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Volume 89 Issue 1 Fall 2018

East Leyden High School

3400 Rose Street

Wall of Fame Inductees

School rallies around Britten’s brother

Franco Petrucci

number of Leyden organizations came together to fund-raise for classmate Kyler Britten’s sick younger brother, who has infantile scoliosis, a disease that leaves the spinal column curved into an S or C shape. This can also lead to a flat skull and either get better over time or worsen as one grows. For Britten’s brother, the disease has progressed require a helmet to address the flat skull and braces to support the spine. Along with numerous doctors visits, these supplies can all be extremely expensive. Britten, Leyden’s starting quarterback and point guard, and his family have

been getting help from teammates and classmates. The Leyden choir organized a car wash in order to raise money for the family on September 16. The Sports and Entertainment Marketing classes also hosted a 3 on 3 basketball tournament. The idea for this car wash came from fellow student and teammate Brian Borowski and his sister Silvia. The basketball tournament is coming from the sports and entertainment marketing class. Britten and his mom were grateful about how the help impacted their lives. “It means a lot. Everyday [at practice] we break out and [talk about] family and this was our ‘family’ coming together.

[My brother’s illness] has been rough but it’s been taken day by day with a happy and positive outlook.” Britten’s mother explained that their lives have been affected “mentally, physically, and financially” balancing all the medical bills with Kyler’s future college needs. She said he’s finding a balance so that they will not have to choose one or the other, which she says “has brought faith to the family while simultaneously bring the family closer.” Leyden’s efforts to help have made her feel “blessed. There are not many kids that have this type of bond that you guys have, and it’s bought you all into our lives, and I appreciate it so much.”

Humidity relocates rooms, forces e-learning day

Franklin Park, Illinois

Beatriz Verin @verinbea

arly this school year, humidity problems prompted officials to close classrooms and relocate students and eventually led to an e-learning day. East Leyden High School students spent time attending classes in different rooms while maintenance cleaned and external agencies monitored the issue. It took about a week for classes to return to their regular classrooms. Leyden joins a dozen other schools across the state that have been shut down because of the humidity, which created mold in some areas. East Leyden High School’s principal, Mr. Jason Markey, explained that “right before the school year started, we had significant air conditioner issues.” Because East Leyden is fairly old, it is challenging to find parts for the HVAC systems. Since this type of unit is hard to find, East Leyden

used a “rental unit” outside of the building to help maintain the air flow. During the summer, fire alarms went off not because of a fire but because of construction. When the fire alarms go off, it cuts out the air conditioner, but in a couple of rooms the AC did not turn back on. Because it was a hot and wet summer, it created mold in certain classrooms. For a week, those classes were being cleaned.

“We closed down the three classrooms and an office. We went overboard; we took out the ceilings, took out everything that had porous surfaces, and replaced it,” Markey said. During this time, a senior at East Leyden High School, Jenna Meyer, experienced her pre-calc class move at least three times in one week. Because of all this

relocation confusion, Meyer had a hard time finding her class. “I was a little late to school, and there was not a sign on the door, so it took me ten minutes to find my class,” Meyer said. Other than the initial confusion, she does not think that all of this relocation altered her learning experience. Because the humidity problem continued to spread in classes, and it was difficult to work on the classes with students in them, East Leyden utilized an E-learning day. Markey believes that Leyden families should not be concerned about this issue. The school worked with many third-party consultants to track potential concerns and will be monitoring the issue when the weather warms again. “We are very thankful for our maintenance staff. They were taking double shifts, working seven days a week for like three weeks in a row. We asked teachers and students to be as flexible as possible, which I know is a lot especially starting the year off that way,” Markey said.

Dawid Poddany

rian Fruits and Laura Porro are the newest inductees into Leyden’s Alumni Wall of Fame. 87 people have had the honor of receiving this award, which features a display of plaques with photos and descriptions of inductees and their achievements for the entire school to see. Ms. Janine Asmus, the program coordinator, explained, “District 212’s Alumni Wall of Fame Awards Program is a long standing tradition. It recognizes outstanding graduates of Leyden High Schools while offering role models for its students.” Fruits provided his thoughts on receiving the award. “It’s quite shocking, humbling, exhilarating and memorable, it was a bevy of emotions, especially when you’re accepting an award in front of your friends and family.”

And teachers had good memories of him. Mr. David Narter knew Fruits only during his senior year, but that’s all it took for him to see the hard worker and inspiration he would become. “He had the lead in this show, and I was surprised at a kid that I hadn’t seen on stage very much with a lead in a show: a calm, honest, real direct and mature sort of kid,” Narter recalled. “He’s proved himself to be a real leader and somebody who can create something of worth and it gives you a lot to admire”. Jerome Patt, a current math teacher, recalled the other inductee, Laura Porro. “She is one of the hardest working, smartest, and nicest students,” he said. “She was just a snot-nosed freshman kid sitting in these classrooms just like all these kids are now, and I am sure, even though Laura was naturally gifted and bright , her work ethic is something that a lot of these kids could strive for and achieve,” he said. Asmus said that’s the point of the program. “Our program is unique in that the alumni use this opportunity to share their personal journeys with us.”

News

Fall 2018

Preschool Relocation

Carolina Michalek ater issues in the basement of East Leyden caused the relocation of the preschool, because of construction concerns. When the basement area flooded due to water seepage, school officials closed the facilities in that area indefinitely, including the weight room, where the water is, and the nearby dance studio and preschool. The preschool will remain closed despite being safe to access. According to principal Mr. Jason Markey, opening it would be a “recipe for all kinds of yukiness” for our little Eagles. “We don’t want three to five-year-olds walking through a construction zone,” Markey explained. A decision was made during ongoing construction to relocate the preschool to the Little Theater. The relocation occurred only four days before the kids were scheduled to begin their new school year. Ms. Jennifer Maldonado, preschool teacher and facilitator, “was in shock” the day of the move, while some of the students, including Marlie Delgado, felt “annoyed.” It was not an easy task to start the relocation of an entire preschool. Maintenance personnel had to shuffle their way down and back from the location of the weight room to the second floor without the aid of an elevator. Some of the boxes weighed up

While maintenance works on the preschool room (below), the Little Eagles remain in the Little Theater.

to an estimated 100 lbs! Mr. Ken Reyes and other maintenance crew “were more than happy” to do it, pointing out that “everyone in the building [should] feel comfortable in their environment.” Once all of the supplies made it to the Little Theater, it was up to the students to redecorate the new room, and to make it feel like a preschool in less than two days. Decisions were made to place cubbies close to the door so that it would be easier for the kids to pack and leave. Tables were placed in a comfortable way so that there wouldn’t be any trouble to move around

them. Yahaira Torres, a student who helped in the redecoration of the room, emphasized that “organization” is key. The room was finished right on time for the arrival of preschoolers. On September 20, at 10 a.m. 16 little Eagles flooded the little theater with looks of awe and excitement. They seemed to like their new learning environment. On that day, everyone who contributed to the relocation finally started to feel at “ease” according to Ms. Maldonado. The new location of the preschool is not expected to be permanent, just temporary until

water issues in the basement are resolved. However, with this change came a host of new challenges, some of which were simply unavoidable and needed to be dealt with, like one unique to early childhood education: potty issues. Instead of a bathroom being located inside the preschool room, students now have to take the “little Eagles” into the administrative office to do their business. Ms. Maldonado mentioned that’s difficult because when a four-yearold needs to potty, they can’t hold it for long. Even though the relocation of the preschool was back-

room, Principal Mr. Jason Markey said, “It’s in a basement, where a lot of people have water issues when there is a lot of flooding.” “The only way to determine [the water issues] is to tear things out and work on it,” Markey said. They need to find the source of the problem, and in order to do that, they have to close the weight room. The water flooding in the basement is not a new problem that has arisen. Markey stated, “We have had water issues ever since I have been here. I have been here since 2003.” This flooding was not a huge surprise to him since this has happened many times, but the closure is. “I used to go four to five

times per week. Now I am not able to go,” student JP Aguirre said. The weight room being closed has affected PE classes. Athletic PE use to go to the weight room two or three times a week. Now they are not able to use the space. Also freshman PE classes

have a whole unit in the weight room. They have to come up with something else to put in place of the weight room. The problem might be solved, however, for some athletes and PE classes. Mr. Markey said that they’ve made this instruction

