CASE and the Argonne Symposium - Northside College Prep High

Vol. 7 No. 4
The
Northside College Preparatory High School
December 2005
HoofBeat
Page 7
News
pages 1-3
• First ever Turkey Bowl
• Certaman fever hits Latin
• What courses should I
take?
Features
pages 4-5
• The pros and cons of
online shopping
• Jazz band treat
Editorial
pages 6-7
• Markowski: Diet Coke For
life
Centerfold
pages 8-9
• Holiday fever hits
Northside
Arts & Entertainment
page 11-13
• XBox 360: Worth the
dough?
• Harry Potter Movie Review
Sports
pages 14-16
• Mustang Hoops Begin
• Khan-Ya: Overpaid
Athletes
• Bowling Team Begins
Season
Career
Day: Did it
work?
Page 3
Turkeys
Toss
Footballs
CASE and the Argonne Symposium
by Natalia Emanuel and Max Brown
A new precedent was set in
“CASE started from you guys
pumps out 12,000 pounds of CO2
gentleman, let me introduce you the
Northside’s annals this month
[the newspaper],” said William Haa year, this is like taking fifteen cars
“they”, the folks in CASE, who are
as William T. Hagen, Adv. 604,
gen. “in an article that talked about
off of the road every year.”
actually doing these things.’”
presented the detailed plans of The
how solar power could be used at
One novel part of CASE’s founThe organization looks forward
Community for Alternative Sources Northside, [which] made me say
dation is that they are a student-led
to continued involvement in scholof Energy (CASE) before an audi‘hey, why don’t we do a solar power
corporation, with the exception of
arly venues such as Argonne, and
ence of scientists at the sixteenth
project.’”
Mr. Michael Coy, their sponsor.
also promoting a more personal
annual Argonne Symposium for
“The benefits [of the project]
“Right now I’m sort of more
Undergraduates in Science,
Engineering, and Mathematics.
The symposium accommodated more than 300
undergraduates from higherlearning facilities throughout
the Midwest who received
the honor of explaining their
research papers, publications,
and ideas. Hagen was the first
high school student allowed
to present in the sixteen years
the symposium has been held.
“I got the opportunity to
go after presenting at Northside Prep’s parent network
meeting,” said Hagen. “One
of the parents, Dr. Benito
Kalaw, was so impressed with
our presentation that he invited me to this symposium.”
Hagen presented about
CASE’s current project
— raising enough money to
cover the roof above Northside’s swimming pool with
solar thermal panels. These
panels would provide much
of the energy used in heating
Katy Hintzen, Advisory 603, works on CASE’s Articles of Incorporation for Not-for-profit status. Michael Coy
the pool.
and Michelle Holland discuss developements in the background.
“It went extremely well,”
Photo by Max Brown
said Hagen. “Everybody loved
the presentation and we only
are that we will save 50% of heating
of a coach than anything. I try to
aspect to energy conservation.
got positive feedback – it was good
costs, and approximately $1.3 milorganize and motivate the students
“Keep stressing conservation
to have critics in the scientific comlion in the next 20 years, assuming
and help them when they encounter at your own home,” suggested Wilmunity.”
current gas rate prices which we
difficult spots,” said Mr. Coy. “I
liam T. Hagen, “because we won’t
“CASE,” said Hagen, “is dediall know are going to go up in the
like working with them to shift our
have to develop alternative sources
cated to educating the surroundnear future,” explained Hagen.
energy infrastructure from fossil fuof energy as quickly if we don’t use
ing community about alternative
“Not only that, we will also avoid
els to alternative sources of energy.
as much energy to begin with.”
sources of energy by means of
the emission of 177,000 pounds of
A lot of people talk about doing
For more information about
implementation.”
CO2… if your typical Ford Escort
this, and to them I say ‘ladies and
CASE, visit www.caseproject.org.
Northside’s elves bring cheer
Key Club’s toy drive helps low-income children
by Andrea Ljevar
Key Club’s toy drive was a success. This
are we coming together for an important cause,”
year the donated toys went to the Block Club
Daisy Vinanzaca, Adv. 906. “This time we can
Federation, a non-profit organization located in
all make a difference for these children to have a
Humboldt Park. The coordinator for this drive is
Christmas they deserve.”
Carlos Rivas, Adv. 801.
The toys are for children
ages 0-10 whose families
suffer from low income.
They were collected until
December 9th, 2005,
before being given away
on December 10th, 2005
at a celebration thrown
at Mozart Park from 5
p.m. – 9 p.m.
The toys were collected outside the main
office. In all, about 300
toys were collected, with
some being donated by
the school and various
sponsors, like the Youth
Service Project. Last
year’s toy drive was
sponsored by The Women’s Center. This is the
first year that Northside
has teamed up with the
Block Club Federation.
Volunteers put up
posters around the
school asking students
Ryan Lewis, Adv. 700, donates a toy outside of the main office for the
to donate toys. These
Key Club’s toy drive.
volunteers are Key
Photo by Andrea Ljevar
Club members who
A few volunteers were asked to come an hour
cannot make it to the actual event but still want
or two before the event took place to make sure
to be part of spreading the word to their fellow
everything is prepared. Volunteers were needed
Northsiders.
to prepare the toys in the gym for the children
“I think that others should also donate toys
as well as monitor that everything was where it
because we have to consider that not everyday
should be and that there was enough room for
everyone to fit.
The festivities held at Mozart Park first
included a potluck dinner. The majority of the
food was of Latino origin, as the families who
participated were either Latino or African
American. They are part of the 70% of lowincome families living in Humboldt Park.
Without the support of the Block Club Federation and the help of Northside’s students
these children would not get any presents
this holiday season.
The potluck dinner was held in the
building of Mozart Park. After the children
finished eating, they were lead into the gym,
where they met with Santa Claus and the
toys were distributed. The children weren’t
expecting a visit from Santa; his arrival was
a surprise.
The toys were not expected to be
expensive, but something of moderate cost.
The Block Club Federation can provided a
receipt of donations for tax deductions later.
Any toys left over have gone directly to
the Humboldt Park Library, which soon will
have its own Christmas celebration.
“[The toys] will bring a smile to their
faces,” said Carlos Rivas, Adv. 801. “This
may be the only toy they will get this
Christmas. It is always better to give than to
receive.”
The holidays are a significant time for
children, filled with the anticipation over
presents and spending time with their loved
ones. The Block Club Federation, Northside, and Mozart Park want all children
to experience the magic of the holidays. This
season as the children are spending time with
their families, Northside will contribute to their
excitement about what is waiting for them under
all the wrapping paper.
Page 2
News
The Hoof Beat
Northside’s Latin champs drive
the nail home at the certamen
competition
by Rachel Hautzinger
Northside College Prep’s Latin teams came out on top
more optimistic approach to this year and certamen.
yet again at the Illinois Certamen League – North Section
“I think we should do exceptionally well this year all the
“Round 1” at Notre Dame High School on November 2. The
levels have started at the rate that I like,” he said.
Level I Team won 400 points to 365 points to 2nd place team
The Latin I level’s win, by a score of 400 to 365 points,
Loyola Academy, Level II Team by 80 points again over 2nd
was a cause for celebration by everyone because this was the
place team Loyola Academy; the Advanced Level Team domi- first time these freshmen have competed. The students on the
nating by a whopping 690 to 275 points for the 2nd place team
team are Monica Laytham, Austine Lakayil Adv. 904, Aisha
Chicago Latin High School.
Ahmad Adv. 904, and Plamena Daskalova, Adv. 904.
“This is as well, if not better, than we’ve ever done before,”
“I was very proud of the Latin I team,” said Adam Swiatsaid Mr. Chester
lowski, captain of
Tylinski, coach
the Latin II team,
of the certamen
Adv.809. “They’ll
teams. “I was
only continue to
very pleased
improve.”
with the results,
“We didn’t
especially the
do so well in
Latin I level, begrammar,” said
cause Northside
Laytham. “We
starts school two
could’ve answered
weeks later than
a lot more gramothers, but we
mar questions.”
were still able to
The Latin II
beat schools with
team consists of
excellent Latin
Harold Jaffe, Adv.
programs.”
802, Adam SwiatCertamen,
lowski, Adv. 809,
for those who
Alex Poniecki,
may not be
Adv. 804, and one
familiar with the
freshman, Spencer
contest, is what
Rosenfeld, Adv.
one would call
909. The team
a “Latin-trivia
won 620 to 540
game.” There are
points, which was
three levels of
disappointing to
teams and three
many on the team
rounds, each
who were looking
round containing
for a larger win.
questions about
“Although
vocabulary,
Latin II won, they
grammar, hisseemed to have
Michael Palma, Adv. 602, studies the Aeneid in preperation for the Latin
tory, mythology, competition.
slipped a bit, and I
and anything
am hoping they can
Photo by Rachel Hautzinger
else that pertains
improve a little bit
to the language. The game is played with first a toss-up quesby next round,” said Mr. Tylinski.
tion, worth ten points, which the fastest person gets a chance
“We’ll just have to continue to improve to make sure we
to answer first. If that person answers the question correctly,
win,” said Adam Swiatlowski.
their team is given two bonus questions, both worth five points
The Advanced Latin level, which consists of Max
each, which the team is allowed to deliberate on. In past years, Swiatlowski, Adv. 603, Kavinda Wewegama, Kelsey Koon,
Northside has performed well, last year winning 1st place at
Adv.602, and Andrew Foertsch-Jans, Adv. 707, won by the imeach level in the Northern Section and then also at the state
mense difference of 425 points over the 2nd place team.
finals of the Illinois Certamen League. This year, Northside
“Some people have worked hard to get to that level, and if
has gotten a good start toward winning the tournament.
they keep working hard, there will be some excellent competi“All we ever hear about is how Northside has swept in
tions,” said Mr. Tylinski.
the past years, so this is something I have to live up to,” said
“The team dynamics were really excellent,” said Kavinda.
Monica Laytham, Adv. 901, who as a freshman is competing
“We worked together really well to get a lot of points.”
for the first time this year.
When asked about Northside’s Certamen Team, Dr. Wil“I’m not sure if Northside will have an easy time at the
liam Lowe, a teacher of Latin at LaSalle Academy replied,
finals this year, if we do make it,” said Kavinda Wewegama,
“They are very knowledgeable of the Latin language.”
Adv. 707, a member of the Advanced Latin Team.
Marc Nunes, a freshman at Notre Dame High School
Mr. Tylinski, on the other hand, seems to have taken a
answered simply, “They are just too good.”
Both Guys and Dolls at auditions
by Elizabeth Sobenes
Talented Northsiders filled the
band room on Wednesday, November
16, 2005 at 12:00 in the afternoon after
colloquium. Each individual prepared
a song to demonstrate his or her skill
and personality in an attempt to prove
themselves worthy of being in this
spring’s musical, Guys and Dolls. Some
of the students even decided to bring in
a recording to aid their prepared song at
the audition.
On Monday November 21st, Ms.
Nythia Rivera held more auditions for
the students who were unable to attend
on the previous Wednesday. This was
a perfect opportunity for students who
had not heard about the auditions or
could not make it due to a conflicting
schedule. There were also less people
at this second audition so it was less
intimidating for some students.
“It was exciting, but at the same
time nerve-racking,” said Teresa Flores,
Adv. 808. “You were hearing other
people singing, and you knew that you
had to compete with them.”
The necessary roles for Guys and
Dolls include both male and female
characters. Ms. Rivera and Mr. Mike
Lill, the organizers of this event, will
accept about the same amount of boys
and girls, which in total will be thirty to
thirty-five. There were approximately
seventeen to twenty-five boys in attendance, which met Ms. Rivera and
Mr. Lill’s expectations. Many North-
siders, even those who
auditioned, are unfamiliar
with the play. Guys and
Dolls is a play that came
out in 1950 by Frank
Loesser. It was originally
on Broadway and was
filmed in 1955. The play
is based on “The Idyll
Of Miss Sarah Brown”,
a short story by Damon
Runyon.
Guys and Dolls is about
the criminal activity of
professional gamblers.
The main character,
Nathan Detroit, makes
a living through illegal
gambling despite his
fiancée’s requests to end
his hazardous lifestyle.
The play provides an
opportunity for the students to show their vocal
and performing abilities.
The play involves dancing,
and singing, and elaborate
stage work. Although
not all of the auditioning
students will be able to
perform in the actual Guys
and Dolls play, the auditions are a way to practice
performing in front of
Image courtesy of www.amazon.com
other individuals.
Ms. Rivera showed
Northside College
Prep High School
5501 N. Kedzie
Chicago, IL 60625
Tel: (773) 534-3954
Fax: (773) 534-3964
Principal: Dr. James Lalley
Assistant Principal: Ms. Lisa Moreno
Advisor: Mr. Chester Tylinski
Editors-In-Chief: Ilya Chalik, Anisa Isap,
Asrar Khan,
Monica Wojcik
Copy Editors: Maxwell Brown, Natalia
Emanuel
Managing Editors: Priyanka Bhagat, Ajla
Sunje, Kana Yoo
News Editors: Ashraf Abbas, Natalia Emanuel, Rachel Ramir
Features Editors: Zainab Sozzer, Aisha Wahid, Kana Yoo
Centerfold Editors: Sanja Bajgoric, Anthe
Mitrakos, Amania Wahid
Editorial Editors: Muamera Hadzic, Aliy
Markowski
Polls: Syyeda Ali
Arts and Entertainment Editors: Damon
Beres, Micah Tepora
Sports Editors: Geethi Abraham, Idrees
Mohiuddin
Image Editors: Neha Alam, Zenobia Gonsalves, Shoaib Khan
Business Manager: Syyeda Ali
Satire: Ashraf Abbas, Damon Beres
Art Editor: Anthe Mitrakos
Junior Art Editor: Vasiliki Mitrakos
Artist: Rebekah Kim
Reporters: Shoaib Ali, Zainab Bilfaqi, Sejla
Dizdarevic, Rachel Hautzinger, Elizabeth
Jose, Mohammad Khaleelulah, Salim Patel,
Amanda Perez, Nadir Rashid, Elizabeth Sobenes, Abir Usman, Michelle Zacarias
Junior Reporters: Zlatana Alibegovic, Andrea Ljevar, Mohammad Rahman
The Hoof Beat is a monthly publication
produced by the Northside Prep Journalism Class. As a student-run newspaper, your
opinions are important to us. If you have any
comments, corrections, critiques, or questions, please e-mail Mr. Chester Tylinski at ct
ylinski@northsideprep.org. Also, if you have
any interest of joining the Hoof Beat, please
come speak with Mr. Tylinski in Room 204.
great satisfaction in how the tryouts turned out.
“I’m glad so many people came out to audition because I
like to know that so many people have an interest in musical
theater,” said Ms. Rivera. “I like to have the opportunity to
know what people’s talents are.”
At Northside there are a lot of talented people with diverse abilities, and there are several opportunities for students
to express their talents. Guys and Dolls has a place not only for
Northside’s performers, but for other talents as well. Often, it
is the behind the scenes work that perfects any great play.
This behind the scenes work would involve making costumes, helping with the lighting, making any extra pieces for
the stage, and more. Anyone interested in being a part of this
activity is encouraged to contact Mr. Lill in the near future.
The play will take place in the auditorium at Northside
on March 30th, 31st, and April 1st. Ms. Rivera and Mr. Lill will
provide more details on exact times.
December 2005
News
Not tackle, but a whole lot of fall
Fall Festival and the Turkey Bowl
by Max Brown
Student council was at its finest with
Northside’s first annual Fall Fest on
November 12th. The event included the
Turkey Bowl (a flag football competition), a sack race, a three-legged race,
and a pie eating contest. It was a fun
way to spend a Colloquim afternoon,
and its organizers and participants considered it to be enormously successful.
