May 2017
East Leyden High School
Franklin Park, IL 60131
3400 Rose Street
Where in the world is...Ms. Kosanovic ?
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Cristal Salgado-Franco
xpanding the world for our students,” stated Ms. Sonja Kosanovic, explaining the value of a weeks-long travel experience to Senegal. She hopes her experience will lead to lesson that get students to “see more than just Franklin Park and River Grove, that our world is bigger than what we see around us. But it’s actually smaller because we can do things with people in other places in the world.” That’s what Ms. Kosanovic did after being awarded with a United States fellowship, Teachers for Global Classrooms. She observed what a traditional classroom looks like in another part of the world. “I did a lot of observing and some teaching,” she said. And the experience definitely broadened her perspective as she witnessed “schools that literally have a chalkboard and that’s it, [where] the teacher has to bring in the chalk and the wet sponge to wipe the board. That’s all the supplies they have there.” She compared this to teaching here, where she’s fortunate to teach in a class of 20 to 30 students all comfortably seated in an air-conditioned classroom, technology at their fingertips and the latest of innovative classroom essentials available for teachers.
Ms. Kosanovic was stunned to see “100 students in their classrooms, literally. I counted because we kept hearing about how big their classrooms were. They’re really that big; they sit on benches three kids to a bench 7 or 8 benches deep, four rows of benches with windowless rooms.” And while the learning conditions were far behind what we know, Ms. Kosanovic was happy to see the students engaged, bringing energy to their learning. She described as “motivated. The thing there is that school isn’t a requirement, so it’s kids who want to be there and who want to learn.” “Eye opening” was the phrase she used after observing these circumstances. She also reflected on how the students don’t seem to mind the crowded rooms or discomfort “because that’s all they know.” Instead, she explained, they make the obstacle a learning experience. Over time and endless fights for equality the United States has made a formal education a fundamental right provided to everyone, but in Senegal and other places, this is not the case. Often, young girls are excluded. Ms. Kosanovic was “glad to learn that girls who hadn’t been pushed in their education, who have been held back because of early marriages or family responsibilities, are now going further and further. Now,
Arms Dealers
Chris Corr Part of Leyden High School’s mission statement is for students to find their passion. When they can do that and give back to the community, that perfects that message. Da Una Mano, which in Spanish means “Give a Hand” is a new club at Leyden Da Una Mano participants. that allows students to give back to the community by coming together to 3D print and customize fingers/hands for children without those parts. East Leyden Senior and Copresident of Da Una Mano, Homero Vazquez described that “the club is actu While Da ally a chapter connected with a company Una Mano relies that sends us recipients.” Those recipients on high tech 3D are kids who are typically missing hands printers and softor fingers and the club is able to design ware, anyone is and 3D print those parts for them. Vazquez welcome to join stated that “The club takes measurements the club and give of the kids’ hands, scale the hand with 3D back to the comsoftware, and assemble the 3D printed parts munity. Vazquez to build the hand.” The club also customizes stressed that “you the hand with different colors and assets and don’t really have to be involved in STEM to then sends them to the recipient. join the club because we can use the talents This club is unique in the sense of everyone.” Vazquez went on to use an that it is something that students don’t example “like if you are in art you can help normally have the opportunity to take part us with the customization of the hand for in. Vazquez commented that “this club can the kid or if you are in photography you can benefit students in many ways” such as help by taking pictures and posting them on “getting service hours for it,” gaining skills our twitter page.” such as teamwork, and problem-solving. If you are interested in joining, Da Students also are able to learn how to use Una Mano meets every week on Tuesdays the 3D sketch software and use 3D printers from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Fridays which are valuable, unique skills. While from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, there are skills to be gained from the club, Vazquez stated that “you are not required Vazquez said the best part is “the good feel- to stay until 5, and you can leave whenever ing of helping a kid.” you want.”
Ms. Sonja Kosanovic traveled to Senegal as part of the Teachers for Global Classrooms program.
there are as many girls as boys, and they’re usually the ones at the top in their class.” To earn the fellowship and the travel opportunity was no easy task for Ms. Kosanovic. The application process was spread out from March to June of last year. “[The program] only accepted 75 teachers across the country.” Following acceptance, Ms. Kosanovic took “an online course in the
fall. They said it was 10 weeks of really, really intense work with 6-8 hours each week, but it was more like 12-15 hours a week on top of everything else. It was very intense.” The goal of the program, according to its website, is as follows: a “professional development opportunity for US elementary, middle, and high school teachers to become leaders in global education. Global education is integral to building 21st century skills, and teachers are the greatest resource to empower students as global citizens. TGC equips teachers to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration.” Ms. Kosanovic hopes to fulfill the last part of the goal by creating lessons for her students that ask them to “investigate the world, respect different perspectives, and to take action.”
Summer Service: One Idea per Month In order to get the Excellence Award, every student is required to complete 20 hours of community service. Sure, it seems like a lot, but in reality, it really isn’t. Thus, the best and quickest way to knock out 20 hours, more or less, is during the summer possibly with a friend or more. Not only does volunteering help you achieve the Excellence Award, but it’s perfect way to receive professional experience, strengthen your community, and most importantly, help make a difference. Every person counts! Here are some local and neighboring opportunities for every month during summer!
June
Leyden Lions Minor League Football
Who: The Leyden Lions Minor League Football (501c3 organization) What: Volunteers for their six home football games! Duties will include the hydration station, pre game field setup, chain crew, post game field breakdown and other duties as assigned by the Coaching Staff. Where: Babe Serpico Field - 1000 N. 25th Ave When: Saturdays; volunteers needed at 5 PM Why: Each event will garner you seven service hours. Contact Information: Mr. Hughes via email hughes@leydenlions.com (phone number: 773822-3380) stating the student’s name and school and the date(s) they would like to volunteer. Website - www.leydenlions.com and http://www.melrosepark.org/ralph-babe-serpico-memorialfield
July
Association of Horizon Summer Camp
Who: Association of Horizon Summer Camp which is a non-profit dedicated to breaking down boundaries between those with and without physical disabilities. What: At camp, volunteers ages 16+ are paired one-on-one with adult campers with physical disabilities for a week of recreation and learning from one another. Where: Timber Pointe Outdoor Center near Bloomington, IL When: July 16-22 from 11:30 PM - 3:30 PM Why: Student volunteers develop responsibility, leadership, communication and communitybuilding skills. Knockout 144 Hours of Service! Contact Information: Karlyn Gehring via karlyn.gehring@associationofhorizon.org Website - http://associationofhorizon.org/wordpress/
August
Chicago Canine Rescue
Who: Chicago Canine Rescue assists the animals that are the MOST vulnerable in our city – the dogs and cats that are slated for euthanasia because they are too old, too young, too injured, have disabilities, or have simply been overlooked for too long by potential adopters at other shelters. What: Walking, bathing, watering, and cleaning the dogs and facility; students must be at least 18 years or older with a photo ID and comfortable shoes; students 16 years and older must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times Where: 5272 N. Elston Ave. Chicago, IL 60630 When: Any day from 10am-7pm; according to your schedule Why: You can volunteer as it fits your schedule and devote as much or little time as you want. No need to commit a certain day or time every week Contact Information: via volunteer@chicagocaninerescue.com Website and Form - http://ccrf.mmaternity.com/index.asp?HTMLPAGE=YES&HTMLREF=cc_ New_Volunteer
2 Talking about the Day of Silence May 2017
News
Chris Corr - @Chris_Studios Leyden strives to make the environment within the school safe for everyone, with a focus on kindness and regular displays asking for acceptance of all viewpoints. The annually supported Day of Silence is perhaps the most significant test of that environment. GLSEN.org describes the day as “bringing awareness to the silencing effects of anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBTQ behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment on LGBTQ students and those perceived to be LGBTQ.” Like every high school, Leyden is not entirely free from the hatred and discrimination that the Day of Silence calls to attention, but according to participants, it’s clear that Leyden is doing its best to ensure all students are safe. East Leyden Junior Waldo Diaz participated in the Day of Silence and stated that the event “benefits students who are afraid of expressing themselves and brings awareness to those that are afraid to speak up.” Considering that participants in the event wear signs declaring their position and go through a full day of school without speaking, they are easy to identify for those who discriminate. Diaz “noticed that there have been two different groups of people
Ms. Curley and students prepare for the Day of Silence (Photo from Ms. Curley’s Twitter, 2014)
who have reacted to me doing this: they support and congratulate me or they laugh and say something to me.” While some people make harsh comments towards Diaz’s participation in the event and he is aware of at least one small act of vandalism to a sign for the event, he said that it does not bother him. He knows “that he is supporting a greater cause.” And faculty support for the event also helps students like Diaz know that they’re in a predominantly accepting envi-
Mood movies Nataliya Grygorash - @missnatacusia
Every day, you have a social and emotional impact on the people that you communicate with, positive or negative. Either it’s face-to-face, through the phone or online, it doesn’t matter. Those people can be your friends, teacher, parents, and even a cashier at a store. And you have the ability to monitor and modify what you send out and how you receive the impact of others. These are some of the big ideas that the social workers here at East Leyden have been trying to stress in a three-part video series shown to all students via period two classrooms throughout the year. Our schools social workers, Mrs. Meg Rivera, Mrs. Rachelle Minus, and Mr. Arturo Martinez created the videos, with the help from East counselors, about the social and emotional situations. Mrs. Rivera explained, “At the beginning of last school year, we were tasked with the initiative of really focusing on social and emotional learning, the social and emotional standards that are present. And Leyden really wanted to focus more on making sure that we not only attend to academic needs with students but also [to their] emotional needs.” The videos depicted scenarios designed to show students how to, for example, not overreact to things, to try to look more into the situation before making a rash decision. Mrs. Rivera said, “We searched different program and different ways to approach the social and emotional standards out to all of the students. So, we settled on really looking into emotional intelligences and providing [training] through the videos. Logistically, for three of us to be able to in deliver to all students was easier [than in person].” Jazmine Rockett, a senior at East Leyden, provided her reaction to the training this year: “I think that it was a great video to showcase for many students who have so many different emotions.” Another student said that the video was actually educational. They were glad that the school was able to portrait students and their emotions. Alyan Nieves, senior at East Leyden, said, “I thought the video was very good and fun to watch. It’s nice seeing the staff showing that they actually care for us and our emotions.” By delivering the lessons via video, it allowed classroom teachers to learn and be connected to the material as well. Students, like Rockett, appreciated that connection: “I believe that the teachers care because from what I have seen out of my four years at Leyden the teachers are always there for me. They would ask me things like, how are you or how do you feel.” She said that teachers personally came to her house to check on her to see if she was OK after a car accident that she got in with her mother. “I remember getting into a accident last year and Mrs. Blevins and Mrs. Holtgrewe came to visit me at my house, and they brought me food. They really cheered me up as we talked, and it showed me that they do care about how I feel emotionally and my well being.” Mrs. Rivera said, “It is nice to hear that the student took the video nicely and that their classmates enjoyed it. We hoped that the students get something out the video, and not just the day they watched the video, but all the time. So it was really nice hearing a positive review.”
ronment. Italian teacher Ms. Michele Curley believes that “Leyden is pretty good and safe for LGBTQ+ students” and that the school itself does a great job of supporting every student the best that it can and supports the LGBTQ+ community a great deal by encouraging the event. But she stressed that “acceptance and celebration of this community and any marginalized community takes daily work and commitment. Sometimes people slip and say or do hurtful things. It’s
our job as upstanders to say, ‘Hey, that’s not what we say/do here at Leyden.” It’s also important to speak about the occasional slip up and acknowledge the perspectives of those who oppose LGBTQ+ progress. Across the country, universities have been reviving the debate about how to handle the free speech rights of those who discriminate. Protests surrounding popular far-right speakers have led to cancellation and claims that the goal of creating safe spaces is leading to schools to become places where students are metaphorically bubble-wrapped. Curley does not believe that Leyden “bubble wraps” students and that “we talk about what’s happening in the world and the different ways people perceive and react to events.” Events like the Day of Silence may imply progressive political viewpoints, but Leyden teachers who participate focus on the anti-bullying message and attempt to remain neutral by honoring discussion. Curley said, “Leyden does its best to support ALL students on all sides of various issues” and that she “gives voice to all opinions in the classroom as long as they are presented in a respectful way. People can disagree about issues and they can discuss them in a civil, respectful way.”
