Academy Drive: Recent Episodes
LFA Communications
Welcome to the podcast home for Lake Forest Academy! Join us for podcasts from students, staff and faculty to learn more about LFA.
For this very special deep dive into the new Taylor Swift album, Mary Rivera-Scheeringa ’26 and LFA's Associate Dean of Admission Emily Wagner do a cross-generational analysis of The Tortured Poet’s Department. These ladies REALLY know their stuff, so even if you’re not interested in The Eras Tour or anything else related to it, listen just to be amazed at the power and passion ultra-fans can bring when delving into their expertise!
The latest episode of The Spectator's podcast features Jessie Ji ’24 and Chloe Jhin ’25 review prom by going into it all - the triumphs and the pitfalls! After the prom discussion, the episode looks ahead to the end of the school year and all of the events surrounding graduation.
In this edition of The Spectator's podcast – CaxyPod – Jessie Ji ’24 interviews All-School President Jerry Ren ’24 on plans and preparations for the upcoming Winter Dance!
It's a Caxology takeover as Claire Ireland ’24 and Theresa Fu ’24 turn the tables on Garry Sloan, the show's typical host. They ask him the questions and give listeners a chance to get to know LFA's new Dean of Advancement.
The December episode of The Spectator's podcast features Theresa Fu ’24 and Ela Jain ’24 discussing the New Hunger Games film in depth, as well as a host of other winter releases.
This episode of The Spectator's CaxyPod features a Thanksgiving theme. Host Jessie Ji ’24 talks with LFA English teacher Angela Zhou ’18 about cultural differences in terms of the Thanksgiving holiday, and how that impacts student sentiments around this time of year.
Seniors Ela Jain ’24 and Esti Rosenblatt ’24 open the year with the first fall CaxyPod to discuss autumn movies and approaches to digesting a host of different media – from music to television and books – to get in the mood for the season.
Lake Forest Academy students do big things! In this episode, meet Cameron Fink and Ned Koh, both graduates from the class of 2023, and hear how LFA became a laboratory for their friendship and an exciting entrepreneurial adventure.
The third episode of the Caxy Athletics Pod hosted by J.J. Alexos ’23 features Diana Bishopp ’23 who will be playing ice hockey at Sacred Heart University. Bishopp talks about growing up playing hockey, transferring to LFA, and now moving on to playing at the NCAA Division I level.
The second episode of the Caxy Athletics Pod hosted by J.J. Alexos ’23 features Tatum Young ’23 who will be playing basketball at Wheaton College (Mass.). Alexos and Young discuss playing basketball growing up, her decision to attend Lake Forest Academy and her experiences at the Academy before talking about what she is looking forward to at Wheaton.
The first episode of the Caxy Athletics Pod hosted by JJ Alexos ’23 features three seniors that are heading to Carleton Place, Ontario after graduation to play Junior Hockey in the CCHL for the Carleton Place Canadians. Tommy Enrietto ’23, Cole Mathews ’23, and Ian Vandenberg ’23 discuss what's ahead for each of them and what they have learned and enjoyed as students at Lake Forest Academy.
Lake Forest Academy recently announced plans to expand the school's current athletic facility. The athletic center expansion is the largest individual capital project in LFA’s history and will add 45,000 square feet of new space to facilitate the athletic program, support the LFA experience for students, faculty and alumni, and elevate the school’s local and national profile. The facility will be made possible by individual donations and participation in LFA’s annual Gala on April 29. In this episode, you'll hear from multiple voices about the positive impact of the new facility and the excitement it is bringing to campus.
In the latest episode of Caxology, meet Lake Forest Academy Dean of Students Jennifer Rundles. Rundles is in her first year at LFA after making her move to the Academy last July. She takes the Caxy Query, talks about her transition from Georgia to Illinois, and gives us a glimpse of her excitement for the future of LFA.
In this episode of The Spectator podcast, host Connor Drobny ’23 interviews History and Social Science teacher Filipp Velgach. He is in his second year at Lake Forest Academy after seven years in Chicago’s high schools and currently teaches Ancient and Modern World History. He prides himself on showing human society’s capacity to grow through ingenuity and socio-philosophical movements, while also challenging philosophies and actions that define the history of the human species. Velgach also coaches soccer, squash, and track and field.
The first edition of The Spectator podcast is here! The episode takes a look at the college decision process for seniors and finding the best college or university for each student. Hosts Bika Gupta ’23 and Anusha Srivastava ’23 are joined by three members of LFA's College Counseling department - Keily Pacheco, Mia Rogers, and Ben Wetherbee - for insight into the college decision process.
Welcome to an encore edition of Caxology to the very first episode that explored the namesakes of the Richards & Tremain Society - Eloise Ruthven Tremain (Ferry Hall principal, 1918-1945) and John Wayne Richards (LFA headmaster 1913-1941). Host Garry Sloan talks with Rita MacAyeal '87, Director of the Library and Archivist at LFA, to learn more about these stalwart figures of the school’s history.
It's a new episode of Caxology! In this episode, meet math instructor, coach, dorm parent and new First Lady of LFA Maggie Tennyson. Maggie takes the Caxy Query and talks about the transition of the past few months. Later in the episode, Maggie's husband Chris makes an appearance and together they share some hopes and dreams for the future of Lake Forst Academy.
Caxology is brought to you by LFA’s Richards & Tremain Society. Founded in 1988, the Richards & Tremain Society recognizes members of the LFA community who have made thoughtful legacy gifts benefiting the school. For more information about the Richards & Tremain Society or ways you can help support the mission of Lake Forest Academy, visit www.lfanet.org/give. Caxology isn’t new… it's been around for a couple of years, but only available for download at Lake Forest Academy's website. A few look back episodes will be posted soon, and we look forward to bringing you new episodes in 2023. Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy Caxology!