Issuu

September 2017

D.A.C.A.

East Leyden High School

Franklin Park, IL 60131

3400 Rose Street

Destroy And Conflicts Arise

Raul Rivera @raul_riveraaa

n Tuesday, September 5, the Trump Administration announced that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) would be revoked if Congress fails to pass permanent immigration reform. Initiated via an Obama Executive Order, DACA protects those brought to the United States as children, allowing them to go to school and work without fear of deportation. Revoking DACA would mean that as of March 5, DREAMers (those here because of DACA) and their families could be separated from each other. Affected students would find their future education interrupted or cut short. Mr. Trump has called Congress to deal with the future of DREAMers arguing that immigration should be reformed as a congressional issue, not an executive one. The next six months are important for many Leyden families. While most current students are too young to receive DACA benefits but many have family who do. ELL Department Chairperson Ms. Lisa Baran Janco stated

that students are more fearful for family who do receive benefits than themselves. District 212 Superintendent Dr. Nick Polyak, recognizing the anxiety created by the announcement, recently sent an email to the Leyden students and staff. In it, he wrote the following: “We know that this topic has created, and will continue to create, questions and unease for students across the country. We would like to reassure you that this federal action will in NO way change any of the practices at our high schools. We will continue to educate and care for ALL of our Leyden students. “To ALL of our students: You belong here at Leyden. We want you here, and we are prepared to help you navigate how to continue on your educational journey. You are here to earn an education so that you can better yourselves. When you are educated, informed and engaged, you are just what our nation needs. Our commitment to being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming school district has not changed.” In a follow up interview, he

explained that the district doesn’t ask about the citizenship status of the students and that its schools educate anyone. He added that those who are most concerned People protesting the removal of DACA “should talk to their counare undocumented and were protected by selors, talk to the administrators. [They] can DACA. If someone is eligible for DACA point them towards resources.” He realizes benefits but never made an application, that immigration status can be difficult to they are now ineligible to apply now as talk about and that it’s very personal, but that initial DACA requests are no longer being talking about it “puts a face on the issue so considered. people understand how individuals are being Also, DACA recipients still have affected.” legal options based on marital status, em Dr. Polyak, responding to whether ployment, and other grounds for citizenship. or not he believes Congress will find a solu- DACA recipients may seek legal advice tion, stated, “I have to hope that that’s the about their options, and everyone interested case.” in the issue should contact local representa Current DREAMers should not be tives. worried about being at risk for deportation Our Illinois senators are Dick as DACA benefits are valid for two years. Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. You can Those who will lose benefits before March look up their information https://www.sen5th, 2018 have until October 5th, 2017 ate.gov/senators/contact. You can find your to renew their applications. By March 5, local representative at https://www.house. Congress may have a plan for those who gov/representatives/find/.

Web History Heading Home

Raj Patel

n order to foster conversations between school, students, and parents, Leyden has decided to send Chromebook web browsing history to parents, prompting a range of responses from frustrations related privacy to a lack of concern. On September 5, East Leyden students received an email from Principal Mr. Jason Markey informing them that parents would begin receiving weekly reports of students’ outside-of-school browsing histories. Leyden parents who attended Open house were also notified about this program. Director of Technology Mr. Bryan Weinert explained that the reports will be sent weekly via a service called Securely. They will include web browsing activity from home use only, divided into four sections. The first section displays all the websites the student has visited; the second section displays Securely definition/interruption of educational sites; the third section includes searched words from Google, and the final category displays the videos the student has watched, whether they be from YouTube, Vimeo, or other streaming services. However, if parents want to view even more information besides the four categories, they can click into a “parent portal,” which displays a lot more information like flagged activities, which Mr. Weinert explains as, “keywords that Securely has chosen to flag.” For example, phrases relating to self-harm would be considered a flag. Regarding student privacy, Mr. Weinert said that when Leyden parents and students sign off on the Chromebook use agreement, they agree “that nothing you do

on this device is private. These are school issued devices, and nothing that you do is private.” Mr. Weinert explained that the decision to send the reports was madebecause “about a year and a half ago Securely, the internet filter Leyden utilizes to block certain websites, shared a new parent portal feature. It was a request they had been getting from all their clients, where parents were asking the question, ‘What are my sons and daughters doing on these district devices?’ So Securely responded to that and put together this new parent portal.” When the portal was released, Weinert brought the information to the Leyden administrative team to decide whether or not Leyden should use this parent portal, and after many discussions, they decided to roll out this program. Mr. Weinert also confirmed that the key piece about the portal is that “is that Leyden can configure it in a couple different ways, and the way we (Leyden) have chosen to configure it is for guardians to only see home activity, not activity that is going on during the school day.”

Makers Welcome

Kamil Poplawski

eyden students now have access to a makerspace, filled with a variety of technology that students can work on for different projects. Director of Careers and Community Outreach, Frank Holthouse, and Business Education teacher Ms. Amy Gorzynski, have reserved an area in the Nardini library and filled it with 3d printers, sewing machines, cameras, and more. Students now have access to the equipment required to create, giving them many more options for projects, and a space to learn some valuable skills on their own. “We really want students to be self-motivated and engaged when they’re in the space,” Holthouse said. But teachers will not be leading any of this. This space is staffed by students functioning as the “makersquad,” a group of students who have been learning and practicing with these devices to make sure every Leyden student can get a good experience when they visit.“I think there’s something more powerful when kids learn from kids,” Holthouse said. The space is open throughout the day and students can sign up and make an appointment in the space on Leyden website. You can find the signup sheet under the academics tab and in the library section.