Show of Strength
Reactions to the Trump administration’s military moves Jaime Nazario - @thetitorivera 59 Tomahawk Airstrike missiles were fired at an airbase in Syria on the evening of April. A week later the United States dropped the “Mother of all Bombs,” a M.O.A.B. into an underground tunnel complex in Afghanistan. These military actions by President Donald Trump and his administration, coming early in his presidency, have caused many to weigh in on how they feel the new administration will conduct military affairs. East Leyden Social Studies teacher Mr. Tom Cerasani said, “I felt that the strike on Syria was a proportionate action to take. I feel there is a level of confusion in Syria right now, and that the US should not get involved with ground troops until we can have a clear mission there.” The M.O.A.B. strike was noteworthy for the fact that its the biggest non-nuclear bomb in existence. The 21,000+ ton bomb connected with an underground tunnel unit on April 13, 2017. “Gunfire was audible in the background of a video from local Afghan police, and was posted this week. Another Social Studies teacher, Mr. Robert Fowler is a little more concerned by this act of force. “This was kind of a spectacle. A way to grab the headlines you know? ‘US drops the largest bomb since the Atomic Bomb!’”
Is the military force being used against terrorism a bit too much? East Leyden junior Firas Harb sated, “Any strike and any bomb is really scary, and the thought of it happening to us is really scary, but at least it’s not happening to us.” So, the question then becomes, what is the faith of the fellow citizens on President Trump overseeing these actions? Harb said, “I’m sure he knows what he’s doing since he sent the strikes.” Cerasani agreed: “I have faith that the president will rely on the advice of experts in these areas and react accordingly. I think only time will tell whether or not these actions were effective, but I hope President Trump limits military action in these parts of the world unless he and his advisors feel it is completely necessary.”
Features
May 2017
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Work Program recognition
Nada Marei- @NadaMarei1 very year, Leyden invites the employers that have worked with students in the Cooperative Work program to a celebratory brunch, honoring their commitment and their work with Leyden students. This year’s Cooperative Brunch was held in the Nardini Library on Friday, April 21, . Mr. Frank Holthouse, Director of Careers and Community Outreach said, “The Cooperative Brunch was to really just honor the employers’ commitment and partnership with Leyden. It took a lot of work to get students placed into the right career choices, and they had to grow a lot. It’s really a two way road--we are just appreciative of the opportunity to work with employers.” The brunch was a chance for the students and the employers to come in, sit together, and talk about the year. It was also an opportunity for students to present their employers. “We had about 15 tables, and what we did was have at each table a couple of students. [The visitor]wasn’t just anyone from their company, but it was their supervisor that they had. For this event, we worked with our co-op coordinators, and they went out to sites, talked with that mentor person, and saw where they helped our students to grow, and then we invited that person in particular to the luncheon,” explained Mr. Holthouse. One of the memorable events in the luncheon for Mr. Holthouse was that he “had a chance to sit down with a family, and it’s pretty interesting to see the perspective of this as well as the students’ appreciation
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for the connection between the high school and the next big step.” “One of the biggest challenges that our students have,” he explained, “is asking ‘Why am I doing this?’ To be able to see that connection, to be able to apply what they learned in class in the real world right away is super powerful. But it takes a lot of work, and that’s why we are so appreciative of just the multitude of companies that were willing to open their doors, let us in, and be willing to work with us.” Natalie Bross, a senior student in the work program explained the benefits. “It’s a class made for people with jobs that can get out of school a little bit earlier so that they can pursue their job. I really like this class because it’s two different [parts]. It’s co-op work program class where we learn how to interview, how to get our profiles out there, and anything about the LinkedIn app. And the other side of the class is actually going to your job, seeing what you do, and you also get graded by your supervisor.” She also enjoyed the luncheon. “It’s just about appreciating the employers and giving us a chance to show them how we are doing, and how we are gaining experience.” Before the Work Program, Bross worked at Rich’s Fresh Market for about a year. “I actually had one of my best friends work with me so it was great!” Then, she chose a different job; she is currently working at Nike Rosoment. “It’s a little like sporty type of thing which is my idea of a different job, so I really like my job right now.” At the brunch, Bross had a speaking role, and was happy to show “appreciation for the people who have hired us and given us a chance.” Mr. Holthouse described that the program aims to teach: “small things we call soft skills, like interviewing for the first time and learning how to represent yourself. We really work on those small things then move to the technical skills. We want to make sure that students leave, and they are ready for their careers.” “It’s a definitely a good idea to take the class, even if you don’t have a job,” Bross said. “The teachers are a great support to help find you a job, even the classmates actually; any opportunities at their job, they can tell you about it. So, if you are really looking for a job and want to pursue it, you should choose the work program,” Bross added.
“We want to make sure that students leave, and they are ready for their careers.”
Digging service Nada Marei- @NadaMarei1 olunteers from East and West Leyden participated in a one day “Spring Spruce” volunteer project on Thursday, May 4, working with the maintenance department to help plant new flowers, clean-up around the outside of the building, and just spruce things up. Volunteers from Key Club and Interact Club had fun, enjoyed planting flowers, ate pizza together, and most importantly helped prepare for the spring! Mr. Frank Holthouse, director of career and community outreach, was the person in charge of this event. He asked club sponsors to check with their club members if they would like to volunteer for the Spring Spruce and it turned out to be a successful and fun event! “The Spring Spruce Up was a chance for students to clean up the grounds after winter. Students took more ownership in the school,” said Mr. Holthouse. This was actually the third year for Leyden running this project. “At West, students transplanted plants that needed to be removed for construction. At East, students planted over 60 plants in the front of the school,” explained Mr. Holthouse. “We had 15 students participate at West, and 16 students participate at East.” Holthouse offered “a big shout out to our excellence maintenance departments for making sure we had the tools and supplies that were needed.” Amal Sharaan, a Junior student at East, participated in the Spring Spruce event that happened. She went and volunteered with her friends for Interact Club. “A bunch of students helped in the Spring Spruce at East, and the maintenance staff were there too. They planted some flowers by the main
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entrance,” she explained. “Basically we got a short introduction on how to plant the flowers, and after that they [the maintenance team] let us do whatever we wanted [plant the flowers on our own]. We had freedom
to do our own little designs.” In addition to helping improve the look of the school, the volunteer opportunity shows the value of taking ownership in one’s school. Sharaan explained, “If you are not happy with the community around you, get involved to change it. If you are happy with it [still] get involved to give back and keep it that way. Leyden offers tons of opportunities where you can do that- it doesn’t have to be planting flowers. You can give back in tons of other ways.” Sharaan wanted to send “a big thank you to Mr. Holthouse. He goes beyond just organizing volunteer events to help out the community; you always see him helping out right with us.”
Exchange student reflects on extended stay Alessandra Muro magine going to a completely different country, where almost no one speaks your language and having to live with a completely new family. Imagine being an exchange student for six months. Anna Greiner, from Naples, Italy, is doing just that. To her, coming to the United States was a completely new experience: a new school, a new home, and a new city. She’s visited the US before, through Leyden’s Italian-Exchange student program, along with fellow classmates, but this time she’s here on her own. An Italian agency went to her school to talk about this opportunity, and she took it. It’s not your typical ItalianExchange program, where you would pay and come live with a host family. Anna informs me that only “good students get chosen” for this opportunity. There’s a test
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they have to go through, since it’s through an agency and not actually school. Not only that, but she’s been living here for almost six months. She’s had to adapt to the American way of life, which for her was “hard at the beginning” but now she’s more accustomed to it. To her, school is very different here than it is in Italy. In Italy, they “only have Sunday off” meaning they go to school Monday through Saturday. School in Italy is also “shorter [because] it starts at 8 and ends at 1.” They don’t have “sports in school [and] they don’t have activities.” They strictly go to study. She states that in order to be in a sport, or in any activity, it has to be done outside of school and they usually have to pay for it. One huge difference between American and Italian schools that she’s noticed are tests. In Italy, they get “oral tests, which here [we] don’t.” Even though the
schools have their differences, Anna says, “The schools here are so much better.” In Italy, they don’t have events such as our Junior Olympics, which to her was a great experience. “The teachers are so nice here, the sports, the spirit, everything is just so much better here,” states Anna. Even though she only arrived here in December, she adapted pretty quickly to her new lifestyle. Anna adapted quickly, but she tells me that “the first month was hard.” “Leaving all my family and friends was hard. When I came here I couldn’t understand people.” Even on her first day of school, she “came home crying” because everything “was so hard and [she] couldn’t understand the teachers when they explained, but now it’s easier.” Anna also tells me that her “host family is the best ever!” Her host mom is like her real mom, personality wise, and they have helped her out a lot. Sarah Kra-
jewski, her host, “has become like a sister” to Anna, and she’s going to “miss them so much” when she leaves. When I asked Anna about the food difference between Italy and the US, she told me the food here has lots of diversity. In Italy, they have traditional Italian food, but here the food is different.“People eat the same food” in Italy, but in the US, “people tend to go out more for fast food.” She had her first taco here in the US, and she even had her first bonfire here. Although Anna has been living here for 6 months, she can’t wait to go back home to her family and tell them all about her experience.
