New Trier News

Fifth Annual Greg Harris Film Festival celebrates talent

NT News — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:34:44 +0000

On May 2, New Trier launched its Fifth Annual Greg Harris Film Festival held at the Wilmette Theater, where students got a chance to showcase their very own films and receive awards in a variety of categories.
Greg Harris came to New Trier in 1995 to teach English and film study. He improved the Writing Center and was a dear friend to New Trier’s students and staff.
Every year in his honor, New Trier hosts the annual Greg Harris Film Festival, allowing students to use their creativity and knowledge of filmaking to create a short film and compete with their classmates in the Film Race.
This is where the creativity truly kicks in. According to the NT Greg Harris Film Festival site, the Film Race requirements were as follows: to include a line of dialogue, “Because the heart wants what the heart wants,” the action of striking a match, and the object of a fish.
This year junior Debbie Sung’s The Oak Tree, won the Best Film-Race award. It is about one girl’s experience growing up with a close childhood friend diagnosed with cancer who eventually dies.
Sung decided to participate in the Film Race because, “I thought it would be fun to be given required elements to put in our film, three days before it was due.”
Other nominees for the Best Film-Race award were Hacker Girlz, by senior Dylan Brennan and Kill Tanner by freshman Regina Madanguit, who won the Best WTF Moment and Rookie of the Fest award.
“I thought the whole concept of the film race was so exciting and unlike anything I heard of so I knew I definitely wanted in on it this year,” said Madanguit.
Philip Choi participated in the Greg Harris Film Festival for the past three years. This year his film, The Bucket List, won the Best Dialogue award.
The Bucket List is a short comedy about two guys who created two bucket lists due to their boredom.
“One of them has a normal bucket list, for example, traveling, hobbies they want to pursue, the other list… brings interesting and hilarious results,” said Choi.
Choi explained how anyone can become a film director as long as they have a camera. But what separates a film director from your average video taper, is the story that he is trying to convey and the passion involved in that process, aside from the filming and endless editing.
Best comedy went to juniors Julia Davis and her partner Victoria Sundell, for their short film, Tuesday. Tuesday was a basically a romantic comedy about a guy who forgot his girlfriend’s birthday and how he made up for it.
“I participated last year and I really liked it so I decided to do it again this year, and I had a lot of friends participating in it as well,” said Davis, also a Film Club member at New Trier.
Best cinematography went to Henry Bacon and Ben Liguori’s film FWD :. Just as the title suggests, the film was about chain emails and how people are murdered for not forwarding the messages.
“I don’t really know where my inspiration came from, I thought of the idea during spring break. Shortly after, Ben and I wrote the script,” said Bacon.
Another film was Jordan Zamansky’s, Rhythm Pills, an experimental film about a man who comes down with a serious case of “the rhythm”, and is faced with the challenge of his every action becoming part of a song. Unfortunately, he had to make the journey upstairs to take the medicine and cure himself.
“Every sound in the movie you can actually see occurring on screen,” said Zamansky.
Edited together, all the sounds created a rhythmic pattern, creating a very cool and unique effect.
Although Zamansky didn’t win any awards, he was nominated for Best Experimental film. He also got first place honors at the Wilmette Art Guild.
“I had a lot of very positive feedback in class and on Facebook, and decided to enter it in the festival,” said Zamansky.

School year’s top five music moments

NT News — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:34:13 +0000

Whether it’s a band reuniting, a scandalous drug arrest, or an unfortunate death, there are new stories appearing almost every hour with what’s going on in the music universe. Here are the five biggest moments in music of the last nine months,

5. Justin Bieber in general:
Justin Bieber is, has, and at least for now will be everywhere. He’s one of the most un-ignorable names in music, and it’s not really about his actual songs or talent (which many would argue he actually lacks). While I can’t speak in defense of his work, there’s no doubt that he’s one of the most iconic figures in the world right now when it comes to music. Maybe it’s because of his drug possession, maybe it’s because of his spat with England, or maybe it’s because of his visit to Anne Frank’s house and claiming that she would have been a Belieber. It may have even been his recent dilemma with Germany trying to steal his monkey (which is exactly what it sounds like). Regardless what you think of the kid, he’s created an extreme following for himself with a pretty basic, cookie-cutter pop star formula We’ll see how long it lasts, though.

