RamsMedia

Daniel Laubhan

Daniel Laubhan, Sports & Design Editor

  1. What grade are you in and how many years have you been in Rampage? I'm a senior, and this is my 4th year in Rampage
  2. If you could have lunch with one person from the past or present, who would it be? Matt Anderson, I'd be interested to hear about his volleyball journey
  3. If you were stuck on an island and could only bring 3 things with you, what would you bring? Water, lighter, and my phone
  4. What are your goals for this year? Graduate Magna Cum Laude, write engaging articles, and work with more people!
  5. What's your favorite class at GCHS? Health with Mrs. Beerbower
All content by Daniel Laubhan
In Late March, the Grayslake Central Athletic Department confirmed the hiring of Brent Pearlman as the Rams newest Head Football Coach.

Pearlman Takes Over Rams Football

Daniel Laubhan, Sports & Design Editor May 9, 2023

A new presence will grace the sidelines of Eiserman Field this fall. On March 24, 2023, the Grayslake Central Athletic Department confirmed the hiring of "the legendary" Brent Pearlman as the Rams'...

Seniors Alvaro Stoyanov and Amanda Bloom, one a Central student and another not, gave insight into their transition from high school to college, with the goal of better informing incoming freshmen as they prepare for the journey that awaits them.

Seniors Across Illinois Reflect and Re-Energize

Daniel Laubhan, Sports & Design Editor May 9, 2023

After four years, it’s our time. Every year, millions of students across America walk across a stage and receive their High School Diplomas. Ever since the Class of 2023 were just freshmen, it was commonplace...

On April 21, Junior Eliza Piggott steps up to bat in a game against Dundee Crown.

Plaza Gives Guidance as Softball Head Coach

Daniel Laubhan, Sports & Design Editor May 9, 2023
Plaza is working with an unusually young team, with three freshmen, six sophomores, and six juniors, with no seniors on the team for the first time.
Clockwise, Life Fitness teacher Tom Wittum, Science teacher Michael Patrick, and former student Sam Loeffler. Patrick and Wittum were two former GCHS teachers who made a particularly strong impression on a young Loeffler.

Famous Alumni Leave a Legacy at GCHS

Daniel Laubhan, Sports and Design Editor March 9, 2023

Every year, around 350 students graduate from Grayslake Central High School and move onto the next phase of their careers. While every single Central Alumnus and Alumna remain valued members of the Grayslake...

The Common App is the home for all things college application related. With 20 different schools to apply to comes 20 potential storylines for students’ college experiences.

Letters of Recommendation, or Intent?

Daniel Laubhan, Sports & Design Editor February 7, 2023
Every year, high schoolers across the country start the process of looking at colleges. The nervous excitement that sets in over the next few months, from visiting schools, writing essays, finishing applications to top-choice schools, completing the FAFSA, asking for letters of rec, and putting in that final enrollment deposit, can create feelings of excitement and nervousness for so many.
2022 Music Revives Old Favorites

2022 Music Revives Old Favorites

Daniel Laubhan, Sports & Design Editor December 12, 2022

Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd. Each and every one of these artists has long been a mainstay in the music industry, and each sits at the top of their game in each of their respective genres....

Central Football Scouts the Post-Season

Central Football Scouts the Post-Season

Daniel Laubhan, Sports & Design Editor December 12, 2022

On an oddly warm Lake Villa evening, Grayslake Central faces off against the Lakes Eagles. Grayslake Central, with a record of 5-3, and Lakes, with a record of 4-4, know that whoever wins this game moves...

A large HP Strong mural sits on the windows of Michaels.

HP Strong: Uniting a Community After an Unthinkable Tragedy

Daniel Laubhan, Sports and Design Editor October 4, 2022
The toll these events have taken on this community has been drastic, but they’ve also served to unite and empower people from so many different backgrounds to find a common ground in this divided world.
Juniors Bryce Dunigan and Ryan Huntington took a moment to reflect on their year, and both expressed optimism as senior year approaches.

Juniors Reflect on Their Year

Daniel Laubhan, News Editor May 21, 2022

On a breezy October morning in 2018, the Class of 2023 stepped foot into GCHS for the first time as incoming freshmen. There was a dusting of snow on the ground, and a sense of uncertainty and nervousness...

From left to right, Brannon Duffin, Sam King, Michael Bruce, and Hans Lotze make waves as the band Thelma.

Student Band “Thelma” Jams On

Daniel Laubhan, News Editor May 16, 2022
The five created a band called “Thelma,” a creative mixture of indie rock, alternative rock, and “whatever you want to call it,” as Duffin described it. 
The GCHS Varsity Cheer Team performs at the state competition in Bloomington, IL.

Varsity Cheer Takes Over State

March 16, 2022

The GCHS Varsity Cheer Team performs at the state competition in Bloomington, IL.

Clockwise, Ella Surowiec (Carmel), Will Surowiec (Carmel), and Chris Isaacson
(Quantico) all transferred to GCHS in the 2021-2022 school year.

