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S P E C TAT O R 1500 WEST KENNEDY ROAD, LAKE FOREST, IL 60045
VOLUME 91 NUMBER 3
Featured Stories NEWS
Dr. Stephanie Bator’s upcoming history elective
page 3
OPINION AND EDITORIAL
Other Preps versus LFA: disciplinary action
page 6
FEATURES
Spectator of the Month: Aidan Jones, chess master
page 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The cast of Second City comes to LFA
page 10
Boys Wrestling adds depth to line up
page 15
THE ORANGE
Check out the New Year’s resolutions
last page
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DECEMBER 10, 2012
LFA students concerned about Saturday finals
By Mary Kate Patton News Editor
With winter break just around the corner, the thing on every student’s mind is the approach of final exams. The addition of final exams on Saturday in this year’s schedule has added to students’ feelings of stress. As these exams approach, students are taking different views on how a Saturday exam will impact them. Although it might be frustrating for students to take an exam on a Saturday morning, the purpose behind this Saturday exam was to increase the students’ period of relaxation. “We have Saturday exams this year to try to give everybody as long of a break as we possibly could,” said Phil Schwartz, dean of faculty and curriculum. “We are required to have a certain number of academic days during the year, so we have to have a set number for first semester and second semester. If we would have taken them on Monday….that would have meant that teachers would have to grade them by that Friday, which is the Dec. 20. So by having them on a Saturday, we are able to give everyone a longer break.” As students gear up for these upcoming finals, it is common to hear complaints to the idea of attending school for an exam on a Saturday. Students could agree with sophomore, Christian Tchamitchian, who feels that a Saturday exam could take away from valuable studying time that might have been useful over the weekend.
Photo by Meg Kennedy
LFA students spend their free periods in the library studying for the final exams.
“I don’t really like the idea of an exam on a Saturday,” said senior Brian Challenger, “mostly because I feel like having to come in on a Saturday would just upset a pretty ingrained routine, and I would much rather have them give people the weekend so that students could spread out their studying and give their brain a breather after taking the first four exams.” Schwartz said that these exam changes are not permanent because the exam sched-
ule is based around the class schedule for each school year. Some students say a Saturday exam does not change the fact that there are exams to be taken. It shouldn’t matter what the schedule is. “I don’t really mind it,” said junior, Dani Hristev, “I take the tests and that’s it. They’re just a part of school so I don’t really care what day it’s on, I have to take it either way.”
What will happen to Corbin? By Bailey Ayers Editor-in-Chief
SPORTS
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Once the construction of LFA’s new Science wing is completed, lower Corbin Hall “… should be a place where students can study quietly,” said junior Katia Elisman. The problem is that at this point every student and faculty member has a different opinion of what they think should happen, because nothing has been confirmed. The Spectator staff inquired the Academic Space Planning Committee of LFA, a committee composed of faculty members and trustees who observe the spaces on campus and develop them for best use. For example, according Dr. Kerry Cedergren, a member of the committee, explained that the tables that are now in lower Corbin were an idea that committee came up with, that
has been well received. While there are not confirmed plans for the soon-to-be empty Corbin, Cedergren was able to talk about ideas that have been considered. One of the many things students have noticed is the presence of Associate Head of School Bill Dolbee lurking around the hallways of Corbin, finishing his locker research. There was also a school-wide email survey sent and the morning meeting
is in quicker access of all departments. “It would be a large space ... I have heard rumors could look like an Apple Store,” commented Cedergren. There are possibilities that there would be small rooms off of it for video projects or other media aspects that teachers are now coordinating into their classes. “After spending four years at LFA, one way I think the space could be used
observational survey involving locker use. There is much debate about whether the current lockers are being used or not. One of the many ideas for the space is “turning one of the current classrooms into a gym bag room,” commented Cedergren, so that students bags are not in the hallway or stairwells. Cedergren believes a beneficial use of the space would be to move the IT department down to a more core location so that it
wisely is by adding a computer lab. Not all students have a computer and the iPad isn’t the easiest way to type a paper, so I think this could be a good use of space,” commented senior Lauren Pugliese. A key need for the school is faculty offices. “The hope is that by housing faculty in nearby offices they are able to communicate better and they can bounce ideas off of each other,” commented Cedergren, who also confirmed that the area will be renovated
THE SPECTATOR
News
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World News Roundup
Compiled by Grace Coburn and Bailey Ayers
Photo courtesy of Tribune Media Services
This photo shows the site where the body of Yasser Arafat was dug up.
Old age or murder? Yasser Arafat, the late leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, has raised a controversy about his death even after being dead for eight years. Although an autopsy was never performed at the time of his death, French medical experts claimed that his sudden death was caused by a brain hemorrhage. However, further investigation directed by Al-Jazeera was conducted with the goal of the determining if Arafat was actually murdered by conflicting factions, regimes, or individuals. The newautopsy is looking for traces of a rare isotope, polonium-210, which has been used in past by assassins as poison. Countries that have advanced nuclear technology, such as Israel and Russia, are among the few countries that have access to this element. It’s expected that in March or April of 2013, further information regarding this autopsy will be released.
DECEMBER 10, 2012
CROYA agrees to work with LFA By Grace Coburn Editor-in-Chief The Committee Representing Our Young Adults (CROYA) is an organization led by youths to help young adults recognize and meet their own needs while learning ideals of self worth. CROYA was founded in 1980 after serious troubles affecting teens of our community such as teen suicides, vandalism, and drug and alcohol abuse in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. With the recent series of teen deaths in the Lake Forest area, CROYA has become a focal point again as an outlet to discuss these issues in a safe and accepting manner. CROYA has previously interacted closely with Lake Bluff Middle School, Deer Path Middle School, and Lake Forest High School. The group’s outreach center is only 10 minutes away from LFA, and the school’s faculty has been striving to have more students get involved with CROYA’s mission -- to bring the community together. Junior Tommy Chandler, who serves on the executive board as well as the LFA Liaison, has had great experiences with the organization and encourages the LFA community to get involved. “It’s a great organization and there’s a place for everyone,” said Chandler. “Many kids from LFHS attend the Wednesday night meetings and get involved with service… it would be a great way to meet new people.” Chairman of CROYA, Lake Forest High School senior Joseph Santello, believes that CROYA is a great way to make friends while making healthy decisions. He agrees
with Chandler and encourages LFA students to attend the weekly Wednesday meetings. “We talk about stuff in the past and upcoming events. We also have sports and activity announcements and a random fact of the week,” said Santello. “[We try to provide] a safe environment for high school [students] where they can feel welcome and be themselves.” The movement to get more involved with CROYA isn’t something new to Assistant Dean of Students Kate Jones. The organization came to LFA to talk to students when student Chris Lee passed away in February of 2010. CROYA also provided a counselor at the center to talk to students affected by his death. More recently, CROYA took part in this year’s Healthy Choices day. CROYA has taken initiative at Lake For-
est High School to discuss suicide prevention given the sad events in the community last year. CROYA administrators stressed that they are available for LFA students who were affected by the recent deaths as well. “It’s been part of the freshmen curriculum… around this time of year [freshmen] focus on conflict resolution. CROYA comes in and does an exercise on active listening,” said Jones. Jones believes that making CROYA a bigger part of LFA is definitely a possibility, but it will take the students to make the initiative to make it happen. CROYA, located just off of Deerpath Road, has a gym, recording studio, stage, and kitchen which welcomes middle school and high school students Monday through Saturday.
Photo by Lauren Clamage Lake Forest High School students gather every Wednesday at the downtown Lake Forest CROYA faciltiy. LFA students are now invited to join the weekly meetings.
Head of School Symposium update
Movies, speakers added to schedule By Carina Baker Managing Editor
Photo Courtesy of BBC News
Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge, plays field hockey at a public event just days before announcing her pregnancy
Prince William and Kate announce they are expecting St. James Palace announced December 3, 2012 that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby. The child will be 3rd in line for the throne, and could possibly be the first female benefiting from new gender rules about succession. The Duchess is thought to be less than 12 weeks pregnant and was admitted to a British hospital due to morning sickness.
