Issuu

october 2015 Volume 86 Issue 2

3400 Rose Street

More Make a Difference:

Franklin Park, IL 60131 Photos by Piotr Morawiec

East Leyden High School

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Annual day of giving back sees participation increase

Piotr Morawiec

s part of Make A Difference Day, students volunteered for different projects, such as creating dog toys for homeless canines, crafting cards for ill children, and a lot of other projects. Make a difference day is all about giving back to the community. It is done annually, with a growing number of students who participate in it. “Make a difference day is an annual event that Leyden does to reach out to the six communities that feed into Leyden. Typically we have 20-25 different projects that we work on. Some are on campus, some are off campus, and we split up usually based upon our teams or sponsors,” Student Activities and Community Outreach Director Mr. Tony Pecucci said. “It’s been growing and growing every year, and it’s been a really good event, ” he added. And there’s a reason for that, the experience itself. It is a fun way to hang out with friends, and also have the satisfaction that you are doing something positive. One of these experiences is the Veteran Stand Down, which is where students “basically put together

amenity kits and then...deliver them to homeless veterans,” Mr.Peccucci said. In the kits, veterans find basics needs: toothpaste, deodorant, clothes, etc. “I decided to volunteer because I’m part of a big community, and in our community we have a lot of homeless people. We got a lot of people who need help, and [we’re] helping those people a little bit more than usual,” said Jennifer Parker. Some groups worked very rapidly and achieved their goal very quickly. The Veteran Standdown Group was one of the groups that worked so quickly that they transferred the volunteers to other projects such as the Cards for Hospitalized Kids. At the Cards for Hospitalized Kids Project, volunteers were “making some cheerful message cards for children who are in hospitals...many of whom have terminal diseases,” according to Ms. Therese Landschoot. “We just want to pass along some cheerful and encouraging songs and tell them that we are thinking of them.” Students also helped out at Elmwood Care where they played bingo with residents, and a fun game that included throwing bean bags, or any kind of ball, into a

(Left) Volunteers pack supplies for veterans and write cards for chilren who need a boost.

series of targets. The latter was focused on seniors with alzheimer’s and dementia. “I love helping people, and it’s great to know that you made a difference in someone’s life,” Elizabeth Shelton, one of the volunteers, said. Genine, a resident, said “This is a real treat for me.” She interacted with a lot of students and played the game with them.

Think Pink but remember other causes too reast cancer is well known internationally, but the question is why? October is well known for being Breast Cancer Awareness month but there are other illnesses we should be aware of as well. As a nation, we have National Down Syndrome Awareness, SIDS Awareness, Domestic Violence Awareness, Pregnancy Loss and Infant Loss Awareness all in October. How is it that the pink ribbon is the main focus around the globe? For starters breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime according to nationalbrestcancer.org. Every year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die. With that being said breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. Briana Greco’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Briana was 12. Briana and her younger brother, Gregory, were affected by this unexpected event. “We were worried about our mother; we spent nights at our grandma’s and cousin’s house while my mom was at the hospital, [and we] missed days of school” After two rough years, Briana and Gregory’s mother was free of cancer. In October, they’re happy to celebrate their mother’s recovery and those who were not as fortunate. Senior Ashley Fiala has a special connection to this month, too. But hers is less publicized. Fiala’s little brother, Dylan, was born with Down Syndrome. She said, “Dylan is about to be 7 this month.” Fiala says that, “More people should recognize Down Syndrome Awareness month because [...] it affects people for their life. It’s not something that could possi-

bly go away or get cured like breast cancer.” According to NDSS, “Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition. One in every 691 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome – about 6,000 Ashley’s family needs good vibes in each year.” October as well. Not many people are fully aware of DS because they don’t know anyone who has the syndrome or they’re just not informed with it. Both breast cancer and down syndrome present struggles to individuals and families. Everyone should be aware of both. The way to do this is by spreading the awareness for both causes. Next time you wear pink in October, also remember to spread the word to end the r-word and think about other causes as well. Photo courtesy of Ashley Fiala

Leslie Corea and Tania Trejo

Jasmina Abdic A student at Umpqua Community College in Oregon walked into his English classroom on October 1 smiling and wearing a black T-shirt and a bulletproof vest. As the students walked in, he ordered everyone to get on the floor, and that’s when the tragedy started. He demanded that Sarena Dawn Moore, another student, return to her wheelchair from the floor. The man in the black T-shirt shot her instantly when she followed his orders. He then made the professor of the class, Lawrence Levine, rise from the class and proceeded to shoot him. The shooter continued making students stand up from the floor. He would ask them a question at one point asking one victim, “What is your religion, do you believe in--are you a Christian?” If a person said “Yes, I’m a Christian. I believe in God,” he responded, “Good. I’m going to send you to God. You’re going to see God.” And then he’d shoot them. At some point, the shooter handed a package to 18-year-old Matthew Downing and instructed him to deliver it to the police. He told Downing to tell the police everything that happened and that Downing was free to go. After a brief shootout with police, the murderer took his own life. He had killed nine other people. Following the shooting, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin refused to say the name of the shooter while working with the press, citing his belief that it would only “glorify his horrific actions and serve to inspire future shooters,” according to a Huffington Post article. In that same spirit, we here remember the names of the victims: Lucero Alcaraz, 19, Rebecka Ann Carnes, 18, Quinn Cooper, 18, Treven Taylor Anspach, 20, Sarena Dawn Moore, 44; Bottom row from left to right: Professor Lawrence Levine, 67, Lucas Eibel, 18, Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59, and Jason Dale Johnson, 34.

The Eagle’s Eye

News

October 2015

Homecoming and Fall festival fun Jasmina Abdic October 2 to 4 was Homecoming weekend, featuring the usual activities, but it also included the less well-known Fall Fest Parade. The game began on a chilly night with fans wrapped up in blankets, but the varsity football team came out hot, building a 28 point lead on key touchdowns by both Mike Wilms and David DeMarais. The homecoming court was also formally announced. East Leyden’s King (Piotr Morawiec) and Queen (Ada Bulka) walked side by side smiling toward their fellow Eagles. The Fall Fest that occurred October 4 included the football team, Poms, Cheerleaders, marching band, and the newly formed Dog Club in Franklin Park’s big parade down Grand Ave. Local business organizations were also featured, giving fliers to open gym karate classes or gymnastics classes. Little kids from other schools come out in the parade and/or just watched it occur--and chased down free candy.

Good News: Highlighting events with hope Piotr Morawiec

We all know that when we turn on the news, someone died, something tragic happened, and they illustrate that the world is horrible. Yet the world is not all bad. The good things are overshadowed. So in this section, we will try to highlight the good in the world, covering good news from all over the world. Church helps people who flooded $1000 goes to pizza driver Homeless receive Meal of a lifetime

On Sunday the Sycamore Creek Church ordered a $5.99 pizza. A woman only known as Natasha was delivering the pizza when she was asked what was the biggest tip she received. She said $10. After that Rev. Steve Markle gave her a $15 tip. Then he showed her what all three sermons collected, and proceeded to give her $1000. She was very shocked and started to tear up.

A disappointed bride’s mother gives out food to the homeless. The wedding was suppose to have 120 guests, yet since it was cancelled due to cold feet on the groom’s side,. The family had $35,000 of food in a 4 star restaurant, that was non-refundable. The mother decided to give the food to the less fortunate. It was a meal of a lifetime for most.

This news belongs in the good news sections because it shows us that when struck with tragedy, We will come together and work together to help. We are all willing to work together to achieve a common goal.