Water issues close weight room

Jennifer Molini

ngoing water seepage issues forced the weight room to close in early September,disrupting athletics and PE classes workout schedule. Despite confusion, the weight room closure and classrooms closures, due to humidity, have no correlation to each other. The weight room has been closed ever since the beginning of September and will remain closed until further notice. The weight room is closed because of the increased water issues East Leyden is having in the basement, not the humidity problem that has been going on in some classrooms. Of the weight

breaking, stressful, and lots of hard work, the Leyden family made it possible. Ms. Maldonado meant it when she said, “I wouldn’t have done it without the best people on the planet.”

possible as they have “relocated some of the elliptical machines to the new wrestling room,” and “free weights to the field house storage, so we are able to use them in the field house.”

News

The Eagle’s Eye

Colleges come to Leyden

Seniors react to SAT retake

Ulrich Nazareno

eniors who weren’t satisfied with their SAT score were provided a free opportunity to retake the test again on October 10. This is the first year that Leyden covered the price for any seniors who wanted to retake the class. Many seniors like Sunny Patel were “very grateful” because they didn’t “have to pay to retake SAT.” The SAT is an entrance test taken by many students that many colleges look at to see if they are qualified for their school. That means if the score you got on the SAT doesn’t match your desired college’s requirements, then your chances of getting in decreases.

Seniors like Anthony Calefati had “good scores” that will get him to the college that he wants. But for seniors like Tony Nguyen who “didn’t do so well” retaking the SAT was something he had to do to meet college requirements. After taking the test, Tony Nguyen was satisfied with his testing experience, “I definitely did better in this SAT because I was more prepared and knew more content than last year.” The college board provides many opportunities to retake the SAT during the year for the cost of $64.50. The cost might be discouraging for many students because it’s a high price to pay for a test they still might not do well on. Thanks to Leyden, students didn’t have to worry about the price and could just focus on preparing the test.

Nguyen was relieved because “it’s a great opportunity to take the test again without feeling that pressure of having to do good because of the high fee.” Seniors who completed the SAT retake had a variety of ways to study. Most seniors used the official SAT practice website called Khan academy. The website shows students what they need to improve on and many practice questions to help prepare them for the actual test. But for seniors who needed more help than Khan academy, teachers organized an SAT “Crash Course” in which students received help from math or English teachers depending on which subject they needed help in the most. The “Crash course” was available in the week leading up to the retake.

Trades Fair highlights post secondary options

Franco Petrucci

or Leyden students thinking of post secondary options but not sure about college, Leyden hosted a great opportunity to learn about the alternatives that the world offers. A “Trades Fair” in the North Gym on Friday, September 14, featured jobs in police, fire, beauty, culinary, engineering, electrician, and architecture. The fair was a great chance for students talk with people in these different professions and get a feel for what they wished to do after high school. One student who was there was Tommy McDonald, who is drawn into the trades by the prospect of “making money

sooner while not having to go to college.” McDonald is choosing to be an electrician because his uncle is one and they have great pay and benefits. He stated, “The trades fair was very helpful and broadened my view of the other trades that there are.” He also recommended going into a trade if you are uncertain about college. The faculty member organizing was Mr. Frank Holthouse, the district’s Director of Careers and Community Outreach. Holthouse said, “Leyden is a comprehensive high school meaning that we support all paths to success. This includes the trades. Additionally, there are a lot of high-demand, high-wage

careers that students should be aware of.” The trades fair was open to all but especially suited seniors. “I would recommend the trades fair to all students. All students should at least be aware of these opportunities. This is especially important for students who are finalizing their postsecondary plan as they transition from high school,” Holthouse said. “Students may have walked away from the event knowing that they love or hate a certain trade, and that knowledge can be used to better form their post secondary plan.”

y making their way across tables full of representatives, students were able to get their questions answered about the colleges they were interested in. “A lot of the representatives gave me information that I wasn’t aware of,” said Gloria Goray, a senior at the fair. “I really appreciated that.” On September 18 at 2:30 p.m. Leyden held its 14 annual college fair inside the Nardini Library. The event was open to all East campus students, and about 334 attended. Attendance at the fair gave students the opportunity to speak with representatives and get an overview of academic classes and co-curricular activities at the schools they’re interested in. “The ultimate goal was to help students prepare and have a plan before they graduate,” explained Dawn Erickson, Department Chair of Student Services. Representatives from 28 colleges and universities from around Illinois attended the event, including delegates from Elmhurst College, the University of Illinois at Urbana, and the University of Loyola.

Carolina Michalek

The fair was open to all students, but as Christine Schulz, Student Services department counselor, mentioned, “We mostly target seniors because now is the time of year they should be narrowing down their college list and getting the applications going.” For Juniors, it was a great opportunity to start exploring colleges so that by next year they could feel more prepared. Freshman and sophomores also benefited by getting exposure to various schools and learning more about them.

News

Fall 2018

New Freshman Program

Jenny Molini @jenmolini

ith a focus on flexibility and non traditional classroom teaching, teachers and freshman students have a new program opportunity. co.lab was introduced this year to help freshmen adjust to high school. Amy Gorzynski, one of the co.lab teachers, said co.lab is an “Interdisciplinary program for freshmen, which means instead of students rotating to one separate class when the bell rings we team teach and we teach through project based learning.” This program allows the teachers to team teach where there are natural connec-

tions in the curriculum. T program combines most of the freshman requirements: global studies, biology, English, digital literacy, physical education, and health. Co.lab is run through periods 5-10 with the co.lab students having period 4 lunch. Amy Stolarsky said, “We have more opportunity for field trips and guest speakers because we have this big chunk of time that we can schedule and plan an event without interrupting other teachers’ schedules.” The students just completed an exhibition day project which combined English, digital literacy, and global studies. They also just went on a field trip to Lincoln Marsh in Wheaton. The field trip used team building and Geo-caching to work in teams to complete tasks.