Transfer Students Adjust to a New School

Daniel Laubhan, News Editor March 8, 2022
his year, GCHS saw a record-high number of new transfer students. As of mid-February, around 90 students have transferred to GCHS, far exceeding the average in years past. As a transfer student, coming to a new school in the midst of high school can be a big transition. As three transfer students at GCHS explained, however, they were able to make the transition relatively easy, and feel welcomed in their new school despite having to overcome some challenges with the switch.
Banner Day Camp group counselor Olivia Herman
poses with one of her campers.

Why you should work at a camp this summer

Daniel Laubhan, News Editor February 8, 2022
Something that many people haven’t thought about though, is what it would be like to return to said day camp of choice and work there as a counselor. The reality is that it is a tremendous learning experience for everyone involved, teaching you valuable real-life lessons in leadership, responsibility, empathy, and caring for someone else, and it gives you a sense of pride in seeing to it that the eight-to-ten kids in your group have the best summer possible.
Ellie Lazzaretto of Loyola Academy evades New Triers Ella Huber, Audrey Rudolph, and Brooke Ross for a 7-1 win. Loyola, just 30 minutes from Grayslake, has the fourth-best girls lacrosse team in the nation and the #1 team in the state, going 25-0 their last season, according to MaxPreps. With Loyola, Lake Forest and Stevenson, all top 20 teams in the state, right in our backyard, GCHS has a good starting place if a girls lacrosse team were to be formed.

Could girls lacrosse be coming to GCHS?

Daniel Laubhan, News Editor December 8, 2021
Overall, the push to bring girls lacrosse to D127 has been ongoing for several years now, however with interest in the sport climbing and many local girls lacrosse teams being among the best in the nation, it’s not out of the question to see a GCHS or D127 girls lacrosse team come soon to Eiserman Stadium.
The dance team performs for the IHSA playoff game against Cary Grove.

Dance leaps into competitions

November 27, 2021

The dance team performs for the IHSA playoff game against Cary Grove.

A slide from the 2019 referendum meeting to reasess facilities needs at Central and North. Due to the pandemic, however, they have had to reassess wants and needs in the district, with the big focus recently under the Central HVAC system.

D127 seeks to improve facilities

Daniel Laubhan, News Editor November 23, 2021
76 years later, the building has seen time take a toll on some of the facilities that the school has to offer. After a total of six expansions, the original building, (what is now the Student Services hallway, cafe, culinary wing, and arts wing) has been one of the focuses of the D127 Board of Education’s facilities plan.
In order to maintain safety throughout the school, iPads are used so that students can log attendance during their Rams Block and indicate their location in the event of an emergency,

Central’s new block schedule provides benefits to students

Daniel Laubhan October 29, 2021
Of course, this newfound freedom is thanks to the new block schedule implemented this year, one that was years in the making, that ultimately proved to be successful for the students here at our school. 
In the field house hallway, certificates of commitment are listed for seniors. The class of 2021 has been hard at work these past few months applying and getting ready to make a decision on their college of choice.

Seniors settle on their future endeavors

Daniel Laubhan, A&E Editor May 19, 2021
According to the College and Career Resource Center, 97% of the 189 GCHS students who have filled out the Senior Survey will attend college or university after graduation. The other 3% of students are undecided or will go into the military.
Clockwise, sophomores Makayla Garrity, OMarion OConner, Sophia King, and Christian Luvianos are four among the 350 or so GCHS sophomores who have stayed strong through the 2020-2021 school year. From a fully remote start to the year to the major change of hybrid learning, theyve experienced it all.

COVID-19 affects the Central sophomore experience

Daniel Laubhan, A&E Editor May 12, 2021
In summer 2019, the then-incoming freshmen had a lot going for them. They were all looking forward to Homecoming, more freedom in school, and the opportunity to really explore their interests through electives and after-school activities.
The current state of M/I Homes Tribeca proposed development site. The plan was pitched to the Grayslake Board of Trustees and following their recommendation, will move to a public hearing at an unknown date.

Grayslake’s future looking bright as ever

April 9, 2021

The current state of M/I Homes' Tribeca proposed development site. The plan was pitched to the Grayslake Board of Trustees and following their recommendation, will move to a public hearing at an unknown...

Here is the mass vaccination site located at the Lake County Fairgrounds. They have been providing the COVID-19 vaccine for people since Jan. 18. (Photo provided by Daniel Laubhan).

Herd immunity slows COVID-19 spread

April 8, 2021

Here is the mass vaccination site located at the Lake County Fairgrounds. They have been providing the COVID-19 vaccine for people since Jan. 18. (Photo provided by Daniel Laubhan).

On Mar. 31, 2020, Grayslake Centrals student parking lot sat empty, however by February 2021, the lot would be full again as students returned for hybrid learning. The 2019-2020 school year finished remote, and the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year was fully remote, wit hybrid learning starting the week of Jan. 19.

One year of COVID: What did students take away from it all?

