The Lake Forest Academy SPECTATOR

VOLUME 99 NUMBER 1 1500 WEST KENNEDY ROAD, LAKE FOREST, IL 60045 OCTOBER 2, 2020

Global A&E SPORTS A look into different LFA alum Madison Due to new IHSA COVID-19 reopening Olivieri ‘15 shares her COVID-19 guidelines, plans from students’ voice in a guest op-ed many fall sports at LFA homes around the world on everyone’s stake in transition to a fall PE. reveals similarities and the Black Lives Matter differences. movement. page 13 page 3 page 10 All-School Handshake pushed back due to COVID-19 concerns

By Nick Alutto a tradition built to connect the commu- the All-School Handshake does have a rel- about in trying to make the All-School Editor-in-Chief nity at the beginning of every school atively long history at LFA, since its im- Handshake doable, and we actually have year. Dean of Students Chris Tenny- plementation a little over two decades ago. these, so I don’t know what we are go- This year marked the first year, since son sees it as an invaluable tradition that “The best we can tell that [the All-School ing to do with them, but we have like its integration into the culture of LFA, welcomes everyone back to campus. Handshake] dates back to 1996, when 500 foam fingers that say like ‘go caxys that there was no All-School Handshake. “It is a symbol of our community. The there was a new headmaster Tom Harvey 2020/2021.’ So our thought for a while The tradition, which sees every stu- fact that every student and faculty mem- who came in for a couple of years, and he was that you could hold out the big foam dent and faculty member at LFA shaking ber and staff member shakes each other’s was the first headmaster that held the hand- finger and just touch foam fingers with the hands, had to be cancelled along with hand and says hello and kind of welcomes shake. Although, I believe, as I understand people across from you,” Tennyson said. many other opening of school traditions them to campus or back to campus is just it, the idea was presented to him by a fac- There may be hope for this tradition be- due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. something that again I think helps unify ulty member who had seen it somewhere fore the school year ends. Tennyson de- Although many students and staff the people on campus,” Tennyson said. else,” LFA’s archivist, Rita MacAyeal said. scribed the possibility of hosting the All- miss this tradition, it was clear that The pandemic itself, along with state MacAyeal also spoke to how pan- School Handshake sometime in the second the handshake could not go on in a guidelines, may have been the driving demics are not necessarily an entire- semester if health conditions allow for it time when public safety is such an im- factor around the cancellation of the All- ly new situation for LFA as a school. and if more of the community is able to portant factor of our everyday lives. School Handshake, but it was not the “We actually do have a couple other times be back on campus. More than anything, “With COVID...the thought of doing this only thing considered in the decision to in our school’s history when there were the next time the All-School Handshake [the All-School Handshake] when there is cancel it. The lack of the full commu- pandemics. There was the flu in 1918, and occurs, whether sometime this year or at a terrifying disease going around is just nity being able to be in-person was also there was another pandemic at the begin- the beginning of next year, it will mark a frightening, and I would never do it,” Conor considered in the decision making pro- ning of the 1900s. Just a local one, I believe shift from the 2020 pandemic era of LFA Fryer ‘21 said. “It was sad losing out on a cess towards the end of the summer. another flu, where we had to quarantine to a time closer to the normal way of life tradition, especially in senior year, but giv- “We began to realize that we were go- and close the school,” MacAyeal added. that LFA had as recently as this March. en the circumstances, I think it was a neces- ing to approach 90 remote students, In the months leading up to the open- “I think when our community has the op- sary choice that we had to make,” he added. some of our faculty were going to teach ing of school, alternative ideas were portunity to come together—whether that’s “My initial reaction would be like, ‘how remotely, and some of our administra- presented as creative and safer ways to as an All-School Handshake, our first all much GermX could I fit in my purse,’” said tive staff were going to work remote- do the All-School Handshake, like hav- school meeting, for Move-Up Day or grad- Kim Graham, Coordinator of Student Lead- ly. We all of the sudden began to realize ing it outside in places like the quad. uation in spring, whether it’s for prom--any ership and Student Life, on what her reac- that as a community, we were not all go- However, some ideas were presented to of those traditions. If we are able to do it, I tion would be if there was the All-School ing to be on campus,” said Tennyson. limit physical contact between people. think it is going to signify that we’re back Handshake at the beginning of the year. Although not an extremely old tradition, “One of the things that we thought and closer to normal again.” Tennyson said. The All-School Handshake serves as

Photo courtesy of LFA Archives LFA students, faculty and staff participate in one of the first All-School Handshakes in 1997. THE SPECTATOR

2 News OCTOBER 2, 2020 Testing in turmoil: Students struggle with lack of ACT/SAT options By Garrison Sloan Over the summer, the ACT announced “After all the issues happened with the and SAT will play a smaller role in admis- Editor In Chief that it would reopen online registration for ACT, we [LFA] registered to offer a pri- sions this year. One of the major examples For the last several decades, one of the fall testing on July 27th. This resulted in vate test on October 6th. About 55 students Poska cited was a decision made recently most important parts of the college appli- what can only be described as pure chaos. have signed up so far,” he said. by the state of California. The state moved cation process has been standardized test- The day arrived, and immediately the serv- The private test gave priority sign-up to to ban the use of the ACT and SAT for ad- ing. The SAT and ACT have been used by ers were flooded with people trying to reg- seniors, who were most in need of the test missions throughout the entire University colleges for years to determine academic ister. Within minutes, the site had crashed ahead of college applications. With all the of California system. benchmarks for prospective students; how- for many, and the ACT manually took the chaos surrounding testing this year, Poska With the major issues this year, as well as ever, like most things this year, this ritual site down, citing the need to provide a fair had some advice to give specifically to the landmark decisions in state university sys- of the admissions process has been heavily chance for everyone to register. seniors this year. tems like California, it seems like the days disrupted by the pandemic sweeping the The ACT published an announcement on “Don’t worry too much. Testing will of standardized testing may be numbered. globe, but not for the reasons you might July 28th, stating that it would reopen the play less of a role this year, and a lot more However, despite many colleges and coun- think. While most businesses have been hit site on August 3rd using a modified system. schools have gone test optional,” he said. selors saying the tests won’t count as much, hardest by the lockdown portion of the pan- This modified system was nothing more “What’s more important is getting a good for now it seems like many seniors are still demic, it has been the reopening of testing than an online queue. While it prevented start in classes and writing a good essay, scrambling to get tests in anyways, simply centers that has been the most challenging the site from crashing, it still operated on and know that you will get good support to give an extra boost to their resumes as for the standardized testing industry. a first-come, first-served basis. People who from teachers and counselors.” the college application process winds to a While the SAT has encountered some logged on to the site just a few minutes too It is true that for many schools, the ACT close. problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, late ended up waiting in a queue that was they are a far cry from the issues that have often hours long. plagued the ACT. Like most businesses Speaking from personal experience, I during the pandemic, the ACT was forced waited in the queue for around 2 hours. By to shut down testing across the country. the time I was able to get in, the earliest After all, having between 20 and 40 teens dates as well as the closest locations were in a single, non-ventilated room for nearly all gone. I ended up having to settle with an 5 hours would have been a ripe environ- early October test date in Rockford, which ment for the virus to spread. Unfortunately, was much further away than I would have cancelling the ACT tests during the sum- hoped. mer months created a big issue--demand. Andrew Poska, the head of Lake Forest A massive amount of students were now in Academy’s admissions office, provided need of a test in the fall, especially seniors some information on what LFA is doing to Photo from the ACT Website who needed to get scores in before the fall help students through this period of testing Students this summer were greeted with this screen on the ACT website. However, past the pop-up, admissions deadlines. uncertainty. there were numerous internal issues. Dorm students face new rules due to LFA’s COVID-19 policy By Aylin Tepe many dorm activities have also been cut in healthy during these trying times. difficult to adjust to, we are all aware of the Staff Writer order to prevent large crowds of students “Everyone in the dorm is making an ac- importance of wearing a mask and follow- Since coming back to campus, all of us from gathering. Even under these circum- tive effort to be safe and cautious. Keep it ing these new regulations in order to pre- have had to adapt to several new changes. stances, thanks to the partnership between up!” affirmed Emily Kalis, the new Dorm vent further cases, and in order to have this The greatest change that might come to proctors and dorm parents, many new ac- Head of Marshall Field. experience of continuing to go to school in mind is the new policy of wearing masks; tivities have taken their place. While for some, these changes have been person. however, for boarding students, this isn’t These extensive changes have added the only major change to take over our onto the pile of struggles boarding students lives. face, especially for the freshmen and new Several new dorm regulations have been boarding students who may already strug- set in place to keep boarding students so- gle with adjusting to life at a boarding cially distanced and safe. Every boarding school. Everyone has still been cooperat- student is required to follow these rules in ing, no matter the difficulties that pop up. order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 While there have been some complaints amongst the dorms. amongst a few students regarding these ex- Some examples of these rules are: not tensive changes, the general majority is in being allowed to have over two people in agreement that these regulations are for the a room, having to wear a mask to the bath- greater good of the community. rooms (with the exceptions of showering “As long as people wear their masks and and brushing your teeth), having tempera- don’t screw up, I’m sure we won’t have to ture checks every night at check-in, having be as strict with the rules later in the year,” a maximum of three people in the bath- an anonymous student stated. rooms at a time, and maintaining at least Some boarders have had trouble adjust- six feet of distance at all times. ing to the extensive changes, but everyone Photo by Aylin Tepe In addition to these new regulations, has been making an effort to stay safe and Dorm students grab a slice of cake, demonstrating how boarders can still have fun while still abiding by the new regulations. THE SPECTATOR

