Issuu

Transgender rights reevaluated Page 4 // Kayla Guo

Volume 49 -Issue 2 november 13, 2015

Adlai e. Stevenson high school 1 Stevenson Drive, Lincolnshire, Il 60069

STATESMAN POLICY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 8

NEWS

Bus driver shortage and pick up times cause frustration among students and parents. Read the article on page 5 to learn more about the reasons behind the shortage.

OPINIONS Statesman discusses whether Stevenson should provide transgender students with an option to use an alternative bathroom. Read the editorial and students voices on page 9.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

10 12

Five freshmen share experiences about being in a rock band together. Turn to page 11 to learn more about their influences and where they got their name.

FEATURES Stevenson plans to implement a variety of changes for the upcoming school year, including finals before winter break and an 8:30 a.m. start time. Look at page 12 to learn more.

SPORTS

In an effort to raise school spirit and encourage attendance to different athletic, theater and music productions, Student Council created the Spirit Squad. Go to page 18 to learn more.

The Statesman is first and foremost a newspaper for the Stevenson community. The primary goal is to deliver the news and provide content deemed to be newsworth timely and ethical with regard to the community. All content in each issue of the Statesman will be included at the discretion of the staff. Statesman will only print content that is appropriate for the high school readership and conforms to high standards of journalistic integrity and ethical awareness of its readership. Statesman will only use anonymous sources if the anonymity of a source can be guaranteed and if stories, when published, could lead to physical, mental or emotional harassment of a source. Ad content is subject to the discretion of the editorial board and will only contain informtion that is appropriate. The opinions expressed in Statesman do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the administration, school board, faculty, student body or community members. To contact the Statesman, e-mail us at shsstatesman.business@gmail.com or visit room 2712.

STAFF SARAH VERSCHOOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NAMRATA SRIDHAR & IZABELA ZALUSKA MANAGING EDITORS OF PRODUCTION BRENDA REYN MANAGING EDITOR OF DESIGN SHUBHANGI JOSHI COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR KAYLA GUO & JOYLYN YANG COPY EDITORS CINDY YAO NEWS EDITOR SABRINA SZOS OPINIONS EDITOR NIKOL SAFRONOVA FEATURES EDITOR SAMI SPARBER SPORTS EDITOR ALEX SHAFRAN GRAPHIC EDITOR LARA IRIARTE & BELLA GREENSPAN CONVERGENCE DIRECTORS MAX COHN AMAN GROVER EMMA ISMAIL LAWRENCE KREYMER CHARLOTTE RONSON KARAJ SINGH ANNIE WU STAFF REPORTERS DEAN BRADSHAW ADVISER

VOLUME 49 - ISSUE 2

4 NEWS

District guilty of discrimination District 211 denies transgender student complete access to female locker room, incites lawsuit with Office of Civil Rights

reshmen physical education (PE) is a challenge in itself, but for Nick Holcman ’13, freshmen PE meant using the female locker room despite identifying as a male. Having recently come out as transgender, Holcman admitted he wasn’t ready to challenge Stevenson’s transgender policies. Even today, district 125 and neighboring high schools fail to clearly address the rights of transgender students. The current lawsuit in district 211 will likely initiate the discussion on transgender equality. Federal officials are getting involved in a complaint filed against Township High School District 211 after a transgender student requested and was denied full access to the female locker room. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois, on behalf of the student, contacted the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR). “It would be great if transgenders could have access to the female locker rooms,” Holcman said. “However, if I

had that option when I went to Stevenson, I would not have chosen the option of using the male locker rooms because I would not feel comfortable with respect to the other students.” While acknowledging that some students may be uncomfortable with equal accommodations, William Fritz, gay-straight alliance sponsor, advocates against isolating students based on sexuality, saying that a student’s dignity should be protected. He believes that the tone of district 211’s decision was condescending. “I think it’s shameful that a student has to sue their school for safety,” Fritz said. “We have to realize that the world is not binary.” ACLU of Illinois noted that the school district was in violation of Title IX of the Gender Equity Laws. Adopted in 1972, Titles IX ensures that there is no gender discrimination in any educational systems receiving federal funding, specifically by guaranteeing athletic equality for girls. In this case, the transgender student, who

has identified as a girl since a young age, requested the same changing facilities at those of her teammates. “Title IX is a federal law enacted to ensure the safety and equality of students,” said Ed Yohnka, spokesperson for ACLU of Illinois. “Our client has the legal right to access the female locker room with her peers, and the school has failed to recognize that.” Fritz hopes that the legal battle in district 211 will generate discussions about transgender rights in district 125 before a legal team has to get involved. Ideally, the Stevenson administration is paying attention and will form a panel for transgender rights because it lacks strict policies, Fritz said. “It is the administration’s responsibility not to protect the preferences of a certain group of students but to protect the student who is wronged or being targeted,” Yohnka said. As a senior and executive member of gay-straight alliance, Holcman petitioned

the school board for gender neutral bathrooms and made a larger effort to educate teachers about providing support for their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) students. “I felt weird having to go into the nurse’s’ office just to use the bathroom and not for medical attention,” Holcman said. “Junior year, I would use my off campus privileges to go to the bathroom at home and just avoided public restrooms.” According to Holcman, district 125 failed to accept the proposed gender neutral bathrooms as minors are not allowed to access a room that locks at any time on campus. As of right now, no meetings have been planned by the administration to discuss transgender rights. On Nov. 25, the United States Department of Education issued a ruling against District 211 for discriminating against the transgender student by denying her access to school facilities.