“The whole student council was
only ended up breaking even for the day.
“We [Student Council] broke even,
mostly because of the prizes we got for
the winning team, such as trophies and
homecoming tickets,” said Senior Class
President Lizzy O’Meara, Adv. 601.
The prizes were graciously accepted
by the Turkey Bowl winning team “Zero
Cool”: Jason Strohmayer, Adv. 705, Jake
Baskin, Adv. 601, Dave Paras, Adv. 601,
“We hope that the juniors will consider it for next year, since we don’t have a
regular football team,” said Reyes.
It was an opportunity to show team
pride and play competitive flag football,
which Northside sports definitely do not
offer.
Some teams even made shirts and
other paraphernalia to show their spirit.
“We had super cool t-shirts, and it
Jake Baskin, Adv. 601, rushes across the line of scrimmage to make his final sack of his first game. Jake Baskin
and his team went on to dominate the turkey bowl.
Photo by Shoaib Khan
there to help, [and there was such a response that] we had to make more teams
to satisfy people,” said Student Body
President Aileen Cordero, Adv. 604.
The Turkey Bowl, the activities, as
well as the concession stand, which offered everything from pie to hot chocolate on the blustery day, were supporting
the Greater Chicago Food Depository,
in conjunction with NHS, and the
student government budget. The Turkey
Bowl raised approximately 600 cans of
food from the 32 six-person teams who
participated; however, Student Council
Michael Burke, Adv. 601, Dave Mejia,
Adv. 606, and Mark Sullivan, Adv. 607.
Other champions included Erin Egan,
Adv. 606, and Angelo Bennett, Adv. 705,
who tied for first in the pie eating contest.
Michael Burt, Adv. 700, won the three
legged race with William T. Hagen, Adv.
604, who also won the sack race. Everyone there was quite impressed with the
turnout, whether they were involved in
the races or simply spectators.
“All of the stands were full and there
was a huge crowd,” said Secretary Glenna
Reyes, Adv. 602.
Anti-Metathesiophobia
was lots of team bonding,” said Camila
Youniss, Adv. 700, who participated in
the Turkey Bowl.
The event went from a first-time experience to an annual occurrence.
“We want to make it a Northside tradition,” said Cordero. “I’m sure everyone
had a fun time.”
As for the nearer future, events
include the Blood Drive, Homecoming,
and Spirit Week. Look forward to a lot of
activity out of Student Council, hopefully
all as much of a success as the ’05 Fall
Festival.
Page 3
Northside
“Alumni Speak”
Night
by Natalia Emanuel
On December 22nd alumni will return to Northside
to assist seniors in the college process. They will touch
on everything from what to look for in a college visit to
answering whatever practical questions Northsiders have.
The alumni will represent colleges in the Chicagoland
area, and those in far-off places, small liberal arts schools
and huge universities.
Primarily, “Alumni Speak” is for Northside students
to connect with the alumni and ask questions of those
who have most recently gone through the process.
“Not just the ‘College Fair’ kind of questions,” said
Lynda Brodsky, mother of alumnus Michael Pomeranz
and adult coordinator of “Alumni Speak” night, “but
the nitty gritty – such as life with a roommate and how it
feels to be rejected 5 times.”
“Alumni Speak” night also seeks to facilitate development of a unified group of alumni that will hopefully be
both enduring and one that gives back to the Northside
community.
Last year, Northside’s “Alumni Speak” night was
the first of its kind, and partially for this reason, it was a
small event.
“The alumni had so much to offer and not enough
high schoolers took advantage of their words of wisdom,”
said Brodsky.
However, those who did attend were enthusiastic.
“[Both] the organization and the tendency of the
panelists to allow the discussion to have a life of its own
while still being relevant made for a good talk about lots
of issues that I thought were pertinent and helpful,” said
Mark Spreitzer, an alumnus who attended as a senior last
year.
For Spreitzer, the “Alumni Speak” event had particular meaning.
“I had already been seriously considering Beloit, but
the Beloit panelist, Caitlin Lill, really convinced me,” said
Spreitzer, who is currently attending Beloit. “It was after
that night that I was certain Beloit was my first choice
and I never looked back. She said that ‘Beloit was like
Northside, plus’ and that’s what stuck in my head.”
However, Spreitzer felt it was not necessary to have
more than a general idea of which colleges would be
personally ideal.
“I felt that the discussion covered a wide enough area
of topics that it was good for people who had no idea,
had some idea, were deciding between a few schools, and
even people who already knew where they were going,”
he said. “Much of the stuff was related to once you get to
college. Like they said to bring cold medicine, and that if
you have it, you’ll make friends when people need it.”
Northside’s “Alumni Speak” night is part of a “College Counseling Project.” This project was funded by
Youth Venture because of a grant written by Randy Yang
and Sonam Velani, Northside alumni. Youth Venture
is a national not-for-profit organization which invests in
America’s youth’s ideas. Northside and Northside’s parent network also support “Alumni Speak” night.
Northside’s revamped curriculum
by Mohammad Khaleelullah
students and the teachers, they decided next year to offer will
As the time rolls around for students at Northside College
be offering Marine Biology as their new course of study. The
Prep to select their courses for the 2006-2007 school year, the
course itself will have a prerequisite of biology.
departments at Northside have a few new ideas for educa“The addition of marine biology to the list of courses
tional options for the students. Every December, students are
available to students was a great decision by the department,”
given many options to choose from for their new learning
experiences the following year.
The classes are chosen through an online
program that allows students to pick and choose
first and second choices of classes. Their choices
then go through the counseling department for
review and confirmation. This system has worked
well for students and has helped the administrators quicken the process.
Due to the addition of new educators in
the various departments at Northside and their
different academic specialties, the heads of the
departments have been contemplating whether
to offer new and appealing courses for students
to take. These new courses will be offered at different levels and will all be offered as department
electives.
Before registration many of the courses were
presented to the students so that the departments
could receive some feedback. Students were
given a list and were asked to vote on a class they
might be interested in taking in the coming year.
After receiving some feedback from the students,
the teachers of the separate departments held
Mrs. Smith discusses the math department’s many cirriculum
meetings in which they discussed whether to go
forward with the new course offerings or not and options with Dilraj Sekhan, Adv. 907.
Photo by Mohammad Khaleelullah
which ones to offer next year.
Of the departments going through such
said Ikram Khan, Adv. 800. “It is a very interesting subject,
changes, the science department is one many students are
and I am sure many students are looking forward to enrolling
extra excited about. The department chairman, Mr. Barry
in it.”
Rodgers, and the rest of the department’s teachers came up
The Social Science Department is another department
with a list of classes based on the academic qualifications of
students will see a change in next year. Based on the credenthe teachers.
tials of some of the new teachers, the teachers of the departThe courses considered were Marine Biology, Anthropolo- ment handed out a survey to their students in their classes.
gy, Anatomy and Physiology, Physics II, and Earth and Space
The students were allowed two votes each on a survey that
Science, all at honors level. After receiving feedback from the
featured many new classes including Macro and Micro
Economics, Human Geography, Pop Culture, and Women’s
History. After reviewing the students’ responses to the choices
and after the department meeting, headed by Chairman Mr.
Tim Devine, it was decided that Micro-Economics would be
offered to the students at the AP level in the coming year.
A major change that most sophomores will have to deal
with are the new additions to the math department at Northside. This department also features a new class added to its
course offering. Multi-variable Calculus will be added to the
department’s curriculum, and will have prerequisite of either
A/B or B/C Calculus. The summer option of Pre-Calculus
will now be out of the question for sophomores.
“I am excited that we, seniors-to-be are still allowed to take
summer pre-calculus,” said Salvia Asad, Adv. 710. “But at the
same time I feel bad that juniors-to-be cannot. I knew a couple
who were really looking forward to signing up.”
Only juniors will be allowed to register for the summer
course. The incentive for the sophomores is if one achieves an
A in a full year Pre-Calculus course, they will be put automatically into B/C Calculus instead of the regular sequence of
A/B Calculus. At the same time, many students are not satisfied with this new change.
“Only people coming straight into IMP III will have a shot
at enrolling in the class in the latter part of their high school
career,” said Farrukh Muktar, Adv. 801. “I think I speak on
the behalf of many of my fellow sophomores when I say the
change to this department was unnecessary.”
Last, but certainly not least, the foreign language department at Northside has also added new courses. Before now,
all the seven languages Northside, except the Asian languages,
offered AP courses.
The new year will now have AP level courses in the Chinese and the Japanese languages. The new courses have many
enrolled students excited.
“I think it is cool and also more beneficial to me,” said
Michal Garbacz, Adv. 803. “I plan on enrolling.”
The student body at Northside seems to be pleased overall
with the departments’ new curriculums. This change is also
the first of its kind for this school.
Page 4
Features
The stinking
onion:
Around
town this
winterbreak
by Rachel Ramir
And so it begins: the Holiday Season. Christmas music
blaring from every crevice of every building, Michigan Avenue trees lit up a soothing, or sometimes intrusive, white,
menorahs tied very ceremoniously to lamp-posts along
festive streets. The beauty about being young and in high
school is this: you’re not obligated to buy anyone anything.
Sure, it would be nice if you bought your best friends and
favorite family members little reminders of how much they
mean to you. But you’re not expected to stuff any stockings
or figure out how to wrap any oddly-shaped packages.
So what do young folk find to do with our holiday
time? Well, as you might imagine, as our elders are busy
shopping, stressing, and steaming over the prices of video
iPods (lucky you), there are plenty of activities you can take
advantage of here in Chicago, some of which you may have
overlooked. I’ve chosen some of my favorites based on their
proximity, price, and entertainment value.
For those of us who don’t mind braving the chill of
winter once in a while, there is always ice-skating: sport of
the young and graceful (though you wouldn’t be able to tell
it by the people who show up at the rink). Lucky us, we’ve
got the Chicago Park District to cover that base. From
November 27th through February 27th, the Park District
hosts its Come Out and Skate: Parks on Ice schedule. Nine
Chicago Parks will have ice rinks and skate-rentals available
from 12:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The best spot, of course, is
Millennium Park: an excellent vantage point from which to
enjoy the festive look of the city and be safe from all of the
frenzied shoppers along Michigan Avenue. It is relatively
inexpensive - $7 for rental skates – and relatively safe. You
just have to watch out for the usuals: small children, slow
couples, violent speed skaters, and lines of teenagers.
From November 25, 2005 to January 1, 2006, Chicago’s
Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, (I italicize “Chicago” because
Brookfield Zoo doesn’t count) will be offering their annual Zoo Lights show, where visitors are able to enjoy the
zoo’s animals in an entirely different manner. Inside, large,
lighted interpretations of some of the Zoo’s more famous
inhabitants decorate the different pens, walkways, and
houses.
The best part, though, is the collection of massive icesculptures found throughout the park, as well as ice-sculptors on hand that will carve a block of ice into a giant penguin or seal right before your eyes. An interesting part of
this program was “Latino Culture Weekend,” which took
place on December 3rd and 4th. For these two days, Santa
was available to listen to holiday wishes in both English and
Spanish, and all visitors were able to enjoy Latino music,
food, and crafts.
The Museum of Science and Industry offers a unique,
coniferous experience. After paying for admission, you
may enter the Main Hall and view the Museum’s Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light exhibitions.
Christmas Around the World displays over 50 over-sized
Christmas trees, each one representing a different country. For example, the Swedish tree is decorated with little
wooden horses, the Mexican tree with sombreros, the
Ethiopian tree with… you’ll have to see it for yourself. The
whole spectacle is truly beautiful, promoting cultural awareness and celebrating diversity.
Think of the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disney theme
parks, minus the annoying robots. Religious diversity is
encompassed in the Holidays of Light show, where the
traditions of diverse holidays are celebrated, including those
of the Chinese New Year, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Visakha Puja Day, St. Lucia Day, and the Winter
Solstice.
Marshall Fields? Not any longer, and this could mean
an end to Chicago’s beloved Holiday window display.
Along the Fields’ State Street side, you (and about a million
tourists) can view a creative series of windows, this year
depicting scenes from Cinderella. Though perhaps a bit
overrated, these windows are a worthwhile stop if you’re in
the vicinity, if only for nostalgia’s sake.
Near the Macy’s Windows is the 10th Annual Christkindlmarket. Here you will find dozens of outdoor booths
offering classic German holiday decorations, clothes, and
foods, including jewelry, wooden toys, straw ornaments,
and bratwurst. The market itself is friendly; much of its
good feeling and authenticity comes from the people actually manning the stalls.
Most of them have come straight from Germany to
sell their wares and handmade crafts. The largest tent in
the market is particularly intriguing. Here you can watch
one of Germany’s most ancient crafts – glassblowing – in
action. Large German men heat and shape hunks of glass
into beautiful vases and glasses that may be purchased
immediately after, and they take requests. This is a great
opportunity to pick up a few gifts (though remember: you’re
not obligated), eat a real German bratwurst, refresh on your
German-speaking abilities, and appreciate a unique European culture. Visit the Christkindlmarket from November
24 to December 22, centered in Daley Plaza.
These events are all worthy of your attention this season
– take some time to enjoy them! Have a good holiday.
The Hoof Beat
“This is the way we were”
Northside presents Our Town
by Kana Yoo
It’s Saturday, November 19, 2005:
the night of Our Town’s final performance.
Cast and crew lounge at Zephyr’s
after the play in their own reserved
section of the restaurant, lit dimly by
fluorescent blue lights. Dancing, singing, and silverware banging occasionally break the general roar of chatter.
Towards the end of the evening,
the cast gets together in one big
huddle and makes a techno-style
remix with lines from the play.
“Newsome! Howie Newsome!”
styles Josh Goode, Adv. 603, to other
lines like, “Where’s my birthday
girl?”, “Butternut”, and “Wagontruck”.
The cast and crew have reason
for celebrating after three successful
performances.
Mr. Randy Snow of the English
Department directed Our Town with
the help of Consulting Director, Ms.
Lisa Price, Technical Director, Mr.
Michael Lill, Assistant Directors
Carla Albert, Adv. 606, and Katy
Hintzen, Adv. 603, and Stage Manager, Carla Lopez, Adv. 705.
As the title suggests, Our Town is
about one town, Grover’s Corners,
New Hampshire, and the people
in it. Life is simple, and everyone
knows everyone else. The play is
divided into three acts. The first act
introduces the town and people. The
second act focuses on love, marriage
and growing up, and the final act
deals with deeper issues of death and
appreciating life.
“It’s those small moments that
make up all the big things that happen throughout your life that really
matter,” said Meghan Doherty, Adv.
702. “We show that in Our Town and
I’ve definitely taken that to heart; I
think that many other people have
also.”
During the near two months
Geoge Gibbs, played by Jordan Stacey, Adv. 600, and Emily Webb, played by
spent on rehearsing, the actors
Laura Buttitta, Adv. 601, join in wedded bliss.
formed a clearly apparent bond. In
Photo by Kana Yoo
the Green Room next to the stage,
lively banter took place as generous
globs of hair gel and make-up were applied to the performers,
character’s emotions across. It was really nice working with
two hours before the beginning of the final show.
them and I enjoyed it a lot.”
Another challenge that the actors faced was the play’s
absence of props or an elaborate set (except for the trellises,
that is).
“I open up every act by making breakfast, but I have no
stove, I have no bowls,” said Meghan Doherty. “We played a
pantomime game where we had to practice that. Really, it’s
just putting yourself in that moment and imagining that you
have it, and almost tricking yourself like you actually have it.
It was very difficult but I think we pulled it off.”
“When you think back and remember the past, things that
have happened to you, experiences you’ve had in the past, you
typically do not think of details,” said Mr. Snow. “You remember experiences, you remember interactions with people. Typically, it evokes some kind of emotional response from you.