This year’s Head of School Symposium on Brazil, chaired by Spanish teachers Señora Noelle Balson and Dr. Stephen Johnson, is well underway. Speakers and movies have been planned. Travel itineraries have been set and students have applied to take part in the Spring Break trip to Brazil in March. Lake Forest Academy has already hosted two outside speakers for the symposium. Professor David George, who visited LFA on November 29, is a professor of Portuguese and Spanish at Lake Forest College as well as an author. George gave a lecture on Brazilian culture and film; his talk included film clips and commentary on Brazil’s current sociopolitical state. Professor Bryan McCann, an associate professor of Latin American History at Georgetown University and also an author, gave two lectures on December 6. One was titled “Preparing for the 2016 Olympics: What
do the Games mean for Rio’s Poor?” and another titled “Popular Culture in Emergent Brazil.” Later in the year Professor Daniel Everett, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Bentley University, will also be giving a presentation on Brazil. Prior to the talk, Johnson and Balson plan for LFA’s students to have an opportunity to view the film “The Grammar of Happiness” about the Pirahã people and Everett’s work with the indigenous people and their unique language. The two Symposium Chairs also plan to hold Symposium-specific student panels and discussions. The discussions, Johnson said, will draw primarily on questions and issues generated during the lectures. “[The discussions will have] a little more of a debate edge, so students can get more actively involved,” Johnson said. They also plan to show several other movies over the course of second semester, although the movie titles and dates are yet to be determined. There are also plans
to incorporate Brazilian food and performance into LFA’s annual International Fair in March. A highlight of the Head of School Symposium is always the Spring Break trip. This year’s trip will visit several destinations within Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, both the Brazilian side and the Argentinean side of the Iguazu falls (a series of waterfalls more than 260 ft. tall in the heart of the Amazon), and Salvador da Bahia, Brazil’s third largest city. “They are probably the best three things to see in Brazil,” Balson said. The trip, currently set to leave near the beginning of spring break on March tenth or eleventh, will last for nine days. Johnson and Balson are also developing “an introductory lecture on how language evolves” in preparation for the trip intended help students travelling to Brazil recognize patterns in written and spoken Portuguese and, hopefully, to decipher some of the language around them.
THE SPECTATOR DECEMBER 10, 2012
News
3
Penguin Encounter
New Marine Bio class visits the Shedd Aquarium By Bailey Ayers Editor-in-Chief
Finding a class that students really “love” seems to be a rarity in high school. But for the five students in Dr. Ruth Smith’s Marine Biology senior elective, the fall semester has been composed of intense learning while taking part in an abundance of interesting activities. The idea for the class came up last year when then juniors Teddy Baldwin and James Padley were in Smith’s Advanced Biology Class. “James and I inquired to Dr. Smith if we could have a Marine Biology class because we found interest in oceans during Biology and wanted to continue and go more in depth,’” explained Baldwin. “I took marine bio because I was interest-
“My favorite part is the openness of the class with the ability to go in-depth in anything we like and the labs.” -Teddy Baldwin ed in marine mammals and the deep sea,” added Padley. After some persuasion and talking with Dr. Smith their inquiring turned to a reality. With only five students in the class, Smith has been able to mold the curriculum to the students’ interests. “My favorite part is the openness of the class with the ability to go in-depth in any thing we like and the labs,” stated Baldwin. The labs have been a hit with all of the students because of their subject matter.
Campus News In this space, The Spectator provides further details on ongoing and upcoming events at Lake Forest Academy Compiled by Jenna Selati and Bailey Ayers
Theft Update
Photo courtesy of Shedd Aquarium
The Marine Biology Class poses during Shedd Aquarium’s Penguin Encounter where they went behind the scenes and met Mangellic Penguin 406.
The students started the year with a ea Urchin mating lab. The class spent over a week dissecting a shark about halfway through the semester. Other labs have included goldfish, brineshrimp, and various marine plants. Even though they are studying the ocean, it is important to take what they are discovering and relate it to the real world. “My favorite part of the class has been the weekly articles that we find online and share with the class,” said Padley, who revealed that at the end of each cycle the students are asked to find an article about marine life that relates to the topic they are currently studying. The highlight of the class though was the day-long visit to Shedd Aquarium. The students worked together to plan their trip based on the experiences that they wanted to have. After looking online and discover-
ing that there were behind the scenes options, the class signed up for the Shedd’s Penguin Encounter. According to Shedd Aquarium during the Penguin Encounter, “you’ll be introduced to one of our outgoing penguins and even get to touch its sleek, slick feathers.” And that is exactly what happened when the class met Mangellic Penguin 406. One of the students was chosen as the special guest during the dolphin show, which was exciting for class to experience. Many of the students are upset that the class is coming to an end, and a couple of
students are interested in. We used to have Sports in American Society but…Dr. Bator is offering a new elective, Violence in America. Dr. Bator came in as a new faculty member so that gave us a chance to offer a new elective.” Bator said she hoped that Violence in American History would be a class students would want to take because it covers material that isn’t often taught in a basic American History Class. “My P.H.D. is in American History, and I wanted to teach a class that was thematic and that was exciting and would draw students in and would show them parts of history that you don’t often learn when you’re taking just the U. S. survey,” Bator said. “Because the U. S. history survey class has to cover so many things, a lot of material gets left out because there’s just not enough time…Violence in American His-
tory would allow us to look at things in a different way.” Specifically, the class will be looking at how a succession of riots in American history were connected. In exploring this, the students will listen to the song 41 Shots by Bruce Springsteen, rather than reading from a textbook. “It’s all primary source driven,” Bator said, “We’re not going to have a text book.” Instead, the semester will be broken up into units based on themes such as race, sexuality gender, and urban or rural-based violence. “We’re specifically looking at violence that is not through war,” said Bator, “We’re looking at the different ways in which violence has played a role in American history, about how expressions of violence tell us something about what’s happening in a nation.”
students are continuing on in an independent study next semester. “The class will most likely be offered next year, but it will depend on the interest shown,” commented Smith. If you are interested in Marine Biology make sure and let the science department know!
According to administrative sources, the previous theft of $1,000 from a student’s dorm room in October remains unresolved. That investigation is now in the hands of the Lake Forest Police Department. The Dean of Students Office is happy to disclose, however, that the number of theft reports in general— which plagued the school throughout September and October—has dropped. “I think reports of theft are down, which is always good to see,” said Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life and Activities Jonathan Freeman. “It doesn’t mean that we’re solving anything, but maybe it means that students are being a little more vigilant.” As LFA approaches the end of the semester and the holiday season, Dean of Students Chris Tennyson has advised students to keep a close eye on their belongings. Notebooks, graphing calculators, and vacation spending money are popular targets around the time of winter break and finals. “It’s really important that they take care of that stuff, because, unfortunately, the people who are looking to take it are aware [that we are approaching finals],” said Tennyson.
New senior elective at LFA By Amy Krivoshik News Editor
Annually, LFAnet.org becomes swamped with traffic when most of the LFA student body logs on to secure places in elective classes before the spots fill up. Since the selection process is competitive on a firstcome-first-served basis, most students must determine their choice of electives in advance. This year, seniors are offered a range of academic electives including a new History elective, taught by Dr. Stephanie Bator, called Violence in American History. “We’ve had such a popular response to the electives that we’ve had that we have students in their junior year ask if we’re going to offer things like economics,” said History Department Chair Chris Dozois. “We wanted those again because those are so popular. They’re something that the
Photo by Bailey Ayers
The construction on the science new science building has progressed quickly even though the temperature has gotten colder.
Science Wing Progress Everything has gone as planned for the construction on the new science building. According to Associate Head of School William Dolbee, the construction will be finished in time for the science faculty to move in and become familiar with the space before starting the 2013-2014 school year.
THE SPECTATOR
News
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DECEMBER 10, 2012
Record setting numbers for this years’ Harvest Hope events By Amanda Bozorgi Staff Writer Lake Forest Academy is proud to boast many community service-based clubs, but the service learning initiative, Harvest Hope, in particular has been quite successful. Harvest Hope works in partnership with the North Chicago Community Partners to aid students at the A.J. Katzenmaier School. So far, the club has had a recordbreaking year, as 100 volunteers collected and distributed food for more than 250 holiday meals for needy families. “After experiencing this year’s events, it looks like we have already had a very successful year and the partnerships (with social service groups) that we have will continue to grow,” said Bailey Ayers, a senior who is one of the student leaders of Harvest Hope. Starting the year with the school supply drive during fall sports preseason, Harvest Hope collected enough supplies to provide each teacher at the A.J. Katzenmaier School with a package of binders, paper, pencils, and other scholarly necessities to give to their students, said Ayers. The LFA Prep Hockey team, as well as several other volunteers, offered their time to pack the supplies. Farther into this fall, 14 LFA students participated in Crop Walk, an event
pated in the annual Food Drive in advisory groups. As a school, LFA was able to collect enough food for over 225 families from the A.J. Katzenmaier School to have meals. In order to organize the vast amount of food, Harvest Hope hosted the Pack the P.O.D. event, where more than 80 volunteers showed up to pack the supplies. Last year 65 volunteers were present at the event. For its next event, Harvest Hope brought more than 100 volunteers to the A.J. Katzenmaier School on Enrichment Day on November 17th. There were 75 LFA student volunteers, and the rest were either faculty and staff or parents. “This is the highest number in the fouryear history of the event,” stated Ayers regarding Enrichment Day. For its final event, 14 students delivered the collected food to the families during the Turkey Handout. Overall, it was a very rewarding year for the Harvest Hope group. They managed to improve upon their previous numbers of participation and volunteers, and maximized their impact on the North Chicago district. “The goal of Harvest Hope, in my point of view, is to create a bond between our community and the AJK community through the various activities that we do.”
for food collection that substituted for the now defunct Harvest Run. Soon after, the whole school partici-
said Ayers. “I believe we were successful again this year.”
