19
If you missed the vigil for Kelli, go to lionnewspa- per.com to view footage and extra photos of the event. Shopping showdown Intramural preview A look at the fierce competi- tion inside LT’s intramural soccer league. Washing down Thanksgiving dinner with a trip to the mall? Think again. SPORTS, 10 OPINIONS, 9 North Campus 100 S. Brainard Ave. LaGrange, Ill. 60525 South Campus 4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558 Contents Kelli Joy LION online by MaryCate Most Student Council considers new entertainment companies Treasurer accused of embezzlement Family and friends of Kelli Joy O’Laughlin gathered on Oct. 27 for a candle- light vigil held in honor of the LT student, who was killed in her Indian Head Park home one year prior. During the ceremony, friends of the O’Laughlins read poetry, shared stories about Kelli, and sang in remembrance of their friend. The vigil took place in Sacagawea Park, which was renamed Kelli’s Playground at the beginning of the ceremony. In 2007, students walking into the LT Home- coming dance would likely find themselves crammed into the gym, watching a DJ play music on the gym stage as one tiny disco ball reflected small lights all over the room. One year later, the student body developed much different expectations of what a high school dance should be like, after the BOOM enter- tainment company transformed LT dances with their special effects, large stage and energetic DJs. Now, due to negative feedback from students and a decrease in ticket sales, the Student Council is considering whether BOOM will continue to play its part in the future of LT dances. “This year there was definitely an air of dis- satisfaction, and we’ve seen numbers decline at Homecoming,” Director of Student Activities Peter Geddeis said. “There will definitely be a discussion [about looking at other companies].” About 300 fewer students attended this Home- coming compared to previous years, Geddeis said. The student disappointment with past dances may have contributed to this decrease in ticket sales, but the exact reason is still unclear. In addition to the low turnout, much of the stu- dent feedback taken after the dance (via Facebook survey) was negative as well. Based on the results of this survey, the Student Council concluded that student dissatisfaction came primarily from the music played at the dance, the brightness of the Fieldhouse and the stage arrangement. “Student Council was not surprised, because we knew the issues and saw them ourselves, and it was what we had been hearing all week,” Student Council President Joe Halpin ‘13 said. “Due to the fact that we pay such a large sum of money, Student Council would really appreciate a company that is more willing to communicate with us in a more up-front way and cater more to our needs as a student council.” With a school of around 4,000 though, cater- ing to individual requests is not always easy, BOOM Founder and Owner Jordan Neuhauser said. “We are going to do everything we can to make the students happy, but we need to take into account what the administration is asking and what the students are asking—and that is challenging,” Neuhauser said. One source of confusion about student expec- tations for the 2012 Homecoming dance was a lull in Student Council requests and complaints during their pre-Homecoming meeting with BOOM this September. “Each year the student requests became less and less and less,” Neuhauser said. “We are nar- rowing down to perfection.” Student Council officers felt differently. by Gabbie Gresge connued on page 2 (MaryCate Most/LION) BOOM deejays the 2012 Homecoming dance. (Tabulae) BOOM on thin ice According to a lawsuit filed Oct. 4 by the Lyons Township School Trea- surer’s Office’s three-person board of trustees, Robert G. Healy, ex-trea- surer of the office, is accused of embezzling over $539,000 from the office’s funds for personal profit during his 25-year term. By allegedly cashing in unused sick and personal days, Healy is accused of gradually adding annual compensation to his salary-- which reached $295,703 last year, up from $163,742 in 2011. While Healy claims he was entitled to the compensation, an extensive audit by an independently appointed law firm concluded that he was not. Due to the fact that the Township Treasurer’s Office is little-known out- side the realm of local education, critics believe that it makes sense that Healy could have stolen money over such an extended period of time. Despite this, District 101 board member Marty Brown said that fault does not lie solely with Healy, but with the current and previous board members, who he believes created an environment that allowed Healy’s accused ille- gal activity to go undetected. “It is primarily the Township Treasurer’s Board’s fault,” Brown said. “It’s amazing that the trustees didn’t provide oversight of the office, and that the districts didn’t ask any questions. No one was paying attention. It was as simple as that.” Despite these allegations, Healy is the only one could potentially feel the negative ramifications of his alleged actions. Interim Treasurer Clyde Bradley said that if anything, the situation has improved the financial and operational state of the office. In addition to creating a budget, updating job descriptions and cracking down on policy for personal days, Bradley said that the office aims to create “open communication” with the districts. With improvements underway, Bradley believes that the functionality of the office has made a complete turnaround, especially in terms of investments. According to the Better Government Association (BGA), an international bond fund invested in 2006 lost roughly $200,000—an example of Healy’s alleged financial tactics that stray far from the conservative bounds allotted for the entity. However, in a written statement, Healy said that these losses can be explained: “The amount of assets invested in these funds equaled less Official revisions to come, board member: ‘No one was paying attention’ than one percent of the township’s total funds… Once it was discovered that the parameters had been exceeded, the situation was rectified.” After becoming informed of this and other instances, including invest- ments to a political campaign chaired by Healy himself, Brown contends that a lack of motivation for public service led the board to turn a blind eye to Healy’s alleged misappropriating of funds as well as his alleged insuffi- cient skills as a financial coordinator. “Some people may have used this board as a stepping stone to run for a higher office,” Brown said. “That is perfectly legitimate as long as the elected or appointed members fulfilled their duties. That didn’t seem to happen in this instance.” Because the position of treasurer is insured for millions of dollars, the money is expected to be compensated either by an insurance claim, res- titution or a civil suit filed against Healy. If criminal charges are pressed, Healy could face anywhere from six to 30 years in prison, as stealing over $500,000 of federal money is considered a Class-X felony. Additionally, this sum is only a small dent in the office’s $200 million annual funding. To this end, Lyons Township High School Director of Business Services David Sellers claims that the only responsibility his office has is to itself. Unlike the 12 elementary school districts that feed into LT, the high school has its own business office that separately handles District 204’s own pay- roll, accounting and financial services. According to Sellers, the interaction between LTHS’ business office and the Township Treasurer’s Office is lim- ited to investment coordinating, as required by Cook County law. “They’re part of our cycle at a rudimentary level,” he said. “I’m inter- ested in what is happening with LT’s money. What [Healy] allegedly did relates to matters we wouldn’t be involved with.” However, this “rudimentary level” interaction includes the investment of approximately 20 percent of LT’s funds via the Treasurer’s office, and critics such as Robert Herguth of the BGA believe that even those not directly involved are to blame. “District 204, like the treasurer’s office board and most of the other school systems, was asleep at the switch and didn’t do enough to keep tabs on taxpayer money,” Herguth said in an online article. Newly-appointed Treasury board member Michael Thiessen has per- sonally ensured that districts and taxpayers emerge financially unscathed. “One way or another, we’re going to get our money back. These are our friends, our neighbors, people we go to church with,” he said. pg. 15 NEWS: pg. 2- Class giſt announced pg. 3- NHI Celebrates pg. 4- Hall of Fame Inductees pg. 5- Hurricane Sandy pg. 6- The Breakdown OPINIONS: pg. 7- The Grid pg. 8- Editorials pg. 9- Black Friday Debate SPORTS: pg. 10- Intramural Soccer preview pg. 11- Football wins big pg. 12- Pyritz hits 700 PULSE: pg. 13- Cover pg. 14- App-tasc pg. 15- Profiles pg. 16-17- Academic Stress pg. 18- Valuing vegans pg. 19- Night at the Ashbary pg. 20-Get Out

LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

The voice of Lyons Township students since 1910. News cover story: "BOOM on thin ice" Sports cover story: "Pyritz earns milestone win" PULSE cover story: "Stressed."

Citation preview

Page 1: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

If you missed the vigil for Kelli, go to lionnewspa-per.com to view footage and extra photosof the event.

Shopping showdown

Intramural previewA look at the fierce competi-tion inside LT’s intramural soccer league.

Washing down Thanksgiving dinner with a trip to the mall? Think again.

SportS, 10

opinionS, 9

North Campus 100 S. Brainard Ave. LaGrange, Ill. 60525 South Campus4900 Willow Springs Rd. Western Springs, Ill. 60558

Contents

Kelli Joy

LIONonline

by MaryCate Most

Student Council considers new entertainment companies

Treasurer accused of embezzlement

Family and friends of Kelli Joy O’Laughlin gathered on Oct. 27 for a candle-light vigil held in honor of the LT student, who was killed in her Indian Head Park home one year prior. During the ceremony, friends of the O’Laughlins read poetry, shared stories about Kelli, and sang in remembrance of their friend. The vigil took place in Sacagawea Park, which was renamed Kelli’s Playground at the beginning of the ceremony.

In 2007, students walking into the LT Home-coming dance would likely find themselves crammed into the gym, watching a DJ play music on the gym stage as one tiny disco ball reflected small lights all over the room.

One year later, the student body developed much different expectations of what a high school dance should be like, after the BOOM enter-tainment company transformed LT dances with their special effects, large stage and energetic DJs. Now, due to negative feedback from students and a decrease in ticket sales, the Student Council is considering whether BOOM will continue to play its part in the future of LT dances.

“This year there was definitely an air of dis-satisfaction, and we’ve seen numbers decline at Homecoming,” Director of Student Activities Peter Geddeis said. “There will definitely be a discussion [about looking at other companies].”

About 300 fewer students attended this Home-coming compared to previous years, Geddeis said. The student disappointment with past dances may have contributed to this decrease in ticket sales, but the exact reason is still unclear.

In addition to the low turnout, much of the stu-dent feedback taken after the dance (via Facebook survey) was negative as well. Based on the results

of this survey, the Student Council concluded that student dissatisfaction came primarily from the music played at the dance, the brightness of the Fieldhouse and the stage arrangement.

“Student Council was not surprised, because we knew the issues and saw them ourselves, and it was what we had been hearing all week,” Student Council President Joe Halpin ‘13 said. “Due to the fact that we pay such a large sum of money, Student Council would really appreciate a company that is more willing to communicate with us in a more up-front way and cater more to our needs as a student council.”

With a school of around 4,000 though, cater-ing to individual requests is not always easy, BOOM Founder and Owner Jordan Neuhauser said.

“We are going to do everything we can to make the students happy, but we need to take into account what the administration is asking and what the students are asking—and that is challenging,” Neuhauser said.

One source of confusion about student expec-tations for the 2012 Homecoming dance was a lull in Student Council requests and complaints during their pre-Homecoming meeting with BOOM this September.

“Each year the student requests became less and less and less,” Neuhauser said. “We are nar-rowing down to perfection.”

Student Council officers felt differently.

by Gabbie Gresge

continued on page 2(MaryCate Most/LION)

BOOM deejays the 2012 Homecoming dance. (Tabulae)

BOOM on thin ice

According to a lawsuit filed Oct. 4 by the Lyons Township School Trea-surer’s Office’s three-person board of trustees, Robert G. Healy, ex-trea-surer of the office, is accused of embezzling over $539,000 from the office’s funds for personal profit during his 25-year term.

By allegedly cashing in unused sick and personal days, Healy is accused of gradually adding annual compensation to his salary-- which reached $295,703 last year, up from $163,742 in 2011. While Healy claims he was entitled to the compensation, an extensive audit by an independently appointed law firm concluded that he was not.

Due to the fact that the Township Treasurer’s Office is little-known out-side the realm of local education, critics believe that it makes sense that Healy could have stolen money over such an extended period of time. Despite this, District 101 board member Marty Brown said that fault does not lie solely with Healy, but with the current and previous board members, who he believes created an environment that allowed Healy’s accused ille-gal activity to go undetected.

“It is primarily the Township Treasurer’s Board’s fault,” Brown said. “It’s amazing that the trustees didn’t provide oversight of the office, and that the districts didn’t ask any questions. No one was paying attention. It was as simple as that.”

Despite these allegations, Healy is the only one could potentially feel the negative ramifications of his alleged actions. Interim Treasurer Clyde Bradley said that if anything, the situation has improved the financial and operational state of the office. In addition to creating a budget, updating job descriptions and cracking down on policy for personal days, Bradley said that the office aims to create “open communication” with the districts.

With improvements underway, Bradley believes that the functionality of the office has made a complete turnaround, especially in terms of investments. According to the Better Government Association (BGA), an international bond fund invested in 2006 lost roughly $200,000—an example of Healy’s alleged financial tactics that stray far from the conservative bounds allotted for the entity. However, in a written statement, Healy said that these losses can be explained: “The amount of assets invested in these funds equaled less

Official revisions to come, board member:‘No one was paying attention’

than one percent of the township’s total funds… Once it was discovered that the parameters had been exceeded, the situation was rectified.”

After becoming informed of this and other instances, including invest-ments to a political campaign chaired by Healy himself, Brown contends that a lack of motivation for public service led the board to turn a blind eye to Healy’s alleged misappropriating of funds as well as his alleged insuffi-cient skills as a financial coordinator.

“Some people may have used this board as a stepping stone to run for a higher office,” Brown said. “That is perfectly legitimate as long as the elected or appointed members fulfilled their duties. That didn’t seem to happen in this instance.”

Because the position of treasurer is insured for millions of dollars, the money is expected to be compensated either by an insurance claim, res-titution or a civil suit filed against Healy. If criminal charges are pressed, Healy could face anywhere from six to 30 years in prison, as stealing over $500,000 of federal money is considered a Class-X felony. Additionally, this sum is only a small dent in the office’s $200 million annual funding.

To this end, Lyons Township High School Director of Business Services David Sellers claims that the only responsibility his office has is to itself. Unlike the 12 elementary school districts that feed into LT, the high school has its own business office that separately handles District 204’s own pay-roll, accounting and financial services. According to Sellers, the interaction between LTHS’ business office and the Township Treasurer’s Office is lim-ited to investment coordinating, as required by Cook County law.

“They’re part of our cycle at a rudimentary level,” he said. “I’m inter-ested in what is happening with LT’s money. What [Healy] allegedly did relates to matters we wouldn’t be involved with.”

However, this “rudimentary level” interaction includes the investment of approximately 20 percent of LT’s funds via the Treasurer’s office, and critics such as Robert Herguth of the BGA believe that even those not directly involved are to blame.

“District 204, like the treasurer’s office board and most of the other school systems, was asleep at the switch and didn’t do enough to keep tabs on taxpayer money,” Herguth said in an online article.

Newly-appointed Treasury board member Michael Thiessen has per-sonally ensured that districts and taxpayers emerge financially unscathed.

“One way or another, we’re going to get our money back. These are our friends, our neighbors, people we go to church with,” he said. pg.15

NEWS:pg. 2- Class gift announcedpg. 3- NHI Celebratespg. 4- Hall of Fame Inducteespg. 5- Hurricane Sandypg. 6- The Breakdown

OPINIONS: pg. 7- The Gridpg. 8- Editorialspg. 9- Black Friday Debate

SPORTS:pg. 10- Intramural Soccer previewpg. 11- Football wins big pg. 12- Pyritz hits 700

PULSE:pg. 13- Coverpg. 14- App-tasticpg. 15- Profilespg. 16-17- Academic Stresspg. 18- Valuing veganspg. 19- Night at the Ashbarypg. 20-Get Out

Page 2: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

NEWSFriday, November 16, 2012 Page 2

Go online to lths.net to find out how to make a monetary donation to this

year’s all-class gift.

Gift donations People’s choiceStudents are now able to interview possible new entertainment companies for the next

school dances.

Classes collaborate to give giftAlumni Association plans to install seal for LT’s 125th anniversaryby Mia Mologousis

Class Board and the Alumni Association have teamed up this year in order to donate an all-class gift in honor of LT’s 125th and the Alumni Association’s 10th anni-versaries, respectively.