by KAYLA GUO

information provided by aclu.org and Chicago Tribune

NEWS 5

Campus Report S-Factor Stevenson’s fifth annual singing contest, S-Factor, will host auditions for contestants on Nov. 16 and 17 as well as Nov. 19 and 20. S-Factor is hosted by KIVA club. Contestants that are selected will be set to perform in January in hopes of winning this year’s contest.

Give-A-Thon Stevenson will be participating in their annual holiday charity event. Students are asked to donate food, gifts and diapers to those in need. Collection day is on Dec. 1. Students will have until then to donate these products to their participating classes.

Miss Saigon The play “Miss Saigon” is to premiere on Nov. 13, 14 and 15 in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). The play revolves around a Vietnamese girl who falls in love with an American soldier during the Vietnam War. Jordan Radis ’16 and Kaitlin Feely ’16 star.

Driver shortage creates delays

Students wait up to twenty minutes for buses before and after school

t’s 4:15 p.m., and the bus still hasn’t arrived. The shortage of bus drivers has led to after school pick up times of 4:15 p.m. or later, while normal pick up times are closer to 3:40 p.m. “The bus has been running very late on the route home from school—sometimes 20 plus minutes,” parent Nancy Swidler said. For those that have practices after school, this can be very frustrating, said Steve Tucker, Dean of Students and Transportation Coordinator. “I find it a little irritating to have to wait such a long time just to get onto the bus, and then have to wait even longer until you get home,” Ariella Razo ’17 said. “It cuts

down time that I could be doing homework or other responsibilities.” The shortage is mainly due to the economy, as it dictates what jobs people are or are not applying for. “The economy drives everything,” Tucker said. “When the economy isn’t that good, people take low-level or entry-level jobs. Over the summer the economy started to get better and that meant that fewer people were applying for entry level jobs such as school bus driver.” First Student, the bus company that Stevenson uses, has been trying to retain bus drivers by offering incentives such as paying for the training needed to

Sabrina Szos

The bus arrives after students found themselves waiting outside for an extra twenty minutes. become a bus driver. First Student has also been outsourcing other bus drivers from the area to help fill the need for bus drivers in the area, Tucker said. “[Outsourcing] is still causing delays because First Students still have to start their buses and figure out how to get to Stevenson” Tucker said. Next school year, classes

will begin at 8:30 a.m. This means that the earliest bus routes next year may start at around 7:20 a.m., Tucker said. There will automatically be a benefit, but the dilemma is putting a body in front of the steering wheel, Tucker said.

by CHARLOTTE RONSON

6 NEWS

Patriots defeat conant in first round Stevenson beat the Cougars 43-35 for their fourth straight win in the season. Fans showed support at the football game by dressing in all black.

Bella Greenspan

NEWS 7

MEET BEAR New safety dog introduced to Stevenson, trained to detect prohibited substances

here’s a bear roaming around Stevenson High School— but there’s nothing to be afraid of. Bear is Stevenson’s new safety dog, and he gets his name from his big paws. Bear is a five year old Golden Retriever who began working at Stevenson this school year. He comes with handler Glenn VadeBonCoeur on randomly selected days throughout the year to detect prohibited items such as illegal drugs and gun powder based items. According to Cristina Cortesi, substance abuse prevention coordinator, the main purpose of having Bear around isn’t to catch anyone. Instead, Cortesi hopes that having a dog will reinforce Stevenson’s policy towards prohibited items on school grounds. “It creates a safe environ-

ment,” Cortesi said. “If people see a safety dog, they’ll think, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t bring that to school.’” In addition, safety dogs add a personal touch to the fight against impairing and intoxicating substances, according to dean Nicholas Valenziano. Bear is a friendly dog that students are hopefully comfortable with because they know he is here to keep them safe, Valenziano said. When he’s not searching parking lots or lockers, Bear comes to Stevenson for presentations and clubs. He also makes appearances at other various locations throughout Illinois. “When Bear is here, we love it if people get to know him,” Cortesi said. “He can’t [be] pet because he’s working, but he likes when people acknowledge him and call his name.” Bear was initially trained in Michigan for approximately twelve weeks before being a s signed to an office in Michigan. After two and a half years of working there, he was then assigned

