All across the United States, potential voters are listening to presidential candidates and preparing themselves for the 2012 presidential election, which is less than a year away. However, here at Libertyville High School, many students go about their everyday lives and do not pay attention to what is going on in politics. Usually, most students ignore national, state, or local politics. Students today are busy with academics and extracurricular activities; they do not have time to watch the news or read the numerous articles online and in newspapers that cover daily politics. This is …

Imagine having a headache and being dizzy for weeks, the only cure being rest and patience. In some cases, this is what a concussion feels like. Concussions in sports are becoming a growing concern due to improved research and increased media attention. “Research has confirmed that it takes longer for the adolescent brain to recover than an adult brain,” said Libertyville High School trainer Ron Russ. This makes concussions an even bigger deal for high school athletes. Mike Rogers, a junior at Libertyville High School, described in detail how a concussion felt when he received one about a …

Four years ago, coach Randy Kuceyeski (better known as Kuz) announced that he would retire from teaching and coaching when the school year ended in 2012, making 2011 his final season as head coach of the Libertyville Wildcats. Kuz has been at Libertyville High School for 34 years, and this was his 19th season as head coach. From Ohio to Illinois Randy Kuceyeski and identical twin brother Ron Kuceyeski grew up in Alliance, Ohio. Kuz was a three-year starter for his high school football team, playing tight end and linebacker. He and his brother earned scholarships and played at Northwestern …

Change is coming to the hallways of Libertyville High School as Assistant Principal Eric Maroscher revamps the way passing period music is selected. After seeing Kevin O’Neill’s Advanced Placement European History fan page on Facebook, Maroscher was inspired to create his own fan page to enhance the selection process for the music that is played in the hallway to give students a one-minute warning before the tardy bell. The music will be selected on a three-week rotation. During the first week, teachers and staff will be able to pitch ideas for what should be played in the hallways. During …

They say first impressions are everything. Most Americans get their first impression of beauty pageants through the media. Most people have seen—or at least heard of—"Toddlers in Tiaras." You know, the show where thumb-sucking mini divas parade around a stage in wardrobes better suited for a Playboy bunny while their overbearing parents cue their every move from the crowd. Or maybe you are more familiar with the infamous Miss South Carolina 2007 speech where the frazzled contestant stated, "I believe that our education like such as in South Africa, and the Iraq, everywhere like such as…and, I…

If job interviews were conducted via text messages or Facebook chats, then our generation would be fine. However, that is not the case, and therefore, I fear the rate of unemployment in the U.S. within the next few generations will skyrocket. In this day and age, we are presented with not only the latest and greatest technology that society has to offer, but also a multitude of social networking websites. The phones we have are so “smart” that they can almost completely remove the human component from the equation. The same goes for the social networking sites. The closest human-to-human …

Digital monitors, currently located outside the main and athletic offices, and in the cafeteria, are now being utilized as tools for relaying announcements to students at Libertyville High School. These new sources are designed to help get announcements to students more efficiently and effectively. "Actually, what we’ve done is expanded where students can find (announcements), so they can have their choice," Libertyville High School's Principal Marina Scott said. In previous years, announcements were made over the P.A. during third period classes. Last year, the administrative team came up …

Senior parking. The two glorious words that students at Libertyville High School may be most excited to be a part of — well, beside lunch release. Parking on campus is supposed to be an exciting privilege, something to look forward to, something that’s stress-free (no more walking from Brainerd, anybody?) and simple. However, many aspects of senior parking are more competitive and complicated than what most people might think. This past summer, registration information contained the date seniors would be able to sign up for senior parking. The entire sign-up process took place on a website …

Several Libertyville High School teachers ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this year, including Sean Ferrell, Carrie Niemet, and Matt Thompson. A marathon is a grueling 26.2-mile race, which takes a toll on the body. “It’s hard to walk for the next few days,” said Thompson, a social studies teacher. Ferrell said that running a marathon “reflects your mental toughness.” However, it was implied that these races are an experience of a lifetime. Niemet says that running is “bittersweet. You feel awesome (afterward) because you finished a race.” Although it is challenging, these teachers …

Community High School District 128 will have "Late Starts" every Wednesday this year, beginning Labor Day and ending the week before Prairie State Achievement Examination testing (April 24). School will start at 8:55 a.m. on those days, and each class will be 40 minutes long. Teachers now will have the opportunity to meet on a regular basis because of this change. Before first period on Late Start days, they will work in department teams to talk about curriculum, instruction and assessment, and they will give each other feedback on what works. In the past, teachers have had four full-day …

A new cell phone policy will be in effect for the 2011-12 school year that allows cell phone use during lunch and passing periods at Libertyville High School. While the old policy only allowed cell phone use before and after school, the new policy will allow cell phone use during lunch periods — if students are in the cafeteria — and during passing periods. "It will be helpful because, if your sport gets canceled, you will be able to text your parents and let them know you need a ride," freshman Tori Salzwedal said. Phones and other electronic devices still will be expected to remain silenced…

You walk into your home, grumble hello to your parents and go to your room. You sit and try to relax–until you remember all the homework you have to do. Just as you sigh and open a much-too-large textbook...BAM! the vacuum starts running, the TV is clicked on, video games start blaring, and music is on full blast--all making it into your room. There is a simple solution to these after-school woes. Get out of the house. Here’s a run-down of the top eight places to get work done around town. Cook Memorial LibraryBest for: Anything. But you have to keep project noise low. The Environment: It is …

Editorial Note: This opinion piece was written prior to Libertyville High School's holiday break, which is reflected in the beginning of the column. Due to the break, Patch was not able to obtain it for publication on our site prior to the holidays, hence the reference to last month. Thanks to the LHS students for providing this piece, and thank you for reading! As the holiday season quickly approaches, so does the season of buckling down on schoolwork, cramming into the early hours of the morning, and harboring abnormally high stress levels. These symptoms can only be a reflection of one …

Seriously, Brainerd has got to go. Before Vernon Hills High School was built, all freshmen in the district had classes at Brainerd unless they were enrolled in upper level classes at the Butler Lake Campus. However, once VHHS was built in 1999, there wasn't a need to use Brainerd anymore. The building has sat dormant since. A local group, called Brainerd Community Center, has sub-leased the old building from the Village of Libertyville, which is currently leasing the building from District 128 with the intent to rehabilitate it into a community center. The proposed community center would …