This news story deserves to be in the good news section because we live in a world where sincere kindness is rare. We rarely see anyone being kind without getting something out of it. Its genuine and good.

This family is in the good news section because even though the cancellation was heartbreaking, they decided to do the right thing,and give it to the homeless. It was a kind gesture that shows us that even though people go through rough times, there can be good out of something bad.

The Eagle’s Eye Staff

After the tragic floods in South Carolina, the New Spring Church is helping out a lot of people by delivering a lot of supplies. They use social media networks to geotag where it hit people the worst, and then help those that need it the most. The surrounding states and other organizations are also helping.

Editor-in-Chief Natalie Taborska

Broadcast Editor

News Editor Piotr Morawiec

Web Editor

Opinions Editor Isabella Valdez In Focus Editor Shelsea Reynoso Features Editor Zitlali Montiel-Martinez Arts & Entertainment Editor Karina Kosmala Sports Co-Editors Paulina Castelan and Jasmin Gonzalez

Gleanne Rosales

Gerardo Heredia

Visuals Manager Charlie Zielinski

Social Media/Marketing Manager Robert Gussy Copy Editors Mireya Cano Sarah Fiala Social Chair Jasmina Abdic

Reporters Cristina Aguilar Krystyna Cardona Melissa Coral Leslie Correa Jonjalee Fisher Errol Lucas Rebecca Miranda Giovanni Montes Leslie Palacio Shelsea Reynoso Essence Tolver Tania Trejo

The Eagle’s Eye is produced by students enrolled in English IV Journalism and English IV Journalism Honors. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the district. Readers are encouraged to check out our full collection of content and submit story ideas via the web site. For inquiries or corrections, please email eagleseye@student.leyden212.org.

The Eagle’s Eye

Opinions

October 2015

Boredom or Disrespect? Angel Forester, Freshman

Sarah Fiala It’s a tough call: As high school students, our basic school supply list consists of the vitals: a notebook, a pencil, but most importantly, a pair of earbuds. Students swear they can’t survive a single day without their music, using headphones to block out the noise and to isolate themselves in order to study. But what about during class, when the teacher is talking or when working on a group assignment? Is it still okay to listen to music, or are your earbuds a sign of disrespect? Let’s see what Leyden students and teachers think.

Alyssa Laskowski, Senior

Mrs. Amy Gorzynski, Business Education Teacher

Q: Do you ever wear earbuds in your Q: Do you ever wear earbuds in your classes? classes?

Q: Where do you stand on the issue of earbuds in your class and why?

A: I do in English, sometimes in science if he lets me, well, pretty much any class. I think earbuds are okay in class if you can still focus on the teacher or on your work.

A: It definitely depends. If we have gone through a concept and they are working independently on a project, I don’t mind if they listen to music. However, if they are not passing my class they lose the privilege to listen to music. On a day to day basis, I believe that earbuds are not a positive contribution to the class.

A: I usually don’t. Only if we’re doing independent work and usually only in my math class. I can’t read and wear earbuds because I tend to lose focus. I can’t have something in the background while I’m reading. I have Q: Do you think wearing earbuds in class to be fully focused. is disrespectful to the teacher? Q: Do you think it’s disrespectful to wear A: Yes, but I do it anyway because they help earbuds in class? me focus better. It gives me something to listen to when I’m doing homework or just A: I think it is if a teacher is teaching or doing something that we don’t really have lecturing, and if they specifically ask you not to pay attention to. If you’re just doing to wear them because then that shows them homework, it doesn’t really matter, and if that you’re not really giving your undivided the teacher is talking and go off topic, like attention to your teacher, but for individual about their personal lives, then it shouldn’t work it’s fine. really matter if you listen or not.

Q: Do you think it’s disrespectful to wear earbuds in class? A: I do. I feel that there’s a time and place, and if you are in class and we are having a class discussion, then the expectation is that you are participating in that discussion, and you can’t do that when you are listening to music.

Leyden students and teachers seem to agree that earbuds, although they can cure boredom, may be a sign of disrespect to the teacher and their class. However, some students think they have the right to choose to “tune out” when they feel their time is being wasted, further irritating their teachers.

Refuting Rap’s Bad Rep It’s common for people to dislike the rap genre because they feel that it doesn’t always positively impact its listeners, that its listeners are more prone to violent, irrational behavior simply because of the music they like. What the critics of rap fail to realize, however, is that there are stories and deep emotions in the lyrics. People assume that every rap song is about sex and drugs when that’s simply the stereotype we apply to the genre. Rappers are some of the only artists willing to discuss life’s hardships. They just present it in a way that is often more truthful and raw than we are used to, and I think this is why negativity is related to rap music, because it is so honest and scalding and not what people are comfortable hearing. Below is a list of lyrics that could potentially change how rap music is viewed. Krystyna Cardona Confidence: “Unstoppable” by Drake “You could show up to the party on dirty public transit/ And I guarantee the cameraman will still be snappin’ candids/Of you and your possie partyin’, drinkin’ what you get handed.”

In these lyrics, Drake’s confidence in himself and his actions are visible. He says that even though girls show up to the same parties he’s at by public transportation and looking a mess, since Drake’s there, pictures are going to be taken. I think although it kind of takes a second to divert it from cockiness, once you do, it shows a good example of how people should think about themselves. Self-Worth: “Crooked Smile” by J. Cole “You wake up, put makeup on/Stare in the mirror but it’s clear that you can’t face what’s wrong/No need to fix what God already put his paintbrush on.” These lyrics were written by J Cole to tell all women who are insecure or who have low self-worth that they are beautiful the way they are. He suggests that women don’t need makeup, that they all have a natural beauty that was given to them, a uniqueness that they shouldn’t obscure. The Danger of Assumption: “Game of Pain” by Montana of 300 “You don’t know my struggle, you don’t know my grind, you don’t know/ The thoughts going thru a n**** mind/ You don’t know my past, you don’t know my path, you don’t know my wrath, nah p**** n**** you don’t know the half” Most likely when people say something about you, it is false account or it is lacking vital details. In these lyrics, Montana of 300 expresses his anger towards people who make assumptions or base their judgements on stereotypes. He says that no one’s in the position to speak of his past/ future anytime because they don’t know about it the same way he does.

Relationships: “Bed of Lies” by Nicki Minaj “I just figured if you saw me, if you looked in my eyes/ You’d remember our connection and be freed from the lies/ I just figured I was something that you couldn’t replace/ But there was just a blank stare and I couldn’t relate/ I just couldn’t understand and I couldn’t defend/ What we had, what we shared, and I couldn’t pretend/ When the tears roll down, it’s like you ain’t even notice ‘em/ If you had a heart, I was hoping that you would show it some.” In these lyrics, Minaj discusses the difficulty of trusting another person after a great betrayal or abandonment. Sometimes people pretend to love you in order to gain something from you, but once they get tired of you or you can no longer provide them with incentive, they leave you. If two people truly love each other there will treat each other with respect and honesty. I think this song sets a good example as well because it teaches people, who plan to get into a relationship, what to “watch out” for in order to have a successful and healthy relationship.

Perseverance: “Higher” by Lil Durk “One thing I hate is a liar/ Kids don’t know me/ They act like my homie/ And hate on me and my attire/ I just put on, for me and my city And ever since, s*** been fire/ I’m good, but I’m tryna get higher” What I take from these lyrics is that we should focus in on our own aspirations, blocking out the things that distract us from our paths. To take risks and challenge yourself to constantly improve. Lil Durk points out that people will act like your friend instead of actually being one, which is really important when going about your life and becoming successful. I think that everyone needs a friend they can trust in life, someone they feel comfortable with, and that will help their chances at success and happiness.