To celebrate this landmark year for both the associ-ation and the school, a sub-stantial amount of planning has gone into choosing the first all-class gift ever given at LT. The gift decided upon is a school seal which will be placed between the flagpoles outside of the North Campus field house. Showcasing LT’s school crest, the bronze seal is expected to cost more than $10,000 and is to be unveiled this upcoming summer before the 2013-2014 school year begins.

“We wanted to do something special to commemo-rate the school and association for their anniversaries,” Alumni Association President Mary Yena said. “Our goal was to give something to the school that carried on a long-lasting sentiment well beyond our years, and have found that the seal is a gift which will do just that.”

Even with such a partnership, raising money is a main focus of concern as both the association and the board plan to raise the $10,000 required for the purchase of the seal. The Alumni Association has already received

$4,000 in donations from generous alumni members and hopes to earn still more through further donations. According to Yena, most money set aside for the Asso-ciation is used to pay for the printing and distribution of semiannual newsletters as well as annual scholar-ships that it awards; the Alumni Association hopes to get separate donations for this class seal so it does not take away from its ability to award those scholarships.

In addition to the class seal, the Alumni Association has also revamped its method of receiving donations

this year in hopes of stimulat-ing participation.

“The Association has turned the donations process into something with more of a rival edge,” Yena said. “By pitting each alum class against one another, we have not only created a more spirited and enjoyable atmosphere surrounding the donations for

the class seal, but have also been able to engage many more people in the process itself.”

Turning the monetary contributions of its members into a class competition, the Alumni Association hopes to add a competitive twist to the donating process in order to help raise the funds necessary for the seal.

The Alumni Association has also received large donations from reunion groups present at LT during the weekend of homecoming and are planning even more events associated with the school’s anniversary, which will help lessen the monetary burden they are facing.

For their part, class board is donating all of its senior

LT’s new seal will be placed outside the NC fieldhouse and will look simi-lar to the one pictured above. (Sara Nutley/LION)

class gift money to the cause. Nearly $3,000 dollars raised by class board through various fundraisers will be put towards the seal.

By joining forces, the Alumni Association and Class Board say that they hope to both honor the class of 2013 and effectively commemo-rate this historic year for LT and its Alumni Association.

“We just want to honor the school and make sure that our class has a great legacy,” Senior Class Board President Joe Galin ‘13, said. “Working with the Alumni Association is a great way of making sure that happens.”

“While many people were more shy in the general student council meeting, the officers were extremely vocal and many suggestions and complaints were made, all of which took both the concerns of the administration and the students into consideration,” Halpin said.

Due to student dissatisfaction, Student Council has decided to consider other entertainment companies before making the decision of whom to hire for the dance in February. All students are invited by the Student Council to join them in interviewing new companies on Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the SC PAC.

“Student Council wants to make changes that will create a dance that everyone is able to enjoy and have a great time at,” Halpin said. “We feel that if you are spending a lot of money to go to the dance, you should have a dance that is everything you thought it could be.”

Whether this involves amending their relationship with BOOM or hiring a new entertainment company, Student Council plans to change lighting and music before the next dance.

“I think it is a little overdue for us to look at other options,” Geddeis said. “It is good for Student Council, because they need to see the process of choosing between competing companies.”

BOOM still vies for LT’s business, emphasizing their reputation as a safe and high quality production.

“There is so much that goes on behind the scenes at our office to make the dance as safe as possible,” Neuhauser

LT rethinks BOOM contractContinued from page 1

Want to see one of your tweets featured in LION? Only tweets from people who follow LION on Twitter will be eligible to appear in the paper. So if you think your tweets are clever, follow us at @LTLionNewspaper. And keep the tweets coming!

@youretELLENme: “Who is the girl that just sent a slightly embarrassing Snapchat selfie to methat I have never seen before and hope to never again...”-Ellen Rohan ‘13

@r0senberger: “While handing out Halloween candy: girl looks in bowl of candy and says “Man! No one’s giving out pretzels!” #whyimworriedaboutthefuture”-Lauren Rosenberger ‘14

@ButteryClogs: “‘Goodbye pants!’ I exclaimed as I set my own pants on fire as a show of triumphfor getting through the school day”-Sarah Lempa ‘14

@jeffthegiraffe3: “Cats on cats on cats”-Jeff MacDonald ‘13

@rocktheCASHbahh: “Some guy at the gym just called my iPhone a Walkman... so many sarcastic jokes to make, so limited tweet space”-Cashie Rohaly ‘13

compiled by Lia Kass

said. “We have been a leader in the entertainment industry for years. We are constantly able to deliver a new and better experience even though the budget has stayed the same.”

Student Council, when making the decision about which company to hire, will need to evaluate several factors including: production quality, safety rating and pricing. BOOM’s price, which for LT can be up to about $30,000 per dance, is significantly higher than other companies. Schools like York and Hinsdale Central saved, in some cases, more than $20,000 per dance after switching to another company, Hinsdale Central Varsity Club sponsor Sally Phillip said.

“Staxowax [Entertainment company] is not nearly the lighting or stage presence that BOOM is, but the music has been fine, and it is significantly cheaper,” Phillip said.

LT still makes a profit from the ticket sales for the dance, and budget is not a concern at this time. The quality and safety of the production, however, remain top priorities.

“We really have to measure this cost against the quality of the product,” Geddeis said.

And BOOM has set very high expectations for the quality of dance productions, this year incorporating carbon dioxide canons and an elevated stage into the mix at homecoming.

“We can deliver on our guarantees and our promises,” Neuhauser said. “That is something other companies can’t say.”

LION covered unofficial changes to the LT Technology Policy in the Oct. 19 issue, but as of late October, the LT administration has released a new, official Technology Policy, including many institutional changes to teacher-student communications. The additions are strict, yet LT administration is flexible with certain cases, and is willing to make exceptions.

The new policy should not be seen as a mandate from the high-er-ups, but as a guideline, like many other school rules, that was created, and will continue, to foster student and teacher growth, officials said.

“Technology has always been an evolution,” Director of Tech-nology Services Ed Tennant said. “We make an identification of the tools that come to us and realize the ones that need guidelines.”

The major changes to the policy include new expectations for teacher-student communications. Any contact by use of tech-nology is to be contained to any of the services provided by LT, Naviance, turnintin.com, Edline, Infinite Campus and by use of the LT email address. No student or teacher should have any expecta-tion of privacy when using school resources just because they are using what they believe to be their own account.

However, there are issues that must be resolved for this policy to be fully accepted.

“As far as affecting students, I think seniors will resist a bit, only because it’s a new system and they won’t feel invested because they have one foot out the door,” senior English teacher Frank Alletto said. “But freshmen through juniors should get the e-mail acti-vated and synced to their phones. A few of my seniors have already synced their e-mails to their phones, and I love how quickly we can all correspond.”

Sports are one of the supposed main setbacks surrounding these additions to the Tech Policy because texting is usually the primary source of coach-student communication. However, according to Human Resources Director Ed Piotrowski, LT will be flexible in allowing teachers to be able to contact students through other means than the LT email, including texting and social media. All that is needed for this type of communication is the school’s and parents’ consent.

“There are going to be other needs,” Tennant said. “As a coach, I know that texting is the best way to contact athletes for a field relocation, etcetera. This policy doesn’t prohibit, it just establishes a set of model communications.”

Another issue the policy has encountered is its inability to reach the entirety of the LT community. Piotrowski notified all teachers and staff of the new policy on Oct. 17 with an email, and the formal document will be posted in the LT E-News and News-letter, as well as being posted on the Open Records and throughout both campuses.

These guidelines provide the first steps in creating a more tech-nologically advanced LT, Tennant said. LT soon hopes to have all teacher and staff email addresses programmed in to student email accounts, making it easier for students to contact teachers directly.

“Technology holds the opportunity to lead adults and students to make bad choices,” Tennant said. “They are mostly good people, but we need to help protect people against themselves. If we can introduce technology in the right ways and discourage from the wrong, people will want to use it the right way.”

New tech policy School administrators institute official amendments to LT Technology Policy

by Adam Conrath

“ “

“Our goal was to give something to the school that carried on a long-lasting sentiment well beyond our years.”

-Mary Yena,Alumni Association President

Page 3: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

NEWSFriday, November 16, 2012 Page 3

National Hispanic Institute was founded in 1979 by Ernesto Nieto in Maxwell, Texas and has since expanded across the country.

Founding father Exclusive interviewFor an exclusive Q&A with Mike Daisey, “The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” writer, visit www.lionnewspaper.com.

Play sheds light on popular technologyLT produces Mike Daisey’s radio monologue in theaterby Dayna Larson

“The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” a current LT Theatre production, is a modern piece that examines one of the largest technology companies today. It delivers an inside look at the flagship company, Apple.

“[The play] explores our fascination with electronic gadgets, specifically those from Apple,” Director Lawrence Keller said. “It also charts the rise of Steve Jobs from his childhood through his launching of those products that have so influenced our lives. Finally, the play delves into how these products are made in China under horrific circumstances.”

LT is one of the first high schools to produce this play, which Assistant Director Monica Donnelly ‘14 is very proud of.

“Our director [Keller] was able to get in touch with the writer, Mike Daisey, to ask if it would be okay if we produced it,” Donnelly said. “[Daisey] replied saying he thought it was a neat idea and that he wanted to know how it goes.”

Being a junior and a thespian, Donnelly met the criteria to be assistant director. She was especially interested in the current topics discussed in the play.

“My favorite aspect is how it juxtaposes the true ways of Apple with the perception that many of its consumers already have,” Donnelly said.

The weekend of Oct. 25 to Oct. 28 was history in the making for LT’s National Hispanic Institute club, as a total of 28 students, out of more than 100 mem-bers in the group, traveled to San Antonio, Texas, in order to compete in an international competition called “Celebración.”

“Celebración is like a melting pot of all the differ-ent programs that they have and they bring people from all over the world, including countries like Panama, Argentina, Mexico, Puerto Rico and all over the United States, and they converge in San Antonio,” Palacios said. “Then they all participate in different games, but they are all debate games. Individually students can get different awards for innovative ideas and the way that they present it.”

According to NHI Head Coach Stephanie Cordero ‘13, students qualified the summer before the event in a number of programs. The Great Debate, which is the event that LT took first in over the summer, is an event for sophomores, where students debate Latino issues. Other events include the Lorenzo De Zavala youth legislative session that focuses on leadership for juniors and the Collegiate World Series, in which seniors get the chance to explore different colleges and prepare for college interviews.

Besides taking first in the Great Debate last summer, LT also earned several individual awards at Celebración, including a 1st place and a few 3rd place awards. Cordero, whose team took second place in the Great Debate her sophomore year, was speechless over the victory.

“I can’t even describe it,” Cordero said. “It was overwhelming.”

Dubbed by the club as the “NHI high,” both Cordero and Palacios have noted the excitement that participants show at the competitions. Palacios also believes that this feeling is what has drawn so many students to the club in recent years.

“It gives them the opportunity to really challenge themselves to be public speakers, which most people are afraid to do,” Palacios said. “When you challenge them and when they experience that, it gives them a whole new energy, they’re more confident. So they return to school and they see other students like them and want to be mentors to them, they want to take on that role as well. I think that’s really the draw.”

Cordero and two other head coaches, Isabella Alvarez ‘14 and Erik Monarrez ‘13, have managed more than 100 students this year, compared to last year’s 75. Unlike many other schools, LT’s NHI pro-gram is run by students. Cordero, who has been a part of the organization since her freshman year, said that one club member compared the experience to navi-gating a jungle.

“The first time you go through, you have the coaches and the managers helping you find your way

Largest LT NHI team takes first 28 students compete at international conference in Texasby Mikaela Coleman

Since Apple is regarded as a pioneer in its market, many neglect the negative facts that surface. The Telegraph reported that in 2010, 18 employees in China attempted to commit suicide by jumping off of the factory’s roof. A total of 14 people died. The Foxconn buildings now have nets so such events cannot occur again.

According to ABC’s Nightline report, two separate Foxconn factories had explosions due to combustible dust, killing four and injuring 77. Last year, Apple released that

over half of their factory employees exceeded the 60 hour weekly working limit or worked more than six days in a week. Even after incidents like these, Apple still sold more than 5 million iPhone 5s in the first three days, according to CBS.

“The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” was originally written by Daisey as a one man show that aired on National Public Radio, highlighting Apple’s corruption. Daisey got into some trouble when it was found that some of his observations weren’t completely true, Donnelly said.

One cast member, Colin Ashburn ‘14, loves the play for a personal reason.

“I love technology,” Ashburn said. “Much of the play describes someone like me: a computer nerd. This play is very cool in that it was originally written by and for one person. We took it and broke it up into many different parts, so each person doesn’t necessarily have a certain character.”

Daisey visited LT on Nov. 9 to watch a dress rehearsal and meet with the cast. He also answered questions and told his story in front of students.

“The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” will be performed Nov. 16-17 at 7 pm in the Reber Center.

through. But the second time, you have to go through the jungle all by yourself,” Cordero said.

With more students than ever before and the same amount of funding, the club has been forced to step up its fundrais-ing efforts this year in order to pay for all the students to participate in the competitions. NHI runs the concession stands at volleyball games and girls’ basketball games, and have received donations from businesses in the community as well as parents. Also this year, they have organized a choc-olate fundraising sale and have established a website that has been approved by the Students Activities office where people can go to donate directly to the LT NHI account (www.gofundme.com/vo7rs).

The water plant at 614 Hillgrove Ave. in Western Springs is still in the process of transforming into a reverse osmosis plant. Reverse osmosis is a filtration method that removes many large ions and molecules from water to make it the purest Western Springs has ever had, Director of Municipal Services Matt Supert said. Despite rumors, Western Springs has not had high bacteria levels in the water during the rehabilitation process.

The water plant is still effective in disinfecting, removing iron from and stabilizing the pH level of the water during the rehabilitation of the water plant, Supert said. The water chemis-try is being monitored to ensure that the water quality meets or exceeds all United States Environment Protection Agency reg-ulations and standards. The $8 million project has no effect on Timber Trails, however, as it is on a separate water system from the rest of the village.

“The water quality at South Campus has been good,” Direc-tor of Buildings and Grounds, Kevin Mitros said. “It meets our requirements and expectations and has not caused any undue maintenance or cleanliness issues. South Campus has not taken any additional steps to manage hardness issues, and we have not experienced any issues. Our drinkable, steam and condensate water systems all function as designed.”

According to the Village of Western Springs website, the well that water is being pumped from currently has a naturally occur-ring fluoride level of 2.1 mg/L. This level is safe for drinking; however fluoride levels in drinking water above 2.0 mg/L may cause some children to show signs of dental fluorosis, a cosmetic condition that causes steaks along teeth.

While the water is meeting all federal regulations, most res-idents have noticed an increase in the “hardness” of the water. Water described as “hard” is high in dissolved minerals. It is not a health risk, but it can cause deterioration of appliances. Res-idents are noticing a difference in the hardness of the water because the plant is not able to efficiently soften the water during construction of the new system, Chief Water Plant Operator Ken Hayes said.

The effects of the hard water will only last until the new plant is fully functional and the hard water should not have a substan-tial impact on the plumbing or appliances, Hayes said. However, there are some measures that can be taken to lessen the effects of hard water. The Western Springs Village website suggests taking actions such as using bottled water for tasks like making coffee and purchasing products that remove spots and cloudiness from dishes washed by a dishwasher.