Opinions

September 2017

All about Me, Not my Fault

ur generation has a poor reputation. Researchers continue to report that we have an obsession with ourselves. Are we ever concerned for others? Or is it just about me, me, me? This self-absorption, sometimes called Narcissism, has been measured in different generations using the Narcissism Personality Inventory. Narcissist have an excessive interest in and admiration of themselves. The test asks various questions, such as “If I were to become president, would the world would be a better place?” This test was made to measure how much self-obsession or overconfidence a person may have. And we Millennials continue to score “higher” than those born in the 90s and 80s. This stereotype, then, of the Narcissistic Millennial, is based in truth. But because each teenage generation is shaped by outside influences, we have to acknowledge that social and economic forces of our time help define us. So what does that mean for us, the Millennials? In part, it means we shouldn’t be the ones apologizing for our behavior. A great difference between Millennials and other generations is our use of technology and social media. Our phones are our news outlets, marketing tools, and centralized way of communication with the world. This has shaped us in ways we could not

Liah Rodriguez even imagine. Social media is our way to express what we have done throughout the day, our feelings and what is on our mind. It encourages us to talk about ourselves. I mean twitter even asks “What’s happening?” We are free in the world of social media. Why should society shame us about having a narcissistic mind set when that is what social media is for? We and our peers function as our own entertainment. And there are examples of how this self-obsession is helpful. When we use #Leydenpride on twitter, yes we’re focusing on ourselves, but collectively it expresses school spirit and shows us as a community supporting each other. That is definitely not a symptom of narcissism. Even when we use twitter for personal posts--our own pictures, our own funny tweets--who says that should define us as narcissistic and self centered? Aren’t we building connections when we do it? Economic factors are building our self-interest as well. The focus, we hear so often, is e in the upcoming economy is the need for college and competition in the marketplace after college. We are constantly being asked “What are you plans for after high school?” We are even pulled out of class to talk to our counselors about which colleges we will apply to and how important it is to get applications in as soon as possible. This focus on our plans on our decisions makes us

We Millenials are all about ourselves and that’s not all bad.

think that we have to, and can, do all of this on our own. It is our life so yes, we have to be selfish. We have to put ourselves above the rest in this circumstance. Our narcissistic behavior is taught. If we have to be selfish in order to help our future, maybe being a little narcissistic does no harm to us. Yes, we were shaped to be selfish. But selfishness does benefit us in a way when it comes to our generation becoming successful. But that one trait should not define us negatively. Instead, we need to use it to evolve for the future. Our focus on our self is only one aspect of our lives, it is not

necessary to be selfish in everyday life. Building relationships and having people to care about is essential. It feels good to genuinely care about someone other than yourself, to be happy for another when they succeed by your side, to motivate someone you care about to be the best they can be. Although we may think we have to be selfish all around, stop and think sometimes about your actions and what you can do for someone else.

Maxed Out

e depend on it to write homework down, to find answers, to check emails, and to communicate with the people sitting next to us or those in other countries. And while it might sound like a Chromebook, it is actually our cell phone. Add to all those productive uses all of our recreation, and we are destined to be on our phones constantly. But what does that mean, constantly? A month ago, I had been on my phone so much that I had to go into my settings to turn on ‘low battery saving mode’ just to squeeze out another hour of usage. In that menu, I found that my phone actually tracks how much of the battery gets used for different apps. I was surprised by my results. I always thought I was self-aware. I knew I used my phone a lot. But I figured I used it most for emails, texting, and things to help with school. I looked at my battery usage, it turned out that 23% of my battery was spent on playing games and 35% on social media. Some apps, of course, eat up more battery, but the concept of battery power to track usage was new to me, and I had never really thought about usage in terms of total hours. I began writing this piece curious how it was for other people. Would they be surprised by their cell phone usage, as reported by battery results? Francisco Temblador, after going through tracking his hours, joked, “I now realize how much I slack at work and get paid for it still.” His battery usage was pretty high with his most used apps all being social media. Janet Garcia, whom I also asked to review results, defended the numbers: ”I think cell phone use has become a part of everyone’s daily routine; it’s almost like forgetting a piece of clothing-like your shoes or shirt- it’s almost impossible to run out of your house

Laura Mendez without your cell phone.” She also speaks about her usage results, saying “I wasn’t really surprised by my cell phone usage. I’m aware that I spend a lot of time on my phone. I’m a homebody, so I spend a lot of time alone and at home and a lot of that alone time goes towards my phone. I spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos and Netflix.” I reviewed the battery screens of nine people other than myself, and the usage varied widely. There were outliers found: people who spent no more than two hours on their phone to people whom I saw spent over 15 hours on them. The average from all people who spent time on their phones was 5.2 hours. And for almost all, their battery was shown to be used on social media and games the most, with the top three apps being Snapchat (30%), Facebook (12.6%) and music (9.2%). Granted, my data is nowhere near scientific because I just chatted up a couple handfuls of people. But most gave the defense that we’re using cell phones to connect and speak to people whom we normally don’t see. All of this connection, we claim, ultimately lets us make plans for real human interaction. And as schools are becoming more tech-connected, teens are spending even more time, taking pictures of notes, using phones for programs like Desmos, and even playing school games, like Kahoot. The pace of technology progress teaches us that we shouldn’t expect any of this stopping. Our batteries will continue to be maxed out. But with that being said, it’s important that we work to realize what we are using our phones for and how long we spend on them. If you’re ready to face the truth, do this: unlock your iPhone, go into settings, and find the battery report.

