Rules of Road apply to Lane’s Hallways

By Gaby Williams

The rules of Lane’s hallways have been said to operate like the rules of the road, minus cars and add a lot of embarrassing moments. Students encounter slow walkers, shoe malfunctions, occasionally going in the wrong direction and of course the awkward wave when your friend does not see you.
With the 09-10 school year coming to a close, here are some things to remember for next year.
Rule number one, do not just stop in the middle of the hallway, there are people trying to get to class, and running into you is not fun.
“People abruptly stop for absolutely no reason, or sometimes they stop to start a long winded conversation with friends, then of course the people making out in the middle of the hallways,” said Walter Stevens, Div. 182.
“I feel like we need cattle prods to push people in the halls to get them moving sometimes,” said Philip Duca, Div 181.
Of course slow walkers and socialites aren’t the only problems Lane students face in the halls.
Rule number two, play awkward moments (tripping, falling down stairs) off like they didn’t happen. Act natural. Every student has had at least one moment where they realize they are going the wrong way. Freshman or not, it happens to everybody. Maybe it was a long day, and they just took a wrong turn; maybe last minute they realize they are supposed to be in the computer lab.
“See, you merge into the left lane, and when you see an opening at the last minute you make a U turn,” said Amir Allam Div. 263.
To some people placement makes all the difference.
“My formula-find the nearest water fountain, take a drink then go the other way,” said William Maness, Div. 260.
“It depends where I am, if I’m close to the end of a hallway, I just turn around at the end,” said Kimberly Mathes, Div. 183.
Of course, sometimes these U turns don’t always go as planned.
“One day I was going to the music department and I realized I left something in my locker, It was really crowded because it was my lunch period. There was this awkward U turn I had to make, I bumped into like 5 people who all gave me dirty looks,” said Jerusha Young, Div. 179.
Some students choose to take a less subtle approach to redirecting themselves in the halls.
“If I go the wrong way, I just turn right around and go through everybody coming my way,” said Lauren Schnoebelen Div. 252.
“I just blatantly turn around and go back,” said Duca.
Stairs are another accident prone part of the halls, especially now that flip flops and other strapless shoes are a typical part of most girls’ attire.
“I’ve fallen down the stairs so many times its not even funny, the worst is when your shoe falls off and you have to go through a crowd of people to get it back,” said Mathes.
Any physical accident that exposes students to be a little klutzy at times needs a solution, a smooth way to play it off.
“It’s best if you are by a bathroom, you recover and wait in there until everybody who would have seen you fall is gone. The next day you will be wearing different clothes, and nobody would recognize you anyways,” said Johanna Martinez, Div. 169.
“I was going to class and there was this girl who fell down the stairs, she was okay, but she wouldn’t get up and everybody just kind of… walked around her. That’s what you do when you fall down, you sit the fetal position and wait for a gap to get up, that’s just proper etiquette,” said Allam.
Rule number three, its not really that big of a deal when your friend doesn’t see you wave, even if it feels like all eyes are on you. Still, most students like to try to recover in a way that makes it look like they didn’t just go unnoticed, a cover wave.
“If I wave to someone who doesn’t say hi, I’ll just run my fingers through my hair, or ‘swat at a fly’, maybe call their name. Or maybe just turn red and walk away really fast,” said Anastasia Protopappas, Div. 045.
“I pretend I waved at some one else, the whole hair thing is really obvious by now,” said Martinez.
Students showing their love to the world is what many would say is one of the most annoying things about the halls. Rule number four, which is tied with rule number one, don’t just stop in the middle of the hallway but in this case don’t make out in the middle of the hall, and if you insist on sucking face still, move out of the way. Try to aim for your locker because asking a couple to please not make out on your locker is a little awkward.
“As a senior, after four years of seeing hallway PDA, I’m pretty tired of it,” said Protopappas.
Well there you have it, your list of things to do (or not do) in the halls next year. Let’s get ready to start 2010-2011 off right, with as few embarrassing moments as possible.

Types of Walkers:
- The Fast Walker: The student just focused on getting to class, weaves in and out of people and waves to an occasional friend, an average Lane student.
- The Socialite: Walks generally at a regular speed, but known to stop suddenly because they know everybody, and must converse with everybody.
- The Posse: Will walk in groups of 4+, walk slow, and gossip. Getting around the posse walkers is a hassle, because they take up the entire hallway.
- The Couples/PDA-ers Walker: A couple who walks ridiculously slow, will stop at random times to make out, hug, or just stare at each other. Most awkward to pass up.
- The Texter: Often seen tripping up stairs and shifty eyed looking out for teachers/security.
- The Freshmen (not all freshman do this, plenty of upperclassmen are guilty too): bulging book bag running down the hall as soon as the first bell rings.