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OPINIONS
May 2017
To Mother, with love... M
Olivia Soto- @woahitsolivia
other's Day was this past Sunday, on May 14, and I’m certain many of us enjoyed the annual celebration of motherhood, maternal bonds, and the wholesome contribution to society of women raising children. Some started the day with flowers and breakfast in bed, and others likely offered mom a new piece of jewelry that she probably doesn’t need. As important as it is to show a token of appreciation to moms with a meal out or a gift, for this Mother’s Day, I wanted to actually get to know my mother, to put the phone down, and just be with her. I wanted to ask her questions about her life before having me, and strengthen our relationship. As the day approached, I started to consider that Mother's Day should be more than a celebration of our moms. We need to celebrate the woman that each mom is. What qualities does she have that makes her so special to you or the rest of the world? Is it the bubbling energy she brings into a room, the laughter than can make anyone feel better, or the strong independence she radiates that makes her a phenomenal woman. I challenge you to take time post Mother’s Day to commit to strengthening the relationship with your mother this year. Take time out of your day to sit down, get
to know her and ask her questions. Find out what makes her, her. Not only will you know more about her, but you will be best friends, showing that you care about her not only as a mom, but as a woman. It’s a learning process that adult women, like Social Studies teacher Ms. Caroline Holtgrewe, have found to be fulfilling. “I’m very lucky to have a great relationship with my mom. She is one of my best friends. The relationship between her and myself is one of the most important in my life. I hope that if my daughter Penny feels half that connection that I feel between myself and my mom, I would be lucky.”As much as our mothers want flowers and sleeping in or getting a meal out, Ms. Holtgrewe has a message to share to her daughter, “I would just want for Penny to know that I am always there for her and that I will always support her no matter what.” But, since Penny is still an infant, Ms. Holtgrewe was happy to look forward to this “perfect” celebration: “I would just love a day of just playing. It's just us, not having to worry about any other consideration. That would be my perfect day. For young women, like me and junior Anmar Cabral, even strong relationships are still relationships in progress. “I think the relationship between me and my mom's pretty strong. I always like to make sure everything is aligned. I always like to make sure that I always have a connection
Exemption pilot problems
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inals week is here, and I can only imagine how many people are in the same boat as I am: lamenting all of the finals I could be exempt from. If you are taking a class in a department that has chosen to adopt the new policy, you have to have an A or B in that class. In addition, you also have to have a 95% attendance rate, no more than three tardies in one class, and no more than eight tardies overall for that semester. Keep in mind, there are departments who have chosen to keep their own final exempt policies. In my perspective, these department policies are more lenient. The new final exempt policy is a great opportunity for juniors and first semester seniors as departments did not have exemption policies for these exams. But, in comparison to the old final exempt policies, the school-wide rules are too restrictive for second semester seniors. In past years, some departments had grade-only second semester exam requirements, meaning students needed either an A or B. I believe improving attendance is a very important goal, but using it as a factor for final exemption for second semester seniors could be very counterproductive. I see the point of view of the administration for putting this policy in place with hopes of higher attendance rates and that could be the case for some students, but as a 17-year-old high school student, I can testify that is usually not the case. Good attendance is not really a matter of choice, and we often have little control over it. While attendance can be a determinant for how well a student does in a class, it doesn't need to be. Senior Cassie Little, an honor student, shared that due to her attendance she is unable to be exempt from all her finals. She took days off for college visits and sickness. She believes that her attendance shouldn’t impact her academic opportunities, especially at the very end of her high school career.
Madison Stompor- @maxdisxn When talking to a group of seniors about the policy and how it affects them, Senior Giselle Diaz shared that when she is tardy, it is almost always due the famous Franklin Park freight train on her way to school. “I have three tardies in my first period, and I know if I get one more, I will have to take all my finals even though I have mostly A’s. It’s a stressful ride to school, you never know when a freight train will come.” Tardies are not always a student being irresponsible or lazy; sometimes it is just simply out of their hands. In my own personal experience, I have never been good at time management, and I am often late to my 0-1 period band class that starts at 7:05 a.m. I rush every morning to be on time, but I have still received four tardies in this period. I have no tardies in any other classes and I have 96% attendance rate. I am going to have to take all my finals except my science final, since they have their own rule in place. I am going to have to take a final for all my electives that I have an A in, and it seems like a waste of time. To listen to a teacher’s perspective, I talked to Mr. Heisler who expressed his honest opinion, “I feel like this new policy is great for upperclassmen; it’s a great motivator. As for seniors who are about to graduate, I’m not so sure. Seniors are so close to the finish line, it seems unnecessary to put this rule in place for them, especially since senior year is a lot of electives.” Having to incorporate finals during the last couple weeks of senior year is a drag when factoring in prom, senior brunch, graduation and all the other events going on at this busy time. Especially when it’s due to having four tardies in one class or a 94% attendance rate and not because you have a poor grade in a class. I respect the school’s effort to strive for a better attendance rate, but it seems quite unfair to the second semester seniors who have a ton on their plate and maintain an A or B in their classes.
Olivia and her mom pose together on New Year's Eve. with her and very open with my mom.” But She’s a master of the small things: leaving she adds, “I also want to know about my a cute sticky note on my morning breakfast mom too, I want to be able to say I knew or just giving a reassuring hug. I want to be my mom and the life she had before having able to return the favor, and I imagine most me. I want to know how she met my dad, of my peers do, too. what similarities we share, and just spend Our mothers, and any person in our time with her.” life who plays the motherly role, deserve to As a senior, I have to say these know that we appreciate them. A special day four years flew by fast. Throughout this once a year is a nice token of appreciation, whole experience through high school, the but we can do more. Especially now, as our ups and the downs, my mom was always at moms watch us grow into adulthood, a new my side. When I come home from school, responsibility for us should be to show our she still asks “How was school today?” as appreciation through connection. We don’t I walk through the door. I’m learning more need to let go of the hand that has held us. and more to actually sit down, share my day, As we mature, so too should the manner in and to listen to hers. When I have one of which we show our appreciation for mom. those bad days, whether is was getting in a fight with my best friend or bombing a test, my mom could always make me feel better.
Making the big decision, twice
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hether you’ve had your college figured out since you could write, have the posters hung up in your room, or chant the school song everyday, just know that in a few months you’ll probably change your mind. At least that’s what I did, and I’m not alone. Everyone at some point talks about wanting to go a top university, going away from home, and receiving all the scholarships that are given. But trust me, that’s not the case. I’ve always wanted to move away from home as long as I could remember. The first school that I considered my “dream school’ was in 8th grade at the University of Notre Dame. I had no inkling about what that school actually had to offer. Let’s be honest. I didn’t even know the town the school was located in. The only reason that school stood out to m e was because I had just watched a movie titled “Rudy,” highlighting that college. So of course, it had to be the first one I wanted to go to. But now that I look back, I soon realized that their top majors being finance and accounting are something I cringe over. Looking on USNEWS there’s a 30% chance of having more than 50 students in my classes. And their $65,000 tuition makes me laugh now, as if I was ever capable of paying that much. I now am committed to going to Dominican University, which I had never expected to be saying. Looking into its top majors of business and management coordinate with mine. Having a .05% chance of having more than 50 students in a class. And only a $30,000 tuition, which I have to pay a quarter of seems the most realistic. Talking to Mrs. Schulz, counselor and senior group guidance coordinator.
Victoria Valentin- @vicky_valentin “The biggest contribution to minds changing would be money and the way financial aid packets come back.” Students may get a lot of scholarships from a certain school, but when that school already has a high tuition to start with, that scholarship may only make a little difference; that’s not enough. At the start of the year it’s all about academics and the students “social fit” until students are actually faced with the reality of how they’re going to pay for it. “At the start of the school year there aren’t as many students saying they’re going to a community college, by the end of the year that number is up.” I’m not writing this article to try and bust your bubble or ruin your entire life plan. This is to prepare you to not panic. Yes, money or distance may come as a new problem, but don’t freak out. Everyone gets sticker shock when they don’t know what to expect. But in order to avoid a total breakdown you must keep your options open and not to shut down schools because of stereotypical wants and needs. Make sure you know yourself and what you like and you’ll soon realize that maybe that college that you didn’t get accepted too is not the one for you. Don’t get me wrong there are those people who have had their futures planned since first grade and have followed through with them. In that case you are the few that are very lucky, and I envy you. But as much as you try to figure it out I realized that a couple months before May 1st is upon us you may change your decision. And that is okay, don’t freakout like I did. At the beginning of senior year you still have so much in front of you. If you haven’t started college visits or research decisions are prone to change. Just plan for it.
Opinions
May 2017
Promposal Perspectives Alex Guzman
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ou know Prom is right around the corner when your timeline is congested with extravagant promposals. There’s nothing wrong with posting snippets of these moments, but why do we feel the need to publicize every single moment along the way? I guess you could argue it’s “senior year.” And we’re just trying to collect all our last memories together before embarking on the journey that is adulthood. Writer Olivia Fleming from the Daily Mail explains, “The simple days of shyly asking ‘Will you go to prom with me?’ are over — instead, ‘promposals,’ which mimic marriage proposals without the lifelong commitment, are filling America’s high school halls.” Does asking a significant other in front of the whole school (or the whole internet) really make a difference? As someone who came close to asking someone else to prom in a rather large way, I do see the value behind promposals and sharing these moments. But what doesn’t add up is why we need to be so ‘extra’ and feel the need to publicize every moment of our lives. What makes things worse is that we do it on every single social media platform, so it’s not like I can escape the ever cascading stories of the infamous promposal. Like I said, don’t get me wrong, I can see the benefits of going big--I mean it’s senior year and you want it to be memorable--but the repetitive videos are what kill me. One promposal video isn’t all that bad. I mean they show you care, and the effort you put into it, but I don’t need to see the same thing used on every single social media platform. I mean come on guys, it’s cool to post it once, but don’t be repetitive or steal someone else’s idea. If I can see that idea has been used several different times on one swipe on my timeline, there’s an issue.
Promposal from senior, Jorge Gutierrez to senior, Hadassah Moser By no means am I making this a public service announcement that I think you need to go and ask your crush by spending hundreds of dollars on “PROM?” by spelling it out on the Chicago Theater sign. I’m not saying don’t do it either. You can be simple and cheap and still knock someone’s socks off. I mean, why stress yourself out with the proposal when you have other things to focus on like what you’re going to wear, transportation to and from prom, and graduation requirement course grades. All I’m trying to stress is that when you publicize it so much and repeat promposal ideas you lose some of the charm and panache that comes with these moments. Be original in these ideas because they’re not meant to be something you compete on who has the better proposal, or who gets the most likes/retweets.
How Prom Made Me Start “Adulting” Victoria Valentin Whether it be choosing your one and only dress, looking for a tailor, ordering a corsage/boutonniere, organizing a limo, collecting down payments for a cabin, or calling restaurants to find a reservation to a restaurant, Prom is truly a crossing over. I’ve had to do a whole lot of “adulting” for this dance, and I’m not alone. We started planning our end of the year hurrah, and the Prom cabin has been an exercise in being more grown up than I thought. My friends and I had to decide who was going, where we were going, and how much money we would have to spend. It took us two months for everyone to get on the same page. We had to communicate with the owner of the cabin and figure out how we were going to pay the money in separate payments. Talking to Mike Dibeasi, one of the people who had to coordinate the prom cabin, he said, “it was really stressful to get everyone to agree to one thing.” Having so many opinions to try and manage was a lot to take on. But I did have to do some important things on my own. I won’t lie; I felt the pressure. I had to find a tailor whom I could trust to shorten my dress, find someone else to do my hair and makeup, get my nails done, eyebrows done. It’s not too much for one person to handle, but it’s more organization than lots of teens are used to. It’s just been an interesting realization that there are some good “adult” lessons that we’re learning as we head into a time when we’re officially leaving childhood behind.