And so I think the play, in terms of the lack of set and lack of
props, speaks true of the way memory works, but not just the
way memory works, but also the way dreams work.”
Memories of Our Town will hopefully linger in the minds
of the performers, the audience, and all those involved. It has
been hailed as quite a success.
“It went beyond my wildest expectations,” said Mr. Snow.
“In terms of everything—in terms of the emotional feel of
the play, in terms of the high level of acting from the students,
Mrs. Gibbs, played by Stella Martin, Adv. 607, and Mrs.
in terms of the response from the audience. In every aspect, I
Webb, played by Meghan Doherty, Adv. 702, shell peas
was very happy and satisfied.”
and chat.
Photo by Kana Yoo
“The bonding experience has just been fabulous,” said
Dimitra Bounas, Adv. 707. “I’m just going to be crying back
stage because today’s the last day. I’m going to be really sad.”
Minutes before the start of the final play, the actors,
huddled within the dark wings of the stage, quietly muttered
their lines, or worked as a group to motivate each other.
“Let’s put our best effort and our best positive energy
into this,” said Goode. “Good luck. I know you guys will be
great.”
These words of encouragement must have had an effect on the actors, for their third show was once again well
received.
“I thought that it was really good,” said Harold Jaffe,
Adv. 802. “I didn’t know what to expect at first, but it was really a pretty interesting story and the last act was really deep.
That sounds kind of corny, but it really moved me.”
The third act required dramatic performances from several cast members.
“Personally, I don’t think that I could have done it at all
by myself,” said Jordan Stacey, Adv. 600, who played the
Stage Managers Josh Goode, Adv. 603, and Jessamyn
leading role of George Gibbs. “Mr. Snow and Ms. Price did Fitzpatrick, Adv. 603, listen patiently to the pompous
presentation of Professor Willard, played by Dimitra
a lot of work and were so helpful teaching how to act, how
Bounas, Adv. 707.
to control your actions on stage, and how to present yourPhoto by Kana Yoo
self—even to think [of] different ways on stage to get your
December 2005
Features
Page 5
Aaahhh! Christmas is only days away?
The pros and cons of online shopping
by Syyeda Afreen Ali
During the holidays, many
people are out shopping for friends,
relatives, and even for themselves.
It is a time of exchanging not only
their love for one another, but gifts
as well. Stores at this time of the
year are filled with customers and
sales. Every department has its own
way of inviting the crowd to come
and shop.
This increased number of
people may irritate some, however.
From waiting in long lines to not
finding the correct size of a shirt,
shopping for the holidays may become a hassle for some. Therefore,
there is an alternative to shopping in
stores– online shopping. Although
online shopping does have its
advantages, there are also a few disadvantages to think about as well.
One benefit of shopping online
is that the customer can browse and
compare prices of objects all while
sitting in one place. With just a
click of a mouse, the customer can
decide which store has the better
quality and the better price. Many
students at Northside feel the same
when it comes to shopping online.
“Before I go shopping for an expensive
item, I browse online to compare prices at different stores and websites,” said Adiba Khan,
Adv. 701. “I know whether I’m getting a good
deal or if I’m getting ripped off.”
Aside from being able to compare prices
of different stores, shopping online involves
the use of only one parking space– the computer chair.
People don’t have to worry about getting
out of their houses into the bitter weather
during the holidays and walking the long
distances to stores.
While in the stores, it may be hectic to
wait in the long lines to buy things. However, when shopping online, customers avoid
this by making their purchases right from
their computer. It is a faster process when
compared to shopping in stores during the
holidays.
Some students also feel that viewing the
comments of other customers while shop-
ping online is beneficial. It provides a way
for people to see what the company is like as
well as what the customers have to say about
a product.
“It’s useful when you look at the customer
reviews,” said Carolina Vargas, Adv. 607. “It’s
one thing to see the description of the object,
but it’s another thing to see what the people
think about it.”
Although there are advantages, the public
should consider the disadvantages as well.
One negative factor about shopping online is
Fight your issue
by Aisha Wahid
Whether one feels like arguing, debating, or just shouting
at a fellow schoolmate, Northside’s Socratic Circle Society is
the club to join. Every Tuesday a group of students meet for
the Socratic Circle Society, also known as Fight Club, to have
an open topic debate. Members and guests are encouraged to
bring their own topics and opinions to propose and defend.
They also have an online Yahoo! group that students can join
to catch in on the fun.
“I have strong opinions and I like to defend them so I attended Fight Club,” said Tenzin Palmo, Adv. 905.
Northside’s Fight Club was started by a group of students
last year who were looking for a way to voice their opinions and enjoy an after school activity. Mr. Scott Plencer, a
substitute teacher for Ms. Sandra Beris last year, originally
sponsored it. Now it usually meets in Ms. Anna Lisa Searcy’s
room, in the Social Science wing.
“I decided to start Fight Club because it’s an opportunity
to talk about an interesting situation and be heard,” said Farihah Khandaker, Adv. 703. “I wanted us to learn something
about the world and debate about it, but only if I could find
some more Republicans to join.”
At one of Fight Club’s average Tuesday meetings about
ten students attended and, along with science teacher Mr.
Gregory Difrancesco, searched for a topic to debate. They
came up with various topics, including Mr. Difrancesco’s idea
related to the growth of the military and religion in society
and how it affected the rise of fascism. This idea was disregarded due to its difficulty to debate and small response from
the students.
Then topics jumped from current events to controversial
topics around the world, beginning with the Vatican and its
acceptance, or rejection of the theory of evolution. Then, one
member brought up the question of whether culture was dying
in society. Many complained of the vast amount of relatively
trivial topics covered in current newspapers.
“It is upsetting that we can’t pick up a newspaper without
reading headlines on a celebrity,” said Caitlin Cronin, Adv.
709.
The club continued to argued about whether people would
rather read news on gang violence rather than someone winning the lottery. The students concluded that little affection
and sympathy is involved in news reports and that many
positive stories aren’t covered. The anchors just list the facts of
a horrific event and move on. The next topic was on the Mancow Morning Madhouse Show, but that didn’t last long and
soon the students discussed President George Bush’s inability
to open a door in China.
Then yet another issue was brought to the attention of the
group.
“Where is the Weather Underground of our youth?” said
that the customer can only see
the item as a picture, not in
person. The customer does not
have the benefit of looking at
the finer qualities of an item
and frequently the picture of
the item is not very clear on
the screen.
While shopping in stores
requires cost of transportation
for the customer, shopping
online requires shipping and
handling for most items. This
may be a problem for some
customers because they have
to pay for an item that isn’t as
expensive when bought in a
store, but end up paying a lot
for shipping and handling.
It is usually a good idea
to do seasonal shopping early
because the item may not be
in stock, which will cause a
delay in shipping. Many items
sell out as the holidays loom
nearer and this causes problems for procrastinators.
“Most of the time I like
shopping for things online
because it’s convenient,” said Mateusz
Nosek, Adv. 702. “But at the same time
I encounter problems with receiving it
on time because I tend to wait until the
last minute.”
Shopping for the holidays is a time
of excitement and joy for many. However, when deciding to either shop in
stores or online, it may be a good idea
for customers to consider both the pros
and cons of shopping.
Jane Fidman, Adv. 705. “We complain about Bush and the
United States, but we don’t have a movement.”
Students had various responses to this one, including that
Chicagoans are lazy and fat, which led to a couple of new
subjects.
They talked about how being fat is a self induced epidemic and then shifted to the protest on one of Abercrombie’s
t-shirt logos.
One of the more interesting topics was about a current
news story of a lady in Australia who is deaf, blind, and mute
and is attempting to sue her mother’s doctor for not screening
her before birth and instead allowing her to be born. Members
said that it has become too easy to sue these days. They discussed, for example, how McDonald had to pay a large sum
due to a hot coffee spill.
“Everyone’s just claiming money,” said Jane. “It’s because
we’re lazy.”
Northside’s Fight Club can be an engaging experience for
students who take an interest. “I wanted to improve my debating skills,” said Tenzin Nordon Langchung, Adv. 900.
The Socratic Circle Society takes on a variety of topics
and doesn’t spend more time on one topic than the amount of
material people have to discuss. Arguments are rather short
and questions are open ended. It is a good way to debate without having to worry about what one feels and has to say.
The monk jazzes up Northside
Jazz students get a treat
by Rachel Hautzinger
The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
gave the members of the Northside Jazz
Band a clinic at Northside on Friday, October 28th. This event at Northside was part of
their tour throughout other CPS high schools
and grade schools, including Lincoln Park
High School and Jones College Prep.
“The clinic gave the students a first hand
chance to work with and listen to first class
jazz artists and interact with them,” said Mr.
Mike Lill, the conductor of the Northside
Jazz Band. “The kids really benefited from
being able to hear how they can better their
technique.”
The four members of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz that arrived at
Northside were lead by Bobby Watson, a
renowned saxophonist and recording artist.
Richard Johnson, piano, Derek Nievergelt,
bass, and Otis Brown III, drums, also arrived from the Institute. After listening to
Northside’s band, the clinic teachers gave the
students tips on how to improve their performance, and then demonstrated it themselves.
“The performance of the Thelonious
Monk Jazz Ensemble was spectacular,” said
Mr. Lill. “They were all very inviting; I was
invited to play with them.”
“I was blown away by the incredible
skill and wisdom displayed by those
guys,” said Nicholas Florence,
Adv. 601. “Their best qualities
were their incredible sense of
rhythm and powerful dynamics.”
As the Northside Jazz
Band started their first
performance, Mr. Lill enthusiastically conducted
the students as their
toes tapped along
with the beat.
“The students
played very well
under the pressure of having
professionals stare
at them,” said Mr.
Lill.
The members
of the institute reacted very positively
to the students’
performance.
“This was one
of the smoothest
versions I’ve ever
heard of the
song played by
students,” said
Watson.
Watson
began instructing
the horns as the
piano, percussion
section, and bass
received individual
instruction. As
the clinic moved
on, the teachers
were laughing
and joking with
the kids. The
instructors used
classic jazz musicians
as references and played
examples, while the students
listened intently.
“I received some really helpful in-depth
tips,” said Jonathon Nagatani, Adv. 605. “It
helped me set my thoughts straight.”
“It was amazing. Bobby Watson is an
amazing saxophonist, and I play saxophone,
which was cool,” said Jordan Garcia, Adv.
800.
Steven Solomon, Adv. 810, saxophonist, and Paul Balik, Adv. 604, who normally
plays trombone in Jazz Band, got the chance
to play solos on the piano and receive tips.
“It gave me a better understanding of
how to play jazz music,” said Solomon.
“Jazz is so different from rock or latin.”
The Northside Jazz band, which was
chosen due to its advanced music curriculum, was extremely lucky to have the
program.
“It was a great honor that they chose
Northside, but it was a fluke because they
were scheduled to be in New Orleans, but
came here instead because of Hurricane
Katrina,” said Mr. Lill.
“Their superb musicianship shone
through their masterfully smooth performance and left me in awe,” said Florence.
Page 6 Editorial
The Hoof Beat
Mark My Words
Diet Coke- make the switch
by Aliy Markowski
Around this time last year, CPS announced that Coke
machines would no longer be allowed in any Chicago
Public School. Sadly, we all watched as they rolled away
our beloved Coke and carried in Snapple machines. CPS
officials argued that sugar-filled Coke was unhealthy and a
contributing factor to the obesity epidemic that’s consuming the nation’s youth.
I fully agree. Coca-cola classic, as well as any other
regular soda, costs your body about 140 calories a can.
That’s 140 calories filled with the equivalent of ten teaspoons of straight sugar and empty of any and all nutrients.
Indeed, you might as well eat a Twix Bar instead of a can
or two regular Coke. But what about Diet Coke? Diet Coke
doesn’t have any calories. Zero, zip, nada, zilch. In fact, it
has 170 calories less than the Snapple CPS
brought into our schools. Yes, that’s right;
the new “healthier” alternative to Coke
has even more calories and more sugar than
regular soda. So why wasn’t Diet Coke,
or Diet Sprite, Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Root
Beer or any one of the plethora of diet
sodas on the market these days, kept
around instead?
The answer boils down to America’s ongoing and peculiar resistance
to diet sodas. No matter how many
health campaigns discourage regular
soda and advocate calorie-free alternatives, and despite countless fad diets
warning followers of the hazard that is
regular coke, the majority of Americans
are still choosing regular over diet soda.
So why is it taking the fattest nation in
the world so long to make the conscious
decision to switch to diet soft drinks? Why
are public school systems across America
advocating sugar-filled juices and denouncing diet soda as a healthy alternative to regular pop? Perhaps it stems
from the traditional aversion to unnatural
substances—admittedly those chemicals that fill diet coke
to replace the sugars in the regular version. Without these
chemicals, diet soda would be nothing but water. Of course
water always has been and will continue to be a fundamental necessity of human life—the purest and healthiest beverage nature has to offer. But the beverage market
finds success in variety. The question isn’t what fluid is
the healthiest of all liquids, but rather which alternative
to regular soda is best. Across the world regular Coke has
been hugely successful. People aren’t going to give up soft
drinks all together, but they just may be likely to choose
diet soda over regular if they know how many benefits their
body will reap from the switch.
Some critics of diet soft drinks oppose the use of
aspartame, the artificial sweetener found in the majority of
diet soda varieties. The most common claim is that aspartame causes cancer. This is plain and simply a myth—one
that has been refuted repeatedly by the American Cancer
Society, the FDA, and the National Cancer Institute.
Throughout digestion, aspartame never enters the bloodstream. Therefore, aspartame cannot be a cause of cancer
because it never even reaches any essential internal organs,
including the brain. Another theory held by opponents of
the sweetener is that aspartame breaks down into poisonous and potentially harmful chemicals during digestion.
However, this is also untrue, since aspartame’s chemical
components, aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol,
all exist in much greater quantities in many other foods
which seem to pose no evident health risks, including
milk, meat, fruits, and vegetables. These faulty
claims that aspartame is dangerous have been
scientifically debunked time and time again.
Aspartame should be recognized as safe once
and for all; no longer should any scrutiny of the
sweetener factor into the diet soda debate.
Too much time is wasted testing and
retesting the effects of aspartame. Instead of
searching for dangers in a chemical already
proven to be safe, we should focus on solving
the present threatening problem of obesity. An
estimated 300,000 Americans die annually from
obesity-related causes, including diabetes, stroke,
and heart disease. In the past twenty years, obesity
rates in children have doubled, an ominous sign
for the future of America’s youth. Education
on the dangers of obesity and encouragement of
healthy eating habits are certainly methods to solve the
problem. The solution does need to start in the schools
were children spend the majority
of their time. America’s schools
had the right idea getting rid of
regular Coke, a sugar-filled demon fattening American children.
However our schools went wrong
when they replaced one evil with
another, deceiving fruit juices filled
with even more sugar than soda.
They missed what was right in
front of them, the simple and effective solution of Diet Coke. With
no proven side effects, sugar-free
diet soda is the only realistic alternative to calorie-filled Coke. When
our schools recognize this truth
and encourage students to begin
choosing Diet Coke, the rest of the
nation will follow steering clear of
obesity-causing regular soda.
It’s the thought that
counts
by Ashraf Abbas
Merry Christmas, tip-top Tet, crazy
Kwanzaa, and a happy Hanukkah. It’s all
part of the holiday season.
You’re to get out there, reunite with the
family, enjoy a good meal or two, and finally
wait for the moment when your parents or
siblings open their gifts. You can only hope
that they like the gift you spent four grueling days of your life marching through the
snow from store to store and braving lines of
grouchy old ladies with 5 inch nails to get.