September 2017

SOUNDCLOUD: Taking Students By Storm

THE EAGLE’S EYE STAFF ISSUE 1

Staff Angelica Urbina Brianna Cruz Branden Suarez Camryn McGee David Gutierez Daniel Payan Diego Peralta Emily Sanchez Gabriele Esposito Hector Gonzalez John Auge Julia Kornatowska Joseph Longo Joceline Paz Kailey Kilraine Kamil Poplawski Laura Mendez Liah Rodriguez Lejla Sadikovic Michael Meyer Matthew Ozanic

East’s Fanatics Hector Gonzalez

hat’s hot in 2017? SoundCloud, the music platform established in Berlin, Germany in 2007. Soundcloud quickly grew in popularity in 2016 with the many success stories of independent and amateur artists such as XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, and Chance the Rapper. But what is it about Soundcloud that draws in so many listeners and users? According to writer Sesali Brown, who featured the company's near collapse in an August article, SoundCloud’s popularity has to do a lot with the fact that it allows artist with more talent than some of the mainstream musicians we hear today to gain exposure to the public. Chance the Rapper, an independent rapper from Chicago whose fame was partially aided by Soundcloud, came to the defense of the platform he once depended on. With the various help and support behind SoundCloud, they did manage to keep their company afloat, relieving many individuals including some of our fellow classmates. Soundcloud, as of February 1, 2017, contains 76 million monthly users, some of which attend our school. Senior Patrick Barton was relieved to hear that “SoundCloud is here to stay,” a statement given by former CEO Alexander Ljung on his Twitter over the recent shutdown scare. He responded with “I’m pretty glad it’s still in existence,” claiming that without SoundCloud he “wouldn’t have any other place to listen to his sick beats and god-like rappers.” Barton earlier that day explained his feelings and reason for beginning to listen to Soundcloud and why he has stuck around stating that Soundcloud’s community feeling which allows comments and feedback to be given to the artist has a huge impact on why he enjoys using Soundcloud. He also said he favored Soundcloud because he could “listen to it in the background unlike YouTube” and enjoy his Lil Pump “flame music.” When asking Barton if he believed Soundcloud would come out on top regardless of the previous shutdown scare he commented that it’s “good name” and clever icon will bring Soundcloud on top in the future and “last a long time.” Barton was only one of many in our school with a Soundcloud interest. Senior Frank Castro is another fanatic who volunteered to voice his opinion on why he likes the concept of Soundcloud as a music platform. Castro began listening to Soundcloud because he wanted to “find things that other people wouldn’t find and months later it’ll blow up” saying that this musical phenomenon was “kind of cool” as you witnessed it

from the very beginning, Soundcloud, to mainstream media and even the radio to an extent. For example, XXXTentacion recently released his debut album “17” through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution, instantly becoming a hit with songs such as “Jocelyn Flores” setting the tone and feeling for the album. XXXTentacion had blown up earlier this year with his song “Look At Me” which was first released in 2016 on Soundcloud but blew up when it was re-released in 2017 on Soundcloud as well. Castro believes Soundcloud to be “good for new upcoming artists and new people to the scene” however he stated that to him Souncloud isn’t “the biggest because you have Spotify and Pandora” which have dominated the music platform scene. Due to Castro’s friend Angel Rivas and his other friend who use the platform, Castro enjoys listening to Soundcloud, often searching for those “meme songs” to keep himself entertained. Meme songs, usually found on Facebook pages associated with memes or YouTube stars with a musical side project such as Filthy Frank, are songs with a humoristic twist and usually very light hearted over a range of topics. However, some may be vulgar and a brief warning should be given before you decide to look for some of these songs as they may be offensive. When it comes down to it, Soundcloud is no regular music platform, it is a community that allows musical, artistic voices to be mixed, scrambled, created, and shared to the many users to freely enjoy and respond to. It is a gateway to success in many people’s eyes, but apart from that, it is for our entertainment and enjoyment, bringing people together, just as music should.

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Paul Roszkowski Raylene Cabral

A Leyden Creator

Raj Patel Raul Rivera

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Sara Krajewski Victoria Novak

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Victoria Schulmeister Yulissa Perez 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

Camryn McGee

n a summer night in 2016, Rene Sarabia attended a music festival called Freaky Deaky, and as he watched hi “favorite DJ Head Hunters” he thought, “Oh man I can do that; I want to do that.” After that night Sarabia started thinking about making money to get the equipment needed to make the music he liked, EDM while still incorporating a bit of hip hop. But it was never

just a personal hobby. Because of Soundcloud, Sarabia knew he’d have listeners even if he didn’t have a stage. “I want to play what people want to hear,” he said. Sarabia starts his mixes by searching for songs to put in the mix, which results in trial and error a lot because sometimes certain songs don’t go together. It takes about two weeks to perfect a mix that is about an hour long, and listeners help craft each one. “I love how Soundcloud is so interactive with its listeners,” he said. “They are able to give feedback and follow creators they love to listen to.” He explained that when someone suggests what he can do better or what he should change, he puts that into consideration because he wants people to stay interested in his music. “One time I was playing what I had in mind for a new mix but when I showed it to a friend he said the flow wasn't right so I completely changed the whole tracklist,” he said. His EDM mixes take inspiration from performers like Skrillex and Borgore, or any edm artist. He explains to me how it is going to be something he is going to have to invest money in soon because soundcloud only has 3 free hours of uploads unless you have premium. “What is the most unique thing about soundcloud?”. Rene says. “Soundcloud is so unique”, Rene explains that there are so many different people on it with so many different talents.” Rene wants to continue his music as a hobby but would like to make a career out of it if he has an opportunity. Soundcloud is getting bigger and bigger everyday because people from soundcloud are getting more and more known which forces more/new listeners joining the app.

