Outside the Lines

STATESMAN
OUTSiDE
THE LiNES
Across our community,
what does allyship
look like?
Volume 56 - Issue 3
November 2022
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
1 Stevenson Drive, Lincolnshire, IL 60069

IN THIS
volume 56
issue 3
Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, LGBTQ+
Rights; each movement like brush strokes on a
vast canvas. Over the past few years, we have seen
social media take the world by storm, propelling
cause after cause into the spotlight, and sparking
both awareness and change. Truly, we seem to
ISSUEBlack
be in the midst of a social justice renaissance, but
how did we get here?
CONTENTS
In this issue, we’ll take a closer look at the
diverse perspectives and identities comprising
this new, pervasive sense of allyship, covering
everything from the experiences of different
religions at Stevenson to performative allyship.
Together we’ll investigate the rigidly limiting
mindsets that make authenticity and acceptance
so difficult, and discover how to step outside
these lines as we paint a new path forward.
04 The Forum
06 Culture Through Curriculum
Anika krishnaswamy
07 Unheard Hearings
09 Unstable Connection
10 Louder than Words
12
14 Beyond Beliefs
18 Blending Perspectives
20
Falling Into Fiction
“We’re willing to share...
Are you willing to listen?”
22 An Alternative Path
23 Light the Lamp
24 Striding Forward
26 Coaching Shifts
27 Caught on Guard
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Collin Fan
Managing editors
of magazine
Anika Krishnaswamy
Kelly Liu
Managing editors
OF PRODUCTION
Surya Sethi
Aayushi Wadhawan
Managing editors
OF WEB
Lance Locker
Vivian Zhu
Managing editors
OF DESIGN
Jennifer Huang
Shannon Moser
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Elizabeth Yuan
NEWS EDITOR
Angela Guo
OPINIONS EDITOR
Ava Winber
FEATURES EDITOR
Sarah Zhang
SPORTS EDITOR
Nick Corso
WEB EDITOR
Dayna Roberts
COPy editors
Sriya Mamidanna
Nicole Yao
IN-depth Coordinator
Helen Oriatti-Bruns
Multimedia director
Gaurish Lakhanpal
Marketing director
Kyla Smith
Adviser
Dean Bradshaw
staff reporters
Saanvi Adusumalli Fiona Jin
Simran Agarwal Tej Kosaraju
Ansh Aggarwal Nicole Lee
Yumna Ali-Khan Sam Lerner
Eshaam Bhattad Kashvi Nagpal
Rachel Bui Jacob Silverman
Timothy Bui Rajan Sukhatme
Brayden Caldwell Aaroh Tak
Jonah Cooper Ananya Tak
Katya Dubinin Camden Wright
Adi Jaiswal Alexander Xie
Lillian Zhou
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
1 Stevenson Drive, Lincolnshire, IL 60069
www.statesmanshs.org
shshstatesman.business@gmail.com
The Statesman is a student-run publication published monthly for the benefit of the Adlai E. Stevenson High School community.
With a print run of 2,800 and a regularly updated web page, the Statesman provides high quality journalistic content in the
areas of news, opinions, features, and sports. The opinions expressed in the Statesman do not necessarily represent the opinions
of the administration, school board, faculty, or student body. Advertising inquiries should be submitted to shsstatesman.
business@gmail.com. All advertisments are subject to the discretion of the editorial board and will contain information and
imagery appropriate for the Stevenson community. Statesman belongs to the Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association, the
Kettle Moraine Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the National Scholastic Press Association.

22 24
27
NOVEMBER

community news
the forum
Brayden Caldwell, Helen Oriatti-Bruns,
Aayushi Wadhawan, ALexander xie
We share because we care
Stevenson’s annual Give-A-Thon fundraiser begins
Brian Yoon ’23 sells candy to support
the family his fencing team is
sponsoring for Give-A-Thon.
4 news• november 2022
Stevenson’s annual National
Honor Society (NHS) sponsored
Give-A-Thon event is officially
underway with the theme
“Monsters, Inc.” Starting on
Oct. 25, students began raising
funds to buy items requested by
the family they are sponsoring.
Students who choose to participate
in this event can sell a wide
array of products ranging from
food to souvenirs.
Give-A-Thon is a schoolwide
service event dedicated to
supporting families in the Lake
County area during the holiday
season. The fundraising efforts
are used to support Give-A-
Thon’s three goals: buy gifts
for more than 250 low-income
families, supply enough canned
food items to the Vernon Township
Food Pantry to last at least
six months and donate baby
supplies for PADS Lake County.
NHS Sponsor Courtney Zabrin
hopes to have a broader impact
compared to previous years to
better support the local community’s
needs.
“We would love to be able to
increase the number of families
that we’re serving and the number
of boxes we’re bringing to
the food pantry and the number
of baby items every year,” Zabrin
said. “Right now there is a huge
food crisis, so it’s extremely important
for us to be able to fulfill
their needs.”
In order to support NHS in
reaching their Give-A-Thon
goals, students can choose to
participate in different activities
to contribute to overall fundraising
efforts. For example,
they can raise money or work
with NHS during their committee
meetings as an effort to contribute
to Give-A-Thon.
“[Give-A-Thon] is one of
the events at school that really
brings our volunteer community
together,” Zabrin said. “It
allows students from every age
group in every area of the building
to step up as leaders.”
Students can be classroom
leaders, spearheading the fundraising
efforts or organizing
ways to collect canned food
items or baby supplies. NHS
Co-President Alex Le Blanc ’23
says the numerous ways to support
Give-A-Thon help generate
enthusiasm for giving back
to the community.
“My favorite part of Give-A-
Thon is knowing I am making a
broad impact on a family’s holiday,”
Le Blanc said. “Just visualizing
a smile on a kid’s face when
they open their presents is really
rewarding and meaningful.”
One call Away
Stevenson introduces emergency blue light safety system
As a new safety measure for
students who park on the outskirts
of campus, Stevenson is
implementing an emergency
blue light safety system—also
known as call boxes—near the
Port Clinton parking lots. In an
emergency, students can press
the button on the call boxes to
request police or campus security
support depending on the
time of the day.
The call boxes were installed
during September and are currently
in the process of finalizing
the underground wiring.
Principal Troy Gobble explains
that the administration wants
to ensure students feel safe on
campus regardless of the location
or the time of day and know
that they have immediate access
to help if need be.
“Once we realized how far
away [the new Port Clinton
parking lot] was and how close
it is to the main road, we wanted
to make sure that if something
were to happen to a kid, they
would have a way to [get] help,”
Gobble said. “If anything were
to happen to someone, all they
have to do is hit the button to
call for help.”
If a student presses the button,
a request for help is directed
to Stevenson’s security
during the school day and to
a police dispatch center after
hours. With this new system in
place, Security Manager Patricia
Pierce notes that students will
have immediate assistance from
trained personnel in an emergency.
The blue light emergency system
is installed near the Port Clinton
parking lot. It is one of three
safety systems available to use.
“The police will generally respond
with two officers at first,
and then if authorities know
more about the scenario or need
backup, they can ask for more
officers,” Pierce said.
Students will also be able to
communicate with law enforcement
through a voice box and
emit a blue light signal. In their
implementation of the system,
Stevenson took inspiration from
college campuses; according to
the US Department of Justice’s
Special Report on Campus Law
Enforcement, 92 percent of university
campuses have blue light
emergency systems to increase
students’ sense of security on
campus and deter crime.
“It is more of a direct connection
to a 911 dispatcher since
they will immediately know
your location rather than trying
to call using your cell phone,”
Pierce said.