You start to think of a few things: What if
they don’t like it? What if mom and
dad bought little Timmy the same
remote control car you got him?
Will little Timmy throw yours
aside in utter disgust? Will
he hate you for
not thinking
of that very
possibility?
It’s just too
big of a risk
to take.
It really
is easier just
not to take the
risk. Remember
that old saying,
the one grandma
used to say all
the time, “It’s the
thought that counts,
honey?” Yeah, that
one. That actually
means something. It
really isn’t necessary
to prove your love
through some tangible
object. You love someone because they mean
something to you—something special. Your
parents are the ones who brought you into
this world, your brothers and/or sisters are
the ones you grew up and grandma and
grandpa are the ones who were there to teach
you life’s lessons. To people like this you owe
much more than a remote control car, Barbie
doll, a tool set, or even a diamond ring. You
can’t put a price on love. You just can’t.
That being said, it becomes really hard
for Timmy to argue that you should buy
everyone gifts. It seems more logical to let
your most valuable gift be your ability to be
constantly forgiving, grateful, and understanding towards those you love.
Besides, you might hurt someone if
he thinks you took the cheap route on
their present. I’m almost positive
it’ll mean a lot more if you give
them a gigantic bear hug instead.
Again, it isn’t worth taking the
risk. I mean, what if the price of
the “cheap gift” was all you had
to spend? And what if you really
believed the gift would mean
something to your loved
one?
Buying an expensive
gift can never equal your
weight in love. To show
how much you care,
you have to be very
appreciative, accepting, forgiving, and
grateful. For someone to
feel this way towards you
is a wonderful feeling,
which is exactly what
you would want someone else to feel. A gift
may be able to do that,
but in all likelihood it will
just be far less affective than your own honest
love. Love is something that lasts a lifetime,
and it shouldn’t take a concrete object of
sorts to prove it to anyone.
Letter to the
Editor:
The Northside atmosphere has changed over these last
couple of years. A growing tension is now felt between students and some faculty members. As time has passed, more
rules have been made that limit the freedoms that we all enjoy
so much. Because we, the student body are no longer trusted,
teachers are now forced to be present in every room that is
hosting a club or meeting at all times. This breaking down of
trust between faculty and students is making Northside feel
different. Regarding the dress code, we believe it is important
to have minor guidelines that enforce modesty, but no extreme
measures about dress code are needed. Northside is a unique
community because all of its members including staff, parents,
students work together to try to understand one another. The
administration has let us express our individuality through a
very minor dress code, which is also another hallmark of the
Northside way of life. If we as a learning community are to
continue the amazing progress we have seen thus far, we must
also preserve the freedoms that we have. Overall, we feel a
difference in our school’s environment. The wonderful relaxed
feeling we used to experience in such an academically challenging atmosphere was what made Northside amazing and
unique. We are afraid that Northside is on its way to becoming
just like every other high school.
MeghanDoherty
Grace Ayala
Chynna Moelien
Mike Jao
Jill Swanson
Max Swiatlowski
Janice Ng
Tom Skawski
Amanda Kaiser
Bobby Ziegler
Jaye Gardiner
Nick Florence
Malikat Rufai
Rian Calo
Jennifer Ceisil
Michael Florian
RacheRautznger
Szymon Sambor
Beata Corson
Spend that holiday
cheer!
by Damon Beres
Let’s all just come out and say it: our
holidays are commercialized to the point of
no return, and everyone enjoys ripping open
obnoxious wrapping paper far more than
they enjoy reflecting upon the true meaning
of their holiday celebrations. In fact, we only
acknowledge the background fluff to alleviate the guilt of viciously opening presents
during the holiday season.
American holiday tradition is basically
one of wallet destruction, and that’s how
it shall continue until the end of time. The
citizens of our sprawling cities enjoy nothing
more than gorging their shopping carts in
the overcrowded aisles of department stores
while pushing their fellow shoppers around
in a maddened frenzy to snatch up every last
piece of plastic paraphernalia. All of our
carnal desires can be fulfilled by disemboweling our fellow man on the battlefield that is a
mid-December’s Best Buy.
As such, the presents we buy for our
loved ones are essentially war trophies.
Because of this, it is of utmost importance
that we get them the nicest, most expensive
gifts possible. How else can the holiday cheer
and love for one another be truly spread?
Certainly not through hanging mistletoe or
late night dreidel-spinning cuddle fests. Not
even the most heartfelt Kwanzaa Umoja can
bring our fair citizens together in the same
way that a nice, juicy present can.
Honestly, there isn’t a single person
on the face of this planet that would outwardly say, “Dear mother, I don’t want you
to waste any money on me this Christmas,
all I want is to spend the whole day snuggling, drinking lukewarm eggnog, and reading about how our forefathers celebrated this
most hallowed of holidays,” and if one did
it would be an outright lie likely intended to
butter up their dear mother so that she might
buy a nice present anyway. A conniving
scheme, yes, but it serves only to elucidate
the crucial act of buying a good present
for your loved ones — that’s all they want.
Those that lack funding for the purchasing of
overpriced holiday gift commodities would
be wise to begin robbing old
ladies, as your loved
ones will hate you if
you turn up emptyhanded this holiday
season.
September 2005
Editorial
The Hoof Beat Student
Newspaper
Career Day - What went wrong?
Instead of heading to colloquium on November 16th,
students made their way to the auditorium and the gym to
commence Northside’s very first Career Day. Cook County
State’s Attorney Richard A. Devine launched the event for
the junior and senior classes with "Law and Order – Chicago Style." Mr. Devine’s address illustrated the role of the
State’s Attorney’s Office in safeguarding the everyday lives
of Cook County residents. He captured the audience with
true stories about tragedy-stricken families aided by the defense of the State’s Attorney’s Office. His speech set the bar
high for the rest of Career Day; unfortunately, the lectures
that followed fell short of these expectations.
The formula for success would appear to be
obvious: on career day
students should learn
about careers they are
actually considering pursuing. However, this was
precisely the problem with
Northside’s Career Day.
Most students wound up
attending sessions in fields
that had little interest to
them. This unfairly left
the speaker, by no fault of
his own, with the nearly
impossible task of intriguing an audience filled with
students reluctant to even
give their full attention.
Many students left Career Day feeling as though
they had wasted their time.
However, these student
complaints claiming
Career Day was entirely
a waste are unfair. It is
true that students would
benefit from talking to
professionals in fields they
are considering; yet there
is also a lot to gain from
learning about other careers and the plethora of opportunities that are open for Northside students to explore. Sure,
some Northsiders may think they have their futures planned
out entirely, but nonetheless as high school students their
plans may very well change in the critical years ahead. It
is the responsibility of the school on Career Day to expose
students to all kinds of careers, providing a window into the
many career opportunities they may choose to pursue in the
future. Furthermore, even if students attend career sessions
that do not peak their personal interests, there is a valuable
lesson in determining which career fields not to pursue.
There are so many different jobs that exist—discovering
what does not work will help students find out what does.
However, although there it is important for students
to narrow and define their career interests by determining
what not to do with the rest of their lives, it is still imperative for students to gather perspective and knowledge from
learned professionals on careers they do want to pursue.
The problem with Northside’s Career Day was that for
many students the whole day was crossing jobs off their
lists, rather than learning more about the career fields that
Aliy’s Sudoku
still appealed to them. It is not surprising that students
would feel let down if all three sessions they attended ruled
out potential careers while not one left them interested in
further exploring any field. The workplace is a scary place
when you’re a teenager; students would rather be left hopeful than worried that there may be nothing out there for
them.
If anyone is to blame for the issues with Career Day,
then everyone is. Everyone, that is, except for the speakers,
each a volunteer who gave up his or her own valuable time
to contribute to the event. The fundamental organization
of the event was flawed in that student opinion was never
taken into account in the
planning process. Some
prior survey of what career
fields students are considering would have better
balanced the career sessions
to fit Northsiders’ interests.
Many of the session choices
focused on similar fields
despite limited student interest, while there were not
enough sessions on other
careers preventing students
from signing up for lectures
they actually wanted to attend. To have a successful
Career Day it is essential
that students find some
sessions on jobs that might
appeal to them. The most
productive schedule would
have incorporated a mix of
the two.
Students are partially
at fault as well, since many
are guilty of not making
the most of the Career Day
experience. Ultimately,
regardless of whether or not
the sessions applied to their
particular career aspirations,
there was a lot for students to learn from every speaker
about their jobs and experiences. Even if the lecture did not
inspire students to follow in the speaker’s footsteps, sessions
still helped students understand how different jobs function
in our working society.
Career Day has the potential to be a great experience at
Northside, where almost every student is hard-working on a
path to a meaningful career. This year was Northside’s very
first Career Day. Mistakes were inevitable. Now it is up to
everyone involved to learn from these issues to improve Career Days in the future. Next year, student interest must be
considered in organizing sessions that appeal to Northsiders’ career goals. Students must tackle the responsibility of
making the most of every session they attend and maximizing their own experiences. These efforts combined will be
the keys to success for future Career Days at Northside.
The previous article is an editorial written by a
member of the Hoof Beat staff. Letters to the editor
are welcome. Please e-mail questions or comments
to Ctylinski@northsideprep.org.
Page 7
Chalik on the
Sidewalk
The Mustangs’
Hoofbeat
by Ilya Chalik
Kicking up a dust storm, the Mustangs rush down the path
of enlightenment, beating their hooves upon the dusty ground.
The hooves go clatter, boom, clatter, boom upon the asphalt,
and sound waves echo. The dust settles, but one can still hear
the hoof beat receding into the distance.
The Hoof Beat to Northside represents a record of that
journey to enlightenment. The beat is constant, reoccurring
every month that school is in session. The Hoof Beat is loud
– it addresses the important issues that face the students of this
school. But most importantly the Hoof Beat aims to capture the
heartbeat and the spirit of Northside College Prep on paper recording its highs and lows, its successes and its failures. The
Hoof Beat does not only report the facts; it reports the essence
of every important event that relates to Northside.
Granted, the Hoof Beat is not yet ideal. The picture quality
is not usually up to Pulitzer standards, and neither is the writing. The headlines and captions are lackluster at times, and
the schedule of release dates is erratic. People occasionally
complain that they are misquoted, that some events are never
covered, and that names are misspelled. Yet this is all part of
the Hoof Beat’s charm.
Those who complain do not know how much work goes
into producing a single issue of the newspaper. First a list of
possible articles needs to be created, and the articles have to be
assigned. Then the reporters go out and gather information,
conduct interviews, and sit down to write their first draft. After that gets edited, they have to go through three more drafts
until the article is transferred. The reporters also have to plan
for an image to go with their article, either a photograph or
an artwork. The editors have to put up with the multitudes of
mistakes in each article and attempt to correct them all. Next,
they sit down for hours and complete the tortuous process of
layout. They have to make sure they extract captions for every
photograph and place everything properly. Finally the newspaper is reviewed for mistakes, and the links are done to make a
CD for the printer. After a few days at the printer, the process
is done, and neat stacks of Hoof Beat papers appear magically
in every advisor’s mailbox.
So the next time a person complains to you about the
Hoof Beat, point out that every month it is 16 or 20 pages
long, replete with images, a picturesque centerfold, luminous
reviews, and the all-important columns, which one can always
rely on being there. However, if that person still feels passionate enough, tell him or her to sit down and write a letter to the
editor and e-mail it to Chester Tylinski, the humble advisor of
the Hoof Beat.
There are not enough letters to the editor that are written,
so everyone is encouraged to write one if they feel strongly
about something. It is very likely that any letter sent will be
published, but the newspaper does reserve the right to edit
grammatical errors
in letters, or refrain
from printing
them.
The
whole school
is encouraged
to contribute
to the newspaper, whether with
articles, photos
or artwork.
Created by Aliy Markowski
Instructions: Fill
in the puzzle so
that every row of 9
numbers includes
all digits 1 through
9 in any order,
every column of 9
numbers includes
all digits 1 through
9 in any order
and every 3 by
3 subsection of
the 9 by 9 square
includes all digits 1
through 9.
However,
those that are interested
in continually writing for
the Hoof Beat are encouraged to
take the journalism class.
Those who excel in journalism become the editors of
one of the most highly respected newspapers in the city
of Chicago. The Hoof Beat has yet to rise up to the level of
certain newspapers across the country, but just like Northside,
it is gradually making improvements and winning awards.
The Hoof Beat is inseparable from Northside – it is Northside
reduced into a leaflet every single month.
Yet the question to ask is what would Northside be without its Hoof Beat? Maybe it would be a very quiet mustang, silently sitting in the shade, watching other mustangs pass it by.
Page 8
Centerfold
The Hoof Beat
Tis the season to be jolly
and willing to break a
buck!
Top 10 electronic for this holiday
season
by Abir Usman
10. Sony BRAVIA LCD Flat Panel
Television
Although a flat screen television
may not be number one on some lists,
it is there nonetheless. When Northsiders just want to relax, most turn to the
television set. So might as well make it a
good experience with the 26” BRAVIA
LCD Flat Panel HDTV from Sony. The
BRAVIA is a unique television because
it has CineMotion, meaning if a movie
were playing, the BRAVIA would recognize its technology and apply a reverse 3:
2 pulldown process which would make
moving pictures appear clearer and more
natural-looking. A 26” BRAVIA costs
$1,500 which is well worth the spending.
9. Panasonic DVD-LS55 Portable
DVD Player
Long car rides with parents will no
longer be boring with the Panasonic
DVD-LS55. The LS55 is by far one of
the best portable DVD players on the
market. One major feature is that the
player has up to 10 hours of playback
time while many other portable DVD
players such as the Polaroid PDV-0700,
only have about three hours of playback
time. The Panasonic DVD-LS55, also
known as “the cool-thing-invented-sothat-I-don’t-have-to-listen-to-my-parentsargue-about-the-house” sells at $499.95.
8. Canon DC20 DVD Camcorder
Northside harbors creativity and
sometimes students create films or
documentaries to turn in for projects.
The process just got a whole lot simpler
with the Canon DC20 DVD Camcorder.
It is the world’s smallest and lightest 2.2
mega pixel DVD camcorder. A major
plus for this type of camcorder is that
when recording a movie, it records
directly onto the DVD which can then be
put directly into a DVD player for instant
playback. There is no need for cables,
plugs, or tapes. The Canon DC20 DVD
Camcorder comes for the lovely price of
just $849.99! But if that is a little above
a few price ranges, there is the Canon
DC10 DVD Camcorder which is a whole
$100 less, but is 1.33 mega pixels.
7. SanDisk Cruzer Mini USB Flash
Drive
Northside’s frustrating server likes to
die down on many students, especially
when something needs to be accessed
for a next period class. Therefore a flash
drive would be a very sensible gift. The
SanDisk Cruzer Mini USB Flash Drive
is the newest company to come out with
a four gigabyte flash drive. The new
technology is Hi-Speed USB 2.0 certified
for fast data transfer and because of its
sleek design it won’t block dual-stacked
USB ports. This helpful innovation sells
for $379.99.
6. Sony VAIO A Series Notebook
VGN-A600
Having the Sony VAIO A Series
Notebook VGN-A600 would be one
possible solution to never being able to
find an available computer to work on
in the library. The hard drive has up to
80 gigabytes and integrated wireless
internet. The new A Series Notebook is
ideal for entertainment purposes as well
as school purposes with a DVD burner
and optional AV dock that allows one to
watch and record television. The Sony
VAIO A Series Notebook VGN-A600
starts at $1429.99.
5. VuGo Multimedia System from
Tiger Electronics
The VuGo is much like the iPod
Video. With 128 megabytes of space on
the VuGo, it allows one hour of video, or
six hours of songs, or 1,200 photographs.
