Catalyst: For Hail, The Food Hooked Her; The Message Kept Her
It was pizza for senior Caroline Hail. Lou Malnati’s, to be exact.
For others, it’s ice cream, or candy, or some other yummy treat.
“They hook you with the food,” Hail said with a laugh.
“But obviously, there’s reasons why I stayed,” Hail confirmed. “A lot of them.”
Hail got convinced to explore Catalyst Club in junior high when one of her friends told her that fun snacks and delicious lunches, such as Lou Malnati’s pizza, were often served at the meetings that were held for the junior high kids at Stevenson.
But, turns out, Hail also quickly fell for the club’s message and mission…hook, line and sinker.
Now, Hail is a six-year member of Catalyst Club, a leadership group dedicated to supporting and encouraging a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle for youth in the community. She says that her progressive involvement from committee member to committee leader to now the club’s vice president has been one of the joys of her high school career.
“It has been really rewarding,” Hail said of her involvement in Catalyst. “This (drug-free) is how I want to live. I want to live by that message.”
And Hail has made sure to share that message as much as she can. Especially with younger kids.
She cherishes the work she has done with the junior high kids who come to Catalyst meetings at Stevenson once a month. Hail loves being able to educate them about the good work that Catalyst does, while encouraging them to become involved in Catalyst in high school, just as the Stevenson students did with her back when she was in junior high.
“When I first started (at Stevenson), I was most interested in being on our middle school committee for Catalyst,” Hail said. “I wanted to be a part of planning the meetings that the middle schoolers went to (photo left)…the ones that I used to go to when I was in middle school.
“What’s been really cool is seeing the impact that it’s making. You can see that ‘Oh!’ moment that they have…it’s like they get it, and it clicks.”
That sometimes happens after a few installments of fun games and…you guessed it: FOOD!
“One time, we actually got an ice cream truck to come to the middle school meeting and everyone got ice cream,” Hail said with a huge grin. “So when the kids went back to school, all of their friends were jealous and wanted to join Catalyst. The food…it works.”
In 2021, Hail took the food theme to a new level when she helped create a partnership with Culver’s, which donated 1,000 free custards to middle school students who participated in activities during Red Ribbon Week, a national campaign to raise awareness and prevent drug abuse among youth and adults.
Hail has also created a virtual escape room as a fun activity for her young Catalyst kids. She’s planned activities with slime and stickers, and has organized murals (photo right) for the kids to paint, and safety dogs for them to play with.
Last year, she worked on a yard sign project with the middle schoolers in which they designed signs to put in their yards promoting their choice to be drug-free. The message for that campaign was “What’s Your Why?” The question encouraged kids to think about their reasons for being substance free.
“I loved what I was able to do in middle school and I wanted to make Catalyst even more fun for the kids today, something that they look forward to so that they want to be members at Stevenson,” Hail said. “Substance prevention…it’s not always a fun or easy topic. You have to keep stuff fun in order to reach more people and engage more people.”
Hail is now hoping to keep some people of a completely different demographic engaged by her Catalyst knowledge.
She’s already been quite involved in talking with legislators in Catalyst’s push to have Congress adopt the “NO-PAIN Act” as well as Tobacco 21 legislation.
Now, she’s on to college professors.
Hail, along with two other Catalyst members, has been invited to give a presentation in April to the Stanford Medicine Conference.
“I am so nervous about this,” Hail said. “But we’re all excited, too. We are going to talk about how you can’t just sit in meetings with kids and talk about how alcohol and substances are bad.
“We want to show ways that people can be motivated to actually do something about it. We are trying to help build up leaders and help students take control. Whenever students have control, they are actually more engaged in what they are doing.”
It doesn’t hurt if they have a full stomach, too.
| Stevenson Debate Team Gives Strong Showing At State! At last weekend’s IHSA State Debate Tournament, debaters from Stevenson advanced late into the competition. Haniya Khan and Yumna Ali-Khan broke to the octofinal round in Public Forum. The congressional debaters who broke to the semifinal round were: Ajay Raut, Lindsay Wang, Sherry Wang, Vivian Zhu, Megan Han, Srikar Kovvuri and Pranav Atluri. |
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SPRING BREAK: The PWC Will Be OPEN!!
In case you’re around during Spring Break and want to get in a few workouts…or just hang out, the Patriot Wellness Center will be OPEN!
