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The news site of Evanston Township High School's student newspaper

The Evanstonian

The news site of Evanston Township High School's student newspaper

The Evanstonian

The news site of Evanston Township High School's student newspaper

The Evanstonian

Lauren Dain

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor

Hi! My name is Lauren Dain (she/her). I am a senior and an Executive Editor of the In-Depth, Opinion, and Sports sections. This is my fourth year on staff, and previously I have been a staff writer, Assistant Editor, and In-Depth Editor. This year I am excited to help build a strong, welcoming community within The Evanstonian, and publish impactful articles related to issues I am passionate about. Beyond The Evanstonian, I am a captain on the cross country team, as well as a Civic Engagement Committee leader and board member in the Community Service Club. Outside of ETHS, I contribute to the Evanston Women’s History Project and I work at Trader Joe’s. In my free time, I love to bake, drink lots of coffee, and watch TV. 

By Lauren Dain

I don’t know about you but I’m feeling class of 22

It feels like a perfect day  To celebrate our seniors  And enjoy our summer, uh-uh, uh-uh   It feels like a perfect day To stop all schooling  To start our partying, uh-uh, uh-uh    Yeah We’re...

A letter from the Executive Editors: a reflection on our growth and continued commitment to equity

Lauren Dain and Eden Drajpuch May 12, 2022

As we close the book on the 2021-2022 school year, the Evanstonian editors have reflected on how unique our coverage was this past year. The class of 2022’s high school experience as a whole has been...

The Evanstonian announces next Executive Editors

Eden Drajpuch and Lauren Dain May 12, 2022

The Evanstonian’s 2021-2022 Editorial Board is proud to announce the 2022-2023’s Executive Editors: Meg Houseworth, Jessica Sehgal and Ahania Soni. Meg, Jessica and Ahania have all been on staff for...

A year of journalism, lattes and memories: Rating Evanston’s coffee shops

A year of journalism, lattes and memories: Rating Evanston’s coffee shops

Eden Drajpuch and Lauren Dain May 12, 2022

Over the course of this year, we have spent many hours in various coffee shops throughout Evanston. A coffee shop can be the perfect, mood-setting location that motivates us to get work done for school...

Superintendent Witherspoon details final days at ETHS

Superintendent Witherspoon details final days at ETHS

After a memorable 16 year tenure as ETHS’ superintendent, Eric Witherspoon is retiring at the end of the 2021-22 school year. Throughout his time at ETHS, Witherspoon has made efforts to create systemic...

Mark Cannon

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor May 12, 2022

Mark “MJ” Cannon attributes his favorite part of high school football to the ETHS coaching staff.  “The ETHS coaching staff made it a fun learning environment that made you want to come to practice,...

Illustration by Sabrina Barnes

Stress and substances: the supports in place for students in Evanston

Teenagers are living in an entirely different reality. Despite sarcastic connotations that may frequently accompany that phrase, research suggests that it may be true in some ways. Dopamine, sometimes...

Image courtesy of ETHS Athletics

Chess team breaks seed, captures third-place finish at State

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor February 28, 2022

The ETHS Chess team was seeded fifth upon entering the Illinois State Chess tournament, held on Feb. 11-12. However, the team proved predictions wrong, breaking seed and ultimately placing third.  “I...

Illustration by Sabrina Barnes

Letter from the In-Depth editors | Fostering productive communication between Evanstonian, administration

Lauren Dain, Jessica Sehgal and Meg Houseworth February 28, 2022

For the past three months, The Evanstonian’s In-Depth section has attempted to investigate the procedures and protocols in place for incident reporting at ETHS. We chose this topic due to another Evanstonian...

Letter from the Editors | A reflection on Evanston’s past to inform the present

Lauren Dain and Eden Drajpuch January 28, 2022
For our January issue, The Evanstonian decided to stray from our normal format and look more closely at the various points of intersection related to education in Evanston history.
Illustration by Lila Portis

The foundation of Northwestern and Evanston’s bond: a history of partnerships and conflict

Lauren Dain, Sophia Sherman and Jared Tucker January 28, 2022
Since the founding of Northwestern, the North Shore has established itself as a community built on moral values associated with the religious and intellectual influences of the university. 