Turkey Handout
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G Photos by Bailey Ayers and Jane Xu A) Harvest Hope Parent Leader Beth Olinger explains the science projet to LFA Student Vicky Zhang and her AJK student buddy. B) Harvest Hope Student Leader Bailey Ayers hangs the student art project completed on enrichment day at the AJK school. C) Claudia Jones completes works on the art project with two AJK students. D) Senior Jessica Lee helps her enrichment day buddy complete one of their science activities. E) Junior Miriam Fraga checks families in who have arrived to recieve their turkey. F) Volunteers Lauren Pugliese, Madeleine Pye, and Claudia Jones pose during the Turkey Handout with food items and a turkey. G) Volunteers Samantha Longley, Sophia Platcow, and Tommy Clarke help unpack the turkeys. H) Junior Chris Siemiesko helps unpack the items from the pod.
THE SPECTATOR DECEMBER 10, 2012
News
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All School Secret Gift e g c w a n h n e x a t LFA E
Amy Krivoshik News Editor
ordinators in an email. Participants will not exchange gifts with a single person, but will receive and give gifts to and from two different people. “It’s an experiment so we’ll see how well it goes and how well it works,” said Thuroff. “The main purpose is to get the whole school together. I think it’s a good way for students who don’t usually hang out together [to meet].” She stressed the importance of coming together, rather than that of material gifts. “It’s just more like simple gifts like candy or just a stuffed animal,” Kennedy added. “It’s more like the gesture of being a part of something together.”
will determine if “Secret Santa” will continue in future years. “Maybe in the next years it will continue and it will become a tradition,” said Kennedy, “The first year is the hardest.” The budget, capped at $10, is meant to be inclusive. So far nearly 25 percent of the student body is taking part. “They have thought through a lot of the things to make it as inclusive as possible,” said Dean of Students Chris Tennyson, “I always think that if there are clever things that could potentially build the community in more ways, hey go for it…We want events to be as inclusive as possible, and sometimes having the idea of giving gifts
would find it much more difficult to be able to buy something for their person than a day student would.” In response to this concern, Kennedy and Thuroff suggested that participants give homemade gifts like cookies, or candy, which they said is especially appreciated around the time of finals. “A lot of the international students don’t get to go home and so getting something homemade from someone else is a nice thing,” said Thuroff. “We’re such a small school that we have the opportunity to do this. This is pretty much like a family…
Both agreed that the gift exchange will be “an experiment”, and that its outcome
excludes people just because of means or time or accessibility. Boarding students
we are, you know.”
“Before finals will be really stressful, so this will be a good way to get everyone to loosen up and get excited about something.” - Jarrett Galigher
“It’s very creative and it’s a great way for people to interact with each other and get to know one another.” - Déjon Brissett
“It’s a good way for kids who don’t know each other very well to meet new people and get involved with new social groups.” -Emily Meyer
“If a lot of people participate it’ll be a really good idea. When the hockey team did it, it worked really well. It was a good bonding experience and if the whole school does it you’ll get to meet new people.” - Michael Mackenzie
“Personally I think it should be divided by grade.” -Alex Kirshenbaum
“I think it’ll be a good way to bring the community together and it’s the perfect time of year for it.” -Hallie Ventling
“It’s a good idea and it sounds really fun.” -Lily Bartholomew
“It’s a creative idea. I’ve never seen anything like it done before.” -Mr. Kerr
To foster a sense of LFA community this winter, seniors Meg Kennedy and Hannah Thuroff initiated an all inclusive school-wide gift exchange modeled along the lines of the traditional concept of “Secret Santa.” On December 16th, those who entered their names in the box outside the Dean of Students Office will deliver their low-budget but thoughtful gifts to the advisory of whoever’s name they received from the gift exchange co-
THE SPECTATOR 6
Opinion and Editorial
DECEMBER 10, 2012
Caxy Rant: Don’t send it
By Michelle Whitehead Op-Ed Editor
Earlier this year, I opened an email from Mr. Tennyson asking the community to look out for a lost scooter. Instead of simply reading the email and keeping the message in mind, a large group of students decided to take it one step further. After receiving at least 20 emails about the scooter with random pictures and memes, I turned off my iPad. When IT got wind of the incident, they sent out an email asking students to refrain from abusing the all-school email address. Apparently, that email went unnoticed because a few weeks later, I got another email addressed to the entire school, this time with a picture of a freshman’s face. Are all of these group emails really necessary? There are many issues with group emails but a huge one is that they are misleading. When I get an email notification, I as-
Photo courtesy of hsmemes.com
LFA students have been known to send pointless emails to the entire school in an attempt to be funny.
sume it’s somewhat important. It’s extremely disappointing when you click on your mail icon and find a chain of pointless
Other Preps versus LFA:
Illustration by Jane Xu
LFA students are sent to a Discipline Committee for punishment.
By Hannah Thuroff Op-Ed Editor It seems that every year Lake Forest Academy has at least one student who gets into major trouble due to a drug, alcohol, or tobacco violation. These tragic cases have major impacts on the community and often raise the question, especially among the student body: Are LFA’s consequences too severe? After all, we are teenagers and we make
mistakes. At this time in our lives we are vulnerable to the influence of our peers and surroundings, and most of all our curiosity is at an all-time high. With LFA’s strict policies, students aren’t given the room to make mistakes. But is LFA’s tough love beneficial to the student body or is it damaging? Most students are familiar with the academy’s policies towards substance abuse. LFA has a zero tolerance policy. This means that
emails. I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say that we don’t care if you love turtles or that you think that tricycles are
better than scooters. That is what texting and other private messaging outlets are for. I’m sure your friends think you’re very
funny and interesting. However, you should respect the fact that not everyone has the same sense of humor, nor does everyone have the same interests. Contrary to popular belief, the entire school doesn’t need to know that you’re sitting in class taking selfies. (Although I’m sure your teachers would love to know how little attention you pay to them while they are talking). I know the IT department has disabled the all-school email address in the past, but for whatever reason, it has made its way back into circulation. I think it needs to be disabled for good. Group emails are fine when sent out by the proper authorities (aka Mr. Tennyson) but when they are sent by students about pointless topics, they are more than a little annoying. If we can all agree not to send selfies, declarations of reptile love, and scooters to the whole school, we can get back to what email is actually for: college endorsements.
This month, Hannah compares discipline at various other prep schools with LFA’s rules. Hannah will be spending this year looking at LFA’s rules and codes of conduct and comparing them with other prep boarding schools around the country to see if anything we do can be improved. students caught with any sort of substance that is against the school rules receive immediate disciplinary action, which may lead to immediate expulsion. Unlike LFA, The George School, located in Pennsylvania, works on a three-strike system. Dependent on the severity of the offense, The George School usually grants its students three chances before turning to expulsion. Students of The George School will often face disciplinary actions that involve Friday night inconvenience and Saturday morning work hours. Friday night inconveniences are two hours of study hours, similar to detention, and Saturday morning work hours are two to three hours where the student does work around the campus, such as pulling weeds. The idea behind this model is to promote a structure that is similar to the one students experience
Illustration by Jane Xu
George School students are required to pull weeds as punishment.
at home, just as when parents give chores as a punishment. This concept of three chances acknowledges the flaws in students, whereas LFA’s methodology expects all students to resist temptation and be mistake free. LFA’s proximity rules often put students in situations where they have to choose their future over their friend’s safety and wellbeing. We are taught to take care of others, but with the proximity rule students must potentially leave someone whose life may be at risk. Students should not
have to be caught in the middle of such a difficult decision. There should not be a blanket rule; every situation should be treated independently because sometimes what would be deemed as the wrong choice by LFA rules would be viewed as the right decision as a human being. As teenagers we are bound to make a mistake, LFA should try to adapt its rules to adjust to today’s society. Lake Forest Academy ought to attempt to advocate for student improvement rather than expecting perfection.