According to the Village of Western Springs website, as of Oct. 1, the project is proceeding according to schedule, after starting on Nov. 10, 2011. Water softening and the reverse osmo-sis equipment will be put into place this November. According to the Western Springs Patch, reverse osmosis was chosen as the option to increase water quality over switching to lake water, as most surrounding communities use, so the village can control the water and water prices.

Western Springs water quality low

by Sam Ridge

Despite hardness, water quality meets EPA regulations, to improve in future due to new plant

“It juxtaposes the true ways of Apple with the perception that

many of its consumers already have.”

-Monica Donnelly ‘14, Assistant Director

NHI members at a conference in San Antonio (top). Stephanie Cordero ‘13, Erik Monarrez ‘13 and Isabella Alvarez ‘14 are the head coaches for NHI (bottom). (Stephanie Cordero/NHI)

“The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” will be performed Nov. 15-17 in the Reber Center at NC. (Monica Dinh/LT Theatre)

Page 4: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

NEWSFriday, November 16, 2012 Page 4

Want to nominate an alum for LT’s Hall of Fame? Visit LT’s website to download the

nomination form.

Nomination station Fascinating friezesAbove the Hall of Fame are a series of friezes which are replicas of the friezes found in the

Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Hall of fame inductees announcedby Elaine Smith

Five LT alumni added to Hall of Fame, recognized for accomplishments

Five LT graduates were inducted to the LT Hall of Fame on Nov. 9 at a banquet at LaGrange Country Club, joining the 95 other LT alumni and one “friend of the district” who were recognized for extraordinary achievement in their careers.

The graduates—Salvatore Grisaffe ‘52, James Holvay ‘63, Lee Russell ‘40, Luke Sewall ‘80 and David Warsh ‘62—were chosen by the Hall of Fame committee based on their accomplishments, Community Relations Coordinator Jennifer Bialobok said.

“[The inductees] are leaders in their field,” Bialobok said. “They routinely speak at national conventions. They have been recognized either by their peers or by a governing board within their profession.”

Grisaffe is a scientist who oversaw the Lewis Research Center at NASA. Holvay is a musician who wrote four songs that reached the top of the Billboard Magazine charts. Russell flew in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War and received three Distinguished Flying Cross medals. Sewall is an interventional radiologist who specializes in minimally invasive procedures. Warsh is an economic journalist who has received several awards in financial journalism.

“I was shocked [when I found out I was nominated],” Sewall said. “It was an amazing surprise and honor, and when I look at the other [inductees], it’s amazing how much they’ve done.”

One of the most important aspects of the Hall of Fame is that members often come back to LT to work with and inspire current students, Bialobok said.

“Students realize that perhaps they too could be in the Hall of Fame,” Bialobok said. “Here’s someone who maybe sat in the same chair or walked the same hallways and look

Five LT alumni were inducted into the LT Hall of Fame on Nov. 9. Here are some of their accomplishments:

Grisaffe oversaw the techni-cal staff at the Lewis Research Center at NASA. His research specializes in high temperature coatings, ceramics and power system/aerospace propulsion system materials. He has also conducted research for nuclear rockets, advanced gas turbine engines and advanced aero-space technology. Grisaffe also holds six patents.

Holvay began writing songs at age 15. After graduating from LT, he co-wrote four hit songs for The Buckinghams. In 1967, “Kind of a Drag” reached #1 on the Billboard Maga-zine charts. That same year, “Don’t You Care?” reached #6, “Susan” reached #8 and “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song” reached #10.

Russell was a pilot in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. In World War II he was captured by German soldiers after his plane was shot down and later escaped. Russell has received three Dis-tinguished Flying Cross medals for his service.

Sewall is a doctor who spe-cializes in interventional radiol-ogy. He played football at Uni-versity of Illinois and attended Johns Hopkins University for medical school. Sewall has de-veloped and pioneered new technology to make medical procedures as minimally inva-sive as possible.

Warsh is an economic journalist. He reported on the Vietnam War for Newsweek magazine and has also worked for the Boston Globe, Forbes Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Warsh has received the Gerald Loeb Award twice, in 1977 and 1989, which is considered to be the top prize in financial journalism.

Sources: Jennifer Bialobok, Salvatore Grisaffe, James Hol-vay, Lee Russell, Luke Sewall, David Warsh

what they have accomplished. It gives [the students] hope that maybe someday they can be just as accomplished.”

Three inductees returned to LT on Nov. 9 to meet with students. Warsh worked with Economics and AP Macro Economics classes. Sewall talked with AP Biology and Or-ganic Chemistry classes and Holvay worked with Beginning Guitar and Music Tech classes.

“It was really interesting to see all the different technolo-gy that [Sewall] used,” AP Biology and Sports Medicine stu-dent Sean McMahon ‘13 said.

Alumni are also asked to help continue the trend of suc-cessful LT students by passing on their knowledge.

“We not only recognize [the inductees] as individuals and as leaders in their profession, but another important compo-nent of the program is the fact that they come back to LT,” Bialobok said. “They are in classrooms working alongside students which allows students to get a glimpse of the caliber of folks who came through Lyons Township High School.”

LT Hall of FameSalvatore Grisaffe ‘52

James Holvay ‘63

Lee russell ‘40

Luke sewall ‘80

DAVID Warsh ‘62compiled by Elaine Smith

1999

Page 5: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

IMPACTFriday, November 16, 2012 Page 5

FEMA, or Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides resources to people and

cities affected by natural disasters.

Helping hands Louisiana devastationHurricane Katrina, which took place in 2005, left 288,700 Louisiana residents

homeless and in need of assistance.

Kathy Redling:Manahawkin, New Jersey

Kathy Redling, aunt of Steven Camp-bell ‘14, chose not to evacuate her home in New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy. Redling lives in one of the only two-story houses around her in Manahawkin, NJ, so she de-cided to stay on the second floor of her house during the storm in order to take care of her sick pets that needed medication.

“Our house was shaking,” Redling said. “We watched [the storm] out our win-dows. We saw boats float by our house. We watched all kinds of debris float by our house, outdoor showers and parts of homes went by our house.”

The hurricane left four to five feet of wa-ter in homes.

“It’s like having a swimming pool in your first floor,” Redling said. “Originally they were calling for higher storm surges. The storm sped up and hit us earlier, which was a good thing. If the storm stayed on its course and hit us at 8 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. it would have been a lot worse because the tide would have been higher. We could have had 11 feet of water in these homes instead of four.”

Once the water from the flooded lagoon receded, the streets and houses were covered in three inches of mud. Most of the homes near Redling will be torn down because of the damage from the water, she said.

Redling lives near a lagoon, but not near the ocean. She said that other hurricanes have hit New Jersey, but they have never ex-tensively damaged homes farther away from the ocean.

“Smaller hurricanes have come through, but never did any damage to us or the homes

by Elaine Smith around here,” Redling said. “This is the first time that homes on the inland bay side have been devastated like this.”

A few miles closer to the ocean from Redling’s home, the damage is even worse. Residents of Long Beach Island were not al-lowed back to their homes to see the damage until Nov. 10, Redling said. The gas lines in Long Beach Island were shut off and then collapsed, so they must be rebuilt before res-idents can live there again. Redling said that this will take over a year.

The storm left all of New Jersey without power, and a smaller storm the following week took out some of the electricity that had been restored.

“The devastation was statewide, but the houses near the water were flooded,” Redling said.

Abby David:Fordham University

Former LION staff member Abby David ‘12 did not anticipate all the destruction from Hurricane Sandy. When she and other stu-dents at Fordham University in New York City were told to pack bags in case they had to evacuate their dorms during the storm, she did not know what to expect.

“Being from Chicago, I had never expe-rienced a hurricane,” David said. “I thought it was kind of a joke and that it wasn’t going to be that big of a deal. Then, sure enough, three days later [lower] Manhattan was to-tally out of power. We lost over a dozen trees on our campus alone.”

Students at Fordham University’s cam-pus in the Bronx had prepared to go to the school’s gym if their dorms lost power, but the campus only lost cable and Internet ser-vice, David said.

After the storm ended, all of the subways were shut down after the storm, so students were unable to leave the campus for over a week. Classes were also cancelled for a week.

“It was like the fall break we never got,” David said.

Most businesses in lower Manhattan were closed because of the power failure. The part of lower Manhattan without elec-tricity was dubbed “south of power” by New York residents, David said.

“Everything [in lower Manhattan] was just pitch black,” she said.

The high waves from the storm flooded the subway system in lower Manhattan. Da-vid said that the flooding became an even bigger issue when the saltwater corroded some of the machinery in the subways. This could delay the subway repairs, David said.

“A lot of the university students were kind of unfazed because a lot of them are from the East, and they experienced [a hur-ricane] last year,” David said. “The people in Manhattan, though, were just beside them-selves because it was pretty bad this year. It was shocking to see the reactions from my coworkers at work. They weren’t anticipat-ing such a bad storm.”

David Roa: Wall Street

David Roa, cousin of Natalie Ruffner ‘14, has been through several hurricanes before Hurricane Sandy. Roa, who grew up in Florida, has experienced Category 4 and 5 hurricanes with much higher winds than Sandy had when it hit New York City, where Roa now lives.

“The hurricane itself wasn’t that bad,”

After making landfall in the U.S., Hurri-cane Sandy caused damage throughout the East Coast, causing an estimated $55 billion in damages. Although Hurricane Sandy did not directly hit LT, the storm affected many LT alumni and family members of students and staff.

Houses and streets are flooded with four to five feet of water from Hurricane Sandy in Mana-hawkin, NJ. (Kathy Redling)

Source: nationalgeographic.com

Oct. 26: The storm strengthened to almost a Category 3 hurricane with 110 mph winds as it passed through Cuba.

Oct. 27: Sandy weakened to a tropical depression but quickly returned to a Category 1 hurricane.

Oct. 28: Still a Category 1 hurricane, Sandy turned toward the northwest and started heading towards major cities on the East Coast.

Oct. 29, 8 p.m.: Sandy became a post-tropical storm and hit New Jersey and New York. The full moon and high tide caused extensive flooding. Forty-eight people died in New York and 24 people died in New Jersey because of the storm.

Oct. 30: The storm weakened and moved away from New York.

Oct. 30: The storm dissipated over western Pennsylvania.

Oct. 24: Sandy became a Category 1 hurri-cane and crossed Jamaica. Haiti and the Do-minican Republic received 20 inches of rain. More than 50 people died in flooding and mudslides in Haiti.

Sandy’sPath

Roa said. “What was bad was the fact that all the winds were blowing the tides higher, and that made the water rise higher in New York City.”

The strong winds and the storm hitting the city at high tide combined to cause ex-tensive flooding throughout lower Manhat-tan. The wind was initially blowing from the south but switched directions, causing wa-ter to be funneled from both directions and flood Manhattan, Roa said.

“They called it the ‘perfect storm,’” Roa said. “Everything was going so wrong be-cause of the high tide and the wind, where it was blowing in the exact direction [to flood Manhattan].”

The flooding and loss of power caused businesses and subways in lower Manhattan to close after the storm. Northern Manhat-tan, however, was not affected as much.

“Lower Manhattan [was] completely des-olate,” he said. “There [was] no one there. There [was] no power below 34th Street, so when you [crossed] 34th Street, it [was] like another world.”

The power outage in lower Manhattan caused Roa’s work on Wall Street to shut down for two days following the storm. This was the first time that Wall Street has closed due to weather since 1985.

Hurricane Sandy was different from the hurricanes Roa witnessed in Florida because New York City is not built to withstand strong storms.

“In Florida, anything below a Category 3 you wouldn’t even worry about at all,” he said. “In Florida all the homes are built to hurricane code, so there’s no real concern about the strong winds destroying things be-sides trees getting blown away.”

Waves from Sandy forced residents to evacuate. More photos of the storm can be found on lionnewspaper.com. (Kathy Redling)

Hurricane Sandy began as a tropical depression in the southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Nicaragua on Oct. 22. Here is a timeline of Sandy’s nine days of destruction:

Page 6: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

NEWSFriday, November 16, 2012 Page 6

“There are so many fishies swimming inside of me.”

-Jeff MacDonald ‘13

Random Chatter Random Chatter“What if instead of gaining weight in your body you just gained weight in your face?”

-Ben Lafontaine, U.S. History teacher

This Fall was marked by not only a neck-and-neck election race and a devastat-ing Hurricane Sandy, but also many other notable news stories that made our jaws drop and our hearts sing. Yep, Adam and Ben are quite the thespians. Any-ways, get ready to be filled in. Welcome to The Breakdown.

compiled by Adam Conrath and Ben Schaefer

Sources: cnn.com, mctcampus.com, technabob.com

Good Luck LionsBest wishes from

Dr. Joseph KiziorOrthodontist

Clear and metal braces - Invisilign

20% reduction from regular fee with presenation of this advertisement

Call - (708)-246-1000

Oct. 23 - The U.S. Navy announced that the U.S. is just two years away from the deployment of laser weapons to the armed forces. Now we just need to learn the Force and we can take over the galaxy.

Oct. 27 – Hurricane Sandy ripped through the East Coast, caus-ing 170 fatalities and more than $50 billion in damages.

Oct. 31 – Disney buys LucasArts for $4.05 billion. If that wasn’t bad enough, Disney is set on adding three more installments to the Star Wars saga. We wouldn’t be surprised if the main character is Jar Jar.

Oct. 31 – Green Party pres-idential candidate Jill Stein was arrested for criminally trespassing on a Texas property, while delivering fresh food and Halloween candy to a group of pro-testing tree-huggers.

Nov. 1 – Free at last! – but not quite. Two would-be Mexican immigrants fled from border patrol after their plan to drive a Jeep over a makeshift ramp came to a screeching halt in midair.

Nov. 6 - Barack Obama beat out Mitt Romney in the 2012 election. Obama wins with 332 electoral votes to Romney’s 206.

Nov. 6 - Colorado and Washington legalized recre-ational marijuana after passing sepa-rete referendums.

This year marked the third consecutive year LT has held the Veter-an’s Day Assembly. Veterans and students alike honored the men and women who have served our country in the armed forces a

week ago on Friday Nov. 9. (Sara Nutley/LION)

Page 7: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

Since launching in the fall of 2010, Instagram has steadily grown in popular-ity, earning itself a concrete place in our social media-centric minds. Now, do not get me wrong; I love Instagram, and am an avid Instagrammer myself. However, I am growing increasingly concerned as I watch an original photo-sharing app being turned into an annoying experi-ence, overpopulated with the middle-

school-girl type of users. So, allow me to address the issues and the “do’s and do not’s” of Instagram.

First off, we must remember one thing: Instagram is supposed to allow you to share your life, through photos; therefore, if you must type it and then screen shot it in order to post it…you really should not be posting it. If you find yourself at the Statue of Liberty and the clouds look cool behind it, then, by all means, post a picture of it. But if you’re alone in your room on a Saturday night, feeling rather aphoristic and decide to type a quote into your notepad, please, keep it to yourself. I do not care. Seriously, I don’t.

While we’re on the topic of not caring, let’s talk about food, specifically the food pictures people aimlessly post, cluttering up my newsfeed. I am just as in love with my delicious meals as the next person, but Instagram is not your personal Weight Watchers diary; I do not need to see every single meal you eat, and more importantly, I really do not want to see it. So, to you food-posters, I say this: eat that Chipotle burrito, but please do not force me to acknowledge your caloric over-indulgence on a thrice daily basis.

