Conflict over the Climate

4// Climate Strike 17// Chicago Meet the Cast 14-16// SHS Environmental Practices

Conflict

onthe

Volume 53-Issue 1 September, 2019

Climate

Adlai E. Stevenson Highschool 1 Stevenson Drive Lincolnshire, IL 60069

Scan the QR code to read a review of “IT: Chapter Two”

Policy and Contact

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEWS

040607

FEATURES

141718

September Student Strike

All About the Election

The Transition of Doodle Pequeño

Environmental Footprint

Chicago: Meet the Cast

Changing Portals

OPINIONS

091012

SPORTS

202223

Single-Use PlasticPro/ConStatesman Editorial

Fall Movie Previews

Pushing Boundaries

Construction of New Fields

Tennis Takeover

striking for

Chicagoland students march on September 20

As Eileen Kang ’22 stepped into

Grant Park with her friends, she found a crowd of students as passionate as she was about climate change. Kang would spend the day immersed in the newest element of the fight against environmental concern — student marches and increasing student activism.

On Friday, Sept. 20, students from the Chicagoland area attempted to voice their concerns about the worsening environment via a Chicago Youth Climate Strike. Attendees marched from Grant Park to Federal Plaza and expressed their opinions with chants and signs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Isabella Johnson ’20 of Benet Academy is the Illinois lead organizer for U.S. Youth Climate Strike. She spoke at the May strike — the prior rally — as well as protested in the late September march.

For Johnson, climate change takes precedence due to its widespread impacts.

“So many issues are interconnected,” Johnson said. “For example,

Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune.

On March 15, 2019, students marched in Chicago in favor of the Green New Deal, renewable energy, preserving wildlife and more. On September 20th, organizers hoped for an even larger turnout than six months earlier.

racism, immigration [and] economics are all tied to the environment. By taking an intersectional approach to climate change, we can solve many issues at the same time.”

Johnson’s activism has been met with currents of resistance, however. Johnson claims that students at Benet Academy have threatened to harm her through physical violence due to her protesting.

Despite the prominence of climate change strikes, some feel that rallies are not the best method of

Aug. 20, 2018

Swedish student Greta Thunberg skips school to protest outside Swedish Parliament for more action against climate change.

preserving the Earth.

Billy Bratton ’21 is a proponent of doing more than simply walking out of class regarding environmental action.

“A climate change walkout is a good first step, but it should not be where action ends,” Bratton said. “The best thing we can do is vote — a responsibility ignored by roughly two thirds of people aged 18-29.”

Kang said that she was able to find a community of like-minded individuals fighting against climate

Nov. 2018

As more than 17,000 students in 24 countries take

part in Friday school strikes, Thunberg begins speaking at high-profile events across Europe.

4

September 2019 - News

Sept. 2018

Thunberg starts regularly striking every Friday for climate action, gaining media attention as she encourages other students to join her ‘Fridays for Future’ campaign.

Mar. 2019

Thunberg is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

the stratosphere to raise awareness about climate change, protect environment

Ten Largest Cities By Population Where Climate Strikes Are Occurring

San Jose

Los AngelesSan Diego

Phoenix

San Antonio

Dallas

change hoping that the march was able to bring more awareness to the subject. However, she recognizes the difficulty of participating in climate change strikes and wasn’t able to attend the September 20 march.

“I think a problem a lot of people experience [is that] parents have to be a part of [climate change strikes] and let their kids go,” Kang said. “It’s a problem everyone’s really passionate about.”

Fellow student Matt Li ’20 is also interested in combating climate change and is an executive board member of Stevenson’s Green Team. Green Team plans events to promote

Chicago

Houston

May 2019

Thunberg is named one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine.

New York CityPhiladelphia

a more environmentally friendly Stevenson and Lincolnshire community. Li has participated in a variety of environment-related activities to raise awareness.

After seeing the negative impact climate change had on his family, Li was inspired to take action and now plans on majoring in environmental science.

“My family is from China and my cousin grew up in Beijing, where air quality is awful, and it caused health problems for my cousin as a toddler,” Li said. “Because of that personal experience with the environment, that’s where I first got interested.”