photo provided by Sandy Wiczer

Bear sits with Cortesi and VadeBonCoeur on one of his regular visits to Stevenson. to an office in Chicago in May of this year. The training process is somewhat like a hide-andseek game, VadeBonCoeur said. A dog will first fetch a toy. Then, the toy will be hidden so the dog will have to use its other senses to try to find it. The trainer will finally take the toy and put an odor on it for the dog to detect. “Once [the dog] finds the smell of the toy and we reward them, they suddenly have a lightbulb moment,” VadeBonCoeur said. The dogs in the program also go through obedience training. Although Bear is a golden retriever, any breed of dog can be used. “When we train, we look for dogs that have a strong play drive,” VadeBonCoeur said. “The dog will then channel that fixation into doing what we want them to do.” For example, dogs with a strong play drive will play fetch continuously with enthusiasm and energy each time a toy is thrown. However, to some, the

idea of having a safety dog might seem alarming. “Sometimes you see a police dog that might seem aggressive, but [Bear is] very friendly,” Cortesi said. “There’s an impression that bringing in a dog is like saying to the community that we have a problem. We’re just saying that we want to keep the community safe.” When he’s not working, Bear lives at home with VadeBonCoeur. But, because of his job, Bear has higher expectations at home compared to most dogs. This means no barking at the mailman and no mooching food off the table, according to VanBonCoeur. Bear is the successor to previous safety dog Goldie, who passed away this summer. While many may miss Goldie, Bear has the same skill set to help keep the community safe. “Everyone loves to see a dog,” Cortesi said. “It’s a prevention strategy that puts a smile on people’s faces.”

by CINDY YAO

8 OPINIONS

Senior reflects on competitive nature of Stevenson culture

very day in class I am surrounded by people who are significantly more intelligent than I am. They can all answer the teacher’s questions, while I hide my head in hopes of not being seen. I would ask for help but quite frankly, I wouldn’t know where to start. Going to a school that thrives on intelligent students can be incredibly frustrating and discouraging. I want to come to school to learn and become the best person I can be. But when all anyone ever wants to talk about is what Ivy League colleges they’re applying to or how many APs they have in their schedule, I resort to giving up. I feel as if by not understanding the “easy” class materials, I am doomed for failure. I can hardly contribute to anyone’s conversation and I end up sitting there feeling like an idiot.

My mom always told me that I was learning the same things as everyone else, just at a slower rate. But whenever I ask my “smart” friends for help, no one can recall how to do the problem because they learned it so long ago. They’re shocked that I am just learning this material now as a senior, and even more taken aback by the fact I don’t understand it. I have been called stupid and dumb on a number of occasions just for admitting what classes I’m in. I’ve had teachers look at my transcript and make comments about certain classes just not being my “thing.” I’ve had tears stream down my face from reading my report card and wondering if I was going to pass my classes. People joke around and say they want to drop out of school, but there have been times where I’ve strongly considered this choice.

Maybe this type of learning just isn’t for me. If all school does is cause me to feel stressed, miserable and worthless, then why am I here? Well, I’ve come to the conclusion that I suffer through all of the bad times just to get to the good. So much of my time in school has been centered around grades and the competition bred in Stevenson students. As much as I say I hate school, I can’t deny the wonderful things that I have gained from these four years of education. Through school, I have gotten the opportunity to meet some of the most fantastic people. Without a doubt, I know I will keep some of these friends for the rest of my life. I’ve also gotten the chance to explore my passions, such as writing and photography. Had I never taken Photo one my freshman year, I wouldn’t

be planning a career in fashion photography today. I have to step back and remind myself that I am not my class levels, ACT scores or my grades. I am a person who has interests and passions; I have unique characteristics that sometimes can be forgotten about when attending a competitive school such as Stevenson. But ultimately, I want to be viewed as something bigger than a number or letter.

by SABRINA SZOS

Staffer critiques EBR program

tevenson has been piloting its Evidence Based Reporting (EBR) program for several years now, bringing it to new classes each year, presumably with the intent of shifting the entire school towards it at some point. EBR is a grading system that measures academic performance by learning target, scoring students between one through four

in each target, ultimately charting students’ progress throughout the year. Final grades are calculated using the scores received most frequently throughout the semester for each target. EBR thus essentially entirely eliminates the term based grading system in its attempt to “fix the broken system.” In reality, any problem identified with education at

Stevenson can be attributed to the following sources: teachers and students. Either the teachers aren’t teaching properly or the students aren’t trying. A grading system itself is simply a metric for how students perform given the curriculum put forth for them.

Continue reading on our website, statesmanshs.org

by AMAN GROVER

OPINIONS 9

STUDENT VOICES Would installing bathrooms for transgender students be a beneficial change to Stevenson?