I will leave you with a question and beg that you keep it in your mind as you click the Instagram icon: to post or not to post? For the sanity of the Instagram community, I ask that you consider the necessity of your posts—one picture of your cat is fine, but three is excessive; one con-cert photo is cool, but four are annoying; and one picture of you and your significant other is what it is, but one every single day is not only annoying but makes me hope for nothing more than an end to your relationship.

So, to those who respect their fellow Instagrammers, I thank you; to those of you who are guilty of the afore-mentioned, I challenge you to change your ways before we all unfollow you.

OPINIONSFriday, November 16, 2012 Page 7

Write in and make your voice heard 100 S. Brainard Ave., La Grange, Ill. 60525 LION reserves the right to edit all letters

PhotoOpinion

“Tickets to the National Quail Classic, where my sis and I dress like quails.”

Catherine King ‘14

Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore, what would you sell?

English teacher Ryan Darrah

Patricia Stamatelos ‘15

Letters to the Editor give you an opportunity to participate in LION. So write us a com-

ment, compliment or complaint today.

Get it published in the paper! Submit any opinionated piece as a freelancer and you

may see your work in our next issue.

Write us a letter! Want your opinion heard?

What?!?! The Grid’s on page seven now? And in color?? You better believe it LT, now we canall appreciate in full color the glory that is the “Dom Face” (Dominic Faust ‘13).

PageSevenGrid

GuestColumn

compiled by Malcolm Dunlop

Sally Glowiak ‘13

“My civil liberties.”

LionLadies

Diana Kafkes ‘16

The following situation is fictional. If you have any general topics you’d like to see us cover, send us a message on Facebook!

Dear Lion Ladies,

So my boo and I have been going steady since he caught my eye during last year’s anti-bullying assembly. The way he looked at me across the field house made me believe he’d always stand up for my heart. I was right! Since it’s been a few months, I’d like to do something a little special to show him he’s what I’m thank-ful for this Thanksgiving. Any ideas?

Help a sister out,Puzzled Pilgrim

Dear Puzzled,

Nothing says I love you like a full stom-ach and a well-planned, themed dinner. Get your bonnet ready! We’re going Mayflower style. Let’s start by making this little date as formal as possible. Start off with a witty invitation, maybe a cute letter saying something like, “Hey sweet potato, join me for a dinner Squanto couldn’t beat?” Next on your agenda is cooking. We’re going to assume this dinner will be pre or post-Thanks-giving day, so try to dish out a remixed version of the classic cuisine. Roast turkey? You’re better than that; think turkey ten-ders. The more creative the better. A pilgrim

Joe Halpin

An open letter to Instagrammers by Lia Kass and Maggie O’Brien

dress is essential, along with a selec-tion of native clothing for him to wear as well. Also, don’t forget to carry out the theme throughout the night. We suggest not talking; the Native Amer-icans and Pilgrims couldn’t talk about their grade in Calc, heck, they didn’t even speak the same language, so why should you? Lastly, finish the day off with some thoughtful gifts. Fill a cornucopia with some pictures and memories of the two of you. While rummag-ing through some gourds, photos, baby corn and tickets from your first concert together, he’ll really get the thankful message. Good luck, and easy on the gravy. No one loves a chunky pilgrim.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your scrumptiousa darling!Lion Ladies

You have to eat a Thanksgiving dinner with one family that isn’t your own, who

do you choose?

What would you name your hurricane?

______ mom has got it going on.

Most revealing Halloween costume you saw this year?

Dominic Faust ‘13

Cashie Rohaly ‘13

Lucas Van Nest ‘14

Aidan Van Nest ‘15

Avery Millard ‘16

My real family of Anders, Adam and Blake

from Workaholics.

The Bluths from Arrested Development. I would chant “speech” until everyone joined in.

Hurricane Hipster: once everyone else knows about it, it becomes really mainstream.

Leonardo Dicaprio’s (whatever “it” is, it cre-

ated Leo...hubba hubba).

A ghost. I saw right through him, is that dress code? (I love myself and I

hate myself).

Max and Jack Florek’s ‘14 mom. Rohandra.

Alex Griffin’s ‘14 [ed note: I’m getting the

impression that you might have a thing for moms.]

Matt Mohler’s ‘14 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

“Seashells...”

“Milkshakes to bring all the boys to the yard.”

The Osbourne’s, because I’ve never eaten

bat before.Hurricane Inigo Montoya. Stewie’s.

Mine. I wore a hat. It revealed my laziness. And

my good taste in hats.

Hurricane Bang Bang. Next question.

My [ed note: Agreed.]

The Kardashian’s, I’d love to see them all in the same room at the

same time.

College years Barack Obama.

Hurricane Booty Booty so people could yell

“Hurricane Booty Booty rockin’ everywhere.”

C.C. Holbert’s ‘14. My cat’s cat costume...

“Pancakes with Gillian Dunlop ‘15.”

Page 8: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

OPINIONS

Our Position: The new race-based achievement testing goals in states like Florida and Virginia are overtly racist pol-icies that provide no benefits to students and exist solely as a pretext for government offi-cials to cover-up their inability

to help minority students.

“I hate Thoreau. He makes me want to Thoreau-up.” - Cara Cicarelli ‘14

“Can I bring my own cat for the cat dissection?” - Charlie Withington ‘14

Random Chatter Random Chatter

Friday, November 16, 2012 n Page 8

AnotherView

LIONOpen ForumThe opinion section of Lion is a public forum. Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the editor are the opinions of individuals. Letters to the editor must be signed and represent only the views of the signed writer.

EditorialsEditorials represent the collective opinion of the entire Lion staff. The idea for the staff editorial will come from the Opinions Editor or suggestions of the other editors and staff members. One writer will compose each editorial. The staff’s vote on the issue will be published with the editorial in the newspaper.

AdvertisingDisplay advertising rates begin at $30 with optional discounts available. Call (708) 579-6403 between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. for further information.

Subscriptions Yearly subscriptions can be purchased for $10.

Lion 2012-13 StaffMaryCate Most, Editor-in-chiefBrian McDonagh, Managing EditorJoe Halpin, Art DirectorBen Schaefer, Adam Conrath, News EditorsElaine Smith, Assistant News EditorMalcolm Dunlop, Opinions EditorTim Goldrick, Sports EditorSteven Campbell, Assistant Sports EditorMary Clare Flaherty, Katie Norton-Williams, Pulse EditorsKristen Wuerl, Assistant Pulse EditorBen Larson, Web Content EditorLia Kass, Web Media Editor Sam Ridge, Siri Yelamanchili, Head Copy EditorsKatie Grier, Assistant Copy EditorMaggie O’Brien, Business ManagerSara Nutley, Photo EditorJohn Balch, Aly Buffett, Mikaela Coleman, Gabbie Gresge, Olivia Griffin, Dayna Larson, Mia Mologousis ReportersZack Zlevor, IllustratorJason Scales, AdvisorNik Gallicchio, Faculty Assistant

November 16, 2012 n volume 103, Issue 3

The Voice of Lyons Township Students Since 1910

CoNtaCt via e-mail: [email protected] n 708/579-6403 n 100 s. braiNard, lagraNge, ill. 60525

Drawing the line

Flunking the system

Staff vote: 25-1

National Honor Society (NHS) is an ac-ademic based, service-oriented program provided by LT for juniors and seniors. Not only does a member have to maintain high academic status, but they also have to be avid service workers in the local communi-ty and school. However, the term “service” has been taken lightly in years past by NHS, and is in need of a formal definition. LION believes that service should be directed to-wards making the community and school district a better place by participating in activities and events that one would not usually participate in. A line needs to be clearly drawn so that service hours are not mistaken with basic activity hours; these include board positions in student organi-zations and athletic training, in particular.

In order to be inducted completely into NHS, a member must be ini-tially inducted after a rigor-ous application process. They must then achieve 15 hours of community service, min-imum, in order to become a full NHS member their senior year. Last year, the highest scoring member received more than 500 hours of com-munity service from being an athletic trainer, followed by the past Student Council President who received more than 100 hours from Student Council events.

It is great that these two individuals served their school by making sure athletes stay healthy and that student events were entertaining and ran smoothly, but are their activities really worthy of being counted as LION’s definition of service? What did they really contribute to making the com-munity a better place, by counting work they would already be doing as service?

Becoming an NHS member is not just about making sure to meet the min-

Illustration by Zach Zlevor

Imagine a 100-meter dash run by four athletes each representing one ethnic-ity. Although all competitors begin at the same line, the Asian-American run-ner has to run the full race, the Cau-casian runner 98 meters, the Hispanic runner 91 meters and the African-Amer-ican runner has to run just 84 meters.

If this seems to you like an unjustifiably prejudiced method for organizing some-thing that ought to be a simple evaluation of talent, welcome to the public school systems of Florida and Virginia, where the definition of passing and failing will now be partially determined by the student’s ethnicity.

In the United States, education is supposed to be the great equalizer. Unfortunately, it would now appear that equality is be-ing evaluated on an adjusted scale. Anyone with com-mon sense realizes that excluding all other socioeconomic factors, one’s race has absolutely no bearing on what one can and can’t achieve. This begs the question: why should the school systems of Florida and Virginia be allowed to degrade ethnic mi-norities by effectively telling them that their potential is less than that of a white student?

Some will argue that socioeconomic fac-tors can’t be taken out of consideration, that the fact of the matter is that many minori-ties are so economically disadvantaged from the start, it will naturally take them longer to catch up. Thus, the standards they are held to must be adjusted accordingly. While that might sound all well and good, anoth-er fact is that lowering expectations will do nothing to raise the scores of underperform-

ing demographics. If anything, lowering standards will foster a sense of both compla-cency within a system that no longer has to worry about these students failing in record numbers, and disgust within ethnic commu-nities that rightfully see this as a government ordained insult to their intelligence (don’t believe us? Check out the reactions of His-panic families living within Florida to the new standards. It isn’t pretty). We feel that former Florida Governor and education re-former Jeb Bush put it best when he stated in no uncertain terms that “you don’t close an achievement gap by institutionalizing it.”

Although the politi-cians responsible for the new standards defend themselves with words like “pragmatic” and “re-alistic,” a more accurate term would be “cow-ards.” It is not a secret that these officials, mo-tivated by fear of failing No Child Left Behind standards, have lowered their own expectations in an effort to preserve

their reputations. This is wrong on both political and moral levels. There are oth-er methods of bridging the achievement gap, such as rewarding traditionally poor-ly performing schools that make substan-tial gains even if they aren’t quite at ideal levels, that don’t resort to divvying up kids by race and setting goals accordingly.

Telling ethnic minorities that they aren’t every bit as capable as affluent children is a despicable way to cover up systematic failure by adults, and ultimately, we here at LION are a little confused as to why our nation responds with outrage when Arizona police officers are legally allowed to racially pro-file minorities, but says little when schools in Florida and Virginia do the same thing.

Our Position: There should be a more de-

fined set of acceptable terms of service for

NHS members; certain clubs and activities,

like athletic, training should not be included.

StaffEditorials

Illustration by Zack Zlevorimum hour requirement, but it is more about diving into the community and ex-periencing new aspects of service that would otherwise fall to the wayside. Sit-ting in the trainers’ room after school every day and bandaging some injured players does not fall under this criteria.

“I always thought the service aspect of NHS is intended for people to do some-thing out of the ordinary, making a dif-ference out in their community, rather than doing something that they would have to do as an athletic trainer or club member even if they weren’t in NHS,” past NHS member Brian Fox ‘12 said.

NHS needs to take a look at its rules and regulations and spell out exactly what needs to be done, and a list of acceptable activities to use as hours for induction.

“I think it’s fair that they get some hours for it,” current NHS member Taylor Bastyr ‘13 said. “But I think there should be some kind of ceiling.”

Another issue that comes to the forefront of the situation is fairness. Do cer-tain people have advantag-es over others just because

they joined the right club or association? “I can see both sides of it,” current

NHS member Brendan Connelly ‘13 said. “It’s not really that fair because peo-ple get to use their extra-curriculars as NHS hours while most others don’t have the time they put into extra-curriculars count. But then again they are serving the school and volunteering, so those hours shouldn’t be completely discredited.”

There are many sides to this argument; however, the only aspect that remains clear is that there needs to be a change to the NHS hour policy, and it needs to happen soon.

Page 9: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

OPINIONSRandom Chatter Random Chatter

Friday, November 16, 2012 n Page 9

Black Friday: savvy shopping or orgy of American consumerism?

Malcolm’sSoapbox

CounterPoint

Malcolm Dunlop

This year, do you plan on shopping on Black Friday?

Do you think Americans should continue to celebrate Black Friday?

Have you gone Black Friday shopping in the past?

Who does Black Friday benefit the most?

Yes

54%

Ben Schaefer

Aly Buffett

PointBlack Friday is a bloodbath

Get ready, get set, get shopping

PawsDown

PawsUp

For all of the underclassmen, I know that you can only dream of the wonders of being 18. I can vote. I can enter into contracts. I can develop lifelong and potentially lethal addictions to smoking and/or gambling. Ok, maybe turning 18 is one of life’s more meaningless mile-stones, but I will say, it has gotten me

thinking about a few activities that some of my classmates might be just a tad too old to enjoy.

Let’s start with the obvious: show of hands, how many girls went to a pump-

kin patch this fall? All of you? Yeah, I thought so. Look, I don’t care how nostalgic hayrides, scarecrows, and little kids literally throwing up with excite-ment makes you. Imagine telling college admissions officers that your weekends consist of going to a place that most 7-year-olds consider themselves too mature for. I understand that you need a killer profile picture, because I mean, it totally defines you as a person, but there has to be a better alternative to hiking around dirty farmland for upwards of three hours.

And while we’re on the subject of October traditions, we can’t really ignore the childhood rite that is most frequently abused by fully grown teen-agers: trick-or-treating. I think “Mean Girls” put it best in effectively saying that there comes a time in a young per-son’s life when Halloween stops being the one night a year when it’s OK to take candy from strangers, and becomes a competition to see who can wear the most indecent version of the costume you wore when you actually went trick-or-treating. When I see guys my age show up on my doorstep on Oct. 31, I’m tempted to hand out draft registration forms in lieu of candy. Granted my parents go out on Halloween, but I’m pretty sure that’s because it’s the only night when the Western Springs Police Department relaxes its “no open con-tainers of alcohol” ordinance, so I’m not going to hold it against them.

Now I wish I could say the pro-longed attachment to childhood niceties ended in October, but this isn’t the case. Less than a week from now is the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and if you’re still getting up at the crack of dawn to watch it, please tell me you have some sort weird crush on Meredith Vieira. You might think I’m cynical for saying this, but hear me out. No one has a stronger affinity for the parade than me. In 2001, I was a proud participant aboard the first float, Tom the Turkey (dressed in a full wildcat suit no less. Ok, maybe I’m a little bitter). So while I appreciate the significance of the parade, the fact remains that if you’re past the age when it’s acceptable to watch Kermit the Frog videos, it’s equally bad to watch him perform in Times Square on Thanksgiving morning. I think it’s fair to say that the nostalgia of watching Santa roll down through Rockefeller Center and into Macy’s should probably end when you realize that “Santa” is actually a balding, over-weight middle-aged man who probably lost his job in the recession. I should also probably inform you that liter-ally the entire cast of Miracle on 34th street is dead, so don’t even think about defending yourself by saying that you’re just a really, really dedicated fan of Mir-acle on 34th street.