China’s air pollution troubles spiked in 2013, when its Air Quality Index hit 755. In comparison, Chicago’s air quality index last year never exceeded 70.

Jill Lisius, an AP Environmental Science teacher at Stevenson, feels that the curriculum of the class can encourage large-scale efforts towards combating climate change.

“I think in our course, [students] develop an understanding of different issues associated with the environment,” Lisius said. “It helps [students] see that groups can make a change.”

What often unites climate change protesters is the urgency to protect the grasslands and oceans of the future. In Kang’s mind, any action would make a difference.

“It seems small, just three degrees, but it affects every aspect of the world,” Kang said. “It really affects every single person and everything on the planet.”

WRITTEN BY: VICTORIA FENG & BRADLEY LOCKER

DESIGNED BY: JASMINE SUN & LILA MAIOLO

Sept. 20, 2019

Worldwide strikes kick off a week of climate action organized by Thunberg and dozens of other international youth activists.

Aug. 14, 2019

Thunberg comes to New York to take part in the UN Climate Summit. Meanwhile the total number of strikers reaches 3.6 million across 169 countries.

Sept. 23, 2019

The UN Climate Summit convenes on the theme ‘A Race We Can Win,’ seeking to address some of the most pressing climate issues.

September 2019 - News 5

Race To The White House

,

Joe Biden, 76 Former Vice President

Signature Policies:

• Build on Obama’s healthcare policies

• Increased tax credit for low-income Americans

Elizabeth Warren, 70

Massachusetts Senator Signature Policies:

• Tax on wealthy

• Break up big tech companies

Andrew Yang, 46 Entrepreneur

Signature Policies:

• Universal Basic Income

• Medicare for all

Bernie Sanders, 77 Vermont Senator

Signature Policies:

• Medicare for all

• Free Public University Education

Donald Trump, 72

Current President

Signature Policies:

• Border Security

• tax cuts

Kamala Harris, 54

California Senator

Signature Policies:

• Affordable Housing Subsidies

• Low Income Tax Benefits

How to Qualify to Vote

You must be a United States Citizen. You must be 18 on or before November 3, 2020 to vote in the Primary Election in March 2020. You must register to vote online on the Illinois Election Website using your Election Precinct

6 September 2019 - News

WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY: CAIMIN XI & SAILAJA NALLACHERUVU

The Transition of Doodle Pequeño

Students put on fall play, Doodle Pequeño, explore themes of gender identity, friendship, immigration

Doodle (Stella Tapia Lopez) and his imaginary goat, Valencia (Martina Platero), search through their boxes to find costumes ideas for Halloween. Doodle found a sword- perfect for their pirate costume.

Marjoram (Vera Greenspan) and Troph (June Yang) bully Doodle and Reno (Nicholas Rodriguez) for wearing girls’ outfits on Halloween. Reno had begun to transition from identifying as a male to female.

Reno first came into Doodle’s house and scared Doodle and Valencia in his vampire costume. Reno later becomes Doodle’s best friend.

Baumgartner (Hailee Zuber), the landowner, talked to Doodle aboutembracing his identity and his culture and not being scared of speaking Spanish.

Doodle stands in his Halloween costume, a girl Pirate. Doodle’s friend Reno encouraged him to test the gender boundaries and wear the outfit.

WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY: POOJA JAIN

September 2019 - News 7

PLASTERED IN PLASTIC

Plastic products are everywhere in society. From bags to bottles to utensils, we can hardly go anywhere without seeing at least one

PRO

Plastic isn’t neccessary if we use other eco-friendly options

WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY: EMILY KANG

single-use plastic product. However, it’s the plastic that we don’t see — the plastic filling our oceans and landfills — that is truly alarming. By banning single-use plastics, we can sig- nificantly minimize our plastic waste.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported that 700 species are at risk of extinction because of plastic pollution. In other words, we are on the horizon of another mass extinction — an event that could have severe effects such as a collapse of the fishing economy.

There are so many easy eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastic products that it doesn’t make sense to continue using plastic. Reusable water bottles, stainless steel straws and fabric bags are available in almost all of our local grocery stores.

