Welcome to The Forest Scout Awards, where we will be presenting awards to the columns, podcasts, and shows available on TFS from the beginning of the 2017-18 school year up to the present. The divisions are Best Column, Best Podcast, Best Show, and Best Overall. Students submitted votes for their favorites, but I also selected my favorite for each division. Be sure to check out all of the fantastic articles that I mention.
Best Column
The Nominees:
- Two Scheids to the Story
Siblings Eddie and Grace Scheidler tackle topics like music, punctuality, and who deserves the car in this funny, practically-satirical article series.
- Friday Five
The Friday Five selects five individuals who make a major positive impact in LFHS. Although this weekly column is credited under Ghost, many different writers help to produce this wildly-popular segment.
- Sneak of the Week
Starting in August 2017, Sneak of the Week boasts the one of the largest runtimes of any column (eighteen episodes). In this fashion-based segment, senior Mia Johnson selects her favorite sneaker worn by an LFHS student.
- Drop of the Week
Senior Patrick Philpott profiles the newest rap songs in this bi-weekly column. Drop of the Week is a fantastic source of the latest happenings in the hip-hop world, and fans of all ages tune in for Patrick’s thoughts.
- For the Health of it
For the Health of It is an informative and interesting column written by senior Eleanor Asma. Topics such as the effects of marijuana, the importance of melatonin (sleep hormone), and the problems with phone addiction are explored.
- Over the Boards
Ending with its ninth installment, Over the Boards was a column reporting anything and everything hockey. Senior Will Steck analyzed attendance, coaching, signings, and made some bold predictions.
- Alumni in Motion
Mia Johnson profiles various LFHS graduates in the seven episodes runtime of Alumni in Motion so far. These special persons might have achieved totally different things following their graduation from high school, but they all share a common trait: they are passionate about what they do.
- Outfit of the Week
Outfit of the Week is basically the outfit counterpart to Sneak of the Week. Each week, seniors Julia Plotner and Ava Caputo trade off selecting a student displaying a particularly stylish outfit.
- What If
Written by senior Editor-in-Chief Grace Scheidler, this thought-provoking series provides an in-depth look to how items like telephones and clothes have affected LFHS.
- Club Spotlight
Club Spotlight serves to give a voice to lesser-known clubs within LFHS. I myself have profiled three clubs so far: Model UN, Latin Club, and Bass Fishing.
And the winner is…
Friday Five! Friday Five took just over the majority of votes (58.3%) in the Best Column division of The Forest Scout Awards, but it was more than enough to take the win over Outfit of the Week (which earned just less than 13%).
But my favorite is…
Two Scheids to the Story! Two Scheids is both funny and well-written, and therefore was my favorite column. Hopefully Grace and Eddie will return to this fan-favorite article series!
Best Podcast
The Nominees:
- The Davis Report
Although The Davis Report is a relatively new show, junior Will Davis certainly shows promise in his debut podcast. With a style similar to that of Kyle Wix, Davis manages to present the latest sporting news in a calm, convincing manner.
- Cavo’s Corner
Cavo’s Corner is another brand new podcast produced by senior Chris Cavalaris. Chris interviews various special persons in this interesting and informative segment. The three episodes released so far feature three-sport-athlete Jack VanHyfte, Ms. Christy Southern, a sports psychologist, an All-NSC basketball player Ben Gibson.
- Podcast Caviar
Juniors Michael Pasquella and Ethan Kurian team up for this hip-hop themed podcast. Although only three episodes have been released so far, in the first installments of Podcast Caviar, Pasquella and Kurian achieve the impossible by making their conversation both informative and hilarious.
- The All Talk No Shop Podcast/Committed Series (retired)
Running for twelve episodes, All Talk No Shop (and The Committed Series, a division of All Talk No Shop) was a sports-oriented talk show made by Bobby Winebrenner and Chris Cavalaris.
