGTBQA+ community has never asked for much beyond basic human rights, but as it expands in media visibility, it should ask for one more thing. Please, create black lesbian characters who struggle with academics, imagine bisexual Asian men who work three jobs, cast strong trans women who beat the odds and of Mexican gay men who struggle to. Write about us by all means, but write us well.

Stronger Together: Women’s March Madison Ganir

I

am a woman. I am 18 years old. I can point to zero times I have felt discrimination in the workplace or school because of my gender. But I recently met over three million women who reminded me that I will face injustice one day, and they’ve shown me how to rise above it. I haven’t felt the touch of discrimination in the workplace or in school. I haven’t had to speak up for myself, unless I’m arguing with friends. But many others have. I have a woman in my family who applied for and was declined a job. A man got that job. My mom was due for a promotion. She had the college degree and 10+ years of experience. Guess who the promotion went to? A man who had been working at the company for six months. I’m not here to tell you that I know everything about this because I don’t. I’m not here to make you believe in the same things I do because I can’t. But here’s what I can tell you - I am a woman, and I am 18 years old. I didn’t march. I don’t freely discuss political views, nor am I active in any type of political organization. I get uncomfortable when the topic of politics is brought up, especially recently. However, watching all these protests unfold, I felt the need to express my gratitude. The position I’m in - about to enter the real world, have responsibilities, etc. - is not one that’s ideal. I don’t have the upper hand on half of my opponents for jobs or job titles. When I do get a job, I won’t make the full dollar - I’ll only make 77 cents of it, but the men will get that extra 23 cents. When I saw all the people protesting in support of women’s rights, among other is-

sues, it made me pause. I realized that I’ve been a girl my whole life. I’ve never been a woman. I’ve never had the need to face the injustices of society as a grown woman. For the past 18 years, I’ve just been going on as a kid, depending on my parents’ support and protection, going to school and living on a bell schedule, safely driving my moms’ car home from social events, and dealing with the occasional comments of immature, adolescent boys. I don’t have to fight to show my worth in the workplace, to fend off unwanted advances, or have to worry about walking home alone from the grocery store. But this protest triggered the realization that these concerns are a guaranteed unpleasantness waiting for me in the future. To any girl, or woman, who is reading this: It’s been 169 years, and the progress that has been made towards the protection and insurance of human rights for my gender has been slow and remains unfinished. Of course there have been many strides in the freedoms of women and minorities. Huge strides. But those mean nothing if the people in power refuse to acknowledge that times have changed, if those in power think it’s okay to degrade women and call them “fat” and “ugly,” if those in power are intentionally trying to break the bond of strong, diverse communities. It is not okay. It is not okay. It. Is. Not. Okay. I am 18 years. I am a woman. I did not march. But I am so thankful to all the courageous and beautiful women that did.

the political spectrum,” Dr. Polyak said. “As we approach the inauguration of our country’s 45th President, I wanted to touch base with all of you. Leyden is a place where a wonderful diversity of students come together. Those diversities come in the form of ethnic backgrounds, spoken languages, sexual identities, economic status, religious beliefs, special needs, politics, race, and so much more.” He explained. “I am so proud to tell others about how wonderfully you all accept and embrace our diversity and one another. It is part of who we are at Leyden. Looking to the future, Leyden will remain a place where all of our students are safe and welcome. Leyden will remain a place that values diversity and celebrates everything that makes each of you a unique and amazing member of our family. Leyden will remain a place where you are loved and respected.” He did not in any way disrespect

anyone’s viewpoints. This is how teachers need to share their views, with grace and knowledge. Teachers need to help students create educated viewpoints and they can surely do this without pushing their opinions on students. Here at Leyden we have some teachers who will openly voice their political opinions, and some who will not. Mr. Alex Jomarron is a prime example of a teacher here who will gracefully share his political beliefs. “It’s important that students hear opinions. I encourage them to evaluate them and arrive at logical conclusions,” said Mr. Jomarron. “I strongly oppose a preach approach. I always preface [answers to student questions] by saying this is my opinion, and I defend my opinion.” As long as students are benefitting without bias to a teacher’s beliefs, talk of politics should be encouraged in schools.