OCTOBER 2, 2020 Features 3 How BLM connects to us all: An LFA alum pens a guest Op-ed By: Madison Olivieri ‘15 tactic to create change, and a general de- Guest Writer nial that they (the people I went to high I’ve lived between Illinois and Wis- school with) play a part in perpetuating consin for most of my life, with most racism. It can be easy in the suburban/rural of my childhood being spent in Keno- landscape to think that this is far from you. sha county. Not the town, but the coun- But that’s wrong. A racist murderer - a ty. The county where a Black man was domestic terrorist - was raised in your shot - 7 times, in the back - just days ago. county. Maybe attended your school dis- I also lived and went to school in trict. Played in your parks. Felt that your Lake County for four years. The coun- county was a “safe place” to evade arrest. ty where a man who illegally carried a If you think this has nothing to do with firearm, crossed a state line, and killed you, or isn’t your problem to fix - please two protesters seemingly for sport, lives. take another look. If at first you don’t see When I look at some of the people I injustice, look harder - find a news source went to high school with (and others in that centers Black voices, look to people the area), I see a lot of invalidation of the who you think may be more educated than Black Lives Matter movement. A lot of you on these issues, follow activists on so- calling protesters “thugs,” a refusal to see cial media. When you do see injustice- be- Photo courtesy of Creative Commons instances where looting can be a valuable cause you will - please work to change it. Advocates gather in Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. LFA gets a new college counselor: In the coming years at LFA, Rog- “I’m really looking forward to ex- ers is looking forward to experienc- periencing the LFA community as it Meet Ms. Mia Rogers ing first-hand what LFA is like when usually is and really seeing every- there is not a pandemic going on. thing that it has to offer.” Rogers said. there was ever an open position, I would be By: Nick Alutto absolutely happy to work there and feel that Editor-in-Chief the job would be meaningful for me, and I could have some amazing connections Mia Rogers is Lake Forest Academy’s with students on campus.” Rogers said. new college counselor and Associate Since she has moved to the Lake For- Dean of College Counseling. Formerly, est area, Rogers has enjoyed walking she worked at Hamilton College as a Se- on the preserves by campus, as well as nior Assistant Dean of Admission and preserves that border Lake Michigan. the Director of Diversity Recruitment. “I’m a huge walker. I like to hike. Il- “I was recruiting students, travelling a lot linois is very flat though, I have to say. to visit high schools in the fall (LFA being I’m mentally acknowledging that. It’s one of the schools that I would visit every not the Adirondacks by any means.” single year), and reading applications,” Although she hasn’t found her favor- Rogers said about her time at Hamilton. ite food or work spot in the Lake For- Before working at Hamilton, Rogers est area yet, she is open to suggestions. attended the school and helped with the “I haven’t found it yet, but I am open office of admissions as a student.- Rog to suggestions if anyone wants to email ers worked as a host for prospective stu- me places to check out. I am happy for dents, a tour guide, and a senior fellow. them. Especially if it is something I can “I loved my campus job. I majored in do in a socially distant way,” Rogers said. theatre and comparative American stud- The part of LFA she is enjoy- ies, but found my most meaningful ex- ing the most so far is the same thing perience was working in the office of ad- that drew her to want to work at LFA mission,” she said. “So afterwards I kind when she was working at Hamilton. of felt like, ‘Ugh, this would be great if I “One of my favorite parts of LFA is could do this as a job,’ and one of my boss- whenever I would come to visit in the fall, es was like, ‘you can do this as a job.’” . or even for the case study this past January, Rogers decided to cross over from the students I would meet with were always the college side of admissions to the just so amazing, like just so engaging...I high school side because she felt feel it is the same way with the students she was drawn to LFA’s mission. who are my counselees. I just really en- “I don’t think I would’ve crossed over for joyed getting to know everyone, getting to any school, but Lake Forest Academy in hear more about their summers, their life, particular was, I would say, in the top five why they’re at LFA, what they love about boarding schools that I had visited across the school, what they would maybe change. the country, and one of the schools where if It’s just been a fun time,” Rogers said. Photo courtesy of LFA Website Ms. Rogers is Lake Forest Academy’s new college counselor. THE SPECTATOR

4 News OCTOBER 2, 2020 Mac becomes an isolsation space By Rachel Johns dorm, the girls were allowed to choose itive experiences in their new dorms. They “I hope by the end year that we can go Managing Editor of News which dorm they wanted to move to. report the dorm faculty and residents are back to Mac, or that Mac can do some Of the eight returning students from being “accommodating” and “kind.” In ad- events together. I miss everyone, and I 2020 has been a year of major chang- MacIntosh dorm, two girls were relocat- dition to the pleasant interpersonal experi- miss the community. I understand why es to say the least. For the former res- ed to Marshall Field Dormitory, while ences, the girls enjoy having new amenities [this happened] and I think it was one idents of MacIntosh Cottage, another the other remaining students were moved in the other dorms, such as multiple wash- of the better decisions the school could bombshell was dropped on them--their to Ferry Hall. This was not just a simple ing machines, toasters, and air conditioners. have made,” Kalaj-Rice concluded. dorm was going to become a place for change of rooms for the residents; it was “As much as I miss Mac, Field has While Mac is not reopening this semes- students with COVID-19 to quarantine. a loss of their home, culture, and commu- been such a great experience. And I’m ter, Freeman was supportive of having Lake Forest Academy’s Reopening Strat- nity. Students in MacIntosh, or Mac as it’s happy that students will be safer, even Mac-only events for the residents to re- egy detailed that boarding students who test often called, are known for being close- if it means I have to give up Mac for connect. He said, “I am more than open positive for COVID-19 and cannot return knit due to the small size of the dorm. some time. Field has definitely -be to that. If the Mac girls want to reunite home must quarantine in MacIntosh for a Being put into larger dorms has come come my new home, and I’m excited to do a Mac-only event, that is some- minimum of two weeks. Thus, the dorm as a major change for the residents of for the rest of the year,” Hernandez said. thing we would absolutely support.” was shut down for regular use, and the res- Mac. Eden Kalaj-Rice, a senior from idents of MacIntosh had to be relocated. Mac, was saddened by the decisions and “We realized we needed an isolation unsure if she’d be able to retain her po- space on campus for any students that sition of proctor with the switch to Ferry tested positive for COVID-19,” said Jon Hall, which she was ultimately able to do. Freeman, Assistant Dean of Students and “As a senior and a proctor, the closure Director of Residential Life. “That space of Mac was really unfortunate. There had to be a residential space with a bath- were a lot of questions I had. I had to room and multiple facilities. There was adapt to a new environment and dynam- no other place on campus that we could ic between dormmates,” Kalaj-Rice said. easily convert into that kind of space. Miranda Hernandez, a sophomore from Not having a full boarding program this Mac who moved to Field, echoed simi- year made it an easy decision to move lar sentiments saying, “I really do miss the Mac boarders into other dorms and my other dorm parents that didn’t switch convert Mac into an isolation space.” over, as well as the cottage-like envi- Before preseason, the residents of Mac- ronment. Since the dorm was so small, Intosh were emailed by their Dorm Head, we were able to do activities that other Erica Wood, who informed them of the dorms couldn’t, like trips to McDonald’s.” school’s decision to close MacIntosh. To Despite the loss of their dorm, the Mac Photo by Rachel Johns compensate for the sudden loss of their girls are staying positive and have had pos- MacIntosh Cottage is to be used as an isolation space this year for students who contract COVID-19. New faculty at LFA By Angie Cotton versity of Chicago, was the one who sug- that one of her favorite parts about LFA so school-based health or adolescent health.” Managing Editor of Features gested she come work at LFA. When asked far is that “the kids are so nice. You can She already knew about LFA, as her grand- about her favorite part of LFA so far, she tell people really care about one another.” mother attended Ferry Hall. She hopes to This school year, Lake Forest Acade- said, “I was impressed with how motivated Her main goal as an English teacher is to fit into the culture at LFA, and is currently my welcomed four new faculty members, the teenagers are, and how nice faculty are.” help kids find their writer’s voice. She cur- working on everything COVID-related. A including French and Spanish teacher Her main goal at the moment is to teach AP rently coaches swimming. A fun fact about fun fact about her is that she studied reli- Ms. Cook-Hoet, English teacher Ms. Mc- classes in the future. She currently coaches her is that she got charged by a bear once. gion in college, as she considers herself as Caffrey, Director of Health Services Mrs. the girls’ volleyball team, and can be found Mrs. Kliner is from Chicago, and went someone who likes to collect knowledge. Kliner, and college counselor Ms. Rogers. in the language office most of the time. to school at Francis Parker, a Junior K-12 She is also fluent in Spanish. She can be Ms. Cook-Hoet comes from Switzerland, Ms. McCaffrey is from Sleepy Hollow, school in Chicago. She was a nurse prac- found all over campus, although her office and her second language is interestingly New York, and has recently lived in Mad- titioner for over five years and worked at is currently in Upper Reid by the infirmary. English. Her third language is Spanish. ison, New Jersey. She was previously a a school-based health center at a Chicago Despite their short time at LFA so far, She started tutoring English when she was teacher at a New Jersey public school for Public School. She applied to LFA after “a it is clear that these new faculty mem- 17, and fell in love with teaching ever since 26 years. She had always been interested friend sent me the listing for the job because bers have so far fit into LFA without then. Her husband, a professor at the Uni- in independent teaching. She mentioned I was interested in eventually returning to struggle and are clearly already a part of the LFA family and community.