There is an additional slot for a memory
card up to two gigabytes. A drawback for
the VuGo is that it runs on alkaline batteries, which run for a limited 3.5 hours. The
VuGo, however, is much cheaper, selling
at $119.99 over the iPod Video which can
sell anywhere from $299 to $399.
4. Canon Exilim EXS500 Digital
Camera
The Canon Exilim EXS500 has gotten
a lot of hype with consumers because
of its small size. The Exilim is barely
larger than a credit card and is 0.54” at its
thinnest point. It is amazing how such a
small digital camera packs 5.0 megapixels with 3 times optical zoom on a 2.2”
screen. The Exilim also acts as a video
camera capturing video at 30 frames per
second. An additional feature is the Anti
Shake DSP that reduces blurring caused
by shaking hands or moving subjects. The
sleek and stylish new Canon Exilim sells
at $349.99 and comes in the colors of
orange, gray, and white.
3. Sidekick II from T-Mobile
The Sidekick II has gotten a makeover
from its drab gray looking style into new
more hip and modern looking phones.
The newly designed Sidekicks include a
pink one designed by Juicy Couture and
a black one designed by Mister Cartoon.
A few of the features that the Sidekick
offers include real web browsing, instant
messaging, world phone, and camera.
These Sidekicks are only available for a
limited time and are sold only in select
T-Mobile stores in Chicago, New York,
Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco or
online. All 3 Sidekick II’s are selling for
$399.99 each.
2. iPod Video
The new 5th generation iPod, the iPod
Video is causing a storm. The evolution
of the iPod has gone from just playing
songs, to viewing photographs, to podcasts, and now to videos. The newest
Shop Till Y
Christmas on a budget
by Priyanka Bhagat
Each year, everyone goes through the
same holiday shopping process. They want to
give the perfect gift to everybody on their list.
But that list keeps getting longer and longer.
How can one possibly afford buying gifts for
everyone?
There are several ways that one can give
fantastic gifts without breaking out the credit
cards or piggy banks!
A person can save money by making
homemade Christmas Cards. One can buy
colored papers at craft stores, or even at an
office supply store—get some card stock in
two different colors and get creative! Fold one
piece of each color paper in 1⁄2 the wide way.
With one of the papers, trim 1/8” off all the
edges. Glue the smaller piece to the larger
pieces making sure that it is centered on the
paper. Then, either sponge or stamp a Christmas picture or words on the front of the Card.
Punch two holes side by side in the center
of the top of the card and tie a little piece of
ribbon on the card to add a special touch. The
best part about this is that it only takes a few
minutes to make!
A gift loved by young children, that a person does not actually have to make himself, is
a box full of adult clothing: shoes, lace cloth,
bandanas, purses, hats and other accessories.
Kids love dressing up and this is an appropriate gift for both boys and girls. Add strands
of beads, boas and plastic jewelry for girls,
or a tool belt and plastic tools for boys. One
can make the box look like a closet by simply
painting the cardboard box and putting spools
on one end for legs.
An inexpensive gift to make for Dad or
Grandpa is a Scrabble name plaque. Use one
of the trays from an old Scrabble board to
make the plaque. Arrange tiles to spell “Dad”,
“Boss”, “Grandpa”, or another word. Glue
the tiles into place. One can also make a key
ring for anyone by using the Scrabble tiles
addition to the iPod family comes in two
sizes of 30 or 60 gigabytes. These models
hold up to 15,000 songs, up to 25,000
photos and up to 150 hours of video all
of which are displayed on a 2.5-inch color
screen. The 30 gigabyte iPod is sold for
$299 while the 60 gigabyte iPod is sold for
$399.
1. Xbox 360
The new Xbox 360 has made it to
number one on this year’s electronic must
have list for the holiday season, and with
good reason too. The Xbox 360 is not
only a gaming console, but is fully loaded
with a hard drive and DVD and music
player. Not to mention, when combined
with Windows XP Media Center Edition, it can record or pause live television
and is able to watch movies On-demand
and more. These are just a few of many
features available on the Xbox 360, which
is selling for $399.99. This isn’t a bad
deal considering what a gaming console,
a DVD player, a music player, or a TiVo
would cost separately. (Check out the
features section for a more detailed review
of the Xbox 360.)
to spell the person’s name. The ring can
be purchased at any craft store. Use clear
twine and thread it through the ring, then
glue it down onto the backs of the Scrabble
tiles. Now glue matching letters onto the
backside of the first letters. If there are not
enough matching letters, turn over any
letter and glue it to the backside of the first
letters. This will spell the name out on one
side and leave blank tiles on the backside.
One can make a potpourri warmer for
Grandma, Mom, or even a teacher. Use
a clear jar of any size to make this craft.
Purchase a small string of small Christmas
lights, clear in color. Place them in the
jar allowing the cord to come up and out
of the mouth of the jar. Fill the jar with
potpourri using a wooden spoon handle
or something similar to push the potpourri
tightly into the jar. Cover the jar with a
piece of lace and secure it with a pretty
ribbon. When the recipient plugs it in, the
lights will warm the potpourri, and the
aroma will escape through the lace top and
into the room. The lights add a warm glow
to the jar of potpourri.
Another good idea for a gift on a
budget is framed pictures. There are stores
like the Dollar Store, Ikea, etc., where one
can pick up nice wooden or clip frames
cheaply. Collect these frames (all standard
photo sizes) and send them off with pictures of family or friends taken during
the most recent get-together. This way
the picture will not just get tucked in
a drawer and forgotten about. Instead,
they will have a special keepsake that
they can look back at to remember
the event.
A gift doesn’t always have to
be wrapped up with a bow on it. If
Mom has been complaining about
that leaky faucet for 6 months and
nothing has happened, go fix it
– then put a bow on it.
Homemade treats are few and
far between. For many people it’s
a lot easier to just buy a pie or
treats for the holidays. This holiday
season take the time to bake friends and
family their favorite goodies.
Magazines, such as Martha Stewart’s
Living, Sunset, or other home/hobby
magazines can also be sources of inspiration for inexpensive gifts.
In the end, it is the thought that counts
because it is the thought itself that is actually the gift. The material expression of
that thought is just what you wrap up in
brightly colored paper and shiny ribbons.
If the gift inside does not clearly reveal
the thought, it may be impressive, but
it will never be truly great. Homemade
Christmas gifts can be special too and even
more than the gifts that are bought for they
signify the love, hard work and time spent
to make them, behind their creation.
Gifts of love
by Elizabeth Jose
It’s that time of year
again, when people look
at their girlfriends and
boyfriends and rack
their brains trying to
think of a halfway decent gift
for them. With the holidays
moving closer and finals
looming on the horizon, time
is running out to get that
perfect present.
Finding a gift is difficult
because most people get
too caught up in the general
bustle of the holiday season
and don’t stop to consider all
their options. Having money
available is great, but lack
of money doesn’t mean the
present has to be substandard. It really is the thought
that counts (as long as
there really is a great
thought behind it).
When choosing a gift, the first
thing to consider
is the person who
will receive it. The
most important part
of the whole gift-giving
process is knowing what a
significant other likes and
would appreciate. A gift
that reflects their particular
interests or hobbies is sure
to be a perfect gift. Another type of gift could
reflect a significant
occasion or event in
the relationship. For
example, an original
poem written on a
souvenir from a first
date or an anniversary date has romantic
value. It is also a
good way to capture
a moment in the
relationship.
And then there’s the
classic gift--a date. This
gift is especially appropri-
December 2005
Centerfold
You Drop!
Page 9
To give or not to give?
Gift giving this holiday season
by Vasiliki Mitrakos
What is the perfect amount of money to
spend on friends and family, and should the
gift be store bought or homemade? Northside’s students spend an average of $15-$20
on friends and $20-$30 on family. Some
students prefer store-bought gifts, while others
do not mind if they are made. Rather
they think time and effort are
more important when it comes to
close friends and family.
“If you put enough
effort in the gift, it is
just as good as buying it,” said Meagan
Cleary, Adv. 905.
However, there
are always those who
disagree with giving or
receiving a handmade
gift because they think
not enough thought is
put into it.
“I definitely want
a store-bought gift,” said
Chelsea Ringquist, Adv.
904. “I’m not into the whole
pinecone covered in glitter thing.”
Of course, with every passing holiday season some students will be unfortunate enough
to receive an unpleasant gift. While some
sleep soundly knowing that their friends have
not forgotten them this year, many others
still suffer from the nightmares of Christmas
present disasters when they end up with a gift
they hate.
“I gave my cousin three Playstation
games, and he got me a calculator with
socks,” said Daphne Erpelro, Adv. 901.
“I spent a significant amount of money in
8th grade for a Christmas gift and got a bunch
of candy,” said Peter Vroustouris, Adv. 600.
Those who give a thoughtful and good
present sometimes feel that they did not
receive an equal gift in return and that way
judge the person’s true friendship.
“I’ve given a lot of gifts and received
nothing,” said Felix Lukose, Adv. 600. “That
is how you find out who your real
friends are.”
Nevertheless, even when
receiving less worthy gifts,
some students have a more
positive view on gift-giving and
think of the true meaning of
Christmas.
“The purpose of gift-giving
is making other people happy,”
said Geoffrey Wang, Adv. 700.
Other students shared their
tragic gift stories and gave tips for
dealing with these situations.
“I always ask them to give
it to me first, so if they give you
something of no worth like from the
Dollar Store, don’t give them jack,” said
Enoch Abraham, Adv. 607. “No 50-cent
candle to buy cheap friendship. You make
them feel bad, don’t accept it.”
“Get something the person will like,” said
Dan Lanzen, Adv. 607.
If you can not afford a worthy present,
try using your talents and put a lot of effort
into your gift, so that your friends and family
will know you care about them. Find out
what they really want and value, but do not
ask the blunt question “What do you want for
Christmas?”, because then it is obvious. In the
end, though giving a perfect gift is sometimes
difficult, try to surprise friends and family
with something special.
Who says gift giving has
to be expensive?
Bargain shopping - gifts $20 and
under
by Zainab Bilfaqi
ate in last-minute situations.
A date can be accompanied
by a handmade present. A
date given as a present should
be extra-special. A dinnerand-a-movie date is an old
standby.
Women will never say no
to jewelry. Beautiful, romantic jewelry--such as a delicate
bracelet, a pair of earrings,
or a heart-shaped pendant- are especially popular. The
design does not have to be
intricate to make a statement.
Depending on price range,
there are different places to
find great jewelry. The mall is
a good place to start exploring. Little jewelry shops
often carry unique pieces,
and larger department stores
also carry affordable jewelry.
In addition, the creatively
inclined can make their
own jewelry using beads,
semi-precious gems and
silver pieces. Several beading
magazines can be found in
the periodicals section of
book stores or grocery stores,
and kits are available at many
places. Chicago also has
quite a few beading-supply
shops, such as Caravan Beads
on Lincoln, which offer
classes and other resources.
Watches, wallets and
sports memorabilia are always popular among guys. A
jersey or an autographed ball
from a favorite team are sure
to be a hit, and even books
on their special interests are
appreciated by some guys.
Clothing accessories such as
ties, caps or belts, are also
common gifts. Electronics
are popular among all, but
perhaps especially among
guys. Best Buy and Circuit
City are good places to look
for electronics such as games,
game systems, and I-pods.
Finding a gift for a
significant other doesn’t have
to be difficult if the person’s
interests and tastes are taken
into consideration and if a lot
of thought is put into the gift.
And if all else fails, there is
always (drum roll, please) the
Gift Card.
Holidays are around the
corner and the gift-giving
season is here. Shopping can
be challenging, especially for
students who, for the most
part, do not have an income.
However, purchasing a
thoughtful gift under twenty
dollars is not as complicated
as people may think.
Buying items from a craft
store, and then making a
gift is one possible idea. For
females, friends can fill up
baskets with makeup, bath
and body products, and other
accessories from stores like
Target or Wal-Mart. Similar
gift baskets can be made for
males by adding chocolate,
and little memorabilia, such
as baseball cards, and a CD.
This thoughtful gift can also
be easier on the wallet.
Making a sentimental gift is a long-standing tradition. For
example, if
pictures of a
loved one are
accessible,
one can make
a collage of
the many times
spent together with
thoughtful notes or
quotes added.
Making
little snowmen
from Styrofoam balls and
decorating
them is resourceful. A picture
frame encasing a very
memorable moment can
make gift receivers grateful
for friends who remembered
an important time in their
lives. If one has access to a
CD burner, creating a mix
CD of the person’s favorite
songs will be cherished.
Baked goods can be a tasty
and thoughtful alternative
to traditional gifts. They are
very original and thoughtful.
“Baked gifts are good to
give because you can see the
satisfaction on the person’s
face while they are eating
your gift” said, Marilyn
Botero, Adv. 804.
If one’s heart is set on
store bought gifts,
seasonal sales can
help one stay on
budget. The day of
shopping madness
after Thanksgiving, also
known as “Black Friday”, is a day of special
early bird discounts.
Major department stores
such as Kohl’s, Carson Pierre Scott,
and Sears always
have good sales,
and it is possible to
get a nice gift for
even 5 dollars.
“It’s definitely
crazy to go shopping the
day after Thanksgiving, but some of
the sales are
worth it,” said
Rebecca Lai,
Adv. 802.
For strangers, gift giving
becomes even
more difficult.
When in doubt, get
pajamas. Pajamas are a
good gift because everyone
wears them. Pajamas are
also inexpensive so it wont
leave the buyer with empty
pockets.
Gift cards are very
modern. When shopping and
unable to find something perfect, or when shopping at the
last minute, buying a gift card
can be convenient. This allows the recipient to purchase
what they choose. Most retail
stores offer gift cards, and it
is an ideal present, a good
gift for picky people. If stores
don’t offer gift cards, there
are also currently Visa and
Mastercard gift cards, which
are accepted at most stores.
Gifts cards are sometimes a
great way to go, as the buyer
has full authority over how
much money would be put
on the card.
The holiday season is
known as the gift giving
season, but the gifts friends
or loved ones receive do not
have to be expensive.
December 2005
Arts and Entertainment
Welcome to Schlegl’s
Beresilicious
All that’s old is new again
by Damon Beres
With the launch of
Microsoft’s newest home
gaming console, the Xbox
360, gamers worldwide
will gladly spend upwards
of $400 in order to bask in
all of the grandeur of the
next generation gaming experience. The high-kicking
femme fatales of Tecmo’s
Dead or Alive series grow
ever closer to resembling
living, breathing women
with the 360’s Dead or Alive
4. Gamers see the apparently action-packed world
of medieval China as never
before with Koei’s Dynasty
Warriors 5, and imaginations expand with the
visually dazzling Kameo:
Elements of Power from Rare
Ltd. Intriguing, but do we
truly need to spend nearly
half a grand on the latest
and “greatest” when there
are worlds still unexplored
from previous generations
of gaming systems?
How many have escaped certain death alongside the mysterious Yorda
in the Playstation 2’s Ico,
saved the planet of Gunstar
9 in Gunstar Heroes for
the Sega Genesis, created
beautiful music with Electroplankton for the Nintendo
DS, or raised their very
own Seaman in the offbeat
Dreamcast title? Not nearly
enough, and yet these same
people who have barely
begun to taste the gaming
world are already instigating the shortage of Xbox
Page 11
360s across America. The
clamoring of unenlightened
swine can be silenced only
by the diamond-coated swill
that Microsoft is pouring
(rather slowly) into troughs
across the nation. There is no
need to drop a small fortune
on the Xbox 360 when we
can visit the used games
sections of the very stores
that sell Microsoft’s console
behemoth and buy forgotten
classics for a much smaller
price.