Carrera Comes Home

Areli Avila Marta Lasak Sabrina Perricone

fter graduating Leyden in 2007, Ms. Carrera is back to take on the role of our new dean this year. She explains, “It’s like one of those feelings of being on a really long vacation and when you come back home, it’s like a breath of fresh air.” Ms. Carrera was previously a Gym teacher, Heath teacher, and also a Drivers Ed teacher for 6 years here at Leyden. “Approach everything with the lens of compassion and kindness” is how she deals with the working with discipline at East Leyden. Much of that approach is built on her familiarity with Leyden. Growing up in the community, Carrera attended Hester Junior High School, followed by East Leyden. Here, she became an outstanding student, involved in numerous clubs and sports and earning recognition for her efforts. “I applied for dozen of scholarships and won two,” she explained. “I won a Rotary Scholarship and The Gates Millennium Scholarship, which was founded by Bill and Melinda Gates.” After graduation, Ms. Carrera got a full scholarship to the University of Illinois in Urbana. She mentions, “All my schooling and undergrad was funded including my Masters.” This allowed Ms. Carrera to complete her certification in teaching and physical endorsement. Carrera shares the following advice for seniors: “Apply for all the scholarships you can.” But as a new faculty member, she’s also focused on freshmen. Carrera recalled the challenges she faced when coming here as a freshman. She attended Hester Junior High school her in Franklin Park and describes remembering Leyden as “Hester times like five. I remember a specific moment by the math offices and that north hallway--in a way, I felt so overwhelmed and it kind of hit me that every path that I take it’s gonna get larger and larger.” After teaching for six years, she’s back in that same mindset: excited, yet a bit fearful moving to a new role. She said, “I feared coming into a new role as a dean and as an administrator. But I [acknowledged] that fear and kind of pushed it away and let my hopes [guide] my decision.” This statement shows how she overcame her fear of moving onto a new role in the Leyden community.

Students in co.lab complete their first exhibition. Photo from Twitter from Bryan Weinert.

Students can earn honors credit at the end of the semester if they reach certain standards. This is different than normal honors programs. Normal honors programs the students are placed in the honors classes before entering

Sanchez, Quinones selected to join school board

Victoria Drozd @VictoriaDrozd12

n May 17, 2018, two new students, Joseph Sanchez from East Leyden and Jacqueline Quinones were selected to be members of the Leyden School Board. The practice of inviting students to serve on the board is in its third year. When Sanchez and Quinones were asked to be selected, it was a surprise to both of them. Sanchez said, “I accepted this position without any hesitation.” Whereas Quinones was recommended and got accepted, but before agreeing, she wanted insight as to what the responsibilities of being a Student Board member were. The role, she found out, is to be the eyes and ears of the student body for both campuses. The students then attend board meetings and share what’s going on within the Leyden community from a student perspective. Now that Quinones and Sanchez have been selected, they both pay more attention to the school. Sanchez said, “I like get-

high school. With co.lab, Kathy Kubeczko the biology teacher, said, “The students have to earn the honors credit. We do standard-based grading.” A freshman student, said he would, “recommend this

program to incoming freshman because you get to work together in groups and you get to stay in one hallway.” They get to combine many subjects to complete one project.

The Board of Education for 2018-2019

ting into politics, it allows me to network with people. Ever since the selection, I pay attention to what students say and what needs to change.” Quinones is on the same page: “I’m much more observant; I tend to find myself talking to students more, asking questions. I look out more for the student body than I would’ve in the past.” Because of the ears that are recognizing the change, we do expect to see changes in the Leyden Community. The board members, along with Quinones and Sanchez, meet every month or every two months. Quinones and Sanchez make sure to bring any details or changes needed for the Leyden community. Sanchez said, “Jacqueline and I try to speak out as much as we can in the meetings; we try to make our Leyden’s voice heard so that we can impact the students that go here. Our suggestions get [reviewed], like bills in a government form. Nothing is a guarantee, but we always try.” Since there is one student

from West, and one from East, there should be some friendly competition, but that’s not the case here. Both Quinones and Sanchez enjoy each other’s company. When asked how they work together combining both campuses Sanchez said, “Jacquie is great, she’s an awesome person to work with. Us combining our ideas together so we can benefit both East and West allows everything to move much smoother in the decision-making process for any changes or meetings.” Quinones added, “Working with Joe and the committee has probably been the most interesting part of being on the board. We are two separate campuses, with two different vibes. Joe and I make sure that we discuss those differences or similarities between each campus. We try to make everything equal, so the two of us could represent Leyden as a whole, rather than two different communities.” Concerns about the school can be sent to Sanchez at JS25298@student.leyden212.org or to Quinones at jq23713@student.leyden212.org.

Features

Fall 2018 Cesar Hernandez Catherine Saponieri Beatriz Verin

F Olczak skates in regional

reshman Faith Olczak competed at the US Figure Skating Regionals Competition to start the season off. Olczak has been on her grind this season and successfully leveled up in her skills. Her commitment and attitude towards the sport are “awe-inspiring”, especially coming from a first-year student. Figure skating is a competitive, skilled sport that might be a challenge for most people. Jumps such as a lutz, flip, and toe loop need high levels of coordination and balance. A typical day for this freshman is much more intense than you would think. From handling school and practice, she is always looking to improve. She

said, “My most previous accomplish was landing my first triple jump in the summer” which is a jump where the skater makes three full turns while in the air. On October 5, Olczak went to Peoria, Illinois for one of her most important competitions of the year. Olzack has been doing intense and long training sessions to make it to sectionals. Olzack said, “I’ve been preparing six days a week sometimes even seven days a week.” All this hard and devoted work has been prepared Olzack for her competition where she went up against 16 other girls in her division. The US Figure Skating Regionals had over seventy participants from all different ages. After taking 5th place out of the 16 other girls, she missed the final cut round by one spot. Olzack said, “I got 5th place when they only took the top 4, but that is totally fine

5 cause I know I’ll do better next season.” After missing the cut but only a couple of points, her head did not fall. She has not let this situation affect her mindset and outlook on the rest of the season. She is continuously practicing for next year’s regional competition and hoping to get to sectionals. Clarissa Messina, another competitive figure skater, said “Faith and I used to do synchro skating together, and she is a great person overall. She has made her mark and is developing a lot over the years. She never gives up and is always looking to get better, which is a great trait to have as a skater.” Olczak’s number one advice to any upcoming athletes is “Never give up and to always trust in yourself.”

Rep visits help seniors

I Sign club expands language learning

Areli Avila Marta Lasak

eyden’s new Sign Language Club opened up for all Leyden students interested in learning a new language. Because 360 million people suffer from hearing loss, Leyden teacher Ms. Elizabeth Wind has started a Sign Language Club to allow students to learn more about the deaf community. ASL, American Sign Language, is a visual language that uses hand movements and body language to communicate. Just like any language, ASL allows clear communication. It includes five basic parts: hand shape, palm orientation, location, movement and facial expression. Wind, proficient in ASL, has been exposed to the Deaf community from three-years-old when she learned her sister is 98% Deaf. Her family knew they needed to learn to communicate with her in a new way. She explained, “People

don’t actually realize it, but sign language is a language. With body language and signing you are able to communicate clearly.” Being a teacher for six years, Wind found the motivation to teach this language to anyone interested at Leyden. She mentioned, “I learned students have always had an interest in this type of learning. My old school that I came from I also had a club, so I thought I’d also bring this interest to the Leyden community.” A member in this club, Ian Gonzalez, stated, “I thought sign language would be a lot harder, but most signs are easily memorized.” When the club meets, they learn 5-10 new phrases and contribute in a group discussion, going around and having each member sign what they learned. Wind said, “Last practice we discussed parts of deaf culture. For example, during last week’s meeting, we spoke about ‘Switched at Birth’ and actors and actress who are deaf or play a deaf role. It’s a very

interesting topic to discuss with students.” Gonzalez said, “I’m most excited to learn how to sign the smaller words and eventually phrase them into sentences and conversations.”Learning ASL is more than just any other club, it comes with many beneficial factors, improving overall communication with others. Wind stated, “Students who join are accepting of all and really want to learn to improve their communication in general. It really is useful in many ways.” Member Anastasia stated, “I have a deaf family member who communicates with sign language with her parents. I hope to communicate with them in the future at family gatherings.” Gonzalez concluded, “If I ever meet someone who is deaf, it’ll be very rewarding to start a conversation. I would advise everyone to just do it, join!”