Banning single-use plastic is not the only change that we need to make to lessen the impact of climate change, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

It’s hard not to cringe at images of plastic litter coating miles of beaches and entangling helpless wildlife. While banning plastic seems like a great way to solve this, it would actually harm the

CON

Plastic bans aren’t as good for the environment as we think

WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY: EMILY LU

environment in less obvious ways.

Take plastic grocery bags, for example: when cities ban them, we turn to alternative materials. Economist Rebecca Taylor at the University of Sydney found that plastic bag bans in California cities led to 80 million pounds of extra paper trash per year. Ironically, the paper we use to replace plastic ends up being worse in terms of energy and resource use. According to a study by Denmark’s Ministry of Environment and Food, one would need to reuse a paper bag 43 times to have a smaller impact than one plastic bag. A ban would increase our use of paper — and with it, our use of water, land, energy and clean air.

These bans seem great because they reduce plastic pollution, but they fail to address other serious environmental problems. We can’t simply ban plastic and congratulate ourselves without considering the full implications of such a policy.

September 2019 - Opinions

9

10 September 2019 - Opinions

Degrees

Statesman editorial on necessity of addressing climate

At the most recent G7 summit, world leaders committed to spending $20 million dollars to address Amazon rainforest fires caused by climate change. For perspective, Stevenson High School spent $27 million dollars on the construction of the new building. It’s a problem when we spend more money on a building than climate.

According to the most recent United Nations report, humanity has until 2030 to achieve “rapid and far-reaching” transformation of society if we are to avoid the dire environmental consequences of warming 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. But, the agreements that were reached at the G7 summit fell far short of what was needed in order to avoid crossing that threshold.

As our world leaders decide to not make climate change a priority, they not only actively harm our environment but also fail to represent the wishes of their constituents. According to the Pew Research Center in April 2019, more Americans than ever before say that protecting the environment and addressing global climate change should be top priorities for the President and Congress. Despite this, neither the President

nor Congress have acted accordingly.

Statesman urges that although our politicians have failed to effectively pass climate policy and find solutions on a national level, individuals must maintain their own personal responsibility to preserve our environment.

Statesman commends student activists who have already acknowledged their individual responsibility. Through social media, school strikes, and lobbying, students have effectively been able to raise awareness of the issue and begin the push for change.

According to The Guardian in March 2019, our generation has never known a world where the climate isn’t rapidly heating, ensuring that our lifetimes will be spent in temperatures never before experienced by humans. Student activists have been an important part in making sure that our politicians realize this, and the severity of the consequences that we will face.

However, now that awareness has been raised, more meaningful action needs to be taken in order to create change. Reposting statistics and discussions are no longer enough. If we truly want to make an impact on the environment, students need to lead

OF CHANGE

change, urge individuals to pursue individual action

through example and implement more personal changes, such as eating meatless meals or boycotting non-eco friendly companies.

Action on a broader level is important as well and the Stevenson administration is an excellent example. The green wall, the the net-zero carbon emissions new addition and options to compost are all measures that should be applauded.

However, even more can be accomplished if the school administration takes a stronger stance on green energy policies.

The administration rightfully offers no choice on matters such as drug use, vaping or sexual assault because those issues would undermine the values that Stevenson

graduates are expected to uphold.

In the same way, the administration shouldn’t offer choice when it comes to environmental policy — environmental knowledge is just as important of a value for a Stevenson graduate to have. The administration should act accordingly, as personal preferences shouldn’t take precedence over scientific necessity.

As such, measures like mandating that all work be done on iPads and banning the sale of plastic bottles, while extensive, build upon the current work of the administration and should be implemented.

Above all, the rise of global global temperatures will not wait for our personal disagreements to end. Statesman believes we must be willing

to engage in discussion withthose who disagree with our beliefs or believe that climate change isn’t a priority in order to find necessary solutions.

While it is easy to dismiss others’ views as intellectual or empathetic deficits, hateful rhetoric will never be the agent to change, on a societal or individual level. Everyone’s voices must be respected.

As it becomes apparent that some of our political leaders do not understand the impact climate change will have on our generation, individuals must engage in eco-friendly practices to reverse the trajectory of climate change. Without individual action, there is no hope for environmental safety come 2030.