The Eagle’s Eye

FEATURES

October 2015

Using coursework to become job ready

Zitlali Montiel & Rebecca Miranda

eyden always does its best to help prepare students for the future and for any plans after high school, whether it be college or a job. This effort varies from department to department. Most departments, including Business, Art, Industrial Technology, and FACS offer opportunities that could help boost resumes for high school graduates. Certifications and work experiences can help students stand out amongst other possible candidates because many schools/jobs require some sort of certification for that field. Those students that take advantage of this opportunity have a higher chance of succeeding in their field. Industrial Technology chairperson Mr. Frank Holthouse shared a story of a recent graduate, Greg, who earned his NIMS credential. Greg worked at Qualiseal and OSG Tool during high school and continued into college at UIC for Mechanical

engineering. He is nearly done with college, and he already has work experience that directly relates to what he wants to do. Senior Rohan Qureshi took Autos II this year because of his interest in cars. After being in this class for a little over half the semester, he learned new skills such as working on an engine and changing and balancing tires. He explains, “I see myself using these skills on my own car, or helping out other friends/family with theirs.” The skills he’s learned up until now in the autos class are very useful because he owns his own 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit and will have some background knowledge when it comes down to figuring out problems with his car. A reason he likes Autos II is the hands on experience that comes along with this class. Instead of sitting in a classroom he’s been able to learn how to change the oil, a key skill,“because learning yourself can save you money

Certificates a path from class to work

[instead of] changing it through a shop.” Although Rohan hasn’t take this class for a full semester, he still feels “very prepared using these skills post high school because of the several classes I have taken of Autos.” In regards with the certification for this elective, the ASE Student Certification is offered to Leyden students who are in the final stages of their career path. These so-called “final stages” are classes such as Autos II, Construction, PLTW IED Honors, and Metals II. Although these are a few classes in the Industrial Technology department, other departments may have different requirements and opportunities to offer certifications. If you’re currently taking any of these classes or plan to do so, ask the teacher about a chance to get your certification in your desired field.

How To:

• Art: Adobe Photoshop • Industrial Technology: Autos-ASE Student Certification, Construction-OSHA, Project Lead The Way (PLTW)- Certiport Inventor, Metals-NIMS • Business Education: MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist), CompTIA A+ Certification, CompTIA Net+ Certification, MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate) To learn more about these certificates, each department’s chairperson responded to a Q & A. Each respondent’s answers are in the style as listed below. Ms. Anna Reed, Art / Frank Holthouse, Industrial Technology / Dr. Fran Brady, Business Education Is this training for certification new to the department (program) or have students from previous years completed certifications? If so, what certifications were they? If not, what inspired the idea to encourage or involve in the curriculum certifications? “This is our first year offering the certification so we are pretty excited.” “Our NIMS credential has been around the longest. The other ones are newer. Credentials make sense, as more than 1/3 of students never attend college, and of the 2/3 that do attend, only around 1/2 finish with a degree. Credentials allow our students to display their employable skills.” “The business department has been offering certifications to our students since the 1990s, namely MOS certification. In 2001 we started to work towards networking certification. And to date we have broadened both CompTIA and Microsoft to include A+ and MTA.” How will this certification benefit the student in their career, job applications, school/other opportunities? “Students can use this certification to go into internships and paid jobs with design companies because it shows they are competent with design programs. As far as school, it allows the students to put what they learn in class into practice. Often students are unaware of their growth and how to apply it in the real world. This is a great start to that.” “I had a student Greg T (Featured in this video from 2011) who earned his NIMS credential. He worked at Qualiseal and OSG tool during high school, and continued into college. He went to UIC for Mechanical engineering. He is nearly done with college and he already has work experience that directly relate to what he wants to do.”

“Certification is verification that a person knows the technology whether it is software applications, computer installation/repair/troubleshooting, or networking. When astudent applies for a job, they can put these certifications on the application, as well as their resume. Professionals in technology know the value of these certifications as they are written by technology professionals. Some postsecondary schools honor certifications in lieu of courses.”

and

School Zitlali Montiel

Karina Kosmala

A number of Leyden departments offer certificates, acknowledgement that a student has mastered a certain program or skill. These certificates are official documents that might be helpful to students looking to join the workplace as employers can be confident these students have relevant experience and knowledge. Here are the current certificates available, based on responses we received.

Work

Workplace of Senior Diego Frausto

igh school has many opportunities available for students ranging from classes, games, and dances to work opportunities. Our school even provides students and their parents a website with new job positions in the area: leydenjobs.org. Although students look forward to spending their own money on food and new clothes, are they really ready to take on another responsibility? For the students who are willing to try working while managing school, ask yourself “Do I want to work only weekends?” or “Am I willing to work the whole week?” It’s important to find a job that meets your needs, and possibly your schedule. Senior Diego Frausto works only on the weekends making it easier to focus on schoolwork within the week. He would advise students to “work hard on trying to balance your schedule. If work is consuming too much of your life, well you should really focus on school first of all, and if work is consuming it, I would talk with your manager.” Sadly, it seems that adults want their young employees to focus on their job rather than school, so the number of hours a student is required to work starts to pile up. So this means that the hours left in the day to do homework will be spent working after school. The Work Program at Leyden allows students to leave during the middle of the day, and these people take advantage of the early dismissal to get homework done before putting in more hours at their jobs. Senior Weronika Zaleska is a full time store manager who takes part of this program: “If you don’t schedule out every single aspect of your life,” she said, “it’s going to get really stressful really quick.” After period 5, she goes home and starts her homework right away because she knows she isn’t going to do it later when she gets back. Consider adding the work program to next year’s schedule if you have a job or are thinking of getting one. A decline of student employment over the years started almost 25 years ago, with a 32% youth employment rate,slowly diminishing to 16%. It’s completely understandable that some students can’t handle taking on another responsibility and there’s nothing wrong with that. Leyden students are very involved with their school and extracurricular activities that result in few “free time” hours.

The Eagle’s Eye

Features

October 2015

The Big Interview: UPS Future Me Event

Reporters Karina Kosmala and Isabella Valdez practice their job interview skills with a UPS representative.

On October 7, Leyden’s Director of Careers, Dr. Fran Brady, organized “The Future Me,” event. Students across all four grades had a chance to experience what a real life interview would be like. Throughout the event, students were learning tips and tricks for how to conduct themselves in the work force and after having interviews with UPS officials, they got critiqued on their interviewing skills. Some of our very own reporters had a chance to experience what it was like having a conversation that might determine their futures.

Isabella Valdez

Piotr Morawiec

Karina Kosmala

Jonjalee Fisher

Jasmina Abdic

“If you want to give a good interview, you need to practice what you’re planning to say. A lot of employers use the same questions, and you can easily find them online and have a friend or family member give you a mock interview. This will help you find answers that are honest, smart, and interesting.”

“I learned that resumes are a very important part of hiring, as they are first seen by the hiring staff. They decide if you will continue along to an interview or not. I learned that you have to build a resume by going into the world and experiencing life.”

“It was a great opportunity to experience a first-hand interview without the fear of not getting the job. I’ve also learned that it’s best to do some research about the company you are applying to in order to know what criteria, skills, or abilities the company is looking for. In addition, it gives the impression that you are actually interested in the company, helping you stand out.”

“My biggest take away from the UPS mock interviews was that you have to go into an interview very confident. Even if they ask you a question that you don’t really know how to answer, answer it with your best ability. It is just like having a normal conversation with someone and having them ask you questions.”

