We are a team of five courageous college students who want to inform those on a very important topic and make a change in the world.
Laura Piszczek
Webmaster
Born and raised in a fairly large town in Poland, I came here at age two. With parents who do not speak English I’ve grown up reasonably independent. I like the feeling of accomplishment and always find myself striving for the best which explains the Capricorn in me. I also surround myself with the people I care about most which is of course my family and friends. They are my biggest and quite frankly the best support group that I am more than thankful for. As a kid, I spent my days constantly outside and grew to love the outdoors. It was my playground and found an interest in exploring it. Though, being older now with more responsibilities it’s hard to find free time. I still like to go running or biking through various nature preserves and find myself exploring random nature spots throughout the city of Chicago. Recently, I was troubled with a kidney condition but it has only made me worker harder. Currently, I am finishing my last year at the College of Dupage while pursuing business. I also work a part time job as a server at a local restaurant that I actually really love to do. As of next year, I’ll be living in the heart of Chicago while continuing my education at Depaul University. I plan to take in the beautiful views of the city and truly find myself. By the end of my education I plan on getting away from the cold Midwest and moving somewhere such as Arizona or California.
Adam Starks
Teaching Assistant
Even at the age of 25 I find it difficult to define who I truly am. Despite some setbacks in my youth such as my parents’ divorce when I was 13 and starting to lose my hair at the age of 15, overall, looking back I had a pretty good childhood. One constant in my life has always been athletics. I played three sports a year from first grade throughout high school and despite my poor academic efforts I was able to achieve an athletic scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. In my first year however, I sustained a career ending knee injury which meant I lost my scholarship and could not continue at the school. I began working at UPS and have been there about 6 years and never was able to find the motivation to return to school. Now however, I have found the drive to return to school and continue my passion for sports by hopefully entering the field of sports science and earn a degree in Exercise Physiology. While my negative experiences with football in college alienated me from the sport I once loved, I found a new passion in soccer of all sports and moreover Liverpool FC. Along with my passion for sports, I was raised with a love for the outdoors which has been passed on from generation to generation. My father taught me how to hunt and fish as well as took me hiking and camping. Being a self-proclaimed introverted person, I see the outdoors not only as wealth of beauty and life, but also an escape from the daily struggles of everyday modern life. Without the intervention of conservation and reservation, I am afraid I will no longer be able to seek refuge in the outdoors nor will I be able to pass on that love to future generations.
Brent Disterheft
Copy Editor
I would like to address 2 questions you are probably thinking about right now regarding my bio picture. First, that this is not my dog he is my adopted brother Beau. Second, is that my adorable brother is a German Shepherd and lab mix. On to less important things about me. Like my dog brother, I too am adopted and was adopted at birth. I was blessed to have an open adoption and because of this I have a very large family who have played a pivotal role in my life. My father and grandfather were firefighters and in turn have inspired me to go into public service. I am currently going to school and pursuing a career in law enforcement. I served in the US Navy for 4 years as a nuclear mechanic and no I don’t give a rats about the Army vs Navy college football game. The Navy has allowed me to travel overseas. This has inspired me to one day continue traveling the world and continue immersing myself in other cultures and ways of life. Since I was a young lad, I appreciated the eccentric things in life. When most 3-year old’s watched cartoons, I was an avid sumo wrestling fan and sports fanatic. While I have given up watching sumo wrestling, sports and in particular soccer have remained a major part of my life. When not watching sports, you can count on me doing 2 things. One is I like to frequent new restaurants as I enjoy ALL types of food. The second in the words of Fergie “I be up in the gym just working on my fitness”. I spend a decent amount of my free time at the gym lifting weights because this not only helps with my stress but also self esteem and health. Mental health has always been incredibly important to me as it has reshaped my family due to the loss of my mother. I have recently reshaped the quote of “the grass is always greener on the other side” to “water your grass”.
Briana Solano
Archivist
I most definitely do the dumbest crap on the daily but I love me. Just a precaution, none of my hobbies really correlate but I promise to be as real as possible. My name is Briana May Esquivel Solano. I used to be in Color Guard for two seasons. About color guardIt pushed me real far into a group of people that I really did not understand at all. None of you may know what it’s like to be in Marching Band unless you were really in it. Marching band is has such a diverse group of people and it made me realize that you can be the weirdest person ever and still fit in, in so many places. Yup, that was the transition of quiet Bri into extroverted, loud voice, wannabe adult. I really became that one friend you know that’s like 5’2 acting 6’3. I feel like stating my nationality is really important because I feel like the stereotype for a Filipino, or just Asians in general is that we are either smart and quiet or stupid and popular. That’s never really the case unless you’re watching a cheesy high school movie. Being raised in my family pushed me to work for what I want to achieve but be as humble as possible. You can never really tell how someone is until they talk and I’m glad to say that my culture has taught me that friendliness is so important. Being able to say that I am Filipino and Chinese has made life such a roller coaster ride but the life lessons that come with being the child of two very traditional parents is greater than it seems. My family has taught me that life is not a timer even though you’re always being pushed back and forth with all the shit it gives you. They taught me that expectations to finish your education at a certain age and make bank really early on is never necessary. They always told me that happiness comes when you stop waiting for it and appreciate the moment you are in. All these things have made me the best I can be and I will always be thankful for every single experience I open myself up to no matter what the consequences are.
Justine Apit
Biographer
Justine Danielle Duaman Apit, quite a long name huh. Standing tall or should I say short at only 4 feet and 11 inches, that’s pretty much the only thing long that I possess. I may look 12, but I swear I’m actually 19 years old. I get that question quite a lot, especially when I’m working at my valet job. Most of the cars I drive are usually fancy cars so it’s not a big surprise when their owners pose the question, “sweetie, are you old enough to drive?” I usually just laugh and go with it because after all, it is a compliment. But not when I get asked about a hundred times in a day. I’m currently juggling three jobs on top of college. I work at UPS and at a restaurant on the weekdays plus the Valet on the weekends. It’s not fun but I don’t mind tackling the challenge. The three things that I’m most passionate about is my love for fashion, traveling, and cars. I tend to look at fashion not just as materials things but as a means of expressing myself. It’s a way of deviating from the norm for me. Having grown up in the Philippines, all of the schools there required uniforms and I was not a big fan of it. I also love to explore new places and experience the different people and cultures that I see. It is a huge eye opener having to roam the streets of Thailand, sipping mai tai’s in the Bahamas or exploring the Chichen Itza in Mexico. It’s a good break from the cold Chicago weather. And lastly, my love for cars. I’ve always been an avid “car girl” from a young age. But it’s not all rainbows and butterflies, I was met with an unfortunate turn of events that led my car to get totaled. It was devastating to me since I’ve grown a huge attachment with the car, (sad face) I even named him Barney. It is a huge drawback for me but at the end of the day, it is just a car after all and I’m alive and well. I suppose it’s a good thing, now I won’t be contributing any gas emissions to ruin the environment (yay).
This song represents each of us in its very own way .
Environmental Changes 