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5 Mariana Urueta-Hernandez
acing an ending senior year and a sparse cabinet of romantic interest (i.e zero), I was left in the weird limbo many other high school students find themselves in. Stores were breaking out prom dresses, peers were busting out half-baked confessions of love via Walgreens poster boards in the midst of the hallways or online. And I was single. I was stressed, and although I repressed it, I couldn’t help but yearn for someone to covet me as their date for prom. However, no rose-tinted glasses could shrink down the horror that was the barrage of promposals I witnessed. Often marketed as a fun stepping stone of senior year, promposals appeared to me more like forced displays of intimacy created to blast across social media in hopes of likes. Another grievance of mine was the farfetched nature I asked myself to prom, and it was of the promposals themselves, often seeming honestly a highlight of my senior year. to require effort that I, a sleep deprived AP student, could only think of as wasted. Add to my disatisfaction with promposals my arguably mediocre looks and even more mediocre personality--imagine me as every awkward Michael Cera scene ever, but much more cynical and pretentious--and well, I didn’t exactly have high hopes for someone handing me a bouquet of flowers anytime soon. And, okay, I not so secretly wanted one. So after way too many cups of coffee and the threat of a boring day looming overhead, I set out on a quest of gigantic proportions. I was going to ask myself to prom, and I was going to turn it into the best damn promposal mockumentary to hit the likes of snapchat on earth. And it was way more fun than I would have ever thought. First of all, the outpouring support floored me. Friends from different states and across social media were smitten with my idea. Many of them, also seniors themselves, voiced their new plans of too asking themselves out. An even larger portion just seemed to be in love with a satire of the sappy promposals that seemed to plague their snapchats quicker than a new drink at starbucks. Even more enjoyable for me was the immensity of the fun. From running around town as if we were pulling a heist to the equipment recon at our local Dollar Store - my promposal was so much bigger than just being a goof by myself. Instead, it was an opportunity to play around and do crafts with my friends - a great reprieve from the otherwise suffocating workload of finals and an experience which led me to an epiphany to match all epiphanies. Promposals should be about the sound of scissors cutting across freshly brought posterboard. About puns so bad that they’re good. About making someone, anyone, have a little more joy in their day. Promposals don’t have to be the crowning jewel on a seven month relationship or big act of bravery - rather promposals should be what they’ve always been at their cores. One last hurrah for childhood, doing something fun for the sake of it being fun. I believe promposals are definitely a tradition worth continuing but only and if only - we remember to have a blast while doing them.
Dear boys who thought about asking me to prom but didn’t: et me start by saying, it’s not me, it’s you. All three of you. I did not spend 18 years of my life rehearsing different ways of saying, “Oh my gosh, no way!” and the different tones of “Awww...” for you ALL to NOT ask me to prom. I also didn’t practice different poses for my snapchat story only to find out that I’m not even getting asked. So yeah, I’m shooketh. After being in the feels for about four years and looking forward to prom night since I was a freshman, I’m writing to all of you because, deep down, I understand the reasons why you all probably didn’t ask me to prom. Anyways, instead of waiting for YOU to give ME reasons why I should go to prom with you, allow me to enlighten you.
actually elbowed my face, and you know what? I took it as a sign that you’re in love with me. I thought that we were a thing. I thought that you were dropping a hint. I thought it meant that I was walking into your life. You literally opened up to me. I don’t understand why you have the audacity and the nerve to open the door for me and not ask me to prom a year later. But now that I think about it, you probably didn’t ask me to prom because of my loudness, excitement, and positivity in life. I know that it’s been a year, and after everything we’ve been through, I’ve realized that I’m a happy person and you’re just...a sad person. I don’t know what it is about you, but because of you, I learned that guys are terrible at catching a hint. Thank you for helping me realize that next time, when I like someone, I should drop bigger hints.
To Potential Prom Date A: I can’t believe you led me on. Seriously? After opening the door for me last year, first semester, before third period of Mr. Narter’s AP English class, at about 9:23 a.m., on that 62 degree October Tuesday, you’re seriously not asking ME to prom? I remember that it was a beautiful fall morning, leaves were falling the way I was falling for you. At first, I thought that you we’re as bright and lively as the yellows and the reds on those falling leaves. But thankfully, it didn’t take me a while to realize that you we’re just about as dry and crusty as those lifeless and dead leaves. In case you don’t remember, you
To Potential Prom Date B: Do you remember that one time I sneezed in Mr. Patt’s class and no one said “bless you” except for you? I remember it so vividly. Mr Patt was teaching something about algebra, you were wearing those black basketball shorts you used to look good in, I sneezed, we locked eyes, and you said, “Bless you.” Let me tell you, I was #blessed when I smiled at you and you smiled back. I know that it might be weird, but I replayed that moment in my head several times. I also happened to kinda maybe sorta expect that you were going to ask me to prom a year later, but apparently not??? I
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Hanna Nazareno
know that although we used to talk to each other frequently and ask each other for the “solution” during math, we we’re nothing but problems for each other. Our “feelings” for each other only lasted for a while until we found a different “variable” and realized that we both deserve someone that would value us greater. Now that I think about everything we’ve been through, the reason why you probably didn’t ask me to prom is because I’m too much of a #blessing for you. I just want you to know that because of you, I learned that I deserve someone that doesn’t consider me as a substitute in place of his X. To Potential Prom Date C: Honestly, we’re like best friends. If you really knew me well, you would know that I have been by my locker at about 7:28 in the morning or at about 3:04 in the afternoon. Between those moments, you could’ve placed a poster, some Popeye’s, or ‘whateva’ in my locker and asked me to prom right then and there. I know you have other commitments, and you’re a busy person, but you need to get your priorities straight. There’s really not much to say other than, “We’re donezo.”
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OPINIONS
May 2017
Would you take the L for graduation?
Majda Causevic @majda_causevic For involved students, setting priorities for time is challenging, but when you add in the stress of choosing between big, capstone events like graduation or a semiregional game, stress seems to rise higher than imaginable. As a high school student, you wait years to walk across the stage and finally have your moment under the bright lights. It is a priceless moment, and one that may be threatened because of another passion. This year, as in the past and in the future, sports consistently conflict with end of year events, including family graduation parties, Prom, and even graduation itself. This year, a semi-regional volleyball game is scheduled on the day of graduation. It would not be a big deal if not for two factors. First, the game is set at the same time as graduation, leaving no wiggle room for late arrivals. Second, the volleyball team is predominantly seniors, leaving the team to lose half of its players. Senior Eddie Lavallias, a volleyball player since his freshman year, stated,
Here lie all the postive traits I used to have before senioritis struck. August 2013 - August 2017 A Beloved Student Majda Causevic @majda_causevic
R.I.P. Beloved Motivation
Every August when the summer season, students feel the sense of a fresh start. A promise to get straight A’s, to be productive and have a social life. Then life hits and you are reminded of the sleepless nights, stress and loss of motivation. As a senior, your goal is to fake it 'til you make it, of course at least by winter break. By that time, college applications deadlines have passed, and you can relax. By April, motivation is nonexistent. Every time we look at homework, there is an internal struggle whether doing this worksheet is absolutely important and necessary, and every time, the answer is no. It doesn’t even have anything to do with time, we’d all rather take a six hour nap and do anything but homework. The struggle between trying to get good grades and not caring to do any work is real.
R.I.P. Sense of time
Honestly, when experts say you should go to bed early, they actually mean it. As of August 2016, I learned how to get ready in 10 minutes. I lose all sense of time in the morning. Trying to take that “extra five minutes of sleep” turns into half an hour. Or spending way too much time in the bathroom thinking, “Oh, it hasn’t been too long, I still got time.” When in reality, you’ve spent 20 minutes trying to get that one piece of hair to stick to the rest. Don’t get me wrong, there are bad days, but then there are senior days. Which are everyday.
R.I.P. Fashion
None... which perfectly describes my style this year. When having ten minutes to eat, brush your teeth and get dressed, style tends to come last in importance and finding the cleanest clothes possible becomes the number one priority. Ever since the new tardy rule affected final op-outs, getting to school is as important as ever. By senior year, we have our own cliques, we all know it each other, so the comfort level increases. It leaves us to not really care about what to wear. “We have no one to impress,” stated Senior Era Meco. “I come to school to learn and see my friends, why should I care how I look.”
“I am very stressed about leaving my team in a playoff game that is so important, especially with the potential we have, but also I have pushed and tried the past four years to make it to my graduation, so it is a bit stressful.” As a student athlete, I know that sports rank high in importance. The bonds created with team members during practice, during away games, and during any goofiness, reflect a passion and commitment to others. When a team connects well with each other, you see it working while playing. Teammates can predict what they will do before they even call the play. Players take this bond and use it as a weapon to take the top spot in every competition. The lack of continuity when members are absent is a real threat to most teams' chances for success. And this knowledge adds to the pressure. When schedules conflict, how do you choose? Is the better option to leave your team hanging when they need you most and to be recognized for all the work done for your education? Or is it to be with your team and help them achieve what you’ve been working on every afternoon? How
does any senior, not just an athlete, make this decision? Graduation is likely the easier choice. It is meant as a celebration for the hard work that was accomplished over the last four-years. We work tirelessly for the end goal, yet some won’t get the prize that was promised. Having to choose between two events isn’t fair, and in either situation, students lose. Unfortunately there's not much to be done. Many of the events are scheduled by the IHSA, and there's no good way to make sure all athletes are in the clear. Perhaps a significant change in time of day could affect the outcome and attitude of the whole situation. By scheduling games earlier in the day, even by and a couple of hours, It allows for some leeway for players. Perhaps these series could occur during the school day? It's important that Leyden continue taking the time and effort to compare schedules. The school should aim to maximize the number of students affected, letting as many as possible fulfill their commitment to their teams and themselves.