I learned that when you go for an interview you have to remember that the interviewer is still a human. Try to get to point where you can become comfortable but still professional. Be open minded to all the criticism you receive. The biggest advice I learned from the UPS Mock interview is to be able to be certain about who you are and what you want to do.

Getting the Job

The Job Application

DOs

DON’ts

Most of the jobs you apply to are at the very least going to ask for you to fill out a job application and out of the entire job cycle, the application, the resume, the interview, the training, the application might just be the easiest. According to Employment Spot, the best thing you can do is come prepared. You never know what you may or may not need so you might as well bring everything. Make sure you know your social security number, the numbers and addresses of any references you’ve used, and any information on where you used to work. Don’t forget that “these forms vary in length from 1-5 pages and may include some difficult questions.”

Do talk about how you’ll help the company become better. Is it your people skills? Is it your overwhelming sense of kindness? How are you going to help the company look better and succeed?

Don’t make your resume extremely long. Think about it this way, if you don’t want to read a three page resume on washing dogs over the summer, neither will your (hopefully) future boss.

Do put down your volunteer experiences. It makes you look committed and motivated and it’ll be easy to bring up how much of a motivated and responsible individual you really are. And, if you really want to sugarcoat it, tell them how you’ll bring the best of those experiences into the workplace.

If you don’t understand a section or question on the application, ask for help because not only does this show that you value your answers but that you’re also thorough with your work.

Do use powerful verbs and words. What sounds better? “Great at communicating” or “Displayed strong communication skills when...”

Don’t include pointless hobbies and freetime activities. If you plan on mentioning how you’re good at cooking but you’re applying for a retail position, leave it out. However, if you plan on applying at a restaurant, it’s a whole different story because if they ever need someone to help out, they’ll know that they have you as a backup.

Fill everything out. Don’t leave empty spaces and “N/A” and especially don’t put “refer to resume” because it kind of shows laziness. “Your doctor would want you to answer every question... so will the hiring managers,” says Employment Spot.

Do check for grammar and spelling. You’ll look well put together and thorough which are qualities that will show without even mentioning them.

Natalie Taborska

This will be the very first impression your future employer will have of you, so please make sure to write neatly, be consistent and answer everything thoroughly.

Do talk about major life accomplishments. This doesn’t mean you talk about getting over your dog’s death. You should however talk about any awards or certificates or leadership roles.

Don’t freak out if you don’t have any past experiences. You can tie school experiences in so you can talk about how you’re good at time management because you balance AP classes and multiple sports. Don’t use an inappropriate e-mail address. It’s really quick and easy to make a new so you don’t have any excuses. Don’t freak out. As long as you’re confident in your resume, you can be confident about your chances in getting the job.

The Eagle’s Eye

Spirit Play Are you a believer in the supernatural? Have you ever wanted to connect with a ghost, or have you tried? With the help of a few websites, I’ve learned that a ghost is said to linger on earth if the person died in a traumatic way or if his or her burial was disturbed before it was complete. Those who believe in the paranormal may find themselves wanting to connect. And some students have tried. I interviewed juniAzu Whigham, Mike Dibeasi, and Tara Murphy and talked to them about their ghost experiences. They all explained to me that they believed in the unfathomable idea of the paranormal. D ibeasi explained his experience with a trial of “Charlie, Charlie” with his friends, and he was very shocked with the outcome. The #charliecharliechallen ge is a “game” closely related to the ouija board in which players supposedly contact the supernatural. One pencil is placed perpendicular over another pencil. The writing utensils create a cross-like structure. On the four sides where the pencils make a 900 angle, Yes and No are written on these squares. You proceed to ask the board-like arrangement a question. The pencil will fall completely or slightly move based on the answer. Dibeasi said his experience was very interesting. He was surprised that it would actually move when he and his friends asked questions. He was shocked when he decided to ask personal yes or no questions and actually got real answers out of it. Murphy explained her experience with the Ouija Board. “It honestly freaked me out, I didn’t know if it was my friend moving it or if it was real. The questions that we [were] asking and the answers surprised me. I’m really against supernatural things, but this situation really changed my view.” Azu informed me of what seemed like a supernatural experience. He explained, “I was once sitting with my sister, and we decided to Facetime each other just for fun. We called each other and heard singing in the background when we answered. It was only us two in the room, so we were very confused and scared.” These three students believe that their experiences are authentic. It’s up to you to determine whether or not such things are possible.

In Focus

Leyden HOrrOr StOry a paranormal publication

October 2015

Local Haunts

Waldheim Cemetery: Forest Park, Illinois A flapper ghost is said to be seen at this cemetery on multiple occasions. She has been seen on evenings at dance halls. Her identity is still unknown.

Mount Carmel Cemetery Hillside, Illinois

Supernatural Stories What do you think of when you see orbs while taking pictures? I know what i’m thinking about: ghosts. People have claimed that there are places that are “so called” haunted, and those who have encountered it, believe in the paranormal. I had an experience where I was uncomfortable entering a building. When I was in middle school, our class went on a sixth grade retreat, and we had to spend the night in a large house. It was an old, white house with vines practically covering every inch and large cracks along the wall. It felt scary, but I couldn’t judge the building by the way it looked. I had to see what it was like on the inside. When I entered the building I got chills and this feeling that I didn’t like. I didn’t pay attention to it and continued to have fun on the retreat. The house was big, and so I took pictures to show my family how the house looks, and it was weird because when I took those pictures, I saw these orbs. One website claims that orbs are a highly debated phenomena in paranormal circles, and some people believe they are visible evidence of spirits and a presence of energy. People may believe that it’s a problem with the camera lense, but I think it was real. If only you were there or experienced it yourself. When I actually took the photos and saw these orbs, I thought the building was haunted. I was stuck in this situation because I had to sleep there through the night. During the night, I felt more creeped out than I already had been because I was falling asleep knowing that there was a presence around me. When all the lights were turned off for us to go to bed, I was scared to death. While students were sleeping, I was up by myself. I couldn’t help, but keep thinking about what was going on in the house. Not only were the orbs the only reason why I was scared, but I also heard little noises that sounded like someone walking. I turned to look, and no one was there. I was the only one up. I really had the chills that night. When I have chills, I know that I’m scared and know that a presence is there. I always get that feeling that someone is there watching me, but I never see anyone. No one could understand how I feel, and it didn’t help that it was four in the morning. I didn’t think about it and just keep going through the night. I was trying to put myself to sleep, but I would wake up every time. I decided to stay up all night until morning.

It was morning and time to leave. I was so happy because I didn’t have to deal with any creepy feeling or presence. Getting no sleep the previous night, I decided to sleep the whole bus ride home. It was an experience I will never forget, and I’m still creeped out about it to this day. The proof and signals when looking for the supernatural vary immensely. Specific areas in your house might get cold or hot, this may or may not be a coincidence. Things in your house may unexplainably move. Are you really sure that item was just misplaced by you? Strange sounds around your house are common. Some may be too common. They can happen at the most random times and especially when you’re alone. The floor is not just being creaky, there might be something near waiting. Do you ever look behind you and feel something strange near? You might be witnessing a ghostly presence coming your way. Senior, Nicole Galvez, has had many experiences similar to this. They happen on multiple occasions and just won’t stop. Nothing major has occurred enough to scare her family away, and she is actually quite fascinated with all supernatural material. These occurrences happen especially when she is alone and when she wakes up first thing in the morning. Galvez described to me a specific occurrence. She said, “When we were little, my uncle put my cousins and I in the four corners of the room. We got in trouble, so he put this doll in the middle of the room, and it was a doll that we all hated. He told us that if we moved or talked that the doll would get us. We all could have sworn that the doll moved its head every time you looked at it. The head would always be facing a different way. That’s the reason I hate dolls.” Even though Galvez is convinced something is in here house, she’s not afraid. She said, “The [spirit] in my house is probably good. That’s what my Grandma says. She would also say that cats ward off spirits. Since we got a lot of cats, we never saw the ghosts. But we got rid of the cats, so what if they're back? I think they might be back.”