Reports of 2020 spring cyber attack resurface

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor December 23, 2021

In May 2020, ETHS was the victim of a cybersecurity attack that caused a fraudulent wire transfer of $48,570 and the breach of over 1,000 Evanston residents’ personal information. Evanston Patch obtained...

Superintendent, School Board acknowledge wrongdoing

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor December 23, 2021

At the District 202 School Board meeting on Dec. 13, Superintendent Eric Witherspoon responded to comments made by Student Representative Barbara Tomaradze, who criticized the administration’s handling...

Students reflect on conclusion of first semester with adaptive pause

Lauren Dain and Eden Drajpuch December 23, 2021

After ETHS saw the highest surge in COVID-19 cases the institution has seen this year, jumping from 21 the week of Dec. 3 to 129 the week of Dec. 10, the school moved to an adaptive learning plan for the...

ETHS announces changes to Deans, Human Resources, Student Services

ETHS announces changes to Deans, Human Resources, Student Services

Lauren Dain and Eden Drajpuch November 19, 2021

There have been numerous administrative and staffing changes that have occurred within the last month. The primary changes occurred within the Deans’ offices, Human Resource offices, and the Student...

Community Service Club, Students Organized Against Racism, Emerge and Paw Patrol are some of the most popular clubs at ETHS.

ETHS activities and spaces grapple with inequities

Historically clubs and activities at ETHS have been segregated, both in terms of race and gender. The Evanstonian is no exception to this pattern. For the October issue, the In-Depth staff chose to cover...

Opinion | ETHS should adopt a more holistic grading system

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor September 17, 2021

With the school year in full swing and students adjusting to in-person learning, teachers are also passing out syllabuses and course expectations. The multi-page documents cover class etiquette, phone...

Photo courtesy of Jacklynn Okereke.

Girls track explains path to state win

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor August 16, 2021

The ETHS girls track and field team has standout individual athletes, but by clenching the 4x200 relay they showed how strong their united team can be. Senior Jacklynn Okereke stated that of all her...

ETHS athletic department set to return to normal

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor August 16, 2021

Entering the 2021-2022 school year ETHS student athletes are excitedly anticipating more “normal” seasons for their sports. The word “normal” has been thrown around recently when discussions are...

The COVID-19 pandemic radically shifted the way the commercial and the social services sectors in Evanston operate, as each innovated amid the turmoil.

Two vital components of the Evanston community begin to rebuild

Evanston's business and social service communities begin to recover following the dramatic changes caused by COVID-19.
Photo courtesy of Maggie Farragher

Girls lacrosse team excels together and individually

Lauren Dain, Executive Editor August 16, 2021

After having their 2020 season stopped before it even started, the ETHS girls lacrosse team came into its 2021 season wanting to make a statement. Both as a team and individually, the lacrosse team excelled...

Crying because we weren't around: ETHS' Class of '21

Crying because we weren’t around: ETHS’ Class of ’21

Nora Miller and Lauren Dain May 21, 2021
The Evanstonian is excited to share what is next for the Class of '21.
ETHS aims to break college-or-bust culture, expand slate of post-secondary opportunities

ETHS aims to break college-or-bust culture, expand slate of post-secondary opportunities

Lauren Dain, Jessica Sehgal and Meg Houseworth May 21, 2021
After spending four years memorizing the distinct bells and navigating the different cuts and corners that compose ETHS, everyone is asked the same question: what’s next? 
A call for conscience: the layers of sexism at ETHS

A call for conscience: the layers of sexism at ETHS

Whether it is whispers in the halls, outright sexist comments in the classroom or an objectionable view of women and their role in the world—sexism is very much alive and well in schools, including ETHS.
Women’s history right in Evanston’s backyard

Women’s history right in Evanston’s backyard

Lauren Dain, In-Depth Editor January 25, 2021

In the late 1800s, Evanston resident Catharine Waugh McCulloch opened a law office in Chicago. She filled a need for legal representation for women facing abuse, custody battles, divorce and wage discrimination,...