4. Kanye West projects himself on buildings across America:
On June 18, Chicago native and hip hop icon Kanye West will release his highly anticipated follow-up to 2010s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It’s hilariously entitled Yeezus, and he performed two new songs from the album on Saturday Night Live: ‘Black Skinhead’ and ‘New Slaves.’ His performance was angry, intense, and awesome. Prior to that performance, however, many American citizens already got a taste of ‘New Slaves,’ some even right next door to their own homes. On Friday, May 17, West projected a video of only his head lip syncing over the audio of the track on apartments, skyscrapers, and other buildings across the country (including the towers at Crown Fountain in Chicago’s Millennium Park). Props to Mr. West for pulling off one of the most creative publicity stunts in the last year.

3. Black Sabbath plays three shows in 2012:
So, it’s 1970. You’re in a record store, flipping through bins of vinyl, when all of a sudden you come across an image of a ghostly-looking character standing next to a tree in a small field with a house behind them. The text in the upper left corner reads, “Black Sabbath.” Those two words symbolized more than just the band name, the album name, and the opening song’s name. They would become synonymous with what many people (myself included) call “the birth of heavy metal.” The original quartet – Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Bill Ward on drums – returned with an announcement of a new album produced by Rick Rubin (which we learned earlier this year would be entitled 13), and a world tour. Well, they didn’t get to the world tour part until this year, but they did manage to pull off two festival appearances in the UK and one last year at Lollapalooza in Chicago.

2. Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city
While I am a fan of hip-hop, I can’t say I’m fond of Kendrick Lamar’s work. It just doesn’t thrill me at all. However, there’s no denying that 2012′s good kid, m.A.A.d city was one of the most radical albums of the year. I’ve never seen a rapper blow up that big that fast with one piece of work since Tyler, The Creator from Odd Future dropped the ‘Yonkers’ video in 2010, and before that, it was very rare that a rapper gained that much success and attention overnight.

1. The Return of Daft Punk:
Daft Punk are arguably the most important electronic group of the last fifteen years. With their first three albums (1997′s Homework, 2001′s Discovery, and 2005′s Human After All), they created a blueprint for all fields of electronic music that would influence many groups after them, including Justice, SebastiAn, and Danger. Besides the soundtrack for the 2010 film Tron: Legacy, the work of Daft Punk had been pretty quiet since their 2007 live album, cleverly titled Alive 2007. That all changed this year, with the announcement of Random Access Memories, which instantly became the most anticipated album of the year. Luckily for all the fans of the duo, it was a perfect return; a 74-minute retro-dance-disco-funk symphonic masterpiece.

Student Spotlight: von Kunhardt

NT News — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:25:39 +0000

Cologne, Germany is a city with a population of 1 million that dates back to 50 A.D. You’ve probably heard of or seen the Cologne Cathedral. But may not be aware of New Trier’s very own former resident of the city, Fritz von Kunhardt.
Fritz moved to Winnetka with his family in June of 2010 when his father received an invitation to work for a fitness company in the Chicagoland area. The news was unexpected.
“That was probably the biggest shock of the whole trip,” he said. “He [his father] asked me if I liked the idea of moving to Chicago at the end of the school year. I was shocked. It was one of those questions I didn’t know how to answer right away. However, my whole family loved the idea to go, so, I didn’t really have a choice.”
Moving to Chicago was like being exposed to a new world. “The big cars, so many fast food restaurants, the limousines and so many cabs. The city itself is crazy. The huge houses and the clean and nice area where we live. It all was a culture shock,” he said. “[Cologne] is so different from Chicago.”
The language barrier proved to be one of the biggest difficulties of the move. “My English wasn’t as fluent then, and it took awhile to learn and understand. Living in an English speaking country where it is required to speak and work in English is complicated; it took about 2 years to fully settle into and understand and enjoy it,” Fritz said. “Friends are the key to learn English. They have taught me so much more than the ESL club has taught me in an entire year.”
As a senior, Fritz has seen the best and worst of what New Trier has to offer, but he is glad he got to know the school and its staff. “Teachers in Germany let you do the work, they don’t offer you help, and they let you down when you need help and support, not in a mean way, but to strengthen your own work. But here at NT it’s very nice to have teachers who offer help and all the support you need for papers. Fritz is very apprecative of the teachers and what they offer to students.
Teachers in Germany put a lot more pressure on you with homework and the big exams we have three times a year,” he said. “The teachers here at New Trier have been such a great help. They have been approachable. Students here at New Trier are so well protected and we’re offered endless help. Through New Trier I was able to accomplish good work successfully,” he said.