Features

September 2017

Senior Planning

Matthew Ozanic - @mmoz40

nxious seniors buried under homework and post secondary school applications wonder what is next for them. Are they prepared? Are they taking the necessary steps? Where can they get help? Before they realize they aren’t going about it right, it’s often too late. Senior Grace Pasterz talked about where she’s at in the process: “I really haven’t started applying yet, and there are a lot of factors for me to consider.” Now if you are someone who hasn’t started, don’t freak out. Just understand that you need to start as soon as possible. East Leyden counselor Ms. Alicia Funes stated, “Students shouldn’t avoid this process because you aren’t alone. You can really talk to anyone at Leyden about the process; they all went to school and went through what you guys are right now.” Senior Sandra Castellanos has taken that invitation. “I’ve applied to mul-

tiple out-of-state schools, along with making sure I keep in contact with my counselor,” she said. She’s expressed satisfaction with what Leyden offers for students planning beyond senior year. “I really like that they offer workshops, like application mania, and FAFSA mania. Along with that, I really like how the counselors are very accessible,” she said. Funes agreed and named additional opportunities,“Group guidance is a new thing that we started last year, and it gives each student an equal opportunity to have a viable post secondary plan upon graduation.”

Path to Politics

Yet while the resources exist, Ms. Funes explained that students need to be focused to take advantage of them. “Definitely being proactive, and keeping yourself accountable is [the] number one [requirement for students]. So having that mindset that you’re going to complete the steps to solidify this plan. Along with that you need to make sure you are utilizing your resources, and meeting with your counselor to figure out what those resources are.” Students must also include parents early on, taking the initiative to include them in the process. Will you parents be able to help pay? Are they willing to let you

Throwing shades

Yulissa Perez

s. Bernadette Ryan’s path to becoming a social studies teacher began with a trip in high school. During a visit to Washington DC, she learned how she plays a big role in the making of America, how her voice is, in fact, heard by those who represent us. Now she’s determined to give Leyden students that same experience. Ms. Ryan had the opportunity to learn how important she was to the United States by going on the Washington D.C. trip herself and learning about our approachable center of government. Ms. Ryan elaborated on her experience saying that the reason she really wanted to push this trip is because, “...it was such an awesome experience that it led me to eventually become a social studies teacher [because it built my] interest in government and politics and history.” Recognizing the political divide in America, Ms. Ryan explained how she wants students to go for themselves and see that our center of government is not barred off or closed up to the average citizen. She said, “I don’t know why there is this fear [to participate] but part of the program is to break that fear down, break that wall down, to let students recognize that this is your government. You should be able to approach the leaders and your representatives.” With this trip, she hopes to open up the doors for students to speak out to their government. The trip, planned for Spring Break, includes a whole week packed with experiences and opportunities. It includes small educational workshops that cover immigration, national security, political debates, etc. The students will also experience the tourist side of the capitol by going to an Embassy, The Pentagon, and Capitol Hill. To top it all off, on their last day, the students are honored with a small ceremony and dance to celebrate their experiences. Ms. Ryan explained there is a little work that comes in before the trip in the form of a book called Current Events, which is updated every year to inform students of the action happening in America. The book will be provided if there are enough students that are completely 100% committed to the trip. She explained that the organizers are “very stringent about [letting schools/students preview materials]. It’s very expensive. They will only sell them in groups of 20, and it’s a thousand dollars per group, so it’s like a $50 dollar investment per kid, but if we do get enough students to sign up [for the travel] the department will pay for the books.” This is the second year Ms. Ryan is trying to launch this program. The trip was supposed to take place last year but not enough students signed up. Ms. Ryan hopes the trip will have enough students for take-off this year.

go out-of-state? What can they do to help? Communication is key to this process. Ms. Funes stated, “Making sure your parents are on board with you, even if they aren’t as familiar in the process as you.” Seniors and counselors agreed that the early months of school are a time to act, not one to wait. Ms. Funes explained that it should be an exciting time, even though it’s stressful:,“As long as you are following your passion, and are doing your best here at school and outside of school, along with reaching for help, you are going to feel/be ready come senior year with all those options.”

Joceline Paz

tressed about homecoming? Stressed about not having enough time to get ready? Running on a low budget? Need someone to do your makeup? Junior Victoria Drozd can save the day! Victoria said her passion for makeup began in the fourth grade when her drama teacher faced her with the task of doing stage makeup. A few years later her friends found out about her enthusiasm and started asking for her help using inexpensive drugstore products. She said, “My friends would buy me these little elf eyeshadow palettes, and they were really bad, but I still made it work.” As a freshman Drozd, continued experimenting, wearing makeup daily not because she was insecure, but because she loved trying new makeup trends and products. As time went on, her passion for makeup grew as her experience did as well. For her pervious homecoming dances, she said “I did my own makeup and [the makeup for] three other girls, so time management is really important. I would ask them to come early during the day and ensure them that their makeup would look flawless all night long, and if anything, I would be there to touch them up.” Her client list has grown so much that she’s working, rather than attending, for this year’s homecoming. She explained, “I would much rather spend time on other people’s makeup

and make sure they are happy with the way their makeup looks then to have to rush to do their makeup and my own and not be happy with the way either turned out.” She charges $15 for students, and that includes foundation, concealer, powder, blush, contour, bronzer, highlight, eyebrows, lashes, eyeshadow, and lips.

If you need someone to do your makeup this homecoming, feel free to contact her @vd23824@student.leyden212.org.

Arts

September 2017

Monochromatic Photos

Taking on Color Solo

Tori Novak - @Tor_Torrrrrr

hese days, everyone can claim to be a “photographer.”, We like to document everything we do, whether we are updating our Snapchat stories or posting a new update on our “finstas,” we all take pictures. But those who study photography, like East Leyden senior Alyssa Guillu, the photography is serious business. Guillu, currently enrolled in AP Studio Art, is extending her art on a piece called her “breadth” piece. Your “breadth” piece is a collection of 8-10 art pieces that will be submitted to College Board to showcase your skills. Here, artists can demonstrate a range of techniques. Guillu has recently begun work on a photography piece with the concept built around a “high fashion photo shoot.” These are photos that contain a subject that is visually appealing with a soft focus on the overall photo as a whole. Guillu is challenging herself with adding monochromatism to her piece. Monochromatism is when the background is the same color as the subject. In Guillu’s case, her backdrop is the same color that the model will be dressed in. This creates a sense of color blocking and adds to the “high-end fashion” photo feel. Guillu feels her biggest challenge in this piece was staying on budget. Art and photography supplies are very expensive and it’s difficult to make a high-quality piece out of low-quality supplies. “Being on a low budget was so hard for me. I wanted my photos to feel very high end, but that’s hard when you have no money.