Photo Courtesy of LFA Website Photo Courtesy of LFA Website Photo Courtesy of LFA Website Photo by Angie Cotton Ms. McCaffrey Ms. Rogers Ms. Cook-Hoet Mrs. Kliner THE SPECTATOR

OCTOBER 2 , 2020 Opinion and Editorial 5 Editorial: The Lake Forest Summer Reading failed to read the room SPECTATOR By Ramya Herman how the expectation of summer seen as crucial during these high Editor-in Chief reading was still seen as a rea- school years. During the four STAFF LIST sonable and beneficial require- years of one’s secondary educa- It seems as if the entire world ment. While LFA is a very pres- tion, an individual is also learning Editors-in-Chief Nick Alutto (Digital, Podcast) has found itself in the center of tigious school that prepares its how to cope emotionally, thrive Ramya Herman (Print) Garrison Sloan (Print) the cosmic boxing ring, taking students to excel academically, socially, and conduct themselves blow after blow courtesy of the the severity of the situation and in the real world. By enforcing Creative Director Briana Murphy universe. A world-wide pan- incapability of some students to a previous requirement that was demic preceded and followed by focus must be acknowledged. created and imposed in much Managing Editor of Production Shylee Saladi natural disasters and internation- Of course, the show must go calmer times, the school com- al protests opposing various hu- on, and life will continue regard- municated that the ground-break- Managing Editor of News Rachel Johns man rights violations met most less of how someone is feeling ing experiences students were individuals as early as January. on any particular day; howev- encountering did not surpass Managing Editor of Op-Ed Tyler Watts For a lot of LFA students, both er, that wasn’t really the case in the importance of schoolwork. international and local, there the face of these unprecedented The summer reading was espe- Managing Editor of Features Angie Cotton were innumerable issues that times. Social interactions came cially surprising given the recent Managing Editor of Sports Rohan Miglani (Podcast) impacted their lives in incon- to a halt, the economy took sev- flexibility and understanding the venient and detrimental ways eral blows, and even major po- school had shown by temporari- Managing Editor of A&E Mimi Osborne this summer, and they were still litical events held their breath, ly adjusting the grading system expected to complete their sum- awaiting some form of guidance. and giving students the time Managing Editor of Global Isabela DeJesus mer reading. Some students With several nations at a stand- to adjust. Although many peo- were unable to return home due still in a state of utter confusion ple had gotten past the initial Managing Editor of Podcasts James Kuhns to travel restrictions, some were and fear, how were students ex- shock of the pandemic by the thrown into financial hardship pected to complete a reading time summer began, new issues Managing Photo Editor Kirstin Palaz as a result of work restrictions guide about something arguably had arisen by that time and re- Senior Sports Editor David Oluwole brought on by COVID, and less interesting than the history quired new periods of processing. Staff Writers Bia Leffingwell some were mentally and emo- creating itself before their eyes? While students exhibited out- Aylin Tepe tionally occupied by the issues Requiring students to set aside standing tenacity and duality by Sage Ye facing their communities and their conflicted psyches and previ- facing global issues and handling the communities of their friends. ously unencountered adversities their work, perhaps in the future Faculty Advisor Amanda Krause With all of these distractions in order to accomplish an assign- they should be provided with the presenting themselves to the ment seems counterproductive to courtesy of not having to over- PUBLICATION world, the question arose as to one of the developmental aims extend themselves in this way. The Spectator is published eight times per year by the students of Lake Forest Academy and is a forum for student expression. The views and reporting herein are the sole product of The Spectator’s Your Libra season horoscope has arrived! student reporters and in no way reflect the official views of Lake A flirty, social mood is in the atmosphere. Justice and our values are of special Forest Academy faculty, staff, administration or Board of Trustees. importance to us at this time. Now is a great period for communicating ideas and spending extra time in the morning putting together that nicer outfit. Read for EDITORIALS your sun and/or rising sign. Opinions of the staff are presented in the form of unsigned editorials. Personal views are bylined or presented as formal By Tyler Watts dissents. Managing Editor of Op-Ed, Staff Astrologer LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20): Look for the things that make you feel The Spectator welcomes responses to its articles in the form of peaceful, and stick to them. Letters to the Editors in addition to letters on subjects of the author’s choosing. Please e-mail Letters to the Editors to Mrs. Taurus (Apr 21-May 20): Self care is important but so is Krause at [email protected] self-governance. Know your limits. AWARDS The Spectator has been awarded several prestigious journalism Gemini (May 22-Jun 20): Consider if brutal honesty will im- awards in recent years. It has consistently taken first place in prove or worsen the situation. competitions against schools of similar size held by the American Scholastic Press Association and the Kettle Moraine Press Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22): Try and grow more comfortable open- Association. ing up to those you care about. Leo (Jul 23- Aug 22): You shine in social settings, but is it Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19): Evaluate your a performance? Get real with yourself and those you keep relationships: do your friends inspire close. you? Be sure to get out as much as you put into the people and things you care Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 21): You may be growing sluggish, but do about. not tire yet. A period of rest and reward will be here sooner than you think. Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 17): Connect your everyday tasks to your broader life Libra (Sep 22-Oct 22): Happy solar return (aka birthday)! As you socialize, consider if you are neglecting any of the rela- goals. Are you gaining insight or mak- tionships you truly value. ing progress? Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21): Partnership is important to you, Pisces (Feb 18-Mar 20): Be comfortable Scorpio. Plan a date with a crush, a dear friend, or just for with your idealism; use it to improve yourself. reality, even in small ways. Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21): Remember that your words have more power assigned to them than you could ever imagine. THE SPECTATOR Centerfold: A Temperature Check on the Moment 6 OCTOBER 2, 2020 The ups and downs of living a socially aware life

By Ramya Herman ments, finding it hard to fluctuate between subjected to the catastrophes taking place. dle of chaos, and feeling as if they must Editor in Cheif two drastically different mental states. Outside of the PTSD further developing constantly protect both their physical A prime example of this that some of in the mental spaces of these groups, their and mental safety, many groups are find- The moments of calm have to be build- the LFA community may have experienced external safe spaces also begin to grow ing themselves in a previously inexperi- ing up somewhere... right? It’s inevitable was the emotional limbo of grief and frus- smaller. The trauma of their people is on enced level of confusion and exhaustion. that they would be shelved in a separate tration in regards to the Jacob Blake shoot- instant replay spanning multiple platforms, There is no easily identifiable solution time and space, collecting dust beside ing while taking in the phenomenon of be- and their peace is also frequently attacked for these experiences; however, it is im- the joyful memories… right? Wrong— ing able to begin the school year partially by those arguing against their hardships or portant to remember a few things that may these moments are springing up like gey- in person, something that was not and is not choosing to ignore and deny them altogether. help lessen the weight of it all: kindness sers amongst drought-ridden anarchy. possible for a lot of institutions at this time. Between fending off a state of immi- is key, self-education is powerful, and al- In the midst of a global pandemic Another side effect is desensitization; at nent unrest, battling the internal conflict though silence equates to complicity, hap- and humanitarian crises simultaneous- some point, so much energy is invested in of resting and celebrating in the mid- piness does not equate to complacency. ly opening minute cuts to reveal deep care and concern that those who choose historical, political, and socioeconom- to engage burn out as activists. For those ic wounds, it seems as if there are two who are allies, they can become worn coping mechanisms being implemented down from bearing the weight of several to combat the challenges and meet the different groups while simultaneously at- celebrations: guilt and desensitization. tempting to educate themselves as well. While some have the luxury of storing The people experiencing the incidents these events in the back of their minds on a more internal level, a distinction to be dealt with post- birthday, party, or that must be made when exploring the milestone, others have allowed the con- toll activism can take on a person, are cerns of the world to build on their shoul- met with PTSD, depression, and sever- ders and weigh them down on a consis- al other attacks on their mental health tent basis. Of course these are the two as a result of seeing people who look more extreme ends of the spectrum for like them or identify with them suffer- those who acknowledge current issues; ing in what seems to be an endless cycle. however, it remains difficult to navi- While everyone attempting to remain gate the emotional instability that comes conscious have found themselves riddled along with social and political awareness. with guilt at being able to experience joy One major side effect of awareness is and fatigue from advocacy, there are also a feeling of guilt or selfishness when - in other emotional and mental blocks that Photo by Ramya Herman dulging in more upbeat and bright mo- face the marginalized groups who are being Social media provides overwhelming access to social justce issues. Daily regulations for dining and entryways exhaust