PWC Spring Break Hours:
March 27-March 31: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
April 1-April 2: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sophomores: Find Your Path
College And Career Night For You TONIGHT!
The College Career Center will hold its annual College And Career Night For Sophomore Families at 7 p.m. TONIGHT. The event will be in person in the Performing Arts Center, but can also be streamed live via Zoom.
Post Secondary Counselor Sara English and Career Exploration Program Manager Mr. Diambri will discuss what families can expect during junior year as they embark on the college and career exploration process.
SPRING BREAK STOCK-UP: Sale At School Store This Week
Need some Stevenson gear…and want a good deal?
Stock up at the Patriot School Store before you leave for Spring Break with a 15 percent off EVERYTHING sale (excluding letterman jackets, Jalen Brunson gear and school supplies).
The sale runs all week, through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. All sales are in-person only, and while supplies last.
For questions, please contact Megan Shahinian at mshahinian@d125.org or 847.415.4126.
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ACADEMICS
NOW THROUGH APRIL 28: Apply for these post-secondary scholarships with deadlines ranging from now through April 28.
MAY 15 ~ Odyssey App/Rec Forms Due: The Fine Arts Division is accepting applications and recommendations for Odyssey 2024 artists and workshop ideas. Students, faculty and staff may use the Odyssey Form to suggest artists and submit workshop ideas for Odyssey, which will run Feb. 13-14, 2024.
CLUBS
NOW THROUGH APRIL ~ Project Cutlery: Green Team is concerned about plastic utensil use at Stevenson. The club has organized a raffle running now through April for students who submit a photo of the reusable utensil they use at Stevenson through this form. Those submissions are entered for a chance to WIN a solar-powered portable charger! There will be THREE randomly selected winners who will be notified in April. Submitted photos MUST show use AT STEVENSON in order to be considered.
NOW THROUGH END OF SCHOOL YEAR ~ Shoe Donations: The Green Team and SWALCO (Solid Waste Agency of Lake County) have partnered to keep unwanted footwear out of landfills. The Green Team will take shoes in ANY condition, whether they are for athletics, formalwear, etc. Collection continues NOW through the END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR in the donation box at the Point, across from the Security Desk. Please e-mail the Green Team sponsor (psuntharanund@d125.org) with any questions.
SATURDAY ~ Peer Helper Applications Due: Apply to be a Peer Helper for the 2023-24 school year and help fellow Stevenson students better enjoy their high school experience. Applications are due SATURDAY. If you are interested in becoming a part of a very exciting and challenging program, please complete an online application.
EVENTS
NOW ~ Tickets Available NOW For TEDx: Mark your calendars, and buy your tickets…the power of TED is coming to Stevenson next month in the form of a student-led and student-run grassroots event called TEDxStevensonHighSchool.
TEDxStevensonHighSchool will follow the theme “Passions and Perspectives” in the
upcoming event, slated for 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on APRIL 25 in the West Auditorium. There are only 100 spots available. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here.
SUNDAY ~ Deadline For Spirit T-Shirt Contest Submissions: The Patriot School Store needs help designing a new Stevenson Spirit Wear T-shirt! One entry per student, black or white t-shirt only, front design only. Designs are subject to modifications by the vendor. Please submit your design in PDF format to mshahinian@d125.org by SUNDAY.
APRIL 3 ~ Prom Ticket Deadline: PROM tickets are officially on sale! Please use this link to purchase your tickets, which are $95 apiece and will be on sale until APRIL 3. Prom will be held on APRIL 15 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel.
NOTE: Just a friendly reminder to get ahead of the curve and get your PROM Guest Forms turned in. If you want to attend Prom with a guest who does not go to Stevenson, you MUST fill out the guest form by MARCH 28.
OPPORTUNITIES
ONGOING ~ Apply To Work At Camp Patriot: Camp Patriot is looking for staff for the summer! Camp Patriot is open to kids who are entering kindergarten through eighth grade in the fall. Daily activities are led by Role Models and professional staff. These may include art, cooking, dance, drama, music, sports, STEM and so much more! If you are a current sophomore and older, please stop by Student Activities or visit the PREP Page for more information.
ONGOING ~ Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: Stevenson has a vast array of job postings that is continuously updated with new listings. From job shadows to internships and summer jobs, there is plenty to explore. Check out the Student Career Connection page on the Stevenson website to learn more.