Welcome New Trier senior class of 2014

NT News — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:16:49 +0000

Take a deep breath guys. We made it. Finally. We survived the obnoxious ACTs, SATs, the Prairie State Exams (okay, so maybe that didn’t take as much effort, but still), all of the extra work our teachers gave, and of course, junior theme.
However, now that we have made it to rock bottom and back, it’s time for all of us to put on our big boy and girl pants and get with the program. After all, we have some pretty big shoes to fill thanks to the class of 2013.
For starters, the teachers practically worship the seniors ever since they left without pulling any senior pranks (so congrats seniors you are now all teachers’ pets). Probably the only time the class of 2013 was ever “out of line” might have been their last day when they showed up in “banned items” such as crazy hats and tutus—but we won’t count that.
Overall, the seniors were really awesome people. They were friendly and did not walk around as if they were better than anyone else. In class, teachers said they were thoughtful, enthusiastic, and got along with each other. Even through the last week they held on, still trying to give at least 50 percent in their classes. These hard workers can leave knowing they left their high school in good hands.
Principal Timothy Dohrer said, “I’m a big fan of 2013. They’re one of the best classes that I’ve worked with.” He added that the seniors respected the school, were very mature, and even invested in the New Trier motto.
Wow, seniors. Pat yourselves on the back. If you all didn’t believe me when I said you left a well-carved path for us to follow, you’ve got to believe Dohrer because, well, he’s Dr. Dohrer and pretty much everyone believes him.
The legacy you seniors—or should we call you “fresh meat” now—left will be hard to live up to. After all, the senior class of 2014 will be an interesting one.
2014ers, we have got to make up our minds. Are we going to continue to be “clicky” or can we pull it together and work as a team like our older peers did? I think we can. Put aside the judgment so we can all have a great year because really, who cares if that girl isn’t wearing the same barely-there outfit you are? She will probably go further than others with what she’s wearing anyways.
Let’s do our younger peers a favor and show them that we can work cohesively, despite our differences. I know we can. We did after the Names program freshman year, so why not do it this time for an entire year? It will be senior year. Let’s challenge ourselves and prove to everyone that the class of 2014 is the best class yet.
All we have to do is this: wear actual clothes (not underwear-length shorts), be respectful and responsible (even to peers and teachers we don’t like), work hard (no, it’s not “geeky” to work hard, it’s actually “geeky” to slack off), and most importantly, have some school spirit. Go to as many school events as possible because when we graduate in June of 2014, we’re not going to graduate with regrets.
My advice to the senior class of 2014: YOLO it because your only a senior once.

2012 and why the world still isn’t going to end

NT News — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:16:16 +0000

I know it’s a little late, and I know it’s a little cliche, but I still think someone should say it. We made it. We beat 2012. The apocalypse came and went, and we’re still here. We should all pat ourselves on the back.
All joking aside, I still think that this whole apocalypse phenomenon is pretty interesting. I don’t think anyone here actually bought into the whole craze. I’d like to think no one did, though we all know that’s not true.
But our fascination with death, with the end of the world, speaks volumes to where we are as a people. Things feel like they’re falling apart. Things feel like they’re worse than ever.
But here’s the thing. Thing’s aren’t worse than ever. They’re not perfect, I have no illusions about that, but overall, things are pretty good. But at the same time, it seems like everyone is becoming more and more cynical.
Well, seeing as I’m an eighty year old man at heart, I blame the internet, at least in part. Nowadays, if you have something to complain about, you can go online and do it with a massive audience. Pretty soon, you’ve got people agreeing with you, and you’re all agreeing with each other, and you’re all convincing each other that you’re so wrong about this thing being bad that you all start convincing each other that it’s even worse.
Just look at the recent announcement of the XBox 1. When Microsoft announced their new console last week, the reception was bad, to say the least. People flocked to the internet, complaining that it was the worst thing since, oh, I don’t know, unsliced bread.
Now, I agree that it’s not perfect, and that they could’ve handled it better, but it’s not that bad. It has a few flaws, but the way people are talking about it, you’d think that microsoft announced their plan to exterminate the gamers. The world isn’t going to end because of a new XBox.
So, you think to yourself, what am I recommending that we do? Do I think they should just shut off the internet? In short, yes. But, I know that’s unrealistic, and good God, I’m far too addicted myself for it to be a viable solution. But I do think that people should be more conscious of not jumping on bandwagons, that we should all be a little more critical before declaring something the worst thing ever.
Now, there are some events this past year that were really terrible. Events that I don’t blame for making people a little more cynical. The Sandy Hook massacre is easily one of the worst things to happen in my lifetime. The Boston Bombings and their immediate aftermath were terrifying. These recent tornadoes in Oklahoma are absolutely awful. I can see why people think that everything is becoming more and more awful. For awhile, it really seemed that way
But once again, the world simply isn’t ending. The one thing all these events have in common is the overwhelming outpour of support being offered to the victims and their families. Most people are still willing to help, because the fact is, there are still a lot more good people in this world than there seems. While it would be nice if people could come together without some kind of tragedy, the fact that we still do gives me hope. Humanity is still okay.
So c’mon, cut down on that cynicism. Smile a little, enjoy the summer, and go off to school next year with an attitude that could rival the pep club. And for those of you reading this and calling it cliched garbage, well, clearly you haven’t been reading closely enough, cause you’re being pretty cynical yourself. Sure, the world may not end if you scowl, but it’ll be a little nicer if you smile.

