Senior Reaches Finals of Spoken Word Poetry Contest
Senior Ananya Shah will compete in the individual finals of the Louder Than a Bomb spoken word poetry competition from 6-9 p.m. Friday at the DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Place, in Chicago. She will compete against 12 other poets. Ananya reached the finals based on her performance of “Live at Five” in Sunday’s semifinals. Stevenson also competed in the team semifinals, falling just short of the finals. SHS had 141 points, falling to Hinsdale Central (142) and Kenwood (143). Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for students on Friday. Click here to order online.
Binge Drinking Declines Among SHS Seniors
The percentage of Stevenson seniors engaging in binge drinking has dropped significantly since 2014, according to Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator Dr. Cristina Cortesi.
In 2014, about one-fourth of seniors who took the Illinois Youth Survey said they had been binge drinking within the previous two weeks. A school-led campaign aimed at parents had reduced the rate to 15 percent by 2016, she said. The Centers for Disease Control defines binge drinking as having five or more drinks within a two-hour period (for males), or four or more drinks (for females). The national average among high school seniors is 14 percent.
Cortesi made her remarks to the Pioneer Press for this article focusing on New Trier’s efforts to address binge drinking. She reiterated the importance of parents and guardians in influencing the decisions of their students toward alcohol use.
Late Arrival on Thursday
Stevenson will follow a late-arrival schedule on Thursday due to scheduled curricular team planning time. Classes will start at 10:30 a.m.
Vote for Senior’s Artwork in Greeting Card Competition
Senior Bekka Goldstein has a chance to win a $10,000 college scholarship if enough people vote for her artwork in the 12th annual Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest sponsored by The Gallery Collection. Vote for her at this link; you must have a Facebook or Twitter account to participate. You can vote once a day until March 21. The top vote-getters will advance to the finalist round.
Alumna In Heart of CSO Strike Negotiations
SHS alumna Gina DiBello (Class of 2000) has emerged as one of the leaders in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which went on strike Sunday after failing to reach agreement on a new contract. She was one of six musicians who signed this letter sent to CSO donors and trustees in advance of the strike. DiBello also appeared at pre-strike news conferences on Sunday and Feb. 14.
String Parents Fundraiser Thursday Morning
The String Parents Association will hold a breakfast fundraiser at Strawberry Fields, 410 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Lincolnshire from 6:30-10:30 a.m. Thursday, which is a late arrival day. Mention Stevenson when ordering, and a portion of the sale will go to the strings program at SHS.
Madrigal Dinner Spoofs “The Bachelor”
Last weekend’s Madrigal Dinner didn’t jump the shark, it jumped the fence. Anyone who caught that reference would have been giving roses for this year’s Renaissance romp, a spoof of “The Bachelor.” This Pioneer Press article goes behind the scenes, talking with director Ellen Singer and several members of the cast.
More Than 100 Educators Coming to SHS Wednesday
More than 100 educators from schools in eight states and Germany will come to campus Wednesday for the next Site Visit Day for Educators. Of the 17 schools and districts that will be represented, six are in Georgia: Campbell High School in Smyrna, Creekside High School in Fairburn, and Daniell Middle School, East Cobb Middle School, Smitha Middle School and Fair Oaks Elementary School from Marietta. Twenty-four people are coming from the Fresno Unified School District in Fresno, Calif., while two have made the trek from longtime Stevenson exchange school Max-Born Gymnasium in Germering, Germany. Other out-of-state visitors are coming from Emporia High School in Emporia, Kan.; Ladue Schools in St. Louis; Northeast Community School District in Goose Lake, Iowa; Portage High School in Portage, Ind. and Taylor Community Schools in Kokomo, Ind.; and Horlick High School and the Racine Unified School District in Racine, Wis. A pair of Illinois institutions also will be coming: Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox, and the Canton School District in Canton.
Correction
The last name of archer Hayden Gantt was spelled incorrectly in Monday’s Digest.
Click here for today’s athletic schedule
Saturday’s Varsity Results
Girls Track and Field
Stevenson at Huntley Invitational: Senior Kendall Roberts won the 1,600-meter run with a personal-record time of 5:10.66, 15 seconds faster than her previous best. Sophomore Camille Clay placed second in shot put (37 feet, 9 inches) while junior Michelle Yu finished fourth in the 3,200-meter run (12:32.81). Freshman Livy Alton was fifth in the 800 (2:38.56). The 1,600 relay team of Kendall, senior Raeden Mays, sophomore Maxine Tam and freshman Olivia Barreca was fifth (4:32.92), while the 800 relay unit of Raeden, senior Emily Ossentjuk, and sophomores Jade Cadichon and Jordan Tollison was sixth (1:53.65).