Turning 18 means you’ve reached an age where you’re supposed to be learning how to act like an adult, so stop clinging to the teat of childhood fantasy, and face grownup reality. Obviously, I’m exaggerating a little bit with my criticism of childhood obsessions that persist for too long, but I really do think that if you’re still watching the Macy’s Parade, you should also watch the news occasionally. Besides, you can always return to “kid time” if and when you decide to start your own family.

“I think I’m hobo-phobic.” - Miranda O’Brenski ‘15

“I’m having a food baby... Its name is Dorito Cookie Pretzel.” -Randie Speir ‘13

nto Aaron Samu-els’ hair–it looks sexy pushed back.

nto eating younger sibling’s Hallow-een candy–all the benefits, none of the work.

nto Snapchat–so you’re saying I can send all the selfies I want with no repercussions? Sign me up.

nto teachers who make empty

threats–oh, there’s a pop quiz if we don’t stop talking in class? Sure there is...

nto wearing elastic pants on Thanks-giving–go ahead, judge me.

nto Peyton Man-ning buying 21 Papa John’s fran-chises just weeks before marijuana legalization in Colorado–he’s a quarterback and a businessman.

nto people who share Snuggies–just not in public, ok?

nto not getting a day off of school for Veteran’s Day– un-American and unacceptable, LT.

nto being the worst one in gym volleyball–I just want to be on the top court one time.

nto daylight savings time–I liked mid-night better when it wasn’t at 4:30.

nto Almond Joys–more like Almond Agonies.

nto not knowning what to put on your Christmas list–the first world problem to end all other first world problems.

nto couples that dressed up like each other on Halloween–you know that’s what stalkers do, right?

nto Taylor Swift–we are never, ever ever listen-ing to your music again.

LION polled 249 students about their Black Friday shopping habits, and it looks as if no one is in a rush to eliminate the tradition.

elderly employees, children and pregnant women getting crushed by crazed shoppers in search of a 30 percent discount on a “must-have” gift. More frequent are the fights that break out among shop-pers, as in the case of last year’s Black Friday where a mother of two broke out pepper spray to get a leg-up in her search for an Xbox.

I was never a fan of Christmas shopping to begin with, but you’d have to pay me to step foot in the Hunger Games-esque brawl that is Black Friday shopping. But maybe I’m one of the minority. Last year over 226 million people went shopping during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to the National Retail Federation, with the highest number of shoppers on Black Friday, the busiest commercial day of the year. But what’s the rush?

The night of Thanksgiving should be reserved for watching football, spending time with family and loosening your belt after you realize that last bite was one too many, not using that belt to choke out any fellow lunatics unfortunate enough to be next to you in line for Wal-Mart Gone Wild.

So do yourself a favor, and stay in this Black Friday. Skip out on the cage match and find some-thing productive to do, because a tug-of-war match over the last item on the shelf definitely isn’t the best way to work off those extra turkey day pounds you just put on. Santa’s always watching, so maybe keep your inner shopping animal inside the cage.

In the last couple of years, Black Friday has become a holiday tradition as celebrated as turkey

bowls, trick-or-treating or LION’s Yankee Swap gift exchange (yes, I love my broken, used magic set). But who’s to say all traditions are good? Case and point – the Schae-fer family Easter egg hunt that annually gives way to pushing, yelling and for the first time last year, my ejection. But any carnage from my backyard pales in com-

parison to the bloodbath that Black Friday shop-ping has become.

As soon as Thanksgiving plates are licked clean, storefronts across the country get stampeded by mobs lined around the block and pounding at the doors, waiting for the gates to open at absurdly scheduled times, beginning as early as midnight. And once the floodgates get opened, there’s no way to hold back the wave of insanity that possesses these shoppers.

There are countless tales and even YouTube clips of crowds trampling people underfoot in the mad-dash for discount items. In 2008, a 34-year-old Wal-Mart employee was killed by the first wave of shoppers who ignored the intervention of other workers, saying they were cold and sick of waiting. Nothing kicks off the season of giving like

As Americans pick the last bit of turkey from their teeth, they prepare for the next big holiday - Black Friday. Black Friday is the post-Thanksgiving holiday where stores open early and lure customers in with big discounts. This is an American tradition

that deserves to be celebrated, so eat your meal a little earlier, and get ready to shop.

It’s no secret that the economy is less than perfect, so why would Americans oppose a Holiday that helps the economy? In terms of sell-outs, no other day can rival Black Friday. A strong Black Friday turnout can jump start a

successful holiday sales season. Healthy holiday sales allow retailers to get rid of their inventory without undercutting their profit. Stores are able to make an income, keeping them out of the red and the American economy strong. Don’t believe me? Well, last year Black Friday’s total sales reached an estimated $52.4 billion, the National Retail Federa-tion reported. With the economy failing, workers are laid off. These workers have families, who want to cele-brate the holidays. Black Friday allows these fam-ilies to afford the holidays they deserve. Retailers

are offering fantastic bargains that allow the dollar to stretch and give struggling families opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. Black Friday embodies the American tradition of bargain hunting. The tradition of searching for that perfect price started in the depths of the depression and soon became necessary for survival. At the same time, in an effort to jump-start the economy, president Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanks-giving to earlier in the month in order to allow for a longer holiday shopping season. People love the heritage, family bonding time, and seasonal event. This event is so enjoyable that up to 152 million shoppers are expected to shop on Black Friday, according to the National Retail Federation. So, why not join them? Just because Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that shopping over-shadows the traditional meal. Thanksgiving involves countless hours with extended family, watching football, devouring a feast and the annual family fights. Black Friday consists of a couple hours so, get in line, shop and go home. Black Friday shopping can’t even compare to the extrava-gant Thanksgiving meal. So, snap out of that Thanksgiving food coma, and embrace the tradition of Black Friday.

Grow Up

Yes34%

Maybe24%

No42%

Yes67%

No33%

No51%

Yes49%

Retailers and Ameri-can people 47%

The retailers 36%

American people 12%

Someone or some-thing else5%

Page 10: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

SPORTSFriday, November 16, 2012 n Page 10

Indiana University is back on top of the col-lege basketball world. Behind Center Tyler

Zeller, they are ranked first.

Hoosier redemption Parker watchJabari Parker of Simeon fell to the second best recruit of the 2013 class. Andrew Wig-

gins surpassed him this summer.

As if the NCAA had not done enough by kicking off the 2011-2012 season with the North Carolina-Michi-gan State aircraft carrier game, this year the NCAA featured four games on U.S. aircraft carriers.

Now believe me, I’m extremely patriotic and nothing says thank you to the few and proud that sacrifice their time for our country quite like playing in honor of their service. But, isn’t one game enough?

Yet, this is just the least of the asso-ciation’s worries. Between recently upping the ante on eligibility require-

ments and uncovering scandalous recruiting violations years after they happen, the NCAA has simply lost its con-trol and sanity.

As of late, the NCAA’s eligibility deci-sions have thoroughly impacted basketball

as we are yet to hear the fate of UCLA star recruit Shabazz Muhammad. His suspension’s length is not yet decided, but he’ll be out this week. Why him? If you ask me, they’re wasting their time out west when they should be focused in Kentucky. Although John Calipari’s latest recruit Nerlens Noel was deemed eligible, I’ll be the first to accuse Calipari of illegal recruiting.

On a better note, I must applaud the NCAA for its continued efforts to make academics the most central aspect of an athlete’s time in college. An NCAA Senior Policy Advisor made the NCAA’s most admirable statement in years when he said that they should simply change the currently used term “student-ath-lete” to student.

Also, as many of you may have noticed, EA Sports, the company that designs the NCAA basketball and foot-ball video games, does not use player names for their games. Thankfully, the NCAA has fought to ensure that this policy will remain intact. These games glorify the students’ abilities on the playing fields and by doing this they take away the significance of their roles as students.

But, at the end of the day the NCAA simply cannot contain the system that has overcome them, as many aspiring athletes simply take a college scholar-ship as their lottery ticket to becoming professional athletes. While the NCAA’s new eligibility rules certainly hope to curb the overwhelming numbers of unqualified students, they cannot stop these hopeful athletes.

The new policy, which will not be enacted until Aug. 1, 2016, raises the GPA standard for eligibility from 2.00 to 2.30. According to an article on ESPN.com, only 43.1 percent of the students who enrolled in 2009-2010 to play bas-ketball at the Division I level would be eligible with these improved standards.

However, the new policy also allows students that meet the old 2.00 standard to become academic redshirts for one year. This policy is absurd. The NCAA is enabling schools to take on academically ineligible students and allowing them to earn scholarships. This process encour-ages more students to feel that grades are not important.

In addition, to be eligible, athletes must also maintain this GPA in 16 core classes during their high school years. So you’re telling me that students deserve a chance to compete at a higher level and should be given a free education, after hardly scraping by high school taking a mere 16 classes? I’m sorry, but that is just pitiful.

I’m all for ambitious athletes having the opportunity to take their skill to the professional level, but it’s time for aca-demics to become a focus in the process as well. In the end, their chances to lock in a contract with a professional team are anything but favorable. Education must be central to the experience of col-lege athletes and it is the duty of these athletes to realize it.

NCAATroublesIntramural soccer kicks offBragging rights up for grab in this year’s competitionby Tim Goldrick

Pure passion, sweat-stained jerseys and poorly executed celebrations have returned to the pitch, also known as the NC fieldhouse. The dream of capturing the intramural soccer crown is once again alive in the halls of Lyons Township. Intramural soccer is not just a way to escape homework and nagging mothers. Intramural soccer isn’t social hour or amateur hour, it is a time for the best athletes school-wide to shine. The widely-regarded “high-light of the year” takes place once a week. The season runs from mid-November to early February and is sure to provide an endurance test for all players. Here’s your annual run-down of what to expect to see:

Excitement and pride overwhelmed the seven juniors and seniors representing the boys cross country team when they received their state trophy. On Nov. 3, the boys team placed third in the Class 3A division at state, an honor they haven’t enjoyed since 2003 when they last placed in the top three. Additionally, Michael Matusiak ‘13 and Ryan Speir ‘13 were honored to receive all-state honors after placing 11th and 17th in state respectively.

“It felt surreal,” Matusiak said. “I can’t even put it in words. The coaches and team were laughing at me because I was just smiling the entire time.”

Everyone on the team was thrilled with their performance, as they all accomplished their goal. Last year, after placing a disappointing 15th, Varsity Coach Mike Danner decided that their objective for 2012 was to place in the top three, Speir said. Joined by Matusiak, Dan Lupano ‘14, Mike Accetura ‘13, James Ryan ‘14, Henry Hostettler ‘14, and Cody Riesterer ‘13, the boys all ran some of their fastest times and contributed to the team’s top finish.

As for personal goals, everyone beat their records by approximately 20 seconds, Ryan said. Matusiak beat his previous best time by 24 sec-onds after running three miles in 14:38, while Speir had his personal record of 14:43, helping them each earn the award of all-state runners.

“The all-state title is a distinction,” Speir said. “Most kids have to run 700 plus miles and I know that our team ran over 1,300 miles during the season. Really, it comes down to hard work. I was pleased

with my performance, and I achieved both my goals: to run under 15 and get all-state.”

Matusiak was equally content and thrilled to have done his best.“Last year, I ran a 15:32 at the state meet and I wasn’t happy because

I felt like I let the team down,” Matusiak said. “I was very pleased this year.”

In the future, Matusiak and Speir both plan on running, and are looking into it for college. After four years on the team, their last meet was a great way to end their LT career. The returning juniors hope to continue their success and even have hope of placing second next year, Ryan said.

Boys cross country places third at stateWith contributions from two all-state runners, team places on podium, earns trophyby Katie Grier

Basketball is a sport that values discipline, speed and teamwork. Perhaps most of all, bas-ketball values height. While many values can be coached and instilled in players, height is one crucial element of a team completely out of the coach’s hands- and this year, for boys varsity basketball coach Tom Sloan, height is on his side.

In comparison to last year’s squad, which contained several starters under 6-feet tall, Sloan expects a—literally—bigger turnout at this year’s tryouts.

“This year’s team will have more size than last year,” he said. “Hopefully, that will help us compete against bigger teams.”

While not as tall as the 2010 season’s team, which was comprised almost completely of players 6-foot-5 and higher, Sloan said that

this year’s group has a lot of potential both physically and athletically, especially in light of the imposing conference schedule looming ahead.

“There’s a bunch of good teams out there- especially Hinsdale Central, York and OPRF,” prospective guard Harrison Neigo ‘15 said. “They all have returning players, and will all be very experienced.”

To counter these senior-stacked teams, Sloan’s ammunition includes returning 6-foot-3 forward Christopher O’Reilly ‘13, who was awarded honorable mention all-con-ference as a junior. Going into the Nov. 5 and 6 tryouts, O’Reilly remains confident.

“We should be good this year,” O’Reilly said. “Our goal is definitely to win conference and to do well in the playoffs.”

While many younger team members look to returning senior leaders such as O’Reilly and Jarryd Heath ‘13, Neigo says that the squad relies heavily on the leadership of Sloan.

“He pushes us and brings out the best in

us,” he said. “He’s an example for us because he works hard himself he’ll prepare us for what’s to come.”

Just weeks after tryouts, the first test of the team’s combined height, experience and leadership will manifest itself in the form of the LT Thanksgiving Tournament beginning Nov. 21, as the Lions host Argo at home. The tournament continues with appearances from Morton and Fenwick.

As the season picks up, the Lions’ schedule is expected to become increasingly exciting and difficult. Jan. 11 brings the Hinsdale Cen-tral devils to the NC Fieldhouse, and the next day sends the team to the United Center to take on Prospect. Pack the Place is set for Jan. 26 against conference favorite York.

Despite having to jump quickly into the season, Sloan remains positive.

“I think this is going to be a fun year and a fun group to work with,” he said. “It will be an exciting team with an exciting brand of bas-ketball that people will come see play.”

Boys basketball season bouncing backTeam looks forward to strong season, start with LT invite by Gabbie Gresge

Ryan Speir ‘13 and Michael Matusiak ‘13 attempting to catch the leader at the state meet. LT boys came in third place. (Dayna Larson/LION)

Top: Frankie Kocimski ‘14 controls the ball at soccer intramurals last year. (Rachel Schwabe/LION)

Steven Campbell

TOP CONTENDER: Jam Boys United

LONG SHOT: FC & Hat Tricks

DARK HORSE: Team Awesome

The Facts: Finishing second in the league has made War Eagles FC starving for the title. The extreme hunger has forced War Eagles FC to pick up free agents like Matthew Harris ‘13, but the key lies in its three varsity soccer players’ hands. Will the War Eagles finally learn to fly?

The Player: Midfielder Jack Thomas ‘13The Quote: “We got six guys willing to play

with two broken feet if they have to,” mid-fielder Sean Robertson ‘13 said. “War Eagles has trained through the offseason, and we are ready to make a statement.”

The Facts: Named after a quirky British Empire tradition in which golfers rub jelly on their face to prevent malaria, the Jam Boys

United have speed, finesse and females. With five varsity soccer players, it will be interest-ing to see how chemistry and set pieces fit into their plan. They are the only contender who feature females. Do the Jam Boys have enough jelly to protect them from the Eagles?

The Player: Defender Ari Kowalski ‘13The Quote: “Let’s get serious for a moment,”

captain Shafin Khan ‘13 said. “Legends are made in this league. War Eagles FC are not a championship team. Brett Heimerdinger ‘13 put together a joke of a team. Weakest defense in the league. I’d like to see them stop me.”

The Facts: After being new to competition during the 2011-2012 season, Team Awesome now holds precious experience that’s helpful in pushing them to victory during grueling matches. Losing several one-goal games last year broke the heart of fans everywhere. This year they will need to finish. Can Team Awe-some put awe in some of the War Eagles play-ers’ minds?