Tradeoffs and Triages: Students navigate mental health in e-learning

Tradeoffs and Triages: Students navigate mental health in e-learning

Trigger Warning: The following story contains information regarding mental health issues that may trigger some readers. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. The Mental Health...

The Issue of E-learning

The Issue of E-learning

Letter from the Editors  What is the issue of e-learning? Of all the questions to answer about ETHS this year, this has to be one of the most challenging, because it gets to the heart of what it...

A summer of activism: making a movement

A summer of activism: making a movement

February 23. Ahmaud Arbery was murdered in Brunswick, Georgia. March 13. Breonna Taylor was murdered in Louisville, Kentucky. May 25. George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These...

Quarantine Critiques: TV Shows

“High Fidelity,” Assistant In-Depth Editor, Lauren Dain This Hulu Original series, which released Feb. 14, is the fourth iteration of the High Fidelity story. The book, which was released in...

Social Consciousness

HISTORY In 2014, ETHS introduced its first Black Student Summit. This event, which at the time was broken down into a Black Male and Female Summit, marked the beginning of the Social Consciousness...

Peeling away the layers behind Pathways to Honors

Peeling away the layers behind Pathways to Honors

In 2010, ETHS gave its freshman curriculum a massive facelift. This complete detracking of the Freshman Humanities and eventually later courses sought to remove historic impediments to provide greater...

The changing face of Evanston

A study published this past March claims Evanston hasn’t experienced gentrification, though some residents think otherwise. Four former and current Evanston residents and active community members...

How lack of school spirit affects students

Lauren Dain, Jessica Sehgal and Sydney Ter Molen September 27, 2019

ETHS has a spirit problem; student attendance and involvement in school-sponsored events has been decreasing. This has caused the administration to reevaluate what spirit events are worth planning and...

ETHS students join national youth activism movement

Lauren Dain, Assistant In-Depth Editor August 26, 2019

High schoolers across the nation have begun a modern student activism movement. Through activist events, students are creating change on local and national levels for topics such as gun violence, women’s...

Sophia Weglarz

National wave of ICE raids sparks community response

On July 15 2019, a nationwide series of raids to arrest and deport immigrants began after President Trump tweeted his threat to remove “millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into...

Cradle to Career works against inequitable policies

Lauren Dain and Sydney Ter Molen April 26, 2019

In hopes of creating future success for all Evanston youth, the Evanston Cradle to Career Initiative is attempting to dismantle certain educational policies that put students of color and students from...

Different demographics breed different forms of activism

Lauren Dain and Ella Kanter March 23, 2019

ETHS English teacher Anita Bucio, who identifies as Indian American, graduated from New Trier High School in 1998 where she experienced racial prejudices. Bucio has not been back to New Trier since her...

Students recount experiences with mental health services

Students recount experiences with mental health services

Trigger Warning: The following story contains information regarding mental health issues that may trigger some readers. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Disclaimer: In this...

STEAM class rethinks classroom experiences

Lauren Dain, Staff Writer December 26, 2018

To challenge students, math teacher Liesa Klyn and Northwestern graduate student Christopher Bayston used resources from Northwestern, new teaching techniques and recent renovations to science, technology,...

At what cost: what it takes to play club sports

At what cost: what it takes to play club sports

Sydney Ter Molen and Lauren Dain September 28, 2018

In the past decade, club sports have grown dramatically and have become a dominant part of families’ lives. A 2016 Utah State study showed that the youth sports industry is worth $15.3 billion. Now parents...

Wards of Evanston

Wards of Evanston

The city of Evanston is divided into nine wards, with an alderman elected into each. Aldermen and residents of a certain ward, in theory, work together to better their community with implementations of...

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