Choice of bathrooms should be given to transgender students

“It’s a good idea, because it’s necessary for everyone to feel comfortable and Stevenson should aim to be a welcoming community to everyone no matter their race or gender.” -Daniel Brot ’19

“They would feel more separated from the rest of the students.” -Daphne Campos ’18

“It may be beneficial, but depending on how many transgendents students there are, it might not be worth the construction.” -Jared Woodard ’17

ecently in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, an anonymous transgender female student requested to use the female locker rooms and bathrooms. However, because of “privacy concerns” the administration required her to use a separate bathroom and locker room. Stevenson has yet to issue a formal statement on their bathroom policy for transgender students. Statesman believes that forcing transgender students to use a separate bathroom is a form of blatant discrimination against them. No matter what gender a student is biologically born, he or she should be treated as the gender they identify with. The idea of requiring transgender people to use a separate bathroom serves as a means of isolating the entire trans community. However, instead of forcing transgender students to use separate bathrooms,

transgender students should be able to have a choice between using the same bathrooms as other students or using a separate bathroom to avoid possible bullying and harassment. Statesman also believes that Stevenson should invest time and resources into raising awareness for the transgender community. Stevenson’s faculty and student body do not discuss the transgender community as frequently as they discuss the lesbian and gay community. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the general opinion of students on having transgender students share the same bathrooms and locker rooms because the topic is rarely discussed. Students may be accepting of transgender students’ identities on the surface, but conversations between individual students might reveal a wide range of opinions. Statesman thinks that by talking more about the LGBTQ community in classes such as Health

Education, a more accepting community will emerge within the student body. Many teachers also have individual ways of supporting the LGBTQ community, either by openly supporting it or showing support through more subtle ways: stickers on laptops, bumper stickers and class discussions. Some transgender students may prefer to use separate bathrooms and locker rooms, but Statesman believes that it is a form of discrimination to make the use of separate facilities a requirement for all transgender students regardless of what they prefer. In order to reduce some of the stigma against transgender students that may be present, Stevenson should also consider various ways to bring more awareness and create a more open and welcoming atmosphere for transgender students.

STATESMAN EDITORIAL

“I think they would feel really self-conscious and may not use them.” -Elisavet Mulder ’16

editorial cartoon by Brenda Reyn

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Miss Saigo n makes its debut, angering all people who can not pronounce “ Saigon.”

Basketball season is beginning soon. In other new s, students have be gun pray ing to th e Jalen Bru prophet nson for luck and strength.

With classes beginning later next year, we now have an extra half hour to finalize our fantasy football lineups and finish our Spanish homework.

dhon fun Give-A-T now in raising is and so g, full swin nt moveme is the l. e t r a urC # S ave O

d invite are e h t l l t A le a b b o this to g ’s e l b b g. No Go sgivin ired. k n a Th qu y re turke

Project raises money for charity 24 Hour Theater production helps Ronald McDonald House foundation, offers unique learning experience

ome students may use a day for homework or relaxing. But for the 24 Hour Theater Project group, 24 hours provides a strict deadline to create an entire theater production. The crew will perform this year on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. “This production is one of the most intimidating projects that our students participate in, but it’s a wonderful learning experience,” said Paula Nowak, director of the 24 Hour Theatre Project. “This allows students to bring all of their creative thoughts together

for a performance that helps support a different charity every single year through its ticket sales.” This year’s proceeds will go towards helping

the Ronald McDonald House foundation. The Ronald McDonald House focuses on creating programs and learning opportunities for children and families in need. “The project challenges students to keep mentally alert and also be able to bounce ideas off of each other,” Barrett Winston ’16 said. “From technical runs to thematic connections of playwrights, this project is a great way to mimic how professionals create a theater production.” By going to the informational meeting before the project kicks off, students are given insight as to how the project will run. The specific details are organized before the production. “This really brings a level of professionalism

to the show,” Winston said. “Even though it’s much more of a time crunch, you see the crew and cast members really grow as actors or members of a production within a simple span of exactly a day.” Every year there are underclassmen or students who haven’t been exposed to this style of creating a production. These individuals receive a mentoring session from the upperclassmen who had completed this in previous years prior to the production. Emi Naidoff ’16 has participated in the 24 Hour Theatre Project for two years. “Through my first experience with this troupe of theater students I received a serious feeling of mentorship and the ability to grow through my knowledge and experience in theater,” Naidoff said.

by ALEX SHAFRAN

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 11

Freshman band plays local gigs Student group Left On Green improves as musicians and performers after four years of working together

riving home from practice, a group of middle schoolers argued over potential names for their new band. Having debated names for months, they tried to find what would best satisfy what all five of them wanted. A member’s father noticed a sign that read “left turn on green arrow only.” “Left On Green?” he suggested. No one took it seriously at first, but it eventually grew on them. Matthew Zimring ’19 was only in sixth grade when he decided to form Left On Green. He and Robert Lieblang ’19 combined their interests in music to form a band and create original music. Zimring sang and played guitar, while Lieblang played drums. “The idea of starting a band was pretty awesome even as 6th graders,” Zimring said. “It’s a lot of fun to

just pick up an instrument to perform, and then look out at an audience and see everyone cheering.” The next three years were made up of practice. As bassist Chris VanOverberghe ’19, guitarist Ethan Murphy ’19 and keyboardist Nathan Gates ’19 joined the band, they developed valuable skills such as set design and music production. They credit Led Zeppelin and The Beatles as their biggest influences As a friend and fan of the band, Quinn Chowaniec ’19 has seen them grow and become better oriented as a team. “The band performs mostly classic rock,” said Chowaniec. “They’ve written original music, but they haven’t yet performed it. They’re really good at what they do, both classic songs that the audience always likes and original songs.”