A fond farewell
in love with, thank you for teaching me how the first sign of real heartbreak would feel - and how to love myself out or anyone that doesn’t know, I play softball, and of that. And to my group of best friends that I’ve had since I have no problem taking a line drive to the side freshman year, thank you for showing me how much I or a wild pitch to my ankle. But the team’s senior could feel loved from others outside of my immediate famnight was this past Tuesday, May 9, and let me tell you - I ily. From the spirit sections at football games to the dance was a mess. No one could breathe in my direction, look circles at Hoco and Turnabout, we’ve shared spots that I’ll in my direction, think in my direction. I was FRAGILE. cherish forever and that have made me confident enough For the last four years, I’ve spent time building up to make connections with new people moving forward. I know that many haven’t had the same experience mental and physical toughness and strength of char- acter. So to be in such a state of fragility was drasti- as I. There are seniors dying to get out of here, and there cally different for me, especially at a place the Ley- may be some underclass students doubting the opportunities den softball field, that I usually feel comfortable. this place offers. Here’s my bit of advice. Going forward, And people may call me a teacher’s pet or a approach every situation with a smile on your face and an suck-up for this, but the tears made me realize how good open mind. Trust this place. And find the spots inside it that can make you love it. I’ve compiled this place has been for me. I have this short list below for starters. thrived in the environment LeyFind the classroom of that teacher den has provided for its students. you know you can talk to. Go I’ve had so many experiences and there, even if it’s not for help. Just opportunities that I really don’t chill in their room and talk about believe I’d have at any other high everything/anything. You’ll see school. To be fair, I feel like I’ve that conversations like that can be spent more time in the halls more pretty therapeutic for the both of you. than my classes this Spring, but Get to the Starbucks on Irving I have really had a blast these Park Rd and 25th. It’s coffee house four years, no matter where I’m playlist is the best to do your homewithin or connected to Leyden. work to. If you need a change When I tell y’all that throughout of scenery or somewhere to fothese four years, I’ve had the best cus, that’s the place. And bring a teachers ever, I’m not saying this friend or two--doing homework and to gain brownie points or extra studying might just become fun. credit. I’m saying this because Step onto a practice field or court my teachers are genuinely interThis place gets Madison's thumbs up. where you can feel yourself ested in me as a student and (Photo by Pete Skylakos) getting better each day. Then as a person. I’ve never felt like step onto a Leyden home just another ID number on a page, and I can’t even begin to explain how much that field for a game and run over an opponent to teach has helped my experience these last four years. When you yourself nothing can stop you if you want to win. know you have people on your side and people who sup- Stop into an office or lean on a security desk. Find port you and your goals, it’s honestly so motivating and and be respectful to the adults in this building who encouraging. I’ve been secure enough to take risks and aren’t teachers. There are so many friendly faces, to grow. I’ve been well taken care of since August 2013. and if you’re respectful to them, they’ll know your The other amazing part of this place is my class - name and root for your success in all your efforts. all 335 of you hooligans. On May 23, we’ll be together in My 335 friends and I are heading to a lot of new places: a shared sapce for the last time. And before we all gather college classrooms, military barracks, and corner ofat the Rosemont Theater and throw our caps, I would just fices. By the time we know it, we’ll be in our 30s, maybe like to say thank you. I’ve lived, loved, and learned from so sitting at kitchen tables in our homes. I hope that from many of you, and you have made high school just that much time to time, at least, I find myself somewhere with my more enjoyable. To the girl in my third period precalc class, “high school friends” because at dinner or over a drink, you are one of the quieter kids in class but have no problem we’ll be able to revisit at least a little of this place. helping other people - so thank you for all your help with the vector lessons. If it weren’t for you, I’d have failed that test. To the boy freshman year that I thought I’d be falling
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Madison Ganir @madisnganr
Features
Senior I, Brandon Guzzi, leave the following. My captain status of the hockey team will be left to Zeke Suchy if he gets another perm. Since I will be retiring from twitter (@9bguzzi) as of August 2017, I hand the reins of my account and potential retweets over to the hands of Kristian Havran. To Dominic Capozzi, I leave all of my gains. He will be sore from carrying his team on his back next year. To everyone, I leave some advice: 1) You can’t have a bad attitude and be ugly, so pick one. 2)It’s helpful to listen to lil uzi vert to water out the future fires Kendrick Lamar will start 3)Treat your girl right or someone else will 4)As my grandmother had said, “When there’s a will, I hope I’m in it.” To those not mentioned in this will, my favorite part about you was probably your dog.
I, Paulina Cylwik, will senior teachers the strength and power to deal with the students hard hit with senioritis. May you let it take its course of nature, as it is not something you can easily cure. I will Samantha Lopez some ink and some thicker paint brushes. Just to keep up with you eyebrows. I will all student athletes , it’s the only thing you need to know to succeed in life. I will Mike motyka a deep muddy pit, since you really want to go on an adventure. I will Jacob Martinez a pair of sunglasses. Never mind, your transition lenses are close enough. I will myself peace, happiness, and a vacation to the Bahamas because I deserve it. I, Alexa Jennings, do hereby leave the following. To the Juniors, Class of 2018, I leave you medication to fight off the serious and very contagious illness. Senioritis. In specific, Sebastian Portillo, I leave you the biggest, fluffiest, cuddliest toy bear. I’ll always be your teddy bear, my friend. To Emerson Becker and Alan Ramirez, I leave you both the key to the auditorium (be nice and share, you two!). Lastly, to Michael Nambo: nothing. You’re going down with me, loser.
February 2017
Wills
Senior Wills are an old tradition we wanted to bring back this year. They are designed to be an outlet for “shout-outs” to fellow seniors, underclassmen, parents/guardians, teachers/coaches, etc. Typically, seniors “will” or leave behind some of their greatest qualities to other seniors or other students at East Leyden. Some of these qualities can be their intelligence, good looks, athletic/artistic/musical/ ability, etc. They can also just give thanks, tell people of their plans for the future or recall important/funny/amazing moments in your life that you don’t want people to forget.
I, Chris Corr, will my 40 year old trapped in a 17 year old’s body taste of music, with all of the 80’s classics including and not limited to Phil Collin’s In The Air Tonight to Riley Morioka, 11.
I, Lilly Solis, dedicate this to the class of 2017. I never really got the chance to truly know some people or lost the connection along the way but I wish you all the best. I will to Alyssa Ordoñez, I will you the first day we met; I didn’t realize how much of an impact you’d have on my life. I will to Vanessa Gallegos, the best hype woman any girl can ever ask for, the goofy memories we made throughout the school year.I will to Sarah Krajewski, the most amazing running buddy, our last year of cross. I will most definitely miss doing our amazing handshake when I see you.To Mrs. Schader & Mrs. Mikrut,I will you thanks for seeing potential in me during cross.
I, Alessandra Muro, with a big heart and bigger head, will Lilly the ability to bench press more than the bar. May the grind never stop. To Mariana, I will you the ability to understand more than “Ciao” in Italian. I also will you humor; your sense of humor is bigger than your forehead and your knowledge of Italian is shorter than your hair. And finally, to Gino Cangialosi, I will you some hand-eye coordination because, for these past two years, you never seemed to catch the hint.
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I, Hanna Nazareno, of petty soul and pretty face, will to anyone who has ever done me wrong, a life, so that you may all have one. To anyone who’s ever been fake to me, I will you all a magnifying glass so that hopefully, you’ll be able to find something real within yourselves.
I, Artur Bak, being of relaxed mind and lanky body, hereby leave the following... To Demitrius Osbourne, the honorary “senior,” I leave you ownership of my entire music library. All 30GB of it. To Kamil Poplawski, the 3D printer guru, I leave you the knowledge to pass every certification you do next year, as well as ownership of my keycap puller. To Jake Schwartz, the comedian, I leave you all the knowledge necessary to lead the Academic Team to new heights. And finally, to Cora Bak, one of the hardest workers at Leyden, I grant you the ability to relax and not have to worry about tests & assignments. I, Richard Mueller, being of an unhealthy lifestyle, and carefree nature, hereby leave behind the following things to the following people. To the entire Senior class, my friends, and other people who have come to know me, I leave behind my many 2-liters of diet coke and my various cans of Venom energy. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to function properly. To the library, I leave my many songwriting showcase performances. I’ve let my voice be heard here many a time and for that, I am grateful.
I, Fabian Vega, will start by saying that I will always be better than Taylor Morioka in whatever he does. Also, it is up to my son, James Hana, to continue my legacy. Damian K and Mario, make sure you guys keep getting big. To whoever is still reading this, 1.Go big or Go home; 2.Dreams do come true; 3. Work hard and all else will fall into place.
I, Kristian Havran, of lazy mind and guapo body, pull up skrrt. I hereby declare, Brandon Guzzi, forever inferior to, Eric Guzzi. Ashley Soller, you are a malpa, but a cool one, so I’m jiggy with it. To all those still progressing, here’s some advice to help your third eye, 1. Not caring about what other people think of you is key to chillin n grillin. 2. Never stop the grind 3. The point is to read the book, then burn the chapters after. 4. Keep your table small, but your fence high 5. One good girl is worth 1000 bad ones, treat her right2k17. As my grandmother had said, “Are you hungry?” Moral of the story, always be hungry, whether for victory/self improvement or appetite. I, Tomasz Zdanowski, pass down my memories of Mr Reeves’ bagpipe imitation to all sophomores and juniors who will have him in class. To Sam Cangialosi, I will you the ability to get a drivers license before your older brothers. To Patryk Rydzewski, Stanisław Karpiesiuk, Tom Radziszewski, Rudy Moctezuma and Kamil Górski, I and Joe Cangialosi will down our positions as seniors on the swim team so that you could continue the tradition of the egg sculpture with the broken nose.
I, Jazmin Villanueva, being an emotional mess leave this: To all my teachers, I leave you with all the stress you’ve brought to me, but still caring about me as if I was your own child. To all the people who have ever done me wrong, I leave you with the karma you deserve. To my lunch squad, I leave you guys with the best advice I’ve gotten, showing me that it’s okay to love myself, and for always hyping me up. To the next graduating class, I leave you with my will to live and effort in school because trust me you’ll want to give up.