“...watching all these protests unfold, I felt the need to express my gratitude.”

Teacher Talk in Turbulent Times

Madison Stompor ome may have thought that the volume of debate surrounding President Trump would die down following his inauguration, but people have continued voicing their convictions, whether they be supportive or critical Some of them do so boldly while others are measured or even cautious. The choice regarding how and when to voice political conviction is especially challenging. When teachers discuss politics with students, they must know that they carry authority, and thus might be seen to “push” their views upon students. High school students are near the legal age of voting and need to be exposed to politics to make an informed vote. The only real concern how teachers broadcast their political beliefs. They absolutely should be telling us what they think as the discussion of politics in school. This

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has many positive effects. Schools like Leyden are so diverse and hold several different viewpoints. So what is the point of holding political discussions in class? It is important to do so because teachers tend to have informed views. In an information world dominated by social media, young people need informed figures to steer them toward facts to form a political view, to point out false claims and poor sources. These can come from politicians or the media, whether it’s sticking to disproved crowd size talking points or falsely reporting that the MLK Bust in the oval office was removed. In advance of President Trump’s inauguration, superintendent Dr. Nick Polyak made an announcement. He spoke with grace and respect for the whole student body: “Following the recent presidential election, Americans have experienced a wide range of emotions on both sides of

SPORTS

January 2017

Winter Break Recap Madison Ganir

Boys Basketball Boys Basketball had a slow start to their Christmas Tournament at Glenbard North High School. They lost their first game to Glenbard North, dropping their record to 1-7. The boys then fell 1-8 after a loss to Glenbard West. During their third game, Santa brought the Eagles a 2-8 record in an exciting 44-42 victory over Hoffman Estates. That game brought the Eagles a chance at the final against Glenbard South, where they took a 42-42 tie into overtime but came up short: 50-45. Leyden then started Conference play after a short holiday break, dropping to a 2-10 record after losing against Addison Trail. East Senior Michael DiBeasi is a point guard for the team. He said of the team’s performance, “You win some, you lose some. It’s not specifically anyone’s fault. We just know what we need to get better at now and work on it.”

Bowling

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Girls Basketball The Lady Eagles were also slow to get the momentum going in their own holiday tournament at Saint Viator High School. In the opening round, they lost their first game to Zion Benton, 42-63. The girls then got the ball rolling when they overcame Lane Tech with a big win at 48-35, increasing their record to 4-8. The excitement was short-lived, however, after they fell to Plainfield North during their second game, 2837. The Lady Eagles then ended the Saint Viator tournament on a sour note after a loss to Maine East, 32-43. East Senior Jenny Ortiz is a forward for the girls team. She commented on the team’s attitude: “We get upset, but that’s expected. But we don’t sulk too long. We just transfer all of our energy to practice and making us better as a team and individually. Most of our losses aren’t by huge numbers; it’s just tiny mistakes that we keep making that we need to improve on going forward.”

Wrestling

The Leyden Bowling team had a great winter break in terms of competitions. They had two meets over break, placing top 10 at the Regis HS invite and top 15 at the Prospect HS Invite. West Senior Daniela Abundes highlighted her team’s victory in the winter meets: “Some girls bowled more than 200, and that helped to really propel us. We all bonded during the meets, so the team chemistry helps a lot.”

The wrestlers found mixed results during the break. During the two-day meet at Palatine High School on December 27 and 28, the wrestlers placed 26 out of 32 teams. On January 5, the team had a conference meet at Addison Trail, where they lost 36-19. They gained their momentum back at the Leydenhosted Eagle Invite. The Eagles took 9th out of 15 teams. “They’re a really young team this year,” Athletic Director Randy Conrad said. “They’ve bounced back from losses with a lot of grace.”