Kirstin Palasz & Bia Leffingwell ed now than just walking down the hall- the Student Union was still arranged reach out of the Student Union, and some Photo Editor & Staff writer way. It requires going down the stairs very similarly: there were staff behind kids have reported having to turn away for near the circle, then continuing all the glass with the foods, all wearing gloves, being even a slight five minutes early. Of Those who have been at LFA for at least way around to the Senior Square doors. and handing us our sandwich orders. course, it is important to take the virus into one year know the most efficient ways Another way is to leave by the seminar There is potential to implement a sim- consideration, but this could be considered around our large campus. However, due rooms and go to the door across from the ilar system in the lunchroom that en- a bit absurd. The idea seems institutional, to COVID-19, everything has been ad- stairs in Corbin. Transitions from class sures safety for each individual. In and the tight leash that has been put on justed on campus, including our lunch to class like this occur all around cam- conjunction with a very limited food students is becoming increasingly tiring. schedules, classrooms and walkways. pus; what used to be an easy transition supply, we also have a very limited While the LFA community may find The walkways have been a partic- has become an extra five minutes. With amount of time to receive our lunches. flaws in our new system, each member ular challenge, as they are now one- the extra time it takes to get to classes, With many students scheduling meetings is still grateful for the opportunity we way all throughout the buildings. The there is now a built in passing period. during lunch periods or breaks (when they have been given to be in school. There doors around campus have also been Even with these passing periods, the may not have a lunch period), the idea of are so many people who work hard on changed to one-way entrances and exits. stress of figuring out how to get to your a designated 20-minute block per student ensuring that our school day goes as The purpose in creating these walk- next class still is a factor. It is exhausting can quickly become frustrating. Lines can smoothly and pleasantly as possible. ways was to help lower the amount of walking around campus back and forth and traffic in each hallway. Chris Dozois, thinking about how to get to the next class. History & Social Science Teacher, and This mental drain may improve halfway Adam Gerber, Senior Associate Dean of through the day with a bit of lunch and Admission and Director of Internation- relaxing time in the Student Union, but al Admission, planned these walkways. we have also been stripped of that luxury. Dozios mentioned, “If we have people Our food options are heavily restricted, walking towards each other, that’s a real- as are our times to eat food. The options ly bad thing because even with masks on, on the menu are prepackaged meals, as we’re passing air droplets to each other.” opposed to our previous lunch situation, The whole process took about a month where we could make our own meal. to perfect for the beginning of school. Now, we are not entitled to a spectac- So far, the walkways have done a good ular array of food groups, but there are job at keeping traffic one-way, but for better options than a veggie sandwich. most students, it has been very inconve- Both the salad bar and the sandwich bar nient. Walking from the history wing to are not open anymore, which is incompre- Photo by Bia Leffingwell the language wing is more complicat- hensible. Before the Coronavirus struck, The new exits in the Student Center and entrance to Reid and Corbin. THE SPECTATOR Centerfold: A Temperature Check on the Moment OCTOBER 2, 2020 7 Taking control of our mental health By Shylee Saladi and interacting more with their friends, Managing Editor of Production putting more pressure on themselves to be more social during the school day. Being aware of our own mental health is This especially applies since day students something that everyone should be doing on are not allowed in the dorms anymore, a daily basis, but now in this pandemic, it is which means the only time that many day even more important to acknowledge and students get to hang out with or see their be more kind to ourselves and our mental boarding peers is during the school day. health. Not only has being in-person during Being back at school may cause many more this pandemic put more stress on the stu- challenges than meets the eye. For one, be- dents, faculty, and staffs’ physical health, ing back at school after learning online for but also on the mental health of the entire two months and then being isolated for the community. The CDC states that it can be entire summer has made it tough for stu- “stressful to be separated from others if dents to interact with one another in person. Photo by Shylee Saladi Students finding ways to hang out socially distanced. you have or were exposed to COVID-19.” Many people may be missing how things another. As well as not being able to sit out, reading a book, etc. Take time during Many people may be feeling more isolat- used to be during the school day, at prac- on the couches in lower Corbin, it puts a your weekend to do something that you ed and alone because of having to socially tice, and after school. Due to COVID-19, strain on how social the students can be. love to do, which may include a spa day, distance themselves, “which can lead to a many more problems can arise as students From the different schedules to the new going outside, playing sports, and more. greater feeling of anxiety and stress” states try to find ways to interact with their peers. socially distanced classroom setups, the Try to keep up with some of your usual the Mental Health Association of Ameri- “Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek new one-way hallways, and having class in routines to have some normalcy during this ca. The uncertainty of this year due to the Murthy has brought attention to the wide- Crown, being back at school hasn’t been time of separation. Think of what you can pandemic not only puts more stress on spread experience of loneliness as a pub- the easiest on the students’ mental health. control, like the masks you can wear and being safe but also on social interactions. lic health concern in itself, pointing to As important and necessary being social- the more fresh air you will be breathing Starting a new school year is already its association with reduced lifespan and ly distanced is, it is not always as easy to from being outside even more than before. stressful enough without the added pres- greater risk of both mental and physical make new friendships at any grade level. As this is going to be the “new normal” sure of safety measures due to COVID-19. illnesses (Dr. Murthy serves on the KFF It is more important to focus on what one for a while, it is of utmost importance to It is of utmost importance to be paying Board of Trustees),” writes the Kaiser can control during this time of increased be caring to others around us and to our- more attention to the effect self-isolation Family Foundation. The atmosphere at rules and regulations. To go along with selves, not only physically, but also emo- has on our mental health. Not being able school has changed due to the restrictions that, it is important to focus on self-care tionally and mentally. Be aware of your- to have more than two people per table in caused by COVID-19, which hasn’t been as well as caring for others. Try to take a self and how you are treating yourself the student center can feel like you have the most helpful for students mentally. Not couple of minutes at the end of the day to and others on campus. As the CDC states, to constantly be choosing who you are being able to hang out in the J.C. Cowart reflect on your day and what you can do “Coping with stress [and isolation] in a sitting with every day at lunch, which in Student Center or in the pods in lower better tomorrow to benefit your mental healthy way will make you, the people you turn puts more stress on you individually. Corbin and in the Science Center hasn’t health, such as listening to music, working care about, and your community stronger.” As some students see their peers going out made it the easiest to reconnect with one Perception of emotion behind a mask By Tyler Watts and can relay meaning with or without the edge another person’s existence. Trying of isolation. A lot of our communications Managing Editor of Op-Ed rest of the face present to indicate their to smile behind a mask is a vain attempt may also be more genuine, as the effort emotions, but others with a strong brow to display kindness; it also looks plain in coming mask-to-mask with someone Though the frightening ramifications or blank stare may come across more in- weird. Because of this, understanding a amid heavy enforcement of social distanc- of the coronavirus may not be sensed or timidating without any knowledge of who social situation rests heavily on the shoul- ing policies frees us of situations or gath- understood evenly across populations, they are, even if they have kind intentions. ders of clear verbal and physical cues. erings we’d prefer to avoid. With this, it the changed dynamics of public interac- Smiling has been postponed until the Perhaps this will make us better com- is more comfortable to cancel the plans tion have been felt by all. After months of notice of vaccines. While some may have municators; if there is less passivity in a we did not wish to attend, as enforced isolation, loss, and uncertainty, collective been opposed to or annoyed by the super- conversation or social interaction, then our time inside away from others has provid- nerves have arisen as we relearn how to be ficial smiles once shared in hallways or desire for clarity and understanding could ed many people the space to get to know together. The single act that has allowed for down sidewalks, it was part of the gener- make us more honest and candid as we all themselves better and find comfort in their us to come together and replicate normalcy al routine and a simple way to acknowl- seek to connect and erase gloomy feelings identities away from social pressure. With is simple— wearing a mask. Masks help us changing perspectives that rose from quar- protect each other from ourselves, but they antine boredom, we can reevaluate what can induce social anxiety, despite their truly matters to us, control what little we necessity as a security measure. Compli- can in the current climate, and focus for cations with breathing, being soft spoken, once on being happy! We have more lib- or lacking the reassurance of someone’s erty to dedicate our time to the people or smile may add stress to social interactions. things we find to be truly worth the effort. But aside from these variables, lots of Giddy hopefulness for the day Covid power in interactions now rests in the eyes. has minimal to no effects on our every- Eyes are often thought of as windows to day interactions is what will continue to the soul, but they’ve recently been work- help us endure and see through to a pos- ing overtime as mirrors to reflect our emo- itive outcome. While it is valid to reflect tional cues as well. While it is difficult to on the past months with only resentment connect with one another across technolo- and sorrow, the pure joy/contentment gy such as text or Zoom, it is arguably just that is to come from our first mask-free as difficult to do so behind the guise of a outings will be unmatched. The sub- mask. The gaze can hold a lot of emotional tleties of interaction that we once took meaning, with the potential to relay love, Photos by Tyler Watts for granted will gain a new meaning . trust, hurt, anger, etc. Some eyes are soft, A series of students expressing their emotions and trying to converse. THE SPECTATOR