The Player: Striker Jake Elliott ‘13The Quote: “People say I’m the best intra-

mural goalie in the state right now,” goalie Pat Kelley ‘13 said. “You can’t beat us if you don’t score right?”

The Facts: Clever names won’t get you anywhere in this league. Toughness is essen-tial, and FCHT are the rookies of this league. Intramural soccer is like the NBA: young teams rarely win. While undoubtedly tal-ented, FCHT seems to have a near impossible road ahead. Will they even score three goals all season?

The Player: Striker Kevin Kokaska ‘14The Quote: “For all the haters out there,”

Dani Mastropietro ‘14 said, “Audrey Anfield ‘13 put up 32 goals last season and won all-American as a freshman. That’s good recruiting if you ask me.”

This season has potential to go down in the anals of intramural history. Twenty-four teams in four divisions will compete for the glory of being the intramural soccer cham-pions of the year. There is more on the line than ever, the bragging rights are overwhelm-ing. While the future champion is yet to be decided, one thing is clear: the teams all have 99 problems, but a kick is surely not one.

FAVORITE: War Eagles FC

Page 11: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

SPORTSFriday, November 16, 2012 n Page 11

In his first year as Chicago White Sox man-ager, Robin Ventura was nominated for

American League Manager of the year.

Marvelous managing Missing burgersJoakim Noah fired up a three pointer with time winding down to try and win free Big-

Macs for the crowd. Sadly, he missed.

It’s almost Thanksgiving! While celebrating the feast, don’t forget to watch the thrilling NFL games. Here are the sports guys’ predictions:

Gobble! At least it’s not

a turkey-skin!

Football’s run ends in quarterfinalsThree-seed Mt. Carmel creates fumbles in second half against 15-seed Lionsby Steven Campbell

Matthew Harris ‘13 prepares to run his pattern in the 45-10 loss against Mt. Carmel. Harris was a three-year varsity receiver and cornerback and will be playing for Northwestern next year. (Dayna Larson/LION)

After taking the odyssey to the suburbs of St. Louis and defeating O’Fallon handily 42-27, the Lions soon realized they would have a rematch against the team, Mt. Carmel, that put an end to their playoff hopes in 2010. But, this time it would be played on LT’s home turf.

Although the 45-10 loss does not reflect it, the Lions got off to a great start early on Nov. 10, scoring 10 points on a very disciplined Mt. Carmel defense. Likewise, the defense held the notorious triple option of the Caravan to 10 points. The players headed to the locker room at the half with their spirits high, tied with an elite team.

“We felt confident going into the locker room at half, but we weren’t satisfied,” Safety Connor Onion ‘13 said. “We didn’t come that far to be tied at half time.”

But from the get-go, the second half was nothing but disastrous for the Lions, as they fumbled the opening kick-off and gave up a quick TD to a hungry Mt. Carmel offense. The ensuing kickoff was again fumbled and kept the anxious Lions’ offense off the field yet again.

“Obviously it’s difficult [to come back from the deficit], but we thought we were going to put some points on the board,” Quarterback Zack Mahoney ‘13 said. “Some mental mistakes and missed opportunities didn’t allow us to capital-ize in the second half.”

The fumbles were caused partly by a stifling wind that played a critical role in the game, as it was detrimental to the LT special teams play.

Despite these devastating fumbles, the worst was still yet to come. After starting a promising drive, Matthew Harris ‘13 took the snap on third and six, and attempted to run for the first down. He was met by the Caravan linebackers and fumbled. But, the fumble was the least of the team’s worries. Harris lay on the field long after the play and was quickly attended to by medical staff. He was helped off the field and was unable to return due to a right knee injury. LT fans everywhere watched in shock as their leader and star stepped

off Bennett Field for the last time.“It’s always tough to see one of your brothers down,”

Mahoney said. “He has put everything he has into this pro-gram. I knew at that moment that I had to do everything in my power to let him have more high school games, but unfortunately I couldn’t do that.”

After the crushing injury, the game was all but over as the Caravan relentlessly moved down the field with a dominant run game.

The playoff run by the Lions was anything but expected, after the team found themselves on the fence for playoff qualification with a record of 2-4 after losing to OPRF with a defensive collapse. But, led by its senior captains, the team was able to recuperate and qualify for the playoffs.

“When we were 2-4 we knew we still had the capability to get where we wanted to go, we just needed to play better,” Head Coach Kurt Weinberg said. “Getting healthy was a key factor in our improvement. We were down during that time but we knew we were not out.”

LT was able to win five games straight, including their two playoff victories over Marist and O’Fallon. LT got off to an early lead at Marist and never looked back winning 34-28, although Marist didn’t go down without a fight. Against O’Fallon the Lions got off to a slow start, but quickly turned it around to win by 15 points.

Key to the team’s success was their friendship on and off the field. Teammates often refer to each other as brothers, and the team truly seemed to become a family.

“I love my teammates,” Onion said. “They became my brothers throughout the past four years. I could not ask for a better group of guys to share this experience with.”

While Harris is headed to Northwestern next year, many players are unsure of their futures. But, one thing is certain: they will miss their time under the lights at Bennett Field on Friday nights.

“As the clock winds down to zero you just think to your-self: it’s all over,” Linebacker Billy Cramsie ‘13 said. “The lights, the hits, the adrenaline, the crowd and above all I’m going to miss my teammates and coaches. Over these four years you form bonds and relationships unlike any other. I’m really going to miss it all.”

Games Campbell’s Picks Goldrick’s Picks

31-14

28-17

38-7

Page 12: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

SPORTSPhiladelphia Eagles quar-terback Michael Vick’s

brother seems to know what’s best for him. Marcus Vick

tweeted that Michael wants a trade. Michael immediately

attempted to squash the rumor.

Brotherly loveFriday, November 16, 2012 Page 12

ScoreS HigHligHtS ProFileS

SPORTS

Shanksters F.C.

FootballFinale

Tim Goldrick

Lyons Township Girls tennis placed fifth in the state cham-pionship on Oct. 18-20. The

competition, played at Buffalo Grove, turned out successfully for Alex Chatt ‘14, who placed

third overall.

Triumphant tennis

by Mary Cate Most

This year is the inauguration for the new LION piece meant to honor athletes who roam the halls at Lyons Township. Each issue an athlete deemed worthy will be selected by the staff, and receive the unparalleled nick-name; “Athlete of the Month.” So read page 12 every issue, and see if you can call your friend the top dog. Maybe at some point you can sport the crown proudly.

Looking for your voice to be heard in the sports section? Think there is a more deserving athlete? Nominate the next “Athlete of the Month” by tweeting us @LTLion-newspaper, or write on our wall at facebook.com/lion-newspaper.

A sudden tension fills the air as dead silence settles over fans and coaches at the starting line. The race is about to begin and even with everything else going on in her life, the only thing varsity cross-country runner Haley Prokaski ‘13 is thinking of is the three miles ahead of her.

“At the start, sometimes I think about whether I am going to have a good race or a bad race,” Prokaski said. “But you never really know until the gun goes off.”

This year though, Prokaski has been nothing short of extraordinary. In her first race at the SC cross-country course, Prokaski ran three miles in 19:01, but by the state cross-country meet on Nov. 3 in Peoria, Ill. she cut that time down by 1 min. and 28 seconds--finishing with an outstand-ing time of 17:33. With this race, she set a personal record that was roughly 30 seconds faster than her other times at this year’s conference, regional and sectional races.

These achievements may never have been possible if it weren’t for Prokaski’s change of heart during her freshman season.

“I didn’t really give it my best effort freshman year,” Prokaski said. “But I made it to the state series that year and seeing those older girls run in the regional, sectional and state races made me want to run in some [more selective] races.”

Prokaski’s transformation from an uninvolved, “flower-picking” freshman to leader on the varsity team is an accomplishment that is often admired by members of the team. With a team of about 200 girls,

it is all too easy to get lost in the crowd. But, because team members have wit-nessed the drastic improvements Pro-kaski has made, they are motivated to push themselves and achieve their own goals the same way she did. Prokaski, once motivated by the upperclassmen’s dedication to their team, has become that inspiration.

The cross-country team trains with a combination of running workouts, core building, and this year, wogging (water-jogging), each of which Pro-kaski treats as seriously as an actual race. With this diversity of training methods, Prokaski always came pre-pared to race hard and win big for LT cross-country.

Pyritz earns milestone winMy four years of watching Lyons

Township football came to a stunning conclusion last Saturday night. The exceptional Mt. Carmel Caravan, with the most winningest coach in IHSA football history, did what they do best and adjusted to perform perfectly in the second half at Bennett field. Many will say that was expected, but do you know what wasn’t? The Lions making it to that quarterfinal game. As a 15-seed, the squad ran over state title contender Marist and traveled five hours to crush

O’Fallon’s dreams. The emotional

roller coaster that was the 2012 season expe-rienced toilet-flushing moments, hallelu-jah-singing moments and others in between, but most of all, 2012 solidified the argument

that the regular season minimally mat-ters. The “survive and advance” mental-ity must flow through the veins of Lions players and coaches because they have efficiently used it the past two years. At times their playoff hopes looked bleak. None more so than a crushing defeat against Oak Park River Forest, but their response was special. Four wins in a row gave them the satisfaction of shut-ting down doubters and wreaking IHSA football havoc. The last time in 8A that a 15-seed beat the two-seed, like LT did against Marist, was in 2006 when arch-rival Hinsdale Central squeaked by highly touted Neuqua Valley 11-7.

LT accomplished a rare feat, and did it by playing their best bit of football during the end of the season. It’s the secret of all sports. Who cares what your record is in the regular season if you make it to the playoffs? All that needs to be done is that the team hits its stride come postseason time. Every single team’s record is 0-0 when the playoffs start, so barely getting the nod is the same as being a heavy favorite. That’s why they play the game.

Ask the New York Giants, who won two super bowls after struggling might-ily in the regular season, how much the regular season mattered. Tom Cough-lin is the master of preparing his team for playoff success. Tom Izzo is not far behind. The Michigan State head basketball coach has seen his teams virtually fall apart in November and December, only to appear in the final four in March.

8A football has parity, and it shows during the first round of playoffs. Five of the first round games resulted in the lower seed winning, but more shock-ingly that number is tied for the second lowest since 2006. This parity places an immense importance upon playing your best come playoff time. Waubonsie Valley discovered that the painful way in 2011. After being awarded the one-seed, they were utterly shocked, and I mean freaking flabbergasted, by the 16-seed, Belleville East.

So be proud of early-season victories of course, but as we’ve learned with our own football team, the early part of the year isn’t life or death. The Lions lost to three 8A teams in the regular season: Oak Park, Stevenson and Hinsdale Cen-tral. They traveled further in the play-offs than any of them. In fact, the Lions won as many playoff games as all three of those teams combined.

Coach Kurt Weinberg and his staff have a commendable craft of preparing their football team for the grueling playoffs. If 5-4 results in more quar-terfinals at Bennett field, I’m perfectly fine with it. Congratulations to the LT football team on playing its best football when it really counted.

Coach Pyritz gets 700th win in 24th year as v-ball coach

by Lia Kass

After girls varsity volleyball experi-enced an upsetting defeat by St. Ignatius in the Regional Final on Oct. 25, Head Coach Joann Pyritz could still consider the finished season a success; she landed her 700th win as a girls volleyball coach. With a final record of 20-16, the team accomplished the historic win against Fenwick during the Regional Semifinal on Oct. 23.

“I told my team we can either have the 700th win this year or next year; they wanted to be the team that got that,” Pyritz said.

Pyritz said the win is not about what she gets from it, but what the school and the pro-gram gets from it.

“[She was] very realistic and she really knew her stuff when it came to coaching a team,” player Ana Krkic ‘13 said. “Many people would be lost if they tried to understand her reasons for repeating funda-mental drills. She knew what she was doing; there was never a need to question her. She always says how people fear LT when we walk into the gym, but I actually think it’s that they fear P’s coaching abilities.”

Pyritz also credits her wins to the teams and athletes, Alexis Viliunis ‘12 being one of them, she has coached over the years. Vili-unis now starts as a setter for the University of Illinois and has received recognition and state awards throughout her career, being a four-year varsity starting setter/hitter for LT.

“Coach P is such an awesome coach,” Viliunis said. “She really knows what she’s talking about and really has a love for the

game. She has so much experience as a coach and I think that helps her to be so knowl-edgeable. She has gone through what we’ve gone through, so she’s really relatable.”

Though the teams’ record was average throughout the season, Pyritz recognizes the tremendous growth during the final third of the season.

“The week before [the Regional Final], we had been playing some very good volley-ball, to a point where I really felt we could make a run at this,” Pyritz said. “And it didn’t turn out that way. But, regardless, if you can walk away from a high school season, and say ‘you know that was the best thing I ever did, I’m going to miss this,’ then you’ve gotten something out of it. There’s a point where you have to develop players and teach as you go, and certainly more teaching went on this year because of that. That’s the job of a

high school coach; you take what you have and try to make it the best product you can.”

The team also found a way to balance the personalities of those who were 18-years-old versus those who

were 14-years-old and got along well--an advantage, according to Pyritz. The team of three seniors, four juniors, six sophomores, and two freshmen has to want to embrace the age differences and bring everybody to somewhere in the middle in order to func-tion effectively, she said. The chemistry of the team is extremely critical.

“At the beginning, a lot of us were unsure of how things would go this year without last year’s leaders, but we really managed to work with all of the new young talent we got this year,” player Catherine King ‘14 said. “The relationship was a little rough at first on the court because no one really knew who was supposed to step up and lead. But eventually

Head Volleyball Coach Joann Pyritz just won her 700th game in her 24th year as a girls volleyball coach. (Chris Cabaj/LT Athletics)

“She taught me to be more than just a volleyball player.”-Former player Alexis Viliunas

we figured out everyone’s place and became really close on the court.”

Along with fundamental volleyball skills, Pyritz also taught her players lessons that are not volleyball related, Krkic said.

“She really taught me to compartmental-ize my life and keep things in order,” Viliunis said. “She taught me to be more than just a volleyball player and to build my character. Overall: Coach P. helped me a lot to be the person I am today.”

Page 13: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3
Page 14: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

Shazam is the answer to the ever-pressing question, “What is this song called again?” It directly connects you to iTunes and You-Tube so you can download it at a later time.

appsFriday, November 16, 2012 n Page 14

The most downloaded app in 2011 was Rovio Mobile’s Angry Birds, with a

total of 500 million downloads.

The new iPhone 5 features a battery that has 8 hours of talk time, 8 hours of

web browsing and 10 hours of video.

Better battery Popular purchase

In honor of the new iPhone 5, LION picked four of its favorite apps for four cate-gories: games, social media, utilities and cameras.

Snapchat is a photo-shar-ing app which lets users send pictures of them-selves to friends. Pictures only appear on screen for one to 10 seconds, so make them count.

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where users pin pictures to their personal boards or create their own pictures for others to pin.

iMovie, an HD mov-ie-making app with tons of effects, is perfect for creating profession-al-looking movies with Hollywood-style effects.

Cut the Rope Where’s My Water?

Flow Bubble Shooter

Facebook Instagram Twitter Tumblr

Quizlet Flashlight Shazam Alarm Clock

Pinterest Snapchat Video Star iMovie

Flipboard

LION App of the YearFlipboard is a social magazine which allows users to compile their favorite news, tech-nology and photography websites onto one screen so everything is neatly organized. Flipboard also keeps users up-to-date with popular trends and news and makes the perfect LION app of the year.