Super Bowl LI: High Flyers vs. Familiar Faces

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Joey Graf

he playoffs are done and the Super Bowl is here. For football fans, this exciting time of year is compelling. Whether your favorite team is playing or not, you’re going to end up following every minute. Let’s start with the New England Patriots. With plenty of playoff experience, they really are the most dominant team for this year’s playoffs. “Along with the championship experience of the team, I think the Patriots overall strength on both offense and defense will carry them to another championship,” Damian Kosakowski said. As an avid fan, he’s confident the Patriots offense is undeniably dominant. “Tom Brady’s productiveness this season has been unbelievable, and LeGarrette Blount has been outstanding in the running game. All the pieces of the Patriots team are working at full capacity, and that’s what makes them so special.” After an

extremely dominant game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. “That game the Patriots really showed what they are capable of. If I were playing against them, I would be pretty scared.” According to Belichick, the Patriots head coach, stopping the Falcons dominant offense is going to be hardest. With a great victory against the Packers, the Atlanta Falcons have found a place in this year’s Super Bowl. The Atlanta Falcons have arguably the best offense in the NFL - and will definitely put up a good fight against the Patriots. “In my opinion, the Falcons have the best offense. Matt Ryan is on his A-game and can really move the ball down the field. What they lack defensively is made up offensively. I expected them to have some trouble with the Packers, but they absolutely destroyed them. I expect a really close game, but in the end I see the Patriots taking it home.” The Super Bowl is scheduled for February 5th at 5:30 PM. Even if you aren’t a football fan, I still recommend that you watch this great game.

Undisputed Greatness

Patriots QB Tom Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick are headed to their seventh Super Bowl together. No other quarterback or head coach has made it to seven. Fans sound off on what’s special about each.

“With or without this Super Bowl, Tom Brady and Belichick are going down in history” --Joey Capozzi, Senior

“Without this Super Bowl Brady still holds the record for most Super Bowl starts. So if they get destroyed he is still a legend.” --Damian Kosakowski, Senior

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SPORTS

January 2017

Friendly Fight:

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Photos by Pete Skylakos

Athletes find rivalry, motivation across sports Krystian Misiewicz

ports has sparked the most memorable rivalries in history. Messi and Ronaldo in soccer. Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson in track. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in boxing. Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing in basketball. And now, the beginning of 2017 has fostered an East Leyden athletics rivalry: Fabian Vega versus Damian Kosakowski. Both student athletes come from different backgrounds, play different sports, and show their superior athleticism in their athletic physical education class. And at the start of the New Year, the two friends decided to combine their resolution for even better physical health with some healthy competition. Each entered the competition with some knowledge of their relative strengths and weaknesses. “I met Fabian in my freshman Algebra II honors class, and we talked for a good 30 seconds then. He’s pretty dang smart,” Kosakowski explains. “The rivalry started with the whole football versus soccer rivalry. In athletic, we would see who would make the times on the run day, run a faster 40, jump higher, or do better in the weight room. Since Fabian is one of the best athletes in the school, I always kind of chased him.” “I’ve known of Damian since freshman year, but we’ve become friends at the beginning of senior year. We started to become close when we started competing with each other in athletic this year,” Vega explains. “The rivalry started between us when we got put in the same athletic and both of us had the ‘be the best mentality.” “I have always been playing sports. When I was little, I would always be running

around and built the competitiveness in me,” Kosakowski said. “I have always been quick and always wanted to play in club soccer to be competitive and win. And that grew into high school soccer as well.” At Leyden, he played defense for the varsity soccer team and currently plays for the AAC Eagles club team. “Being athletic was really something that has always been a part of my lifestyle. So, I was put into sports when I was a kid, and I just grew into my athleticism,” says Vega. “I’ve played sports since I was 4.” At Leyden, he was a tailback on the varsity football team and is currently a sprinter on the track team. “Fabian is a little bit quicker, better on his feet, and jumps higher. He is lighter than me, so he is more agile. We both can put some pretty decent weight in the weight room,” Kosakowski explains. “I would say Damian is a little more reserved than me. We both want to be the best and work hard to do it, and not only are we competition to each other but we push each other to succeed playing sports at the next level,” says Vega. Their competition would be manifested everyday in athletic P.E. “Right before the semester ended, there was a