8 Features OCTOBER 2, 2020 A tale of two DMVs: A surprisingly sensational saga By Rachel Johns got priority for testing, at 8 AM. Expecting employee who said that the DMV comput- and a woman who had witnessed the ac- Managing Editor of News to see a line of about twenty or so due to er system had been shut down statewide cident came up to me and told me that it the early nature of my visit, I was shocked and it was in the process of being fixed. was not my fault and that the other car was Getting your driver’s license is a hall- to see at least two-hundred people waiting Dismayed by the series of misfortunes speeding. The car that hit my car did not re- mark teenage experience. For many, the outside in a line that was at least half a quar- and inconveniences, my father and I turn to the scene after 15 minutes, so my dad keys to a car and that small, yet consequen- ter-mile long. My dad took one look at the planned to wait for the computer system decided that we should head out to lunch. tial, plastic card mean freedom. In a time of line and told me to get back on the highway. to get back up and running while we ate I turned left onto the highway, safely, lockdown, restriction, and isolation, young I drove south for 45 minutes to the Bradley lunch. I turned left out of the DMV park- and made my way to a local fast-food people are more desperate than ever to get a DMV. The building, incapable of holding ing lot onto the highway. As I was com- chain. After finishing our lunch, we- de taste of their budding freedom and respon- more than 12 socially distant individuals, pleting my turn, I suddenly lost control of cided to press our seemingly nonexistent sibility. Needless to say, I was among the had a line of 20 or so outside of the building. the car and was hurtled toward the side of luck and return to the Gibson City DMV. many who attempted to get their driver’s After 25 minutes of waiting in line without the road. I managed to gain control of the In the time we had gotten McDonald’s license this summer. You could say that my any advancement, the sky let out a wary car and pull into the nearest parking lot, and into an accident, the computers had journey to get it was quite the wild ride. cry of thunder. My father and I exchanged which fortunately was right next to me. I started working again. Things were fi- While I had received my permit in the knowing glances and headed for the car. had no clue what happened, but then it hit nally aligning, and I could take the test. fall of my sophomore year, living on cam- He directed me to go to the Gibson City me--I had just gotten into a car accident! The test was easy enough after all I had pus had made it difficult for me to -prac DMV which was a little over an hour away. That wasn’t exactly the motor milestone endured, so I passed. My mundane trip to tice driving regularly. I never seemed to About 20 minutes into the drive, the rain I was hoping to achieve that day. Pan- the DMV had turned into something like have enough time that coincided with began to pour down heavily. The end- icked and sobbing, I got out of the car an episode of a soapy teen drama in its fifth my parents’ own limited free-time to less torrent of water droplets blurred my to inspect the damage. The hubcap was season desperately trying to fill time by in- log the oh-so-elusive 50 hours needed to windshield and turned the surrounding dented and smeared with red paint, which troducing unnecessary plot twists, but that take the practical driving exam. By the countryside into a bleak Monet painting. presumably came from the car that hit it. certainly made it a day I’ll never forget. time lockdown rolled around, my permit As it so happened, this was also my first After a few minutes, I recollected myself, was in peril of expiring, so I took advan- time driving in rain, and I was terrified. tage of the extended time with my family Somehow I managed to make it to the Gib- and practiced driving almost every day. son City DMV. The building, no larger than I made my journey to the Joliet DMV (just the average classroom at LFA, was a wel- twenty minutes from my house) on July come sight. I walked confidently towards 30th, the second-to-last day new drivers the door, and was promptly stopped by an A not-so-normal numbing nonevent By Garrison Sloan Editor-in-Chief line was stretching out the door, around the corner, all the way behind the strip mall, Over the many months of this pandem- where the dumpsters were (people were so- ic, the news has been mainly dominated by cially distanced, so that added quite a bit of the grim forecasts of rising cases and the length, but it was still bad). Soon the facil- risks of reopening, measured out along- ity opened, and we slowly inched forward. side feel-good stories of people beating At around 9:00 AM, we reached a point the virus and finding cool and quirky ways where the line split in two; one line was to spend quarantine. This story is neither. for road tests (my line), and the other was This is not a happy story, nor is it a de- for everyone else. After reviewing my pressing one. It is a story of monotony, documents, they told my mom to leave, boredom, and inefficiency. This is the story because they could only allow so many Photo by Shylee Saladi of going to the DMV during a pandemic. people in the building. However, they still \Students who have gotten their license from the DMV park at Crown during the For a little background, I took driver’s needed her driver’s license for my verifi- school day. ed last summer, and due to Illinois law, I cation, as well as the car for my road test, legally wasn’t allowed to test for my driv- meaning she couldn’t go anywhere. At er’slLicense until nine months after start- this point, the sun was fully out, and with- ing the course, which would have been out any shade it began to heat up outside. mid-April of this year. Due to COVID-19, I waited outside in that line for another a majority of walk-in businesses across three hours. My hands were so sweaty that the US closed to help stop the virus from the ink on the service ticket they had given spreading, and the DMV was among me began to rub off. Finally, I made it inside those businesses. It wasn’t until early and was immediately greeted with another June that DMV facilities opened back up. line to get my photo taken. To add insult to A few days before I was to go for injury, because I had been standing in the my road test, we drove by to see how sun for so long with a mask on, I had de- packed the place was. We were going to veloped a horrible tan line across my face. the Lake Zurich site, which is in a strip After another 45 minutes, I made it through, mall, and I could immediately tell this had my photo taken, and got registered to was going to be a nightmare, as the line take the road test. I waited for another hour was stretching out the door. Little did I inside before finally I was able to hit the know that this was a pretty short line. road. Thankfully, I passed the test and was After gathering up the necessary docu- able to complete the paperwork and get my ments, I arrived with my mom the next license. It was around 1:30 PM when I fi- Photo by Shylee Saladi Wednesday at 7:00 AM, an hour before nally got out of there. It took six and a half Many day students who drive back and forth to school park their cars at Crown. it opened. By the time we got there, the hours to get that one little piece of paper. THE SPECTATOR

OCTOBER 2, 2020 Arts and Entertainment 9 Mulan’s release on streaming platforms By Rohan Miglani released Mulan onto their Disney+ plat- with the fact that more production com- Kuhns 21’, would rather watch mov- Managing Editor of Sports form for streaming, one of the first times panies are creating their own streaming ies in theaters than at home, due to the a major production company has released services by the day, it may become easier “classic big-screen experience” that Covid-19 has cost the movie industry a new movie directly to a streaming plat- and more profitable to release to your own can only be experienced at the theaters. close to 10 billion dollars since the last form. In the first week of release, Mulan streaming platform. While Mulan’s success Although Mulan has shown the success movies were in theaters in March. In the had success on release with the consensus may show the upside of releasing directly that movies can have on streaming, ulti- months following, high profile movies audience enjoying the movie shown by the to streaming, most production companies mately most movies will most likely con- have not been released to the public, re- Rotten Tomatoes rating of 76. Success is still plan to wait to release movies until the tinue to release to the theaters due to the sulting in the major losses for production no stranger to a production tycoon such as theaters re-open. Movies such as A Quiet profits that movie theaters can bring in for companies and others in the film industry. Disney, but the move away from theaters Place 2, Furious 9, and many more have the production companies, as well as al- As a result of being closed for six months, may change the movie industry forever. delayed their releases and are planning to lowing fans to experience the big screen AMC, the largest cinema operator in the While in the short-term, this movie may release with the re-opening of movie the- with many of these high budget movies. world, has lost around 600 million dollars. quench the thirst for new movies, depend- aters. Many moviegoers, such as James However, AMC has begun to open its doors ing on the streaming success of Mulan, to the public in areas where it is safe to do many production companies may decide so. While this will provide relief to AMC, to forgo the option of releasing to the big creating much-needed revenue for the screen and instead go straight to stream- company, this does not change that movie ing. Universal has begun to take steps theaters were starting to lose money before toward this direction, striking a new deal this pandemic hit, and those production with AMC, that allows for movie releas- studios may need to find other outlets to es to be available online just 17 days after make their movies accessible to the public. hitting the big screen, a significant change

