News Briefs: Local muralist beautifies library; free nonprofit-leader training June 15; 109 New Trier students collect biliteracy award

An rising senior at New Trier High School created a mural that is now installed at the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library, 768 Oak St. in Winnetka.

According to a release from the library district, the mural was created by Channing Christ as part of the Create Project through the high school’s Integrated Global Studies School.

Christ’s mural, entitled “Alice’s Adventures in Escapism,” is the culmination of a year-long exploration of escapism and the question “Does escapism deserve its negative connotation?”

The personal statement related to the mural reads, “In this piece I aimed to show the joys of escapism. Escapism has gained a rather negative connotation recently, it tends to be seen as the antithesis of ‘being in the moment,’ (which apparently is the key to happiness). However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, escapism is human nature. All forms of entertainment humanity has ever created are forms of escapism. Without things like reading, movies, plays or your own imagination, life would become bleak and colorless, much like it is for the girl in the painting. Yet through escapism, she is able to leave her world of gray behind for a brilliant world of color. To dream of a world of color when yours is gray is not a bad thing, after all, who really wants to live in black and white?”

Free training for nonprofit leaders set for June 15

Winnetka-based The Volunteer Center is inviting nonprofit directors and officers to training on board governance in a free program from 8:30-10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 15, at the Skokie School, 520 Glendale Ave., in Winnetka.

This is the first in-person training program hosted by the Volunteer Center since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“It promises to provide valuable information on effective and the essential fiduciary and legal responsibilities of the board, that details the pillars of good board governance,” according to a press release from the Volunteer Center.

Accountant Nancy Gonsiorek will lead the training. She has more than 25 years experience as a consultant to nonprofit clients on a variety of critical issues to board management.

Registration is required to attend. 

For additional information, contact Barb Tubekis at info@volunteercenterhelps.org.

More than 100 New Trier grads earn award for biliteracy

One hundred nine 2022 New Trier High School graduates received the Seal of Biliteracy, an award granted by the Illinois State Board of Education to celebrate students who achieve proficiency in English and at least one other language, according to a release from the high school.

To collect the honor, students must earn an English score of 21 or higher on the ACT or a score of 4.8 on the ACCESS exam. Students can show proficiency in another language earning a 4 or a 5 on the Advanced Placement language exam or by scoring highly on a state-approved test

Ten students qualified for the Seal of Biliteracy in at least two other languages: Inka Alberts (German and Spanish), Anneli Alfredeen (Polish and Spanish), Gregory George Argionis (Greek and Spanish), Isabel Clarice Hernandez (French, German, and Spanish), Emilia Krolikowski (Polish and Spanish), Yeonjun Lee (Korean and Portuguese), Emma Powers (French and German), Angelica Wenhui She (Chinese and Spanish), Aidia Michels Steen (German and Spanish) and Luisa V. Struck (French and German).

The 109 students honored are:

Chinese: Keira Botjer, Ashley Chow, Andrew Hervey Gill, Aimee Hong, Bowen Huang, Abbey Konosky, Si Roger Li, Anya Claire Liu, Viren Maira, Hope Pu, Nora Pu, Catherine Regan, Angelica Wenhui She, Ryan Wu, Maryanne T. Xu, Jeffrey Yuan, Jacob Zheng

French: Jolie Armstrong, Polly Mey Frazer, Noam Bixente Gomez, Isabel Clarice Hernandez, Hugo Moslener, Emma Powers, Lily Schwartz, Luisa V. Struck, Elizabeth Gayle Walther

German: Inka Alberts, Nora Dolce, Isabel Clarice Hernandez, Eleanor Murphy, Emma Powers, Aidia Michels Steen, Luisa V. Struck, Oscar Tschackert, Nicholas W. Wilson

Greek: Kostas Alexakis, Gregory George Argionis

Japanese: Hana Shibazaki, Myu Okumura Vizconde

Korean: Hyeongrok Choi, Sanguk Han, Taeyoung Lee, Yeonjun Lee, Ellie Song

Latin: Lauren Nash

Polish: Anneli Alfredeen, Emilia Krolikowski, Michael Alexander Lopez, Victoria Maya Wojcik

Portuguese: Yeonjun Lee

Russian: Toni Dzhonnievich Khanunik, Elena Polonsky

Spanish: Joshua Agrest, Inka Alberts, Anneli Alfredeen, Arrieta Angueira Salbidegoitia, Madeleine Nicole Arend, Gregory George Argionis, Isabella Thorne Augustynski, Alberto Ayerza, Mira Balzano, Michael James Bender, Samuel Browne, Jennifer Buyer, Michael Caplan, Sofia Capone, Nicole Carbonell, Kaley Carpenter, William Joseph Cesaretti, Angel Andres Criollo, Timothy Dale, Lucas Eisen, Jayden Fogel, Natalie Freres, Michael J. Geohas, Stefan Gjaja, Joshua Grossman, William Guidotti, Sage Harper, Skyler Willow Harris, Isabel Clarice Hernandez, John Hurley, Lara Nicole Jacobsen, Patrick Aiden Jamieson, Quinton Jones, Daniel Michael Kaye, Alaina Keipert, David Kherson, Naomi Kravitz, Emilia Krolikowski, Sofia Lampe, Allison Lee, Shayna Leinberger, Alexander Lesperance, Daphne Lien, Lula Macey, Peyton Meyer, Maya Morales, Jaya Nambiar, Penny Popoff, James Preston Pryor, Keely Roberts, Maximilian James Ryerson, Jane Sanderson, Benjamin Schonberg, Luke Christian Schuette, Noah Shannon, Angelica Wenhui She, Jiaying Shen, Henry Sheridan, Beccan Simon, Elaine Skiadas, Aidia Michels Steen, Ethan Stern, Alexandra Van der Perre-Faddul, Lauren Van Neck, Emily Viteri, Eleanor Witzel, Mark David Wood, Rosemary Joy Wynnychenko

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