This cemetery is said to be haunted by the ghost of Julia Buccola Petta. One family of visitors claim that, upon noticing their son, they retraced their steps to find him hand in hand with a lady in a white gown. When they came closer, she disappeared.

John Wayne Gacy House: Des Plaines, Illinois Serial killer, John Wayne Gacy, hid the remains of at least 29 different people in and around his home at 8213 W. Summerdale Avenue. The house was demolished in 1979, but locals were confused by the fact that the lot remained mostly empty for years after. Not even grass or weeds would seem to grow on the property. Not even weeds would seem to grow properly.

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Opinions

October 2015

Homework: Because seven hours of school isn’t enough

Krystyna Cardona

oming from a high school student who’s trying to maintain a job, homework is not really necessary, and it’s way too time consuming. Although people do argue with me, I have several reasons why homework is not actually beneficial for students. Personally, I think homework is too time consuming. Once I come home I start doing my homework, which I spend three to four hours doing at least three days out of the week. In an article I read, “Excessive Homework Strains Family Life” by Wendy Ponte, a student’s mother speaks for her regarding her schedule. She tells reader that her daughter “takes a 30-minute break when she gets home, then she starts her homework and doesn’t finish until 10 or 10:30.” This student is only in the sixth grade, leading me to another factor to consider: sleep. In the article, the author reports, “Studies show that only 20 percent of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 get the recommended amount of sleep. On school nights, nearly half of them sleep fewer than eight hours.” Sleep is obviously a necessity to life, and the lack of it could affect a person negatively. The author says that sleep deprivation affects our mental activity, such as “the ability to pay attention, verbal creativity, abstract thinking, decision making, retrieval of long-term memories, and overall mood and motivation.” Sleep contributes to a lot of the everyday things we need to be capable of doing in order to go to school. With the lack of sleep, kids are not giving their all in school and they’re slacking because the previous night they were up until midnight doing homework. Another reason homework is too time consuming is because of problem repetition. For

example, we learn a way to solve problems in math, then we are assigned ten problems where we have to apply it to the one concept we learned. Studies from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) prove that “five algebraic problems are all it takes to demonstrate whether or not a child understands a particular mathematical function. When kids come home with 100 multiplication problems to solve, it becomes simple drudgery.” It is unnecessary for teachers to assign more exercises than needed and it is a common mistake made and that is a big factor of why homework takes so much time to complete. Lastly, since homework takes up most of the day, there is no time to get anything else done. Students who are considering college, especially a top tier one, need more than just an A+ on their math assignments to get in. They need to be involved and socialized. From the article, the author says, “To be accepted into one of the better schools, kids are expected to not only have straight A’s, but also to do volunteer work, play sports, travel, write at a college level, participate in school politics, and more.” It is hard to

maintain these things when students spend majority of their “free-time” doing or catching up on school work. Although, colleges expect applicants to have good grades, they also want with something new to bring to the campus. To find the counter argument, I interviewed Mrs. Holtgrewe, a social studies teacher here at Leyden. I asked her a few questions regarding homework, like how and why she thinks it benefits students. The first question I thought was necessary was why she assigns homework. Mrs. Holtgrewe told me that she assigns it “to reinforce complex topics that students need to work with repeatedly in order to master.” When she told me this, I differed it from repetitive homework. Although she does assign things regarding the same topic, making it repetitive, her assignments are different (either a project, or a worksheet, or a quick act by a group) so that she caters to all students and their diverse learning styles. I then asked her if she considers her students’ schedules when she assigns homework. She told me “I try my best to not overload any of my classes

with work outside of class. I also make sure that what I do assign is not ‘busy work.’ I can make sure that what I ask them to work with is worthwhile, even if it means having to manage their time wisely that night.” Occasionally, when there is homework, she assigns it because she truly believes it benefits and helps her students. She thinks the work that is assigned is worth the time to take and complete in preparation for the test and knowledge of the concept. Lastly, a question I thought that was very important to ask was, at what point of stress does she think it is appropriate for a student to step up and “complain” about the homework. She responded by telling me that “When students complain about work, it seems to be more a frustration that they did not take advantage of class opportunities to complete the work. With that said, if an entire class felt as though I was placing an unrealistic burden on students, I would definitely reflect on my choices to see how I might alter them in the future.” Although it is true that students tend to get frustrated because they do wait until last minute, it also depends on the assignment. Personally, I’d prefer to get assignments done sooner than later, but the level of complication in an assignment is what makes me put it off. A fter I interviewed Mrs. Holtgrewe, I understood where teachers come from when they give certain assignments. But I still think teachers give too much homework with too little meaning. What we take with us out of the classroom is just a watered-down rendition of what we did in the classroom. There are some assignments I do think are necessary, but teachers should think about taking their students’ life situation and course load into consideration before they assign that additional two hours of homework.

The Real AP: Valuing curiousity, not credits

Isabella Valdez

took my first AP (Advanced Placement) class junior year. Actually, I took four of them: Biology, Psychology, U.S. History, and Language and Composition (English III AP), and I was nervous. I didn’t know any of the kids in my classes. They’d all been AP and honors students since their freshmen placement exams, whereas I had only taken three honors classes my whole high school career. On day one, all my AP teachers told the class that usually there was one or two students who didn’t belong, that the individual would struggle, that things just wouldn’t click for them. And I was sure I was that kid in every case. However, as the class started up, I realized that many of my peers hadn’t done the summer assignments. Some of them didn’t even know that there were summer assignments. I tried; I studied for the tests, completed my homework most of the time, racked my brain for answers when others were silent. When I selected my junior courses I picked the ones I did because their content interested me and, having taking a college-level class that summer, for the stimulating atmosphere of an accelerated classroom. I was ready to debate, to inquire, and to grow, to become a more informed and intelligent individual, and to finally meet kids who cared more about the quality of the lessons than the grade they might make. I asked several students, some enrolled in AP classes, some not, what they thought an “AP kid” was. Senior, Sarah Centeno, currently in AP Psych and Spanish V, believes AP kids to “actually be involved in the class, you don’t take it for the college credit, you take it because you want to or because you know you’re going to need it

in college.” I can see, however, why some students’ main motivator to take an AP class is for the possibility of college credit. I embrace those kids, though I am not one of them, because they have motivation to do well in the class. My problem, and I believe this is Sarah’s issue as well, lies with the kids who use the college credit reasoning as an excuse because they really don’t know why they took the class. Or they do and it’s for less attractive answers like “all my friends are taking it” or “I’ve been in honors my whole life.” The reality is that there has been a jump in number of students taking AP classes to which the New York Times reports,“90% [of teachers] attributed it largely to ‘more students who want their college applications to look better,’” and only “32% to students who want to be challenged at a higher academic level.” (Steinberg). Senior, Klaudia Skladanowski, said she believes what makes an AP kid is the effort they put into their classwork: “They’re not smarter, they just work harder. They want to achieve something more.” Though I agree with her statements, as a seasoned AP student, I believe that even though we get assigned more work, it doesn’t mean we put the effort in. Whether it was in History or Psych,