On September 4th for $29.99, Disney from the previous 90 days. This, along Photo Courtesy of Disney A review of music released during quarantine writes about the role of women in society together. Their voices meld together very the others, showing little variety in genre By Bela de Jesus in her songs “Mad Woman” and “The Last well and create a heavenly sound. The al- across the album. Chromatica is a de- Managing Editor of Global Perspectives Great American Dynasty.”.Swift has always bum as a whole is very cohesive and has a cent album; however, Lady Gaga has been known for her lyrical prowess, but this clear sound the artists are trying to achieve. shown so much greatness in her career, While the world was under lockdown album takes songwriting to the next level, The production of the beats are really well and this album does not express every- over these past few months, some of the with lyrics like “drunk as they watch my done and are perfect to dance to. The lyrics thing she is capable of--it falls short. biggest artists in the industry released al- shattered edges glisten” from “Mirrorball.” are catchy, but can be superficial and - re Black is King, the visual album written, bums to help us all cope with this year. Her lyricism in this album is very power- petitive at times. On the other hand, there directed, and produced by Beyoncé, was Taylor Swift released Folklore, Chloe x ful, and you can tell each word was chosen are some lines that show true promise and released on July 21st. The film is essential- Halle released Ungodly Hour, Lady Gaga very carefully. The production of the album lyrical prowess, like the line, “You know ly a group of music videos for each song released Chromatica and Beyoncé re- is pretty simple compared to the huge pop that I’ve, I heard it all before/You’re hesi- loosely connected by the plot of The Lion leased Black is King, a visual album for hits of her past, creating an intimate feel for tant, wish you could give me more/I know King. It follows a young African king as he the soundtrack, The Lion King: The Gift. the album. Folklore is truly a cohesive and you like to play those silly games/When gets lost from his community and comes On July 24th, Taylor Swift shocked well written album, showing a new side you’re done, call my name” from “Ungod- back to where he is from to save his peo- the world by announcing her new album of Swift’s music, but still staying true to ly Hour.” Some highlights from Ungodly ple. Beyoncé is portrayed as a mother fig- Folklore only 24 hours before it would what she does best, lyricism and melody. Hour are “Busy Boy,” “Tipsy” and “Won- ure in the films who encourages the king be released. Swift collaborated with Jack The sister duo Chloe x Halle released der What She Thinks Of Me.” As a whole, to be bright, strong and glorious. From a Antonoff and Aaron Dessner to create their second album Ungodly Hour on Ungodly Hour is a powerful and well pro- cinematic standpoint, the film is exquisite. an intimate and folky album during their June 12th. The contemporary R&B al- duced album that shows the duo Chloe x The cinematography and use of the camera quarantine, clearly going back to Swift’s bum was produced by Beyoncé and fea- Halle really know what they’re doing. are really well done and allow the viewer country roots. Each song is very person- tures the talented vocals of the two sis- The famed Lady Gaga released her al- to notice things without pointing to them. al, as she talks about the pain and hap- ters. Their harmonies show that the sisters bum Chromatica on May 29th of this year. The outfits worn by each member of the piness that comes with love. She also are talented and were truly meant to sing The album features Ariana Grande, Elton cast are vibrant and complex, reflecting John, and BLACKPINK. Although many different traditional African clothing. The were excited for this album to show differ- film was shot in some of the most- beau ent sides of Gaga’s music, the album did tiful places in South Africa, Ghana, Cali- not live up to its true potential. Although fornia, and Arizona. The beautiful scenery the album is clearly going for a specific is the perfect background for stunning sound and vibe, it has been done before. choreography to go along with the album, The production sounds very similar to her adding even more meaning to the music. older music, the club and dance sound of The movie has little plot, making it some- the late 2000s. However, the party and times hard to understand; however, it is club songs are masked by truly sad lyrics, meant to be a performance through film such as “You love the paparazzi, love the and not necessarily a riveting plotline. fame/Even though you know it causes me The visuals are remarkable, and the film pain/I feel like I’m in a prison hell/Stick represents so much more. During a time my hands through the steel bars and yell” of racial strife worldwide, black people from “Fun Tonight.” There is something have gone through so much pain and the valuable in the contrast between Gaga’s stereotypes against them have consistently heartbreaking lyrics and techno produc- overshadowed the reality of their gorgeous tion, yet, her great lyricism gets drowned culture and background. Black is King is in loud production. Many of the songs and able to bring that culture to the forefront of beats on Chromatica sound very similar to popular media and help people recognize

Photo Courtesy of Genius a small piece of what’s being fought for.. THE SPECTATOR

10 Sports OCTOBER 2, 2020 New leadership for the LFA Field Hockey team By Bia Leffingwell ence, starting with summer camps, to the ferent people to expand growth if someone man is very important, and LFA can- Staff Writer Lincoln School in Rhode Island, and with may want to pursue field hockey in college. not wait to see what she and her team different club teams. She currently coach- This current role for Coach Nor- can accomplish this year together! In the midst of a global pandemic, there is es at Windy City, and (of course) LFA. a whirlwind of changes, and some happen Coach Norman grew up locally, and with or without the virus. The LFA Field knew a bit about LFA. She met coaches Hockey team has risen through the hard- from LFA, and was invited to come help ships this year with new players and new with the Field Hockey team. In the fall leaders. Meredith Norman has two very im- of 2018, she spent her first season at LFA portant titles here at Lake Forest Academy: working as a goalkeeper coach, and then Learning Resources Specialist and Interim began to work at LFA in the DOS and keep Head Coach of the Field Hockey team. her coaching position in 2019. Norman felt Norman has played Field Hockey since inspired by how passionate the coaches middle school, and went on to play Division in the LFA Field Hockey program were. 1 Field Hockey at Providence College. Her “It has been great to step into a bigger high school team was also state champions role with the LFA Field Hockey program. in Illinois during her senior year. Norman The other coaches and team have been played water polo in high school, but field very supportive and welcoming,” she hockey was always her passion. She start- says. “My goal for the team is to develop ed playing goalkeeper in middle school [the players’] individual skills as players, and tried playing the field in high school, learn to push themselves as athletes and to but soon realized that she was meant to have fun playing field hockey. [My hopes be a goalie. After the fall of her freshman for the team are] to encourage and fos- year, she made the full commitment to the ter a love for the game of field hockey.” goalkeeper position, and started attending When asked what she would advise to more camps for goalies. While she was in anyone who wants to look into field hock- college, Norman started to coach summer ey, Norman says, “Go for it! It’s such a fun, camps in New England and continued her exciting sport. The game is quick paced coaching career during graduate school. and requires players to think on their feet!” “I found it to be a natural progression She encourages her own players to play as after my collegiate career ended,” she said. often as possible. She emphasizes the impor- Photo Courtesy of LFA Website. Norman has a lot of coaching experi- Meredith Norman is the new interim head coach of the LFA Field Hockey team. tance of having fun and learning from dif- Masked and ready to play By Shylee Saladi and begin at different intervals so that they team has their own set of six tennis balls times until the athletes get into the water. Managing Editor of Productions are more spread out. Runners from differ- that no one else on the team is allowed to “Anytime the athletes are outside of ent schools have designated areas and must touch so they stay sanitized throughout the water, they have to be wearing a Wearing masks and being socially dis- keep their masks on before and after races. the entire season. It minimizes the need to two-layer mask,” said Bela De Jesús tanced during the school day has become Girls tennis hasn’t had too much trou- sanitize the tennis balls after every prac- ‘22, a swimmer on the Girls Swim team. a norm, but how does each fall sport stay ble being socially distanced at practice tice. Also, during matches, athletes no She also mentioned that while the socially distanced at practice? From Cross since it is much easier to be spread out on longer shake hands at the start and end of swimmers are in the pool, there are Country to Prep Hockey, each sport is try- the courts. Not only are the tennis players a game. During each match, a new can of only two students allowed per lane, and ing its best to abide by the social distanc- able to play with gaiters, they also do not tennis balls are opened for both the oppos- they are always at opposite ends of the ing protocols and mask-wearing during, have to wear masks at all during practice. ing team and LFA athletes on the courts. pool. She stated that they are never on before, and after practice. Though each The only times that the athletes have to Girls swimming is the only indoor sport the same side of the lane above water. sport may differ between wearing a mask wear their masks is when they are in the as of now and has to follow even stricter Athletes are allowed to take a breather or gaiter, or when you have to wear it locker rooms and near other students off rules while at practice. From the lock- from wearing their masks on the golf course during practice, every sport still follows of the tennis courts. Each person on the er room to the pool, masks stay on at all since they have the ability to be socially dis- the same rules once the athletes walk into tanced. While at golf practice, if you walk the Crown Fitness & Wellness Center. Any far apart from other players, you are able athlete, faculty member, or staff inside to take your mask off. Since the athletes’ Crown must abide by the new COVID-19 golf in groups of fours, “the only time you protocol, which means that everyone has to have to wear your mask is when you are wear a two-layered mask with no ventila- closer than six feet, and then you can take tion devices inside. Many sports have their it off while actually hitting the golf ball”, own safe ways of going about practice. said Varsity golfer, Akhil Kommala ‘22. At cross country practice, the athletes Prep Hockey captain, Thomas Langston “run on trails that are 6 feet wide so two ‘21, spoke about how the athletes at practice people can run side-by-side yet stay social- have to stay socially distanced since they ly distanced,” said Emily Schroeder ‘22, a don’t need to wear a mask underneath their cross country runner. Schroeder says it also helmets. Prep hockey players only have to helps that everyone runs at a different pace wear masks off the ice and in their locker so that it is easier to remain socially dis- rooms mentioned Langston. While doing tanced. Since the athletes at cross country drills on the ice, the players make sure to aren’t running all the time, it is a necessity be as spread out as possible. Even though that they keep their masks on while taking every sport differs as to how they wear breaks, warming up, or when they are not their masks and how they stay socially dis- socially distanced, which can be applied to tanced, it all comes together since we are a the majority of the other fall sports. At cross Photo by Shylee Saladi community trying to keep each other safe. country meets, runners run in multiple heats LFA Girls Varsity Tennis mask up while talking on the sidelines. THE SPECTATOR