n order to respond to the many questions seniors have about college, Leyden again hosted various college representatives throughout September and October - becoming a staple in the Leyden culture. “Personally, I have a lot of questions on the economic aspect of college. I want to learn more on how to make college as affordable for myself and my family,” said senior Monica Rochnowski. A college rep visit is an information session that covers the process in becoming a student at the university, with information on the student life and housing. It also includes basics on financial aid, and provides the student resources to learn more. “It truly helps to solidify whether a college is the right fit for you. Whether it be learning about how the student life truly is, the housing, or figuring out whether you can actually afford to pay, college rep visits teach one a lot.” Having an individual specifically from a school can help attend to your specific situation. They can help identify scholarships or aid available through the college or discuss federal funding loans or direct funding. This year Leyden again hosted one of the most prestigious schools in the nation - The

Cesar Hernandez University of Chicago. The university ranks in the top three nationally according to usnews.com. Gabrielle Dulys, an admissions counselor, visited on Thursday, September 20 during 10th period. He went on to give a general presentation and answer any questions students may have had. “The information is largely similar to the information session held here on campus,” said a University of Chicago admissions representative. This serves as an alternative for students who may not be able to go visit the campus on their own due to time or transportation.” Presentation are all roughly 45 minutes, and leave time for any individualized questions. This information can become useful when deciding whether to apply or helpful tips to help you become admitted. “If there is someone who hasn’t taken the step forward into looking at what they want to do already, they should attend these events (rep visits),” said Senior Chris Lingat, who attended the University of Chicago rep visit. “I feel as Leyden provides with a ton of support through rep visits, counselor advice or days off to check out colleges that they don’t leave us alone to choose,” senior Melita Karajic said.

Features

Fall 2018

Peer coaching help available Carolina Michalek Ulrich Nazareno Dawid Poddany

S Adventure Ed goes ape again Kailey Kirkwood @Kaileykirkwood Zip lining is a great way to be adventurous and do something out of your comfort zone. And in a recent field trip to GoApe, Adventure Ed students were able to try it and other new things. Ewelina Prostko, a senior now at Leyden and a former

adventure ed participant, said, “It was fun because it was totally different than the other field trips the juniors/seniors took last year, and there were more zip lines there to experience.” She said it was a new experience that none of the adventure ed teachers, Mr. Leu and Mr. Fazzio, had been on. Both teachers returned this year on October 4.

Freshmen Check Up

Bryan Muro-Enriquez

reshmen are adjusting to Leyden little by little. Earlier this year we asked two freshmen what their experience was like at Leyden so far. One of the freshmen was Denis. He said that he expected Leyden to be a place where he was going “To get lost a lot, and not know where his classes were.” The other freshmen was Evan he said that he expected Leyden to “Be a little bit difficult, but to be able to have fun and have more freedom, because middle school wasn’t really like that.” They also talked about the amount of stress they had. At the beginning Even said that “As long as I do the homework and understand what I’m doing it’s pretty easy”, Denis had a similar experience saying “Not really” as he had “Not really gotten that much homework.” They pointed out differences between middle school and high school. Evan noticed that “High school gives you a lot more opportunities for your future, while middle school kind of just prepares you for high school”, Denis also had a similar view saying that Leyden “Is a bigger school, and you get to pick what classes you actually want to take.” They both seemed to agree that having

these opportunities was a good thing. Evan said that “You have more of an opportunity to do what you wanted to do, like if you wanted to follow a certain career or path.” Denis also commented that “It was a good change, because you get to do what you want” and it’s to “help yourself down the road.” As a freshmen you are put into an Access class. Both of these freshmen think that it has really helped them to adjust into such a different environment. Evan said that “Yeah, as long as you talk to the people to get help you’ll get the help you need”, he also mentioned that having mentors “helps a lot because you’re talking to people that have already gone through this, and you can get tips or pointers” and Denis agreed saying “Yeah its really helpful because it’s not just teachers, theres students that have been in your shoes and you can talk to them instead of the teachers.” These freshmen are liking high school. Both have even become involved in after school activities. Both Evan and Denis are on the football team. Denis wasn’t sure but he’s planning to continue sports in both fall and winter. Evan was also not sure but he’s planning to continue sports in the fall season.

tudents who feel intimidated at the thought of asking a teacher for help on an assignment are being given another option with the Peer Coaching club.

Jeanette Gagliardi, the facilitator of the club, describes its purpose as “a space students can come to not only to get help with their writing but any of their

classes.” It’s “very helpful,” said Taylor Clinton who regularly attends meetings, “it means a lot to me that students take the time to help other students.” Mrs. Gagliardi felt inspired to start the club at a conference, where she saw a group of seventh graders come with their teacher to talk about peer writing. “The presentation was marvelous.” She explained, “Everyone had a lot of enthusiasm for helping their fellow students.” The club utilizes a variety of strategies that are specifically geared towards improving writing. According to Senior Isha Shah, a peer coach, “The students that come in become their own sort of coach and give themselves the skills to improve

writing on their own.” Mentors themselves can benefit from the peer coaching experience. Senior Riley Deahl, who has been a peer coach for two years, said, “We improve our communication skills and peer editing skills through interactions with students in need.”

“There are so many different places to go in the building and things to see like robots. There were assembly lines, and we just walked around the entire place getting to see everything and all the different things that go into a manufacturing and building things,” David Duwal during a interview on the IMTS trip he went on. Many people who are attending the event have many reasons for going. Some may go to see if they can see themselves doing this as a profession, while others are there to learn and expand their knowledge on the topic and what is coming up as the field moves forward. At the show there are not only booths where companies show

off their work, but there is also conferences where people could go and listen about IMTS Job Shops Program, Additive Manufacturing Conference, Applied Am-Where Additive minds meets and all sorts of other conferences. “It lets kids see how you can apply physics in the workplace, ” Reeves said regarding the trip’s value and what students can learn from it. “I took away what manufacturing and engineering is about, so I was interested in the field of engineering, but I didn’t really know exactly what you do and what it was like on a daily basis, and I was able to talk to a lot of people who are in that career field and they explained what it was really like to work as an engineer and to work with

If you would like to schedule for a conference with a peer coach, sign up on Super Sass found on the Leyden website or just drop in the Writing Center any day after school from 2:30-3:25, and our coaches can help you make an appointment. If you are interested in becoming a peer coach, contact facilitators Mrs. Gagliardi or Mrs. Aguilar for more information.

Convention gives students peek at tech jobs

Adam Trzaska

round 300 Leyden students attended the IMTS convention featuring industrial machinery and technology held at the McCormick place on September 10. IMTS is a show held every two years in Chicago and is one of the biggest conventions in the Western hemisphere holding about 2,123 booths with various different machinery and technologies. “The trip is all about manufacturing and designing and engineering products, and it shows you things from 3D printing to metal cutting to diamond cutting to glass cutting and also just producing all kinds of really cool products,” said Science Teacher Mr. Mark Reeves, one of the teachers on the trip. The IMTS conference had a record breaking 127,214 attendees with 2,563 different companies looking to show off their creations in 1,424,232 square feet, making it the biggest IMTS convention in the 91 year history, according to TSNN News. The attendees of the convention varied from many different classes at Leyden from all of the Honor and AP Physics classes to the Metals classes.