it was not uncommon for students to come to class, their binders full of blank pages, claiming they didn’t they know they needed to do the notes we were assigned every week since week one. But what should it matter? Most AP teachers rarely assign homework, and when they do, it’s often optional, like these notes. When the students aren’t familiar with the material nothing happens in class. Everyone sits there, dead-eyed, waiting for the teacher to give up and tell us what the answer to her question is. It was at moments like these where I wished AP kids were really all they’re chalked up to be. School is duly dependent on a teacher’s willingness to teach and a student’s willingness to learn. They affect each other; if the students aren’t prepared to “play school” the teacher can’t feign a classroom, and vice versa. And when AP kids come to class, expecting their teacher to tell them everything they need to know, the benefits of higher-level classes become almost nonexistent. The College Board, creator of the AP program, defines AP as such: “a rigorous academic program built on the commitment, passion, and hard work of students and educators.” Now, I have my issues with the motivated-by-money company, but I digress. What the College Board claims to

look for in students is the kind of people I thought I would be surrounded with. I thought everyone would be passionate and inquisitive, that we had opinions and ideas that we longed to share with others, but I just couldn’t find the right people. The idea of classes that make you think harder than you normally would, those were what I wanted to be apart of. And I think that’s how the Advanced Placement program began, with people remembering their childhood selves, confined to a textbook, told to stay within the pages. Even if this is not true, I still believe that’s what Leyden’s AP teachers want to give their students: an impassioned and and thoughtprovoking experience. This type of student, the kind with constant wide eyes, is going extinct. We’ve been taught to learn a certain way, to prepare for college, to put aside ourselves so that in the future we can be happy. We’ve forgotten how to question, how to think, how to wonder. As AP students, as students in general, we should take a second and think about what we want. In order to bring the awe and amazement that enchanted us as children we need to find things that we love. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be successful, but maybe the way isn’t through a bunch of classes that we don’t care about or even enjoy. Ask yourself now, “What do I like to do? What is something I’ve always wanted to do?” And don’t waste your time trying to memorize cellular respiration unless it’s something you truly love.

Arts

October 2015

9 Photo Courtesy of Leyden HS Band.

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225 Leyden Marching Band Students performing for Robert Doody’s family.

The Gift of Music T Errol Lucas

he marching band has been performing for football games, assemblies, and they even went to Cedar Point, as they do every year. But what else does marching band have to offer when it comes to giving back to the community? Recently, after the Franklin Park Fall Fest Parade, all of Leyden’s 225 members of marching band helped out fellow member, Robert Doody and band instructors, Mr. Miller & Ms. Vazquez, by hopping on a bus to the Doody’s house and performing the halftime music from marching band’s 2015 show in front of Robert’s father who wasn’t able to come to any of the home football games to watch Robert perform. Robert’s father is going through stage 4 brain cancer, he was diagnosed back in January of 2013, and cur-

rently he is confined to a wheelchair “The last time my dad saw us perform was the 4th of July parade in Hinsdale this year, but he hasn’t been to a football game since 2013,” Robert explained. Band director, Ms. Vazquez also mentions the background of the Doody family and how marching band runs through their family: “Earlier in the week one of our band parents reached out to us explaining that the Doody family was going through a rough time and was wondering if there would be something we could do to lift their spirits since band has been a highlight of all three of their children’s high school career,” Ms. Vazquez explained. 225 students unloaded from the bus onto the Doody’s front lawn for a performance to remember. “I think the overall reaction was

very heart-warming. Our students truly have a gift of being able to touch people’s lives through music. I think everyone involved the band, teachers, staff, parents, bus drivers, and even the neighbors who heard the music and came out to witness the performance were very moved by the fact that such young students were making that kind of an impact,” Ms. Vazquez said. Robert’s dad was even impressed by the overall performance, “My dad is rarely able to talk or express emotions now because of his condition, but during the performance he started crying. After the performance I went up to him and asked him if he liked it, and he was able to muster out a weak yes,” Robert expressed. It shows how music can bring so many people together especially in a time

of need, and how music can touch people’s hearts. It’s a common trend with marching band. At home games, the band honors a hometown hero during the pregame performance just before the national anthem to honor their services to Leyden and our country. And for the third year, the band will perform a Veteran’s Day concert to honor all the veterans in the community. It will be held on November 10 at 7:00 p.m. in the East Leyden Auditorium. The day after (Veterans Day), marching band will be performing a shortened version of the ceremony but for both East and West Leyden to celebrate the entire with student body.

“Honorable” Graffiti Karina Kosmala

iving a new, legal twist on graffiti art, National Arts Honors Society and Art Club students painted the Franklin Park mural on Saturday October 24, 2015 for Make a Difference Day. The mural was the first of what participants hope will be many service art projects. The newly-formed Honors Society is supposed to be “less about doing art projects that the art club would do, and more about, like doing community based service art projects, beautifying the community and making art more accessible,” according to art teacher Ms. Adrianne Nix. The mural is 2 feet by 16 feet and displayed on the concrete block at Franklin and 25th Avenue. Making sure that the words line up, stencils were used for Franklin Park, Illinois, Est. 1892, and the Leyden Logo. The Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA trademark, the Franklin Park Park District logo, and the famous Railroad Daze logo were drawn by hand by the students. Originally, the sketches were supposed to then be filled in using bright exterior (latex) paint; however, because of the on-and-off rain conditions it proved difficult for the paint to stay within the letters and logo. Even without battling the rain, the mural presents its own unique challenges as an art project. Yanesi Pena and Stephanie Carreno believed the difficult part was “trying to stay in the lines and making sure the paint doesn’t smear.” According to Acela Goray, the “difficulty [was] keeping the stencil in place and making sure letters line up,” since the mural was done on a vertical platform versus a horizontal platform. Other students jokingly replied that the difficult part of this project was “squatting,” mentioning that they are “not ready for this type of exercise.” Even when each student had his own individual part on this mural, a letter or

logo, and effectively worked hard to make the mural come alive, the effort was not enough to beat the rain conditions which worsened, and made the students along with Ms. Nix and Ms. Reed come to the conclusion that they would stop working on the mural and return to it some other day. Besides the mural, the new National Arts Honors Society held both at East and West will be dedicated to bringing art to the community. Member Mariel Labajos mentioned that she is “happy that we have a club that is dedicated to sharing our talents with the community.” Ms. Nix mentioned the purpose of the society is to “bring art to the community...beautifying the community and making art more accessible.” Labajos explained, “Art is kind of under-appreciated these days. People really take it for granted, given that you see it literally everywhere you go.” On the other hand, the National Arts Honors Society approaches art by helping bring art to the larger spectrum, but maintaining their artistic vision. In the meantime, the mural is yet to be finished.

Entertainment

The Eagle’s Eye

October 2015

Walking Dead superfans can stay busy Gerardo Heredia and Rob Gussy

ans are excited about the Walking Dead, which came back for its sixth season on October 11. But even before that, all our fellow Walking Dead freaks couldn’t wait for the new season to blow our minds and make some unexpecting changes. Will Rick’s group reunite with a friend? Will anyone from Rick’s group die? If you want to know the answers, all you have to do is watch the new season and see what is ahead of us. But if you can’t wait a whole week to watch each episode, there are some other places to get your fix. Fear of The Walking Dead This TV show is similar to the actual Walking Dead, as it is set in the same world at the outbreak of the walker problem. As Robert Kirkman, the American comic book writer best known for creating The Walking Dead, has said many times over the years, there is no concept for zombies in The Walking Dead. People may think that the Fear of the Walking Dead might spoil

The Walking Dead, but it will not. It’s not going to reveal the cause of the outbreak or a cure. What Fear the Walking Dead will do is introduce a new cast of characters that will hopefully surprise diehard fans of the original zombie series. It only introduces new characters and how they form a group and survive the zombie apocalypse. We recommend to Fear of the Walking Dead because it still deals with the concept of a zombie apocalypse attacking people and other groups of people from surviving. The Walking Dead Comic

Who’s your (Grand)Daddy?