Despite rock influencing their music, Zimring’s guitar teacher Mike Beck has played an important role in Left On Green’s development. Playing as the opening act for many of his gigs, he showed the band the importance of working collaboratively to benefit the band as a whole.

“Music made by bands is a reflection of multiple personalities,” Beck said. “How music is performed is important, but putting a similar musical vision together by working as a team is what really makes a band successful.”

by LARA IRIARTE

FEATURES 13

12 FEATURES

Major changes coming to Stevenson Next year, Stevenson will implement changes to the annual school calendar, daily bell schedule, some course grading policies and food service program to improve the wellbeing of students. The adminstration designed these changes to decrease student stress, in response to a survey of the Stevenson community. The goal of these changes is to enhance the student experience at Stevenson.

SCHEDULE Classes will begin next year at 8:30 a.m. The adminstration hopes that students will be able to receive more sleep, given that many sleep less than the recommended amount. Turn to page 14 to read more about the later start coming in the fall.

GRADING Over the past few years, Stevenson began transitioning to evidence based reporting. Next year, there will be an increase of courses using this system, even though many students are still confused about how they are graded. Turn to page 15 for more information.

FINAL EXAMS The final exam schedule will change to the week before Winter Break next year. By moving semester exams, students will be able to enjoy time off to spend with their families and friends. Turn to page 14 to read more about changes to the yearly school calendar.

14 FEATURES

Schedule shortened by half hour Students provided additional time to meet with teachers

tarting next year, Stevenson will be implementing a new daily bell schedule that changes the start of the school day to 8:30 a.m. The change will give students more time to sleep as well as allow teachers more time during the week to meet with their curricular teams. The decision to change the start of the school day has been under consideration by the Stevenson School Board of Education (SBE) since 2006. The vote to implement the schedule was finalized on Oct. 19 at the annual board meeting. “I’m delighted to see this take place,” Bruce Lubin, director of SBE, said. “I think that the majority of students

and parents will find it a positive change.” Under this new schedule, teachers will meet with their colleagues twice a week and will have open office hours for students three times a week. Classes will be cut down by about two minutes, and there will no longer be a second day of the week schedule. There will be the same amount of activity schedules and late arrival days as in previous years. “Our kids don’t get enough sleep, and we’ve heard loud and clear over the years that

students are under a lot of pressure,” principal Troy Gobble said. “The three minutes off a period that we’re going to lose for giving kids 30 more minutes of sleep a day is what I consider a great trade off.” Kathy Zhang ’17 gets to school around 7:30 a.m. every day for early bird advanced placement (AP) Chemistry and usually doesn’t get home until after five p.m. due to extracurriculars and a job. Currently, taking five AP courses, along with balancing clubs, homework and a job, Zhang is lucky to get around five hours of sleep a night.

“As a student who’s taking a lot of challenging classes and doing a lot of extracurriculars, just having 30 extra minutes of sleep will keep me feeling more awake throughout the day,” Zhang said. The few extra minutes of sleep along with the extra time to meet with teachers is a change Zhang is very excited about. She is going to be taking six to seven AP courses her senior year. “With the new schedule, I’m going to be able to actually get more sleep,” Zhang said. “If I don’t have a lot of homework to do the next morning, I might get to school at the same time and just hangout and talk with my friends, something I don’t usually I have time for with the schedule this year.”

The finals’ change was also made to lessen the gap between learning new material and finals week. Typically, there is a month between the time new information is taught to the time exams are held. To some, the month without learning new material may seem like ample time to review, but to others, like Rohan Bhattaram ’16, this gap seems like a burden. “For me, it’s always that second week of break when I finally start picking up the packets and start looking through the textbook,” Bhattaram said. Bhattaram, as student

ouncil president, was one of the first students to hear about the change proposed by the SBE. Although he will not be able to experience the change next year, he feels there will be a positive outcomes for students, (despite his personal objections). “We reevaluate everything that we do, but 30 schools have already made this change in the Chicago area, and no one has ever gone back,” Gobble said. “I think once the change is made, kids will like it.”

by BELLA GREENSPAN

Finals moved before winter break Testing changes makes school start and end earlier

he Stevenson Board of Education (SBE) has recently approved scheduling finals before winter break, a major change to the 2016-2017 academic calendar. This change has been carefully analyzed and improved in order to provide students with the most beneficial learning experience possible for 15 years, principal Troy Gobble said. “We want to make sure that kids have a real break

between first and second semester,” Gobble said. One of the main factors behind this schedule change was the idea of promoting a healthier lifestyle for students. Many believe that having an uninterrupted break is beneficial. “I see the benefit to the students, not so much in the academic part, but in the student wellness part where there is a clear break,” David Eddy, student activities coordinator, said. “If we’re going to have a winter break, then it should be time that’s spent with family and getting recharged for second semester.”