THE SPECTATOR DECEMBER 10, 2012
Editorial
Opinion and Editorial T h e L a k e A c a d e m y
Sacred Saturdays Perhaps one of the worst things for a teenager is waking up early on Saturday morning. Students need one day to catch up on sleep from the previous week and relax a little before starting homework. This relaxation period keeps stress levels down and happiness levels up. This year, however, having final exams scheduled on Saturday will eliminate this period of relaxation and cause students to be sleepdeprived, overly-stressed, and generally unhappy (more so than they already are during finals). The issue extends beyond immature desires to sleep in on Saturdays, stay in pajamas all day, watch cartoons, and scarf down cereal. Having finals on Saturday is setting students up for failure. The week before finals, teachers tend to cram in a ton
of work. There are usually lastminute tests at the beginning of the week and some homework is still due on the last day of classes. This leads to a build-up of stress for students, which is typically released after the Friday finals. The weekend acts as a sort of cleansing period where students can relax and study for the rest of their exams. This year, however, there will be no break. Students will endure tests and last-minute homework assignments up until the last day and then jump right into three days of finals. This is not to say, however, that we are strangers to three straight days of finals. Every spring, we have finals on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This schedule works because most students do not have all of their finals second semester due to projects
and AP classes. Even the students that have all of their finals are able to perform well because of the long weekend preceding the exams. Because of Memorial Day, students have three days without school to devote entirely to studying for finals. Without these three days, second semester finals would be a disaster. First semester exams will also be chaos without the traditional Saturday break that students previously treasured. The break after the first two finals has helped in relieving stress and giving people a chance to ease into their remaining final exams. Next year, the administration should return to the old finals schedule. If students have the weekend to study, they will do better on finals and be less stressed out.
Personal Opinion Op-Ed Editor Two times a week students and faculty scatter into Cressey’s seats to listen to their fellow community members announce (what was once intended to be) important information. Morning Meetings were designed to notify everyone of club meetings, important schedule changes, upcoming sporting events, etc. Yet week after week I find myself entering Cressey at 9:40 to listen to announcements that range from insubstantial to downright pointless for 20 minutes. I understand that on your friend’s birthday you want to make them feel appreciated and special, but in all honesty having them stand up and asking the whole school to sing Happy Birthday to them does nothing other than embarrass them while making a great deal of other people feel uncomfortable. To save time and embarrassment get a group of friends together and post a video on your friend’s Facebook wall, or parade into
their lunch period singing. Aside from the useless birthday songs, I believe there should be a limit as to how many people should be allowed on stage. We have all seen it before. Three people get on stage. The first person informs us what the event is, the second person tells us when and where is it being held, and the third person gets the microphone and has nothing left to say. That awkward “So yea… come out. It’ll be fun!” leaves everyone wondering, why did you get on stage in the first place? Yet I think the most bothersome part of Morning Meeting announcements are the endless videos. We get it; videos are nice. But not when it is an endless string of pictures with a five-minute techno song playing in the background. If your video is not conveying any crucial information to the audience, then please do not play it. The fact is, a five-minute video takes up 25% of Morning Meeting and contains little to no information that could not have been more efficiently communicated
F o r e s t
S P E C TAT O R
STAFF LIST Editors-in-Chief
Managing Editors News Editors Feature Editors Sports Editors Arts & Entertainment Editor Op-Ed Editors Orange Editor Photo Editors Staff Writer Faculty Adviser
Zunaira Arshad Bailey Ayers Grace Coburn Amelia Moses Carina Baker John Luttig Amy Krivoshik Mary Kate Patton Justin Nakasu James Paige Nancy Wang Brian Ahern Margaux Boles Jenna Selati Hannah Vivienne Thuroff Michelle Whitehead Emily Shanley-Roberts Lauren Clamage Meg Kennedy Jane Xu Yakov Shapiro Amanda Bozorgi Sophie Hanson William Murphy
PUBLICATION The Spectator is published eight times per year by the students of Lake Forest Academy and is a forum for student expression. The views and reporting herein are the sole product of The Spectator’s student reporters and in no way reflect the official views of Lake Forest Academy faculty, staff, administration or Board of Trustees.
EDITORIALS Opinions of the staff are presented in the form of unsigned editorials. Personal views are bylined or presented as formal dissents.
Quality vs Quantity By Hannah Thuroff
7
SUBMISSIONS The Spectator welcomes submissions from the community. If you would like to write an article, please see Mr. Murphy (please note: if space is limited, priority goes to journalism students). We also welcome short stories and poetry for our “Featured Writers” column, and we are always interested in publishing student artwork and photographs. Please send all submissions to Mr. Murphy via e-mail at wmurphy@lfanet.org, or hand them to him directly.
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The Spectator welcomes responses to its articles in the form of Letters to the Editors in addition to letters on subjects of the author’s choosing. Please e-mail Letters to the Editors to Mr. Murphy at wmurphy@lfanet.org.
Photo by Meg Kennedy
Hannah Thuroff endures a string of pointless announcements.
in a 30-second announcement. Now I am not saying that Morning Meeting should be a boring series of announcements that get right down to the point, but I am saying that we could keep the time-wasting down to a minimum. We all love those 10-second videos of Michael Jackson moon walking, and those turtle costumes produce a hearty laugh, but the rest needs to be cut down because we all love getting out five minutes early so we can go to Sonia’s.
AWARDS The Spectator has been awarded several prestigious journalism awards in recent years. It has consistently taken first place in competitions against schools of similar size held by the American Scholastic Press Association and the Kempler Moraine Press Association.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“If journalism is good, it is controversial, by its nature.” -Julian Assange
The
range
8
“I would buy a nice casket.”
Tommy Clarke (junior)
Endof the World
The The “I would go to Fiji.”
Kyle Skinner (senior)
“I would drop out of school.” Ben Shaughnessy (junior)
“I would mountain bike New Zealand.” Jack Patton (freshman)
“I would go on an African safari.”
Hallie Ventling (junior)
“I would go shark-cage diving.” Becca Rhee (sophomore)
“I would steal a Lamborghini.”
Vadim Vasjonkin (junior)
By Zunaira Arshad Editor-in-Chief Generations of people in many countries have contemplated how the world will end. Americans have seen archetype cartoons for years with a hippie-type character carrying a sign predicting the end of the world. Among those citizens anxiously waiting, or rather, dreading the end of the world, there are people who have been salty towards the Mayan Calendar which says the end is near. The race is on to prepare for the end of the 13th baktun (which should be December 21, 2012), or more commonly referred to, as the last day of existence. It is crucial that humans start to prepare for what is to come ahead and the Mayans have told us where to look.
Maybe the first thing to do each morning is to check the U.S. Geological Survey website to make sure that there are no earthquakes and/or volcanoes in sight for the day. Next, you check the observatories, which will relay any signs of extraterrestrial or celestial events to come. Most importantly, you check the space weather. Congratulations- you’re well prepared for the coming apocalypse. The Mayans forgot to state explicitly that the world was going to end and how it would happen- super reliable. They dropped their hint that December 21 of this year would be the end of the world by leav-
ing it as the last recorded day in the Mayan Calendar... nice one. The Mayans, with their high expectations, have left the rest of the world to figure out how the world will end and in what form the apocalypse will come. So if you see everything collapsing and on fire, don’t second guess yourself, the world is indeed ending. Not knowing what to prepare for, it is best to prepare for all possible outcomes. It is time to hoard all the supplies possible- start watching the TLC show Extreme Couponing and Hoarders- life lessons people. Many families have taken the initiative to store supplies under their homes, boarders: figure it out. Key items to have in storage include the following: gas masks, sealed buckets for soups and stews, and weapons, samurai swords are ideal. The Mayans didn’t tell us why weapons might be needed, but Senior Palmer Taylor can vouch that the end of the world often includes zombies. Those who are refusing to prepare because they “do not believe that the world will end” are intelligent human beings and deserve a slow clap followed by a standing ovation. Here’s the thing, though. The Spectator went to talk to Physics teacher Mr. Shaughnessy and he stated that the end of this Mayan calendar really just indicates that a new Mayan calendar will start. So basically we’re all idiots.