final finals format
Stevenson administration introduces new finals format
Recently, the Stevenson administration
announced a new
finals format for 2022. The new
format will shorten the time
spent in each finals period from
90 minutes to 40 minutes, compressing
finals from three days
to two.
To account for the shorter
periods, students will attend
periods six, two, three and four
on the first day of finals, Dec. 21,
and periods one, five, seven and
eight on the second day, Dec.
22. Students will be dismissed
at 11:40 a.m. on both days.
According to some administrators,
these shorter periods
have been in the works for several
years. After the 2014 introduction
of Evidence Based Reporting
(EBR), administrators
debated about whether the new
grading policy would impact
the finals schedule. For Assistant
Principal of Teaching and
Learning Wendy Custable, EBR
means that final exams are less
important than they would be
for a traditional grading system.
“Through EBR, we’ve discovered
that, because there’s more
frequent feedback to students,
finals might not be as necessary
for some courses because a student’s
final grade is based on the
evidence of learning throughout
the semester,” Custable said.
Under the EBR grading system,
students that score “Meets”
in all grading standards may not
have their finals’ score count towards
their grade. However,
they may still take a final assessment
in some classes. Other
students may use finals as an
opportunity for mastery.
If a student doesn’t need to
show growth in any standards,
they will often complete a reflection
to set future goals for
the next semester or celebrate
the completion of a course. Attendance
on finals days is mandatory
in all classes. However,
some students, like Assaf Givati
’25, feel that there could be
some exceptions.
“I believe that it is important
to show up for finals since some
teachers tell you that it is still
required for you to take finals
to raise your grade,” Givati said.
“However, if a person doesn’t
think that they need to raise
their grades then they shouldn’t
be required to come to finals.”
According to Custable, students
should attend their classes
because finals are viewed as
typical school days. In addition,
because finals are of equal importance
to other exams, she
says that the new finals format
is more fair than other formats.
“As a district, we are really
happy and proud that we’ve gotten
to this point of teaching and
learning that’s not the old way
of a ‘gotcha’ final exam,” Custable
said.
2022 Finals Schedule
December December
21st 22nd
\
Period 6 Period 5
Period 2 Period 1
Period 3 Period 7
Period 4 Period 8
Extra Time Extra Time
x2
a new saga
SAGA celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month, facilitates
conversations with students
On Oct. 11, Stevenson’s Sexuality
and Gender Alliance club
(SAGA) hosted a celebration
for National Coming Out Day,
during which SAGA members
advised students on coming out
as LGBTQ+ as part of a lunchtime
activity. They also held a
coming out party after school.
The Coming Out Day event
was just one of many activities
on SAGA’s LGBTQ+ History
Month calendar. During October,
the event celebrated historical
LGBTQ+ figures and the
strides of the LGBTQ+ rights
movement. SAGA also worked
with other clubs—including
Lean in Feminism Club, Indian
Student Association (ISA) and
Diversity Council—to facilitate
collaborative club meetings.
One such effort was ISA and
SAGA’s joint meeting about Indian
LGBTQ+ history, which
garnered interest from new
students. According to Vedant
Rupwal ’23, SAGA executive
board member, the 150 advice
brochures SAGA printed for
National Coming Out Day had
been passed out by the end of
fourth period. In addition, their
regular club attendance roughly
doubled for the Coming Out
Day party.
“We got such a big turnout,
and hopefully in the meetings
moving forward we do get the
same turnout,” Rupwal said.
“With more people in the club,
we can educate more people and
give more opportunities to others
to learn and engage in activities
that are LGBTQ+ inclusive.”
At the club’s first World’s Fair
booth this year, many SAGA
members emphasized a desire to
educate people about LGBTQ+
culture around the world. At
their booth, members sold cake
and highlighted LGBTQ+ figures
from various countries.
SAGA member Key Kanemori
’23 explains that discussing
LGBTQ+ history is an important
step toward gaining empathy
for LGBTQ+ people.
SAGA informs students about LGBTQ+ history at World’s Fair.
“I think it’s surprising for
some people that a lot of us
didn’t get the right to marry
until 2015,” Kanemori said.
“We’re talking about how the
right to marry is a relatively recent
thing but also explaining
what LGBTQ means, who falls
under that umbrella and how
to respect them in the best way
possible.”
Moving forward, SAGA
hopes to work closely with Stevenson
to ensure that the school
is a safe place for LGBTQ+ students.
To do this, the club is
currently working on a petition
to create more gender-neutral
bathrooms, as some students say
the gender-neutral bathrooms
that currently exist are sparsely
located throughout the building.
Although the club has big
plans for the future, they are
proud of what they accomplished
this month. For Rupwal,
the most significant result of
their events was bringing more
awareness to the LGBTQ+ community
at Stevenson.
“I feel our intent was to say,
‘we’re here and we are queer,’
which we did,” Rupwal said.
“We got to portray that there are
LGBTQ+ people around you,
and it’s not something you can
neglect or something you can
ignore.”
www.statesmanshs.org • 5

Students, staff debate recent
changes for diversity in the
English department
The Stevenson Communication
Arts Department has sought to
represent the growing diversity of
the student body—45 percent of which
identifies as non-white—through a variety
of literary works. Over the past
five years, 22 out of 26 adopted texts
have had authors of color.
By exposing students to a variety
of customs, the Communication Arts
Department hopes to instill cultural
awareness so more students feel represented.
However, students like Sahana
Bala ’25 feel that the topics covered in
these books do not properly represent
people of color.
“Books like The House on Mango Street
are more about identity struggle, and
I feel like every single book that we’ve
read about diverse cultures has been the
same,” Bala said.
In Bala’s experience, conversations
about new books are mostly centered
around the issues of being a person
of color rather than sharing and appreciating
differences. According to
Communication Arts Director Doug
Lillydahl, finding a balance between an
appropriate reading level and shared
themes has proven to be difficult for the
English Department.
“We talk about finding more uplifting
pieces or pieces that have less of
that struggle written by voices that we
don’t normally hear from, but it’s actually
a little more challenging than we
thought,” Lillydahl said.
6 news • november 2022
Culture
Through
Curriculum
saanvi adusamalli, ananya tak
This difficulty has translated into the
bulk of accepted novels being centered
around a single theme: cultural and
societal struggles people of color face.
English teacher Gerrian Pioquinto understands
the limitations of this current
curriculum.
“We recognize that a lot of the books
that are popularized today are centered
around that person being in the race
that they are,” Pioquinto said. “So part
of the challenge is finding books that
don’t center around the trauma of them
being the race that they are, but rather
that a person of color just happens to be
the main character.”
For the bulk of her high school experience,
Pioquinto was only exposed
to white, European-centric novels. As a
person of color, she appreciates the initiatives
put forth by Stevenson to diversify
its current literature curriculum.
“We have an opportunity to share
some different perspectives,” Lillydahl
said. “We can give kids the opportunity
to see through windows and to other
worlds, and look in mirrors and see
themselves, so we realized that we need
to be more active about making that
happen in our curriculum.”
Lillydahl recognizes the changing
composition of Stevenson’s student
body and the importance of creating a
curriculum that parallels it. However,
some students are not entirely happy
with Stevenson’s methods due to the
lack of student involvement.
“I feel like there should be more involvement
from students and from
people who are part of these different
cultures,” Bala said. “Teachers should
get their opinion on the book before
actually starting to teach it.”
Pioquinto does note that all novels
go through a test run of two to three
years, where the books are taught in
classrooms, before being officially introduced
into the curriculum. In her
experience, the new texts have fostered
discussions where students and teachers
learned more about various cultures.
“Students have the chance to teach
their peers and teachers about different
aspects of society that relate to that
culture that we didn’t think of when
we were first creating the curriculum,”
Pioquinto said.
While finding diverse texts has been
difficult, Stevenson is working to make
sure students feel represented. Over
50 percent of texts across Stevenson
English curriculums have been written
by non-white authors. Despite the
disagreement about what books should
be used, the Communication Arts
Department’s foremost goal remains
creating the best learning environment
possible for students.
“I do think when the students have
a good relationship with their teachers,
or when the teacher scaffolds those
conversations correctly, those conversations
will also happen in the classroom,”
Pioquinto said. “It just depends
on the community that is built within
that English classroom to enable those
conversations.”
84%
of books added
to the curriculum
have diverse
authorship