Daniel Laubhan, A&E Editor March 3, 2021
Overall, if the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything aside from loads of safety protocols that we practically know by rote now, it taught us how to be resilient and how to overcome so many challenges and come out stronger than we were before.
“Legends Never Die” by Juice WRLD, “Whole Lotta Red” by Playboi Carti, and “After Hours by The Weeknd were three of the biggest album releases of the year.  “Legends Never Die was released as Juice WRLD’s first posthumous album, after his death from a drug-induced seizure in December 2019. “Whole Lotta Red” however, was arguably the most anticipated, after being teased for over two years before its release, full of leaks, delays, and broken promises.

2020 music lifted quarantined spirits

Daniel Laubhan, A&E Editor February 5, 2021
From highly-anticipated albums finally being released such as Taylor Swift’s album, “Folklore," BTS’ album “MAP OF THE SOUL : 7," Travis Scott’s single “Franchise," likely in anticipation of his fourth studio album “Utopia," and of course, Kanye West’s run for President of the United States, 2020 was surely a year to remember.
The new A/B block schedule will see students attend 4 classes a day with a lunch tied to 3rd or 7th period.

D127 will switch to a block schedule next year

Daniel Laubhan, A&E Editor December 16, 2020
The decision was also made as the result of new data showing that adolescent teenagers usually go to sleep later in the evening and wake up later into the morning than adults and that sleep deprivation caused by an early start time is quite bad for students’ health.
This is the email sent out to students informing them that hybrid learning was to be delayed to the second semester.

Hybrid learning will be delayed to January 2021

November 22, 2020

This is the email sent out to students informing them that hybrid learning was to be delayed to the second semester.

AMC Hawthorn 12, like most theaters across the country, has had to make significant adaptations to stay in business, namely requiring masks, social distancing, and plexiglass barriers.

Movie theaters adapt to a new reality

October 21, 2020

AMC Hawthorn 12, like most theaters across the country, has had to make significant adaptations to stay in business, namely requiring masks, social distancing, and plexiglass barriers.

One of the biggest changes this year has been the use of a block schedule to better accommodate students and their need for more time to work through assignments.

Remote Learning: What Do Students Think?

Daniel Laubhan, A&E Editor September 18, 2020
Ultimately, this whole experience is something we will surely carry with us for the rest of our lives. In keeping with this, we might as well collect as much information about our current world situation as humanly possible so as to never forget what we have overcome.
A lot has changed since the spring, so lets debunk the biggest changes.

Remote Learning: What’s New?

Daniel Laubhan, A&E Editor September 18, 2020
The 2020-2021 school year will look different, there’s no way around it.
Quarantine has seen the release of many new albums from major artists. This, in turn, has made it all just a little easier.

Playlists for escaping during quarantine

Daniel Laubhan, Staff Reporter May 21, 2020
Music has revealed itself as a way for people to escape from the scary reality of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Freshmen and Incoming 8th Graders: A look back and a look ahead

Daniel Laubhan, Staff Reporter May 4, 2020
Now, as the final month of the 2019-20 school year starts, all 350, or so freshmen have their first year of high school under their belt.
To show how students are contributing to the election.

2020 Election: What’s happening right now?

Daniel Laubhan, Staff Reporter April 9, 2020
"I voted in the primary and I... think that it is important to do so as the primary play a big role in the general election.”
Grayslake Central High School closes due to COVID-19

U.S. government responds to COVID-19 crisis

April 9, 2020

Grayslake Central High School closes due to COVID-19

Senior Isaac Trawick, tired after a long day of school, takes a moment to relax.

Central Needs A Later Start Time

Daniel Laubhan, Staff Reporter March 11, 2020
A great example of a school that has made material changes with their bell schedule with the goal of making sure students get an optimal amount of sleep is our neighbors over at Libertyville High School. LHS, along with Vernon Hills High School, formerly started their day at 7:30 a.m.; however, they moved it up to 8:45 a.m. to better accommodate their students health.
Senior Nick Bean rehearses his drum skills before the show begins.

Annual talent show amazes once again

Daniel Laubhan, Staff Reporter February 12, 2020
Once [Aidan] started playing and I started singing then I was like, ‘Ok, it’s fine’ and then once we got to the build of the song, then everything was normal,” Larina Pelletier said. “I think the amount of people wasn’t scary… [It was just that] the people we performed for [weren’t] in a church setting, so it’s more people who are there for entertainment,” she continued.
Heidloff and Whaples walk and smile during the state sendoff before Heidloff goes to ILMEA.

State festivals celebrate fine arts

February 12, 2020

Heidloff and Whaples walk and smile during the state sendoff before Heidloff goes to ILMEA.

Freshman Leila Sheffey shows off her favorite music playlist.

Rap, pop music rises in popularity

Daniel Laubhan, Staff Reporter December 12, 2019
Music’s one of those things in life that serves as both a means of finding common ground with others, and something one can feel they relate to, or are inspired or affected by.
Junior Larina Pelletier gives an intense stare to sophomore Amanda Barry in a scene from ‘Godspell’.

‘Godspell’ rehearses to amaze

Daniel Laubhan, Staff Reporter November 1, 2019
While hundreds will soon pack the GCHS theater to see the production come late November, only a handful will actually know what goes on behind the scenes of a production. 
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Daniel Laubhan