The
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Bucket List By Grace Coburn and Amelia Moses Editors-in-Chief The Mayan calendar claims that on December 21st, the world will end. Seniors Amelia ‘Mimi’ Moses and Grace Ann Coburn had their priorities realigned. The objective of taking Sonia out for a nice seafood dinner suddenly became a higher priority than getting college applications done. Inspired by Dean of College Counseling, Mr. Jack Lewis, these seniors have created a bucket list of things to accomplish before their time at LFA ends. As the
5. Witness Fred Clausen being Dean for the Day 6. Slip-n-Slide on the field hockey field weeks seem longer and Mrs. Jones hands 7. Steal the golf cart out yet another psychology “essay quiz”, we give thanks to our senior seminar class 8. Go sledding down the back hills for making our remaining time at LFA 9. Drive a Caxy van bearable- this one’s for you, Mr. Lewis. 10. Our fearless leader, Charles Gallagher, vs Bomb Squad… Go. 1. Drive towards each other on Caxy 11. Come to school. Don’t go to class. Drive and high five 12. Eat lunch alone in Hutch and not 2. Go rafting on Caxy Pond allow anyone to sit down 3. Sit in the Senior Square with Mr. 13. Take Sonia out for a nice seafood Lewis as much as possible dinner 4. Go mattress sledding down the 14. Park in the senior lot. As a senior… Reid stairs 15. Get into college!
How the world will end By Carina Baker Managing Editor
So the Mayan calendar says the world is going to end. The question, then, is how? The apocalypse has become an obsession; movies, books, and video games about the end of the world abound, each with its own unique Armageddon. Each poses a similar question: will it be zombies, nuclear winter, asteroids, or something completely unexpected? An asteroid colliding with Earth is generally accepted as having caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Could it cause our extinction as well? According to NASA’s Near-Earth Object program, asteroids big enough to cause local disasters can be expected every hundred years or so; larger meteors with planetary-scale consequences can be expected about every hundred thousand years. But aside from the impact crater and resulting earthquake and tidal wave, such a collision would cause debris to inundate the atmosphere. Earth would experience acid rain and firestorms, with long-term ecological consequences. Another popular apocalyptic scenario is mass extinction due to a deadly pathogen. According to Wired magazine, a
humanity-destroying virus would have to kill quickly, infect much of the world’s population simultaneously, and have multiple variations in order to infect those who, through genetic diversity, would otherwise escape unscathed. The potential consequences, though, are enormous -- an Earth without humanity, our manmade infrastructure slowly crumbling. Since the first atomic bomb was dropped, humanity has speculated about what nuclear war would bring. On a relatively small scale -- say, the use of 100 Hiroshima-sized weapons (about 0.3% of the world’s estimated nuclear arsenal) -- 20 million people would be immediately killed and countless others affected by radiation; gigantic fires would produce enough smoke that the sky over the entire planet would be grey, opening holes in the ozone layer, blocking out the sun and causing rapid cooling, and reducing crop yield worldwide, according to Time magazine. The situation would be similar to the nuclear winter popularly predicted during the Cold War. However, there are much, much older doomsday theories out there -- humanity has been predicting the end of the world as we know it for literally thou-
sands of years, and each major religion, especially the Abrahamic religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), has its own version of the end of times. The last book in the Christian Bible, the Book of Revelation, depicts the end of the world. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride out, Satan is released onto Earth, and he fights the archangel Michael. Earth is destroyed, replaced by a new heaven and an Earth with no suffering or death. The wicked are cast into a lake of fire and the Second Coming of Christ is imminent. According to the Huffington Post, Jewish tradition has a similar version of the apocalypse. God judges the people of Earth and punishes the wicked. Israel, led by a king descended from Solomon and David, dominates the Earth. The Messiah appears to begin an age of prosperity. Islam, as well, predicts an apocalypse. Widespread violence, anarchy, and natural disasters foretell the arrival of the Mahdi, the awaited one, according to the BBC. He leads the faithful in a war against the rest of the world and the Antichrist. This is followed by the final judgment of God and punishment for the wicked.
“I would wrestle a polar bear.”
Cody Van Lierop (junior)
“I would go to the moon.”
Joel Doiny (senior)
“I would go to a turtle convention.” Michael Mackenzie (senior)
“I would buy a sports team.” Alex Kirshenbaum (senior)
“I would sky dive.”
Ned Kennedy (sophomore)
“I would go shopping for clothes.”
Andy Xia (junior)
“I would buy a helicopter.”
Mikey Lozicki (senior) Illustration by Jane Xu
THE SPECTATOR 10
Features
DECEMBER 10, 2012
Winter holidays around the world:
Many ways LFA international students celebrate back home By Nancy Wang Features Editor In the United States, the December holidays have always been one of the biggest celebrations of the year for people of various ethnicities, backgrounds, and languages. Though always referred to as Christmas or Hanukkah, the holiday has become a happy reunion for family and friends more than a religious celebration for some people. At LFA, while many Americans are used to the traditional Christmas spirit, international students share different experiences and perspectives about the winter holiday. LFA students from Africa explained how Christmas is celebrated in their countries. Freshman Perculiar Adimabua from Nigeria said that on Christmas, the family would cook traditional meals, go to church, and dress up in native costumes. Sophomore Khadidiatou (Dija) Diouf agreed with Adimabua. “We celebrate Christmas in my country even though the majority is Muslim,” said Diouf, who is from Senegal. “Our Christian friends invite us and we do the same during our feasts too.” According to Adimabua and Diouf, people in Nigeria and Senegal not only share the religious traditions of the
holiday, but also exchange holiday gifts and enjoy spending time with the family. “I like to get gifts during our holidays but what I want the most is to spend my holidays with my family and friends,” said Diouf, “That is the most precious thing that we can have.” Some African countries do not have a winter holiday. According to sophomore Abena Bosompem, people do not celebrate Christmas in Ghana; instead they praise New Year’s Eve and New Year's Day to be the time for happiness and forgiveness. “On New Year’s Eve people go to church to pray and worship till midnight,” said Bosompem. “Then, on January 1st, people begin to be nice to each other because they believe that their sins have been forgiven and that they need a new start.” Students from Europe have their own version of the big holiday. Senior Alexandros Borodimos said that during his winter big holiday, all people in Germany celebrate the beginning of the new year with their families. “During this holiday, all people in Germany celebrate the beginning of the new year with their families, looking at their good achievements during the past year and being thankful for what they have.” said Borodimos.
Photo by Jane Xu
Sophomore Abena Bosompem exhibited her dress that she would wear for Christmas in Ghana.
Freshman Marina Lentskevich from Belarus expressed similar views on the greater importance of New Year. According to Lentskevich, most people do not necessarily celebrate Christmas in December but do decorate their houses and have Christmas trees for New Year’s Eve. They even have
a Santa Claus. “We have a Russian version of Santa Claus who has blue clothes instead of the red ones,” said Lentskevich.“On New Year’s Eve, I like to celebrate with my family. We go outside to play in the snow. We usually don’t sleep on New Year’s Eve.”
Harlow Society: a group of equalists By Amelia Moses Editor-In-Chief Revitalized and renamed in 2009 under the guidance of faculty advisors Ms. Ann Frkovich and Mr. Nathaniel Small, LFA’s Harlow Society remains committed “to think about the past with renewed vision and clarity.” It is ironic that the club seeks
“clarity” since it is commonly mistaken as a feminist group, a label that carries a negative connotation. Indeed, Small notes that The Harlow Society seeks to explore the demands of gender in society and to affirm that all women deserve to have life choices, both at LFA and around the world.
Photo by Lauren Clamage
One of the presidents of The Harlow Society, Senior Melissa Mahoney puts a poster to invite the school to the screening of Miss Representation.
Inspiration for the club’s name came from a famous Ferry Hall alumna, Jean Harlow, who was one of the most glamorous and influential actresses of the 1930s. Though Ferry Hall was nationally renowned for its uncommon education for women in math and science, Harlow’s career did not focus on her intellectual talents. According to media reports, Harlow was the original “Blond Bombshell,” and Hollywood boxed her in, exploited her looks, and objectified her to sell movies, an issue that still challenges women in the media today. Consistent with its mission “to see women as more than the sum of their bodies,” last month The Harlow Society recently presented the documentary film Miss Representation. This film highlights the media’s powerful grasp in reinforcing old norms of youth, beauty and sexuality and in undermining women’s leadership capabilities. This important message was sponsored by Trustee Susan Morrison and presented by Dr. Stefanie Bator, another faculty supporter. Well received by a large crowd of both female and male students, the film generated much post-discussion centered on similar personal experiences and choices and the discomfort of associat-
ing with feminists. “Dr. Bator called it consciousness raising, but not many people realize how serious a problem women issues still are. We don’t plot around the idea of throwing rocks at boys. It is simply that we care about the concerns spoken about in this documentary,” said Small. Student leaders Carina Baker and Melissa Mahoney agreed. When making a promotional movie about the club, these leaders were troubled that some women in the LFA community do not understand feminism. They concluded that this group instead sees themselves as equalists. Their concerns involve women’s issues such as breast cancer and body image. Frkovich expressed her gratitude toward The Ferry Hall Advisory Board and the wonderful club benefactors, Linda and Liz Garard who set the example of successful women in the Lake Forest Academy community. In effort to continue conversation about these issues, the faculty advisors and club leaders encourage all members of the community to join them every E-Day break, but also to watch Miss Representation on the S-Drive in the history/sbator folder.