After its ninth official hearing
on Oct. 13, the United States
House Select Committee concluded
its public hearings on the Jan. 6
United States Capitol Attack by voting
to issue a subpoena to former President
Donald Trump.
Since its first hearing on June 9, the
committee’s goal has been to present
the previously unseen results of its
investigations to the American people,
now culminating in a decision
which could lay the groundwork for
the criminal prosecution of Trump.
Despite this major development, ABC
News reports that only nine percent
of Americans surveyed claim to have
been following the hearings “very
closely.” Political Action Club (PAC)
co-president Natalie Garayeva ’23 says
that this sentiment is reflected within
the Stevenson community as well.
“I don’t think a lot of the student
body even knows about the hearings
because I don’t think a lot of people
know about C-SPAN,” Garayeva said.
“There should definitely be more of an
effort to make sure that news on the
hearings is accessible to everyone.”
For Garayeva, this lack of accessibility
is only exacerbated by the fact
that the hearings have been airing
on C-SPAN during the middle of the
JAN. 6 HEARING TIMELINE
Nov. 8, 2020
Biden wins the 2020
presidential election
June 13, 2022
Trump campaign staff
testify he continued to
spread false information
even after allegations
of election fraud
were proven unfounded
June 28, 2022
Former aide testifies
Trump ignored that his
supporters were carrying
weapons and resisting
arrest in hopes to join
them at the Capitol
Jan. 6, 2021
The Capitol is
attacked
June 16, 2022
Committee focuses on
factors that pessured
former Vice President
Mike Pence to throw out
2020 election results
July 12, 2022
Former right-wing
extremist and capitol
rioter testifies that
Trump’s rhetoric
influenced them to
storm the Capitol
school day, when
most students are
unable to tune in.
Rishabh Wuppalapati
’23, PAC senior
leader, adds
that most young
people aren’t invested
in the hearings
because they
feel disconnected
from the original
event.
“I think that especially
when it
comes to Jan. 6, people have kind of
forgotten about it, especially because it
took place when we were all online and
we were all talking about it via text,”
Wuppalapati said. “There weren’t any
open forum discussions because when
you’re on text, you’re still in a bubble.”
According to debate sponsor Richard
Tompson even the few who are
following the hearings rarely watch the
actual broadcasts on C-SPAN, instead
resorting to secondhand, often biased
reports. For example, the New York
Times reports that although CNN and
MSNBC gave the first hearing full coverage,
Fox News did not broadcast the
hearing live, opting instead for its usual
shows; during their segments, hosts
Feb. 9, 2021
Trump’s second
impeachment trial
begins
June 21, 2022
Recordings show Trump
had pressured state
lawmakers and election
authorities to have
results annulled
July 21, 2022
Committee highlights
Trump’s inaction
despite law enforcement
fearing for their
lives during attack
UNHEARD
HEARINGS
Students, staff address lack of
awareness for Jan. 6 hearings
Anika Krishnaswamy, Kashvi Nagpal
June 9, 2022
House panel argues
Trump was to blame for
attack on Capitol
June 23, 2022
Top Department of
Justice officials testify
that Trump wanted
them to undermine
election results
Oct. 13, 2022
Committee votes
unanimously to issue
Trump a subpoena
Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity even
criticized the hearings as “propaganda.”
In the midst of such a polarizing event,
Tompson believes that students should
listen to a wide variety of perspectives,
especially as they begin to vote in elections.
“We as human beings would rather
hear somebody tell us what we want
to hear and give us the freedom not
to think for ourselves,” Tompson said.
“When enough stories come across
their device, telling them they don’t
have to search for infor- mation, it
reduces their motivation to educate
themselves even further.”
Tompson says this issue is most
prevalent with social media-based
news because of how algorithms reinforce
an individuals’ views based
on interest and frequently-consumed
content. However, Wuppalapati sees
social media as a powerful tool for increasing
awareness, with movements
such as Stop Asian Hate and LGBTQ+
Rights gaining traction among young
people on platforms like Instagram.
However, Wuppalapati feels that the
hearings have failed to capture the interest
of young people because of their
lack of clear, direct impacts.
“I think a lot of students have to understand
that the Jan. 6 movements affect
them, but in a more indirect and
long term manner,” Wuppalapati said.
“The hearings will determine whether
their future presidents and their future
leaders are going to be held accountable.”
www.statesmanshs.org • 7

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Tuesday, December 20
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11 AM–4:30 PM
11 AM–4:30 PM
3–8:30 PM
3–8:30 PM
12–8:30 PM
VERNON AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY • 300 OLDE HALF DAY RD., LINCOLNSHIRE • WWW.VAPLD.INFO

nce every month, club
Orepresentatives meet with
Stevenson administrators in
Student Leadership Advisory Council
(SLAC) meetings. Although many
students enter these meetings hoping
to voice their questions and concerns
to administrators, they may leave with
their expectation to create meaningful
change unfulfilled.
Routes to communicate with administrators
exist—not only through SLAC
but also Student Congress, Student
Senate and Patriot Pride—but only
some students are comfortable advocating
for their needs and desires with
others viewing the administration as
an intimidating iron wall. As a result,
these opportunities are rarely taken full
advantage of as many students view the
iniaitives with cynicism and administrators
with distrust. For example, the
role of SLAC representatives among
club executive boards has gained a reputation
as busywork rather than an opportunity
by some.
Although many students believe that
the current modes of communication
CONNECTION
UNSTABLE
Opportunities not fully taken advantage of due to selfadvocacy
fears, cynicism
Fiona_Jin && Surya_Sethi
with the administration are ineffective,
many changes and developments
have come out of these groups, even
if students are not commonly aware of
them. SLAC alone has led to creation of
the Portrait of a Graduate mission, the
decision to move finals before winter
break and the addition of more vegetarian
lunch options.
Despite these successes, not all student
initiatives presented in SLAC or
similar meetings are given the transparency
they deserve. In particular, if
an initiative presented by a student is
not implemented, there should be more
clarity on whether or not the administration
intends on implementing that
idea and how they plan on doing so.
When ideas get lost in the circulation
of administrators, it can discourage
students from suggesting their ideas to
them in the future.
Students’ reluctance to advocate their
desires to administrators is also seen on
a more individual level, especially when
it comes to course selection. For instance,
students who accept course prerequisites
as a non-negotiable pathway
GAME OVER
won’t experience the same benefits as
a student who communicated directly
with teachers, counselors and content
directors to take certain classes in an
uncommon progression.
This is often seen when students
who are pursuing a career in STEM
choose to differ from the usual progression
of AP Physics 1 to AP Biology, and
instead take AP Biology first. Students
may choose to take these classes out of
order for internship or job purposes.
Instead of exceptions being made
for students who are more comfortable
with advocating for themselves, these
situations should be more widely publicized
so that all students are encouraged
to take initiative in their education.
But, in order for students to have
their needs and desires met by administrators,
they must also take the first step
to advocate for themselves. Overall,
there must be a greater effort made
within the Stevenson community to
actively support and amplify the voices
of students who see potential for themselves
and the community but may not
be able to express it.
www.statesmanshs.org • 9

Louder than Words
Statesman advocates for open discussions to facilitate
change, a better understanding of power and role
A
glaring headline catches your eye as you’re idly
scrolling through your social media feed—clicking
through the news article sends you down a rabbit
hole of information, where every passing second only confirms
your belief in the injustice of the world.
In the wake of tragedy and disaster, there comes an outpouring
of public grief. Whether it be recent events like
the Russo-Ukrainian war or the Uvalde elementary school
shooting, we respond to disturbing news with anger towards
its perpetrators and compassion for its victims.
Once a pattern of problems remaining unsolved emerges,
it’s not enough to simply react to their existence. Our turbulent
emotions all coalesce into something greater than the
sum of its parts; for a moment, the public consciousness is
united in the collective demand for action. The question that
always follows is: What can be done next?
After all, we are naturally empathetic creatures. If we can
make a change for the better or improve the world in any
way, then ideally, we would do so in a heartbeat. Yet, an unfortunate
side effect of the increased societal awareness towards
activism is the rise of a phenomenon known as performative
allyship.
Statesman believes that performative allyship often exacerbates
existing inequality as time and attention are diverted
away from important resources by superficial expressions of
support. When working with marginalized groups, those in
power, such as corporations and celebrities, have a responsibility
to approach tense situations with humility while ensuring
they don’t speak over those impacted.
By definition, one’s intent is what differentiates performative
allyship from typical allyship. Of course, it’s important to
support causes that aim to address the injustices of the world,
but when the driving force behind allyship is gaining praise,
these actions appear disingenuous and don’t facilitate real
change.
Oftentimes, people perform out of convenience; it’s less
time consuming to make a quick social media post than to
actually attend a protest or volunteer at a local organization.
Posting a Ukranian flag doesn’t automatically guarantee
somebody is a lazy ally, but it also doesn’t prove they are an
effective one. Such posts have little thought required to join
in, resulting in a lack of depth behind participation, and no
clarity about what the movement may actually stand for.
When used correctly, Statesman believes social media can
be a powerful tool for change. Information can be condensed
into a visual format that’s easier to digest, and being connected
online means more people can be organized into action.
However, social media also makes it easier to be misled by a
simple headline or statistic, or try to conform by following
what’s popular without thinking.
Despite how social media is often used to jump in on popular
trends, speaking out on a public platform can be a risk in
itself for many. Criticism from disagreeing family or friends
can result in strained, or even broken, relationships. Because
we aren’t aware of every individual’s situation, it’s unhelpful
to waste effort on throwing accusations around at those who
don’t publicly show support for certain movements.
However, by continuing to be satisfied with surface-level
action on a larger scale, time and attention are diverted away
from more effective ways to address issues. Performative allyship
can have real world consequences, and encouraging a
complacent mindset toward situations that may have lives at
stake will only worsen them.
A more malicious case of goodwill being distorted is when
those in power intentionally capitalize on allyship for personal
gain. Those with more privilege have their voices amplified,
resulting in them speaking over—or even for—marginalized
groups. In this respect, marginalized groups are not
heard, but rather, they are being systematically silenced and
taken advantage of by privileged groups seeking praise.
During Pride Month, corporations are infamous for filling
social media feeds with changed, rainbow logos as displays
of LGBTQ+ allyship. However, when this show of support
doesn’t extend beyond a colorful logo, it appears as though
companies are taking advantage of the cause to garner a
larger consumer base for their products. Instead, companies
should concentrate on making more substantial efforts to
combat workplace discrimination or amplify the underrepresented
voices of LGBTQ+ people.
Within our local communities, performative allyship is still
10 opinions • november 2022