It's not my problem

It’s theirs

Cartoon created by Ayla Dursun

September 2019 - Opinions

11

FILMS YOU AUTUMN KNOW

JOJO RABBIT

A

fter recently directing the highly praised

“Thor: Ragnarok” and serving as the friendly voice of the optimistic Korg in “Avengers: Endgame,” New Zealand director Taika Waititi has a lot to live up to. In “Jojo Rabbit,” critics believe that Waititi will defend his reputation as not only a director but as an actor as well, as he attempts to portray perhaps the most controversial character of all: Adolf Hitler. Based on Christine Leunens’ 2004 novel “Caging Skies”, this movie is set during World War II and follows the journey of a young German boy (Roman Griffin Davis). While children are known for having imaginary friends that they rely on for support, audiences will be appalled to find that this German boy’s imaginary friend is none other than Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). He is ultimately forced to choose whether he will continue to rely on the advice of his imaginary friend Hitler and follow the path laid out in front of him to submit to the Nazi culture or open his heart to a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) who persuades him to value his innocence and become more accepting towards all types of people. “Jojo Rabbit” looks to be a grim humor film that appears to effectively juggle laughter and the weight of serious historical issues regarding judgement and hatred. It is my hope that this satire will provide a more lighthearted perspective on one of the most shameful periods in world history.

S

et in South Korea, “Parasite” is a black comedy thriller film directed by South Korean film director and screenwriter Bong Joon-ho. His films are known to feature uncomfortable subject matter, dark humor and sudden mood shifts. His newest film appears to be no exception.The film tells the story of the Kim family, which lives in a shabby semi-basement apartment. The familystruggles to survive, working low-paying gigs. However, audiences will be surprised to discover that their life completely changeswhen Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), the son, is able to enlist his entire family into the wealthy Park family through lies and deceit.This includes posing as a well-educated English tutor and introducing his sister as a “professional” art teacher for Mrs. Park’sson. He is ultimately able to get rid of the entire former staff, unknowingly creating a problem that will come back to hauntthem when they least expect it.

As a film that demonstrates both hope in the face of defeat and loss in the face of success, “Parasite”will likely have audiences gasping in horror as they witness the manipulation and darkness humans arecapable of.

12 September 2019 - Opinions

PARASITE

Scan here for a review of “The Goldfinch”

WRITTEN BY : HUMZA QAZI DESIGNED BY: LILY JIANG

ENVIRONMENT

As Christina Alexakos ’21 scrolls through Instagram, countless posts about the Amazon Rainforest, metal straws and big energy companies crowd her feed. Her friends’ feeds are filled with accounts claiming to “plant trees for every person that reposts” and articles aiming to educate others about climate change. Alexakos feels hopeful, pleased that an increasing number of her peers are showing concern for the environment.

As climate change begins to occupy the forefront of peoples’ minds, she believes it is important to look at the importance of a healthy planet, as well as the ways in which individuals and organizations strive to maintain one.

The Responsibility To Take Action

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, people, businesses, schools and other organizations generate an average of 4.48 pounds of waste per person every day, as of 2015.

Among these organizations that contribute to climate change, schools and other education facilities generate a significant amount of waste in any city, county or state.

AP Environmental Science teacher Jason Carlson believes that be-

14 September 2019 - Features

cause of this, schools have a responsibility to act as a model in environmental conservation for their students.

“Schools can show what can be done,” Carlson said. “We can use policies as educational tools that students can learn in school and take back to the community.”

Stevenson has made efforts to facilitate this environmental awareness within its student body. Whether it be through activism, education or the development of environmentally-friendly practices, students are working to combat climate change and limit human activity that affects the environment.

From those passionate about climate change to those active in politics, many students at Stevenson have decided to take matters in their own hands. Alexakos is one of them.

As an executive board member of Green Team, a club where students decide and organize projects to promote awareness about environmental issues, Alexakos hopes to educate and empower others to find ways to help the environment.