Graduating seniors, we hope you’re ready for all the changes

NT News — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:14:49 +0000

The halls of New Trier have felt a little empty during the past two weeks, and it’s not just because finals studying has turned us into sleep-deprived zombies. It’s also because our seniors are absent. And although it is admittedly nice to have some peace and quiet, it’s strange for us too. You seniors are going on to bigger and better things, but we sophomores and juniors are left behind. We are still getting used to the fact that no one remains to give us advice for next year or laugh bitterly when we attempt classes they already took. It’s just us now.
Of course, the transitions you face are more drastic than ours. If you’re going to college, you have to navigate the clichéd perils of difficult roommates, doing your own laundry, and the Freshman 15 (although some of you may have already experienced the Junior 15 when you were at New Trier). But no matter how far from home you are or who you are with, you will all have to figure out what to do every day when New Trier isn’t guiding—or dictating, depending on your point of view—your life.
If you’re like most of us here at New Trier, many of you have been anticipating your first days of college for a long time. You’ve prepared for this moment a lot, maybe too much, and we at the New Trier News hope that your experiences will live up to the hype. We hope that you will get the most out of your education as possible, and we hope that you can relax and enjoy it every now and then. Ideally, that’s what you’ll remember doing here in high school as well: not just your journey to college but what you experienced along the way.
But that definitely does not require you to romanticize your time at New Trier or nostalgically reminisce about all of your peers every day. That, after all, would probably be unhealthy.
This is why our final hope for you is that you will be able to leave New Trier behind. No matter how much you loved it or hated it, we hope that you will be able to forget it enough to move on with your life. To use another cheesy saying, it’s a new chapter for you, and we want you to approach it with an open mind. With that said, we underclassmen have not experienced what you are about to experience yet. So if you want really trustworthy advice, you would be better off talking to a college student, just like we have talked to you over the past few years.
With that in mind, we would like to thank the outgoing staff of the New Trier News for setting the bar high for us. We hope that we can honor them by continuing to make the News as strong and innovative as it can be. We expect it to be an exciting year.

Senior Project Exhibition

adviser — Sat, 25 May 2013 16:28:43 +0000

Seniors who took their second semester off to gain professional experience outside of high school–whether that be in education, business, interior design, or television production–exhibit their projects at the Senior Project Exhibition on May 22nd.