Looking at things objectively, there’s no doubt that
the 360 has a powerful allure,
and it has an undeniable
aesthetic advantage over any
gaming store’s used game
bin. However, the biggest
downfall of the 360 at this
point is that it lacks innovation. Sure, games like Project
Gotham Racing 3 and Call of
Duty 2 (a street racing title
and a first-person shooter set
in a World War II setting,
respectively) are garnering
great reviews, but we’ve seen
these exact formulas so many
times before that the entire
routine grows to be a bit tiresome; there’s nothing unique
or refreshing about any of
the 360’s launch material.
Despite inferior graphics,
I would take the PS2’s
Katamari Damacy over yet
another street racer any
day. In other words, despite
their age, classical titles are
often the only bastion of
fresh game play available to
consumers.
Fresh, innovative
experiences will not reach
the 360 for some time, so
it is not a stretch to say
that Microsoft’s newest
machine is essentially a
$400 facelift.
And yet, the logic of
spending obscene amounts
of money for a glorified
makeover is not a foreign
concept to anyone in this
world, even non-gamers.
For instance, Hollywood’s
movies are generally given
beefy special effect budgets
as opposed to spending money on worthier
components that make for
a true classic such as scripting and directing; today’s
rap artists seem to make
money by constantly coming up with ways to sell
the word “ho.” It is a very
grim truth that our society
seems more infatuated
with the dazzling of our
senses on a visceral level as
opposed to the feeding or
intellectual enrichment of
our brains.
Our demand directly
affects the variation of the
supply we’re presented
with. Do the right thing:
next time you’re at Gamestop, pass on Microsoft’s
Xbox 360 and bring home
a truly meaningful gaming
experience (yes, there is
such a thing). We don’t
need to see a Project Gotham Racing 4.
Bakery nothing short of wonderful
by Ashraf Abbas
The deli sandwiches are hand-made “whileyou-wait” and come with a bag of chips and
soft drink. To add to the healthy incentive, everything made by Schlegl’s and its associates
attains the lowest level of carbs and calories
possible, while still managing to keep the taste
buds dancing whenever a doughnut joins the
party.
Not only does
Schlegl’s offer the best
cakes, cookies, brownies,
strudels that explode with
melting chocolate, layered
fudge, caramel, and
scrumptious fillings, but it
also manages to pump out
a steady line of deli sandwiches and meals. This
means that one can go in
and have lunch and desert
all in one swoop, which
is a valuable convenience
to almost everyone in a
school setting.
Schlegl’s is of German influence, having
Clair Walker, associate at Schleigl’s Bakery and Café, gives started eight years ago
a happy customer her purchase.
with Jeff Bornschlegl
Photo by Ashraf Abbas
as manager and handed
down to Sue Bornschlegl
miracle by the name of Schlegl’s Bakery and
who currently manages the Schlegl’s located
Café was sent down from heaven and just
on Foster. Jeff Bornschlegl is well-known for
happened to land at 3334 W. Foster.
his soft pretzels (which were deemed best in
As one enters the bakery, the first thing
Chicago).
noticeable is the textured Moroccan wall
And of course, these wonderful pretzels
fixtures and the light dancing off and around
are available at the bakery for everyone to
the stained glass of the delicate chandeliers,
enjoy. The main bakery is located down in
which are also Moroccan. The tables are arLincolnwood, which means that this is where
ranged in a casual and very intimate setting,
as to influence friendly relations between even the baking and sorting of products is done.
The products are shipped down every mornthe most unrelated groups. There is no better
ing from the Lincolnwood bakery, arriving
place to be than Schlegl’s when it comes to
just in time to satisfy the waiting customers.
sitting with friends while enjoying a good
Schlegl’s, being a family-owned business,
donut and some hot chocolate (especially
hopes to never lose its spunk as a casual and
when the weather is forty degrees below zero
friendly bakery to its community. The food
and dropping).
and company are great and obviously need no
‘Eating fresh’ is guaranteed when at
adjustments.
Schlegl’s, simply because it is Schlegl’s
It all comes down to the eye of the bestandard. The ingredients used in every one
holder, as that is where the true beauty lies.
of their products are pinky-sworn to be fresh.
With the anti-carb and anti-calorie feelings that currently plague our society, it has
become very hard to enjoy the simple pleasures of a delectable chocolate chip cookie,
or even a warm, soft pretzel. Fortunately for
Northside students (and also students from
North Park and Northeastern universities), a
A Simple Plan to take over Chicago
Punk bands perform at the Riviera
by Micah Tepora
It was a chilly Sunday afternoon on November 13, 2005, and a long line of eager fans
waited for the doors of the Riviera Theater
to open. That night’s concert did not start
until 5:30, but the line was already several
blocks long by 4:30. The fans that endured
the cold Chicago weather were waiting to see
performances by Paramore, Plain White T’s,
Straylight Run, and the highly anticipated
Simple Plan.
As the theater quickly filled up each minute passed with excitement, rising to the point
where even the smallest light changes on the
empty stage caused the audience to scream
and cheer exuberantly. At precisely 5:30, the
lights dimmed and the first band to perform
came on stage amidst the loud applause of
the audience.
Paramore, a new rock band hailing from
Tennessee, started their set with songs from
their debut album, All We Know Is Falling.
Lead singer, 16-year-old Hayley Williams,
sang songs such as “Pressure” and “Here We
Go Again” with such intensity and energy
that the attention of the crowd immediately
tuned in. Williams’ boldness added to the
show and the entire band showed that they
have the potential to stick around in the music
Fans cheer on the punk rock bands.
Photo by Micah Teporah
industry for quite a while. A
surprise came for the audience when, in the middle
of Paramore’s set, Simple
Plan’s bassist, David Desrosiers, came on stage inciting
a loud uproar and flashing
cameras.
Next up was Plain
White T’s. The cheer for
them was predictably
louder than the one given to
Paramore, due to the band’s
Chicago origin. The band
definitely increased the
crowd’s energy. One of their
final songs, “Hey There,
Delilah” was a special
favorite of the crowd, who
sang along. Then, two band
members from Simple Plan,
Desrosiers and lead vocalist Pierre Bouvier, came
on stage to sing with Tom
Higgenson, lead singer of
Plain White T’s; they were
greeted with yet another
roar of applause.
Next to
perform was
the alternative rock/
Paramore begins the night at the Riviera with adrenaline-filled guitar riffs by Josh Farro and Jason
indie band
Bynum.
Straylight
Photo by Micah Tepora
Run. The
band had
did not make sense to have included them in
During many of the songs, Bouvier left the
received mixed reviews for
the lineup. After a half hour, Straylight Run
singing to the audience who all showed how
their self-titled album, and that
ended their set, and received a polite cheer
well they knew the lyrics. Their set showed
night’s performance proved
from the crowd.
many characteristics of a rock show, with
the negative reviews correct
As the lights dimmed for the final act of
band members throwing guitar picks and
by dampening the heightened
the night, the crowd gave its loudest cheer.
drum sticks at the audience. They also occaenergy in the room. Straylight
Wailing sirens and flashing red lights quickly
sionally spit out water, which the crowd didn’t
Run’s mellower sound clashed
increased the audience’s anticipation. The
seem to mind at all.
horribly with the other bands’
lights finally hit the stage as the headliner of
With the combination of blinding lights
style of music. It was awkward
the tour, Simple Plan, began playing their
and ground-shaking music, Simple Plan
for Straylight Run to come
first song, “Shut Up!” They performed with
made sure that all of Chicago heard them
after two rock-type bands with
intense adrenaline amidst preteen girls shoutthat night. However, like all good things, the
their less energetic songs. Aling, “I love you”, and others screaming (or
concert had to end, with Simple Plan leaving
though their songs were wellsinging, it was hard to tell) along to the song.
their fans satisfied but secretly wanting more.
written with nice melodies, it
Page 12
Arts and Entertainment
The Hoof Beat
Pricey buy, but is it worth it?
Xbox 360 makes its debut
by Nadir Rashid
Microsoft finally released their most
recent product in electronic gaming on
November 22, 2005, personifying the perfection of future technology in the form of the
Xbox 360. This is the next step in digital
gaming and an especially large step for the
Microsoft Corporation. They have released
two versions of the system, one dubbed the
“Xbox 360: Core System,” which comes with
a wired controller, Xbox Live, and standard
cables, weighing in at $300. The other version
is the renowned “Xbox 360,” which comes
with a 20 GB hard drive, wireless controller,
headset, Xbox live, backwards compatibility
(only available with hard drive), and Ethernet
cables (for online gaming), weighing in at
$400. Microsoft is already well known for its
famous Windows Operating System, and the
original Xbox,
which proved to
be a wonderful
gaming system.
Seeing
how Microsoft
has had much
success with its
previous gaming
system, there is a
large chance that
they will have
this system flying
off the shelves
in a matter of
minutes.
The success
of Xbox 360
mainly revolves
around its superior internal parts,
high definition
graphics, and
an upcoming
massive variety
of games for any
gamer’s pleasure. The biggest aspect of Microsoft’s new breakthrough product is its astonishing graphics system. This mega-graphics system consists of a 20 GB hard drive,
with graphical support from a 500MHz ATI
graphics processor. In other words, this thing
truly packs a ton of power. This is basically
an IBM Power PC-based CPU; it is more of
a computer than both the Playstation 2 and
Xbox combined, which only had to deal with
rendering 3D animations to create simple
game play. Those systems would only have to
worry about getting the right color details and
having their 3D characters working properly.
The Xbox 360 has mastered rendering 3D
objects and is moving on to better its graphics
ability by capturing every single detail in a
game. For example, shadows, reflections on a
variety of different surfaces, and even respiration of characters are all rendered by the 360’s
superior graphics processor.
Microsoft’s prior creation, the Xbox,
was released in December of 2001 and has
become one of the most common gaming
systems in American and global households.
The Xbox was a big success, debuting a year
after the release of Microsoft’s major rival
system, the Sony Playstation 2. The Xbox
brought in considerable revenue for Microsoft and was at the top of gamers’ choice for
“Gaming System of the Year,” as reviewed by
About.com. With Xbox’s original debut causing much commotion and ranking Xbox as
the most popular gaming console, Microsoft’s
monetary gain was extensive. With the new
360, the public’s expectations are set high for
the system’s performance.
This system has been released along with
twenty-five games in time for the holiday
season. There are many more games coming
later, which will contribute to the future of
the system’s extensive library of games. This
library will consist of games in genres ranging
from racing to first-person shooters.
One of the top racing games on the Xbox
360 is Project Gotham Racing 3, which is the
newest iteration of the critically acclaimed
series. This racing game consists mainly of a
large variety of cars such as the well-known
Lamborghini and the speedy Ferrari which
are seen racing through the streets of Italy
and other destinations around the globe.
One of the major aspects of this game is its
astounding graphics, which show the most
precise of details.
Another major gaming title on the Xbox
360 is the extremely popular
NBA Live 06.
This game has
the most up to
date roster of
any NBA Live
game, and the
graphics are
going to astound gamers,
especially when
they see their
favorite players
and can identify them from
a court full of
ten aggressive
professional
basketball players.
Other
titles that are
available on
the Xbox 360
are Quake 4,
Madden NFL 06, NBA 2K6, and Need For Speed:
Most Wanted. These are the ideal holiday gifts
for the special someone in your life and are
sure to please.
This system is a great buy, especially for
people who already have the Xbox system or
those that consider themselves hardcore Xbox
fans. It is truly a great gift, and is worth every
penny. The Xbox 360 is sure to put a smile on
the gamer in your life.
The Walnut Room
A memorable dining experience
by Salim Patel
It’s getting cold outside. Northside and
the holiday season is in full swing. Shopping
will become secondary nature during the next
few weeks, but after hours of it, a person can
really work up an appetite. Unfortunately,
mall food sometimes just doesn’t cut it: for
the good stuff, head to The Walnut Room,
located in Marshall Field’s on State Street.
First opening its doors in 1907, with a
prime location in the second largest retail department store in the world,
The Walnut Room has been
pleasing its customers for
almost 100 years. The cuisine
offered is traditionally American, with an array of selections, from chicken potpies
to barbeque sandwiches. The
atmosphere is particularly
family friendly; the restaurant
caters even to the needs of its
smallest patrons, providing
a separate kid’s menu filled
with classics such as chicken
nuggets with French fries.
The Walnut Room has
something for every type of
eater. During lunch hours on
weekdays, which are often
the least busy, The Walnut
Room offers several appetizers, such as calamari, to
begin the meal. Their available entrees, which are well
portioned, are made with the
three main types of meat:
beef, chicken, and pork. They
also provide entrees with
fish, such as the herb-crusted
tilapia or the smoked salmon
sandwich. For vegetarians,
one dish to try is their flavorful spinach salad with mandarin oranges and almonds
with a light vinaigrette
dressing. As for dessert, some
The Walnut Room at Marshall Field’s graced by the giant delectable treats offered,
Christmas tree.
such as the crème brulée, or
Photo courtesy of www.fields.com
mint ice cream doused in
chocolate syrup, will always satisfy that sweet
tooth after a meal. To complete the dining
experience, the waiter bestows the party with
a complementary shortbread cookie in the
shape of a walnut.
The Walnut Room is not only enjoyed for
its food: the atmosphere during the holiday
season is especially warm. Every November,
along with its acclaimed decorated story windows, Marshall Field’s displays a 45-foot tall
Christmas tree that is themed differently every
year. This year, the tree has been decked out
in white and blue, along with 22,000 world
famous Swarovski crystals embedded in the
1,200 ornaments. Located in the middle of
the dining hall, this massive piece of art truly
arouses the holiday spirit and provides a
unique experience to those in the restaurant.
The restaurant is also offering a free collectable mug, which has a new design on it every
year, when one buys eggnog or one of their
traditional holiday drinks this season. Due
to the store’s name change to Macy’s, it will
be the last one of their series and will add
an especially memorable touch to the dining
experience.
As for the cost, the average tab per person
can be expected to be about $15, which is a
little pricy for the high school student. A good
suggestion is to use this as a place for a special
occasion like a birthday or a graduation gift.
Nonetheless, the great service and unbelievable food is well worth the price and shouldn’t
stop anyone from trying it out.
Take the opportunity to experience this
Chicago treasure once more during the holiday season, before the official name change,
by taking in the beauty of the decked out
halls around the entire store and the famous
animated windows outside, which depict the
Cinderella story this year. Ending a shopping
spree by eating at The Walnut Room will
surely make a pleasurable experience even
more memorable.
More than
just Jumanji
in space:
Zathura thrills
movie viewers
by Kana Yoo
Zathura, which opened in theaters
Friday, November 11, is a mind-blowing
adventure for all ages.
On a lazy Saturday morning, two
young brothers, Danny (Jonah Bobo)
and Walter (Josh Hutcherson), are
transported beyond the stars when they
play an old board game found below the
basement stairs. There’s no turning back
for the boys when they step out onto their
front porch and find their house floating
through the galaxy.
As they continue to play the game to
get home, the boys hit one challenge after
another, from freezing their older sister,
Lisa (Kristen Stewart), in cryogenic sleep,
to rescuing a stranded astronaut (Dax
Shepard).
Though the movie seems to be aimed
towards younger age groups, anyone
can enjoy the film. The amazing special
effects, which include big explosions
and attacking Zorgons, might appeal to
younger males, but the lessons of family
and brotherly loyalty make the film enjoyable to fans of the drama genre as well.
For those who have seen Jumanji
(1995), Zathura may seem like an exact
replica. The similarity is understandable;
both movies are based off of children’s
books by the same author, Chris Van
Allsburg. However, technology has
come a long way in the span of ten years.
Zathura’s floating meteors are far superior
to Jumanji’s awkward stampede of clearly
artificial animals.
Both movies have the same premise
of embarking on an adventure through a
board game. However, Zathura has new
characters and a highly original story plot
with more twists than Jumanji.