Locks of Love, Relay For Life fight back against cancer

By Maria Murczek

It was New Year’s of 2006. I decided to stay home, relax, and listen to some music. A song lyric really stuck to me that night: “May angels lead you in / Hear you me my friends / On sleepless roads, the sleepless go / May angels lead you in.” It was then that I heard banging on my door and crying coming from my father’s room.

An emergency room visit later, I had learned that my father passed away after his five-year battle with cancer.

As I continue to find closure, I have opened myself up to the cancer community, taking part in Locks of Love and Relay For Life.

A little over a year ago, I cut my hair for Locks of Love. I donated a total of 12 inches of hair, which would be used for a child’s wig. The children receiving wigs have either cancer or a medical condition known as alopecia areata (sometimes called spot baldness). Because of the chemotherapy and other treatments, hair loss occurs.

“I donated in October of 2009. I donated 10 inches, which is now the minimum. [One of my reasons to donate] was the death of my grandmother. She was getting sicker and sicker, and finally couldn’t even remember my name. The one thing she remembered was that I was donating my hair. She would tell every nurse and patient in the hospital so I finally donated in October,” said Kellie Newcomer, Div. 042 “After donating my hair, I was very happy. My grandma passed away from cancer remembering the one thing that was important to her, my donation. I didn’t let her down.”

Though the wigs do not cure the children’s disease, they do, according to www.locksoflove.org, “restore some of the normalcy to their everyday lives that most of us take for granted.” The attention these children receive (because of their hair loss) can be negative, causing them to, “withdraw from normal childhood activities.”

“Knowing my hair that would have just been put in a garbage can made some little girl very happy…how can you go wrong? I believe what goes around comes around and I would only hope some stranger would do the same for me. Both sides of my family have cancer genes. For all I know, I could be the next cancer victim, and without my red hair, I know I would become insecure and depressed,” said Newcomer.

St. Baldrick’s was a hit at Lane last year, but it seemed a little too drastic for me. Being bald did not necessarily appeal to me. Baldrick’s collects money for the charity, which is very generous, but no one seems to hand out their hair as they do with cash. In a way, I felt safer donating my hair – I knew that I was directly benefiting someone. I would be helping a child get at least some of their regular life back.

In some cases, if it is the proper length, Baldrick’s can collect shaved hair and send it to Locks of Love. Once he found inspiration for fighting cancer in my father’s passing, a close friend of mine donated all eleven inches of his hair after getting it shaved last year.

A friend and Lane Alum, Emily Iacullo, who has donated hair in the past, told me about a hair salon called Tres Ambiance. Located on Lincoln Ave. in Lakeview, the salon does Locks of Love cuts at no cost. I decided to go there to donate.

Suzanne DiGiovanni, hair and nail specialist at Tres Ambiance for 22 years, takes care of the cuts. She herself is a cancer survivor.

“I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma six to seven years ago. I then got bladder cancer four years ago.”

DiGiovanni was treated with chemotheraphy and radiation, and now is cancer-free.

She does the haircuts for free because of her connection with cancer and she believes more people need to donate their hair.

“I do the cuts for free to encourage people to give hair for a good cause.”

However, there are Tres Ambiance standards to the free haircut.

“Locks of Love will really take any amount. It’s usually ten inches, but they will take less. I encourage longer [hair] to have wigs. My standard for the free cut is ten inches or more.”

Appointments must be made a week in advance to get a free haircut from Tres Ambiance. The salon’s website,www.tresambiance.com, has contact and other price information.

Locks of Love is also a part of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Relay is an overnight event that takes place at high schools, colleges, and parks across the nation to celebrate the lives of cancer survivors, remember loved ones who have lost their fight, and fight back against the illness. Everyone takes turns walking and running a track, as well as being involved in other activities.

I have participated in the All-Youth Relay for Life of Orland Park, IL (District 230) for two years. Because of my personal connection, my friends of the southern suburb thought it would be a great idea for me to get involved. Another reason for why I Relay at District 230 is because they are the second largest all-youth fundraiser in the nation. For the past 13 years, these high school students have raised over $2 million – this year alone, the district collected a total of over $395,000 and counting.

During my sophomore year, I raised well over 500 dollars for my team. This year, I raised 355 dollars. Donations are still being accepted on- and offline through August 31st, in hopes the district reaches its ultimate goal of $400,000.

According to Relay’s website, all donations, “fund groundbreaking cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer information, advocate for all people to have access to screening and treatment, and offer free programs and services to improve the quality of life for people facing cancer.”

Besides donations, the overnight event is just as important. The event occurred on May 14th at 6 PM. Many teams showed their enthusiasm through colorful t-shirts that fight back against cancer. I even found two students dressed as Waldo at this year’s Relay. They wanted to find the cure. At around 9PM, the most touching part of the event began.