- Words With Wnuk
Nick Wnuk has produced five Words With Wnuk podcasts so far, each featuring a teacher interview; Mr. Harmsen, Mr. Fiordirosa, and Dr. Dewar have appeared so far. Overall, the popular podcast has gathered over five hundred views.
- The Current
Starring veteran Kyle Wix and newcomer John Deering, The Current tackles newsworthy happenings around the world.
- Critical Dialogue
Yet another new podcast available on TFS, Critical Dialogue is produced by popular columnists Brett Chody, Elizabeth Porter, and Eleanor Asma. This podcast is an eye-opening experience for many viewers as topics like sexual assault are discussed in the context of Lake Forest High School and worldwide.
And the winner is…
Words With Wnuk! Words With Wnuk snagged 28 votes, but won with a percentage of only 23.9, making the Best Podcast division of The Forest Scout Awards the most highly contended.
But my favorite is…
Podcast Caviar! Pasquella and Kurian have a lot of fun in this podcast and it is truly a blast to listen in as the two self-proclaimed “hip-hop aficionados” argue and produce hot takes.
Best Show
The Nominees:
- Commons Knowledge
Now in its second season, Commons Knowledge is one of the few shows to remain on TFS from last year. It is a trivia-based game in which Drew Foley and Sean Trkla interview LFHS students and compile their hilarious answers.
- The Dish
Juniors Will Davis and Carter Horan travel all around the Chicagoland area sampling various eateries in this lighthearted food review show. The Dish has featured nine local joints so far, including Dogout, CYOC, Real Urban Barbecue, and Clucker’s.
- On The Line (retired)
On The Line was a sports show starring Shane Lynch, J.R. Naughton, Ben Gibson, and Duncan Ward during the Fall and Winter sports seasons. In its fifteen show runtime, it included interviews with the superstars themselves, “Shane on the Scene” – a segment involving Shane Lynch conducting interviews with various students in and around the commons – and featured a Fall sports award show.
- Basement Talk Show (retired)
Ryan Durburg was “The Everyman” in this comedic broadcast located in his basement. One of the funniest shows on TFS, the Basement Talk Show included interviews, weather forecasts, and much more in its three episodes.
- The Forest Four (retired)
In its six episodes, The Forest Four starred Will Lincoln, Ethan Talbot, Dewar Prom, and Cade Coughlin. In keeping with the tried-and-true formula for many of the shows available on The Forest Scout, The Forest Four featured interviews and plenty of hot takes.
- Forever Friendships (retired)
Seniors Holly Malnati and Cosette Bevis continued Maddy Moore’s Forever Friendships during the beginning of this year. The original show contained nine episodes, but this year’s edition featured four.
- Impractical Cooking
In their debut episode of Impractical Cooking, seniors Ethan Talbot, Drew Foley, and Will Gescheidle show off their culinary skills in front of an audience of LFHS students in the commons. Although many shows available on TFS include food reviews, this is the first time students actually prepare the cuisine themselves, making the show both innovative and hilarious.
And the winner is…
Commons Knowledge! Commons Knowledge swept the Best Show division of The Forest Scout Awards, garnering 63.4% of the 131 votes submitted.
But my favorite is…
The Dish! I have personally witnessed how much juniors Davis and Horan put into The Dish, and I can say without a doubt that this dream team works the hardest to produce quality content.
Best Overall
The Nominees:
- Daily Dose
Produced daily by Kyle Wix, the Daily Dose is easily the most reliable and informative source of news on TFS.
- Commons Knowledge
As mentioned earlier, Commons Knowledge is a question-and-answer-based trivia game featuring Drew Foley and Sean Trkla.
- Friday Five
Also explained above, the Friday Five selects five individuals who make a major positive impact in LFHS.
And the winner is…
Commons Knowledge! Once again, Commons Knowledge is victorious. This time, it won with a percentage of 54.9.
But my favorite is…
Daily Dose! Although the Daily Dose might not be as comical as Commons Knowledge, Kyle Wix works extremely hard to produce this professional broadcast every day.
