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I have been so inspired by the athletes competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Here are a few of my favorites: • Colby Stevenson, the silver medalist in the men's big air competition, who almost died in a 2016 car accident that left him with a broken skull in 30 places. He had been driving from Oregon to Utah to see a friend who broke his leg when Stevenson fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his car six times. Doctors weren't sure he'd walk again - or even live -...
A recent FOIA request revealed emails between D86 Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and Valda Valbrun, a consultant based in North Carolina. Ms. Prentiss and Ms. Valbrun were jointly revising language of the Jan. 13 letter in which Valbrun withdrew her firm from potential engagement by D86. In her email to Ms. Valbrun dated Jan. 13, 2022, Ms. Prentiss added the following to the letter: “I ... really think Hinsdale is a dangerous place and (I) would not be comfortable there.” Ms. Prentiss also wrote “It’s shameful and I feel so...
When I was young, my mom gifted me a beautiful red traditional Chinese dress, called a qipao. Qipaos are of Manchu origin and are typically slim-fitting with a high neckline and have intricate designs woven in. I wore mine everywhere: to formal dinners, holiday gatherings, other special occasions, and I even threw it on to strut down our long hallway (starting the trend of borrowing my mom's clothes from a young age). My dramatic walks down the runway were a weekly...
There is a debate in the editorial section of this paper about DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — at Hinsdale schools. My experience this past weekend in the Grant Square parking lot reminded me why equity training is necessary for Hinsdale residents. I grew up in Clarendon Hills, and was visiting this past weekend with my sister. We stopped at Kramer’s to pick up a fruit plate on a slow Sunday morning. I dropped her off at the entrance and idled outside with my blinkers on to prevent her from walking in the cold. After...
On Valentine’s Day, most people are thinking about romantic love. I always think about Valentine’s Day my sophomore year in college. My boyfriend made me a homemade card and asked me to wear his lavaliere (a step before getting pinned). He was smart enough not to buy it in advance, as I had rejected this idea previously. But once I said yes, he walked a mile and a half in the snow to buy me one. He’s now my husband and has done many nice things for me on Valentine’s Days over...
Patricia Ann Bates, 69, of Oak Brook died Feb. 7, 2022. She is survived by her husband, Gary R. Bates; her children, James "JJ" (Alison) Bates, Christopher Bates, and Meghan (fiancé Matt Pittman) Bates; and her grandchildren, Colt, Maddy, Ellie, Henry and Malia. Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at Sullivan Funeral Home, 60 S. Grant St., Hinsdale. Interment is private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made online to the Arthritis Foundation at...
Many people in our beloved community are hurting right now; and as members of Redeemer Lutheran Church’s Church and Community Group, we do not feel comfortable sitting idly by. We are people of faith who believe that all are created in God’s image, that diversity is built into God’s creation and that we are called to love our neighbors. As parents and members of the community, we care about how our children are educated. We want academic excellence. We also want our children to succeed in their lives and future careers. This...
Let’s talk straight. Hinsdale D86 parents need not feel ashamed, demoralized, guilty for their hard-earned efforts that blessedly allows them the choice of communities and school districts. There is a sacrificial price to pay in order to live in Hinsdale and that is, hard work. Equity consultant? Why? To belittle, shame, demoralize and lay guilt on the children of this community that do not deserve it. Parents protect their children from this kind of assault. Teachers of Hinsdale are hired to protect their students, too. T...
I consider myself an enforcer of the oft-neglected and seriously misunderstood apostrophe. After 15 years of teaching in college, I can tell you for sure its days are numbered. Few students can write beyond texting and that, of course, is a language all its own. The little old apostrophe just gets no respect. My students consider its placement to be strictly optional and a serious impediment to their creativity. "A little dot with a tail. What's the big deal, huh, professor?"...
As a 30-year resident of Hinsdale High School District 86 who raised three graduates, I am grateful for the great educations that they received from kindergarten through 12th grade. We all made wonderful, life-long friends, too. However, my adult children have told me that their friends of color had some negative experiences in school and that the curriculum omitted history about marginalized peoples. My kids lament the lack of diversity in our schools and community. It does not reflect the world that they live and work in...
Giving is central to the Valentine’s Day spirit, and so at this time each year The Hinsdalean recognizes those who give their time and energy through community organizations committed to making this corner of the world a better place through their diverse missions. Here are the 2022 “Valentine” recipients as recommended by the leaders of the agencies they serve. • Joan Chiaviello and Susann Oakum have been the steadfast greeters for clients arriving at each HCS Family Services pantry distribution — even throughout the pande...
Kudos to Rev. Pamela Rumancik for her recent comments in The Hinsdalean (Jan. 27 letter), in which she stated that “Hinsdale can take a leading role in making the world safer for everyone, upholding the worth and dignity of every child and adult, no matter their race, creed or color.” As a woman of various intersectional identities, I applaud her pro-life stance, especially as it pertains to the unborn, “no matter their race, creed or color.” Amen, Sister. All lives matter, from conception to natural death. — Mary O’Dowd, D...