Video Star is a good first step for the aspiring music video producers. Pick a song, press record, add your special effects and out pops a masterpiece.

Facebook is arguably the most popular social media outlet and enables you to stalk all the pictures you want.

Twitter is the closest you’re going to get to all of your favorite celebri-ties; also an excuse to give the world a play-by-play of what is happening in your ever important life.

Instagram is relatively new social media app that only includes pictures. Free from constant updates and changing opinions, it remains as a neutral forum, increasing in popularity everyday.

Tumblr is probably already familiar to all the big bloggers out there. This app allows you to post texts and other multimedia to your own blogging page.

Bubble Shooter is splen-did for bad dates. Match the colored bubbles to make them pop and dis-appear, gaining points for each bubble you shoot.

Where’s My Water? is fabulous for long car rides. Move your way through a sewer maze of dirt, grass and walls to find the hidden objects and bring Swampy the Alligator water.

Cut the Rope is fantastic to play while you pretend to have friends when waiting for your mom to pick you up from school. Cut the ropes and balloons in this puzzle game to feed the little monster his candy.

Flow is marvelous for awkward family parties. Slide your finger across the screen to connect the different color dots, and fill each square on the grid in order to move on to the next level.

Quizlet is a great tool for cramming anywehre. You can make your own sets of flashcards or review previously made sets on a wide variety of subjects.

Flashlight is the best thing to make sure that there are no monsters un-der your bed. Or making sure that you don’t end up face first in a pile of dirty laundry on the way to your bed.

Alarm clock wakes you up...even when you don’t want it to. It is also customizable so you can brighten your morning with your favorite song.

compiled by Sara Nutley, Ben Larson, Dayna Larson and Kristen Wuerl

Page 15: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

ProfilesFriday, November 16, 2012 n Page 15

The oldest guitar-like instrument is 3500 years old and is believed to have belonged to a singer named Har-Mose.

German students pick a track for their future careers and spend time in

school based on that track.

German school Guitar harmony

LION Playlist

When Annsophie von Frenckell ‘14 arrived at LT as an exchange stu-dent from Germany through an Inter-national Experience scholarship, she was welcomed by an overwhelming amount of boys’ phone numbers writ-ten on Post-it notes stuck to her locker.

“I am most surprised by American society and the students here,” von Frenckell said. “Everyone is so nice, open, and outgoing. The boys actually come up to talk to you here. In Ger-many, they talk to you over Facebook, but not in person.”

Von Frenckell is adjusting to LT from her German school that only had 60 students, each of whom she person-ally knew.

“I knew every person by heart, but here there are groups,” she said. “Dif-ferent people tell me to stay away from different groups.”

However, von Frenckell expressed

German exchange student adjusts to LT

by Olivia Griffin

that meeting new people has been her favorite part of her American experi-ence thus far.

“I love being around Sophie,” Sarah Weisshaar ‘14 said. “She’s such a sweet girl and really easy to talk to.”

Weisshaar met von Frenckell through tennis earlier this year, as they were doubles partners for the majority of the season.

Tennis is more of a sport in the U.S., von Frenckell said. The team actually had to run and do drills. In Germany, it is more of a recreational activity where students only play games.

Although Von Frenckell loves the U.S. and is planning to return to study here in college, there are a variety of things she misses about her life in Ger-many. Being away from her family, including her cat, for almost a full year is one of the hardest things about being here. She instead lives with a host family with three younger siblings.

“I always feel like a guest,” von Frenckell said. “I’m treated really nicely, and I never get yelled at, but it can sometimes be awkward.”

She also misses one of the hobbies she took up in Germany at age 10: modeling.

“I love taking pictures,” von Frenc-kell said. “It’s so fun! Although I’m too small to model as a professional, I like to as a hobby. However, I’m not allowed to model here in the U.S.”

Despite von Frenckell’s ability to speak four languages (French, Spanish, English and German), her unique model-ing hobby and the fact that she skipped the fourth grade (which gave her an edge in winning the International Experience scholarship), she seems just like the rest of LT students, Weisshaar said.

Student enjoys living in America, loves LT

Winner constructs custom guitar

by John Balch

Student builds unique, original guitar resembling American eagle, flag

Armed with a song in his heart, a do-it-yourself attitude and a motivated friend in his midst, Nick Winner ‘13 began a tedious four-month project to construct his own “Winner Custom” elec-tric guitar.

Winner’s sole ambition was to create an original guitar that did not reflect too much on other models. He attained this goal by utilizing unique pieces like deer antler to form the nut of the guitar, butts of shotgun shells for the knobs and a signature alumi-num-diamond plate pick guard.

“I wanted it to be instantly recognizable,” Winner said. “Some-thing you were not going to see anywhere else.”

The body of the guitar was carved into a shape similar to that of the “Telecaster,” a guitar designed by the renowned guitar company, Fender, while he used materials commonly found on another Fender guitar design, the “Stratocaster,” Winner said.

Inspired by the Toby Keith song “Made in America,” Winner crafted a headstock resembling a bald eagle and gave the guitar’s body an American flag finish.

“The theme was highly American,” Winner said. “I wanted to make the guitar very patriotic.”

The procedure began during last year’s spring break. It con-sisted of Winner drawing the design on poster board for guidance, followed by gathering wood. Multiple pieces of wood were glued together and left to dry. After solidifying, the “Telecaster” shape was cut out and perfectly sanded. Artistic details were added last.

“Our process of sanding the neck was not exactly the tradi-tional way to make a guitar neck,” Winner said. “The neck was too wide in the front because of the error.”

Despite insignificant mistakes, the process completely paid off and left Winner with a fully functional, visually pleasing electric guitar and an experience, Winner said.

“All in all, the materials cost around $300,” Winner said. “A much lower price then the average pre-made guitar.”

GuitarTerminology

neck

body

frets

bridge

Stratocaster/Telecaster

headstock

Here are a few important terms to know when talking about parts of a guitar.

Usually where the bridge and tailpiece are located, main part of the guitar

Located on the body, transfers sound from strings to body

Metal strips on the neck

Top of the guitar where the tuners are located

Middle of guitar where the strings are stretched over the frets

nut

knobs

Piece of plastic or metal that guides the strings from the headstock over the fretboard

fretboard Area players press the strings onto to create a note or frequency

‘We Were Children’ - Tribes This song makes me think of growing up and the ‘teenage years’. You make mistakes and sometimes don’t realize it until later. You do the wrong things, say the wrong things, make poor decisions. It still happens for us adults as well! I see it in classrooms and hallways and try to help, but sometimes people learn the hard way, with regret.

‘45’ - Gaslight Anthem I have a difficult time letting go of things or continue to hold onto grudges. Many people tell me to just ‘move on’ and ‘forget about it’. Some may call me an ‘emotion hoarder’. That’s just me. Learn to let go and be less bitter about it. Now what I can’t drop about this tune is how much Brian Fallon could be ‘the next’ Bruce Springsteen!

‘Calamity Song’ - The Decemberists For me, nightmares visit me every time my eyes shut. This song makes me want to control dreams and change that nightmarish outcome into something not so bad. The deci-sions we make allow us to ‘control’ of our paths.

‘Take it Or Leave It’ - Sublime w/Rome Change is difficult but when you need to make an import-ant decision, you better have the ones you trust for sup-port! Surround yourself with people who love you. This song makes us wonder if we’re surrounded by the right people. Be with those who value you--you’re worth it!

‘Anna Sun’ - Walk The Moon This track is easy. It’s about living life to it’s fullest. Learn to enjoy it! Share it with those you love and OWN it.

‘Comeback Kid (That’s My Dog)’ - Brett Dennen Everyone loves an underdog and this song praises the comeback! I once felt I would succumb to my faults and couldn’t recover from my fall. Yet for every setback I’ve encountered, I’ve made a comeback and emerged stronger. ‘The pit’ is never bottomless and you’ll find your way.

‘All of Me’ - Tanlines I first heard this band in 2010 and was initially annoyed with the synth beats and mechanical-techno-like sounds they had. Since change inevitably happens, their sound has grown on me and ‘All of Me’ is one of those songs that marks when my musical tastes have evolved.

‘Everlasting Light’ - The Black Keys There’s only one person in this world that truly under-stands me. She knows how I tick and has been with me through thick and thin. We’re the ultimate tag-team against the battle of life. Being in rotation on my monthly playlists for quite some time, this one’s for my wife Tara.

source: www.mediawebsource.com

Mr. de Leon, SC biology teacher, shares some words of wisdom along with his favorite songs.by Brian McDonagh

Telecaster and Stratocaster are famous Fender guitar designs

Small devices at top of guitar used to tune strings

Winner ‘13 built this custom guitar himself, inspired by Toby Keith’s song “Made in America.” (John Balch/LION)

LIONonline: To view the full LION play-list, visit www.lionnewspaper.com.

Page 16: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

Stressed U.S.The top three most stressed cities in America:

Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, California, and New York, New York.

Chocolate remedyReasearch shows that dark chocolate reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and others. In addition, cocoa is rich in antioxidants--eat some chocolate.

Chinese medicine StressedFriday, November 16, 2012 Pages 16 aNd 17

Stress relieversTo relieve stress, it is important to identify the sources of stress, find social support, practice relaxation tech-

niques and read PULSE.

Chinese stress balls were created during the Ming dynasty. The balls, originally made of iron, touch pressure points on hands to relieve stress.

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

What is your average level of stress during the school year?

238 Students Surveyed

The majority of LT students surveyed indicated

they had a level 8 stress level

It’s Monday. The busiest day of the week. After staying up

late on Sunday doing homework, Jessica Zeisloft ’14 gets up, eats

and walks the few short blocks to school. After a rigorous school

schedule - including three AP level classes – she goes home and

practices piano for about 45 minutes. After piano, she sits down to

her homework for a short hour, then leaves for Science Olympiad.

Returning home around 7:00, she eats, does a bit more homework,

then leaves for dance practice at Matrix Dance Company. After the

lengthy practice, lasting until 10:15 pm, Zeisloft sits down to the

rest of her homework, which often lasts well into the night.

Many LT students face a similarly rigorous schedule, often

resulting in an overworked, overstressed student body. In fact,

stress – academic and otherwise – is the most prevalent issue at LT,

Class of 2013 social worker Pamela Locke said.

“There are more and more pressures for kids now,” Locke said.

“People are becoming more stressed out at a younger age, which

we didn’t see as much before.”

Stress by definition is the body’s response to any action, Health

teacher Guido Arquilla said. It involves the release of certain

chemicals, such as adrenaline, in the brain, which then create reac-

tions throughout the body. However, even though stress is com-

pletely natural, it can quickly become damaging when not con-

trolled. “Stress becomes bad when there are no goals associated with it

or when it becomes overwhelming” Arquilla said.

Students are especially susceptible to this sort of stress, as they

often have large work loads and limited coping techniques. Fur-

thermore, there are certain pressures and expectations not only

from the families and friends of students, but from the students them-

selves. Students, under pressure to attend a certain college or achieve

a certain goal, push themselves to take on more than a manageable

amount of commitments.

“It’s partially worry for the future,” Zeisloft said. “People who are

more stressed tend to be looking at the next thing, not living in the

now. I think way too far ahead. I don’t YOLO well.”

The other main factor contributing to the stress issue is a lack of

coping techniques. Because they are young, students lack the experi-

ence and wisdom adults use to cope with stress, Arquilla said. How-

ever, even severe stress can be dealt with in inexpensive but effective

ways, such as deep breathing or partaking in relaxing activities like

sports or extracurriculars, Arquilla said.

“Finding a balance with work and down time is very important,”

Locke said. “Kids need to ask themselves ‘Where does sleep fit in?

Where does fun fit in? Where does a walk with my dog fit in?’ Kids

realize they don’t have any balance.”

Despite often feeling overwhelmed and sleep deprived, many LT

students insist upon overloading their schedules, and there is little the

school can do to prevent this, as students and parents have final say on

their schedules. Though the school offers an abundance of resources

to help kids deal with stress – such as the counselors, nurses and social

workers – many students feel they don’t have the time to utilize these

resources, or they are hesitant due to stigmas surrounding them, Zeis-

loft said. This stress, when not addressed for a long period of time, often

manifests itself in physical or emotional symptoms. If stressed isn’t

released through talking or cutting back on commitments, the conse-

quences can range from a mere headache to severe depression. Also,

students begin to lose sight of the joy of learning and the fun in extra-

curriculars they participate in, Locke said.

“I have really high expectations for myself and I try to be good at

everything, but I know it doesn’t work that way,” Zeisloft said. “I sort

of envy the people who don’t care.”

Stressed, struggling

by Mary Clare Flaherty

Most Stressed

Least Stressed

Str

ess

Sym

pto

ms Physical

1. Fatigue2. Fidgeting3. Headaches4. Increased drug use5. Altered appetite6. Tense/muscle pain7. Indigestion

Emotional1. Irritability2. Crabbiness3. Moodiness4. Preoccupation5. Negativity6. Nervousness7. Inability to concentrate

Long-term1. Ulcers2. Heart Disease3. Depression4. Migraine headaches5. Increased blood pressure6. Strokes7. Drug addiction

1) How do you feel before you take a test?A. I’m too busy cramming to noticeB. So nervous, I can’t focusC. Slightly anxiousD. Confident

2) Your signature bad habit is:A. Constantly biting my nailsB. ProcrastinatingC. Cracking my knucklesD. Over-planning

Stress Check 3) How often do you take time to relax?A. Haha. Funny joke. There’s no time!B. RarelyC. SometimesD. I finish my homework early to meditate every night

4) How much sleep do you get?A. I often pull all-nighters to finish all my workB. 5-6 hours, on a good dayC. 7-8 hoursD. 10 hours, I go to bed promptly at 8:00 p.m. every night

5) When was the last time you had a headache?A. This test is giving me a headacheB. YesterdayC. Last weekD. I can’t remember

Take LION’s self test to see how stressed you really are.

Go to www.lionnewspaper.com for the analysis of your answers.

What stressesyou out the most?

School79%

6%6%

6%

3%

ExtracurricularsSocial LifeParentsOther

238 students surveyed

LION explores the causes and effects of the massive amounts of stress that students face every day.

Students overwhelmed trying to meet

impossible expectations

Sour

ce:

Gui

do A

rqui

lla, H

ealth

teac

her

Stats and test compiled by Mary Clare Flaherty and Olivia Griffin

Page 17: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

vegansFriday, November 16, 2012 n Page 18

Visit www.lionnewspaper.com fordelicious vegan recipes to help you

veg it out this Thanksgiving.

According to PETA, Washington, D.C. is the most vegan-friendly city, fol-

lowed by Atlanta and Seattle.

Veggie villages Veg out

“I’m vegan because I don’t like the way food is produced in our country. Vegan is the way people are supposed to eat, because it has been proven that our bodies aren’t as capa-ble of digesting animal products as they are of plant-based foods.”

W h y V e g a n ?

compiled by Siri Yelamanchili

“I’m vegan because the food industry treats an-imals as property to be exploited. I find the food industry to be unethical and absentminded. Be-ing vegetarian is a good step, but transitioning to vegan is a good idea, because animals have milk for their offspring, and we’re the only species that drinks milk past infancy.”Adrian Petterson ‘14 Aidan Teppema ‘14

LION asks LT vegans the big question: what makes you want to be vegan?

Watching other people eat makes me sad. I feel like it would be a lot easier to be a vegan if I had never experienced chocolate milk before—that way I wouldn’t know what I was missing. Soy cheese makes me sad. Almond milk makes me sad. At this point, I’m so tired of the five options I have for meals, I’m just opting not to eat.

