2 Features
Paw Print
PAW PRINT October 2013
Teacher babies: first edition By Kami Woods Staff Writer
Check out some of Payton’s staff’s cutest babies! Can you guess whose child is whose? Find the answers online at paytonpawprint.com. Number 1:
NaNoWriMo begins Nov. 1 By Elizabeth Shirk Staff Writer
Number 2:
Walter Payton College Preparatory High School 1034 North Wells Street Chicago, IL 60610 phone: (773) 534-0034 fax: (773) 534-0035 www.wpcp.org Principal: Tim Devine
James Malnati ‘15 writes the tentative plot line for his NaNoWriMo novel. Photo by Elizabeth Shirk
Assistant Principals: David Adamji Michele Washington
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Number 3:
Number 4:
Sam Kelly Leah Steans-Gail
LAYOUT EDITORS Mia Rynearson Elizabeth Shirk
PHOTO EDITORS Andy Bermeo Alyssa Estrada Kaily Nagel
SECTION EDITORS
Art , Violeta Lialios-Bouwman Distribution and Exchange, Ellie Vachuska and Hannah Berman Entertainment, Olivia Piazza Media, Samantha Cousino Op/Ed, Eli Newberger Photography, Brian Tam Sports, Ryan Krull and Ethan May
PAW PRINT STAFF Amber Ali Lileana Calvillo Yanira Gonzalez Julia Huebner Mattison Johnston James Malnati Jacob Marrison Katya Mazon Mike Mazurkiewicz Victor McMahon Emma Oehring Isaly Palacios Brianna Scott Dennis Sotelo Hindeke Tewodros Wade Wagner Kamaria Woods Monika Wysocka
FACULTY ADVISOR Michelle Mowery
Strasbourg exchange: the dos and don’ts of hosting an exchange student at Payton By James Malnati Staff Writer
Hosting an exchange student is an extremely enriching experience. It allows you to learn firsthand about a unique culture that you might not have had prior interaction with otherwise. During the two weeks I had an exchange student, I learned many interesting things about French culture that I would have never been taught from a teacher or a textbook, even though I have been taking French for six years. However, there are many steps one must take to make sure that the experience is enjoyable for the exchange student as well. In this way, both the host and the exchange student can have a pleasurable and safe two weeks. When your student arrives, give him or her some time to become comfortable in a new home and allow them to email their family and friends. Then, even if you have already been communicating with your student, spend some time getting to know them and their interests. This way, you can plan activities and events accordingly. Make sure to learn about any allergies the student might have. It is very important to find out who the student’s friends are on the exchange and communicate with their hosts because the student
Both the Payton and Yourcenar students had a fun, enjoyable, and enriching two weeks. Photo courtesy of Alicia Gonzalez will be more comfortable with their friends. However, not every event needs to be a group activity. It’s natural for the first few days to be awkward for both the student and the host. Do not stress out if your student isn’t very social or talkative. Allow the first few days to teach your student about your schedule such as when you eat meals and when you normally go to bed. While you should try to fit in at least one activity after school each day, even if it is something small, don’t feel obligated to stay out late each night. When you get home, give your
student some alone time to go on Facebook or decompress while you finish your homework. Try to maintain a balance between eating out and eating at home. While you might think it’s necessary to take your student to all of your favorite restaurants, foreign students really enjoy a homemade meal. When at restaurants, make sure to answer all questions your student might have about certain foods. Make sure to allow your student to experience a myriad continued on p.3
50,000 words, 30 days, one novel. This is the challenge issued to all aspiring writers who need that final push to transcribe their thoughts onto the page. For many, the month of November has been dubbed the “National Novel Writing Month” after the non-profit organization by the same name, or NaNoWriMo for short. The organization encourages people to take up the challenge of writing their own novel. Since its birth in 1999, NaNoWriMo has grown from twenty-one to over three hundred thousand participants. The rules: starting November 1, the participant must write a novel of at least 50,000 words. What exactly is a novel? The official NaNoWriMo site says that a novel “is a lengthy work of fiction” and adds “if you believe you’re writing a novel, we believe you’re writing a novel too.” Any theme, any genre, any language, any format is allowed, allowing writers the opportunity to write unrestrictedly. Throughout the year, people begin to formulate their plot and create their characters so that on November 1 they are able to dive right into their novels. This gives writers a head start and prepares them for the daunting task ahead: an average of almost 1700 words per day. Considering how difficult this is for many people, there is a surprising number of people who have had their stories published by well-known publishing companies such as Penguin Publishing and Scholastic Books, and more writers took up the initiative to selfpublish. To participate, visit the National Novel Writing Month official website at http://nanowrimo.org.
Start writing on November 1!