I had my clients wear clothing they already owned, and I borrowed lights from my dad while using backdrops I already owned. In addition, I was able to borrow Leyden equipment such as camera lenses and editing software. This saved me a lot of money considering clothing, backdrops, and lights could cost several hundreds of dollars. So really just trying to work with what I had with the help of my family plus my perseverance, I got the quality of photos I desired with spending little to no money.” When doing anything for the first time, there are always mistakes. As an artist, it is always good to recognize your mistakes so you can learn from them and improve for the next time. “If I could change anything, I definitely would change the way I set the backgrounds up. In between shoots, I clipped the backdrop too high and I actually ended up ripping it! Fixing the way I put up my backdrops for the next time would help to keep the photo clean of any errors and also preserve the life of my backgrounds. What would I keep the same? I would keep my models the same. I knew all three of them well and we had a good connection. A good connection is very important. You want the photoshoot to run smoothly and that’s hard to do if you do not connect well with your client. You have to be comfortable giving them direction, so I definitely would use the

Alyssa Guillu is experimenting with photos that feature one color each for her AP Studio Art project. Aishling Snowden models for a in mono-yellow and mono-red shoot. Georgia Thomas models for the mono-pink shoot.

same models.” Amateur phone photographers, who quickly apply a filter and publish their work, might be surprised at what Guillu suggests is an overlooked part of the artistic photography process. .“I feel editing is very overlooked,” she said, “and people assume you just take a photo and you’re done. In reality, editing takes up majority of the

Bye Bye Birdie

Is Hitting The Stage Brianna Cruz-- @bri_nicole_cruz

MaCafee family discovers they will appear on Ed Sulivan Show!

Katie White peers out the “window” at neighbors.

e all love a good romantic comedy that has a good hook and leaves us at the edge of our chair. Those moments that will have us wondering what’s coming next. If he’s going to choose this girl or the other. Just an overall production that leaves us talking about it for quite some time. All this and more can be found in Leyden’s fall play, Bye Bye Birdie. Wanting to know more about the play, I went ahead and asked senior Emerson Becker about all the great things the play had to offer. She had plenty to say about this production was about and why we should go see it. “You should go watch the play because it’s a super fun and cute story and we have a lot of talent going up on that stage to perform,” said Emerson Becker. She also added, “The show is about an Elvis-like rock star named Conrad Birdie who gets drafted into the Army. His manager, Albert, and his secretary, Rosie, come up with a contest in

Kaitlyn Dermody calls her friend to spill all the gossip.

time. Shooting the photo is only a portion of the process. I am proud I have completed my shoot as early as possible giving me two weeks to complete and finalize for my project.” If you are interested in seeing more of Guillu’s and many other extremely talented students’ art pieces, take a trip to the upcoming Winter Art Show. which one Birdie fan gets to kiss Conrad before he goes. The kiss will be televised and Conrad will perform his new hit song, “One Last Kiss”. Birdie and his team are taken to Sweet Apple, Ohio, where Kim MacAfee, winner of the contest, is waiting along with the Conrad Birdie Fan Club. A lot of stuff happens after that, but I don’t want to spoil it!” She also emphasized all the hard work that the crew has put in in just a few short weeks. “The effort each member has put in is incredible. The teamwork is what really brought this show together, and having everyone cooperate is what makes the play more enjoyable. Everyone is in love with their part and they embrace it to the max. Having everyone come into practice ready to give it their all is what keeps us motivated to do the best we can.” Although the crew has done an amazing job working together, Emerson also told me the struggles of having to do all this in such a short amount of time. “Well, we only have 5 weeks to put the whole show together” she said, “It has been really hard to learn everything like lines, choreography, and music so quickly.” She left me wanting more, but that’s all she could tell me. Emerson made sure she let me know that you can catch the show on September 28th and 29th at 7:00 and September 30th at 3:00 in the West Leyden auditorium. If you want to see the show you can get tickets on the Leyden Choir website, www.leydenchoir.weebly.com , and if you don’t buy them online, that’s okay! You can buy them at the door on the day of the show, but it is recommended you buy them in advance. We hope all students can come out and watch the play so you can support your fellow students and finds out what happens to Birdie before he gets drafted.can come out and watch the play so you can support your fellow students and finds out what happens to Birdie before he gets drafted.

Arts

September 2017

Eighties Fashion Comeback

Victoria Schulmeister (@vschulmeister)

elvet tops, cuffed mom jeans, and gold chains are making their way back into the fashion trends. Just look down the street, and you’ll see women wearing jean skirts and boys wearing track suits. These decade trends from the 80s are now on the rise again and have never been so popular. There is a saying that history repeats itself, and fashion history is right in line with it. As the world follows its monkey see monkey do mindset, more and more women have been taking on the stunning material girl vibe, wearing their scrunchies and unitards. For many guys, the decades trend never left due to huge gold chains and cross necklaces continuing to be in style. Regardless if you’re a boy or a girl, 80s fashion style is anything but dull and drab, and it’s worth your attention. A guy’s normal attire mainly consists of either a pair of jeans or basketball shorts with a t shirt - nothing too outgoing. However, senior Erick Yepez took on a new approach to style. “It turns heads and that’s dope” Yepez says, “You don’t see a lot of people that look like this.” Instead of a more casual look to school, Yepez wears track pants and oversized shirts, a