SHS Wears Underdog Label Into Supersectional
Stevenson faces a formidable opponent when it goes up against Evanston at 7 o’clock tonight in the IHSA Class 4A Hoffman Estates Supersectional at the Sears Centre Arena. The Wildkits (30-4) are No. 4 in the latest Chicago Sun-Times rankings (and No. 2 in the Chicago Tribune) while the Patriots are No. 10. Here’s a preview from the Daily Herald. The winner of tonight’s game will play the DeKalb Supersectional champion, either Geneva or Rockford East, in the state semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Friday. For those unable to attend tonight’s game, ETHS has set up a live stream feed on its NFHS Network page.
Evanston, which finished third in the state last year, is making its third consecutive supersectional appearance. ETHS beat Loyola Academy for the Niles North Sectional title, 56-42, even though its top two scorers combined for five points. The Wildkits are led by senior guard Lance Jones, an all-state candidate and Southern Illinois University signee averaging 16.1 points per game. Evanston, playing in its 15th supersectional, is seeking back-to-back trips downstate for the first time.
Stevenson is making its sixth supersectional appearance in school history, and its first since winning the IHSA championship in 2015. The junior-dominated Patriots (27-5) are wearing the underdog label for tonight’s game, which isn’t the first time a Pat Ambrose-coached team has gone this far without marquee players. As Joe Henricksen of the Chicago Sun-Times points out, the 2006-07 team that finished fourth in the state only had one player with a scoring average in double figures. Stevenson has a 5-0 record in supersectional games, winning in 1992, 2007, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Sophomore Wins Girls State Wrestling Title
Sophomore Sara Sulejmani won the 145-pound title in the Girls Division at last weekend’s Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Freshman-Sophomore and Girls State Tournament in Springfield. She became the first girls wrestling state champion in school history with a 9-4 victory over Sydney Manos of Stillman Valley. Sara stormed to the championship bout, pinning her first two opponents before recording a 17-2 technical fall in the semifinals. Sophomore Heather Campos finished fourth at 180 pounds to earn all-state honors. Three other SHS wrestlers competed in the freshman-sophomore brackets: freshmen Jordan Rosenfeldt (113 pounds) and Aidan Rutnarak (126) and sophomore Keegan Houlihan (285).
JV Hockey Team Falls in State Semifinals
The junior varsity boys ice hockey team lost to St. Viator, 5-4 in overtime, in the Blackhawk Cup JV state tournament semifinals Monday in Bensenville.
STUDENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Click This Link to See More Announcements
Student Seating for Tonight’s Supersectional Game
Students going to tonight’s supersectional basketball game are asked to sit in Sections 118 and 119 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. Stevenson’s sections are shown in green on this map.
One-Act Auditions Monday, Pre-Audition Meeting Thursday
Auditions for the spring One-Act Plays will be held after school Monday. Anyone thinking of auditioning should attend a 15-minute meeting at 9:45 a.m. Thursday in the Black Box Theater. Thursday is a late-arrival day. The directors of the plays will be there to tell you about their shows, and offer tips and tricks about what to expect on audition day. Students must sign up for an audition time slot. The sign-up sheet is outside the Black Box Theater. Auditions will run in half-hour slots from 3:40 p.m. until 8 p.m. Monday in the West Auditorium. Click here for all the audition information.
PPA Bake Sale Wednesday Afternoon
The next Patriot Parent Association Bake Sale is Wednesday afternoon during seventh and eighth periods in the Wood Commons and Glass Commons. Doughnuts, muffins, cake, pies, Puppy Chow and more will be available for $1. Proceeds benefit all students and staff through PPA.
The College Career Center is offering two New Student Orientation field trips for students who will be attending the College of Lake County in the fall. The field trips will be held during the school day on Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, April 24. During the NSO, students will meet with an academic counselor and register for classes. Visit the CCC to reserve a spot.
ILLINOIS EDUCATION HEADLINES
Illinois teacher shortage worsens, report says
Elmhurst College professor sues school over series
Peoria board approves return to Manual High School
Strike talk stirs at Chicago High School for the Arts
South Elgin High stadium to get lights, new track
Illinois Wesleyan’s “iconic” English House to close
Longtime Wheaton special education teacher dies
NATIONAL EDUCATION HEADLINES
Congress may soon overhaul Higher Education Act
Studies cast doubt on link between “grit,” achievement
ACLU: Schools need more mental health professionals
Why Florida is struggling to fill 2,000 teaching positions
NYC schools to adopt “Meatless Mondays” in fall
How UPenn cut counseling wait times without hiring
Why do people love to hate Steven Pinker?
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The Daily Digest is compiled and edited by Jim Conrey. To subscribe or unsubscribe, contact him at jconrey@d125.org.
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