Fall

The Eagle’s Eye

Love it or hate it?

Pumpkin Spice Hadeel Hejaz

hether you can’t stand it or can’t get enough of it, the gourd of the season has officially entered each and every food group. Yup that’s right, it’s pumpkin spice time! Pumpkin spice is very popular,and a lot of people love the fact that “it’s” back while others might not be to excited for this comeback. “It reminds you of fall, hoodie season, and leaves changing!” stated a senior from East Leyden High School. “Pumpkin spice season” typically starts mid September and runs through mid November. It reminds a lot of people that summer is over and fall is here. A popular product that includes pumpkin spice is the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. This product is a hit for a very poplar coffee shop; it brings in plenty of customers and lets them know that it’s that time of the year again. With the season here you may have noticed a lot of students coming into school with the pumpkin spice coffee or even some food with pumpkin spice on it. A worker for Starbucks coffee , Nathan Codi, as well as student here at East Leyden high school said,“It gets really busy and crazy when the pumpkin spice time comes around” “I hate it, especially because it’s not even that good. So many people come in for it just because it goes with the season.” Others agree. “It’s not good, there isn’t a taste to it,” “it’s way too over-hyped,” said Alexis Gomez, a senior at East Leyden high school. There could be a controversy for a lot of people that pumpkin spice is mostly known and liked for just the fall time and no one thinks about it during other seasons of the year. In fact, a study showed that most Americans only buy one pumpkin spice drink every year and sales are actually going down. One student said, “Even though it’s mostly known to the people for the season there are some people that just enjoy the pure flavor of pumpkin spice.” And if you come across not only pumpkin spice coffee, don’t be weirded out when you find it on food as well. A lot of foods and snacks add this flavor to their product to celebrate fall. You might not be able to find it everywhere at anytime, so enjoy it as you can...if you can.

Easier than pie Marta Lasak

Cold weather, calls for cozy desserts. Leyden’s culinary teacher, Ms. Sweeney mentions, “People really love traditional apple and pumpkin pie.” For those who aren’t skilled bakers, here are some simple, yet delicious desserts you can fall in love with.

3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2-Ingredient Apple Pie Cups

With just 3 ingredients, you can still enjoy These delicious Pillsbury apple pies only require the pumpkin this season. Who doesn’t 2 ingredients and take 10 minutes to prep, it love the combination of pumpkin and won’t disappoint! chocolate? Ingredients: Ingredients: 1 can (13 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated flaky 15 ounce can pumpkin puree cinnamon rolls with buttercream icing 18.25 ounce box spice cake mix 2. 1 ⅓ cups of apple pie filling (from 21-oz can), 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips plus coarsely chopped additional to sprinkle on top. Instructions: Instructions: 1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 regular-size muffin 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray cups with cooking spray. Set icing aside. Separate a 12 count muffin pan (or 2 6 count ones) dough into 8 rolls. Press into and up sides of with cooking spray or use muffin liners. muffin cups. 2. Mix the pumpkin puree, spice cake 2. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons pie filling into mix together in a bowl. The mixture will each dough-lined cup. be very thick, but it will eventually mix 3. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until golden brown; together. cool in pan 5 minutes. 3. Fold in the chocolate chips. 4. Transfer icing to small microwavable bowl. 5. 4. Using an ice cream scoop, evenly Microwave uncovered on Low for 8 to 10 seconds distribute the batter in the muffin pan. or until thin enough to drizzle. 6. Place rolls on Sprinkle a few dark chocolate chips on serving plate; spoon icing over rolls. Serve warm. top. 5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a Recipes from Running in a Skirt & Pillsbury toothpick comes out clean.

THE EAGLE’S EYE Writers

Page Designers Beatriz Verin, 1

Marta Lasak, 7

Ulrich Nazareno

Kailey Kirkwood

Carolina Michalek, 2

Areli Avila, 8

Morgan Carli

Sabrina Perricone

Dawid Poddany, 3

Victoria Drozd, 9

Erick Aguilar

Franco Petrucci

Jennifer Molini, 4

Brian Muro-Enriquez, 10

Hadeel Hejaz

Max Pinero

Cesar Hernandez, 5

Mark Praca, 11

Adam Trzaska, 6

Catherine Saponieri, 12

Brian Wasilewski

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. FIND US: LHSNEWS.ORG FOLLOW US: @EAGLESEYE212

Features

Fall 2018

Fun Fair

Seasonal Favorites

Kailey Kirkwood @kaileykirkwood

or Leyden students with younger siblings who had nothing fun planned for them, Leyden hosted its an annual Halloween fun fair on October 18. Now in its fourth year, this annual event, hosted by Leyden students and staff from the Family and Consumer Sciences department, included concessions, goody bags, games, and educational games. For the students who worked the event, there was an opportunity to work on their own social, emotional, and physical development. The students learn how to talk to the little kids. For example, “not standing over the top of them--instead, be down at their level and making the little kids feel more comfortable and not intimidated,” Mrs. Jennifer Maldonado said. Kasia Mikina, who participated last year, said, “I enjoyed working the event at the Pumpkin Buckets because of how happy the kids got when they made one of the golf balls.” Mikina is in the Taste of Teaching class at Leyden and works with the preschoolers and understands how she has to talk to them. “The best part was seeing the kids in their costumes and how happy they were to see all their other friends at the fun fair also.” “The fun fair is open to the whole community; we

Students help youngsters play games on October 18.

ask for one canned good to be brought in so it can be donated. Kids, any ages can come wearing their costumes,” said Ms. Nichole Sweeney, another Family and Consumer Science teacher and

event participant. She explained that with “over 20 games, cookie decorating, pumpkin decorating, crafts,” there is so much to see and experience.

Jason Kempt: “Going to parties and dressing up.”

Jasmine Nevarez: “I enjoy dressing up.”

Ms. Nichole Sweeney: “Passing out candy to little kids and Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘I ate my kids candy.” Youtube videos.”

Nicole Kelly, Desire Ruiz, Alyssa Urizand: “Dressing up, and costume parties.”

Falling in

Love

Fall is the perfect season to get creative with date ideas. This is the season for “falling” even more in love. The trees are changing colors, pumpkin spice-flavored everything is everywhere, and chilly air makes lovers want to snuggle. The decrease in temperature causes the perfect time to pull on your sweaters and enjoy some of these date ideas. by Beatriz Verin

Mix it up in a Corn Maze

Hold Tight at a Haunted House

Share a Scare with Movie Night

Getting lost in a corn maze might seem terrifying, but when you have your sweetheart by your side, it becomes a fun game.

Get ready to get close with the one you love as you go through a spooky haunted house. Nothing brings people closer together like shared fear.

Nothing beats staying in with your favorite spooky movie and a bunch of fall food. Snuggle up and pick the scariest movie you can find.