prevalent. For example, student volunteers who care more
about fulfilling their National Honor Society membership
requirements fail to focus on the value of the experience, like
a newfound sense of leadership or increased empathy toward
others. Judging the worth of service by the number of hours
received may boost an InnerView page but is detrimental to
organizations that might benefit from extra help.
Social media should be the first step in the journey toward
making a difference rather than the final action to take. From
behind a screen, it can be hard to notice when you’re actually
making a difference. However, creating change in the areas
you can is still possible. Statesman encourages a shift from
putting minimal effort into several causes, to finding specific
issues you care about and devoting attention to that.
When posting about a movement on social media, be sure
to include the full context and link resources on how people
can help, such as charities or organizations to support.
Outside the screen, dedicate time to volunteering. Be transparent
about your own shortcomings and how you can improve
when speaking with marginalized groups.
The truth is that allyship is never-ending. It requires
work; it requires feeling uncomfortable and not just passively
absorbing information, but actively searching for it.
Acknowledging your own biases is critical, along with attending
protests, volunteering your efforts and ensuring
open conversation. Only mundane, daily efforts to improve
your allyship can change the world on a systematic level.
When the driving force
behind allyship is
gaining praise,
these actions appear
disingenuous and
don’t facilitate
real change.
Cartoon by
timothy bui
www.statesmanshs.org •
11

INTO
Falling
FICTiON
12 opinions • november 2022
Nicole Lee, Dayna Roberts, Nicole Yao

9
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Designed by
Tej Kosaraju
7
Written by
Lance
Locker
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Down
2. Annual Parade Host
3. Harvested in bogs
4. 3.14
5. Bready
6. Try to get the bigger half
7. One pardoned per year
8. Shop ‘til you drop
11. Best on mashed potatoes
12. Dish or decoration?
Across
1. Sweet potato’s brother
4. People that settled in Plymouth, MA
9. How ‘bout them Cowboys?
10. A “______ _____” Thanksgiving
13. Horn-shaped food-holder
14. I’m _____ for
Submit completed crossword to this
form on distribution day for the
chance to win a prize!
Lorem ipsum

Beyond
U
beliefs
Students, staff collaborate to spread awareness, represent religious diversity
Jonah Cooper, Jennifer Huang, Camden Wright, Lillian Zhou, Vivian Zhu
Like the steel and concrete of a
building’s foundation, diverse beliefs
are the basis on which society
relies for structure and support. The
rituals, ceremonies, prayers and customs
of world religions may differ but
they serve as opportunities for students
to learn more about each other and
build relationships with their peers.
For Zoya Rizvi ’24, these connections
are the building blocks to achieving
an inclusive school environment.
As a Muslim student, Rizvi balances
religious practices with homework and
extracurriculars, including leading the
Muslim Student Association (MSA)
after school as an executive board
member. The Pew Research Center
reports that roughly 4 percent of US
adolescents ages 13 to 17 identify with
non-Christian religions such as Islam,
Judaism and Hinduism. Rizvi believes
that Stevenson’s student population
promotes a greater degree of diversity
and inclusion while allowing students
of all backgrounds to feel represented.
“At Stevenson, there are a lot of
backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures
to learn about and spread awareness
on,” Rizvi said. “As a minority, being
Muslim and all, it’s important to share
those experiences and to show that people
can practice their religion openly.”
14 features • november 2022
Rizvi aims to support and represent
Muslim students through religious
teambuilding and service activities
during MSA. For example, Rizvi led
MSA’s booth on calligraphy during
World’s Fair and also helped create opportunities
where students made traditional
foods during food lab meetings.
However, she acknowledges that students
and staff could be more aware of
diverse religious practices.
“For example, we have this thing
called Ramadan where we fast and
get up really early. We don’t really eat
throughout the entire school day,” Rizvi
said. “People either don’t know much
about certain religions or they don’t feel
like they have a certain outlet to connect
to their religions outside of their
homes so some people might try to conceal
who they are.”
Rizvi believes that a lack of understanding
can cause students to feel
reluctant to share their unique backgrounds
and experiences. For example,
while Peter Pynadath ’23 does not
experience direct conflict between his
religious practices and academic expectations,
he feels that his religion is
largely overlooked by his peers and underrepresented
in affinity groups like
the Indian Student Association (ISA).
“For the most part, my traditions
and beliefs are accommodated for, but
they’re not really thought of,” Pynadath
said.
Pynadath and his family originate
from Kerala, a state in southern India
where Catholicism is more prominent
as a result of religious migration during
Biblical times. This differs from northern
India, where Hinduism is more
common. Pynadath and his family celebrate
holidays like Onam that are not
represented in ISA, though he acknowledges
the difficulty of encompassing all
traditions in a single club.
“There’s so many different religions,
beliefs and cultures that sometimes it
seems unfeasible to represent everyone,”
Pynadath said. “But if we want
change to happen, we need to push for
it and actively vocalize our beliefs.”
Pynadath emphasizes that open dialogue
is the first step toward achieving
inclusivity. To advocate for students
like Pynadath, World Religions
teacher Melissa Fainman suggests that
viewing inclusivity through a nuanced
lens can help faculty members advance
Stevenson’s equity, diversity and inclusion
(EDI) efforts.

Salisbury Cathedral,
UNITED KINGDOM
“As part of our EDI goal, we really
need to think about not just how race
affects identity but [also] how religion
affects identity,” Fainman said. “The
first step to bringing awareness to underrepresented
religions is asking and
talking about it.”
Fainman encourages students to extend
their knowledge about religion
to outside the classroom, advocating
for students to raise awareness about
diverse religious practices. In a similar
way, Jayden Tsai ’23, president of
Everlasting Promise in Christ (EPIC),
aims to facilitate opportunities for students
to understand each other.
“Through [EPIC], you really get to
see people [of] different backgrounds
and beliefs come together,” Tsai said.
“I’m so excited to see that we’re creating
a place where people can share and express
their identities.”
Though not a school-sponsored
club, EPIC creates a space for students
to have further conversations about religion,
Tsai adds that EPIC has seen an
uptick in the participation of students
that do not identify with the Christian
faith. According to Tsai, this increase
can be attributed to the fact that people
are becoming more conscious of the
student body’s diversity.
For example, Marcos Burba ’23 has
become an active member of EPIC despite
not identifying with any religion.
Burba initially participated in EPIC at
the recommendation of a friend and
quickly became invested in learning
about Christianity. Burba’s experience
with the sense of community that EPIC
offers has led him to encourage others
to seek out similar experiences.
“I highly recommend other people
learn about all these traditions from
different religions,” Burba said. “If you
have an interest in religion, definitely
take part in [a related] club. Not
only are you learning [about] religion,
you’re also seeing it through other people’s
lenses.”
Through collaboration with
Diversity Council (DivCo) and Student
Leadership Advisory Committee, students
and administrators were able to
set up a prayer room in the lower ILC,
which can be found in room 1301.
In order to continue accommodating
students’ diverse backgrounds, Dr.
LeViis Haney, Director of EDI, believes
that faculty members can also
be more conscious of different religious
practices. Haney is currently focused
on creating a cultural calendar
in collaboration with DivCo and the
Fostering Intercultural Respect and
Empowerment Club (FIRE). This
new calendar strives to spread greater
awareness about students’ religious and
cultural holidays.
“The holiday calendar is a mechanism
to help provide the education and
acknowledgement for our faculty and
staff members with the expectation
that it will have an impact on the way
we support our students,” Haney said.
“That’s why we see a tremendous value
in providing a tool to help educate our
community.”
At times, however, Rizvi acknowledges
that finding ways to accommodate
religious practices can present
challenges in trying to ensure all religions
and cultures are equally represented.
Administrators like Haney are
aware of and hope to navigate these
conflicts by raising awareness among
faculty through various means, such as
the cultural calendar and increased opportunities
for affinity clubs.
“I feel equally as connected to people of other religions as I do
to my own people. Being in the same environment as them and
dealing with the same stressors they’re dealing with helps us
find common ground.”
zoya rizvi ’24
Borobudur Temple,
Indonesia
www.statesmanshs.org • 15