The ceremony raised awareness of how real cancer is. As over 3,100 students packed into the bleachers this year, the stadium lights shut off, the area lit by Luminaria (candle-lit paper bags with the names of those who lost their battle). A sweet voice spoke clearly on the microphone: ‘Hi. I am a sophomore at Carl Sandburg High School, I am a normal teenager, and I survived Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.’ As she told the story of her horrific past, quiet sobs had been heard around me. Students were cuddling each other for comfort, and I myself could not stop crying throughout the ceremony.

After the emotions flowed, the energy and motivation in the stands became electrifying. We could make a difference. Running, walking, dancing, and sports continued until 6AM the next morning. Locks of Love and St. Baldrick’s were part of the event, collecting and shaving away. A friend of mine at Carl Sandburg, Kaitlyn Dempsey, donated well over a foot of hair.

“I haven’t cut my hair past my shoulders since second grade when I cut it about the same length,” said Dempsey.

Food vendors, photo booths, marriage ceremonies (my mom was not too thrilled about my Relay marriage to my team captain), and other great activities helped collect further donations periodically throughout the night. Open Mic was also held to keep students awake and participating.

By 5AM, teen zombies continued to pace the track with blankets wrapped around them. The exhaustion I felt after Relay was pretty bad, but it was nothing compared to what cancer patients go through. It felt good to be part of something so big and important.

I know I cannot change the past, but I feel good knowing I can help change the future of cancer.

Culture of dentention varies for students

By Vanessa Landa

Throughout my entire school career I have been detention-free up until now: second semester of my senior year. Unfortunately, senioritis caught up to me, making me ditch several of my classes. The Attendance Office realized my absences and gave me a Saturday detention. I did not know what to expect and also did not want to go early on a Saturday morning. But it turns out it was not really all that bad.

Being in school for seven hours, five days a week is enough for some students. Unfortunately for some, their day does not end at 2:55 due to detention.

According to Ms. Lesiak, detention is used as a consequence for students not following certain CPS guidelines like attendance, which includes cutting class and tardies. The environment that detention is trying to create is for students to take school seriously and study. Not all of the students see this.

“The detention environment seems hostile to me,” said Alondra Nevarez, 025. “Detention is made to be seen as boring as possible so you won’t want to get another one.”

“Detention is trying to be made [to be]seen as punishment, but in reality it is not,” said Victor Flores, Div. 167. “[The person in charge] usually let you out early and let you talk but not too loud.”

This is not normal procedure according to most security guards.

“The security is there to promote a safe and secure environment by enforcing school rules and regulations,” said security guard, Mrs. Jackson.

There are differences between the strictness at an after school detention compared to a Saturday. After school detention lasts for 46 minutes, while the Saturday detention lasts for four hours, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday detentions are used for more serious infractions. Students also have different experiences between and after school and a Saturday.

“When I went to after school [detention] I saw people signing in and just leaving,” said Orlando Jimenez, Div. 054. “The lady [in charge] didn’t even care.”

“During my after school detention, I tried sitting next to my friend but they didn’t let me,” said Flores. “They basically didn’t let you have fun.”

During Saturday detentions students feel there is more freedom than during after school.

“When I went on a Saturday during the winter there was this kid that opened the window and left through it,” said Flores. “He came back 15 minutes later with donuts. The security didn’t even notice him gone.”

“During Saturday detentions, you are allowed to talk, eat, sleep, and listen to music,” said Kasey Diep, Div. 054. “It all just depends on who is running it.”

According to Mrs. Jackson, if a student is caught sleeping in detention, they are given an additional Saturday detention.

During my time in detention, I was let out early due to good behavior. Jimenez points out a different way he was let out of detention early.

“The lady there gave us each a different fairly easy question. If we answered it right then we got to leave. If not we stayed for the whole thing.”

There are also other ways to leave detention early.

“A writing teacher came into the lunchroom and asked who wanted to take a writing workshop class,” said Lisbet Montoyo, Div. 267. “A bunch of us went with her and got some snacks and she let us out early. Plus we learned some stuff about writing.”

“I had a Saturday detention one time but when I went to it I showed them a paper from one of my AP teachers about a study session being held that same Saturday,” said an anonymous student, Div. 158. “The security then let me skip that detention I had.”

Ms. Lesiak says that if a student does not go to detention, they are called into the Attendance Office, asked why they did not show, and are rescheduled a new detention. This was not the case with Andres Jacome, Div. 045.

“They gave me after school detention everyday for two weeks straight and I didn’t show up to any of the days. They didn’t do anything.”

“If a student doesn’t show up to the rescheduled Saturday detention, they then receive two additional Saturdays,” said Ms. Lesiak. “If they still don’t show for those it can lead to an in-school suspension and a parent conference.”

For my Saturday detention, I pretty much did nothing. I did see people talk, some were dancing, and one person even brought in their laptop. The security guard did not really mind only if it got really loud. It was, though, a waste of time.

Even though I was bored out of my mind at my detention, it was understandable why detention is that way. I violated the attendance policy and deserved to be punished. If people do something wrong what they did can not be ignored. There should be consequences.