pyramid run for athletic. I thought to myself that I had to beat Damian at every run to be the best in the class,” explains Vega. “Before the runs, we would look at each other. However, he beat me, but I knew I gave everything.” “Since I won’t be playing soccer for my college, I just want to stay healthy with a decent body fat percentage and keep getting stronger. My goal is to weigh about 210 pounds by halfway through freshman year of college,” says Kosakowski. “For 2017 I’m trying to build muscle mass while keeping a top speed because I’ve never been able to do both of those before. I’m doing track for the full indoor and outdoor season this year, and I will continue to work during the summer for football at the next level,” Vega explains. As both of these student-athletes go to college, they will always remember the competition between themselves. It will also inspire them to further their effort either on the field or in the weight room.

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Photo by Pete Skylakos

Guzzi earns “C” during tough season Joey Graf

hat does the letter “C” mean to you? To most it is just a letter, but to a hockey player, it’s an honor. A letter C sewn onto your jersey stands for captain, and it is only given to the very best or to the player who shows the most leadership and who can carry out a leader’s responsibilities. For Leyden’s Brandon Guzzi this year, that’s meant keeping the team going even in the toughest losses. “I wasn’t too surprised considering I’m the only senior on the team this year. This year we aren’t going to be much, but [our efforts] will show the coaches what we will be capable of in the next few years,” Guzzi said. “I guess I feel a little bit of pressure but I always try to stay on my A-game even when I wasn’t captain. I feel like I’m always ready for anything and will always try to keep my team positive in the worst situations.” According to his teammates, Guzzi is doing a great job. “I think Brandon is a great fit for the captain position. He knows how to pump people up, and you will never see him getting down while on the ice. A few games ago Brandon injured his hip and was barely able to skate. He didn’t tell the coach and played the entire game with full power. If that isn’t worthy of the captain position I don’t know what is. Brandon definitely deserves his rank, not only because the way he plays but because he is always at his A game no matter what,” said freshman player Dominic Capozzi. “Although we aren’t playing too

well, he always seems to stay positive about the next game. When he hits the ice, he’s doing it for the team.” “Our team really is struggling at the moment and we are trying our hardest to put on a show for the crowd and take home a

W. This team is capable of winning games we just need to keep calm while on the ice and try our hardest. Come support us next game, we may not win but we will definitely try and put on a good show.”

Senior Nights

Cristal Salgado-Franco & Jodi DuBrock As the end of the winter season rolls in all bittersweet feelings arise for all seniors playing their last match leaving their last experience as their legacy at Leyden. When it’s all said and done and the season wraps up all we have are the memories made on and off the mat. This is the last time Shane Dziadosz will perform on behalf of Leyden Wrestling. Wrestling has been a large part of his life, looking to the future on what is next is always a tough. That isn’t any hard task for Dziadosz “I’m not sure where I’m going yet but I am exploring all my options in order to make the best choice possible.” There was no doubt in Dziadosz’s mind in whether or not to continue pursuing victories in the sport where he shows so much mastery and proficiency. Going to his senior night Dziadoz’s was “Looking forward to winning tonight getting that dub and as well as getting some food tonight and getting fat.” That was definitely a plan he could carry out to the very end. Winning his last match as his family came out to support him throughout his wrestling career not making this night any less special. A special thanks to Shane Dziadosz for the outstanding commitment and performance to Leyden’s wrestling.

Congrats to Seniors Ginani Badillo and Jenny Ortiz for winning their last home game against Addison Trail High School. The game was tied 39-39 with 3 seconds left in the game when Senior Jenny Ortiz hit a buzzer beater to win the game. What a way to end your basketball season as a senior at Leyden. Jenny Ortiz said “Senior night was way better than I expected, the crowd there to support really made the team have confidence in what we were doing and it led us to be successful.” Senior Ginani Badillo said, “The preparation for senior night really helped also, we watched film, practiced what we needed to improve on and our coach really prepared us for this win.” Both of them said, “Thank you for everyone who showed up because it really made our senior night a great experience.”