by KARAJ SINGH

FEATURES 15

Grading policy puzzles students Evidence based reporting confuses some students in calculating semester grades, teachers see benefit of different assessment style

vidence based reporting (EBR) is a grading system that has seen increased use at Stevenson over the past few years. EBR uses numbers on a four number scale for grades instead of the traditional percentages and letters. Next year, it is likely that there will be 50 percent of courses operating under EBR according to Anthony Reibel, director of assessment/research/evaluation. Officially introduced in 2012, the number of courses using the EBR system have increased each year, a trend that will continue next year. The process to convert a class to EBR is best described as “organic,” which means that curricular teams can decide when it is best to change over to this grading system, Reibel said. “As has been the pattern, we’ll see another eight to ten [courses] decide to [transition] next year,” Reibel said. “Hopefully it just continues this way until every course is gone.” The transition to EBR is long, but teachers and directors such as Reibel see many benefits to the newer system. The goal for EBR is for learning to be centered on evidence-based conversations involving teacher and student, Reibel said. “With the traditional system— the points and the formulaic nature of it— the conversations about growth and learning are pushed to the side,” Reibel said.

Information provided by Anthony Reibel Graphic by Brenda Reyn

Teachers also want to have a constant exchange with their students. According to English teacher Nicole Smith, the traditional grading system doesn’t allow for those discussions. “I feel like EBR more closely matches how learning actually works,” Smith said. “When we learn, we need feedback immediately on what we can do to improve.” Though EBR is supposed to show clearer feedback and a better outline of what needs to be done to receive a better grade, many students find it difficult to understand where their grades come from, Elijah Bennett ’19 said. It’s easier

to understand how to get a better grade in a traditional grading policy, Bennett said. “Converting grades doesn’t make any sense to us,” Bennett said. “It’s hard trying to figure out where you would be at the sixweek mark.” Though Bennett says he takes more of an impartial view on the subject of EBR because he sees its benefits, other students are more outwardly against it. The hardest part for students is understanding the way that the numbers of EBR become a letter grade, both Bennett and Josh Ezrol ’19 said. “I don’t like EBR because it doesn’t give me an accurate picture of what my

grades are, like the traditional grading system does,” Ezrol said. “Getting a single two throughout the year should not automatically give you a B.” To the dismay of many students such as Ezrol, EBR will continue to be implemented in courses in the upcoming years at Stevenson. EBR promotes skills students will need later in life, according to Reibel. “We want students to have the skills, that whatever their post-secondary plans, they have a strong perspective on self,” Reibel said.

by EMMA ISMAIL

16 FEATURES

e s i v d a s r e y w a l s e n i o c s i l n o e p v e l o St o h on sc

here is little truth and a lot of exaggeration in the portrayal of lawyers in the media. Many expect a lawyer to constantly be in court; however in most cases, like school law, lawyers play a crucial role in the maintenance of a school district. Howard Metz, business contract lawyer for Robbin-Schwartz, a firm that represents Stevenson, advises the administration on any contracts or litigations that they may run into. “School districts are like corporations,” Metz said. “There can’t just be one attorney because every part of law is so specialized. School attorneys have a mutual background in school law but many deal with various parts of it.” With a school as large as Stevenson, there can be misconceptions as to how many lawsuits the district deals with on a regular basis. Mark Michelini,

assistant superintendent for business, set the facts straight of how lawsuits are handled at Stevenson. “There are all kinds of attorneys that represent Stevenson ranging from property tax appeals, civil law and payroll regulations to special education law,” Michelini said. “We maybe have three to four legal disputes per year.” The attorneys that represent Stevenson follow the school policy manual that the board updates every five years, Michelini said. The school board sets these policies with the help of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB).While the IASB is not an enforcement agency, it is a voluntary organization of school boards who assist school districts in

complying with the current policies. Roger Eddy, executive director of IASB, explains the three guidelines that the school policies follow. “Policy manuals guide the activities and protocols that take place in school and every school district has their own,” Eddy said. “We update these policies based on statutes passed by state legislations, rules and regulations set by federal legislations and judicial law.” There are times when local districts need to decide how they will implement certain requirements and

address issues, Eddy said. For example, the issue of whether or not some school districts should allow for transgender bathrooms to be placed in their school is an issue that requires legal assistance for the school board in order to make local decisions that follow policy and changing legal fronts. “School boards need legal counsel to defend and make sound decisions,” Eddy said. “School lawyers help the school districts abide by the policies set in place.”

by NIKOL SAFRONOVA

FEATURES 17

WITH

ROCIO MENA

SODEXO WORKER Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job? A: In the beginning, they called me and they said, “I’m sorry, we’re going to let you go because you’re too slow.” I wasn’t efficient enough, and I started crying. “Don’t do this to me, I’m trying my best,” I said. I was scared of losing my job. Getting over that part was the most rewarding. Q: You encounter high schoolers every day, do you have any funny or unique stories? A: When I do the smoothies, there’s a lot of funny smoothie names. One of the names is “omg” so when they ask me “Can I have an omg?” I tell them, “omg.” I like being funny because I want them to feel comfortable around me. Q: What have you learned about high schoolers? A: They like to tell me about their lives and problems. Days later I ask, “How’s this, how’s this problem?” If they were sick, I ask, “Are you feeling better?” I like helping them.