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FEATURES
May 2017
Dance to connect Karla Montesinos On May 5, Leyden's poms team held its annual Zumbathon to help raise money for the upcoming season. This traditional Leydenette event is filled with dancing, fun, and not only new experiences for the teammates, but also new opportunities to take on leadership roles for the upcoming season. Junior Olga Bulka reflected on a few of her favorite moments from the Zumbathon. She said she loved setting up the event and being able to bond with her new team. Since she is very involved in the school community, Bulka was already friends with the majority of the team but said meeting the new members was “very natural and easy going.” This event was among the first opportunities for both new and old members to take on new leadership roles that could potentially carry out throughout their season. Bulka said, “This isn’t the first time I’ve been put in that position since I also take leadership roles around the school, such as the swim team and the WSC leadership teams, so it all went as expected.” For Bulka, being a leader is nothing new. When reflecting over her first team bonding experience, she explains, “Overall my first experience of our team bonding was awesome, and I can’t wait for more fun times. All of us work really well as a group, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the
2017-2018 school year, it’s going to be one to remember!” Head coach Michelle Marchese had the chance to observe her new team in a fun, open environment to see how well they worked and who stepped up to help with the event. To name just a few, the dancers that stood out to her in regards to being a leader were Kailey Kilraine, Sophia Flores, Jazmin Wolf, and plenty more. Marchese was impressed with their positive attitude and their willingness to stay long after the event to help tidy up the fieldhouse. One dancer even had a sprained ankle but pushed through it to assist in helping the Zumbathon run smoothly. While it was hard for Marchese to be able to see who will be a leader this season at their first team event, she plans to have many more opportunities during the summer for team bonding and will be able to see who stands out as someone who can help manage the team. Overall, their first bonding experience seemed quite successful. Marchese says her favorites moments were “seeing the new team members hanging out together and bonding--and seeing my two-year-old nephew attempting to salsa.” Before the Zumbathon this year, Marchese explained that her favorite part of this is seeing people having a good time with their friends and family, even if they cannot dance very well. From the positive feedback from both the members and coaches, it seemed
Kitchen Ready The end of the school year brings to an end an entire year of hard work for most students but for quite a few, the end of the school year brings in yet more opportunities to commit to excellence. Hoping to capture the attention of restless students, East Leyden teachers often whip up new and exciting last minute ventures for their students. Such is the case for the culinary classes who participated in a lunch rush competition to give them a valuable hands on experience in the high profile restaurant scene. The Lunch Rush included three different lunches, with a main dish and a side with the option of strawberry lemonade or water and a chocolate chip cookie. Different culinary classes came in to vote for their favorite lunches made by each of the students to see what lunches were going to be sold. The three winners were stuffed shells with garlic bread, a buffalo chicken wrap with loaded tater tots, and boneless chicken wings with loaded tater tots. The winners who made each dish were Seniors Jacob Martinez, Mateo Martinez, Lulu Moreno, Michael Nambo, Michael Motyka, Jodi DuBrock, and Fabian Vega. Armed with class winning recipes, the seven senior champions were rewarded to an elaborate dinner experience by Mr.Markey at the notable restaurant, Publican Quality Meats. The students were served in the upstairs area where the breakfast and lunch are sold but for the dinner portion of the meal the students were taken downstairs where the chef cooked their meal right in front of them. Mateo Martinez shared, “It was fun because we were upstairs for the appetizers and that’s where we thought we were going to sit. Then they told us to go downstairs, and we all were just mindblown. It was so nice. I don’t know how Mr. Markey pulled it off getting us there.” Echoing the spirit of awe, senior Michael Nambo couldn’t agree more with Martinez. “The food was amazing. We had salad, chicken, steak, and ice cream for
Jodi DuBrock
A scene from the annual Zumbathon everyone’s expectations were not only met, but surpassed. The event was a success and new and returning members had the chance to bond, however, one dancer was missing this year. Senior, Georgia Thomas, was in California during the Zumbathon, which was also her last one considering she is a senior, and she was not happy about it. She states, “the Zumbathon was always an event I really looked forward to and having to miss it my last year was really sad for me. There will still be chances for team bonding so I’m not too upset over it and I’m really looking forward to getting to know my teammates!” In the past, the Zumbathons she attended were very successful so she was just happy to have been able to experience those from
the past years. Georgia is among only three girls that have been on the team three consecutive years and, because of her massive dancing experience, has always taken it upon herself to be a leader. This year she’s hoping to take on more leadership roles because of her seniority and is excited to see what this season has in store. Overall, the Zumbathon was a success for not just the team, but everyone else who attended. The team has a lot to look forward to this season with not only getting to know all of their teammates, but also seeing what they’re capable of with dancing and leading. Good luck to the 2017-2018 Leydenettes!
A Talk Worth Having Alum looks back on hard conversation surrounding childhood illness Mike Motyka
dessert. I was completely full leaving that place and couldn’t wait to get home and go to bed,” said Michael Nambo. “I really felt like we were treated well. It made me feel proud for getting the opportunity to go downtown and eat dinner with Mr. Markey, Ms. Huffman, and Ms. Sweeney.” However the luxurious experience was only half the adventure for the catering students. Hoping to teach them valuable lessons on working as a team and stepping out of their comfort zones, the catering classes were tasked with marketing and selling their meals to the larger student body. With meal tickets ranging from four to five dollars, Ms. Sweeney, the catering teacher, gave the students the responsibility to set their own prices and communication. Citing that her choices were well motivated, “I wanted to improve their communication skills because when the students graduate and go to a college with a bunch of people they aren’t comfortable with they will need to feel comfortable talking with strangers.” A huge success, all the tickets were quickly sold out and meal were hand served and delivered in the Little Theater on Thursday April 27th to much praise and applause. An experience many of the catering students won’t soon forget. Senior Jacob Martinez stating, “It was the coolest feeling, I was able to work the station all day and serve my friends the food I made. I felt like I was running my own restaurant.”
It was one night when a little, innocent girl wasn’t feeling too good. Her family immediately took her to the hospital to find out that her life was changed forever. Playing in the park with friends and going to school everyday started to turn into spending days in the hospital beds and taking treatments. She was always confused and scared of what was wrong with her and why she was different than every other kid her age. Brianna Michels was just seven years old when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which is a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and the type of blood it produces. Michels was an ordinary seven year old girl until the day after her diagnosis when her parents and doctor told her that she had cancer. She remembers that, “Growing up, I thought of cancer like a common cold. Although the treatment was extremely important, I looked at it as not so important because I was younger.” As some psychologists say, parents should compare their child’s illness to something they can understand. James A. Graham, a psychologist, believes that “Children, between 5 and 9 years old, who do acknowledge the permanence and inevitability of death see it as something that only applies to older adults.” The National Cancer Institute suggests that “You might describe the cancer cells as “troublemakers” that get in the way of the work of the good cells,” the Website suggests, “Treatment helps to get rid of the troublemakers so that other cells can work well together.” For Michels parents, she said that they were very nervous telling her she had cancer because “who wouldn’t be nervous telling their child they had a life-threatening disease?” So when her parents told her, they said she had to spend a couple days in the hospital and that they will be with her the whole time. Michels said that her mom “compared my cancer to villains and all the chemotherapy that was going to go into my body was to fight the villains.” Michels is now 24 years old and is studying to become a nurse. She believes that knowing about her cancer and surviving it made her the person she is today. “I think being told has affected me greatly. I had to grow up and be more mature than most people. Also, I think I have a different perspective on life than other people who have not had a life threatening disease.” She is glad that her parents told her she had cancer, especially the way they did. She believes that knowing she had an illness explained a lot about how she was feeling and it also made her less scared about her physical condition. Now, her days are pretty normal with an occasional cold here and there, but she still appreciates everyday she has being alive after being through so much as a child.
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May 2017
Arts and Entertainment
Amateur beginnings, pro results Krystian Misiewicz - @krystianm98
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ne day this past semester, our entire period of English Journalism IV huddled around one iMac to watch a video. A couple of us had been laughing while watching a spoof of one of our Eagle Update broadcast. The video consisted of funny edits like zoom ins on the anchors’ face, text replacements, and added music. With each play, a couple more people came to watch. After the whole class checked out the bizarre video, some of us asked, “How did he do that?” Nathan Diazleal was the person who made the spoof. “Sophomore year, I watched some YouTube videos of memes and spoofs. So, I went on YouTube to see how to make those kinds of video, and then I downloaded Camtasia Studio for editing.” Diazleal spends hours and days on the computer to come up with the idea, edit, render, and upload these spoofs on YouTube and FaceBook. “The process is hard and really time consuming. What’s really hard is coming up with the idea. I usually ask my dumb best friend for any ideas, and he usually gives me them. But, the longest part is the editing. Now, I use Sony Vegas Pro 12 to edit the videos.” “Technology is extremely useful. If it wasn’t for those YouTube tutorials, I couldn’t have made those videos. You don’t have to be a professional to edit videos.” This goes to show that people do not need training either for a hobby or a job in the age of technology.
Leyden seniors Martin Tylman and Michael Aiello have made music on SoundCloud on their own. “Mike and I were talking about how easy it was to make a ‘lit banger’ nowadays, making a simple beat, and having dumb lyrics that are just catchy and easy to remember,” Martin explains. “So we made the song as a fun project to combine our abilities and try to mimic what popular rappers are doing now.” Without a producer or fancy studio, Martin and Mike uploaded the song “Repeat the Name” on SoundCloud. Currently, it has close to 200 plays. “The process was a bit hard. We discussed the tempo of the song,
and then Mike sent me a template of how the beat using Ableton to create it, and I went ahead to try and make the song off the top of my head… Plus, it was our first song, so production wise, it could’ve been way better, like converting files and still keeping the quality of the song itself the same. Thanks to tutorials on YouTube, I was able to edit the song on Adobe Audition and Ableton.” In a similar manner, Jakub Smolucha developed a graphic design talent despite not starting with formal training. “My first time being exposed to any kind of graphic design would be sophomore year.
Awakening the sounds
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Upcoming City Events: MAY
Joey Graf
ith Spring Awakening less than a month away, it has EDM fans desperately waiting for those intense bass drops that Spring Awakening brings. Spring Awakening is an EDM music festival that runs every year in Chicago. It will start on June 9 and go till June 11 at Addams-Medill Park. This year’s lineup is solid and includes big DJs such as Martin Garrix, Diplo, Marshmello, and Excision. General admission tickets cost around $70 for one-day tickets and the entire weekend will cost $200. For VIP tickets, you will spend upwards of $130 for one-day tickets and for the weekend will spend over $300. For any Chicago-based EDM fan, Spring Awakening Music Festival (SAMF) is one of the fests you have to attend. Drop after drop, it has hardcore fans wanting more. “When I went I honestly had so much fun. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of EDM, I still recommend going because it’s lit,” said senior Dominik Siemek. “At first I was worried it wouldn’t be worth my money, but before the fest began I knew it was 100% worth it. Just the way people act around there makes it fun.” Even though Spring Awakening sounds very fun, it isn’t something to be taken lightly. If you aren’t the type of person who enjoys being elbow-to-elbow with sweaty strangers, this is definitely not the thing for you. “I definitely don’t recommend it to anyone that doesn’t like being in close spaces with strangers. For the real experience you need to be up close. Here, you will be jumping around with random people right up on you. You will take a few elbows or fists, but it’s never intentional and it’s something you just gotta shake off.”
This was mainly after making a few connections between friends and family members who had a rather particular interest in the field,” Jakub explains. “Junior year, I started playing around with Photoshop and editing photos with some funny effects. I really didn’t know where to look for motivation because I wasn’t aware of the huge online graphic design community, which of course includes a few very skilled designers here at Leyden that I know.” Being a freelance graphic designer, Jakub uses programs such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator to create his works. Also, he uses technology to promote his works. “I make a variety of graphics which span from simple greeting cards, to complex website landing pages. In depth, I mainly stick to making social media designs, promotional ads, custom wallpapers from time to time, banners and especially logos. Technology would be my greatest advantage in any design. Usually, I upload these things to my Twitter page or Behance.” Technology has provided many tools like YouTube and Khan Academy to students who want to learn how to do something.