Supernatural: Super-Good naturally Errol Lucas

randfathered is a new sitcom on Fox that will get you laughing throughout this fall season. This new show, created by Daniel Chun, is about a restaurant owner, Jimmy Martino, who finds out that he has a son named Gerald with a girl he used to date, Sara Kingsley. Not only does he find out about having a son, but also discovers that his son has a daughter named Edie, making Jimmy a grandfather. Watching the pilot to this show that premiered September 29, 2015, you get a big plot twist in the beginning that will intrigue fans of sitcoms. This show consists of run-on gags throughout the episode and humor that will fit the all-around age group of juniors and seniors that are looking for a new show to just laugh and enjoy. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the show rated 67% with an average rating of 6.1/10, while according to Metacritic, the show rated 62/100. For its overall rating, this show isn’t too bad and is of course watchable if given the chance. In my opinion, the show should be rated 78% for it’s sense of humor and development for the shows main roles. Jimmy and Gerald’s relationship as father and son grows a lot through this first episode, and showed a lot of character development with these two characters. However, the flaws of this show can be that it doesn’t show that much progression in Jimmy’s transition to becoming a grandfather. After the first episode, he seemed ready to support and take the role of a grandfather after a big surprise. Another flaw is that the first episode or the pilot episode lacks character development in

The show is very much like the comics that it’s based on. The books follows who dies and what seems to happen next. But some Walking Dead show fans don’t read the comics because they may spoil plotlines and ruin the joy of watching the show. If you are new to Walking Dead, we recommend watching the seasons and reading the comics. If you read the comics, you will get information on both the characters and the plot. You will understand how Rick’s group gets from one place from another. Reading the comics will get you a

head start on the show. You’ll have a better concept of the plotline than other people just by watching the show. You could tell people what is going to happen next. But don’t, have them wait and guess to see what will happen. The Walking Dead Games Instead of just watching or reading about the plotline, you can create the plotline. The video game is cool because it lets the players decide how to handle certain situations. If you like the show and you like games, you should play this one. The show is different from the game due to characters and situations, but it has the same amount of gruesome zombie killing that we all love about the show. They have it for Xbox, Playstation, and even PC. It is a pretty fun game especially if you are into killing zombies and trying to survive. If you don’t believe me that it’s a good game, just know that it was given a 9.3/10 on IGN(International Gaming Network).

supporting roles. The girl that Gerald slept with and gave birth to Edie wasn’t explained as much. Her relationship towards Gerald is just a friendship and there isn’t much of a background towards why or how they have Edie in their lives. Some may see a familiar face, Josh Peck who plays the role of Gerald. Everyone around this age should remember him from Drake & Josh, which is another good reason why you should watch this show. So why not give this show a chance? Go watch Grandfathered on FOX, every tuesday at 8/7c.

Melissa Corral

f you have ever watched a season of Supernatural, or even just an episode, then you know it’s not your typical sci fi-fantasy-ghost-busting-fighting-theforces-of-evil kinda show. I think what makes it stupendous is the fact that it’s unpredictable. Each episode and season is different and has a theme, but they all connect in a way that keeps viewers coming back. The show has had much success over the last decade. Hence, why they are on the 11th season! The show has created a complex world, that is filled with demons, angels, heaven and hell, along with other mythical creatures, and a totally new set of rules. As well as, the Apocalypse. Shows about this

kind of stuff that tend to depict Satan and battles between heaven and hell, don’t exactly fit into the category of family-friendly merriment. Although it is based off of other noteworthy shows like, The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but as was previously stated, the reason the show is so great, is its unpredictability. Because it’s spooky and creepy one day and the next it’s funny and whimsical, but the next it’s dark and gory. It’s truly a show of quality. It’s the kind of show that really focuses on detail. From the camera angle to the subtle yet obvious humor. By way of contrast, as well as the mythology and the characters, it draws people in and doesn’t let them go. Not to mention, the cast. Not only are they great actors, they’re good looking as well. On another note, if you thought Supernatural season 10 was at its peak, you were completely out of order. While Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki spent a lot of time hanging out and making dad jokes during Comic-Con weekend, they did reveal some really good teasers about season 11: Crowley fans won’t be too happy and more of the Winchester brothers spend time together. It’s about to get real touchy-feely real fast. Let’s just say “The Darkness” won’t be able to stand up against the new and remodeled brotherhood of Sam and Dean Winchester. No more Demon Dean because they are united to go and fight the forces of evil. Tune in on The CW, Wednesdays at 9/8c to watch more.

Music: Everybody Hates Something Giovanni Montes

When it comes to music, everybody has different tastes, and that means Everybody hears something, a song or style, that they don’t like. We set out to see what music made Leyden students mad.

Senior Mike Fatigato said, “Punk Rock/Metal is just not attractive to my hears, it sounds like a bunch of repetitive screaming and words that I cannot understand. I enjoy something that has a smooth beat and songs I can relate to. It almost sounds demonic to me and I picture it in more of a scary movie, then something I choose to put in my headphones.”

Junior Adam Lasak said, “R&B just plain is not my music it’s all about making love and its older music. I’m into newer styles of music and faster beats rather than slow love making music.” Senior Szymon said, “[Alternative] music doesn’t even know what it wants to be. That music has light singing parts, but then can go metal and screamo which is not my style, I’m more of an EDM type of guy.”

Sophmore Zeke Zuchi stated, “Rap music does not even make sense, honestly I like something I can sing to with a good purpose. All rap talks about is getting money, mistreating females, and killing each other. I think that is the stupidest thing about rap music.”

Senior Dom Rizzo said, “The voice to the music is horrible, the instrumental version of songs is good. But the voice is my main problem with this type of music. It is also depressing and makes me sad when I listen to it.”

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SPORTS

October 2015

11 Photos courtesy of Mr. Pete Skylakos

Swimming Memorable Moments Cristina Aguilar

“This year, Cook decided to do something new. Instead of the overnight swim, we went caving, also called spelunking. Although the overnight swims will always be my favorite memories from the four years I’ve been in swimming.” Melissa Corral “Some of the girls on the team including me are also in marching band. So we go get food before band & it’s always fun to go out to eat and relax a little bit after swimming practice. We always go to different places to eat & we always have a good time.” Zitlali Montiel “All four years I had an amazing time on the Swim Team but my favorite memories were all the Swim-A-Thons, our group scavenger hunt, being tied together running around the halls of West Leyden finding sticky note clues, and whenever Cook scared everyone in the auditorium or the gyms in at like 10 or 11 at night.” Terra Stachurski

Congratulations to the Boys Soccer team for their huge regional win! Thanks, in no small part, to this bicycle kick goal by Esteban Hernandez.

Photos courtesy of Mr. Dave Mikrut

Team or Family of Fore?

Ryan Langer hits at the gold regional

Memorable Moments

o finish their season, the Leyden Golf Team advanced to conference and placed third. Three of the athletes advanced into sectionals: Ryan Langer(Jr), Gabriel Garcia(Sr.), and Graham Pederson(Jr.). The end of golf also means that it’s over for the seniors Jared Eisenmann “Beating my coach (Siekierski) in a scrimmage match and sinking a 38 foot putt to end my high school golf career at Indian Lakes.”

for their entire high school career, leaving them with a bittersweet feeling. Reflecting on his last season, Jared Eisenmann said, “It feels weird; I’ll definitely miss playing free golf for all these years and getting together with the guys after school everyday. Although golf is more of an individualized sport, the team has always been, close and the coaches have always been a blast to be around. The Leyden golf team is where I learned to golf and to golf competitively, and I’ll always remember that.” Clearly, the players don’t see Leyden golf as just a sport; it’s a community. Jimmie Whaley felt similarly, remem-

Jimmie Whaley “When we beat Addison Trail. They’re a team that is around the same level we are every year and beating them was a huge win for us. It was a day where all our guys came to play and we pulled out the victory by just 5 strokes. It was one of those moments that pumped us up and gave us more confidence in our ability as a team.”