OCTOBER 2, 2020 Sports 11 Changes in college recruiting

By David Oluwole “I hoped for this season to propel me portunity to continue to train even with- tial impact on sports and recruiting, LFA Senior Sports Editor into playing football at the next level.” out any scheduled games in places. has taken every possible effort to keep From standardized testing to sports, When asked about his current plans, he “I’ve been training almost everyday, and sports in the lives of its students, and al- the impact of the pandemic has been stated that he has still been training and I’m confident when the season is announced, though the date of the season for many swift, and for prospective college ath- working out as if there was a fall season. I will be in great shape,” Maida said. sports starting is up in the air, students letes, potentially disastrous. Athletes all “I have been continually working on my While the pandemic has had a substan- will still have the opportunity to play. over the country have been anxiously craft, and am just patiently waiting for news waiting and hoping for a season in or- about when we can get back on the field.” der to be recruited by colleges. Guide- For many others, the pressure is a lot lines for sports are different state by less, but the same consequences are state. Illinois is restricting most sports still reaped. For juniors such as Stefan for the fall, while states like Indiana are Momcilovic, opportunities to build rela- proceeding with sports such as football. tionships with coaches are delayed. Per For most sports, the prime grades for NCAA rules, soccer players aren’t al- recruiting are taken in athletes’ junior and lowed to communicate with coaches un- senior years of high school. For many peo- til their junior year. With the pandemic ple, getting an athletic scholarship is their and limited playing opportunities, many only way of attending college. For others, players such as Momcilovic could miss being recruited is the only way they could vital time periods to interact with coaches. get a chance to play collegiately in a sport Momcilovic stated, “I’m not too worried, that they’ve spent their lives perfecting. but I’m counting training with the school Senior Nick Mesrobian was really along with my club. All I can do is hope we looking forward to playing football this have a season and continue to train hard.” fall outside of school since the football In the meantime, LFA has done a program had already been cancelled at great job in providing students oppor- Lake Forest Academy. “This season was tunities to still train and play their sport supposed to be the cherry on top to my as a PE. Junior soccer player Giuseppe Photo by Stefan Momcilovic football career before college,” he said. Maida said he likes how he has the op- Stefan Momcilovic ‘22 checking in for a pass. A long overdue name change? By Mimi Osborne Managing Editor of A&E The 1991 Super Bowl winning Wash- ington Redskins are widely considered to be one of the best teams in football histo- ry; however, the team has received end- less backlash over the past years over a rather problematic issue--their name. The Washington Redskins, to no avail, were included in the long list of controversial Native American mascot names. Howev- er, since November 2014, when the first open protest fighting against the name was held outside TCF Bank Stadium, the bashing against the team has escalated. The word “redskin” originated during the colonial period when English settlers first came across the Indigenous People, and referred to them as being “red” based on Photos courtesy of Washington Football Team their ethnicity. This term was not deemed The orignal logo (left), and the new logo of the Washington football team (right). derogatory at the time, and has since main- tor at Lake Forest Academy, argued that side with Madeley and believe that only they never had a connection to the team tained that perception for some. Many “if the Native Americans the Redskins the Indigenous People have a right to before being drafted or signed. I believe Washington football fans, for instance, are representing are proud of the symbol say what happens with the name change, this extends to most of the community, claim that as many schools with a domi- and the logo being represented, then it and that larger corporations should not. and it is a pretty easy change to just say nating Native American population use the should stay. If they are not, and they find Nick Mesrobian ‘21, however, stated ‘Washington’ or the ‘Football Team.’ mascot “redskin,” it is therefore not offen- it offensive, then they have the right to ask that, “they want to make a stand and use Alexos also said, “I also believe that sive. However, in 2013, the principal of for its removal. There should be no hesi- their voice for once. Plus, these compa- people around the Washington area Red Mesa High School in Arizona, whose tation around that. Unfortunately, I think, nies sacrificed billions of dollars by doing and the community will show the mascot is the Redskins, stated that the word there are people involved who shouldn’t this. I think it is fair and a good thing.” Washington Football Team more re- should be refrained from use if not within be involved.” By this, Madeley is refer- Constantine Alexos ‘21 shared simi- spect and appreciation for making the Native American community, as the ring to larger organizations and spon- lar beliefs to Mesrobian, saying, “The a change and listening to the fans.” term has a legacy of negativity. This public sors of the Washington Football Team. Redskins haven’t been a very good team Above all, the team is associated announcement acted as a catalyst to the pro- The largest sponsor of the Washington for the last couple of decades, and I think with honor, and as Madeley stated, tests against the term, and a gradual incline Football Team, FedEx, recently presented they need a major culture change. So by “having players of high character; peo- in people beginning to argue this as well. them with an ultimatum. FedEx stated that changing the name and starting fresh, this ple who work hard, play hard.” Even Despite this, many Washington fans be- the team had to either change its name, or will significantly help the organization.” though the changing of the name will lieve that the word has not been directly lose its partnership with the company. The On July 13, the formerly known Redskins bring a shift to the team and its sur- spoken against by the Native American team currently plays at FedEx Stadium, changed their name to the Washington rounding community, the largest im- community and should therefore remain as so losing the partnership would have cre- Football Team. Mesrobian pointed out, pact will be over what comes next. the mascot. Darrin Madeley, Athletic Direc- ated turmoil within the community. Many “Most players aren’t from the DC area, so THE SPECTATOR

12 Global Perspectives OCTOBER 2, 2020 A closer look at global re-openings By Bela Jesús When asked about how people feel to- Managing Editor of Global wards the pandemic, Haili Sun ‘22, a stu- dent from Chengdu, China, responded LFA students come from so many plac- with, “In China, people are just relaxed es across the world, and the differences and don’t even care that much… It’s like and similarities between the places we normal now.” Most provinces are on the are from have never been more prevalent first and second level of protocol,- mean than now. A global pandemic has caused ing that following rules are optional. Sun the world to shut down, but countries have said that most people seem to not care started to reopen as governments have very much anymore, and in places like learned how to deal with the virus. Across restaurants, people are not distanced at all. the three very different places of China, Initially, Ukrainians were not hit very Ukraine, and Wisconsin, students have hard by the pandemic compared to other experienced the virus very differently, and countries. However, there was a three- the reopening of their homes has shown month lockdown in order to prevent Courtesy of US News and World Report just how different but similar our world is. further damage. Recently, Ukraine has Chinese citizens experiencing COVID-19 this past August. China was hit the earliest during this glob- started to open up. According to federal consin, COVID-19 is dealt with like the fact that many believe this virus is fake al pandemic, as the source of the spread law, Ukrainians are required to wear face many other places in the United States. shows the misinformation that is spread so was in Wuhan, China. After an intense and masks when indoors. Restaurant seating The U.S. has an incredibly high amount easily around the United States. Unfortu- strict quarantine across the country, China is only outside, and there are sanitizers of cases, and state governments were the antely, the number of cases in Wisconsin has learned to bounce back economically everywhere to promote healthy habits. ones to create lockdown and mask pro- has been surging in recent days, with sci- and socially. The country started to re-open However, the general population be- tocols. Despite the United States being entists believing the neighboring state is on in the spring of this year, and things have came antsy after such a long time in lock- one of the countries worst hit by the pan- the cusp of being a new center of outbreak. changed drastically since the initial pan- down and started to stop following these demic, reopening happened very quickly. Despite there being many different pro- ic about the virus. In China, they created protocols. Illia Slipchenko, a junior from When asked about how her state was tocols countries are making in order to three different levels of protocol depending Ukraine, stated that, “People hate it, no- reopening, Sophia Sokhi ‘22, stated that, reopen, the response by the population is on the province. Masks are used on public body wears a mask.” Slipchenko said that “No one really abides by the rules. Bars generally similar. People are simply tired transportation, but are not really required despite the laws put in place, nobody seems are open and everyone is drinking … Peo- of this virus, and most just want to be done outside anymore. People in restaurants are to really care anymore, and nobody gets ple are mad they had to stay quarantined with it, despite the consequences that not not distancing. All these rules have been reprimanded for not following the rules. because people still believe the virus is a following community guidelines can have. established by the federal government. Just over the border from here in Wis- hoax.” Local laws are not enforced, and Global desensitization: The dangers of activism overload Ramya Herman and Briana Murphy awareness in some of the most effective self, piling into a formidable added adver- tion. When you fight for several causes Editor in Chief and Creative Director and globally reaching ways ever, it has sity in the mental space of a lot of margin- frequently, and you feel the need to keep also presented people with the burden of alized groups. That brings up the question: up that much effort, the energy you used Sensory overload has allowed us to lull both baring this knowledge and not be- “Where is the line between advocacy and to put towards activism has lessened. ourselves into a state of activist compla- ing able to empathize properly due to be- abusing access to traumatic information?” This often leads to feelings of disappoint- cency, as paradoxical as it seems. The coming overwhelmed with information. While one’s ability to participate in change ment and a compulsion to keep up the same world has become desensitized to the For those experiencing the information is dependent on their circumstances, re- level of activism because it’s hard to take a cries of the suffering by simultaneously on a more personal level, either being part sources, and a number of other factors, it is mental break when there are so many issues placing them in front of the same mega- of the affected community or having family important to make the distinction between that constantly need attention and support. phone-- the famine ridden stomachs of members who are, everyone’s sudden obli- raising awareness and indulging in the There’s also the issue of constant re- those in Yemen attempt to harmonize with gation to share brutality and suffering has over-sharing of hurtful experiences that are search and concern over whether or not the stolen uteruses of immigrant women. presented these groups with an opportunity intimate to a specific group or community. something is actually helping the cause. While social media has presented in- for advocacy and assistance, but also a lot Some ways to avoid the latter are to: when When there are so many links and causes dividuals with the opportunity to raise of trauma is continuously stacking up on it- spreading awareness, add a trigger warn- to donate to, it gets hard to differentiate ing to detrimental content, and not only which ones will actually help the cause. posting the content but ways to help and There are many people who often take resources or organizations to get in touch advantage of teribile situations to make with as well. This way, the incident is be- profit. The most important thing is to read ing acknowledged without glorification all information very carefully and try to and creating a direct pathway from knowl- see if the information is true with a quick edge of a situation to active assistance of Google search or even a look on social me- it. By doing this, the excessive displaying dia.will give insight into what to support. of distress is lessened for those who heed The most important thing is to make the warnings and allows for more access sure that whatever you’re doing ac- to effective methods of inciting change. tually helps either spread awareness The world has become more conscious with factual information or directly of issues that aren’t just local, but re- supports the cause you’re fighting for. gional, and people are beginning to ad- This can also lead to activism exhaus- vocate for people in other countries and tion because constantly worrying over continents. With the constant stream of whether or not accusations are true or not, news that people can receive through the especially when it’s an issue that doesn’t internet, surely the effects of constant ac- affect you personally, is hard on a person tivism have been seen this summer espe- emotionally. It’s important to know your Image by Ramya Herman cially when referring to activism exhaus- limit and when you need to take a break. Instagram is one of many social media platforms providing constant awareness. THE SPECTATOR