Vegan for a Week

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Conclusion

Maggie o’Brien

Sara nutley

Though I didn’t begin trying specially made vegan food right away, the immediate change I made in my diet to eliminate all animal products changed not only my appetite, but my energy as well. My diet on day one involved a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, chocolate soy milk and whole grain spaghetti. Though these were foods that I’ve tried before, cen-tering my diet on these foods gave me much more energy, improving my performance at cheerleading practice that evening.

The vegan adventure continued today with an easy morning of dried fruit with almonds and cashews. Usually by third period I’m already starving, but today I didn’t feel hungry and I was much more awake than usual. Because I wasn’t gorging on fatty foods after school, I had a lot more energy throughout the rest of the day.

Today, I road tripped to the University of Illinois for a college visit with a few friends. Being vegan on this trip gave me a good idea of what it would be like to be vegan in college. It’s impossible. There are very few vegan options on campus and vegan food is expensive. When I’m a broke college kid, I’m not going to be dropping top-dollar just so I can get some soy milk. Besides the price, I was a burden to my friends, who had to go out of their way so I could eat.

Being busy on the weekend, I rarely thought about what I was going to have to eat. However, Saturday became a very big challenge for me. I went out for pizza with my team and it was tough to find a meal that I could eat. Unless I wanted to pull the cheese off of my pizza, I didn’t have many op-tions. I ate a chopped salad instead, but also faced the dilemma of finding a dressing without milk in it, and I realized how hard it is to go to an average restaurant and find a vegan-friendly meal.

“I quit.” - Maggie

By day six, I craved my normal diet. My excessive energy was wear-ing off, my body felt fatigued and I knew I was lacking in nutrients that I normally didn’t think about, making it difficult for my body to gain enough protein to help repair muscle tissue after a tough workout. Though I was rarely hungry, the foods I ate were not very pleasing, nor nourishing to my taste buds and body.

“ Though I was able to stay vegan for one week and loved the liveliness that accompanied the beginning of my diet, I would never be able to remain a vegan permanently. In the future, I will certainly bear in mind the healthiness that accompanies a vegan lifestyle and integrate the diet into my own; howev-er, being vegan is certainly not a lifestyle I could live by forever.” - Sara

“I want food.” - Sara

“As much as I love fruits and vegetables, I love meat more. While being a vegan for a week was an awesome experience that included trying new types of foods and feeling healthier, it just takes way too much effort. Maybe sometime if I’m feeling unhealthy I’ll try being a vegan again. Who am I kidding? No I won’t. Let’s be real, being a vegan just ain’t my thing.” - Maggie

Sara

M

ag

gie

Sara

M

ag

gie

Ma

gg

ie

&

Sara

Bo

th

Page 18: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

AShbaryFriday, November 16, 2012 n Page 19

National Coffee Day is Sept. 29, and to celebrate, Americans consume 450 mil-

lion cups of coffee each day.

You can also find LT senior Jack Donato doing stand up at the Ashbary.

Jack’s jokes Coffee craze

The Ashbary Experienceby Katie Norton-Williams

Although the Ashbary Coffee House usually has quite a few customers at any given time, it tends to be more crowded whenever they have a special perfor-mance, like improv or local band shows. This was exactly the case on Nov. 10, at a show featuring LT band Baby Kid as well as other local artists, such as Sam Pepper and Mr. Denim. TheAshbary,locatedat8695SArcherAvenue,hastwofloors;thefirstfloorisacharacter-filledcoffeeshopcompletewithcomfy,worn-incouchesandanold(butstillfunctional)pinballmachine,whilethesecondfloorisanopenspacewitha stage that hosts all of the Ashbary’s special events. In order to go to these events, you typically have to purchase a drink and sometimes pay a cover charge, usually around $7.

As far as drinks go, the Ashbary’s menu offers the traditional coffeehouse items, like cappuccinos, tea and a regular cup of coffee, as well as a variety of unique mochas and lattes, like the Jittery Monkey and the Mint Patty. Another unique menu item is the “coffee shakes,” which are made with real ice cream and coffee, and are a richer, better tasting alternative to frappucinos. But what really makes the Ashbary distinctive is the atmosphere, which is set up for comfort and company. All of the tables and seating areas encourage conversation, and unlike Starbucks, most customersstaylongafterfinishingtheircoffee. Bottom line: The Ashbary’s menu has a wide selection of delicious coffee, with an inviting atmosphere that allows for comfort.

Kasl ‘12 shared about his ex-perience performing stand up comedy at the Ashbary.

Q: What first got you interested to do stand up at the Ashbary?A: I knew I wanted to do stand up at a comedy club somewhere because I felt like I needed to. There was a supervisor at the station (WLTL) named Kevin Kel-lem and he mentioned to me he worked over at the Ashbary on Thursday nights where they do improv called “Hot Cup of Comedy” and I got brought up.

Q: What makes the Ashbary a good place for kids to go?A: Show-wise, they have open mic Wednesdays, then comedy nights on Thurs-day and then they have shows sporadically on the weekends. During the week it’s a little bit of an older crowd, but there aren’t many places where high school kids can go and have open mics.

Q: Are there any rituals you do before you go out on stage?A: I would practice and go through it, but I remember my radio was broken in my car the first couple months I went so I would just do my acts to myself while driving.

Q: What are some general topics you talk about during your stand up?A: It changes. I talk about my age and my perspective on things. I also have some new jokes about the election. I like talking about stupid kids my age; it’s a little indulgence I have.

by Ben Larson

LION explored the various aspects of the Ashbary Coffee House, located in Willow Springs.

Page 19: LION Newspaper - Volume 103, Issue 3

Taylor Swift’s recent release,

“Red,” has made her the only female artist in SoundScan history to have back-to-back albums sell over a million copies in one week, with “Red” debuting at an aston-ishing 1.2 million.

While a few critics argue that “Red” leaves country and Nashville in Swift’s rear view mirror, both are evident on the 16-track album, such as on the heart-wrenching ballad “I Almost Do” and the playful and plucky “Stay, Stay, Stay.”

A highlight on the album is Swift’s duet with Ed Sheeran on “Everything Has Changed.” The two artists compli-ment each other incredibly well, with Sheeran’s acoustic guitar melodies and soothing vocals adding depth to the song.

But most of Swift’s album is unde-niably pop/rock. Tracks like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and bass-dropping “I Knew You Were Trou-ble.” have a radio-ready quality, repre-senting Swift’s wide appeal.

The bluer tracks on the album, “Sad, Tragic, Beautiful” and deluxe edition’s “The Moment I Knew,” portray Swift’s strength at writing poignant tracks that reflect her country roots.

The only real flaw of the album is that while the variety of “Red” reveals Swift’s diversity, the multitude of genres the album covers begs her to pick just one.

Bottom Line: “Red” shines in a new way that proves Swift’s maturity as a songwriter and person, promising a tour that may even outshine the album itself.

GET OUTFriday, November 16, 2012 Page 20

WeekeNd eNtertaiNmeNt eveNts CaleNdar

Willy Wonka Jr. Actors with Special Needs Adult and Community Education will present “Willy Wonka Jr.,” an

adapted version of Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, on Nov. 17-18 at 2 p.m

in the SC PAC. Tickets will be $5, and refreshments will be served.

Weekend WeatherFriday Saturday Sunday

SunnyHigh: 46Low: 33

Cloudy High: 43Low: 34

CloudyHigh: 47Low: 34

ReviewsAlbum Review: Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’

Printsby Siri Yelamanchili

/out of five Paw

Nov. 14-Les Miserables, 7:30 p.m. at Cadillac PalaceNov. 15-The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, 7 p.m. at NC Reber CenterNov. 16-Millennium Park Ice Skating OpensNov. 17-Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, 11 a.m. along Michigan Ave.Nov. 20-Christkindlmarket opens, 2 p.m. at Daley PlazaNov. 22-Chicago Thanks-giving Day Parade, 8:30 a.m. at State Street Nov. 24-A Christmas Carol, 10 a.m at Drury LaneDec. 1-LaGrange Christ-mas Walk, 5 p.m. at down-town LaGrangeDec. 4-Fanfares and Carols Concert, 7:30 p.m. at SC FieldhouseDec. 7-The Greek Mythol-ogy Olympiaganza, 7 p.m. at SC PACDec. 9-Straight No Chaser, 8 p.m. at Chicago TheatreDec. 12-Carrie Under-wood/Hunter Hayes, 7 p.m. at United CenterDec. 31-Chicago Bulls v. Charlotte Bobcats, 2 p.m. at United CenterJan. 12-Zac Brown Band, 7 p.m. at Peoria Civic Center

AroundTown

GetConnectedlionnewspaper.com

twitter.com/LTLionNewspaper

facebook.com/LionNewspaper

Cheering begins as three silhouettes position themselves behind a thin shroud separating the crowd and the stage. A pro-jection resembling a tranquil pool of oil disturbed by splashes signals that the per-formance has begun.

A lone spotlight captures a member of the band, and the hit “Angels” begins. Towards the climax of the melancholy tune, the curtain drops to the floor to reveal three pale faces against a black background: The xx.

On Oct. 20, The xx played at the Congress Theater, a close-walled venue with an echo that left the heavy, syn-thetic beat resounding in the audience’s ears. The small setting gave the show an exclusive feel. Smoke and projected scenes gave the concert a psychadelic feel that kept the crowd’s attention.

Material from each of The xx’s two albums, “xx” and “Coexist,” was per-formed. Both albums were released fairly recently, but the singing audience could be heard over The xx singer’s vocals, a clear sign that the fairly new band has grown in popularity.

Surprisingly, one of the most exciting parts of the night were the moments leading up to the encore. A large glass “X” hanging above the band was illumi-nated and the first notes to their pow-erful instrumental, “Intro” caused the crowd to erupt in cheering.

Bottom Line: Despite its length, the haunting instrumentals and powerful vocals made The xx concert fantastic.

John Balch

Concert Review: The xxby John Balch

/out of five Paw

Chicago food trucks: quick, quirky, quintissential

by Joseph Halpin

Unique, delicious eats on-the-go make trucks part of Chicago culture

LIONonlineExtended LION Playlist with Mr. Deleon

Veteran’s Day Assembly photos

Full review of Taylor Swift’s new album “Red”

Restaurants with vegan options in the LT area, vegan recipes

Scattered about the city and boasting everything from vegan-friendly menus to baked goods, the Chicago food trucks are becoming an integral part of our culture.

These colorful, guilty pleasure-serving vehicles can be found strewn about the city, parked alongside curbs, waiting for custom-ers. These trucks are grab-and-go, aiming to serve the city’s large lunch crowds fast, and due to the fact that onboard cooking was prohibited until this past July, most, if not all, menu items are prepared ahead of time and stored in hot-boxes on the truck. Because of this, the menus are limited; you can order an item and pick off the aspects of it you do not like.

Take, for example, The Tamale Spaceship, one of the city’s most popular food trucks. They boast a menu of roughly six varieties of tamales, tortilla soup and guacamole. For $8, each order comes with two tamales with a side of mole in a plastic container. Although this pre-made, option-less version of dining may seem like a waste, it is actually very good. The tamales are stuffed with meat and a mild sauce, and while some bites gave you a burst of flavor, others seemed to fall flat, tasting like nothing more than floury mush. However, with a little bit of soy and hot sauce, the tamales were perfect and made for a great, quick lunch.

Much like The Tamale Spaceship but on the opposite side of the border, The Southern Mac and Cheese food truck—another favor-ite among foodie urbanites—boasts a larger menu with a slew of takes on the classic dish. The simple, original Southern macaroni and cheese is, perfection; the noodles were al dente and smothered in delicious cheese sauce with a little twang. And while the food is not prepared specifically on the truck, it tastes and looks as if it just came out of the pot. This truck is one any foodie would not want to miss.

While this quick-fix, alternative to your typical restaurant experience aims at absolute convenience—available anywhere in the city—that is easier said than done. Finding a food truck, let alone your favorite food truck, is far more difficult than finding Snooki in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Most food trucks are only open for a few hours

each day (11a.m. – 2p.m.) during the work week, and not always located in accessible, heavily-populated areas. However, thanks to recent legislation passed by the City of Chicago, roughly 23 “Food Truck parking spaces” have been made available, making food trucks accessible for all patrons.

Each truck tweets its locations each day, so iPhone and Android users have a leg-up in their food truck search with the app “Trux-Map,” an application available in the app store. It gathers opening and closing times, locations and menus from all subscribing Chicago food trucks, allowing one to easily find the food truck nearest them. This app is key for any food truck enthusiast hoping to catch a favorite truck.

Bottom line: finding food trucks can be a hassle, but they are great, reasonably-priced and delicious alternatives for anyone looking for a comfort food fix.

ASVAB Test web exclusive

Q&A with Mike Daisey, playwright of “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs”

Siri Yelamanchili

Chicago food trucks have many varieties for the on-the-go eaters. (Joseph Halpin/LION)

New Western Springs yoga studio stretches in the right direction, has room for minor improvements

Review: Yoga by Degrees

by Aly Buffet

Classes at the new Yoga by Degrees studio, located in Garden Market in Western Springs, started on Oct. 22. Just four days after the official opening, I walked into the studio, skeptical of my upcoming beginner work-shop. But the immediate feeling of a vibrant and wel-coming atmosphere soon washed away my hesitations.

Upon entering the new venue, I saw bright red and orange walls that surrounded a retail area, which sold everything from yoga mats to Yoga by Degrees apparel. Two outgoing instructors greeted me and gave me a tour of the facility, which helped me feel at home.

The women’s locker room was very impressive. It had free individual lockers, two large mirrors, clean showers with provided shampoo and conditioner, hair dryers and other amenities. Although not overly luxuri-ous, it was a cut above average.

I also saw two other studios, with floor to ceiling mirrors, neutral colors and fluorescent electronic lan-terns around the floor, giving a calm and spiritual feel.

The second you open the studio door you are greeted by a rush of hot air, hence Yoga by Degrees. All of the classes have set temperatures ranging from 73 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. I was in an 85 degree studio; beginner classes have lower temperatures and I am a beginner. But don’t let the 85 degrees fool you; doing 60 minutes of yoga in sweltering heat is, well, sweaty.

My instructor was incredibly patient and respect-fully helpful with all students. She was able to create a welcoming environment, which allowed the students to step out of their comfort zones.

Throughout the class I was tested both physically and mentally. I was encouraged to focus all of my attention on my poses and breathing patterns, but the music the

studio played made it difficult for me to focus solely on my yoga. The music was primarily contemporary alter-native rock, including Coldplay, The Dave Matthews Band and other bands that distracted me from the yoga. Additionally, it was too loud. The instructor had to talk over the music in order to communicate new poses to the students. The loud music on top of the louder instructor made the class feel chaotic and less enjoyable.

The intense 60-minute yoga class was concluded with about five minutes of relaxation. During this time the instructor placed cold washcloths over the students’ closed eyes. This was refreshing after a hard workout. Then, just as you feel nothing could get better, you get a whiff of lavender and peppermint. It’s safe to say they save the best part of class for last.

Walking out of the studio you feel relaxed and ready to accomplish whatever the day entails. With a free week of yoga for first-time yogis, $18 drop-in classes and membership packages ranging from $50 to $1,199, it is definitely a must-try. Yes, even you skeptics should give it a shot. You will be pleasantly surprised, like me.

Yoga by Degrees offers a week of free yoga for first-time yogis. (Sara Nutley/LION).