Paulina Castelan

bering his last season with some sadness, saying, “As for being done with the golf here at Leyden, it kinda saddens me. I’m gonna miss going to the course everyday after school to hang out with the team and the best coaches in the world, Siekierski and Mikrut. But at least I have my memories to reflect and cherish, it feels like just yesterday that I was going to the summer camp before freshman year and meeting with Sharos and Siekierski to simple drills in the back of west campus. Being on the golf team here at Leyden is like a once in a lifetime experience, I hope all the future golfers here at Leyden value the team like I did.” And Gabe Garcia said, “To be done with golf here at Leyden is really sad and it’s an experience that I’ll never forget. It’s very depressing yet relieving at the same time. It’s depressing because you look back at the 4 years that you played and you look back at the last home match and last tournament and think “Wow, this is the last time I’m ever going to be doing this for this team”. But also in the same way, it’s a great feeling because you think “Wow, this is the last time I can represent Leyden in a positive way”.’ Golf may be thought of just an individual sport but it is more than that. For these students, their golf team is like family. They help motivate each other and work together. “Well yeah it is individual but it’s also a team sport. We have a great time at practice,” stated Ryan Langer. His teammates have helped him grow as a stronger athlete, and so have his coaches. Ryan Langer, junior owes some of his success to senior, Gabriel Garcia who has influenced and encouraged him to do better throughout their time together on the team. “He went to sectionals last year, and he had high expectations. He helped me get into a better mental state.” He said. Ryan plans on playing golf next year and even in college, and he hopes to cherish his last year like the seniors did this year.

Gabriel Garcia “My most memorable memory in golf was last year’s scramble at Willowbrook. The tournament was a great atmosphere with the coach and all the players that went. Unfortunately, this year we got rained out so we weren’t able to play.”

Sports

The Eagle’s Eye

October 2015

Volleyball having historic season

Memorable Moments

his year the Girls Volleyball team is having a successful season. On September 9, they won their first Eagle Invite. Head Varsity coach Mrs. Danielle Kowalkowski said, “For the first time, we have a solid group of girls who really have a passion for the sport.” Because the girls have a strong passion for playing the sport, they have been able to win the majority of their games. Coach Kowalkowski also sees the passion in her athletes she says, “They come to practice everyday with a goal in mind. They WANT to get better and work extremely hard to achieve their goals.” Kowalkowski said, “We set multiple goals for the team at the beginning of the season. One of them was to win our Eagle Invite, which we have never done. It is a long day of volleyball, playing five matches, which takes a lot of focus and physical play. The girls went 5-0 that day, taking 1st. This was just one display of passion and dedication for the sport and each other.” What made the volleyball team successful this year was their passion for playing volleyball and their ability to work as a team. Their season this year was different compared to last years due to the seniors that graduated and new

Camryn McGee “Probably my most memorable moment in Volleyball would be when our whole team went to the Carthage College volleyball game because our whole team bonded and we all had a great time. We also got very good exposure to a more experienced team and could see some things our own team needs to work on.”

Photos courtesy of Mr. Pete Skylakos

Leslie Palacios

Volleyball has enjoyed a 20+ win season.

freshman trying out for the sport. Coach Kowalkowski said, “Over the past 4-5 years, the interest in volleyball has grown. We had 110 girls try out for the program in August! The most ever.” The fact that more girls are trying out for the volleyball team is a good thing because it shows that girls are dedicated to the sport.

Coach Kowalkowski said, “Most of these girls played for me last year, so they bring back varsity experience and better knowledge of the game. This has helped our younger juniors get to the level we need to be at more quickly.” Not only did the interest in volleyball change this year but also the younger juniors were gaining more experience and knowledge so they can also become better

Jennifer Parker “My most memorable moment in volleyball was during our Eagle Invite. Being one of my first times playing middle this season, I was nervous like never before. I thought I was going to freeze during the most important play of the game but sure enough, my coaches and teammates encouragement helped me to jump just a little bit higher and I blocked the perfect hit. It was one of the blocks that lead to even bigger kills, it started off MY varsity season. Now I know that even if I can’t block the ball, all of my teammates are right behind me to back me up.” Photo by Steve Marten

Senior sentimental as tennis ends

athletes for the upcoming season. With the season coming to an end the Volleyball team has a record of 22-11 which is the best Leyden has ever done. The girls have a strong score and are going to continue to work hard as team and strive for better. They have won many of their games this season and will hopefully become more successful at the end of their season.

Jasmin Gonzalez

ndings can be powerfully good or terribly bad, and when we refer to sport endings, they can be even stronger: the buzzer beating win or the last second loss. But a common ending for all high school athletes is their last season, their senior year. Star athlete Diann Villamena, a senior tennis player, shared her story about tennis coming to an end. “I tried out for tennis because coming into high school,” explains senior Diann Villamena. “I wanted to participate in a sport. I didn’t like running or swimming, competitively, so cross country or joining the swim team wasn’t in the picture. I also really like volleyball, so I was thinking about trying out for it but I did that in middle school, and I wanted to try something new. Most lifelong sports like biking, running, and swimming are about beating the clock and getting a better time. In tennis, you’re really competing against your opponent.” According to Villamena, everything that she was looking for was found in tennis.

“I realized how close I’ve really gotten with the team.”

Memorable Moments

In the beginning, Villamena knew little about the sport. “I was paired up with someone I’ve never played before to be my doubles partner. Diann Villamena reflects on her last season. She also has never played doubles, so this whole thing was new for both of us.” Villamena started to look for outside inspiration. “I also didn’t have any Kamila Glodz role models when it came to this sport, but ever since I started to play I tried “I would say the most memorable moment was my match with watching the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open. Watching DGS. We did great during the first set, but DGS caught up in pros play influenced me to try harder and become a better player.” the next set that lead to us tying sets; we had to play a third She had hoped for a dramatic finish, “to get 1st or 2nd place this year one. This third set was the longest set we have ever played in in conference,” but came up short. The lesson for her is to focus on growth. our tennis years. We would win a game, then they would win a She said, “I did improve on my serves and my volleys which have been so game, and it kept switching back and forth until the sun went much better. I was really focusing. Before each match, I’d warm up with my down and we had to transfer to different courts. I remember partner by doing ground strokes and serving. I always felt nervous, but I would feeling so bad for everyone because it was freezing and redo my best to keep my mind positive.” ally late. Eventually DGS ended up taking the win. We were And what she’ll take moving forward is the friendships. really disappointed because we played 2 and a half hours of “[On Senior Night,] It actually hit me that the season is coming to an tennis, and yet we ended up losing. We were very close, we end, and the end of my high school tennis career. It was a great opportunity had a chance and the fact that my partner and I didn’t give for team bonding, and I realized how close I’ve really gotten with the team.” up on each other made our loss okay.”

Joanna Kurkowski “The most memorable moment from this season was senior night. The juniors made signs and brought gifts for the seniors. It was a really special night for all the seniors. We saw a lot of girls that we don’t usually see since some practice at East, so it was really special. The girls made the afternoon really fun.”