huge style back in the day. To spice up his look, he layers gold chains to his shirt. “My style varies from different artists I look up to, whether it being rappers or famous people,” Yepez explained of his change in style. For Yepez, the leaders in the lively 80s return are famous artists. Chance the Rapper is a one rapper in particular that is a big fan of overalls and customized jean jackets - a typical 80s outfit. The upcoming style for guys gives them a chance to go out of their comfort zone - basketball shorts and a t shirt - and apply themselves to dressing more in style. Today’s changes in women’s trends are causing the original 80s generation to reminisce. Fanny packs, huge hoop earrings, and circle sunglasses complete any essential look in today’s fashion sense. Senior Georgia Thomas is a huge fan of the decade trend, and uses its components in her own way. “I normally just pick whatever I like, and it ends up working with my style,” Thomas claims, “There’s so much to choose from, and everyone can find something from the decades to incorporate into their style.” There are so many different types of clothes and

accessories to choose from that can turn any outfit into a daring decades outfit. “Fashion is so unique and everything they wore is super in trend right now,” Thomas says, “I love to incorporate bold trends like bell bottom sleeves into my style.” Whatever their outfit is, girls can incorporate a glitzy 80s style to make more of a statement for themselves. Some fashionistas may wonder, “Are the 80s really worth another comeback? Do teens really want to be dressing as their parents did when they were in high school?” The simple answer is, “Yes.” Even though we may seem like duplicates to our parents, these old styles deserve a return their focus on bright colors and big accessories allow for a bold, individualized fashion sense. This fashion flashback may seem like we are mirroring our parents looks back in the day, but these upcoming styles are bright, loud, and vivid. People who are looking for some head turning and statement making outfits, make sure to ask your parents to pull out their old 80s wardrobe!

What are you afraid of?

hen I go to the movies to see a horror movie, my expectations are as low as they can possibly be. And when I go see a Stephen King movie adaptation, I keep them low as well. For every success, like “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Shining,” there are a couple of failures, like “The Dark Tower. So when I went to see “IT,” I was not expecting to have my expectations were blown out of the water, but they were. The remake is directed by the same person who directed the horror movie “Mama” so the he knows how to make a good horror movie. The new adaptation, unlike the original, doesn’t shy away from gore even though the main characters are children. It adds more to the horror of the movie. In the beginning scenes of both the earlier adaptation and this movie, Georgie’s paper boat falls into the sewers. This is where we first see Pennywise the clown. In the 2017 update, viewers watch as Georgie’s arm is torn off by Pennywise, but in the original 1990 version Georgie’s killing occurred off screen. The new version also added more dialogue between Pennywise and Georgie. The added violence and dialogue made the scene so much eerier. Dialogue between the young characters was also well crafted. The characters were very likeable, and the writers did a good job making you feel attached to them. There were a lot of funny moments and lines that worked well and did not take away from the horror of the movie. I think the comedy adds to the movie. It makes you feel more connected to the characters and `like them

Branden Suarez

$he’s Back

more, giving the movie a “Stranger Things” and “Stand by Me” vibe. The only problems I had with the movie were that the characters got cheesy sometimes and sometimes it felt like some characters were forgotten or left out but that isn’t that big a deal. Overall this movie was fun and spooky. It was worth the time and money I spent to go see it. I would highly recommend that you go and see this. It is a fun movie to see with friends. I can’t wait to see how part two will be. Part two will be the kids but as adults trying to defeat Pennywise gain. Overall I give this movie a 90% it was one of the best and most enjoyable movies I have in a very long time. If you want to go to the movies and have a good time with friends then I suggest you go and see “It.”

ik ToK on the clock…5 years to be exact. Kesha is finally back. She released her new album “Rainbow” on August 11. The 14-track follow up to 2012’s “Warrior,” comes after Kesha spent the past three years fighting a legal and public relations battle after accusing her producer, Dr. Luke, of sexual assault. Despite all of the suffering she endured, Kesha used her struggle and turned it into an influential album. We all know Ke$ha . The girl who sang about living it up and being wild. But we don’t know Kesha. This album is a big transition for her. It really shows how much she has grown into a woman. “Rainbow” is all about accepting yourself and being comfortable with who you truly are. It is also about overcoming hardships. Her previous albums are about not caring what others think of you. She also uses a lot of prisoner metaphors. As if she was kept “Rainbow” isn’t filled with a lot of party girl tracks. Some songs resemble the old dollar sign Kesha, but she has definitely removed herself from that image and is establishing her Nashville roots, which at times give this album a country feel. Dolly Parton is even on the track “Old Flames(Can’t Hold A Candle).” Along with country Kesha also incorporated a bit of rock to her new sound. The two best songs on the album are very similar--not so much insound as in

Raylene Cabral

the message. The songs are all about being comfortable with yourself and overcoming hardships. “Hymn” is the fourth track and my favorite song. It talks about how we are perfect regardless of our mistakes. It is an smooth upbeat tune that you can blast and sing your heart out to. The next is “Praying,”the 5th track. This is a piano ballad, but it’s definitely the most powerful song on the album. You can tell how Kesha was really affected by the whole sexual assault situation. It gives a really good message about forgiving the people who do you wrong. Although she suffered, it all made her stronger and made her grow up. There is one song that doesn’t quite cut it, “Boogie Feet,” track 10. This song has a rock feel to it which isn’t bad. But the message of this song doesn’t fit the album idea. The whole idea of self love and empowerment isn’t really shown in this song. The song is literally about dancing. I feel like there is no important message. In all honestly, the album could’ve been fine without it. Aside from that one misstep, the album as a whole is very moving. Listeners will get a feel of the new and improved Kesha, and many will be able to relate to what she’s feeling. I don’t think fans of Kesha’s old music are upset with her new music style. Real fans accept her change growing into a new and improved woman.