“How do we help our students
through the stress of that time period
knowing that they’re missing work and
then missing assignments and assessments?”
Haney said. “I think the answer
starts with acknowledging that accommodations
need to be made.”
Haney believes that even small, student-oriented
changes can significantly
help those from all ethnic and religious
backgrounds feel supported both inside
and outside of the classroom. Current
policies include PE waivers for Muslim
students who are fasting during
Ramadan. Teachers also aim to assign
less homework or major assessments
on days where students are likely to be
absent for religious reasons.
Haney and other staff members believe
that by officially acknowledging
the vast amount of religions at
Stevenson with the creation of the cultural
calendar, steps are being taken in
the right direction. Counselor Jaison
Varghese, sponsor of ISA, emphasizes
that with the diverse religions present
at Stevenson, finding ways to honor
that diversity is crucial.
“Different religions coming together
only brings richness to the personality
of the school,” Varghese said. “It’s not
just tolerating each other’s religions,
but also enjoying celebrating each other,
which enriches our community as a
whole.”
At the same time, Fainman’s World
Religions class also aims to enhance
students’ knowledge of different religions.
For example, students complete a
project where they learn specific details
about a religion and find ways to directly
accommodate minority religions.
In recent years, one group of students
designed inclusive graduation caps for
Sikhs who wear turbans.
“My goal has always been to teach religion
so that you’re a better neighbor,
a better friend, a better worker, a better
roommate,” Fainman said. “You don’t
have to know everyone’s exact beliefs,
but [it’s good] to know how to talk to
people.”
Fainman believes that the final
project offered in World Religions allows
students to better advocate for
themselves and each other. Similarly,
Tsai hopes to work with other affinity
groups like MSA in the future to
develop greater levels of intercultural
understanding and benefit the local
community.
“I’m so excited to see that we’re
bringing a place where
people can share and express
their identities.”
Jayden Tsai ‘23
St. Peter’s Basilica,
VATICAN CITY
“[Although] there can be philosophical
differences, we’ve talked [with
MSA] about collaborating to collect
toys and donations for charity,” Tsai
said.
With MSA and EPIC being some
of the few religious clubs available to
Stevenson students, Rizvi emphasizes
the necessity of working with preexisting
affinity groups or creating new
ones. She believes the student body and
staff overall are united in working towards
this goal.
“For the most part, Stevenson does a
really good job at promoting inclusivity
and diversity among their students,”
Rizvi said. “People are open to trying
to connect. As members of a minority
group, we just need to be more vocal
[in order to get our voices heard].”
24 percent of teens consider
religion a very important
aspect of their lives.
Hagia Sophia, TURKEY
Pew Research Center
16 features • november 2022

Religion AT School
among American adolescents ages 13 to 17, approximately...
64% identify with
Christianity, of which:
21% are Evangelical Protestant
24% are Catholic
3% belong to the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latterday
Saints
4% identify
with non-Christian
religions, with Judaism,
Islam, Buddhism,
and Hinduism each
occupying
1%
Meenakshi Temple,
INDIA
Amiens Cathedral, FRANCE
32% say they are religiously unaffiliated, of which:
6% who describe themselves as atheists, 4% as agnostic, and
23% who say their religion is “nothing in particular.”
Pew Research Center
Shaolin Temple,
CHINA
www.statesmanshs.org • 17

Blending Perspectives
Multiracial students advocate for greater open-mindedness
from peers, more representation in curriculum
Tej Kosaraju, Ava Winber, Sarah Zhang
O
utside of school, Evelyn Fisher
’26 scours the Internet to
learn more about her Native
culture and frequently visits her grandparents
who regale her with stories
and cultural tales. As a multiracial student,
Fisher aims to uphold her heritage
by teaching herself to bead earrings
and communicate in her mother
tongue. Inside school, however, many
of her peers don’t recognize or respect
her heritage, and it shows through the
insensitive comments and remarks behind
her back.
According to the Illinois State Report
Card, biracial students represent
roughly 2.8 percent of the population
at Stevenson. Given the low percentage,
many biracial students grapple
with a lack of representation and the
misconceptions about their experience
from the community. For Evelyn Fisher
’26, many of her peers question her
identity.
“A lot of times when I tell people I’m
Native American, they don’t believe
me because I look white,” Fisher said.
Alongside her experiences dealing
with her peers’ disbelief about her
18 features • november 2022
identity, Fisher faces generalizations
regarding her Native American heritage.
Surrounded by some peers who
hold a superficial understanding of her
identity, she feels hesitant to express
her culture.
“Somebody was calling me Pocahontas
and was requesting that I say
a whole bunch of really interesting
Cherokee words,” Fisher said. “It almost
makes me want to not tell people
that I’m Native, but, at the same time,
I want to be proud of who I am and
where I come from.”
While Fisher wants to express pride
in her heritage, the absence of a culture
club and the challenge of a small Native
community can create a disconnection.
Even if the school offers spaces like
affinity groups or cultural events like
World’s Fair, some multiracial students
like Avi Sward ’23 still grapple with
finding community.
“You have a lot of cultural confusion
that comes with being mixed because
you don’t really have a community that
you specifically identify with,” Sward
said.
In addition to clubs, the lack of
representation in the school curriculum
contributes to a tenuous sense of
belonging. A study published by the
Journal of Literacy Education showed
that while multiracial people make up
10% of the US population, they are
only portrayed 1% of the time in popular
children’s books. English teacher
Jennifer Arias, who is a mother of
two biracial children, believes that the
perspectives students are exposed to at
school are important in creating acceptance.
“As a mom, I look at things through
my children’s eyes,” Arias said. “Are
they reading stories about different
groups? I know that my kids discuss
racism as a topic in school, but no multiracial
perspectives stand out to me.”
Fisher believes that without this inclusive
curriculum, students are ignorant
of their peers’ experiences, which
can lead to insensitive comments. Even
without any malicious intent, questions
asked by uneducated students can
leave a lasting impression.
“I get asked what percentage Native
American I am in terms of blood concentration,
and people don’t even re-

alize that that’s very offensive,” Fisher
said. “It’s generations and generations
of hate and discrimination against my
race.”
According to the Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development,
multiracial students often feel
unwelcome in single race or ethnicity
clubs and are still often stereotyped
with these groups. As a result, students
like Sward have struggled with establishing
an identity outside of other students’
perceptions.
“I’ve sort of had to focus more on
representing my mind rather than who
I am as a mixed race person,” Sward
said. “I like expressing myself through
music, and I think that’s been sort
of how I express myself rather than
through being mixed race.”
Besides playing in the orchestra,
The Journal of Literacy Education showed
that while multiracial people make
up 10 percent of the US population,
they are only portrayed 1 percent
of the time in popular children's books.
“This gift to appreciate multiple cultures has
given me a different appreciation for diversity
that other people might not have. I’ve sort of
grown up in it rather than having to learn it.”
AVI SWARD
Sward also participates
in Mock
Trial to express
himself beyond his
racial identity. Even
though he emphasizes
how he connects
with students based on interest,
he still strongly feels that growing up
among two cultures has helped him to
appreciate the value of his diverse upbringing.
“This gift to appreciate multiple cultures
has given me a different appreciation
for diversity that other people
might not have,” Sward said. “I’ve sort
of grown up in it rather than having to
learn it.”
While Arias understands that there
is much that can be done to educate
students about these perspectives, she
believes that the
administration has
taken significant
steps in the right
direction. She cites
curriculum changes
and teacher training
as avenues the school is using towards
bettering student knowledge.
“We’re striving for representation
from different groups both as a way
to welcome students into meaningful
conversation and dialogue but also
to develop our own understanding,”
Arias said.
According to the American Association
of University Professors, the
majority of faculty members state that
recognizing diversity in their classrooms
increases the quality of education
for all students. To Fisher, the
benefits come from what people are
looking at when they see her: her ethnicity
and stereotypes or her individuality
and humanity.
“You have to go underneath the skin
and go past the color because it’s really
in the soul,” Fisher said.
Photo courtesy of Avi Sward ’23
Above: Despite minimal representation of biracial characters in
literature, the English Department strives to include more diverse
perspectives in the books taught. Some teachers like Arias believe
that classroom discussions can prompt greater understanding of
different cultures.
Left: Avi Sward ’23 practices his cello. Through musical and
academic clubs, Sward explores his passions and represents
his identity.
www.statesmanshs.org • 19