Alex Shafran

Mena works as a cashier at Jazzman’s and the lunch area in the East Glass Commons.

Q: How would you describe your Sodexo experience in a few sentences? A: I like working around this age group so I can feel young! There’s a girl who starts dancing when she sees me and then I like to start dancing too. It makes me feel youthful.

Q: Why did you choose to work for Sodexo? A: I was a babysitter for 11 years; the oldest child I babysat was 1 year and 9 months old. When I left, he was almost 10 years old. After awhile, I got a little bit tired taking care of kids, and I wanted something different. I have a sister who works here, and she told me that they were hiring.

Q: Could you share a story that’s particularly memorable? One of the girls told me she was having troubles with her boyfriend. I told her don’t be mad at him, and I tried to give her advice. I really wanted to hug her.

Q: What’s the most popular item at Jazzman’s? What’s your personal favorite? A: The iced caramel latte and brownie cookies are the most popular. Before it was the rainbow cookies, but now it’s the brownie cookies. They make them in the kitchen, and I wish I could help. This is hard because all of them are so good, but personally I like the white mocha.

Q: What was the most difficult part when you started your job? A: Everything was hard because it was my first time. It was different from babysitting —completely different. A lot of things were hard also because I’m left handed. Now it’s much easier for me and I enjoy it.

Q: What have your experiences been like working at such a big school? A: It took me a year to get use to the big size. The first time I came for the interview, I got lost and the alarm sounded. I was so scared. Where should I go now? What should I do? Luckily, I found one of the security guards and they told me, “Don’t worry, don’t worry,” and they turned it off.

Q: If you could change something about Sodexo, what would you change? A: There’s sometimes a lot of chattering or gossip; all the workers around this area should come together.

by ANNIE WU

18 SPORTS

Student Council forms Spirit Squad points given varies depending on the event,” Ted Goergen, director of student activies, said. “Less popular Students, which tracks events reward more points than very poputhe attendance of students who go to Steven- lar events.” The idea behind son events and awards awarding more points points. The point to less popular events system incorporates competitive aspects, as is to give students the opportunity to discover the top five earners of points are displayed on less recognized events that Stevenson has to a leaderboard on the offer. It will also expose 5 Star Students’ webstudents to different site. All students have events such as choir to do is scan their IDs concerts and theater at sports and fine arts events to receive credit. productions. “Stevenson has a lot “The amount of

New point-based system aims to boost student attendance at sports games and other extracurricular events

tudent Council meetings for the past four years have revolved around a single problem facing the SHS extracurricular community: how to increase attendance at less popular games and events. This year, the solution is finally being put to the test: Stevenson’s Spirit Squad. The Spirit Squad is made possible through a system called 5 Star

Upcoming Spirit Squad Events

to offer in fine arts and less popular events that not everyone knows about,” Rohan Bhattaram ’16 said. “Most students can say that they’ve been to a football game but not a lot can say the same for theatre productions or choir and orchestra concerts.” At the end of each semester, prizes are given to those who have earned the most points. Although not officially confirmed, possible prizes may include a free parking for a term, homecoming tickets or even professional sporting events. The first Spirit Squad event was the Oct. 16 football game where over 220 IDs were scanned and put into the 5 Star Student system. “For a first event, the turnout for Spirit Squad was great,” Bhattaram said. “We’ve received positive feedback saying that the system is easy and does not disrupt the flow of people into the game.” by LARA IRIARTE

graphic by Sami Sparber

number of points awarded

SPORTS 19

CAPTAIN’S CORNER by ALLISON TRAVETTO ’16

etween homework, practice, and meets athletes have little time for anything other than their sports. It’s crazy to think that this is my last swim season. I came into swimming freshman year and the coaches laughed at me. Having only played water polo, I had never swam on a team before and was unaware of strokes other than freestyle. Most days, we are sore from weights and morning practice and we dread afternoon practice but it is all worth it on meet days. The entire team has shown great unity this season and will continue to do amazing things after the seniors are gone. This year, we got a new coach (Kevin Zakrzewski) and he along with the three other captains, Casey Kirby, Irune Andres and Adi Alkalay have made a positive change in our swimming and diving program. I am very happy to see that our team is doing so well this season, but it is hard to imagine that my final season is coming to an end.

photo provided by Allison Travetto

Girls’ junior varsity swim coach Jennifer King and captain Allison Travetto hug on Senior Night.