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Seniors: Get out your calendars…you’re probably going to want to “save these dates” as these are the top “Senior Send-Off” events at Stevenson…and you won’t want to miss them! Also included are deadlines for permission slips, early-bird ticketing, etc. We will provide more detailed information here as it becomes available. Stay tuned! Note: The “Seniors: Class Of 2023” page on the Stevenson website will also be updated with all of this information as it becomes available.
Save-The-Dates!
APRIL 15 ~ PROM!!
** Please note that Prom is for Seniors AND Juniors!
APRIL 28 ~ Senior Sunrise
MAY 25 ~ Senior Class Party
MAY 26 ~ Graduation
Deadlines!
MARCH 28 ~ Prom Guest Form Deadline: If you want to attend Prom on April 15 with a guest who does not go to Stevenson, you MUST fill out the guest form by MARCH 28.
MARCH 31 ~ Party Time, Seniors…Early-Bird Ticket Deadline: Tickets for “The Senior Class Party,” which is a two-hour boat cruise on Lake Michigan May 25, are available. The early-bird price for tickets ($40 apiece) is good until MARCH 31, and after that tickets will increase to $45 apiece. To complete the transaction, put your Student ID in the Promo Code. For more information, please check out the Feb. 7 Daily Digest.
APRIL 3 ~ Prom Tickets On Sale: PROM tickets are officially on sale! Please use this link to purchase your tickets, which are $95 apiece and will be on sale until APRIL 3.
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Sports Results
Baseball: Stevenson (1-0) picked up its first win of the season against Glenbrook South, winning 6-2. Joe Richardson led the Patriots to victory from the mound. Richardson went two innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits while striking out four batters. Carson Kaye, Nick Rayyan and Frank Constabile all put in work in relief out of the bullpen. Offensively, Stevenson racked up 6 hits, with Chris Iannuzzi and Luca Morelli collecting 2 hits apiece. Next up is a doubleheader at Huntley at 4:45 p.m. tonight.
Girls Softball: The Patriots (2-0-1) traveled to Heritage Park in Wheeling to take on Schaumburg and finished with a 3-3 tie. This was a true pitchers’ battle. Aubrey Jepson was in the circle and had 11 strikeouts for the Patriots. Abbie Lewis led the offense with 2 hits and Alyssa Shimanski and Sophia Becker finished with 1 hit apiece. The game, played from start to finish in the rain, ended in the sixth inning due to a time limit. Next up for Stevenson is a road game at conference opponent Lake Zurich at 4:45 p.m. on April 3.
Boys Lacrosse: The Patriots (0-2) hosted Barrington and lost 15-9. Next up for Stevenson is a road game at Palatine at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
Boys Volleyball: The Patriots (0-2) took on host Fremd in a nonconference matchup and lost, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25. Tony Hwang led the way for Stevenson with 9 kills, 1 block assist, and 5 digs. Ramsey Engel followed with8 kills and Jason DeZutter with 6. Yugank Arora posted 3 block assists and Ramiz Izzatov and James Angelos both had 2 apiece. Libero Onon Bayasahh played impeccable defense tallying 11 digs. Next up for the Patriots is a tournament at Joliet West starting at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Sports Reminders
ONGOING: Register for Summer Sports Camp: For freshmen through seniors. Summer Sports Camp brochure, which is also located on the athletics webpage. Register here for Summer Sports Camp. Register early to make sure you are cleared to participate on the first day of camp.
ONGOING ~Sports Boosters Signs: The Sports Boosters are running their annual lawn sign sale. Customize your sign for graduation, school activities and special events. Check out all the fun options!
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| Mark your calendars for these events and see the Stevenson Calendar for details on these and future programs. Mar. 23: CCC Presents: New Student Orientation At Stevenson Mar. 23: CCC Presents Via Zoom: Sophomore Family College and Career Night Mar. 27-31: SPRING BREAK! Apr. 3: Return To School Apr. 4: CCC Presents: Freshmen Family Night Apr. 4: The AP And Advanced Art Show And Reception Apr. 5: Student Government Induction Ceremony Apr. 5: The AP And Advanced Art Show Apr. 5: Small Ensemble Concert Apr. 7: Non-Attendance Day: NO SCHOOL |
Stevenson Daily Digest 