Arts

Fall 2018

Marching Band makes annual Cedar Point Tour

Leyden takes on Theatre Fest Max Pinero @pinero935

fter four months of hard work and practice, the Leyden Marching Band attended its annual Cedar Point Tour, where the Band traveled to Sandusky, Ohio from October 6-8. The three-day trip started off with a stop at the Indiana Dunes on the first day, then a full day at Cedar Point, and on the last day a performance at a Veterans home in Sandusky, Ohio. On the way back, the band made a stop at Notre Dame University. This was the 21st year of the Cedar Point Tour and a major milestone for the Marching Band as a whole. B r y a n Miller, Dept. Chair of the Music Department explained, “The tour is an outstanding opportunity and reward for the hard work of the students and for their service to our school and community throughout the entire year.” Marching Band is an extra class that students take during the summer and after all their hard work, they get to enjoy the tour by also being able to perform at Cedar Point along with the Veterans home. Not only that, the tour requires a bunch of planning as Miller refers to in this statement: “It is a multi-faceted plan, and it happens way in advance because we are dealing with a bunch of students.” The first stop on the tour was the Indiana Dunes; the band stopped there for lunch and to enjoy the beach and explore the

dunes. The next day, the band headed to the Cedar Point Amusement Park, split into small group sectionals, formed into parade block, and then marched into the park to perform for the citizens who came to Cedar Point. Once they’re done performing, students go enjoy the rest of the day at the park, exploring crazy rides and making memories. Once the park is about to close, and everyone is exhausted, a pizza party at the hotel serves as a marching band family-dinner. On the last day, students

attended a Veterans home in Ohio and performed for 100 veterans. Following the performance, band members spend time talking with the veterans while hearing their stories. On the trip home, the band stopped at Notre Dame University to walk around the campus and explore the area, giving seniors an opportunity to visit a campus setting. Once they finish exploring, the students then travel all the way back to West Leyden to unpack the buses and go home. With around two hundred students on the tour, it really is important to plan ahead for such a

huge tour of epic proportions. But also at the same time, you need to be able to enjoy the moments while on this trip. For many students, they truly get the experience of Cedar Point with all the amazing memories that you make with all your friends. Viviana Tafolla, a senior who has been in Marching Band all four years has made many memories during her trips to Cedar Point. “The one memory I remember the most was when we were at the Indiana Dunes and a group of seagulls flew up to our group and attacked one of our friends because she had this giant bag of Cheetos, and they had assaulted her for just a few seconds until she dropped her bag of Cheetos, causing the seagulls to enjoy a flamin’ hot snack. It was crazy hilarious; even our friend who was attacked thought it was hilarious.” Small moments like these are what Marching Band students enjoy the most from the tour. Overall, the Cedar Point Tour is a time when students get to experience a trip like no other, and it means a lot to all the students who go. “This tour means a lot to the Marching Band because it brings everyone together. You make memories that will last a lifetime,” Miller said. “It’s truly an experience that you will always cherish every year that you go on the tour,” Tafolla said.

9 Victoria Drozd @VictoriaDrozd12

n past years, East Leyden High School has been able to experience Theatre Fest. The Illinois Theatre Association and the Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF) is the largest and oldest non-competitive high school theatre festival in the nation. Jyleen Colon describes it as “an event where high school students showcase their plays and experience watching other high schools’ shows.” She added that it’s a way to network with other students and schools that come from all of Illinois. “The State Musical of the Year is the main reason for people to come to Theatre Fest. Everyone gathers around and participates to watch the musical; it’s friendly competition.” This festival occurs every year in January, alternating locations between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus or Illinois State University, students and the committee prepare for this fest all year long. Auditions for the allstate show start the summer before January. “In order to participate you have to have a relation to music or theatre in some form. From stage crew, band, choir, makeup, costume design, hair, there’s something for everyone who would like to participate in theatre,” States Colon For 44 consecutive years theatre fest has been bringing the state together by showcasing the work of over 4,000 high school students, all of whom gain experience and knowledge about being in productions. “Theatre fest allows students to be better performers,” East Leyden theatre participant Sebastian Portillo said. ”Workshops vary from improv classes, how to stay in monologue, how to memorize the script, how to sing repertoire for auditions, makeup, wig fitting, etc. All of these workshops should help you grow as a performer or crew member.” Anyone involved in theater or music is eligible to go.”You pay a fee to experience theatre fest, but the memories last a lifetime.” Colon said. Two years ago, Leyden was picked to perform for IHSTF. Specifically, their Spanish/English show of “Historia de Una Escalera” by Teatro Leyden. It brought something new to the Illinois High School Theatre Fest highlighting English speaking students along with Spanish speaking students preparing the same play in two languages. This allowed students to showcase the variety of languages and diversity that Leyden provides for it’s student body. This shows other schools and the state of Illinois that plays are meant to be understood in a variety of languages. Both the English and Spanish version had the same plot, and were easily understandable to the audience. “Having East Leyden represent Teatro Leyden at IHSTF was probably the proudest moment in our school’s theatre history; it was our first time being picked to perform.” Portillo said. If you have any questions regarding theatre fest, you can contact Ms. Cunningham scunningham@leyden212.org or Theatre Stage Director Mr. Pilolla vpilolla@leyden212.org

Arts

Fall 2018

Harvey: Theatre season opens with fall play he Leyden Fine Arts Department opened this year’s season with Harvey, the first of their 3 main stage plays. This play took attendees back to experience a comedy set in the 1940s. First produced in 1944 by American play writer Mary Chase and winning awards such as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Harvey has been adapted into television shows and even movies. Bryanna Robles, an actor in Harvey, provided a summary: “Harvey is about Elwood P. Dowd and the fact that he has an imaginary best friend who happens to be a certain type of animal, a rabbit. What my character Veta Simmons tries to do is to help Elwood the best she can, and let’s just say that doesn’t go well.”

Robles was in one of the lead roles, and her character required a range of emotions. She said that “Veta Simmons is sister to the main character Elwood P. Dowd and her basic role is to look out for him. She cares about her brother more than anything in the world, besides her daughter of course, and she just want to be there for him through the toughest of times.” Robles also talked about the responsibility that comes with a bigger role.“I feel like it’s necessary to be at least seen as a big sister to the rest of the cast who mostly consists of freshmen. I believe it is my responsibility to not only be there for them when they believe they are having trouble, but also help them along the way so that they can be the future generation of Leyden theatre kids.” Putting on a play is not

an easy thing to do. In addition to helping the younger cast members, Robles had to be ready. She shared what an actor does to learn his or her lines. “I read either a big or small portion of the script, and I repeat it over and over and over again. When I believe I have it down I cover it up, and I try to memorize it. If I cannot memorize it then I just repeat it, reading it over and over, again but if I do then I just move on to the next section.” Another crucial part of putting on a play or any show is actually getting into character. That’s something that many actors can struggle with because sometimes the characters they play are totally different from the actor. This is the one thing Robles said she struggled with in preparing the production, saying “I have played older women in the past, but none so sophisticated as this character.”

or a T-shirt design, the students in this class will be the ones to make it! Pictured with this article is an example. “My first project was working on an Autos poster and teacher design for an automotive club,” Gregory Greco from East Leyden stated. This entrepreneurial environment allows students to take the lead in projects and the teacher to act as a guide. Projects can cover all areas of digital art, including original logo designs and illustrations or photography. This class was started to have an easier way to help students with their art production activities. Students produce art for the community to help teachers or the school if they need any adver-

tising. By allowing students to have the real-world experience of applying their talents to meet the needs of customers or clients, the

class previews how artists work in businesses or freelance settings. This allows students to improve their critical thinking, problem solving, collaborative skills, and creativity. Another benefit in this class is that students have an opportunity to gain an Adobe Certification during the course of the semester, which broadens employment opportunities after high school. “It’s an amazing class… it’s taking art out of a school setting and letting you know what a design firm is really like and how you would work there,” stated Ms. Anna Reed, the chairperson of the Art Department at Leyden. “I think it is a good class

to take to practice for the real world, making designs and [simulating a] company,” Greco said. “This class is a new perspective because you get to work with a lot of illustrators which builds your skills.” The class is open to sophomores through seniors who have completed prerequisite coursework in photography, design, or video. Two students are currently enrolled in it at East as an independent study with a full class running next semester. Sponsors, coaches, or students wanting to submit a work request should contact the teacher: Ms. Adrianne Nix at anix@leyden212.org.