THE SPECTATOR
Features
DECEMBER 10, 2012
By James Paige Features Editor Aidan Jones, the son of History Instructor Justin Jones and Associate Dean of Students Kate Jones, has recently made great strides in developing his chess game. After using his great chess skills to easily best members of the newspaper staff, he was deemed a worthy candidate for Spectator of the Month. Aidan is five years old and in kindergarten. He plays chess competitively at Lake Forest Country Day School. “I started playing chess one year ago because of my dad,” said Aidan. “My favorite chess piece is the queen because it can move everywhere.” Aidan’s chess playing started when his father bought him a beginner’s chess set in the Jerusalem marketplace, while on the 2012 Head of School Symposium Trip to Israel and Jordan. Aidan has been captivated by the game ever since. He even
of the Month practices his skills against older students in a competitive school club. “We can take little responsibility for his interest in chess. He asked to learn the game -- we didn’t think he would actually be able to play so we actually postponed even teaching him until March of this year. Once he was taught the simple moves, he insisted on playing -- so much so that we had to set him up with chess on our iPads and we purchased a self-playing set because we couldn’t keep up with how often he wanted to play,” said Mrs. Jones. Aidan demonstrated his superior skills in a match against The Spectator’s Editor-inChief senior Zunaira Arshad; his margin of victory was absolutely astounding, 57-15. Despite beating Zunaira through a checkmate, Aidan insisted on counting his points. “Now we count the pieces,” said Aidan
beaming with delight. During the match, Aidan seemed to possess great spatial reasoning as well a unique ability to anticipate the moves of his opponent. At some points during the game, he hovered above the board and mimicked two to three different moves while Zunaira was still trying to move her piece; this was no doubt a reflection of his constant thought process and competitive-
11 ness. He took an aggressive approach to the game, immediately forcing Zunaira into a defensive role. By the end of the game, Zunaira was frantically moving her king piece across the board as Aidan reveled in total domination of the board. When the game came to an end, Aidan graciously offered to teach Zunaira some of his tricks, insisting on helping her in future matches.
Aidan Jones
Visit youtube.com/user/LFASpectator to see the full video!
Caxy Trends Every month, The Spectator will look at up and coming fashion trends that are taking over at LFA!
Bow ties
The return of gentleman’s style By Nancy Wang Features Editor According to fashion and entertainment magazines like GQ and Esquire, the bow tie has made its come back and claimed the title of the latest fad of 2012. From actors in popular TV shows (such as Glee and Doctor Who) to pop star Kanye West and Psy in his music video Gangnam Style, celebrities are turning the item into a fashion staple and expanding its definition. Instead of wearing reserved black bow ties to specific formal events in order to look like gentlemen, more men are embracing the more colorful and patterned bow ties as part of their daily look. While gentlemen in the fashion world adore the classic look spiced up by bow ties, LFA boys have adopted the trend as a fashionable alternative to the traditional “tie, shirt, belt” LFA boys dress code. To many bow tie fans, however, the look is not only a way to mix things up but also
a sophisticated addition to one’s overall character. “I choose bow ties because whenever I wear them out into public, I get tons of compliments on them,” said senior Palmer Taylor, who claimed to wear a bow tie once or twice a week. “Plus, they are classy. Really classy. Who doesn’t like looking classy?” Taylor also mentioned that wearing a bow tie instead of a regular tie gave him the opportunity to appear more cool and fun. Junior Alec Bozorgi, who is also a big fan of bow ties, agreed with Taylor. “It definitely shows that you are a classy man who puts the time and effort into looking good,” said Bozorgi. The person who initially started the trend at LFA many years ago, Dean of College Counseling and Assistant Head of School Jack Lewis, expressed his love for bow ties. “I feel they are certainly fashionable and
Photos by Meg Kennedy and Bailey Ayers
Dean of College Counseling and Assistant Head of School Jack Lewis and Junior Alec Bozorgi posed for The Spectator in their classy bow ties on a typical dress code day.
certainly an expression of individuality,” said Lewis. “When I started wearing them, no students were wearing them. Starting in 2004, the boys started a trend.” Lewis also mentioned that many students even wore bow ties to graduation for the past two years. Owning approximately 30 bow ties, Lewis stated that it is not very difficult to learn how to tie a bow tie. Taylor gave some insights from his experience and said tying a bow tie was not time consuming. “It takes a little while to learn,” said Tay-
lor. “But after trying and failing a bunch of times, I realized it’s the exact same as tying a shoe. It does take a little bit longer to tie it than a normal tie, just because I try to get it perfect.”
Fashion Destination:
Kohl’s $ Macy’s $$ Ties.com $$
THE SPECTATOR 12
Arts and Entertainment
DECEMBER 10, 2012
Second City wins over LFA By Amelia Moses Editor-in-Chief Religion, politics and popular culture have inspired dramatic storytelling since the days of ancient Greek and Roman Theater. Much later, la commedia dell’arte all’improvviso, or “comedy of the craft of improvisation,” gave birth to improvised performance in 16th century Italy. From these noble origins, contemporary improv experienced an unexpected renaissance when the Second City debuted its comedy theater in 1950s Chicago. Now a household name, Second City’s touring company entertained the LFA community with a hilarious performance in Cressey Theater last month. Once a small Midwestern cabaret theater, Second City has influenced comedy internationally from the stage to TV and film since its inception in 1959. Through the use of experimental theater games, its then unconventional training pioneered the development of spontaneous acting techniques to bring more authenticity to prepared sketches and to inspire original work that incorporated on the spot cues from audiences. Its legendary alumni include famous comedians such as Bill Murray, Mike My-
ers and the ever-sharp-witted Joan Rivers. For nearly 40 years, TV’s Saturday Night Live has grabbed a talented crop of its funny men and women from John Belushi and Dan Akroyd to Steve Carell and Tina Fey, from Second City and won 36 Primetime Emmy Awards and 2 Peabody Awards in the process. On a more personal level, Second City Education has become an integral component in the lives of some LFA students. Alumnus Jon Katz has been heavily involved with The Second City Training Center in Chicago for nearly eight years. Once deeply involved with the Gorton Youth Choir, Katz’s voice began to drop and interfere with his recitals. So, his parents suggested he explore improv performance classes. Katz instantly fell in love with the craft. Soon after, he moved on to tackle funnier and bigger fish with weekly classes and intensive summer programs at Second City. “You meet the smartest, funniest people while learning about a seemingly pointless skill that makes everyday social interactions all the more interesting,” said Katz. Junior Olivia Steveson also completed an intensive two-week summer program.
Photo courtesy of Devan Rottman
Seniors Hannah Olinger and Devan Rottman participate in a Second City acting class.
Learning the tricks of the trade helped her build more confidence and creativity in her daily life. The intensive programs are highly focused to nurture camaraderie, acceptance and cooperation within the troupe. Familiarity with one another’s styles provides the fastest route to develop good technique and to kindle the imagination. Attention and wit pave the road to better collaborative success. “Timing is critical, but if you don’t thoughtfully let a partner’s words sink in or if you just fire off one liners, the com-
edy won’t be as funny as it could be,” said Steveson. Seniors Hannah Olinger, Devan Rottman and Caroline Hale have also participated in the Second City programs that practice sketch comedy and sing-prov. Both involve rapid fire creative thinking and response. “It prepares you to react quickly to a variety of situations,” said Hale. These LFA enthusiasts highly recommend improv for anyone who wants to get involved in acting and comedy, or simply wants to have fun.
group has tripled. After just one meeting, in which all the musicians and their instruments were crammed into Cressey’s music room, it became clear that maintaining a single band was not going to be possible. So the group split down the middle. “There’s no difference in the groups.” Jazz Band director Adam Schlipmann explained. “The first group has maybe a few
more students who aren’t experienced in playing jazz, in the second group they’ve done it maybe a little bit before. They have a little bit of experience.” Indeed, experience is a key factor in playing in a jazz combo. Playing in Jazz Band at LFA is not an easy task. Each member is required to be able to create his or her own music based on nothing more than a basic melody. For many students this would seem a daunting task, but the style and skill it takes to play in Jazz Band can be developed through rigorous practice. “In a jazz combo you have a skeleton or outline of a tune,” Schlipmann said. “You’re given a melody and you put that melody together in a traditional jazz format. You play through the tune and then people get to take turns improvising after
Jazz Band splits into two groups as student membership triples By Sophie Hanson Staff Writer Most students who have set foot on the Lake Forest Academy campus have heard the tale of jazz legend and LFA student Bix Beiderbeck. Although the story of Bix sneaking off campus to play at jazz clubs in the city may be told a bit excessively, jazz remains an important part of LFA’s
history. Currently, the school has a jazz band of its own (although due to its structure, it should technically be referred to as a ‘jazz combo.’) In this past year, the jazz band has undergone a drastic change as last year’s single group has split into two totally separate ones. Between last year and this year, the number of students interested in playing in this
Schlipmann works with one section of LFA’s newly divided Jazz Band.