Mayfest May 19-21 Mole de Mayo May 26-28 Chicago Memorial Day Parade May 27 Randolph Street market Festival May 27-28 Belmont-Sheffiled Music Festival May 27-28 JUNE Navy Pier Summer Fireworks Through Labor Day For first-timers, SAMF is something to be ready for. You will be sweaty. Your feet will be stomped on. Don’t wear anything you don’t want to get dirty. “For people going for the first time, be ready to have a lot of fun. If you get mad over people bumping into you in the halls you better be able to get over it very quickly. People are gonna be jumping around like crazy, and they don’t really care where they are going, they will go through anything without any remorse. A lot of people are gonna be under the influence of a wide variety of drugs, and this may make it fun for them, but for others it makes it hard to deal with. You have to be ready to deal with that. It is something you definitely will encounter.” If you are now interested in SAMF, you will want to know what to wear. The wardrobe is something that is important
for SAMF. You’re gonna want to wear something fun. “You will see some people wearing some pretty crazy stuff, but that’s something that makes this festival fun. Don’t wear something you really like because there is a chance it will get ruined.” Although it is officially in Spring it will likely be very hot while in the crowd, and clothing is very important to ensure fun times. “The first time I went I wore way too much, and I honestly thought I was gonna die five minutes in. I was dripping in sweat. The next year I made sure I wore something more appropriate.” says Tony Baran If at some point during the festival decide you need a break from the non stop “bangers,” there will be an area with food vendors where you can chill down and get ready for the next song.
Grant Park Music Festival June-August Maifest June 1-4 Ribfest Chicago June 9-11 Chicago Blues Festival June 9-11 Spring Awakening Music Festival June 9-11 Chicago Pride Fest June 17-18
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Arts & Entertainment
May 2017
13 Reasons Why
Controversial show is interesting, important viewing
Similar to 13 Reasons Why
Books:
The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
Like Hannah Baker in 13 Reasons, the protagonist of The Truth About Alice has to deal with rumors, slut-shaming and bullying. Everyone at school thinks she’s a slut and that she was sleeping with star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons. And when Brandon dies, the rumors start to spin out of control, but Alice is the one who knows the truth. (USA Today)
taken from Penguin Teen
Weronika Trzaska- @VVeronikaT
H
ey, It’s Weronika. Weronika Trzaska. Don’t adjust your screen brightness... or whatever you’re reading this on. It’s me, firsthand and in print. 13 Reasons Why, welcome to your tape. 13 Reasons Why is a series that was introduced to Netflix viewers on March 31st, and the show automatically attracted the viewer’s attention. The series was based upon the actual novel, 13 Reasons Why, published in 2007 by Jay Asher. The series includes the main character, Hannah Baker, played by Katherine Langford. Although it may seem like she is physically present and talking in the background of the show, it is actually her tapes that she recorded prior to committing suicide. She recorded 13 tapes, each containing a reason/person leading to her suicide. There are two sets of the tapes. One set of the tapes is supposed to be passed on to all 13 people featured on the tapes, having each person listen to all the tapes. One of Baker’s friends, Tony, played by Christian Navarro, was ordered by Baker to make sure all 13 people listen to all the tapes and to pass them on. If they failed to do so, Baker ordered Tony to release the second set of tapes to the whole school. The tapes get to Clay Jensen, a friend of Baker’s and high school crush, who changes the whole sequence of listening to the tapes. As a result of watching the series, I believe that many high school students, if not all, should watch the show because of its important message. So, I leave you all with 13 Reasons Why you all should watch 13 Reasons Why. 1. It leaves you addicted The series leaves you wanting to binge watch all the episodes, craving to know who is on each tape and what they did. It may even leave you upset by how slow Jensen listens to the tapes, but it certainly grabs your attention. 2. The cast Many people that were cast for the show aren’t very well-known prior to 13 Reasons Why. Instead of focusing on well-known celebrities as the main characters, one of the producers, Selena Gomez, thought it would take away from the message and story. That is why they featured a diverse cast, so every viewer would be able to connect to the characters. 3. The time period The time period of the show is during Baker’s high school years. It shows how teenagers act towards one another everyday, not only in school, but outside
of school. The producers made the story revolve around this current time period to be modern. Because of this, many viewers in high school can relate because the situations and scenes that happen in the series often happen everyday in any high school. 4. The length of the series At the moment, there is only one season of the show, consisting of 13 episodes. Each episode is around an hour. Although the tapes may seem short, the producers prolonged the background information about each character to really understand each scene. 5. Jeff Atkins Jeff Atkins’ character was a typical high school jock. Many people often think that high school football players don’t really try or care for their grades, let alone school.
“Why didn’t you say this to me when I was alive?”
Atkins breaks that stereotype in the series. He tried his hardest, but unfortunately the series shows how one night at a party can change your life. He deserved better. Watch and you’ll understand. 6. The emotional aspect CAUTION! There are times that you may need tissues for crying, or you’ll be angry, or you’ll be smiley. It all depends on what scene you’re on. Throughout the episodes, you might experience a roller coaster of emotions, but that’s OK because you’re not the only who will experience that. 7. The love story Jensen and Baker had something special. Their connection will really get to you! The season goes through the development of their “hidden” relationship that not many knew about. 8. The narration aspect Instead of having all the characters interact with each other in real time on screen, Baker narrates about 90% of the time. It adds to the suspense of each episode and it takes you through her high school life. 9. The soundtrack The soundtrack used throughout the season contains different genres of music. The addition of background music in each episode helps lighten the mood or
darken the mood at times to distinct a cheery scene to a serious scenes. For example, one particular scene is when Jensen walks through the hallway by himself after finishing side one of a tape and after finishing a trip to the counselor’s office. The mellow song, “Mess is Mine”, by Vance Joy plays in the background as Jensen imagines seeing Baker in the crowded hallway, creating an addition to making the scene powerful. Jensen realizes how much Baker’s death has value to him. 10. The importance of finding help Baker deals with depression and the producers made sure that the audience would realize that the other students and parents in the high school weren’t aware of her depression. Just talking to her to help cope with her depression might’ve saved her life. 11. The importance of social media Although it may seem that the book was written long ago because Baker recorded on cassette tapes, but social media had a huge impact throughout the television series. At the time the book was written, Twitter and Facebook were introduced, but they weren’t popular to use at the time. The producers made sure to include social media as it greatly impacts students everyday. Cyberbullying is also a main, serious topic highlighted as several characters were affected. It highlights the fact that anyone can see what you post online and it can truly affect someone’s feelings. 12. The focus on sexual assault Throughout the season, two of the characters in the series were sexually assaulted. The author and producer made sure to tackle the heavy subject. There are two very real scenes. It’s an important moral of the show to illustrate that it can happen to anyone, and to not cover it up. It truly focuses on the realization and seriousness on sexual assault. 13. The realization of suicide In the book, Asher didn’t include the specific details to Baker’s suicide, but the producers of the Netflix series made sure to incorporate the scene. People can think of how others attempt suicide, but to actually watch it on screen is painful. It’s a serious topic, and the episode shows that. There you have it. You’ve completed the tape. Interested in watching the series? Log onto Netflix and there you go. Remember, if you or anyone are in need of help or someone to talk to, speak up. No one’s voice should go unheard.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The 1999 book deals with the aftermath of sexual assault, another of the serious issues that 13 Reasons digs into. The story follows Melinda Sordino, who is raped at a party the summer before her freshman year of high school, and finds herself unable to speak afterward, while at the same time ostracized by her peers. (USA Today)
Show:
Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights, which ran from 2006 to 2011, isn’t just about football. Sure, on the surface, the show revolves around a Texas high school football team, but the show is really about complex family dynamics (including the impact on parents), the struggle to grow up, and the reality of everyday tragedies. It’s brilliant, and like 13 Reasons Why, it also has a killer soundtrack. Available on Netflix (POPSUGAR)
Movies:
Thirteen
Director Catherine Hardwicke’s debut film tells the story of volatile relationship between two best friends (Nikki Reed and Evan Rachel Wood) who are struggling to get through adolescence. It’s grittier than 13 Reasons Why, but there are very similar themes throughout. (POPSUGAR)
Before I Fall
This book-to-movie adaptation just came out in March, and it goes hand in hand with 13 Reasons Why. One of the popular girls (Zoey Deutch) dies in a car accident, only to wake up again on the morning of the accident . . . over and over. She’s searching for meaning in her life and ends up seeing a lot of things around her that she never noticed before, including her own unexpected impact on the people around her. (POPSUGAR)
SPORTS
11
May 2017
Road to Recovery:
Injured athletes, internal conflicts
Autumn McGee Matty Stark, now a sophomore at York High School, saw herself exclusively as an athlete. “If you asked me any questions about who I was, what I liked to do or who my friends were, the answers would all revolve around sports,” she says. Her setback: a 2-time ACL injury— first at the beginning of 8th grade year and again at the start of freshmen year. She had to deal with not only the physical trauma, but also the psychological effects that come with it. What made her successful in the end was the amount of support and dedication she had throughout the difficult times. And Matty wasn’t any ordinary athlete prior to the injuries. Mr. Tim Stark, Matty’s father and East Leyden Athletic P.E. teacher, always spoke highly of Matty’s athletic skills. “She was not just an average athlete, not to brag, but she was great,” he says. She played on both an elite soccer and basketball team. She had no fear of anything or of anyone. But after the injury, Matty states that “I did not know who I was or who I was supposed to be.” After the first injury, it was difficult for her to watch her friends continue to play sports while she sat on the sideline. To stay involved with the team after her first surgery, Matty continued to attend practices and games. But as time went on, just being manager wasn’t healing her sadness. It wasn’t the physicality of the injury; all the mental “stuff” is what broke her down. Even though the real sports-related injury at age 13 seemed cool at first, it wasn’t that cool for long. Stark says, “The fun of being on crutches and leaving classes early wore off as soon as she realized that all of her friends were still playing sports, going to tournaments, and she was not.” This is when he noticed his “happy carefree girl” changing.
Support from parents and family was heavily needed to keep Matty on track in recovery. “We probably went overboard,” Stark says, “but we have tried to do everything we could possibly do for Matty.” They needed her to know that she could talk to them about anything, not just when it comes to the injury. In return, she relied heavily on her parents to take care of her, drive her everywhere, wipe her tears, and many other parent-like things. But after Matty’s second injury, repercussions strengthened. She expected that eventually everyone would move on with their lives, the visits would stop, the texts to see how she was feeling or doing would slowly fade. “Knowing that I had another year of physical therapy and getting stronger was pretty tough, and no one still would understand how hard it was,” she says. She felt that her world was being taken away from her. “After the second tear, I had to choose one sport,” Matty states. “This was the most difficult and painful decision I have ever had to make in my life. I chose basketball, and I do not regret that choice, but I am still angry, depressed and disappointed that I will never know how good I could have been at soccer, a game that I will always love.” Athletic trainers and physical therapists were great support systems for Matty. Leyden Athletic Trainer Mr. John Armenta has been a valuable resource to high school athletes, bringing them social support for the psychological effects of sports-related injuries. He tries his best to understand the athlete as a person and figure out their strengths and weaknesses. In other words, he doesn’t just see them as “another patient”. Armenta works with Novacare Rehabilitation, a physical therapy provider, and usually refers the injured athletes to near locations for additional rehab. Matty used to
attend Novacare where the physical therapists “kept me fighting when I wanted to quit and never let me feel sorry for myself,” she says. Matty’s parents also found her a personal trainer who has made her stronger and introduced her to Crossfit— an intense strength and conditioning program. Sometimes the psychological effects are too severe for the job of an athletic trainer or physical therapist, so it might be necessary to get a therapist involved. As Matty’s parents noticed her struggling mentally, they were lucky enough to find Tracy. “It was her who helped me find the new me,” Matty says. “The me that can exist with or without sports. The me that is well rounded and in her words has learned to fill her basket with many other thing than just sports.” Stark mentioned that he made the right decision to reach out for professional support for the sake of his daughter’s mental health and well-being. “The fact that she can talk to someone without judgement and who is completely unbiased is a real comfort to her,” he says. Matty now has a deeper appreciation for every part of playing a sport, including the practices, games, conditioning, and the strategy. According to Stark, “There is nothing about playing that she doesn’t enjoy now because no matter how hard she has to work or how bad she loses, it is better than sitting on the side watching.” Advice from Matty: “Find something that fills the void when you are unable to do the things you love most. Stay busy, force yourself to move on. I work to get stronger, I work to prevent this from happening again, and I work because it makes me feel good on the inside and out.”