“
We’re willing to
share...
listen?”
Are you willing to
Latinx students advocate for cultural
understanding to combat stereotypes
collin fan, sriya mamidanna, rajan sukhatme
14 features • november 2022
When Keyla Moreno ’24 steps
into school in the morning,
prejudice follows. In class,
she asks to go to the bathroom. While she
watches other students freely walk out,
her teacher says she isn’t allowed to leave.
Walking in the hallways is sometimes a battle
against a barrage of racial slurs.
Moreno says these experiences—so
common they’ve become routine—are foreign
to most Stevenson students. Latinx
students like Moreno feel their culture is
masked by stereotypes, leading to discrimination
from students and teachers alike.
They hope changes in the representation of
Latinx culture can bring about more understanding
about their experiences.
“I feel like people don’t have the chance
or the opportunity to get to know us
and who we are and who we represent,”
Moreno said. “There’s just a lot of miscommunication
and definitely a lot of stereotypes
about who we are.”
Moreno feels that she is treated differently
from first impressions by her classmates
and teachers. Thinking she would
not work as hard on a group project,
Moreno believes that other students would
sometimes avoid working with her. She
feels that her teachers may assume that she
would be prone to skip class and earn low
grades.
“You can definitely see that some teachers
and administrators treat us differently
when they walk into a room and see the
students,” Moreno said. “Sometimes you
could definitely feel the shift… and the distrust
between people.”
Due to false presumptions about their
behavior, many Latinx students feel that
they need to work harder to earn trust from
students of other ethnicities and feel accepted
at school. For Gitsselle Hernandez
’24, overcoming these stereotypes means
putting in additional effort to disprove
them.
“[My parents] tell me that it’s my responsibility
or it’s my friends’ responsibility
to be in higher classes and prove to the
school that we are trying,” Hernandez said.
“We get involved in everything and we try
to be in the school as much as possible to
show that there are Latinx people who are
trying and want to break those stereotypes.”
With stereotypes shaping the decisions
she makes throughout high school,
Hernandez hopes other students become
more aware of hateful comments said by
themselves and others. While Gonzalo
Platero Margaride ’24 acknowledges that
institutional stereotypes are difficult to
eliminate, he advocates for awareness of
their intent to create prejudice.
“A stereotype is… kind of like a caricature,”
Platero Margaride said. “Even if
you think someone is part of a stereotype,
keep in mind [that] every stereotype is just
blown way out of proportion and is not at
all realistic.”
In an effort to provide a support network
to students targeted by prejudice,
Stevenson has promoted initiatives like the

“Are you willing
to accept that our
culture is different
than yours and
we have different
values than you?”
Keyla Moreno ’24
Speak Up protocol, which teaches students
to stand up to perpetrators and support
their classmates against racist remarks. In
addition, monthly HEARD meetings have
invited discussion between students about
unique experiences. However, even after
years of having these systems in place,
many Latinx students are still finding it difficult
to deal with offensive comments.
“A lot of people don’t feel safe or comfortable
reaching out to use [the] speak-up
protocol or to go to a [HEARD] meeting
because at the end of the day, what is really
going to come out of it?” Moreno said. “You
can have these things in place, but if you
don’t make students feel safe enough to use
those resources, you might as well just not
even have them at all.”
Without clear signs of change, Moreno
said Latinx students are hesitant to make
use of them. Dr. LeViis Haney, Stevenson’s
Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
(EDI), understands students’ frustrations
but believes that solutions to institutional
racism take time to process.
“In a school this large, it takes a long
time for EDI training to flow through the
entire organization,” Haney said. “When it
comes to addressing matters of racial bias
and harassment, there isn’t one strategy
that’s going to be a blanket end-all-be-all.
We’ve been dealing with this sort of thing
for a very long time in our society.”
Although Haney acknowledges that any
of the administration’s initiatives could
have limitations, he cites the Speak Up protocol
as a tool designed to create change
over the course of multiple years. Starting
with promoting the protocol to freshmen
in advisory, Haney hopes more culturally
mindful thinking finds its way across
grade levels as years go on. He encourages
students to continue using it as a means to
strive toward long-term change.
“Throughout history, wrongs haven’t
been totally corrected by the people who
committed them,” Haney said. “Wrongs
have been addressed by people who care
about change and who care about doing the
right thing. That’s why the speak-up protocol,
I believe, is the most powerful tool in
battling racial bias because it really all starts
with self-advocacy.”
Haney also cites increasing students’ interactions
with diverse sources as a means
to increase cultural understanding. For Erik
Rodriguez ’25, this exposure comes from
changes to the school’s curriculum. He says
the few references to Latinx culture in his
previous classes only show struggles.
“[The House on Mango Street] just talks
about all the downsides, the poverty,
the abuse,” Rodriguez said. “It was not a
good book for people to learn more about
Hispanic culture.”
Rodriguez also points out issues with
Spanish classes, where he feels most lessons
about Hispanic culture focus on Mexico or
Spain while leaving out other countries.
Dr. Alma Tamayo, Assistant Director for
ELL Coordination and Bilingual Supports
and sponsor of the Latin American Student
Organization (LASO), said students feel
that Stevenson’s attempt at implementing
a more culturally substantive curriculum
isn’t deep enough to foster an understanding
of diverse experiences.
“Students in [LASO] feel like it’s more
like a checkbox rather than making connections
to Latino values [and] things that you
can connect with your classmates about on
a different level,” Tamayo said.
For example, Moreno believes some of
her teachers overlook the value of family
in Latinx culture. From cultivating close
bonds between siblings to celebrating holidays
together, spending time with family
is a priority for many Latinx students. In
Stevenson’s rigorous academic environment,
teachers who enforce inflexible
homework deadlines sometimes neglect to
take this into account.
“Are [teachers] willing to be like, ‘No,
don’t spend time with your family. No,
don’t go cook with your mom. No, don’t
go play with your little sister. Do schoolwork’?”
Moreno said. “That’s just not how
it works... so are you willing to listen to
what we have to say instead of being like,
‘That’s wrong.’”
Some teachers’ expectations have made
it difficult for Moreno to balance family
and homework. Since few of her teachers
are from a Latinx background, she hopes
that they educate themselves more about
her culture and cultivate a better understanding
of her values. Platero Margaride,
who is Argentinian, asks others to simply
be perceptive of his country’s unique values
within the umbrella of Latin American
culture.
“[It’s about] doing those things that
make you unique,” Platero Maragaride.
“Almost every weekend, my dad or me…
would go out and make an asado [even if] it
[was] freezing cold.”
Platero Margaride believes traditions
like asados—grill gatherings common to
South American countries—highlight
unique community values within Latin
America that often get overlooked. During
World’s Fair on Oct. 22-23, LASO sponsored
booths from multiple countries to
advocate for a greater understanding of
Latinx diversity.
“We had [nine] different countries represented
in World’s Fair, and that’s breaking
what we were saying [about] how no one
recognizes that there’s not just Mexico—
Latin America is this huge continent and a
half,” Platero Margaride said.
From events like World’s Fair to
cross-cultural interactions in classes, progress
against prejudice hinges on a willingness
to have an open mind. Along with
changes to the school’s curriculum, many
Latinx students believe expressing themselves
authentically will help bridge cultural
differences—so long as others are open to
learning.
“Everybody you meet who’s Latino is
proud of who we are, where we come from,
our stories, everything,” Moreno said.
“We’re willing to share and be open about
our culture because we’re proud people….
Are you willing to listen to us?”
“[You should] treat
people like a blank
slate and go off of
their personality
instead of their
stereotypes.”
Erik Rodriguez ’25
www.statesmanshs.org • 21