Photo by Meg Kennedy
that.” It is unlikely that the two Jazz Bands will do much work together since there are multiple pianists, drummers, and other musicians who would not get their chance to solo in a bigger band. During the second semester, Jazz Band will be holding numerous impromptu concerts around campus. Both groups will likely be performing in future concerts along with the band and orchestra.
THE SPECTATOR DECEMBER 10, 2012
Arts and Entertainment
13
Lake Forest Academy students and faculty spend summers at Interlochen By Jenna Selati Arts & Entertainment Editor Interlochen, the world-famous Summer Arts Camp located in northwest lower Michigan, has trained and nurtured promising artistic talents since 1928. Prospects are required to audition, and only those that demonstrate the most aptitude are admitted, getting the chance to train with the camp’s expert teachers and coaches. It is no surprise that many Lake Forest Academy students—and faculty members—have spent summers at the camp, proving to be within the classification of skilled and talented artists. Juniors Jessie Rosso and Madeleine Pat-
tis are just two of numerous LFA students to have attended Interlochen, and their experiences have further motivated them to strive for artistic excellence. “Being among really talented people shows you what your potential could be,” said Rosso. “Since they’re so good it makes you want to practice more and aspire to be like them—it changed my work ethic towards music, because so many people there were so serious about it.” Interlochen offers programs in seven different categories: Creative Writing, Dance, General Arts, Motion Picture Arts, Music, Theater Arts, and Visual Arts. Rosso spent this past summer at the camp, in addition
Photo courtesy of the Plambeck family
Peg and Timothy Plambeck pose with composer Libby Larsen (left), whose song they performed in a concert.
J&
urant Revi a t s e R J ew
Photo courtesy of Jessie Rosso
Junior Jessie Rosso (center) and Interlochen friends wearing camp uniform.
to the summer of 2007, and majored in vocal arts. Her rigorous schedule included a 6:45 am wake-up and several music-related classes—including two hours of daily choir rehearsal with LFA’s Director of Music Timothy Plambeck. “I was the pianist for the choir and we would pretend we didn’t know each other,” shared Plambeck, who has spent the last four summers teaching at Interlochen alongside his wife, Performing Arts Instructor Peg Plambeck, an Interlochen alumna. The Plambecks work in the Music department— Peg as a vocal coach and Timothy as a pianist, opera coach, and music direc-
tor. A retiring teacher who had taught Peg as a camper recommended her for the job; for Peg, returning to continue her Interlochen legacy was a dream come true. She now prepares students for their multiple summer performances. In addition to the world-class arts training, it is the diversity of the experience that appeals to campers. Students of different disciplines are assigned to live together in the camp’s cabins. Grouped by age, each cabin consists of about 12 students of various majors. “It’s a pretty intense place, and the kids [from all over the world] really like it,” said Timothy.
By John Luttig and Jenna Selati
Bill Clinton Visits On the Border Located on the border of Vernon Hills and Lake Forest, On the Border serves as a go-to lunch and dinner restaurant for many people in the area. The fresh, flavorful Mexican food satisfies in all situations, and the colorful menu overflows with delicious options.
as the Cheese and Onion Enchilada was not suitable for John’s meat-loving appetite. The crispy Beef Taco was respectable, but did not live up to those from John’s all-time favorite joint—Taco Bell. Jenna ordered the steak Street-style Mini Tacos and liked them a lot. It seems that she just
Freshly baked chips and zesty salsa were brought to the table as John and Jenna surveyed their options. John ordered the Superior Dinner, a whopping plateful of basically everything on the menu. He didn’t finish it all. His dinner consisted of a Chicken Flauta, a crispy Beef Taco, a Chicken Enchilada with sour cream sauce, and a Cheese and Onion Enchilada with chile con carne. The Chicken Enchilada was the best piece of the ensemble, seeing
likes food in general. The servers were friendly, attentive, and did their best to bring the food out quickly. The vibrant restaurant serves delicious, reasonably priced food, and is only made better by its pleasant atmosphere. John and Jenna really enjoyed their experience at On the Border, though it could have been because they sat near a man whom they were convinced was Bill Clinton for a good thirty minutes. He was not.
John’s delicious taco dinner served with beans and rice.
Photo by John Luttig
The Wrap Pricing: $$$ Taste: Service: The Bottom Line: The food is totally worth the trip across the border.
THE SPECTATOR
Sports
14
DECEMBER 10, 2012
Girls’ Varsity Basketball beats Lake Forest High School Team aquires two overseas players and faces tough schedule By Brian Ahern Sports Editor Just looking at the schedule for the 2012 Lake Forest Academy Girls Varsity Basketball team, it is apparent that something is different this year. The Caxys have added more competitive teams on their schedule, starting with the Fenton Invitational. But undoubtedly the most notable and anticipated new game of the year was the team’s opener in that tournament against crosstown rival Lake Forest High School. Even Head Coach Chris Tennyson admitted how much the game against LFHS meant to his team. “We were really happy when we found out they joined the tournament and we got to play them. The student turn-out was great. It is a great community event.” LFA was also able to come away with a 45-39 victory. Senior
guard Lauren Clamage scored a team high 17 points in the win. Having grown up in Lake Forest, Clamage was ecstatic over the opportunity to play LFHS. “Since I came to LFA it has been my dream to play them. Everyone brought all of their intensity and passion to the court for that game, “ said Clamage. Clamage is one of three seniors on the team this year, along with Grace Coburn and Allie Cedergren. According to Tennyson, senior leadership is very strong this year because all three seniors have had previous varsity experience and “do a great job leading by example.” Then the Caxys finished the Vernon Hills Cougar Classic tournament with a record of 2-3. Playing mostly large public schools in that tournament, it was an important step for the team as a whole. “It showed we could play with them and also handle the pressure when the games are close”, said Clamage. Not to be overlooked are
the contributions by junior forward Dija Diouf. Coming to LFA last year through Seeds Academy of Senegal, Diouf was expected to contribute. This year Diouf is expected to be a feature player. “We are finding ways to get her the ball,” said Tennyson, “and allow her to penetrate off the wings.” Diouf has grown into her role, playing well in the tournament, including 10 Photo by Lauren Clamage
Junior Dija Diouf dribbles during practice.
points in the game against LFHS. Though Diouf is an athletic force to be reckoned with, she struggled at times last year to adjust to the skill of the American high school game. But to the delight of her head coach, she has made the adjustment and is now playing at a high level. “She has improved tremendously in her year here,” said Tennyson, “and now she is catching up skill wise and she is seeing the floor really well.” In an interesting twist of fate, incoming freshman Perculiar Adimabua joins the team as a second African native on the team along with Diouf. Hailing from Delta State, Nigeria, Adimabua joins the Caxys as an athletic presence. “Perculiar is in much of the same boat as Dija was last year,” noted Tennyson. “She is going to grow tremendously over the course of the year, but she is still trying to figure it out, though she will contribute.” Adimabua has had limited minutes so far this year, she has contributed on the defensive end in particular. This year’s basketball team hopes to continue improving and grow closer to each other “In my time coaching,” commented Tennyson, “this is certainly one of the best and closest basketball teams I have had.” The starting five are all returning from last year so comfortability on the court is at a premium. The Caxys are poised for a successful season, building the program into one which can compete with, and beat, much larger public schools on a nightly basis. Competing with large schools is nothing new to LFA sports, but this year will present a new level of competition for girls’ basketball. The team will have a stretch in the last two weeks of January in which it will play ten games in fourteen days, including the tournament at Fenton High School. “We have a much more difficult schedule this year. But the girls accept that challenge and i think they will meet that challenge,” said Tennyson.
The team will travel to Culver Academy,, located in Indiana, in January to particpate in a tournament they play in annually.
Photo by Lauren Clamage
Freshman Perculiar Adimabua practices her shot.
