Latest news with #Strelow
Chicago Tribune
23-06-2025
- Science
- Chicago Tribune
Oak Lawn students' numbers line up for new football stadium ticket booth
Students at Oak Lawn Community High School got hooked on construction, incorporating what they learned in geometry classes to create new structures and other items around campus. Their latest undertaking is a ticket booth for the school's football field. They did all the work with a little help from teachers Sara Strelow, who teaches geometry, and Kyle Kowalski, a career technology educator. The students previously had created a shed, so for the ticket booth, teachers modified the plans to add windows, and graphic design students will be recruited to design the door. 'Students were up on the roof doing electrical, painting. It's all basic fundamentals, Kowalski said. But it's definitely a case of learning by doing. 'You've got to be okay screwing up.' Part of what's made the class work, according to the two teachers, is the students' motivation. 'They always do their stuff,' said Strelow. 'In other classes, it's like pulling teeth.' 'They outperformed my regular geometry class on every assessment,' said Strelow. The two-period class starts each session in Strelow's classroom, where students work on the math needed to construct the projects. Then they move into Kowalski's workshop or even outside.' Math lessons sometimes include the Pythagorean theorem with its A squared plus B squared equals C squared to help calculate angles for roofing, as well as volume and surface areas. Kowalski said they also incorporated artificial intelligence into the process to calculate the costs of building materials. Some of the actual construction took place at the football field. 'The school allowed us to purchase battery powered tools so they can be moveable,' Kowalski said. The class had its beginnings three years ago when math chair Chris Newton and the two teachers traveled to a conference in St. Paul, Minnesota where the idea was presented. Then they adapted it to OLCHS, after spending a year on the planning. Math isn't Kowalski's thing, nor is construction Strelow's, and the two have completely different personalities. Kowalski is spontaneous and Strelow says she's very 'Type A and plans everything.' But the two make it work. Kowalski said he brings ideas to Strelow and she may put it into a document to try. 'We're both willing to give up what we're used to and try something different,' said Strelow. Kowalski said he's even taught a few of the math lessons and has taken tests with the students as a way of showing he's part of the team. 'They kind of enjoy watching that,' he said. 'They sometimes beat me.' They also learned to collaborate as a way to bring out the best in students and help them succeed. Students get a small electrical unit in his class and also learn about drywall and plumbing. They've made saw horses and a miniature golf course. The teachers are hoping to get industry professionals to speak to the students, host events and offer financial support. There were 22 students in the class, including eight females. But the class is a popular one and enrollment has increased each year. Once the new field house is complete, the two said they'll be able to move their space to one of the gyms. The class appears to be bringing out the best in many students, even the ones who aren't pros at math or construction, according to their teachers. 'They're all different, from AP honors, regular and even remedial,' said Strelow. 'It's interesting to see the kids you thought were going to struggle, flourish.'
Chicago Tribune
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
To say Steve Strelow has found a home at Libertyville is an understatement. The 3-sport athlete is a ‘glue guy.'
Sports have always offered a home for Steve Strelow. Various sports kept him and his older brother Billy busy when they were growing up. 'Sports were a way for us to stay active, and we were always working to be better than each other at everything,' Strelow said. Sports continued to be important to Strelow in high school, especially after he transferred from Oak Forest to Libertyville during the winter of his junior year. 'Moving to a new school was tough and a little scary at first,' he said. 'I had my family at home, but as soon as sports started, I had a new family.' Strelow has several of those at Libertyville, where he is a successful varsity athlete in baseball, football and wrestling. Baseball is his favorite, and he quickly made his mark for the Wildcats in that sport. Strelow hit .319 with 22 runs scored and 14 steals while playing three infield positions in his first baseball season as Libertyville won a share of the North Suburban Conference title and a Class 4A regional championship last year. He was named an all-conference honorable mention, but that wasn't his most prestigious accolade. Only a junior at the time, Strelow won the Brett Butler Award, which is named for the Libertyville graduate who played in the major leagues for 17 years. 'That award usually goes to a senior,' Libertyville baseball coach Matt Thompson said. 'The coaches vote on it, and it goes to the player who goes all out for the team, shows grit and exemplifies what we want in our players. 'Steve came in and became so dependable for us, and he's a really tough kid. He does everything we ask of him at a high level.' Strelow wasn't familiar with Butler's background, but the magnitude of the award wasn't lost on him. Strelow got to meet Butler last week when the Wildcats were in Arizona. 'It was a great honor and really cool to meet him,' Strelow said. 'I try to be the hardest worker on the field, and I'm glad that people recognize me giving my all.' Strelow discovered he had his work cut out for him as soon as he joined his new teammates. Libertyville's successful baseball program produces not only conference titles but also college recruits. 'I didn't honestly know how good Libertyville was,' he said. 'But at the first practice, it was pretty obvious these guys were legit. I had to show that I deserved to be there.' Strelow's grit has served him well in each sport, including football. As a running back in conference co-champion Libertyville's prolific offense led by senior quarterback Quinn Schambow last season, Strelow rushed for 389 yards and two touchdowns on 70 carries and made five catches for 60 yards. He missed time late in the season with a blood clot in his left leg. 'My leg started feeling really tight, but I was able to come back in only a couple of weeks,' he said. Strelow then went 18-2 at 190 pounds during wrestling season, which ended prematurely for him after he suffered a broken nose during a match. It was the second straight season he didn't have a chance to qualify for the state meet after doing so as a 152-pound sophomore at Oak Forest. Having transferred in the middle of his junior year, Strelow was ineligible for that postseason despite a 19-1 record. 'I've always been willing to put my body on the line, but that left a sour taste because I was really hoping to get downstate again,' he said. Strelow's nose injury hasn't interfered with baseball season, however. The Wildcats returned from Arizona with a 7-0 record, and Strelow is 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts, has driven in three runs and has scored six runs. The run he scored on the last day of the trip came in true Strelow fashion. He was hit by a pitch, executed a delayed steal of second base and scored on the ensuing overthrow into center field. Strelow, who is weighing college options that could include baseball or wrestling, has a knack for making things happen. 'If we're ever off to a slow start to a game, he'll do something like that, and it gets us all going,' Libertyville senior shortstop Cole Lockwood said. 'He truly is our glue guy. He shows up every single day, and he's our main energy source. 'He's a great guy to have on your team.'