Leyden on October 25 at 7pm. For many students, it’s considered one of their favorites of the year. They not only get to play good music but get to dress in costumes as well. Francisco Diaz, a senior at East Leyden in the Symphonic Band, said, “The Halloween Concert is considered a favorite for many students because we get to play very exciting pieces of music whether it’s based on Halloween or just very artistic piece of music.” Some students are very creative with how they come dressed. “Last year I remember my friend came to

the concert dressed as a teletubby, and it was really funny because he couldn’t fit through the door; his costume was so big,” Diaz said. The Halloween Concert is one of the first concerts that takes place during the year, The Veterans Day concert will take place two weeks after the Halloween Concert. Then, the Holiday Concert will take place early December. Each concert has its own purpose. Jessica Perez, a sophomore at East Leyden in the Concert Band, said, “Each piece of music

that we learn and practice in and out of school has a [special] something that all the other pieces of music don’t have, and I mean all the pieces,” she said. Like all music, each piece that is created has a story, whether it’s an adventure, sadness, or even from a popular show, movie, or legend. “One of my favorite pieces we played for the Halloween Concert was The Nightmare Before Christmas Medley because even though some will consider it about Christmas, many students enjoyed it for how fun and musical it all played out,”

Diaz said. The Fall Halloween Concert is a concert that comes quick but it really turns into a special occasion. “It’s like you’re celebrating Halloween early, but instead it’s with all your friends and you all get to play music. Not only that, Mr. Miller brings humor with all the costume changes he makes,” Perez said. It might be spookiest time of the year, but it’s also the most eventful time of the year to be in the Leyden Band.

Picture taken from laurie @ vaccaro7707

Bryan Muro-Enriquez

New course gives artists real world experience Hadeel Hejaz f you are creative and have a big imagination, Leyden’s new Art Production class may be perfect for you. It provides students an opportunity to solve real-world art and design problems. Students will gain handson experience working in an artist-client relationship while creating school related products, commissioned by school faculty. In this new class you can put all the skills you have together to work with a “client” to create something out of your imagination that fits the clients needs. Students in this class produce art for the community upon requests. For example, if a class needs a poster

Band celebrates spooky season Max Pinero ctober is here, and along with that the Leyden Concert Band’s first concert, with its Halloween focus, will take place at East

Sports

Cubs Crash: Caesar Hernandez

Catherine Saponeiri

@CHernandez_66 @Saponeiri14

he Chicago Cubs 2018 season is seen to many fans as “disappointing.” A season filled with injuries to numerous key pieces as well as regression. It left the Cubs to watch both the Brewers and Rockies celebrate at Wrigley field for their final two games of the season, ending their playoff run earlier than expected. “I really expected them to make it to the World Series with all the pieces we [Cubs] had” said freshman baseball player Brian Hernandez. The Cubs left the National League central for the majority of the season until the final game of the season , where the Milwaukee Brewers won and forced a tiebreaker game in Wrigley field for the division title. They went on to lose that game,

Fan reactions range from hope to heartbreak

Bea Verin

@verinbea

1 to 3, following the trend of the season with offensive struggles. They were then forced to play the following night at Wrigley once again in the win or go home wildcard game against the Colorado Rockies in the longest wildcard game in history, a 13 inning marathon resulting in the Cubs putting a mere 1 run (1 -2 score) and sending them home early. Kris Bryant, a former Most Valuable Player, was quoted saying ” We would love to go out there and hit better with runners in scoring position.. It’s frustrating. I don’t have an answer to it.” The Cubs ranked third in the major leagues with plate appearances with runners in scoring position, but hit just .247, ranking 20th in the league. While much of the blame

Fall 2018

can be put on the offensive side of the game for the Cubs, tying the Baltimore Orioles with the most one or no run games in the regular season (39 total), a lot of issues could be because of scheduling. The Cubs played 21 games in 22 days to end their season, including the tie breaker and wild card game. The Cubs still tied for the best record in the league and would have won the other 2 divisions not requiring them to play a win or go home wildcard game. This leaves many to question whether the playoff formatting is what is in need to be changed. “I feel there should be a change, they beat the Brewers in their head to head match-ups… Although it’s fun to watch, it makes it seem as the regular season is pointless with head to head

match-ups not playing a factor,” said Brian Hernandez. Whether a new format is needed or not, the late season breakdown leaves a lot of questions for Theo Epstein and management this upcoming offseason as to what needs to change. The

offseason began with the firing of the hitting coach Chili Davis after one season. “Our pitching wasn’t going too deep into games, and our hitters couldn’t hit at times. Hopefully that changes with Chili [Davis] gone,” said Varsity baseball player and lifelong Cubs fan Christian Tokarz Many key acquisitions from the prior offseason including the likes of Yu Darvish , Brandon Morrow and Tyler Chatwood were not even present on the short lived postseason roster. They totaled a bill of 180 million last season , and missed a great load of the season due to injury, joining the likes of Kris Bryant as well as Addison Russell and Pedro Strop.

Football finishes back and forth season Little Eagles trained

Catherine Saponeiri @Saponeiri14

he Leyden Varsity Football has had a very bumpy season this year. Falling short in the first 3 games wasn’t the vision the team had coming into the season. After those rough losses they were able to roll in some important wins. The momentum shifts has been did not end in our favor and the team could not fully figure out why. Last season the varsity football team finished 5-4 and missed the playoffs by only two points. Even with key players such as Ata Hinnawi, Robert Elem and James Hana gone, this year’s team had high hopes. Returning players Kyler Brittin, Brian Borowski, Nick Motyka, and Jason Kemp were eager, but the season began on a rough start with hard losses against Shepherd, Downers Grove North, and Willowbrook. It was at that time when they realized it was time to step up their game. Nick Motyka, a junior captain, had some thoughts on the beginning of the season. “Starting off you always look to have a good start, especially because it can really define your season as a team, but for us I feel like it was a wake up call. Although we started off 0-3, we were looking

to go on a winning streak. We were going to use those 3 losses as an example that we don’t want to go through the same thing again.” Senior captain Jason Kemp also spoke for the team about the devastating early losses. “It’s definitely not the way we planned on starting the season. The first three games were definitely winnable.” Against Shepard, the team fell 18-12, losing the lead in the third quarter. In the second game, the team was shutout, and a 26-9 loss to Willowbrook mean it was time to switch things around. Photo by Pete Skylakos at Midway through the facebook.com/PeteLeydenEaglePhotos/ season, the team began to set quarters without giving up a single goals in order to end the year on a positive note. Motyka said, “This play. The attitude began to change year we were lacking energy on the on and off the field. The season has now came field. We have a lot of talent and to an end with a final record of returning key players on both sides 4-5. With missing the playoffs for of the ball. It justs that extra push to another year, the Leyden football get that ball in the endzone, and get program has kept their heads high. a few more stops in order to win the The last Friday night football game game. Every game is a big game.” A needed win against of the year ended on a high note Proviso East to get the ball rolling with a big win against Morton. One was just what the boys needed. last congratulations to to all the Strong wins over Addison Trail seniors as they celebrated their last and Lyons Township increased the high school varsity football game. confidence throughout the team. We are looking forward to see what They understood that in order to will be brought to the table next win they have to play 110% all four year by the sophomores and juniors.