Each year, Green Team encourages members to work in groups and take action about a topic of their choice. Last year, a group of students

tried im- plementing reusable Jazzman’s cups, which would greatly reduce single-use plastic waste at Stevenson. Initiatives like these, Alexakos believes, help promote environmental awareness and allow students the creative freedom to take action against local issues.

Not only does Green Team facilitate student-led projects within the school community, but it also works to reform school policy. While Alexakos is happy with the efforts the administration has made to

OF CHANGE

improve Stevenson’s environmental p o l i c i e s , she believes that there is still room for improvement. “One of the things that Green Team is going to try to encourage this year is using more technology,” Alexakos said. “We have all this technology— there are a lot of classes where we can do much more on our iPads.” Similarly to

Alexakos, Victor Shi ’20, an intern for Congressman Brad Schneider, stresses the need for student and youth action

against climate change. Aside from Stevenson’s efforts, Shi acknowledges a nation-wide environmental movement initiated by youth. “I think this environmental movement is really driven by the youth voice and our generation, especially since we are the ones who are going to be affected by it,” Shi said.

SHS Environmental Practices

In recent years, Stevenson has ramped up its environmental practices with the introduction of composting bins, greater support for student activism with the Green Team and its latest addition: a net-zero carbon emissions building.

From plant walls to solar panels, Stevenson’s new $27 million expansion in the East Building showcases a variety of environmentally sustainable features. According to Stevenson’s Assistant Superintendent for Business Sean Carney, it is important for students to be aware of the environment, whether it be the new additions or through climate change education in science classes.

“We have one planet. I think as an education institution, it is our responsibility

to ensure that students understand all of the impacts, both pros and cons, for everything,” Carney said.

The renovated East Building puts the administration’s goal to help the Earth into action. Not only is it a zero-energy building, the East Building addition also has special glass that prevents unwanted heat and glare from entering classrooms and occupancy sensors that turn off the lights when classrooms are empty. There are also light harvesting sensors that adjust the brightness of the lights depending on how much light is coming from the outside.

Besides saving energy, the addition integrates more plants into the school. The new extension has two living walls that serve as an air filtration system, and a rooftop garden that is sustained through collected rain water.

Despite these strides the administration has already taken, Carney finds it hard to assess whether the administration is doing enough to handle environmental issues. Moving forward, he hopes to balance new practices without compromising other areas.

“We can not forget that at the end of the day we are an educational institution, and I have to make sure that we have the facilities to teach everybody in every subject matter, but

September 2019 - Features

15

I think it is imperative for me and my team to continually look at what is new and out there,” Carney said.

Carlson sees both financial and environmental benefits to the expansion. He believes that the solar panels especially embody these dual-benefits.

“By having panels on the other building, you are no longer worrying

If you have the resources to make your life more sustainable... then you are the one who is going to make a change.

about purchasing energy that generates carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. What the school paid for compared to the grant is a very small amount, and that amount can be made up in energy savings in a relatively short period of time,” Carlson said.

But Carlson hopes that things can

The new building cost Stevenson $27 million.

One person generates an average of 4.48 lbs. of waste every day

get even better. He sees many areas in which Stevenson can improve over the next five years.

“Expansion of solar energy and taking as much energy off the grid would be phenomenal,” Carlson said. “I would also like to see the expansion of compost. Whether that be through a grant or student action, I would like to see more of that

throughout the school.”

The Price of Being Green

Stevenson’s efforts to go green were partially paid for by grants and saving costs through cutting back on energyuse. However, the extent of the new addition’s environmentally-friendly

Current global warming trend is proceeding at an unprecedented rate

features would presumably not be possible without Stevenson’s resources, which raises questions about how other schools with lower budgets are supposed to follow in Stevenson’s footsteps.

However, activists like Alexakos think that people at any school can still do something to help, whether it be through

“I do not expect all schools to be able to build a net zero carbon emissions building,” Alexakos said. “However, something that all schools can do is have more students ride the bus as opposed to driving themselves to school. You are taking the emissions of hundreds of cars and putting them into one vehicle.”

Despite these actions that any person can take, Alexakos feels it is still imperative for people to take advantage of their resources. She thinks that most Stevenson students are lucky enough to have unique opportunities to help their environment.