OCTOBER 2, 2020 Global Perspectives 13 Impacts of the Kenosha shooting By Kirstin Palasz and Mimi Osborne be. It’s upsetting that I’m used to it.” Photo Editor and Managing Editor of Arts Ackim Mpofu, a member of the History & Entertainment and Social Science faculty, noted the vio- lence at the Black Lives Matter protests, On August 23, 2020, turmoil broke out in specifically those occurring in Kenosha, as, Wisconsin. Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Af- “the language of being hurt. If people are rican American, was shot seven times in the not heard, they end up being hurt. I do not back by police officer Rusten Sheskey, an like violence, but if people’s messages are incident that sparked protests and rioting, not heard, they tend to do violent things.” not only within the city of the encounter, Mpofu, hailing from Zimbabwe, has faced Kenosha, Wisconsin, but also throughout oppression for the majority of his life and the entire nation. Protests began the day of said that, “being black has hindered [his] the shooting, August 23rd, and have con- life to some extent.” During his college tinued to present day. There has been over years at Northeastern University, Mpofu 50 million dollars worth of damage, and on would encounter problems with security. August 26th, President Donald J. Trump He said that, “Even though I was one of the Courtesy of New York News 1 sent 2,000 members of the National Guard, best athletes there, when they [the police] New Yorkers protesting the killing of Jacob Blake August 24, 2020. the reserves of the United States Army and would see me, they saw me as a threat.” have sent out emails and set up speakers. When asked about what comes next the United States Air Force, to, as Presi- When asked about one thing he wished Erin English, a Health, Wellness, and regarding the BLM movement, a lead- dent Trump said, “restore law and order.” could be changed about the stereotype of Community Teacher, said that, “Youth er of BSU said, “Before we do anything, Lake Forest Academy is a mere 24 miles Black people in American society, Mpofu voice matters. Youth has so much more we have to just listen to what’s going away from the city of Kenosha, and as a result said the perceived “threat of, specifically, power than they realize, and there is a on, listen to the people that are hurting.” of the shooting, has been directly impacted. Black males, and with Black women, associ- hopefulness to engage and to change the Another BSU leader said, “One thing Bela De Jesús, a junior at LFA, said, “It’s ating them with being emotional and angry.” world.” English is part of a mixed fami- that’s important is to recognize that always painful on a human level, but be- The same question provoked a similar re- ly and said that, even though she has been the Black Lives Matter movement cause it was so close to here, it instilled fear sponse from a leader of BSU, who said, made to feel welcome in American society, isn’t black lives matter more than oth- in me. I do have a brown father and brother.” “The stigma that comes with black peo- “that’s different from being made to feel as er people, but that they matter too.” Despite the shooting being so close to ple being dangerous or just the negative if we belong here.” As a teacher at LFA, During these trying times, it is very im- LFA, one Black Student Union (BSU) idea of black people being uneducated.” she hopes that her students will leave with portant that the LFA community listens leader said, “There have been so many With regards to how LFA has handled a broader understanding of how to inter- to others’ views and provides support to tragedies such as these; I’m numb to things this movement, Mpofu said that, “LFA pret others’ views, and how to listen re- everyone, as respecting each other and like these now, things that I shouldn’t has done a good job. You know, they spectfully and engage respectfully as well. loving each other is the best way to heal. Political hypocrisy in big brands

By Briana Murphy multiple protests on the platform came Creative Director the “blackouts.” Blackouts were app- wide protests done by creators to show- In the politically aware environment that we case and empathize with the creativity currently live in, consumers aren’t afraid to and the necessity of supporting black use their economic power in protest, refus- creators. The people behind the app de- ing to support companies that support dif- cided to promote diversity and hold dif- ferent political or social issues. Companies ferent events to help with the inclusion have finally begun to take notice of the po- of minorities into the app’s algorithm. litical and social responsibilities they have. In addition, TikTok held a black cre- Companies have to be aware of the ators summit where black content cre- advertisements they put out and what ators could network, and had have several they support behind the scenes. In many speeches and created the #MakeBlackhis- cases, if enough people find a compa- tory campaign. They also held a series of ny’s message offensive, that company week-long virtual events for Asian-Amer- will get boycotted online and in-person. ican and Pacific-Islander months. Photo by Briana Murphy Especially those in the younger gen- This is where the hypocrisy comes in. Brands such as Ben and Jerry’s have taken multiple stances on political issues. erations have come to understand how Some companies continue to do the things social media or actively supporting their they put out a statement and now encour- much power is behind their money. that lost them sales or caused controver- LGBTQ Workers or the community. age or at least support the same behavior People have taken to protesting with sy by not changing anything and merely Even with the current Black Lives that got Kapernick fired. There’s a lot of their spending or spreading informa- cloaking the problem behind something Matter Movement, many compa- things behind the scenes that are just now tion, which explains why companies else in order to get a better reputation with- nies will voice their support and con- being uncovered with the level of sup- shouldn’t be supported just for activism. out morphing the way they do business. cern for the community; however, their port given to those who lost their job be- Despite this new uprise in the cancellation Some companies use social justice actions will not match their words. cause of things like this in recent years. of certain companies and media outlets, movements or political views to get Let’s take the Tasty Test kitchen a part There is a massive difference between some media outlets still have very conflict- more customer traffic and increase their of BuzzFeed that creates recipes and supporting a cause and riding the wave ing political ideals. Many come out to sup- sales. Big companies have been partici- tests out how to make certain food gour- of profit that comes with supporting a port movements like the Black Lives Matter pating in brand activism, which is taking met online; for example, they voiced cause, and many companies don’t seem movement or the #Metoo movement; how- from the real activism from com- their support for communities of color; to know the difference. Proceed with ever, they don’t practice what they preach. panies; brand activism is more however, they were mistreating and un- caution when supporting a company for For example, the popular social media about the perception of actions and derpaying their workers of color. For in their public beliefs because, unless you app TikTok admitted to censoring POC, how they deal with intel issues. It’s stance, the NFL firing Colin Kaeper look below the surface, you can’t be poor, overweight, LGBTQ, and disabled the difference between a company sim- nick for his peaceful protest of kneeling sure that it’s not simply brand activism. creators. After noticeable discontent and ply changing their logo to a rainbow on during the National Anthem; however,