#LeydenFeud

Sports

September 2017

Football, Blue Crew work through Twitter Beef

Lejla Sadikovic - @LSadikovic

“A

ll I do is win win win no matter what,” the Leyden student section chanted near the end of an away football game against Downers Grove North. The otherwise encouraging spirit of the students, sadly, turned to irony for the players on the field, who were being bruised 35-7. As the team struggled to score, the fans may have been having too much fun partying to realize how their good times were affecting their team. The loss made the ride back home dreadful, and after listening to the disgruntled team members voice their frustration about disconnected fans, manager Joe Longo took to Twitter: ”@LHS_BlueCrew

You are terrible,” he wrote. “If you’re going to the game, go there for the sport and the team, not to get lit to music.” Then came the backlash, with fans defending their spirit and calling Longo and the team ungrateful. Fans had, after all, traveled 40 minutes to support the team. That response prompted a team response, which created more Tweets, and so on and so on. Following the weekend of tension, Blue Crew leader Waldo Diaz expressed that he had felt the team was being unappreciative. “We felt attacked,” Diaz said “for going out to a game that’s 45 minutes away and being criticized for what we did.” So, how fitting was the fan’s fun at DGN? This question created by a Twitter “beef” actually poses a bigger question: what is the purpose of a student section? Is it to cheer on the players or to unite the students and create a sense of school spirit

at sporting events? How should school spirit differ when the team is losing? Now that we’re a couple of weeks past the online drama, both the Blue Crew and the Leyden football players are in a better place, agreeing that the student section should be there to support the team and not only hype up the players but build momentum amongst the crowd. Football player Adrian Aviles expressed that he is thankful for the Blue Crew, but there could be a few adjustments. “I don’t pay too much attention, but from what my teammates have said, at that particular moment they were more focused on what was happening in the crowd than what was happening on the field. They were not at their best, but that is because we were losing. It’s our job to win the game, but the student section’s job is to cheer, so when we’re losing, just keep cheering us on, so

we don’t lose the momentum.” Although there is not much the student section can do when the team is struggling to win, they shouldn’t allow the loss to dictate their amount of school spirit. The Blue Crew definitely redeemed themselves and improved their efforts in leading the student section at our first home game. “We revised our plan of attack at the home game.” Diaz said. “I put my heart and soul into the cheers, I was running up and down the stands; I was trying to get everyone hyped up.” If the Blue Crew continues to find different ways to keep the student section interested, and if that balance of fun and support can be found, then it is safe to assume the rough patch will be behind both parties.

Blackballed QB deserves spot

Upcoming Events

Daniel Payan - @DPayan516

olin Kaepernick, the should-be NFL quarterback currently sidelined for some “unknown reason,” began his interests in African American history when he first entered college at the University of Nevada. He joined an African American fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi. Although he is half white, he feels connected to his African American Heritage and has spent his adult life developing his connection to his African American heritage. It was not a spotlight-grabbing move, then, when Kaepernick, took a seat during the National Anthem in the first two preseason games when he was with the 49ers in 2016. He used his celebrity to focus national attention on police shootings and the issues of race that surround them. He gained national attention in the third game, in which he dressed. Supporters and critics fought back and forth with him and with each other as the season progressed, and as he continued kneeling. Then other players began to kneel too. Not only football players, but Megan Rapinoe, a female soccer player joined in and supported Kaepernick, as did some high school and college athletes. His decision has contributed to the phenomenon of athletes speaking up. The season finished, and Kaepernick--like others--opted out of his contract. But unlike others, he has not been signed to a team, a curiosity given that he’s still considered a capable player. Fellow players of the NFL have expressed their concerns. Michael Bennet of

the Seattle Seahawks stated, “Obviously he is being blackballed. His decision to kneel rubbed some people the wrong way.” And Bennett is right. Kaepernick should have a roster spot somewhere. His protest is American; penalizing him for being outspoken is not. At the end of the day, he is just taking a knee. The protest might be a minor distraction, and some fans will disagree with that. Teams argue that taking a chance on him is more risk than reward. Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy compared Kaepernick to Michael Vick, the infamous QB convicted of running fatal dog-fights. It took him years before he was signed, but

he was signed. The only viable comparison between Kaepernick and Vick is the distraction claim. But Vick did something wrong. for the team and prevented teams from focusing on playing football. Colin K has sparked a whole stream of interest and people are wondering if his actions are being blackballed or if he is just too big of a distraction for the teams to sign him. Colin Kaepernick should not be where he is not. He should be on a team because he is not a distraction, and has had a better career than many other quarterbacks that have been signed.

BOYS (V) FOOTBALL Friday, Sep. 22 LYONS TOWNSHIP 7:30 PM Home GIRLS (V) CROSSCOUNTRY Saturday, Sep. 23 EAGLE INVITE 9:00 AM Away BOYS (V) CROSSCOUNTRY Saturday, Sep. 23 EAGLE INVITE 9:00 AM Away GIRLS (V) SWIMMING Saturday, Sep. 23 MAINE EAST 10:00 AM Home BOYS (V) SOCCER Saturday, Sep. 23 MAINE WEST 11:00 AM Home

Sports

September 2017

ReRouted: E

very runner’s dream is to PR(personal record) on his or her home course in front of all the fans. Yet Leyden runners don’t get this satisfaction.Grant Park in Northlake, home of the Eagles, is all torn up because of construction. Junior,Julian Munoz, one of the top runners for the team, stated, “I feel pretty upset because that means that we don’t have the opportunity to perform for our fans on our home course.” In cross country, knowing the course is helpful as each course has different layouts and features that make some easier while others are harder. The hardest courses, given from Julian are “KLM, the course for Hinsdale, Downers Grove South, and Fenton, due to it’s steady incline.” Not having a home course is an uphill of its own. Junior runner Patrick Sarad explained, “It’s difficult not having a home course because we don’t have the chance to practice there, and we have to practice other places that don’t prepare us well for the other courses. Every race we go to is new to us.” Assistant coach Mr. Tim Stark understands the loss of a home course but also found an upside: “At the beginning it was hard,” he said, “but it turned out for the

Cross country dealing with loss of home course Sarah Krajewski (@Sarah_Krajewski)

better because now that practice is at East, we are able to get off the pavement and we go to Schiller Park Woods and practice. [We] range from 8-11 miles for our varsity 2-3 times a week.” And a home course isn’t too far away: “Willowbrook is allowing us to host our meet and conference at their home course this year.”