“Generally speaking, kids who go to Stevenson have the ability to think about climate change instead of worrying about if they are going to have food on their plate,” Alexakos said. “If you have the resources to make your life more sustainable; if you have the ability, the money, and the time, then you are the one who is going to make a change.”WRITTEN BY: BEN BOWLER, SOPHIA ISMAIL, MELISSA LIU

DESIGNED BY: ELYSSA GAVENDA, OLIVIA HAN, NATALIE KING

16 September 2019 - Features

“CHICAGO”: ROLE CALL

Cast of fall musical reflects on their experiences in theater and reveals production highlights

Råçhël Fïsçhmår

’20 Velma Kelly

Experience in theater: “I’ve been acting since I was two years old, but I didn’t join theatre until my sophomore year, as I was in All Shook Up.” Most rewarding part of being in a musical: “Making connections with the other cast members. It’s a nice community to feel supported in no matter what you do.” I’m looking forward To: “I’m really excited to go to college and use my skills from theater to collaborate with other students.”

Tømmåsø Jøzwïåk

’20 Billy Flynn

Experience in theater: “When I was seven, my parents forced me into. I hated it at first, but then as I kept doing it I realized that theater is something that I really enjoyed doing.” Most rewarding part of being in a musical: “It’s like being part of a team for a sport. You get really close to the other players, or the other cast members.” How theater will help me in the future: “Theater gave me the confidence that I needed to grow as a person.”

Tësså Kïm ’20 Assistant Director

Experience in theater: “I’ve been in musicals and plays since seventh grade, but theater has always been a part of my life.” Most rewarding part of being in a musical: “Being able to have power on stage. I get to create a message which is so meaningful and important to me. It’s a beautiful art form.” One thing for the audience to look forward to: “The set is built in a way that highlights the pit and allows us to use all different sorts of levels, so that’s really different from what we have at Stevenson usually.”

Wÿñ Thømås

’22

Emcee

Time doing theater: “This is my fourth year doing theatre and sixth musical, one of them being crew for ‘Shrek’ last year.” Most rewarding part of being in a musical: “Having the ability to reach so many people and show them a story is amazing.” I’m looking forward to: “Performing, since this is my first Stevenson musical as part of the cast, and I’ve never been able to perform in front of a large audience before, it’s exciting.”

WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY : PAULINA ORNATSKY & TRISHA PATEL

NEW APPS ON THE BLOCK

Students and faculty weigh the pros and cons of new educational platforms with the official adoption of Canvas and IRC

“94.9 percent of the 118 who responded said they preferred Infinite Campus over IRC”

18 September 2019 - Features

As Samhita Madduru ’20

begins her senior year, she finds herself having to learn how to use the Interactive Report Card (IRC) and Canvas. Given that most students are used to other applications such as Google Classroom and Infinite Campus, the new changes have caused some confusion and frustration among students.

IRC is an electronic grade platform where students have the ability to access their grades, along with teacher comments on performance and improvement. In past years, Stevenson allowed for the use of both Infinite Campus and IRC, but now grades are only shown on IRC.

“IRC is a little difficult to use and it doesn’t give you your calculated grade right away,” Madduru said.

According to a student survey given to senior AP English classes,

94.9 percent of the 118 who responded said they preferred Infinite Campus over IRC, citing issues such as slow updates of grades and assignments.

As of next year, all classes will be EBR so IRC will continue to be used for its ease in reflecting predicted grades for students. The administration believes that the advantages of IRC include being more centralized and focused on performance and growth.

“Through the IRC, our teachers communicate students’ ongoing stories of learning,” said Director of Assessment, Research and Evaluation, Anthony Reibel. “The IRC acts as a ‘library’ for these stories, where students can learn about how they are growing, how they are doing, and how they are behaving,” Although many staff members are in agreement with the benefits of IRC, there are still some teachers who don’t understand how to fully operate the new systems. Due to this issue,

“Try not to hate it [IRC]”

English teacher Elizabeth Maxwell gave her students a survey in which she asked for their opinions. Displaying the results gave Maxwell insight to “some of their frustrations” which “helped [her] figure out how to navigate the system to best use it,” Maxwell said. Although IRC has been receiving backlash, Canvas, a central portal where teachers can send out work and assignments to students, has received very positive feedback. In addition, the administration has found a positive impact of using Canvas.