While Jumanji takes place over a period of many years across a city, Zathura
focuses on one family in a house during
a single day. The contained setting allows
the audience to feel a greater immediacy
in the plot.
To further compare the two movies, it
is necessary to examine the acting. True,
Official movie poster of Zathura
Photo courtesy of www.amazon.com
Dax Shepard, from Ashton Kutcher’s
reality series, Punk’d, does not hold a
candle to Robin Williams’ flame of talent. This is not to say that Zathura does
not have its share of acting ability. Tim
Robbins, from such films as Shawshank
Redemption and Mystic River, plays the role
of the young boys’ father, and the two
child actors successfully carry the film
throughout its course. The family dynamics flow naturally and the emotions are
convincing and genuine.
For its touching story, amazing visuals, and great adventure, Zathura deserves
a chance to be seen, even if the title is
impossible to pronounce.
December 2005
The long awaited dream:
Arts and Entertainment
Page 13
A Harry Potter movie that isn’t bad!
by Michelle Zacarias
October 18, 2005 was an especially magical day for Harry Potter
fans around the world: it was the
opening day for the new movie The
Goblet of Fire, which was roughly
based on the fourth Harry Potter
book. People rushed to the theatres,
ready to wait a good four hours in
line so that they could get a seat. A
crowd formed in the theatre’s lobby
and spiraled all the way out
the door, and from a distance,
looking at the AMC theatre,
one might have mistakenly
confused the mob for a celebrity sighting.
Harry Potter and the Goblet
of Fire was one of the best of
the six books written so far
by J.K. Rowling, so many
hoped the movie would stand
up to the book’s expectations.
Nevertheless, there was quite a
low standard set for The Goblet
of Fire after the previous three
movies, which were thrown
off by many of the hormonal
changes that the actors were
going through (it was difficult
to see the loving Ron squeak
through his lines). Yet Mike
Newell, the director of The
Goblet of Fire, managed to
take the spectacular story and
convert it into an almost-asspectacular film.
The movie is definitely
above anything that was
expected. The actors, finally
through their pubescent stage,
are exceptionally better than
they had been in the last three
movies. Rupert Grint, who
plays Ron in the movie, is one
of the leading actors in The
Goblet of Fire. He uses expressive faces and intriguing voices
to emphasize Ron’s loving,
but rather wimpy character. It
has now also become obvious
in the movie that Hermione,
played by Emma Watson, and Ron
have gone to the next level of their
friendship. There is a heart-wrenching scene in the movie in which
Ron gets jealous of Victor Krum
when he goes to the Yule Ball with
Hermione, and both actors manage
to convince the audience of their
true feelings for each other. Ron
plays an overly jealous character in
the movie. Not only was he upset
at Hermione for going to the ball
with Krum, but he was furious at
Harry for entering the Triwizard
Tournament. There was a lot of
tension between characters that just
increased the suspense in the story.
ally growing up, and not merely
living in the happy make believe
world of magic. On the same note,
Cho Chang, Harry’s love interest, is
finally introduced. This gives Harry,
played by Daniel Radcliff, a little
more of an emotional swing to his
acting capabilities. With all of the
love and jealousy overflowing, the
movie resembles a fairytale soap
ible: from being chased by a firebreathing dragon, to having a wand
duel with Voldemort, Harry is on
top of it. Daniel Radcliff managed
this movie not through his great acting skills but rather his ability to roll
with the storyline. He was required
to perform a huge number of stunts,
and most of them involved Harry
Potter barely escaping a near-death
At one point there is a shocking but
long awaited moment in the movie
when Ron angrily tells Harry to
“piss off,” and although it was sad
to see the child-like Harry Potter
book changing with such suddenness, it is a tremendous relief to
know that the characters are actu-
opera and becomes rather mushy
at one point but is quickly balanced
out by a burst of action-packed
adventure.
The movie’s climax is built
through many tasks that Harry must
face in the Triwizard Tournament.
The action in this movie is incred-
experience. Each task brings in new
and challenging obstacles, something that was thoroughly enjoyable,
as it is finally possible to see the
much loved Harry do something
besides get into verbal fights with
Draco Malfoy
There are many new charac-
He can hit a high note, but do we care?
New artist Marcos Hernandez debuts
by Shoaib Ali
Aspiring pop artist, Marcos Hernandez,
with his album, “C About Me,” certainly
knows how to impress a music listener. He offers different rhythms that make him a one-ofa-kind singer. Born in Phoenix, Arizona and
raised in the Dallas/Ft. Worth region, as his
biography states on www.marcosonline.com,
Hernandez spent much of his adolescent
years fulfilling his desire to sing. As part of
his junior high school choir, he took formal
vocal training from ages 12 to 18.
Having had two primary instructors, he
said, “One taught me how to sing and the
other taught me what to sing. Both went hand
in hand.”
Hernandez grew up listening to a variety
of artists and music genres. This included
Motown, as well as the Latin sounds of
Mariachi.
The first time his single, “If You Were
Mine,” was heard, there was an initial reaction that it was like every other boy-band
song. However, this is not the case. Hernandez truly has talent. It feels like he puts honest
effort into his music. That is one important
aspect of a vocalist: passion.
There is no doubt that Hernandez has
passion for music; while listening, one would
note how naturally he sings the notes that
match the rhythm and tone of the song. For
many R&B and pop songs, there is a similar
beat and tempo that is supposed to drive
the song into the ear canals of music lovers.
Hernandez’s music, on the other hand, does
not overuse beats. His tempo is unique and
easy to follow along. Hernandez’s voice creates a tune where one can easily follow and
sing along to, with his lyrics. With a combination of different melodies and percussion
sounds, one can accurately guess at what
Hernandez’s music is. His songs feature
instruments that influence many pop
songs. His production team creates a pace
for beats that makes it simple and enjoyable for young couples to dance along
to. Hernandez’ music and lyrics bring a
desire to be with a crush, and this, while
powerful in its way, limits his appeal to a
more general audience.
Although he is talented and granted
with exceptional producers, Hernandez is
one of the many, many artists who decide
to sing about love along with R&B/pop
beats. The music audiences have already
heard about the girl they never had and
the girl that broke their hearts. There is
a lot of competition he will have to face,
in the likes of Justin Timberlake and
another new artist, Ne-Yo. The radio
already has enough slow jams in rotation.
While it is possible for Hernandez to gain
a great amount of publicity and his songs
may play in a few radio stations, his music would definitely have to prove to be
apart from the rest. He has the talent to
excel in the music industry, but his career
is ultimately dependent upon the listener.
Hernandez has to distinguish himself
from others for him proceed to the next
level. It is not about his music being
good enough, it is about his voice getting
heard, and these days’ audiences seek
something different in artists and genres.
Maybe he should sing more in Spanish
than in English. Either way, he will have
to step it up. But whether he earns himself Album cover of Marcos Hernandez’s album “C About Me”
Photo courtesy of www.amazon.com
radio play or not, consumers will not regret buying his album, “C About Me.”
ters introduced as well, such as
Victor Krum, played by Stanislav
Lanevski. Not only did he play
his role well, but he was definite
eye candy for those uninterested
in Harry Potter. Clemence Poesy,
also known as Fleur Delacour,
was an exceptional actress as well;
she displayed the grace and stance
of her exotic character. However,
it is disappointing that she does
not fit the description of the
heart stopping, unearthly Veela,
from The Goblet of Fire book.
Newell directed the film decently well. Although the scene
transitions were rather choppy,
he allowed a darker side of the
book to be perceived. He chose
to add a lot of small clues in
the movie that would hint of
upcoming events. However
there was a lack of emphasis on
his part in focusing on the short
Quidditch scene at the beginning of the movie.
The choreography was well
planned, each character moved
through their scenes smoothly,
and this helped make sure that
there was not a dull moment
in the film. The special effects
were much improved since the
last three movies; they allowed
more realistic stunts scenes and
added suspense and action.
The movie is great, and although it will never achieve the
high standards of the amazing
books that J.K. Rowling produces, it has developed certain
quality characteristics within
itself. The actors are becoming more experienced, as seen
through the series of emotional
rollercoaster rides they take the
audience on.
Not only is the story great,
but also the stunts are excellent
and visual affects are breathtaking. Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire is the best Harry Potter movie
yet: it’s exhilarating and intriguing. The Goblet of Fire allows
everyone to feel the magic once
again; it sends fans home satisfied, ready to face fire breathing
dragons, and battle dark lords.
Page 14
Sports
The Hoof Beat
Young team, big dreams:
Northside’s Chess Team strives to be the best
by Mohammad Rahman
enced sophomore members, James CasperNorthside’s Chess team is a rising star.
strategize new moves. It is a great way to
few tournaments against various different
shipp, Adv. 811, Faraz Khan, Adv. 810, and
Originally starting out as a club, it officially
spend the afternoons after a tough and chalschools, such as Lane Tech, and a couple in
Ray Berkman, accompany the new team
became a team last year. The team meets
lenging day at school.”
the suburbs,” said Faraz Khan. “I hope that
members. Jonathan Rios, Adv. 810, is the
every Tuesday and Thursday for about an
The team plans to play Lane Tech, Paythe chess team will have a great season this
captain of the chess team and also the recipihour to practice in Room 134. Other than
ton, and Whitney Young, the 2004 Citywide
year and someday we will be the citywide
ent of the prestigious Mustang Award, which
this, most members also attend the chess colChess Champions. They are also awaiting
champs, just as Whitney Young was last
is given to the player who has improved the
loquium every Wednesday.
invitations from nearby suburban high schools year.”
most over the season.
“We are going to have a much better
such as Niles West, Glenbrook North and
“Don’t worry, you’ve got all these great
“Chess Team is awesome,” said James
season this year,” said Ray Berkman, Adv.
New Trier East.
freshmen this year,” said Matt Ramir. “I think
Gomez. “It gives me the chance to think and
811. “This is because we have many new
“We had a great season last year with a
we’ve got a great team this year!”
members.”
Meeting attendance rates are high
compared with other clubs and teams, with
almost everybody on the team coming,
even if it means for only several minutes.
In practice sessions, team members usually
compete among themselves or split up into
two groups to play matches.
“The best part about the chess team is
that almost anyone can join if they have
the passion to play chess,” said Matt Ramir,
Adv. 900. “Other than this, there are no
hard tryouts at all. If you don’t want to play
for the team, but just want to play a game
of chess, you can still come in and demonstrate your skills, but only the top eight players will actually play in the tournaments.”
During individual matches the players strive to improve their strategies and,
occasionally, players will even try out new
tactics to win the games. The main aim of
group matches is to learn new tactics from
peers and to observe other people’s moves.
Everyone takes turns to move a piece during group matches.
“We have yet to have our first match
this season,” said Mr. Tom McCluskey,
Coach of the Northside Chess Team. “We
did better than most schools, but we could
always improve our ratings.”
The one thing that all players keep in
mind is to say “check-mate” only once
during a match. After practicing, the team
members usually cool off their brains by
consuming soft drinks; a few players even
play Halo on the Xbox.
“It’s like a family of eight or more guys
in a small box who meet twice a week and
they all ponder over an eight by eight square
with thirty-two pieces,” said David Fitzgerald, Adv. 607, the only senior to return to
the team this year.
David Fitzgerald, Adv. 607, and James Caspershipp, Adv. 811, ponder thoughtfully about which piece to move next.
Many new players joined the team this
year, including Sam Hamer, Adv. 905, James Photo by Mohammad Rahman
Gomez, Adv. 903, and Matt Ramir. Experi-
Northside swimmers shred competition at City
by Zlatana Alibegovic
Their lockers are covered in
posters, and they have been spotted
roaming the halls in their “Hell
Week” shirts. The women’s varsity
and junior varsity swim teams were
hard at work all season, under the
watchful eyes of Coach Carlos Ceja
and Assistant Coach Ed Stranc,
who were preparing them for what
was the most important meet of the
year, the City Championships.
On Wednesday, November 2,
the Women’s Varsity Swim Team
headed to Whitney Young for their
city preliminaries, where they experienced tremendous success and
decreasing time intervals. Their next
step was the City Competition, held
on Friday, November 4, at UIC.
The crowds cheered as Northside
swimmers witnessed massive time
decreases.
“How everyone finished timewise was great,” said Coach Ceja.
Northside finished in second place,
with 244 points, right behind Lane
Tech, which claimed first place with
311 points. In third place was Whitney Young with 214 points.
Swimmers were awarded
16 points for 1st place, 13
for 2nd, 12 for 3rd, 10 for
4th, 9 for 5th, 8 for 6th, 7
for 7th, 5 for 8th, 4 for 9th,
3 for 10th, 2 for 11th, and 1
for 12th.
“Second place is nothing to be ashamed of,”
explained varsity swimmer
Corey Kasten, Adv. 708,
Coach Ceja’s star varsity
swimmer.
Corey Kasten went on
to compete for the state
finals at sectionals; she was
2/10 of a second off from
the qualifying time for the
50 yard freestyle, as the
qualifying time was set at
24.99 seconds.
“I’m upset I didn’t
make it, but there’s always
next year,” she said.
“That’s hard,” said
Coach Ceja, who was supporting her efforts 100%.
“She worked hard, but
I have no doubt she can
make it next year.”
The junior varsity swim
team experienced similar
luck. Dedicated Northside
Coach Carlos Ceja shows off the Women’s Varsity Swimming Team’s plaque to Winona Lozada, Adv. 803. The
swimmers spent day in and
team was the runer-up at the City Championships.
day out working on their
Photo by Zlatana Alibegovic
techniques and on decreas-
ing their times. Practices ran from
3:45 until 6 p.m. Many swimmers
said that their efforts paid off when
they were awarded a second place
finish to Lane. The final scores
placed Lane in first place with 324
points, Northside with 227 points,
and Von Steuben in third place with
153 points.
“We had a good number of
freshmen,” said Coach Ceja, who
was happy with the freshmen turnout this season.
Freshman Lynnette Ardies, Adv.
903, describes the season as “stressful at times, but fun!”
As far as winning City next
year, Coach Ceja remains hopeful.
Next year the team hopes to have
many returning sophomores. This
year, out of twelve junior varsity
swimmers, Northside only had four
sophomores, compared to the eight
sophomores that Lane had out of
fourteen swimmers. Coach Ceja
says that there is that and only one
more factor that will determine next
year’s results, which will be determined by how high the team’s level
of swimming goes up.
Coach Ceja highlighted the
importance of time, not the importance of placing. On average, for
every one swimmer Northside gets,
Lane Tech gets four experienced
swimmers.
Nonetheless, Northside swimmers say that they had a great
season.
“I feel like we all improved one
way or another!” said Winona Lozada, Adv. 803, before jokingly adding, “I am so not looking forward to
next year!”
December 2005
Sports
Page 15
Bowling for buoyancy
Men’s Bowling Team earns respect in division
by Idrees Mohiuddin
Coach Doc Kusch has returned to Northside for his second
year as coach of the Men’s Bowling Team. Last year, Coach
Kusch almost led a roster full of experience to the playoffs,
which the team missed by one game. However, last year’s squad
consisted of entirely seniors, and that doesn’t necessarily bode
well with the team’s chances of advancing beyond the regular
season this year.
“Last year’s group was a pretty experienced group,” said
Coach Kusch. “This year’s group is pretty young as serious
bowlers and the majority of our bowlers have to work on
mechanics.”
With no returning bowlers to this year’s team, the team
has still performed impressively with an even record of 2-2
through the first four games in the Red/North Division.
The Mustangs began the season with a win against
Amundsen, followed by a loss against Von Steuben,
then another win against Lake View, followed by a loss
against Lane. The Mustangs find themselves in fourth
place with three games left on the schedule.