An Alternative Path
Special Education Program helps students
grow independent, achieve goals
ansh aggarwal
jacob silverman
T
The largest department at
Stevenson works in the shadows.
While sports and academic
programs are more widely recognized,
the Special Education Department ensures
learning opportunities for students
that otherwise would not have
access to them.
Currently the largest staffed program
at Stevenson with 110 members,
Special Education is able to support 416
Stevenson students in an educational
setting. Director of Special Education
Traci Wallen watches the program
grow to meet the needs of all students.
“The idea behind Special Education
is to provide an individualized educational
plan (IEP) for students to access
education,” Wallen said. “Each student’s
plan and is based on their strengths and
weaknesses. Students’ schedules vary
each period and can include any combination
of AP, college prep, instructional
or life skills courses.”
In order to provide the support
for each student’s needs, the Special
Education program evaluates a learner
potentially in need of assistance. This
evaluation may begin in high school
for some, but IEPs can be instituted as
young as the age of three, depending on
when a student begins showing signs
that additional support may be necessary.
After evaluation, the student is issued
a personalized IEP covering areas
for improvement including academic
support and related services such as
speech, occupational and physical therapy
as well as social work.
Along with the Special Education
department, Student Services evaluates
and assigns 504 plans for students to be
able to study in a mainstream classroom
designed with accommodations. These
plans typically cover disabilities such as
ADHD or dyslexia by providing extra
time on assessments, ensuring teachers
22 features • november 2022
provide clarification and offering an
alternate testing location when necessary.
For students like Bradley Martin
’24*, whose 504 plan works to combat
his ADHD, this eases the stress he may
face during his classes.
“The 504 plan allows me to not worry
about having to rush to the end of
the period to get my stuff done,” Martin
said. “If I am struggling, my 504 plan
allows me to recalibrate so that I can
pause and come back to it when in a
better state of mind.”
Martin believes the 504 plan gives
both himself and other students a fairer
shot at doing their best on every test.
Along with accommodations in their
normal classes, students with IEPs may
also be placed into instructional courses
to work more closely with their paraprofessionals
and teachers. Students
that need support after high school are
paired with a transition team and take
classes that follow a similar structure
to Special Education. Transition teacher
Maggie Benes works with students
with IEPs from ages 18 to 22—most
of whom are non-verbal—and understands
how necessary aides are.
“It is important to have a good
para-student relationship,” Benes said.
“Sometimes this takes time and other
times it is immediate. Not all para-student
relationships are a good fit, and
that’s okay. We always look to find the
best fits for both students and paras.”
Benes adds that paraprofessionals
always have to be multiple steps ahead,
creating individual lesson plans for students
depending on their needs in order
to ensure that all students have the
same opportunities in high school and
beyond. Beyond day-to-day lesson plans
and activities, Wallen emphasizes the
importance of preparing a multi-year
transition plan to best guide a student
to future success.
“If I am
struggling,
my 504 plan
allows me to
recalibrate
so I can pause
and come
back in a
better state
of mind.”
Bradley Martin ’24*
“The students work with their
teams’ support to progress toward their
goals and transition plans,” Wallen said.
“Students’ transition plans might be to
attend college, vocational programs,
work or be active in the community.”
While each student’s future aspirations
are different, giving each person
the opportunity to go to college or enter
the workforce means that the Special
Education department is meeting its
intended goal. The path to meeting this
objective is through working with each
student until they are prepared for their
next step in life, whatever that may be.
“One interesting part of the paraprofessional
role, when working with
students one-to-one, is that the goal
of their position is not to be needed,”
Wallen said. “Their job is to help
the student become as independent as
possible.”
*Name changed to protect anonymity

light
Scouts Girls’ team breaks gender
boundaries in ice hockey
simran agarwal
nick corso
the lamp
As Rachel Wilson ’23 drives to
Lake Forest College for her
fourth hockey practice of the
week, she’s excited to see her teammates
and coaches that she’s known for
the last four years. Although there is no
formal girls’ hockey team at Stevenson,
Wilson trains diligently to continue
playing hockey at a competitive level in
the Chicago area.
Wilson and six other Stevenson students
play on the Scouts Girls’ Hockey
Team, a team run by Lake Forest High
School with girls from Libertyville
High School, Highland Park High
School, Deerfield High School, Lake
Forest High School, Elk Grove High
School and Woodlands Academy. The
Scouts won the Illinois State High
School Championships in 2011 and
2013 and have more recently been the
Founders Cup Champions in 2017,
2019 and 2020. Along with a winning
legacy, the Scouts has been an organization
for girls to continue their passion
for hockey and build their confidence.
“Hockey, for me, was a life-saving
sport because I was in a really dark time
when I started playing,” Wilson said. “I
started originally playing boys’ hockey,
and through that, I gained my confidence
and then found the Scouts ice
hockey team in high school.”
Throughout her hockey career,
Wilson and her teammates have all
struggled to stand out in the male-dominated
sport. However, Wilson believes
that her coaches’ commitment to improving
the exposure of the girls’ hockey
team while building a supportive
environment helps them adjust to an
all-girls team. Scouts’ head coach Jacque
Rogers notices the team-building and
camaraderie in the all-girls team.
“A lot of times, it can be difficult to
try hockey alone, but when you have a
[larger] team of 18 or 20 other people
supporting you every step of the way,
it definitely is a good base to continue
to grow,” Rogers said. “It’s really great
because all of these girls are one team
despite the difference in schools.”
Though Rogers praises the team’s
unity, many female hockey players are
encouraged to begin on an all-boys
team due to the limited number of
girls available to form an all-girls team.
Alexis Assi ’23, a former Scouts and allboys
team player, notes the unintentional
barriers female players face on
male teams.
“The locker room is where you get to
make all your friends before the game,
that’s how you meet people and build
relationships,” Assi said. “But being a
female, you have to go into a different
locker room, so you’re not even part of
all that team bonding.”
Assi notes that her involvement in
the team camaraderie as the only girl
on an all-boys team can be limited due
to the lack of social interaction before
and after competitions. Another barrier
that prevents girls from continuing
their passion of playing hockey is the
lack of representation of all-girls teams.
“We [had] made a video for [the
winter sports meeting],” Wilson said.
“Stevenson showed a video of me and
another senior that we had filmed but
did not show any photos of us in the
winter sports slideshow. They sat us
with the boys’ ice hockey team as if we
were an extension of their team.”
This lack of publicity has only empowered
the girls’ hockey team to
advocate for more recognition. Wilson
reflects on the idea of wearing jerseys
on Fridays for their game days in hopes
of increasing representation for girls’
hockey. Rogers also advocates for more
girls to join all-girls teams to increase
female representation in hockey.
“With girls’ hockey being a sport that
isn’t quite as common, I really do think
it’s essential to have enough girls on a
team to be competitive and to really
provide that opportunity to play the
game of hockey,” Rogers said.
The girls’ team has tried to increase
their participation rates by submitting
photos to the yearbook or conducting
an interview that featured Olympian
and Stevenson alumna Meghan Bozak.
Although more girls are joining hockey
at the high school level, Wilson wants
to continue breaking barriers that girls
playing hockey face.
“I want to be able to represent [the]
population of women who are really
trying to progress [in] this male-dominated
field,” Wilson said. “It’s a very
challenging thing, and I want girls to
recognize that they are not alone.”
Rachel Wilson ’23 skates down the barrier near
her team’s bench, stealing the puck from her opponent.
Wilson is a defenseman for the Scouts
and has played ice hockey for five years.
www.statesmanshs.org • 23