“Canvas offers easy-to-use tools that support varying ways in which students can collaborate online,” Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Mark Onuscheck, said.

Although technology is constantly changing at Stevenson, students are quickly learning to adapt to the new ways and take on the challenge.

“Try not to hate it,” Madduru said.“Don’t come into freshman year thinking that you’re going to hate using IRC. If you have an open mindset, and if you’re ready to start using it, it will be so much easier to adopt.”

WRITTEN BY: SERENA MEHTA DESIGNED BY: KATIE LEE

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play it

Students athletes break through traditional

routine without missing a single beat.

Tiongson stands out as the first male in the program’s history. Due to the stigma surrounding boys that participate in traditionally female sports, boys often shy away from sports like Poms. Even with this gender divide, Tiongson points out that his team makes him comfortable and supported.

“I get to grow with new friends

that welcome me,” Tiongson said. “I also feel empowered to break this stereotype.” Across the country, Tiongson and athletes like him continue to challenge gender barriers, even though they are rare. According to The New York Times, there are more girls playing football than ever before, but the ratio of girls to boys is still extremely low. The Times reports that “of the 5.5 million Americans playing tackle football, 596,000 - or 10.9 percent - are female.” While crossing gender expectations in athletics is becoming

more common, there is still a significant divide.

Although Tiongson may be at ease as the only male on his Poms team, Alicia Sharun ’22 found herself uncomfortable as the only girl on an all-boys hockey team. Instead of playing for Stevenson, Sharun plays for two all-girls teams: the Lake Forest Scouts, representing her school, and the U15 North Shore Warhawks.

I get to grow with new friends that welcome me,” Tiongson said. “I also feel empowered to break this stereotype."

Data courtesy of Chicago Tribune Photo from Ricky Tiongson

As Ricky Tiongson ’23 leaps

in line with his fellow Poms teammates, he showcases a t-shirt and matching pants in a sea of skirts. When practice starts, the air is filled with Patriettes cheering for each other and the heavy bass of music booming across the room. Tiongson executes every step of his

“There’s usually only one girl, just me, or maybe another one on a team,” Sharun said, referring to playing on a co-ed team. “But never more than four.”

Sharun, who used to play co-ed hockey, recently opted for the allgirls teams. She felt more comfortable and welcomed playing in an all -girls team, as opposed to facing discrimination on a co-ed team.

Statista data indicates that females account for 27.3 percent of all high school hockey players. While she now feels at home on an all-girls team, Sharun recounts a time when

20 September 2019 - Sports

forward

gender boundaries, subvert stereotypes

playing boys’ hockey proved to be a challenge for her.

“I was just done with boys hockey and it was getting really physical and I didn’t want to do that,” Sharun said. “I’m more similar to them [female teammates]. They’re easier to get along with and they’re all there for the same reason — they’re there to play girls hockey.”

Sara Sulejmani ’21 is another example of an athlete who has broken the gender norms of her sport. According to Statista, she is part of the roughly eight percent of women in high school wrestling. Last season, she was runner-up in the national women’s high school tournament.

Sulejmani credits wrestling’s positive atmosphere for her success. Although she had faced difficulties during her season, she said the helpful motivation of her team helped her push past those obstacles. She was one of the only girls on the team, and she received no backlash during practice or competition.

“Nobody really reacts poorly when I tell them I wrestle,” Sulejmani said. “People just say ‘Wow, I can’t believe it!’ It’s almost like they’re surprised.”

People come up to Sulejmani and ask her questions about wrestling. Her advice has encouraged others to

break down barriers in their sports and push past the stereotypes they may be faced with.

Tiongson has done the same for boys that want to participate in predominantly female sports. Although having them on their respective teams may be unorthodox, they are still able to cultivate a productive and inclusive environment.

Tiongson continues to embrace his identity within the Poms team, and voices his support for athletes that may be looking to cross the gender boundaries in sports.

He acknowledges that although

the process of breaking gender boundaries is difficult, the courage for people to step out of their comfort zones can prove to be rewarding.