Dohrer departs with class of 2013

NT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:16:23 +0000

Seniors aren’t the only ones going off to college next year. Principal Tim Dohrer will be heading to Northwestern to be the Director of Teacher Education at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy.
Since Dohrer’s career as a Trevian began in 1990, he has worked as an English teacher, journalism teacher, advisor, English department coordinator and, of course, Winnetka campus principal. Over the span of his career, Dohrer has worked with dozens of teachers and administrators who all have seen his tireless work ethic and enjoyed his contagious laughter.
“I love this school, I love my work here,” he said. “I love all the people I’ve worked with from students to staff to parents. It’s just been awesome.”
Not long after receiving his teaching certificate, Dohrer began working with retired history teacher Mitch Jones in a team-taught American Studies class. 20 years later, Dohrer still remembers the class as one of his best teaching experiences at New Trier, and Jones recalls Dohrer’s infectious energy and passion.
“The students loved him and they kind of took to him like ducks to water,” Jones said. “He was very much liked by his students, and he cared very deeply about them.”
Jones specifically remembers how Dohrer was able to understand students on a personal level, assess their needs, and provide them with opportunities for creative expression.
“I think he’s excellent at knowing how to motivate students and how to see what their strengths are,” he said. “He’s good at helping students recognize what they’ve accomplished and how they’ve grown. As a consequence, students feel good about themselves and want to do more for him.”
Jones remembers specifically how students loved Dohrer because of his unique ability to bring fun into learning. This kind of positive, light-hearted relationship with students is something both administrators and other teachers have all noticed from working with Dohrer, too.
“Dr. Dohrer’s infectious laughter and sense of humor make him fun to be with and a great team member,” said Superintendent Linda Yonke. “I can always count on him to keep perspective, and to say something to lighten the mood when we become overly-serious. He places students at the center of decision-making, and he is genuinely passionate about education and New Trier,” she said.
Working with Dohrer as adviser of the New Trier News starting in 1999, retired teacher John Lucadamo also recalls the principal’s passion for students and learning in general.
“When he walked into room 11, the respect and affection the student editors had for him was clear,” he said.
Lucadamo remembered once when a student tried to write an article that, upon consideration, probably could not have been published. But Dohrer wanted to work with the student to make the situation something that could prove helpful for the writer.
“Dohrer respects students and realizes that everything in high school can and should be a learning experience,” he said.
It was after working with Lucadamo on the newspaper that Dohrer began his career as a New Trier administrator. He started in 2001 as the first English Department Coordinator at the newly opened freshman campus. English Department Chair John Cadwell remembers working with Dohrer and other teachers and administrators to start the reopening of Northfield, which had not housed students for years.
“He was instrumental in helping us get the freshman campus going, our part of the process over there,” Cadwell said.

Cadwell also praised how Dohrer was always so easy to talk to and approachable for students.
“He’s never been too busy to talk to students and listen to their concerns,” he said. “He thinks about ways to make their experience even more exciting.”
Lucadamo agrees that the students and New Trier came first on Dohrer’s list of priorities.
“Whether he was in the classroom, working with student journalists or leading the Winnetka campus, his central focus was centered on students,” Lucadamo said. “How could New Trier better serve our students? That was a question always upper most in his mind.”
Dohrer’s dedication to the students of New Trier is evident in his work with Student Alliance. SA President Jeff Salvadore said that he has enjoyed working with Dohrer for the past three years he has been on student government.
“Dr. Dohrer is an unwavering advocate for student voice at New Trier,” he said. “He’s played no small role in creating the best high school experience for students here possible.”
Dohrer loved to serve the students at New Trier, but that does not mean he neglected his roles as both an administrator, nor as a family man.
Matt Ottaviano, the Assistant Principal for Administrative Services, and Superintendent Yonke both said Dohrer was a dedicated team member at the school.
“I provided him that look at the long view of New Trier and then he could apply his vision from that point forward,” Ottaviano said. “I was really proud to be working with him.”
Ottaviano also recounted how he got to know Dohrer as a dedicated father while traveling as a chaperone with him on the band’s trip to Australia last year.
“When you spend 10 days traveling with somebody in a foreign land, you get to know them even a little better,” Ottaviano said. “He and his daughter have a wonderful relationship.”
Denise Hibbard is to replace Dohrer as principal next fall.
“Tim will be difficult to replace because of his passion, his intelligence, his sense of humor, and his commitment to New Trier. He knows the community well, and he understands the community’s expectations of New Trier. He is a scholar, a manager, a visionary and a friend.”