In response to Rev. Pamela Rumancik (Jan. 27 letter), Valda Valbrun was not hired to tell us about Jesus. He either lives in your heart or he doesn’t. Carving out nearly $200,000 to pay someone to train our academic community on equity, anti-racism and diversity issues while publicly defiling those who she vehemently opposes based on their views or political affiliation eliminates any credibility she purportedly had. What would your congregation think of you spending a similar amount on someone who promotes a so-called o...
After two failed attempts, the D86 superintendent persists in pursuit of an equity consultant for the school district. The superintendent points to a strategic plan ratified by a prior school board in 2018. It says nothing about an equity consultant. In October 2025, regulations will require new teachers to have been trained in culturally responsive teaching and these govern training facilities, not high schools. Local school boards have no duty to implement these measures, ever. The superintendent tells us she is bound by...
Growing up, I didn't know a soul who was adopted. As an adult, I find the opposite is true. Adopted people are everywhere. At a 2020 Community Revue cast party, I learned that two of my castmates were also adopted and that all of us either had met or hoped to meet our birth parents. A fellow cast member came up and asked us what we were discussing so intently. "Finding our birth parents," one of us offered. She promptly turned around and headed back to the bar. One of the folk...
I read a weekly email called “3-2-1” Thursdays” by James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits.” And I usually agree with his personal writings and the poems and literature he shares, under a focused theme, from other authors. However, one week in late 2021, I disagreed with what he wrote on the topic of resilience and growth. “Growth demands a temporary surrender of security,” he wrote. “It may mean a giving up of familiar but limiting patterns, safe but unrewarding work, values no longer believed in, relationships t...
Racism isn’t always blatant. Sometimes it’s very subtle. The perpetuation of stereotypes about physical traits associated with certain ethnicities. A repeatedly mispronounced name. Slight differences in treatment. An assumption about where a person of color lives. This type of racism still exists in the world and, from everything we’ve heard, in Hinsdale High School District 86. Dozens of stories on Hinsdale’s Black Lives Matter webpage offer examples. And at last week’s school board meeting, one brave mom stood up and share...
A college friend of mine is going to be a first-time grandparent soon and wants to suggest baby names. Names. Funny thing about names ... I have a group of friends, and, coincidentally, we're all redheads. Back in the day, we dubbed ourselves the Redhead Club. (Sorry, Gen Zers, we weren't Gingers. This was the 1990s.) We'd call club meetings as a reason to dine out, drink wine and share girl talk. After going out, we'd convene in the third-floor apartment on West Cornelia in...
Jesus counseled “Be Not Afraid” over a hundred times in the Christian scriptures. He urged folks to let go of fear and trust that God is love and that love is the only way through. Our faith teaches that the only way to create a safe world for some of us is to create it for all of us. The people who attacked and threatened Ms. Valbrun are afraid. Afraid that by somehow learning more about our past, they may have to change their minds — may have to give up some false sense of superiority. But life is change — and things...
While editing Lisa Seplak's column (facing page) and checking whether "Gen Zers" requires any punctuation (it does not), I stumbled upon some interesting facts about Generation Z. They are more racially and ethnically diverse than any other generation and on track to be the most well-educated generation yet, according to the Pew Research Center. Gen Zers are more likely to have a college-educated parent than previous generations. Most Gen Zers live with married parents and,...
Whether it’s snow, sleet or ice, winter weather can cause extremely dangerous road conditions. After a fairly mild start to the season, Hinsdaleans have had to navigate those elements in recent weeks. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association, in 2019, there were 440 fatal crashes, and an estimated 33,000 injury crashes that occurred in wintry conditions. Preparing oneself, and one’s vehicle, for winter weather is key. Here are some helpful tips from the NHTSA to keep you and others safe: • Slow...
The last two years have been very difficult. The stress caused by the pandemic has splintered our school community. Knowing this, we should strive to meet each other on common ground, not engage in conduct that drives us further apart. For this reason, it was wrong for D86 to consider hiring The Valbrun Consulting Group as a diversity, inclusion and equity consultant. It was likewise wrong for Superintendent Prentiss to share Valbrun’s withdrawal letter at the recent D86 BOE meeting and in a districtwide mailing. V...
I've spent a lot of time thinking about 2021 lately. It's not because I'm stuck in the past. Like many of you, I was ready for a new year (and the hope that it would be our last with COVID as a pandemic!). I've been immersed in 2021 for two reasons. 1. We are preparing our "Year in Review" special section, which will be inserted in next week's paper. So we've been looking for quotes and photos to include on the pages of this annual retrospective. 2. We are selecting our entrie...
Happy New Year! Like every other New Year's Eve, this one was no different. We rang in the new year with a festive and fun-filled celebration with the family. Lots of hugs, kisses and high-fives in my household. But then, out of nowhere, my daughter Anna dared to blurt out the words I will never forget as long as I live: "Happy wedding year!" Wait, what? What are you talking about? And how dare you utter those words in front of your father. Clearly, she recognized the...
Men behaving badly. That admonishment is essentially the conclusion of investigation into an October parking lot incident between board members Erik Held and Jeff Waters. The attorney hired to conduct it, Dana Crumley of Franczek P.C., presented her findings at last week’s Hinsdale High School District 86 Board meeting. We’re not sure how much the district will have to pay for this ruling, as the firm has yet to submit a final invoice. Whatever the amount, it’s too much. We’re not suggesting the district should have ignored...