“Just go for it,” Tiongson said. “Be yourself — you’ll never know the experience of something like this until you try.

WRITTEN BY: BAYARMAA BAT-ERDENE,

JANICE LEE & MYLES WOODMAN DESIGNED BY: CHERYL CHEN

& GREYCEN REN

Data courtesy of National Wrestling Coaches Association Photo from Sara Sulejmani

From 1994 to 2018, the number of female wrestlers has grown from

804 to

16,562

September 2019 - Sports

21

home field advantage

Stevenson constructs new turf fields for variety of sports teams, gym classes

As soccer players chase the

ball, their cleats dig into the turf, sending bits flying through the air. The shooter lines himself up for the free kick, planting the studs of his shoes deep into the turf.

Stevenson is in the process of installing new turf fields behind the Field House. The new fields will become practice spaces for a variety of sports, as well as space for gym classes to play sports outdoors.

FieldTurf, a company that has been involved in over 20,000 installations worldwide, is installing the turf. FieldTurf has led various studies on the benefits of their turf, including increased safety, cost efficiency and durability.

The project is directed by members of the Stevenson administration including Athletic Director Tricia Betthauser. Betthauser explains that the turf will result in “increased convenience and usability,” citing a decrease in costs from mowing grass, maintaining and painting lines. Additionally, Stevenson will get twelve years of usage out of the turf.

Science teacher and boys baseball coach Nathan Gustin looks forward

22 September 2019 - Sports

to the practice space his baseball team will get. His team is one of the many that will utilize the new turf during their season in the spring.

“It is great since a lot of students need a bus to get to practice locations,” Gustin said. “The new space will prevent a lot of headaches, and make it easier for

students to get to practice.”

Teams will practice on a type of turf called Core 57 Cool Play. This specific turf is developed by FieldTurf and is built to stay cool in the summer since it doesn’t absorb heat. It also prevents rain water from flooding practice spaces, allowing teams to get out of the Field

House and practice outside.

The turf will be used by daily gym classes and will create additional practice locations for multiple sports including: football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball and softball teams. All levels of these sports will be able to use the new space, though it is up to the coaches to decide how they will divide their teams’ use of the turf. Although the baseball and softball teams will only use the space for practice, the new space is still a relief to coaches waiting to get into the Fieldhouse on practice days.

“Some days we don’t get the Fieldhouse until 7:30,” Gustin said. “More practice space will be beneficial for all the teams that need to practice after school.” The new turf creates opportunities for both athletes and coaches at Stevenson. Aarthi Balaji ’21, a junior varsity field hockey player, will be one of the many students to use the new facilities.

“I’m really glad that they’re putting [the turf] in,” Balaji said, “I feel like field hockey is one of those sports that is meant to be played on turf.”

WRITTEN BY: GRIFFIN BROWN DESIGNED BY: STEPHANIE

LEVITT

GIRLS’ TENNIS: HOLDING COURT

Team Records:

• 2017 Team State Champions

• 12-time North Suburban Conference Team Champions

• 9-time IHSA Sectional Champions

• Current 2019 record: 9-1 (as of Sep 19)

WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY: NELLIE MALONEY & VAASU KAKUTURU

September 2019 - Sports 23

“The best way for an everyday person to combat climate change is to just educate themselves. When you see that article, or that post on Instagram, don’t just scroll past it. Climate change can be very depressing to think about and it can be a lot to handle. It’s our generation that needs to fix this.”

-Christina Alexakos, Green Team eboard member

“As you walk out of Stevenson and graduate Stevenson High

School, we want every student to be a productive citizen. Sometimes a productive citizen means they’re environmentally sound, sometimes they’re in government, sometimes they’re in business, whatever the case may be.”

-Sean Carney, Assistant Superintendent for Business

“It’s urgent, and the need for young people to demand their voices be heard, it’s our futures that will be impacted, is so important. Part of the reason why people are ignoring it is because there’s so much going on and they can get overwhelmed. But realizing that our planet is about to crumble in 20 years and having people act on that is really important.”

-Victor Shi, Political Action Club Member, Intern for Congressman Brad Schneider