Visual Timeline
Before surgery
Matty practicing during recovery
Matty playing basketball after months of recovery
Summer camps accelerate teams, impress coaches
L
Ruth Merlos
eyden offers different opportunities for students to succeed. One of the opportunities they offer is sports summer camps. Sports summer camp is provided for two or more weeks depending on the sport. Even though it is not mentioned enough, the summer camp is important to attend because it provides benefits for the incoming students trying out for sports or in general for students in school thinking of trying out. Some of the advantages that it offers is that the athletes get to interact with coaches before the season start and the coaches get to see them expose their talent. Sometimes when tryouts come there are a lot of different athletes that try out and coaches aren’t able to see each athlete individually. So sometimes they don’t get noticed. This is why coaches highly advise to take summer camp. Thomas Cerasani is varsity head coach of football and is one of the many coaches who encourage the players to come to summer camp. He has met most of his players during camp and said that attending summer camp provides “an advantage [for athletes to] get to learn… the building, their lockers, how to get their equipment, and how to get around the campus.” Not only though do you get to know your coach but also potential teammates. Cerasani thinks that the “ biggest thing since we have two campuses is that the East and West players don’t know each other, so this is a good
opportunity for everybody to meet.” Another advantage summer camp offers is that the athletes get to learn things about the sport before the season begins. For example, for football Cerasani teaches the players the plays they run. Players who don’t attend are at a disadvantage according to Cerasani. He says that “Guys that don’t come to summer camp are at a disadvantage because they’re not in as good a shape; they don’t know our system as well, and they’re not as prepared as the kids who have been there the whole summer.” This is not only specific to football but other sports also to get ahead of their season teaching what they would do if it were real practice. This can help the underclassmen have an opportunity to move up
to a higher level like varsity. Even though for football they have not had “freshmen move up to varsity, but we’ve had some sophomores move up.” Cerasani added, “If you’re gonna play varsity football you have to come to summer camp, you really do. It would be very hard to be part of the varsity team and not go to summer camp.” The opportunity to make an impact starts during summer camp for other sports as well. An example would be girls soccer. Last year during summer camp the coach signed the girls up for a tournament. The people who attended the camp were able to play with the varsity girls and get the feel of a varsity match. So when the season came around, they knew what to expect and they were actually able to make varsity.
Senior Mike Wilms has been a three year varsity athlete for his four years at Leyden. Upon being asked if summer camp gives an advantage and if it is a good choice he responded that it is a “good [ choice because] the coaches know what you are capable of and you give them a good impression, showing that you care if you attend summer camps instead of just waiting until the season starts.” He also thinks that summer camp is beneficial “because it is time to get more practice in and get better for the next season.” And he “recommend[s] that all athletes go to summer camps if they can because it is very helpful to get you ready for your [upcoming]season.” Junior Amalia Figueroa has been a three sport athlete for her three years she’s been at Leyden. She agrees with Wilms: “It is beneficial to go to these summer camps because it really shows the coaches as to how committed you are to the sport, and shows them how much you are willing to work to get better,” advising that athletes attend “summer camps, so you as an athlete don’t go all summer without working on your skills, and then coming in on tryouts and not being prepared or in shape. The coaches are always there to help you get better for when the season does comes, and it is just a great way to make progress and gain more skill.”
12 12
Sports
May 2017
Congratulations Signees
‘Playing Up’: Underclass Varsity
Mike Motyka Volleyball Carthage College
Autumn McGee Volleyball Carthage College
Fabian Vega Football Carthage College
Carly Cullotta Softball Concordia Wisconsin
Madison Ganir Softball Carthage College
Kristian Havran Soccer Lewis
Azu Whigham Taylor Morioka Shane Dziadosc
Spring Rivalries Robert Hamann -- Our biggest rival is Downers Grove South. We have had many very close and competitive games against them in the past couple of years, many going extra innings and often decided by one run. Brain O’Grady -- I would have to say Addison Trail is currently our biggest rival. We are very even when it comes to competitive balance so our matches are always very close. Robert Fowler -- The biggest rival is Morton. I think this is because the players often know each other outside of Varsity Girls Soccer and both teams are closely competing with each other in the conference. William Cordts -- Hard to say, But one I enjoy is Addison Trail because one of Leyden’s greats, Mike Galfi who practically owns all of our individual records for gymnastics here at Leyden is the Head Coach at Addison Trail. Kurt Schuett -- Downers South because the conference championship always come down to the two of us each and every year. Michelle Mueller -- Willowbrook is a big conference rival, and we always have very competitive and close matches.
Nicole Mora Varsity sports are usually reserved for upperclassmen. But when given the opportunity, underclass athletes can show that they really have what it takes to compete at the next level. Sophomore Tara Mackey shared how she sees things from her end, being a sophomore playing on the varsity softball team: “Being on Varsity gives me more of a leadership role now and the years to come. My first day on varsity last year was a 6 a.m. practice. I remember being very nervous in the beginning but even then the girls were so welcoming and by the end of practice I felt like I fit in well and was no longer nervous. I really felt accepted on the team especially in the beginning of the season when I made a mistake and the whole team was there to pick me up. I don’t think I have ever felt unwelcome on the softball field. Softball has always been my number one priority. Over all as a team when we are on the field, softball is our main concern.” Lili Herrera, who plays on the girls varsity soccer team currently plays as center mid and forward. She said, “Well, my family is very athletic and my cousins showed me
how to play soccer at an early age. I started playing and loving the sport at age six.” She said that the bond between the girls on the team is “very strong, all the girls on the team already know each other very well. We all work together and push each other everyday. The bond is truly unexplainable. I love my team very much, and I’m going to miss my senior girls.” She continued, “Being an underclassmen on varsity has many benefits for me personally: getting better each year. I put in a lot of work at practice so that it pays off during games.” “Being an underclassmen on a varsity team does come with its challenging moments,” Herrera admitted. “I have to be an example to the younger teams and show them how working hard does pay off. Having the chance to play for the varsity soccer team put a little pressure on me because I was going to go against stronger girls. And I obviously wasn’t as strong, but I’ve been through many struggles since age six. I started as a chubby girl who didn’t know how to touch a soccer ball to a well shaped varsity player. My first day on varsity wasn’t that bad because I had a few friends on
the team. But I was still nervous because I didn’t know who my competition was and how competitive each girl can get. The first day, when coach Fowler told my team I was a freshman they all smiled at me and made me feel welcomed. There was a game where my teammates were screaming at me and at each other, which put me down for some time, but at the end of the day we all know that we don’t mean it. It’s just in the spur of the moment. It’s easier for me because I have nothing to worry about other than improving my game each year.” Freshman Alexis Weiner is a sprinter for the girls track team. She will be running for varsity in the years to come. Alexis is known for always putting in her hard work in practices so that they pay off at meets. Alexis’s specialty is running the 400 meter dashes both indoor and outdoor season. I had the chance to catch up with Alexis and hear her thoughts about moving up to the next level. “I feel confident, I always try my best to run fast and beat my times, I never give up no matter how hard it gets. It benefits me and the team as well.”
Looking Back on Playing Up
Senior, Jodi Dubrock- “I feel proud being on varsity all four years of softball because I feel like it was a big accomplishment, I have been playing softball my entire life and all the practices and trainings I went to were worth it being on varsity as a freshman.”
Senior, Natalie Payne “Being on both varsity volleyball and badminton I have learned that it holds you to a higher standard both on and off the court. Taking more of a leadership role, you have to set a good example for the younger girls.”
Senior, Vanessa Gallegos- Soccer “It makes us better experienced to play against better teams, especially being younger in the program it gives a push to compete at that level.”
Senior, Nohely Suarez Soccer “Yes, at first it’s a bit scary and intimidating, but you learn to overcome many fears and anxiety and also working hard to improve each day.”
Senior, Mike Motyka volleyball“Honestly, my experience being on varsity for all four years has impacted my athletic experience a lot. As a freshmen, I learned how to compete at a competitive level, which taught me to learn leadership skills. Then, being a captain for the next three years I held my team accountable and had high expectations for us to work hard everyday in the gym.”
Senior, Enrique Carvajal- “Being on varsity is more fast pace compared to Junior Varsity. It can get difficult at times, but it’s a lot of fun.
Coaching changes bring growth Nico Sanchez Leyden’s varsity boys volleyball team has had three head coaches in the past four years. For some, this might cause a challenge, but the athletes have learned to see the benefit of different perspectives. Seniors Mike Motyka and Roman Sydorchuk have been on the team to experience these coaching changes. “I do value a bond with my coaches,” Motyka said. “It’s been rough sometimes, but I feel like with all these coaching changes I have gained more knowledge about the game.” Sydorchuk explained the unexpected benefits of coaching turnover: “I had to adapt to a new style of play. As long as you do your job for your team, the coaching turnover won’t affect the team negatively.” This could prepare you for when you have to adapt to play with a new coach at the next level. “I feel like having all these coaching changes absolutely gets me ready for
the next level,” said Motyka, who will play college volleyball next year at Carthage. Leyden Athletic Director Mr. Randy Conrad explained that the volleyball turnover had nothing to do with performance. The coaches just moved on to other opportunities. In discussing the turnover, he focused instead on how athletes should deal with new coaches. “I want every athlete to have an open mind about new coaches and to always have respect for each coach’s philosophy,” he said. “If the respect is there, you can learn from any coach.” First year varsity head coach Ms. Mueller ran head first into coaching this great group, and she hasn’t looked back since. “Since day one we set a goal out to be the best team in conference, and our goal hasn’t stopped since.” And while the goal has been clear, Ms. Mueller explained that she knew her introduction as varsity head coach would require the usual adjustments. “I felt like the players had to get
used to my style of coaching at first. Once that happened, I felt like we all meshed together and became a family.” Ms. Mueller has been around volleyball since she was young, which helped the players respect her immediately. “I feel like my knowledge about the game has helped me become a great coach. I want to teach my athletes as much as I can before they leave me.” These are exactly the traits Conrad feels new coaches must have to be successful. He described his outlook before hiring a new head coach: “I look for leadership and people who have been around the game for a long time. I also want someone who teaches because I feel like that’s how you form relationships with your athletes.” It’s worth noting that the volleyball team this weekend won their annual Leyden Eagle invite