“Every race we go to is new to us.” Regardless of the changes, the boys have high goals this year. Lead runner Sarad stated, “The whole varsity boys team last year [was only]places away [from the state meet]at Sectionals, so I know that this year we have a high chance of making it.” The boys cross country team took first place in the ICCP race on September 9, placing five runners in the top seven. The boys started strong with some runners finishing the first mile at 5:17 and then also the third mile in a 5 minute margin. The five runners went out strong and stayed in the top throughout the whole race. Last year

the boys placed third at this invite, so this was a good bounce back. Stark stated, ”We had a strong pack’, we placed 2,3,4,7,8. The spread was great, from 1-5 the spread was 23 seconds.” Looks like the different places are training the boys more than they think. Instead everyone being down of the absence of the home course, the team has turned it into something positive. Different places, different courses , different times, same great team. Photo by Sarah Krajewski

Homecoming game features faceoff with LT, top QB

he ancient celebration of Homecoming started with the vikings. They’d come back to their lands bloodied and bruised after pillaging other lands. The whole population would come together to celebrate both the return of their loved ones and the victories overseas. Today, we focus mostly on pillaging the local Walgreens for poster boards and share our successful proposals on Snapchat, but there are still battered heroes to celebrate: our football team. After playing away for three of the first four home games, Leyden returns home to play against the best team on our schedule: Lyons Township. Lyons Township started this season as the #11 team in 24/7 Sports’ Illinois High School Football Rankings and has yet to move out of that spot. To put that into perspective, DGN is #131, and we seemed out of place in our game against them. The LT attack is led by 6’3”, 200 lb QB Ben Bryant, who committed to the University of Wisconsin immediately after his sophomore season. After some miscommunication and a tweet thanking the University of Georgia for an offer, Bryant lost his scholarship to Wisconsin, his dream school. After another season on the top ranked Midwest Boom 7v7 Football Team, Bryant committed to Cincinnati and will be a Bearcat by Fall 2018. One of Bryant’s Boom teammates was Leyden senior WR/S Ata Hinnawi. “It’s gonna be pretty fun,” Hinnawi said about facing Bryant. “I played against him many times during Boom practice. He’s a great QB and it should be a fun, challenging matchup.” It will no doubt be challenging for the Eagles, especially for Hinnawi who is tasked at setting up the secondary every play. Yet it may prove even more challenging for the Eagle offense led by junior QB Kyler

Volleyball Seeking Support Joe Longo (@StatsByJoe)

Britten. “Our offense has been slow this season and it can’t be the same if we want a real chance against LT,” Britten said. “I realize it starts with me and my ability to make plays just as Ben [Bryant] does against us.” Britten did not exaggerate when he claimed the offense to be slow. As of week three, they had been responsible for only four touchdowns (all scored by RB Gabe Guarderas) while the defense had scored five of its own. And, as impressive as the five defensive touchdowns are, the Eagles defense has given up an average of 21 points a game and hada rate Photo by Pete Skylakos of 20% of plays going for double digit yardGrabbing wins is not unfamiliar to Leyden. age.If the Eagles want to stand a chance in After making playoffs a year ago, the Eagles this Homecoming game, it will take some started this season on a high note demolishViking-like strength to not only keep Bryant ing Fenton in their own home 42-9. After and the Lions to limited points and yards, a Silver loss to DGN 35-7, Leyden played but to tack on some points when Head Coach two straight conference teams: Willowbrook Tom Cerasani’s offense takes the field. A and Proviso East. Willowbrook has been the victory is Improbable, but not impossible, only home game this season, and Leyden and, to Hinnawi, the tough matchup serves put up a bigger fight than expected. The as fuel. offense failed to put the ball in the endzone “Freshman year,” he explained, “varsity but LB Miguel Cooper scored his second didn’t win its homecoming and seeing them and third defensive touchdowns of the year. angry at the dance was terrible. It’s not a The Eagles followed their 20-13 loss with feeling that I want,so I’m leaving it all out an easy win over Proviso East 37-0 last on the field.” Friday night.

Kailey Kilraine (@kaileyyk12)

ass, set, hit!Get ready Leyden because the girls volleyball season has arrived and from what we have heard they have great chemistry. Captain Andrea Horvath spoke saying, “ We have a lot of chemistry as a team and there is a lot of talent this year.” One of the many reasons to go watch the games. So far the girls are on a record of 3-7 but are looking to improve. New varsity player Bea Verin spoke about this saying “ We’ve had a rough start but everyday we get better playing our hearts out, were working together slow and steady.” With this hope, the girls are working harder each and everyday to improve not only as players, but as a team as well. And the Leyden Community can most definitely help. The girls are looking for more support at the games to get the crowd going along with giving them a push to work even harder. So will you be attending these next upcoming games? Here’s a few you might not want to miss! They have a IMSA tournament on Saturday September 30th at 8 am and a Elgin Invite located at Dundee Crown at 8 am along with a home game on October 3rd at 5:30 pm in the East Leyden field house. So get your friends together and come out and support the Leyden Girls Volleyball team this season and show your #leydenpride!