Meet Principal Denise Hibbard

NT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:15:09 +0000

Denise Hibbard was welcomed to New Trier in 2011 as a Northfield Campus Assistant Principal. Earlier this month, Hibbard was named the Winnetka Campus Principal.
Hibbard has a long history in education. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Northern Illinois University and a master’s degree in education from Depaul University. Hibbard has over a decade of school administration experience. She was an assistant principal at California High School in San Ramon for six years. Her greatest achievement in her career so far though, was her role as Dougherty Valley High School Principal.
At Dougherty, which opened in 2007, Hibbard oversaw the opening of the school and helped it become one of the top performing high schools in California. Based on the Academic Performance Index, Dougherty is now the best school in its district.
This past experience in California, in addition to two years as an administrator at the Northfield Campus, gave Hibbard an advantage when she was contending for the Winnetka Campus Principal.
At New Trier, Hibbard oversaw many student services programs and adviser programs. She has also helped significantly with the shift to online registration for freshmen classes at the Northfield Campus.
During the selection process, Hibbard was very conscious about how she prepared. Hibbard said, “I was very thoughtful about my preparation for the position and spent time listening and learning from faculty and staff members about their work. Once I received the position, I was excited and appreciative for the opportunity to lead New Trier.”
Northfield Campus Principal Paul Waechtler has worked closely with Hibbard these past two years. Waechtler is sure that Hibbard will have no problem adjusting. “Ms. Hibbard is diligent, has great interpersonal skills, and is humorous and intelligent,” said Waechtler. “Her listening skills and ability to think creatively about solutions are readily apparent.”
Hibbard will succeed Timothy Dohrer this July. Dohrer is leaving to become Director of Teacher Education at Northwestern University’s School of Education. One of Dohrer’s strengths is the connections that he has built with the staff, students and community. Students were encouraged to stop by his office at anytime, and Hibbard plans to keep the principal-student bond strong.
When leading a school, building these connections can only enhance the education experience. “I believe that building and sustaining relationships is critical to the success of our students at New Trier,” said Hibbard. “Our work is about meeting students where they are and trying to understand and connect with them personally. I will make every effort to make myself available to students and encourage open communication.”
To Hibbard these bonds are “one of the most important roles of the Principal.”
Specific examples on how Hibbard plans on building these relationships range from attending athletic events to meeting with the student representatives in Student Alliance.
Hibbard will listen to student, staff and parents to improve New Trier. “There are many great things that are happening at the school, but that does not inhibit us from looking forward and finding ways to improve,” said Hibbard.
According to Waechtler, this should not be a problem. There is no doubt that her selection was well-received. Waechtler said, “Once you get to know her and work with her, you are bound to be impressed and like her.”

Trevians scour area for summer jobs

NT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:14:31 +0000

As the weather starts to get warmer, one question ringing in a lot of high school students’ mind is, “how am I going to make money this summer?” At New Trier, the competition for the ideal job is just as fierce as it is for getting into the best colleges.
The summer provides a perfect opportunity for students to earn a few bucks working somewhere local. With no homework, kids are free to work hours they might not have been able to during the school year and are more flexible with their time. While some may opt for a job at a restaurant or store, summer also opens up a whole new set of jobs available only around that time of year.
At New Trier, there are plenty of options when it comes to finding a job. Lots of students work part time throughout the year at local restaurants and malls, but the summer is certainly the busiest time for the job market.
One option is to consult the job board in the career center, which posts flyers from local businesses that have expressed an interest in hiring New Trier students. Most job postings are for babysitters and after school tutors, with the occasional internship opportunity available.
However, the most popular job with students at New Trier has been working with the local park districts. “I think park districts are the best bet, with the most volume for jobs,” said Mrs. Ottolini, who is the Career Center Assistant. “But they don’t always come to the job board; you have to be proactive and go to the websites.”
Park district jobs include life guarding, working as a summer camp counselor or being a tennis instructor. Most of the jobs tend to be around only during the summer, hence the attraction to students.
Most of these park district jobs tend to be very competitive and some can be fairly time demanding. For example, most beach and country club jobs require employees to work from Memorial weekend through Labor Day weekend, not leaving room for summer vacations or other commitments. Also, in order to be qualified for a life guarding job, applicants have to have taken a certification course and prove that they are a competent swimmer.
Because job positions are somewhat limited and there is such a high demand for them, many Park Districts will start talking to prospective employees well before the summer comes around. “Wilmette will start talking to people about summer jobs over winter break,” explained Ottolini, “so you have to start early.” Though smaller districts will call in to the career center, the best option is to start checking the websites sometime in December.
Junior Greer Lafontant spent last summer working as a life guard at Indian Hill Country Club. “I got to meet new people, it was a lot of fun,” said Lafontant. “There were New Trier people, there were North Shore Country Day people. I’m pretty sure there was a girl from GBN, and then there were some college kids.”
None of the park district jobs are limited to people who live in the area, so they provide a perfect opportunity to meet students from outside New Trier.
“I would totally recommend summer jobs because summer jobs give you finances and finances give you freedom,” said Lafontant.
For most of the jobs, applicants have to be sixteen or older, especially to work the cash register. Students who are a little younger can look into the counselor in training programs many of the camps offer, which are paid and normally last six weeks. These trainees then have the option to return the next summer as full time counselors.
While the majority of students will opt for one of these summer specific jobs, students are certainly not limited to them. There are plenty of opportunities to work at local restaurants and retail stores such as Three Tarts or E Street Denim.
These jobs tend to be less student oriented and are available as year-round jobs as opposed to just summer time. Of course, there is always babysitting, which can be very lucrative in this area. The most important thing to do when searching for a job is take initiative and put yourself out there.