THE SPECTATOR
Sports
DECEMBER 10, 2012
15
Boys’ Basketball looks to rebuild in new season By Margaux Boles Sports Editor
it is a rebuilding year but has also noticed the talent level on the
Lake Forest Academy’s Boys’ Varsity Basketball has a brand new, very young team this season. In this rebuilding year for the team the majority of players are sophomores, with only three returning players and no returning starters. This team is almost completely new to head coach Matt Vaughn and completely new to each other. Despite the fact that the season is considered a “rebuilding” year by many, high expectations still remain. Vaughn has no idea who is going to start, let alone get significant playing time this season. “The team is basically all new. It might take some time to see who really steps up and who doesn’t,” said Vaughn. “I told them in our first meeting that this is a year where I have no idea who is going to start, who’s going to play a lot. They just have to go out there and take control of their own destiny if they want. It is just a wide-open year. I can see a lot of guys getting chances to play.” Alex Kirshenbaum, one of three returning varsity players, knows
team. “The positives will be, I think, growing together as a team. We can become a good team if we don’t make mistakes and are just fundamental with the ball,” said Kirshenbaum. “Also, we are still a little inexperienced, so that could be our downfall.” Porter Veach is another one of three returning varsity players who recognizes the youth and inexperience of his teammates. He is excited to be a senior leader and help his team mold together and adjust to the varsity playing level. “I don’t know if it’s going to be a difference in wins and losses; it is more of a difference in the level we are going to be playing at… it is going to be a bit lower,” said Veach. “But if we mold together I think we could become more of a team.” There are many new sophomores who have made the varsity roster this season. Playing on junior varsity as freshmen and now moving up to varsity, the hope being that they can learn to compete
and succeed at the higher level. “We have a whole cast of sophomores that could help perhaps. Ryan Clamage can shoot the ball. Alec Mesrobian and Brandon Amoroso, they are both guys that played a lot of junior varsity last year and those are guys that will probably be pretty good by next year. This year we’ll see,” commented Vaughn. “It’s hard
to know how well they will do against varsity competition. It’s a big step up for them.” The varsity basketball roster also has a couple new players to the LFA community that could really help the team out. “Dejan Brissett has got a chance to be a very good player, he’s young and he’s a really good athlete. He’s shown that he has got
some pretty good ability. He’s only a sophomore. Daniel Joseph, he’s a freshman. He’s got a chance to be very good,” said Vaughn. “Right now, he plays like a freshman, which means he’s impatient and inexperienced. Those two guys down the road I can see being very good.”
Photo by Lauren Clamage
James Wick plays defense against North Chicago during the Thanksgiving tournament.
Boys’ Wrestling expected to have a successful season with the new additions to the team By Yakov Shapiro Staff Writer
The Lake Forest Academy wrestling team, once a sparsely populated squad, has recently recovered in a unprecedented way and is now gearing up for a record-setting season. The re-
turn of many talented veterans, coupled with the introduction of a large number of promising new wrestlers, has created ideal conditions for what wrestling coach Mathias Kerr described as, “a season with great potential.”
Just by looking through the lineup of boys wrestling for the 2012-2013 season, observers would be left with an unequivocal feeling that this season will be better than the one before it. Large, intimidating wrestlers such as junior
Photo courtesy of Alex Campbell
Wesley Annan (left) and Felix Schildorfer (right) improve LFA’s lineup tremendously from previous years.
Christopher Karamanos and senior Felix Schildorfer are expected to compete for LFA on the national level by attending the National Prep Wrestling Championships in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania this year. “We’re really expecting a lot this season out of three wrestlers in particular. Felix Schildorfer, Christopher Karamanos, and Brian Parmenter are really seasoned wrestlers with a lot of potential to be great this season... so hopefully we’ll be getting some W’s,” said Kerr. Arguably the biggest factor behind the optimism surrounding the upcoming season is the increased number of LFA students actually on the wrestling team. “Just last season we had 5 empty weight classes, and we were giving up 6 points for each of them,” noted Kerr. “This year it looks like we will only have 2 open classes. We’re no longer giving up nearly as many points.”
Merely filling weight classes, though, does not win wrestling meets; a team still requires experienced wrestlers capable of winning the weight class that they are occupying; However, wrestling coach Kerr displayed a calm confidence that the new wrestlers coming into the new weight classes were skilled enough to win matches. “We have a lot of young guys in there... and they are showing some promise,” stated Kerr. The wrestling team’s improvements are part of the building plan established five years ago. “When Coach Parmenter came in, he had a set plan of where he wanted the team to be in 3, 4, 5 years. We’ve been following that program and it’s turned out well. So I wouldn’t say I’m surprised at the great season to come as much as I am pleased that everything worked out,” added Kerr.
The
range
just like your mom used to make Freshly squeezed, WITH PULP
Happy Holidays! By Emily Shanley-Roberts Orange Editor
Every holiday season, Americans encounter the same question: what are the proper protocols for the holidays? So, The Orange has compiled a list of some things for everyone to keep in mind and try out over break this year. 1. Be safe. Prevent forest (and house) fires by ensuring that all fires are put out. This includes all candles and menorahs. Any flame is a serious safety hazard. 2. Put yourself first. Your family will love you anyway -- that’s why they exist. However, that new game console isn’t going to wait forever, and that money you’ve saved up is going to get spent anyway. So invest in what will make you happy. That new sweater for your mum can wait. You were enough of a gift when you were born; the kind that counts for years. 3. Skip the customary day of meditation. After all, Kwanzaa comes every year. Go to a party!
Enjoy yourself! Meditating on your life doesn’t really matter. It’s not as if you only have one life to live. 4. Light a fire in your fireplace on Christmas Eve. Evidence shows that Santa Claus is flame-retardant, as otherwise you would not have gotten presents in past years. 5. Stay up late and wait for Santa to come. If he doesn’t have his invisibility cloak on, you might get lucky and be able to see him. 6. DO NOT lie and tell people that Santa isn’t real. It just makes people upset, and sadly, more and more are actually believing that their parents give them presents. Let’s be honest: our parents don’t know us well enough to know what to get us, but Santa gets our letters every year. 7. Send out thank-you cards in advance. Tell your grandparents how much you’re going to appreciate your new Porsche -- you’re much more likely to get it then. Everyone loves knowing that they’re going to pick out the right
#LFAproblems
gift. 8. Make fun of others’ holidays and traditions. It builds character and prepares them for the real world. If they learn to stand up for themselves early, they’ll be better at it later in life. Make sure, this winter break, that you keep those things in mind. Holidays are all about YOU. Just remember that and you’ll get through the season stress-free and happy without worrying about relatives and inlaws. Perfect! This is not a true story or based on a true story. Do not regard this story as fact.
LFA Memes
Caxy Match
Photo courtesy of Lake Forest Academy
Photo courtesy of www.fanpop.com
The Spectator Staff agreed that junior Aidan Doak greatly resembles Harry Styles, a member of the currently popular band One Direction.
How to be a Better Person By Emily Shanley-Roberts Orange Editor
When freshmen send emails to everyone@lfanet.org:
Each month, the Orange will publish a collection of “LFA Problems” inTwitter format. Topic or idea submissions are welcome at eshanley-roberts@students.lfanet.org.
Each month, The Orange produces a series of memes with senior Palmer Taylor.
Caxy Cartoon: Vending Machine
I recently found a governmental site devoted to helping people with their New Year’s resolutions. This lead me to the conclusion that we, as a country, have a serious problem. If we need a government website to help us with our New Year’s Resolutions, maybe we should try some different kinds of resolutions. My solution to this problem is simple: Do not what society tells you to do, but instead what I tell you to do. Here are the top ten resolutions from that government site and my versions of them. Don’t drink alcohol. Let’s start with not doing things that will get you kicked out of school and/or put in jail. So no alcohol, drugs, gambling, cheating, etc. Just use some common sense. Eat healthy food. Go eat a cookie. I like cookies. Get a better education. Don’t skip classes.
Get a better job. Go get a job if you want one. Otherwise, continue relying on your parents until you’re an adult. Get fit. Go eat a cookie. I like cookies. Lose weight. Seriously? Who cares? Manage debt. Can I have my $2 back? Or you can just get me Sonia’s. Thanks. Manage stress. Quit school, buy a plane ticket, go to a tropical beach, fall in love, never come back. Take a trip. See above. Volunteer to help others. Don’t spread yourself too thin - everyone needs some “me time.” Go to a day spa or see above. But seriously. Do something good this year, whether it be self improvement or helping someone else. Just be happy. That’s my resolution this year. This is not a true story or based on a true story. Do not regard this story as fact.
By Jane Xu