Eshaam Bhattad
STRiDiNG
Gaurish Lakhanpal
Shannon Moser
FORWARD
Exploring the LGBTQ+ athletic experience
A
whistle. A crescendo of splashes.
Swimmers launch themselves
into the water, following the
buoys lining the lanes as they race each
other to the end. Under the fluorescent
lights of the Patriot Aquatic Center, a
rainbow swim cap bobs up and down,
disappearing and reappearing with every
stroke. Asha Wallace ’24 1 sprints
towards the finish line, attempting to
break her personal record. As a member
of the girls’ junior varsity swim team,
Wallace sports a rainbow cap to show
her pride in her pansexual identity and
her support for other queer athletes.
While Wallace feels comfortable
being open about her sexuality, some
LGBTQ+ athletes may face difficulty
in fully expressing themselves due to a
myriad of opinions about sexuality and
gender present within sports teams.
According to the Trevor Project 2021
National Survey, which surveyed youth
between the ages of 13 to 24 about gender
orientation and sexuality, 68 percent
of LGBTQ+ students have never
participated in a school sport.
Allies and LGBTQ+ community
members at Stevenson believe that
pushing for inclusivity can help eliminate
this alienation and create a more
accepting culture. Though Wallace is
passionate about building an accommodating
team environment, she has
faced microaggressions in doing so as
a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
“[Unlike gender], sexuality doesn’t
always come into play with athletics,”
Wallace said. “As part of the queer
community, I get weird looks, especially
since a lot of those identifiers that set a
person as appearing gay or straight are
pushed to the corner [in athletics].”
Wallace believes advocating for and
supporting LGBTQ+ athletes is a yearlong
commitment that not only requires
individual action to combat microaggressions
but also requires momentum
to update school policies. For example,
Wallace points to the gendered nature
of many sports teams, noting that designations
such as “women’s” or “men’s”
may feel confining to athletes who
identify as transgender or nonbinary.
“We haven’t figured out how to correctly
gender sports,” Wallace said.
“For so long, sports have been based on
your sex instead of your gender identity.
That’s hard for a lot of people in
the non-binary community since they
have to join a sports team where their
gender identity isn’t always represented.
Within school athletics teams, there
needs to be change in that aspect.”
For the most part, however, Wallace
feels accepted by her teammates and
feels confident expressing her identity,
largely due to support from her teammates
and coaches. Matilda Vo ’24*, a
Stevenson badminton player who identifies
as bisexual, also finds that opening
up to her team about her sexuality
provides her with the support to share
more about her personal life.
“My teammates are really supportive,”
Vo said. “We talk about sexual
orientation really openly—it’s a
good dynamic and it strengthens our

friendship. I’m able to tell them something
personal; I feel understood and
[realize] they don’t see me differently.”
While Vo feels comfortable around
her teammates, she fears backlash from
older coaches who may have less accepting
mindsets. Even with younger
coaches who may have more progressive
views towards
LGBTQ+ athletes, Vo
is apprehensive about
opening up.
“It’s really scary to
open up to coaches
about something personal.
I [can] turn to
my teammates; they
don’t judge me for
anything because I’ve
opened up to them
about my sexuality [before],”
Vo said.
According to
the Trevor Project
Survey, four percent of
LGBTQ+ student-athletes
feel comfortable
turning to a coach
when feeling stressed
or sad. Vo believes that
her discomfort with
opening up, in part,
stems from not knowing
how her coaches
might react to her sexuality.
Vo feels that if
coaches and teams discussed
sexuality more,
it could help to alleviate
some of the stress
of opening up.
“It’s really important that coaches are
open to discussing topics like [sexuality]
because I think that will just create
a better dynamic and environment for
the players,” Vo said.
Emma Degen, head coach of girls’
golf, Allied Basketball and girls’ track
and field, realizes that a clear line of
communication between athletes and
coaches is a means for team success.
Though she recognizes there may be
disagreement, Degen positions herself
as an intermediary, encouraging
“It’s scary
to open up
to coaches
about
something
personal.
I would
turn to my
teammates
instead;
they don’t
judge me
for anything
because I’ve
opened up to
them about
my sexuality.”
MATiLDA VO ’24*
dialogue to resolve any issues.
“I don’t think anyone should be treated
differently based on how they identify,”
Degen said. “If that were an issue,
that would be an even bigger conversation,
in my opinion, than just addressing
it in sports.”
While some Stevenson teams may
not discuss sexuality,
others—such as girls’
lacrosse—have made
it a priority to educate
themselves about allyship
in sports. As an
ally herself, Maria Lukz
’23, a midfielder on the
varsity team, appreciates
her coaches’ efforts
to foster team-wide
discussions.
“I’m glad that [our
coaches] make the
conversations about
[sexuality and gender]
happen because it’s an
important thing to [address],”
Lukz said.
Lukz adds that allyship
is more than
just team discussions,
though it’s a step in
the right direction.
For her, truly connecting
with her team—
whether during practices,
games or team
bonding events—is
paramount to fostering
a respectful community.
Wallace echoes this
sentiment, noting that
despite athletes’ differences, everything
is set aside once the whistle blows.
“When you’re an athlete, you’re all
[wearing the same uniform],” Wallace
said. “I think that’s beautiful—we get to
leave everything out for a second and
just compete, together.”
1 Pronouns: she/they
*Name changed to protect anonymity
by the
numbers
68%
of LGBTQ+ youth have never
participated in a school or
community sport
Trevor Project National Survey 2021
4%
of LGBTQ+ student-athletes
feel comfortable turning to a
coach for help when feeling
sad, stressed or depressed
Trevor Project National Survey 2021
58%
of American adults agree that
transgender athletes should
compete on teams matching
their sex assigned at birth
PEW Research Center 2022
18
states with laws banning
transgender athletes from
participating in sports
consistent with their
gender identity
LGBT Map 2022
www.statesmanshs.org • 25

Coaching
Shifts
Athletes, coaches explore different gender interactions
Yumna Ali-Khan, aaroh tak
Fatigued after months of intense
practice, varsity girls’ swimming
captain Abby Collins ’23 gets in
the pool for her final event of the season:
the 100-meter freestyle. A short
series of whistles signals the start of
the race and Collins disappears into
the pool. Although nervous at first,
her anxiety quickly fades as she notices
head coach Ayrton Kasemets walking
down the pool deck beside her lane to
cheer her along every stroke to the end.
Stevenson offers a variety of sports
for students of all genders, many of
which are coached by those of a different
gender than their athletes. Despite
these differences, some athletes like
Collins feel that coaches do an effective
job at accommodating the needs of each
team.
“It’s not like [Coach Kasemets] treats
us differently,” Collins said. “He recognizes
that we are girls and we’re different
from the male version of our sport.
We don’t feel uncomfortable.”
Kasemets recognizes that everyone
on a sports team has a unique perspective,
whether it be from their different
26 sports • november 2022
roles or identities. He feels gender can
be an asset to coaches when understanding
varying points of view through
open discussion and dedication, creating
more cohesion and success within
the team environment.
“I think my role as [a] male coach is
to inspire my female athletes to love
whatever sport they’re participating
in... so that they can go on and also pursue
[their] passion,” Kasemets said.
Coaches such as Kasemets aim to
close the gap between strategic approaches
based on gender by recognizing
the common ground that connects
every athlete: their love for the sport.
Shannon Mauro, boys’ varsity soccer
assistant coach, also believes in this
“My role as [a] male
coach is to inspire my
female athletes to love
whatever sport they’re
participating in.”
Varsity Girls’ swimming coach
Ayrton Kasemets
connection, bonding with her athletes
through admiration of a competitive
spirit that lasts beyond the sport itself.
“I think it’s so important [for] both
sides to have a mix of genders,” Mauro
said. “There [are] definitely moments
where [players] come to me for some
of that nurturing. Things that they
don’t feel comfortable talking [about]
with some of the male coaches or the
head coach, they think that they might
get a little bit more sympathy from
me.”
Although gender may influence
specific aspects of a coach’s role, the
overall contributions of each coach
work to shape the team environment.
For example, Collins values a strong
coach-athlete relationship not shaped
by gender but by specific moments of
mentorship that reinforce unity in a
team.
“[Our coach] really cares about our
mental health and he always checks in
on us,” Collins said. “The fact that he
cares so much about how each individual
is doing allows us to put our trust
in him.”

Caught
on Guard
Lance Locker
1 2
3 4
1
Divjot Sekhon ’25 elevates a yellow “love” flag as the band plays
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club” by The Beatles. Themes of the
1967 Summer of Love were present throughout the Color Guard’s
performance, such as when the team held up finger peace signs.
3
Hannah Curtis ’25 smiles while spinning a rifle. Color
Guard performers wear special gloves designed to
protect their hands when catching equipment at high
speeds.
Side-by-side with arms out, Jojo Chan ’24 stands alongside his
teammates as they prepare to kick off their halftime performance.
2 The Color Guard’s routine ran for 15 minutes with over 50 4
colorguard performers taking the field.
Performers wave blue, purple and orange flags high for
all members of the audience to see. The team acted in
solidarity as they simultaneously fell into formation to
conclude their performance.
www.statesmanshs.org • 27

“You have to go
underneath the skin
and go past the color
because it’s really
in the soul.”
EVELYN FiSHER ’26