“Most days, we are sore from weights and morning practice and we dread afternoon practice but it is all worth it on meets.” -Allison Travetto ’16

SPORTS 21

Bowling hires new head coach Cody Mathias brings experience from years of collegiate bowling and leading other high school programs

oys’ varsity bowling, coming off the most successful season in school history in which eight bowlers were state qualifiers, hired a new head coach when longtime head coach Barry Lapping resigned. On Sept. 23, it was announced that Cody Mathias would be replacing Lapping. “[Coach Mathias] is very experienced and is very highly regarded in the bowling community,” Eddie Mendrala ’16 said. “He has a different ideology within the practices, with different

specifics on what we are supposed to work on.” Mathias, a 2013 graduate of Carthage college and sixth overall finisher in the Wisconsin Collegiate Bowling Conference, has plenty of experience. Mathias was also a four-year starter for the club bowling team on which he was named team captain twice. “I personally love to coach whether it is baseball, football or bowling,” Mathias said. “It is something I really enjoy. The biggest thing I want to work on is the

mentality with the bowlers; mental game is 90 percent of the sport, and once you conquer your mental toughness, it gives you that boost on other opponents.” With tryouts on Oct. 26, Stevenson has a solid core of starters, five of them being seniors coming back from state qualification. Mathias looks to these bowlers, who can score well into the high 200s, for another shot at a state victory. During the offseason, players have been keeping in tip-top shape in order to make another run at the state title. State qualifier Ted Tapas ’16 along with participating in a travel league outside of school,

gets individual coaching. “My personal best is a 279, opening the tenth frame with a nine spare,” Tapas said. Mathias is already impressed by what he has seen at Stevenson. Most recently, he was a volunteer coach at Antioch Community High School near his hometown in Kenosha, WI, where he was very successful. “Just knowing the kids that I’ve seen, I know that this school is phenomenal.” Mathias said. “I can’t wait to see improvement through comradery and competition between everybody.”

by MAX COHN

Doug Lillydahl returns as coach Director of Communication Arts hired to lead boys’ swimming again

he Stevenson swim team has a new head coach: Doug Lillydahl, director of communication arts. Lillydahl had previously coached the varsity swim team during the 2003-2004 school year, finishing second in state. “I want to get to know the needs of everyone on the team and help to improve everyone’s technique,” Lillydahl said. Lillydahl will look to make practices more competitive. His goal is to help the players be prepared for their competitions. “During practice we want

to swim fast and at race pace but also to make sure our swimmers have excellent form,” Lillydahl said. Last season, the varsity swim team was the Illinois High School Sports Association (IHSA) sectional champions. They hope to improve on those results. “I want the new coaching staff to focus more on technique,” Kelvin Rim ’18 said. “Last year the sets were more focused on long distance, but this year I hope the coaches will help the individual problems.” Also a successful swimmer in college, Lillydahl hopes to help the swim team

photo provided by Doug Lillydahl

Lillydahl comes back to the Natatorium after an 11 year absense from the team. become the very best they can be. Lillydahl is extremely optimistic about this year. “I’m very excited to work with the swimmers at Stevenson and help them grow and become better swim-

mers,” Lillydahl said. “I hope to give a lot back to the swimmers and help them succeed.”

by LAWRENCE KREYMER

SPORTS 23

Inaugural ESPPAs honor athletes Exceptional Stevenson Patriot Pride Awards (ESPPA) recognize players of all levels, praise dedicated fans

ecause of all the attention varsity sports get, it can be hard for athletes at the freshman, sophomore, and junior varsity levels to receive as much attention as they deserve. Hoping to change that, the athletic department has started a new initiative this year: the Exceptional Stevenson Patriot Pride Award (ESPPA). Modeled in name and purpose after ESPN’s Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly awards (ESPYs), the awards are given out three times a year: once each at the Fall, Winter, and Spring Sports Awards Nights. “We wanted a way to highlight the performance of not just those at the varsity levels, but also those performing exceptionally at lower levels as well,” Trish Betthauser, director of athletics, said. Nominations, which opened up on Oct. 1, are submitted through a Google Form found on the Athletic Department’s website. Anyone can nominate someone for an award, but they must provide an explanation as to why they chose to nominate that person. Only the final winner for each award will be announced, not any of the oth-

er nominations. Athletes can be nominated in a wide variety of categories, including “Best Moment in Sports Award,” “Best Varsity Game Performance Award” and “Breakthrough Under-Level Athlete Award,” among multiple others. Non-athletes can also be nominated for awards such as the “Outstanding Manager Award.”

“The most important part of the nomination process is the explanation of why the person was nominated,” Chad Dauphin, assistant athletic director, said. “That’s where we understand what really makes the nominee deserving of an award.” There’s been an issue thus far with some people simply submitting names on the Google Form for nominees, but providing no justification for the nomination, Dauphin said.

Matthew Hodge, assistant director of athletics, will work with Dauphin and Betthauser to narrow down the best 5-10 nominations for each category. The three will then present the nominations to the Patriot Pride club on Nov. 16, the night before Fall Sports Awards Night. The process will be repeated twice more, once each for the Winter and Spring Sports Nights, Betthauser said. The Patriot Pride club will also be presenting the awards at each of the sports awards nights. The club, which meets during activity periods, is

led primarily by a t h l e t e s who attended the North Suburban Leadership Conference, but membership is open to anyone, Dauphin said.

by AMAN GROVER

grapic and information compiled by Sami Sparber