In bowling matches, the two teams compete in a best
of three series. In addition to the winner being the
team that takes two games, there is an additional
system for tabulating score that reflects in the
standings. For each game that is won, a team earns
two points. Additionally, each team can earn one
point for having the most total pins knockeddown. However, the Men’s Bowling Team is in
fourth place with either method for tabulating the
team’s standings in the division.
“I hope that we make the playoffs,”
said Joe Rodriguez, Adv. 604. “At this
point we’re just taking it one game at a
time. We want to do well and we know
that where we place in the standings matters, but we need to make sure that in the
end we’re all doing the best that we can
and that we’re enjoying this experience.”
Practices are held twice a week
for the bowlers. They meet on
Thursdays after school to do some
weightlifting in the weight room.
On Sunday mornings, the
team meets at Waveland Bowl to
work on mechanics and game-like situations.
“We have to get a consistent form down and work on
maintaining it,” said Ryan Keleher, Adv. 604. “Coach does
a good job at preparing us, and we’ve seen improvement in
our performance as a team as the season has gone on.”
The recent performance of the team has been encouraging to both the bowlers and to the coach. In a match
against Lane, the Mustangs were within striking distance
in the final game of the series, down by 30 pins. Although
the team lost, the morale has been quite high thereafter.
“After playing Lane it seemed like the guys had a big
confidence boost,” said Coach Kusch. “Lane hasn’t lost in
three years and we almost beat them in the last game of
that match. That game just might be the upswing that our
team needed to make the most of our season.”
Northside Men’s Swim Team
Continued from back page
varsity team should have won first place,
but didn’t due to a controversial decision by
the officials. The junior varsity also did pretty
well, as we got second place in the city.”
The varsity team graduated several key
swimmers last school year, among them star
swimmer Daniel Neely, City Champion in
both the Freestyle and Butterfly strokes. Also
conspicuously gone from the team are Tomas
Rodriguez, Tim O’Connor, Chris Keenan and
Moustafa Kharouta. The three divers, Alan
Vuong, Alex Zook, and Arman Butt have also
graduated, and two new divers are replacing
them. This year is the first time Adolfo Luna,
Adv. 603, and Abijith Kowligy, Adv. 710,
have dived.
The team hopes to compensate for the
alumni with existing swimmers as well
as some new talent. William T. Hagen is
expected to dominate both the 50 and 100
Yard Freestyles, while Max Swiatlowski, Adv.
603, and Max Kakacek, Adv. 803, could be
continuing their healthy rivalry in the 100
Yard Breaststroke, though the elder Max has
lately been favoring the Butterfly stroke. The
100 Yard Butterfly will also be covered by
Jeff Kowar, Adv. 802, and Julian Dale, Adv
804, is the team’s backstroker. It is not yet
clear, however, who is also expected to swim
the 200 or 400 Yard IM, which consists of all
four strokes.
One promising candidate is a freshman,
Fabian Flexas, Adv. 900, who is now one of
the fastest swimmers on the team overall.
“Fabian Flexas is one of the extremely
strong swimmers, from the crop of new talent that we received this year,” said William
Hagen.
The newcomers, both freshmen and sophomores, are turning out relatively fast times,
but because there haven’t been any meets yet,
they have no personal records to break yet.
“I looking forward to a great season,” said
Michael Burt, “with the new freshmen.”
“It’s been getting better and easier,” said,
Michael Wojcik, Adv. 907. “I seem to be getting the hang of it, and it’s also getting pretty
fun. It’s a good workout and a really good
feeling after practice.”
The workouts are prepared by Coach
Carlos Ceja. For several years Coach Ceja
has coached the Men’s Swimming Team at
Northside. He is coaching a team that has
consistently scored right below first place, but
many hope that this is the year for victory.
“One of the challenges for the team is that
we shouldn’t get overconfident in our abilities,” said William Hagen.
Personal effort, team spirit and cooperation seem to be the key to a successful season,
and the swim team is known for its positive
attitude.
“Hilarity will ensue [on the swim team],”
said Patrick O’Connor, Adv. 708.
Mustangs back at it
Women’s Varsity Basketball wins first game
by Amanda Perez
Last year’s success and hard
work is evident in this season’s
Women’s Varsity Basketball Mustangs who, after only a few short
weeks, are pumped up and ready
for this upcoming season. Many of
the former players have returned for
this year’s team, forming a roster of
10 athletes. Starting last November
with familiar faces all around, the
players felt comfortable and confident enough to come together to
win their first game of the season.
“We only lost one player last
year, who was a senior, so mostly
everyone is back,” said Mary Shelus, Adv. 703. “We are all well experienced since we played together
last season. So I think that will help
in leading us to a really great season
this year.”
Within a few weeks the players
were able to learn different plays
and get back into shape for their
first game. They played in a tournament at Willowbrook High School,
from Friday, November 18th, when
they crushed Maine East High
School, 61-38, in their first game, to
Friday, November 25th.
They continued on in the tournament to play against four more
schools: St. Benedict (66-15), Willowbrook (30-32), Oak Park (34-44),
and Driscoll (39-34). They finished
the tournament with a winning
record of 3-2.
Last season, the team’s overall
record was 17-13, so this year their
goal is to improve and take the team
all the way to State Championships.
The team this year has three returning starters, Patty Duffy, Adv. 601,
who plays as a guard or a forward,
Mary Shelus, Adv. 703, who also
plays as a guard or a forward, and
Angie Nizio, Adv. 710, who is a
guard.
The team has two new additions to the starting line-up, Alyssa
Anderson, Adv. 804, who is a forward, and Nikki Inniss, Adv. 706,
who plays
as a forward
or a guard.
Together
they make
a starting
line-up that
is difficult
to compete
against.
Starter
Angie Nizio,
Adv. 710, currently holds
the record for
Northside’s women’s
varsity basketball program in career steals
with 234, and she still
has this season and
her whole senior year
before her. Another
starter, Mary Shelus,
Adv. 703, is also ranked
among Northside’s top
career stealers with 122
steals.
The team’s reserves, Maggie Wrona,
Adv. 703, Rhianna Rey,
Adv. 809, Kathy Gorecki, Adv. 706, Massiel
Garcia, Adv. 605, and
Andrea Garcia, Adv.
707, are also very
essential to this team
because they all have
various skills that are
crucial at certain points
in a game. The team is
well rounded with not
only good re-bounders,
such as Patty Duffy,
Adv. 601, and shooters,
such as Angie Nizio,
Adv. 710, but also good
defenders and passers,
such as Mary Shelus,
Adv. 703, who seem to
always find the open
shooter at the exact
moments. With a team
Kerri Sheey, Adv. 803 stutter-steps her teamate, Alex Prusko, Adv. 903 as she
as skilled as this year’s practices for an upcoming game.
squad, expectations ap- Photo by Salim Patel
pear to be pretty high
for this season.
Page 16
Sports
Khan-Ya
Hear Me?
Overpaid
athletes
by Asrar Khan
If there is one player I am excited to see
entering the NFL next year, it’s Matt Leinart. If I had a vote for Sportsman of the
Yyear, I would cast it for Leinart, the heart
and soul of USC; he has gone 37-1 as the
starting quarterback for perhaps the greatest college dynasty ever assembled. Leinart
could have had it all this year: a $50 million
contract along with a starting quarterback
job in the NFL.
Instead, he chose not to enter the 2005
NFL draft, and, in effect, chose his twobedroom apartment and his only class of
the semester, Ball Room Dancing, over the
perennial glory of the NFL. Indeed, over
the past ten or so years, Leinart’s kind has
been a rare breed in professional sports.
Who would pass up all the money, risking
injury? In an era where money rules sports,
Leinart’s decision is one to marvel at. The
NBA and MLB have guaranteed contracts; that is, a team cannot simply “cut”
a player because of injury or ineffective
performance. They must pay the player the
entire portion of his salary, as evidenced
by our very own Cubs paying Sammy “Yo
no hablo ingles” Sosa $18 million to stay
off the team. The NFL, on the other hand,
unfortunately does not have guaranteed
contracts. If a team has had enough of you,
you’re sent packing.
This is a testament to the powerless
capabilities of the NFL union. How is it
that in a league in which guys risk breaking
legs, ribs and heads on every play, the players cannot negotiate some type of plan for
guys who get injured? These players have
to resort to unorthodox methods to get the
contracts they rightfully deserve—holdouts.
And when the players do reluctantly turn to
holdouts, the media blast them and make
them seem selfish and egotistical. The
Chargers' Antonio Gates, who held out
briefly during training camp, was making
$380,000 a year. The most productive tight
end in football, his touchdown production
could no longer be ignored for such a minimal salary. The media asks, "Why doesn't
Gates keep his mouth shut and play football?" Well, it’s hard to play football when
you’re making the league minimum and
still turning in 13 touchdowns a season.
He’s a freak injury away from having no
financial future, just as what happened to
Javon Walker. Making the league minimum
of $515,000, he rightfully demanded a new
contract after having a breakout season
in 2004 with 89 catches and 1,382 yards.
After holding out and enduring unfair criticisms from Brett Favre, Walker returned to
play football, earning yet again the league
minimum despite being one of the top
receivers in the league. He did not get a
new contract, and instead tore his ACL in
the very first game this year, and now has a
career and financial future in doubt.
On the other hand, it’s hard to justify
the crazy guaranteed contracts in the NBA
and MLB. I mean, if Rafael Furcal ($13
million) is making more money than Paul
Konerko ($12 million), then either the
market must be altered or better general
managers (with better business skills) must
be put in place. In the MLB, the average
player salary is $3 million; the NBA, on
the other hand, has an average salary of
$4.9 million, with hugely bloated contracts
of players such as the incumbent Tim
Thomas, Anfernee Hardaway, and Jerome
James’ newly signed $32 million contract
with the Knicks. By the way, the Knicks are
officially the stupidest team in the league,
with the worst money management skills.
By giving $50 and $60 million contracts
to overrated players—Eddy Curry, Jerome
James, Jamal Crawford, Malik Rose,
Shannon Anderson—the Knicks have put
themselves in a financial hole for years to
come. If these players can get guaranteed
contracts just for being in the NBA, surely
NFL players, with a mean salary of about
$1.3 million, deserve at the very least guaranteed contracts. The NFL is very unfair to its
players, and I just can’t see why the players
put up with this. I mean, the coaches in
the NFL have guaranteed contracts; Steve
Mariucci will be paid $13 million for the
next two year not to coach the dreadful
Lions. What a joke, I daresay. I say go back
and give NFL players, the true gladiators of
sports, exactly what they deserve.
The Hoof Beat
The Northside Mustangs stampede
into another basketball season
by Sejla Dizdarevic
The days are getting
shorter and the weather is
getting colder but there is
one thing that brings light
to the gloominess: basketball season is coming
around the corner. Fans
can expect great things
from Northside’s four
teams this year.
Coach Mike Hinrichs, coach of the mens’
freshmen basketball team,
shared his goals for this
season.
"The goal is to have
fun and win a few games
as well as teaching fundamentals and skills,” said
Coach Hinrichs. “Also, to
get the freshmen ready for
the sophomore basketball
team."
The star players of the
freshmen team are Eric
Nelson, Adv. 905, Benjamin Garcia, Adv. 909, and
Spencer Rosenfeld, Adv.
909. Benjamin Garcia and
Spencer Rosenfeld were
voted team captains by
fellow freshmen teammates.
The players listed
what they were looking
forward to in this season.
"Dunking, working
to get better, working on
shots, winning games,
and making the team
Chris Kolovos, Adv. 606 evades the opponents to earn an assist on James Smithgrattan’s, Adv. 706,
next year," said Benjamin point.
Garcia.
Photo by Sejla Dizdarevic
"Doing the best the
team can and having a
good season," said Eric Nelson.
how to play as well as varsity."
three sports, basketball, baseball, and soccer. “[I
"Crushing old competition without mer"Winning games," said Conor Camp.
am] looking forward to playing home games at
cy!" said Spencer Rosenfeld proudly, without
“Our goal is to build team chemistry,”
Northside with great cheerleading, poms, and
a moment of thought.
said Salman Karim, Adv. 811. “As we learn
fans, to develop home floor character."
Other players on the team had similar
to play as a team, we accomplish more on
"The team has lost about 30-35 points a
hopes for the season.
the court and off the court.”
game just by loosing Rob Eshman last year,”
"Learn the game," said Yonas Zewdie,
The junior varsity men's basketball team said Coach Weincord, another coach for the
Adv. 901.
coach, Coach Bill Yeh, has some goals this
varsity team. “This year, they have to realize
Shaheed Ghlgha, Adv. 902, said he looks
year as well, “The goal this season is for
they need to work together in order to have a
forward to "winning games."
everyone to develop to varsity level and to
successful season."
Dilraj Sekhon, Adv. 907, on the other
have a winning season.”
"We have a great bunch of guys, and if we
hand, said he is looking forward to "dunking
The star players on the junior varsity
work together, we can achieve a lot," said Munir
and women."
team are James Smith Grattan, Adv. 706
Ahamed, Adv. 709.
"We have three goals this season,” said
and Tito Garza, Adv. 701.
Robert Garcia, Adv. 706 said, "I'm hoping
Dave Ruehl, coach of the sophomore team.
James Smith Grattan, Adv. 706, said,
to get better as a player and work together as a
“They are, first to prepare the sophomore
"I’m looking forward to getting a new and
team, which leads to successful seasons," said
team to play varsity for Coach Horn, second
better coach who has a good plan for the
Robert Garcia, Adv. 706.
is to make the sophomore team become the
season."
"I hope to make the team better,” said John
best individual players they can be, and third
The coach of the varsity men’s team,
Kinsler, Adv. 907, as the only freshman on the
is to win."
Coach Horn, has two goals for the varsity
varsity team.
"The coach works us hard,” said the star
team this season.
Micheal Burke said, “I am hoping to finish
players for the sophomore basketball team,
"Our goal is to stay in the red division,
in top four in the conference and not drop down
Mackenzie Rivers, Adv. 807, and Conor
which is the number one division,” said
to the blue division. I hope a lot of people come
Camp, Adv. 800. “He is strict yet funny. He
Coach Horn.“[Our] second goal is to make
to the games because it is boring to play when
works us hard to make us better."
sure all players have fun."
there are no fans. We are going to be good this
When asked what they are expecting for
Mike Burke (Adv. 601) is the star player
season because we have a lot of seniors on the
this season, Mackenzie Rivers said, "Learning
of the varsity team. He is the star player of
team.”
Springing off the blocks
Seastang season preview
by Ilya Chalik
After a long day of
hitting the books they hit
the water. For the next two
hours, they swim a countless
number of laps, practicing
for what many hope to
be a very competitive, yet
successful season. They are
the Seastangs, better known
as the Northside Men’s
Swimming and Diving Team.
The season for the
Seastangs officially began on
November 21, after several
weeks of conditioning. During those weeks, there was
heated discussion of what
the coming season would
have in store.
William Hagen, Adv. 604 swims through a practice lap. He will be swimming the 50 yard freestyle and
“I’m looking forward to defend his City Championship title.
improving and developing
Photo by Shoaib Khan
with the rest of the team,”
Swimming and Diving Team
varsity also won second place
moved up to varsity.
said William T. Hagen, Adv. 604.
finished in a close second place in behind Lane, but this year, two
“We did pretty darn well last
“I hope I can get to state this year
the City Championships last year, formerly junior varsity swimseason,” said Ryan Jansen. “The
[for the 50 Yard Freestyle].”
ceding first place to Lane, their
mers, Michael Burt, Adv. 700,
The Northside Men’s Varsity
Continued to page 15 as
long-standing rival. The junior
and Ryan Jansen, Adv. 707, have
“Northside’s Men Swim Team”