Mark Praca @Yaboii_Mark

ittle Eagles aspiring to be great cheerleaders attended a clinic event hosted by the Leyden Cheer Team on September 14, 2018. The Little Eagles honed their technique and skills to become a great cheerleader for one night. The event was hosted at West Leyden costing each participant $35, including snacks and a T-Shirt. While learning more technique and skills from seasoned veterans, the young cheerleaders performed with the Varsity squad during half time of the football game later that night. Coach Alicia Funes described Friday night. “The performance is one of the cutest things, they all worked together to put on a great performance.” With the experience of Friday night lights, the young cheerleaders experienced a little of what their Fridays in the future may look like. Coach Alicia Funes commented on how the clinic was a great experience. “This event was not only good for the little Leyden Eagles but for the cheerleaders as well as they got a chance to show their leadership skills, communication skills, and their talent to the little girls [around] a routine.” With this year’s clinic reeling in

the most participants, the JV Squad was able to get in on some of the action. Coach Funes explained, “Varsity led the older age brackets as the JV led the younger age brackets.” Jacky Medina, an ELHS Varsity Cheerleader, shared her experience from the clinic. “I learned how to work with little girls and how they like to learn cheer routines.” Medina has been cheering for five years starting out herself as a Leyden Bear. “It was fun working with the girls, I wouldn’t change anything,” she said. The team donated a portion of the funds towards the Goals 4 Gomez fundraiser, another ongoing fundraiser for a West Leyden Student suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) while battling a mountain of medical bills. Gomez’s battle has touched many at Leyden. Gomez said it made her “feel amazing that Leyden and the community support me through all this.”

Sports

Fall 2018

Soccer bounces back from slow start, grows from Goals 4 Gomez

Areli Avila

efore losing in the opening round of the playoffs, the boys soccer team rebounded from a slow start caused by several injuries and the need to develop young players on the team. Coaches and players had remained focused on improvement, which led to a winning streak and record of 8-7-1 as of October 1, 2018. “Seeing the blending of freshmen, sophs, juniors, and seniors improve each day” Was a high point, according to head coach Mr. Mark Valentis. “The varsity soccer team is mostly made up of seniors. So when the season is over all the seniors on the team graduate. This makes it difficult for the next season because a new chemistry has to be built with players being put on the varsity team that were not on it the previous year. Learning how to work with one another on the field can take time. “Last year we had a really senior heavy team. We lost 17 seniors this year. So we have a lot of sophomores and even freshman on the team. It was expected that we were going to struggle a little in the beginning, which we did,” senior David Duwal said “But

now that we are halfway through the season, I think we are coming together better, and we know how to play with each other better” Having to develop chemistry with a new team wasn’t not the only reason that the team was held back on wins. Injuries pulled the team back from winning in the beginning of its season. Valentis said, “Progress has been slow due to several injuries, but once our health returns, we should be a very good team and the wins will come.” From August 23 to September 8 the team was on a losing streak, winning only two of the eight games they had during that

time. Things looked like they could not get any worse from the beginning of it. But it did. A couple of the very good players were off and on the bench because of injuries that had occurred on the field during their games. At the halfway point of the season, the team carried a better look on what was to come and how to become better overall together. “We’re really coming together now,” Duwal said. “It’s a process...We’re always getting better every day. One of the most important things I believe is practicing at game pace and game speed because the game is a lot faster and a lot more physical than

practice, and if we step up practice to be more like a game, we’ll come together as a team and play a lot better.” Part of that coming together has occurred off the field, in a fundraising effort called Goals for Gomez. This gave the team a way to bond together more with taking pictures of them wearing the shirts before and after the Morton game. As well as this being a rivalry game, the crowd was able to also wear a Goals 4 Gomez t-shirt and support the team while they were playing. This gave the team more of a reason to work together and communicate better. “It has really given us some motivation to do better individually and as a team,” Duwal said. Valentis agreed. “We asked that everyone who bought the shirt come to the Morton game wearing them since that is our most popular game of the season,” he said. “It was great to be able to take pictures of all the kids wearing shirts to be able to send to Giselle.”

Overall Record: 13-7-1 Conference Record: 4-2 National Rank: 444 State Rank: 49 All State: Lalo Hernandez

Are the Midway Monsters back? Leyden Varsity prepares for mat Erick Aguilar Adam Trzaska ith such an impressive start fans throughout Chicago are hyped, and Leyden students are as well. “Conference and division champs competing for the super bowl,” predicted senior Joel Monarrez about the outcome of this season. A big reason for the Bears recent success seems to be coming from the defense as they have acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack. Mack has been one of the main reason why the Bears Defense is ranked #4, averaging a sack and fumble through 4 games. He’s making a case for another defensive award and might even be an MVP (Most Valuable Player) Candidate. “I didn’t believe it; no superstar ever wants to come to Chicago. But since he’s here we are going to have a top three defense in the league,” said Monarrez, adding that he had nothing but

positive things to say about the acquisition of Mack. Even though the Bears were off to a great start, there was no hiding the fact that the offense had not played up to par with the defense. The Bear fans were wondering when head coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitch Trubisky would solve that problem. “I think he is still developing, but I think he could be pretty good,” said Senior Matt Torres when asked what he thinks about the Bear’s Second year Quarterback. Many fans were similarly “waiting” to weigh in on Trubisky. And then he exploded for six passing touchdowns against the Buccaneers on September 30. After the team showed off its offensive capability, fans hopes spiked even higher. “I think they are going to be a playoff team, and in this year or the next year we should win at least one Super Bowl,” Torres said. Monarrez added, “Super Bowl Baby.”

Marta Lasak

new and improved Leyden Cheerleading team is preparing to step on the mat this season. The team has added new preparations to its program and is right on track for several upcoming competitions. Only a few minutes is given to the team in order to impress the judges with a sequence of cheer, dance, jumps, tumbling, and pyramid. These few minutes are everything. Leyden is setting the bar high, an ultimate upgrade from last year’s competition. The girls are adding a stronger and more challenging jump sequence consisting of a double toe touch, pike, and a right hurdler. Already this past June, the team attended a three-day Xperience of Chicago camp in Romeoville, getting these preparations started. The girls were pushed through challenging exercises that allowed them to learn and master new skills. Cheerleader

Michelle Hinich mentioned, “This camp was very challenging for us, because we have never done anything like this in the past. It pushed us to try new things…” By the end of day three, teams got the opportunity to compete against each other. Cheerleader Kiara Lynn Rodriquez said, “At the camp, we got to see our competitors and see what we will be really up against in a few months…”. Since then, the team has been training with a professional weekly. Tumbling practices happen every Tuesday and take place in West Leyden Gymnastics room. Here, girls are able to meet their personal training goals with trainer, Christian Burge. Burge has been a competitive cheerleader for nine years and continues to train local cheer teams. He is currently training five teams, including Yorkville, one of Leyden competitors. He explained, “My objective every practice is to keep up all the good work because consistency is key.”

The girls all work towards this objective, including Cheerleader Brooke Dodger. “I am currently working hard every week, preparing my back handsprings and back tucks.” Burge speaks very positively of the team. “I’ve already seen improvement in all the girls’ attitudes. We have been able to get girls out of their comfort zones and staying focused.” With the help of Burge, the girls can say they’re all seeing these improvements. Cheerleader Rodriguez stated, “Our trainer pushes us even when we are doubting ourselves. Every practice we keep adding more and continue to get better and better.” The first competition will take place December 8 at Lincoln Way.